Great Circle Loop Voyage

Now w didn't I think of that. Good one. Must be my heat-fried brain is slowing me down. Seems the electric is getting lost between the ofice and the pedistals at the end of the dock and the surges keep tripping the breakers on my a/c. Seems that any place I've ever worked, when you really need a/c that's when you can't get it.

The bow portholes would have a tendancy to leak or develop a leak behind the vinyl wall covering in the foward stateroom and it would run down the vinyl and into the bilge, or if you were unlucky like I was, your mattress would be soaked. Either that, or one of the galley maid raw water supply/discharge hoses is leaking. As far as I remember, everything else saltwater related is located aft of the foward bulkhead.

I believe the bow water tank has a hose that runs to the aft water tank to gravity feed it full, and everything pulls water from the aft tank. I would check that hose.

I think you're on target with the Galley Maid. Question I have to answer is whether it's the hose (cheap easy fix) or the through-hull (haul out) For that I have to cram my 6' claustrophobic body down in that hole for a ride with the bow thruster.
Tell me about the water system on these. We have a fill in the port quarter. I assume that's for the aft tank. When I filled through the port/stbd/bow outlets with the water pump turned off I assume they fill both tanks. I don't know about a gravity feed to the aft tank as the prior owner said he always left that empty because it weighed down the stern. (actually I'm thinking he didn't use it because it leaks like a seive). That tank is fiberglass and is leaking right at the bottom edge. So I'm thinking that there forwatf tank stays full (no gravity feed, while everything that goes into the aft tank goes straight to the bilge. Otherwise I think we might have lost all water from both tanks on the cruise in yesterday.
The prior owner had installed a bypass so you could take water directly into the system without filling the tanks. So at least we can have dockside water.

Actually this is getting pretty off topic. If the Admins want to switch this to a more appropriate thread it might be a good idea. Maybe something about water systems or Hats. The way my day's gone I know SEARCH will just get me frustrated.

Most all of the Hatteras MY's from that ara and (even some current ones) would have a fitting on the bottom of the bow tank (which is physically higher than the aft tank) and a hose would run from that tank to the top or somewhere on the aft tank. You could fill the foward tank and it would fill there stern tank. Yours might be different, or it could have a valve to shutoff flow to the stern tank.

Yeah getting crouched down in that foward bilge is hard when you're 6'+, you can probably lean in head first a little and with a good light, look around and see everything.

Al Hirt, 'I Can't Get Started'

My favorite of his was 'I Can't Get Started', one of the best redentions ever of this song.
...turn on your speakers
Al Hirt - "I Can't Get Started" - YouTube

Java

...my other favorite these days is Wynton Marsalis. This is a good New Orleans sound, album 'Mr Jelly Lord'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4jjH9IxDJ4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoZt4TRZwlw

(I took trumpet in high school)

Well, after several delays it looks like we'll be underway on leg one tomorrow. I just began a new thread titled Great Loop Cruise Video. Hopefully there'll be some interesting posts there over the next year or two, and you can see what we see off our bow cam. Enjoy.

We've been in the yard doing lots of work found needed during our shake down, and are chomping at the bit to get moving. We have one more issue to deal with and will hopefully be under way today...Although snow is forecast for tomorrow.

SORRY, but this does not look like an enjoyable cruise, at all! I just took a 50' Searay to Myrtle Beach and it was 28F and blowing 20 knots in Jekyll Island, GA. We about died.....