2008 Cruising
12/15 to 12/31/2008
This is our log for 2008; our other voyages are in Prior Voyages.
We plan to post and update at least weekly. We move the older portions of the log to history; pages accessible at the bottom of the page. Join our voyage!
Updated on 01/28/2011
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12/16/08 - Wow, another clean page! I can hardly wait to see what fills it. Going to be a busy day. Started working on our mid-aft enclosure side panels at 9am. With breaks for lunch and rain I had the pair about 80% done by 5pm. Need to order 4 short zippers to finish them... can't bring myself to cut longer ones down. A cloudy morning led to rain by noon, sun by 2 and clouds by 4 - a little of everything today. On the plus side the temperature was in the mid-seventies. E-mailing with Ruth, may not join her in WI. We've forgotten how busy real life is. Ruth's filling time by going to Oneida - doesn't work for me so I'm thinking I should stay in Boca, work and take care of Buddy. Good grazing tonight, Ruth had prepared bags of chopped vegetables for salads so I made a large one for supper - nice menu change. 12/17/08 - Today dawned sunny with with light gray clouds covering about 40% of the sky. After breakfast I installed the snaps and hung the mid side panels for the enclosure. I have complete the design for the aft side panels so they will be next. The goal is to have a total enclosure for the cockpit, in effect adding another room (what's with this human drive to expand our living space?). Bet our early ancestors spent a lot of time digging in their caves. I've been working on developing a web site for Allar Enterprises - nice challenge. Should have it launched in a week or so. Interesting mid-day. I accompanied John on a visit to an inventor who has developed a piece of equipment for energy saving motor control. Next I laid out and cut the panels for the next section of the cockpit enclosure. Finally I spent some time on the internet researching a web site-builder. A real mixed bag day. I think Ruth may be a popsicle - I haven't heard from her since Monday. I think she's still in Appleton though she may have headed to Pewaukee. She'll call when she has time and a cell connection. We heard from Bradd & Maeve this afternoon - they have turned toward Cuba and expect to arrive around 9am tomorrow. Lots of wind so they are making good time. Had another salad for dinner given a delicious Cuban luncheon of shredded beef, beans and rice. Didn't really want more meat and greens sounded great. Buddy begged, then decided I was nuts eating that stuff. 12/18/08 - Up at 5am, body said night was over. Hey body, it's dark out! Talked to Ruthie last night, she hadn't been getting many emails as my computer was downloading them before she saw them. I tried to find a way to prevent that with the final result being my suspension of Outlook Express until she returns. Now I'm using internet explorer and logging onto my account to check mail. Takes longer but it leaves her mail on the server. Brainstormed on ideas for the veranda sun screens with Neil and John. We finalized on a design we'll use to make a prototype. Then John and I went searching for materials - a 6 hour trip encompassing about a dozen stops. Along the way I picked up the aluminum tubes for our new solar panel mount and wiring supplies for installing a heavier duty circuit to support 4 solar panels and their new controller. Once installed they should negate the need for fuel to power the boat's electrical needs (refrigerator, freezer, water pumps, stereo, radio, lights and 110V for making coffee). I talked to Ruth this evening, she and grandson Lofton were trying to chase down Santa as he made his rounds on a fire truck... sounded like they were having fun! Miles & Laureen should be in the WI tundra by now, Bradd & Maeve have arrived in Havana and Buddy is wondering where the flock went. 12/19/08 - Darn body did a 5:30 wake up. On the positive side I get to see the sunrise. Today's featured a half moon chased from the sky by the rising sun behind a scattered veil of thing white clouds (sounds like a ballet). Last night I did some preassembly of solar components. No joy, several of the fittings proved not to be compatible with the #4 wire - argh! Back to the stores. Found what I needed so the projects can move ahead. A neat find was a compact line fuse that can be mounted on a battery terminal or switch lug - clever way to meet the AYBC requirement for a fuse within 7" of the power source. I brushed 2 coats of West epoxy on the swim platform teak. The surface had been sanded to raw wood and wiped with acetone to remove water and oil prior to applying the epoxy. Next step will be 3 coats of varnish. We've never been able to keep an intact finish on that surface longer than 90 days. This is the 4th combination of finishes we've tried searching for a long lasting solution. I also built two terminal junction boxes for rewiring the solar system. Lots of projects coming together. Barbequed ribs, salad and mashed potatoes for dinner, makes it hard to read afterward. I think it's going to be an early night. Another wild Friday night on the boat. Miles sent a photo of their winter wonderland... says he misses Miami already. Buck up Miles, it's only been a day. 12/20/08 - Woke up at dawn, noting that the sky looked like a gray woolen blanket - we had another cold front sneak in. A quick stop at the house confirmed that the materials ordered for Our Way had arrived. After unpacking and inventorying the the order I sanded the epoxy on the swim platform teak and applied the first coat of Captain's varnish... looking great - will it last? By noon it was a beautiful day. Spent 5 hours in the boson's chair working on John's mast while conducting a survey of the rigging. Boy was I glad to get back on the ground! Probably have another 1-1/2 hours yet to do tomorrow. 12/21/08 - Overcast this morning, just like yesterday. Again the sun way out by mid morning and it was a beautiful day. Spend a couple of hours in the rigging of Our Way, finishing the inspection and wrapping the ends of the spars. John was pleased to learn that the rig is in good shape though he now know he needs to be planning to replace the shrouds in the next couple years for insurance purposes. I sewed canvas for Our way most of the afternoon; taking time out for a neighborhood gathering at 4pm. Nice folks whom Ruth and I had met last year. Afterward I had supper with John, Neil, Rick, Marsha and the twins. Rick and John will be Buddy's primary care givers while I'm gone. 12/22/08 - Closing the log for the holidays. A little work to do this morning on Our Way before heading to the airport at 11, bound for WI - be back the 29th. Happy Holidays! 12/29/08 - Back in sunny Florida. Nasty time of the year to travel. My 5 hour trek north turned into 24 complete with a night sleeping on the floor in Detroit before arriving in Green Bay (rather than my destination city of Appleton) the following day. On the return NWA forgot to get our flight ready in Appleton - they were preoccupied with an earlier flight that was grounded with aircraft problems. Bottom line we got to Minneapolis an hour late missing my Houston to Palm Beach connections. They finally were able to route me through New York to Palm Beach creating a 22 hour same day trip from a 6 hour planned itinerary (talk about added value). Anywho, back on the boat. Buddy was glad to see me as long as I didn't displace his new friend John. I really enjoyed WI once I got past the white stuff and layers of clothing. Our 4 grandchildren are growing like weeds and learning fast - what treats to be with! Got a chance to catch up with our kids again (guess they really aren't kids anymore... still fun to catch up with). Amy, Tom and Lofton were great putting up with Ruth for a couple of weeks and I for a week, Great big Thank You!!! My sister Linda, husband Leo and college kids Rory, Mitch and Casey stopped by for a visit today. We had lunch at a Cuban restaurant before taking a short motorboat ride on AA. It was fun catching up with their family. 12/30/08 - Up and ready by 8am, had coffee with John and Nell to finalize sun screens and materials needed. Then John and I went shopping until 2pm picking up the materials to mount the first two sets of screens... we're ready to roll. On returning to the boat I worked for a couple of hours on a seat back for Our Way... should have it done tomorrow morning, then on to the solar screens. Ruth has been making mill visits in WI. It's easier to do what with fewer mills. Not a good thing for the economies of a number of towns. Oh, the weather? 30's with snow - in WI. Sunny and 80 in Boca... sorry. 12/31/08 - Another sunny 80's day. I spent most of the day on John & Nell's curtain project; cutting the 18' panels for one arch. About 4:30 we took AA and Our Way to Lake Boca to celebrate New Year's eve. The lake was filled with rafts anchoring to party and herald the New Year. I hosted a dinner of pork tenderloin and mashed potatoes to which Nell added veggies. We told of our histories and how we got where we are today... man I missed my Ruthie tonight. It's 1am, on shore a DJ is playing New Year's Eve goodies while the crowd cheers and dances. On the lake everyone is heading to bed. Buddy and I wished each other a happy gnu year before retiring. My partner is somewhere in snow land as are Miles and Laureen. Miss my mate and my buddies and wish them a happy, healthy New Year! Laureen... beat the monster back again! Talked to Ruth, she had been stranded in a motel in Oconto by black ice, heavy snow and high winds. She loves to go back to WI for an annual dose of winter. Guess we're all hooked on something. I hosted dinner on Our Way, making mashed potatoes and a lime marinated pork tenderloin. Nell contributed cauliflower and wine for a delightful meal. John provided the entertainment. |
Happy Holidays! Our schedules Ruth
Barry
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AA with fwd and mid side panels
Restored teak platform looks wet
New Year's morning, Lake Boca
Nice way to start the new year |
Visit earlier portions of our 2008 voyage...