Saturday December’s 9th, twenty seventeen
When you live or sleep or try to do both on a boat you develop the ability to sleep through sounds and noise. Regular noises are slept through or ignored. Add a new sound however and the spider sense tingles and the brain stays alert. We don’t immediately try to find the sound. Like a game of Jeopardy we lay there forming the question “what the hell is that”?
As this Cold Front approaches the wind is picking up some and that includes the chop. The south is the biggest fetch to where we are tied. We are bow in and stern to the chop. Our cabin is in the aft so we are getting the aft chop slap and roll. I slept like I always do an hour here and there, but the noise doesn’t bother me. The only other sounds in the mix were the courtesy flag halyard slapping on a shroud and the bow water tank’s internal slapping hitting the top of the tank. That tank only does that when the water level in it is just right… and it is just right.
So I’m sitting here waiting for the coffee to boil sifting the sounds. I’m listening to CNN on satellite radio. Dress is tropical boxers, we do have neighbors. My vision is returning… I did try the new anchor light, it is way brighter than you would expect… don’t look directly at the light. You would think at my age I would know not to look or go into the light… tabernac.
I’ve mentioned that the marina is under repair. They are adding slips and boats daily. I decided to give the cockpit gel-coat a wet sanding, buff and wax. I checked the hose and we had good water pressure… Mid-project the water pressure was gone, well not completely. The stream of water I had to work with would drive you to the urologist if it was personal. I continued, I could have spit almost that much water but I persevered. The teak needs to be touched up, some of the seams need to be replaced but it looks pretty good.
Today, we will go up to Viera Florida to pick up the Mangos. They will stay with us tonight and we will continue to the middle of nowhere tomorrow and drop them at their boat. As mentioned, tomorrow in the breeze I will make a trek up the mast to replace the wind instrument and the anchor/tri-light. All my sphincters are tightening contemplating hanging 55 feet (16.8m) above the deck. The joys of being a captain.
The cold front is nearly upon us. It is a real slow mover and the squalls will begin soon and the skies should clear again by noon. The temps however will be thirty degrees f cooler. I’m ok with the temp…. more later