It’s been dreary, cloudy, rainy and generally miserable down here for several days.  Last night brought a great big cold front with 20 – 30 mph winds that howled through the rigging all night.  It’s sunny, windy, and cold this morning, perfect.  The sun, or more the lack thereof, has a real impact on my mood.  The brighter the day, the more productive I am.  Must have something to do with the solar panel on the back of the boat.

I am still working feverishly trying to pull everything together.  The timing is getting critical.  I basically have this week to move or pick up everything that I’ll need to before I set sail.  I leave Sunday next weekend to head up to Dallas/Fort Worth before heading up to Springfield, MO to see family and friends for Thanksgiving.  That means when I fly back to the boat on the 29^th I’ll have no more vehicle.  Well, almost.  I spent the better part of yesterday working on my old motorcycle.  It got knocked over in IKE and hasn’t started since.  A quick inspection revealed that the battery cable had corroded completely through along with a primary wire on the starter solenoid.  I bypassed the solenoid with a new wire and cut a new battery cable at West Marine and she started right up.  I’ll have to replace the foot pegs, but with those and a fresh tank of gas I’ll have limited mobility for the ~ 10 days or so before I head out.

Projects keep going, but these are more maintenance projects than major changes to the boat.  For instance, yesterday we bent on my brand new 100% jib.  It’s a heavy duty cruising headsail that should serve me well.  Today I am cutting some 2x4 pressure treated lumber to fit to my mast pulpit so I can secure my four jerry cans for extra diesel and gasoline.  The fabricator swore up and down that my exhaust elbow would be done by noon today so I am hoping to pick it up and get it mounted as well.  That should make for a pretty good day.  Oh, and I have to keep getting diesel in the 5 gallon jerry cans to fill up my diesel tank.  After I had it cleaned I am adding fuel in 5 gallon increments so that I can graduate a dip stick.  I don’t have a fuel gauge.  Plus, using the fuel from the road pumps is a little cleaner than at the floating docks.  Cheers,

Lee

Lee Winters
Phone: (281) 336-0855
Satellite Phone: 8816-316-59853

Web: www.SailingForSOS.com
Email: Lee.Winters@SailingForSOS.com