It's Ours!!! - Sea Trial, Closing, Move-in & Move to Miami

Did you notice the new blog photo?  Since we started chronicling the build of Guided Discovery, the photo was that of a sister ship that resides in Australia.  The switch of photos was prompted by two important events; the availability of a really good photo and the fact that we were taking ownership the next day.

New "official" blog photo

But I digress. Between Monday, starting at 8:30 AM, and Tuesday, ending at 1:00 PM, we have been on a fast track that involved a sea trial, a closing, a move-in and a move to the Miami Boat Show.  The word "hectic" does not capture the intensity.  Overview:

• Sea Trial: Monday 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM.
• Closing: Monday 4:00 PM to 5:15
• Move-in: Monday 5:00 PM to 2:15 AM Tuesday
• Move to the Miami Boat Show: 6:30 AM to 1:00 PM

Weather for Monday's sea trial was just lovely.  88 degrees with winds out of the north and 2 foot seas.  We departed the slip at Marina Bay Marina and headed 5 miles down the New River at idle speed and then out into the North Atlantic.  The main purpose of this sea trial was to calibrate the autopilot's flux gate compass and to verify the operation of the boat's key systems.

Guided Discovery going under I 95

The boat ran great and performed with regard to speed and fuel consumption as predicted by her sea trial in Kaohsiung last November.  The stabilizers provided a stable ride. The calibration of the Furuno Auto Pilot did not go as smoothly. 

Explanatory Note: There are three sources for determining the boat's course, the magnetic compass, the GPS and the autopilot's "flux gate" magnetic compass.  In a perfect world, all three would align perfectly.  Unfortunately there is no such thing as a perfect when it comes to magnetic compasses (we have three on board; the lower station, flybridge and flux gate - mounted under the master berth).  The other concern is autopilot response, (i.e.,  how quickly the boat acquires the new course and holds the course's center line.

My tolerance for heading error alignment between the three instruments and the technician's were somewhat different.  I wanted no more that two degrees.  The technician would have settled for 6.  With regard to response, I want the autopilot to track directly to a waypoint, turn onto the course and then hold course within 50 feet of the course center line.  Bottom line: After numerous attempts to swing the compass and change other parameters, the unit performed very close to my expectations.

However, all of that took time and so a sea trial that should have been over at by 12:30 PM was finally completed at 2:30 PM.  Fast forward to Outer Reef's offices for a late lunch and fast closing.  Well not that fast, it was not completed until 4:00 PM.  Fast forward back to the marina to start the move-in process.  Well, not quite.  4:00 PM is peak traffic in Fort Lauderdale and Outer Reef's office is just north and east of the busiest traffic area; the airport, State Road 84 and US 1 (Federal Highway). It took almost an hour to travel a route what usually takes 15 minutes or less.

Move in started at 5:00 PM.  Outer Reef graciously provided a worker, Mike, to help us.  Mike moved the stuff from crate to the boat and then, based on the box's labeling and my direction, to the correct location.  Mike worked until 9:00 PM.  Diana and I worked until 1:15 AM, when I finally took her back to the hotel.  I returned and worked another hour.  At 2:15 AM 100% of my stuff, 100% of our "community property" and 95% of Diana's stuff was unpacked and located in its new home.

The boat swallowed all of our stuff with room to spare.  That "stuff" included the entire contents of an 8' high by 4' wide by 4' deep crate, 3 large suite cases, 10 additional boxes, two bikes, a Pack-N-Play, a stroller and a large child seat.

I finally got to sleep at 3:30 AM only to be awakened by the hotel's 6:00 AM wake up call.  Fast forward to the boat (1.4 miles from the hotel) where we arrived at 6:30 AM.  Within 10 minutes Captain Randy and I were off to Miami with Jeff Druek behind us in his  2014 70' Motoryacht.

Explanatory Note: Even though I own the boat and am not restricted by any insurance company mandated training requirement, Outer Reef still opted to provide a Captain, which was just fine with me

The cruise to Miami was nothing short of SPECTACULAR.  After a 5 mile run down the New River we exited the Intracoastal at Port Everglades and headed south on the North Atlantic.  The weather was lovely with seas at less that 2 feet.  This was really the first time I cruised any distance on an Outer Reef.  What sticks out is how the 63 handled the turbulence of passing yachts, some throwing 6 foot wakes.  The 63 was absolutely unphased.  The oversized stabilizers negated the roll tendency by 95% or more.  A glass on the salon table would not have moved.  Had this been the Sea Ray, the glass would have slid off the table and we would have been jostled.

Another spectacular moment occurred when Jeff maneuvered the 70 within 100 feet of the 63 and started taking photos and video.  The 63 was not troubled by the 70's wake.

Jeff taking photos of the 63 from the 70

The sound level on the boat is absolutely spectacular.  Sitting on the flybridge at 1,600 RPM you cannot hear the engine.  This is also true in the pilothouse.

Below are photos taken by Jeff of the 63 underway.  In the first she is cruising at 9.5 knots (10.9 MPH).  The engine RPM is 1,600 and she is burning 10 GPH.  In the second she has slowed down as we approach Indian Creek.



Guided Discovery cruising south along the Florida coastline

Guided Discovery getting close to Indian Creek

We finally arrived at the show around 1:00 PM. Captain Randy then proceeded to expertly maneuver the boat into her slip, which was just east of Outer Reef's barge and the tent that houses their show headquarters.   He made it look like child's play.  Bottom line: The 63 is easy to handle even in tight spaces.

Arriving at the brokerage show on Indian Creek

You can actually see the difficulty of Captain Randy's docking maneuver in the photo below.  Guided Discovery came through the space where the 70 is parked.  The 70's beam is 18 feet and there is about 7 feet of space between the 70 and the boat to starboard.  Do the math.  Guided Discovery is 17 feet wide.  Randy went through the "hole" with about 4 feet on either side.

63 next to the 70 at the boat show.  Outer Reef's tent is visble between the boats

From left to right.  Jeff's 70 and our 63

Her berth for the next 6 days

Oh, did I mention that I worked non-stop after we arrived to finish putting away a few items so that the boat would be ready to show? 

Note: I was so tired I kept falling asleep while trying to write this article.

Written by Les