MUTUAL FUN - A SAILING ODYSSEY

	Sign In Sign-Up

FIRST MATE'S LOG - May 2002

TO RETURN TO THE HOME PAGE
CLICK HERE

June 2, 2002

We've made a lot of progress in the 2 days we've been here. We rented a car from a place called Rent A Wreck. It's actually a 2002 Ford Escort without a scratch on it. We found a live-aboard dock and here we are all docked and situated at 21 Isle of Venice, with a real address and everything. There is also a real pool, which is very clean and the perfect temperature and one of the reasons we picked this place. There is a washer and dryer and bathroom (notice I didn't say "head") with a shower and hot water. The dock was a bit hard to get into, what with hitting our neighbor's boat and shoving the bowsprit into a beautiful flowering tree ashore. The owners were there to help us tie up (and witness the whole affair) but they didn't holler too loud. So here we are plugged into an electrical outlet, which gives you the ability to simply turn on the refrigerator when it needs it, and leave lights on and run the fans. How fun. Don and Gloria on "Zaftra" left a message with the owners that they would be in at 12 noon. Just as we were filling up with all of the fresh/free water in our tanks, and both of us had gone for a swim, they showed up. It was so good to see them after 2 years or so. They came aboard, we had a nice chat and then took them over to the Floridian where they bought us lunch. I finally got my tuna melt and it was as good as I remember it. We had a wonderful catch-up with those guys then walked back to the boat. Don got started dismantling the water maker, which we have given to them and we all helped empty lazarettes and bunks. Meanwhile, I am thinking that it's so hot, why not see if the air-conditioner works? I read the manual and Bob checks the thru-hull and we hit "power" and viola, the unit turns on. When we check the water draining, though, we find the pump isn't working so Don comes in to take a look, finds the motor seized up and proceeds to fix it. The boat starts to cool down from the 95 degrees or so it has become and we continue to help Don with the watermaker. From time to time I hop off the dock and walk the 10 steps over to the pool and jump in and swim around and then come back. Dinnertime is upon us but we have no food to offer so delivery pizza sounds like a luxury and that is what we do. By 10:00pm, we are finished and Don and Gloria take off. We take a shower and climb into our bunks and fall asleep in a 75-degree heaven.

June 5, 2002

The progress continues. We've hired Stuart to fix our generator. Stuart was the engineer we used 3 years ago and he was great. His employee, Ivan, showed up this morning and declared the heat exchanger history. Bob sanded the whole bowsprit and then polished all of the stainless steel up there while I packed more boxes and loafed a bit. The heat has gotten to me today and I was moving rather slowly. I drove box #9 over to be shipped UPS so we are making good progress. I really don't have anymore I can box right now so that will go on hold. After lunch I had a swim and did my laps and then set about staining the bowsprit. I can do half from the dock but the other half I have to put my body in odd contortions and meanwhile, I am dripping sweat all over my work. I didn't like how it looked but I finished it anyhow and when Bob got back, he agreed it didn't look good so tomorrow we're going to have to sand it all down again and start all over. Such is life. Our friends on "Bagheera" came in and we picked them up in our air-conditioned car and all went to a steak house for dinner. We then walked downtown Las Olas and got an ice cream. It was good to see them.

I got the bright idea that it might be fun to buy a car here and Bob says the prices seem much lower than Ohio so sometime in the next few days I'll go looking. I was interested in the new mini Cooper, which is new on the market here and very popular. They're very cute but they're going so fast that only the weird colors are available. Also, Cleveland would be the closest place I could get it serviced. I'm going to look at the VW bug and the Toyota RAV. I'm pooped. Good night.

June 8, 2002

The work progresses. I got 2 coats of stain on the bowsprit but it rained all day today and supposed to tomorrow, too. In looked like an inside day so Bob and I took out all of our stores and sorted what we may use in the next month and took the rest to the managers. We gave them about 6 bags of food and threw out just as much due to the "elements." I was down in the dinghy cleaning the hull when this girl came over and asked if we would be interested in participating in a flea market. Would we ever! She was like a little angel coming down and solving the big problem of where and when we were going to have a boat sale. She is doing all of the coordinating, posting of notices and advertising. She asked for $5 towards the ad and we told her some of the things we would be selling. It will be the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd right here on this street so I immediately got started sorting the goods. I cleaned out the aft cabin and Bob went to get stickies for price tags. We worked all afternoon sorting and pricing. Then, my sister sent our mail and it arrived in 2 boxes so we spent the next couple of hours going through a year's worth of mail. Unfortunately, I received 2 notices of collection from a lab and a hospital so my credit may be ruined. That will make leasing or buying a car tough. By the time we finished, it was 6:30pm and the boat was thoroughly trashed. It is amazing how fast I can clean this boat. I vacuumed the cushions, swept the floor and wiped the surfaces in about 30 minutes. Dinner was stir-fry and then a shower and now I'm beat. Bob is enjoying a hockey game and I am going to make peach shortcake.

June 12, 2002

We started sanding the cockpit, a pig of a job. There are so many grooves and they have to be hand-sanded. We made good time until yesterday when it started raining and it rained most of today. I was antsy to get some work done but Bob has a real nasty cold and was pretty lethargic. So, I went and got a haircut, phoned our broker and checked the Internet. There's a real nice lady who owns a newspaper/sundries store who lets me use her computer for a small charge. She's also helped me with directions, a travel agent and car rental. She's a native of Ohio but been in Florida for over 20 years. Tomorrow and the next day may be a wash as well with the rain but I'm sure I'll find some inside jobs. I need to clean out all of the little hidden areas of the boat to check and see if there are things we want to sell in the up-and-coming flea market sale. My brother is coming to visit on Friday for a couple of days as he has a business trip in Atlanta. He's giving up Father's Day with his wife and two little ones so I feel honored.

Unfortunately, the aft bunk is completely full so I guess I'll give him the captain's bunk and sleep on the settee. I'll just pretend we're underway.

June 18, 2002

Had a real nice visit with my brother although it rained most of the time. We did manage a bit of swimming, horsing around and we even got Gary up the mast to repair the lazy jacks. He did a great job. The rain has stopped and we made a lot of headway yesterday and today. The cockpit (what a job!) will require another 2-3 days of sanding, then the big flea market sale on the weekend, then we can begin to stain. While I do that, Bob has a huge list of chores to do. We moved our haul-out date to June 26th but I think we're going to have to move it back yet again. We've worked out a deal with the nice owners of this marina to stay in one of their vacant apartments for about what a motel would cost. This whole getting the boat ready process is very expensive. Let alone the car I've leased and am supposed to pick up tomorrow. I'll tell you about it after I get it. I haven't approved it yet so we'll see. We have packed and sent our 10th box and they have all made it home. My sister closes on her new condo this Friday so things are really moving forward. Can't believe about this time next month, I'll be back in Toledo, sleeping in a queen-sized bed and showering with all of the hot water I want. Let alone reuniting with my kitty.

June 19, 2002

I bought my new car!! It is so cute. Dark maroon with a black moon roof and it even has a navigation package in it. It's a mini Cooper made by BMW. It drives like a race car, it's a 2-door and I don't have to take any clients around in it. Other than that, we're almost finished with the cockpit and we're pretty cleaned out inside. Next step, the boat sale.

June 21, 2002

I feel like I'm in England. What is with all of this rain? Yesterday was a wash as well so we took a road trip to see a friend in Miami and to break Mini Me in. Our friend wasn't there but we had a nice drive. People honk and wave and shout as we go by. There's just something about this car that makes people smile. Today, Kathy, our friend a few doors down who is organizing this boat sale came over and brought poster board and we made signs. She's done so much work to organize this. It would be a shame if the rain doesn't cease. Bob had the dirty chore of changing the engine oil and he usually drags me along for moral support, as well as holding this or handing him that. It took 1-½ hours to change the oil and clean up the engine compartment for the next owner. Then it took another half-hour to clean the boat up. Bob had a shower and I lured him into the forward head to put alcohol on a cut on his hand. You have to trick him like a 5-year old to get the job done. We've both had so many cuts over the years that we have a technique of applying the alcohol and then blowing on it to ease the pain. Our 11th box is half full and my sister reports that all 10 boxes have made it home so far. I need to do the laundry and it's only about 50 steps to the laundry room but it's raining so hard I haven't ventured out yet. "Zaftra" is due down tomorrow morning for the sale and may sped the night. I guess I could clean out some cupboards…

June 23, 2002

What a busy weekend! Don and Gloria appeared early Saturday morning while we were hauling stuff from the aft cabin off the boat. We had picked up a table and had it set outside. People were already lining up and we hadn't even begun putting anything out. Don and Gloria helped us get all of our stuff out and Gloria was a huge help in helping me display everything. They also had brought stuff so theirs went out as well. The negotiating started at about 8:30am and away we went. I had about $200 in my pouch before 9:00. We were super busy and had a great time wheeling and dealing although we stuck pretty close to our asking prices the first day. Bob and Don went to the store for lunch and cooked us hot dogs and beans for lunch. The traffic gradually dwindled during the day but we were happy. We all showered and went out for Italian and all were so full that we had to take a walk. We walked downtown Las Olas and listened to a really good guitarist and his sidekick. The streets were hopping and we were bushed. We were all in bed by 10:30pm and up again at 7:30am to start all over. I made a light breakfast and Don got us all set up and we took our places. We were more willing to negotiate today and Bob had a good time pushing this book and that egg-holder. One girl rolled her eyes at him and another asked him over to install a ladder. He shrugged off the first and blushed at the second and we all had a good time. At noon, a policeman came by and asked to see our permit. We had made a few hundred already and were in a good mood. I told him we didn't have one and could he write us one? He said, "no, but I could write you a citation since this is a felony." I swear I'm losing my touch. We had to pack it up; us and all the other people all along the street. The sky was looking ominous anyhow, so what the heck. I had been negotiating with a guy for our Pactor 11e modem for Sailmail for the last 2 days and he came back with an offer that Bob accepted while I was busy. I told him he would have to buy it today because I wanted Don to uninstall it. The four of us went out for lunch and when we were finished and on our way out, a guy that I had talked to yesterday about the dinghy and motor said he had come looking for us and was told where we were eating lunch. He would be over later for a test drive. Bob got the dinghy all pumped out and we hoisted the motor down and the guy and his wife appeared to take it for a drive. Yes, they wanted to buy it for the asking price but they only had enough for a down payment today. They gave us $200, took the gas can and will come back tomorrow. When I handed him the receipt he requested, he said, "it's fine but to protect yourself, you better put balance due." I said, fine I would do that and thanks for thinking of us but if he didn't give us the agreed balance due, I would keep the dinghy and motor. He smiled sheepishly and said, "oh, right." We had a father here with his 3 sons who bought Don's generator and outboard and a bunch of other stuff. The boys were really getting into the spirit of negotiating and watching their father, thought they were learning valuable lessons. The middle boy wanted to buy a watch I had. It was originally $50 and I was selling it for $20 yesterday and down to $12 today. The boy (about 12) said he didn't have that much. I asked how much he had and he said $7. I agreed to his price (after the proper deliberation) and Bob told him to ask his mom first. She agreed and the boy said he would have to go home and get his money. Upon his return (I had held the watch for him in my pouch) I took the watch out and he said, "how about $6.25?" I said, "son, a deal is a deal and we agreed on $7." He said fine and gave me $7. I thought he should see that his word was to mean something so I hope he also learned a lesson. In all, we made a nice chunk of change, some of which will be applied to bottom painting. As for right now, 6:30pm, Bob is snoring away while the thunder is cracking so loud I can't imagine how he can sleep through it. I can barely hear myself think between the two. Another huge weight is lifted with this boat sale. I think I shall sleep well tonight.

June 25, 2002

We just worked our tails off yesterday in between thunder showers. For some reason it took me the better part of the day to clean the butterfly hatch. I had to clean all of the stainless hardware and then the wood and then clean the cover. Part of the reason it took so long was because the zippers were stuck so I had to goo them. The other part of the reason was because Bob was sanding and I really have had it in the sanding department. Our guy came to pick up the dinghy and I was so sad. He let me take it for one last ride but I was pretty bummed the rest of the day.

This morning I figured I would start staining about 9:00am and it would start raining at 9:30. Surprise, surprise, it started raining at 8:50 so we went off to use the computer at our favorite newspaper shop. By the time we got home, the cockpit was dry and we went to work taping. I got the stain and brush ready and away I went. I stained for about ½ hour before it started raining again. Unfortunately, in between thundershowers the sun is not out so it doesn't dry all that fast. Bob has run off to do yet another chore. We're both trying to stay busy but we really need the sun to shine for a few days.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

As of yesterday, we sold our modem that allowed us to email from the boat. Our new address is: Monarussell1@aol.com or russellmona@hotmail.com. Please write at this address. We could use moral support as we end our journey.

June 27, 2002

Yesterday it rained. We were so bummed we considered watching Jerry Springer. Luckily, Bob thought of a better alternative. We went shopping for futons (Bob calls them fewtons) and furniture. This in itself shows just how desperate Bob was. When HE suggests furniture shopping, you know it's bad. It's so frustrating having all of this work to do and the never-ending rain.

This morning it hasn't rained…yet. The sky looks overcast and dark in some areas. While I waited for the cockpit to dry so I can think about staining it, I cleaned out all of the drawers and packed everything except a couple of pots and pans, a few containers and 2 plates, bowls and silverware. We're getting down to the wire. Monday we are scheduled to haul out and move off Mutual Fun and into an apartment here. Please, just a few days of sunshine would really help.

June 30, 2002

It didn't rain during the day for the last 3 days and I got 3 coats of stain on. It looks really nice; all of our hard work paid off. Today is Sunday and it started raining sometime during the night and hasn't stopped yet. I'll have to get the 4th coat on some other day, unless it dries up yet today. We get the keys to our apartment in an hour or so and I've spent the morning getting organized. We had to go out and buy new duffel bags since the ones we had stored smelled musty. We sold them in the boat sale for a few bucks and visited our local K-Mart for new ones. We packed them full with the clothes and shoes we'll need for the next month or so. Tomorrow at about 10:00am, we'll take the boat to the yard and have her hauled out. Then, more work awaits. Bob has to stand on a ladder and sand the side panels. I'll do some stainless and start some of the interior cleaning. Meanwhile, last night was our last night aboard Mutual Fun. I slept like a baby but I have to admit, I am looking forward to the king-sized bed, real shower and stand-up refrigerator in our apartment here. Also, I am going to try to hook up AOL and get on-line from the apartment. There is a telephone so I look forward to talking to some family and friends, like a real land-based person.

- MORE TO FOLLOW -