The Woodlands, TX

Thursday Dec 20 - Saturday Dec 29, 2012

The drive to Houston was an easy 1,000 miles, but it takes 2 days.

Palm Coast

Monday December 17, 2012
29 35.173 N
81 12.360 W

Can you see us?

It was only 25 miles to Palm Coast and we had the tide with us so so we were here just after lunch. There was just one hitch - I lost concentration and ran Tide Hiker aground. But I am getting "better" at getting her off and all was well.

We are tied up to a dock next door to an MTOA family - there is a boat at this dock in the satellite image. The four of us went out for Mexican on Monday night.

Tuesday morning we picked up our rental and did a spot of shopping. Tuesday evening we drove back to Jacksonville (its only 60 miles) to buy a special cable for the Furono and to have dinner at Jacksonville Landing. When we arrived at the cable place we realized that Deidre;s purse was missing. This NEVER happens so we were quite spooked. So we bought the cable and drove the 60 miles straight back to the boat, and found her purse where she always keeps it. Phew!

After all that was settled I installed the new cable and got the Furuno chart plotter on the fly bridge running again. I am very happy about that as I really prefer running the boat from the fly bridge - when its warm enough.

 We leave for Houston on Thursday morning. Its a 900 mile drive so we plan to take two days. We will stay 5 or 6 days. On the way back we have been invited to stay a couple of nights with some old friends who have retired on the Alabama gulf. Have not seem them for 15 years.

St. Augustine

Sunday December 16, 2012
29 53.217 N
81 18.322 W

Sometimes there are just too many birds...

Even the chairs need repairs sometimes

Mooring field, St Augustine

Very easy day today. We were under way by 9:30 AM and secured to a ball in St Augustine by 1:45 PM.

We launched the dinghy and went ashore for dinner and to look at the Christmas lights. We found a sports bar and watched the Browns lose and the Cardinals win.

Palm Cove

Saturday December 15, 2012
30 17.421 N
81 25.919 W

Ordering parts

We enjoyed a lazy morning because we could not leave till 1PM. We left the dock spot on time and the tidal current picked us up as expected. At one point we hit 10.5 kts  - quite reckless! Half way to the coast we hit a bank of fog, but it cleared before we turned south. There were no decent anchorages in the area and so I had booked a slip about 5 miles south. We were all tucked in by 5PM. Easy day.

Jacksonville, Fl

Thursday December 13, 2012
30 16.528 N
81 42.901 W

Once again we were up at dawn to catch the tide. It was a dark and foggy morning - not stormy but breezy. The forecast was for north winds 10-15kts. This would put the wind on our stern so we would not feel much. We planned to go 20 miles south down the ICW and then 20 odd miles west up the St Johns river to Jacksonville. Over the last 30 years we must have driven thru Jacksonville a thousand times to and from Florida, but had never left the highway. This time we were planning to stop and explore the city. 

Our tide planning was very successful and we rode the tide current maybe 80% of the day, averaging 8.1 kts over the 41 NM. For the first 1/2 of the day we were virtually alone on the water. But once we hit the St Johns things changed in a hurry. It is a major shipping channel and that was evident from the moment we hit the river. We saw "many" ships including a big cruise ship.

Downtown & Railway Bridge

There was really no good spot to anchor and we wanted access to the city, so we chose a marina a little out of town. We had to go under some highway bridges and an opening railway bridge. When we got to the railway bridge it was down but as we approached, it opened. It was a massive cantilever bridge and was very impressive as it moved its mass.

To get to the marina we needed to continue a few miles past downtown and enter the Ortega River through a small lifting bridge. After the railway bridge it looked quite "cute"

Ortega River Bridge

The marina was great for only $0.95 a foot. Plus it was located near a real shopping center including a Belk and a big supermarket and  West Marine and plenty of restaurants, all in walking distance. Deidre ended up buying cushions for the pilot house and I bought myself a real foul weather coat - bright yellow. We had dinner out at a steak house.

Next day we planned a trip to downtown. But first I walked ashore and got the morning paper while Deidre cooked eggs and bacon and coffee. Then we met a few of the locals on the dock and enjoyed a good chin wag. By the time we set off it was lunch time, but before we got too far we stumbled on a big old ship chandlery and spent an hour or so in there. We had invited people over for drinks and now it was too late to leave!

Jacksonville Landing - looked fun

We thought of staying another day but the tides were really unfriendly and we decided we had to leave Saturday. So we may never see downtown Jacksonville, which is a shame as it looked fun.

Fernandina Beach

Wednesday December 12, 2012
30 40.369 N
81 28.126 W

I have skipped a page for yesterday because not much happened - and not much will happen today either as it is cool and wet outside.

We took it easy Tuesday morning, then motored the 5 miles over to Fernandina Beach by lunch. We stopped at the fuel dock for a pump out then took our ball. We towed the dinghy in the water, seems easier then recovering it and then relaunching it an hour or so later. We messed around for the rest of the afternoon then took the dinghy in for dinner. The steering seemed to work OK, just with a few teeth missing.

This morning is cold and wet. We had planned to take the bikes ashore and have an explore but not in these "wet bum conditions".

Cumberland Island (2)

Lots of fog last night. We were both woken up during the night by the sound of fog horns from ships in the channel. At breakfast it was still thick, but just about gone by 10AM.

The dinghy had not been in the water since Long Island Sound in August - 3 plus months ago. We had bought a small charger back at "The Tides" and had been giving the battery an occasional top up, and I did so again this morning. Also, we had not used the davit since it was "extended" at Bock.

Deja Vu all over again!

The extended davit worked well, and better still the engine started first try, so we loaded up and pushed off, only to discover that the steering had completely frozen up. Fortunately we did not crash into anything and we managed to get back to Tide Hiker. After 15 minutes of investigation it appeared that the steering had frozen up where the cable connected to the motor. Also, in my frantic efforts to steer the boat when we took off, I had stripped some teeth in the mechanism behind the wheel. After an hour of "undoing stuff" and fiddling about with WD 40 and grease I seemed to get the mechanism un-frozen and then re-assembled. The steering worked OK but with a few "blank spots" where I supposed teeth had been stripped off.

 So we set off for the ferry dock in not quite a straight line and made it OK. The island was heavily forested with She Oaks heavily draped with Spanish moss and some sort of bushy palm ground cover - literally just those three elements. The overall effect was quite beautiful and a bit strange. We followed a trail over to the ocean beach about 1/2 a mile away. The tide was out, the beach was enormous and we did not see a single person until we made it back to the dock where the ferry had just deposited a bunch of hikers and campers..

One of the islands "features" are the wild horses. We did not see one until we made it back to the dock, where we stumbled over few that had wandered down to meet the ferry. They did not seem very "wild" to me.

Deidre is making shrimp omelettes with french fries for dinner.

Wild horses on valium

Cumberland Island

Sunday December 9, 2012
30 95 940 N
81 28 324 W

Another beautiful still foggy morning. The fog delayed our departure till about 10 AM, but "no biggie" because we only had plans for a 35 NM trip to Cumberland Island. After a few miles we needed to cross the St Andrew Sound, at which point I had the bright idea "Let's head out to sea and re-enter at St Mary's sound about 25 miles down the coast." We had heard reports of Wright whale sightings, and it would be a nice change from the ICW. So off we went. The Atlantic in this area is quite "shoaly" and in order to minimize the time we would be "outside" we would need to navigate through and around a few shoals - but that's what a chart plotter is for - right?

"Deidre, can you see something over there?"

After a few miles we ran into a fog bank, so I cranked up the radar and put my faith in the chart plotter. We were running at least 100-200 yards just outside the shipping channel in 25'-30' water. A ship appeared out of the fog but we slipped passed OK. But all of a sudden the depth alarm went off and indicated we had only about 3' under us. I checked the chart plotter and confirmed we were we intended to be in 25'-30" and all looked OK. We slowed down and safely edged north back into the deeper water. This experience really spooked me. I had to rely on the chart plotter the rest of the way and felt I could not. So we headed back inside.

"Oops, too late"

Back on the ICW and later in the day we passed the entrance to the Trident Sub base at Kings Bay. In order to keep in decent water we needed to get pretty close - a bit too close according to the navy security boat that came roaring over, blue lights flashing! Deidre had just gone outside to take a photo of a sub - and the guy on the bow of the security boat manning the 50 cal machine gun just shook his head - and that was enough for her.

There are plenty of bridges over the ICW, though not that many in Georgia. I am impressed how rapidly the low lifting bridges are being replaced with with high clearance bridges. The old bridges are left as "fishing piers" and they seem to accumulate an audience of pelicans.

 We arrived at the Cumberland Island anchorage about 3:30PM and anchored. We plan to stay a couple of nights. It has been a while since we launched the dinghy and did some exploring. This looks like a nice place.

Fredrika River

Saturday December 8, 2012
31 11.574 N
81 25.094 W

Foggy morning

The 8 miles of the Darien River back to the ICW make me a bit nervous. The tide ranges about 8' and the current can get quite strong and there are some "awkward" spots. The tide schedule for today required us to be up at 6AM and leave at dawn, and even then it was only 1/2 tide and on the ebb which is an obvious disadvantage if you make a mistake run aground. So I did not sleep very well and was quite relieved to find us socked in with fog when we woke up.

Fog bank rolling in

Our departure was delayed till about 12:30 PM when the tide was about 35%, but flooding. This made me happier, except for the fact that we would have less than 5 hours to cruise. We made it out of the river OK and continued south. I had picked out a few potential anchorages about 30 miles south. As the day progressed we could see banks of fog rolling in, but we made it to the Fredrika River entrance before they engulfed us.

Deidre had bought 2 pounds of fresh shrimp in Darien and made a great concoction for dinner. Our friend in the sailing boat rolled in 30 minutes after we arrived and so we invited him over for dinner, so long as he provided his own local transportation.

Visitor rowing over for dinner

Darien, Ga

Thursday & Friday December 6 & 7, 2012
31 22 046 N
81 26 133 W

Another uneventful run through the Georgia swamps today, ending up at the free dock in Darien. The dock (and the town) are about 8 miles up the Darien River, but the appeal of the free dock makes it worth while. We have been here before, and we are expecting a bit of weather, so its also a good place to shelter.

The fishing lady

Over the last few days we have crossed paths many times with a young solo-sailor on a small ketch and we invited him to accompany us to Darien. He arrived a few hours after us and we helped him make a landing. The current runs fairly strong in the river and there is no staff at the free dock. When we arrived there was a couple of ladies fishing, and they took a line from Deidre.

The volunteer "Harbor Master" visited shortly after we arrived. It was his birthday - born on December 7, 1941, the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor - and so we invited him on board for a drink. He was an interesting old codger to chat with. (Although only 6 years older than me!). He explained that the city had decided to make the dock free (back in April it cost us about $25) in order to attract boaters. We were also entitled to a free glass of wind at the new antique shop and wine bar. The three of us took advantage of the offer then continued on for dinner at the local fried fish restaurant.

We decided to stay another night to duck the weather and to do some grocery shopping. I also need to make some beginning efforts on the December DeFever Newsletter, and this would be a good time to do just that. .

Foggy morning

The tide and the current is an issuer on the river, and we decided that we would have to leave a bit before dawn on Saturday. We were awake at 6AM only to find that fog had rolled in and visibility was inadequate  After a conference on the dock, we went back to bed. The next opportunity to leave will be at 1/2 tide about 1PM. That will only give us 3 or 4 hours to get to an anchorage.

Killkenny Creek, Ga

Wednesday December 5, 2012
31 46 715 N
81 10 933 W

We are being absolutely blessed with great weather - today was perfect with temps in the low 70's and little wind. . Tonight we are anchored in Killkenny Creek, about 40 miles into Georgia. We also anchored here on the way North in June.

We are well into the labyrinth of rivers and creeks and swamps of the Georgia coast line. Would be very easy to get lost without charts and GPS etc. The first few miles are interesting but this is now our second visit and we just want to get through. We saw very few boats today.

May River (Hilton Head)

December 4, 2012

32 12 321 N

80 49 530 W

What we sailors call "calm"

I was up at 7:30AM but I did not know if I was in a hurry or taking it easy. I had worked on the charts last night but had not really settled on an anchorage, and therefore a cruise plan, for the next day. Some destinations were too close (Port Royal) and some too far (Wright River) and some looked just awkward. The morning was dead calm with a bit of fog around. The anchor came up clean as a whistle, and we were on our way - not too sure where, but we were going there.

Deidre took the helm early and I continued to work on finding an anchorage. Finally I settled on a "less than an ideal" spot with the fall-back that if it was no good then we just give up and go to a marina. And that is just about what happened. We motored into Skull Creek about 3:30PM after an easy day but could not settle, so called a marina and made a reservation. Then Deidre says "let me have a look" and within a few minutes she had found a spot up the May River that would work. And that is where we are.
Our "new friends" on the sailing boat where having the same problem so we showed them our solution and they turned up an hour or so later. They came over for dinner and brought soup. Deidre had a roasted chicken and salad so we ate well. As usual.

Dolphins

One treat today was the dolphins. At one point we had 6 dolphins playing in our bow wake. Both Deidre and I were leaning over the bow rail watching them. It is just amazing how effortlessly they swim.

(This photo was taken leaning over the bow. You can see the reflection of the boat in the water.)

Monday December 3, 2012

South Edisto River

32 37.188 N

80 23.728 W

Farewell

We were up at 7 AM. It was a clear and still morning but with an enormous amount of dew on the boat. We had the engines running by 8:30 AM and after lots of goodbyes on the dock we were on our way -  at least for a few hundred yards to the fuel dock to get a pump out! The pump was a bit weak and the dock hand not very helpful, so the process took longer than usual, but we were in the ICW by 9:05 AM.

Pilot Boat

It took almost 2 hours to get to and thru Charleston Harbor, but then we quickly settled into our old routines. All the gauges were reading where they should, the engine room seemed leak and smoke free, and we were making good time. The only negative was that we were running the boat from the RPH because the chart plotter on the bridge was not operating.  

On the approach to the Ben Sawyer bridge a large trawler (58' as it turned out) came out of a creek and plonked its wide ass right in the middle of the channel and stopped. I called them on the radio to "state your intentions" and the answer was not too helpful but nevertheless the moment passed. However, since we both traveled at about the same speed we ended up spending a lot of the day in their company. The convoy "adopted" a motoring sail boat in about the same way, and it turned out we all had the same plan to anchor in the South Edisto River. Once we were settled into the anchorage the invitations went out on the radio and we all gathered on the big boat for drinks and appetizers. We just got back, and it was fun.

The anchorage

Take it Easy Sunday, December 2, 2012

I was up at 8AM, made the coffee then walked over to the marina store to purchased 3 Sunday papers, one for each boat. By the time I was back Deidre was cooking up the eggs and bacon and we spent the next couple of hours blissfully eating and reading. By the time we were done we were due at Bon Voyage for a farewell lunch, and to hear a detailed rundown of Bill & Laura's summer trip to Canada - one that we hope to attempt in 2013.

Mimosa, Bill, Laura and Deidre on Bon Voyage

We were not off Bon Voyage till about 3PM. I still had a few jobs on the boat (such as filling the water tanks), Deidre went shopping for a few last items with Kylie.

Ryan and Kylie picked us up at 6PM and we went to Mt Pleasant for a farewell dinner with them. We are now back and its time for bed. The forecast for tomorrow looks excellent. I assume we are ready.

Get it Done Day, Saturday December 1, 2012

Saturday has been declared "Get it Done Day" and Sunday "Family day" so it was all asses and elbows today. We need to be ready to leave the marina on Monday morning and there is plenty to do.

Port side

The steps got their last coat of varnish yesterday and so this morning they were screwed back in place. They look good, definitely worth the trouble, but probably need a few more coats. Maybe they can get them "in situ" over the next few weeks.

Next was to re-install the chart plotter display on the Bridge. It had failed just as we were arriving at the IOP and I had removed it to get it out of the weather while we were away. I was hoping that checking and cleaning all the connections would resolve the issue. The screen is "saying" that it is not getting a signal. The instalation went well but the end result was no different. I will call Furuno on Monday and see if they can help.

Next into the engine room. Nothing has operated for a month and all the fluid levels needed to be checked and the engines started. It seems the starboard engine has a coolant leak and so I needed it to be cleanup up so I could look for the origin of the leak when we are uinderway on Monday. All went well.

Bridge Steps

Bill, Laura, Jon and Bonnie came over for drinks at 4PM. Deidre had cooked up some tasty hors d'oeuves, our visitors could smell them as they walked up the dock. At 5PM we all headed off to Patriots Point for the annual "Lighted Boats" parade, followed by pizza and beer at a local spot. After we got back to Tide Hiker, Allison and Chris Parvin popped in for a night cap. They had just returned from Korea where their daughter had "christened" a 140,000 ton container ship.

Decorated boat

Back on board - Friday 11/30

Pilot House Seating

Jet lag kept us in bed till the upholstery guy arrived with our new cushions and canvas. An hour later the boat was all decked out and looking pretty flash. Deidre and I are both happy with our choices and the workmanship.

The neighbors then turned up for a tour and stayed till about 3PM. Good fun, but put us a little behind in our schedule for the day. I headed off to Kylie's to resume varnish work, Deidre unpacked and headed off to do "a big shop". Its now after 7PM and she has not returned. I have filled a page with my "to do" list.

Bridge Seating

We plan to depart Wild Dunes on Monday. I need to find a marina in Florida where we can leave the boat when we drive to Houston for Christmas with David and family.

Back to the boat - Thursday November 29, 2012

Our flight was at 11AM and we were out of the house by 8AM. We do not expect to be back for another 6 months so we had to be very sure not to "leave the gas on".The biggest issue re long term storage in Arizona is lack of humidity, so we left with half a dozen 5 gallon buckets filled with water strategically spread around the house, plus the bath and all the basins filled. We even went to the trouble of "sealing" the toilets with cling wrap so that they did not dry up while we are away. (We did this when we left in March 2012 and all the buckets had dried up, and one toilet that had been unsealed.)

Oliver and Lucy - Grandpets

When we dropped of the rental car we noted that we had driven 1,300 miles in 9 days, just to and from Anthem and running around Phoenix. No wonder we felt a bit road weary.

Our flights were all on time and Kylie, Ryan and Oliver met us in Charleston Airport. They discovered today that their baby is a boy. We were back on the boat by about 8:30PM and in bed shortly thereafter.

Anthem - Wednesday November 28, 2012

Once again we were "up and at it" early, picking up the o-ring at the Scottsdale pool store when it opened at 9AM. The pump went together OK and the leak was reduced to a dribble - but this time from another place. (I decided to fix that "next visit" as we were out of time). Now that the water was circulating we were able to do the first water test and start getting the pool chemistry going in the right direction.

We took the broken pump to a "pump guy" in Phoenix and headed home. We needed to pack and start closing down the house..

Anthem - Tuesday, November 27, 2012

The day did not start well - one of my many crowns fell off in the shower. But first I had a 9AM doctor's appointment for a physical, followed by a quick visit to Dr Dick (our dentist friend) at 11AM to get the crown glued back on,  after which I raced back to Anthem to get Deidre. She had follow up appointments at Mayo and I was scheduled for lunch with Danielle at AmazingMail.  We were back together again by about 2:30PM and headed for the house.

It took an hour or so to swap the waterfall pump to replace the bad pump that serviced the filter. But when I fired it up it leaked like a sieve. It needed a new "o ring" which I did not have, and once again we were running out of time. We were meeting Bill and Tonni at 5PM for dinner and a movie. So we resolved to solve the problem in the morning and changed cloths in the car. The movie "Lincoln" was pretty good.

That day we drove about 200 miles.

Anthem - Monday November 26th, 2012

Unhappy Pump

Deidre needed to be at the Mayo Hospital for her annual check-up at 8AM so we were on the road fairly early - its about 40 miles from Anthem. I picked her up at 10:30AM and dropped her off at a friends "for coffee" while I visited Bill and Ben at GlobeNet. Then we were both back at the house to check the pool and start working on the water chemistry. Lo and behold, the pool circulating pump then chose to freeze up. Nothing I could do, I had no tools. So we tossed a couple of gallons of chlorine in the pool and headed out. Deidre was meeting friends from school at 4PM and I was meeting friends from AmazingMail at 5PM. The pump would have to wait.

Anthem - Sunday November 25th, 2012

Washing the pool walls

We were up early (for us) and picked up the rental pump at Lowes at 8:00 AM. We had the pump in the pool and running by 8:30 AM and headed out to breakfast. It would take about 4 or 5 hours to pump out the pool. Back by 11:00 AM and the water level was well down. I had purchased a "pressure wash" head for the hose (I will use it on the boat to clean the anchor chain when we return) and I washed the algae off the pool walls as they were exposed. By 2.00 PM the pool was empty and scrubbed clean and we started the refill. The refill will take 24 hours or more, so we will return tomorrow to test the water, add the chemicals and get the filter running.

Anthem - Saturday November 24, 2012

The pool leak guy called today and advised that the pool has to be clean before they can test it for leaks. So we decided that we had to pump out the pool and refill it to eliminate the current algae problem. Will do that Sunday.

Dinner in Prescott, AZ

Bill and Tonni picked us up at about 3:30 PM and we drove about 75 miles to Prescott for their Christmas Light Parade. We had an early dinner on "Whiskey Row" before the parade. The parade was OK, but a bit wimpy  We stopped in Black Canyon for coffee and pie on the way home.

Anthem - Friday November 23, 2012

Very quiet day. Today is the infamous "Black Friday" for shopping. We went to the local "Outlet Mall" just to see the crowds, but it was not too bad. I bought 4 new tee shirts.

Anthem - Thursday November 22, 2012

I have omitted comments on our Wednesday activities because it was just a bunch of running around. Also, no need to make comments on the weather - you can assume it continues to be perfect. And the gas was turned on so now we can have hot showers at home.

Today is Thanksgiving. We started the day with early breakfast with Australian friends who live in Scottsdale - Kerry and Julian. Good fun. Kerry wants to come boating with us. Then back home for a couple of hours and then over to Bill and Tonni's for the big dinner. It was a giant feast, as is the tradition, and we ate too much, which is also the tradition. We are now back home feeling guilty.

Deidre just completed a load of washing. She is impressed that she achieved this:
1. without bumping her head
2. without needing to walk backwards down steps
3. without tripping a breaker.

I wonder what she is trying to tell me.

Anthem - Tuesday November 20, 2012

I was up early and drove over to the Community Recreation Center for a shower. Then met Bill for breakfast in his neighborhood - was good to see him. We had a good chin wag for a couple of hours. Continued on to AmazingMail and enjoyed a good chin wag with Danielle and various staff. Then off to 5451 to look at the pool problem. The tenant thinks there is a leak and she might be right. Then back home to pick up Deidre for our double date with Dr. Dick our dentist. I have a molar that is bothering me - I was expecting a root canal but I think Dick will decide to pull it Monday.

Stucco damage

Back in Anthem I arrived just as the water man was turning on the water. The toilets now flush themselves! Then visited the Community Association office and got a recommendation for a handyman to fix the damaged stucco. The handyman arrived not 30 minutes later and quoted $200. Great deal!

That evening we had dinner with Dick at the Macaroni Grill - Deidre's favorite.

Anthem is about 25 miles north of Scottsdale and today the rental did 3 complete round trips - about a 150 mile day.

South West to Phoenix - Monday November 19, 2012

We drove in convoy with Ryan to drop off the rental then he took us to the airport. The flight was on time, a good thing because the connection was very tight in Houston. No time for lunch.

The flight arrived Phoenix on time about 2:30 PM local time and we picked up the rental. It was a typical perfect Arizona day. We drove straight to the Arizona Pizza Kitchen at Desert Ridge Mall for lunch. I have been pining for one of their salads ever since we left. Just cannot get a decent salad on the East Coast. We stopped at Safeway for some basics and then opened up the house.

It was a bit weird - nothing had moved for 9 months. Like a time capsule. The only item of note was some damage to the garage wall where some motorist had crashed into it. We had been previously advised by our bug man.

We had electricity but the water and gas were off, so I loaded some 5 gallon buckets with water and flushed the toilets and filled the tanks while Deidre got the refrigerator running, opened windows and  ran around with the vacuum. We were in bed by 8 PM.

Wild Dunes - Sunday November 18, 2012

Another miserable cold, wet and windy day.

Breakfast out with Mark and Donna at the Sea Biscuit - good fun. Rest of the day cleaning up the boat and preparing for our trip west. Bill and Laura called in and we gave them a key to the boat. They will keep an eye on Tide Hiker while we are away.

Kylie and Ryan came for a farewell dinner - jambalaya, yum.

Wild Dunes - Saturday November 17, 2012

Kylie called just as Deidre was making pancakes - so Kylie and grand-dog visited for breakfast. Its another cold and windy day - upper level winds from the NW bringing all that Canadian cold down south.

The clock is ticking down so now its tidy-up and clean-up time. Deidre gave the steps another coat, I repaired the attic access moulding  for maybe the 20th time. Spent most of the day on the FB working on attaching the canvas and adding to the varnish - aesthetics are out the window, its just weather proofing now. Now that the new WiFi aerial is working, I can move the MiFi to the salon for the laptop, just need to figure out how to re install the MiFi aerial.

Deidre and Kylie went baby shopping this afternoon. Out for dinner with Bill and Laura from "Kindred Spirit" tonight.

Wild Dunes - Friday November 16, 2012

Today was designated "rest day" so we started by going out to breakfast at the "Sea Biscuit" and then driving  to North Charleston to check out progress on our upholstery job. To our dismay nothing had been done and the fabric had not even arrived. But they are still promising November 30 delivery.

Since we were up north we called in on Kylie at work. We had a quick hug, but the "Regional Manager" was visiting so she was "looking busy". We did a bit of clothes shopping at the mall before we headed back. I got a haircut and visited the bank.

Wild Dunes - Thursday November 15, 2012

Still cold but we seem to have a break from the rain for the moment. So we decided to re install the canvas and isen glass on the bridge since the varnish project cannot proceed in this weather and we need to start thinking about securing the boat in anticipation of leaving for Phoenix on Monday. It went on OK but we could not connect 1/4 of the fasteners because the isen glass was so stiff in the cold. Next time the sun comes out (?????) we will make another effort.

I had to cajole the a/c guys back to 21 YH. They did not want to work in the rain, but we need to get the job wrapped up this week. They agreed to do the job for only $900 and I have paid them 50% up front so I need to keep them motivated. I continued working on the steps and the yard while they were at  the house. They had an accident when lifting the air handler into the ceiling - no one was hurt but we now have a 6" hole in the wall that I will have to fix. They finished the installation at about 6PM and I was happy with the work.

It's the one on the left!

This afternoon the "driver" for the new wifi aerial arrived via FedEx. The installation worked OK and we are now picking up a score of wifi broadcasts. It seemed to select the strongest and access speed seems pretty good. Cross off another project.

Deidre's back has been bothering her since she returned from Australia. She has been going to a chiropractor three times a week since Beaufort, and is getting some relief but she is still not "cured". She carries her x-rays on a CD from port to port. She picked up my laptop from the laptop doctor on her way back to the boat after her appointment today, and I am happy to have it back.

Ky came over for dinner tonight. She is working hard, gets tired, but otherwise her pregnancy seems to be progressing nicely. She is now 14 weeks along.

Wild Dunes - Wednesday November 14

A cold front passed thru last night with rain and a big temperature drop. The rain messed with some of our new varnish on the bridge, so it will have to be redone.I met the a/c guys over at 21 YH this morning. While they worked I gave the 5 steps another coat and then spent an hour or so trimming trees and taming the growth behind the house.

Before

Gene Taylor delivered the repaired  alternator cowling to the boat while I was away - I installed it when I returned and it went on like a dream. That felt so good! Another job crossed off!

After

We had another "super tide" today. At the peak this morning the water was only 18" from the top of the bulkhead, and about level with the sidewalk. the ramp from the floating dock to the bulkhead was about flat. Another decade of global warming and our house will really be waterfront!

Very high tide

Later in the day

Wild Dunes - Tuesday November 13, 2012

Some success at last.

The varnish on the steps was not much harder this AM than when we left it last night. So I just attacked the pieces with sand paper, re-coated them and put them in the sun. This afternoon they were reasonably dry and hard, and looking OK. Who knows what is going on, but it looks like we can coat them again tomorrow and have a decent result.

The offending relay

I have called 3 electricians and none of them have responded or turned up. So I decided to install a new relay myself. And guess what - it worked - so I can now start the engine in the engine room - but still not in the Pilot House. Yesterday a friend suggested I investigate the "neutral-safety" wiring and lo! I found a loose connection and once it was secured the engine could be started from the Pilot House. Amazing.

My posting on Craig's List has resulted in a dozen or so responses. I have been culling them out and I am now down to two. So it looks like that job can be crossed off this week.

So we knocked of early and heading off to another boat for a cocktail.

Wild Dunes - Monday November 12

We were all keen to give the steps another coat of varnish - but it did not dry over night. Weird. So we put them in the sun and tried to get into other jobs. At 4PM we took them into one of Ky's rooms to see if the inside dry air would help.

The wifi aerial/antenna project is still stuck on the software. I have called customer service 4 times now and they do not seem to have a solution. So they are expressing me a copy of the software on a disc (A bit 20th century if you ask me!) to see if that will load.

My sanitation project is still at a standstill. I have been emailing and calling Raratin (the manufacturer) but they are located on the NJ coats and are just not answering the phone or emails. I am wondering if they are actually functioning after Sandy?

 I spent a couple of hours sanding on the fly bridge in anticipation of varnish - but I am a bit spooked about what product to use when ready. It has to dry for the canvas to go back on.

Good news re my lap top - it is recoverable and I will have it back Wednesday.

Dinner at the Taylor's.

Wild Dunes - Sunday, Veterans day, November 11, 2012

Sorry, I am having trouble keeping up with the blog. I am a bit frustrated, each day seems about the same, I have a bunch of projects underway and none of them seem to be getting done. The smallest amount of progress seems to involve 20 steps and several hours. We leave for Phoenix in a week.

This morning started with friends at the Sea Biscuit for breakfast. Good fun. It was a warm and sunny day.

Then back to the step project. We sanded, applied "teak cleaner" and "teak brightener" and dried them in the sun, and then applied the first coat of varnish. These six little steps have taken us the best of two days to prepare for varnish. Oh well, at least it seems we can finish the job. So far so good.

I came back to the boat and started the teak work on the bridge railings. Deidre spent an hour or so with Kylie and then returned to the boat and told me to knock off. So I did.

Wild Dunes - Saturday November 10, 2012

Today we started the process of re-varnishing the steps that I had taken off the boat earlier in the week. We took them over to Kylie's garage where we could work on a bench. First we tried a chemical "paint and varnish remover" but it was too wimpy and the going was just too slow. So I assembled my braising torch and we got most of the old varnish off by heating it with the torch.Deidre is getting quite good at this.

The new a/c units for Kylie's house had been delivered last Tuesday. Today I unpacked the parts and started planning the job. I also advertised on Craig's List for some help.

Dinner at home - quiet day.

Wild Dunes - Friday November 9, 2012

Picked up the canvas/isen glass and stored it on the boat deck, awaiting completion of the varnish project.

I mounted the new wifi aerial on the bridge superstructure and started snaking the cable thru to the computer in the RPH. I was able to borrow a snake from one of the other boats. Its a messy business and involves removing access panels and crawling into small places. After a few hours work I was able to plug it into the back of the computer in the RPH. Maybe I had actually finished a project? But no. The "driver" I had downloaded from the vendor's website requires a password, so I will have to wait till Monday.

Deidre and I spent 30 minutes in the engine room with my amp meter trying to figure out the problem. The end result is that I don't believe my initial diagnosis is correct, and I have decided to hire an electrician. I called and left a message.

I called the sanitation vendor ("Raritan") twice today with no response. I will try again Monday. They are located in NJ so were affected by "Sandy". I will be patient.

Tonight we went to the movies and saw "Flight". It was a real downer and we do not recommend it.

Wild Dunes - Thursday November 8, 2012

The canvas guy called to say he had cracked some of the Isen Glass and we needed to have a look. On the way back we went to Lowes and bought paint for the floor in the Vee berth.

Deidre and I vacuumed the water out of the forward bilge, its a messy job. I wish I knew how the water gets in. It does not amount to much, and it is "fresh" and does not smell, but it is annoying. I then installed the new "High Level" sender on the waste tank and sanded and then painted the top of the tank so it looked better. Deidre is going to paint the sub floor in the Vee berth.

After putting it "all back together again" I activated the sanitation system ....... and it still does not work. I will call the vendor in the morning.

Wild Dunes - Wednesday November 7

We slept in until about 10.00 AM, a first for several weeks. The weather here is pretty cool, so bed is cosy.

This morning we removed the canvas and Isen glass from the flying bridge. The stitching is ripped in three places that we can see. We piled it into the car and took it to a canvas place.

Deidre had an appointment to get her hair cut and to see the chiropractor (Her back is still troubling her.) While she was doing that I made a run to the bank, to West Marine and Walgreens for our prescriptions.

Wednesday night we went to Dunleevys Pub for dinner with boat friends.

Wild Dunes - Tuesday November 6, 2012

I located the right "O" rings at the marine store and picked them up. Back in the bilge they they seemed to fit, but I had confused the location of the pieces in the valve. That took an hour to sort out.

I removed the 7 deck steps. Deidre is going to strip and re-varnish them.

Tuesday night we were invited to join the Taylors (Kylie's in-laws) for dinner to celebrate Nelma's birthday. They are really super people, and Gene and I get on well. He is a very genuine and generous person. Back in May he had built a stainless alternator shield for the port engine and the top tab had fatigued and broken over the last 6 months. He had offered to re-weld it and I had it with me in the rental. He also offered to help me with the starter relay.

After dinner Deidre and I stayed up to watch the election results. Obama was declared the victor by 11:30PM and we went to bed.

Wild Dunes - Monday November 5, 2012

Deidre drove to Enterprise and picked up a car for the next two weeks. I had made the reservation the night before, and always reserve the smallest and cheapest car - because they never have them available and so you get upgraded at no more cost. It always works - just not this time. Its a "Masda 2" and tiny. Deidre called and told me that our cushions (that we were taking to the upholsterer would never fit.

While she was away I got into the sanitation system. I tried to remove the valve that was leaking without success - the hoses just would not come off. So I took it apart in situ and removed a couple of O rings that might have been the issue. I called Deidre and asked her to pick up replacements on the way back. She did so, but none of them would fit. Meantime the boat took on a bit of an "odour du jour".

I was determined to get the cushions in the car so basically took out the rear seats and shelf and folded down the passenger seat and got them in. The problem then was that there was now no seat for me so I climbed in the hatch and managed to squeeze in between the cushions and the ceiling. We set off and arrived safely. We spent about 2 hours looking thru sample materials and made a decision.

Monday night we had Kylie, Ryan and a neighbor (Chris Pavlin) over for dinner. Chris runs Charleston operations for a large shipping company and he is taking his wife and daughter to Pusan this week to launch a 100,000 ton ship - to be named after his daughter. Wow!

Wild Dunes Marina - The projects begin

STARTING RELAYS

·         Replace port engine starting relay

·         Replace wiring and inline fuses

·         $100

UPHOLSTERY

·         Pilot House seating

·         Flying Bridge

·         Covers

·         $2000

CANVAS & ISEN GLASS

·         Repairs and restiching

·         $200

SANITATION:

·         Install  replacement Hi-level indicator

·         Repair or replace leaky valve

·         Clean and paint tank top

·         Flush and vacuum forward bilge

·         $50

FLY BRIDGE CHART PLOTTER

·         Fix mounting

·         Replace cable?

·         $?

VARNISHED DECK STEPS

·         Remove, refinish and reinstall

·         $50

WIFI AERIAL

·         Purchase and install

·         $200

FENDERS

·         Clean and inflate

ALTERNATOR COVER

·         Remove, repair & replace

LAPTOP

·         Repair or replace

·         $500

GALLEY LOUVERED DOOR

·         Reshape

·         Repair broken louver

PILOTHOUSE COMPASS

·         Replace

·         $150

FLYING BRIDGE VARNISH

·         Redo

·         $50

CABIN LIGHTS

·         Repair and replace

INTERCOM

·         Investigate  new parts

Wild Dunes Marina, Isle Of Palms, SC

Sunday November 4, 2012
32 48.254 N
79 45.409 W

Daylight saving ended today so we were up an hour "later" and watched the sun come up. We had enjoyed a peaceful night after a great dinner on "Bon Voyage". Since we all had a guaranteed slip at the IOP there was no particular hurry, which turned out to be a good thing as the tide seemed to be running against us 80% of the way. We were soon out of the Cyprus forest and into coastal the marshes, so typical of South Carolina.

Wild Dunes Marina

We arrived at Morgan Creek at about 4:30 PM and Kylie, Ryan and Oliver were on the dock to greet us. There were now 4 boats in our convoy, all staying at the Wild Dunes Marina on Morgan Creek. It took an hour or so till they were all settled in, after which we 4 retired to the house for a chili dinner that Ryan prepared for us.

Tide Hiker will be at Wild Dunes for a month. On November 19 we are flying to Phoenix to attend to a few issues (mostly doctors and dentists) and catch up with friends. We will be celebrating Thanksgiving at Bill and Tonni's - and we have a lot to be thankful for.

Dawn Butler Island

In the mean time we have a page and a half of boat projects to complete. I plan to keep a record of the work - which will not be very entertaining for anyone but me. Sorry about that!

FYI: If you click on the Marina image it should expand to fill your screen. Tide Hiker is moored on C dock, which is the 4th from the left. Kylie and Ryans place is the house between the "C" in Yacht Harbor Ct" and the golf course.

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