Murphy's Law doesn't take weekends off

Even after working so hard to get to the weekend, things went wrong.  I had planned to complete my list of final preps before our spring launch, but it stormed all morning Saturday.  While cleaning my bathroom, I slipped and fell, breaking a toe on my left foot.  After all my overseas deployments and patrols in the Bering Sea, followed by nearly 7 years as a deputy sheriff, I never received more than scratches or small bruises. But cleaning my bathroom nearly put me in the hospital...I guess I should leave that chore to professionals!

Sunday was dry, but cooler, so my younger son and I worked on the barge into the evening. We remounted the twin spotlights for now, since I plan to replace them this season. We remounted the GPS remote antenna and the antenna for the VHF radio.  I replaced the dead bilge pump with a Rule 800 gph with internal float switch.  The engine compartment on my toon is too small to sink the boat on its own, so I do not use the "auto" feature on the pump. Still, the boat was wired for an auto pump already, so it seemed easier to replace it with another.

So, the make ready list is down to:

• Charge up the batteries
• Finish and mount the new handrail for the swim platform
• Air up the trailer tires
• Put some gas in the tank to get to the fuel dock
• Call marina 48 hours prior so they can clear out my slip

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