Departure
Pushed Back: January 31 2015
Our departure is getting pushed back - drat. We had decided to stay in St Augustine until Feb 2 or 3 because of the Pats being in the Superbowl and we wanted to be sure we were near a TV. Well, it looks like we have added a couple more days to that delay. Yesterday, as Chris was trying to remove the final sewer line it became clear that there would be no way to remove the line without cutting a hole in the fiberglass. One of the guys at the yacht yard brought over his neat tool (fining tool) and made the cut. The hose is out and replaced but we need to get a fiberglass piece to affix over the hole…about the size of a sheet of paper (8.5”x11”). The part is being fabricated in the yard and will be beautiful (judging by previous work) but it will take time to mold and make. Hopefully, we will still depart next week...but a bit later. I have filled in with many small projects while Chris is on the hose swap out. We are working full days and knock off as the sun goes down.
Oh gosh - but it is not all bad. After an especially long day which ended
as beautifully as it began we bought a pizza and sat on the top deck with wine
and watched the colorful sunset (Jan 31). This was our first time
relaxing on the top deck - we can feel that we are getting closer to tossing
the lines.
Although
the continued upheaval messes with my karma we can see the light at the end of
the tunnel (…even if one toilet is still in the living room). Meals are
simple such as artichoke heart pasta (thanks Deb from s/v Wings). “Proper care and feeding of the crew” also
means focusing on the crew. Chris has
been working hard and contorting into all kinds of pretzel shapes as he
replaces all the sewer hoses. So, I signed him up for a massage yesterday
afternoon at Go Madd 4 Massage (http://www.staugustinegoesmadd4massage.com/). We called it quits for the day at Noon.
Chris came out of the massage loose as a goose and smelling like a peppermint
stick but we kept playing; shopping - he got some summer shorts and unwinding –
headed to the much talked about bar called Cap's on the Water. We were
not disappointed. It is a stunning place
that is basically a giant deck right on the Inter Coastal Waterway with a super
laid back vibe (http://www.capsonthewater.com/). We are liking
Northern Florida.
It
is Superbowl Sunday and we are within arm’s reach of a TV. We watched the Superbowl with new cruiser
friends Michael and Steve of m/v Anastasia at the home of cruisers Dick and Meredith of s/v Distant Drum. Lots of food and fun with a largely Patriots audience. But holy cow we
aged about five years in the final two minutes.
What a game! And what an ending! Congrats Pats!
We went right back to work the next day. Hey, fresh water is now flowing (and appropriately stopping) throughout the boat. The new toilets are working (mostly - one part is needed) and look great, too. It seems that our departure issues are down to two: 1) a parts delivery for one of the toilets (faulty factory motor install) and 2) re-assembly of the windlass. It is great to have the tool shed downsized from the entire boat to solely the guest bedroom. Will we leave before Valentine’s Day?! Fingers crossed.