Sunday, January 1, 2017

Captain Ralph's logs. The life of a delivery captain.

The life of a boat delivery captain is more often than not a easy or glamorous job. They can delivery new boats, not so new boats, and boats they wished they never stepped on the deck of. My friend Ralph has been doing this for a long time and as a consequence he has learned bad stuff on boats can and will happen on occasion. Engines crap out always at the worst times. They can also on occasion catch fire or sink. Navigation electronics and autopilots fail when you need them the most and the weather always has to be accommodated. The list of stuff that inconveniently breaks on a boat is almost endless. As a matter of fact it's a rare boat that everything on it is actually working. Ralph has to know the basics of almost every navigation system ever made, and he's a decent a 101 engine mechanic under duress.

As you can imagine over some metaphorical beers Whiskey Tango Foxtrot boat escapades flow right out of him. Ralph keeps a daily log of his trips, and through his eyes you are going to read his trip logs here on the Rant and the first one is fraught with problems. Did you know you can deliver a large boat on the water almost all the way to Tulsa Oklahoma? I didn't, and at times during this trip Ralph wishes he didn't either. Along the way Ralph adds in some some "Fun Facts" and comments about where he is.

The first log details a trip from St Petersburg FL to Muskogee Oklahoma via the Mississippi in a 65' power yacht. At a minimum this should dissuade anyone who has contemplated a nostalgic pleasure boat trip up the Mississippi river that it's not a good idea.

The second one coming up is a trip to Cuba which will be of interest if you're planning to travel there. Other trips will follow. These are Ralph's words and photos. I have redacted some names and phone numbers from the logs and I added a little punctuation for clarity in a few places. Other than that I have left it alone. You will find the link to these expeditions in the sidebar to the right below Panbo titled Captain Ralph's logs and adventures. These are good reads, and in some cases cautionary tales.

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