I can drive again!

My drivers license finally got renewed today! So for the first time since November 2012 I can rent cars and drive legally. I haven't been this happy since I was 16 and got my first license. LOL

Fair winds and following seas

Sunday Workday

I got up early this morning and decided it was time to get some work done before it got hot. By noon every day it is approaching 100 degrees inside Reboot. Today was sail day. I got the jib down on the deck, and removed the easy furl from the boom. Maury came over and helped me load the sails into the dinghy and run them over to his house. I also put the asymmetric sail in the dinghy. It took two trips. The first was easy as the sails were in bags. The second a bit harder as we just stuffed the jib into the dinghy. It wasn't until I was part way to Maury's that I realized that I could not see very well. So of course I met a sailboat coming down the channel. Not a big deal, I could see well enough by holding the jib into the dinghy.

I tied up the dinghy behind Gypsysails and we unloaded everything. Taking the jib out onto the lawn we were able to pack it up quite compactly as it is being shipped back to Neal Pryde Sails tomorrow for repairs. This is the first time I have been able to really look at the sail. With the exception of one rip all of the storm damage to the jib was from stitching failing. That is also why I am shipping the easy furl back for repairs, the stitching failed in two places. I am curious as to what if anything they will charge me for repairs, I notified them well inside the warranty period that the stitching had failed on the easy furl and they agreed to repair it at no cost.

After we got everything unloaded we pulled the dinghy out of the water and put its cover on. We had agreed that it would just be in my way in Sailcraft (the yard) so Maury graciously agreed to store it for the two to three months Reboot is in the yards.

To add insult to injury my Xantrex inverter decided to stop working for no apparent reason. I have bypassed the inverter so I still have 110 volt dock power inside the boat at the cost of extension cords all over in the inside of the boat. What a pain in the neck. Fortunate I purchased a "world charger" when I was in the Canaries.  It takes input power from 105 to 240 VAC. I am using it to keep the batteries charged. The solar panels would do the job but I disconnected them temporarly while trying to debug the Xantrex. I am waiting until Monday as Xantrex customer support does not work on weekends.

Fair winds and following seas.

Hot Hot Hot!

It is definitely July/August in North Carolina. Yesterday we didn't get afternoon thunderstorms, we got sun. It was 101 degrees inside Reboot in the afternoon. It did not cool down inside until about 4 AM.

Fair winds and following seas.

Fairfield Harbor

XO and I are now at a dock in Fairfield Harbor, NC (near New Bern) where we will work on the boat for the rest of the month. Then to Oriental for haul out.

Fair winds and following seas.

Departure

Leaving Morehead City for New Bern NC at 12:15pm

The jib after the storm

Sacrifice!

Hopefully the damage is to stitching and the sacrificial.

Fair winds and following seas.

A morning of sunshine!

For the first time in several days there was actually sun this morning! I was sorely tempted to cast off and head for Fairfield Harbor but I checked the weather forecast first – 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms. So I checked tomorrow and the forecast is only 20%. Since I have no pressing need to move I decided to give it another day.

 

Fair winds and following seas

Waiting for a weather window

All that weather!

This is the view of my chart plotter weather screen this morning. This is what it has looked like since I was 200 NM offshore on my way to Morehead City. They say we have at least two more days of this.

CBP came by this morning and checked me in. They were nice and it was painless.

Fair winds and following seas.

Waiting for CBP

When I arrived I called Customs and Border Protection to check in. They told me that they would contact me on Monday to arrange for my arrival clearance. I am waiting for their call.

 

I am docked at the Sanitary Fish Market (restaurant and market) dock. The upside is it is very inexpensive. The down side is that there is not electric, no water, no showers, no laundry and no Internet. The closest Internet is in the waiting lobby of the restaurant or outside the front door. Unfortunately the coverage is so limited that I can not sit at a table or the bar and use the computer. It makes using the Internet quite a pain.

 

I am feeling the effects of not having a driver’s license. Mine expired when I was out of the country and I need a vision test to renew it. The major shopping area is 5 miles from the dock.  That includes the Laundromat.  I will try and find a convenience store closer to Reboot where I can get some Gatorade and soft drinks for the trip up Adam’s Creek.

 

The weather here has been terrible since (before) my arrival. It rains about 80% of the time. The rains are heavy and the wind is strong. This weather pattern is forecast to continue until at least Wednesday. Working, or for that matter sleeping, on Reboot as it is bouncing in the wind is no treat. It also makes exploring the local area for stores difficult. I have been caught out in a torrential downpour a couple of times.  The solar panels are having difficulty keeping up as there is little sun. As a result using power tools or the vacuum cleaner is something I have to be careful about.

 

I intend to move up Adam’s Creek when the weather breaks – most likely Wednesday or Thursday. Until then I will do my best to move forward with cleaning and working on Reboot.

 

Fair winds and following seas.