Ok, so updating is not my thing/
Last year, 2004, I decedied it was better to pay someone, and be done with the keel non-sense.  Barkers' Island got the job,   It turned out well.  Didn't launch till July 3, when I called to see how work was progressing, they answered, "It's sitting right here in the water"    I didn't even have a slip, but there was one available, so no trouble, although I was not planning on it, I sailed that fourth of July weekend.   The theme song was "Come look at my dry bilge, my bilge is a dry bilge, and I'm a big boy"   from a folk song that I replaced the word "bed" with "bilge"
Pictures are from this year, I did not see the work until the fall haulout.  




So, for new buisness.   The motor mount sucked, air that is.   The prop never really bit the water.  It required I keep weight aft, and any ripple would lift it from the water.   Imagine Miss Budwiser with her prop half in and half out of the water.     Various schemes have failed in the past to rectify this.    I put a shim between the mounting board and the motor mount,   Which has dropped the prop well below the water line, hopefully not too far, but it can be raised if need be.   The better angle will also allow me to use the pin in the outboard, so reverse may work properly, instead of having to keep my foot on the outboard to keep it from kicking up.    Methinks this will be just dandy.

Line indicates a water line for an unladen afircan swallow,

  



Here is the magic shim




and here it is in the up position, not far from where it used to be when down.