Waiting out the heat

It's hot here in Florida.  Hot and humid.  It's kind of hard to sleep aboard but still better than hanging out at the marina.  At least out at anchor there is a breeze.  Oh, yea, and the gentle rocking of wakes.  Most of the floating condos that come and go from the Gulfport marina have some kind of maritime courtesy, but then there is the cigar smoking bunch.  Apparently they have enough money not to have to worry about any fines resulting from excessive wakes in a mooring field.  Same goes for the Dolphin Tour boat.  Every time it goes by I expect my mast to snap off.  It was never built for this kind of stress.  It's good to know that I'm not as prone to motion sickness as I used to be.

Avalon is now without a mainsail and has one loose chain plate.  She's not going sailing again for a while.  All the standing rigging needs to be replaced.  It is more than likely the original gear.  The aft stay is adjusted all the way down and still there is a forward rake to the mast.  No wonder she had such strong weather helm.  Free boats can be expensive.  I'm not complaining but still......

Life here at the Boca Ciega Yacht Club is good.  Good folk, good area, good information.  I'm learning a lot about dealing with sail.  Maybe in a few years I'll have what it takes to be a sailor.  First, however, I need a boat I can sail and not just live aboard.  The money is coming in but it's slow.  It'll take to the end of hurricane season to get enough jack together to make the needed repairs.  All I have to do is hang in there and be patient. Oh, yeah; I need to be smart about what I spend, too.


No one gets out of here alive, so live it like ya mean it.