[Alan Wheeler]

Good points Talbot. And at this Point, Pat & Ali, If you are following this, here's an invitation. Join back in here. DON'T take these past threads the wrong way. People are not being nasty behind your back, Well 99% aren't anyway. And you would find that out for real, if you were posting here. Infact, it seems to be a few newbies here, that either aren't reading the entire postings of threads from day one, that seem to be missinterpreting what some of us have implied.
But anyway's, we could all learn from your (Pat and Ali) experiances. That's All of us, me, you and others here. Like for instance, (just to dredge it up again) if you asked, whats the downside of painting the tall pole thing with a flag on grey, ones here could have told you, hang about, that thing is a Dan-bouy and you have to be able to see it in ruff water from a distance, cause it may save your partners life, then you probably would have left it rescue orange, or at least know the consequences if you didn't.
I even emailed you guy's with some advice, don't know if you listened or not, but I know there is enough expertese here, that could have talked you through many of the problems you have had.
Everyone, just imagine if Pat lost his engine coming into that Marina in the blow they had. That would have been it. The end of the journey right there and then. How fortuneate can people get. Anybody else and laws of Ole Murphey would have jumped on them like a ton of bricks.