Got lazy and stopped blogging for awhile. A long while.. but I'm back..
The spring has busy with projects. The biggest was replacing the forward cabin AC unit with a new one. Of course like all Marine equipment -- never a wow but subtle disappointment.
Oh well -- this weekend was supposed to be no work but play.
I had a nice drive down Friday afternoon. Poor Karen has to go to Washington, D.C. for a symposium on Saturday so she did not come.
The evening started with DEEP EMBARRASSMENT!! I had a hankering for a really cold beer while unloading the truck so I stopped at the Creek side Beverage store here at the marina. I looked for the interesting and tasty beer I bought there last time after the WRCC Picnic -- I called it "Hens and Chickens". They looked at me like I had 2 heads.. They said they never heard of it. I said sure you have I bought a six pack a few weeks ago -- the English ale.. Ohh they said -- you mean "Old Speckled Hen" -- damn I felt 2 inches tall... Oooops the burn of embarrassment. Oh well I recovered quickly and bought a six pack of Red Tail from the Mendocino Brewery -- bottled in Saratoga Springs, NY. Oh well it was cold -- and good.
Craig and Dovie were down though. Just visited Friday night and turned the AC off!! YAH Who-- supposed to get down to 58 degrees tonight... It got close and was nice sleeping with both hatches open.
Saturday morning dawned nice and mild. Forecast for light winds so I left the dock around 10am to just go next door to Upper Broad Creek fro the day and night. I was determined to leave the dock. My exit wasn't great but I was out of practice.
Boy was I out of practice!! As I approached the red marker to Broad Creek I thought it was going to be on my port -- no way -- soon I was in 6 feet of water and confused... A quick trip to the chart plotter and ohhhh nooo that mark is supposed to be to starboard -- what was I thinking.
After that no problems till I dropped the hook. A nice breeze and it was going to be a nice afternoon. I called Craig on the DSC and they had decided to join me and were on the way..
After a nice lunch I dumped the dinghy in the water and visited with Bubbles anchored behind me. Craig and I decided to take the dink to explore Black Beards sailing club -- Dovie wanted to stray and play with her wireless internet connection.
The trip over was exhilarating.. BUT when in Blackbeard's the motor would not idle. Then I smelled raw gas.
WE puled over and hung on the stern of Bomba Shack (which has deteriorated a bunch) -- sorry Boney -- and I pulled the dink motor cover while running. Holy crap ola!! Gas was spuming out of a small hole in the base of the carburetor. I shut it down...
An examination showed that the drain screw and vibrated out and luckily was still nearby in the base of the motor. I retrieved it and reinstalled as best I could with a knife blade. Looks like I need a Swiss army knife now.. DAmn it would not start!! What the hell. I was frantic -- couldn't believe it. Finally it fired with full choke. With a high idle speed I put it in gear and we sped back to the boat. When I approached Bubbles it behaved fine.. Nice idle and after stopping started easily. Go figure...
We chatted awhile and then it was over to Temptation to swim and check the prop. Craig offered to come and watch over me -- nice...
The water was great -- 83 degrees. First look at the prop was OH NO!! It was covered in Barnacles and streamers. No wonder my exit from the slip was not pretty. Glad I didn't go far on this prop. She cleaned up after about 6 dives. Either a lot of debris on prop or I'm getting older.
Craig left after that and I took a shower and enjoyed an afternoon of reading Hornblower and the "ATROPOS" and some cold Coronas. AFter dinner of steak and Salad I went to see Bubbles for a night of Games -- Mexican Train.
I was off to a great start -- won the first 2 games but no more after that. I think Craig won 3 and Dovie won one.
While playing the wind piped up out of the SW -- blowing 14 - 17 kts. It was supposed to be light and variable and maybe 10 after midnight. It was bouncy and a dicey ride back to Temptation in the dark -- just a tiny moon and moderate rollers on the nose.
I slept well in the cool breeze but it was bouncy -- Craig and Dovie didn't like it at all..
The forecast today was afternoon showers so should I have been surprised to see storm clouds to the NE at 7am today!??
I quickly packed the dinghy and motor away while my coffee water boiled then a quick breakfast. I was going to check in on the waterway net but they drowning on about boat watches and I lost patience just as the first rain drops hit me -- no wind fortunately.
I pulled the anchor easily and made a short trip back to the marina. It stopped raining when I got there and made a picture perfect landing into my slip -- clean prop really makes the difference. The rest of the morning was spent cleaning and t then about lunch time -- writing this blog..
Boy I'm out of practice but it is coming back -- this took 30 minutes versus my old time of 20 minutes per blog..
I will write more..
I'm back on the Trike now!!
