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.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Alone At Last!
SHIP'S LOG:
I am all alone tonight. All the boats, except for Brad's, have departed the anchorage and now it is just me. The wind and cold night temperatures have driven everyone away. Not really, but they have all gone and now the wind has finally stopped. And it is supposed to get seasonably warm tomorrow, day and night
The owner of the Nauticat 44 showed up with crew and took off about mid-afternoon. He had some problems with his anchor. He couldn't get it up. He had been anchored in the same spot for almost a month and the anchor was good an buried and wanted to stay that way. In addition, his windlass wasn't working. He had to run the anchor rode to a winch on the mast and crank it up by hand . Even then he didn't get it all the way up and proceeded out with the anchor itself still in the water. One of the crew recognized the problem and in got corrected but it did give me pause to reflect: I wonder where he is going now in such a rush? And is he/they ready for the trip? It just sort of seemed that he was moving because he probably got a call from the state police inquiring about the boat. Well I hope he/they get wherever it is they are going safely.
Looks like it will be Wednesday for the next trip for me. Monday will be nice and I will help Brad one last time to get the cable run. Tuesday is supposed to crap out and get rainy, so Wednesday seems to be the day to go. Looking over the charts, it looks a simple run and there seems to be plenty of place to drop the hook but I won't know until I get there, wherever there happens to be. That, by the way, is the hidden anxiety of the cruising sailor, will there be a place to drop the hook? Will it be hospitable or will the stories of Florida prove true. So far none have. I have been in Fort Pierce for lots longer than the 96 hour limit so perhaps the stories are over blown. The only way to know for sure is to go find out. And that is what I will do. Miami Here I Come!
I am all alone tonight. All the boats, except for Brad's, have departed the anchorage and now it is just me. The wind and cold night temperatures have driven everyone away. Not really, but they have all gone and now the wind has finally stopped. And it is supposed to get seasonably warm tomorrow, day and night
The owner of the Nauticat 44 showed up with crew and took off about mid-afternoon. He had some problems with his anchor. He couldn't get it up. He had been anchored in the same spot for almost a month and the anchor was good an buried and wanted to stay that way. In addition, his windlass wasn't working. He had to run the anchor rode to a winch on the mast and crank it up by hand . Even then he didn't get it all the way up and proceeded out with the anchor itself still in the water. One of the crew recognized the problem and in got corrected but it did give me pause to reflect: I wonder where he is going now in such a rush? And is he/they ready for the trip? It just sort of seemed that he was moving because he probably got a call from the state police inquiring about the boat. Well I hope he/they get wherever it is they are going safely.
Looks like it will be Wednesday for the next trip for me. Monday will be nice and I will help Brad one last time to get the cable run. Tuesday is supposed to crap out and get rainy, so Wednesday seems to be the day to go. Looking over the charts, it looks a simple run and there seems to be plenty of place to drop the hook but I won't know until I get there, wherever there happens to be. That, by the way, is the hidden anxiety of the cruising sailor, will there be a place to drop the hook? Will it be hospitable or will the stories of Florida prove true. So far none have. I have been in Fort Pierce for lots longer than the 96 hour limit so perhaps the stories are over blown. The only way to know for sure is to go find out. And that is what I will do. Miami Here I Come!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Another Day In Sunny Florida!?!?!?!?!?!
SHIP'S LOG:
"Tonight
Considerable cloudiness through early evening then clearing and cold. Lows in the mid 30s. Northwest winds diminishing to 5 to 10 mph."
Ah Yes, NOAA at its best. This is taken right off their page and is the forecast for Fort Pierce tonight! Of course, it was proceeded by a day of very stiff winds out of the northwest which didn't allow the temperature to get above 60, or at least not by much. With the wind it seemed like a cold, raw day . . .hardly the stuff of Florida or at least what one would expect in Florida.
I have disappointing news to report . .. . . the owner of the Nauticat 44 showed up today, he and two buddies. The spent about an hour aboard checking things out before leaving again. I was hoping to get a chance to talk with them but I couldn't swing it. I wanted to warn them that the state police will be by some night soon to check on whether or not they are showing an anchor light as is required of all boats outside of a designated anchorage or indeed any boat anchored and not on a mooring. Sadly, the arrival of the owner also means that there will be no finder's fee though if they haven't done something about the chafe on the anchor rode, "salvage rights" might still come into play! Not that I would wish that on anyone, but a good $60-70,000 would be nice to have. It would certainly easy my financial worries.
The wind was in the 30mph range throughout most of the days and so ABISHAG danced back and forth along her anchor rode though she basically stayed in place. With the onset of the evening, the wind has lessened considerably with only occasional gusts that high. It will make for easier sleeping. When the wind gets above 7mph, it turns the wind generator and it has a particular whine that can be a bit of a deterrent to easily dropping of to sleep. As the wind increases, the whine gets higher in pitch and louder in volume. When it gets much above 25mph or the wind generator control read full battery, it shuts down with a thump! The system somehow reverses the generator so that it feeds against itself and this acts like a brake. Sometimes, in a high wind, it almost sounds like something hit the boat. Of course, you add all that to the heel of the boat and the jerk when it comes up on the end of the rode and well, it can certainly interrupt your gently falling off to sleep. And that doesn't take into consideration the water slapping against the hull, the whine of the wind through the shrouds, the odd halyard slapping, and all sorts of stuff like that. Of course, a large "Dark & Storm Night" - a drink made of rum and ginger beer - goes along way to blotting out all these disturbances. Of Course, one must have the "fixin's" for a "Dark & Stormy!"
Poor Brad, the guy from the other boat I am helping out. He got a ticket for speeding through a "Manatee Zone" in his dinghy on the way to his boat. They are very serious here about protecting the Manatees, with know congregating area reduced speed zones that net you a $90 ticket if you exceed "idle speed" when passing through. The funny thing about the Manatees is that kudzu, boa constrictors and the Brazilian Pepper Tree, they are not native to Florida. They were brought here from somewhere else and they escaped into the wild. But unlike kudzu, boas and the Brazilian Pepper Tree, which Floridians would like to eradicate, the Manatee is protected. It certainly isn't because they're cute I can tell you that, it is just that they have " a good lobby!" I still haven't seen one yet. They are congregating near sources of warm water because the water in the Indian River and other places in this part of Florida is still too cold. I am sure that I will encounter one or more as son as I start moving south again, but until then, I will certainly respect that Manatee Zone signs. Without the finder's fee for the Nauticat, I ain't got the bucks for the fine.
Ah Yes, NOAA at its best. This is taken right off their page and is the forecast for Fort Pierce tonight! Of course, it was proceeded by a day of very stiff winds out of the northwest which didn't allow the temperature to get above 60, or at least not by much. With the wind it seemed like a cold, raw day . . .hardly the stuff of Florida or at least what one would expect in Florida.
I have disappointing news to report . .. . . the owner of the Nauticat 44 showed up today, he and two buddies. The spent about an hour aboard checking things out before leaving again. I was hoping to get a chance to talk with them but I couldn't swing it. I wanted to warn them that the state police will be by some night soon to check on whether or not they are showing an anchor light as is required of all boats outside of a designated anchorage or indeed any boat anchored and not on a mooring. Sadly, the arrival of the owner also means that there will be no finder's fee though if they haven't done something about the chafe on the anchor rode, "salvage rights" might still come into play! Not that I would wish that on anyone, but a good $60-70,000 would be nice to have. It would certainly easy my financial worries.
The wind was in the 30mph range throughout most of the days and so ABISHAG danced back and forth along her anchor rode though she basically stayed in place. With the onset of the evening, the wind has lessened considerably with only occasional gusts that high. It will make for easier sleeping. When the wind gets above 7mph, it turns the wind generator and it has a particular whine that can be a bit of a deterrent to easily dropping of to sleep. As the wind increases, the whine gets higher in pitch and louder in volume. When it gets much above 25mph or the wind generator control read full battery, it shuts down with a thump! The system somehow reverses the generator so that it feeds against itself and this acts like a brake. Sometimes, in a high wind, it almost sounds like something hit the boat. Of course, you add all that to the heel of the boat and the jerk when it comes up on the end of the rode and well, it can certainly interrupt your gently falling off to sleep. And that doesn't take into consideration the water slapping against the hull, the whine of the wind through the shrouds, the odd halyard slapping, and all sorts of stuff like that. Of course, a large "Dark & Storm Night" - a drink made of rum and ginger beer - goes along way to blotting out all these disturbances. Of Course, one must have the "fixin's" for a "Dark & Stormy!"
Poor Brad, the guy from the other boat I am helping out. He got a ticket for speeding through a "Manatee Zone" in his dinghy on the way to his boat. They are very serious here about protecting the Manatees, with know congregating area reduced speed zones that net you a $90 ticket if you exceed "idle speed" when passing through. The funny thing about the Manatees is that kudzu, boa constrictors and the Brazilian Pepper Tree, they are not native to Florida. They were brought here from somewhere else and they escaped into the wild. But unlike kudzu, boas and the Brazilian Pepper Tree, which Floridians would like to eradicate, the Manatee is protected. It certainly isn't because they're cute I can tell you that, it is just that they have " a good lobby!" I still haven't seen one yet. They are congregating near sources of warm water because the water in the Indian River and other places in this part of Florida is still too cold. I am sure that I will encounter one or more as son as I start moving south again, but until then, I will certainly respect that Manatee Zone signs. Without the finder's fee for the Nauticat, I ain't got the bucks for the fine.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Still Here!
SHIP'S LOG:
Yesterday was a day of little projects that needed to be done simply because they haven't been done in a while. Things as simple as uncoiling and inspecting and re-coiling all the lines on the boat. Halyards and sheets can get chaffed even in they are not used simply by blowing and rattling against stuff and it is a good thing to periodically check'em. Nothing worse than hauling on a line in a moment of need and ending up with a piece in your hand. It was also pump up the dinghy day which is an every other day affair these days, that is if I want to use it. I still haven't quite gotten around to finding that "goop" that you squirt into the valves that seals the little leaks from the inside. And there were various other items that need lubing and resetting and stuff like that. General ship maintenance.
Jerry called and and I went out to diner with him and Lucille, his son, Scot, Scot's wife , Wendy and their son, Greg. It was great to meet Lucille at last and it was wonderful to see her and Jerry together. We went to a place called, "COWBOYS" as Lucille and Jerry are into country music and line dancing. I can't recall if there was actually any country music or not (there was no band) and I cam glad to report that there was no lone dancing. My dancing days, if I ever had any, are long gone, the new hip not withstanding. All of the waitresses in the place sported tee-shirts with "nifty cowboy sayings" on the back. Our waitress, who evidently bore a striking resemblance to Lucille's daughter Jen, wore a Tee shirt which advise, "Don't squat on your spurs." I think everyone should ponder that and follow this sage advice.
After dinner and the imbibing that was a part of it, it seemed a rather longer than usual row back to the boat. I am not sure that it was or that it just seemed like it was, but in any event, by the time I got there I was in no real shape to blog and went to bed.
Today, the weather was to be a little nasty. And indeed, after a rather calm morning, things got a little exciting around noon. We had a couple of storms blow through with some significant rain and wind, all of which - surprise, surprise - NOAA accurately forecast. They blew that afternoon forecast and it became sunny and bright and warm and calm and that they didn't get quite right. Unfortunately, I think that they will be wrong again this evening as the wind is picking up and howling a bit in the rigging and the sky is significantly overcast. The calm and warm and clear night predicted might just be another W.A.G. ( Wild Ass Guess) by NOAA gone astray.
Yesterday, the Harbor Dolphin Project was in Faber cove doing a little research. Evidently, "Flipper" and his buddies are quite smart. They herd the local fish population into the cove, it is sort of like a cul-du-sac, and then enjoy lunch. After which the pelicans and terns come in for their turn and I suppose that some other life form also has a go at the herd fishies. The seem to do it twice a day and the Harbor Dolphin Project came by to check it out I suppose.
I young couple with a sailboat anchored nearby last night. They must have listened to and trusted the weather report for they didn't move. Late this afternoon he, after some on deck projects, burned off excess energy by doing push-ups on the deck. She decided to go swiming and jumped over the side. True the water temp was 69 degrees today, but I do not believe she realized that is still pretty chilly, though the scream she let out made it very clear that she had discovered that fact!
Yesterday was a day of little projects that needed to be done simply because they haven't been done in a while. Things as simple as uncoiling and inspecting and re-coiling all the lines on the boat. Halyards and sheets can get chaffed even in they are not used simply by blowing and rattling against stuff and it is a good thing to periodically check'em. Nothing worse than hauling on a line in a moment of need and ending up with a piece in your hand. It was also pump up the dinghy day which is an every other day affair these days, that is if I want to use it. I still haven't quite gotten around to finding that "goop" that you squirt into the valves that seals the little leaks from the inside. And there were various other items that need lubing and resetting and stuff like that. General ship maintenance.
Jerry called and and I went out to diner with him and Lucille, his son, Scot, Scot's wife , Wendy and their son, Greg. It was great to meet Lucille at last and it was wonderful to see her and Jerry together. We went to a place called, "COWBOYS" as Lucille and Jerry are into country music and line dancing. I can't recall if there was actually any country music or not (there was no band) and I cam glad to report that there was no lone dancing. My dancing days, if I ever had any, are long gone, the new hip not withstanding. All of the waitresses in the place sported tee-shirts with "nifty cowboy sayings" on the back. Our waitress, who evidently bore a striking resemblance to Lucille's daughter Jen, wore a Tee shirt which advise, "Don't squat on your spurs." I think everyone should ponder that and follow this sage advice.
After dinner and the imbibing that was a part of it, it seemed a rather longer than usual row back to the boat. I am not sure that it was or that it just seemed like it was, but in any event, by the time I got there I was in no real shape to blog and went to bed.
Today, the weather was to be a little nasty. And indeed, after a rather calm morning, things got a little exciting around noon. We had a couple of storms blow through with some significant rain and wind, all of which - surprise, surprise - NOAA accurately forecast. They blew that afternoon forecast and it became sunny and bright and warm and calm and that they didn't get quite right. Unfortunately, I think that they will be wrong again this evening as the wind is picking up and howling a bit in the rigging and the sky is significantly overcast. The calm and warm and clear night predicted might just be another W.A.G. ( Wild Ass Guess) by NOAA gone astray.
Yesterday, the Harbor Dolphin Project was in Faber cove doing a little research. Evidently, "Flipper" and his buddies are quite smart. They herd the local fish population into the cove, it is sort of like a cul-du-sac, and then enjoy lunch. After which the pelicans and terns come in for their turn and I suppose that some other life form also has a go at the herd fishies. The seem to do it twice a day and the Harbor Dolphin Project came by to check it out I suppose.
I young couple with a sailboat anchored nearby last night. They must have listened to and trusted the weather report for they didn't move. Late this afternoon he, after some on deck projects, burned off excess energy by doing push-ups on the deck. She decided to go swiming and jumped over the side. True the water temp was 69 degrees today, but I do not believe she realized that is still pretty chilly, though the scream she let out made it very clear that she had discovered that fact!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Just Another Day in Fort Pierce . . . . .
SHIP'S LOG:
There was another cruise by last night probably by the same fellas who cruised by a few days ago. I think that they are aware that the Nauticat is "unattended" and there is sufficient items above deck to make it worth the while of someone with a criminal nature to pay a visit with the idea of appropriating such items as can be had. Quite by chance, a floating state cop was going by and I hailed him and explained the situation. He checked out the boat and found that it wasn't "hot" and put in motion whatever was necessary to get in contact with the owners. I feel almost a little "sad" as the finder's fee for the boat if "hot" would have been substantial.
Made my trip accross the Indian River and pumped and dumped and iced up. The wind was nasty and I had some trouble getting out. The one dock hand didn't handle the dock lines well upon departure and insisted I back out. ABISHAG like most sailboats handles poorly in reverse and in a high wind it can be a "really exciting time." Traded paint with another sailboat but no real damage done.
A terribly frustrating afternoon with Brad. There just doesn't seem to be anyway to get the cable run in the mast. It won't go all the way down from the top and we can haul it up all the way from the bottom. We have chevied suggestions from everywhere but none of them work, or at leats we couldn't get them to work. I am not sure that we will ever get the cable run in the mast and Brad might have to considered a conduit running outside the mast. He is not happy at the prospect but it may end up being the only way to get the job done, especially since he wants to head south on Feb.1st. One should never try to keep a schedule on a sailboat, it just never works out.
Sorry this is short but I'm beat!
There was another cruise by last night probably by the same fellas who cruised by a few days ago. I think that they are aware that the Nauticat is "unattended" and there is sufficient items above deck to make it worth the while of someone with a criminal nature to pay a visit with the idea of appropriating such items as can be had. Quite by chance, a floating state cop was going by and I hailed him and explained the situation. He checked out the boat and found that it wasn't "hot" and put in motion whatever was necessary to get in contact with the owners. I feel almost a little "sad" as the finder's fee for the boat if "hot" would have been substantial.
Made my trip accross the Indian River and pumped and dumped and iced up. The wind was nasty and I had some trouble getting out. The one dock hand didn't handle the dock lines well upon departure and insisted I back out. ABISHAG like most sailboats handles poorly in reverse and in a high wind it can be a "really exciting time." Traded paint with another sailboat but no real damage done.
A terribly frustrating afternoon with Brad. There just doesn't seem to be anyway to get the cable run in the mast. It won't go all the way down from the top and we can haul it up all the way from the bottom. We have chevied suggestions from everywhere but none of them work, or at leats we couldn't get them to work. I am not sure that we will ever get the cable run in the mast and Brad might have to considered a conduit running outside the mast. He is not happy at the prospect but it may end up being the only way to get the job done, especially since he wants to head south on Feb.1st. One should never try to keep a schedule on a sailboat, it just never works out.
Sorry this is short but I'm beat!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
And The There Was FOG!!!!
SHIP'S LOG:
A day without fog is like a day without sunshine . . . . or at least until the sun burns it off. It took to noontime but the fog finally went away. It got replaced with some wind and lots of sun. Another crappy day in Florida.
I had to go and hit the market as my stores of provender had hit rock bottom. I avoid the Edna clones in the market and made it back to ABISHAG with enough stuff to last for a couple of weeks. An outing to the market is not as easy as it sounds. First, you have to find a market. Next you have to find a way to get to the market. Then you have to do your shopping. Next you have to haul all the stuff back to the water's edge. And lastly, you have to get it out to the boat.
Luckily, I knew where the market was from an earlier foray. I had to row about 1/2 mile into shore and walk a couple of blocks to Jerry's condo. I borrowed one of Jerry's cars(thge only one there as he took the other to work) and drove to the market. I did my shopping and drove back to where I left my dinghy. I loaded all the stuff into the dinghy and drove the car back to Jerry's condo. Then I walked the couple of blocks back to the dinghy, relieved that the pelicans had not attacked the food stuffs. Got in the dinghy and rowed back the 1/2 mile to the boat. Then I had to hoist all the stuff aboard and store it. It blew the whole morning. And I will have to do something similar in a couple of weeks. It is new and different every time. It is so much easier cruising down to the corner market for a quart of milk.
I got to spend an hours or so this evening watch a cloud over the ocean that had lightning going off in it. It wasn't the bolts that you might be used to, but lightning in the cloud that lit it up in all sorts of colors. It was rather interesting to watch. It is not the sort of thing I would normally take the time to do if I was at home. Too busy with other things. Right! Slowing down and enjoying the moment is really quite wonderful. Hopefully it is something that I can keep up when I do make it back.
Tomorrow I will make a small journey . . . across the Indian River to the Fort Pierce Municipal Marina for a pump out and a garbage dump. An exciting trip to say the least. I hope I make it!
A day without fog is like a day without sunshine . . . . or at least until the sun burns it off. It took to noontime but the fog finally went away. It got replaced with some wind and lots of sun. Another crappy day in Florida.
I had to go and hit the market as my stores of provender had hit rock bottom. I avoid the Edna clones in the market and made it back to ABISHAG with enough stuff to last for a couple of weeks. An outing to the market is not as easy as it sounds. First, you have to find a market. Next you have to find a way to get to the market. Then you have to do your shopping. Next you have to haul all the stuff back to the water's edge. And lastly, you have to get it out to the boat.
Luckily, I knew where the market was from an earlier foray. I had to row about 1/2 mile into shore and walk a couple of blocks to Jerry's condo. I borrowed one of Jerry's cars(thge only one there as he took the other to work) and drove to the market. I did my shopping and drove back to where I left my dinghy. I loaded all the stuff into the dinghy and drove the car back to Jerry's condo. Then I walked the couple of blocks back to the dinghy, relieved that the pelicans had not attacked the food stuffs. Got in the dinghy and rowed back the 1/2 mile to the boat. Then I had to hoist all the stuff aboard and store it. It blew the whole morning. And I will have to do something similar in a couple of weeks. It is new and different every time. It is so much easier cruising down to the corner market for a quart of milk.
I got to spend an hours or so this evening watch a cloud over the ocean that had lightning going off in it. It wasn't the bolts that you might be used to, but lightning in the cloud that lit it up in all sorts of colors. It was rather interesting to watch. It is not the sort of thing I would normally take the time to do if I was at home. Too busy with other things. Right! Slowing down and enjoying the moment is really quite wonderful. Hopefully it is something that I can keep up when I do make it back.
Tomorrow I will make a small journey . . . across the Indian River to the Fort Pierce Municipal Marina for a pump out and a garbage dump. An exciting trip to say the least. I hope I make it!
Monday, January 17, 2011
It Be Rainin'
SHIP'S LOG:
I passed the night fully expecting to have a more intimate contact with Capt. Ahab and the crew of the Pequod but the night passed without incident. Truth be told, I am not sure how as the wind was out of the east last night and was dead out of the west this morning and since the two boats swing differently, I am surprised that we didn't "trade paint!" Thankfully we did not and when I arose at 6:30 for morning coffee, "Capt'n Slappy" and the crew of the "Festering Boil" were already making an effort to get underway. Actually, I was a bit surprised as the weather for today was not especially nice or, I should say, it was not forecast to be especially nice by those Gypsy Fortunetellers in the employ of the federal government known as NOAA! The morning wasn't to be too bad . . . . a slight chance of rain, wind 5-10, but the afternoon was to be down right nasty . . . . wind out of the South West, 15 - 20, rain, heavy at times, possible thunderstorms, tornadoes, waterspouts????? down to 5mph in the evening.
Well, no rain this morning. Wind out of the south and out of the west and out of the southeast, perhaps gusting to 12, rain late in the afternoon, brief and relatively light showers, possible wind gust(occasionally) to 15, basically out of the west. Well, they did call for rain and we got some so they weren't completely wrong. The rest of the week is supposed to be nice.
There really was not much to do today aside from read. I was hoping to get ashore and do some shopping but the Publix is about three miles away and I didn't cotton to a walk in the rain. I got a hold of Jerry too late to borrow his second car. He was already on his way to work. You would think he would have the day off on a national holiday, n'cest pas? It will probbaly have to be tomorrow monring, along with laundry and a shower. It would be nice to have clean clothes and not smell like a goat, whatever goats smell like, when I meet Lucille.
Brad is still down with "La Gripe" so there was no work done on his boat today. Certainly tomorrow afternoon will see us finish string the cable for the radar and getting that up and running. It would be better if he had put the boat on the hard when he brought it from Key West. A little bit more expensive, but you get a lot more work done that way and BRIGADOON is in need of a lot of work, lots of it just delayed maintenance and cosmetic but some of it serious and necessary foir a safe journey, even from here to across the river.
Speaking of that, I was having a little trouble with the forward head. For some reason, the pump in the system was not pumping the bowl dry. Indeed, there was a little back-up from the holding tank into the bowl . . .not a pleasant development. I dismantled the hoses, pump and valves and found nothing wrong, at least nothing I could see. When I re-assembled it all, it worked. There must have been some leak somewhere that got fixed. Evidently something just needed tightening but damned if I know what or where it was. At this point, I am just glad it is "all better!"
I was just checking the "Trip Odometer" on the GPS and on this trip, I have come 1,291 miles, probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,091 alone(actually just me and Jesus). It is quite a little journey And in two months, I get to do it all over again!
No one has yet been out to check on the Nauticat 44. They either have tremendous confidence in the set of their anchor and in their anchor rode or they have abandoned their "dream." I don't think they have put it up for sale yet as a broker would certainly have been out to scope the the craft out. I certainly hope someone comes and checks it out before the inevitable "bad thing" happens. Boats will take incredible punishment, but routine maintenance is necessary for them to have a chance. This is getting way too long for someone not to have even come out to check on anchor rode chaffing.
I passed the night fully expecting to have a more intimate contact with Capt. Ahab and the crew of the Pequod but the night passed without incident. Truth be told, I am not sure how as the wind was out of the east last night and was dead out of the west this morning and since the two boats swing differently, I am surprised that we didn't "trade paint!" Thankfully we did not and when I arose at 6:30 for morning coffee, "Capt'n Slappy" and the crew of the "Festering Boil" were already making an effort to get underway. Actually, I was a bit surprised as the weather for today was not especially nice or, I should say, it was not forecast to be especially nice by those Gypsy Fortunetellers in the employ of the federal government known as NOAA! The morning wasn't to be too bad . . . . a slight chance of rain, wind 5-10, but the afternoon was to be down right nasty . . . . wind out of the South West, 15 - 20, rain, heavy at times, possible thunderstorms, tornadoes, waterspouts????? down to 5mph in the evening.
Well, no rain this morning. Wind out of the south and out of the west and out of the southeast, perhaps gusting to 12, rain late in the afternoon, brief and relatively light showers, possible wind gust(occasionally) to 15, basically out of the west. Well, they did call for rain and we got some so they weren't completely wrong. The rest of the week is supposed to be nice.
There really was not much to do today aside from read. I was hoping to get ashore and do some shopping but the Publix is about three miles away and I didn't cotton to a walk in the rain. I got a hold of Jerry too late to borrow his second car. He was already on his way to work. You would think he would have the day off on a national holiday, n'cest pas? It will probbaly have to be tomorrow monring, along with laundry and a shower. It would be nice to have clean clothes and not smell like a goat, whatever goats smell like, when I meet Lucille.
Brad is still down with "La Gripe" so there was no work done on his boat today. Certainly tomorrow afternoon will see us finish string the cable for the radar and getting that up and running. It would be better if he had put the boat on the hard when he brought it from Key West. A little bit more expensive, but you get a lot more work done that way and BRIGADOON is in need of a lot of work, lots of it just delayed maintenance and cosmetic but some of it serious and necessary foir a safe journey, even from here to across the river.
Speaking of that, I was having a little trouble with the forward head. For some reason, the pump in the system was not pumping the bowl dry. Indeed, there was a little back-up from the holding tank into the bowl . . .not a pleasant development. I dismantled the hoses, pump and valves and found nothing wrong, at least nothing I could see. When I re-assembled it all, it worked. There must have been some leak somewhere that got fixed. Evidently something just needed tightening but damned if I know what or where it was. At this point, I am just glad it is "all better!"
I was just checking the "Trip Odometer" on the GPS and on this trip, I have come 1,291 miles, probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,091 alone(actually just me and Jesus). It is quite a little journey And in two months, I get to do it all over again!
No one has yet been out to check on the Nauticat 44. They either have tremendous confidence in the set of their anchor and in their anchor rode or they have abandoned their "dream." I don't think they have put it up for sale yet as a broker would certainly have been out to scope the the craft out. I certainly hope someone comes and checks it out before the inevitable "bad thing" happens. Boats will take incredible punishment, but routine maintenance is necessary for them to have a chance. This is getting way too long for someone not to have even come out to check on anchor rode chaffing.
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