SHIP'S LOG:
It didn't snow yesterday and if the forecasts are to be believed, the much anticipated Nor'easter is going to give us a miss come Sunday. But as in all things relating to weather, whether or not the forecast is spot on, one always has to deal with what one gets.
It did get very cold again last night and that should be repeated for the next few days. I know that we will all laugh at this come summer and dwell on it nostalgically come July and August when the heat and humidity battle over who can go higher. I love that because I can always get cooler but never can seem to get completely warm, or if I do, to stay so. Heck, to get cool, all I have to do is step off the boat!
There was a news report of a sailor/fisherman from El Salvador who was just rescued after being a castaway for over 13 months. Reportedly, he drifted across the Pacific in his boat and ended up on some rather small atoll, surviving on fish, seabirds and rain water. He looks in very good shape. It is a cautionary tale though, never go fishing!
Friday, February 7, 2014
Thursday, February 6, 2014
It IS Cold Outside! SO What Else I s New?
SHIP'S LOG:
SO much for Vermont! They got over a foot of snow and, even though they are used to such amounts, the freezing rain/sleet/ice that followed it, plus the melting re-freeze last night, has really made a mess of the highways. Russ in his wisdom decided against the trip. Perhaps we'll go next week if the weather co-operates a little.
One fun fact about winter that I let slip my mind is that no matter how careful you are, how well you shovel your driveway, the city/town/state will come by once you have finished to plow you in again. Not only did I plow the driveway, I actually plowed north & south of the entrance for a sufficient distance - I thought- so that should/when the plows came by again, they wouldn't plow me back in. 'Tain't sure how they did it, but they did plow me back in, though not to the degree that they would have had I not made my attempt to prevent it. I now have to go out and chop my way through the ice barrier that is in place. The re-freeze made it like rock and the snow blower is not up to the task of digging through it. I'd let it melt a bit first but the temperature is going down even as I write this . . . at 9:30am!
O, to be in Key Largo for the FORCE 5 Winter Nationals. There will actually be a contingent from TYC down there, joined by those who this year made the trip down the ICW. Well, I'm not and I have to deal with it, which means freeze here in God's Country. It could be worse but it seems like we may be getting a bit of a break. The weekend storms looks to be less of a monster Nor'easter than it was first forecast to be. Then again, it is NOAA making the forecast and their record this winter has not be exemplary. In any event, monster or not, me and everyone else will just have to deal with what comes. Villanova was among the towns/universities in PA that lost power when they got clobbered. The news said they closed down but what the students who live there are going to do I have no idea. One great aspect of Chez Rolando is a wood burning stove in the basement. Hopefully it will remain a mere adjunct to better heating.
SO much for Vermont! They got over a foot of snow and, even though they are used to such amounts, the freezing rain/sleet/ice that followed it, plus the melting re-freeze last night, has really made a mess of the highways. Russ in his wisdom decided against the trip. Perhaps we'll go next week if the weather co-operates a little.
One fun fact about winter that I let slip my mind is that no matter how careful you are, how well you shovel your driveway, the city/town/state will come by once you have finished to plow you in again. Not only did I plow the driveway, I actually plowed north & south of the entrance for a sufficient distance - I thought- so that should/when the plows came by again, they wouldn't plow me back in. 'Tain't sure how they did it, but they did plow me back in, though not to the degree that they would have had I not made my attempt to prevent it. I now have to go out and chop my way through the ice barrier that is in place. The re-freeze made it like rock and the snow blower is not up to the task of digging through it. I'd let it melt a bit first but the temperature is going down even as I write this . . . at 9:30am!
O, to be in Key Largo for the FORCE 5 Winter Nationals. There will actually be a contingent from TYC down there, joined by those who this year made the trip down the ICW. Well, I'm not and I have to deal with it, which means freeze here in God's Country. It could be worse but it seems like we may be getting a bit of a break. The weekend storms looks to be less of a monster Nor'easter than it was first forecast to be. Then again, it is NOAA making the forecast and their record this winter has not be exemplary. In any event, monster or not, me and everyone else will just have to deal with what comes. Villanova was among the towns/universities in PA that lost power when they got clobbered. The news said they closed down but what the students who live there are going to do I have no idea. One great aspect of Chez Rolando is a wood burning stove in the basement. Hopefully it will remain a mere adjunct to better heating.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Two Down - One To Go!
SHIP'S LOG:
Well, I just got through shoveling - well actually snow-plowing - out. It is rather nasty stuff. The snow has stopped - -well actually shifted to ice pellets and the temperature is probably around 38. That may aid a bit in some melting but if the temperature drops tonight it will be hell on the roads tomorrow. Normally this wouldn't bother me in the least except for the fact that tomorrow I am committed to go to Vermont with Russ. What we got here today they got in spades so it should be an "interesting" trip if we decide to go. Vermont can deal with snow and ice and it shouldn't be too bad so long as we don't have to do a lot of secondary road traveling.
I received a couple of emails from the the Gibbs who, along with Chuck Wargo and his daughter, are making their first trip south down the ICW. Their first contained pictures of them in Fort Lauderdale and the second from the bar at the Key Largo Yacht Club. The subject line said, "Don't Hate Us!" Considering what the winter has been like so far, it would be easy, but when I made the trip, everyone back here in God's Country had to deal with 84 inches of snow. I can't complain if they are getting the weather they made the trip for in the first place.
I was able to share lots of info about what to do and where to go and what to avoid making the trip and it appears that they are having a spectacular time. With in another month though they are going to have to turn around and head back. It would be wonderful if you could just wake up and be home and avoid some of the long stretches of boring travel, but it is part of the price you have to pay. The real downer is that there are no surprises on the way back unless you get "interesting" weather, you have seen and experienced it all. I don't know if they will be taking the time to stop and enjoy the places they rushed past on the way down trying to beat the weather, but I hope they do. Heading up the ICW in the Spring weather was really beautiful, but you get the "itchy-foot" syndrome and want to get home fast. It will be their call, but I hope they really "cruise."
I didn't get a chance to check out ABISHAG on Monday. The "light dusting of snow" that was forecast for Sunday night/Monday morning turned out to be a little more than a mere "dusting." we got a good 5-8 inches, but once again it was that light fluffy stuff, so the clean-up was easy. They snow we got today was heavy and wet and now will get a coating of ice to make it perfectly miserable. The best that can be said it that we are one day closer to launching!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have got to hold that thought considering the worst of these three storms in due over the weekend!
Well, I just got through shoveling - well actually snow-plowing - out. It is rather nasty stuff. The snow has stopped - -well actually shifted to ice pellets and the temperature is probably around 38. That may aid a bit in some melting but if the temperature drops tonight it will be hell on the roads tomorrow. Normally this wouldn't bother me in the least except for the fact that tomorrow I am committed to go to Vermont with Russ. What we got here today they got in spades so it should be an "interesting" trip if we decide to go. Vermont can deal with snow and ice and it shouldn't be too bad so long as we don't have to do a lot of secondary road traveling.
I received a couple of emails from the the Gibbs who, along with Chuck Wargo and his daughter, are making their first trip south down the ICW. Their first contained pictures of them in Fort Lauderdale and the second from the bar at the Key Largo Yacht Club. The subject line said, "Don't Hate Us!" Considering what the winter has been like so far, it would be easy, but when I made the trip, everyone back here in God's Country had to deal with 84 inches of snow. I can't complain if they are getting the weather they made the trip for in the first place.
I was able to share lots of info about what to do and where to go and what to avoid making the trip and it appears that they are having a spectacular time. With in another month though they are going to have to turn around and head back. It would be wonderful if you could just wake up and be home and avoid some of the long stretches of boring travel, but it is part of the price you have to pay. The real downer is that there are no surprises on the way back unless you get "interesting" weather, you have seen and experienced it all. I don't know if they will be taking the time to stop and enjoy the places they rushed past on the way down trying to beat the weather, but I hope they do. Heading up the ICW in the Spring weather was really beautiful, but you get the "itchy-foot" syndrome and want to get home fast. It will be their call, but I hope they really "cruise."
I didn't get a chance to check out ABISHAG on Monday. The "light dusting of snow" that was forecast for Sunday night/Monday morning turned out to be a little more than a mere "dusting." we got a good 5-8 inches, but once again it was that light fluffy stuff, so the clean-up was easy. They snow we got today was heavy and wet and now will get a coating of ice to make it perfectly miserable. The best that can be said it that we are one day closer to launching!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have got to hold that thought considering the worst of these three storms in due over the weekend!
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Here Comes The Snow Again ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
Well, not right away but late on Tuesday night. It will be another 6-10 inches. I hope it continues to be that light, dry, fluffy type of snow which we have had the last couple of storms as it makes for much easier clean-up. It also seems to last less long, but as is always the case, I'll have to deal with what I get!
Monday afternoon, I will be stopping bay to see ABISHAG and see how she has been fairing so far this winter. I do not expect to find any problems. I will only go aboard if the traps are askew. If they are in place there is no reason to board. If they are out of place, I will have to check for water entry and see if any "little creatures" from the local environs have crashed for the winter. When I put up the tarps, it was with the intention of leaving the hatches and ports cracked open to allow some air to circulate thus cutting down on mold aboard. The tarps would discourage bother the rain and snow as well as the local raccoon/squirrel/ other-assorted-rodential populations from getting aboard. Actually, they really wouldn't stop a truly determined storm or rodent from getting inside, but like locks on sailboats, they are deterrents and there are other far easier targets in the boatyard!
I'll head up to staring going through my stuff this week, sorting and cleaning. It is a process that should not actually take too long. I will have to be strict as to what goes back aboard if only because whatever goes I have to haul. And hauling it to the car and then out of the car and up that ladder and into the boat is far from my idea of a good time. It sure wasn't fun taking it all out last fall!
Well, not right away but late on Tuesday night. It will be another 6-10 inches. I hope it continues to be that light, dry, fluffy type of snow which we have had the last couple of storms as it makes for much easier clean-up. It also seems to last less long, but as is always the case, I'll have to deal with what I get!
Monday afternoon, I will be stopping bay to see ABISHAG and see how she has been fairing so far this winter. I do not expect to find any problems. I will only go aboard if the traps are askew. If they are in place there is no reason to board. If they are out of place, I will have to check for water entry and see if any "little creatures" from the local environs have crashed for the winter. When I put up the tarps, it was with the intention of leaving the hatches and ports cracked open to allow some air to circulate thus cutting down on mold aboard. The tarps would discourage bother the rain and snow as well as the local raccoon/squirrel/ other-assorted-rodential populations from getting aboard. Actually, they really wouldn't stop a truly determined storm or rodent from getting inside, but like locks on sailboats, they are deterrents and there are other far easier targets in the boatyard!
I'll head up to staring going through my stuff this week, sorting and cleaning. It is a process that should not actually take too long. I will have to be strict as to what goes back aboard if only because whatever goes I have to haul. And hauling it to the car and then out of the car and up that ladder and into the boat is far from my idea of a good time. It sure wasn't fun taking it all out last fall!
Friday, January 31, 2014
Back & Forth & Back & Forth, Etc!
SHIP'S LOG:
It will be in the 40's today. This will make it two days in a row. The rest of the week and the weekend should continue the upward trend but after that, who knows.
All the snowbirds who dropped the hook north of Daytona are probably wishing they continued further south as they all got whacked the last couple of days by the very weather they were seeking to avoid. It is safe to say that it has been a rather bizarre winter that is for sure. We got a quick inch two days ago but it is all gone now except for the piles that remain from the shoveling, and they should be gone by the end of the day.
It is about a month before work begins on the boat, less if we get an early spring. The odds of that are rather poor as we really haven't had a spring for a couple of years now. It has gone from the end of winter right into summer, giving spring a complete miss. I am eager to get started if only to begin ti use up the energy I have been storing.
It will be in the 40's today. This will make it two days in a row. The rest of the week and the weekend should continue the upward trend but after that, who knows.
All the snowbirds who dropped the hook north of Daytona are probably wishing they continued further south as they all got whacked the last couple of days by the very weather they were seeking to avoid. It is safe to say that it has been a rather bizarre winter that is for sure. We got a quick inch two days ago but it is all gone now except for the piles that remain from the shoveling, and they should be gone by the end of the day.
It is about a month before work begins on the boat, less if we get an early spring. The odds of that are rather poor as we really haven't had a spring for a couple of years now. It has gone from the end of winter right into summer, giving spring a complete miss. I am eager to get started if only to begin ti use up the energy I have been storing.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Snow & Cold. What Else Is New?????
SHIP'S LOG:
It appears that the snow is not over for this week! It is forecast, take that how you please, that more is on the way this afternoon and that there will be more on Sunday night. True, they don't forecast much but then again, it is NOAA doing the forecasting!
Whether the snow comes or not, the cold is definitely here to stay, at least for the next few days. It is a bad thing when you check the temp and see it hovering at 22 degrees and you first thought is that it is warmer than yesterday! And on top of all this, the flu season is in full swing. People are dropping like flies with it this year. It seems particularly nasty. Unfortunately there is nothing that you can do with it or for it if you get it. If you didn't get a flu shot, the odds are not in your favor of being spared an attack. Luckily, I bent to the pressure of my doctor and got a shot and so while I may get another cold ( I had a 48 incident back in early January), I won't be getting the flu.
There is not much in the way of boating things happening, though beginning in February, things will slowly get underway. I really do have to sort out all that stuff that is in Russ' basement to determine what goes back aboard and what does not. I'll also have to get about reconditioning all my tools as well. Saltwater/salt air really do make a mess of things and can cause some serious damage, even beyond the complete protection of WD-40. But right now that is a whole week away.
Though I hate to say it, I really do hope ABISHAG sells. I really like the boat but it is more boat than I need anymore. As with all things boating, the bigger the boat, the more expensive everything that has to do with it is. If I do sell her, I will buy a small craft because I need a place to live from May through October. Actually, I wish it would happen as I hate living in this in-between state.
It appears that the snow is not over for this week! It is forecast, take that how you please, that more is on the way this afternoon and that there will be more on Sunday night. True, they don't forecast much but then again, it is NOAA doing the forecasting!
Whether the snow comes or not, the cold is definitely here to stay, at least for the next few days. It is a bad thing when you check the temp and see it hovering at 22 degrees and you first thought is that it is warmer than yesterday! And on top of all this, the flu season is in full swing. People are dropping like flies with it this year. It seems particularly nasty. Unfortunately there is nothing that you can do with it or for it if you get it. If you didn't get a flu shot, the odds are not in your favor of being spared an attack. Luckily, I bent to the pressure of my doctor and got a shot and so while I may get another cold ( I had a 48 incident back in early January), I won't be getting the flu.
There is not much in the way of boating things happening, though beginning in February, things will slowly get underway. I really do have to sort out all that stuff that is in Russ' basement to determine what goes back aboard and what does not. I'll also have to get about reconditioning all my tools as well. Saltwater/salt air really do make a mess of things and can cause some serious damage, even beyond the complete protection of WD-40. But right now that is a whole week away.
Though I hate to say it, I really do hope ABISHAG sells. I really like the boat but it is more boat than I need anymore. As with all things boating, the bigger the boat, the more expensive everything that has to do with it is. If I do sell her, I will buy a small craft because I need a place to live from May through October. Actually, I wish it would happen as I hate living in this in-between state.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
A Blizzard Alright!
SHIP'S LOG:
There is something very beautiful about standing outside at night in a heavy snowfall. Everything is muffled and, if there is no real wind, I could stand outside forever, or at least until I begin to loose feeling in various places. One of the down sides of having divested myself of so much personal property for my trip back in 2010 is that back then, I really didn't see the immediate need for winter clothing. True, I ran smack into one of Florida's coldest winters but who knew? For awhile, I had to go to bed wearing everything I owned and brought with me just to keep from freezing. That "cold snap" eventually passed, but the lack of winter clothing remains.
I am in no danger of freezing but extended periods of outdoor activity are things I dread. I never did like the winter all that much to begin with and as I have "aged," I have grown to like it even less. In the summer, I can always get cool, but in the winter, I can never get warm enough. Every cold draft can always find me and usually does.
With this in mind, I am looking out over a foot of snow with temps in the teens, lower with the wind chill, and the forecast that they will only drop. I am also looking out over the foot of fallen snow that I have to shovel. Well, not actually shovel, but rather snow-blow. Still, I have to be out in the weather and that I hate.The only consolation is that once again it is a light, "Dry" snow. God for shoveling, bad because it won't stay put. The winds, which are also forecast to be formidable, will blow it all around no matter where you shovel it. Odds are that some, if not most will end up right back where you removed it. I find it strange that the same wind won't just blow it all of the driveways and sidewalks.
Got an email from the people at Team St. Martin. These find folk run a real estate company in the American Virgin Islands. They have been trying to sell me places for years since I did what I thought was a discreet inquiry some 15 years ago. They never send the emails during the summer, only in the winter and especially when the weather up here is brutally cold and snowy. The must check the weather forecasts before they send them out. It is actually a pretty smart advertising and marketing strategy. And I hate them for it. BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
There is something very beautiful about standing outside at night in a heavy snowfall. Everything is muffled and, if there is no real wind, I could stand outside forever, or at least until I begin to loose feeling in various places. One of the down sides of having divested myself of so much personal property for my trip back in 2010 is that back then, I really didn't see the immediate need for winter clothing. True, I ran smack into one of Florida's coldest winters but who knew? For awhile, I had to go to bed wearing everything I owned and brought with me just to keep from freezing. That "cold snap" eventually passed, but the lack of winter clothing remains.
I am in no danger of freezing but extended periods of outdoor activity are things I dread. I never did like the winter all that much to begin with and as I have "aged," I have grown to like it even less. In the summer, I can always get cool, but in the winter, I can never get warm enough. Every cold draft can always find me and usually does.
With this in mind, I am looking out over a foot of snow with temps in the teens, lower with the wind chill, and the forecast that they will only drop. I am also looking out over the foot of fallen snow that I have to shovel. Well, not actually shovel, but rather snow-blow. Still, I have to be out in the weather and that I hate.The only consolation is that once again it is a light, "Dry" snow. God for shoveling, bad because it won't stay put. The winds, which are also forecast to be formidable, will blow it all around no matter where you shovel it. Odds are that some, if not most will end up right back where you removed it. I find it strange that the same wind won't just blow it all of the driveways and sidewalks.
Got an email from the people at Team St. Martin. These find folk run a real estate company in the American Virgin Islands. They have been trying to sell me places for years since I did what I thought was a discreet inquiry some 15 years ago. They never send the emails during the summer, only in the winter and especially when the weather up here is brutally cold and snowy. The must check the weather forecasts before they send them out. It is actually a pretty smart advertising and marketing strategy. And I hate them for it. BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
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