Thursday, 23 July 2015 - Most of today was spent moving items from the motorhome to the boat and trying to figure out where I can put them. That and cleaning up and wiping tools down with an oily rag to keep them from rusting; then organizing them.

Friday, 24 July - Back into the starboard lazarette today. This time to put small items into milk crates, which I hope will speed up the unloading and reloading in this compartment when I need to get into the rear of it for something or into the middle level, in which case I have to unload about 2/3 of the upper level. Until this morning I hadn't realized that I could use the milk crates. Since the opening is only 12" wide and the crates are 13" square I didn't think I was going to be able to get them in. Then I realized that they are only 11" high, so if I don't load them above the top edge, I can get them in by laying them on their sides, then set them down upright. Much easier than unloading the compartments one small item at a time or in smaller tubs.
               Yahoo! I think today was the first day since I've been here that it wasn't necessary to move a fan around the boat to stay in front of. It rained almost all day so the temperature stayed reasonable, assisted by nice breezes. Another thing about having it rain all day is that I wasn't constantly closing all the hatches and windows and then having to open them up again as soon as the rain quit and the sun came out, then repeating it all thirty minute or an hour later.
               It's much cooler in this slip than where I was before. Previously, I was tucked in behind the fuel dock and office building, which put me in the wind shadow of the building, and boy, was that hot.

Saturday, 25 July - I brought three more crates of goodies over from the motorhome to stow away on the boat. Cool and rainy all morning and early afternoon, then the sun came out and it heated up quickly.

Sunday, 26 July - Oops! Out of propane. When I tried to cook breakfast this morning, the fire wouldn't start. That also means that the refrigerator is off, and, since it's Sunday, the propane outlet is closed. I brought over two crates of my stuff and the dive gear that the previous owners left me; fins, a Hawaiian Sling, masks, etc. Nice, but cloudy weather in the morning, then rained briefly at 3 o'clock. That made me realize that the apron that protects the rear of the cockpit needed a support it the center to keep the rain from pooling near the center, so I spent some time measuring, punching a hole, and putting a grommet in it, then rigging support lines for it.

Monday, 27 July - Another breakfast of cold cereal, then off to the propane supplier. Looks like it's going to rain most of the day so I'll spend the day organizing and culling the lubricants and cleaning supplies on the boat under cover of the bimini top. Back on the boat it looks like my solution for the sagging and water collecting of the bimini extension worked like a charm.
                  I forgot to bring something to the boat to eat today. Qita, Chuck and I had eaten lunch at one of the marina restaurants while they were here and it was good, so I decided to give it another try. I was salivating all the way over there. Closed! It's Monday.

Tuesday, 28 July - I spent most of the morning working on a cardboard pattern for the divider that I need to make for the lazerette. I have given up on using Starboard at $132.50, but was given a tip on where to buy plywood at a reasonable price, so around noon, I drove over there and purchased a piece of 1/2" exterior plywood that will work just fine, I'm sure. It cost $2. I also went back to Harbor Freight Tools since I needed a couple more items and it was only a few blocks away. That saved me a trip - plus I had a really good lunch while I was out.

Wednesday Morning, 29 July - Got up, had breakfast, took my little bit of trash to the trash container at Walmart, then walked around the rig to make sure everything was alright before heading over to the marina. One trailer tire looked a little low, so I headed back to the boat ramp parking lot to change the tire, if necessary, in the shade of the oaks, elms, and Spanish moss. I tried to air it up, but discovered a large screw in it, so a change was in order. I've moved 90% of my tools to the boat, but still had enough to change the tire out. It took a while though, since I didn't have my breaker bar. My speed wrench just wasn't long enough to break the lug nuts loose. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I still had yet another set of 1/2" socket wrenches on board the motorhome, otherwise, I would have had to walk clear over to the boat to get tools and then walk back.
                  I returned to the boat, closed out an account at the credit union that Mike, my brother, and I had been using to pay off remaining utility bills on the home that we sold in January, and set down to finish out this update to my travel log. Since that's done, I'll talk to you next week.

            Until next time,
                        Dream BIG, or Live in Boredom.

                                          Rick