Between Christmas and New Year 2015

We are still land based and Inspiration is on-the-hard waiting for the lift crane operators to return from Christmas break. During the pre-Christmas days we went to St. Petersburg to spend Christmas with Martha. While there we went to marine shops to buy goodies that were our Christmas presents to each other. We left 12/27/14 for GCS. We went to see Jerry Moeller in Ellenington and Steve L on Treasure Island while in town. We did some food shopping at Aldi’s too.

Upon return we attended First Assembly in Flemming Island. It is about 15 minutes from where we are staying in our RV at Reynolds Park Marina. Inspiration has been expensive this month! If this keeps up it will be Inspiration II OR BUST.

Today 12/30/14 GCS: We spent the day today running between the Ace Hardware here and Inspiration II: Needed not so specialty Stainless Steel nuts and bolts. Wouldn’t you know that the last machine bolt to install had a thread issue and was unusable! SAM scraped Cetol and painted Cetol Natural Teak and putty’d in some rough spots on the cap rail fairing. She also re-installed the boarding ladder steps she has been painting with Cetol NT.

Polishing Stainless Steel

I have spent the past two days polishing Stainless Steel on the boat. A patina of rust had developed on the railings and stanchions over the last years? the previous owner had her. I did manage to polish the dingy davits and some portions of the aft railing. I have to say it looks good thanks to the polish I found at Advance Auto: The name is Blue Magic, s blue colored cream paste that has a smell of ammonia. I must say it really works well. However, it still takes a little muscle power. It is very gratifying work.

Today, I hooked up the ground and turned on the DC power to the boat and checked the bilge pump which hummed away. Then I tried the radio which also worked. As we were leaving the boat near dark, I wanted to check the nav lights but forgot so that will be another day.

So here I sit on the bed in the RV writing this blog line with the electric heater humming away and it is warm on this cold night. Frost warnings are out again for the 5th straight day. We actually had freezing temperatures one of those nights. Since we arrived two weeks ago we have had to have the heater on every night. I hate to see the temperatures when it gets to the cold part of the year.

Slowly, ever so slowly

Slowly, ever so slowly we are settling into our new routine. This boat has been disruptive in reality and we entered into it with rose colored glasses. The process of buying the boat took on a life of its own. I have to give the broker credit for helping us out with the later stages of the process but he definitely represented the seller. Do not use the surveyor we used. Somehow we always get the ones that are more of insurance surveyors than detailed surveyors representing the buyer.

Now we have a boat that needs a lot of work we are attacking the project and may never get out of port in the next three years. I guess that is ok as long as we are enjoying ourselves. We are in the RV right now as Inspiration II is in Holland Marine shipyard where we have spent multiple thousands of dollars for deck work, new prop shaft, reconditioned prop and dripless seal. Most of this was done to improve value and reliability. What other hammers will fall remains to be seen but as the wife says “Its a boat”. We did work on the deck rigging and got the Whisker Pole to function properly so it was one sucess for today – yea!

We had sweet potatoes and beef for dinner tonight and fixed it in the clubhouse. Pretty good food thanks to SAM. It has been unseasonably cold here with frost or freezing temperatures almost every night. Our little electric heater in the RV tries valiantly to stave off the night time temperatures but to no avail. It gets cold inside by 0700 hrs – the time of maximum coldness.

Moore later.

Florida & The Boat

We are in Florida now and working constantly on the boat. Everything we touch seems to need work. It is sort of discouraging and definitely postponing our launch. At present rate it will be January before we hit the water. I am so glad we have the RV here to live in and do not have to be in a motel!

I have been suffering from allergies or something that causes chest congestion. I have been taking benedryl morning, noon and night but it helps only marginally. I went to a doctor the other day and he had me get a chest xray but I have not heard the results yet. I will call tomorrow.