Monday, May 22, 2017

Marathon: from flat to flat



        Florida is the flattest state.  Depending on which list you see, Illinois is second or third flattest, changing places with Louisiana, so tomorrow I fly from flat to flat.
        Above is GANNET in her slip at Marathon Marina.  
        I had to take that for the insurance company.
        Here is a photo taken by Michael yesterday of the Great Cabin.  I thank him for permission to use it.

        Forward on the v-berth is a new companionway screen.  Not surprisingly the glue on Velcro fails in the tropics.  The temperature in the Great Cabin when I returned from having lunch with Michael and his wife, Layne, was 106ºF/41.1C.  So I used Gorilla Glue to keep the Velcro attached to the screen. 
        On the countertop to the right of Central is a box of St. Lucian grape juice and a LuminAid solar light.
        To the left of Central is another Calfamo fan.  Even thought the last four failed almost instantly, I bought another at West Marine last week.  This one is working.
        When I left Durban GANNET had no to do/buy list.  Now she does.  Almost 8,000 ocean miles will do that.
        Thinking that some of you might be interested, here it is, in no particular order.  I keep it in a useful iPhone app, Wunderlist.  

remove Aurinco solar panels
Torqeedo charging cord
fix wiring starboard deck light
secure Pelagic wiring
ship tiller pilots
fix winch
gooseneck bolt washer
cut off end of bolt port pipe berth
repair chaffing patches pipe berths
flares
electric crimp connectors
crimp tool
new jib or main sheets
companionway screen
documents folder
watch battery
toggles
Dr. Sails epoxy
rebed traveller
dodger shackles
spare JetBoil
headlamps
shock cords
genoa track cars
Velocitek
companionway slat
compass
Sportaseats
AAA rechargeable batteries
Icom radio clamp
touch up interior paint
Torqeedo battery
Life Seal
light weight foul weather gear
solar phone charger
dry bags
solar panels
leaks bow and cockpit
sheet to tiller wear
new mainsail and jib?

        I’ve already done some of these including the companionway screen, fixed the winch, bought flares—my old ones were out of date, dodger shackles, Torqeedo battery, and insurance, which wasn’t on the list.  In St. Lucia I bought sail repair tape, wood filler, some shackles, two buckets, a fan, and a new Windex which was also installed there.
        Also, Carol brought to me in St. Lucia a JetBoil stove, a Megaboom speaker and three Apple lightning charging cables.
        The question mark after the new mainsail and jib is a matter of whether I buy them this year or next.  I’ll decide when I return to GANNET in two or three months.  They are both starting to be weakened by UV.
        I wish to state that while I like their motors, I don’t much like Torqeedo as a company.  I have twice used the contact form on their website and never had a response either time.  Thanks to James I know what ‘Error 33’ means.  Torqeedo couldn’t be bothered to tell me.

        I heard from a reader who paid me a very great compliment by driving some distance to visit GANNET that the contact email described on the main site didn’t work, so I tested it, once with the first letter of my first name capitalized, once with it not.  I received both emails.  All I can suggest, Rick, is that you try again.

        That’s it until the nearest body of water is fresh not salt.