Date -
Position | Heading
Made Good | Daily Log Comments |
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Sat, May 1
24:34:23N
81:48:43W | Key West
at anchor | 7:15, 74, 30.04, Wind ESE 10-15kts, Clear. Where did I put some old latch hardware? I have more damn stuff "lost" on board this boat. Went to town to get wire and bulbs, stopped at Jim's to tell him the plywood for hatch covers was cut wrong. He bought lunch and we caught the bus to Home Depot (after missing one.) I struck out on wire there. He bought some tools he needed and we returned to town. I stopped at Ace Hdwe and found all that I needed. I returned to boat and wired the autopilot. It worked. Watched movie Oklahoma! Not near as good as The Music Man or The Quiet Man. About 11pm the wind picked up to 20-25 out of the SE and gusting to 35, rocking the boat some.
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| Sun, May 2 | Key West | 7:00, 73, 30.03, Wind SE 10 kts, Clear. Finished installation of autopilot, slick. Did electrical checks and set for lock to lock wheel turns. Internal compass is quite sensitive to minute changes in heading as the boat swings at anchor. Worked around in the cabin installing and wiring port berth lights. Cleaned cabin and galley. Jim came out about noon, and we set the new anchor to the east. It appears to be holding well in 15kt winds. Pleasant after noon watching The Quiet Man. Jim went ashore at 8:30pm when Naja was taking Arnaud to the airplane to fly to Guadalope hospital where he can get free medical attention as a French citizen. He has a major staph infection from a coral cut.
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| Mon, May 3 | Key West | 6:30, 76, 30.04, Wind SSE 5 kts, Light overcast. Went to town after noon to buy 20 ft of chain and a swivel for the Bruce claw anchor. Went to West Marine, yes they did issue a credit card, $4000 line of credit but I never received the card, on to the post office, nothing, from there to the internet, nothing from Casey or his mother, one email from Silky Sullivan whom I hadn't heard from in 20 years and one from Spud Hale since maybe a couple of years, from Bearman telling me he would send the Heathkit SW receiver, and from my brother Mike. Checked my account balance, just barely enough to get by another week, so I didn't buy anything. Home group and then the bus to the dock, got there just as water taxi was pulling in. Home and onboard at 7:15. Wind has died down to about 3 kts, cooler and nice. Fixed dinner, had nothing to eat all day except a banana with my coffee this morning. Beautiful quiet night, down to calm.
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| Tue, May 4 | Key West | 6:30, 72, 30.06, Wind NNE 10 kts, Part cloudy. Read, napped, figured potential routes and waypoints, programmed a little, put dinghy in the water, fixed one oarlock, rowed out over anchors to check, attached tripline float to west anchor, both set well and well clear of other moorings, anchors and rodes. Quiet day, all day. Wind backed to NNW after sunset.
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| Wed, May 5 | Key West | 6:00, 72, 30.08, Wind ESE 5 kts, part cloudy. Went to town at 7:30, club and internet, news from Phyllis. Walked to post office, letter from Casey. Back to boat at 3:30 to prepare a reply to him and a CD of everything on barefootsworld.net. Rowed around boat and took pictures of it here at Key West in the mooring field north of Christmas Tree (Wisteria) Island
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| Thur, May 6 | Key West | 6:45, 74, 30.1, Wind ENE 15 kts, high cirrus. Finished letter to Casey and burned a CD for him. Went to town about 10am. Internet, found data on Rudi Fortson, he wrote the book on defense, to Post Office, mailed CD and letter, to ATM for some cash, and to club. Jim walked with me back to waterfront. Got ride back to boat with Tom at 5:30.
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| Fri, May 7 | Key West | 6:15, 70, 30.14, Windy all night ENE 15-20 kts. Spent the morning re-thinking the To Do And Buy List, cut a couple hundred off the immediate wants by changing to single speed winches. Cleaned out raw water strainer again. With the dredging along Fleming Island and the wind from the east, the mooring field is littered with sea grass that gets sucked in. Also put a thimble on the dinghy painter. It had nearly chafed through in just two days of bobbing in the waves behind the boat.
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| Sat, May 8 | Key West | 6:30, 70, 30.13, E 10 kts, part cloudy to east, clear overhead. Heated water and showered in a beautiful sunrise, a clean new day. To town about 9am to get strakes for bow nets and a can of fuel.
Fuel Dock, Lumber Yard, Key Plaza, Club, Jim's, Library, Dock at 6pm, Home by 6:15. Got a new movie at the library, "For Whom The Bell Tolls".
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| Sun, May 9 | Key West | 6:45, 70, 30.15, ESE 5 kts, clear. Town at 9am, to Jim's worksite to use the drill press to fabricate the trampoline attachment strakes, finished drilling and chamfering all 180 holes. My upper back is tweaking me. Back to boat on 3pm water taxi and into the berth after taking some aspirin. Napped 2 1/2 hours, back pain diminished. Took one of the strakes and checked fit, OK. Checked position relative to anchor set, OK.
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| Mon, May 10 | Key West | 6:15, 72, 30.13, SE near calm, overcast cumulus. Trimmed, sanded and painted strakes, three coats. Gene, on the boat behind me, gave me two used but very servicable winches that he had salvaged from a wreck.
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| Tue, May 11 | Key West | 5:30, 71, 30.12, ESE 10 kts. To town at 9am for groceries, the cupboard is bare, and for trampoline nets, screws, line and 5200 caulk. Out to Stock Island and Std. Marine Supply for net and 5200, to Key West Welding to order backstay fittings. Checked Boater's World for new anchor - not in until next week. On to internet, nothing, club and noon meeting, then to Post Office. Nate sent Dad's 24 hour book. Bus to Waterfront Market for a loaf of bread and some summer sausage, then on to the marine hardware. Set screws on counter until tomorrow. 3pm water taxi out to the boat. Wind picking up from SE about 20 kts and gusty. Anchor position checked OK. Mounted two strakes but will wait until wind dies down to mount the rest. Took winches apart and greased them. They had been washed dry in gas or diesel after being salvaged, have no corrosion and are in good condition.
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| Wed, May 12 | Key West | 6:30, 72, 30.11, SE 10 kts, part cloudy hazy morning. Payday. To town to get winch screws and mounts, more groceries, and the usual. Bought two movies, Crocodile Dundee I & II. Watched them both, and enjoyed them as much this time as when I saw them 20 years ago.
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| Thur, May 13 | Key West | 6:30, 71, 30.1, SE 15 kts, part cloudy. Went to town at 7:30, out to KeY Plaza and Home Depot, bought stainless rock screws, nylon line and other hardware to install trampolines. Picked up 3" trampoline screws at Key West Marine Supply, and winch mounting bolts at West Marine -- exorbitant bastards -- and caught taxi back to boat at 9:30. Rain squall hit as I was walking out the dock. Naja and I arrived together at the taxi, perfect timing. Wind picked up to 20, unpleasant to work on deck. Made winch backing plates. Had to go back into West Marine to return wrong size bolts at 2pm. Went to KW Marine and bought new bolts and saved $20. Back at 3:15. Wind gusting to 25. Mounted winches, looks good. One major step closer to being able to go to sea.
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| Fri, May 14 | Key West | 6:30, 72, 30.12, ESE 15 gusting to 25 kts, mostly clear. Finished installing trampoline strakes this morning and went to town to do laundry. No call from Casey, Phyllis sent me a letter he had sent her. Received a letter from G'ma, all is well back at the ranch. Also a copy of the article about me and the Windwalker in the May issue of Cruising World by Mike Savage. Mike got his notes that he made last August at Marina Gosselin a bit screwed up, but the essence was there, with a good photo of Janice and myself. Too bad she has so many physical problems, just was not a boat person, and married Mickey last month. Oh, well!
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| Sat, May 15 | Key West | 6:15, 73, 30.1, ESE 5-10 kts, clear. At sunup wind had let down a little from yesterday but by 10am it was back up. Spent the day working on trampoline installation. Siesta. Finished port net just before sunset. Looks good. Tested it and it holds well. Good for straining a fallen bow man out of the soup.. Checked anchors, haven't moved at all. Wind kicking up after dark, small white caps in the mooring field. Went forward to look, bow net gives a bit of security.
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| Sun, May 16 | Key West | 7:00, 75, 30.1, ESE 5 kts, clear. Heavy rain squall during night about midnight. Looks like another one to the east moving this way. Squall hit at 8am just as I was getting started on installing starboard net, lasted about 10 minutes. Wind picked up to 10-15. Finished starboard net about 10:45 and got ready to go to town. Another squall coming in, wind backing to ENE. To Post Office, to internet, Subway for lunch, and to club to wait for call from Casey. Nothing. Back to boat at 9pm.
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| Mon, May 17 | Key West | 6:15, 75, 30.13, ESE 10-20 kts, part cloudy. Trade winds will persist the rest of the week. Programmed bow net and winch photos into the photos page. Spent a couple of hours GI-ing the galley and cabin, cleaning, and putting tools and gear away. Hot shower at sunset and dinner.
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| Tue May 18 | Key West | 7:00, 75, 30.12, ESE 5 kts, clear. To town at 8am. Picked up backstay tangs, cost $20 more than anticipated. Checked on new anchor, backordered, another 2 weeks. Club and internet, nothing of note. Back to boat at 7:15pm. Wind fairly light most of the day, about 7 kts, but picked up to about 20 after dark.
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| Wed May 19 | Key West | 5:00, 75, 30.08, ESE 5 kts, clear.
Woke early. Back to bed at 6, up again at 6:45. Wind backed to ENE howling at 20 kts, then lightened some for a half hour. A black storm front is threatening from the east. Downpour hit at 8:30. Charged batteries and worked on routing to Azores and Ireland, establishing waypoints in GPS. Rain stopped at 9:15 and wind went calm veering to SE, another squall passing below Key West. Left mooring at 3:15 for the fuel dock, took on $45 - 24.8 gal. fuel and 100 gal. of water. Jim was there to take the radial arm saw to his place. Left dock at 5:00 and was back at anchor at 5:30, tipping the dinghy over in the process of picking up the bridle. No worry, saved the oars and righted it after securing the boat. Worked up a sweat doing it though and broke my readers. Nice to be home.
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| Thur May 20 | Key West | 6:15, 74, 30.12, E 10 kts, clear. Slow start this morning. Weather report wind continues, need calm to let mast down to install backstay tangs and locktite all rigging turnbuckles, maybe by Sunday. Figured out way to get VCAD cad system working on the old desktop puter, so will keep it onboard to do design work when needed. Water taxi forgot to pick me up, damn. Made it in the next hour, marine hardware, walked to 1nternet, downloaded No. Atlantic pilot charts. On to Subway and club. Jim mentioned he might want to crew. Didn't stay for meeting. To PO and back to boat by 6;45. Quiet night. Studied pilot charts for June and July. The most likely route will be direct great circle route from West End of Little Bahama to Ireland without a stop in Iceland or the Azores.
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| Fri May 21 | Key West | 6:45, 74, 30.16, E 5 kts, clear.
Located most of charts needed, and calculated great circle distance to Ireland, 3700nm, 20 days @ 7kts. Depending on the winds and currents once 40N 55W waypoint is reached, the decision to go north to Iceland or direct to Ireland will be made. Hard 20 minute squall from the E about 10am. Cleaned raw water strainer again, damn sea grass plugs it, need an external slotted strainer covering the through-hull fitting.
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| Sat May 22 | Key West | 6:00, 74, 30.15, E <5 kts, cumulus cloudy. Rained during the night. Went to town to help Jim build his loft. Got it built and the radial arm saw loosened up and assembled. With all the corrosion from it being in the hold for the last 8 months, it is a wonder it works at all. Back to the boat at 6pm. Wrote Casey a letter. Continued sorting the junk, eliminating unneeded, and stowing tools and other stuff.
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| Sun May 23 | Key West | 6:00, 75, 30.1, E 5 kts, part cumulus cloudy. Went ashore at 8am to Jim's to tighten and align the old radial arm saw. It will never be the same again for precision work, but still has a life as a cutoff and ripping saw. Took a shower and cleaned up, then checked the Post Office. Toured the Coast Guard Barque "Eagle", America's Tall Ship, and went to the club, staying for the meeting, then walked back to the dock to catch the 8:30 run back out to the boat. Nice quiet night.
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| Mon May 24 | Key West | 6:15, 76, 30.08, E 5 kts, clear. To town at 8am, same routine, internet, club, post office to mail letter. Ordered charts of Iceland, west approaches to Ireland and Irish Sea. Groceries and back to club. Talked quite a while with a newbie youngster, Eric, 23, intelligent, likeable, very open young man. I brought him out to the boat to bunk him for the night. We discussed the possibility of him crewing and we watched The Quiet Man. Down at 11:30.
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| Tue May 25 | Key West | 6:40, 76, 30.09, E 5 kts, clear. Sent Eric back in to town to look for day labor work, start the process of getting a passport, call his mother and let her know he is trying to stay clean and sober, so that he can crew with me for the woyage. He is fully aware of my rules, one fuck-up and he is off the boat. That's the way the cow eats the cabbage. He will have to be self-supporting through his own contributions, buy his own foul weather gear and other necessaries. Spent most of day calculating expenses and cash flow to and at Ireland, studying charts, napping and cleaning cabin, stowing, etc. Wind has been calm, very light breeze from NW all afternoon.
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| Wed May 26 | Key West | 6:15, 76, 30.09, NE 2 kts, clear. To town at 7:30. Jim's work, club, internet. Post Office and back to club all day. Eric got all the assigned tasks complete and got day labor work with "Teaspoon" starting tomorrow at the Navy Annex. Back to boat on 8:30 run.
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| Thur May 27 | Key West | 5:30, 76, 30.1, SE 5 kts, clear. Eric to work on 6:30 taxi. Installed a navigation station overhead light. Located sewing machine and re-sewed the flag. Organized all gear in stbd ama, and stowed sewing machine there. Eric had a good day at work, back at 7:00, dinner, then watched movie.
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| Fri May 28 | Key West | 6:00, 77, 30.06, SE 5 kts, clear. 6:30 taxi. Vacuumed bilges, re-screwed cabin sole, found more unneeded to eliminate. Cleaned cockpit, need to scrub decks. Went to town qt 11, internet and noon mtg, bought groceries and picked up charts of Iceland and Ireland. Then back to club and 5:30. Eric and I caught the 8:30 taxi out. Eric cooked an excellent meal. After I find that he is a classic guitarist, so I showed him my banjo..and he took off on it.... At least someone will get some use out of it and we will have music during the long hours at sea.
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| Sat May 29 | Key West | 7:00, 78, 30.08, SE 5 kts, clear. 7:45 taxi to town. To club and internet, ordered new sextant, $75. Library, checked out some DVD movies and classic guitar music, then sat out the hot part of the afternoon. 6:30 taxi back. Eric swam and showered off, I showered while Eric practiced the banjo. Fixed dinner at sundown. Nice soft night.
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| Sun May 30 | Key West | 7:00, 78, 30.06, SE 5 kts, clear. Wrote letter to Eric's folks. Dug out tools to go into Jim's to finish his loft and went to town on 9am taxi. Found a free scooter for Arnaud and Naja's son, Alexie. Built two ladders for loft, had lunch and watched the start of the Indy 500. Returned to dock and waited for 3:30 taxi which didn't come. Rode out on Tom O'Toole's Celtic Knot about 5:00. Lazed through the rest of the day and evening.
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| Mon May 31 | Key West | 7:00, 78, 30.05, SSE 3 kts, clear. Arnaud came by about 7 and took the scooter for Alexie onboard the taxi. Read and drank coffee until I woke Eric at 9am. Rigged the mast to let it down and worked all day in baking heat checking, cleaning and locktite-ing all the rigging fittings. Good damn thing I did, a number were loose. Installed the new backstay tangs. Shut down work before sundown. Both of us are about burnt out from the heat.
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| Tue Jun 1 | Key West | 6:10, 75, 30.04, SSE 5 kts, part cloudy.
Mom's 91st birthday. It was a cooler night. Eric off to work on 6:30 taxi. I continued working on rigging. Need more locktite. I lost a turnbuckle pin overboard. Near broke, good thing Eric is working and paid daily. Finished all the fittings by 9am except top of upper shrouds abd top of jib stays, which will wait until both of us are here. Started putting proper blocking on hatch hinges. Went to town on noon tqxi, to club to wish Mom "Happy Birthday", to internet, bus to Ace Hdwe for locktite, marine supply for turnbuckle pin I lost overboard, and walked to Post Office to mail letter to Eric's folks, and then to club for the beginning of the 5:30 mtg and back to waterfront, for a total of about 4 walking miles for the day. Got the late "6:30 taxi" back to boat about 7:15. Had dinner of spam and rice, then Eric filled out passport forms. He wjll have saved money for it by tomorrow.
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| Wed Jun 2 | Key West | 5:50, 77, 30.03, SSE 5 kts, part cloudy to SE and looks socked in over mainland to NE. Eric off at 6:45. Worked at finishing hatch hinging. Two hatches mounted by 9am, day heating up. Glued hinge blocking to other two hatches. Arnaud forgot me on the noon taxi and Naja forgot me at 2pm. I had wanted to be sure Eric had enough funds for his passport. Mounted the other two hatches and then napped, read and sweltered the rest of the day. Eric back on 8:30 taxi, brought Jim's cellphone to call Hank in Boston. He wants to crew to Ireland, will be down next week to talk.
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| Thur Jun 3 | Key West | 6:30, 76, 30.08, SSE 5 kts, part cloudy. Cut bamboo pole to manageable length for whisker pole and stowed. Continued work on rigging. Hatch dogs are inadequate, need to be more secure. Cleaned raw water strainer, damn sea grass. Went to town at noon, stopped by Jim's, he is still off work with bad back. Called Mom and wished happy 91st, called Phyllis about Casey, she talked with him yesterday. On to PO and club and sat in the air conditioned room refreshing my celestial navigation. Returned to boat at 7:15 and Eric installed the top backstay. Damned hot, no breeze. Eric cooked fine dinner. He practiced guitar for an hour, fine picking, before sacking out at 10pm.
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| Fri Jun 4 | Key West | 6:10, 79, 30.1, ESE 5 kts, part cloudy.
Started installing lower backstay as Eric left for work at 6:45, tensioned top backstay, caulked jack and spreader cups, and ricgged blocks to raise mast before the heat got too much to work in the sun. Sweltered for about 4 hours in the cabin shade. Re-glued hatch dog blocks. And it is not even summer yet. Light breeze came up again about sundown. Eric came out on last water taxi at 10:30, I went back to bed while he played guitar on bow in the soft evening breeze.
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| Sat Jun 5 | Key West | 6:05, 80, 30.12, SE 7 kts, part cloudy, smoke clouds over Everglades fires. Eric working half day today. They like his work, giving him more responsibility and work requiring skill. They may give him a raise. Towm at noon, did laundry, internet and went to club. PO for letter from Casey and to boat on 6:30 taxi. Damn it is hot!! Low low tide. Breeze at sundown. Eric practiced and wrote a song after dinner. I proved out the form I had made earlier in the day for celestial navigation sight reduction for plotting 3 body position fixes. UPS will deliver the new sextant Wednesday.
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| Sun Jun 6 | Key West | 6:45, 80, 30.13, calm, part cloudy. Woke Eric at 7. Between the two of us, Eric out at the end of the mast, we got the top fittings of the upper shrouds locktited, tightened and re-installed by 9am. It is DAMN HOT and CALM. Finished the fittings on the forestays at 11:15. All fittings are done. After shimming the samson post the mast can be raised. It is HOTTER now, but a slight breeze has come up. We sweltered through the afternoon watching Crocodile Dundee and doing as little as possible after breeze died.
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| Mon Jun 7 | Key West | 6:25, 80, 30.14, light breeze, part cloudy. Woke late, barely had time to get Eric up and out. I went to town on the 9am run to get a few groceries and a shim for the samson post. Then to club, internet, etc. Bus to Key West Welding for stainless for mast step shim, Boater's World to pick up anchor and Albertson's. back to club. 8:30 taxi out. A little cooler tonight, a slight breeze. Lightning show late north about 10 miles as I was showing Eric how to locate Polaris. I quit reading about midnight.
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| Tue Jun 8 | Key West | 6:20, 81, 30.15, light breeze, part cloudy. Got Eric off to work and started work myself by fixing the switch on the grinder. Made the mast step shim, installed it, and the mast was ready to raise by 10am. Stowed loose tools and gear. Trimmed the usable piece of a torn boom cover I found at the dock last night. May be used to cover the mizzen or maybe just as a temporary dodger. Spent an hour making a 30 day provisioning list for a 3 man crew. Hinged and installed the piece to fit the cabin sole around the sampson post. A breeze freshened about 2:00. Watched the Quiet Man AGAIN. Napped and read until 6pm. Washed dishes and cleaned galley. Made dinner about 9:30, but Eric didn't make the 9:30 taxi. Hope he is OK.
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| Wed Jun 9 | Key West | 6:45, 81, 30.15, Wind ESE 10 kts, part cloudy. Didn't sleep until after 2am, hot and humid. Woke at sunup. Raised and pinned the mast by myself by 8:15. Finished adjusting standing rigging by 9:30.
Went to town at 10:30. Got sleeping bag washed, picked up pilot charts, downloaded registered Navigation program from web 35$. Sextant arrived UPS, will do just fine, easy to adjust and zero. Eric and I went to 5:30 mtg, picked up mail at PO and made it to boat at 7pm. Played with sextant and new Navigator program.
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| Thur Jun 10 | Key West | 6:15, 81, 30.13, Wind ESE 10-15 kts, storm clouds, lightning north and south. Cotterpinned all the turnbuckles. Rain squall came at 8am, got a good shower and hair shampooed. Read and replied to letters from Casey, Phyllis and Mom. Went to town, bought more cotterpins, picked up the HF radio at the PO. Club, first part of meeting, then hoofed it back to the dock in time for the 6:30 taxi. Eric got laid off this morning, but has work for tomorrow and next week. He came out on 8:30 boat.
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| Fri Jun 11 | Key West | 6:25, 81, 30.12, Wind ESE 5-10 kts, part cloudy, humidity 78%. Spent the morning plotting courses on July Pilot chart and learning the various Navigation programs. Went to town, the usual. Hank arrived from Boston at 4:45. Meeting, dinner, and at 8:30 back to boat for a pleasant evening. Eric did not show with the later taxi???
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| Sat Jun 12 | Key West | 6:45, 80, 30.12, Wind ESE 5 kts, part cloudy, humidity 80%. Beautiful sunrise. Hank went swimming and took pictures of boat from the water. To town at 8:00am. Scouted out provisioning sources, internet, club. Bought a number of items on the list and pvc pipe to make wiskerpoles. Hank and I back to boat at 7pm. No sign of Eric all day???
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| Sun Jun 13 | Key West | 5:45, 82, 30.12, calm, cloudy, humidity 80%. Exquisite sunrise. Hank went to town at 8:30. Arnaud said Eric called for taxi too late last night. ??? I spent a steamy morning rigging whisker poles and
balancing load on boat. Lost a lens out of glasses, but found and fixed. In afternoon I put old computer out on deck ready to go to town in the morning. Chainplates are recaulked. Forepeak is cleared for berth and provision stowage. Areas aft of berths is open for crew clothes and gear. I will get stackable bins tomorrow. Charts are all in my stbd stowage area. Napped 5:30. Eric and Hank came out on 6:30 taxi, all is well. Pleasant evening, Eric and Hank jacking their jaws.
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| Mon Jun 14 | Key West | 6:00, 82, 30.14, part cloudy, humidity 80%. Hank and Eric went to town at 7:00. Arnaud was late with the taxi. I spent early hours putting tools away, cleaning galley and went in at 9am. Waited around at the club until 3pm for Hank, called him on his cellphone. He had struck his colors and was the other side of Ft. Lauderdale headed for Boston. Went out to Key Plaza and Home Depot, bought batteries and a yellow towel for a quarantine flag. Back to boat on 6:30 taxi. Hank leaving means the money he was to contribute to the boat went with him and we will have to economize some. This will probably delay depqrture until Wed after next. Worked at re-doing the provisioning list. HF receiver working fine.
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| Tue Jun 15 | Key West | 5:50, 82, 30.11, part cloudy to east, humidity 80%, light breeze SSE. At 8:30 took the old computer in to Jim's and went to do the laundry. Got it done and loaded on taxi by 10:30. Internet, emailed Mike and Tony asking if they could lend $500. Out to Albertson's to price out list and bought about $30 worth of sausage, granola bars and fixings for tonight. Returned to club and dock for 6:30 taxi. Spent until 8pm refining provisioning list to about $450 for 2 men for a month, with some dry staples to spare if it gets a little longer.
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| Wed Jun 16 | Key West | 6:00, 82, 30.12, part cloudy, storm cloud passed, wind SE 10-15kts. humidity 80%. Rained during night. No 6:30 taxi, Eric late for work, too windy to row ashore. Put laundry away. As of this morning, expenses including provisioning until departure are estimated to be a minimum of $600 with no slack. We also need $200 reserve Ship's Cash for Port and Customs fees when needed. Went to town at 11, out to Markey's Diesel on Stock Island for spare v-belts and seawater pump impellor, $43. Club, Internet and 6:30 taxi. Naja gave me a copy of her son's book, "the Tenth Cup of Heaven by Alexis Girard D'Albissin, age 9, a marvelous collection of his art and poems. I copied routes from Cornell for Peter Walter from Germany on the Betelquese, a 30' Hinkley sloop. Met him coming out on the taxi. He is bound for the Azores on the way to Madiera following much the same course as ours until Long 35. Storm moving just north of Fleming Key and of this position a couple of miles, a tremendous lightning storm and gusts to 25 kts. Eric stayed in town.
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| Thur Jun 17 | Key West | 6:00, 76%, 30.15, part cloudy, wind SE 10 kts. humidity 83%. Rained hard during night. 8:30 taxi, to internet, Mike and Tony couldn't help, things are real tight back at the ranch in Idaho, medical problems. Went to club and whittled on the provisioning list getting down to "needs" and eliminating "wants" cutting out about $150. Bought rain gear that will do the job at Home Depot, $15/set, saving about $300. Went to Albertson's and bought $35 of spice and paper items and misc. on the provisioning list. Funding is working out a day at a time, HP is on the job. Out on 6:30 taxi. Both Eric and I are pooped, hot and sticky, no wind. He slept on the beach last night and didn't get much sleep. Potatoes, onions and sausage for dinner. 5 kt wind has veered from NE to SW in the last hour after sunset.
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| Fri Jun 18 | Key West | 6:30, 82%, 30.14, part cloudy, wind calm. humidity 78%. Rained hard during night. Eric woke at 7 congested and coughing with the flu. We got 8:00 taxi to call Hobbs, his employer, who has accommodated the late water taxi fiasco to keep Eric working a part day. I don't think it wise for him to work today, and carry it to others. I began treating both he and I with indian carrot, lomatium dissectum. We purchased about half the provisioning, brought it to the dock and Eric took it out to the boat and retired for the day, resting as much as possible. I went back out to Home Depot, got the nylon webbing and to Kmart for water jerry cans, returning to the club. Jim gave me $200 to finish provisioning tomorrow and Monday. I spoke with Eric's folks, Hank and Claire, at 5pm telling of our progress and plans. They are sending Eric a check which should arrive Monday or Tuesday, so Wednesday departure has become a reality.
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| Sat Jun 19 | Key West | 6:30, 30.15, 76%, 79°, mostly clear, wind 5 kts SE. Bent jib to furlers and I went to town at 8:30. Eric stayed on boat until 3 and we met up finally at the dock at 8:30. He is doing much better, Indian Carrot curing flu. I had spent day all over Key West and Stock Island trying to find a suitable safety harness, finally found one and a spare lanyard. I will splice a second harness from nylon line. Taxi lost running lights as we were leaving the dock but were repaired in 20 minutes and we got out to boat at 9:45. Evening still a little steamy and sweaty, very light breeze.
| Sun Jun 20 | Key West | 6:15, 30.16, 80%, 80°, mostly clear, breeze 2 kts SW. Rained for 1/2 hr about 2am. Dingy hung up on east anchor trip line float, cleared that. To town about 9:00. Eric thinks he will live, indian carrot did the trick. He stayed aboard doing house cleaning and organizing. Out to Kmart for stacktrays, 100' 3/8 nylon line, first aid kit, and dramamine, to internet and back to the boat at 12:30. Eric playing guitar and feeling good and hot! Made a very acceptable safety harness spliced from the 3/8" line. Napped a couple of hours. At 6pm we pulled the east anchor and chain, cleaned and stowed. Hanging on the 45# west anchor and 50 ft of chain until we get ready to leave Wednesday. Afterward both Eric and I doused ourselves with buckets of tepid seawater to cool the sweat and then relaxed. The sea was glass smooth as a number of tarpon thrashed a school of pilchard over a 50 yard square area. Very pleasant evening out on foredeck in a gentle westerly breeze, Eric taking his ease in the starboard trampoline.
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| Mon Jun 21 | Key West | 5:15, 30.16, 76%, 78°, mostly clear, breeze 2 kts SW. Woke with dinghy banging hulls. Painter hung on prop. Eric and I tried to get it loose, will have to wait 'til light. Cleared it at sunup, dingy painter had wound around anchor float and carried it under the main hull to hang in the prop. To town at 8:30. Took in laundry. Went past Post Office, check from Hank and Claire there. Eric had gone to collect his last pay and met me back at club. We went together to Bank of America to cash check. With his pay and $160 he got a personal CD player (I won't have to listen to his music), CDs and a set of snorkel diving gear including underwater flashlight and gloves. We went to club for 5:30 meeting, had hamburgers, salad and fries for dinner at Turtle Kraals and caught the 8pm taxi out to boat. Weaver Mike had 2 palm leaf sun hats made for us, specially priced at $10 each. We bent the genoa to the furler. There will be no water taxis after noon tomorrow so will have to use the bus early to get last of provisions back to the boat by about 11am. Too hot tonight, no breeze, harbor glass smooth until after 10pm. Heat lightning about 5 miles south of the Keys.
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| Tue Jun 22 | Key West | 6:35, 30.14, 79%, 80°, overcast, 3 kts SE. To towm at 8am for final provisions. Put provisions aboard at noon and stoewd thrm forward. Pulled the hook and took boat to fuel dock at 5pm to be there to top thr tanks first thing in the morning. We went on into town to say goodbye to the good folks of Key West at the Anchors Aweigh Club, where Eric got his 30 day chip at the 5:30 meeting. Posted on the internet and sent emails around the country. Back on board shortly after sundown.
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| Bound for Ireland!!
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