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.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
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!
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
