Mia's Birthday Party

2/19/2017

Today's big event was Mia's 6th birthday celebrated at Faro Blanco Marina.

Here are the highlights

Magazine Article introducing Mia

Decorations and Cakes

Mia arrives at the party

Entertainment for the kids

Stickers table

Turtle Hospital volunteer

Pirates Arrrrr!

Princess Mia

Opening Presents

Additional pictures and videos of the party can be found at this link

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B5-Rc2tvfewxVG5oNTZvcm9vZHM

Boot Key Exploration

2/18/2017

Boaters at the Faro Blanco marina, and even some who came from other spots in Marathon, joined together for a dinghy ride today. Their planned trip took them on Gulf waters to Vaca Cut, through the cut, and into the Atlantic for the ride back to Faro Blanco. They planned to incorporate lunch at Lazy Days South restaurant in their jaunt. Clark and I received invitations to join the fleet, but Clark had other plans for the day.

With a 10:00 departure time, the dinghies started to gather about 9:45.

Collecting dinghies for the outing

Mel and Ann Morning Star II waiting for others to join the crowd

Those in the ready hanging in the marina
until everyone is collected

Had Clark and I been left behind at the marina working on our boat all day, I would have been sorely disappointed not to go with the crowd. As we had planned, while the dinghy fleet left the marina, Clark and I prepped Sunset Delight for a day trip to check out the status of repairs performed to date.

As we exited the marina, Jeanne on Daybreak pulled out her camera to take pictures of our boat.

Sunset Delight leaving the marina for a day trip

Shortly after exiting the marina ourselves, we found the dinghy crowd rapidly moving on their way towards Vaca Cut.

Faro Blanco dinghy trip

For our first stop on our planned outing, we headed to a nearby fuel dock that caters to fishing boats. Fuel docks of this sort have good fuel turnover, meaning it is usually fresher than others, and normally have better rates. However, it would appear that getting a better fuel price means getting no-frill's service.

As we entered the narrow waterway housing the fuel dock, Clark and I both wondered how we would extract ourselves from the dock area after fueling. Would we be able to turn Sunset Delight around in the small space or have to back out? I had lines in hand as Clark pulled up to the fixed dock which, when we got there, was at my eye level. The poles were even higher. No cleats could be seen anywhere. Tying up would be a serious challenge.

Unfortunately, the lines on SD are fat, long, and heavy making them cumbersome to work with. As I struggled to figure out how I could  wrap a line around anything, a man walking back to his fishing boat felt pity on me and took a line. "Where d'ya want it?", he barked at me. "Over there", I replied thankful to have one line under control. After that he just walked away, got on his boat, and left. No further help was forthcoming from that department.

While he was tying our mid-ship line securely in place, I tried in vain to figure out how to get a stern line tied to the dock. Eventually I came up with something while Clark managed to get a bow line tied. No sooner did I sigh with relief that we had it secure than the fuel dock attendant told Clark we had to move the boat forward if we wanted fuel.

Of course, we got no assistance whatsoever from anyone. As I yelled to Clark, "I can't reach!" A man turned and looked at me, saw me struggling and frustrated, and just walked away. Where did these people come from? With lots of huffing and puffing and a boat hook, I got the lines off and we pulled up the few feet required to the fuel dock.  Surprisingly, the attendant did take one line from me. I gather that was because all he had to do was hold out his hand to collect it. He gave me no help with the stern or bow lines.

Clark pumped 75 gallons of diesel into the starboard side tank and then discovered that no matter what approach he took, the fuel hose was at least three feet too short to reach the port side tank. He decided that the only way to put fuel in the port side of the boat would be to rotate the boat, so we untied the lines and pulled away to go "spin" the boat. With very little room to spare fore and aft, Clark managed to rotate the boat. Now we had to tie up yet again! At least we were facing the right way to exit the inlet. Another 75 gallons in the port tank, and we were finally on our way.

Exerting so much effort on the boat in the heat and humidity left me a little light-headed. I poured myself a tall glass of water, dragged myself up to the upper helm, and sat and soaked up what little breeze I could find until my body temperature came back to more normal levels. A little heat stroke potential going on there perhaps.

Now, shortly after 11:00, we continued our day trip by heading for Boot Key which sits on the Atlantic side of Marathon. To get there we passed under the 7-mile bridge. The original bridge is no longer used and is in rather despicable condition with "Danger - stay away" signs posted every few feet. The other bridge is the only way to get to Key West.

Fishermen anchored between the two bridges

Looking back at the bridge pair from the Atlantic side

Another view of the 7-mile bridge from Atlantic Side

Our primary purpose for a day out on the boat was to check the boat repairs done thus far to verify fixed items worked as expected and gather data for items yet to repair. After fueling up, we took heat measurements on our Aquadrives at idle speed as requested by the manufacturer. We have an unexplained thumping noise on the port side at 700 RPM. We later took another reading after running at higher speeds. To Clark's untrained eye, the temperature readings both looked to be in a reasonable range.

Clark also examined the raw-water pump repair and noticed that it is still dropping black dust as it runs. I was mistaken a few days ago when I posted it was leaking and the leak repaired. It was, and is still, dropping black dust which means the rubber is getting hot and becoming degraded. This one requires yet more work.

With nothing to cross off our list yet, we decided the next step would be to check out the anchor windlass repair. Clark had installed the missing stripper and needed to test the dropping and retrieving of the anchor. We anchored at Boot Key outside of the controlled anchorage area with a number of sailboats.

Anchorage near Boot Key

Clark sent me up to the bow to take the safety off the anchor chain so it could be lowered. The anchor and chain went into the water with no problems, but when we got to the line portion, the windlass started misbehaving. We ended up taking the windlass apart.

Disassembled Windlass

Windlass base sans the winch part

 We had to get the manual to figure out how to put the windlass back together. Clark inserted the pieces as I followed along in the manual to be sure pieces were put back in the right order and the right way up.

Winch reassembled

We found one problem in that Clark had put the new stripper in upside down. He reversed that in the reassemble process.

Since it was now after noon, we decided to take a lunch break. After lunch, we pulled up the anchor and instead of binding, it flowed into the rope locker quite nicely. Unfortunately, when we retested the down anchor, we found that it still malfunctioned as before we took apart and rebuilt the winch. Getting an answer on why the line is causing the windlass to "act up" is now on Clark's to do list.

After raising the anchor, we decided to explore Boot Key. We knew some Looper folks we met back in 2015 were staying in the area, so we decided to be on the lookout for their boat.

Entrance to Boot Key 

Burdines Restaurant and Marina

Marathon Marina Moorings

Houses and docks along the waterway

Egret and Pelican occupying a dock

Sample Lagoon

Another Lagoon

We reached the end of the waterway and saw no signs of the boat we were searching for. Fortunately, the end of the waterway had a wide area where Clark could spin the boat around. With the extra length of Sunset Delight, it is non-trivial to pivot. I was very glad to see a wide spot to turn around. Knowing the boat we sought was somewhere in the area, we kept looking. Clark pointed to a boat with a dark full enclosure and said, "That's a likely candidate."

As we passed the boat, I read Horizon Chaser on the side and knew we had found the one we were looking for. We saw no signs of people, but Clark called their phone number, and Dan walked out on the bow of their boat to be able to see us while Clark talked to him on the phone.

We found Horizon Chaser!
They were hidden with no Looper flag showing and their
boat name only visible from the side, but we found them anyway!

Having accomplished our mission of finding Horizon Chaser, we headed back towards our marina. On the way in we had passed some pelicans enjoying a row boat, but the camera angle was not good. We captured them still enjoying the boat on our way out. I wonder if they fight over who gets the good seats in the boat and who gets to pole sit!

Pelicans in a boat guarded by Pelicans on poles!

We left Boot Key the  way we came and circled around to go back under the seven-mile bridge.

Between the old and new bridges again -
the fishermen must have all gone home!

Old bridge has a section missing - no cars allowed obviously -
where we pass through to go under the new bridge.

We arrived back at Faro Blanco just before 4:30. Folks must have seen us coming as we had two dock hands and several other boaters standing at our dock ready to grab lines and help us tie up. I heard someone say, "When does it go from being helpers to being an audience?" Truth be told, we appreciate all the help we can get.

Having had an exhausting day in the heat and sun, I just wanted to "veg out"; however, we had things to do to put the boat back in order from our day out. Around 5:30, however, I told Clark I was heading over to the lighthouse to see who was around for docktails. On the way there I saw Kenny and Jeanne from Daybreak who said they had been watching and saw no one over at the lighthouse.

I told them that I was going to docktails even if I had to sit alone. They said they would join me, so the three of us made up the docktails contingent for the evening until Clark came over to join us. He said to me, "You never came back, so I assumed you found docktails". We invited him to join us, and we all talked and enjoyed the cool breeze until the cannon fired signaling time for sunset.

WiFi and Other Projects

2/16/2017 - 2/17/2017

Thursday

Once again we found ourselves up to our eyebrows in boat projects. As parts arrive in the mail, we prioritize and re-prioritize the work to be done. Clark started the day with a leak test on the newly repaired sink.

The water-down-the-drain test passed with no problem, but the water-down-the-overflow-hole test failed spectacularly. Much of the water poured into the overflow hole immediately poured out onto the floor under the sink. Clark added silicon sealer to the point where he thought it might be leaking. Hum-de-hum, now we wait another 24 hours to see if that addressed the problem.

As predicted in yesterday's blog entry, with the delivery of WiFi-related packages last night, Clark moved on to the WiFi antenna installation project. Installation of the brackets to hold and support the weight of the antenna required drilling holes in the boat. Given that we want to minimize poking holes in the hull, we followed the "measure three times, cut once" rule. However, I think we measured way more than three times.

Meanwhile, I had a project of my own to complete today. Having gotten less sleep than usual due to the whipping burgee on the bow of the boat rattling and banging most of the night, I decided to make a cover to put over the burgee on windy days. Clark told me to make sure I put a line through it to secure it to the railing. With that in mind, I cut a rectangle out of left-over canvas I purchased for the dinghy repairs and got to work. Frequently, as I tried to sew my cover, I got called away to hold this or do that, but I kept at it throughout the day whenever I wasn't in demand elsewhere.

At 5:35 Clark asked me what time West Marine closed. "6:00. Why?" I responded. "I need screws for the brackets. He decided I should go after the screws while he continued to work on prepping for installation. By the time he explained to me what he needed, I had lost another ten minutes. I ran for the car and headed to the store.

When I entered the store, a rep greeted me and asked me what I needed. I said, "Hardware. Screws. Can you help me?" He said, "Aisle 1". "Great", I said, "but can you help me with that?" We both headed for the screw aisle. I knew I could find the screws eventually, but with the store closing in ten minutes, eventually wasn't going to cut it. Of course they did not have precisely what Clark asked for. I bought two sets of four screws to cover my bases. Worst case ... I could return one set the next day. When I walked out of the store shortly before 6:00, they locked the door behind me. I just made it in time.

Actually, I got the better of the work assignments. To mount the bracket at the base of the antenna, Clark used two, stacked pieces of starboard (like wood but for boats) that needed to be sanded to smooth them and shape them to his specs. He used an electric sander and ended up coated in tiny pieces of starboard. I am glad I got the screw-search task.

I thought I should start dinner going given the time, but before I got that far, Clark got first one visitor and before long another one showed up. This "forced" a break from work for both of us. Dinner would have to wait. Clark had given an open invitation for Anna Mae from La Cigale to come sing while he played guitar. She had decided to take him up on the offer. Not too long after Anna Mae arrived, Ella decided she wanted to join them and sing as well.

Clark with Anna Mae and Ella from La Cigale

I find it interesting that I cannot get him to take a break, but two pretty girls show up, and he stops everything he is doing! Go figure!

They found a couple of songs that the girls knew from Clark's selection of music. Both girls knew how to do the "Cups" song, so I found them each plastic cups and they performed while Clark played.

After only two songs, the girls' father came and got them as the family had dinner reservations. As soon as the girls left, Clark was back to his sander working on his starboard! I jumped up and started putting dinner together.

At 8:30, after dinner, Clark still wanted to put up the WiFi antenna. We could tell the neighbors on one side were up watching TV, and we knew the neighbors on the other side were not on their boat. We decided it was safe to make noise. He pulled out the drill and started putting the holes in the boat!  The hand vacuum cleaner Clark ran to clean up the mess from drilling made more noise than the drill. Our boat neighbor came out to see what we had going on. He laughed when we told him and said, "Of course! What else would you be doing at 9:00 at night?"

To mount the wood blocks and the bracket on the boat, I turned the screw on the outside of the hull while Clark held the nut in place on the back side. To do this, he had to climb into the inside of the bench seat on the upper helm. It was a tight fit with lots of oohs and oofs and aahs. Getting in was actually not too difficult, but he had a lot of trouble getting back out again. Gravity helped going in and fought him coming out!

Clark installing the antenna bracket

Antenna Mount mounted on starboard blocks.
(Drilling / sanding dust still visible on the mount.)

Mounted WiFi Antenna -
antenna with cylindrical tube near top
not to be confused with antennas visible on neighbor's boat

We finally stopped work, including parts, screws, and debris cleanup, at 10:45. No blog work tonight! Before going to bed, I made sure my flag cover was in place. I planned on sleeping well tonight!

AGLCA Flag -- annoying on Windy Days!

Cover I made for the AGLCA Flag -
no more flapping in the wind.

Friday

With the antenna mounted on the exterior of the boat instead of huddled in the corner of the pilot house, our WiFi on board has improved tremendously. Instead of struggling with the marina signal directly, I now access the internet via our booster and see a huge improvement.  Clark started the day by finishing the antenna-mount work - specifically, adding a bracket to the top of the full enclosure to hold the WiFi antenna securely at the top as well as the bottom.

Hopeful that his application of silicon sealer resolved the leaky bathroom sink issue, Clark poured some water into the sink overflow hole. Once again, it poured out onto the floor, so he called me in to help. He crawled under the sink to see where the water came out, and I poured water in the hole. Good golly! I could hear the water pouring onto the floor as I poured it in the hole.

Clark looking for the source of the leak under the sink

He tried to stay clear of the water as he hunted for the leak. He failed. His shirt was splattered when he climbed back out again. Yech! However, he thought he saw the problem and applied another coat of silicon sealer. We need to wait and do the test again tomorrow. What fun!

The next step in the WiFi project is to run the wires through the walls of the boat and position the router and other hardware in some more convenient and tidy spot on the boat. Before Clark could get too involved in that work, however, another package showed up for him containing the part he needed to repair his bilge-pump-check-valve concern.

Since the defective check valve could actually cause the boat to sink, Clark jumped on that installation as top priority. The hardest part of the job was figuring out where to position the new valve. Once he found the right spot, the job got completed pretty quickly.

Vacuum Break --
Part to replace check-valve installed with bilge pump

It seems like the only times Clark takes a break from the boat jobs is when "nature calls", and he makes a trek up to the marina building to use the "head". These trips take a bit longer when he sees someone to talk to or sees something in nature that catches his interest.

Iguana wandering the docks 

Which way to docktails?

Pelican enjoying Faro Blanco Marina

While Clark continued to tackle his "punch list", I pulled out my sewing machine for a project of my own. Although I think the sofa in the salon is very attractive from a looks point of view, it is very difficult to keep looking nice. The sofa fabric is a navy blue material that collects and shows every bit of lint and dust, I either have a constantly dirty-looking sofa or I have to take a lint roller to it multiple times per day. Since I am also afraid to sit on it when I have sunscreen on, which is almost all the time, I decided to make something to cover the seat cushions.

I cannibalized the queen bed quilt that the previous owners left behind. My poor, baby sewing machine met its match today. The fabric was almost too thick for the machine, but I persevered and only ended up with one bent machine needle. I must say I was impressed that the needle bent to a 60-degree angle and did not break.

Just as I completed my sewing project, we got visitors. Jeanne and Kenny from Day Break arrived by boat this afternoon and will be staying at Faro Blanco. They stopped by to get a tour of Sunset Delight and say hello. Kenny got the full tour including the engine room. Jeanne passed on that last part of the tour and headed back to her boat to get settled in.

After dinner tonight, Clark went back to the WiFi  project. He took several panels out of the boat to see where he might be able to run the wires and even took my galley cabinet apart to see if it would give him access. No wires got run tonight however. Instead he just scoped out the path to be taken and the tools needed to feed them through the walls of the boat. I even found him removing yet another, unrelated-to-the-WiFi project, galley panel "for the fun of it" to see what he could access.

When folks take tours of our boat, we have to tell them to ignore the tools and such that are spread around to facilitate working on all these projects. It gives the boat that "lived in" feeling!

No docktails the last couple of nights. It has been windy and chilly, so I think folks found better ways to entertain themselves. Even without the docktails venue, we had a nice sunset view tonight. Clark made sure to capture a picture for our collection.

Sunset at Faro Blanco Marina in Marathon, FL