Our hard dodger has two tiny gaps at the for'rd corners.

It looks good, but, there's a path for rain to drip on the bench.

If the bimini cover went down low enough to prevent all dripping, it would be right difficult to get out of the cockpit.

CA invented a rain fly. She made the first one for the starboard side. We finally tested it in this morning's rain.

The verdict?

Success.

Some splashing about, but, the corner where we sit on night watch is reasonably dry.

Now that we have confirmation that the design is solid, we can start work on the port side.

Shaft Seal Update

Around noon they put Red Ranger in the sling, hauled her out, and set her on blocks temporarily. The mechanic put in a PSS Shaft Seal (ww.shaftseal.com.)

On the trip back to the outer dock, it did not drip. For over $1,000 it had best not drip. Ever.

The mechanic thinks this seal is a far better choice that the previous product from Tides Marine. The issue is the engine and shaft vibration. The Tides Marine Sure Seal wasn't a good choice with an engine that has as much vibration as Mr. Lehman.

We reset all our rigging (as best we could). CA topped off the water. We still have a bit more stowage to do before we get into bigger seas outside ditch.

Tomorrow we'll top off the fuel and try to go 38 miles in the ditch to Coinjock.

Next day we'll anchor out in the North River, maybe broad creek. Maybe Buck Island.

Then we'll see if we're all ready to try to sail down to Manteo on Roanoke Island.