We have spent the last two days doing little projects that have to get done. Yesterday, Renne' spent the day renewing her enjoyment of sewing by putting together storage bags, a new laundry bag, and a sun shade for the cockpit sides when it gets particularly bright. We will have to put some matching snaps on the sunshade to match the snaps on the full enclosure, but that will have to wait for a few more days. I spent yesterday securing the ladder into the main cabin which we found to be floating out of it's stays while in heavier seas. Then I did the same thing to the compartment doors for the engine room and tool compartment (above the engine room). Today I spent working on the bilge pump switch. Since the new engine was put in, I can't get into the engine room as easily as I used to. I can't say it was ever easy, but it certainly is not any more!!
When we first arrived in Jacksonville, I slipped a couple of free bilge socks (from the marina) into the bilge in the hope of collecting any oil that might leak from the engine. It is supposed to make the bilge a more pleasant place to play in when necessary. However, I discovered free does not necessarily make good! When I first got into the bilge and tried to remove them, they had turned to a gel that solidified around the bilge pump switch and then leaked! That damaged the switch and cost us another $77 to replace. Got it done today, but not without being challenged! I find I can only accomplish one major task per day. Believe me it can get discouraging!!
However it is fixed, and that is the major project I had to accomplish. We will head to St. Cloud tomorrow for Renne's final appointment on her appendix. She is healing well and leaving Thursday should not be a problem for her. We just need to look closer at the weather to decide if we will head outside or down the intercoastal.
We have several friends enroute to places. We are following our friends, Bruce and Gina who left Jax Saturday, down the ICW. Our friend, Janet Cole is aboard Lea, coming across the Okechobee Waterway to Stuart, Fl. We will probably meet them somewhere as they head north. Our friends Jim Delane and his lovely wife, Linda are on a ball at Marathon. We hope to see them in the next 7-10 days.
So Wednesday we go shopping when we get back from St. Cloud. We do need to get the dinghy off the deck once we leave the dock. We had to trash the life raft today. Renne' had taken it over to have it inspected and repacked, however, when she yanked the halyard and blew it up, it inflated well, but immediately deflated. The pressure relief valves failed. When I got over there today to talk with the inspectors, we began to unfold the raft and the flooring failed. Needless to say, thank God we didn't need the raft!! So for the forseeable future, we will depend on the dinghy for our liferaft.
So didn't have sundowners tonite. Renne' and I are trying to loose some weight before April.
So stop by with some diet somethings and we will enjoy the sunset Wednesday night!
JonNe'
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