It Can Only Be Worse In Gainsville

SHIP'S LOG:

Truth be told, it will hit about 25 here in Jacksonville tonight and in Gainsville, it will be in the LOW TEENS!

Service at Sadler Point.....................2hrs at $85/Hr...............................................$170

Remove old pump & fittings,
install new pump...............................3hrs at $85/Hr................................................$225

New Pump.....................................................................................................................$716.40
Hose................................................................................................................................$ 9.35
Hose Clamps (6) at $2.40/each..................................................................................$ 14.40

Sales Tax.........................................................................................................................$ 74.46

Environmental.............................................................................................................$ 15.00

TOTAL*************************************************************$1138.09

Ah, the joys of boat ownership!

I can only hope and pray that that was the last major catastrophe that I will have to deal with on this trip.It probably would have been less painful if the weather had been at least seasonal, but being cold, and I mean cold, and windy and today cloudy with sleet, well, I am just a sunshine person and I like it hot and this was just a no fun week so far.

Tomorrow I shall leave delightful Jacksonville and head on down to Blount Island where I last dropped the hook and spend the night. Then on Friday, I hope to make it down to Pine Island which is just above St. Augustine and perhaps into the warm, or at least, warm-er weather. Sitting around in one place, not really of my choosing, has been a bit of a bore and a drag. I did manage to strike off a few more projects from the "To Do" list but there are plenty more left to do so I should never be bored.

I have been on this "trip" for over two months now. Actually, it is not really a trip but simply a change in lifestyle. I feel almost like a hermit crab, taking my residence wherever I go. I hate to dispel any one's romantic fantasies about such a trip but while it is true that there are wonderful and awe-inspiring moments, there are also moments of fear and anxiety and a lot of hard work that goes into every day. Today, I had to crawl into the bilge to re-repair the bilge pump. I had to use a heat gun to heat up the hose so that the connector would slide in correctly. Not the most fun thing in the world to spend an hour doing. And to do anything like that, you have to lay out all the tools needed, open up the area to be worked in, do the job, then close up the area, put away the tools and then clean up the area and yourself. Living on a boat is not much different than living in a house or an apartment except it is smaller and the view outside keeps changing. And it is that last thing that really keeps it interesting!

A guy walking around the marina today stopped by to chat. He wanted to know if any of the boats were for sale. I told him mine was and we talked for a while but my price was too steep for him. If he had come up with the money, I'd be home for Christmas, or I should say that I would be back in New England for Christmas.