Falcon's Log 29
March 8, 2010 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

Rick Moore greeted me first thing this morning, standing on the dock and calling out to me. I went outside and spoke to him
for a while, answering his questions and not much listening to what he had to say. A couple or three years ago when he took
his boat out of here and went to the Ten Tom River area to take over a TowBoat US franchise, he tore a piling out of the
dock and I had to fix it for Ham. Rick screamed to high heaven he hadn't done it, though his wife Bonnie and I did everything
we could to prevent it and were both holding the piling when he tore it off. She told him and he came to the back of the boat
to see it. Ham called him and wanted some repair money, but Rick lied so adamantly that Ham banned him from the place. He
still comes back around once in a while and acts like nothing ever happened. Soon after I first him he was described to me by
another man as "a bullshit salesman with a mouthful of samples". It fits.

Rick said he had to hit the head and asked for the new combination, then said he'd be right back. Ken came and we sat in the
chairs by Tarquin and I watched the head as we talked, explaining that I was waiting for Rick to come back. I saw him leave
and head straight away to the parking lot and drive away. Then Barbara came out, then Espin. In a couple of minutes Espin
left his boat and went straight back to the heads, then he came back and joined Ken and I at Tarquin. He asked if I'd seen
anyone else go into the head - I told him Rick Moore had just gone in and out while he and Barbara were up there. That's
when Espin told me that someone had just stolen his brand new prescription Nautica sunglasses from the reading table in the
laundry area while he was in one of the heads.

After rechecking and triple checking everywhere and everyone, we knew who had stolen the glasses. Espin and I got in his
car and went to N.E. Taylor Boatyard and asked Andy if Rick Moore was there somewhere and he pointed right across the
yard. We went over there and found him and Espin asked him about the glasses. Rick denied it, of course, but there is no
doubt in our minds that he took them. He doesn't realize I was watching the only door in and out of the place. It's who he is,
what he does. Too bad. Now Espin has to buy another pair just two weeks after he bought those.
I gave it the old college try last night to get a good sunset
picture, but the temperature was dropping fast and the wind
was picking up, so I went inside. About ten minutes after this
shot it became much better, but I already had my feet in front
of the little heater.

Donny called yesterday and we only spoke for a few minutes
because I was in a circle of people on the dock. I called back
this morning only to discover that they made it to St James
City, on the southern tip of Pine Island, last night.

This morning, before they could get going, Don has had to
deal with loose belts and other alternator related problems.
When I called at 10:30 AM, he was still in the engine hold
working and I have not made contact again yet. Early
afternoon might be a better time to try.
Ken and Sandy have brought their Schucker over to N.E. Taylor to have Andy clean out their fuel tanks and polish the little
bit of fuel they have left, then fill their tanks how ever much they want. They have a 400 gallon capacity and I recommended
filling and adding a stabilizer. It prevents much of the condensation contamination that occurs during long periods of storage
and besides, diesel isn't going to be getting any cheaper. It should only take the day and then they'll be back.

Espin and I took a ride to Best Buy and talked to the Geek Squad main dude who did some pretty cool tricks with the laptop
and got it to fire up. Unfortunately, the boot could only be repeated sporadically and his diagnosis was that the motherboard
had a ghostly short that came and went and meant that the computer was not really worth the money and effort to fix. Espin is
a tad shell shocked what with losing the glasses and laptop on the same day. We started window shopping for replacements
and it occurred to me that they have regular sales, so we picked up the weeks flier and left as I ogled a couple of hot babes
too young to date my sons.

On the way back we stopped into N.E. Taylor so Espin could throw down with Rick Moore and throw up on his shoes to
display just how irritated he is about Rick's taking the glasses. I explained a couple of finer points about the law and how it
would be Espin who got arrested if there was an altercation - he who goes looking for the other person is considered
responsible for anything that happens - and that there are better ways to end a day than posting bail.

As luck would have it, Rick had gotten out of Dodge, headed for the hills, skedaddled, boogied off and fled the scene. But at
least Ken and Sandy were there sucking the sludge out of their fuel tanks - and delighted with the progress - and Sparky Jim
the electrician was finalizing preparations for his trip south to Isla Morada, or an island NOT overrun with Jurassic Dinosaurs.

I got back to the boat and just had time to get one entire side of my hardtop riveted. I like it. Tomorrow for the other side, then
some other project that I cannot at this time picture.
March 9, 2010 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

Ken and Sandy came over and said they were going to stay the night at N.E. Taylor because the fuel truck hadn't shown up.
They invited me to join them for supper, but I'd only just eaten. It was tempting to try out the 'all you can eat' fish and chips, if
only I wasn't already topped up.

The day is starting out warmer than yesterday, but heavily clouded over and threatening rain. I will try to get the rivets done
on the hardtop and get my headsail folded and stowed. It has been on the foredeck for - wait, I'll check - 2 months. Covered,
but not right. I haven't been too concerned because we've had very little sunlight since January 1st and when we did, it was
way too windy for me to try to flake a sail on the dock.

The sad state of my condition is that I really need to do a good spring cleaning and re-organization so I can push forward on
the important issues on Falcon. The water tank, holding tank, hardtop, cabin sole, cook top, reefer, and electrical panel.
March 10, 2010 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

Yesterday turned long and hectic and I never got back to this. I had to take care of the bathrooms and the trash for Paul, I got
phone messages from all corners, and a Loggerhead Sea Turtle showed up in the marina, just for the highlights. The smallish
turtle - about 15 inches on the shell - apparently expired while we were waiting for the 'Sea Turtle Lady' to come and make an
assessment. Yvonne picked the very lethargic creature up and wrapped it in her jacket and held it to her chest in an effort to
warm it up - the sea turtle environmentalist said this was the correct action - but unfortunately, it was too late. The cold had
already done it's work and parts of the turtles internals had already died and were beyond help. Too bad. This long, cold
winter is still killing things.

Ken and Sandy got their fuel and took a run down to Sarasota Bay before returning to their slip. A steady stream of
restaurant traffic kept their slip filled until just before they got back. Eddie and Sandi showed up and Eddie stopped to talk to
Ken and Sandy about going to breakfast this morning, but Eddie's Sandi didn't appreciate Eddie out gallivanting around the
dock first thing, so she locked him out of the boat. He just showed up at my boat this morning and I went outside and talked
with him for a while. They have doctors appointments today and will be moving aboard in about another week.

Today should be the warmest day we've had in about 4 months. I have stuff that needs to be done on the hardtop to wrap up
the tightening of it and I now think I need two 90 degree stanchion bases for the rear struts. I woke up this morning with the
headache - much sneezing yesterday, probably due to a change in wind direction - and took some aspirin and the headache
is gone. Did a little talking with Ken and Espin about Saturday's JSI nautical flea market in St Petersburg. I'll be going with
Ken and Sandy and ready to buy the stanchion bases and maybe some new line for docklines. We'll see.

I did manage to get the last of the riveting on the hardtop done yesterday, as well as folding and stowing the jib. It is turning
out hot and fabulous outside today and people are everywhere. I'm already working on the boat and am going for the 'Pin
replacement' mode of tightening the hardtop. All the hardware has been sorted out and I'm about to get started. Wish me luck.

Okay, that's done and Sandy came over for a few minutes and told me her car would be at the shop for the day getting new
front calipers and whatever needed to go with them. The front brakes were dragging constantly and overheating. I tried to do
something about it a couple of weeks ago, but the fix only lasted for a couple of days and then both brakes started cooking.
So, all the pins are gone and all the bolts and nuts are on and the hardtop is much stiffer. The stanchion bases will be the
final adjustment to the hardware. Then the software - canvas - will go on and the wiring will get laced.
March 11, 2010 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

Today it looks like 7 of us will be going out to breakfast. It will be like a big party to us because we're old and have no lives. I'll
be sure not to be cynical or crack coarse jokes that make people cry. Well, I'll try. It'll be fun. We're expecting rain today but I
don't know when or how much. It's very dark and overcast right now, but the darkness isn't unusual an hour before sunrise so
it doesn't mean much. I own too many clothes. It's just an observation that came to me as I looked around the cabin. I will
doubtless thin that herd as soon as I get the bottom done and before I leave the yard.

The sun is apparently not allowed to rise today, but will instead sneak into the upper atmosphere under cover of cloud. There
is already some light sprinkles reaching us. Not a good sign. The future forecast is for more cold and rain, making the outlook
for Saturday's JSI flea market miserable from the comfort point of view, but very promising for the 'low crowds and low prices'
point of view. Either way, I'm looking forward to it.

I guess the guy from the laundry service finally came and emptied the coin boxes because people are doing laundry again.
The breakfast was good. No sooner did I get back than I got a call from Espin saying the bathrooms needed cleaning and the
squall line was bearing down on us. With the past few incidents of INCREDIBLY filthy heads - it looked like someone was
washing dogs in the sinks and the frightened pooches were crapping all over the counters - really - true story - and no effort
made to clean it up - I went straight up there grumbling to myself that this week was not worth the little reduction in rent I'd
agreed to. Fortunately, there was only a minor bit of 'foot traffic' dirt on the floors and little else. It took all of ten minutes to
clean up everything, empty the trash and refill the TP holders. The two outside trash barrels are okay as they have been
done Tuesday and Wednesday, so far. Only two more days of this relentless grind, then it's back to the salt mines of Falcon -
unless I need a nap.

I just went over to Ken and Sandy's Nemo again and fussed with the autopilot for a while, installing my compass in place of
their own to see if it made a difference. No luck. They fed me for it.
March 12, 2010 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

The wind kicked up yesterday to include gusts to 46 MPH. The palms were all standing straight up and the boats rocked
pretty good all day. I put a couple of shots in below, though they can really never convey what was going on. The
temperature stayed pleasant, but everything else went to hell pretty good. It got really wet all night, with torrential downpours
and high winds. One good thing I do have to say is that I have no leaks at all in the cabin or forward, and the only minor
leakage in the boat is the battery box lid, which allows a tiny bit of rain to drizzle into the bilge. I will be sealing that soon. I've
been wrestling with 'how' for quite a while and now I know. I'll use silicone to make small beads around the lid and a latch to
compress the cured seals.
I got another email from Barbara and Don and should really use this rainy, thundering day to get their pages re-adjusted and
start posting these pictures and captions quickly. It's very interesting. They were in company with the 1200 mile Kayak
'Around Florida Race' fleet for a while.

George Carter came and got me just after I'd returned to the boat from Ken and Sandy's. He said Ham called him and told him
the DEP had called and said they were on their way to make a dock inspection and that whoever was doing the work on the
dock in front of the restaurant had to clean up their mess. It was Eddie and Sid working on Sid's Magnolia. Sid was nowhere
to be found, but I helped Eddie clear as much off the dock as we could and returned to Falcon almost soaked through. At
least it's not cold. I also cleared my own dock. I'm not sure I believe the report, but no matter what the truth, I'm bound by my
agreement with Paul to take care of whatever needs attention and that's the name of that tune. Paul will be back tomorrow
morning.

It is 11 AM and still pouring like theres no tomorrow. There have been small periods of light rain, but all in all it is just a wet,
wet day.
March 13, 2010 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

The rain seems to be over this morning and I'm ready to head out to the JSI flea market with Ken and Sandy. We're leaving
early to get there among the first and hopefully find what we need and conclude business before it gets hectic. We'll see. The
prices have to be right. Sometimes you have to wait 'til near the end so the seller gets realistic and loosens his grip on the
'Precious'. Then it becomes MY Precious and YOU CAN"T HAVE IT! Well, you know, that's how it works.

In about ten minutes I have to go up and check the bathrooms so they are in good shape when Paul gets here. Mainly
because I have his key to the supply closets and if they can't wait until I get back it will be a minor inconvenience. I'm thinking
of taking the camera so I can get some shots for here. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge and the oddly shaped people who sell
things at Nautical Flea Markets. Okay, I'll do it.
Above are shots of the Skyway Bridge from the back of Sandy's car. She made me sit in a child seat and said I could watch
"Finding Nemo" if I stayed quiet, but she never turned it on. Below are some shots around the flea market. I got about
everything I needed and a couple of things I didn't, but everything was dirt cheap so all is well.
It's late and I'm tired. It has been a long and busy day and I just got a lotto ticket for the $200 million jackpot so I'm counting on
having another busy day tomorrow when I win. Or even if I don't, but what are the odds of that? See you tomorrow.
March 14, 2010 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

The weather should be good today and I would like to get the rear feet installed on the hardtop. I'll have to make a couple of
special spacers because the plastic collars have to go and the bases will then be too big for the 1 inch tubing, but I think I
have that figured out. It'll be interesting. Then I REALLY have to get the canvas on. OH, and I have to pump out the dinghy
today - it's FULL of rainwater, so full that if I get into it, we'll both sink.
Above left are the only two stanchion bases I could find at the flea market. It's not exactly what I was hoping for, but they are
cast stainless and plenty strong and attractive, so the minor modification I have to make will be worth it. The pair cost me $5.
At the time I didn't notice that one of the plastic liners had been bored oversize, but it doesn't matter because I'm not using
them anyway. On the right are three other fittings I bought because I stayed there too long and couldn't find anything else to
buy. Well, I could have overpaid for some stuff, but am too close to leaving to buy crap I will only have to bring to the next
nautical flea market to sell.

It's just after noon and I've come in to eat. Installing the aft feet for the hardtop is proving a bit more involved than I'd hoped
for, but it's still moving ahead. Pics coming up later.
I tied one of the old legs - temporarily - to the hardtop frame so I
could take a comparison picture to illustrate the enormous difference
between the old, tiny foot hinged system on the left and the new,
oversize rigid fittings on the right with huge, four-bolt flanges to bolt
down. Of course, I'll need to install appropriate backing plates below,
but the end result will be much better than the previous system. The
'filler' between the leg and the cast stainless base is comprised of two
stainless barrels produced by cutting the 'eyes' from tubing fittings like the male end of the pivot on the bottom of the old leg. I
had to modify 4 fittings and it took some doing, but it was a nice day and I got it done. I also had to cut 2 longer legs.
Tomorrow I'll dig out good fasteners and see about getting this finished. It's coming along.
March 15, 2010 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

The weather is still holding. It's a nice, calm, warm morning and I completely missed the Daylight Savings, 'Spring Ahead,
move your clock forward an hour' thing yesterday. So did my computer. But the cellphone and the TV caught it. I've been
fighting the headache for three days now so it's no surprise when the morning news listed 3 of the 4 allergens at 100% and
the 4th at 75% this morning. I have been dealing with it slightly differently recently, and with more success. I take 3 aspirins
instead of two, once in the morning and once in the evening, and that's it. It doesn't always eliminate the headache, but it
makes it tolerable.

First order of business today will be to sort out the hardware to use to secure the hardtop bases to the deck. Then assemble
all the tools, sealers and hardware on the deck and make the backing blocks. One of the most difficult parts will be the drilling
for the rivets in the 'double walled' bases. I may have to do some scheming there, if possible, like aligning the existing holes.
The tubing is also doubled there. I re-used the 7/8 inch liners I had in the old legs. It's weird calling them 'old' when they were
only a month old.

Eddie came by and we had coffee and talked some, then he gave me the Isinglass enclosure he'd had at his house forever.
He and Sandy will be moving aboard any day now and Doug and Loretta, their son and his girlfriend, will be moving into the
house. Eddie moved some stuff from the car to the boat and now he's gone back to the house for more.

Meanwhile, I've dug out the fasteners I need and have also discovered that I can make the existing holes line up in the bases
and save myself a long, tedious time drilling stainless with bits that are giving up the ghost. Besides, my awesome DeWalt
D21008 3/8 drill that now has a 1/2 inch chuck on it is also near the brink. The front main bearing is going and the gears will
soon follow. I can't blame it - I have brutalized it over the years. It's my second, and when it goes, I'll order the third. Best drill
on the market, hands down. No exceptions. I've owned them all in the past 50 years.

It's almost 5 PM now and the hardtop is finished with one minor exception - the below decks backing blocks have yet to be
installed. I'll check out the space and cut some blocks and make quick work of it as soon as I can. I ran into a small problem
that kept me busy for a while - there seemed no way to match both sides of the structure.  I finally discovered that one of the
rear curved diagonal braces was 1/4 inch longer than the other. After trimming off the last 1/4 inch, everything fit together and
balanced perfectly. The hardtop is now VERY strong and stiff. I'm satisfied it will hold in a good blow.
March 16, 2010 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

I took a few photos of the finished hardtop yesterday only to realize it didn't look any different from earlier, 'unfinished'
versions. The angles I used  - unplanned - also nicely blocked out the finished feet on the two best shots. Excellent touch,
don't you think? I need to get the backing blocks in today and get the wiring going, as well as the canvas.
I guess another thing I could do today is to clean off the deck and get some varnish on the Dorade's. That huge wad of line
on the lazarrette is the double braid that I'll be making my new docklines out of. I can drop it back into storage now that it has
saved me from spending money I didn't need to at the JSI flea market.
March 17, 2010 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

So there it is - St Patrick's Day - and true to form, Florida - green with envy about Chicago's green river - considered by many
to far outclass our red tide - has decided to steal Chicago's supply of 'make the river green' stuff and do it here. Clever. The
thing is, Chicago uses a blue dye. Speculation is that there is so much urine in the river, it results in a nice green. What color
do you get if you mix blue with red? I think it's a 'dead guy' purple. I think we should all watch this tonight. It could be like when
the guys at WKRP in Cincinnati thought turkeys could fly and tossed live ones from a helicopter on Thanksgiving.
Spectacular impacts on the street. People running, screaming. Like in Godzilla. Bring popcorn.

I got a lot done yesterday. I started by cleaning up the deck and quickly came up against a problem I was no longer willing to
live with. The one rotting dock box that no longer kept water out. I emptied both dock boxes and destroyed the bad one and
tossed the scraps into the dumpster.
Once again, the dock a mess, though some of the boat
has been cleared and both dock boxes are emptied.
Above, the scrapped old dock box and the empty
space. I can't complain - I built them 5 years ago to last
a year.

To the left, the good box moved over and packed like
frozen fish - full and tight. I still have to empty the small
black box, move it over and refill it with different stuff.
With the dock boxes going, I'm truly reaching that point
where I have to be able to stow it, or just lose it - no
exceptions - it's time to get really serious about 'stuff'.
I tried to get work done on Falcon today but didn't accomplish a thing. I ended up struggling with my Garmin GPSmap76 for
hours, including going to West Marine where I bought it, hoping they knew something. No luck. I'll have to call Garmin.

I also spent time with Espin on Minnie Pearl, working stage 2 - the final stage - of the hardtop saga. After that I went into the
Seafood Shack and had lunch, then over to Nemo to work the new battery rack situation with Ken and Sandy. I just got back
to the boat and feel like I need a nap, but not yet. It's almost 5:30 PM.
March 18, 2010 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

I am now caught up with finishing both Espin's project and Ken and Sandy's. It's okay. Neither should be too time consuming
and we are all in the same boat - scrambling to get things done in our narrow weather windows. Hopefully, these will be the
very last outside projects I do for others while trying to finish Falcon. I'm at the point where I begin to experience depression
for not being able to work on my own boat. Fortunately, it's a phenomenon I have experience with. It's very minor, and I can
shrug it off without difficulty. I'm also aware that once I leave I'll probably miss being able to drop my own projects for a
breather while I go off and enjoy wrestling with other peoples.

Eddie and Sandy are living here now, though they are so busy I have only seen them in passing. There is still some stuff to
finish up at the house and they go off there early and stay all day. Tom, who bought my truck, threw his girlfriend Dee off the
boat and she is now living at home with her mother. Paul is showing Tom the door for failure to pay rent, and George Carter
now has the title to the 37 foot Hunter that they were living on. There is also another man and a dog living on the boat and I
believe all three of them will soon be living in my old truck somewhere. That wouldn't be all that bad - it IS a camper van -
except that Tom busted out one of the side door windows because he was too impatient to wait for me to get a Slim Jim and
pop the lock. Now it has plywood on it and the van is getting little or no maintenance. Too bad - it served me well.

Espin had a charter to Captain at 10 AM so I went to Nemo and took a ride to Marine Surplus, then Home Depot with Ken
and Sandy. We got stuff for both our boats. I got heavy green sanding strips to use as non-skid pads on my companionway
ladder and they got electrical supplies for the boat. At Home depot I got fast cure Alex seal, Gorilla wood glue, and a healthy
assortment of blades for my Bosch sabre saw. I was just about out. All told, I spent $52+, though they bought the sandpaper
for me at Marine Surplus.

A real disappointment was the lack of 45 degree bases we need for Espin's Bimini rail that will be mounted on top of the
hardtop. I'll have to find them online and order them.

I just measured and cut the wood for Ken's new battery rack and designed an alternative method of assembly for Espin's
Bimini rail that will eliminate the need for the 45 degree bases we were unable to find. The temperature seems to be dropping
as the day goes on and a cold wind from the north brings the smell of snow. Okay, not really, but still . . . . . enough already.

I got the other dock box emptied and moved and stored all the paint and related solvents there. I still have three or four
buckets of stuff to go through and thin out, but I left the small head bowl and seat, and a cold plate for a reefer that I'll never
use, in the dumpster enclosure on the 'free' rack. I also brought the bronze 51 Junior head out for reconditioning and
assembly prior to installation. It reinforces my commitment to get out of here. I'll also be modifying the inlet water to just use
boat pressure fresh water, rather than pump seawater aboard. The old seawater inlet will be dedicated to the watermaker.
March 19, 2010 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

It's still cool here and only talk on the weather about a warm-up, without a corresponding rise in temperature. Odd how
hopefully TV meteorologists spin the forecast after 4 months of having to report bad news. Oh well, if we can't have warm we
might at least have funny.

Naked Lady from Panama City got here yesterday afternoon and we spent some time talking and enjoying the cold. We're
hoping for a warmer day today. I'm hoping to make headway on all three boats: Minnie Pearl, Nemo, and Falcon. I think it's
possible. Be back later with pictures of Naked Lady and her non-naked crew.
Above is Naked Lady, a sweet 36 foot cutter - rats, I forget the make - and her owners, Rick and Audrey. Very nice people
who have appeared in several logs I used to follow, including Connie's 'Pixie Dust'.

I managed to get Nemo's new battery rack designed and built today, and even got some design work done on Minnie Pearl.
Tomorrow I hope to get both of these jobs near the end, with only wiring left on Nemo.
March 20, 2010 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

This morning temperature is still only about 52 degrees, but it promises to be a fine day. Yesterday afternoon turned fairly
nice, but as the day wore on a north-east wind brought a cold chill. Anything coming in off the 60 degree gulf is bound to be
cold.

Also yesterday, I rousted this old couple who were parking a sweet little Rhodes Sloop on a trailer in the back of the parking
lot across the street. I'd checked with Paul and he said he hadn't given anyone the okay to park there, so I went and found
out who they were. It turned out they were these really sweet people from up the street and Margaret, the Seafood Shack
manager, had approved the use of the lot for overnight. I felt bad for challenging them, but still, it was my job.
After make a couple of 'fit' adjustments on Nemo's new battery rack, I left Ken and Sandy to trim, sand, prime and paint the
unit while I worked on Espin's forward track mount for his Bimini. Progress has been slow on this because we only get one
chance to make it right and any mistakes mean a small pile of scrap metal and we have to start over. Above left, I was
working to flatten the tubing ends and it was so difficult that it required myself, Espin and Rick to wrangle the stuff into
submission. I asked Ken to fill in for me holding down the vice so I could get the camera and get a shot of this. That damn
tubing is tough and no mistake about it. After more twisting and bending and fitting and measuring, we got the assembly
installed on the hardtop and it is very strong, light, and even pleasant to look at. There is still more to it.
Above left is the bottom of the new battery rack for Nemo with the paint drying. Tomorrow we will fit it and install it in the boat,
then wait for the cable and lugs before installing the batteries. On the right is a shot of Sandy, Ken, and Ken's daughter
Brette, who lives nearby, up on the bridge of Nemo.
March 21, 2010 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

The weather that was earlier expected to reach us in the afternoon is already on us. It looks like just a glancing blow,
however, and should pass fairly soon. I got over to Espin's boat very early and got the stainless off the hardtop and we
brought it down to my boat where I ground off the exposed corners. Espin covered the bolt holes on the hardtop with tape to
prevent the rain from wetting the wood inside. We'll be mixing up some thickened epoxy when it drys out here and
re-installing the stainless. After that, the extent of my involvement will be to make the wooden 'crown' piece that is evolving in
my head every day. It will serve to bind the tops of the two stainless bows together and provide a place to secure the bolt
rope tracks for the Bimini top - one the aft side - and the small Isinglass Bimini windshield on the forward side.

At any moment I will have to go to the Schucker and install the battery rack. I just called over and I'm on my way. . . . . . It's all
of a half hour later and I'm back and the battery rack is installed. It's almost 10 AM. The sun is beginning to show through the
clouds. I don't know if it means 'clearing' or just a break in the days waves of rain. . . . . . I just checked the weather
Underground and it's definitely just a break in the waves of rain. Another, much larger wave is on the way. Time for me to get
caught up on some of Don and Barbs pages.
A couple more shots from yesterday include another look at Espin's gallows and a 50 foot, twin diesel hot rod that any
motorhead would LOVE to stampede around Tampa Bay for an afternoon or two - including me, for sure.

It is now exactly noon and we have already had a wind gust of 51 knots. Ken called me and told me so. I have the Weather
Underground on as well and it looks like this front is building to a much larger and more violent affair than was previously
reported.
March 22, 2010 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

Last evening, just before sunset, a series of small explosions on the street out in front of the restaurant signalled the end of
electric power in the neighborhood for 6 or 8 hours. It was almost an event, what with the burning pole and everything, but it
never escalated to lawn chairs and drinks. Within a few minutes, a broken pipe in the marina caused a few more minutes of
concern, but I knew where the water shut-off is and saved the day. Still no lawn chairs and drinks. Bored, I went to Walmart
and stocked up on Lentils, Split Peas, Black Eyed Peas, Pinto Beans and Red Kidney Beans. About 23 pounds or so.

I got out there this morning and shut off the valve that isolates the water on the southern section of the marina and turned the
main valve back on. In just a few more minutes I was mixing the epoxy for Espin's Gallows and we were installing it
permanently. Now, only the wooden crossbar is left. That will be a bit tricky, but not overly so. I have some ideas.

There will be a barbecue on the dock tonight because Barbara is coming back and Rick and Audrey are here. It does appear
that we have a fairly good sized set of couples here. Eddie and Yvonne, Eddie and Sandy, Rick and Audrey, Espin and
Barbara, Richard and Ina, Richard and Angie, Ken and Sandy. Singles like George, RJ, Chuck and I are rapidly become the
minority. It wasn't like that with liveaboards years ago.

After another motherboard glitch, I broke down and ordered a new motherboard, as well as 2 more gigs of ram and another
500G Sata drive. The new motherboard does not have IDE interfaces. It does have more of everything else though, so I am
finally moving out of the IDE era into Sata and above. The extra high speeds are more important to gamers and folks working
with video editing or huge graphics files. For me, what I already have is enough and additional speed is only a minor benefit.
The processor I have now is years old and was only middling fast back then. If it fails, I'll get a newer one that will seem
blazing by comparison. Meanwhile, this upgrade is only costing $221 delivered and I'll also have a new tube of heat sink
compound. I know, I know, but I SEARCHED for a new laptop and everything out there is either crap or mega expensive
(Mac) or comes loaded with Windows Vista or Windows 7, both loaded with Microsoft and government spyware.

I went to Sam's with Rick and Espin and we gathered up some food for this evenings barbecue. I was glad to have the funds
to kick in. I don't always.
The barbecue was excellent and the only people who didn't show up were Richard and Angie. They walked past, but for
some reason didn't come to eat. There was tons of food left over. I ate constantly from beginning to end. As the evening wore
on, the temperature dropped significantly as is illustrated by Audrey's tightly clutched hands beneath her chin. Yvonne started
in a T shirt and shorts and was soon wearing jeans and a jacket.

Below, there were some excellent views of seagulls in the sunset and a nice sunset from the day before sent to me by Sandy.
March 23, 2010 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

Once again the weather is explaining the 'Arctic Chill' brought by yesterdays front. It's not a surprise. It's supposed to be like
that in Florida because we're so close to the Arctic Circle. Someone reported that we should be happy because this was NOT
the coldest winter ever on record. They say that 1978 beat it by one degree. So there you go. Get out the sunscreen and
strip off those Alaskan Parka's - it's warmer than we thought. I'll bet in a month we have day after day at or near the 100
degree mark and can't stop whining about THAT.

Espin isn't in a hurry to get the last bit done on his arch, but I am. I have just 2 days left to work on his and Ken's projects and
that's it. We wait and wait for little weather windows and I spend them working on other peoples projects. Yesterday, Richard
- of Richard and Ina - started asking me about working on his boat. No, no, no, no, no. There'll be none of that. I will wrap up
these projects post haste and focus on Falcon full toot.

I have spent the day puttering, in a way, though I managed to get some stuff done. I got to Island Lumber with Espin and got
the Ipe to make the crossbar with. I spent a long time on the dock with Paul and Ken, eating from the cheese and meat plate
and talking and laughing our asses off - really - I no longer have an ass. I also fished out a small piece out of the plumbing
bucket for Rick and talked with RJ. I got the second 1000 feet of crab pot warp off the spool and coiled for easy storage. I got
Eddie's small table back and watched the 4th Terminator movie. Terminator 4: Salvation. It should have been named
Terminator 4: Sucks. That would have been more accurate - the writing was awful, the story was almost ridiculous, and
someone insists on writing John Connor as a freakin' sissy - good grief. The guys supposed to be the hero who saves the
world - why is he always sniveling or staring into space on the verge of tears? Written by a woman who wants a
'metro-sexual' hero. David Bowie. Richard Simmons.

But most of my time today was absorbed posting Donny and Barb's first trip to the Bahamas. It's a huge, time consuming job,
but I'm getting some feedback that it's interesting, so I might as well get it up there. That job it about halfway done now, then
I'll start posting the new emails from their present trip.
March 24, 2010 - Seafood Shack Marina - Cortez, Florida

Today I have to get the crossbar done for Minnie Pearl and the batteries done for Nemo. Then I will be free to work on Falcon
and will be able to get hauled out. Hopefully. I will have to clean up the dock first. It has been a garbage dump ever since I got
rid of the bad dock box.
The dock isn't completely horrible, but only like a Velociraptor isn't completely horrible when compared to Godzilla. Actually, a
real Velociraptor would have it's hands full against a Pit Bull and a Bobcat would just kill it and eat it. They were only 2 feet
tall. Maybe 3. I just found this out when I went on line to get the correct spelling. Meanwhile, the other picture is of the spool I
made in 1986 to hold 3000 feet of crab line. I took the first section off prior to taking this shot and got the second length off
yesterday. The spool is a pain in the ass to store and lug around. I'm dividing the gear up into 3 piles and giving 2 of them
away to further lighten my load. I want to be able to store the entire thing in a single 5 gallon pail and store it forward against
the anchor rode lockers.
I cut the crossbar out of the piece of Ipe we bought yesterday, then drew back the saw depth to 13/16 of an inch, marked the
back of the board and using only the saw (and a few strokes with a hammer and chisel) cut out the odd ravine you see in the
first photo. When you see how it fits in the second photo, however, you might say, "Wow, that IS clever." Or, "What a waste of
time." I don't know how you see these things. Anyway, I think it's pretty cool. I now have to drill and countersink some
stainless rub rail, then cut it down and round the ends. These pieces will hold the crossbar on.