Category: 2022-12 (December)

(posted 12/25/22)

Up at 6 final day in Mexico.

Reneé and I walked back to the yard, I had a few minor things to finish and she dealt with the paperwork for the yard. Then at 8 am Bob and I got picked up at the hotel, and then over to get Reneé, then back to the hotel to drop off the key.

After picking up the rest of the riders we went to the airport.

The trip back to the states was complicated. Some highlights:

• I got told that the contract company I had an offer from no longer had the contract. So, no job. MORE ON THIS LATER
• We changed our flight to go to Missouri where our truck was rather than Florida where our stuff was.
• Bob’s flight got delayed, he spent the night in the airport, changed flights and instead of two layovers, only had one.
• Our plane from Phoenix was scheduled for the next morning, so we visited Steve and Cyndi Hollinger overnight.
• When we got to Kansas City, they were out of intermediate cars at the rental agency, so we got upgraded to a Nissan Rouge with 50 miles on it.
• Many phone calls, texts and emails later, I found out:
  • that the manager who I was to work for was out for medical reasons. 
  • The Plant Manager who had to approve the budget for me, a 40 year employee at the site, got fired. (No details). 
  • The new manager was in Phoenix. The job was in Missouri.
  • I was put on hold until Thursday.
  • Late Thursday I was told the job is on again, but the contract company has changed, and the details will be settled next week.
  • We got to Missouri, and on Friday started looking for a place to rent. Found a place early in the day. Excellent place, brand new, should be ready to move in by January 2nd.
  • By Christmas, I had the written offer letter on my computer rate of pay is the same as original, but the per diem ($$ to offset the cost of keeping two residences) was slightly lower, and I know the cap on the Mobilization/demobilization money.
  • Reneé organized a moving company to get our stuff from Florida, our friend (and real estate lady/property manager) will be there to watch them load the truck.
  • Nate will fly up to where we are in Decorah, Iowa to be with family over New Years (we could not coordinate Christmas), then we drive him to the airport on our way back to Fulton on January 1st.

Between now and then, we will go visit Bonnie (Reneé’s mom) and her family in Iowa. Then drive to Florida to visit Nate for Christmas and get our stuff out of storage and drive back to Missouri to move in. 

In the meantime, our boat is out of the water for 2023, it will be shrink wrapped and we plan to visit in July or August.

This season of the blog is done.

(posted 12/25/22)

Up at 0700, breakfast Portals of Prayer in the morning, more preparation work then back to the hotel for nap. Back to the boat and out of the slip to get to the boatyard haul out by 2:45pm.

A bit of excitement, we were up about a foot (not out of the water yet), and the front of the boat fell back a bit. This happens because of the shape of the bottom of the boat.

After they had some lines around the straps they pulled us out. Then Reneé and Bob took another trip back to the hotel while I worked on things that needed to get done after the boat was out of the water.

(posted 12/25/22)

Up at 0700, another cold night. Breakfast then off to church by 1100. It was a long walk (2.25 miles) then after church we walked to a restaurant. Then by cab back to the boat for Bob and Reneé. I went to Autozone to get diesel fuel treatment (only got enough for a half tank). Then back to the boat and start running the water maker to fill the tank before we leave the boat for a year.

As a note on the diesel fuel additive, the gas stations don’t carry it while they sell diesel, it is not that important for daily use. The Cat diesel store doesn’t carry it, as the big engines that actually use diesel use the diesel fast enough, the fishing boats use lots of diesel every day, so they don’t need it either. But I am on a sailboat with 160 gallons of diesel that will sit for a year.

 

(posted 12/25/22)

Up at 0700, it was cold overnight (supposed to have gotten down to 46 degrees, it is only 47 now at 0730). Today we will work on our list of stuff that needs to be done before haul out.

As of 1630, most of the list is done. Tomorrow (after church) we will move the dinghy on deck and fill the water tank, then pickle the water maker and pack.
Tomorrow night we are staying in a hotel a short walk away.

(posted 12/25/22)

Up at 0700. The coffee was ready, and the boat is COLD! We have limited shore power (only one 30 amp supply) and when our second AC unit starts up it draws about 40 amps, so we lose shore power. I have some ideas about how to deal with this to try out later today. In the meantime, we are wearing jackets inside the boat. Outside air temp at 0800 is 50 degrees.

After breakfast and devotions (and we hope it has warmed up) we have a bunch of work to do to prep the boat for haul out. The list is 5 pages long, but many of the items that are listed are details associated with the bigger picture, like take down the sails and lines is spelled out for the details (3 sails, 3 lines for the Jib, and 4 for the staysail, and the 6 for the mainsail, etc). Reneé found a hotel for Sunday and Monday nights. We plan to be off the boat by Sunday afternoon, then move it to the yard on Monday, finish whatever has to be done and leave on Tuesday (unless they won’t take our boat until Tuesday).

No pictures today