Feb 21
Today's project is installing the remote control for the stereo. If you recall, the old stereo bit the dust. Budget Marine had one available with a wired remote, but it had to come from St. Maarten. I originally declined to pay the extra freight to get it here, thinking we could just get it in St. Maarten later. But, due to a little confusion, it got ordered. The radio itself came over a week ago and I installed it then. The remote was backordered, and the extension cable for the remote had been ordered incorrectly. So, eventually, I had all three pieces and I'm not sure I ever did pay any extra freight. The remote is a wired remote, which sounds old-fashioned, but it's important because from the helm I can't see the radio, so a wireless remote would still mean standing up to point it at the radio. The old remote was very thin and only required a one-inch hole in the fiberglass near the helm. The backside of that hole was behind a mirror in the aft cabin, so it was not seen. Of course the new remote is much larger, and deeper. It can't go where the old one was because it would hit the back of the mirror. So, the first order of business was figuring out where to put the new one. I thought it was going to result in an ugly hole in the aft cabin that would be visible. But, after a lot of pondering and measuring, I found a spot where it could go, and the only visible intrusion in the aft cabin would be the two bolts and nuts to secure it. The instructions for installing this device were less than stellar. They basically said "drill a hole, and connect the cable". Didn't say what size hole. I measured the back of the remote and it appeared to be three inches. I have a three-inch hole saw, so this should be easy. (Never say that when working on a boat.) I re-measured before cutting and then drilled the hole. I then tried to fit the remote in the hole and found that the remote was a little larger than three inches. So, I got some sandpaper and started sanding the plastic housing of the remote a bit. That helped, but was going slowly. Then I got my Dremel tool out and used it to run around the inside of the hole I had cut. That was quicker and soon I had the remote sliding in. The only holes through the inner liner into the aft cabin were two little holes for the studs to go through to secure it. The only remaining puzzle came back to the lack of instructions. There was a metal tab sticking out the back that looked like a wire should attach to it. But not only was it not mentioned in the instructions, but the picture of the back in the instructions didn't have this tab. So, the project stopped, and I sent an e-mail to Poly-Planer, the vendor, to ask what this connection was for.
We had dinner aboard tonight, even though it is 2-for-1 pizza night at Al Porto. Our logic is that we want to try Al Porto for something other than pizza, so we'll eat aboard tonight and try the pasta buffet Thursday. Barb made chicken enchiladas, which like most boat meals is a little different every time. It was great, as usual, along with refried beans.
GPS N 17-04.000 W 061-53.000 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10113.
Feb 22
I had not gotten a response to my e-mail to Poly-Planer, so I called them instead. When a young lady answered the phone, I said I needed to speak to somebody about an installation of the wired remote. She replied "How may I help you?". I was surprised since I hadn't called a "Tech Support" or "Customer Service" line. I called the only number listed on their website. I told her exactly what I was doing and she said that the tab wasn't mentioned in the instructions, because it didn't need to be hooked to anything. Seems to me any responsible installer, whether a professional or a do-it-yourselfer, would wonder about this. If it isn't used, then say so in the instructions. I thanked her and bent the tab over flush with the back, so now the unit slid all the way into the hole with no further cutting. Now to pull the cable.
The cable goes from the nav station towards the aft, through a bulkhead where it turns 90° upwards to an area under the edge of the cockpit coaming where it turns 90° aft again for the length of the cockpit, and then around a corner to where the remote is. Before I took a lot of stuff apart, I could not have given the previous description. I knew vaguely where it went, and I knew there was an access hole I cut in the storage compartment in the aft head when I pulled the original wires. I also saw that apparently in my infinite wisdom I had wire-tied the old remote cable, the two power wire to the old remote, and the cable for the remote VHF microphone together. That probably made good sense at the time, but now that I want to replace the stereo remote wires without disturbing the VHF remote, it wasn't such a hot idea. There are two plastic boxes on the outside of the cockpit coaming. One holds the air vent lines to the engine compartment, and the other holds the shore power connections. To remove these I had to use a razor knife to cut the sealant behind them. I have been here before, so this wasn't as hard as it could have been. Once the screws were removed and the sealant cut, the boxes were gently coaxed out, allowing full access to the area from the remote to where the wires go down into the head near the bulkhead. Since the old wires are wire-tied to the VHF cable, they will stay in place. We started at the remote and fed the wire from the new hole through the coaming, to the point where it goes down. To do the next step, Barb went below to the head, and fed a stiff wire up in the general area while I stuck my hand down as far as I could. After a minute, I caught the end and pulled it through. We then taped the new cable to this and pulled in down into the head. The last step was getting the new cable with a fat connector on the end, through a hole with about twenty other wires going through it. After much poking and prodding, we got it through. I hooked it to the back of the stereo, and we now have a remote! Now I had to put everything I took apart back together to finish the job.
During the afternoon, I started doing my taxes. I haven't gotten the mail with all the real W-2's , 1099's etc. but for mine at least I can get everything online I think. I spent a couple hours on this and finally quit around happy hour time. While I was below on the computer, Barb was working on continuing her polishing of the topsides. The neighbors must really think I'm a schmuck since they see her out there in the sun working while I must be below sipping a cold one.
Dinner was the leftovers from last night. Just as good the second time.
GPS N 17-04.000 W 061-53.000 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10113.
Feb 23
Since I started taxes yesterday, I worked on them more today. I got mine done, but can't start Barb's since her company doesn't have a way to get her W-2 online. I was pleased to see that while I have to pay a lot, since I did all that 1099 contract work with no withholding, the amount was less than what I had set aside to pay the tax.
Again, while I was inside working on the computer, Barb continued polishing. She is very close to complete, and it looks great.
The marina was very busy today. There is a large north swell coming this far south, which makes the outer anchorage fairly uncomfortable. A north swell happens down here when there is a large storm in the States that pushes off the southeast coast. We would rarely see the actual storm in terms of a north wind, but the big winds further north generate waves that do make it all the way to Grenada occasionally. A swell that is from the north or northwest, really screws with the anchorages which are always on the west sides of the islands. Sometimes they can be damaging, but usually they just mean that if you are in a monohull, you will be rolling from side to side very uncomfortably. Jolly Harbor Marina is a good half mile inside a dog-leg channel, so the swell doesn't affect the marina, or even the outer mooring field. So, the mooring field is full, and the marina is as full as we have seen it. Poor William, the dockmaster, has been busy all day.
Our cruising permit expired yesterday, so I walked over to the Customs/Immigration/Port Authority building to renew it. When I did this a month ago, the lady cut me a deal in exchange for "taking care of her". She told me the fee was $20 US a month, and instead of charging me for four months, she charged me for one, and I gave here another $20 USD for the favor. Well, I heard a few days ago that she was no longer there because she was asking everybody to "take care of her". When I got there today, there was a very pleasant young lady there, not the one I had dealt with before. I told her I wanted to renew for another month, and as she filled out the paper work she said it would be $20EC for the month! EC, not USD! That means the other lady really got me since she told me the fees were USD. I gave her $120EC, which is about $44 US. Even if I didn't "take care of her", the whole fee should have only been about $30USD. I'm glad somebody ratted her out.
Late in the afternoon, we saw a large pirate boat in the basin by the fuel dock. Black Swan is a ragged old boat that we have seen before in St. Johns taking cruise ship tourists on day sails. There was another boat at the fuel dock, so Black Swan was standing off waiting their turn. Once the other boat left, Black Swan backed up several hundred feet to make their approach to the fuel dock. They seemed to be coming in at about a 45° angle, which puzzled me. The large Texaco sign at the fuel dock is on two six-inch square steel posts. The bow sprit of Black Swan is about a four-inch diameter round pole sticking out thirty feet from the bow of the boat. Somehow, the captain managed to stab the Texaco sign post with the bow sprit perfectly. Imagine jousting. If there was a contest to do this, it wouldn't be done in a hundred tries. When the impact happened, I was on the phone making the reservation for dinner at Al Porto tonight. I was speaking to their voice mail, and the impact literally happened in the middle of my talking and I stopped abruptly. We'll see if they got the message.
We went to happy hour at WestPoint, and dinner at Al Porto. At both places we finally remembered to do something we have been meaning to do for a month. Back at Pardi Gras in New Orleans, Latitudes & Attitudes Magazine was giving away a compilation CD of Trop Rock songs. We were given about ten CD's to bring with us and spread around the Caribbean. Well, we have started the spreading. We gave a copy to both places to add to the music they play. When we got to dinner, our reservation was not there, but they aren't as busy tonight as they are on pizza night, so it wasn't a problem. Tonight is a pasta buffet. We both had that. It includes all-you-can-eat pasta, of which there are six different dishes. It also includes a side salad, bread, and self-serve appetizers. For $50EC ($19 USD) it was a good deal. The food was good and it wasn't quite as crazy as pizza night, so the service was a little better and there was no pressure to be done before a second seating.
GPS N 17-04.000 W 061-53.000 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10113.
Feb 24
The weather guy has been saying for several days that a large mass of dry air has been dominating the whole Caribbean for the past few and next several days. Well, you can't prove it by what we have been seeing. Today was the third day in a row that we have had significant rain throughout the day. We do the rain dance every hour or so as a shower comes and we rush to close all the hatches. Then after five minutes, it's done, and we open everything back up. Wait a bit and repeat. We spent the morning doing this while generally goofing off on the computers.
I sent a note to our UPS Store today to forward our mail as soon as they received medication I have coming. There are several small packages in the mail besides the meds, that I'm hoping won't interfere with getting the mail without dealing with Customs. The main thing is the replacement SPOT device. Since it is an electronic thing, I can see them detaining it. We'll see.
My project for today is to rebuild the head. "The head", as most of you probably know is the toilet. Two things can go wrong with the head. It can clog (very bad), or it can not pump correctly (not quite as bad, but still bad). Our head has two problems currently. One is the hose from the Y-valve to the holding tank is clogged. Has been since before we stored the boat in 2009. That means we are pumping directly overboard, but that's why we only use the head on the boat to pee. The other problem is that the pump has been showing signs of quitting. Sometimes it pumps fine, but sometimes it takes several pumps of the handle for it to prime and pump out. Today's project will only address the pumping part of the problem. The first thing to do was pump lots and lots of water through the system, so that when I disconnected the main hose, all that came out on the floor was salt water. In order to get the pump off, the whole head has to be removed from the floor and turned to give access to the bolts that hold the pump to the assembly. I got the pump off and took it out to the cockpit to disassemble. As I took it apart, Barb took bits to the dock to scrape and clean. I replaced o-rings and seals, greased everything and reassembled the pump, while Barb went below and did some general cleaning of the whole area around the head where you just can't get when everything is assembled. When all was clean, I remounted the pump and then remounted the whole head to the floor and the hoses. Now the whole thing works quietly, smoothly, and just like new. Sweet!
After the head rebuild good hot showers were in order.
We had dinner aboard after a nice happy hour at WestPoint.
GPS N 17-04.000 W 061-53.000 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10113.
Feb 25
This morning we tackled a project early. We use the v-berth and forward head for storage. This is the only part of the boat that has not been cleaned yet since we were back. We decided to do the forward head today. First we unloaded everything from the forward head into the main saloon. Then, Barb gave the whole room a good cleaning to remove the mildew. For whatever reason, it wasn't quite as bad as most of the rest of the boat had been. Once it was clean, we started reloading things, while updating our inventory spreadsheet. We also took this opportunity to throw out quite a few things. It took us a couple of hours to accomplish this, but it's one more piece down.
We finished the head reorg about lunchtime. This weekend is the first weekend of the NASCAR season, so our plan was to go to The Crow's Nest sports bar, have lunch and then watch the Nationwide race from Daytona. The published start time of the race was noon EST, which is 13:00 here. And of course there is an hour pre-race show before the race actually starts. When we got to the bar, there was a Six Nations Rugby game on one TV, and a soccer game in the other. Both had several people clearly watching them. So, I immediately thought my chances of watching a NASCAR race were limited. But, I saw that the soccer game was about fifteen minutes from over, so there was hope. We ordered lunch, and I kept an eye on the soccer game to see if it was to be followed by another. When the soccer was over, that channel switched to high school track from somewhere in the Caribbean. I saw that a local guy we have gotten to know, Sujaye, was at the bar, and he had the remote for the TV. When he started switching channels, I made my move. I went up and asked him if they got US ESPN. He found it and the pre-race show was on. I went back to our table, since Barb wasn't done with lunch. When the two bar stools right in front of the TV opened up, I left Barb finishing her lunch and went and grabbed the two stools. I thought we had scored big time.
I should explain Sujaye a bit. Sujaye is a thirty-year old local guy who hangs around the marina area. We first met him back on Feb 4th when we stopped for a beer aboard Chardonnay, which belongs to Festus the marina manager. At the time we didn't know his name. We saw him a couple other times since then and thought he went by CJ. It wasn't until a few days ago at WestPoint, that we learned his name was Sujaye. He seems to just hang around, doing odd jobs for the bars, the charter fisherman, and the odd cruiser who needs something. He seems like a nice guy, and he has always been very polite to us, but he is really just getting by from drinks, meals, or cash from various little sources. But, he can be the kind of go-to guy that is good to know in the islands.
Barb finished eating and joined me at the bar. We made sure the waitress knew where we were and asked if we needed to close a tab and open a new one, and she said it was fine to keep one tab. There was still a bit to go before the race actually started, and Barb was tired, so she decided to go back to the boat. Just after the race started, at about 14:30 local time, the guy who seems to be a manger came behind the bar and asked if I was watching the race. I said yes, that's the only reason I was there. He then went to the other end of the bar to ask the five guys obviously watching the soccer game that was on there now if they were watching. He then explained to us all that he was going to have to mute the TV's so he could turn up the music. WTF? Isn't this a "sports bar". I sucked it up and figured I could still follow the race without the audio. The music he put on was Bob Marley. Now, I like Bob Marley as much as the next guy, but really? You want to be like any other tourist bar, when there aren't any tourists here? A bit later, one of the waitresses spoke to the soccer people at the other end of the bar and then came to me. She asked if I was really watching the race. I told her yes, and then turned around and loudly said "I gave up the sound, I'm not giving up the picture". A bit later, the bartender asked if I wanted to hear the race. I said yes, and he un-muted the TV and turned Bob Marley down a little. I was good for a bit, until the dumb-ass manager came behind the bar and turned the music back up. At least he didn't mute the TV. Later, he came back and cranked it up even more. When the race was over, I paid my tab, and then took my $200 EC ($75USD) receipt over to where the manager, and the owner's wife were sitting. I politely held my receipt out to him and said, "I wanted to be sure you saw how much I spent here today, because I won't be back to spend this much or more tomorrow when the 500 is run". He asked why, and I said "because you bill yourself as a sports bar, but then want to blast music when you have customers here to watch sports". At this point the owner's wife stood up and said "We are not a sports bar. We are a pub and restaurant." Well, funny they have two big screen TV's with nothing but sports, had a big Super Bowl party, and have lots of local ads promoting the sports bar theme. The manager guy said he was sorry but there was nothing he could do. I told him I didn't expect him to do anything at that point. The damage was done, he had lost a customer that came there to eat two or three times a week, and that I would tell everybody I knew how we were treated. I wrote a review on Trip Advisor when I got home.
GPS N 17-04.000 W 061-53.000 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10113.
Feb 26
Since I burned my bridge at The Crow's Nest yesterday, I had to look at alternatives for watching the Daytona 500. The only other bar here that has a TV is The Dog Watch Tavern. We rarely go to the Dog Watch because it is inside and stinks from cigarette smoke. The race is scheduled to start at 14:00 local time, and on Sunday, The Dog watch doesn't open until 16:00. So, I started looking at online alternatives. There are many ways to watch TV online these days. There is Hulu, and each network streams their regular series after they have aired on TV. But, none of that is available outside the US. The wizards of internet service can tell pretty much exactly where you are from the IP address your computer gets when you log on the internet. So, if we try to watch an episode of NCIS, we get a nice screen that says "This stream isn't available in your area." There is a way around this, where there are services that for a small fee will let you VPN into their network, and then to the TV provider, your IP address looks like you are in the US. (My computers buddies will get this, the rest of you, trust me.) But, to add to the problem, there is no live stream of major sporting events like the Daytona 500, or the Super Bowl. Neither NASCAR, nor FOX, offer an option, even for a fee, to watch live online. I can't figure out why, since they could show us all the same commercials, and I would pay a fee to do it. But, fear not. There are bootleg sources for these things. Some pick up the raw satellite feeds the networks use to get the show to the local stations. I'm not sure how others do it. I ended up trying several sources, for which I paid money, and got nothing. I then finally found a free feed from Europe that got me the coverage. I'm not a fan of pirating stuff like this, but I really don't understand the issue in this case. I am seeing the same commercials as if I was watching in Buffalo, NY (that's the station we had). So why not deliver it through alternate methods? After all the pain of finding the feed, I watched SPEED Networks pre-race for three hours, then watched FOX's coverage for about four hours until they postponed the race until tomorrow due to rain. While there was no racing, I'm pretty much caught up with everything that went on during the NASCAR off-season.
We went to happy hour at WestPoint and had a few interesting things happen. I started chatting with a guy next to me who was here to crew on a boat in the Caribbean 600. Russell had crewed on High Tension, a 36' local boat. It was the smallest boat in the fleet, the last to finish, and the only Antiguan boat in the race. Upon arriving in Falmouth Harbor though, they received a hero's welcome though in the form of applause, and horns from the other competitor boats anchored in the harbor.
While I was chatting with Russell, Barb was chatting with Matt and Tracy, a couple staying here for a month in a villa. Matt got everybody's attention, when after the earlier rain showers, a sudden gust of wind flapped the sails which form awnings at the bar, and dumped a large amount of water right on top him. He was a very good sport about it and we all got a good laugh.
Sujaye, the local friend, had been sitting across the bar from us. As we were leaving for the evening, he waved me over. He said the manager at The Crow's Nest wanted me to stop by so he could apologize. I told Sujaye to tell him no thanks. I tend to take a lot to be pushed over the edge, but once you have messed up with me, you have lost your chance. Do it right the first time and you don't have to apologize.
Barb made us a nice tilapia dinner when we got home.
GPS N 17-04.000 W 061-53.000 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10113.
Feb 27
We had more rain showers this morning, pretty much the same as every day. I'm going to have to ask for a refund on my "sunny Caribbean vacation". There is still rain in central Florida too, as the Daytona 500, postponed from yesterday has now been postponed further from noon today to 19:00 EST. Dang! Once I found that out, there went my excuse to not do anything today. So, I decided to clean the dinghy bottom. The dinghy has been in the water for six weeks now, and we had noticed significant growth on the bottom. I pulled the dinghy up to the dock and took out all the stuff that normally lives in it, like the oars, anchors, seat, lock cable, etc. While doing this, I noticed there was starting to be a noticeable amount of growth on the waterline of the big boat. So, before pulling the dinghy out of the water, I got a scraper and from the dinghy worked my way around the big boat scraping the barnacles and sea grass off the bottom. It's hard to tell if this growth is just at the waterline where the sun hits it, or if it is all over the bottom. May have to consider hiring a diver before we leave, if we leave.
Once I finished scraping the waterline of the big boat, I got out of the dinghy and dragged it up on to the dock. The empty dinghy weighs over 100 pounds. I got the bow up on the dock, and then with Barb's help we both muscled it up on to the dock. Later it occurred to us that had we waited until high tide, we would have had two feet less to hoist it. Once out, we flipped it over and was amazed at the amount of growth on it. There was a combination of a small thin wire-like growth that was hard, and a fat tuberous growth that was some kind of seaweed. There are a couple of pictures in the album, but they don't do it justice, since about half the crap was scraped off as we dragged it up on the dock. Scraping the remaining stuff off the bottom was pretty easy, and we decided to leave the dinghy on the dock unless the marina complains about that.
This afternoon, our friends on coram Deo moved from the marina to the haul out slip where they will be hauled first thing in the morning to replace their dripless propeller shaft seal, which is dripping. It was quite windy, so it helped to have two people on the dock to help cast off lines.
After happy hour and dinner, we started trying to watch the Daytona 500 again. Unfortunately, the marina's Wi-Fi had gone down about 16:00. It was still not up, so I paid $10 USD for one day of access through HotHotHoSpot, the alternative. While HotHotHot has appeared to have improved the quality of their service here, their price is outrageous. I got connected and started watching the race. Barb hit the sack before mid-race. If you follow NASCAR you probably heard about the 2 hour delay late in the race when a fast car hit a safety truck causing a massive fire. So, it was after 02:00 when I finally went to bed.
While the race was in the fire delay, I got an e-mail from old cruising friends now in Phoenix. They were watching The Daily Show, on Comedy Central, and saw MoonSail flash by in the monologue. They had lifted the picture off our homepage and PhotoShopped it to make a joke. See the pictures to see the result of their work. (or you can watch the whole video clip here as long as it is available.) While they probably put a fair amount of work into the editing of the picture, it's funny they didn't take the name off the boat. I have sent them an e-mail regarding rights to the photo. Ironically, the photo they stole is one I paid a professional photographer good money for. I also have spoken to a couple folks who I think know how this stuff works, and think I have a valid claim against the show for lifting the picture without permission. We'll see.
GPS N 17-04.000 W 061-53.000 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10113.
Feb 28
We are hitting new lows as far as exciting things to report from the Islands. Weeks in a marina, with good internet connections, unlimited power, unlimited water, and stuff within walking distance aren't conducive to exciting logs are they? Our news for today is that we helped dock two new boats on D dock. One American and one French. They both appreciated the help and probably think I work here. Barb washed all of our rags that have been used for polishing and cleaning and hung them on the lifelines so we could look like the Beverly Hillbillies for a day. Our friends on coram Deo had to be hauled to replace the seal on their propeller shaft, and remarkably got it done in one day. Out of the water at 07:30 AM, worked on until about 14:00 PM, and back in the water and in a slip by 15:00 PM. Their faith in a higher power must be working for them.
We went out to lunch at Peter's BBQ. We both had the special which was a thin sliced steak sandwich on a baguette. Of course, I ate all mine, but Barb brought half of hers home. We chatted for quite a bit with Anthony the waiter about how business was and what his plans were for the off-season. He is from Guyana and plans to return there to visit family for the first time in several years.
At 17:00, we headed up to WestPoint for happy hour. During the Coconut Telegraph this morning, the net controller was Gordon from Calmos III, whom we have not met before. He had asked to speak with us after the net on the VHF (short range) radio. We had agreed to meet at happy hour to put faces with the names. After a while, Gordon came up and recognized me because I wore a MoonSail ball cap. After introductions, we enjoyed a long bit of conversation with him and his partner Tina.
While at the bar, we watched them use a crane to take down the damaged Texaco sign. The sign is a good forty feet in the air. First they hoisted a guy just hanging on to the crane hook with his foot in a loop of chain to the top of the sign, where he straddled the top of the sign and attached the chain to hooks in the top of the sign. We didn't see how he came down, but a bit later they lifted the whole sign and post off the mounts in the ground and laid it down.
Tonight is 2-for-1 pizza night at Al Porto. We pointed Gordon and Tina that way, but we went back to the boat and Barb made pizza of our own. Later, while listening to the iPod on our new stereo, the iPod's battery went dead. (I need more practice managing it's battery.) So, as a backup, with the great internet service mentioned earlier, I switched over to listen to Radio Margaritaville on the computer. I did this just in time to listen to a live Buffett concert. I listened to the whole concert, while Barb crashed mid-way. It was odd to hear the band intro for the first time in a couple years since I last listened to a concert on Radio Margaritaville, and hear a new name on percussion. Ralph MacDonald was Buffett's percussion man for many years, but lost his battle with cancer a couple months ago. He had not played with the band for most of the past year, while he fought his fight.
Another late night, as it was after 23:00 when the concert was over and I went to bed.
GPS N 17-04.000 W 061-53.000 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10113.
Feb 29
We started the day with a treat. That is, after I "slept in" and got up about 08:15. Barb made us poached eggs on toasted English muffins with cheese. We haven't been doing much breakfast at all since we've been here. It was a nice treat, and meant that for lunch, I had the left over half of Barb's sandwich from yesterday and she skipped.
We had a bit of boat traffic on the dock again today. The cat on the t-head of our dock left, giving us back our view of the boatyard. The French couple next to us left, and again, although we could only do a few words between us, they were thankful for my help getting them untied and away. Later, I heard a call on the radio for a forty-foot boat wanting to be tied alongside a dock, instead of the usual dockage where you are either stern-to or bow-to and you climb off the end. Knowing what was available, I guessed maybe William, the dockmaster, would want to put them next to us, inside the t-head. I didn't think he would want to put a forty foot boat on the eighty foot outside of the t-head. So, as they came in, I helped William undo our line across the slip, and get them in and secure. We learned that the skipper of Horizons had hurt his back and that's why they wanted to be alongside. Once they were in the slip, he went below to lay down while his mate took care of the rest. Later, a sixty-plus foot sailboat came in and needed the outside of the t-head. I helped them dock too, and when William got there he thanked me and I told him I would send him the bill. This boat is part of a contingent of Russian boats coming in soon for a regatta. I'm not sure of the dates of the regatta, but I think it is mid or late March.
My one boat project today involved the cover for the outboard. It is plastic, and most of the silver Honda paint has flaked off over the years. We peeled most of the rest of the paint off, and then I took it to the edge of the dock where nothing was downwind and sanded it with some coarse sandpaper. In the Caribbean, you don't want the best looking dinghy or outboard. We have seen people invest a lot of money in covers for both the outboard and the dinghy itself, but that just makes yours look like the best one, and thus the best one to steal. So, my plan is to make it ugly. This may discourage a thief, and if it doesn't, it may make it more identifiable. So, after sanding, I painted it bright yellow. I was disappointed with the coverage of the paint because it didn't cover the remnants of the Honda stickers on the cover. I used the whole can in several coats to cover it as best I could. There may be some future additions of bright orange and/or white making it kind of a tie-dyed thing.
The mail got here today, and it made it through Customs with no questions, so it was delivered to the marina without any agent or me having to go to St. Johns to ransom it. We got the SPOT and checked it in (see the link on our home page to see SPOT). We got all our tax documents, so I can finish that and see if we guessed right about how much money to set aside for taxes. Dinner was homemade jambalaya aboard.
GPS N 17-04.000 W 061-53.000 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10113.