Thursday, March 24
Today was confusing around Sunset marina. The day started out with everybody in a hurry -- to get boats ready for launching; to launch boats; to get new information on what the river was going to do. Our boat -- Riverboater -- was as ready as it was going to get: the bottom had been painted and the hull was about 75% waxed, but it was still wrapped up in its shrink wrap. My day started by slicing the plastic down the middle and then I got on the ground to peel the plastic away. Then I got a demonstration of how cold it really was; a piece of ice about the size of a dinner plate and an inch thick broke over my head.

The boat was now ready to launch so I joined Judy in the Coast Guard Auxiliary Station to help her pack up equipment before storing it in a 48-foot semi loaned to us. About 1 p.m. I got the word that our boat was the next to be launched. Waiting for the boat to be brought to the lift well, I met Alan Shay, son of our boat's previous owner, who asked if I was going to drive our boat to its slip or have it pushed over. He said he was having his boat pushed over so the antifreeze would still be in the engine in case it got colder than forecast. I followed his lead.

I then got word that the flood had been slowed and possibly not nearly as high. We can only hope and wait for the next flood forecast.