Mifflin Street Party

I have just returned from a visit to Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison.  I saw my doctors and was told that I was doing well post my heart surgery.  I then went over to Madison to visit my younger son Spencer.  While there he discovered that I had unfortunately arrived on the weekend of the annual Mifflin Street Party.  How can a dad deny his 23 year old son a day of partying with 10,000 or so of his closest friends?  I left Madison early and headed to Chicago to visit my other son Trevor.  On the way I dropped Spencer off at Mifflin Street.  5,000 beautiful young women... I feel so old.

LOL

Scanmar Monitor Install

Monitor Swing Gate

Monitor ready for install on swing gate

In preparation for my planned trans-Atlantic voyage I purchased a Scanmar Monitor wind steering device.  I was told by some friends that it was a simple install.  Reading the instructions for a standard install I would agree.  On the other hand adding the swing gate has substantially increased the install time.  There are a lot more parts and brackets to be installed.

Monitor's are expensive even in the used market.  I was delighted at the quality and of Scanmar's installation support.  I am grumbling less about the price.

I will let you know how it works out once Reboot is back in the water (with the new rudder) and I have a chance to try out the Monitor.

Rudder Damage

This is a rudder after a grounding.  Unfortunately the rudder tube is bent just enough that the entire rudder will have to be replaced

Aground

Made it from Jacksonville to NAF Key West.  Spent a couple of days, then headed over to Garrison Bight to the mooring field.  When I arrived it was too windy to pick up an mooring ball (they don't have any tails on them) so I headed over to Sigsbee Island to anchor.  I have done this before successfully for over a month.  Short story, overnight thunderstorms, 40 knot winds, dragged anchor until I hit.  The rudder is trashed so the next couple of weeks will be sorting that out.

Ugh.

Belize - Glad I didn't go

As reported on Channel 5 news:

http://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/68178

The past weekend was particularly violent. Three persons were murdered from north to west but another brutal incident at high seas has the attention of the police department. A massive criminal investigation is underway over the rape of a sixty-one year old tourist and the stabbing of two others. There has been no official confirmation, but the incident apparently happened onboard a Catamaran SK Abenga that was passing near Pelican Caye. At around nine o'clock on Sunday night, four dark complexioned men who boarded the SK Abenga by skiff allegedly attacked the group. The two couples, over fifty years of age, were vacationing in the area when they were brutally attacked. From what we know, one of the women was stabbed to the abdomen and had to undergo surgery while a man was stabbed to the arm and was injured on the forehead. Following the incident, the S.K. Abenga, was steered to Yolanda's Dock Yard in Placencia. Two passengers remained in Placencia and two injured Americans were were transported to the Western Regional Hospital for medical treatment. As we said, the police are in the high seas investigating.

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Cruisers in Placencia, Belize also just found out that this is the not first boarding and theft of anchored boats this year. They don't believe that there was any injury to persons aboard. I want to believe that "the police are performing a massive criminal investigation" BUT.... There appear to be daily local crime/killings that are not being dealt with. http://ambergriscaye.com/index.php

I hope that the Moorings base in Placencia, Belize assists in forcing the government to deal with this issue ASAP and communicates to all patrons problem areas and how to be safe. Belize does depend on its tourism but this issue should not be buried!

Jacksonville Fl, Main Street Bridge repaired

According to USCG Sector Jacksonville the Main Street Bridge is fully operational again.

XO is back, American Airlines FAILS!

I am delighted that XO has finished his visit with Trevor and is back on Reboot.  He celebrated today by laying out on deck in the sun.  I am always amazed that animals with fur love the sunshine.  It was about 86 degrees today and there he was on the hot deck enjoying himself.

American Airlines has once again scored a first.
Past firsts include:
First to remove the padding from seats
First to remove the legroom between rows
First to reduce the amount of recline on seats.

And now - first to raise the price for a cabin pet from $100 per trip to $125 per trip.  Way to go (ass*&^&)

Fair winds and following seas.

Not liking the cruising lifestyle

When I was at Bock's Marina I got into a conversation with Kenny about the cruising life.  He told me that he believes that about 60% of people for whom full time cruising is a lifelong dream don't like it.  (I am reminded that when I was a teenager someone told me "sometimes wanting is better than having."  In fact he said that several people had bought boats stored at his yard and returned within the first year to put them up for sale.  Two of my friends have come to the conclusion that the single handing cruising lifestyle is just not for them.

I remember that I hit the wall in my first year cruising.  I too was ready to give it up after about 6 months but I pushed through.  I think that single hand cruising is hard - particularly because it can be very lonely.  But for me the alternative is less appealing, at least at the moment.  We will see what the future holds.

In the short term I am considering going over to the Bahamas for some swimming and diving and to check it off on my bucket list.  The in early May I am cycling up to cross the Atlantic and head for Ireland and the U.K.   We will see if I can pull it off.

Fair winds and following seas...

NewEgg Fail #3

I am pleased to announce that ASUS has, in record time, repaired my computer and returned it to me.  NewEgg, you fail big time!

Its COLD!

I woke up this morning to 27.4 degree temperatures.  I fired up my propane heater only to find that the flame was not as high as usual.  I thought that perhaps I was running out of fuel.  It took me about 5 minutes to realize that the propane was so cold that it was not vaporizing as quickly as normal.  In fact the hose bringing the propane into the heater was ice cold.

It gives you an appreciation of how difficult it must be to make mechanical things work in harsh conditions like Antarctica and the North Slope oil fields.  And no, Reboot was not in the mood to warm up.