Thursday, 22 September 2016 - I didn't type this day's activities up immediately, so I have absolutely no idea what I did. I think I used to be able to remember things longer, but I can't remember when that was. Ahah! I'm now writing this later. I think I remembered. I think this was the day I scraped the bottom of the dinghy and cleaned up and resealed a flashlight that I have. It's a very good flashlight, but the rubber that seals over the switch had totally deteriorated from age and contact with oils. I resealed it by putting a 2" piece of bicycle tube around it and sealing it with silicone gasketing.

Friday, 23 September - I decided today would be a good day to add dividers to the compartments that I opened up a couple of weeks back so that items in these compartments can't slide down into the adjacent, but lower spaces. I figured the plexiglass that I had scrounged while I was at the boat yard would be perfect. It won't rust, is lightweight, and just stiff enough and strong enough to be perfect for the job. All I had to do was cut it to shape, punch holes in it and some knockouts with my Whitney punch, then screw them in place. The knockouts are from stainless steel sinks that I now use as washers. I saved those from a photographic job I did about ten years ago up in Ogden. There were thousands of the all over the floor of the fabrication facility. I finished the first three compartments, and since it was getting hotter, I almost decided to finish the last one another day, but since I had all the tools out, I determined that I ought to go ahead and finish. I hadn't been sure that I had enough to make the last divider in one piece, since that compartment is 42 inches long, but I had a piece that had two inches to spare. I'm glad I completed the job. All I need to do now is get some liner material that will keep the items placed in the spaces off the bottom so they won't get wet or rust.
                  Later, we headed out to dinner. Steve ordered Hogfish and I ordered baby back ribs. His was dry and inedible, so he sent it back. Mine was very good. Next, it was across the street to close the Mermaid down for the night. Steve had a tough time getting back to the boat. He found a big chair to rest in on the way home. I got a picture.

Saturday, 24 September - About 7pm, I called Steve Monaghan and suggested we go over to the Mexican restaurant for dinner. He said, "Sure, how about 7:45. I need to take a shower." I did too, so I went to the aft stateroom, took off my clothes and got in the shower. I turned on one of the valves, but it didn't seem to fill the hose to the shower head, so I thought I'd forgotten to turn the freshwater pump on. I got out of the shower, put on my shorts, went through the cockpit and reached to turn the pump circuit on. It was already on. Back to the rear stateroom, take off shorts, get in shower. Turn on water, wet self down, turn water off, soap up. Shave. Turn on water to rinse. No water, wet, soapy body. Leave shower, crawl across floor of cockpit so people on shore can't see my wet, soapy, naked body. Get rubber mallet out of tool box, open compartment with pump in it, tap pump. It comes on. Crawl back through cockpit, get in shower, rinse off. Dry off, get dressed, lower dinghy, go to marina to meet Steve. I still beat him getting ready. How'd that happen?
                  I had the restaurant's six enchilada dinner (yummy!) and Steve, since he said he wasn't very hungry and wanted something cool, fresh and light, ordered their shrimp cocktail. I've never seen a shrimp cocktail like this. The shrimp were huge and so was the cocktail. After that we wandered over to the Mermaid and had one lousy, bitter margarita, then went home. We really need to teach that barmaid how to make a margarita. Only problem with that is, we know how to drink them, not how to make 'em; but we do know a lousy one when we taste it!

Sunday, 25 September - This morning I took the fresh water pump out, disassembled it, cleaned and lubricated it, then reinstalled it. It seems to be running perfectly now, and I hope it continues to do so. After that I decided to go over to Bonita Bill's to listen to Two Hands, One Man Band since it was so hot on the boat and there was so little wind. The weather was clear so I left the awning deployed over the deck, but since squalls can develop so quickly here, I closed the boat up well. I was at Bonita Bill's about an hour when I noticed the wind picking up a bit. Shortly, it really started raining hard and the wind really picked up. Too late to do anything about the awning, but I was sure glad I had closed the boat up well. I haven't seen it rain that hard for that long since I've been here. An hour and a half later it was all over so I returned to the boat. On the way back, I realized that the little boat that had been next me had dragged its anchor and was up against the pilings in front of one of the homes on the island and its anchor was in a position that wouldn't be of any help. There was no one aboard and the sails were still up, although at least one is now torn. There wasn't really anything I could do to help, so I continued to my boat.
                  About a half hour after dark, I could see the Coast Guard at the boat. They moved it back to near where it had been before the storm, maybe even a little closer to my boat than it had been. The night was quiet, so I asked them how much anchor line they had dropped on the boat. They said he'd had about 20 feet out and that they'd added about 10 feet more. No wonder he dragged his anchor. With the boat he has, under the circumstances, he should have had out at least 65 feet of anchor line out and that doesn't take into account the fact that he still had one sail deployed and two others partially deployed. I told the Coast Guard that I was concerned that he might move again, but they simply said, "he can't get any closer to you." I said that wasn't enough anchor line out and asked them to come over to my boat to talk about it and they said, "We understand the ratio," and the simply motored away. I couldn't believe it.
                  I had my dinner give me time to think about what just happened and to think of what I should say when I called them on the VHS marine radio, which I did right after dinner. The radio operator listened to what I had to say and said he'd pass my message up the line and they'd discuss the situation and make a decision. I'll not hold my breath that they'll be back to make any further adjustments. Their motoring away from me without hearing what I felt I needed to say about the situation, which definitely affects the safety of my boat, wouldn't have bothered me so much if had still been storming and it looked like they needed to go to someone else's assistance immediately, but it was now dead calm after the storm and I believe they merely went back to their base for the evening a few hundred yards away. Thank God the storm has passed, and I hope it stays this way over night.

Monday, 26 September - Wow! What an interesting day this was! Not fun, but interesting. Several phone calls were made to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife boat came by and I hailed him to ask some questions. He'd been told by his boss, who had been contacted by Leon Moyer, the other sailor that has been anchored out here for awhile, to come investigate the derelict boat situation. He seemed to understand my situation and gave me his sympathy, but said there was nothing he could do since the Coast Guard moved the boat to where it is now. The Sheriff never showed up, and the Coast Guard refused to move the boat again, even though they are the ones that placed it in a potentially dangerous location that I think is too close to my boat. Petty Officer Lee at the Coast Guard offices says he looked out the window with his binoculars, which is about 400-500 yards away, and determined that the boat was in a safe spot and has out enough anchor rode, but that my anchor rode is hanging straight down, so maybe I don't have enough rode out. I don't know how he could tell that from that distance. I was told by the Coast Guard boat crew last night that the other boat now has about 30 feet of rope out. He should have out about 6:1 rode, 72 feet, or more. I have out 100 feet of heavy chain; that's why it hangs straight down. It weighs 100 lb., one pound per foot, plus having a 66 lb. anchor at the end of it. Even though I pointed out to the Coast Guard that they put the boat there, they say they have no culpability; it's the owners responsibility. The other boat owner came out and got on his boat, so I offered to help him take the sails down. He didn't answer me, but did untangle the sails and wad them up on the deck. Something tells me this guy has made his last sailing journey. He obviously doesn't care about his boat anymore. I went below decks to call the sheriff, but was put on ignore. I'm like Rodney Dangerfield, I get no respect. When I came back on deck, the other boat was again deserted.
                  The day ended a little brighter. I went to Bonita Bill's for dinner, won a bandana by knowing the answer to the trivia question, "Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel played together in during their high school years under what names?" - Tom and Jerry! Wow! The house was rockin' tonight. Lots of great performers and a lot more rock and roll than usual. Loved it.

Tuesday, 27 September - I was glad to see my "new neighbor" come and take his boat away today. That takes a load off my mind. I don't mind people joining me in the anchorage, but not that close and with insufficient ground tackle down. We got lucky that no more significant squalls came through.

Wednesday, 28 September - I finally got inspired enough to apply for a cruising permit through the Customs and Border Patrol, Local Boater Option, Small Vessel Reporting System today. - OOPS! I had to get up and see what was going on. My boat just started doing 180° turns and running back and forth to the opposite sides of my anchoring circle. The wind had picked up out of the west and the tide is running out at full speed in the opposite direction, so the boat seems to get a mind of its own. - The aforementioned permit will supposedly allow me to get through Customs quicker when I come back into the country after having sailed away. I'll have to go in for an "in-person" interview on Friday. I suppose they want to see how scary and vicious I look. Plus they want money.