Week 1 Floating!

SUNSHINE at her berth in Slip #4
with sea grass brought in by the
strong North wind in the foreground.

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Floating!

We finished waxing the port side this morning. At 1400 hours, we had SUNSHINE in the ramp. The anchor was about to get caught up with the winch drum but GM/Dockmaster Barry hopped aboard to lift it out of the way. Before entering the ramp, we deployed the Extend-A-Hitch. It enabled us to get the trailer deep into the steep ramp. As easy as you please, SUNSHINE simply floated off the trailer, making it our easiest launching ever!

The motor fired right up and I eased SUNSHINE into Blackfin Marina Slip 4. Anna Marie expertly tied her up and in another hour or so, we were all set up with chairs, cooler and cold beverages.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Bicycling!

Blacken Marina's
fairway to the bay

The bikes have been retrieved from the truck and, after an hour of work, they are road worthy. Our planned shake down ride was only a couple of miles. It's a good thing too, because Anna Marie's bike developed the same problem that magically disappeared since she rode it last. A quick trip to the bike shop and $26.00 fixed the problem. On the way back to Blackfin, we stopped to watch the Bocci games at the city park. They only had one set, so we offered the use of ours. Eight folks were playing truncated games (7 points). We even played a game. Our rust showed as we got skunked!

We purchased a pair of cockpit lights and successfully mounted them near the entrances to the cockpit. Nighttime activities in the cockpit will be more comfortable.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Short Walks!

We have not yet settled into a groove. Our day was consumed by short walks and boat chores. The wind continues to blow in the 18 to 20 knot range with a high in the mid to high 70s and the low in the low 70s. Mornings have been sunny, but by noon, clouds start to appear. The evenings are very cloudy, masking the glorious sunsets we are accustomed to seeing.

Friday, January 13, 2017

A Little of This and a Little of That!

Today's boat chores included cleaning out the starboard quarter berth locker, shampooing its liner, and cleaning the fiberglass. All this in an effort to clean up the slight gas odor Anna Marie detected. I checked the tank, hosed and fittings for leaks and came up empty. It appears that the smell is fresh and clean now!

While she was doing that, I cleaned the port top sides. When finished, that side of the boat looked spiffy.

Chuck from the Island Time Band
playing the Conchelele!

In the evening, we went to Havanah Jacks to have a bite while listening to the dulcet tones of Island Time. Chuck played the "conchelele" on a few of the songs. Quite an interesting instrument!