The boats work continues

Captain Kooks version

This retirement thing is exhausting. I don’t know how I got things done when I was working. We have been back in Olympia for a week and have 2 more weeks to get the house packed up and ready to rent.

While we were in Florida the first 2 weeks of April we got lots of things done. Patti spent a lot of time cI eaning every surface In the boat. Sitting in the marina in Georgia for 2 plus years it accumulated a pretty good coating of dust and grime. I got to clean out the freezer and the fridge cause she can’t reach the bottom. I posted a video of my adventures into the depths of the freezer.

I Started with the surveyor’s safety recommendations. We have most of those done and even got a good start on several other items. We, pulled the shaft so we could check out the cutless bearing. It will be replaced and will add a dripless packing gland too. The shaft was sent out to a shop to be checked out, just found out that it is ok. That was a relief, a new propeller shaft, well OUCH!!!

After we took the shaft out, then it was on to the transmission and the rear bell housing on the engine. Got help from a local mechanic who has rebuilt a couple of Lehman diesels lately. The dry plate went in just before we came home. Removing the bell housing is not an easy task but we got it done. We tried to get the transmission back on but ran out of gas since we had been at it all day, well that and the fact that it was beer thirty had some influence too.

Everyday at 1630 (that’s mariner, sailor, military type and most of the rest of the world speak for 4:30pm) the live-a-boards at the marina gather on the porch of the marina office, cold beer in hand, to discuss the days projects. It tends to get a little rowdy and somewhat distracting, especially when you’re only two boats away, it’s 80 degrees and in need of some liquid replenishment.

The collection of people here is as eclectic as the cars around the marina. There is an early 80’s VW convertible. The good ole white rag top. For a week the owner had the car parked in the shade working on the brakes. In the nafternoon he would show up at happy hour to share his success for the day. Well we all knew long before he got out of the car since he would slowly coast up to the office beer oin hand looking pretty distraught. Yep guys still no brakes he would say. Ack at it tomorrow.

The first big project of the trip was a bust all for the want of a dremel tool. We wanted to get the micro-wave installed first and spent a lot of time making the rounds to all of the stores in the area, Lowes, Home Depot, Penneys, Kohls, Walmart, Sears, Freds, etc. Taking measurements and trying to visualize what would fit and what wouldn’t. We bought one that we thought would fit and then proceeded to remove the shelf in the galley behind the stove. Easy Peasey, right? Wrong. The shelf appeared to be resting on two blocks at the end of the shelf. Take out 4 screws and the shelf comes right out, right!!!! Well the blocks came out as expected but the shelf wouldn’t budge. OK, it wiggled a little but was not about to relinquish the space it had occupied without a fight. It turns that there is a layer of glass cloth epoxyed over the top of the shelf, securing it to the hull. Tried lots of things but the space is very limited and a dremel tool will do the trick. That’s the first thing I will do when we get back in a couple of weeks.

Other boat projects. Engine stuff, replace the raw water pump, oil and transmission oil heat exchangers/coolers, replace a couple of sections of exhaust hose. I also replaced the ship side plug for the shore power cord and replaced a couple of outlets with GFIC outlets. The propane system was really corroded, so out it came and was replaced and upgraded with a dual regulator and all new hose. I also added a disconnect switch and breaker to the inverter circuit.

Buying a car ended up taking a lot more time than I thought. We ended up buying a 1998 Nissan Sentra from the used car guy in Green Cove Springs, just 3 miles from where the boat is parked. We were looking for a cheap car and so where else would you look then a business called, yep you got it, “Cheap Cars”.

Now that we are home for 3 weeks the focus is completely different. First priority was to pack the stuff to take to the boat in May. Next is packing up the rest of the house and take it to our storage unit. Get the drapes and rugs cleaned and a whole bunch on other stuff.

From the Admiral:

It seems as though we are living in two different worlds right now. Our new one in Florida, and our old one in Olympia. It was really strange coming back home and not having to go back to work. I guess I really am retired!

Our life in Olympia is getting packed up and put into storage, waiting for us to come back and start anew. When we get back to Florida, we’ll unpack and move our things into our new home, our new life. Just need to meld some of the old with the new. We definitely want to keep in touch with all of our friends and family, and keep them informed of all of our exploits, so we will try to do that here, and through email, skype, facebook, phone, etc. All kinds of communication available to us. Not only will you be in our hearts, but you will be at the tip of our finger, only a moment away.