SHIP'S BLOG:
Well, not really. But it is true that I have a place to call my "own" and will no longer be homeless during the winter months. I now have a studio apartment in the Crocker House in downtown New London about two blocks up State Street from the train station. It has a little more space than ABISHAG but actually probably not all that much, just arranged differently. One thing it does have is heat and for an old fart like m that is a welcome winter pleasure. And unless something changes radically, like Publishers Clearing House finally finds me, this will be my home. It is basically "just down the road" from TYC and so far, it seems "ideal."
One thing I have noticed is that there is a "lot' more noise living in an apartment than living on a boat. It is an old building, having been erected in 1873 and though it was renovated in the recent past, they didn't really get into "sound insulation." It has very nice hardwood floors which though beautiful, make wonderful sounding boards for the transmission of noise down to 10 decibels which is about the level of sound made by someone folding a paper towel. But I will adjust and get use to it.
I have to head off to the TVCCA, an organization that helps "us" poor and elderly with rent and heat and food and the like. A few extra bucks here and there will do very nicely.
I have to "decorate" the place. I got a bed, a big step as sleeping on the floor would have been a drag. I also purchased a set of folding tray tables and a rack to hold them when not in use, a folding wooden chair, a TV, and a host of domestic products like toilet paper, pare towels, knives, forks and spoons, coffee mugs, plates, tea pot and fry pan,sheet, a trash can, etc, etc, etc. It is amazing what you have to get when you don't have anything(shower curtain and soap!). But when I think back, it took a good two years to outfit ABISHAG and I am in no rush. My sisters will be by buy in a day or so to see what they can help out with from their storage units. But no too much as I don't need a lot and don't have a lot of room anyhow. But the truth is, I have "swallowed the anchor!"
Monday, December 8, 2014
Friday, November 21, 2014
Housing
SHIP'S LOG:
Well, I heard from the Norwich Housing Authority and they have decided that I am poor enough and old enough to qualify for elderly housing. They handled it with greater rapidity that the Coast Guard did with the license procedure. My application was accepted and now I simply ave to wait for a spot. On the Federal list I am #106 and on the City list I am #108. That's an awful lot of blue-hairs who have to peg out before I get a spot. Sadly, I don't think that it will be all that great a wait. This winter is forecast to be nasty, very cold and we "old folk" don't handle the winter weather all that well. as for right now I have a nice spot with some very nice people and I'll just see hat the winter brings.
Well, I heard from the Norwich Housing Authority and they have decided that I am poor enough and old enough to qualify for elderly housing. They handled it with greater rapidity that the Coast Guard did with the license procedure. My application was accepted and now I simply ave to wait for a spot. On the Federal list I am #106 and on the City list I am #108. That's an awful lot of blue-hairs who have to peg out before I get a spot. Sadly, I don't think that it will be all that great a wait. This winter is forecast to be nasty, very cold and we "old folk" don't handle the winter weather all that well. as for right now I have a nice spot with some very nice people and I'll just see hat the winter brings.
Monday, November 10, 2014
NotMuch To Say. I'm Too Depressed!
SHIP'S LOG:
SIGH! There is only one boat left floating in the mooring field and it is leaving tomorrow. Then the field will be empty and the sailing season is really and truly over. I am depressed. The only thing left to do now is winterize ABISHAG and hope that the Norwich Housing Authority quickly reaches the decision that I am poor enough and old enough to qualify for elderly housing. they do everything by snail-mail. They hate phone calls and emails. Every day is a trek to the mailbox in Groton to check and see if they have sent me a letter of acceptance.
In the mean time the weather continues to become more like the fall, perhaps even early onset winter. And I hate winter. My current locus will have to be vacated on the 17th but the next residence is already set up and that will be the last until Norwich comes through. Or doesn't. SIGH!
SIGH! There is only one boat left floating in the mooring field and it is leaving tomorrow. Then the field will be empty and the sailing season is really and truly over. I am depressed. The only thing left to do now is winterize ABISHAG and hope that the Norwich Housing Authority quickly reaches the decision that I am poor enough and old enough to qualify for elderly housing. they do everything by snail-mail. They hate phone calls and emails. Every day is a trek to the mailbox in Groton to check and see if they have sent me a letter of acceptance.
In the mean time the weather continues to become more like the fall, perhaps even early onset winter. And I hate winter. My current locus will have to be vacated on the 17th but the next residence is already set up and that will be the last until Norwich comes through. Or doesn't. SIGH!
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Wind, Wind Wind WWWWINNDDD
SHIP'S LOG
For the third weekend in a row, we have got wind! With the exception of last Saturday, when we had a wedding at the club, the last three weekends have been small craft warning and gale force winds. When Jim Avery bails out of the last two Sunday Chowder Series Races because there is too much wind and it wouldn't be safe to race, that is too much wind.
Right now I am watching a gull trying to make headway against the wind and it is basically flying in place. Eventually it will simply tire, land and walk to wherever it wants to go.
There are still 10 boats out in the mooring field and they are getting battered. One of 17ft skiffs has filled with water and is heeling to starboard. The only thing keeping it afloat are the fenders on the starboard side, The rail is under as the gas tank has floated out of the boat, attached only by the 6 foot fuel line. Like I said, it probably won't sink but it may turn turtle - flip over - and then we'll find out how tight the engine bolts were tightened, securing the engine to the transom of the boat.
The wind is averaging 35 and the gusts are in the mid- 40's, and that's MPH not knots! I'm at the club basically to keep anyone from trying to get out to their boat. It simply ain't worth it.
For the third weekend in a row, we have got wind! With the exception of last Saturday, when we had a wedding at the club, the last three weekends have been small craft warning and gale force winds. When Jim Avery bails out of the last two Sunday Chowder Series Races because there is too much wind and it wouldn't be safe to race, that is too much wind.
Right now I am watching a gull trying to make headway against the wind and it is basically flying in place. Eventually it will simply tire, land and walk to wherever it wants to go.
There are still 10 boats out in the mooring field and they are getting battered. One of 17ft skiffs has filled with water and is heeling to starboard. The only thing keeping it afloat are the fenders on the starboard side, The rail is under as the gas tank has floated out of the boat, attached only by the 6 foot fuel line. Like I said, it probably won't sink but it may turn turtle - flip over - and then we'll find out how tight the engine bolts were tightened, securing the engine to the transom of the boat.
The wind is averaging 35 and the gusts are in the mid- 40's, and that's MPH not knots! I'm at the club basically to keep anyone from trying to get out to their boat. It simply ain't worth it.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
First Frost!
SHIP'S LOG:
When I went out to my car yesterday, what I took for dew was frost. I knew that it was going to be cold but all the weather reports said that we down here on the coast would be spare the frost. Well, NOAA strikes again. If I had been able to unload the condo say back in May, I'd be somewhere in North Carolina by now battling the mosquitoes and the green face flies. But such was not the case. Well, there is always next year.
I had to go to Yankee Boatyard Saturday to get some items of ABISHAG, She is still in the river and the yard crew is really busy. A large number of boats showed since Columbus Day weekend and more are certainly coming. The I am hoping that ABISHAG will get hauled soon so that I can begin the process of winterizing her. I won't do the complete strip out as I did last year but there is still enough stuff that must go that makes the process truly work. And as I get older, the work is becoming more like WORK!
I haven't heard anything yet from the Housing Authority though it is probably too soon. That multi-paged application I filled out is filled with all sorts of items that have to be crosschecked and verified so that they can be sure that I am old enough and poor enough. I am foolishly hopeful that I will have spot by the end of the month. Bouncing around from place to place is a fine thing when you are doing it on a boat, but such a nomadic life is a lot less fun on dry land. But this too will pass.
When I went out to my car yesterday, what I took for dew was frost. I knew that it was going to be cold but all the weather reports said that we down here on the coast would be spare the frost. Well, NOAA strikes again. If I had been able to unload the condo say back in May, I'd be somewhere in North Carolina by now battling the mosquitoes and the green face flies. But such was not the case. Well, there is always next year.
I had to go to Yankee Boatyard Saturday to get some items of ABISHAG, She is still in the river and the yard crew is really busy. A large number of boats showed since Columbus Day weekend and more are certainly coming. The I am hoping that ABISHAG will get hauled soon so that I can begin the process of winterizing her. I won't do the complete strip out as I did last year but there is still enough stuff that must go that makes the process truly work. And as I get older, the work is becoming more like WORK!
I haven't heard anything yet from the Housing Authority though it is probably too soon. That multi-paged application I filled out is filled with all sorts of items that have to be crosschecked and verified so that they can be sure that I am old enough and poor enough. I am foolishly hopeful that I will have spot by the end of the month. Bouncing around from place to place is a fine thing when you are doing it on a boat, but such a nomadic life is a lot less fun on dry land. But this too will pass.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
It's winter! !! ! !! !! ! !! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
ABISHAG is in the Connecticut River in Portland, been there since Sunday, a mere 100 feet from where she will rest during the winter months. As a result, as far as I'm concerned it is winter, even though today's temperature hit 70!
With my "summer residence" no longer available, I am now, technically, without a place to stay but I will have one soon. Currently I am "living" with a fellow from TYC but this is only a short term deal. I have made application for elderly housing and elderly housing for "poor" people. I qualify for both being over 65 and receiving a mere $1,662 a month. The paper work involved in this process makes the trek to get the Merchant Mariner Certificate look ridiculously easy but since the housing requirements are amazingly similar, I had all of the documents and got the application filled out in about an hour. Now I am awaiting their checking out all the info, approving the application and , most importantly, having an apartment available. How long all that will take I haven't the foggiest. One thing I say about the process, it makes me feel "old" and "poor." I never really thought of myself that way but reality has reared its ugly head and I guess I just have to accept the fact that it is true. Ah! Such is life! A new adventure begins!
ABISHAG is in the Connecticut River in Portland, been there since Sunday, a mere 100 feet from where she will rest during the winter months. As a result, as far as I'm concerned it is winter, even though today's temperature hit 70!
With my "summer residence" no longer available, I am now, technically, without a place to stay but I will have one soon. Currently I am "living" with a fellow from TYC but this is only a short term deal. I have made application for elderly housing and elderly housing for "poor" people. I qualify for both being over 65 and receiving a mere $1,662 a month. The paper work involved in this process makes the trek to get the Merchant Mariner Certificate look ridiculously easy but since the housing requirements are amazingly similar, I had all of the documents and got the application filled out in about an hour. Now I am awaiting their checking out all the info, approving the application and , most importantly, having an apartment available. How long all that will take I haven't the foggiest. One thing I say about the process, it makes me feel "old" and "poor." I never really thought of myself that way but reality has reared its ugly head and I guess I just have to accept the fact that it is true. Ah! Such is life! A new adventure begins!
Monday, September 15, 2014
The Story So Far . . . . .
SHIP'S LOG:
The Red Sox have dropped of the edge of the world. A truly rotten years, but until they crown a new World's Champion, they are still Number #1.
Since it became September, summer has gone away. The wind, which usually comes out of the SW but has been NW-N-NE most of the summer, continues that trend, bringing with it cool and down right cold evening temperatures. For the last week or so I have been sleeping under blankets in sweats.
TYC has basically shut down and I am running the launch on a pay-as-you-go basis seeing if there is sufficient interest in extending full-time launch service during the weeks of September. So far, response has been minimal.
I finally sold my condo. what an experience that was, worse than buying it. After paying off the taxes, the lawyer, the realtor, and for all the paper work it required, I netted $5.79! Yup, $5.79! That's not even a grande latte at STARBUCKS.
My knees are awful. The right one has cartilage that needs trimming at least and the left one has bad arthritis and probably a baker's cyst. when I drive the launch, after a couple of hours of swaying back and forth to keep my balance, they both ache something fierce. I will have to have another sit-down with my orthopedist and see where we go from here.
I am about a month away from taking ABISHAG up the Connecticut River to Portland and the Yankee Boatyard for the winter haul-out. It's depressing just thinking about it, but it means it will be another day closer to Spring launching.
The Red Sox have dropped of the edge of the world. A truly rotten years, but until they crown a new World's Champion, they are still Number #1.
Since it became September, summer has gone away. The wind, which usually comes out of the SW but has been NW-N-NE most of the summer, continues that trend, bringing with it cool and down right cold evening temperatures. For the last week or so I have been sleeping under blankets in sweats.
TYC has basically shut down and I am running the launch on a pay-as-you-go basis seeing if there is sufficient interest in extending full-time launch service during the weeks of September. So far, response has been minimal.
I finally sold my condo. what an experience that was, worse than buying it. After paying off the taxes, the lawyer, the realtor, and for all the paper work it required, I netted $5.79! Yup, $5.79! That's not even a grande latte at STARBUCKS.
My knees are awful. The right one has cartilage that needs trimming at least and the left one has bad arthritis and probably a baker's cyst. when I drive the launch, after a couple of hours of swaying back and forth to keep my balance, they both ache something fierce. I will have to have another sit-down with my orthopedist and see where we go from here.
I am about a month away from taking ABISHAG up the Connecticut River to Portland and the Yankee Boatyard for the winter haul-out. It's depressing just thinking about it, but it means it will be another day closer to Spring launching.
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