23 more shopping days...what IS that,anyway?

Dec 2 Wed 4

Another crappy day but ...we are off the dock!  We finally left at 5 pm when we got all the stuff finished and the car parked and the damned rain stopped for a few minutes!!! We managed to get out with some help from one of the dock hands who pushed us part the big boats sticking out in the channel. I was starting to get her turned as some jerk in a fishing boat came boat came barreling in and cut me off. Everyone on the docks yelled at him but he ignored them and almost backed into me. If I hadn't backed up he would have hit us. He could see me trying to e t out,.  Anyway, after that I couldn't get her turned in the swirls he set up with the current so Rick tried. Sam cam over with their "crash boat" and pushed us around to set us up in the channel.

We got out without any problems [in that we didn't hit anyone else] and made it under the bridge to the Harbourtown Marina where we filled our diesel and water jugs.  We managed to get under the second bridge and we are anchored about 5 miles [as the pelican flies] from our take off point. It only took 2 hours!

Doesn't matter ... we are off the dock and heading down to No-Name Harbour to await a good weather window. We hope to make West Palm tomorrow and further if possible. He weather here is awful right now and we are hoping that by the weekend we can get at least 12 calm hours to cross over. Travelling in rain is not a problem... it's the thunderstorms, waterspouts and high seas that concern me!!!

Best part...the trains are far enough away that I won't hear them coming through the boat at night. Between the train and the rain I was awake at 4 this morning and ready to go for my shower by 5:30. It was very busy at that time of the morning! I won't miss the washrooms!

Homeland Security was an interesting experience. Yesterday when we tried to get our exit permit, they told us to come back when we were ready to leave the dock.  IN the next breath they gave Beguiler [Rob and Brenda ] a "Certificate to Proceed" to get to Miami.  They have a decal on their boat that they bought on line so they could get out more easily.

Today when we went to get our "Exit permit" we asked if we could go to Miami and cross there...what did we have to do to get that permission.  Two officers stood there arguing about the process and whether we should be charged $39.00 to get the certificate here and then pay another $15.00 for the exit permit in Miami; or should we pay for the decal, oh, but you need to apply online for it. And they are having a big meeting in a couple of weeks at head office about cancelling the decals so it wouldn't be a good idea to sell us one now anyway. SO we should get the 48 hour departure exit permit and, well, there's a bit of leeway there fior weather and stuff so you could probably get to Miami and cross there. So finish filling out the papers and we'll see.  SO we did, and a third officer came back to take the information and talk about it and then the first officer came back and sort of offhandedly hinted a bit that it wasn't really any big deal... they are aware of weather issues so just go and see what happens. And when you come back in the spring, just call and let us know you are here and...

So we will go to No-Name Harbour and mingle with all the other Canadian ducks and see what happens. As soon as we get a good weather crossing we are outta here!

Our internet right now consists of using up 2gb of data or being 5 miles offshore whichever comes first. 

Post Script Nov 30

.S.

Did you know that Canadians are interchangeable? I was working in the cockpit and Myrl from Kokopelli came over to ask if I would help her and Gary put up their jib. When we got back to her boat she called, 'Hey, Gary, Ed just motored away. He said to say goodbye. I figured one Canadian was as good as another so I went and got Susan!"

They are still on the hard and they are getting ready to launch on Wednesday morning but they still have to paint their keel so they will be sitting in the slings over night. They are just heading down to the City marina to put their boat up. They are selling it. They have been sailing her for 18 years, ever since they moved out of Alaska. She was an engineer; no idea what he did...nothing as important as her.

SO...car battery had one dead cell. We had to replace it, of course!!  But Tim called the battery place and made sure they had one there for us. He is great...offered to drive Rick down there to pick it up but Rick had to go to the bank anyway. [I have to say, we know a lot of 'Tim's' and they are all great people, nephew included!]

I sent a nasty message to the battery place. Rick couldn't bring himself to do it. It wasn't nasty but it was pointed...fix it or give us our money back! So we'll see what happens. It's all email and if they choose to ignore us not much we can do except replace them one at a time. These are supposed to be the ultimate in batteries. Even the guy at the car battery place can't figure out why they aren't working right.

SO we are ready to go. We just need to get to Homeland Security. Today and tomorrow are supposed to be calm but then the weather turns again...

November 30

Monday, November 30

Aaaaaaagghhhhh!   It's already the end of November!!! We are NEVER getting out of here!!!  We should just plant trees around us and move in next door to the Captain!!

The battery in the car has died twice now. Luckily, the second time it was a minor glitch and a bit of charge turned it back on. Rick will disconnect it when we leave so it will charge up when we get back.

BUT our battery issue is back to haunt us. Don't know if it's because we have been running purely on solar power and no engine, but the specific gravity is down again. Any battery acid geniuses out there???? It has been cloudy for the last week and it is RAINING AGAIN today but that should only affect the charge in the batteries, not the acid levels.  Oh, what do I know? I'm just a girl and anyway, electricity is magic, isn't it?

So we went to see the last Hunger Games, and now I can read the books one more time to "let it go". Part of me is trying to find an excuse to stay here until Dec. 18 so I can go see Star Wars...not going to happen. I need to find out if there is a theatre anywhere near Georgetown...probably not. And it's the kind of movie you need to see on a big screen. Our little 19 inch TV won't do it justice when we get it on DVD next year or the year after.  There are disadvantages to living in paradise...not that we are there yet. Sigh.

Rick sent an email about the batteries, but I don't trust those people to do anything about them. We are almost up on our one-year warranty.  I know what I'D like to do!!

I met a woman at the bathroom from Chicago. We were caught in the rain, [oh, no!] trying to go back to our boats. She told me about waking up at 5:30 am and scrambling to get the cardboard boxes off the deck and out of the rain, because the weather had forecast a 0% chance of rain overnight. Her comment was "...but a bad day in Florida is better than a good day in Chicago!"

Yeah, ok, I guess so. It's just that I realized that it's easy to live in a boatyard where you share the bathroom with hundreds of people, some of whom do not know how to flush a toilet, and cook a meal with one frying pan and two small pots every day; or boil water to do the dishes, wash your face. All it takes is lowering your expectations, and, projecting that to the greater world, I understand homelessness now.

OK Barb, before you freak out on me, I am not saying I am there. I am saying that if you actually live in certain conditions, you can understand how they can deteriorate and how you can deal with it. The trick is to keep up certain habits to a standard that you have to push for, and you can maintain a level of living conditions that sustain your needs.  Whoa ...enough philosophy!

There are fish around the boat here that are beating us up. Every morning there are fish about 10-15 inches long that bash the boat trying to catch smaller fish. They sound huge  but we have watched them and they charge into a little school of fish trapping them against the dock walls then grab what they can.  Smart eh?

Okay, gotta go... last laundry run before taking off. Ugh! And some small grocery items. They have this great snack down here; it's a squeeze tube like yogurt tubes but its chia seeds and fruit mush, gelatinized with lots of good energy. There are a dozen in a box for $3.00.  Banana & strawberry or Banana and Kale Yum!

ttyl

Black Friday and its raining again!

Black Friday, Nov 27 and getting Blacker by the day...

Glad our American friends all had a good Thanksgiving! We were fine. I guess I misconstrued the event, because it was mostly a non-event. We were hoping to meet up with all the Canadian boaters here, of which there are many! But most people didn't bother showing up. I guess they are all keeping their heads down and getting ready to leave.  It appears that the weather window will be Monday or Tuesday.   I just hope the part for the motor comes in time, and Homeland Security is not pissed off that we are still here.

So Toys R Us was a little busier at 7 am but the line-up to exit hadn't formed yet and we were able to get out easily. Quentin wanted to stop at Wal-Mart to experience a better rush. We said no, and went for breakfast instead.  We stopped at Harbour Freight for Rick to get a shopping fix in, and came back to the boat with very small tools and two new tool bags to put them in so they stop falling off the shelves and out of the stupid plastic boxes he tries to keep them in.  Oh, by the way, thanks, Mark...he really didn't need to know about that store!

Rob had Quentin go back up the mast to tape the boots on his spreaders. Later we will go and find the peacocks so we can take pictures of them. But for now here is the Christmas tree. It looks better lit up but the camera doesn't do dark pics very well.

About 3 years ago when I was still with cadets, the girls were gushing about The Hunger Games and having seen it at the movies. It was rated PG-13 and I wasn't impressed that people would let their 10-11-12 year olds see it. I know how old these kids were because we had age restrictions at cadets...

However, I read the books and was bitten. I like Donald Sutherland even as a villain and knew he was in it.  So we picked up the first 2 movies because they have been advertising the last of the series and I didn't realize it wasn't over. We liked the movies so today, at Toys R Us, the 3rd movie was there for $19.99. It was the only copy and we couldn't find it in Wally world so I picked it up. By the time I got to the check-out, it was down to $10.00!!! Bonus!!!

I think we'll watch it tonight and the go to the show tomorrow or Sunday...our last hurrah on land. There are no theatres in Georgetown that I have found.

But for now, back to work...ttyl

 

Thanksgiving dinner

this is how they hide the transformer boxes. Cool, eh?
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Christmas tree in harbour

Quentin and me at the Tree...palms optional..NOT

Taping the spreader boots. Think he likes it up there!?

Thanksgiving cont'd

Thanksgiving cont'd

So we had a big dinner with the boaters who seem to be permanent residents here. They have the boats all along the far wall of docks.  The big turkey cooker and grill were rolled in behind a pick-up and everything was ready by about 2 pm. Of course we didn't get over there until closer to 3 pm because Rick was trying to get the van started. He worked on changing the motor that rolls up the window in the passenger side door all morning.

We had purchased the replacement piece in Canada but he couldn't figure out how to get it in, and didn't want to waste time on it. Basically we pounded the spot in the door where the motor was located and it worked for awhile. Lately it has NOT worked and the window was just down far enough that it howled and whistled when we drove over 25 mph.  Is this stating to sound like slapstick theatre?

Anyway, he had the door open all morning and the lights were on [OR we didn't check t last night and the lights were on because the side sliding door won't shut tight [See?? Charlie Chaplin] and the battery died just as he finished fixing it.

Bottom line, we were a little late but everyone already there was too drunk to care.  OK, the only Canadians who showed up were us and Rob and Brenda [Beguiler] so we sat together and all the others had already taken the good seats around the food. 

When we got there , the "cook" said, Oh no ...we don't have any silverware. We have plates but no knives and forks."

We said, "Hey, you live right here. Why not bring your own??"

But apparently they were imports of one or two of the boating families...tons of little kids and dogs running around. UGH!

The owners didn't actually show up, so we were kind of on the fringe. Some woman sat down beside me with two little girls and dropped all her stuff into my cooler bag. When Rick came back to the table with his food he had to find another pace to sit. Brenda asked her where she was from and she said, "Around here" Not a boater???  

We ate: I made sweet potato casserole with oranges and pecan glazing and Brenda made eggplant parmesan. The turkey and ham were good but I couldn't eat anything else because it was all breaded, coated or sauced, and people kept switching the spoons from the dressing back to the sweet potatoes!! I went through 4 of them trying to get spoons in everything g so they would stop!  Of course, desserts were all pies...grrr...so I didn't get any, and as soon as everyone was finished they lit up cigarettes!! We didn't stay because we were down wind.  Rob and Brenda weren't too impressed either because someone sat in one of their chairs and broke it! We all left as soon as we were finished eating. Not a fun meal.

Kenny [sheriff] and Mike [handyman] came by to make sure no boats were sinking and gave Rick a big charger to charge the battery. I lent Kenny a tape measure so if he wants his charger back he will return the tape measure!

All this time Quentin was bouncing because he was afraid he was going to miss the Big Sale at Toys R Us which started at 5 pm, 18 miles away. As it was, Rick got the van started and managed to get us there by 6 pm.  We got through the crowds with minor injuries and got back here by 8:30. [Kidding, it was fine. The exit line only went around the store once.]

So tomorrow we go back for the 7 am rush because some of the things he wants, aren't on sale until tomorrow. I think he's Christmas shopping for himself, not his siblings!!! Oh well, it's his money. I can't control it. He just won't have a car next year ...just sayin'

So going to bed early so we can get up and rush out to shop!  The boat is really rocking right now with the high winds. Looks like Monday or Tuesday, but we'll be ready by then.  Ttyl

Thanksgiving Day Nov 26

Thursday Nov 26 Happy Thanksgiving

So, today we are having Thanksgiving with the rest of the boatyard. The head mechanics wife will cook the turkeys and the hams and everyone brings odds and ends of food. It will be interesting because its outside and the winds are gusting to 35 mph and the clouds are speeding over.

Fort Pierce is on a boil-water notice today because a water main broke yesterday in the storm [I guess it froze.]

We drove up to St. Augustine yesterday and went to the sailor's exchange. Rick found a few on the small things we needed and O managed to find the yellow sunbrella for the sail cover. There is a wall 12 feet high of rolls of fabric at the back of the store where it's dark and dingy. I made Quentin climb the ladder and pull out rolls so I could see the colours. Apparently blue is the most popular boat colour so there was every other colour except blue.  He managed after about 50 rolls to find me a blue one! So I got 4.75 yards of sunbrella for the cockpit cushions and the sail UV strips. I forgot to find out about the spinnaker!!!! AARRRGGGG!

Yesterday was like having a holiday. We spent the whole day driving. It took 3 hours to get up there and the traffic was insane. Everyone was heading out for Thanksgiving. Considering that it is less than a full month to Christmas, Americans make a bigger deal of Thanksgiving than they do for Christmas. The schools are closed the day before and the day after so it's a three day holiday, which is great when it attaches to a weekend!! Also makes it more fun? when Black Friday is the day after.

Quentin did some of his Christmas shopping, but he didn't get the deals he wanted so he wants to go to the Toys R Us on Black Friday to get a special gift. I guess we'll suck it up and try it.

Today and tomorrow we'll finish all the small jobs while we wait for the gasket. How many times have I said that??  I am hoping we can get out of here in time to hook up with C-Soul, Windreka, Anneteak, Modaki, and everyone else heading down to south Florida to cross over.

Still haven't taken the camera to see the peacocks and the Christmas trees here. Maybe later today, if it doesn't rain. The sky is really clear and its getting warm again, but the winds are high and the seas are rough. Fast moving showers are forecast to come through.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Have a good day! Stay warm and dry!

Sunday - Monday

Sunday- Monday Nov 23

The rain stopped in the afternoon.  Tim, the mechanic came in and Rick got the motor out of the shop. He started to take it apart and Tim got him started.  Then one of Kenny's [ the sheriff] friends stopped working on Kenny's dune buggy to give Rick some advice. Rob [Beguiler] also came over to help. We went over to "Beguiler" for coffee in the afternoon and had a good visit after we started on the dinghy motor. I managed to get the laundry done ...mostly wet clothes from being caught in the rain over the last three days!

We have been playing Mexican Train dominoes after dinner. It's fun and good practise for when we get to Georgetown... it's what everyone plays while they sit around and talk! Quentin seems to like it too. It's definitely not rocket science but it is slightly strategic so you need to pay a bit of attention.

This morning is sunny and COLD -- 58 degrees here! I almost dug out the blankets last night! Today we are going to finish all the tasks today we need to get done.

Monday...or not...

When Rick took apart the dingy motor he found that we needed new gaskets. There wasn't actually a thermostat in the motor and we need one of those obviously. We also need a head a gasket but this is not a made-in-USA or a made-in-Canada motor; it's international so we have to order the G*#$^@% parts!!!

Today is cold again. I am going to dig the long sleeved shirts out of the van. We will need them for the next few days.

So we are not leaving until the parts arrive...3 to 5 days! Aaarrrrgggg!! I think we might be sending Quentin home from Miami.!! Although it appears that once we get the parts the motor will be in good working condition again. Tim figures it will be good for another 20 years. He stops by every once in a while to make sure Rick is doing it right. That's his mantra: any motor he works on is good for 20 years. I sure hope he's right!!! Of course it takes him 10 years to get it done...

On a different note...every time we drive somewhere out to a fringe store [Home Depot, Wal-Mart etc.] There is a section of the downtown that we drive through where peacocks wander all over the streets. No-one drives over the. Of course we never have the camera with us...but I will try to remember it today when we go back up there.

So, C-Soul is being launched in the next couple of days. They are in Beaufort, NC. They will probably beat us down to Miami. Modaki is ready soon to be launched and they are hoping to catch up with us. So as long as they slow down that might happen!  Beguiler is almost ready to go too, so as usual we will be bringing up the rear! If you guys all end up in the same place, introduce yourselves! We'll catch up eventually.

I did actually break out the blankets last night. I used mine and was warm!