Thursday, 10 November 2016 - I spent most of today trying to figure out how to install the new photoelectric switch that I got in the mail to turn the mast-top anchor light on at dusk and off at sunrise. I had thought it would be so simple. I expected a two wire device. Cut one wire on old installation and splice the new switch in between the two ends. Nooooo! The switch has three wires which complicates things exponentially; at least if you know nothing about electricity like I do. I had also expected to have to run a pair of wires part way up the mast to where I would mount the switch and was planning on simply using a heavy speaker wire to do so, but now I needed a three wire cord. I eventually realized that a twenty five foot extension cord would do just fine and protect the individual wires well, too. I have plenty of those. Another one of those items that I thought I'd probably never need. After all, what would you need an extension cord for on a boat. Well, now I know.

Friday, 11 November - Today was spent implementing the plans I came up with yesterday to install the photoelectric switch. I was still working on it at 3pm when I realized that I needed to get to the post office before it closed. They're not open on Saturday. I knew my bicycle's rear tire was getting low, so I took my bicycle pump with me to the docks. I aired up the tire an as I tried to remove the valve coupling from the wheel the valve stem started to rip off. I had repaired it way back last year with a piece of string and am totally amazed that it's lasted this long. I have a new tube and tire onboard and will replace both at the same time. The tire on the bike now barely has any tread left. I headed over to the post office, arriving at 3:30 and they were...closed. What? They're not supposed to close until 4:30. What the hell holiday have they dreamed up now....oh! Veteran's Day. Hey, I'm a vet and nobody notified me to tell me the post office would be closed in my honor. Back to the boat to finish up the installation before it gets dark. That's at 6 o'clock now, way too early. I finished just in time and ...the switch worked. Yahoo! No more having to have friends message me to remind me to turn the light on an hour late. No more trying to remember to turn the light on when I leave the boat at mid-afternoon, not expecting to return until dark. No more leaving the boat in daylight and expecting to return in time to turn the anchor light on in time, only to get detained till after dark. Well, that can still happen, but the light will turn on right at dusk anyway.
                  I don't know how I got so good at complicating things. Installation of this switch was supposed to be quick and easy with a screw driver, wire cutters and drill. I used, among other things, a drill motor, two drill bits, two drill stops, an allen wrench, wire cutters, a wire stripper, two electric extension cords, heat shrink tubing, a heat shrink gun, three ring wire connectors, three butt connectors, a crimper, scissors, gasket material, silicone gasket, a flashlight, two mirrors, a Phillips head screw driver, a slotted screw driver, a 1-4" closed end wrench, a 12 volt test light, numerous jumper cables with alligator clips, a multimeter, a screw that wasn't supplied, anti-corrosion paste, and, probably, several more items that I can't remember. Not only that, but the place looked like a hurricane had passed through before I was done. Do I do that to myself, or they lying about how simple it is?

Saturday, 12 November - This morning I got up and emptied the jerry jugs that I filled yesterday into the boat's water tank, then went over to Steve's boat for bacon and eggs for breakfast. I returned to my boat and, because I have a cable on the main halyard that has some broken strands, attempted to drop the mainsail to remove that halyard. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the sail to come down. It uses roller furling so I don't typically need to drop the sail when I quit sailing, but it still needs to operate. I had hoped to remove the cable and have a new one made today at West Marine, then reinstall it tomorrow. About 2 o'clock I went to the marina and filled my gasoline and water containers, then returned and emptied the water into the boat's tank again. At 3 o'clock Steve took me to a couple of stores to pick up some items that I may have a harder time getting later, or, even if I can, will undoubtably be more expensive. When we arrived back at the marina, Mark the Treasure Hunter immediately came over to the car and told us he needed help eating some bratwurst that he'd just cooked up on the BBQ. We didn't want him to feel bad, so we joined him and consumed most of what he'd cooked. At dusk, I stood on shore and watched as my mast head anchor light came to life, then we retired to the Captain's Lounge and watched a documentary on TV.

Sunday, 13 November - This morning I put things away that I purchased yesterday, then emptied the diesel jerry cans kept on the deck into the fuel tank. After that I got things ready in preparation for Steve Monaghan to come over to help me climb the mast. He was going to come over in his dinghy, but his battery was low and wouldn't start the engine, so I went to get him. While there, Mark the Treasure Hunter decided that we might need help, so he joined us on the dinghy ride back and helped winch me up the mast. I actually made two trips up the mast today and finally realized that the cable that I need to replace may stay there awhile. The cable appears as if it can't be removed without cutting the thimble off to get it out, then after one end of the cable has been replaced, the top end fed through and then the second thimble installed on the boat. These thimbles need to be installed with a hydraulic crimper, so I'm not sure this makes sense. I think I need to do some more research about repairing them before I do anything else.
                  While we were working on the mast, the tide went out and left the boat aground. We hauled in the anchor line and a rope appeared tangled with my chain. What the heck? It turned out to be someone else's anchor rode that had been cut away with a small Danforth anchor attached. We couldn't move the boat so it was decided to raise the anchor, put it in the dinghy and move it to where I wanted it, further from the shallow water, and wait for the tide to come back in. After all, the boat isn't going anywhere. So we went to dinner. I'm now back, charging batteries and about to move the boat to deeper water. I can feel the boat starting to float again. Aaah! I didn't even have to start the engine to move. The water lifted me and the tidal current moved me to the deeper water. I'm now sitting above 12 feet of water again.
                  I did go adjust the length of the anchor chain. The almost full moon is beautiful and bright, revealing about a hundred very small crabs on deck that came aboard with the chain and especially the other anchor rope that we brought aboard. I caught several and threw them overboard, but there are just too many to save them all, for they shall all surely perish on the hot, dry deck tomorrow. I also raised the dinghy to the davits. While there on the afterdeck, I heard something breaking the surface of the water beside the boat. I shined my flashlight and saw a school of hundreds of fish about 8 to 10 inches long darting about, apparently trying to avoid something in the water near them that I could not see. I thought perhaps porpoise, but never saw or heard one surface, so it was probably bigger fish that was after them. There's absolutely no wind, very serene on deck. Tomorrow's super moon or perigee-syzygy should really be awesome if the night is as clear as it is tonight.

Monday, 14 November - Some more time was spent today with Steve helping me lower the mainsail and trying to figure out how to replace the halyard without having to lower the furler. No success there. More research is needed. I also repaired the valve stem on my bicycle. Later, Steve and I went over to Bonita Bill's for dinner and music and I managed to win the second from the last bandana in the trivia quiz by knowing the answer to the question, "Who had a 60's hit song called 'Winchester Cathedral?'" - the New Vaudeville Band. I think I won a bandana with the answer to that question previously. Back at the marina we watched the movie "Charlie's Angels" on TV.
                  It was cloudy here most of the evening, so I didn't get to see the Super Moon until 3 o'clock in the morning. By that time it was so high in the sky that I couldn't really tell the difference in its size. Maybe I was just too sleepy.

Tuesday, 15 November - Today I've been to the marina to fill five five gallon jerrycans with diesel, bought groceries by going to the local market in the dinghy, then put the groceries away and renewed the documentation on Island Time.

Wednesday, 16 November - This morning I took a short hike to San Carlos Island. Actually, I went to Bonita Bill's, which is on San Carlos Island and adjacent to Estero Island where Ft. Myers Beach beach is, with the dinghy and parked at their dock, then walked about 3 blocks to NAPA Auto Parts for some two cycle oil for the outboards, a V-belt for the engine, and a fuel filter I hadn't been able to acquire elsewhere. NAPA didn't have the V-belt, so I need to return tomorrow to pick up one they are having delivered from Tampa. I had taken the water jugs with me so I then crossed the "river" to the public dinghy dock on Estero Island and filled the jugs with water, then returned to the boat. I emptied the jugs into the boat's water tank, then returned for more water. In all, I made three trips for water today and topped off my tank. I now have full water and fuel tanks and all the jugs on deck are full, too. I certainly won't need near all of either for the short trip to the Dry Tortugas, but I'm sure both will be considerably more expensive from now on. The Dry Tortugas have no facilities whatsoever, just a Civil War stone fort. They don't call them "Dry" for nothing, and, as I understand, in Key West the water may be free, but docking the dinghy will cost $10, so the trips I made today would have cost me $40 for 48 gallons of water in Key West. Not exactly free ... or cheap. Better here than there.
                  As far as I know, the plan is still to leave here on Friday with Steve Monaghan in his boat "Etelka" and head for the Dry Tortugas. Most people assume that Key West is the last island in the string of keys at the southern tip of Florida, but it is not. It is simply the last island there that has a road out to it. Dry Tortugas is about 70 miles west of Key West, but the only way to get there is by boat, seaplane, or swimming. Most people go for one of the first two choices although I hear that someone is soon to attempt to be the first to swim the Atlantic.
                  I'll never get everything perfect onboard Island Time, but I've fixed enough that I'm pretty sure I won't sink before I get to the Dry Tortugas, so I'm heading out as soon as Steve's ready. See you on the flip-flop.