you go through all this trouble... you go to get it wet for the first time and you expected to spend the whole day on the lake? the first day is the toughest one of em all. hell i spent a good hour just sitting there on the trailer idling taking up the launch ramp. making sure this worked, and that, etc.
dont give up. it runs, it just runs shitty. fix your vacuum cap leak, thats minor. slap a set of plugs in it, make sure your timing is set properly, etc...
you didnt mention you had a leak, so thats a big sigh of relief... the rest of the stuff is easy. you still got some of the season left! and you beat me to the water. knowing my luck ill get mine wet and break my drive in half and be done. haha.