The sun is shining and the companionway hatch is open. We are between waves of rain. So far they have been no more than moderate.
It is interesting to follow the storm on my iPad mini. I’ve kept one page open to Weather Underground’s radar on which approaching bands of rain can be clearly seen. Between two this morning I donned one of my foul weather parkas and carried the pants with me just in case and ventured ashore.
Above is the satellite image from the Living Earth app. My location is the light blue dot to the right and slightly below center. And here is a rare wind map captured this morning showing southern California to be windy.
So far I’m only seeing maximum wind speeds in the high 20 knots at the NOAA buoys and maximum 9’/3 meter waves.
That all this information is so easily accessible is to me still quite amazing.
Waves will certainly be higher tomorrow; and the San Diego River channel impressive when run off from the mountains inland pours into it.
My only preparations for the storm have been to tighten the port side dock lines to keep GANNET from being pressed against the dock by south wind, and to chain my bicycle to the dock box so it won’t be blown away.
Sun has gone. Time to close hatches.
———
I brought the Yellowbrick down below a while ago and deactivated it. After sending positions twice daily for three weeks and sending one email and receiving one, the battery was at 93%. I’m impressed. Actually by the whole Yellowbrick system, which is intelligently designed and implemented.
———
I am reading Ambrose Bierce’s THE DEVIL’S DICTIONARY one letter at a time.
Here are my favorite ‘A’s’.
abstainer: a weak person who yields to the temptation of denying himself a pleasure. A total abstainer is one who abstains from everything but abstention, and especially from inactivity in the affairs of others.
Admiral: that part of a war-ship which does the talking while the figure-head does the thinking.
age: that period of life in which we compound for the vices that we still cherish by reviling those that we have no longer the enterprise to commit.
ambition: an overmastering desire to be vilified by enemies while living and made ridiculous by friends when dead.
Australia: a country lying in the South Sea, whose industrial and commercial development has been unspeakably retarded by an unfortunate dispute among geographers as to whether it is a continent or an island.
(And the home of Ron who called GANNET ‘yare’, not New Zealand as I misstated. I do know the difference and apologize.)
Be warned: this is likely to be an ongoing feature until we reach ‘Z’.
———
After I’ve been crossing off and adding items to my to do/by list long enough, I recopy it.
I did so yesterday.
It is now a short list. Here it is:
(emergency rudder)
(forward hatch back-up)
spare Torqeedo prop
face mask
net bag for snorkeling gear
leak
plates for drogue shackles
courtesy flags
waterproof bags/boxes
provision
Those in parentheses have been ordered.
The back up for the forward hatch is a piece of Lexan 24” x 24” that I can bolt through the deck over the hatch. While it is unlikely that anything will happen to that hatch—other than leak—its failure would sink GANNET.
The sheet of Lexan is due to be delivered today.
It is also big enough to bolt over the companionway; but then I don’t know how I’d get out.
I inadvertently left my wet suit and snorkeling gear on THE HAWKE OF TUONELA. I’ve replaced all but the face mask in which I have prescription lenses. Er, lens. I need to see my optometrist again before ordering it.
The huge shackles securing the Jordan drogue bridle to the attachment plates may rub against the transom, so I’m going to put small stainless steel plates in place to prevent that.
I am under no delusion that GANNET is going to be a dry boat. Anything that can’t survive getting wet must be protected.
I already have waterproof Pelican cases for my laptop—actually two; iPad and iPad mini.
I also have several other waterproof boxes and bags. I’m not sure how many are enough.
On CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE I learned that triple trash bagging is effective. It is also cheap, as are zip-lock bags.
CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE was a self-simplifying boat. I expect GANNET will be, too.
Provisioning includes an order of about 150 freeze dry meals from Campmor that I’ll have delivered directly to San Diego in May; some super market runs; JetBoil fuel canisters, also shipped directly here. And, of, course, a bottle of Laphroaig. Or two.
I also have a note to get my driver’s license renewed, though I seldom drive.