Sign post update

 Four days later we go back to the beach to find no sign of the sign post! We had a particularly windy day and very high tides so the ocean decided it didn't like it and washed it away.

And the other even further away.

We found one piece about 900 feet down the beach.

Gerry floated them back but didn't re-install until January 27 with Chris's help.




The same day this fishing boat showed up very close to shore and kept patrolling back and forth. We watched in keen anticipation of it running aground but weren't rewarded for our patience.

Photo is deceiving - it looks far enough away but I wouldn't pilot my boat this close to shore.

And on another note I made slip covers for the chairs. I do not enjoy sewing (on a machine) and our (not Betty's) sewing machine works only when it wants to. There was much cursing involved and I have now banished the f***ing machine from the boat. I wanted to throw it overboard but a cooler head prevailed (Gerry's).

New                          Old

January 21 another beach day

Sometimes I think Gerry doesn't have enough to do.
     

Walking two  4 x 4's down to the picnic spot.

Digging

View one

better view

Have to come up with something witty to paint on the sign.








And of course I was annoying the wildlife, again.

I do think I saved it though. It was deeply buried in the sand, well out of the water and after taking yet another video I took it out into the ocean.

Don't know why it closed up and then peeked out again.

Beach Covers

Two separate topics: beach and covers.

Both boats have very very faded hatch covers so we've borrowed Betty's sewing machine and have started to replace them.

The one on the left is a new one, the material in the center is the colour the one on the right used to be.





Although the temperature has been quite warm (25) the wind has been so strong we've not made it to the beach much. I know, you're all very sad for us.

Yes, another photo of hermit crabs. There are 45 crabs. We walked down the beach a wee bit, not for very long and yet when we came back there wasn't a trace of them.

Even the big shell is occupied although his body doesn't match the size of his shell.

I finally decided to look up why they do this and I'm very disappointed in their behaviour. They're trading shells but they do it by yanking one of their own out against its will. Here's a web page: http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112721350/hermit-crab-conga-line-102712/

Maybe they coincidentally met around the giant shell and that's why one of them ended up with a shell way too big for him.

Treasures: I found the blue one and Gerry found the black. They fit me perfectly, alas they don't match.

Electrolysis is not your friend

This is what happens when one puts 12 volt power to the ground on your boat - galvanic corrosion (electrolysis).

Old and new prop, wee bit of difference.

Over the summer Ruediger's  wind generator was supposed to be charging the batteries but was instead putting power through the engine to the propeller shaft and propeller. The combination of this and being in salt water turned the canal into a giant battery.  Apparently different metals disintegrate at different rates so you put sacrificial zincs on boats (e.g. on propeller shafts) so the zinc disintegrates instead of your precious metal boat parts.  Hopefully his metal thru hulls are not in the same condition.

I fully admit that I still (despite it being explained numerous times) do not understand how this happens.

So here's something else that I don't in any shape or form understand - the other boats were not affected because Ruediger's boat, unlike the rest was not plugged into shore power so the "infection" wasn't transmitted.  This is giving me a headache.

WTH times 4

What The Hell 1:

It's January, typically one of the cooler months. We have an indoor/outdoor thermometer and this is what it read this morning (around 10). Time to ditch all the projects and go to the beach.







What The Hell 2:

Too lazy and hot to drive to our favourite beach so we stopped at the shallow one to discover it was completely covered in seaweed.

Yes, that is a bundle of seaweed about the size of a milk crate.

What The Hell 3:

We packed up and 15 minutes later we arrived at the washed out part of the road. Someone decided to remove all the stones from one side of the tree to the other and threw in some 2 x 4's (with nails!!) We straightened the rocks out and tossed the 2 x 4's away. This kind of thinking - do a quick fix on the part that could well wash away during the next storm, instead of working on what could be a permanent solution on the other side, is the typical Bahamian way. Do not ever think of the future, just what you want right now, who cares about tomorrow.
OK, I'm off my soapbox and onto this lovely beach and who said Gerry isn't romantic? Might have been me.

Just a wee bit of seaweed.

His 2nd attempt, spelled his name wrong the first!

What The Hell 4:

While at the beach (and after we got back) it absolutely poured. The hatch over the bed was open only a crack, the rain was coming straight down and yet the bed got soaked. I do not understand why the carpeting around the hatch was not even damp when one side of the bed and the carpet on the floor was drenched. It was as if someone had come in and poured a huge bucket of water on just one side of the bedroom. Fortunately for me it was Gerry's side. 

This winter's project

The worn out seats upstairs on Dirty Girl have been a thorn in Gerry's side so he's decided to recover them with sunbrella. This could take a while.

First, disassemble the port side:

The worst part, sun totally destroyed the vinyl.

The wood had been replaced in Florida.

The small seat on the starboard side was so rotten he decided to throw it out. I discovered that all that rotting material was the cause of the stains that run down the stairs.

Wood had not been replaced in Florida.

Finally gave up and ground the damn bolts off.

The photos don't show the truly disgusting condition this seat was in nor how extremely difficult it was to remove.

Trying to hold the nuts holding the bolts on (arm still hurt days later).

I could barely reach the nuts (and got bruised for my trouble) through the holes and dropped a wrench. Of course it fell well out of reach but we got it back out. Gerry shone the flashlight into the cavity which allowed me to see it through the fabric in the bathroom ceiling. I banged the ceiling and jostled it over to where he could reach it. Who woulda thought?

He decided to remove the rarely used cooler thing while we were at it.

Bolts didn't give us any trouble.

Gerry cutting out the fabric:

Happy New Year

Roller-blade Richard brought his boat to Port Lucaya for his annual New Year's Eve party.

Gerry and Missy

At Unexso with Lynn and husband "Digger" Dave

Docks from Unexso's dock

and of course fireworks.

On the docks

A few people at the square!