Brrrrrr

It took 6 days but we're back in Stratford. Chilly, overcast most of the way home but driving conditions were good.

Tourist trap called South of the Border in South Carolina

Here's the reason it took so long - a short detour to buy this boat. Some have said "Do you really need another boat?" Apparently we do. Was a great deal until we broke down on the interstate - bearings on one wheel were shot and were smoking. Got that fixed and bought brand new tires too.

Sirius 21

first you dig a hole........

Electrolysis

Definition: Chemical decomposition produced by passing an electric current through a liquid or solution containing ions. (Not the hair removal kind).


We've had problems with zincs disappearing from all the boats and once the zincs are gone any other metal on the boats will start to disappear as well.  Dirty Girl appears to be the culprit.

To save the other boats:

dig a hole and plant Ramblynn's old propeller shaft:

get a well-trained mason (or Gerry) to fill it full of cement:

attach a green wire to the shaft, dig a trench, bury green wire:

 strategically attach said wire to the electrical box by a certified electrician (or Les):

and voila,

Covered the pole with this globe that floated into the bay and put a solar light inside.

Dirty Girl is separately grounded from the other boats which should solve their zinc problem. It also and excellent place to get another line on the boat. Hopefully some day soon we'll figure out Dirty Girl's electrical problem. Any thoughts and/or suggestions are welcome.

PS
It's not just work around here we do have fun too:

Lunch on the beach at Banana Bay with Les and Chris. So sad their trip was cut short  :(

Festival Noel (fundraiser for the National Parks) with Doreen and Richard

Back to Port Lucaya

All week Windfinder and Passage Weather (I've learned not to rely only on Windfinder) have promised that Sunday would be a good day to cross over to the Bahamas, winds were not supposed to pick up on the Florida coast until after 4 and would be OK near Freeport. Once again wrong - they were already strong at 11. We had little choice as the next week was supposed to be really windy and we've been in Florida 28 days. After last minute shopping for perishables we cast off at noon and made our way up the ICW to West Palm. We were lucky we didn't waste too much time waiting for bridge openings but it still took us 3 hours motoring (with our almost brand new motor) right into the wind.

Exiting the channel.

I have come to accept that when I make this crossing the wind report will be wrong and the seas will be high but did mother nature really need to throw in rain? And was that wave that launched itself right over our heads into the cockpit like a giant wall of water necessary? The 3 or 4 other large ones only came to our shoulders, the rest were only 6-8 feet and didn't make it into the cockpit just crashed over the bow and sides. Needless to say we were wet and chilly for most of the 15 hours it took to get to Port Lucaya. 

Around dusk we heard a boat calling the Coast Guard. There were four men in a 31' Contender. They reported that seas were building, waves were stacking and crashing over their boat and weather was turning nasty. They sounded scared. So I'm thinking 4 men making 10 mph, 17 miles off shore are scared - should I be and just too dumb to know it? The Coast Guard kept calling them every 5 minutes, I guess so they'd know what time they sank or something. It was never made clear whether they actually wanted to be rescued or just wanted some hand holding. At any rate they sent a helicopter to keep an eye on them. I wonder how much that cost the taxpayers? I've since found a photo of such a boat and I can see why they could have been a tad nervous - it's a wide open center console fishing boat. We were much safer in Ramblynn.

Just before midnight we passed a cruise ship just sitting in one place, they do that at lot.  I don't know if it was the same one or another but less than an hour later there's a Royal Caribbean coming at us, fast, and apparently intends to kill us. They have the whole %#@*ing ocean and they're on a collision course! I woke Gerry up (why does this sort of thing always happen when I'm on watch?) and he decided we should slow down so it could cross in front without taking us out.

The rest of the night was kind of boring until of course we tried to find the sea buoy (couldn't, I don't think it has a light on it) but finally found the correct red marker (of course there's no light on the green one) to guide us into the channel. Once again confirming that coming into port in the daylight is oh so much more preferable.

A nice surprise in Port Lucaya - customs and immigration was just one person so check-in was pretty quick. A not so nice surprise - cruising permit price has doubled (to $300) since last year! That's the way they do it here - business is slow so they raise the prices to make up for it. I can't believe they don't realize that doing so will more than likely worsen the situation - duh!

Only 2 hours and $20 later (at the laundromat) everything that got salt water on it is now nice and clean, too bad the rest of the boat isn't - yet.

and we're still here.............

Will the madness never end? OK that's a bit melodramatic. The engine is finally in, the boat is in the water (today) and everything seems to work (knock on wood). The boat is in complete disarray, cockpit lockers having had to be emptied (into the main salon), aft cabin likewise and a goodly amount of supplies/groceries had just been dumped on the V-berth and any vacant floor space not near the engine, not to mention the items we were taking back to Ontario from the Bahamas. I didn't have my camera with me today or there would be photos of the carnage.

We began to put the boat back in order, which included putting the jib sail back on its roller. A simple job yes? No. We had sent the sail out for repair and reinforcing but the professional sailmaker didn't take into account that when he put a patch over the part that goes into the track it cannot be thicker than the track will allow. We discovered this just as the sun was going down today, Friday when we darn near killed ourselves trying to winch the sail up. The repair shop is not open weekends so I had to take the patch off with a razor blade while Gerry held a flashlight. Either that or delay our trip (again) on the off chance that someone could patch it without increasing the thickness.

Instead of rushing around like idiots trying to leave tomorrow we're aiming for Sunday.

Many many thanks to Jean and Rick for putting up with us for so long!

Once again... the glam side of sailboats

Still waiting for mechanic Bill to show up so decided to do what we could to get the project a little bit further. As far as I'm concerned this project was misrepresented. I heard "Hey honey can you help me push a hose through?"  There was no mention of the other 2 hoses, where they were situated (in the bilge!), nor that the 3 old ones had to be pulled out before the new ones went in.

If this space looks like a large accessible area - you are oh so wrong. You have to either kneel or lay on your stomach on this hard hardwood and watch you don't hit your head on entry and exit.

So here I am trying to pull out a giant exhaust hose while Gerry pushes from the other end. This thing has been in there for years and is wedged in and around a myriad of other hoses, wires, etc.  and does not want to come out. A quick job was turning into a long long job and disgustingly filthy, but there is more filth to come. We finally get it out and he now tells me there are 2 others. These are smaller but equally wedged and equally stiff. One good yank gets one out of hole but no one had told me it had "stuff" in it and the "stuff" sprayed all over the place - all over my arms and face - good thing I was wearing black. Needless to say I was much more careful with the last hose. Time for a break so I get cleaned up as best I can without any water and spy a big box of disposable gloves - why didn't I think to put a pair on? 

Back to work, wearing gloves. Gerry once more in the back locker me in the bilge - thought I had graduated from bilge rat. All 3 new hoses had to be pushed through the hole that Gerry could not see so it was quite the trick getting them all through. I carefully fed the exhaust hose up the middle of the bilge but the smaller ones needed to go up one side. I swear I did this carefully - I did not want to be blamed for something getting pulled off or broken and yet suddenly there was liquid gushing and the smell!! A hose connected to the holding tank was putting water into the bilge - just great!  Such a lovely smell and of course it's a T fitting right between the openings under and to the right of the white pipe you can see in the photo. Just barely accessible but Gerry got it fixed, we think.

Gerry trying to find exactly which of the T connections is leaking.

So what should have been a quick half hour to hour job took half the day.

Medical Costs in the USA

After suffering with an horrendous cough for over a week Gerry finally went to a walk-in clinic. One visit - $95. The doctor (in training) decided he needed a shot of antibiotics ($75), a lung treatment to ease his breathing (which made very little difference and was probably just a cash grab) $85 and a chest x-ray (she thought he had pneumonia). She prescribed antibiotics and an inhaler and trotted us off to a diagnostic clinic. Fortunately nothing showed on the x-ray so he probably has bronchitis.  Off we go to the pharmacy and have first hand experience of why Americans complain about their medication costs. Ten, yes only 10 antibiotic pills - if you got the name brand - were over $500. We insisted on generic which were $168, and inhaler $45!  We have insurance so will be reimbursed for all of this. The diagnostic centre accepted our insurance as payment so we don't know how much that cost but hope some day to find out. Searching on line revealed maybe $250.

Over $700 for just bronchitis - can you imagine how much it would have been for something more serious? Do not - I repeat, do not ever travel without medical insurance and if you're Canadian think twice (at least) before you complain about our health care.

We're still heeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrre

Thursday, November 1 the old engine came out with promises of new engine going in Friday. That was not to be, still waiting, Bill keeps going to other jobs that I'm sure pays more.  Those who know me well probably feel sorry for Gerry right now. I'm sure by the time it's all done the window for sailing across will be closed, isn't that the way it always goes?

Coming out

Engine compartment from above.

Old engine

Amazing it still ran, sometimes.

Shiny new (almost) engine.

Fantasy Fest 2012

Don't need too many words, the pictures say it all. My 6th Fantasy Fest, the first one where we weren't sweating to death, temperature was perfect, could have done with less wind - kept blowing my witch's hat off.

Can't put the painted ladies on here without changing my blog rating to restricted so you'll have to go on-line and search for them yourselves. Be aware some of them are gorgeous and some shouldn't be allowed out in public.

Costumes that Jean & Rick bring down every year.

Friday's attire

The real Johnny Depp

Saturday's costumes

Bird women

Big and bigger

Cat stayed in the buggy all evening!

Conch lady

Another conch lady

Super heroes?

3 are better?

Tow Boat USA

First tow

Next day we call Tow Boat USA at 8. They're really busy (another boat ran up on shore last night) but they'd get there soon. It took about an hour and a half, they hooked on started towing and then told us that the Flagler bridge (within site) was having problems and was closed till further notice! He parked us out of the channel, said that he would monitor the bridge channel (and we should too) and he'd be back when it was fixed. A short time later I heard someone ask the opening time for Flagler and the operator said it will be open in 10 minutes! So we called her and she said they were having problems but maintenance was on site and the bridge was mostly operational. We called TowBoat to give them this information - which they should have known! They said they'd come back soon.

Second tow

Soon turned out to be 1:45 p.m.  I should explain that they don't like you to sail through the bridges, you have to motor so we couldn't just go on our own. The bonus of being towed is that you don't have to wait for regular opening times, they just open them all up for all commercial vessels. Without that bonus we would not have made it to the marina in time to get hauled out - as it was we were late and they were not happy.

Getting the lines ready for docking

Getting hauled out

Mallory cleaned the bottom so well before we left that perhaps we don't need her repainted!

“Hours of mild boredom periodically interrupted by moments of sheer terror.”

8:15 a.m. left dock motor was running, main sail up – little choppy waves, little choppy waves

8:55 a.m. out in channel motor died, put jib up, we were sailing - more little choppy waves

9:30 a.m. passed tall ship, awesome – more little choppy waves

11:40 a.m. Gerry goes for nap – medium choppy waves

11:43 a.m. autopilot quits, boat jibes, Chris for some unknown reason jumps to my side of the boat, running into the main sail sheets which are traveling at a wicked pace across the traveler to starboard. She now sports a nasty huge bruise on her arm. I'm bent over trying to pull the autopilot lever up so I can turn the wheel manually, she plows into me – no bruises. Gerry comes up into the cockpit and saves the day.

12 noon Medium rolling waves

1 p.m. More medium rolling waves

2 p.m. Even more medium rolling waves

3 p.m. Bigger medium rolling waves

4 p.m. More bigger medium rolling waves

5 p.m. Bigger rolling waves

6 p.m. Bigger rolling waves

7 p.m. Bigger rolling waves – we think we see land far far away

8 p.m. Even bigger rolling waves and the jib won't hold the wind so we pull it in

9 p.m. Ever more big rolling waves, losing time so we put the jib back out but it got caught on the front hatch and managed to twist itself into a useless figure 8 that was not letting go any time soon. Gerry thought he could free it and stupidly went forward (on a wildly rolling boat) with me yelling "don't you dare fall off this boat" and Chris yelling "at least put on a life jacket." He couldn't free it.

10 p.m. Evidently there is no end to the waves and the rolling of the boat, Chris went below

11 p.m. - Cannot find the channel – we know it's there somewhere but the lights on shore are confusing and we're cutting across to the channel with the sea buoy way out on our right instead of coming straight in.  I see a red marker but cannot find a matching green except a really small one and a larger one off in the distance. We head for the red and I realize the little green light is on a boat that is coming at us. One would think he's coming out of the inlet - wrong, he was coming from the shore to the left of the inlet. Almost at the same time I realize the larger green light is too far into the channel to be the proper one and also see a huge pile of rocks dead ahead! The red marker is on the opposite side of the jetty where it should be and the rock jetty is between it and us. Fortunately Gerry responds well to someone yelling “TURN NOW, TURN NOW” so we just missed crashing into the rocks and the little boat got the hell out of our way.  Chris leaped into the cockpit deciding it was better than being below if the rocks came through the hull. Little boat driver then offered to tow us in but we declined (too rough). He repeatedly offered to help but when we asked if he was going in the channel and would he go ahead he refused (twice) – he thought he'd be more help if he stayed out in the bouncing 7 - 10 foot waves and getting in our way (almost T-boned him). We eventually got out far enough to turn around and come in, with the other boat yelling "you'll never make it" - how helpful. We just squeaked around into the channel, (other boat "wow, that was great work captain") turned into the anchorage, dropped anchor and fell into bed. This is why Gerry likes to arrive in daylight.

Another example of  “Hours of mild boredom periodically interrupted by moments of sheer terror.”

Murder revisited

10:30 p.m. A relative of Alice the rat has been caught in the sticky trap I put in the flybridge after seeing droppings earlier in the day.

10:45 p.m. - couldn't take the noise of rat jumping around trying to release itself from sticky trap and fearing it would escape I hit it over the head with the deck broom.

11:15 p.m. - checked rat was still dead, went to bed. Someone else can dispose of the body, the someone who was too busy to deal with it when it was jumping around.

Score: Rats 0; Chris 1; Sophia 6; Gerry 0

Before you moan, "how could you just bash the poor thing" bear in mind these trespassers have not been eating any of our food, they are no doubt munching on the boat's insulation, wiring, cabling, rubber, walls, hoses, etc. They can do thousands of dollars of damage to a boat that you might not even find until you're out at sea, wondering why some vital component is no longer functioning.

On the other side of the coin, it's a good thing rats aren't intelligent enough to organize themselves and hire a lawyer (there's a joke in there somewhere) and sue us for causing trillions of damage to Mother Earth. They'd have a good argument over who should be bashed over the head.

Snorkeling 101

Honestly Chris I was laughing with you, not at you.

The top of the water is here somewhere

Getting closer..........

Skimming the surface

Ahh touchdown

Success!

October 16, 2012 Boat repair/prep - it never ends

Winds have been strong since we arrived but now that we want to go across to Florida they have completely, utterly, undeniably died. Wednesday's departure has been postponed to the weekend giving us lots of time to get Ramblynn shipshape and maybe test the jury-rigged water pump we've had to install and the home made thing-a-ma-bob to stop the top of the roller furling from turning - I think. If the pump, thing-a-ma-boband winds fail us we do have unlimited towing insurance.

A new (to us) engine awaits us in Florida - and getting it there from Nova Scotia is a long long tale of bureaucracy and stupidity (those words are synonyms aren't they?) that took about 2 weeks to sort out. Just ask Gerry, I'm sure he'd be glad to fill you in. I've almost convinced him to import Ramblynn into the Bahamas so we don't have to go to Florida if we don't want to. You're supposed to leave and re-enter Bahamas every year to renew your cruising permit.

Gary up his mast using his spiffy new mast ladder

All hands on deck, installing main sail.