ABISHAG is still underwraps. I was going to unwrap her today and don't you know it snowed last night. SIGH!
Things in the sail-loft continue to be "interesting." It is, after all, NOT just a sail-loft, it is also a armory an a baby sitting service. The owner has a hobby of target shooting and so has a small section of the loft dedicated to re-loading his own bullets. He and a friend spend times packing their own loads which is at least one thing I have not been asked to be involved with during my time there.
I the babysitting service has to do ith the owner's 22 month old daughter. Three days a week she in involved in a day care center program at Connecticut College which is just up the road. Unfortunately, she is only there until 1:30pm which means that she gets to spend the rest of the afternoon at the loft. And she gets into everything. She always wants her daddy to hold her but it is not possible and cries when she doesn't get her way, which means she cries a lot as there is just no way to hold her as much as she wants. There are toys and bottles and all sorts of baby stuff, included half eaten snacks, scattered around the loft. And she just loves playing with the sail cloth, sail hardware and, since the loft work area is on the second floor, always trying to open the door that leads to the stairs. As all parents know, whatever she can't have she wants. NOW! And won't take "NO!" for an answer.
Conn College was on spring break this week and so the day care programs was shut down and Alexandra was at the loft all day every day. Let's just say, that it was an "interesting" week.
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Monday, March 11, 2019
Well, It Finally Happened!
It is not that I am particularly attuned to the scammers on the NET, but I have so far avoided getting "scammed" for all the years I have been online.However, I got caught back in January and only found out today.
On the 31st of January, the Official Documentation for ABISHAG would expire and so I needed to renew it. I went on line to get the address for the National Vessel Documentation Center to go through the process of renewal. Not paying attention, I hit the first website that came up which had a similar name but, as it turns out, wasn't the real thing.
I was in the process of renewing my Merchant Mariner Credential with the National Maritime Center so that I could drive the launch at TYC, when I had then connect me with the National Document Center so that I could find out what the delay was in my receiving ABISHAG's new certificate. It was then that although I had paid $75, they had no paperwork. In addition, the documentation expired nd I would have to go through a brand new documentation process . . . . at the cost of $86. It seems that I actually had contacted a third-party service provider who was supposed to send the paperwork to the NDC for the $75, which it turns out was three times the actually cost I should incurred.
I got online to find the third party provider and while they had a phone number, they would only communicate via email. So I contacted my bank, as payment had been made with my debit card, and we will see if they can retrieve the money. It was bad enough that I paid three times the cost, but the provider didn't provide. They failed to send the paperwork in and the documentation expired.
I did send them an email telling them that I wanted a refund as they failed to provide the contracted service and that it would be a good thing before the bank and the lawyers got involved. Who knows what will happen. Talk about feeli g foolish.
On the 31st of January, the Official Documentation for ABISHAG would expire and so I needed to renew it. I went on line to get the address for the National Vessel Documentation Center to go through the process of renewal. Not paying attention, I hit the first website that came up which had a similar name but, as it turns out, wasn't the real thing.
I was in the process of renewing my Merchant Mariner Credential with the National Maritime Center so that I could drive the launch at TYC, when I had then connect me with the National Document Center so that I could find out what the delay was in my receiving ABISHAG's new certificate. It was then that although I had paid $75, they had no paperwork. In addition, the documentation expired nd I would have to go through a brand new documentation process . . . . at the cost of $86. It seems that I actually had contacted a third-party service provider who was supposed to send the paperwork to the NDC for the $75, which it turns out was three times the actually cost I should incurred.
I got online to find the third party provider and while they had a phone number, they would only communicate via email. So I contacted my bank, as payment had been made with my debit card, and we will see if they can retrieve the money. It was bad enough that I paid three times the cost, but the provider didn't provide. They failed to send the paperwork in and the documentation expired.
I did send them an email telling them that I wanted a refund as they failed to provide the contracted service and that it would be a good thing before the bank and the lawyers got involved. Who knows what will happen. Talk about feeli g foolish.
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
And On It Goes
Got a chance to get away with some friends from college. We take a weekend in February each year to drink wine and play pinochle and lie about all the things we did in college. We've been doing this for 25 years now and I find it amazing how old THEY all got! They are all grandparents now. Very strange!
After the weekend, it was back to the salt mines, that is the wash room at the sail loft. Sadly, the sails are getting bigger and as spring approaches, their numbers also increase. This actually slows down the process as the bigger the sails the less space there is to hang and dry them. Well, at least I know what I am doing most days at the loft. On those days when I can't wash, I end up sticking patches together. This means using double-sided tape to stick together 7 to 10 little parts into a big patch hat get sewed together and then sewed onto a sail. I would like to say that it is easy but it's not. Each piece has to be fixed exactly or the next will be out of place, and then the next, and the next, and eventually you have to rip it all apart and start again. And that happens more often than I would like to admit. The really "fun"art is that the sailcloth is so stiff and the edges so precisely cut that they are sharp and not a day goes by that I don't cut myself a couple of times. And when I do, the most important this is, as the Boss says, "don't bleed on the sail!"
We got 6 inches of heavy wet snow Sunday night/Monday morning. It began to melt but then the temp dropped and it froze and then began to melt the next day, but froze again at night. I am so ready for Spring!
After the weekend, it was back to the salt mines, that is the wash room at the sail loft. Sadly, the sails are getting bigger and as spring approaches, their numbers also increase. This actually slows down the process as the bigger the sails the less space there is to hang and dry them. Well, at least I know what I am doing most days at the loft. On those days when I can't wash, I end up sticking patches together. This means using double-sided tape to stick together 7 to 10 little parts into a big patch hat get sewed together and then sewed onto a sail. I would like to say that it is easy but it's not. Each piece has to be fixed exactly or the next will be out of place, and then the next, and the next, and eventually you have to rip it all apart and start again. And that happens more often than I would like to admit. The really "fun"art is that the sailcloth is so stiff and the edges so precisely cut that they are sharp and not a day goes by that I don't cut myself a couple of times. And when I do, the most important this is, as the Boss says, "don't bleed on the sail!"
We got 6 inches of heavy wet snow Sunday night/Monday morning. It began to melt but then the temp dropped and it froze and then began to melt the next day, but froze again at night. I am so ready for Spring!
Monday, February 18, 2019
More Fun Than Is Legal!
There are two things I dislike about sailing and/or owning a sailboat, two tasks that I would love to never do again. The first is painting the bottom of the boat. It has gotten to the point where I no longer get the bottom paint as smooth as glass by launching. I no longer sand and scrape and chip as I no longer use bottom paint that dries to a hard finish. It was a yearly pain in the butt which never seemed to fulfill the promises made on the can. Several years ago, I moved on to "ablative" bottom paint. It is a "soft" paint and releases the "magical ingredients" by simply wearing away. As long as there is paint on the hull, it's working. No need to sand and remove the old paint after a year. Simply paint the bottom and you are done. Still, one has to get into all sorts of "gymnastic level" positions to do the job and I age, it gets more and more uncomfortable. But it would certainly be worse using the old style paint. Still, painting the bottom is a pain.
The second task is washing sails at the sail loft. This particular job is not just limited to my own sails but all the ones dropped off at the loft in the fall for pick-up in the spring.You have to wrestle the sails into the cleaning solution, as mix of bleach and DAWN and get them completely immersed and let them soak for at least 15 minutes. The water is cold and slops everywhere as we are talking about some rather large pieces of unyielding material. After it is cleaned, each sail must be moved from the cleaning solution into the rinsing tub, another small ocean of cold water in which it must be agitated for several minutes to wash out the cleaning solution. The the "clean" sail needs to be removed from that solution and hung up to drip dry. Water, water everywhere. It is why the whole process is done wearing foul-weather gear. Then again, all foul weather gear leaks so one is not completely dry when the process is over. It usually takes a day for a sail to dry. Then it must be taken down, folded, put into its bag and hauled upstairs to the loft work floor. At best, you can get get four to six sails done in a day, so it is a long process to get them all done. While that is going on, you have to keep the floor clean and dry. You have no idea how heavy and hard to handle those wet sails are and hoisting them up to dry . . . ugh! And of course, there is really no heat in the wash room and the whole process seems never ending. But of curse, it needs to be done. UGH!
I bring this up because that is what my days at the loft are made of. Where is the Publishers Clearing House Prize team when I could really use them!
The second task is washing sails at the sail loft. This particular job is not just limited to my own sails but all the ones dropped off at the loft in the fall for pick-up in the spring.You have to wrestle the sails into the cleaning solution, as mix of bleach and DAWN and get them completely immersed and let them soak for at least 15 minutes. The water is cold and slops everywhere as we are talking about some rather large pieces of unyielding material. After it is cleaned, each sail must be moved from the cleaning solution into the rinsing tub, another small ocean of cold water in which it must be agitated for several minutes to wash out the cleaning solution. The the "clean" sail needs to be removed from that solution and hung up to drip dry. Water, water everywhere. It is why the whole process is done wearing foul-weather gear. Then again, all foul weather gear leaks so one is not completely dry when the process is over. It usually takes a day for a sail to dry. Then it must be taken down, folded, put into its bag and hauled upstairs to the loft work floor. At best, you can get get four to six sails done in a day, so it is a long process to get them all done. While that is going on, you have to keep the floor clean and dry. You have no idea how heavy and hard to handle those wet sails are and hoisting them up to dry . . . ugh! And of course, there is really no heat in the wash room and the whole process seems never ending. But of curse, it needs to be done. UGH!
I bring this up because that is what my days at the loft are made of. Where is the Publishers Clearing House Prize team when I could really use them!
Thursday, February 7, 2019
. . . .Now For Something Different!
I hate computers. They are right up there winter and electrical problems on ABISHAG. And I guess they hate me back.
I have recently gotten an new computer and a new printer as the previous one have died. I am not sure why as they were only about 8 years old and have rarely been dropped. Perhaps I can chalk it up to planned obsolescence.
And due to the fact that I am so bad with things electronics, I have a maintenance service with Dell. Anything breaks or goes bad, they fix it. Forever. I make a one time payment and that's it. I get to talk with them operate my computer remotely ans just sit back and watch them do it. But ther is one problem, the minutes on the phone. Do you know how much time you spend on your phone a month? Well, with the regular phone calls I make and receive, add to it all the minutes it took talking with techs at Dell to get my new computer and printer up and running and talking with each other and the internet, today I hit the limit of my monthly plan: 700 MINUTES! I have a stupid phone, no text, not data, no pictures, no internet. It just makes phone calls and receives phone calls. But if I make a phone call now, it will be 40 cents a minute! The limit will reset, but not until Saturday midnight. I'll have to see about changing the plan again as I can't figure out how all those people I see with the "smart phones," on which they are seemingly all the time, can afford it. AH, such is life in the electronic age!
I have recently gotten an new computer and a new printer as the previous one have died. I am not sure why as they were only about 8 years old and have rarely been dropped. Perhaps I can chalk it up to planned obsolescence.
And due to the fact that I am so bad with things electronics, I have a maintenance service with Dell. Anything breaks or goes bad, they fix it. Forever. I make a one time payment and that's it. I get to talk with them operate my computer remotely ans just sit back and watch them do it. But ther is one problem, the minutes on the phone. Do you know how much time you spend on your phone a month? Well, with the regular phone calls I make and receive, add to it all the minutes it took talking with techs at Dell to get my new computer and printer up and running and talking with each other and the internet, today I hit the limit of my monthly plan: 700 MINUTES! I have a stupid phone, no text, not data, no pictures, no internet. It just makes phone calls and receives phone calls. But if I make a phone call now, it will be 40 cents a minute! The limit will reset, but not until Saturday midnight. I'll have to see about changing the plan again as I can't figure out how all those people I see with the "smart phones," on which they are seemingly all the time, can afford it. AH, such is life in the electronic age!
Saturday, February 2, 2019
Why Does It Always Happen During The Winter?
Well, there is nothing like a fire when the temperature is hovering around 10 degrees unless, of course, it is in your building!
Yes, somebody down one floor and three apartments over, decide to flambe something and it ignited the cabinets above their stove an sent all of us outside. Thanks goodness the sprinkler system kicked in and basically put the fire out. It got a bit smokey but the fire department quickly handled the remain flames and dispelled the smoke. A little stink remains behind but we are all back inside. It easily could have been bad but no one was hurt and everything damaged is replaceable or repairable and the sun will come up tomorrow and we will all be there to see it.
Considering all the propane, gas, diesel and other flammable liquids aboard ABISHAG, as well as the open flames, a fireplace and a 40 year-old electrical system exposed to the sea air for its lifetime, it is a wonder there has never be a fire aboard. And I hope it stays that way!
Yes, somebody down one floor and three apartments over, decide to flambe something and it ignited the cabinets above their stove an sent all of us outside. Thanks goodness the sprinkler system kicked in and basically put the fire out. It got a bit smokey but the fire department quickly handled the remain flames and dispelled the smoke. A little stink remains behind but we are all back inside. It easily could have been bad but no one was hurt and everything damaged is replaceable or repairable and the sun will come up tomorrow and we will all be there to see it.
Considering all the propane, gas, diesel and other flammable liquids aboard ABISHAG, as well as the open flames, a fireplace and a 40 year-old electrical system exposed to the sea air for its lifetime, it is a wonder there has never be a fire aboard. And I hope it stays that way!
Monday, January 28, 2019
That's The Way The World Goes 'Round
While it has nothing to do with ABISHAG technically, both my printer and my computer are dying or dead.
The printer is definitely dead as while it copies and scans, it doesn't print what it copies or scans anymore. It is an EPSON and to get one of their techs to look at it, I would have to take it to one of their official tech-places, the nearest of which is north of Boston! I have no idea what it might cost, but since the printer is two years old and cost all of $65, it simply isn't worth the effort, time and money. So I got a new one. I got it on AMAZON and it cost $74.34, which means it was free as I got a $75 AMAZON gift card for Christmas.
The computer on the other hand is still alive and kicking as this new POST indicates. However, it is physically falling apart. The ROM Drive works only when it wants to work. Sometimes, it won't open. Sometimes it won't read the disk. Sometimes it just run without being asked to. And for some reason the top of the laptop is slowly shifting its position and won't close completely. In fact, I actually had to trim part of the cover to get it to close. SO I guess it was just time. It is, after all about 8 years old and I have no idea how old that actually is for a computer. All I know that whenever I call the Dell Extended Warranty/Maintenance Concierge Service, they giggle whenever I give them the service tag number and tell me how "old" the computer is, as they repair the software problems I have created yet again. I have been using DELL Computers for so long, that get one hell of a deal purchasing a new one.
Thank goodness, I covered the boat as the ice, snow and rain that have hit here would have been a real pain to deal with. More snow/sleet/ice/rain coming tomorrow but then temps in the 50's. Ihas been a very weird winter so far.
The printer is definitely dead as while it copies and scans, it doesn't print what it copies or scans anymore. It is an EPSON and to get one of their techs to look at it, I would have to take it to one of their official tech-places, the nearest of which is north of Boston! I have no idea what it might cost, but since the printer is two years old and cost all of $65, it simply isn't worth the effort, time and money. So I got a new one. I got it on AMAZON and it cost $74.34, which means it was free as I got a $75 AMAZON gift card for Christmas.
The computer on the other hand is still alive and kicking as this new POST indicates. However, it is physically falling apart. The ROM Drive works only when it wants to work. Sometimes, it won't open. Sometimes it won't read the disk. Sometimes it just run without being asked to. And for some reason the top of the laptop is slowly shifting its position and won't close completely. In fact, I actually had to trim part of the cover to get it to close. SO I guess it was just time. It is, after all about 8 years old and I have no idea how old that actually is for a computer. All I know that whenever I call the Dell Extended Warranty/Maintenance Concierge Service, they giggle whenever I give them the service tag number and tell me how "old" the computer is, as they repair the software problems I have created yet again. I have been using DELL Computers for so long, that get one hell of a deal purchasing a new one.
Thank goodness, I covered the boat as the ice, snow and rain that have hit here would have been a real pain to deal with. More snow/sleet/ice/rain coming tomorrow but then temps in the 50's. Ihas been a very weird winter so far.
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