It's an old boat!

And because it is old it needs lots of TLC.  I am exhausted after 2 days of flat out boat work.  Yesterday was bilge pump day.  Both had to be reworked which meant hours of practically standing on my head.

Today was replace the batteries day.  4 new golf cart batteries to power the lights, fridge, and other stuff when we are at anchor.  First I have to remove the old batteries, about 60 lbs. each, and drag them up to the parking lot.  New batteries are delivered and ragged back to the boat.  Thank goodness for Eric from Treasure Coast Batteries who helped me get the new ones on board.

So, you are probably wondering, did he go to the "Y" today?  The fact is that I did.  Went in, took a long hot shower, dressed and came home. :-)

Tomorrow I have a breakfast date with a friend.  You know how I love a good breffis!

It is 7:45 and I am ready for bed...

The Mundane

Time to get a few basics accomplished on Day #2 of crummy weather.

Headed out to Two Jays Rest. this am for "breffis"with the Stuart men. Good chow (I ate too much) and good chatter. Both my neighbors from North Carolina were there so it was like being home. Friendly group!

Now I am at the laundromat taking care of business. Even in "Paradise" you still have to take care of the basics.  By the way, The rain has finally stopped but it is dreary outside. 

Invited out to dinner with my NC neighbors tonight so I will need to go to the gym and burn off some calories. 

By the way, the rain has not stopped!

Da "Y"

Retake!

I snapped a picture of the gym just as Carrie walked in. She made me retake it with her in it. She said it would look a lot better. I agree!

They're not bragging today!

     Nobody in Florida will be bragging about the weather today, at least not where I am!  A drenching rain and nasty wind have me hunkered down for the evening.
   
     Went to the movies earlier and saw "Lone Survivor".  It is a gripping tale of heroism by our Navy Seals. I recommend it with caution because there is a great deal of profanity in a very well done story.

     Also did Day #3 at the "Y". Came very close to blowing it off but my conscience kept nagging me to go and I am glad I did.  Making great progress!  Below is a shot I took in the locker room.

Finally, I had a visit from the "poop" boat today. You see they don't have bath and shower facilities here so that means the "head" on the boat gets a lot of use and it has a holding tank. This must be pumped out every so often by a boat that comes around and does it for a nominal fee. It's a poopy business!  The irony is that while I get my doo doo pumped out, cruise ships pump thousands of gallons of waste every day right into the ocean. 

The front

That mean cold front has finally arrived here. Looks like a rainy day schedule. Joanna says 6 inches of hard packed snow in New Bern. That is like 2 feet in Pulaski!
So what do you do on a rainy day on the boat? Ha! Look up the term "goof off" and you will find a picture of me!
Actually, I plan to do some wax and polish.  Then of course there is a trip to the Y later!

State of the Union and State of Me

     Spent the morning on deck scrubbing and washing this hulk!  Still a lot to do to get her up to snuff and plan to chip away each day. My work was supervised by a boisterous Osprey who spent the morning calling to friends across the waterway.

     Around two I got my gym stuff ready and headed over to the "Y" for "Steve gets in shape Epsode #2".  Man am I ever in trouble! I am in such pathetic physical condition!!!! Every piece of equipment that involved stretching out made we want to take a nap.  I bulled my way through some exercises and then took a nice long shower. I have a feeling that tomorrow I will probably just go directly to the shower!  No wait...gotta stay positive!!  I like the stretching part of my routine the best, but that mat is awfully comfortable!

     No television on the boat, so tonight I will listen to my president deliver the State of the Union the radio. I wasn't going to, but 2 special girls in new Bern, NC want me to!

My Neighbor!

It's an Osprey that had breakfast on top of my neighbor's mast and has hung around singing all morning.

Counting my Blessings

   Just tried to talk to Joanna but bad signal on her end cut the call short. Sounds like North Carolina is about to get a storm.  I have been hearing and following all of the dire weather reports from up north.  I always feel a little cheated about missing all the action, but this winter has been so ugly thus far! Glad to be where I am, sitting in a pair of shorts with my whitey legs exposed and enjoying a sundowner.

     Here in Stuart today it was a ten!  First day I awoke to a life of relative ease in paradise.  The picture below shows my bunkmate of late, Beejay, at wake up time.  A great little friend!  After getting breakfast for the cats (we have two...a nice one and a mean one.) and then trolling on Facebook, I determined to do some local exploring.  I have been feeling stiff of late, especially the knees, so I set out to find a local gym to get limbered up.

     Along the way I had to stop by to see Rich and Ferne ( I need to get better at snapping photos).  What began as a quick visit to store my trailer in their yard soon became a few hours visiting and sipping tea on their front porch. They are wonderful company and I could easily have spent the entire day there. Before I knew it, we were driving out to have lunch.  Great idea Ferne!

     "O.K.," I thought. "This day is going along just splendid!"  But alas, around 2 o'clock we went our separate ways and I had to get back to my search for exercise. Traffic around here is intense during "the season", but eventually I found my way to a nice YMCA and limbered up. I am going to go every day this coming week and I bet it will really help. They even have a pool. OK, maybe I'm not speedo material...but at least I won't be walking around like the tin man!


PS: I just got bit by a mosquito!!!

   

 

   

Wake up time!

Beejay is a cuddler!

Ahhhhh!

This is my new view. What a pleasure to be back on the water! It is gonna be a beautiful day today. Stay warm back in Cometland and enjoy the snow day today!

Rich and Al

Ed and Mary Ann

Hello Stuart!

     My thanks to Rich, Ed, Mary Ann, and Al for helping me to move the boat today.  We had a pleasant trip of 20+ miles east through the Okeechobee and then dropped 12 ft. at the St. Lucie Lock.  Unfortunately I completly forgot to snap some pictures!  Darn me! 

     Arrived safely in Stuart where I plan to stay for a while waiting for Joanna to get here. We finished the day with a delicious dinner at La Forchetta, a local Italian Restaurant.  4 forks!

     It is quiet and comfy on a warm night.  I am hearing crickets for the first time in months!  

Goodbye Indiantown!

I am hoping for a smooth departure tomorrow. I will post some pics of the trip.

My view is improving!

Back in the water today and guess what? No leaks! Tomorrow rest and get organized. Travel day Sunday! Woo hoo!

My current view

I'm not complaining! The sun is out and it is warm!

The Teaky Hut!

Our next stop in Stuart

My slip is at the end of this dock.

The Teaky Hut!

     I am still the Indiantown Marina Hostage, but I can feel movement in the right direction. The fiberglass work on the stern-tube is complete and I am hoping they will reinstall the rudder tomorrow.  If that were to happen and they put me in the water, I could leave on Sunday.  That would be terrific! I can only hope!

     Drove over to Stuart today for a men's breakfast with friends (Steve Young=Friends everywhere!).  It was fun and on the way back I stopped to inspect our next home.  We have rented a slip in Stuart for a few weeks, as we need to get over to Cape Coral and see my mother-in-law who is ailing.  So, after Joanna arrives, we will head to the West Coast of Florida for a visit.

     I have been bragging to Joanna about our personal teakee hut at the next stop, where we can relax and sip sundowners together. Of course, it is just a humble place to relax.  Nothing fancy! But it is right on the waterway so we can relax and watch the world go by. After all, any view is better than the one I have now!
I will post some photos taken today.

The Short List

     My wife is forever planning and making lists.  She is always encouraging me to do the same.  I admire her ability to organize and get things done.  Occasionally, I follow her advice and make one. I am most likely to do this when I go shopping, and yesterday that is exactly what I did.  I headed out feeling good, knowing I had everything I needed to get and do written down and safely tucked in my breast pocket. All I had to do was remember to look at it.
     This assumes that I haven't forgotten to bring the list with me in the first place, which often happens.  Most times I simply forget I made a list until I am back home.  Then I check it only to find that invariably I have forgotten something.
     Or this scenario:  "Hmmmm....what's this slip of paper in my pocket?  Oh yeah, it's the list I made for the store yesterday. Forgot all about it!
     Occasionally all the planets do line up, and I actually refer to the list as I go along. This happened yesterday.  Do laundry, check!  Ace Hardware for grease, check! Supermarket for supplies, check! Dollar General for greeting cards, check!  Go to post office, check!
     "To list or not to list...that is the question!"  As a boater I prefer not to list.  Cause if I do it means we have run aground and are leaning over (Ha ha!). This has happened to us on a number of occasions.  (I call them "bottom moorings")
     The other list I dread is the "honeydo" list.  This abomination is sure to instill an instant case of depression.  The reason:  They never get done!  Same with boating chores lists.  Why? Because there is alway something being added on faster than I can finish and take it off. I feel like a rat on a treadmill.
     For example:  Wash boat was on the boater's list the other day.  Thought I had it checked off. Then I woke up to this morning to the picture below. It seems they are burning a sugar cane field nearby and we are downwind. See what I mean?
     Finally, there is the problem of how much I can get done.  In the old days, I could conquer a list a mile long in a few hours if I had to.  These days it must be short...very,very, short.
Blog entry for today, check!
   
   

Clean decks, check!

Down the hatch!

They lowered the rudder to get at the rudder tube which appears to be cracked. This is Epifanio hard at work grinding away.

Clean deck!

Can I take a break now?

Flight 2017

Well, a big day is coming, as Joanna will be flying in to West Palm in the not too distant future!  Her dad will be moving to assisted living this week and so she will be free to join her man on the boat after getting him settled!  This has been 3 long months in the making as we did Thanksgiving, Christmas and our 45th anniversary apart.   But I am proud of her for hanging in there and seeing it through for her Dad.  Guess I need to get everything in tip-top shape by arrival day.  Lots to do cause "guy clean" doesn't cut it!!
Meanwhile, a cold blast of air has chilled the deep south to the bone.  41 here this am when I awoke. Sun is out though, and 60's later means I can do some boat washing!
There is a sponge and a brush in my future.

Luc's boat heading out

My friend Luc

This is a shot of Luc preparing to shove off on another adventure. Bon chance Mon ami!

May the force be with you, Luke!

     I was in the office the other day here at the marina waiting to pay my tremendous yard bill. Instead of going on a wonderful vacation to Hawaii, it seems I prefer frittering away my hard-earned retirement savings on the never ending task of keeping an old piece of fiberglass afloat. My invoice was so lengthy it felt like a Manhattan phone book. To make matters worse, we don't have a lot of money, since they always paid me what I was worth.

     Thank goodness for Visa.  I pulled out my card, hoping that my line of credit would be high enough.  I tried to maintain a brave grin as I waited my turn at the counter behind a Canadian chap. He was inquiring at the desk about finding a ride to the airport the next day. Having been in his shoes last year, I felt compassion for his situation.

     Ah, what the heck, I thought and spoke up. "Hey, I'll give you a lift in to West Palm if you like."

     He turned, smiled, and politely thanked me,  We then made arrangements to meet the following morning.  He even mentioned paying me, which sounded like a good idea as I squeezed my Visa card a little tighter. (I secretly hoped he'd pay me more than I was worth.)

    Of course I had no idea that the light at the end of the tunnel that day was a locomotive.  They dropped my boat in the water but by evening I had discovered a boat leak.  It was clear I needed to come back out. But wait, I had foolishly made a commitment to Luc.  Now what?  I have been taught to always honor a commitment, so I would just have to work it out.

     I explained my dilemma to the yard manager the next morning and by 9:30 the boat was back on the hard.  The crew here at Indiantown is terrific!  An hour later, Luc and I were on our way to West Palm. I followed him in my old truck so he could drop off his rental car that he got when he flew down from Montreal.  It turns out Luc owns an old lobster boat that he has fixed up and stored here. Now he is preparing to head for the Bahamas.

     We dropped off his "full-size" rental car, a little Mazda just bigger than a VW Beatle, and we headed home together in my truck. Luc and I hit it off instantly, and within the hour I had a new friend.  He is a retired Psych. Professor from the University of Montreal, and has had a fantastic career primarily dealing with the study of deviant behavior. I felt like Piers Morgan interviewing an interesting guest as we exchanged thoughts about education and human behavior.  The hour with Luc flew by and I reluctantly said goodbye after touring his very cool boat.

     Fortunately for me, he stopped by to see me this afternoon.  Another hour well spent, and now we are like old friends, pledging to stay in touch in the days ahead.  I rather think we will.  Such is the sailing life that makes all the troubles worthwhile! I say this with the full knowledge that another yard bill lies ahead! (Pictures to follow)

   

Boat goes in...boat comes out!

This is the spot where the leak is. No, it's not leaking now because I am not in the water.:-D

That steady drip...drip...drip!

Launch day was a long and busy one for me.  Spent a great deal of time loading gear on the boat.  I didn't even take time to eat.  OK, fast forward to tired me finally sitting down for a bite in the evening.  Plink...plink..plink! Something was leaking!  Sure enough, I found a leak in the hull near the rudder post.  Just a small one but enough so I had to come back out of the water yesterday.  

Back on the blacktop for the weekend while the yard does some grinding and filling.  Hopefully we'lll get wet again before the middle of next week. 

In the meantime, a cold front has swept down from the north.  It is a liitle amusing to see everyone all bundled up while I walk around in a tee shirt like it is springtime in Pulaski! 

In the water tomorrow!

Tomorrow they are putting CrossRoads in the water.  Sorry I haven't posted of late but I have been just too busy since my arrival on Sunday.  The boat is "on the hard" in the work area and they finished painting the bottom today. 

I have been living on the boat as the ladder will attest.  Up and down all day long makes me sleep like a child each night.

the boat is unbelievably dirty but I couldn't start cleaning until today as i didn't want to interfere with bottom painting.

I guess if I didn't bathe for 10 months I would look like this too!

This is a shot of the rudder which was cracked and needed major repair.  I took this shot right before it was painted. 

I will try to get a few pictures tomorrow as they launch but i cant guarantee anything.  

Also, I rented a slip over in Stuart for a while so I am heading there on Saturday.  It is time to leave Indiantown behind. 

Finally, I have a tremendous yard bill to pay so the drinks will not be on me when next we meet! 

I may need counseling....

I am in Florida at last!!!

It is nice to be in the sunshine state and tomorrow I will shoot over to Indiantown from my hotel here in Ft.Pierce. Had to get to me hotel early so I could watch SU play NC on tv.  Pretty sick, huh?

Well, at least Syracuse won!!!  I am enjoying SU's maiden voyage in the ACC. 

I will be turning in early tonight as tomorrow is going to be a long day!!  Lots to do when I arrive at the boat so I will need to be rested. For now I am going to kick back and watch some football. 

Brrr!

1/4/14
The east coast is in the grip of a mean cold wave. "Go south, young man" will be my mantra next week. At least I am out of the snow belt!  I will be driving from New Bern to Indiantown and should arrive on the 12th. Hoping to launch on the 13th. In the meantime, I am enjoying my visit with Joanna and her dad. She has been staying with Norm the past 2 months, as he is going through a rough patch right now.  It is hard to be apart but we want to support Norm in every way.

Here is a shot of my ragged transportation system. A neat little pull trailer and an old Chevy pickup. Hopefully we will arrive in one piece! By "we" I mean me and the cats. Joanna will remain with her dad until his situation improves. 

The Adventure Continues

It is the new year and I am on the move.  Creaky Cruisers Part 2 is about to begin!!!!
Right now I am in North Carolina.  Next weekend I will be in Florida getting Crossroads ready to launch at Indiantown.  After all of the cold weather up north, Florida is sounding pretty good!!!
Kudos to the mighty team at Indiantown Marina who are working on getting the boat ready.  This includes new bottom paint and reinstalling the recently repaired rudder which cracked over the hot summer.
It will take a while and some elbow grease to get things back in shape after a year on the hard, but I WILL BE IN FLORIDA!!! YAHOO!!!