It's been a while since I posted, and a lot has happened, so watch out. I've been to California and fulfilled my obligations there, plus I've been spending more time away from the boat than on the boat. All my predictions about the beautiful spring weather have come to naught, and winter decided to do a bit more dumping before going on her merry way. I last thought the wws (weekend warriors) would be racing up and down the docks by now, but that has not happened. We've discovered that many are timid souls, and they will not head for their boats and the water until it's absolutely guaranteed that they are enveloped in lots of warmth. We should get that this weekend, but we also have a 30% chance of rain. We'll see what happens. We've also found quite an easy and fast way to get back and forth, so our trips either way are not the hassle they used to be, and we can be more flexible with our travel plans.

Our time home is always well spent and something we thoroughly appreciate. While roaming around Ottawa I made it a point to go by my old golf course, and though it was still early, the course was open and there were a few hardy golfo-guys braving the cool weather. The course looked in really good shape for late April. I might mention I also got to play two rounds in Calif, and the courses were in really good shape as one might expect. We're now getting things sorted out in both Ottawa and Toronto, and I'll be spending more time in TO than in Ottawa. Seems like Toronto is more my home than anywhere else, and I guess that's cause both my friends and memories are there. I don't like Calif much anymore, and if I didn't have relatives there I probably would never go back even for a visit. I must mention, I've dusted off my old computer tower, bought a new monitor and bought an adaptor with four additional USB ports, and I'm now using it instead of the laptop. Surprisingly, the new monitor actually takes up less space than the laptop did.

What's next? I haven't a clue. We have a lot of work to do, but that's always the case. This is the prettiest time of the year wherever in North America one is, and we're both ready to soak up as much of the good weather as we can. We're healthy and happy and that's about as much as anyone can ask for. I'll be in touch.

Aaaaarrrr...the weekend warriors have started to arrive, and so has the spring weather. Yippee. I'm always amazed when spring actually arrives on time. It's almost as if the heavens have opened up and said, "Enough of this winter nonsense. The calendar says it's spring, so act accordingly and get sprouting." All of a sudden, the morning frost is gone, and the yellow forsythia is popping out everywhere. In this area, one of the phenoms is the coming of the chives. Yeah, that's right, chives. Someone must have sprinkled chive seeds like Johnny
Appleseed, for as soon as the ground frost disappears the little chive plants pop up everywhere. We thought it was only a St. Micheals thing, but it happens all around the Eastern Shore. Of course, be careful what you pick and eat...doggy dogs may have tried to water them to make them grow.

I'm off to L.A. on the 4th, and I'll be gone for two weeks for a bit of family caretaking. After a serious operation bro is doing very well and recovering right on schedule. I'll be there just before he goes home for continued recuperation, so I'll have my hands full. That's okay, part of what one does when it's time to do it. A big plus..the weather is predicted to be clear and averaging around 75°, not too hot, not too cold. I'll try to get in a blog while I'm there, but it's not too likely I'll find a way with no computer on sight and no broadband available. It's like going back to the time when there was nothing but black and white radio.

Back to the WWs. They started arriving last weekend, but they'll be really active starting today. It's the end of the month, and a number of owners who came to this marina to keep their boats under cover for the winter now must move back to their bare uncovered slips in Annapolis for the summer. Yesterday a couple of them started their engines, one even went out for a sea trial, but as they leave new ones will arrive, and they'll have their interesting stories to pass on. It's one of the really enjoyable things about this lifestyle. One meets many new and interesting people and friendly conversations are started almost always revolving only about their boats and their adventures. Friendships are made, but everyone understands that nothing in the boating world is permanent. The time will come to move on, and when that happens we shake hands and hug a bit and thoroughly appreciate the time we've been able to spend with our new friends and acquaintances. Of course, the common denominator here is "a boat and water." We all have the same involvement, in varying degrees of course, but no one is richer or poorer better or worse than the other, and that creates a wonderful atmosphere. Funny thing; it's the same all over the world, and that's one of the things that makes this lifestyle so attractive. So come on WWs, unwinterize your boats, hoot and holler, laugh and giggle, and let's get this 2007 season underway. It's really something to look forward to.

I'll be in touch in a couple weeks.

Wonder of wonders, after a bit of manipulation I was able to log on to a New Post. Something's a little bit goofy with the Google sign in, so I have to use my old blog account. What the heck, it works, and I don't have the patience to sort out the specifics. It's cold here today, but I think this is the last of it with warmer air coming in this evening and sticking around (like Emeril) for a couple weeks..maybe longer. Still no change in my L.A. plans, so I'll likely leave on the 4th as scheduled. I am going to try to get a couple rounds of golf in before I leave assuming that the weather will cooperate.

It's hard to believe, but it was one year ago we returned to Chelsea after our vacation trip to Maryland. We took that trip just to revisit St. Michaels, MD, to get a break from the frigid weather and the snow. What a lifestyle change that incubated along with a journey that continues to this date. We often use the well-worn cliché, "Be careful what you ask for," and this time it really is true. We were asking for a business improvement, and that took off shortly after we got back. We asked for a boat, and though we went through a tortuous path to make it happen, bingo, here we are. So what do we ask for next? Be careful. Now that we've
accomplished the most difficult part, we are really looking forward to spending our summers in TO and running toward the warmer climes in Jan and Feb. We'll do it, and it will happen because we asked for it.

So what's the big difference between what we accomplish with our "Process" and the new phenom "The Secret? " We don't think there's a lot. As we look back over the years we both have used our personal process to take us to exactly where we wanted to be at the time. Right or wrong, we arrived at each destination just as we wished for. Mind you, it took some work in each instance, but nothing come easy, and if one wants it bad enough he/she just has to work for it. I recall reading Napolean Hill's book "Think and Grow Rich" more than fifty years ago wherein he espoused most of the same principles. I believed in them then, and I don't think much has changed in the last half century. Sure, the authors names have changed from Hill, to Robbins, to Dyer et al, but it all boils down to much of the same: Want it, Believe in it, Work for it, It will be yours, perhaps not in the way it was initially visualized, but it will be there. So, do be careful what you ask for, it might not be exactly what you wanted in the first place. If that doesn't work where else do you find what you're looking for? Yellowpages.com. See ya' soon.

BoatTed

Amazing. I don't know what happened, but after a couple days of trying to sign in to my blog I finally made it. I kept getting the error page and couldn't access a New Post. Oh well. On the home front the first day of spring is showing its beautiful head with one of the nicest days we've had in some while. It's nice to be back blogging, and the weather may just allow a little jogging as well. Here's the story: I busted the bumper on our car about ten days ago by backing into a big dump truck. It didn't move, but my bumper did. Ouch. So now the car's in the repair shop, and so will our bank account be when we get the bill. Yikes. Oh well...so much for my failing to look in all directions with all mirrors when backing.

For the first time in a long time our boat is comfortably warm without all heaters blasting, and the prediction is for much improvement from now on. I've just made a deal to purchase 200 ft. of 5/8" double braid line (that's the pretty and soft stuff that's harder than the devil to splice), so when it arrives on Thursday I'll start splicing eight all new dock lines. I don't really have to have new lines, but the ones that came with the boat are old, ratty looking and are mismatched, so I'm going to give our pretty lady some new lines she'll be proud of. Besides, I got a great buy on the spool, one I could hardly pass up.

I'm leaving for L.A. on April 4 and will be gone for two weeks. My last scheduled departure had to be canceled because of some problems, but I think this one is going to be alright. I'm not looking forward to the trip (dealing with family illness is never much fun), but it's something that must be done. It will be interesting to see some of my old stomping grounds again since our last visit was in Nov. '99. I likely won't be able to post from there, but I'll take the laptop and try anyway.

Things are good on this end, and they'll get even better now that spring finally has arrived.

As this week comes to an end the major east coast storm has passed and is now dumping tons of the white stuff in our old stomping grounds. Toronto was hit quite hard with many downed trees and power outages all over the area. It was still nasty this morning because of slippery, slushy and wet roads. Motorists were advised to stay off the road if possible, and surprisingly many of them did take the advice making for much easier clean up and driving for those who had to use their own wheels.

As for me, I'm simply hanging out for the day. My buddies are working and won't be around until this evening when I'll likely be invited out to dinner. Hanging out is not a bad thing. It's a positive way to force one's self to cool it, take it easy, relax and try to smell the frozen roses. As you can see, I'm attempting to do all that by blogging away, one of my fun ways to let down. At home, all's well, and the storm has passed there as well after dumping more than an inch of rain. It's now 14c there, much more comfortable than here. Aaah, but don't fret. A couple days after I get back (tomorrow aft.) we'll have another short shot of slightly below freezing nights.
The good news is that the days will still be the mid 40s with sun. We can live with that. Still no word about when I'll head for L.A., but I suspect it will be around March 20. And now I'm going to be a real couch potato for a while.

This will be a shortie just to catch up on current things. I'm in the midst of a dandy of a snowstorm in Toronto, and just when I thought this mess of winter was about to come to an end. Not so. It's not good out there with about 15-25 cms of snow expected overnight before it starts to rain. Oh yes, don't forget the freezing rain. That's supposed to be part of the mix tonight. Traveling is miserable and almost impossible. I had to wait over an hour in a bus shelter waiting on the wrong side of the street for a bus, and then I had to walk a good four blocks with the snow pounding in my face. I'll remember that walk for quite a while. I'm concerned about my pals getting home from work, but they'll somehow figure out how to get through it. Nothing else to do but sit and wait it out and hope everything goes alright. I'm anxious to get back to the boat. Of course, my next trip, the one to L.A., is still pending, but at least that one won't have this kind of weather. I'll keep you informed whoever you might be.

Let's hope it was the last one of the season. We had almost four inches of wet sloppy snow yesterday, but at least there was no wind. The white stuff fell down all day and it looked as if someone had opened up a huge pillow in the sky and let all the feathers float softly to the ground and water. It was almost like an early spring snowfall, and since it was very wet all the trees and bushes looked like a fairyland. Pretty, but messy. Pacha loved it. She jumped and cavorted as if she were a pup once again. Of course, that didn't last long as her old joints quickly tired. This morning the snow is almost all gone and by afternoon there will be no lingering signs of the storm. Spring comes early and quickly in this area so close to the nation's capital, and with temperatures rising to the high forties and low fifties we'll see fresh new green in only a couple weeks. That also should herald the return of the "Weekend Warriors" and all the helter skelter madness that comes with the arrival of the new boating season. It will be fun to watch; it also will be fun to be one of the participants.

I'm getting ready for my trip to Toronto and will leave-arrive on Tuesday. I've had a frustrating change in my L.A. plans, so that trip will likely be delayed for about three weeks. That will also delay our getting started on work for the boat, but life will go on. It has been a hectic time since Anne returned compounded by the L.A. kifaffel, but we're pretty well sorted out now. The weather is about ready to show signs of spring, though we may get a bit of snow today or tomorrow. It's warm enough, though, so whatever comes down won't stick, and within a few days the temps will get back up to 50°, and then we're on our way. Meanwhile, we're making loose plans for the summer, fall and next winter and looking forward to whatever adventure may come our way. And guess what? When the sun comes out, they're playing golf here. That's a good sign.

My notebook has a keypad problem, and I'll be without it while it goes off to Texas for repair, plus I'll be on the road, so my blogging time may suffer. If I'm gone for a few days, have no fear, I shall return and share our new adventure.

The Bad Stuff has left us!! At least for the foreseeable future, we are into nicer, warmer weather. The boat was fairly comfortable when I went to bed last night but even better when I got up at 6:15. What a nice feeling not to have to throw on extra layers. Once again, Pacha slept in until 7:00, so my morning got off to a great start. Of course, not all is perfect. As we were running down the dock to get Pacha relieved I tripped and fell flat hitting my chin. Fortunately, there was no damage, only a sore chin and a bruised ego, and Pacha was more concerned about relief than running away. She further rewarded me by dropping her donuts along her favorite walking place.

The best news is my batchelor stint will be over this afternoon. It's been a cold ten day haul, but the break in the weather heralds my better half's return. She's had a difficult time trying to get everything done, and then on the way back got stopped for a "random check" at the border and got lost hunting for a hotel. One good bit for her as well, the weather has made the rest of the trip home much easier with no snow or even rain predicted. I'll be here for a week after she arrives, and then I'm off to the big TO for a few days. Following that, I'm headed for LA to do my bit to help out during family illness/recuperation. I'd much rather stay here and look out for home issues, but who knows, maybe I'll get to play a round or two of golf with nephews I haven't seen in years. Spring will have sprung by the time all this traveling is finished, and it will be time to look after much needed renovation and repairs.

Funny how quickly we put to the back of our minds the difficulties and problems of a few days ago when things start to improve and we get on the right track again. Now I'm warm and the past cold doesn't seem to have been so bad after all. I'm on the right track now and looking forward to the next five weeks, but the next seven days are the best of the bunch.

I must admit I was too cold to sit down and blog yesterday, and but for the gorgeous sun pouring in on my head right now I would have to have blogged out today as well. Cold? With the wind a blowin' I couldn't get any heat into this boat, and I was actually afraid I was aiming toward hypothermia. Not a good thing. However, I rallied and found a way to keep a bit warm with two heaters aimed right at me. It's actually a beautiful day here...if one has several layers on..not a cloud in the sky, but when the wind whifs at you, watch out, it's frostbite time.

Earlier today I braved the elements and took a bunch of pictures that are most unusual for this area. A large steel tug of around sixty-five feet had to use full power on both its engines just to get through the ice in the bay to get some fuel. It took close to an hour for them to break through to our marina from the bridge, and they weren't sure they were going to make it. All hands cheered when they made it to the fuel dock. Locals say they haven't seen a winter this cold in many years. I hope it's many years before they, and we, see another like it. I'll have to wait a few days before I post some of those pictures since my regular laptop is on the road, but I'll get them out to you soon. I finally found the warmest spot in the marina, the laundry room, and I spent a good hour there entertaining myself with a Ludlum novel and washing a few clothes.

This is the last of the really cold days with the forecast for considerably warmer tomorrow. I'm not in any real trouble, though. Check this out for lunch...jumbo shrimp cooked in sauteed onion with tomato and fish sauce over rice..yummm, and fresh green beans. I'm not starving, that's for sure. I must admit even with all the unusually cold weather, this area is still beautiful, and when it warms up it is unbeatable. I'll be off to L.A. in early March, so this blog will likely be blank during that time. Meanwhile, stay tuned, the excitement has hardly warn off.

This is not good, not here and not north and east from here. The baddy that was predicted is in the midst of doing its thing, and there's not much any one of us can do about it. I've battened down the hatches and will just wait the sucker out. There was ice everywhere when I took Pacha out at 5:30, and I can tell you we were careful. When Pacha on four legs is afraid to move too fast for fear of slipping, you can only imagine how wary I was, and there was no one around should a mishap occur. Even the dock had icy spots a warning of how treacherous the exposed area would be. I didn't want to get down on my all fours, though I must admit I was tempted. It's now close to noon, so we'll be venturing out again soon, and I can assure you we'll be careful. Meanwhile, my books are a comfort and a great way to pass the time until all this wintry mix of precipitation passes, and I'm eating my way through all my food supplies. One more week, and we should see some nice temperature improvements. Just as an aside, it's 61° in Beaufort, SC. Hmmmm..how long will it take to get down there? It's 608 miles. Bye.....

Aaaaarrrr,

BoatTed

Monday, Monday was not a bad day, but every other day may not be the same. Monday, Monday has passed, and Tuesday is not looking too good. The big storm from the midwest has arrived, and it's going to be a mess all along the eastern seaboard. We're just now starting to get the snow, and the forecasters are predicting a real winter precipitous mix, snow, sleet and rain, each rotating around for the next 48 hours. We'll not get it as bad here as in most other places such as Phil. and upstate NY, but it's likely the big event of the year. Even the maritimes will get quite a taste of this one..a bad biggy. Hopefully, this will be the last one for the winter, and we can get prepared for a decent spring. It looks as though that might be the case for Toronto and Ottawa where the temperatures are predicted to skyrocket a week from today. If that does occur, we'll see some major improvements in this area as well.

Closer to home, the new heater works pretty well and is a great improvement, so though it was purchased late in the wintry season I'm happy to have the warmth especially with the oncoming cold spell, and it runs on half the electricity the others use. Other than that, I'm the only one on the dock. Everyone else has run away to houses, condos and all sorts of other land accommodations. Pooh on them. Actually, it's quite pleasant without any disturbances or activity. I'm catching up on reading and doing some internal maintenance, and I don't have to feel guilty about not doing much. Label it as a welcome bit of R & R. There'll be plenty of time to get into the labor intensive stuff. I did fill the water tank yesterday just in case the cold weather that's predicted shuts off the outside water supply. We do have a neat trick to circumvent that problem, however. At the end of the dock there is a frost-free source, and we tap into that with a long hose that is primarily underwater except for the receiving and delivery ends. Usually, those ends are drained after each use, so we're able to hook up to the source with our own hose and fill the tank. It's a much better situation than I had in Midland, ON a number of years ago when I had to take 75 feet of coiled and frozen water hose to the local laundromat and put it in the drier to thaw it out and get rid of the ice. All the laundromat patrons thought I was completely nuts putting a spaghetti-like hose in the drier, but I said nothing and they just averted their eyes from mine. Mind you, when I did get the tank filled that time I used the water judiciously. Hmmmm, seems to me it was about the same time of the year but much colder than it is here. Now I'm off to fix a warm and tasty lunch. I had fresh from scratch tacos yesterday. Life is hard.

BoatTed

So what's been going on? Actually, quite a bit, but that has all settled down for a while. I'm alone for a few days while Anne takes care of business. She'll be in Ottawa while looking after all sorts of necessary stuff, then she'll have a couple nice nights in Montreal, also to look after business. For both of us it's a bit of a break, though she will be working and I will be looking after our floating palace. In the meantime, I've ordered a new Eden Pure heater, and magically it will arrive tomorrow. That's quite amazing considering I just ordered it on Thursday, and it had to be transported all the way from Michigan with no travel time on Sat. or Sun. Two others on this dock have this heater, and they report it uses only 750w but will comfortably heat a boat our size or larger. If that's true, our heating problems are over and just in time. A big storm is on the way and swirling down from central Canada bringing both snow and colder weather on Tuesday. None of that horrible weather is expected to get to Ottawa or even Toronto, so that's good news. The bad news is that the cold weather is predicted to be here at least until the end of the week. I sure hope the heater performs as advertised (by Paul Harvey, no less), so I can finally get a decent temperature in the boat, and my astronomical electric bills will be diminished. Pacha continues to get me up in the middle of the night, and I can't find a way to resolve that, though I keep trying. Hmmmm, sleeping pills anyone?

I've talked with one of my nephews regarding my trip to L.A., and it's likely I'll be leaving here close to the end of the month. I'll book for a two week stay. That should be enough time to get the family problem sorted out and also for me to perhaps sneak in a round or two of golf. At least one of my three nephews will almost certainly be there for a day or so while I'm there, and they also play golf. So while my visit there is necessary and serious, there may be a little lighthearted activity to ease the concerns and pressure of the trip. One other thought: By the time I get back from my trip, the weather should be downright pleasant here with nothing but improvement on the way.

There's little or nothing going on here, though we did have some activity when one of the boats on the dock started to sink. The marina people were notified and quickly resolved the problem. Lester, the slow moving fellow down the dock, has offered to take me anywhere I might need to go while I'm without wheels, so I needn't worry about running out of food. I've also stocked up pretty well and should probably be more concerned about gaining weight than going hungry. Well, maybe I could make a stop at Blockbuster and rent a couple movies just for diversion. Meanwhile, there's cable tv and golf, and I'm into a Ludlum book, "The Hades Factor," so I won't be bored. Additionally, there's always plenty of boat maintenance to look after coupled with DIY manuals that I have to study to bring my tech knowledge up to date. I'll get back to you when activity gives some news worthy of being passed on.

Aaaaaarrrr...Cap'n Ted

Yikes-Oh, Yikes-Oh. It was a cold one yesterday with only one redeeming factor, the wind was only at about 5mph. We were screamin' and hollerin' about that one with temperatures at their lowest in two years, about 14F (-9C). The water pipes on the boat had frozen, and it looked as if we would be having problems for a while. We had never expected it would get this cold. To hell with it..we took nice hot marina showers and then took off for Easton with Pacha (who is feeling better). We had a great lunch at Mason's and a nice talk about what we'll do for a warmer winter next year. We spent the afternoon in antique shops. When we returned, the pipes were still frozen, but the boat was almost comfortable. We'd put bilge lights on, but that had not done the trick. Of course, the main concern with frozen pipes is that they will burst when frozen, so we were crossing our fingers. We made the best of a very cold day.

This morning the meteorologist's prediction of an inch of snow came true (Pacha loves that), but the good news is OUR PIPES ARE NO LONGER FROZEN. Yeah for our side. It's still cold, but the snow has a bit of an insulating effect, and we can wash the dishes and our hands. Apparently all the pipes are okay, another big positive. I suppose we had just the right conditions, the bubblers, the lights in the bilge and no wind all helping to warm up the pipes enough to let the water flow.

It's not easy living on a boat in the very best of conditions. One must make enormous adjustments and compromises, but when the basic systems one depends on break down because of unexpected weather, it can become much more difficult just to get along. Somehow we are managing quite well and discussing ways to be more comfortable if we have to go through cold weather like this again. Of course, a good option is to move a little farther south next Jan. and Feb., but even that wouldn't have helped all that much this year with the cold mass going all the way down to Georgia and Florida being hit by tornadoes. Starting tomorrow the daytime temps will go above freezing and continue a slow climb. Will this be the last cold spell? We certainly hope so, but we'll deal with whatever comes.

There's not much new to add to yesterday's post, except that it's now verified that the next four days will be the coldest here in two years. What a comforting thought..literally..we'll be wrapping ourselves up in comforters just to stay warm. They are not predicting any snow..another slightly comforting thought, but they're talking about single digit figures, maybe as low as 9 deg. F (-13C). That's chilly whether you're up north or down south.

Super Bowl XLI is on today, though that won't affect us much. I'll check in just to see how it is going, but I don't care about the outcome. I'd rather watch an exciting golf tournament with
Tiger or Phil or both. Hurry up spring, it's downright freezin, too cold for the season. Cha Cha Cha.

...And so the work week comes to an end, kinda. There's still plenty to be done around here, though much of that is being hampered by the cold weather which keeps hangin' on. We now have the prediction that it will be unusually cold through next Wednesday, but perhaps there will be some moderating after that. We're sorting it out, though, by concentrating on local heating, one room at a time. "Room," that's an incorrect term, should be "Cabin." Whatever. By localizing we're able to stay quite comfortable, that is until the wind starts whipping up.

Pacha decided to get me up at 2:00 am, and for a good reason. After we returned from her necessary wanderings, she could sleep but I couldn't. Finally got back to sleep at 4:00. A boat is not the best place for a Siberian Husky, so we take it one day at a time and do the best we can.
She is feeling better and at times still shows the perkiness of old, though that doesn't last for too long.

Looks like I'll be spending a couple weeks in L.A. around the end of the month, though it won't be for pleasure. There's some illness in my family out there, so I'm obliged to hop on a plane and do my bit to help out. After I return I'll head on up to Canada and spend some time there. Of course, by that time winter will likely be gone and better weather will have arrived. It will be a fast six or seven weeks.

Happy February 1st. We're now only one month away from what is usually warmer weather in this area and some abating of the bad stuff. It's cold, but not nearly as uncomfortable as in my other stomping grounds. Unfortunately, the winter chill is not going to fade away without leaving a few more dead soldiers. It does not give up easily. Yesterday was a bear of a day with the wind whipping away most of the day. Around here it's not the temperature that gives us a problem, it's the wind, and there's no real way to windproof and old wooden boat though I've tried. This morning we woke up to a much warmer boat (no wind), and though a bit of snow is predicted there will be no wind.

New subject. My latest discovery (thanks to buddy Rob F) is SKYPE! No hype! Foote had not tried it but told me he'd been hearing it was pretty good, and it is. I've downloaded it, bought it for a year ($14.95 special) and now can make unlimited calls anywhere in North America, have 100 free minutes in Europe, then only 2.1 cents per minute after that. One has to use a headset, but I purchased a good one, and the results are really good. That's going to be very handy for us when we are on the road. Just plug the laptop into broadband and start making free calls. From what I can gather Skype is expanding and growing exponentially with over 8 mil callers on line at any given time. That's pretty astounding, given that they just started in 2003. Say hello to a couple new billionaires for putting together another better tech mousetrap.

On the home front, it's quiet here with one couple moving off their boat (just two slips down from us) and moving into a brand new townhouse. Boo...we'll miss their company. Now there are only four permanents on this dock. We hardly ever see our next door neighbor, one fellow is really struggling with arthritis, and the last one lives on a huge motor yacht at the end of the dock (we just say "How ya doin'?") and has a monster mercedes at the other end. So it's pretty quiet for now, but once the frost is past the weekend warriors will come a-roarin', laughing, hooting and hollering and de-winterizing their toys. It will be an interesting transformation to watch.

Cold, cold cold!! That's the story this morning, but it's not just the cold temperature (25F), but the wind chill that comes from a NW wind at 18-25mph. That makes it brutal. Strange thing, Pacha got up around 7:15, and when she got out into the cold weather she started jumping around just as she did when she was younger. Husky's are so used to cold weather it perks them up when they get into it. Of course, that perkiness didn't last very long, but it was nice to see the old girl stand up and take notice again. As for me, I was bundled up so tight you could hardly see my glasses. Thank goodness I have my heavy coat, touque and hood. Oh well, another couple of weeks and this stuff should start to moderate. Meanwhile, we're still comfortable using three different heaters in carefully selected locations. After all, old boats tend to let a lot of cold air in, and there's not much that can be done about it. On the other side of the coin, I've just checked temps in Toronto and Ottawa. Now that's cold! Almost makes me feel warm all over. Bye for now.

Boat Ted




1

It's a different weather situation this morning, no wind and a mild 30F (-1C). That is almost balmy compared to freezing blustery cold of yesterday. We'll have a nice day today up to 44F (+7C) though it will cool off again tomorrow. We're not done with the cold yet, but we should have nothing like the wintery blast of yesterday. How did we manage? Actually, not bad. I wrapped Anne in as much ambient heat as I could, so she could be comfortable while working, then I toodled off to the washroom and gave my feet a nice warm water soaking in the sink. That worked. I also went off to the laundromat and washed a batch. That took almost two hours and gave me some comfortable reading time. After that the boat was warm enough, so we were not cold for the rest of the day. Having survived the coldest day in two years we're feeling pretty good about how we'll get along for the rest of the winter. Warmer weather is not much more than four weeks away.

Reading has once again become an important activity for both of us. With an excellent library nearby we're finding a plethora of good reading material that we don't have to buy. I'm presently buried in Bob Woodward's "State of Denial," while Anne is wading through a wide variety of different authors. Makes us realize that the simple life with simple pleasures is a pretty good way of living.

It's so cold I have to have our ceramic heater on the table to keep my hands warm enough to type, 19F (-6C) with the wind howling at 15-20 mph, and of course our heat pump doesn't work in this kind of cold. I took Pacha out at 6:00, and we didn't stay long. It's the coldest morning here since Jan. 29th, 2005, not a comforting thought. The wind howled all night and by morning had blown most of the water out of the bay, so we are sitting very low in our slip and stepping up to the dock to get offf the boat. Needless to say, in these conditions one is extra careful about getting off the boat and walking on the dock. One slip could be fatal. One sort of sadistically-comforting thought: It's a helluva lot colder in Toronto and Ottawa than it is here, and our temperature will moderate a bit tomorrow. Anne just commented, "Next year we'll be in Florida," and that's quite likely true. Meanwhile, we'll hunker down, cook some nice food (soup?) and stay close to the heaters. Maybe we'll go to a mall today.

I've just returned from a visit with the local vet and a check-up for Pacha. She's now 13.5 years old with a breed lifespan predicted at 11-14 years. We also discovered that she is pretty much deaf, but other than that hanging in pretty good. Her heart arythmia seems to be under control with medication, and apart from some arthritis she's doing pretty well. Now we have a deaf dog and a blind cat aboard and one other cat who is pretty much in charge to do what she wants to do.

I talked with the fellow who fell overboard, and his comment to me was, "Thanks for the help. It was cold in there." That's it! He acted as if it was nothing but just a simple assist, when in reality he was in a life threatening situation. "Thanks for the help." Go figure. Oh well, life on the dock continues. We have a cold front arriving tonight, predicted to go down to 18F (-6C) and only get to about 33F (+1C) during the day. So, we'll look for a cold week ahead. The marina turned the bubblers on this morning, and that churned up warmer water from below giving a boost to our heat pump. If t he cold weather lasts the heat pump probably will not heat, so we'll turn to our other means. We'll be fine. Today our biggest concern is, what are we going to have for dinner?

Help! Help! Help! Those cries woke us up at 2:30 this morning. Anne and I got dressed as quickly as possible and went out on the dock to see what was happening. She got out of the boat before I did and yelled back to me, "Call 911, Call 911!!" I responded instantly and got 911 on the phone. A man had fallen into the water, and with rubber boots and winter clothing on was unable to pull himself out and was fearful of drowning. I wasn't strong enough to pull him out, but I was able to hold onto his arm and keep him from going under while help was on the way. Hypothermia was also a real danger. Two large and strong officers arrived in about ten minutes, and they quickly pulled him up and out of the water. An ambulance arrived at about that time and looked after him. He had dry clothes on his boat (a houseboat type), and the paramedics were responding to likely hypothermia. He had probably been in the cold water (but not freezing) for about 15 or 20 minutes and was in pretty rough shape.

What had happened? We don't know, but it's likely he was drunk and had no reason to be going on his boat at 2:30 in the morning. He had his dog with him, and fortunately the dog didn't go in. He doesn't live on the boat, so what was he doing there? Hard to say. Strangely, he had turned one of the dock carts (used for unloading packages from cars) over and had put a small rug on top of it. We have no idea what that was all about, for he certainly didn't need the cart to get on the boat. Perhaps we'll get the story from him at a later date.

For us it was an unnerving experience, a reminder that falling into the water can be deadly, and we must keep our wits about us at all times. I'm shaken, for if we hadn't been there to hold him up and call 911 he would not have survived. Think about that! We are so shaken we have not been able to go back to sleep. There is a slightly humorous side to this story. Our dog Pacha, who has been getting me up in the middle of the night for the last three nights, slept right through the whole incident and three and a half hours later still has not stirred. Go figure.

So it's a new day with new experiences on the way as is colder weather on Friday. The meteorologists warn us to "Get ready," but compared to Chelsea it won't be that bad, and we'll survive. This will also warm you heart. Last night Anne prepared leg of lamb and sweet potatoes for dinner. Absolutely delicious. It's not always easy, but it's not always hard. Life is short; live it to its fullest.

Snow!! Bloody Snow!! That's what we saw when we looked out the window at 4:00pm yesterday. A most disheartening sight, and it is still there this morning. The better news is that it will be above freezing this afternoon, so the dreaded white stuff should be gone by noon or so.

Why am I up so early? It's not early now, it was early when I got up with our dog Pacha. She's not doing well and has started getting up in the middle of the night again, and when she gets up I get up. This morning it was 2:30, and after I took her out that was the end of sleep. I do have the one advantage: I can take a nap anytime I get tired. That's the one big advantage of being retired. Of course, the disadvantage is that if one has that much time to spare boredom could set in, something to be avoided at all costs.

Though we had snow in the afternoon yesterday we still luxuriated in the beauty of being on board and the relaxation that can come on a Sunday afternoon. We wisely decided to stay home and just enjoy the boat and each other. What could be better than that? We lounged, we read, we ate very well, and we surfed the web. Nobody knocking on the door, no outside interruptions, nothing but pure satisfaction. If one has the opportunity to be exactly where one wants to be that is as close to bliss as he/she can get. We had that opportunity. It was a beautiful day. Nuff said.

There is a slightly new layout on the Boat Spot today. I have now become sufficiently capable at changing things on my blog, so I can alter, add and move around as I wish. Not an eay task for a crotchety old curmudgeon like me.

It's a cold day today, only 30F, but the boat has warmed up nicely with the heat pump and the addition of a small ceramic heater. So far so good on the heat pump, though it may not last too much longer in the forecast cold weather. We're in the cold soup for at least another week, but we don't have it as bad as they do in my old stomping grounds (-18C!). We took it easy yesterday and will likely do the same today, though the local library will probably get a visit. Anne is going through books like a dose of salts through a hired girl and grins like a chessy-cat each time she turns the final page. It's nice to see her so happy even though she has to contend with the stress of work at least five days per week. As for me, I'm doing pretty well and am developing my own special areas of interest including also finding new books to read at the library. But guess what? In six short weeks the weather will lighten up and spring will be on the way, so we can handle that. Happy January 21st.

BoatTed

It's taken a good part of the day, but we finally have warmed the boat up. Mind you, the wind has been whipping around at 15-25mph and at 370F that's a lot of wind chill. Boats are not really insulated all that well, and older Motor Yachts tend to have big windows that let lots of air in though they still may be able to keep water sprays out. The big window by our dinette was letting so much cold air in it might as well have been open a couple inches. Remembering our solution for cold air leaks in Chelsea, I went to the hardware store and purchased a small window insulation kit..the kind you put up with double-sided tape then tighten it with a hair dryer. It was tough to get installed, but the result was instant. No more freezing cyclone inside the boat. I'll only have to do the one window, for the prevailing winds are always WNW and there seems to be no draft on the port side. We're expecting more cold and more wind, so it was a timely job well completed.

Food is always a nice topic, kinda makes me hungry when I think about it. We went shopping yesterday at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, so we have lots of frozen mexican tidbits, fresh salsa and some gorgeous tuna purchased from our nearby seafood market. Last night Ann prepared an orange salmon dish with fresh Nova Scotia salmon. We'll have the tuna tonight most likely blackened a bit and served with rice. Things are tough these days.

The cold weather is predicted to be here for at least a week, so we'll batten down the hatches and appreciate our nicely insulated starboard window. See ya next time.

BoatTed

Winter is back, and this morning at 1:20 it was "with a vengeance." I thought Pacha would sleep all the night through since I had taken her out at 8:30 usually a satisfactory time for her last run. Not this time. I have gotten used to the idea that she may want to go out in the wee hours, so I'm prepared with all necessities for a warm trip right near my bunk. This morning I needed all the warmth I could find, for it was not only 27F but the wind was blowing at about 20kts. We stayed no longer than necessary, but it was a very cold trip nonetheless. Now, the sun is shining without a cloud in the sky, and it has warmed up somewhat, but it will be cold again tonight. One very optimistic point: The marina has turned on the bubblers, and our heat pump is still warming up the saloon, so we're living in comfort. I was told yesterday that when the bubblers are on they bring warmer water up from below and that is enough to allow the heat pump to throw warm air. Hope that continues, for the heat pump really works well.

A new decision. We have decided to go back to "Plan A" which was for Anne to make the first trip to Canada by herself, stay with a friend while getting all her work done and come back as soon as practicable. I'll stay on the boat with the animals, and sometime after her return I'll go to Toronto to look after my business. There are several reasons for the new decision. 1. Pacha is not doing well, and with last night as a good example she most likely could not get the care she needs and have the opportunity to go outside to relieve herself. If her health further detiorates that could cause additional problems; 2. With this cold weather onslaught we are afraid to leave the boat alone without someone on board to look after it. Pipes could freeze and other weather related problems or even marina problems could arise. Scary stuff. 3. Cost! It is expensive to board animals in kennels in this area, so that alone would be about $500; If the two of us go at the same time we'll have to stay in hotels for the entire trip, and that would likely total more than $1,000 an expense we would rather not incur. So I'll stay here and see that the animals are properly looked after and make my trip at a slightly later date. Besides, I like it here and would rather wait until it warms up just a bit before I head for the cooler climes 600 miles to the north.

Tomorrow morning the animals go to the vet for their shots, so we'll get the prognosis on all three at that time. Hopefully this trip will not be as expensive as the last one was ($500 for evaluation). Onward and forward as "The Process" continues.

Guess what? We're back into winter, and the next two weeks are predicted to be colder than usual. Yikes! That's not good, but even worse is that Ottawa is also going to be very cold when we get there, and that is much much colder than here. The good news is that by the time we get back to MD the worst part of winter should be over, so if we have to wrap up tight one more time for this season we can deal with it. It has been almost a magical winter so far with even the locals voicing amazement at the unusual mildness, and we consider that a real bonus for us.

Before we leave I must find a suitable kennel for our little ones a blind kitty, a cat with an attitude and our ageing husky. She's now homing in on 14 years considered to be about at the end of the lifespan for huskies. She has good and bad days and has adapted quite well to the boat even though it's not the place she would choose for hanging out if she had the option. Still, she goes for a good half dozen or more walks each day, more than she use to get in Chelsea, with some of them starting as early as 4:00am. And just think of all the exercise I'm getting as well. I'll go on the kennel tour again today and try to get the problem sorted out.

It's really quiet here at the marina with only a few people occasionally around. Our next door neighbor has been gone since the end of December, and the family next to her are calling it quits at the end of the month and moving into a townhouse they have just purchased. There is one other person left an older fellow who is not very well. Does that mean we're lonely? Of course not! Anne is busy with her work and very pleased that the company is doing really well. She's also doing a lot of reading (nothing heavy) something she's wanted to be able to do for a long time. I can sense the stress she has been living with is now diminishing. As for me, I'm busy discovering places and things. I've found another golf course quite near by, though it is a bit pricey, and I'm becoming acquainted with some of the small towns in the area. Shortly after we return we'll have a cabinet maker come to the boat and start to repair some of the wood problems plus do some galley renovation. As always there's plenty of daily maintenance that must be performed, and I'm constantly searching for new and better methods to make that routine easier and more efficient.

That's it for this time. Enjoy some recent images taken on Jan. 14.

It's a warm day on the 14th of January, but we only have one more of those left before the cold weather sets in again. The good news is that this month is half over, and by the end of February the cold cycle should be finished with spring and warmer weather on the way.

It takes me a little longer, but I finally have found the method for putting pictures on my blog. When we were in Chelsea, I had many pictures on my pc, but now I have almost none on this laptop, so I had to scrounge a bit. Of course, I could just take a few more pictures, put them into the computer and post one or two to my blog. I'll get around to that.

Each day we find new areas of consideration on our home/boat. This morning I found a new "soft spot" at the galley sink, a small area where water can easily get into and stay. It's only a small supporting piece of wood, but it will have to be removed and replaced. No big deal. I'm also studying diligently several electrical books to see if I can get a better grasp on our electrical systems on board. I'm making progress, but it is slow.

Many boaters complain about cooking on board. We have no real substantive complaints though there are certain restrictions because we only have 110/120 aboard. We are able to cook all of our favorite meals be they stove top or oven or both. Ex: This morning Anne prepared a gorgeous lobster fritatta (using leftover lobster from two days ago) plus tomato and hash browns (from scratch). Last night we split a small chicken and roasted it for our dinner, then Anne made an apple crumble with pecans. That's not bad eating folks! We're fortunate that we both can cook, so when Anne is busy with her work (a lot of the time) I jump in and do the cooking many times either chinese or spanish. Of course, we have very limited space, so mainly we have to shop day by day so our spaces don't get too jammed full of food.

In a couple weeks we'll head back up to Canada to take care of some business. Hopefully, we will not freeze our tails off while there, but we'll accept what happens as we always have. Meanwhile, I'm scoouting out golf courses in this area, and I'll go out for a round as soon as the new cold front decides to leave.

Friday, January 12,2007

Our journey continues, and we have no idea where it is taking us. We now have been aboard "Rare Bird" for a little more than two months, and the new liveaboard settling problems are diminishing. While it is true that familiarity breeds contempt, it also is true that it can breed a little more relaxation and comfort with one's surroundings. Strange thing: We noticed that we were both very sore and stiff in new places and couldn't understand why. Then the realization hit us. Our boat has four tight levels that must be constantly navigated: 1) Getting on and off the boat; 2) Coming down the four steps in the companionway; 3) Going down two steps to the galley, and 4) Going down three steps to the aft cabin. All these steps must be travelled many times each day, and they are in close quarters, so the body must constantly be shifted about. One additional item has been noted; our dog (35lb Siberian Husky "Pacha") must be lifted on and off the boat several times each day, and with tides running as high as three feet this also requires considerable lifting, bending and turning. When those considerations hit us we recognized the reasons for our being stiff and sore. Now, two months into all the turning and bending most of the aches and pains have diminished or gone away.

One more quick bit before this blog is posted. When one buys an older boat be prepared to spend money to have systems upgraded and/or renovated or replaced. We wanted to become familiar with our electrical systems some of which did not seem to be working, so we hired a recommended systems company. $3,000 later we know about our electrical systems, but we also have purchased and had installed: a new generator battery, battery charger and monitoring system, a new bilge pump, a new holding tank (had to remove the old one) and a new hot water tank. I was able to help with the installation and removal or else the cost would have been at least another $500 higher. While all that was a financial shock, the end result is that we now are familiar with most of the systems and how they work. We've also discovered that some of our systems that we thought didn't work do work, so that has added to our comfort in a considerable way. Our two most important discoveries? The Cruisair reverse/cycle heat pump works, so we have nice heat, and our stove burners and oven will work at the same time.

Another very important item: Anne has been able to sort out her business requirements and is conducting her business amazingly well. Of course, her space limitations make working more difficult than in an office, but somehow she is making do and seems to be pretty well caught up with all her requirements. She's an amazing adaptive person.

So, as we move into the next weeks of the new year, we're both happy and we love our boat. The really exciting thing is that we still haven't left the dock. Think what an exciting event that will be when we start the engines and go for our first short trip. I'll keep you apprised.

BoatTed (new signature)