Falcon's Log 20
September 21, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

I hope the sky stays clear and sunny today. I have a lot to do and want to make some serious headway. I might take the
cockpit radio out and install it in the panel so I can get the panel done, then replace the cockpit radio with a new one of the
same size and make, only newer. I just don't have the money to buy a second radio right now and I don't want to leave a big
hole in the new panel.

Geoff came by for a while yesterday but couldn't stay long because Miko, Heather and Franks dog, and Sam don't always get
along. Miko is small and can get a bit hyper and Sam is not always up for it and snaps at him, which is a bad thing when the
snappee still owns family jewels and responds like a male dog that's being attacked. Unfortunately for Miko, Sam outweighs
him by several more Miko's. It's just best to keep them from getting too close.

Once again, the deck of Falcon is heaped with crap as the weather kept me from getting near as much done as I would have
liked yesterday. I got a big pile of wood out of the truck, hoping to start getting some ready to install inside the boat, but never
got to it. The marina is less populated during the week these days, so, if the weather cooperates I'm REALLY REALLY hoping
to make good progress today. And get my windlass motor part. And get my pulleys. And do some laundry.

I just discovered that when I went outside last night and finished cleaning up the dock - and it was raining on me - that I forgot
to close up one of my dock boxes. Sweet. So, it got rained into. Another thing I need to do today, empty and dry out the dock
box.

Espin stopped by on his way from Pensacola back to the new boat in Ft. Lauderdale. It's hard telling when he'll be back by
here. He says he has at least three days of cleaning on the boat, then he'll take a sort of easy, leisurely cruise back through,
so it'll probably be in about two weeks. I hope I have my pulleys by then. And my windlass motor finished.

I got the laundry finished and just got back from having lunch with Espin and Geoff. I've been loaning tools and giving lessons
to Dave and Marcia on stripping teak for varnish. They took on the job on Dave Spicer's Trojan, docked right behind me, and
have never done it before.
The panel is coming along. The thin black
line 6 1/2 inches from the bottom is where
the chart drawer will be hanging, so the
face of the panel will stop there. The two
doors are cut out and all the pilot holes in
the doors are drilled. The square - or
'rectangular' - blocks on the AC door still
need to be cut out, and all the instrument
holes in the top panel. All the colored
panels and the white schematics at the top
are actual size versions I printed out on the
computer and taped in place on the blank
panels. So far, I'm pretty pleased with the
way it's coming out. Once all the holes are
drilled and everything is smoothed and
de-burred, I'll cut all the angle and 'C' rail
and attach them to the panel to make a
super solid structure that will serve me
forever. Unless I sell the boat. Anyway,
after that, the entire structure gets primed
with Interlux 2000 epoxy and painted by
hand, then assembled and installed.
September 22, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

Slowly, ever so slowly, the days crawl by as I await the much ballyhooed call from Dean Johnson. And the part for the
windlass motor. And the end of the month so I won't feel so completely broke. But, hey! What are ya gonna do? Life goes on
and I've got plenty to do. I went back outside last evening and cut all the rectangles out and drilled all the other holes to full
size. Then I stripped the mask and patterns off the doors and de-burred all the round holes.

By the time I was done cutting and drilling yesterday, I had a knee-deep pile of metal chips on the dock that had to be
cleaned up. That was a bit of a pain - those little buggers like to hold on to rough wood pretty good. I also need to take a run
to the post office today to see if the windlass part is there yet. Ideal sent me a tracking number that cannot be used on any
website in existence, so it's of very limited use to me. In fact, the only thing I CAN do with it is point at it and say, "That's the
tracking number." But it does very little to relieve the situation. The sun is rising and I need to get started.
Most of what I have done today is cutting and filing
aluminum to make the backbone frame for the panel.
There are 14 pieces in all - so far - but 8 of them are
the little splicer blocks that I'm using to stiffen up the
whole thing. They were actually the hardest part of
the assembly to make. The panel is face up but the
framework is face down lying on top of it.

Next, I have to re-measure for the top row of holes in
the panel and get to cutting those out. Then - and
it's something I'm working on in my head as I go - I
need to formulate an exact pattern of assembly of
the entire metal structure so I make the smallest
mess possible with the 5200 adhesive during the
process. 5200 creates legendary disasters if not
treated with the ultimate respect. Grown men have
run amuck, screeching and waving their arms as
they disappear over the horizon. It's a real threat.
Fortunately, that has already happened to me, so I'm
immune now. I've had my dose of 5200-itis.
Believe it or not, there was a lot of work to get to
this point. You see all those rectangular holes? I
was a bit too conservative when cutting them out
and it took me at least an hour, maybe more, to
Dremel and file each one out so the circuit breakers
would fit in. I also covered the dock with tiny
needles of aluminum - as well as my shoes and my
shorts - and I've been picking the nasty little
splinters out of the bottom of my feet for hours. I
don't care - the panel is coming along well. I now
need to drill 16 quarter inch holes in the face,
countersink them for some sweet 1/4 20 flathead
screws, then drill and tap the 1/4 x 1 inch splicer
bars and install them. Once everything is assembled
- oh, yeah, there are two small areas of interference
from the angle to the mounting holes - the first
voltmeter in the upper left, and the radio mount at
the far right - that I have to deal with - anyway, then
I'll carefully take it all apart and lay it out, 5200 each
piece and re-assemble the whole thing. At that time
I will also attach the doors. So, it's coming along. No rain today, knock on wood.
September 23, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

I finally called Dead Johnson - talked to Amber - and she said that the smaller pulley was almost done and he'd be starting on
the larger one today or something. She said he might be done by Friday or maybe next Monday or so. I told her, 'Fine. That's
great. I just didn't want to be worried about where my phone was until then.' As you guys know, I've been hovering over it like
a vulture over a dying man for the past week. Now, I can relax a little not always have it in my pocket.

In case someone has noticed, yes, it is true, I marked and drilled one hole wrong. You're right, it is a tragedy, but I'm working
on a suitable solution, even though I am reeling and a sick to my stomach. If you look at the little switch hole between the two
fuel gauge holes next to the radio, you'll notice that it's exactly 1/4 inch off center. Yep, that's right. I screwed the pooch. Rats.
Now I have to fix it. I actually have a plan. We'll see how well it works later.

I'm not sure I need lists just now. I sort of know what I have to do today. More lists will come later on.

I fixed the off-center hole as easy as breaking sticks. I cut a piece of 3/8 inch aluminum rod about 5/32 inch long and drilled
out the wandering hole to 3/8 inch. I then put my 3 pound sledge behind the hole as a buck, put the little disc into the hole
and flattened it with a little 10 ounce hammer until it was flat to the surface. Naturally, it expanded like a rivet and made a
perfect plug for the hole. I used a sanding drum on the Dremel to polish it off. I rock. All the holes are drilled, but now I have to
countersink 16 of them. Then a deep breath and clean up EVERYTHING and take it apart and de-burr everything for
assembly. I should be able to get it together today.
A couple of things slowed me down a bit today, but
they just had to be done. Fixing wacko hole was one.
The big one was the countersinking, then cutting
down some of the splices, drilling all the holes and
de-burring, but the hand tapping of 16 holes just takes
time. As you see the panel now, all the temporary
rivets are out and the whole thing is being held
together by the splicer plates and the 16 screws. A
close look will show that it's wet because it just started
raining. I am on board now to wait that out. Even so -
oh, yeah, I had to run out and get 34 more stainless
rivets. Anyway, even so, it's past 4 PM right now, so
I'll probably clean up and get ready for tomorrows
'take apart/put together' marathon. Once that's done, it
will need to cure for a day, then start getting painted.
With a little weather cooperation I could have this
ready to install in the boat before the pulleys get here.
Or the windlass motor. Or Espin who is not even off
the dock on the other side of the state yet. Oh, well.
September 24, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

I finally got my last medical shipment from the VA for the year. It's not much - not medication, thank God - but at least I can
stop waiting for that. I'm still hoping to see the windlass stator someday, but I'm busy so it isn't a problem. It has been 13 days
since I ordered it and 11 days since it was shipped - supposedly. I wonder if they realized that a lone sled dog could have had
it here three days ago pulling a little red wagon? . . . . . . The dots represent a dramatic pause as I scoured all my email
accounts for an email from them saying it was shipped. I KNOW I had one, but I must have accidentally deleted it. I might give
them a call today. Who knows. I don't need it now.

I know either one or the other of you is wondering how I got diverted from 'the list' scenario to 'the panel' and the reason is
this: finishing - or even, moving forward - on many of these projects requires that I am able to power them up and give them
the old 'shake down' run. That REALLY has to happen for the water system before I DARE put this floor down. If I have to tear
up a brand new floor to fix a minor leak I should have known about before putting the floor down, I will drag myself out on the
dock and kick my ass, and know I had it coming all along. And I WILL call myself bad names while tearing up the new floor.
It's better this way.

We're expecting a pretty good start to the day, weather-wise, so I'm going to want to get as much done as possible before the
afternoon showers arrive. First gray light of day is lightening the sky. Time to move ahead. I'll be back.
I took the whole thing apart and labeled the splice bars and laid everything out on the cleaned table. Then I completely
de-burred all the panels and pieces on both sides and sanded all the paint and marks off the panels. I borrowed Eddies
sawhorses and squirted a complete pattern of 5200 on the back side of the main panel, laying each piece where it belonged
as I went. I only screwed up one piece - the very center piece between the doors - I put it upside-down and had to correct it
during the riveting stage. Next, I gooped all the splicer bars and put them in position, then started every screw. I turned the
assembly over and tightened all the screws, using a wrench on the big screwdriver to cinch them down tight. Then I put all
the rivets into the holes - that's when I discovered the center post was upside down and corrected it - and like to wore out my
hands and forearms popping 73 stainless steel rivets.

In the first picture where I was just showing the cleaned and sanded panels, you can see THE WINDLASS MOTOR PART at
the bottom. It must have come yesterday because Paul found it in the office this morning and told me about it, then opened
the office so I could get it.

The 5200 needs to cure a little more before I can trim the excess off and rivet the doors on. I've also been upgrading and
tuning up the Linux. It's getting better and I'm getting more familiar with it.
The panel is just about finished as far as
assembly goes. There is still some 5200 to
clean off and I'll need to dry-fit a lot of stuff so I
don't have too much wrestling to do with a
finished, painted panel. I also need to finalize
the configuration for holding the AC circuit
breakers in. I have some ideas, but will sort
them out during the dry-fit.

The windlass motor is also assembled and
ready to be re-installed.

I found a radio that will be fine for this panel at
West Marine for only $99. It's made by Uniden
and so is the West Marine radio I already have
mounted in the cockpit. The two items are
almost completely identical. It'll be fine for what
I want. I only need to monitor weather stations
and do some minor communicating while at the
chart table, and it's good to be able to monitor
weather sometimes while hanging out below.
September 25, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

Today will be a 'putting together' day. I may clean up the panel and blast a coat of Interprotect on it to protect the exposed
aluminum, then get the windlass back together and tested, and THEN start fitting things into the panel and sorting out the
circuit breaker mounting situation. One way or another, there's plenty to do today.

Mass clouds of gnats eating away at us on the dock earlier, so I came back inside and made good progress with Ubuntu. I'm
getting a little better at it. When I went back outside, I trimmed off more 5200 and almost have the panel where I want it for
primer. I also did the dry-fit thing and it all worked out right, and I'm pretty sure of exactly how I'm going to attach the AC circuit
breakers. I've gone over the problems with both Geoff and Jim, the electrician, and they both think my method will be fine. So
do I. I need to run out now and get a few special fasteners.

I swear, as God is my witness, one of these days I'm going to punch a weatherman straight in the nose. It is POURING out,
and every station said this morning that there would be NO RAIN until late afternoon/early evening. They suck. I want a job
where I can be wrong all the time and still get high pay.

Okay, I just checked the weather underground radar and the only spot with rain was right over us, in a tiny little concentrated
red dot - the bastard. So I can't punch the weatherman because a jury of my peers didn't get rained on and think he's right.
Here we are after the sun has come out again, tools and panel drying out. Ask me if it's as steamy as an Amazon jungle. Yes,
yes, it is. The panel is over it's dry-fit and the AC circuit breakers are all mounted and I like it. Tomorrow will have to be soon
enough for the first coats of primer and paint. I can't risk more rain today. Time to put the windlass motor in. The windlass is
all together and lubed - which is a special little pain, having to squirt 90W gear oil uphill with a veterinary plastic hypo and a
tiny plastic tube until it flows back out the hole - but I haven't tested it yet because . . . . while I was waiting for the motor, I
decided to re-do the remote cable and switch and took it apart, where it is now, apart. I'll do it soon. I always do.

4:05 PM and no call from Dean, so next week. Good enough. I'm busy. Ham came by today while I was working and eyed me
and Falcon with scorn. Yes, I said it, scorn. Can't be helped - the crap is either on the dock or on the boat - I'm not backing off
now and I can't find a way to please him. If he throws me out, all I can do is leave as soon as I can and that's that. It's not like I
don't want to. It's coming.
September 26, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

I slept well last night and didn't get up until after 7 AM. I hope I'll be able to get a coat of primer and one or two coats of finish
paint on the panel today. I'm also starting to look at the situation around mounting it and beginning to build in the structure
around it. I think I need to add a spacer between the bulkhead and the forward edge of the panel so there is plenty of room
for the desktop on the front to swing up without rubbing on the bulkhead.

Paul will be here today so if Ham had to grouse about the work going on out here, I'm sure to hear about it. Of course, in my
position, all I can do is the best I can to silence the complaints. Paul is a friend and I can't allow my behavior to complicate his
life, so I have to keep that in mind as well.

I wonder how much more money Dean Johnson will want for the pulleys. I'm just a tad nervous about that. I hope I'm at the
present end of these pricey humps - I don't have the financial traction to deal with another one. And I hope this weather cools
off some day. We are still in the nineties every day. Even the early mornings are hot and clammy.

The panel is primed and I've got it out in the sun to harden up good. I used the Interlux 2000 in white and it gets to be a pain
as it thickens in the paint tray in this heat. The forgiving thing is that it flattens out and shrinks as it hardens - it's an epoxy
with a tenacious grip on all things - and I have no intention of sanding it, so I hope it flattens out good. Later in the day I'll
clean up the other stuff I'm working on and put the panel on the table in the shade and roll and tip a good coat of the Largo
Blue on it. After that has a good day or so to dry, I might lightly sand it and put on a final, finish coat. You can get away with
slightly heavier coats if your project is laying flat on it's back and there's no chance of runs, so two coats should do it. After
that comes assembly and installation.
The other thing I'm working on right now is the remote control for the windlass. Before, it was just a bare switch hanging on
the end of a wire, but now it will be a fine, 'molded to the hand' piece of nautical artwork which will make the switch much
harder to change, almost guaranteeing frequent failures. Finished item pictures sure to follow.
The remote is done - at least, that end of it, I still have to connect the other end - and I've blasted a coat of Largo Blue on the
panel. The panel's finish is not what I might have hoped for - the primer failed to flatten out as much as I would have liked -
but I just can't take the time now to make it better. It will have to do. I have bigger fish to fry and it doesn't have to win ribbons
to do the job. The truth is, it looks just fine as it is. I want to get one more good coat of blue on it this afternoon so I can start
working on assembling and installing it.

Ham didn't mention anything to Paul about his tour of the docks yesterday, so I guess there's nothing to worry about. Right
now, I'm going to eat and watch Tiger Woods kick golf ass for a while.

I got the second coat of blue on the panel and it's ready for installation and assembly. It's not a great finish, but it's blue and
it's done. The remote cord is done and I just have to re-do one last connector - actually, all I have to do is install a rubber boot
over that connector and double check to be sure 'UP' is really 'UP' and the same with 'DOWN'. There's only so many things a
windlass can do.

Next thing will be to start getting that panel mounted. Big hump. Almost done. Pretty soon I'll have to get back to the lists.
September 27, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

This is a late start for me. I did get up fairly early - 6 AM - and started working with the Corel programs to make the name tags
for the panel, but first Geoff arrived, then Randy, then Paul, and we all had a pretty good time chewing the fat out on the
dock. Just as I excused myself and came inside, the phone was ringing and I ended up talking to Donny for a while. They are
in South Carolina right now and heading south. I got two new emails from Barbara with pictures and descriptions which I'll be
posting as soon as I can. I believe he said they will be stopping just short of Charleston today.

It is already 10:45 AM and I haven't accomplished much. I did get the name tags done and printed, but that's about all. I'm
going to get those on the panel and finish the windlass and give that a test.
The light reflections and flash make the panel look
worse than it really does, but it's coming along. My next
task is wrapping up the windlass. I need to get that done
before the golf starts because I'm going to watch the last
round of the Cup championship.

The windlass works better than it ever has. One big
one, over and done. I am now formulating the sequence
of steps in the installation and assembly of panel. All the
various pieces of wood for the substructure and how
they should be installed. The whole thing is coming
together in my head and I'll be starting to cut wood and
install it soon. Like today.

The whole thing has been coming together in my head. I
cleaned out the area and will vacuum it tomorrow and
start taking measurements and marking things. I'll also
have to do a minor 'shorten' on the water tank fill hose.
It's being unruly and needs to be taken down a notch.
September 28, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

This could be a big day. Here we are in the beginning of the third week of Dean Johnson having the pulley project. Any time,
Amber might call and tell me the pulleys are ready. Then, I have the long slow drive over to worry about how much they'll
cost. If it's too much, I'll leave them what I have and have to wait for the turn of the month for the VA check. Whatever. One
way or another, the second big hump will be resolved and behind me and the next is in the works - the entire boats electrical
system.

Once the electrical systems begin to come alive and the panel becomes increasingly functional, a number of big Domino's
begin to topple. The water system can be finalized, so the floor can go in and the head can be finished. I can complete the
holding tank and install the water heater and the water maker. Finishing off the head will be HUGE. That marks the point at
which I can leave the dock and stand inspections by the Coast Guard and other agencies. I'll need to make sure I have all the
required registration and safety equipment to leave the dock, but that's not a problem. I think I'm just about all set in that
respect.

It's going to be another hot, humid day with the threat of rain. People who love Florida don't have to work outside in it. You'd
be amazed at how many seemingly normal people are aghast to discover - yes, I said 'aghast' and I mean it - to discover that I
don't have air conditioning either in the truck or on the boat. I live 'outdoors' here, with open hatches and windows, in the sun
and the rain and the bugs and the allergens. It is a place like any other with it's share of blessings and curses. It does have
just about year around no-see-ums. Top that, bug haters.

It's almost 11 AM and I've already gotten a lot done. I ground and sanded a 3/4 inch by 7 inch by 5 foot teak plank Jay gave
me and it's a sweet piece of lumber. I'm going to use it to edge the electric panel as I mount it. I also repaired a second 100
foot extension cord so I could stop using the 10 gauge one that makes it look like I have two 30 Amp service cords plugged in.
I originally gave that one to Randy, then Henry started getting pretty horny for it because Randy left it out on the dock. Henry
started using it, so I took it back because I felt that he was about to pinch it when he left in any day ( back then ). So I've been
using it, because I took my excellent 12 gauge extension cord and cut it up and strung it through Falcon for some of the
wiring. I needed some 12-3 cord. Now, I have the 100 foot cord fixed and it's fine, so I'll give the big cord back to Randy.

I've gotten the sub-structure laid out and designed and I can start cutting and installing wood any time. Yes, yes, I know that
means right now. I'm resting right now. In a minute.

I just got the call from Amber. The pulleys are ready and they need another $276 and change. Well, that's $76 and change
more than I have. Luckily, we're only 2 days from the end of the month, so it won't be long. Damn. Okay. Breath deeply. It'll
cure what ails the boat and that's what counts. It could have been worse. So all told, let's see, $456 for the pulleys, $506 for
the windlass, just about $500 for the panel, $300 for the raw water pump, $300 for epoxy, and I would say, conservatively
speaking, another $400 for miscellaneous materials and supplies, just since the 12th of last month. It adds up to just under
$2500, which seems right. Ouch.

I am a few screws and a few small holes away from hanging the panel. I'll go find some screws right now and bring the drill
back inside with them - and a clamp - and put the thing in.
And there it is - Dr. Hyde and Mr. Panel. The
decision to use the materials I had on hand to
prime and paint it were, unfortunately,
responsible for a terrible finish. Under the
circumstances, I just had few options. I'm out of
money right now and there are no acceptable
options. I suppose I could go into prostitution or
being a highly paid secret agent - maybe
Batman - I could try being Batman, but. . . . . .
no, those jobs are all filled by people from India
who phone it in. Oh, well. It'll do the job and I'll
be off and cruising. All it has to do to suit me is
work, and it works just fine. It's in and mounted -
though I still have more structure to put around
it, and I'm thinking seriously about installing a
temporary table and seat in front of it to facilitate
assembly and wiring. In truth, aside from the
finish, I'm pretty pleased with it.

It's after 4 PM and I'm a tad tuckered out, so this
is probably it for the day.
September 29, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

September 29, 1985, was my first sober day after a lifetime of drinking and drugs. I have not had a drop of booze or any
drugs not prescribed by a doctor - and damn few of those - since. 24 years, by the grace of God. So, you know, even if I
sometimes complain about a shortage of funds or problems with the boat or people, it's just light, easy day stuff. I'm alive and
well and sober and that makes all good things possible.

It's supposed to cool off today and it does feel a little better this morning than usual. Of course, down here, when they say
"Cool Off", they mean the temperatures could plummet into the upper eighties. Still, it beats the nineties and high humidity
we've been having.

Today will be another day of sliding around on the curve of the bilge as I struggle to get more structure built around the panel.
It's sorting itself out, though. I like these days where I plug in a whole array of circular saws, sabre saws, drills, grinders and
other power tools capable of dismembering a body, and tear up a big pile of wood that I've been dragging around for years.
It's awesome. The truck gets lighter. The boat gets closer to finished. The amount of material I have to move back and forth,
take out and put away, spread out and clean up, gets smaller and smaller in leaps and bounds. Life is good.

Of course, the money is just a tad tight right now, and I expect it to remain that way for a while, but there's no quick cure for
that if I'm going to get going here. I might invest a dollar in a lottery ticket, but only with the understanding that if God says
you're going to win, the least you have to do is buy one ticket, and if He says your not, buying all the tickets you can won't
help. So, about every six months or so I go down and buy one ticket, just to see if He's changed His mind since the last time. I
have done very little to change since the last time, so I generally expect the same result.

It's 1 PM and I just stopped and had a snack and now I'm going back to work. Not much to say or show, but the project is
coming along.

It's 5 PM and I'm about to lay off for the day - or a little while - I might start putting in the temporary steps and seat to make
wiring the panel easier. I got all the top woodwork done. The panels behind and beside the electric panel, and I closed in the
open end of the panel and installed the last piece of teak - rats, I was at Home Depot getting the gloss white wall paint and
forgot to get a small can of varnish for the teak around the panel. Oh, well. It can wait. I talked to both RJ, who is a
professional painter, and my son Matt, who worked in Home Depot in the past, and asked them both about regular paints
they found suitable for inside the boat. RJ pointed out many areas inside his boat that he'd used house paint on ( for the
same reason as me - money ) and they still looked great and that boat has had a good run through the mill. Some time in the
future I might strip the stuff off and replace it with layers of dollar bills in the form of ultra-high cost marine paints, but only if I
have to.

I'm about one quick jump from installing the floor in the area I'm working in now. It occurred to me today that the reason for not
installing the floor in the center saloon doesn't play either forward or aft. I can put the floor down in these areas now and stop
balancing along the frames.

That's it for today. Matt called to congratulate me on the 24 years. My kids were still pretty young when I stopped drinking
and doing drugs. I don't know if they even remember it, which is a good thing, I suppose. I remember my fathers drinking. It's
one of the lumps of coal that was my childhood. Hmmm. It's odd to think about it. Later. See you tomorrow.
September 30, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

Late last night I decided to check to see if there was any possibility that my pension check might already be deposited in the
account. There have been times before when it arrived early. It wasn't there, but what was wrong was that Tiger Direct, an
Internet mail-order computer warehouse I've been using for years, and have gradually been becoming increasingly suspicious
of, had double charged me for a product I ordered on the 28th. Let's start right there.

Some years ago I became familiar with a software program from Nuance called 'Dragon Naturally Speaking'. I got a version
and tried it for a while. It was anything but natural. You had to read selected texts to the machine to prime the program so it
would have a chance to write a significant percentage of what you said, and you had to speak like a poorly programmed
computer voice. Into the trash it went. Years have gone by and Nuance now claims to have gotten it right and this new
program is just the BEST and I'll love it. Well, there it is at Tiger Direct, on sale for only $29.95. My present war chest is well
down below the level of 'skirmish chest'. It is in fact just below 'throw a rock and run' chest. Since I'd just discovered my last
$200 would not be enough to pick up the pulleys ( $277 needed ) I decided to deposit $100 of it into my dusty, cob webby
bank account and order the program. I've always been a hunt and peck, two finger typist, and the idea that I could compose
from the cockpit while sailing was just too tempting to pass up. I mean, only $30.

I went online and ordered the program. Oh, yes, well, the thing is, this is a $100 program that was on sale only until
September 30th for $30 - that was the rush. First big disappointment was that it was NOT $29.95 - it was $49.95 with a $20
rebate. I went for it anyway, only to discover that it was NOT a $20 rebate - it was a $20 incentive gift certificate against
future Tiger Direct purchases for joining some type of scum bag online promotional ripoff that STARTS by getting your credit
card number. Thanks anyway, scum bags. I should have stopped right there and cancelled the order, but I just blew off the
credit card trap and signed off. Last night, when I discovered the double billing, I also discovered the sinister part that really
pissed me off - two different amounts, by one cent. By sending two different amounts, the banks 'double billing' software
misses it because it looks like two separate purchases. It put my account into red, negative balances - overdrawn.
Fortunately, the amounts were pending and not paid, so I called Tiger Direct immediately and cancelled the order. This
morning, I'll go straight to the bank and make sure they know that one of those charges was fraudulent and the other has
been cancelled.

Why I say 'fraud' and not 'computer glitch' is because I have been in computers for some 30 years or so now, and I have
NEVER seen a computer that ONLY glitches to bring the company MORE money. Rumors and myths of computers that fatten
your bank account rather than deplete it are exactly that - rumors and myths. Computers are PROGRAMMED to steal from
you by their owners. It is NOT a mistake - it is deliberate. Real computer accidents make the news as huge jokes. A man was
recently billed $782,456,913,228,746,400,678,159,264,063,742,559.45 by his water company. THAT is what a computer
mistake looks like. Computers are not sinister - their owners are. They do EXACTLY what they are told. When Windows
hangs up on you and just sits there staring and won't respond to anything you do until you pull the plug out of the way, it's not
doing it to deliberately piss you off - it's caught in an endless loop and working as hard as it can to spin in place - because it
thinks you told it to. THATS a computer glitch.

I might be all done with Tiger Direct. Their business practices are swamped with bogus rebates and sideshow trips to
enhance their profit. I'm all in favor of good business making good profit. I'm WAY against sneaky, thieving practices like the
credit card industry and predatory lending from banks and bait & switch tactics used by so many companies today. End of
rant.

Matt called me last night to tell me that Christina's good luck with the Behr paint was not good luck at all, but using Kilz primer
under the paint. Makes sense. I've used it for years and had all but forgotten because I'm now so involved with marine
supplies. The thing is, when a gallon of Marine finish paint costs $300, plus catalysts, plus thinners, plus primer, plus primer
catalysts, plus primer thinners, plus surface prep solvents, plus clean up solvents - most of which come with big, fat
'carcinogen' warnings - and the much larger land-based industries and producing excellent products for under $30 a gallon, I
gotta tell you, it's worth a look. If I get a few years out of the paint I'm using inside, I'll be tickled pink. I have 25 years of
experience with the marine products and I know what they offer. They very best you can expect out of the very best paints is
8 to 10 years. Spending $30,000 for an 8 year paint job is not my idea of smart business. The best epoxy varnishes in the
world still only last 1 year under the Florida sun.

I was going to head over to pick up the pulleys with Eddie this morning if the money was there, but it's not. I can't do any
painting before I get the Kilz, so I'll do other stuff. Some cleaning up and sorting out and bringing some wood from the truck to
the boat - floor wood. I also need to bring the new epoxy here and get something done on the holding tank and finish the
patch next to the companionway so I can re-hang the door. And get all the charts and books out of the truck so I can go
through them with Eddie, Sandy, Dave, and Marcia and distribute what I'm not going to keep for myself.

I dug all the remaining lead out of Randy's old dock box and got it into the truck. I also got the epoxy back here. Rachel and
her son, Ret, stopped by and she offered me some polyurethane to do the teak with around the electrical panel. We just got a
wild wake here. That is one of the things I will not miss when I'm gone from this spot.
October 1, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

The money is coming back into my account and the check is there, so I'll go get the pulleys today and get started with
installing them and making a new alternator adjuster. I might also need to get two new belts - probably a good idea - But I'll
use a single old belt to get the adjuster made and use it as a guide to size the new belts. I might also need to get a new belt
for the raw water pump and make up a new adjuster for it as well. These details have really had to wait until I had the new
pulleys on the engine.

I went down to Home Depot and got a gallon of the new Kilz yesterday. It is a good product and I think it will work well for
what I'm using it for. Time will tell. The price is an amazing $16. If these two products actually work well in the head I will be
astounded. By 'work well' I mean, last longer than three months. 'Work incredible' would mean lasting for years. It's possible.
The head on a liveaboard boat gets no worse treatment than the bathroom in a house. Boat interiors suffer MUCH worse
when they are shut up and left for 6 months at a time. Then mold grows and rot starts and all manner of free ranging critters
creep around inside eating and pooping at will. Yes, it gets the treatment of an abandoned garden shed and it responds the
same way - by rotting away.

By the end of today I may be back into the 'list' mode to step up the progress. One thing I'm a little nervous about is that I'm
going to have to securely cover all things precious ( read 'computer and TV ) and take out the big grinder and palm sanders
and blast these interior walls into flat submission. Then, I will probably have to mix up some epoxy fairing filler and give them
all a touch-up coat, then sand again. It will mean a better look to the finished painted walls, and a thick layer of dust over the
entire inside of the boat. Well, it needs to be done. I can only stand so much 'Franken-finish' in here or I'll start having
nightmares when I sleep. You wouldn't believe how much easier this work is if you don't live inside the phone booth you're
refinishing.

Oh, yeah, and, sorry about the rant yesterday. I mean, all things being equal, I could be wrong about some of it. But not ALL
of it. Just some. I don't react well to getting my chain jerked when I'm already feeling a lack of control.

We're expecting to see Espin any day now with his new boat. I'll take pictures for sure and get some background from him
about the boat and the trip so far. He's on his way back to the panhandle for the rest of this violent and horrific hurricane
season.
Above left are Ken and Sandy in upstate New York cruising around on Ken's bike wearing the typical seasonal attire for the
time and place. I sometimes dress like that down here for old times sake, and because I still have the clothes, but I have to
undress within 7 minutes or die.

The pulleys are to the right, but then, you knew that. I just got back from picking them up. They gave me a little break on the
price and it was greatly appreciated. The pulleys are great and I'm about to get started on the installation. More pics to follow.

I made two little errors on the pulley prints resulting in a bit of fine fitting work. One of the 4 mounting holes on the big pulley
was offset on the original and I missed it, so one bolt hole needed to be elongated sideways about an eighth of an inch. On
the smaller pulley, I called out the bolt hole circle diameter in inches instead of metric and all three bolt holes needed to be
elongated toward center a little less than 1/16 of an inch. No problem. It just took a few minutes and the pulleys are mounted.

I went out and got belts and will continue with the alternator adjuster, then make an entirely new mount for the raw water
pump. I'm gaining on it and it's looking good.
The pulleys are installed and the alternator adjuster is made and installed. All the new belts are on and all that is left to do is
the final mounts for the new raw water pump - with special adjustment function - and I just figured out how to do it, so that will
be quick work tomorrow. I like my new pulleys. They are awesome. I'll need to pull out each bolt one at a time and put
thread-lock on them, but that's all.
October 2, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

I'm still here in Cortez after my first departure date has come and gone. A couple of huge roadblocks jumped up and it took a
bit of doing to get over them. Today, I should get the raw water pump mounting and adjustment system built and installed and
should get to fire up the engine again and try to calibrate the tachometer. It will be different now, with all new pulley ratios and
alternator speeds. I'm hoping it will be easier to get a more accurate calibration. In truth, the specific RPM the engine is
turning is not a significant number. It is only a reference, something that I will become accustomed to as a quick point to set to
get what I want out of the engine. I will run the engine at a speed that is correct for the boat and conditions while offering the
most fuel economy. This is a factor of conditions plus propeller size and pitch, and whatever the tach reads is the point I will
consistently return to. If it reads 1850 RPM and is really doing 1600, or vice-versa, I don't care. The engine is good to 5400
RPM and I will only use that much RPM and horsepower if I'm aground, trying to get off, or in some desperate situation. Still,
my head forces me to make it as accurate as is reasonably possible, so I will.

Yesterday I was talking with Geoff about getting the sails done for Falcon. I am that far along that the LAST big item is on the
discussion table. I also talked with Jammer yesterday for a while. I updated his links on the Home Page this morning to
include his Flickr site. He has a lot of great shots posted and I snatched one of my favorites and posted it on the Home Page.
He does a very wide range of subject matter and format so there is probably something there for everyone to enjoy. Now,
here's thing - Jammer was probably my lead impetus in driving for a Linux Ubuntu system on the computer, and now he
doesn't run it any more. He's back to Windows. Probably because he's using a lot of high-end Windows based photographic
manipulation programs, but still, he should have a computer somewhere spinning Linux purely as a protest against the
Microsoft Megalith that we have all come to know and fear.

It is not yet 11:40 and the raw water pump is mounted and I've started and run the engine and yes, the tach needs calibration.
I'll have to connect with Randy and borrow his tach gun that allows you to put a marker on the crank pulley and light it up with
a strobe that gives you an accurate RPM. Then you adjust the tachometer calibrators until it matches, rev it up some and see
how it tracks. No problem. On to whatever is next for today.
October 3, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

It turns out that what was 'next' yesterday was food shopping, eating, and relaxing. Maybe it was a 'decompression' stage
after a month long siege with expensive boat crippling problems. Rachel dropped off a can of spar varnish for my interior
items yesterday, but I was up in the showers and missed her. Carol Ann came by yesterday to see Jamie, her ex boyfriend,
who is now living aboard in the marina.

I really have to clean up the boat again and reorganize. I know I need to get the wiring going, but everything is a mess again
and there are things I need to get untangled and straightened out so I can sit down and start wiring, testing and fixing
anything that needs it as I connect everything on the boat. I'm expecting trouble with some of the masthead electrics because
they ALWAYS make trouble and it has been years since any of them have been turned on.

I just realized I completely forgot about the macerator that empties the holding tank. I have no wiring run for it, no fusing, no
switching, nothing. Okay, no big deal. I'll tag off the windlass supply power, use a key switch high on the wall to operate one
of the high-amp relays I now have plenty of, and use an in-line fuse, all behind the forward head bulkhead. No problem and
short wire run.

I also need to make up a master list of tasks that are waiting so I don't forget any more stuff like that. There are so many little
things that I need to save materials for so I can do them later. Oh, phooey. I just remembered I have to go out to the island
and buy that Uniden radio for the panel. Might as well do that today. Then I can go back into 'scrimp and save' mode for the
rest of the month. I should buy a lottery ticket today. I'm due. I'll probably win. Off to make a master list in Word.

Still haven't gotten to the master list. Randy stopped by with the tach thing for the engine and I want to try that calibration if I
can. Like, right now. Be back.

I grabbed Jamie for help with the Tach adjustment and have it awesomely close - couldn't be happier. Dead on at idle and
within 2% to 3% at 2100 RPM. Great. I also made arrangements with drew to change my prop next week. It's just another one
of those things that has to be done, so I might as well get it out of the way.
October 4, 2009 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

Weekends are getting more and more busy as we enter the Florida season where more people come into the state from the
ever darkening north. Yesterday was a very busy day on the dock with many visitors coming to Falcon and two long phone
calls, both a great pleasure. The first was from George Pappas. He and Kim just returned from a vacation trip to Costa Rica
where a lifelong friend invited them and covered everything. They had a great time and visited Montezuma, Jaco, Manuel
Antonio, and the Arenal Volcano, which is always active.

When they got back, George got a call from the hospital saying that he had to come right in for a procedure. It turns out that
the tumor in his pancreas has shrunk so much that the bile duct stint is no longer needed and was getting loose, so it was
removed. This is amazing news. George is two or three years into treatment for Pancreatic Cancer, that just killed both
Pavarotti and Patrick Swayze, and not only has the disease not progressed since the onset of treatment, but the single
problem tumor is shrinking. The world may be on the doorstep of finally getting a leg up on this devastating ailment. This is
unbelievable. George is feeling better and there is a glimmer of real hope on the horizon. He wants to do some cruising
together when I start leaving the dock.

The second call was from Donny and Barb. They are in Georgia now, motoring down the Intercoastal Waterway. When he
called, they were right beside Savannah and having a pretty good time of it. Little by little, Donny is getting the wrinkles
ironed out of some of the new systems he installed on Dulcinea before they left. I spent some time yesterday transferring their
latest emails to folder form and will be posting them on new pages I'll make today. George said he'll be over to visit today, so
I'll keep going on the cleaning up and master list and other things, rather than diving into anything big and messy that
requires concentration.