Tomorrow will mark the maiden voyage of the recommisioned and newly outfitted vessel,
Silent Serene, "E" Class. It is retrofitted with an electronically controlled electric propulsion system and powered by a renewable energy source which can easily and economically be recharged using a widely available public utility.
During this solo exercise, the Captain will assess the performance and operating parameters of all equipment and devices before certifying the safety and reliability of the craft prior to the acceptance of any additional personel or cargo.
The launch time will be approximately two hours before sunset and will return to the docking facility as dusk turns to dark in order to insure optimal visibility for navigational purposes.
I am the proud owner of the Silent Serene. It is an old aluminimum "V" hull fishing boat. It's a little less than 12 feet long and, with a 4 foot beam, just fits between the wheelwells of the bed of my pickup and sticks out past the tailgate far enough to need a warning flag. (I use a big red Christmas wreath clipped to the anchor shackle.) And at about a hundred pounds, it's not too hard to drag down through the grass to the shore and back. If I want to carry camp gear in the bed, I can still get it loaded up on the ladder rack although it's predictably getting a little harder every year.
After about 25 years of rowing and paddling and poling around, I came across a trolling motor at a local yard sale and decided to finally reduce some of the strain of the manual methods I had been more than willing to endure for as long as I've had the boat. I had to go out to the salvage yard to get an old battery to turn in to the auto parts store when I got the new one which saved me 15% and saved a little more money with my veterans discount. The total for the motor and battery was $183.09.
I had planned to go out fishing this evening. I had finished bench testing everything just as the weather rolled in a summer storm that will probably continue through the night but it should clear off by early morning. The usual daytime temperature is dropping from the mid-90s to the mid-70s(!) due to the cold front. Barometer is on the rise, the wind is from the southwest, and the moon is still up after sunset. All the good signs I'll ever need for a pleasant early evening cruise aboard the Silent Serene, "E Class".