Friday Oct 30...oh,no Hallowe'en is tomorrow

So, I might have been a little hasty in my assessment of our neighbour. According to his mechanic he was a high ranking officer with the military and is used to talking to people that way. I can't see it winning him friends, and maybe he wasn't paid very well [state of his boat] so that's why he's pissy, or maybe he's missing his meds. One day nice, next day not so...anyway, he did warn us that one of our other neighbours had an infestation of termites, so we should watch out for them. He actually smiled and said hello today, and joked that we shouldn't work so hard. [We were sitting under the boat having a break]. I'll stand down for a few days and see how we progress.

Yesterday was NOT a good day for problem solving. It took me 3 hours to do a month's worth of laundry and I had nothing but issues with the change machine and the washing machines that I picked to use. There must be 30 machines in the place and the 3 that I chose all gave me a hard time!  We went to Goodwill to find Quentin some shorts that he could paint in and not worry about them. We couldn't find any crappy ones, just really nice ones, so he will just have to be careful...for $1.50 do I care???

Last night we went to a Steak and Shake for dinner. We went to the beach in the afternoon. It is still hot here and by the time we got back we had to get ice and milk and bread, so we just changed and went out. We were going to go to Ihop but it was a long way away, and we decided to go to a Cracker Barrel instead...better food and more vegetables, but we saw a sign for Steak and Shake All meals under $4.00. How can you not???

It is basically a fast food place with attitude!  But the choices!!! I had a taco salad that was amazing! Rick and Quentin had burgers that were great according to them. The fries were iffy...shoe string like McD's, but the shakes were...anything you can imagine! Quentin had a Reese's peanut butter shake! Not the healthiest but mine was dark chocolate...that's good for you, right?! You can also get spaghetti, chili and chicken there. Good thing we didn't find it when Todd and Tasha were here, although it would have been cheaper than some of the places we went!!

On the way back to the boat, we passed our favourite ice-cream place and noticed that there was a carnival midway set up in the park next to it. Of course, in the dark it looked pretty spectacular, so we told Quentin we would go back there tonight and check it out.

But this afternoon we need to pick up the starboard and get the back deck repaired...I feel like I am living in the twilight zone or an alternate universe! I can see the universe I want to be in but I can't break through the barrier!!   Sigh!  OK, Sue, I know... the universe never sends you more than you can handle but, really, is there no end to the testing??   Acronym for boat ...Break Out Another Thousand

Wednesday Oct 28...getting a little crazy here

Wednesday Oct. 28

I probably shouldn't be writing this but I can't believe that it actually happened!

The boat behind us was being moved out to the water. The "boys" from Jersey came down to get it ready for "Ma" so she can spend the winter at the dock in warmth and comfort rather than the winter up north. These guys were hilarious although I'm sure they didn't mean to be! They spent the whole three days talking to "Ma" as if she were a mob mother. They were loud, and sounded almost like they were rehearing lines.  They bickered with each other and complained about doing the work. One of them offered us a grand to paint the boat. [We were painting our bottom at the time] They were pleasant enough and funny although the "F" word surfaced once in a while. [They reminded me of "The Goonies", but they reminded Rick of "Married to the Mob"

On the second day while they were resting with all their picnic stuff on the staircase of the monster boat beside them, the guy who owned the boat came roaring up in his super-truck, leapt out and said, "What the hell?  Get that shit the "F" off my stairs" [Rick helped him and the yard workers move this staircase into place a few days before.]

They all jumped up and apologized all over the place. He wandered around muttering, and one of the 'boys', Danny, tried to introduce the family and explain that they didn't mean any harm; they were just trying to stay cool.

Everybody wandered off and nothing more was said.

Yesterday, "Supertruck" came back and said to us, "Ok if I unplug you and plug into the line?"

Rick hesitated and was trying to process what he meant, and said, "Yeah, but I'm not sure my cords have enough power..."

The man said, "Well, then, how about I unplug you and take my cord since the grey one is my cord anyway, and you won't have ANY power?" 

He stomped off [as much as you can stomp through a gravel pit] and as he walked away, he said, "Are you staying on your boat?" I hollered "Yes" right away. [Rick has a hearing/speed-processing problem apparently]

He came back and said, "I'm running a low-voltage fridge - that's all."  He left.

We just looked at each other WTF?

Last night his mechanic from Massachusetts arrived and along with another person [a marina upholsterer] he met on the bus, he went onto this boat. The owner must have seen them arrive because he was right behind them, scrambled up the staircase and said, "You", to the upholsterer," get the "F" off my boat!" and to the mechanic, "You have no right bringing anyone on my boat. You're here to do job."

His truck sports a license plate that says POW - MIA ...too bad somebody found him!  Sorry, Dan, I probably shouldn't have said that but I have NEVER met anyone so arrogant, rude, and just pain ignorant...and he has kids!! Can't imagine how they'll turn out!!  

I sure hope the mechanic is making bazillion dollars 'cause I sure wouldn't work for him!  And the next time he says something to us, he's going to get an earful from me about his attitude.

SO... the dinghy motor prop is broken and not fixable. We can buy a new one but first we need to see if our 30 year old motor is worth fixing...that's Rick's job today, along with securing the bearings for the drive unit.

I painted the back deck and got the non-skid on it yesterday before it rained. Today we expect more rain so tomorrow we may go up to St. Augustine to find the rest of the parts we need so we can GET OUT OF HERE!!!

Oh yeah, and now that the boats behind and beside us are gone the trains sound like they are coming through the boat at 2 a.m.; 3 a.m.; 4 a.m.!!

OK, enough ranting ... back to work. Just spent the last 20 minutes trying to give Quentin an unbiased history of unions after WWI up to present. ;)

Tuesday Oct 27

October 27, Tuesday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNTIE EM!!

The bottom is painted and we managed to get 3 coats on before it rained!  We also got the non-skid on the back deck. Wow, is it ever white! And clean! And I won't let any one walk on it with shoes on!!  I also got the boot top strip painted white so today we can add the blue strip and be done with that.

Rick has to go find the  bearings we need to put the drive back together and he also has to finish the rudders [epoxy the little holes] so I can paint them and then we can put them back on the boat. We might actually be able to launch on the first. Then e have to go to customs to find out if they want us to leave right away or can we actually wait for a weather window. I think as long as we stay on the boat while we are waiting, we're ok.

It's still hot here [between 28-32C] so the afternoons make it hard to work much. We're always looking for something to do on the shady side of the boat. The Pacific hurricane, Patricia, is moving across Texas and is affecting the weather systems here. Although the east wind is persistent across Florida, the winds from the west are starting to hit as well, and both systems are creating a constant swirling wind...as long as it doesn't get too hot to form a tornado, I'm happy to wait until they both clear out! I just wish they were strong enough to kill the bugs! Quentin looks like he has flesh-eating disease because he won't stop scratching! All the redheads and former redheads [old people] in the boat yard are sympathetic. They all feel the effects of the mosquitoes. Of course he would rather suffer than spend the few minutes putting on bug repellent! I have given up offering it.

Oh, and Liz, making him go home at this point would almost be a blessing to him! This is NOT paradise right now. They yard is grimy, dusty, boring and there are no kids to play with. We are trying to get as much done as fast as possible so spending every afternoon at the beach is not an option. He manages to get Internet time by sitting at the office, but I can't watch him every minute or hang out with him all day. We play cards at night or the games that Barb gave us, but...

We picked Joseph up in Indiantown and drove him back to the boat so he could leave his truck there. He and Diane are heading across on Friday to Bimini, and will be there for 3 weeks before they come back, so Joseph can go back to Canada for some stuff. We expect to catch up to him in Bimini...that's our cross-over destination. 

So... time to get some other work done. Will try to post some pics when I get back here to the library... Hope you have a good birthday, Aunt Muriel!! 

P.S. Barb, I get all the comments but I might not reply because I can't do it through the blog.

Friday Oct. 23

Friday Oct 23.

Can't believe that the week has gone so fast!

We went swimming yesterday for the first time in a few days. The water was actually cold enough that Rick and Quentin only swam for about a half hour. I got wet up to my knees thanks!

We stopped into the Smithsonian Aquarium at the end of the park. Quentin didn't seem too interested at first but when he started to watch them feeding those tanks and hear about the fish in them, he started to ask lots of questions and seemed more taken by what was there. We were there for about an hour and a half, then we stopped at the market and bought some shark for dinner. I am getting sick of pork chops and ground beef. Canadian walleye [pickerel] was selling for $21.50/lb. The meat guy asked if I wanted to try a sample. I told him I used to catch my own and he laughed. Shark was only $7.99!

We are still having issues about timing and focus but hopefully we will manage to get a pattern going when we get offshore. Worst case scenario... he repeats grade 10. He knows this!

We are still trying to get the boat painted, but seriously we have not had a single day without rain!! The only thing in our favour is that even if we were ready to cross the Stream, the weather is not co-operating. The winds are out of the northeast and would be pushing us back to the continent. We can wait...the Homeland Security guy said so!  It would be nice to be ready when it's time! 

Today if it doesn't rain, when we get back from the library [where we are now] it isn’t raining, I am going to try *painting* and get the waterline painted as well. Anything else will be a bonus. I just hate the idea of putting on the primer only to have Mother Nature wash it off an hour later. We need 4 clear hours of dry to let it set up. Then we can put on top coat and be done.  There are still a few other little jobs that need to be done [now that I found the list], like checking the small sail attachments, and greasing the rudder pins.  I am still looking for a spinnaker but I think I may just have to make one.

The trains are still an issue. I tried to take a picture from the deck of the boat so you could see just how close we are, but they are travelling at about 200 miles an hour! Sigh... interrupted sleep...the night I said I didn't hear them was because there weren't any that night! OK ... on to Canadian history.

Wednesday Oct 21

Quick note... we are at the library in Ft. Pierce... free internet. It's another hot day and Q is in a pissy mood. His friends are here working too and I won't let him go find them...until he has accomplished some things on his own.

If anyone who may be a history buff is looking for an eye-opening interactive website, try the Canadian War Museum. Go onto "games and fun" ??? and "pick over the top". It's an interactive story that will really show you something! Quentin is working through the website now and it's interesting watching his facial reactions!

We have almost finished sanding the bottom and the underwater lights, so now we can re-apply the primer, wait a couple of days for it to set and THEN paint the bottom. Rick does this all the time...oh, I forgot to tell you, first we have to do this...

But today I am in the cool library and he is fussing in the heat with the boat :)

It appears that Quentin has been adopted by the family on SaltShaker. He is a ...ROLE MODEL... for their boys and they really like having him around. I have to go over and drag him home most days. I think he might have a better appreciation for Todd when he gets back.

But I have work to do, so...ttyl

October 20

Tuesday October 20

Congratulations Canada! A brave step! However, if you look at the 'map' of election results, the NDP now own almost half of the country by geographic mass. Makes you realize how unfair the division of ridings is!  I just hope that the majority government will improve the strength of the Canadian dollar.

So, we bought a kayak...at K-Mart! It was the cheapest one we could find [only $150.00] and it will give Quentin the ability to get to shore on his own when we are in the islands without taking the dinghy and stranding us on the boat! It's an 8 foot sit-on so it won't fill up with water and has a padded back rest, so it appears to be a fairly good one. Of course we couldn't try it out there...

Not a lot of work accomplished yesterday. It's taking a long time to get the paint removed from the drive. The marina owner suggested that we epoxy the drive and the prop, so it reduces the effect of salt water on the aluminium. But I have to scrape off the bottom paint first. The most effective way seems to be with just a piece of sandpaper and patience!

Today we have tore attach the transducer for the depth gauge. The compound let go so we will attach it with a stronger bonding material this time. We might have hit a log with it but...

So, it's hot and clear again although the winds are still high. That will make it unpleasant to paint but we will hopefully start on the bottom today. We are now on borrowed time and need to make the most of it. I would really like to get back into the water if only to make the freezer work so we can eat frozen vegetables. It's too hot and the fridge is too small to keep much in the way of fresh vegetables, so frozen is the next best thing.

Hiho, hiho, it's off to work ...

Monday Oct 19

Monday Oct 19

So... this is "Heave Steve" Day! Hope everyone got out to vote. We tried to when we were leaving London but couldn't find the advanced polling booth.  [Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad]

We didn't get the bottom done yet, but the lights are now in and trimmed up. We can start to prep for painting today.  We are starting to feel winter here. The last two days have been very windy and colder ...like 75-80, and the surf has been 8-10 feet...no swimming!

Saturday we spent a long time working on history and his English novel. We also made a plan as well,  and we are working on implementing it. But it takes him so long to "blog" that sometimes it's like teaching an English class at the same time!

I was sitting inside working with him and the wind blew a bee into the boat. It hit me on lip and I have had a fat lip for the last three days. It really hurt at first, but it's fine now. I had also stepped on one the other day. I hope I'm building an immunity to them!!

Quentin spent most of yesterday hanging out with Daniel and his family. We managed to get more prep on the bottom, and Rick put a floor in the hanging locker in Q's room to protect the wiring for the lights.

We went over to the beach to watch the surf for a while. Way down the beach we could see two heads swimming in the surf...crazy. A few minutes later, a guy came walking down and asked if we had seen two little boys playing in the water. We pointed out the two people barely visible down the beach and he wandered down that way.  He didn't quite make it that far, turned around and came back. I still feel sick that there might be two kids lost in the surf but he didn't seem too concerned!

On Friday we went to Round Island Park and saw dozens of manatees...sorry Todd and Tasha ...we didn't know about this place until Daniel's mom told us about it. It's breeding season so they were quite active and oblivious to all the voyeurs on the bridge watching them swimming around the lagoon. A couple of kayakers had a near miss... I guess kayaks resemble cool, coloured sea cows!  

Tunnel through the sea almonds to the Surf. Pepper Beach

In the storm surf

Manatees

Sometimes a 15 year old is still 12!

Hunting jellyfish

We lifted the tarp under the front of the boat to cover up some of the tools, expecting rain and found a red rat snake trying to hibernate under it. We couldn't convince him to go somewhere else ... he just kept crawling further under, so we will move him later today when we can find him a better home. I can't believe we never stepped on him for the number of times we've walked all over the tarp and dropped things on it.

No idea what we will accomplish today. It's still windy and cool but the sun is starting to heat things up. I'm sure we will go to the beach to check the surf again. When it's so rough that you can't actually see the horizon... those are the days I'm nervous about travelling on the water, but we won't leave until it's calm enough to make a 12-hour crossing safely.

  

I must be getting used to the trains... they don't wake me up anymore, but the ground [and boat] still shake when they go by. Work time...ttyl.

Saturday Oct 17

Saturday Oct 17
Yesterday was quite busy. We got the new vents installed over the pantry and the "den", or Q's room now. They are passive vents, just to let the heat out.  Rick cut the holes and I installed them.
 I also made the bug spray...this is bizarre but it WORKS!  I didn't let the beer go stale but I frothed it to remove the carbonation.  If you google it [I can't find the notebook where I wrote the formula] ... "mouthwash bug spray"...it will give you the complete instructions. I sprayed the boat and the ground around it and we have no mosquitoes here now. Everything smells like mouthwash or someone who's been drinking beer and chewing gum, but it 's safe and non-toxic. It doesn't kill them [I don't think] but they're gone!!!
We took the rudders off and drained them. Now we need to find out where the water was getting in. And Rick finally got the drive completely apart. I am scraping and cleaning the sealing surfaces and he is checking all the bearings.
We met Quentin's new friend Daniel's parents, Ben and Kerry. They have a 45ft. Morgan called Saltshaker, which is going in the water today. As we were passing the boat, they were trying to install the rudder so Rick stopped to help and I was talking to Kerry. She was also a teacher and worked with adults and high school kids, but they pulled their kids [Daniel 11 and Pace 8 ] out of school because she didn't like the quality or the dangerous conditions of rural schools in S. Carolina . they are also heading to the Exumas and we have been trading information about people and places. They are also friends of Adam, the sail maker in Lady's Island Marina!! Small world!
Today I will finish the screens, and cleaning the rudders. Quentin and I will start to paint the bottom, if Rick gets the lights fixed and installed and is ready for us. we went to Goodwill to find Quentin some shorts to wear for painting. I couldn't find a pair that looked bad so he has a great pair of shorts that cost $2.00. Maybe we can paint carefully so they don't get crapped up!
Rick is out there pacing, so it's time to go to work.

Moon Jellyfish

Friday Oct 16

Friday Oct 16

Wow time flies!  This morning is a bright red sky...not sure what that means but I hope it means a cooler day.

I finished sewing the screens for the rear ports. Quentin added the snaps and installed it with drill and screw driver. Now I have to finish the rest of them. We found a great garden sunshade that will protect the boat but it might also affect the solar panel output so we need to check that before we go ahead with it.

Yesterday Quentin learned to set up his own blog...painfully slow. His computer has some sort of virus that will not delete the pop up ads and will not let him hook up to internet properly. My computer recognizes my websites and thought I had forgotten that I had one so it wouldn't let me create a new website for him.  These things really are a curse! Finally we managed to get his set up and he spent the rest of the morning trying to insert pictures and post the pages individually. His new BlogSpot is;  QRSFC.blogspot.com [Quentin from Canada] He's a bit hyper right now and it comes through in his writing but hopefully we can revise that.

Of course he picks up on the oddest things...he figured out how to find out what search engines people view his blog from and where on the continent they live! I think he's more interested in how many views he's getting rather than what he's saying!

Rick got the drive apart and found our oil leak problem. The sealant we used [on the advice of Georgian Shores mechanic] had completely disappeared and there was nothing between the two sections of the drive housing, so every time we lifted the drive the oil dribbled out. |There was only a few metal filings in the bottom of the drive which we are going to assume came from the bolt when we chewed it up in the Trent last year  [see chapter on "Stuck in Trenton 2014"].

We went to Homeland Security office yesterday. We were going to drive to West Palm but decided to look up Fort Pierce since this is an inlet as well. Oh look, there's one here! We spoke to a really friendly man through a glass window [probably bullet proof] who reminded me of a character from a '70's TV show but I can't quite remember who...it'll come to me...anyway. He told us to go to the airport ?? and speak to Homeland / Customs & Border Protection there. We got the airport address and headed out...oops ...forgot to get the directions. Which way? Quentin spotted a plane that looked to be landing so we followed it. GOOD guess!

The fierce looking agent there [very large man with a very dark uniform and a very large gun] said, and I quote:

"Don't worry about it. When you are all ready to leave, come back and see me and we will give you an exit permit. Then you can get a new cruising permit when you come back."

Ok, how easy was that?!?!?

Today Quentin and I will work on the bottom while Rick fixes the lights. We should be able to be painted by next Monday or Tuesday.

I want to say thanks to all the cruisers who passed on my facebook message about helping in the Bahamas. My friend there , Cordell Thompson has arranged for trees to be imported from Jamaica to re-plant on Rum Cay and Long Island that were stripped by the hurricane, but needs help getting them over there. The people are also looking for small sundries like flashlights, razors toothbrushes etc. I linked up Cordell with the Waterway Guide so they will pass the message, and it's been great to hear the responses from everyone!

The Cruiser's Regatta organizers have also set up a facebook page Cruising for Relief.

Day 2 at the boat

October 9,  At the boat

We arrived today around 5:00 pm and went straight to the boat. It has been moved and is sitting not quite flat but seems ok. It is dry; the batteries are still up at max and the fridge was working perfectly. Tomorrow we start the clean up and organizing to get the painting done and the drive fixed.

It is very hot here and Quentin is finding it a little difficult to adjust but a few days of outside living will help. Tonight we went past the Navy Seal Museum and to the beach so he could see it. Then we went for dinner and to a hotel to sleep. I still need to do laundry and clean before we can sleep there.

Oh, and I forgot t tell you; coming into Atlanta Georgia yesterday, along the 5 lane-in-one -direction highway, a car passed us and pointed to our front tire. Mimed to us that it was low. So we worked our way across four lanes to get to an exit and find a gas station. As we rounded the exit ramp we passed a guy changing his tire on a cargo van. I said, "Wow, sucks to be him." and our tire blew! We managed to get onto a straight section of road and unload the entire back of the van to find the spare tire and the jack. Luckily it was fully inflated so we didn't have to put much air in it. However, we checked ALL the tire before moving on! Some nice young man stopped to help the old people but "we" were ok. I stood behind Rick and watched the traffic to make sure no one ran over him and Quentin helped take the old off and put the new on. Then we re-loaded the van. Beverly Hillbillies!!!

Tonight at the restaurant all the Hallowe'en decorations were put up and the owner had a special backroom put together to scare the crap out of the customers . And it did!!  a head that comes out of the toilet, a little girl whose head pops up with no face ! a couple of guys in an electric chair... it was really creepy!

SO tomorrow is the start of the next stage...

ON the road again!

October 8,2015

Well, hello. We are back on the road. We left Owen Sound on Tuesday and stopped in London overnight after I retrieved my shoes from the shoe repair shop in Oakville and we picked up "the very last" stuff we need for the boat.

We left London early the next day because we had to get moving to make sure we didn't spend any more time travelling than we needed. Good thing we left early...we were held up by US Customs. They could believe that a] the school would let Quentin go with us and b] his parents would give up custody for a whole year, so we sat and waited while they called Liz and Geoff to confirm the letter! Not sure what they asked or were told but  they let us go...convinced that Quentin had been expelled or suspended. They asked him if he had ever been suspended or expelled and if he was a trouble maker and they asked whose idea it was to take him for a year. ?!?!?

So yesterday we went through Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky; today we are don into Georgia and tomorrow we will arrive at the boat.  We left Ontario in jeans and sweaters: tonight we made an attempt at the outdoor swimming pool.  Didn't get all the way in but we tried!