Saturday, May 14, 2016

It IS Getting Closer

SHIP'S LOG:

      I haven't been able to get up to see ABISHAG in a couple of weeks as when I had the free-time (of which I had little) it rained. Friend Fred has been trying to find someone who can "fix" the tube in the furler. I has a bend in it, not a great one, but one large enough to basically render it unusable. If he finds someone who can do the job, all well and good. If not it means that a new one needs to be purchased and installed and even getting it at cost, it will be more than a pretty penny, of which i have few.

     Sunday will be wash down day inside and out. Saying goodbye to the outside dirt and the inside mold and mildew. Then perhaps during the week I can get up to lay down some non-skid paint. There are several areas that need it as well as simply needs painting as the current covering is wearing away and exposing the plywood below the fiberglass. The non skid paint will satisfy both needs. Thoiugh considering I want to paint, we'll probably get lots of rain this week.

     The East Hadem Swing Bridge that cross the river in East Hadem (where else?) is undergoing"emergency repairs and will be until sometime in July. It normally operates on a half-hour schedule, opening on the half hour if there are boat waiting.  During the repairs, it will operate by open upon request . . . so long as you make the request by phone 2 hours before you want it to open. What happens if two or more boats request openings two hours a head of time as requested but do so 20 to 20 minutes apart. Will they be told to wait until there is a group to go through? Will they open for each request independently of the others? Will they just say the hell with the request plan and open it say once an hour? Who knows but it shall surely add another source of anxiety for the journey as I have no idea how long it will take to get down from Portland to the bridge. The most inefficient way to go anyway is by boat and we are always being told never try to keep to a schedule of any kind when traveling by boat. AH! The fun of boat ownership!