Once More With Feeling!

SHIP'S LOG:

The day started out very still and hot. Not a breathe of air moving and as the sun rose, it got almost oppressive. For once, it was cooler down below than on the deck. But it must have been the forefront of what is to come as the clouds came in and the wind has picked up. Tomorrow the wind is supposed to pick up even more and there will be rain and thunderstorms and TORNADOES! Wednesday will have morning rain and lots of wind so it looks like I am in place until Thursday now. The weather will be relatively warm but not particularly good traveling weather.

I took some time today to check out places to drop the hook between here and Miami. They seem to be few in number and widely spaced on top of it. Some of the places charge you to anchor and the police collect the fees. Some places give you a free day and then start charging you to anchor. Lots of places won't let you anchor at all. Once past Miami, the anchorages seem endless but it is getting to that place that will be a little tough. I don't want to think of what a night in marina in Palm Beach or Miami costs!

Brad and I took a final stab at trying to run the cable in his mast and it was no joy! Even bringing his dog , POO, out to the boat didn't help us. Afterward, he asked me what I thought. I told him that he should haul the boat you that he can really work out the problems systematically and get them all taken care of a heck of a lot easier on the hard than on the water. He has a lot of maintenance issues on the boat but his major concern, the one that actually has all his focus, is the teak deck. He wants to get the boat to Panama where he has some friends and get some of the locals to redo the decks for him. He's got three significant soft spots and really need repair and everything else with the boat is oriented toward that goal. But he doesn't want to haul the boat because he spent about $13,000 the last time taking care of things and he's afraid that if he goes on the hard, the hurricane season will get here before he can get off and get to Panama. I told him that he could get a lot more done and faster on the hard but he is fighting the idea. Even running the cable would be a relative snap simply by pulling the mast. Perhaps he lacks sufficient coin of the realm to cover the costs, something which I can certain relate to all too well.

As I mentioned, the next couple of days will see the weather turn to crap and perhaps that is part of the plan. Roland and Ron are coming into Port St. Lucie this coming Sunday and being stuck here for a while longer will/should make that hook for dinner that much easier. I'll just hav e to wait and see how it all pans out.