Cruising Defined

WW says cruising is: “Repairing your boat in exotic locations.” While Fort Lauderdale may not seem exotic, it has palm trees, which is good enough for me. And, heaven knows, the repairing part is continuous and endless.

Since moving aboard, we’ve discovered:

- The traveller was jammed and needed to be replaced. WW has created a functional one, though he’s still not pleased with it…his efforts continue. (Update: done!)

- The stove wouldn’t work. Investigation of the propane storage area revealed much corrosion such that anything that was meant to turn, wouldn’t; and a butane tank that couldn’t be properly disconnected and which started wheezing out its contents when it was improperly disconnected (it currently has a crimp in its hose held in place by two clamps…we call it “the bomb” and try to store it in shady places). (Update: stove functional!)

- Many lines that needed replacing; so far we’ve got the main sheet installed and will be redoing the traveller a bit later today. WW is still trying to understand the main furler.

- The spare dinghy we were given in exchange for a satellite phone that the owner said doesn’t work is not new, as promised, but well past its best-before date.

- The solar panels crank out a ton of electricity, though we still don’t want to run the fridge full time.

- The berths are comfy, the galley spacious, and a lot of good stuff has been left on board.

- We have charts for Turkey, the Great Barrier Reef, Venezuela, and Malta, to name a few. We don’t have charts for Florida or the Bahamas. Maybe we’re going the wrong way?

One of the greatest boons was a gift received from Ginny (for those who don’t know: WW’s older baby sister, the younger being Susie): headlamps. WW uses his constantly for evening barbecues, after-dark repairs, repairs in dark crannies, and…well…repairs in exotic locations. Mine is dead handy in the poorly lit galley as I prepare the evening fodder.

Poor WW has spent many hours in the car, dashing from hardware store to marine centre to boat, only to discover the fittings and whatnots were the wrong size or shape or colour. Last night, he got the propane working and I was able actually to cook a dinner. We’d barbecued and eaten hearty salads on previous nights. We had our first onboard breakfast today: fresh OJ, stovetop toast, coffee for WW and—finally!—a decent cup of tea for moi. (NB: Don’t go to Starbucks for tea. They just don’t get it.)

I think that brings us pretty much up to date (hmmm....wrote those words a few days ago). Now I have to find someplace to get online so I can post these, and to download some Windows XP Service Package that will let me install the software for my Bluetooth dongle (don’t laugh) so my computer can talk to the satellite phone. Then I’ll be Internet enabled and can post from Django.

More boat repairs in exotic locations coming to this blog soon.