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So the past few weeks have been crazy. We got put up on blocks and let me just say the boat looks HUGE out of the water.  It truly is amazing, and now you can see how so much stuff and so many people are going to fit on board.  So let me tell you what we have been doing since we got lifted.  LOTS OF GRINDING!! And Noah and Sky have been working on patching a few pieces of the hull that were going to need replacing sooner or later, so we did it now.  We start off by grinding and sanding down the bottom so we could redo the bottom paint.  This was particularly fun, because the paint is dark and for days on end I tasted copper in my mouth, even though we used full suits and respirators.  Nick, Ben, and I have gone home more days looking like raccoons than I care to count.  It has taken days but the bottom was done.  It involves grinding down the steel keel down to bare metal which took me two days, getting all the blisters, flakes and imperfections off, which then needed to be patched and sanded again, another few days.  The hull above the water line also needed to be sanded.  There were tons of blisters that needed to be taken off, as well the rub rail which needed to be replaced.  We also needed to cut a few holes in the hull.  One needed to be cut to get the old generator out, and the new one put in, and a few others due to rot, but at least we got it all.  So all those patches needed to be prepped, ground down through almost a half in of faring in some areas, to make a 8-12 inch frame around each hole.  Then Sky and Noah were able to cut the replacements, put them up , then we sanded them down. 

Getting that generator in and out was a chore.  The old one was well over 1500 pounds, which presented a problem.  We didn’t want to cut a hole to get it out, since as we all know, holes in a boat are bad. But it was so heavy and the only other way to remove it was to try to crane it over the other engine, which would require taking apart several part of the exhaust and hydraulic lines.  So the best way was to just cut the hole, because if it fell (and Murphy works that way) then I don’t know what we would have done.  So we got it out and eventually go t the new one in without too much trouble. 

I have been able to spend a lot of time over at Polaris while we are at the dock, since the shop is now only a mile down the road.  I have gotten to learn so much from Rick, Tom, and the rest of the Polaris team.  For the time here they have let me go into the shop and take care of the preparation of the equiptment that we are getting from them, which has allowed me to get a ton of hands on experience.  They have showed me the hows and whys for electric set-up. Allowing me to prepare that much better for any problems that could possibly arise while we are underway.  It is always good to know another skill.  These guys truely are amazing.  Great teachers, great people.  I will miss them when I’m gone.

We also may have a new member of the crew.  Nick #2.  We already have one Nick, who is a great guy and knows engines, and works his butt off.  But we met another Nick, who is a marine mechanic and is a pretty cool guy too.  So now we have engine guys who can both take care of whatever needs to be done, and they can be on opposite shifts so one can get rest if something needs to be looked at on the engines while we are underway.  Not a bad setup. 

Also on an even cooler note for me, since its taken me a while to get it, but we finally a water maker!!  Right when we needed it the most, and just in time for us to leave, Sea Recovery, one of the most reliable water maker companies I have come to find out, donated a water maker.  I mean, I must have looked at a dozen or so water companies, most of which had units that were pretty small or complicated in their maintenance and use.  But Sea Recovery’s units, from everything I read and the people I talked to say, are easy to use and maintain. Almost a push button system that monitors itself.  Pretty good, since we have a lot of stuff already that needs to be monitored at all times.  So thank you Sea Recovery, you gave us a huge piece of the puzzle that is allowing us to get going! 

We also met another amazing specialist, through the guys at Polaris actually.  Clay Hansen, is a guy who owns a shop here in town and has fixed all of our A/C units and has given us great advice on how to properly set all of them up.  He has also tried to get us in touch with people he knows to try and get us additional units.  He is a specialist in marine A/C, generators, water makers, and refrigeration.  He has offered his time and resources to help us out, and has taught me so much about all of these things.  He truly has been there and genuinely wants to help.  If sometimes the donation of time and knowledge is better than resources, he has gone above and beyond, helping us with both.  He truly is a generous soul. (and not to mention, quite funny). 

But the hardest part of the past few weeks was leaving.  Originally we were going to be leaving for south FL this last Sunday, and I have a medical school interview at the Royal College of Surgeons this coming Friday, so I planned to leave before the crew did so I would have a definite ride to the airport.  But because of the additional hull repairs that took an extra few days, and a delay in getting the paint, the team is in FL for an additional week.  So I left just before they started to paint, and I am just killing time and doing as much admin work as I can in West Virginia (now), and while I am in NYC (leaving for tomorrow and getting back to FL on Friday) .  But I hate being away fro m the team.  I can imagine them working their butts off every day that im not there, and me in this little coffee shop answering emails and contacting companies.  First off, I hate sitting behind a computer. And secondly, I hate that I’m not there to work and sweat and get tired along side the Floating Doctors team.  We truly have become a family in the last few months, and while I’m not there, I miss them.  So, they told me they started painting the other day, a few coats on the bottom and above the waterline should be done shortly.  Then we will get dropped in the water a day or two after I get back, then off to Haiti as soon as we can load and get everything ready (another two or three days probably). 

So I getting away for a few days I’ve had a lot of time to think.  Normally I (along with everyone else) are going so fast throughout the day, that it’s hard to find the time to stop and think about personal stuff.  But I have had time now to take a look at everything and everyone back there.  They truly have become like family, and we work well together.  We have learned to work and feed off each others strength and help each other with our weaknesses.  We are a team, and I miss them.  I also realize, that although its hard work, and there are days that I think “Why am here sanding all day” or the like, I love what I do.  I mean, how bad can life be working outside, with people I love, whom I respect?  I can’t wait to see what is going to happen in Haiti and beyond.  I have had time to think about just how much of a difference we are going to make.  We aren’t just going to make a difference in health, and fix problems from one dimension.   In Haiti, we are going to help improve health, build a school and an orphanage.  We are fixing problems from many directions, making a lasting impact.  We are going to help in every respect that we can.  There isn’t much more that one can hope for his life.  Being an instrument of positive change in the communities we are going to is a great feeling.  I never really stopped to think about just how it makes me feel, and words don’t really begin to describe.  I guess the only way to let you know is to have you come with us.  Any takers?

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