Thursday, 7 December 2017 - This afternoon I used one of the halyards to lift the heavy yellow ocean kayak onto the deck and drained all the remaining water out of it then raised the lighter kayak onto the deck just by lifting it with my hands and made a stern handle for the one that was missing, replaced both of the ropes for the handles on each end, and added bow and stern painters (ropes). Whoever had the boat before used the bow handle to drag it everywhere thus wearing a hole in the aft end. Repairing that will be the next project. It's made of UHMWPE, Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene, so not much will stick to it. It may be hard to repair. The typical method is to weld more UHMWPE to it with a plastic welder, which I don't have. I'm hoping I can melt HDPE, High Density Polyethylene, which is different, softer, and what milk bottles and these other, heavy kayaks are made of, onto it for the repair. That's all I have at my disposal. Steve's also brought some rubber flashing tape he's convinced will stick to it. I hope one or the other works.

Friday, 8 December - We had another volunteer harbor clean up today. This one was land based even though there is still plenty to clean up in the mangroves. I didn't get to see everything that was brought out, but I'm sure there was plenty. Afterwords, we had lunch under the tiki hut at the marina. While there I also saw Pierre and Jesse from the S/V LOL, who I met at Marco Island and again in Ft. Myers Beach last year. We had gone to Everglades National Park together while at Marco Island. I also got an email from Robert Dahmer saying that he is headed this way because it is too cold further north. After lunch I got a call from West Marine saying that the printed circuit board for the wind instrument that I had ordered had arrived, so I picked that up at the store. Later, Steve and I went to the Christmas lighting ceremony at the Marathon Electric Cooperative and had a hot dog and burger.

Saturday, 9 December - I reinstalled printed circuit board into the wind instrument today, but it's too windy to go up the mast, so I'll have to do that later. I did replace some of the cable ties that were removed during the wiring process recently and replaced the V-belts on the water maker and engine driven refrigerator today, too. The belts took almost 4 hours. Crazy, but the units are so cramped for space that I had to un-install the water maker. Its nuts and bolts have to be installed by feel alone, and it almost takes three hands. I think, by changing the size of one of the belts, I won't have to un-mount it again.

Sunday, 10 December - Steve had been told to take the weekend off from work, but at eight o'clock last night, they emailed him with a list of things to do today. With the short notice, he wasn't happy and didn't go in today.
                    It was in the low 80s two days ago, but a cold front came through and it got down to 58°F last night and is only expected to get up to about 64° I think Steve and I will take the dinghy he acquired a few weeks ago, but hasn't used yet because it needs the flooring replaced, ashore to deflate it so we can measure the floor in order to cut out another from the Starboard we salvaged. It turned out that we not only measured it, but took it to the marina's workshop and cut the new floor out of the Starboard and installed it. Now we need to get a fuel line so he can use my spare 9hp Evinrude engine to get around with so I don't have to take him to shore in the mornings and go get him in the evenings.

Monday, 11 December - I tried to weld the plastic on two of the water jugs on Thursday, but we filled them last evening and they both leaked. One because the weld failed and the other because there were just a lot more tiny holes in it than I could see, so I re-welded them today. Successfully, I might add. At least they made it back to the boat without leaking this time. I don't know how long the repairs will last. I'm convinced that by igniting strips of milk jug material, the plasticizers are burned off, leaving the polyethylene much more brittle. I remembered today that I used to have a plastic welder before leaving home. It was designed for ski repair and cost me about $125. but I gave it away assuming that I'd never need it again. Now I wish I had it back. It would be perfect for this. The P-Tex sticks it used are the same material, HDPE, as the water jugs and kayaks. Such is life.
                    I, also, spent two and a half frustrating hours on the phone waiting for a person at the VA hospital to answer the phone before the system hung up on me. I was not a happy camper about that. When I finally got ahold of them, I really gave the supervisor an earful. That's the longest I've had to wait, but not the first time. Once it was an hour and another time 45 minutes. That's ridiculous.

Tuesday, 12 December - Today the mainsail kept me busy. There was very little wind so I reinstalled it, but try as I might, I couldn't make it quit barber poling, The sail has a section along the trailing edge that is a UV protector and, since the sail is triangular spirals down the sail, covering it. Or at least, it is supposed to. If it doesn't wrap properly, the white sail shows through causing the sail to look like a blue barber pole, and if I leave it that way for long the sun will destroy the sail.

Wednesday, 13 December - This morning, I told Steve since I hadn't pulled a canoe out of the mangroves yet, that I do so today. On the way back from taking him to shore, I circled a small island on the north side of the harbor and found a paddle, although to be honest, I believe it to be a stand up paddle (SUP) paddle. I crossed the harbor to the south side and hugged the shore as I headed back to Island Time and just before I was to the point that I needed to turn toward Island Time, I spotted a nice, canoe made of PVC tubing for the gunwales and the rest formed from fiberglass. It was totally swamped with just the bow and stern sticking out of the water. I got it back to the boat, had breakfast, and announced on the Cruiser's VHF Net that I had found it, but no one claimed it. It's in great condition and appears that it hasn't been in the water long; no barnacles. I cleaned it up a bit, but, as of yet, haven't decided what to do with it. I have to wonder, what are the chances of finding a paddle on the north side of the harbor and a canoe to go with it on the south side both in one trip?
                    Well, this is aggravating, that little spot on my back that I tried to get removed about a year and a half ago, but the dermatologist "couldn't see" had grown so much that now, after two recent attempts to remove it via biopsy, they still need to do another. This is turning into a pain in the butt back. This will be the third time I have to get cut and heal up for something that could have been small and simple a year and a half ago.

Well, I gotta go. It's movie night at the library.

            Until next time.

                        "Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!" - Hunter S. Thompson

                                          Rick