SHIP'S LOG:
I had to clear out the "In-Law's Apartment" locker and begin the trace of the hose that ducts the fresh, good air into the engine room and the one that ducts the hot, bad air out. At first glance, it looked like it would be a problem as the hose ran out of a bulkhead and into the flooring and out and into another bulkhead. . . . but no, because there on the aft bulkhead, just before the hose disappeared for the second time was the blower! And it had been there awhile. Written on it in Magic Marker was the date "1995" which I guess was the year it was put in place. I checked the wiring and found that I had 13.5 volts to the blower but it still wouldn't turn. It meant that the motor was shot.To confirm this, I disconnected it and check the resistance and got infinite ohms. It was well and truly shot and had to be replaced. It was also coated on the inside with 16 years worth of oily build up from sucking the air out from around a diesel engine. Yep, it was time for it to go onto the great scrapheap of life.
Dinghied into shore and Jerry and I headed up to West Marine where I purchased a new blower, along with an in-line fuse connection and fuses. The previous blower had been installed without them which leads me to believe that it wasn't original to the boat. I think it was a replacement for the original but that it was set in place by one of the previous owners. If the date is correct, then it was put in by the original owner of the boat in Bermuda. It is a simple fix and a simple location and I will have it up an running on the 'morrow. It was simply to nice a day to spend doing anything like work.
One thing of note: last night after dark, there were 4 of us anchored along the channel of the causeway leading to Faber Cover. A sailboat came in and hunted around for a spot to anchor. He must have been using the charts for he anchored right over a wreak. The charts for this location, and I suppose many other locations, are a bit off. The 2004 Hurricane season devastated the area and filled in a lot of spots that were formally good anchorages. I discovered that when I first anchored here as the depths were no where close to what was on the chart and Jerry confirmed it. Evidently, this had been a place for locals to moor and some boat didn't survive the hurricane and went down near the beginning of the causeway channel. For awhile, the mast noted the location at high tide and when that was later removed, a buoy was attached to the wreak, The buoy eventually disappeared but eh locals knew where the wreak was and avoided it. This poor fellow Last night anchored right over it and was aground on it this morning. Lots of yelling and scream at 5AM low tide. He was not a happy camper but he didn't get towed, though he probably moved, and is still there . . . tempting fate yet again.
No word from Brad. with his brother in town for the weekend, I really didn't expect it and he lived up to expectations. I am still awaiting the return of the "spares box" an d some other items he borrowed and I guess that will have to wait for tomorrow. If he gets out here early enough, I'll be off to Stuart. If not, I will go Tuesday and "suffer" through Monday in 75 degrees of temp and sunny, sunny skies. And I am not sorry or guilty at all!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
The Thingy Is Connected To The Doohickey, The Doohickey Is Connected To The Whatsits, . . . .
SHIP'S LOG:
Ah Yes, the Doohickey, the Thingamabob, The Whatsits, and all those other little thingies. Yes, when something goes out of whack on a boat, it isn't always as simple as in other places and everything seems to have a strange name.
The first little thing that went "wrong" was a 1" washer that fit of the end of the hose that was attached to the pump that blew up the dinghy. It went away. Where, I have no idea. Indeed, it could still be somewhere in the dinghy but an exhaustive search turned up nothing. This means, that at some time in the future, I will sit in the dinghy and see it just sitting there, mocking me! The front tube of the dinghy, the one with the slow leak, was completely deflated and need to be pumped up. This meant that I had to find some gasket material (Thank you Mr. Beebe), cut out several 1" squares, round them off, cut out the proper diameter hole in the center and fit them on the fixture at the end of the hose which is attached to the pump that blows up the dinghy. I had to cut several of them as I have no idea exactly how thick the missing washer is/was and it had to be thick enough to create a tight seal between the port and the fixture at the end of the hose which is attached to the pump that blows up the dinghy so that no air will escape during the process and the front tube will indeed blow up(that is fill with air). It took an hour or so but mission accomplished - it took 2 of the five washers to make the proper seal.
One of the cabinet doors in the saloon pulled its hinge(bottom) from the frame and needs to be screw back in. The wood is old and dry and so it required a little wood filler to quite naturally fill the holes and cracks so that new screws could be put in place and hold the hinge tight. I am not quite sure where the former screws went. They don't seem to be inside the cabinet nor on the floor nor on or in the settee. It is strange how sometimes, things on a boat just go off into another dimension. You put something down in a particular place and when you look for it, it is gone. At some later date, it turns up in an entirely different place and you have no idea how it got there. The OUTER LIMITS definitely operates on boats.
The engine room blower is also out. It is a fan that sucks in fresh air when the engine is running. It quite today when I started the engine to charge the batteries. Probably just a loose wire. Now if I can only find where the blower is. I will look in the most unlikely and in accessible spot first . . .where I am sure to find it!
I didn't make Stuart today. My box of spares is on BRIGADOON and Brad's brother showed up yesterday and they took off for the weekend. Looks like Monday will be get-a-way day.
Ah Yes, the Doohickey, the Thingamabob, The Whatsits, and all those other little thingies. Yes, when something goes out of whack on a boat, it isn't always as simple as in other places and everything seems to have a strange name.
The first little thing that went "wrong" was a 1" washer that fit of the end of the hose that was attached to the pump that blew up the dinghy. It went away. Where, I have no idea. Indeed, it could still be somewhere in the dinghy but an exhaustive search turned up nothing. This means, that at some time in the future, I will sit in the dinghy and see it just sitting there, mocking me! The front tube of the dinghy, the one with the slow leak, was completely deflated and need to be pumped up. This meant that I had to find some gasket material (Thank you Mr. Beebe), cut out several 1" squares, round them off, cut out the proper diameter hole in the center and fit them on the fixture at the end of the hose which is attached to the pump that blows up the dinghy. I had to cut several of them as I have no idea exactly how thick the missing washer is/was and it had to be thick enough to create a tight seal between the port and the fixture at the end of the hose which is attached to the pump that blows up the dinghy so that no air will escape during the process and the front tube will indeed blow up(that is fill with air). It took an hour or so but mission accomplished - it took 2 of the five washers to make the proper seal.
One of the cabinet doors in the saloon pulled its hinge(bottom) from the frame and needs to be screw back in. The wood is old and dry and so it required a little wood filler to quite naturally fill the holes and cracks so that new screws could be put in place and hold the hinge tight. I am not quite sure where the former screws went. They don't seem to be inside the cabinet nor on the floor nor on or in the settee. It is strange how sometimes, things on a boat just go off into another dimension. You put something down in a particular place and when you look for it, it is gone. At some later date, it turns up in an entirely different place and you have no idea how it got there. The OUTER LIMITS definitely operates on boats.
The engine room blower is also out. It is a fan that sucks in fresh air when the engine is running. It quite today when I started the engine to charge the batteries. Probably just a loose wire. Now if I can only find where the blower is. I will look in the most unlikely and in accessible spot first . . .where I am sure to find it!
I didn't make Stuart today. My box of spares is on BRIGADOON and Brad's brother showed up yesterday and they took off for the weekend. Looks like Monday will be get-a-way day.
Friday, January 28, 2011
And The Days Really Are Getting Longer!
SHIP'S LOG:
Every morning when I arise, I make coffee and sit in the cockpit and wait for the sunrise. Some mornings this means bundling up but most mornings the air is still, even if cold, and the coffee helps keep the chill off. I also listen to NOAA, I am not sure why, but part of their "presentation of products" as they like to say, is the time of sunrise and sunset at the local location. For most of the journey, the time of sunrise kept getting later and later and the time of sunset kept getting earlier and earlier. Perhaps it was the cold, but when it changed on December 21st/22nd I really wasn't paying much attention . In fact, I only noticed that the time of sunrise was getting earlier and earlier and the time of sunset was getting later and later a few days ago. That will give you an idea of how much I need a good jolt of coffee in the morning. But it is a wonderful thing, the days getting longer. Of course, actually we are just getting more hours of daylight and less of night, but who cares about the mechanics of the thing, summer is nigh. well, if not nigh, it is coming . . . eventually. Trust me on this.
I spent about an hour setting up the course to Fort Stuart. I am surprised that it took that long but then I am a bit out of practice. Basically it is a very straight run from here to the Port St. Lucie Inlet in Stuart( don't ask why the St. Lucie Inlet is not in Port St. Lucie or why they didn't call it the Fort Stuart Inlet) and then are convoluted stagger, through another "Hell Gate" - that's three on this trip - and into "Hooker Cove" on the St. Lucie River/ Okeechobee Waterway. It is a little over 20 miles as the dolphin swims, the weather is supposed to be nice and it should be a piece of cake.
I talked to Chuck Estell tonight and asked him about the rest of the east coast. He has done it a couple of times when drought prevented him from using the St. Lucie Canal across the Everglades. He agrees that anchorages are few in number between here and Miami but that from Miami down it is wide open. He is going to plow through his journals and see if he can come up with any spots that I don't already have down. I hope he does have a few because I will be unable to overnight in any marinas and I am not thrilled with the prospect of trying to do the distance in two big bites.
Strangely, even though I haven't finished going south, I find myself contemplating the journey back north.The turn around is still a good month and a half away, I have been thinking of some of the people and places that i Hope to see again on the way north. There are places that I have missed and/or by-passed ( Elizabeth City and the free wine and cheese for instance) that I would like to see and some places that I would like to spend more time in, like Charleston. And when I find myself thinking about that too much, I remind myself that I really don't have much of a tan, I haven't been swimming, I haven't seen "a Green Flash" and most of New England is buried under record snow and freezing with record low temperatures. That stops those "northerly" thoughts right quick! Onward!
Every morning when I arise, I make coffee and sit in the cockpit and wait for the sunrise. Some mornings this means bundling up but most mornings the air is still, even if cold, and the coffee helps keep the chill off. I also listen to NOAA, I am not sure why, but part of their "presentation of products" as they like to say, is the time of sunrise and sunset at the local location. For most of the journey, the time of sunrise kept getting later and later and the time of sunset kept getting earlier and earlier. Perhaps it was the cold, but when it changed on December 21st/22nd I really wasn't paying much attention . In fact, I only noticed that the time of sunrise was getting earlier and earlier and the time of sunset was getting later and later a few days ago. That will give you an idea of how much I need a good jolt of coffee in the morning. But it is a wonderful thing, the days getting longer. Of course, actually we are just getting more hours of daylight and less of night, but who cares about the mechanics of the thing, summer is nigh. well, if not nigh, it is coming . . . eventually. Trust me on this.
I spent about an hour setting up the course to Fort Stuart. I am surprised that it took that long but then I am a bit out of practice. Basically it is a very straight run from here to the Port St. Lucie Inlet in Stuart( don't ask why the St. Lucie Inlet is not in Port St. Lucie or why they didn't call it the Fort Stuart Inlet) and then are convoluted stagger, through another "Hell Gate" - that's three on this trip - and into "Hooker Cove" on the St. Lucie River/ Okeechobee Waterway. It is a little over 20 miles as the dolphin swims, the weather is supposed to be nice and it should be a piece of cake.
I talked to Chuck Estell tonight and asked him about the rest of the east coast. He has done it a couple of times when drought prevented him from using the St. Lucie Canal across the Everglades. He agrees that anchorages are few in number between here and Miami but that from Miami down it is wide open. He is going to plow through his journals and see if he can come up with any spots that I don't already have down. I hope he does have a few because I will be unable to overnight in any marinas and I am not thrilled with the prospect of trying to do the distance in two big bites.
Strangely, even though I haven't finished going south, I find myself contemplating the journey back north.The turn around is still a good month and a half away, I have been thinking of some of the people and places that i Hope to see again on the way north. There are places that I have missed and/or by-passed ( Elizabeth City and the free wine and cheese for instance) that I would like to see and some places that I would like to spend more time in, like Charleston. And when I find myself thinking about that too much, I remind myself that I really don't have much of a tan, I haven't been swimming, I haven't seen "a Green Flash" and most of New England is buried under record snow and freezing with record low temperatures. That stops those "northerly" thoughts right quick! Onward!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Another Day, Another Sunburn!
SHIP'S LOG:
Yes, I am still here! Yesterdays weather was considerably improved over the previous day's /night's rather nasty weather. The front came through and bifurcated right at Fort Pierce, with half going south and half going north of the city, and so of the anchorage where I was on the hook. And people say prayer doesn't work. It does!
I got several calls from people wanting to know if I had made it through the storm. Evidently it was enough to make some national news coverage and elicit concern. Most seemed happy that I had made it though I get the impression that some, bombarded as they were with more snow, and a lot of it, weren't so much. Not that they wished nay harm but rather a simple balancing of the weather scales so to speak. They were a little piqued that I was experiencing seasonal weather (for Florida) and they were not(living as they were not in Florida). Considering what they are dealing with, I can't hold it against them. Then again, there isn't anything I can do to change the circumstances and the situation either. We will all just have to deal with what weather comes our way with grace, sagacity, fortitude and courage.
Today was another one of those days where I had to deal with temperatures in the mid 70's and not a cloud in the sky. It was tough, but I was able to pull it off. Tonight, it will get down into (possibly) the low 40's/high 30's but I will deal with that, too!
I took advantage of the weather to do a maintenance check on the batteries. It is a bit of a process as I have to empty out the "In-Law Apartment" - i.e. the cockpit locker to be able to get to the battery compartment itself. All is well though I did top off the cells. Aside from that little bit of maintenance work, I watched dolphins herding fish in to Faber Cove for a snack(not for the fish but for the dolphins upon the fish) and then break into a will attempt to increase the local dolphin population. The snack must have been especially elevating or the snack must have snacked on something itself. In any event, it was quite a show . . . and no!, I didn't get pictures. That would have been unseemly, uncouth, uncultured. (I didn't think of it at the time!)
Departure from the "good harbor" of Fort Pierce now looks to be Saturday. I have got to help Brad with a few small projects (forget the cable, he's on his own for that) and collect all the stuff I have lent him to deal with some of the projects he has ongoing. There isn't anyway he is going to make his Feb. 1st departure date, not unless he motors into the Hinckley Yard in Stuart and throws around a lot of money. Even then, I doubt that there is enough time. I think that he made a mistake not putting the boat on the hard when he got it here in the first place. But as they say, hindsight is 20/20.
It will be good to be on the move again. It is just getting started that is the problem. It is one of those"Every-journey-of-a-thousand-miles-begins-with-a-single-step" things and taking the first step. But I will as I have people who will be awaiting me in Stuart. I will anchor right near the Chapman School, an alumus returning to his "old School." I wonder if they would let me dock there? Hummmmmm?!?!?!?!
Yes, I am still here! Yesterdays weather was considerably improved over the previous day's /night's rather nasty weather. The front came through and bifurcated right at Fort Pierce, with half going south and half going north of the city, and so of the anchorage where I was on the hook. And people say prayer doesn't work. It does!
I got several calls from people wanting to know if I had made it through the storm. Evidently it was enough to make some national news coverage and elicit concern. Most seemed happy that I had made it though I get the impression that some, bombarded as they were with more snow, and a lot of it, weren't so much. Not that they wished nay harm but rather a simple balancing of the weather scales so to speak. They were a little piqued that I was experiencing seasonal weather (for Florida) and they were not(living as they were not in Florida). Considering what they are dealing with, I can't hold it against them. Then again, there isn't anything I can do to change the circumstances and the situation either. We will all just have to deal with what weather comes our way with grace, sagacity, fortitude and courage.
Today was another one of those days where I had to deal with temperatures in the mid 70's and not a cloud in the sky. It was tough, but I was able to pull it off. Tonight, it will get down into (possibly) the low 40's/high 30's but I will deal with that, too!
I took advantage of the weather to do a maintenance check on the batteries. It is a bit of a process as I have to empty out the "In-Law Apartment" - i.e. the cockpit locker to be able to get to the battery compartment itself. All is well though I did top off the cells. Aside from that little bit of maintenance work, I watched dolphins herding fish in to Faber Cove for a snack(not for the fish but for the dolphins upon the fish) and then break into a will attempt to increase the local dolphin population. The snack must have been especially elevating or the snack must have snacked on something itself. In any event, it was quite a show . . . and no!, I didn't get pictures. That would have been unseemly, uncouth, uncultured. (I didn't think of it at the time!)
Departure from the "good harbor" of Fort Pierce now looks to be Saturday. I have got to help Brad with a few small projects (forget the cable, he's on his own for that) and collect all the stuff I have lent him to deal with some of the projects he has ongoing. There isn't anyway he is going to make his Feb. 1st departure date, not unless he motors into the Hinckley Yard in Stuart and throws around a lot of money. Even then, I doubt that there is enough time. I think that he made a mistake not putting the boat on the hard when he got it here in the first place. But as they say, hindsight is 20/20.
It will be good to be on the move again. It is just getting started that is the problem. It is one of those"Every-journey-of-a-thousand-miles-begins-with-a-single-step" things and taking the first step. But I will as I have people who will be awaiting me in Stuart. I will anchor right near the Chapman School, an alumus returning to his "old School." I wonder if they would let me dock there? Hummmmmm?!?!?!?!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Rain! Wind! Hail! Tornadoes! Lightning! And A Partridge in a Pear Tree!
SHIPS LOG:
Today we are supposed to get weather of biblical proportions or dimensions or something. I say "we are" because at the time of this writing, they are still forecasting "nasty weather." Then a\gain, it is NOAA who is doing the forecasting. Also by the time of this writing the "Tornado Watch Level 7" is over. It appears that we will still get some rain and some high winds, but all the rest seems to have given us a pass. . . . unless it shifts and then all bets are off.
On radar, on a line from Tampa to Daytona, everything north of the line is green/yellow/orange/ red none of which are colors you want overhead. Whatever it is, it looks nasty and I am glad I will be missing it. I still have to deal with the winds and the rollicking seas, but less than what i had anticipated. It doesn't look like we will get the 30 - 50 mph winds gusts tonight. I had anticipated spending the night in the nav station again, like that night up in Brunswick, GA, watching the depth sounder and the "little sailboat" on the map on the GPS. If something spectacular doesn't happen and nothing dangerous is called for by the Weatherunderground, I may get to bed at a decent hours. I am up for that for while today was a relatively non-active sort of day, the tension generated by awaiting the onset of the nasty weather was/is actually very fatiguing.
I was lucky enough to be able to get in to take a shower and do laundry at Jerry's place. I even got to the market to pick up a few consumables, but the row back was not like the row in. By the time I headed back out to the boat, the wind had really picked up, probably gusting to 25. Of course, in the shallow "Bay" in which I am anchored, it set up a nice chop. Getting out to ABISHAG meant rowing in "a beam sea," that is waves striking the side of the dinghy. Approximately every 5th or 6th waves hit just right and sent a spray into the dinghy and upon the rower. That be me! it was also pushing me sideways, I was making "leeway" in nautical parlance and the dinghy was also bouncing around a lot. Rowing an inflatable dinghy is really an exercise in futility. They row lousy in flat, calm water and really don't row at all in any "sea." It was a wet, not too cold, one hour, one mile row, fighting all the way to keep the laundry and food stuffs relatively dry. It was not fun.
A big old trawler anchor right next to me, and I mean right next to me, for the night. "Paydirt" bothers me in that while not unreasonably close, he seems rather too close for the "potential of the weather." It would seem to suggest to me that he doesn't or didn't know hat the forecast was when he dropped the hook. He has lots of room around here but he had to anchor within spitting distance. Like I said, it isn't unreasonably close but considering the forecast . . . . . and when the wind swings west tonight, if he drags . . . .. . "WHIPLASH!"
Today we are supposed to get weather of biblical proportions or dimensions or something. I say "we are" because at the time of this writing, they are still forecasting "nasty weather." Then a\gain, it is NOAA who is doing the forecasting. Also by the time of this writing the "Tornado Watch Level 7" is over. It appears that we will still get some rain and some high winds, but all the rest seems to have given us a pass. . . . unless it shifts and then all bets are off.
On radar, on a line from Tampa to Daytona, everything north of the line is green/yellow/orange/ red none of which are colors you want overhead. Whatever it is, it looks nasty and I am glad I will be missing it. I still have to deal with the winds and the rollicking seas, but less than what i had anticipated. It doesn't look like we will get the 30 - 50 mph winds gusts tonight. I had anticipated spending the night in the nav station again, like that night up in Brunswick, GA, watching the depth sounder and the "little sailboat" on the map on the GPS. If something spectacular doesn't happen and nothing dangerous is called for by the Weatherunderground, I may get to bed at a decent hours. I am up for that for while today was a relatively non-active sort of day, the tension generated by awaiting the onset of the nasty weather was/is actually very fatiguing.
I was lucky enough to be able to get in to take a shower and do laundry at Jerry's place. I even got to the market to pick up a few consumables, but the row back was not like the row in. By the time I headed back out to the boat, the wind had really picked up, probably gusting to 25. Of course, in the shallow "Bay" in which I am anchored, it set up a nice chop. Getting out to ABISHAG meant rowing in "a beam sea," that is waves striking the side of the dinghy. Approximately every 5th or 6th waves hit just right and sent a spray into the dinghy and upon the rower. That be me! it was also pushing me sideways, I was making "leeway" in nautical parlance and the dinghy was also bouncing around a lot. Rowing an inflatable dinghy is really an exercise in futility. They row lousy in flat, calm water and really don't row at all in any "sea." It was a wet, not too cold, one hour, one mile row, fighting all the way to keep the laundry and food stuffs relatively dry. It was not fun.
A big old trawler anchor right next to me, and I mean right next to me, for the night. "Paydirt" bothers me in that while not unreasonably close, he seems rather too close for the "potential of the weather." It would seem to suggest to me that he doesn't or didn't know hat the forecast was when he dropped the hook. He has lots of room around here but he had to anchor within spitting distance. Like I said, it isn't unreasonably close but considering the forecast . . . . . and when the wind swings west tonight, if he drags . . . .. . "WHIPLASH!"
Monday, January 24, 2011
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.
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.
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!
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