Day 5

Safe in the Marina after a very chilly night despite
the two comforters I had over me.

Mechanic came early (well, 8am) and we talked a bit. I
had to go the dockmaste to log in and pay - cheap
@ $57 a day.

Went across the raod to a small cafe which was steamy
and full, which boded well. And so it proved - 2 eggs,
bacon sausage and home fries plus oodles of coffee
with refills for $7.50. I think what puzzled me was
that all these people had no idea about being deprived
of heat, hot food and going without human contact. I
know my experiences so far are trivial in comparison
to say, Robin Knox Johnstone and other long distance
sailors, but this is the first time I've been alone,
with only a slim possibility of aid, no brakes and
little practical knowledge of actual boating
techniques.

On the plus side I can now use the docking knot! And
helped tie up a gin palace that daddy had lent to the
boy..

back from breakfast and Spencer (for that is his name)
told me that there are in fact three filters. And
although I had a spare, he thought I ought to have
several spares, plus the fan belt was not the right
one (hence the squealing). and also that the Port
diesel tank was full of water, algae and sediment, the
starboard tank (half used) nearly as bad, and that to
continue I have to have the tanks drained and cleaned
and refilled. I guess I am looking at throwing 150
gallons of diesel away and buying a further 200
gallons. plus the suck out and clean charges.. this is
going to be about $1000.00 So off we went in his van
to the boat shop - West Marine! Oh boy - it's a shop
for boating types filled with expensive brass and
'marine' accessories. Nevertheless they didn't have
the filters so onwards to the Yanmar dealer. Got all
we needed plus some 'algae additive' which promises
all sorts of good things to my new fuel. No reply from
the suckers, I'll have to wait till Monday, which
gives me time to fix the bimini (which I found minus 2
straps this morning) which I nearly lost yesterday.
There is also this storm warningtill Monday anyway,
although to lookat the water and clear sunny sky,
you'd not believe it.

Spencer then drove me to the nearest walmarts for some
wrenches (metric) as I only had 2 screwdrivers and an
adjustable wrench given to me by the broker before I
left Ft Myers..

Thence to Publix for food (other than Ham!) and found
they had an 'English Food' Fayre.. yippee! Chocolate
Digestives, Heinz Tomato Soup, PG Tips plus some
Birds' custard. I also bought loads of bread for the
freezer, onion soup and shrimp soup, some plastic food
containers, a fry pan, eggs(!) and finally a fixed
blade knife with a sheath. I shall now look like a
salty sailor man!

Thence to a thrift store for a comforter and a toaster
oven.

Got back, gave Spencer $80 and loaded my supples.

Putting on the new filter I asked to man in the fuel
stop for a 'cup of Diesel' to fill up the holder
before putting the filter in (It's called a 'Racor'
Fuel Cleaner)

Put on the fan belt and made it the right tension.
I'll find out on Monday if it squeals.

At night, without internet access, life can be boring.
Except tonight I am swotting for my ABC test on my
return to NOLA. Also reading all the manuals for the
boat equipment - I found the weather in channel 2!
That IS an achievement I am proud of. 'RTFM' is a good
watchword. I can now also alert CG about things, have
a script for when I am in an emergency (If I can find
the bit of paper - Lord knows where my spare reading
glasses have disappeared to - after all there is a
limited amount of places thay can be. I shall save
that pleasure for tomorrow when I rake through the
boxes and boxes of spares and gear I got from the prev
owner (dec'd) I read the refrigerator/freezer manual
and am still no wiser. I know the milk freezes solid
after 2 days. There is another compartment but it is
actually the inside of the hull. lined with
polystyrene sheets it is still a reach over and then
down about 4 feet. If something goes in there, its
staying there! I shall have to furnish a shelf back in
my home port. (I am getting quite used to using (and
thinking) in nautical terms without feeling a fraud)
Pity 'Talk like a Pirate' Day was a few months back!
Listened to garrison keiler on NPR. It's now 8.15 and
I'm off to bed - Oh, that man in the fuel shed lent me
his heater (110v) and tonight I shall be a snug as a
bug in a wossname.

The wind is getting up - I can hear it whistling
through the gap between my hatch cover and the wooden
slats- and the blacksmith is back Night night.

It's now 1.30am and the blacksmith has been joined by
two, no *four* small boys - two blow raspberries then,
when they've stopped another two small boys rub their
fingers slowly on inflated baloons... it is the sounds
made as the gunwale rubs against the new fangled
plastic dock sheathing. The boat is rocking like a
good 'un as the tide and the wind comes in making the
boat rock hard against the dock. I've been up top
three times to check mooring lines and to try and stop
the small boys by rearranging the fenders .. but have
now given up and put the kettle on for tea