William the Boat Conquerer: Part I

I am back from the boat adventure, and let me first state that all is well and no one was injured. Yes, I got to borrow a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 4X4 with the 5.7 liter V8 to tow my lovely new Sea Ray home. And, yes, I got 20 mpg while traveling towards Spokane to rescue my broken toy, but I only got 9.7 mpg with the boat affixed onto the tail of the charcoal colored Mopar. And I almost didn't get to even buy the boat because the former owner decided that he wanted cash, not the check that I brought, he didn't bring the title because he wanted to give me a bill of sale today and a title tomorrow, and the boat yard where the boat was stored was locked in a manner that the keys entrusted to us would not initially unlock. It was a fearsome tribunal of fire and chaos. And I emerged victorious with a 34 year old craft that needs an upper out drive, lots of spit and polish, and perhaps even a little love. While I may not have actually run out of gas, I was damned close. And while I was able to procure cash at 4pm on a Saturday in an amount greater than I thought was available to ATM users, it was a tense few moments before I succeeded in the withdrawal. What a day!