Sailing and Camping

The weather for the past few days has been quite rainy.  So is the forecast for the next 5 days.  I am reminded how similar full time live aboard cruising is to camping.  Although I am not getting much water inside Reboot the humidity has made everything inside damp.  Just as when it was so hot this summer there is no social life, everyone is hunkered down inside their boats rather than sitting in the cockpit.  Like camping, whatever the weather is outside it reflects itself inside (unless you are in a R/V and run the A/C full time.)

Since I am trying to get Reboot ready to leave New Bern this is a major glitch.  I have put my (new) jib up. I still have canvas to put back up, taken down for Hurricane Irene.  My new mainsail is still in the bag.  All of my tarps that shield the sun are sopping wet.  I don't want to fold them up and put them away in this state.  I have finally come to realize that I am just going to have to do a bunch of the on deck work between the daily frequent showers.  Not fun.

The other concern is that we are still seeing afternoon thundershowers, some of them severe.  Sailing in the rain, while not pleasant is very doable.  It just requires either putting on a complete set of foulies or a swim suit.  In one case you try to stay dry, in the other you accept being wet.  Since leaving New Bern includes several hours of passing down narrow channels thunderstorms are a whole different problem.  I still have a couple of weeks, we will see what develops.

Today I am off to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point to get some military paperwork done.  I am about to turn 65 so I will transition from Tricare to Tricare for Life.  Wasn't I pleased when listening to the morning news I discovered that President Obama wants to charge me for my military health care benefit.  When I enlisted we were promised full medical coverage.  They have already eliminated dental and vision coverage.  They also prevent me from getting care at military hospitals and charge co-pays for drugs.  Now President Obama wants me to pay an annual premium plus co-pays for Tricare.  Consider that only 10% of Americans ever join the military and only 10% (if I have my numbers correct) stay in long enough to retire.  I guess that makes us "millionaires and billionaires."  Great!  Thanks, President Zero.

Fair winds and following seas.