Beginning of new BLOG Season - Northerly TRIP pending
25 March 2020 | VERO BEACH FL
Dean Perry | sunny and windy -- 81F high
Hummmm …. I sit here now to write a General Email, and update to the BLOG… and I realize it’s been ages since I’ve done either…. Wow… How unlike ME (dean)…. ;)
And I haven’t sent any technical pictures of modifications to AB Plumbing systems… (especially to my technical consultant on those matters – Karyl Pomerhn….)
Today is another gorgeous day in Vero Beach FL… High of around 81F – low 67F… sunny and puffy clouds…. I guess they (land dwellers) really need some rain…BUT…the forecast has NONE in the foreseeable future… like 7 days… ;) SO… Today could turn into LEAK SEALING day for the deck and hardware…. Instead of “defrost the freezer” day… FUN WOW!!
Our friends on “Dalmatian” dropped the mooring lines this morning, and headed south to Fort Pierce… for an outside HOP (ocean) toward St. Marys GA…. Their monthly mooring rent was “UP” yesterday… We (AB) extended for another 3 to 4 weeks…. (I say 3 to 4 because we may go stir crazy and leave before our rent is over)…. BUT the state of the WORLD (aka Corona Virus “covid-19”) could have a LOT to say about our travels…. The Bahamas closed it’s doors to travelers; The Florida KEYS has CLOSED with a police checkpoint on Route 1 at the top of the keys… permitting only residents, and trucks with supplies to go south toward Key WEST…
This morning we heard that Maryland had closed ALL marinas… SO… that concerns us… in that we normally top off fuel in Solomons MD; and that load of fuel takes us up to the top of the HUDSON River… and “HOME”… SO…………….. that’s a concern….
YES… we have a sailing vessel, and will undoubtedly do a LOT more pure sailing on the way north this year…. BUT… the WIND is a very fluky thing…. 90% of the time it’s in a BAD direction for sailing in a northerly direction…. (just the way it is…)
SO… you can sit and wait for the wind to “clock around”… OR you can make some miles using the engine… (with assist from a sail or two)…. ( Which turns out to be OUR NORM…. )
Miami closed every marina a couple of days ago…after the photos of the “kids” at Lake BOCA made national news… partying and gathering in tight bunches… Hundreds of boat… Today they (Miami) are “walking back” some of the closures after someone pointed out that many people LIVE in those marinas…and need services…. OOOPS !!!
We’re hoping that the Knee-Jerk reaction of “closing everything”… gets modified for the BETTER over the next few weeks…. And NOT for the WORSE….
We hoping that there’s great promise in this Hydroxl-chloroquin (our old malaria drug from Viet Nam) as a cure, or helper to mitigate this Covid-19….
I think we’ve straightened out all of our banking and credit card problems… that’s a relief… NOW… our main goal is to STAY healthy… Self-Isolate…. KEEP the boat ready at all times (to go if needed) FUEL; water; and FOOD; and bottom clean… (that’s going to take another dive underneath by ME)… fortunately the water is warming significantly, since my last dive on her….) This time I’ll just use the BC/tank and snorkel stuff.. NO Wetsuit… that combo gives significant freedom when compared to the HOOKA rig…40 feet air tether….
OK…. SO………. We have been running the main engine every few days… (just to keep her ready)…. LUBE OILS have been changed on both the main Perkins, and the Northern Lights GENERATOR…. Today or tomorrow I’ll complete the changes on the WATERMAKER filters (30 micron & 5 micron)…. So that that system is up and ready to go…. (we’ve been making water every few days… to keep the membrane viable, and clean)….. We’re testing a little HIGH now in PPM, but taste is GOOD so probably particulates from dirty filters…. This harbor is NOT like the Ocean… or even Chesapeake Bay…
SO…………..
I guess I’d better get to this day’s projects…. LEAK Sealing… and maybe freezer (defrost)…