So The very first day Achilles Heel was launched I had lots and lots of things on my mind. The previous few days had been a whirl wind of various details all needing to be done before launch.

The emotional rush of finally floating our dream boat was kicking in in earnest. As the boat slowly lowered down to the murky river water the giant hull I had crawled up into thousands of times started to get smaller and smaller. It is every boat builders nightmare to image the slings going lower and lower as the waterline vanishes from view.

But actually Achilles looked pretty good. Not a lot of bottom paint showing but over all level and the boot stripe still was visible.  It was mid season and the travel lift operator was not  in a big hurry. He said take my time and check all the through hull fittings and other items for leakage. If we needed to he could just lift it back out.

I nosed around below deck and nothing jumped out at me. Searching in the bilge revealed no geysers. It would have taken a gusher to catch my attention. I was pretty much a basket case.

The engine started and ran rough as hell and smoked a bit. I was put off at first till the yard guy said "Sounds smooth".  Diesels! Something else to get used to. Slowly backing out of the lift the slow current caught me and promptly turned me sideways and drifting towards nasty pipe looking protuberances. I decided now was the time to take a little boat handling lesson. Putting out and about in the river I turned stopped backed up and just listened for trouble. Everything sounded strange. Everything felt strange. My last boat was a 2cycle powered 23 weighing in at 3,200lb. This was a 35' OAL 11,000lb whale.

 OK I had enough. Back to the slip. Big no problem. Tied up and basically was wilted.

Took a little lunch break. came back checked under the floor for water . Bone Dry. Cool. Took the always scenic Calumet river to lake Michigan trip to the marina. Got all secured a final check for water in the bilge.. Still nice and dry. We  went home for a little Din.

Really had no reason to go back to the harbor but just could not stay away. Good thing. I got on board peeked under the floor board. lapping against the bottom pf the cabin sole water water. Yikes! I did not yet have an AUTOMATIC bilge pump just a super duper manual one.

I pumped quite vigorously and then discovered that the packing on the prop shaft had settled in a bit. I was warned about over tightening it. It certainly was not TOO tight. All it needed was 1/2 a turn to stop the leak.

 Damn, 1/2 a turn from the deep six.