s/v YOLO Day 295 Entry 066 Washing Portholes

s/v YOLO You Only Live Once Swab’s Log Blog

Posting Date:  Monday, March 10, 2014
Day 295 Entry 066

Boot Key Harbor and Marina Mooring #W10  http://www.ci.marathon.fl.us/government/departments/marina-and-ports/

Actual Date:  January 27, 2014 Monday    
Weather:   Cold. Cold. Cold.  But no snow!   Temperature dropped to 52 degrees and the wind gusted to 30 mph.  But it is warmer here than most places in the country!

Washing portholes (windows) is just a little different and a little tricky.

Due to the salt residue left by the dried sea water spray, the portholes have to be rinsed with fresh water before wiping.  If not the salt in the residue will scratch the glass windowpane.  Also, unlike house windows that ‘tilt in’ in for easy cleaning, portholes do not.  Most of our portholes are along the side of the boat just out of reach.  Even if I lay on my belly and reach over the side I can't reach them let alone see what I am doing. 

So I wash the portholes from the rubber dinghy, which is the tricky part.  Actually, the tricky part is standing in the dinghy.  Basically standing in a dinghy can be very precarious.   OK, I promised to be honest in writing this blog so, I admit no one ever called me or will ever call me, agile!  (FYI there will never be any pictures of me washing the portholes from the dinghy!   I promised to be honest regarding my words not pictures!  So I will try to explain in detail my experience so you can picture it!]    The first time I washed the portholes I found it very difficult to stand in a moving dinghy, while trying to hold on to the boat railing with one hand and wash the portholes with the other hand.  I should mention that I have to bend down to wet and rinse the sponge in the pail that is sitting in the bottom of the dinghy, therefore I have to let go of the railing.  All the time praying to my ‘go to girl’ that a big boat that creates a big wake does not go zipping by! 

Insert But Captain Steve was a big help as he sat on the deck!  He called to me to’ hold on’ every time, well almost every time, a boat went by, so I wasn't  surprised when the dinghy started to bounce from the waves caused by the boat’s wake.  What a guy!   But even so I fell into the dinghy.  Thankfully the dinghy is an inflatable, so my landing was somewhat soft, but not in the least graceful.  My landing was also very wet, since I knocked over the pail.   I decided that there has to be a better way of washing the portholes, short of hiring some one to do it!  Subsequently, I mentioned my problem of only having 2 hands to Captain Steve.  I was flabbergasted when Captain Steve had an immediate solution!  He offered to run a line known as a ‘life line’ along the side of the boat so I could hold on to it and still be able to bend down to reach the pail.  I very calmly asked why he didn't offer to run the line before; to which he replied “Our neighbors were enjoying your antics.  You were this mornings’ entertainment for the mooring field!”  I turned towards the 2 closest boats and bowed to each as they applauded!   

So the next time you complain about washing the tilt out windows on terra firma, think me washing portholes while standing or while trying to stand in a dinghy!   

Sea u later!

   

s/v YOLO Swab's Log Blog Day 249 Entry 0053 No Man Is An Island But Our Boat Is! Part 2

s/vYOLO You Only Live Once Swab’s Log Blog

Posting Date:  Sunday, January  19, 2014   
Day 249 Entry 0053

Boot Key Harbor and Marina Mooring #W10  http://www.ci.marathon.fl.us/government/departments/marina-and-ports/

Actual Date:  January 17, 2014 Friday. 

Subject:  No Man Is An Island But Our Boat Is!  Part 2

The electronic dinghy hoist has 2 cables each with its own hand held remote control.   The boat’s electronic system can not handle both cables being operated at the same time!   Basically if both buttons are pressed simultaneously, the circuit breaker is tripped.  No big deal!  All of our guests seem to be very interested in the dinghy hoist, since I guess, not many people have them!   When some one other than Captain Steve or I is using the hoist, we always tell them – ‘Don’t press both buttons at once!’   Everyone heads these instructions and have operated the hoist successfully; with the exception of one!  How come there is always ONE!  Well he knows who he is!  I’ll leave it at that!

The other electricity exception is the thing that generates the most amount of heat when use; is the iron!   OMG!!!!  Believe me when I say; ’I am not complaining!!!!!’   I don’t enjoy ironing anyway!   Actually I don’t know anyone who does!!!   When packing for this trip, I limited the number of clothes that require ironing to 1 dress for me and 5 dress shirts and 2 pair of slacks for Captain Steve.   I can iron when only the bare minimum of systems and appliances are turned on – not a problem!  Actually I think it’s a great excuse not to iron!

Sea u later!  No Man Is An Island But Our Boat Is!  Part 3

s/vYOLO Swab's Log Blog Day 232 Entry 0041 Celebrate like a local! 2

s/vYOLO You Only Live Once Swab’s Log Blog

Posting Date:  Thursday, January 2, 2014  

Day 232 Entry 0041

Boot Key Harbor and Marina Mooring #W10 http://www.ci.marathon.fl.us/government/departments/marina-and-ports/

Marathon in the Middle of the Florida Keys

Actual Date:  December 31, 2013 New Year’s Eve, Tuesday

Subject:  Celebrate like a local!  2

It was my job to think of something to do to close out 2013, while Captain Steve cleaned the filters on the outboard motor, which is a Mercury four stroke 6.0 engine.    http://www.mercurymarine.com/engines/outboards/fourstrokes/4-6/  Boy oh boy does my Captain Steve love to clean filters!  Thankfully there was just a little gunk in this filter and no presents left on the salon table!

So what to do till midnight?  I thought of what we can’t do:  invite friends over – we don’t really know anyone here; can’t watch the ball drop in New York’s Time Square – we don’t have cable TV. http://www.timessquarenyc.org/events/new-years-eve/index.aspx

OK enough negativity – I have to look at what we can do!  Some of the local restaurants and tiki bar establishments, that are accessible by dinghy, were having parties.  The prices varied from $50 to $150 per person for dancing to live bands; none of which were familiar, unlimited food and open bar.    Paying that kind of money to be with very drunk strangers, is not my idea of the way I wanted to close out 2013, which was a very good for us!  We would have 2 drinks at the most!  You can not be drunk and get in and out of a dinghy, let alone start the outboard, navigate through unfamiliar territory, keep site of channel markers and locate your white boat amongst 200 others at night with only a hand held flash light to guide you! 

So where do people in the keys go to party?  Everyone goes to the Conch Republic - Key West!  http://www.conchrepublic.com/welcome.htm

Sea u later.  Subject Celebrating like a local. 3

s/vYOLO Swab's Log Blog Day 229 Entry 0038 Back on track! W10 (3 of 3)

s/vYOLO You Only Live Once Swab’s Log Blog

Posting Date:  Monday, December 30, 2013  Day 229 Entry 0038

Boot Key Harbor and Marina Mooring #W10 http://www.ci.marathon.fl.us/government/departments/marina-and-ports/

Marathon in the Middle of the Florida Keys

December 27, 2013 Friday

Subject:  Back on track!  W10!  (3 of 3)

OK so there is only one 60 foot mooring left!   I asked how many of the 45s were available, with that he replied - it doesn't matter since we could not use it anyway!  GREAT!  Do we want to really stay here?  YES!  When we looked at the prices, we found that the cost of staying for 2 weeks was only $10. less then the cost of a month!!!!!!!!!!!  No wonder this place was almost full.  So Captain Steve said we will take it.  He figured that better safe than sorry with only one ball left.   So we paid for the month, even though we would not be using the mooring for a few days.  The HB hesitated and said that this is really unorthodox.  He said again that people make arrangements via VHF radios from their boats.  So I said ‘No Problem’ I pulled the hand held VHF (that I always carry when using the dinghy) out of my knapsack, proceeded to turn it on,  and said 'I’ll be right back!  I’ll call you from the boat!'  Meaning the dinghy, but the HB didn't have to know that!   At that the HB laughed, shaking his head and said all right all right – it’s yours!  This is a first for me!    As though Captain Steve and I do stuff like this all the time.  Little did he know that we are new at this ‘live aboard’ stuff and are sailing by the seat of our pants, learning as we go!  But having a great time!   We completed the paperwork, got the ID tags for the dinghy, bikes and most importantly our mooring ball number W10!  

Sea u later!  Let’s go!