Rainbow

One morning I stepped out of the boat and watched the most amazing thing...
A rainbow form right before my eyes.
It started as a small piece in the west. Then another piece started in the north. Then they joined together to form a full rainbow.


Then, a second rainbow formed. In a little less than the time it took for the rainbows to form (about 10 minutes), they disappreared again before my eyes.

Earth Flag

My friend Vicki gave Athena the Earth flag flying in the picture from Athena's backstay.
It belonged to a Lakota man named Angel Menendez. He is an Indian Activist who "gifted" the flag to Vicki when he got out of jail and decided to get rid of all his belongings. She remembers him saying, "if he has nothing, the Government can't take anything away from him."

Athena is very proud to have such a flag, and it will go well with the new port she will have printed on her stern "Mother Earth."

Motivation...

My motivation/energy seems to be lacking...
But, this weekend I did scrape the bottom of the 8 foot dinghy, Wren, which was covered in 1/2 inch thick barnacles, and scrape the bottom of the kayak, which wasn't too too bad, but did have some barnacles.
I wired up my new GPS chartplotter, very cool :)
I ran Athena's engine for an hour and 10 minutes with no problems evident.
I called Barnacle Bill earlier in the week to get Athena on the schedule for bottom scraping. They're planning to come December 10th, when they do a few other boats in the marina as well.
I also talked to Marilynn of Fine Designs to schedule Athena's new name and "port" for the stern. She's a couple weeks out in getting the signs done. I need to send her some measurements, of which I'm remembering now I was going to get one more this weekend and I forgot :(
Big things left to do for next weekend.
1. Finish hooking up fresh water system.
2. Change the engine oil.
3. Keep running Athena to check for reliability.
4. Wire up the triplex for the tri-color light on the top of the mast.
5. Paint Athena's stern blue, and see if I like it...
6. Get measurements to Fine Designs for name making.
7. Although not necessary, it sure would be nice to install the radio too :)
8. Find some energy and motivation.
9. Get the 4 Hp motor working.
10. Go kayaking...

Engine is running again and VHF hooked up

My mentor, Russell, traveled down to Goodland last evening to help Athena and I out.
We replaced the o-rings on the Racor fuel filter and tightened the cap in hopes that this would seal the air leak the engine seems to have...
Then we had to take on the task of rebleeding the engine, a task that has become all too familiar and is no easy task with Athena's engine. After much angst, she started again, yae :)
Then we let her run. She ran for about 40 minutes with no problems, which is about 10 minutes longer than she ran on Sunday, when she sucked air and shut down again.
So, we'll have to keep her on a running scheduled to see if she really is reliable...
She also has some fuel hoses that could use replacing, so I'll be ordering those from my favorite parts department ;)
While the engine was humming away, Russell finished hooking up and installing the VHF radio.
The weekend is upon us and there's much to do, but I'm looking forward to it :)

4 Hp Dinghy Motor...

In keeping a sailboat going, one also needs to keep the alternative method of travel going...
The Dinghy!
I have an 8 foot plastic dinghy with inflatable ring. I have the accessories to make it into a sailing dinghy, but sometimes that's just not practical, so I have a little 4 hp outboard engine for it too. Thing I've learned about these little engines is that if you don't use them, you need to drain out the fuel.
So, mine had been sitting around unused for a number of months... It probably had some fuel left in it. The person who borrowed it previously thinking they were being "nice" by leaving some fuel for me...
Anywho, in preparing for the potential Thanksgiving trip, I decided I better get that engine fixed. So, I took it to the place I always get parts for the Yanmar engine (Athena's 15 Hp engine). I dropped it off and they called back with a quote to fix the engine for $250ish. I called back to tell them I'd be picking my little engine back up again and holding off on the repair. I was planning to take the thing apart with some of my friends and try to get the thing going. I just couldn't justify paying $250 for repair work on an engine I only paid $300 for....
So, I wasn't able to pick up the engine the day I called to tell them it was a no go. I had to pick it up the next day. I went around lunch time and i followed one of the service guys into the shop to get the engine. As we were walking back he whispered into my ear, "I didn't tell you this, but the engine is already fixed." Apparently one of the service guys was sitting around with nothing to do, so they fixed it !!! No charge to me ! Well, I just didn't know how to thank them and I didn't have any cash in my pocket...
So, I went back to the office and pooled my friends, what should I do...
Brian had this great idea of sending them pizza for lunch. So, the next day I called a pizza delivery place and had three large pizzas delivered to the parts department for the parts and service guys from Jen. I guess there aren't too many Jen's that stop in all the time and get parts and such, so they knew who to call. They were very appreciative of the pizza and it felt good that I was able to do something for them to show my appreciation of the great friendly service they always show me. I definitely don't get that "she's a girl, she doesn't know what she's doing" attitude from them. Even though sometimes I may not be so slick with all the terminology ;)
How cool is that !
Thank you Universe !!

Can't let Patty get all the attention...

Patty Patty Patty !
Can't let Patty get all the attention.
Fluff-a-Nutter is a cutie too :)





In between all the work of the boat, I sure do enjoy relaxing on the boat with my two cats :)


See Fluff on psuedo bed...
One day I left the hatch open over the v-birth and it ended up raining all day... soaked my normal sleeping quarters. Had to set up camp on one of the salon benches. Slept there two nights, not so bad.

Patty's Paper Bag Toy...

Peppermint Patty just loves to play with paper bags :)

Tick Tick Tick

Athena's engine is still not quite reliable.
Started her up on Sunday morning, she turned a few times and puttered along. The new batteries installed last weekend are holding their charge.
I let her run for about a half an hour to see how she would do. I was about to turn her off, but decided to let her run a few moments more... A very telling decision, for not but a few moments later, she sputtered to a stop. Fuel lines full of air again. This time I KNOW for sure she had plenty of fuel in the fuel tank. I heared a humming from the "engine room," the tiny little compartment squeezed between the hull, the base of the cockpit, starboard storage, and port aft birth. What could be making the humming... I crawled down from the cockpit into the starboard storage to access the engine and sleuth out the humming... It appeared to be coming from the Racor fuel filter. I put my ear right up to it, humming for sure. I closed the valve between the Racor and the fuel line to the engine, the humming stopped. The elusive air leak is definitely in the Racor filter. Nice to have found, but bummer to have found that the engine still isn't quite right, so close to the Thanksgiving goal.
Didn't feel like dealing with the engine again this weekend. I was on a mission to clean up some of the wiring.
This weekend I pulled the VHF antenna cable from the base of the mast, beneath the floor, and up port side storage, to near the navigation station. I need to borrow a drill to install more holes between the storage and the navigation station. I also pulled wiring for a future music radio and for the VHF radio from the fuse box above the salon on the starboard side of the boat down under the floor and back up again to the navigation station on the port side. I pulled the triplex wire from the base of the mast, beneath the floor, and up to just behind the fuse panel but realized the wire is about 5 feet too short (so had to make a second trip to West Marine that day and will have to have a splice in the line, oh well, such is life). I also replaced all three running lights (one green and one red at the bow and one white at the stern), ran new wiring to the ones at the bow and reconnected the stern light. They all worked, yae! Much of this wiring work I learned while watching Brian help me convert the Mercedes to run on veggie oil.
Who would ever have believed I'd learn how to use these cool electrical tools... I also found two wires connected directly to the batteries that led to nothing and disconnected those. I'm not sure I'm making the wiring any neater, but at least all the connections will be cleaned up a bit, and I'm not sure yet which lines, but I know Capt. John had mentioned to me that plain ol' household wiring had been used for some, and that's not preferable in the boat environment.

As the time ticks, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to accomplish all.
Things I didn't get done yet that I really should have done, is get the 4 hp dinghy motor into the shop and running again, clean off the bottom of the sailboat herself, and clean off the bottom of my kayak and my dinghy. I'm almost scared to pull those out of the water now... barnacles galore i'm sure.
Still have found no partner to go sailing with, and that has led to nightmares, amoung other mind musings.

Thanksgiving Trip Todos

With Athena's engine running again, yae ! The spirit of working towards the Thanksgiving trip up the coast to Cabbage Key is renewed :)
but... there's lots to do !!!!
There is a little leak in the wiring, Russell and I determined, a small one of 0.05 amps. We did some sleuthing, but Athena's wiring leaves lots to be desired. Behind the fuse board is a cluster of wires that looks like a rat's nest!
Goals this coming week as follows:
1. Trace as many electrical lines as possible and get rid of the miscellaneous ones of no use. Prepare to run new wires and clean up the rats nest.
2. Fresh water system still remains undone...
3. Try to get the running lights running :)
4. Hook up the tri-colored light and VHF radio antenna that were newly installed on the top of the mast this summer. Very important to get that VHF radio going.
Hopefully Russell will help with the running some wiring and the VHF radio and perhaps if time a trip out to the Gulf to practice some sailing :)
5. Also need to find a partner to go sailing with for Thanksgiving!

SV Athena's Engine

Since October 7th, when the engine faulted out, getting her started again has been weighing on the mind...
Russell and Lynne stopped over on Sunday afternoon the 8th to see if we could get things going again, but we were unsuccessful.
She was left to rest as I travel back home to Massachusetts that following week and being away that next weekend, I didn't work on her again until October 22nd.
On October 22nd, I woke up first thing in the morning, got some tunes going, hooked up the charger to the batteries, and started pumped away at the manual fuel feed pump. I got fuel out of all the high points in the engine and decided to go for one more round of bleeding from the engine fuel filter... I was just about to try to start then engine, going for my final tightening on one of the bleeder bolts, I felt a snap.... and there would be no more tightening of that bolt. My work of rebleeding the engine for not :(
That was a difficult way to start the day, and it was hard to jump into the multitude of other tasks that need to be done. I gave up and got coffee.
Eventually I motivated enough to finish removing the letters from the stern, sanding with coarse than fine, and painting two prime coats.
The next day I was into Big Marco River Marina, the guys of which help me often and I've just realized I've failed to get their photos... hmmm... a new photo challenge...
I ordered a new fuel filter for the engine and a bunch of compression rings for the bolts used to bleed the engine.
The new fuel filter was in by that Friday, October 27th, but I ended up taking that weekend off from the boat and converting my land vehicle to run of veggie oil :)
But, time is a ticking if I want to make even an attempt at joining the upcoming Thanksgiving trip up the coast to Cabbage Key.
Saturday, November 4th, was a day of prep and celebration in the renaming of the sailboat to Athena, but Sunday, November 5th, it was time to get back to business !
Charging up the batteries, Russell helped change out the engine fuel filter and rebleed, yet again, the engine. We tried to start her up a couple times and killed the batteries, which we think were dead dead dead anyways. So, we changed the two out for one new and one pretty decent one previously donated by Captain John.
With new charge we charged forward with attempting to use the engine to further bleed herself and start her up... We thought we were once again down for the count. But, we didn't give up, changed a few things we were doing and sure enough, it was the sweet sound of her running again :) aaaahhhhhh....
thanks Russell :)

SV Athena

Sailing Vessel Alexis Dare was officially denamed and renamed Athena on November 4th.
There was much food...
And much ceremony...
An auspicious event !
A good time to invite friends to witness and to party!!



To ensure pleasing the gods... the event was a toga party...
Those that didn't arrive wearing togas... were not without toga for long...
Thank you everyone for helping me appease the gods ;)

Bruce looked great in the Hulk toga, and Rony looked great wearing Superman ;) Rony also did a wonderful job of popping the many champaign corks and serving up the champaign to everyone. Thanks Rony!

One of my very good friends (Beth), a great sewer, who makes some very cool things (http://inthekeyoflife.typepad.com/shop/), made my toga outfit. The fabric sparkles. I absolutely love it!! I felt like a goddess ;)
Thanks Beth :)

I just have to remember not to wear my shorts underneath next time so my butt doesn't look so big!!! It's big enough as it is ;p
Ya, that's right, I've been called "J Ro" before...



Another one of my very good friends (Vicki) arrived as a toga mermaid. She looked great! Vicki has given me tons of help and support with Athena. Thanks Vicki :)


Russell and Lynne also came very appropriately attired ! The fig leaves are awesome! We all especially liked Russell's "bag clip"....

Lynne is a great goddess and reminds me to be my own goddess too! Thanks Lynne :)
Without Russell, I wouldn't be where I'm at now!!!
Thanks Russell :)

Denaming Ceremony
"In the name of all who have sailed aboard this ship in the past, and in the name of all who may sail aboard her in the future, we invoke the ancient gods of the wind and the sea to favor us with their blessing today. Mighty Poseidon, king of all that moves in or on the waves; and mighty Aeolus, guardian of the winds and all that blows before them: We offer you our thanks for the protection you have afforded this vessel in the past. We voice our gratitude that she has always found shelter from tempest and storm and enjoyed safe passage to port.
Now, wherefore, we submit this supplication, that the name whereby this vessel has hitherto been known Alexis Dare, be struck and removed from your records.
Further, we ask that when she is again presented for blessing with another name, she shall be recognized and shall be accorded once again the selfsame privileges she previously enjoyed. In return for which, we rededicate this vessel to your domain in full knowledge that she shall be subject as always to the immutable laws of the gods of the wind and the sea. In consequence whereof, and in good faith, we seal this pact with a libation offered according to the hallowed ritual of the sea."

Renaming Ceremony
"Oh mighty and great ruler of the seas and oceans, to whom all ships and we who venture upon your vast domain are required to pay homage, implore you in your graciousness to take unto your records and recollection this worthy vessel hereafter and for all time known as Athena, guarding her with your mighty arm and trident and ensuring her of safe and rapid passage throughout her journeys within your realm.
In appreciation of your munificence, dispensation and in honor of your greatness, we offer these libations to your majesty and your court."

The sun set and the full moon rose. I think it was a wonderful way to rename a boat and I hope quite fitting for the gods that will watch over Athena...

Thank you Beth and Lisa for the great pictures !!!

Lightening Protection???

From what I can discern, there is much debate over lightening protection for boats... Some forums for non-sailboats even indicate anchoring near a sailboat!!! I'm sure they're being silly... hmmm...
The debate seems logical and basically states that something grounded properly will more likely get hit but perhaps not suffer as much damage and potentially (no pun intended) minimize harm to persons around it...
I was talking to a couple of my neighbors last night. They live on a catamaran across the way.
They've lost electronics twice due to lightening strikes and mentioned that others in the marina have lost as well.
Florida is rated as the top state in the country for lightening strikes that result in deaths and is known as the lightening capital of the world.
It seems most likely to me that electronics on a boat are damaged by lightening traveling through shore power cords... so, installation of surge protection has been recommended. But then again.... boat electronics are not necessarily connected to shore power. It seems likely that once in the power lines the surge from a lightening strike may "jump" to nearby electrical devices. Electricity creates a magnetic field. That magnetic field can cause electricity to flow in nearby power lines. hmmm....

New Blog... Athena Captain's Log

I created a new blog to have a place to log all the comings/goings of living on SV Athena.
http://athenacaptainslog.blogspot.com/
Keeping a daily log is to me like cherishing every one of my days and acknowledging all of those things outside of myself but to which I am one. We are all one.

Mas Marina

I'm starting to meet my neighbors at the marina slowly...
I'm thinking of keeping a journal of the marina. It's so interesting to watch things change every day. Sometimes I see dolphins feeding along the mangroves in the morning; sometimes they're just swiming by. There are often little Green Herons sitting nearby when I come home in the evenings; perched on a rope or the dock rail.

In the mornings I sometimes get to see Roseate Spoonbills flying over head. I also frequently see Ibis and Yellow Crowned Night Herons.
Although the "Snook light" has been out the past few evenings, when it's on, it is fun to watch the fish do their water dances just below the surface. There have been a lot of Jacks lately, and some Tarpon. The Snook usually hang out at the edge of the mangroves. I see them sometimes if the tide and the light are just right.

The sailboat transom is now clean and ready for some blue paint... I'm thinking of converting the color of the boat from green to blue, starting with the transom...

Loving the Marina

Things are so much more relaxed now that we're living in a marina.
First month in the marina has been wonderful.

Note the transom of the sailboat is continuing to change in prep for denaming/renaming ceremony...



Patty is up to her old tricks as usual, must be into everything!


The temperatures finally cooling down, the breezes kicking up.
The sun setting down, the moon rising up.

Such a hectic lifestyle I usually lead, one wonders why I don't spend more time just sitting on the back of the boat watching the sun set and the moon rise....

Land Weekend

Spent this past weekend on land converting a new to me 1983 Mercedes Benz diesel to run on waste vegetable oil (WVO).



Had great help from wonderful friends, whom never cease to amaze me with their generosity.


A few adjustments to be made to the plumbing, but she runs on veggie :) yae!

Got to spend some time with Dexter too :)

First Sail

Athena was moved to her new residence on Saturday, October 7th.
What an awesome and thrilling day....
The motor down Big Marco River was beautifully sunny like any perfect day in SW Florida.
We had lots of food and a great lunch.
Vicki made yummy vegetarian sandwhiches.

After motoring down Big Marco River, we took Athena out for her very first sail since I became hers just one year ago this month.
Out we went through Coon Key Pass and into the Gulf past Coon Key Light.
Engine off, sailing away...
Oh, but someone told me never to go sailing on a schedule...
It was a perfect day.
But, the rest of life called,
we had to turn around...



As we returned, the final part of the trip into the marina became quite an adventure as the motor faulted and the decision was made to sail into the marina....
There are no words to explain how tricky this was, and we were darn lucky we were coming in while still on an almost full moon high tide...


The challenge was awesome. I'll be sorry the day I forget.
Vicki, thanks for being the depth sounder!!!
Russell, you are an amazing sailor and it was just awe inspiring to see you in action :)
My hero, my mentor :)

Earth or Water?

Earth or Water...



Spending a lot of time on land lately.

Capricorn is an Earth sign...

represented by a creature half goat, half fish...

Wonder if that's why I'm torn between Earth and Water...

Either way, sailing or mountain climbing, both ways to find one's isolation.

If you click the photo to the right, you will see the Mt. Isolation sign better. Clicking to enlarge the photos can be done on almost all photos on the Blog website.