Prepping to depart our summer marina...

Brunswick has no shortage of spectacular sunrises & sunsets

I didn't envision spending the summer at a marina in Georgia!  We left without a firm plan, except "heading south" (it was too cold to head north in April.  We would have loved to revisit Maine).  We knew our insurance wanted us above N30.5 (FL/GA line) by July 15th.  Each time we stopped at a marina, it was "Hmmm.  We could come back here."  Brunswick was on the list of "hurricane holes" the Captain had in mind.  He would have preferred a marina where he could haul out, live on the boat and paint the bottom ourselves, but that didn't happen.

We are starting to count down to our departure from our summer/hurricane hole marina at the end of the month.   We will explore the area including St. Simon's island, Jekyll Island and Cumberland Island before working our way down to Fernandina Beach after our insurance Nov 1st date.  We hope to spend most of our time before the Bahama's anchored out or at mooring balls.

The high is forecast to be 80F this week, so with the low's in the 60's, so I finally shut off the air conditioning and opened the ports and hatches.  It's a little warm in the boat in the afternoon, which is solved by moving out into the cockpit or sitting out on the dock.

I found a problem I was having before we arrived.  One, now two, or the ports didn't want to stay open.  When My Captain, Oh Captain was reminded, he said, "perhaps you can do that.  You'll need an allen wrench."  Tools obtained.  Instructions given from the couch--"Give it another turn.  Try tightening the other side also."  Add that to the First Mate duties!

I dug out the Iridium GO satellite communicator we purchased for communicating with family members when we are underway and out of cell phone coverage.  It will also allow us to use PredictWind to get updated weather info.  The Iridium is not user-friendly but texting our float-plan-family-member is working.  There is supposed to be a software update that helps, but I can't make that work either.  I did manage to get Twitter (@PDQ36Odin) working.  Facebook access is not available anymore.

See the paper mill in the background?

They move the paper over to the dock by train.  Whoo, Whoo!

The boat got a good scrub down.  We had some mildew on deck, either from the morning dew or possibly from being down river from the paper mill.  The usual cleaners from West Marine weren't working.  Neither was the First Mates first choice of vinegar.  A quick google search turned the Captain onto Scrubbing Bubbles (generic is Foaming Bleach).  Worked like a charm.

Brunswick scum, I think...

Most of our Amazon deliveries have arrived, including a 48-pack pack of toilet paper.  (Paper products are expensive in the Caribbean.)  You can't have too much TP!  I've also started slowly stock up the pantry again.  Instead of going every other day, I go every day.  The cashier's laugh & ask "how many more days?"  Canned soup, canned veggies, gluten-free pasta, rice, beans, our favorite coffee, juice and beer are being stockpiled.  We decided to move the bicycles to the guest berth, so I reorganized the pantry.

Grocery run with an ice coffee in one hand.  Learned some bicycles handling skills here!

Storage area is officially a pantry :-)  First Mate idea, Captain approved.

Some friends departed the marina for Florida today (http://latitude43.com/).  It's a small relief there is somebody "blazing the trail" ahead of us.  We've learned a lot of cruiser's leave their boat somewhere during July-August.  Some fly home to their houses, some visit family and others RV.  ("Maybe we can do that next year" from the guy that said he would NEVER RV.)  They've been trickling back into the marina.  The dock master says their biggest event is Thanksgiving.

Putting lipstick on a pig.  Sorry dinghy.  I love you!

The Captain decided to give the dinghy a little love.  It's mostly lived on the davits for 3 months, so it also got a scrub down and a top coat.  We've also ordered some canvas for possible dinghy chaps and a deck shade.

The Captain takes over the portable SSB & weather fax after I got frustrated (Wha pa!)

Portable SSB and weather fax with HP Fax app:  Thanks to our friends over at theretirementproject.blogspot.com, we discovered a portable SSB might be another great source of weather info when out of reach of cellular data.  I ordered the Tecsun PL-660 and downloaded the HF Fax app for our iPads.  The Captain was able to use the FM antenna that came with the radio to run out to our insulated backstay (our boat was set up up for SSB with an insulated back stay antenna & copper but did not have an SSB radio installed).  I've got the photo connector for the iPad & the USB to 3.5 cord on order.  Even at the dock with a lot of interference, we were able to get some fuzzy maps and were picking up Chris Parker weather broadcasts (we were previously paying for the email updates, which we may still do since they come in the night before).

We'll skip all discussion of our head (toilet)

One of the cabinets in the head had a slight odor, so The Captain changed the hose from the macerator to the holding tank.  He doesn't really have anything else to say about that (except "going to take a long, hot shower").

"WTF?  DADDY?!"

Traveling out of the country with a pet is tricky.  It requires a lot of paperwork and vet visits.  To make things more interesting, each country is different.  On Sept 3rd, I mailed our Bahamian purr-mit paperwork for  "importing" for Amelia the Cat.  (This will waive quarantine on arrival.)  An international money order for $10 + $5 fax service and the Priority Mail was $26 ($6 extra for out of the country and 6-10 days instead of 3-4 days.  They recommend Fed Ex.)  I received a phone call from a Doctor (Vet) on 14th.  She wanted to verify the age of 18 years.  "Well, that's the oldest cat I've ever cleared into the Bahamas!"  She was signing it and said I should see the fax in a few days.  It was a Wed so I gave it a week to arrive.  Then last week, I called daily.  "When did you mail it?"  "The Doctor isn't in."  "Tell me your fax number and I'll see what I can do."  After some panicked begging on Friday, it arrived at the end of day (The fax is in the marina office, so they are tired of me also.)  Now we just need a vet visit for health certificate (basically, a list of immunizations with a USDA stamp.  Hoping to find a marina where we can get an appointment and a courtesy car).

The last step is a vet visit when we get to the island.   We've read that if the cat isn't leaving the boat, these rules are a little more lax.

We're going to Ba?where?

The high temps have held at 80F, so the air conditioner was finally unhooked and stowed below.

The last piece of equipment before we leave is a wifi range extender.  Hopefully, this will help keep us connected without relying on our tethered cellular data.  It didn't get shipped out last week, but I've been assured it will arrive before our scheduled departure on Tuesday.

Bahamas cat permit info:
Bahamas government, Dept of Ag, cat permit

http://www.pettravel.com/immigration/bahamas.cfm

http://www.captdrdave.com/42-2/

Ode to Limes

You can see the lime tree from the boat!

We love to eat out.  It's our special treat once or twice a week.  Not just for the food that we try to replicate back at the boat, but for the mixed drinks.  We both love to cook, but I "google" the obscure recipes.  The Captain has an advanced palate that can actually pick out individual flavors.  He rarely uses a recipe.  Mixed drinks are just more recipes that we can try to replicate.  Yes, I enjoy the occasional glass of wine or Cosmo (Test your waiter by sitting as far from the bar as possible and see how far they can make it before spilling) but trying a new concoction is always more fun.  We frequented BC's in O'Fallon, MO and they had a mixed drink menu that rotated with the season.  We also had regular waiter's that recommended their favorites.  It's where I had my first homemade lemoncello served as a shot in a glass of sparkling wine.  Who knew?!  It's became even more fun when I discovered the "off menu" drinks.  Once you find a good bartender, they will serve you their previous specials or newest concoctions that haven't made the menu yet.  The Captain has even been known to take a sip of my chocolate espresso martini (it's a specialty of Basil Thai in Brunswick, GA and is on their happy hour menu!).  There's a bar in Petoskey that serves a green tea vodka martini (they'll serve it off menu, if they have any of the homemade syrup behind the bar).  The Hemingway will always remind us of our time in Annapolis (Planes Boats & Bicycles "on-mooring-ball").

A grocery store lime

One of the things I've been looking forward to, as we headed south, was limes.  I love lemons & limes.  There is nothing more amazing than the smell of a fresh squeezed lemon or lime.  I had heard tales of lime trees where you can just walk up & pick one!  (Avocado & lime!!!  Foodgasm)  I was looking forward to that--and then a friend from our marina mentioned there was a lime tree on the property!  Must. find. lime. tree.  The Captain says, "Oh, yeah.  There's one down by dock one."  Dang.  Off I went.  There it was.  I pass by it every day.  I snuck a few in my pockets and headed back, running into my dock neighbor.  As I shared my secret, I glanced up and saw two small "trees"--bushes really, next to our dock.  "It looks like that!"  We run over.  Two lime trees right next to our dock!  I later discover two more trees and another dock neighbor says, "Are they ripe yet?"  YOU KNEW?!

A fresh Brunswick, GA lime

Prior to researching sailboats a few years back, I had never read blogs.  In fact, they had become annoying.  It used to be, when you googled a recipe, your search results would be Allrecipes, Epicurious, Southern Living, Martha Stewart or NY Times.  Now you have to wade through all the food blogs--because everyone has one (yes, this is a sailing blog with a "food" problem).  Interestingly enough, there are very few copyrights, trademarks or patents for recipes (ie.  Coca Cola yes.  Emeril's Essence not anymore).  Technically, you would only have to modify an ingredient or two, which is what most blogs do.  I prefer to cite the original recipe, since I frequently make things low-fat, low-sugar and gluten-free (not everyone appreciates my efforts, thus the original recipe).  However, it's interesting to find there are many people/blogs like us, that don't just want the recipe, but the history and preferably original recipe to start, before we adjust for our taste.  

I digress.  As we've adjusted to life on the boat, we have to address the afternoon "sundowner" dilemma.  Beer is heavy and bulky to drag back from the grocery store and takes up a lot of room.  Wine is also tricky & requires a large storage area and a certain amount of "care".  I've substituted grapefruit juice for orange juice since it can be stored unrefrigerated before opening.  (Juice will become even MORE expensive and hard to find after we leave the country.)  So we are researching more new (to us) mixed drinks.  We have a soda stream (so unlimited club soda) and what to do with all those limes?!  I'm currently reading Jeffrey Morgenthaler's "Bartending" and he explores making your own simple syrups, infusions and the differences between seltzer, club soda & tonic water (and how to make your own tonic water.  Seriously).  EXCELLENT book.  There's a few recipes in here, but also the science behind various things (seriously, there's drawings of molecules).  Here's a sampling for the nerds out there, reflecting the current phase of "homemade" drinks called "mixology"  They're also money-savers:

Simple Syrup:  Bring 1 cup water & 1 cup sugar to a simmer.  Stir until sugar dissolves.  Allow to cool ($5 in the "mixer" or "coffee" section.  I use "Sugar in the Raw".  Still cheaper!).

"High fructose corn syrup, lime juice concentrate...blue #1"

Rose's lime juice:  This came up when I tried a "vodka tonic and a wedge of lime."  The Captain said, "That's a gimlet, except you make it with Rose's Lime Juice."  The history of Rose's goes back to the Cook's time (interesting story:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose%27s_lime_juice) when they discovered citrus helped with scurvy (and limes go well with rum).  I love that the history goes back to sailing, but I won't pay $5 for "high fructose corn syrup, lime juice concentrate & food coloring."  Since sugar is an excellent preservative, I tried this recipe that I found on the internet:

• 1 cup simple syrup
• 1 cup lime juice

Sweet & sour mix, which apparently is just called "margarita mix" now.  A Margarita is 2 oz tequila, 1 oz lime juice, 1 oz simple syrup.  This appears to be the same recipe as Gimlet that usually uses Rose's lime juice or 2 oz gin, 1 oz lime juice, 1 oz simple syrup.  (Use recipe above)

An alternative, "skinny" sweet & sour mix:

• 2 parts lime juice 
• 1 part simple syrup (or adjust simple syrup to taste ie. 1 cup water, 1/2 c. sugar)

Lime infused vodka:  I've found the whole "flavored" liquor fad annoying.  If I want citrus in my vodka, I'll buy CITRUS.  I don't want my vodka to taste like bubble gum or french toast & neither should you.  (If you're drinking that, you should be arrested because you're probably not 21.)  I've added whole vanilla beans to bottles of rum (although the Captain doesn't have enough patience for this).  However, the dilemna of, "How can I take some of these limes with us," was solved with "lime-infused vodka" because vodka is a preservative :-)  It doesn't require refrigeration.

So when we run out of grapefruit juice, I'll basically be drinking a Gimlet or Tom Collins, which when made with rum, is actually the original DAQUIRI--on the rocks!  (2 oz rum, 1 oz lemon or lime juice, 1 oz simple syrup) Not those sweet, frozen, fruity things you get pool side...

Which reminds me.  After a USA Today article titled "Wacky Caribbean drinks", I posted on Facebook that all drinks in the Caribbean are rum & fruit juice--pick your rum, pick your fruit juice.  You're done.  It turns out that the standard mixed drink is slightly more complicated:

1.5-2 oz gin, vodka, rum, gin, whiskey, tequila

1 oz sour--lemon or lime juice

1 oz sweet--simple syrup, fruit juice, liquer

garnish (fruit, olive, something pickled, ie. pickled okra!)

club soda/tonic, optional

"Skinny" drinks:  Ice, 2 oz clear liquor, fill glass with club soda (tonic has sugar), splash of "sweet"

Virgin drinks are now called Mocktails:  I love my Sodastream club soda & fruit juice (orange, apple, grape, cranberry, grapefruit).  I've also made homemade ginger ale.  The lime syrup recipe above, is excellent as a limeade with club soda.  Another recipe that popped up several times while researching recipes was ginger-lime syrup.  Gonna try that!  (Substitute pomegranate juice for grenadine in your Shirley Temple, because that's what "grenadine" used to be--now it's colored sugar water.  You guessed it.  FIVE DOLLARS!  Cranberry juice also gives a nice splash of color.)

So what happened to all the limes?

Lime-infused vodka

Bonus recipe:

Lime Vinagrette (also good as a fish or chicken marinade or sauce & on a bean salad)

• 2 oz oil, preferably extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 oz lime juice 
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp honey or sugar
• 1 garlic clove or ½ tsp powder 
• 1 tsp – Tbsp Dijon mustard (emulsifier)

• (1 chopped jalapeno, optional)
• (2 Tbsp – 1 c. cilantro, optional)
• (avocado, optional)

(Make an hour beforehand to allow flavors to meld, if possible.)

Blend or shake in a small mason jar.  

Store in the refrigerator.

Why? A rant about washing machines

Washing machine 1

We don't have a laundry machine on our boat, all though some sailboats do, especially European models.  I have used a laundromat in Annapolis.  It was actually pretty cool--use 3 different washers/dryers at a time.  They were commercial grade ie. faster, so I was back at the boat in under an hour--but we still had a car back then.  When we first headed out, laundry was coordinated with marina stops to 1) refill the water tanks & 2) do some dockside maintenance.  By the time we got to Carolina Beach, I did my first "dinghy-in-from-the-mooring-ball" laundry run.  (Don't drop the laundry in the water.  Don't forget anything.  Pray it doesn't start raining on the way back.)  The machines at the marinas have ranged from free(!) to $2/load (2 wash/2 dry = $8 in quarters).  Separate load of delicates or blankets?  Forget it. It's actually not as inconvenient as I thought it would be.  At some point, we hear, we'll have to start paying a laundry service (Bahamas) or do laundry in buckets.

Washing machine 2

Washing machine 2, cont

Occasionally, I'll find myself standing in front of a new machine, contemplating which settings to use (lots of t-shirts, & moisture-wicking shorts.)  I chalked it up to not having been the most conscientious housewife the last 20 years.  However, something interesting has come up since we've been at the same marina for 2 months, that I hadn't really thought about.  People have their favorite washers.  No big deal.  So do I, but someone finally said, "I like that machine because I have more control over the cycles."  Huh?  Granted, walking up to a new washing machine is always tricky.  "Whites, regular, normal, cotton, permanent press, casual, colors."  Newer machines have "modifiers" or "options" to make it even more confusing.   Our marina currently has 5 different models of washers.  I've always leaned towards the newer machines because they more closely resemble the machine I had at home.  I also prefer the digital readout that says how many minutes until the load is done.  However the newer machines here are quirky.  The wash cycles is 54 minutes instead of 30 minutes.  Huh?  And since they "auto-sense" various things, I've actually stood there and watched the cycle time count up instead of down.  It took me a few loads to figure out how to override it.  (Now I can tell the new people because they are the ones standing in front of the washers trying to figure out why they are still running.)  Did you know a wash cycles takes about 30 min on average?  I do now!  To make things more interesting, some marinas will have a strange combination like 3 washers and two dryers.  Huh?

Washing machine 3

Washing machine 3, cont

So I looked it up.  Not all websites agree, but here's a summary:

If the machine says Normal or Whites or Cotton:  hot water with strong agitation.  Good for stains, sturdy cottons like jeans and things that need to be sanitized like underwear and socks (What would your grandma say about moisture-wicking synthetic underwear that's not white?)

If the machine says Casual or Permanent Press or Colors:  warm water with medium agitation.  Minimizes color fading & less wrinkles.  Good for colors or synthetics (worried about those new jeans bleeding?  Use vinegar instead of fabric softener the first few times).

Washing machine 4

Washing machine 4, cont

What if you choose normal and change the water temp?  Do jeans go in Cottons or Colors?  Blue running socks?  Pink bathing suit bottoms go in in normal, permanent press or delicate?  My poor husband & I could never agree if his khaki pants went in the "whites" hamper or the "colors" hamper ("But they're not white?!").  Have you ever read the wash recommendations on your clothing?  (Besides to see if it's dry clean only?)  Of course, to make it more confusing, tree-huggers say wash everything in cold.

Washing machine 5

Washing machine, cont

Washing machine 5---a few more choices!!!

Here are a few websites I consulted.  (PS.  I do laundry now like I did in college--throw it all in one washer and hit "warm"--if I can figure out which one that is :-0  Don't tell grandma!)

www.askmen.com/fashion/fashiontip_300/329_fashion_advice.html

home.howstuffworks.com/appliances/energy-efficient/how-do-washing-machines-get-clothes-clean3.htm

www.ase.org/resources/top-10-tips-energy-efficient-laundry

Man vs outboard, Part 2

Yeah!

Lower unit is OFF

You may remember that the Captain attempted to drop the lower half of our port (Loki) Yamaha engine in Oriental (a-week-at-dock-to-do-projects).  It wouldn't budge (apparently, we left Annapolis without the previous owner's jig).  Bored, and a hurricane not longer looming, he decided to try again (he's been spraying it with penetrating oil every time we lifted the engines out of the water and was finally able to buy 2 4x4's.)  He finally got it apart!  The good news?  The impeller didn't look too bad--still usable.  The bad news--the impeller didn't look too bad.  Valve clearances checked.  Timing belt checked.  (Amelia and I were thrown out of the cockpit.  "I didn't let her OUT!")  While taking a break in the a/c and internet shopping, he decided to order some hydrofoils for the outboards ($25/each).  So clean up the mess or wait for parts?  (The engine will be left hanging into cockpit for 2 days.)  Amelia's afternoon cockpit naps were cancelled.

Top:  old impeller.  Bottom:  new impeller.

"How come Daddy gets to go out?!"

Yikes

Hydrofoils arrive and are installed!  (although not totally "plug & play").  The engine is dropped back in the well.  "Don't mention the hydrofoils, until we know they work."  Too late.

I hear a knock on the hull.  When I walk out, there is no one there.  "Hey, hand me a phillips."

Starboard engine is pulled out of the well for routine maintenance.  Another setback.  Shifting cable outer housing was rusted through.  It's the Thursday before the Labor Day holiday.  Luckily, The Captain found it on Amazon with one-day shipping.  We cross our fingers the package doesn't fall off the back of the truck.  Meanwhile, the second hydrofoil goes on, valve clearances and timing belt are adjusted.  Thermostat is replaced.  Having this engine out of the well is highly inconvenient, not just for the cat but for us, since this is our route on and off the boat.  

You won't see him sitting and working very often...

The shifting cables arrive the next day and are installed ("10 ft of cable, no zip ties.  If that was an airplane there would be a 100 zip ties.  Perhaps all that securing of things is overrated.")  It's a two person job to push-pull the cables through and I get to enjoy some of the fun that is laying on the floor with my arm in a hole feeling around for something I can't see.  Good times.  Good news?  The engine cables are the right length.  The bad news?  When he opened up the engine to check the impeller, the casting below the impeller was corroded and the bolt snapped in half.   Ordered new lower end.

An adaption of a recipe from Oriental, NC (D from Southern Cross)

It's a little cooler in the mornings, so I'd been wanting to bake something.  One Thursday, after following the locals to the busier table at the Farmer's Market, I discovered some fig preserves.  SCORE!  

Fig Cake/Muffins (GF)

• 3 Tbsp butter/coconut/olive oil, melted
• 1/4 c. honey (optional, see below)
• 2 eggs, beaten (or gelatin substitute)
• 1 c. fig preserves, chopped (reserve liquid or substitute for honey)
• 1 tsp baking soda stirred into 1 Tbsp hot water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp high-quality vanilla extract
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp allspice (1/2 tsp cinnamon & 1/2 tsp clove)
• 1/2 c. whiskey (or rum)
• 3 c. blanched almond flour (1 bag Bob's Red Mill or blanched almonds ground in a food processor)
• 1 c. walnuts or pecans, chopped

• In a mixing bowl, adding almond flour & walnuts last, throughly stir together all ingredients.  Scoop into greased or lined muffin pan, filling each 3/4 full.

• Bake in a preheated 310F oven for 20-25 min (45-50 for cake), or until lightly browned (toothpick comes out clean).  Allow to cool before removing from pan.

• (Force 10 boat oven:  raise shelf as high above flame as possible.  Place 6-muffin pan (ie. cut silicon muffin pan in 1/2.  I cook in two batches for more even baking), on a cookie sheet and put in the oven before lighting--add approx 7 min to cooking time.  Start on high then decrease when oven reaches 310 (mine doesn't like to go that low--below 2 it blow out when you close the door).  Turn frequently--open door if temp get too high.  These muffins burn on the bottom.)  

The marina hosted a Labor Day Low Country Boil.  I discovered at the last minute that it was "potluck--optional."  Dang it.  Quick run to the grocery store for Captain-requested green beans and bacon.  The food was excellent and we left in a food coma.  We may be less experienced than our dock neighbors, but we know from our background in aviation that "It's time to go home when the Jager & Red Bull comes out."

Waiting for parts...

While waiting for the lower end, the Captain did some other routine maintenance around the including cleaning the fridge strainer.  It was really scummy and soon he realized the water-cooling pump had quit working.  Order another part.  (He added a LED light on the front of the locker than houses the pump.  Now we can monitor how often it is running.  He is really worried about his beer getting warm!)

The new, shiny lower end arrives with a bonus zinc.  DONE.  That only took 10 days...

PS.  The dinghy outboard also got new "fins"

Amelia the Cat lives on a Cat

Amelia, aka "Princess" aka "Pukey" aka "Butthead"

Mama left her iPad unlocked so I wanted to say hi to my "blog followers."  I don't know what that means, but she wakes me up from naps to take pictures for them, so HI!  Excuus my spelling.  I don't have thumbs.  We moved and now we live on a "bote".  (We drove a long way in a "car", which sucked, and for some reason never went to see the "VET", which is what usually happens).  We don't have grass anymore and I can't see out the window so Daddy let's me go out in the "cockpit" to lay in the sun instead.  I see birdies and sometimes Mama says, "Amelia, did you see the fish?"  That's crazy.  Fish comes in cans.  Sometimes Dad comes out and drops tools on me, says bad words and throws me back inside.  I don't know what his problem is.  If I sleep in the middle of the floor, there should be plenty of room to work around me.  Mama says "Don't let her out in the cockpit so much."  I don't know what she's worried about.  One time I went out to do "anchor watch" with Dad and got locked out in the middle of the night for 4 hours and I was fine.  Mama says, "I don't want to know what she did out there for 4 hours." so I probably shouldn't tell.  (I took a nap.)  All I know is, instead of prowling the house all night, now I stay up and do "anchor watch."  I haven't seen any anchors yet.  Somebody should probably email me a picture.  I stay up until Mama makes my breakfast, even if I'm not hungry.  Sometimes she gets busy making "espresso" and forgets, so I keep an eye on her.  I'm tired of the food Mama bought.  I told her to go get more but she said, "It's a 10 mile bike ride to the pet store.  Eat that if your hungry."  Blah, blah, blah--DIFFERENT CAT FOOD or I puke on the "settee" in the "salon".  I used to have a water dish next to my food bowl, but Mom & Dad keep their drinks on the table, so now I have my own "Tervis insulated tumbler" because apparently, Mama doesn't like to share.

Sometimes it's bumpy in our house.  My friends at the Facebook page, Gatos del Mar says this makes them "sea sick."  I don't know what that means, but I also have friends in California that have "earthquakes" so maybe that it.  I usually sleep through it.  I'm supposed to be the Navigator.  I don't really want to do that.  I'd rather take a nap. We also have a "dingee"--sometimes Mom & Dad get in it and leave.  I keep an eye on it because I think it's an ESCAPE POD and I may take it for a spin some time. Dad asks me once if I want to "drive" the "bote".  Looks hard.  I'd rather take a nap.  Now we are at a "marina".  Sometimes a dog walks by!  Where did he come from?

Daddy has food he hides on the shelf called "greenies."  I like greenies.  I beg for them constantly.  Sometimes he lays them on the floor, but I'm not a DOG.  I don't eat off the floor.  I prefer to eat them off his iPad, ie. kitty treat plate :-)

{snoring....}

"Blogging is exhausting"

Random musings from dock 6

Catching the blog up with the our Facebook page:

Another sunset from the marina (bathroom!)

Life on a boat:  "What shall we do today?"  "Let's lift up the cockpit floor and check for leaks."  "Sounds fun."  It was a cool, non-humid morning so I headed out to scrub the water line with my new scrub brush (Thanks, baby!) and clean the Brunswick scum off of the fenders.  The Captain followed me out and decided to lift up the cockpit floor to check for leaks.  We didn't even lift this up on our survey?!  He got it up to a 45 degree angle and after some examination, I helped lift it upright.  Everything was scrubbed down and sprayed with Corrosion X.

Lifting up the cockpit floor

The fuel tank under the cockpit floor

Upon returning inside to the a/c, I decided to clean out the pantry/storage.  I'd been wanting to remove the door for easier access to the shelves behind it.  In the process, I discovered an inspection hole that Captain hadn't looked in.  It was a seacock he hadn't identified.  That should keep him busy for awhile.

See the feet?!

Amelia took a nap in the cockpit.

"Is this a good place to take a nap, Dad?"

The "recanvasing" job is still ongoing.  The Captain completed the second line bag by recycling the old windshield and using the previous snaps.  However, his finale is the refashioned cabin-top winch bag.  He divided it into three sections for the reef 1, reef 2 and genoa furler lines.  After constant complaining while underway from the First Mate, he also added loops for glasses/sunglasses.  Very nice :-)

Cabin top line bag, before

Cabin-top winch bag with glasses loops, after

There also has been constant talk of adding extensions onto our dodger to keep the rain out.  (Ideally, we'd love to have the ability to full enclose the cockpit for bugs or cold weather but it's tricky) The Captain fashioned a starboard cockpit dodger extension from scraps that could be snapped on quickly and removed to allow a breeze.  The port side will have to wait for another #Sailrite order, but at least the helmsman will be dry.

All-new dodger extension.

It's hard to see in this pic, but another original design by The Captain--fender bags from left-over phifertex:

Fender bags, starboard side

Recipe:
Pickled Jalapenos (that can be canned)
½ c. vinegar
½ c. water
2 Tbsp sugar or honey, optional (adjust for desired heat)
1 Tbsp pickling salt
5 jalapenos, sliced
2 pint jars

Bring vinegar, water, sugar & salt to a boil. (Add jalapenos & simmer for 5-10 min.) OR pour brine over sliced jalapenos in the pint jars.  Let cool. Refrigerate.

Another first:  2 mile bike ride Newcastle beer run (in GLASS bottles).  No casualties.  I rode behind My Captain, Oh Captain because a failure would be EPIC!  Didn't want to miss that pic.

Newcastle in glass bottles.  No casualties.

Occasionally, we over-shop and end up looping grocery bags over the handlebars.  This isn't perfect, since it affects maneuverability, but I made a "grocery" bag out of canvas anyway.  It has come in handy on office runs to pick up packages, holding laundry detergent during laundry runs and stowing the rain jacket.

Grocery handlebar bag,  before

Canvas grocery bag, after

We see lot's of fish splashing around the boat.  We've heard rumors of manatees, dolphins and the occasional shark fin in the marina.  Then finally, while talking to a dock neighbor, we saw a huge pod of strange looking fish go by.  We speculated it could be the baby bull sharks we'd heard about.  What do you think?  Zoom in & check out the tail:

Bull shark, mexicorelax.com

Baby bull sharks?! at our dock

When we cook on the stove, we have to open a hatch for circulation.  The easiest is the hatch above the stove (although leaving the companionway door open is a possibility if the bugs aren't bad).  However, when it rains, the water off the deck eventually forms a river into the stove's hatch.  It's also not fun cooking in the heat without an exhaust fan.  SO, we finally spend the money on a port visor from Seaworthy Goods ($50).  It limits how much we can open that hatch (or I would have bought two for ventilation) but it stops the river.  Then I found a portable USB fan at West Marine.  Some people use computer exhaust fans, but I couldn't find one any cheaper than this.  For $6.99, it can be plugged into one our portable battery packs and hung outside the screen.  It actually works good and got Captain's approval.

USB fan & port visor = cooking in the rain :-)

I'm sore the day after round two of scrubbing the water line.  This time I used the dinghy (lower from davits, pump it up, readjust dock lines to get it out from behind the boat--45 min), the scrub brush and a scraper.  On top of the normal growth, we had some little mollusks(?!) up on the bow.  The Captain had just got back from a bike ride and was not happy when pressed into service to hold the dinghy painter while I worked.  The baby crabs were also not happy that I was scraping off their food.  Small shrimp also feast on the growth (which sounds like rice krispies inside the boat and it was getting LOUD!).  Even the Dock master stopped by and asked why we didn't just hire the divers like everyone else.  (Because we just can't pay someone else to do something we could do ourselves!)  However, we can't reach the inner sides of the hulls without getting in the water and that's not going to happen.  The water here is murky and dirty.  No way we're actually getting in the water.  We have snorkels but not wetsuits.  We'll probably will hire the diver before we leave, but after hearing a fellow sailor had to pay double because his bottom was so bad, I'm happy I attempted to get the worst off.  

Somewhere in here, we tried to cook pizza on the grill.  It was late.  We didn't do any "research."  I heard there was quite a fireball :-0  Crust burnt.  Cheese "smoked."  $16 wasted (actually, The Captain scooped off the cheese & pepperoni and served it on crackers.  Quite good, but makes you realize how much of your pizza is just melted cheese).  It's cheaper to go out for pizza...

Second wedge pillow for the Captain (for the record, stuffed with beach towels & his winter coat.  Gonna be looking for those later...)

I spoke to my sister the other day, and thanks to our blog, she's impressed with how much work we do to keep our lifestyle going vs sitting in a fancy yacht club drinking Rum Runner's (because it's just free cheap wine Mon/Wed/Fri & free cheap beer on Saturdays!  Nothing fancy)