Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!!!!

We are celebrating being on the water and eating corned beef and cabbage......ok, a few days late! Steve is lighting a celebratory cigar- he left his lighter at home so he is using a blow torch!!!

Back in the water!!!!

We stayed on the boat while it was on the sticks for a week. We had to climb up a ten foot ladder to get into the boat- very scary! Steve was working in the engine room and I was cleaning. We had picked Charleston South Carolina because we figured it would be warm....it got down to 12 degrees this winter- Steve was worried that the pipes would freeze but the boatyard assured us they kept the heater on- unfortunately he was right and had to squeeze into tiny spaces and replace pipes that had frozen- he was hoping he wouldn't have to use his Montana skills in South Carolina, but oh well......

After getting the boat travel ready, we finally got to put her back in the water- such a good feeling!!!! Everything's better at water level! Cocktails on the deck to celebrate!!

$2000 oil change

Everything on a boat costs more...especially when you have it done. There are two 12 cylinder Detroit Diesel Engines and two transmissions. When we got the boat Steve changed the oil himself- 25 GALLONS. He was advised to change it again after 100 miles to get all the old oil and sediment out. The type of oil was straight 40- not the mixed kind you can find everywhere. When you have to buy the oil at specialty marine stores, the main place you can get it, it is way more expensive. Like $24 a gallon.... then there are the filters! Steve's first oil change took him about 6 hours because the filters- about two feet long metal tubes- had fused to the metal. He used- and broke- 4 foot vice grips- a tool with chains- when he finally got them off there was a huge pop- he thought he ripped the whole assembly, but it was ok.

When he was ready this time to change the oil I suggested he have the boat yard do it. They came back with a price of $2000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For an oil change!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say, Steve did it himself. After several days we found the oil. It comes in 5 gallon buckets- Steve hauled the buckets up (and the used oil down) the 10 foot ladder and got it done in 2 1/2 hours. I told Steve he had just made $1400 for his fishing equipment!!!

LIMMERICK‏

Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 16:33:00 +0000

A LATTITUDE LIMMERICK FOR YOU!

" THE SEA-LESTIALS "
There once was a man from Belgrade,
Who faced the sea unafraid,
He looked for a crew,
But takers were few,
So he changed the plans he'd made.

His wife being from Belgrade,
He knew the dues she had paid,
So he made her the cook,
Gave her a pot and a hook,
And to his amazement  she stayed.

This famous sailor from Belgrade,
Sailing the world became his trade,
His wife was made first mate,
And did more then just cut bait,
She rang the bell each time she got *****


Love You Guys, Good Voyage, See you in 18 days. Seems like about 30.
Always,
Don and Jenny

Stinky Showers and boats on sticks

Over the last years when we were with my mom Margie and Steve's mom Sarah I helped them with their shower- they always balked I think because it was such a pain and so tiring but I would always tell them that they would feel so much better after...so I would get on my bathing suit, go in there with them and help them cleaned up- after they got dressed and their hair done ( in my moms case, taken to "hairdo" after- she loved going to the beauty parlor!) they would both feel so much better, I would say they felt "sparkly" and they would agree. A shower feels so good.

When we got to our boat on the "sticks" (the official term is on the hard, but there are just a bunch of metal sticks holding the boat from tipping over), the manager of the boat yard said to not put the well water in the boat because it smelled like rotten eggs. So here is my dilemma- would I feel cleaner using "personal wipes" ( baby wipes for adults aka "Navy bath" or standing under a nice hot shower...that smells like rotten eggs? The boatyard has showers with the well water.

It turns out the the latter was better- I felt clean, only slightly egg smelling; nothing like a hot shower....in fact I smell sparkly.

BLIZZARD IN CHICAGO

Whenever we are coming up on a date we have to be somewhere-especially when Steve can't drive his beloved Landcruiser- we get really anxious. Steve especially- he wants to cancel, can't believe I talked him in to  flying again, says "never again" wants to drive even if it's to Panama! (Yes we even bought "the Gringos Guide to driving to Central America"- we didn't go after Steve read the State Departments website on dangerous countries to avoid- and most of what we are driving through was on the "DANGEROUS-DO NOT TRAVEL TO" list.)  Anyway, after a sleepless night we made it to the airport- our little Sadie drove us- only to find out there was a blizzard in Chicago which was the first leg of our flight and the flight was cancelled- I hate the cold! We were redirected to a 6 am flight the next day through Salt Lake City which meant a 4 am wake-up call- we stayed at a local hotel even tho Sadie said she would pick us up at 4 am! What a sweetie!!

Made it to Charleston South Carolina at about 5pm, east coast time. Tomorrow we see the boat after leaving her on December 3rd! Can't wait- yikes!!! Springtime in Montana below.

To the Boat!!!!!

We fly out tomorrow to get back to our boat!!!!! It seems like forever!!!! We decided to leave her in South Carolina because it was warm!!! It was one of the coldest winters in history- it got down to 12 degrees! We'll see if any pipes froze-yikes!!!!!!!!!!!! We'll keep you posted!!!