SHIP'S LOG:
It has been about a week since the last post so I figured it was about time. I have spent the last few days getting together the necessary items and paperwork to get a Master's Limited License and the bureaucratic hoops for such a trivial item are rather involved. Basically the item is one step about the "6 Pack" license, perhaps the most common which lots of boat owners get so that they can call themselves "Captain" and have it mean something. Actually, from what I understand, the term "CAPTAIN" is nowhere on the license which actually uses the official term of "Master." Get the license and you become "Master" of your vessel. What it does for you is allow you to carry 6 paying Passengers on your vessel, hence the nickname "6 pack." It also allows your insurance company to be more rigorous in determining your liability in the event of some type of marine accident. Since you are now an expert, they afford you less wiggle room should you pull a "Titanic!"
The "Limited Master's License" once obtained allows you to pilot a launch for a yacht club or similar organization. TYC is looking for a couple of people to help with the launch duties and I figured that since I live down there during the summer, I might as well sign up. To that end, I have been running around getting a certified copy of my birth certificate and a new Social Security card. I also have to get a TWIC ( Transportation Worker's Identification Card) which is a photo DI that proves I am not a terrorist and can safely be let loose around boats, trains, planes and automotive vehicles. That requires finger printing, photo taking, form filling and providing the appropriate documentation, ie: certified birth certificate and Social Security Card. The birth certificate was $20 and instantly available once I got to the Town Clerk in Norwich. The Social Security Card was free, but it has a 3 week delivery time frame. They call when it shows up at the SS Office in Willimantic. Next I have to take a boating course ($190) and pass a Coast Guard test. I have to take a drug test, medical test, eye test, prove I have a sufficient number of days (190 in the last 3 years) aboard an appropriately sized vessel, as well as to supply 3 character references. Of course, none of this is available all in the same place or at the same time and I have been logging, and will continue to log, mucho miles getting it all done. Oh fun, fun, fun!
The weather seems to be warming though once again this week they are looking at the possibility of snow. It makes one want to scream. It doesn't help I suppose that next weekend I am heading up to New Hampshire for a bacchanal with some old college friends. There's sure to be snow up there.
TYC had a "after-the-fact" st. Patrick's Day party last night. Though it was Irish-themed, it was actually more of a chance to judge where people were in their spring boat preparation. Mid-80's Jim Avery is the furthest along, all be set to drop his boat in on his traditional Date of April 1st. I hate him! Well, not really, 'cause I race with him on Wednesdays and Sundays, but the fact that I have only uncovered ABISHAG as of yet, well he can be a bit irritating. There is still ankle-deep mud in Portland! as well as piles of snow! I had winter.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Sunday, March 16, 2014
It's Spring!!!!!!
SHIP'S LOG:
When the temperature hit 51 yesterday, I decided that it was time to uncover ABISHAG. While the temp had been pretty much assured, it was suppose to rain so I didn't think that I would get up to Portland. But, of course, it turned out to be a bright and sunny day with light puffy clouds everywhere. AH, NOAA!
Even though Portland might be say six miles further inland than Griswold, the amount of snow on the ground was considerably more, really more than I expected otherwise I would have worn boots. Still enough had melts around the boats in the yard so that I could get to ABISHAG without have to trek through snowdrifts like Admiral Byrd! But I did forget about the mud!Where the snow had melted and the ground was bare there was mud! Big Time! Nice, oozy, soft, clingy mud! So instead of my sneakers get wet, they got wet and muddy!
I unchained the ladder and put it up and climbed aboard. Did I mention the wind? The gentle breeze of Griswold was a honking blow in Portland. I forgot that the Connecticut River valley funnels more than just water! It was probably gusting 35 - 40, a not inconsiderable blow when one is trying to remove traps 12 feet in the air! It surprised me that they were all intact, that with all the severe weather we had over the winter that at least some parts were not torn. All the grommets were in place and there were no rips or tears. I was very happy that I had secured them with slipknots as it made the taking down a whole lot simpler. It took maybe 10 minutes and the first job of the Spring was done. One project down, 47,513 more to go before launching!
When the temperature hit 51 yesterday, I decided that it was time to uncover ABISHAG. While the temp had been pretty much assured, it was suppose to rain so I didn't think that I would get up to Portland. But, of course, it turned out to be a bright and sunny day with light puffy clouds everywhere. AH, NOAA!
Even though Portland might be say six miles further inland than Griswold, the amount of snow on the ground was considerably more, really more than I expected otherwise I would have worn boots. Still enough had melts around the boats in the yard so that I could get to ABISHAG without have to trek through snowdrifts like Admiral Byrd! But I did forget about the mud!Where the snow had melted and the ground was bare there was mud! Big Time! Nice, oozy, soft, clingy mud! So instead of my sneakers get wet, they got wet and muddy!
I unchained the ladder and put it up and climbed aboard. Did I mention the wind? The gentle breeze of Griswold was a honking blow in Portland. I forgot that the Connecticut River valley funnels more than just water! It was probably gusting 35 - 40, a not inconsiderable blow when one is trying to remove traps 12 feet in the air! It surprised me that they were all intact, that with all the severe weather we had over the winter that at least some parts were not torn. All the grommets were in place and there were no rips or tears. I was very happy that I had secured them with slipknots as it made the taking down a whole lot simpler. It took maybe 10 minutes and the first job of the Spring was done. One project down, 47,513 more to go before launching!
Friday, March 14, 2014
And To Make Matters Worse
SHIP'S LOG:
And to make matters worse, the 2014, 7lbs West Marine Catalog came in the mail today. Almost 1,000 glossy pages of all sorts of marine items, useful, needed, and totally useless and ridiculous. It is almost as bad as going to the store itself. I can always find lots of thing that I could "use," but it is more in line with that verse from that Jimmy Buffett song which goes, "Need is a relative thing these days/ it borders on desire/ the world is filled with lots of bright shiny thing/ we think that we really require." It is why I don't go to boat shows anymore, I always leave sort of dissatisfied. It seems that the more you have, the more you want. O well, this too will pass.
I guess I should not have publicly said that I would be going to unwrap ABISHAG on Saturday. The weather is forecasting "rain." Sigh! I might as well go anyway and do it as it has to be done sometime.
And to make matters worse, the 2014, 7lbs West Marine Catalog came in the mail today. Almost 1,000 glossy pages of all sorts of marine items, useful, needed, and totally useless and ridiculous. It is almost as bad as going to the store itself. I can always find lots of thing that I could "use," but it is more in line with that verse from that Jimmy Buffett song which goes, "Need is a relative thing these days/ it borders on desire/ the world is filled with lots of bright shiny thing/ we think that we really require." It is why I don't go to boat shows anymore, I always leave sort of dissatisfied. It seems that the more you have, the more you want. O well, this too will pass.
I guess I should not have publicly said that I would be going to unwrap ABISHAG on Saturday. The weather is forecasting "rain." Sigh! I might as well go anyway and do it as it has to be done sometime.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Getting There
SHIP'S LOG:
You would think that winter would be over by now, but such is not the case. Now, I am not saying that we should have temps in the 70's or even the 60's, but they should at least get out of the 30's. It has been a remarkable winter and today it got in another punch, hopefully the last. This blast went north, far north, into northern New England. Down here, we got the a dusting of snow and a drop in temperature. It had actually been mild, relatively, for a few days and I had been thinking about heading up to Portland and getting ABISHAG out of her winter wear. Thank goodness, I was not seduced.
Actually, this little storm would really not have caused much of a problem after the long winter of storms, it is just the thought of uncovering before it is all done. I will take the plunge on Saturday, if there is no rain, and strip off the all the blue-poly covering. As I recall now, there are the remains of four cans of beer and half a case of water in the galley sink. Considering how bitterly cold the temperature got over the last few months, I fully expect that the cans will have burst and the plastic bottles split. Serves me right for leaving them in place, but such is the boating life.
You would think that winter would be over by now, but such is not the case. Now, I am not saying that we should have temps in the 70's or even the 60's, but they should at least get out of the 30's. It has been a remarkable winter and today it got in another punch, hopefully the last. This blast went north, far north, into northern New England. Down here, we got the a dusting of snow and a drop in temperature. It had actually been mild, relatively, for a few days and I had been thinking about heading up to Portland and getting ABISHAG out of her winter wear. Thank goodness, I was not seduced.
Actually, this little storm would really not have caused much of a problem after the long winter of storms, it is just the thought of uncovering before it is all done. I will take the plunge on Saturday, if there is no rain, and strip off the all the blue-poly covering. As I recall now, there are the remains of four cans of beer and half a case of water in the galley sink. Considering how bitterly cold the temperature got over the last few months, I fully expect that the cans will have burst and the plastic bottles split. Serves me right for leaving them in place, but such is the boating life.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Missed Us By That Much!
SHIP'S LOG:
We got a miss! Thank goodness! Yes, it look s like DC is going to get a FOOT! and we will get nada! How great is that! This will probably be, hopefully will be, the last winter storm of the season. True, it will still be cold for the next few days but the the temperatures are trending upwards, and that means that the snow cover will soon melt and that means that I can reach the boat soon and work can begin. And I am really looking forward to getting started.
We got a miss! Thank goodness! Yes, it look s like DC is going to get a FOOT! and we will get nada! How great is that! This will probably be, hopefully will be, the last winter storm of the season. True, it will still be cold for the next few days but the the temperatures are trending upwards, and that means that the snow cover will soon melt and that means that I can reach the boat soon and work can begin. And I am really looking forward to getting started.
Friday, February 28, 2014
I Hate Winter!
SHIP'S LOG:
It was a balmy 4 degrees when I arose this morning. True that was at 5am and it did warm up as the sun rose. It is now, at 8am, an even more balmy 18 degrees. And snow is coming. Not today, not tomorrow but on Sunday through Monday. And they are talking 6-10 inches. I hate winter!
I received another of those evil email ads from those real estate people in St. Croix. I wonder sometimes if they are really trying to sell real estate or they just enjoy tweaking us poor folk up here in the cold. we had a 10 minute snow squall yesterday afternoon. It snowed so hard and fast that you couldn't see 10 feet but thankfully it didn't last or drop anymore than really a dusting. I hate winter!
It appears that I am actually coming down with my second cold of the season. usually, I get hit with one in January and that's it. It has been a long while since I had to endure two, but it seems that this will be the case this year. Sniffles, runny nose, headache and probably a bit of fever, with an increasing cough. I know it is not the flu as my doctor actually convinced me to get a flu shot this year which I usually avoid. But as he said, elderly people should get one. "Elderly people?" When and why did I get lumped into that category? I hate winter!
The ICW Cruisers from TYC are spread about the southern east coast of Florida, most around Key Largo where they are or were taking in the FORCE 5 Winter Nationals. I'll have to email them and fiend out how the "team" from TYC did this year. Bob Cullen from the club is a 10 times National Champion so I imagine we did quite well. I remember that participant complained that last year that the water around Key Largo didn't quite make it to 80 degrees which made capsizing almost "traumatic for them." How they suffer. I hate winter!
Another real downside of a long, tough winter is the problem of "Marine Catalogs." I get them from Jamestown Distributors, West Marine and Defender Industries. Talk about spending money! Then again, I actually haven't spent a dime. Can't spend what you don't have you know. It is just a lot of unrequited wish fulfillment. Still in all, I long for the day when I don't have to spend any more than the cost of bottom paint to get ready for the sailing season. I hate winter!
It was a balmy 4 degrees when I arose this morning. True that was at 5am and it did warm up as the sun rose. It is now, at 8am, an even more balmy 18 degrees. And snow is coming. Not today, not tomorrow but on Sunday through Monday. And they are talking 6-10 inches. I hate winter!
I received another of those evil email ads from those real estate people in St. Croix. I wonder sometimes if they are really trying to sell real estate or they just enjoy tweaking us poor folk up here in the cold. we had a 10 minute snow squall yesterday afternoon. It snowed so hard and fast that you couldn't see 10 feet but thankfully it didn't last or drop anymore than really a dusting. I hate winter!
It appears that I am actually coming down with my second cold of the season. usually, I get hit with one in January and that's it. It has been a long while since I had to endure two, but it seems that this will be the case this year. Sniffles, runny nose, headache and probably a bit of fever, with an increasing cough. I know it is not the flu as my doctor actually convinced me to get a flu shot this year which I usually avoid. But as he said, elderly people should get one. "Elderly people?" When and why did I get lumped into that category? I hate winter!
The ICW Cruisers from TYC are spread about the southern east coast of Florida, most around Key Largo where they are or were taking in the FORCE 5 Winter Nationals. I'll have to email them and fiend out how the "team" from TYC did this year. Bob Cullen from the club is a 10 times National Champion so I imagine we did quite well. I remember that participant complained that last year that the water around Key Largo didn't quite make it to 80 degrees which made capsizing almost "traumatic for them." How they suffer. I hate winter!
Another real downside of a long, tough winter is the problem of "Marine Catalogs." I get them from Jamestown Distributors, West Marine and Defender Industries. Talk about spending money! Then again, I actually haven't spent a dime. Can't spend what you don't have you know. It is just a lot of unrequited wish fulfillment. Still in all, I long for the day when I don't have to spend any more than the cost of bottom paint to get ready for the sailing season. I hate winter!
Thursday, February 27, 2014
I Can See More Grass ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
. . . . . But unfortunately, winter is returning and soon I will be so lucky. The temperate has fallen into the basement and supposedly there is more snow on the way. with the snow melt, I can probably actually get to ABISHAG - not a lot of plowing was done in the boatyard - but there isn't much I could down when and if I got there. At least not yet. But that is coming too.
I am really getting antsy about starting work. I have more projects than I'll have time and/or money for but I want to get started anyway. My brain is turning to mush with all my free time and I need more to focus on. I've lost three friends over the winter and that weighs on me a bit as well. I need spring, warm temperatures and sunlight.
. . . . . But unfortunately, winter is returning and soon I will be so lucky. The temperate has fallen into the basement and supposedly there is more snow on the way. with the snow melt, I can probably actually get to ABISHAG - not a lot of plowing was done in the boatyard - but there isn't much I could down when and if I got there. At least not yet. But that is coming too.
I am really getting antsy about starting work. I have more projects than I'll have time and/or money for but I want to get started anyway. My brain is turning to mush with all my free time and I need more to focus on. I've lost three friends over the winter and that weighs on me a bit as well. I need spring, warm temperatures and sunlight.
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