Since Tom and I joined this delivery cruise of Sea Lark, she and her crew have done 3,770 nm on 1,047 estimated engine hours (the hour meter is stuck). Add to that the 5,500 nm we've done on Maana in 2000, that's a grand total for the two of us of 9,270 nm in the last 12 months, all done at about 8 knots.

The heavy aluminum tanks cost $1000 each and the original labor estimate was $4000. While the drivetrain was out I replaced the shaft, shaft log hose and re-stuffed the stuffing box, new transmission rear seal, motor mounts and some other little nits. I used the summer to repair water damage to the aft cabin.

Get a reliable and reasonable, not inflated, estimate of what a total conversion would cost. Split the difference and reduce your offer by that amount. The justification is this. You may be looking at expensive replacement anywhere from 6 months to three years down the road.

Please note that all of the quotes were informal, NOT written, guaranteed estimates! TMI's website is www.marinegears.com, and they're telephone number is (954) 467-1540. (usual disclaimers) So why, you may well ask, have I decided to go through with my purchase of an Albin 43 equipped with drop center transmissions?

The next morning, I estimated the distance we'd dragged the Livingston by the position of the crab trap buoys we'd passed on the mud, which were now floating. We hauled that thing about 125 yards.

Viking specifies a service life of 20 years (they have many in service that are older than that), so if the raft was in good shape, they estimated they could recertify it for $300 to $500. So I'd be into it $1,000 to $1,200, which seemed OK to me.

I don't remember what his rough estimate was, but it was way less than the factory table. Doc Freeman's tended to buy stuff as they found it, so it may have been more a case of they found or bought a stock of teak tables, but there was not actually a supplier for them anymore. ______________________________ C.

This comes to about 85 days---- very rough estimate. There is the alternative of course of doing Ottawa on the return trip by going from Kingston ON via the Rideau then down the Ottawa river past Montreal and picking up the Richelieu for the Champlain route avoiding the Seaway.

I suggest the use of float plans, filed with a responsible friend, family member or harbormaster perhaps, describing the boat, it's passengers/crew, estimated departures, routes and arrivals and contact information (radio and cellphone).

Our calculations indicate that we will seldom need to use half power once the boat is moving, so our estimate is that we will be able to power the Compac Sun Cat for 12 or more hours at near hull speed using the electric motor setup. And that is WITHOUT the use of the sail.