Getting ready to sail Athena... finally...

Efforts to get Athena out and sailing have been unsuccessful for quite a while now.
I attempted to order a new waterlock prior to traveling, but was foiled by the business I tried to order through. Disappointed in them, they've definitely lost my business. I should have gone with old faithful special order through West Marine.
Scroll down to "waterlock" blog entry below for reference.
While in wait again for the part to come in next week, the guys at West Marine helped me out with a temporary solution... Epoxy Aluminum Putty Stick. So, I worked this stuff and applied it to the corroded areas of Athena's engine's waterlock. Looking forward to starting up the engine after 24 hours to see how the stuff works!
Then, hopefully on to the last Panther Key raft-up with Lynne & Russell for the winter 2007/08 season!
Filled the house batteries with distilled water today and they're now on the charger for the night. Fairly happy they still had a charge of 12.7 after 2 weeks of being away.
Will need to do another check on the batteries next week for next trip... but, more on that later...

Getting ready to cook on Athena... finally...

The last two days I've spent problem solving new propane tank attachment...
This is what I've come up with (see pic on left).
The propane tank is a new type of tank made of fiberglass composite.
http://www.lpgastanks.com/
You can actually see the level of propane in the tank!!!! and, I think the cost is comparable to typical marine aluminum tanks...
I also installed my new circular grill. a boat neighbor of mine gave me this great grill for free!!! brand new still in the box! He got it at a garage sale for $5! He talked the guy down from $20 by noting that no one really uses these circular ones anymore with the rectangular ones being so popular... I actually had one of the rectangular ones, but when I tried to install that one (over a year ago), I found it was too big for my little boat.
For the circular grill, I just needed to purchase the extension attachment arm, which wasn't cheap...
On order for soon delivery are a new dual regulator, two valves, and another piece of hose. The new propane tank will soon be connected to the new grill, and the "new" propane stove that's been sitting unconnected unused in Athena's galley for over a year now...
I suppose it's true what an astrologist said about my personality... loves to start new things, but not necessarily good at completion ;) guess I'll just keep working at it ;p
The great thing about today is that I managed to install these over the water items without dropping any tools (or expensive parts) into the drink!

Signs of Spring

A trip "home" to Massachusetts.
Spring was in the air at my parent's home.
Forsythia bushes blooming all around, one of my favorite spring time blooms. Click on the pic on the top left to enlarge and, if doesn't show completely in your screen, scroll down to see the good luck lady bug hiding out :)
Pansies planted and bleeding hearts hanging. Was a cold cloudy week in Massachusetts though... While soaking up the beautiful spring blooms, I was missing the warmth and sun of Florida.
There are many days I consider moving back to the New England area... drawn for many reasons, not to mention the changing of the seasons.
But the Florida sun, though sometimes it beats down unmercifully, is wonderful to me and keeps me planted and growing in FL.
Stepping off the plane in FL, looking up at the sun, I thanked the universe for the fortune of landing me here, as well as providing me the means to visit other beautiful places and appreciate all the beauty surrounding us everywhere - go exploring - It's a wonderful world.

To the Universe/God/Buddha - Namaste.

Retreat on Land

I've been enjoying a nice retreat on land. Visiting The Porches in North Adams, Massachusetts.
http://www.porches.com
Thank you Mom and Dad!!
This place is quite unique and beautiful.
The pic on the left is the Inn. My room was on second floor just to the left beyond the picture.
The pic on the right shows the entrance to my room.
The pic bottom left shows the beautiful tulips out front, colors of spring in New England.
Porches
by Wren Rogers
The porch I sit on
Let's me watch passers by
With each step the clock ticks
Your life passing before me
Mine falling behind
Slipping out of the groove
Out there so hurried
The quicker you move
The faster you're buried
Come sit with me a while
I'd love to see you smile :)

I've also gotten to eat more yummy vegan/vegetarian food!
http://www.cafebrewhaha.com
http://www.spiceroot.com (check it out there are 9 vegan options and 8 additional vegetarian options!!!!)
http://www.sushithaigarden.com/Sushi-Thai_williamstown.asp
and, while I'm at it, had fabulous vegetarian dinner with the fam in Northampton, MA as well...
http://www.paulandelizabeths.com/

On my way to/from Williamstown, MA (home of Spice Root and Sushi Thai Garden) for dinner, I just had to stop and honor my favorite patron saint, Saint Francis. He stands beneath a beautiful blossoming tree.
He is known as the patron saint of animals, birds, and the environment, and it is customary for Catholic churches to hold ceremonies honoring animals around his feast day of October 4.
Why don't we honor animals, birds, and the environment every day?

From Florida to.... Florida?!?!

Florida? or, Florida?
It was snowing the day I drove through the beautiful little town of Florida on scenic route 2 in northwestern Massachusetts.

Continually on a journey of the mind, considering words with multiple meanings and visions.

Natural Bridges

There's a natural bridge in the northwestern corner of Massachusetts...
Years of flowing water has worn away the marble.
It inspires me. What inspires you?





The Natural Bridge
by Wren Rogers
There are many natural bridges
The bridge to your heart
The bridge to mine
Some bridges are made of stone
Some are made of wood
Fire may have burned the wood
Water may have cracked the stone
Wind with words may cross yours and mine
But that is only one way to the heart
Dare to walk between the ridges on each other's bridges.

Global Warming Swimwear...

Okay, it's soapbox time!
A reminder perhaps of one of the main reasons I live on a sailboat...
Minimizing one's carbon footprint, although what I really mean is footprint in general.
Granted, it's rather difficult for me to fully judge my carbon footprint. I use community resources that are difficult for me to individually gauge, for example, community bath houses (no we haven't quite started showering together yet... but, I'm open to that suggestion if some cute young guys start moving into the neighborhood! tee hee hee), community water, and community lighting to the "front door."
We do individually have electric meters at each boat slip. The monthly readings on my meter difficult to even imagine for many... My electric bill for October 2007 was a little less than $10, and the months thereafter, November 2007 through March 2008, each were under $1 per month. Over the past year and a half, none of my monthly electric bills have ever been over $10. Still, one of my next big projects will hopefully be solar panels and conversion to LED lights.

Home sweet home electricity and/or oil/gas use and our vehicles are mainly targeted when thinking of going green. But, there are so many other choices we make daily that have an impact as well. Sometimes I wonder if the others aren't discussed more because of the potential to impact us more directly. That we might actually feel the change we make...
One of those daily, sometimes three or more times daily, choices that affect our carbon footprint, whether or not you live on a sailboat, is food.
How much energy (fuel), water, and land did it take to produce your food? lest we forget that eating meat is more energy intensive than a vegetarian diet...
You can do more for the environment by eating a vegetarian diet than you can by driving a hybrid car, never mind comparing to those silly hybrid SUVs (the notion of which is ludicrous, but I suppose if you must it's something).
Is your food organic? pesticides may contain petroleum distillates...
How processed is the food you eat? Is it even still food...? Was it ever food ;p
How far did your food travel to get to you?
How much energy did it take to keep your food fresh?
How much energy and other resources did it take to package your food?
Not only does it take resources to package, but the packaging is also a resource. Think of the amount of energy in each plastic bag, each box, each jar, each can.
How much packaging did you tear through to get to the food? and don't respond by thinking you recycle it, another energy consumption.
Better not to have to recycle than to recycle.
How much energy for you to prepare your food choices? muscle or machine energy?

I don't know about you, but I think that lower impact food choices could also help one look better in that global warming bathing suit ;)

From FL to MD

Left sunny warm SWFL on a Monday morning, heading - north.
J/105 SV Linda in tow, away we go.
We thought we might make it to Annapolis, MD by end of day Tuesday...
but, the trip to MD was not without hitches ;)
Driving up I-95 in NC, the truck died and we coasted to the side.
Heralding balls of steel and plastic (see item in center of pic on top right... click to enlarge the pic to get a better look... I had heard of these, but this was my first real live experience), truck and boat were towed together to Fayetteville, NC, where we spent the next day and a half... Finally the parts arrive and the great guys at the dealership got 'er done.
Back on our way we thought we would be meeting up with some of our crew in Annapolis that evening... About two hours out of Annapolis we pull into a truck stop to fuel up, and one of the trailer tires completely fell off! Bearing busted.
In the pic on the right, Rob is cooling the tire down with some water turning to instant steam! now that's "hot water" ;)
Overnight in Virginia, a visit to the trailer repair shop the next morning cannot get us fixed in time to get to Annapolis in time for sailboat racing...

So, we head out, back on the road, watching that one tire on the starboard side of the trailer.
We arrive in Annapolis on Thursday at noon, just in time to step the mast, get 'er in the water, and rig 'er up for some racing the next three days...
The guys at Bert Jabin's Yacht Yard were awesome.
http://www.bjyy.com/
Unlike SWFL, in Annapolis, blow boats were a plenty and motorboats were few.

Teak Work

So, left on the dock with a beautifully dry weekend... Started another project, the teak. This is a good time of year in FL to do wood work, it's relatively dry and sunny.
Based on the number of projects left undone and the starting of this new project, I decided the astrologist that did my chart reading is correct in that I'm good at starting projects, but not so much in finishing... ;)
After two days of sanding sanding sanding sanding sanding... I've decided that teak truly is tough stuff. Hours and hours I've been sanding. I'm still working on just one piece of wood in the cockpit, starboard side (pics bottom left, and right). I had started doing both (pic on top left is port side and shows pre sanding and some post sanding), but soon realized both were not going to get done in one weekend. The wood on Athena has, unfortunately, been left to the elements for far too long. The grains of wood are quite worn and it's taking quite a bit of sanding to smooth them all out. After much debate, oil or varnish surfacing, I've decided to go with varnishing... which means, if I want it to look really super sweet smooth like glass, working at getting those grains smooth.
The pic on the bottom left shows the tools I've been using so far for the job, mouse sander, circle sander, and shop vac. Also lots of personal muscle hand sanding, not to mention the wear and tear these machine sanders take on the hands, and the wear and tear on me back! My age is showing every time I try to stand up after.
One of my neighbors gave me some great advice though, when I was feeling like I'll never get it done...

He said, "you can only eat an elephant piece by piece."
What a great "piece" of advice. Keeping that in mind keeps me motivated. I will be able to eat the elephant (finish the teak work) piece by piece, each piece being a goal of its own right.

Waterlock

So, I was ready to go, cooler loaded with food, trip planned for two overnights at Panther Key, engine on, untying lines from the dock... when i decided, since it had been far too long since I'd run Athena, that I would triple check the engine room to make sure all looked okay... I even took out the stairs, which "hide" the waterlock...
And, behold, there were two pinhole leaks of water shooting out from the bottom of the waterlock.
Bummer. Upon further inspection, carefully scraping away some of the corroded area, I lightly placed a finger on the corroded area and felt the thinness of the wall. I then slowly pushed my finger and realized I'd be able to push right through if I kept pushing. So, I stopped, shut off the valve to the water intake, and changed plans :(
Darn old metal waterlock. A new one is on order.
The pic is the current corroded waterlock. Hose on left is cooling water/exhaust going into the waterlock and right hose is out, then heading to the stern of the boat where it is expelled.
The waterlock is used to prevent backflow of water into the engine. It is essentially a muffler of sorts as well. Athena's engine is saltwater cooled, drawing saltwater through a thru-hull, cooling the engine, and then expelled through the exhaust hose, with waterlock interim the trip.

Yellow Crowned Night Herons

I just love the birds at the marina. They are so beautiful.
The yellow crowned night herons are one of my favorite.
They frequent the area of the marina like the little green herons do too.
Although the little greens hang out more on the dock lines and the yellow crowns stay mostly to the mangrove fringes.
The wildlife is simply amazing. I hear dolphins feeding at night around the boats. I see dolphins feeding at low tide in the shallows. I hear splashes on the hull as Atlantic spade fish try to eat growth off the side of my boat... Fish splashing all night long as I drift into sleep.
It's so special and I am so fortunate to be in this spot, even though at times I feel so secluded and far from my friends.
click on this pic to enlarge and see the beautiful detail of this bird.

Early March Trip to Panther Key

Sailing to Panther Key with company...
I guess this is what it's like to sail with an autopilot. Set course, and sit back and relax...
Somewhat odd to be sailing on Athena and not constantly at her helm...
Kinda nice :)
I was able to run up front and watch all the pods of dolphins that kept playing at Athena's bow! Camera wasn't ready for pictures at that time though, unfortunately :(
Dolphins everywhere and all around us.
Two fantastic days of sailing.
A sea turtle surfaced right off starboard about 12 feet from us first day of sailing.
Anchored out near Panther Key the next morning, a sea turtle surfaced first to our starboard, then within 6 feet port aft. The sound of the turtle's breath just amazing as we relaxed the morning away on deck. Certainly didn't feel like leaving when the time came, but return I guess we must.
I decided to click some pictures of Coon Key, since I didn't get many other pics this trip.
Forgot easy click camera and batteries of good camera were not charged. Decided to charge them off the boat batteries with an inverter.
Past Coon Key at high tide and the shallow spots, decided to extend the trip and sailed into Sugar Bay, where we dropped anchor for lunch and more dolphin watching and relaxing before turning on the motor and finally heading in to the dock.
After beautiful days of sailing, when the sails are brought in and the engine turned on for motoring, the sailboat all of a sudden seems to be such a slug. Moving so gracefully and beautifully under sail, the sailboat is simply not to be motored. There is no peace in the motoring of a sailboat.
The next day after sailing, all was not right in the world. I don't know why, but even after being off land for only 26 hours, I feel so out of place back in the office. blah. Wish I could go back out tomorrow.

It is March and all...

It's been two months since SV Athena has been off the dock, and it's more than past time! We head out tomorrow! So, much work to do getting her ready to go. Been trickle charging the batteries. they were up to 12.90 for the house batteries and 12.72 for the starter battery. Not terrific, but okay. Ran Athena's engine for 35 minutes. Waited a half hour and checked the batteries. house were up to 13.14, and starter was up to 13.13. yae :) that must mean the alternator is working... Russell and I had been having some difficulty getting that alternator to sit right.
I was also actually able to convince a friend to come sailing too :)
But, he's allergic to cats... so, I took apart the wet vac, cleaned it out and proceeded to vacuum the boat. I've been meaning to clean that darn wet vac for forever. What better excuse :)
I also filled the forward water tank and as I was in the process of doing that, I thought I would take a peak in the Anchor locker... good thing I did! It was full of water! Guess I know yet another task to do... I tried to unplug the drain... ended up bailing the anchor locker. Glad I checked that...
There's another cold front coming down, but hopefully we'll get some good sailing in our favor as the winds slowly clock around the next two days...

Memories of Key West...

So, I was going through my camera tonight and found that I had actually taken a couple pictures during Key West Race Week...
From the condo, watching the cold front come through.
In the picture on the right, if you click to enlarge... there's what I think is some type of barge. I forget what this type of vessel is called... Seeing that barge reminds me of hurricane season 2004... the year of Hurricanes Bonnie, Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne all hitting Florida. That was the year I was doing quite a bit of flying between Boston and Key West... flew in and out of Florida in between a number of those storms, including the one storm, i forget which one now, where Travis and I blocked his sailboat, SV Tybee, inside that very barge motoring down the channel in the top left of the picture on the right. At the time, that barge was also blocked. The weather watchers were predicting some serious tidal surges, which actually never really happened, but how were we to know. Everyone was preparing for the worst.
You just never know...
The travel lift was pushed to the limits. I doubt I'll ever see again a sailboat at the very limits of a lift, the bottom of the keel just inches over the end of the barge as the lift brought the sailboat over and lowered her into the barge's belly.
We just barely eeked the sailboat on stands within the blocked barge.
Then we drove off the Florida Keys as the Keys were being evacuated for the oncoming storm...
Hoping for the best.
Not sure whatever happened to those photos. I meant to write our story of blocking a boat inside of a blocked boat and send it in to one of the sailing magazines... never did.
2004. The year I fell in love with sailing.
2004. The year I moved to Florida.
2004. The year I fell in love with Florida.
2004. The year I moved into an incredible segment of my life... which seems to still be ongoing, although different in so many other ways.
Sometimes beginnings aren't so simple.

Where's the Wind?

There wasn't much wind in St. Pete for the NOOD race...
There was a lot of lounging around...
Enjoying the sun, warmth, hotel pool and hot tub.
although... the days really were beautiful Florida "winter" days...

The first two days with winds so variable and light, we didn't do so well. It's difficult to know where the wind is going to be on a course in such variable conditions. In one of the first races the winds started out with a breeze, then dropped to nothing like a hot potato. We rounded the windward mark in third, just barely eeking around in the no wind, the winds continued to foil us and we fell back in the fleet.
When the winds finally started to pick up on the third and last day of racing, we placed 3rd in both races.

St. Pete Nude...

I mean, NOOD!!!!!

When I first heard the word NOOD, sounds like nude, I thought, "wow, people sailboat race nude... I mean, I know a lot of sailors (usually cruisers) like to spend time sailing nude, but racing???? hmmm... ouch, but, that might be something worth trying at least once... ;) "

So, what does NOOD, sounds like nude, stand for anyways???
- National Offshore One-Design -
So, in a NOOD race, our J/105 team races on a J/105 against other J/105 teams on their J/105s. makes sense, right ;)
I mean, why race against a boat that isn't the same...

So, here we are, first day in St. Pete (short for St. Petersburg, FL), putting the sailboat in the waters of Tampa Bay, after a short ride from Naples trailering the sailboat with myself, John, Jim, and Ken a close knit together group in the back seat ;) and Rob and Sandy up front. We all had great laughs that morning listening to Larry the Cable Guy...
http://www.larrythecableguy.com/
hysterical!!
Well, we better git-r-done!!!!
The pics from St. Pete are thanks to Jim Dickey. Thank you Jim!!!!
although, I can take some credit for these two, since I snapped 'em ;)

Joey's on Marco Island

After return from Key West, the team meets up at Joey's on Marco Island for yummy dinner and last night of hanging out.
After Joey's it's over to Cold Stone for some cold stone ice cream... yum yum.
and then good-byes until next time.

Breakfast

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm........
eat........ breakfast after weigh in!!!

The first morning in Key West included weigh in for the team.
Key West Race Week has a total weight limit for the sailing crew.
After weighing in below the limit, we all raced across the street to eat breakfast!!!

Heading out and in

On the left. All the sailboats heading out from north side of Key West passing Mallory Square and cruise ships.
On the right. All the sailboats heading back in.

And more...

More party tent pictures and hanging out with the gang from SV Flame.
Flame sails out of Naples, FL.



Am I really as short as I appear in the pic on the right...