mvalwayshome

September 26, 2014  Hot and muggy in Burnt Store Marina.  73 – HOT and HUMID…. same thing as the day before….rain expected around 4pm.

First Month aboard

No one said it was going to be easy. We didn’t figure it would be that hard. What? Letting go of so many things. Memorabilia, junk, stuff, belongings, and whatever fills your back closet space that you only look at once every 10 years or so.   We had culled at least 95% of our possessions in AZ. Now we have to do it again with the remaining 5%. What won’t fit on the boat doesn’t go on the boat.

Joy – being able to cook a simple 1 pot dinner.
Panic – Do we have that 1 pot? Where did we pack it? In the box that is labeled pots and pans? Of course, not!! Where did we put it? Maybe over there in the “popcorn popper and coffee pot” box? Of course…we did.  Who’s we?

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Exhilaration – realizing that I really do only need one spatula, maybe 2 cooking spoons, and one can opener.
Thoughtful – Why did we have so many, anyway? Oh yea. That dishwasher machine always washed the first set of everything while I used the second set. That darned machine! Now I do dishwashing the old fashion way…by hand!!  Still love those machines (let them know in case they take over)

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Exciting – The early mornings when the Osprey are singing. Fish are jumping out of the water. An occasional manatee or porpoise breaking water for the first time. Phaarrtttt. Sorry…breathing air….
Dread – The sun comes up and stickiness rains…. I mean reigns.

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Euphoria – Getting our LaZBoys on the boat.
Dread – getting our LaZboys on the boat. As I watched the big chair bottom dangling over the mucky marina water. I mean dangling on the end of 2 straps that I wasn’t sure were held together correctly. The water being low tide which means that in less than 6 feet is the bottom…yucky mucky bottom. Wait….Wayne is over 6 ft tall. No problem?!?!

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 Success – learning how to use the Dingy Davit – lifter to move the heavy LaZBoys onto the boat.  The davit is used to move the dingy from the top of the boat to the water.  It should be easy to move a couple of clumsy chairs from the dock to the back of the boat.  Right?
Tension – realizing that we didn’t have a guide rope attached to the first chair to “reel” it onto the boat. Comments like “Honey, just pull it in”… “Honey, how do I do that?” I think of these being the G rated versions of what we actually said.

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Exhileration – Success!! Both chairs on board. Table on board. Rocking chair on board.
Angst – none. We are now masters of the Dingy Davit. We can move anything on or off the boat. Watch out Grandma!! You might be next!! Hahaha

New knowledge – Things we didn’t know before….

Barnacle buster – to kill barnacles growing where they should not be used in circulating raw water systems. Sounds like a great bar & grill. Actually, a dilute phosphoric acid that kills the critters and slowly dissolves their carcass.  Raw Water Strainers for the A/C units. We have learned how to clean them, clean them, clean them.   The marina raw water is used to keep the A/Cs working optimally via heat exchange. The raw water mixed with muck makes a strainer fill quickly of muck.   A/C pumps shut off. No A/C. Then new knowledge of bromine tablets that help keep the barnacles at bay.  Humans win!! Poor barnacles lose!

Barnacles in the plumbing!

Learning how to walk down stairs backward.  I might look a bit clumsy at the mall but on the boat, I don’t want to miss a step.  And if the boat rocks unexpectantly, I don’t fall farther than my face.  Hand rails are used … remember on the boat…one hand on the boat at all times!!

Learning how to live on more than 1 floor, again. We live on 4 floors. Master Cabin up 5 steps to the Galley… up 5 steps to the sundeck and off the boat. OR if we choose, 5 steps up to the fly bridge.   After living in a two 2-story homes vowing to NEVER do this again, how did we end up on a boat with 4 stories??!?!

Learning how to live in a closer space. There is a shower. We just take it sideways since the tub is only 1 foot wide. Maybe a large foot. Wayne has to duck because the light fixture over the tub is exactly where he wants to be. Alas, only one can have that space and it isn’t human.  Round light globe wins.

More comparisons for you land lubbers!!   Before – Now: 

Before: In our land based house (see I am already using land vs water ), when Wayne came to bed, he would put the floor fan on so that the air would caress his body during the night. If it wasn’t just right, he would get out of bed, reset the pitch or angle. Climb back into bed. This could go on for 2 – 3 times until the fan was blowing cool air across his body…just right.
Now: He rolls over, using the back scratcher, nudges the fan till the angle is just right. Perfection!

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Before: When looking for that 2^nd glass of wine, I would get out of my chair and walk all the way from the breakfast table to the box probably at most 5 steps. Sometimes, from the LaZboy in the family room to the kitchen and box location ( ok..maybe 20 wobbly steps).
Now: I reach around behind me and grab the box. Fill the glass. Reach around and place the box back on the counter. Perfection!

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The real challenge will be when we start moving. Rolling from side to side. Back and forth. As the waves rock us about. Watching for wakes from other boaters. Watching for weather storms makes waves go up and down….up and down…side to side. Got ginger ale?

September 17, 2014  75 – 87°F.  Stormy weather.  Water temp 87°F.

Just to let you know that every so often we get out and about to check out the local restaurants.  You shouldn’t be surprised to see us at :

It is always busy and we just had to stop at Bubba’s. We hear the ribs are wonderful. Maybe the next visit. I was hungry enough for their 1/2 pound burger.  One of those places where you eat peanuts and throw them on the floor.  No, it isn’t like home and you can’t do that here!!  Will need to go back when we have time to kill and sample one of their steaks and brew.

We also went to Fisherman’s Village.  A typical touristy location with lots of shops catering to the “I have never seen a seashell ever before and now I need a seashell lamp” crowd.  There are a couple of seafood eateries that looked enticing.  We ate at:

Gotta have that fried oysters basket!! yum.  Great place to view all sorts of bikes…motorocycles, that is, a regular hangout for the two wheel folks.  A bunch of boats along the Fishermen’s Village Marina.  The view of “Peace River” just inside of Charlotte Harbor while munching on my oysters was very peaceful.  The servers were constantly scaring away several birds that dared to fly into the open air restaurant and nibble at french fry leftover crumbs.  Next time, we may bring our own paper towels and eating utensils.  Just how clean are bird feet?

THEN…. when I was by myself on the way to that wall store … don’t tell Wayne…. I stopped at a “Used book store”.  I have given away over 500 books to Goodwill and really didn’t need any books.  No room on the boat.  How could I drive by this Used Book store almost daily and not stop by?!?!  It was glorious.  The site and smells of old books.  Like Leather.  <sniff…ah…books!>

The book store had a wonderful sampling of fiction and non-fiction. I was looking around when I spied an interesting arch separating two rooms.

Those are old books all the way up to the ceiling. Two finished columns with the right side unfinished.  I asked the proprietor what books made the cut to become the arch? Old weathered books. Books without their front page. Damaged books.  Books too good to throw away but not good enough to sell.  Yes, I did tug at one or two to see if they were indeed permanent.  Oh dear, can you imagine if they weren’t?  And yes, I did buy 2 paperbacks.  Don’t tell Wayne!  I figure they are small and in no way weigh down the boat too much.  If I am clever enough, I can read them and give them back to the store before he notices. ssshh don’t tell Wayne.

We have had some terrific storms lately.  The kind where the thunder makes your teeth fillings ache, hair on your arms rise, and you duck just as the thunder clap overhead rings your ears.  When there is no “one mississippi, two mississippi” as you count to see how far the lightning you just saw really is.

Afternoon Storm Clouds

Another day. Another storm

I have watched the birds around us.  I have determined that Nature Knows.  When the Osprey fly off the sailboat aluminum masts and light on a wood piling, that means the storm is going to be close and mighty.  All the seagulls hunker down and lay low on the pilings.  When the Osprey stay up on the perch and the seagulls are standing gabbing to each other, the storm is all bark and no bite.  Nature Knows!!

And more stormy afternoons give rise to a beautiful sunset. Amazing colors.

Storm passing at sunset

White clouds massing to fight off the grays. There’s a war in the skies!

Our visitors after these storms?

“Hey Wayne, what’s that floating out there?  A grey blob.  It isn’t something dead is it?”  No!  It is a manatee just hanging out near the boat.  We have counted at least 6 Sea Cows – Manatees in our little area of the Marina in just one morning.

There are signs near the Marina to remind boaters to be extra careful.  Spotters roam the Marina from time to time to ensure the safety and security of these lovely beasts.

Look!  This little fella just said “Hello”

We have actually seen a “Harbour Porpoise”.  Never knew about them.  But these are smaller porpoises that hang around marinas and harbors.  I thought I heard a Manatee breathing yesterday morning when it was a porpoise coming by the boat.  It swam under the boat before I could get a snapshot of her.  We did see one jump out of the water last week during the early morning.  Fascinating.

A flock of Ibis with it’s one anti conformist in the flock!

Why is there always one that is separated from the rest?

Looks like there is something awfully tasty in that high grass.

Whoops. Another storm is one it way. Time to end our broadcast this evening. Stay high and dry everyone!!

One of the most perplexing terms we have heard what to call the room that we sit in to eat, to read a book, or to write a blog. The area right adjacent to the galley. It has two large benches. One being a “L” shape that the quarter round table rests in front of. The other bench is along the wall.

We have heard that area a “Salon” and a “Saloon”. We were wondering…are these the same area or in different areas of the boat. Similar to aft and stern. The stern is in the most aft part of the boat. Both are in the ‘rear’ or back of the boat.

Is there something we are missing? A saloon implies drinks, a game of cards, baudy dress, and music. Yee Haw!! More drinks, here!! I call. What’s in your hand?!

I went to my favorite search engine and ‘googled’ it.   Here’s the story I found:

http://www.yacht-photography.net/2012/01/10/the-yacht-saloon-or-is-it-salon/

“During the settling of the “wild west” many people brought terms with them that had sailed to the west coast from the east. It is believed that this was where the term saloon came from for the inn’s that sold liqueur.

Nathaniel Herreshoff, the father of the modern day catamaran and yacht designer from the late 1800′s always referred to the living area as the saloon. Pick up any of his books on yacht design and you will see the references to the “saloon”. In fact pick up any book on yacht design and you will see the reference as saloon, not salon.

From McGraw-Hill Boating Encyclopidia.

Many boaters seem to find the word cabin rather lacking the elegance and significance they associate with their boats. Therefore, they refer to their cabin as a salon, a fancy French term for reception hall or a room filled with perfumed finery. Hairdressers, beauticians, and couturiers have salons; sailors have a saloon. The Encyclopedia of Nautical Knowledge defines a saloon this way: “In a cargo and smaller passenger vessels, the main cabin, or that serving as a dining-room, assembly room, etc.” The Oxford Concise Dictionary describes a saloon as a “public room for first-class or for all passengers on ship.” Nevertheless, whereas most sailors use the word saloon, most powerboaters seem to prefer salon.”

Maybe we need to change our word for the area. In the South, don’t ya’ll call it the Breakfast room? Hahaha   I can see that catching on!

September 5, 2014  Friday  73°F – 91°F      Water temp at 8:30am is 87°F in Fort Myers

I have a new app on my phone called “Buoy Data”. I was wondering about the temperature of the water around us. The nearest buoy is in Fort Myers just south of this location. 87°F seems a bit warm but it is summer time after all.

Buoy Data… Shows air and water temp

Part of our stay here is getting all of our “memorabilia” onto the boat. At least the amount of “stuff” that we can stow. All the rest will be given away or thrown away. Another purging. Seems like we did this in AZ last month. Now we are doing it again. Everyone should move every so often to get rid of all the extra stuff we fill our drawers, closets, and garages. If there is space, we fill it. Isn’t that the American Way?!?!

At this marina, they have bins or carts for the marina residents to use to take their goods from the parking lot to their boat. The few marinas we have visited all have a bin on wheels of one sort or another. Comes in handy as we lug our prized possessions from the storage locker — > to the car –> to the boat.

Marina Bins – carts used by boaters for hauling stuff.

Another view of the bin / cart.

One load at a time.

Wayne transporting “Memorabilia”… aka stuff

Very convenient.  I was thinking that to make the same transfer of goods from the car to the boat would get pretty tedious.  Can you imagine hauling arm full of stuff along that wooden path?

We have made use of the bins for laundry day, as well.

Laundry Day!!

Hauling our dirty laundry.  Then hauling our clean laundry back to the boat.  Isn’t he great at hauling?!?!

A side note…. we have noticed that some folks push the bins.  We assume so they will know when they drop something along the dock.  Wayne likes to pull the bin and have me follow along behind.  As every woman knows that is her place …  behind every man…. pushing him along… sometimes with whip in hand!!