After we moved off the boat and on to land my wife has gotten in to gardening and became a member of the local garden club. She now is a Florida Master Gardner and the president of the club. She ask me if I would mind if she had a worm farm that would make high quality dirt for the gardens. I had no objections, I figured they would not be noisy and I might get a supply of worms for fishing as a bonus.They are not good fishing worms, they are to small. The fish like them but you can not get them on a hook. They started out in a box the size work boots would fit in. The next box they were moved to is trunk size. It is about 2'x2'x3' and it is not much bother or in the way and the worms are quiet. The little worms recycle the paper that goes through the paper shreader and some left over salad greens and what ever else she put in the box that they can eat. I just water them once a week.
This week end I got to help harvest the worm dirt. First you scooped out the dirt and put it in a bright area. The worms do not like the light so the go to the bottom. Next you scoop up the dirt, picking out the worms and putting them them in one container and the worm free dirt in another. After that we had to make new bedding for the worms with peat moss and shredded paper, wet it and then release the worms back in the box. Last we had to clean up and save her new worm dirt. I did not find enough big worms to even collect for fishing. She said we should have done the separating a week ago and we would have had bigger worms.
Even though I did not get worms for fishing, the worm farm has some advantages. It gets rid of the shredded paper and my fishing friends THINK I have worms.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Key West people.
The first time I went to Key West was in 1961 on a trip with my dad. The way I remembered it was a sleepy artist colony like place with with a interesting waterfront area with fishing shacks. Dad did not show me anything that I thought was strange or out of place. I thought it was a neat place to go fishing.
The next time I saw Key West was in 1998. I had gotten a job at the Marathon Hospital, and a few of my co-workers grabbed me after work and took me to Key West for the night. The place had changed in 37 years, and it was no longer the sleepy place I remembered.
I changed jobs and started working in Key West proper. I found it was a small town with lots of visitors. The residents were all a bit different. Nobody was from Key West. No one cared where you came from, and no one asked questions about your past. If you wanted to tell them, that was OK, and some would tell you a little about themselves. I quickly learned about Island time. Island time is registered in days. We will do it ( sometime )Tuesday... If it is Key West formal you needed shoes and a shirt. No one objected to anyone doing something "his way" if it did not cause a problem. It was the tourists that caused the problems. I found I got along well and fit in with the local group.
Key West is not a cheap place to live. It is hard to find a real job in the Keys, and let alone a job that will pay enough to live there. Then, there is the pull of becoming Key Wasted every night. There are more registered bar and restaurant seats in Key West than permanent residents. But it is still a fun place to live. I have been out of the Keys now for over 10 years and I still wonder why I left and also why I stayed there as long as I did. The best thing I came away from the Keys with was a wonderful wife. That has made all the difference and is one of the reasons the Keys are special to me.
The next time I saw Key West was in 1998. I had gotten a job at the Marathon Hospital, and a few of my co-workers grabbed me after work and took me to Key West for the night. The place had changed in 37 years, and it was no longer the sleepy place I remembered.
I changed jobs and started working in Key West proper. I found it was a small town with lots of visitors. The residents were all a bit different. Nobody was from Key West. No one cared where you came from, and no one asked questions about your past. If you wanted to tell them, that was OK, and some would tell you a little about themselves. I quickly learned about Island time. Island time is registered in days. We will do it ( sometime )Tuesday... If it is Key West formal you needed shoes and a shirt. No one objected to anyone doing something "his way" if it did not cause a problem. It was the tourists that caused the problems. I found I got along well and fit in with the local group.
Key West is not a cheap place to live. It is hard to find a real job in the Keys, and let alone a job that will pay enough to live there. Then, there is the pull of becoming Key Wasted every night. There are more registered bar and restaurant seats in Key West than permanent residents. But it is still a fun place to live. I have been out of the Keys now for over 10 years and I still wonder why I left and also why I stayed there as long as I did. The best thing I came away from the Keys with was a wonderful wife. That has made all the difference and is one of the reasons the Keys are special to me.
In Our schooner anything over 6 knots is a gale
I built a schooner rig day sailor. It is one good looking boat on the water, and with all 3 sails up, it takes very little wind to move her. A 3 to 5 knot breeze is about right for a nice sail. At about 6 knots the boat's sailing characteristics start to change and she becomes much more tipsy. It is a flat bottom boat and has a 4' dagger board. A little heel is needed so you have a water cutting edge formed by the bottom of the boat and the side of the boat. As the wind picks up, it becomes harder to maintain or keep the heel angle so the boat sails well. Changing the sail set on the main sail or foresail changes your balance as well as where you sit and how you sit. You do not have time to untangle your legs to change your position when a big gust hits.
A 10 knot gusty wind can be wicked in the boat. You really have to keep alert, think and plan what you are doing. Things like tacking can start to be unique. The schooner dislikes passing through the eye of the wind. As you turn into the wind, the boat wants to stop and then sail backwards. At the same time, the heel shifts from one side to the other. With the loss of head way and then going backwards, your tiller shifts the boat back to the eye of the wind. All the sails are now flapping uselessly and you now have lost the last 20' or so you had gained just before you started to tack. In order to tack, you must first release the foresail, next, pull in the mainsail, and smartly push the tiller to leeward. Further, you must back-wind the jib (to help the bow swing through the eye of the wind) and lastly re-establish a good heel, so that the cut of the boat's chine will cause it to track nicely. This method of tacking can be done without too much loss of headway. Two people can do it but it is easier with three people.
We have decided that if the wind is above 6 knots, it is Gale force winds for the boat and we take our sloop instead. You want to enjoy yourself on a sail, not come back with your blood pressure higher then when you went out. It still is a fun boat but best in a light wind.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Two AM and I am wide awake
At 9:30 or 21:30 hours I came down with a head splitting headache. I have had headaches all my life and most of the time I can prevent them from going out of control with out having to use RX Medications to do so. Not this one. The RX Med I have works in about 20 minutes but the side effects last for hours. The headache is gone, but my body feels rubbery, my eyes do not want to stay focused on things, I feel tiered, but can not sleep.
I keep going over things I need to do in my head, many things seem joined in a nonsensical way and all seem overly important. By I writing them down some of the confusion goes away. When I look at the notes the next day they do not have much importance for the most part. Tomorrow I will feel tired all day with little energy to do much. Now my head has cleared up but I feel tired and I am wide awake.I figure I have another hour before I will be able to sleep. I will weed my e-mail, dump junk from some of my files and do little net surfing. This may just be a little productive time to do some of the non-important things I do not do normally. The headache could be my brain's way of making me shut down. I must really need to go sailing for a week or ten days. Now that is a good idea...Think positive...Put that down in my note to read tomorrow. Something good may come out of the headache. I feel better just putting the ideas down. I think I will just try for some sleep...
I keep going over things I need to do in my head, many things seem joined in a nonsensical way and all seem overly important. By I writing them down some of the confusion goes away. When I look at the notes the next day they do not have much importance for the most part. Tomorrow I will feel tired all day with little energy to do much. Now my head has cleared up but I feel tired and I am wide awake.I figure I have another hour before I will be able to sleep. I will weed my e-mail, dump junk from some of my files and do little net surfing. This may just be a little productive time to do some of the non-important things I do not do normally. The headache could be my brain's way of making me shut down. I must really need to go sailing for a week or ten days. Now that is a good idea...Think positive...Put that down in my note to read tomorrow. Something good may come out of the headache. I feel better just putting the ideas down. I think I will just try for some sleep...
Thursday, October 20, 2011
algae on dock ropes
Down here in Florida there are a few months of the year we get an algae bloom and algae will grow on almost anything. The dock lines on your boat can turn green and black in just a few days. Fiberglass surfaces, aluminum and steel surfaces, glass, woodwork, and almost anything can get a green covering.
The dock lines do not have to be replaced just because they turned green. First check your lines to see if they need to be replaced. If chaff damage or major strand damage is found they need to be replaced or repaired. They can be cleaned by soaking them overnight in a bucket of weak bleach and water. This will kill the algae and get rid of the green. If the lines are stiff soak them in a laundry fabric softener and water.
If you wash your lines in a washing machine, put them in a mesh bag so they will not tie up the agitator. Also ask your wife first ( Very Important ) or use a Laundromat. A laundromat is the best bet, but the attendant can be as mean as a mad wife.
The dock lines do not have to be replaced just because they turned green. First check your lines to see if they need to be replaced. If chaff damage or major strand damage is found they need to be replaced or repaired. They can be cleaned by soaking them overnight in a bucket of weak bleach and water. This will kill the algae and get rid of the green. If the lines are stiff soak them in a laundry fabric softener and water.
If you wash your lines in a washing machine, put them in a mesh bag so they will not tie up the agitator. Also ask your wife first ( Very Important ) or use a Laundromat. A laundromat is the best bet, but the attendant can be as mean as a mad wife.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Hand made bilge pump
I needed a bilge pump but the closest store where I could get one was over 30 miles away and most of that was water. I did have some ceder boards and an old inner tube from a kids bike. I screwed 4 boards of equal length together to make a square pipe. Cut out notches were made on one end of the pipe to let water in when that end of the pipe was under water and on the bottom of what you needed to drain. A hole was put in one side board to let water out on the pump up stroke. I found a old piece of bamboo to use as a spout for that hole. Last a old broomstick was used for the pump handle that you pulled up and down. I made two rubber squares from the inner tube rubber, that were just bigger then the square pipe inner hole. These were screwed to the end of the broom handle and this was pushed down the wood pipe.
By pushing the rubber squares lower than the intake holes water came in to the pump. Pulling the broom handle up lifted the water up to the exit hole. It worked well enough to get the job I needed done. I still have the pump and improved the rubber flaps so it works better. My wife says it has a "Little Danny Boy" project look and a old nautical style. What can I say...it works.
By pushing the rubber squares lower than the intake holes water came in to the pump. Pulling the broom handle up lifted the water up to the exit hole. It worked well enough to get the job I needed done. I still have the pump and improved the rubber flaps so it works better. My wife says it has a "Little Danny Boy" project look and a old nautical style. What can I say...it works.
Rainy days are good for building ships in a bottle
It rained for the last 3 days and the dog and I were trying to find something to do. We had already chased the cats till they would not play with us any more, so no more fun there. I was taking out the recycle bottles and cans when the ship in a bottle idea materialized. I had not done one in a few years and it was fun, time consuming, and cost nothing. I had saved the perfect bottle, and the fishing box had most everything I needed in it.
I would build my boat the Reefwolf. First I shaped the hull from a scrap of wood, carved its shape and then mounted it on a work block to do the rigging. A toothpick became the mast, another toothpick became the boom and they were articulated with thin wire and thread. The sail came from a piece of thread bare rag from the rag box. The base of the mast was hinged with a fine wire so it could be lowered to the deck of the boat. A thread from the top of the mast down to the bow point could raise the mast when pulled from the bow. I glued the sail to the mast and boom, painted the boat and set aside to dry. I stuck blue clay in the bottle to make the sea. A groove for the boat to sit in was made in the clay. The bottle was ready.
By lowering the mast, the boat would go through the neck of the bottle. The thread from the top of the mast and through the bow extended out the bottle neck. After sticking the hull in to the clay the mast was raised with the thread. With a drop of glue the thread was secured to the bow so the mast stayed upright and the extra thread could be cut off. The last step is to stopper the bottle and you are done.
Building ships in bottles were one the ways seaman passed there free time on a ship. Many are very detailed and took days to make. Mine are not all that fancy or detailed but they are fun to make. It is fun to see people look at the bottle to see if it had been cut to get the boat in the bottle.
I would build my boat the Reefwolf. First I shaped the hull from a scrap of wood, carved its shape and then mounted it on a work block to do the rigging. A toothpick became the mast, another toothpick became the boom and they were articulated with thin wire and thread. The sail came from a piece of thread bare rag from the rag box. The base of the mast was hinged with a fine wire so it could be lowered to the deck of the boat. A thread from the top of the mast down to the bow point could raise the mast when pulled from the bow. I glued the sail to the mast and boom, painted the boat and set aside to dry. I stuck blue clay in the bottle to make the sea. A groove for the boat to sit in was made in the clay. The bottle was ready.
By lowering the mast, the boat would go through the neck of the bottle. The thread from the top of the mast and through the bow extended out the bottle neck. After sticking the hull in to the clay the mast was raised with the thread. With a drop of glue the thread was secured to the bow so the mast stayed upright and the extra thread could be cut off. The last step is to stopper the bottle and you are done.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Magnetic compass / Electronic compass - Is one better?
Both magnetic and electronic compasses do the same job. The digital compass may be easier to read for some people, can be integrated with track plotters and chart plotters and other navigation equipment. It is comfortable for I-Pod minded folk. The digital compasses often have additional functions like wind shift info built in. The electronic compasses can be stand alone or be integrated with other equipment down the road.They are accurate and reliable. But they do need electrical power.
A magnetic compass works with out electrical power but can be messed up by other electronics and wiring. You have to integrate its information to other navigation equipment yourself. They are accurate and reliable.
Both types of compasses do the same job. The cost range of both are also about the same. I like the digital Hi tech. stuff, but my wife ( The one who has sailed around the world. ) likes the magnetic type. We have both. Hers backs up mine when the battery is flat. 8-) She also likes a track plotter, I like a chart plotter....must be a gender thing.
A magnetic compass works with out electrical power but can be messed up by other electronics and wiring. You have to integrate its information to other navigation equipment yourself. They are accurate and reliable.
Both types of compasses do the same job. The cost range of both are also about the same. I like the digital Hi tech. stuff, but my wife ( The one who has sailed around the world. ) likes the magnetic type. We have both. Hers backs up mine when the battery is flat. 8-) She also likes a track plotter, I like a chart plotter....must be a gender thing.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
The LED lights.
The new LED lights are one of the best things for boats and trailers that have come along in years. They produce almost no heat, have almost no electrical pull on your battery and the newest ones are more then bright enough to be useful. I now use a small garden tractor size battery for most of the lighting on the boat. A 15 watt solar panel will keep it charged. Lights on the bow, in the cockpit and in the cabin come on at dusk and go off at dawn via a CDS cell switch. They are on there own cheep little circuit and not on the main boats circuit. The running lights are also wired in to it but they have there own switch so they are not on all the time.
You can replace your running light light bulbs easily with LEDs but you need to have a resistor in line with the LED. Radio Shack can help you with this if you want to do it. It is still much easier to just replace the whole fixture...just two wires.
The new cabin lights are great. They are bright and you can burn them all night and still start the boat motor. The price of these have gone down over the last few years, and if you need to replace lighting this is the way to go. They almost never burn out. They are also getting better looking. There are some ugly lights out there. My wife had me rebuild the classic lighting on her 30 year old boat to keep the original look. Only the color of the light is different. LED lighting has more blue than incandescent bulbs. I like it better.
I am now putting a 12 volt lighting system in our house. A pair of 45 watt solar panels keep my deep cycle trolling battery's charged, and they run LED light strips in the house. We have these LED night lights that can stay on in the bathrooms and main rooms all night and often all day. You can see to do most things and they are off the grid. The office area will be next, and that will be a money saver.
You can replace your running light light bulbs easily with LEDs but you need to have a resistor in line with the LED. Radio Shack can help you with this if you want to do it. It is still much easier to just replace the whole fixture...just two wires.
The new cabin lights are great. They are bright and you can burn them all night and still start the boat motor. The price of these have gone down over the last few years, and if you need to replace lighting this is the way to go. They almost never burn out. They are also getting better looking. There are some ugly lights out there. My wife had me rebuild the classic lighting on her 30 year old boat to keep the original look. Only the color of the light is different. LED lighting has more blue than incandescent bulbs. I like it better.
I am now putting a 12 volt lighting system in our house. A pair of 45 watt solar panels keep my deep cycle trolling battery's charged, and they run LED light strips in the house. We have these LED night lights that can stay on in the bathrooms and main rooms all night and often all day. You can see to do most things and they are off the grid. The office area will be next, and that will be a money saver.
Boat trailer maintenance is a evil job!
Boat trailer maintenance is a evil job. If you do not do it, the trailer gets back at you and takes delight in doing so. It strikes its revenge at the boat ramp when others are watching, at a intersection where you will cause a traffic jam, or on the interstate 1/2 way between exits that are 20 miles apart. It almost always a little thing that you can not fix out in the middle of no where.
I need to use my boat trailer about once or twice a year. With our boats at a dock at our back door, they do not need to come out often. My 20 year old British made trailer was built like a tank and nothing ever seemed to change the first 15 years. Then its evil little British sense of fair play showed itself. Little things at first. The handle on the winch snapped off at the boat ramp with the boat 1/2 on the trailer. With the help of 4 others waiting at the ramp we manually pulled it the last 4 feet, so I could secure the boat and get it out of the water and off the ramp. At home it was a quick fix. I went over the trailer from front to back, fixed everything that was needed and painted it. That kept the trailer happy for two years.
Lets take the boat to the Chesapeake for a 10 day sail. A 100 miles from home, on I-75 going over a overpass I felt the trailer shake, waggled back and forth then a thunk. Next I watched the left trailer wheel pass my truck headed down the overpass hill we were going over and as I pulled a dragging trailer to the side of the road. Before we headed out, I had greased the wheel bearings and had the tires checked and balanced. It was well balanced ..it rolled a 1/2 mile before it fell over. What I found on inspection was the wheels were held on with bolts. British whitworth fine threaded bolts.These naturally are not available in the USA. The salt water and air impact wrenches had damaged the threads and the bolts would not stay tight in the holes. It only took a week to get the trailer wheels rebuilt to American Standard with lug nuts. We sailed at St Petersburg before going home.
Next I had to replace the lights after they shorted out. Then the front jack that supports the tongue would not go up or down so it was replaced. Not much left to go wrong now.
When a friend ask if he could use the trailer to pick up a small flats boat to move it to his house before he got a trailer for it, I said sure...no problem. On a Sunday there are few tire places open to replace a tire that is flat on one side and he only had one brand of tire that would fit on that British tire rim. The trailer is still at my friends house and I am afraid to bring it home.
I need to use my boat trailer about once or twice a year. With our boats at a dock at our back door, they do not need to come out often. My 20 year old British made trailer was built like a tank and nothing ever seemed to change the first 15 years. Then its evil little British sense of fair play showed itself. Little things at first. The handle on the winch snapped off at the boat ramp with the boat 1/2 on the trailer. With the help of 4 others waiting at the ramp we manually pulled it the last 4 feet, so I could secure the boat and get it out of the water and off the ramp. At home it was a quick fix. I went over the trailer from front to back, fixed everything that was needed and painted it. That kept the trailer happy for two years.
Lets take the boat to the Chesapeake for a 10 day sail. A 100 miles from home, on I-75 going over a overpass I felt the trailer shake, waggled back and forth then a thunk. Next I watched the left trailer wheel pass my truck headed down the overpass hill we were going over and as I pulled a dragging trailer to the side of the road. Before we headed out, I had greased the wheel bearings and had the tires checked and balanced. It was well balanced ..it rolled a 1/2 mile before it fell over. What I found on inspection was the wheels were held on with bolts. British whitworth fine threaded bolts.These naturally are not available in the USA. The salt water and air impact wrenches had damaged the threads and the bolts would not stay tight in the holes. It only took a week to get the trailer wheels rebuilt to American Standard with lug nuts. We sailed at St Petersburg before going home.
Next I had to replace the lights after they shorted out. Then the front jack that supports the tongue would not go up or down so it was replaced. Not much left to go wrong now.
When a friend ask if he could use the trailer to pick up a small flats boat to move it to his house before he got a trailer for it, I said sure...no problem. On a Sunday there are few tire places open to replace a tire that is flat on one side and he only had one brand of tire that would fit on that British tire rim. The trailer is still at my friends house and I am afraid to bring it home.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Pirate hats
In Pirates of the Caribbean Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa have there own hats that gave them or showed rank. The more flamboyant the higher the rank. Barbossa's hat was larger with a big feather.
Here in Florida, October has a number of Pirate festivals and week ends. I have my Jack Sparrow hat, my wife has her Barbossa hat (she is the Admiral). We load the schooner up with rum rations, pirate flags, deck cannon, swords and the like and head for the sea.
On a provision run to the Quick Mart / Gas station / Snack food / Beverage center/ Etc. Shop to get a few essentials for a day on the water, there was a little old black woman shopping. She was no more then 4' 8" tall, in a nice dress, neat as a pin, and on her head was the BEST EVER PIRATE HAT. My wife did not come in the store with me...she thinks the place is creepy. I had to go get her to show her the woman with the pirate hat. She was as impressed with the hat as I was.
This hat was wide brimmed, black and red, with shinny decorations and 3 BIG feathers. As I have said, the women was dressed sharp and neat as a pin, and the hat did not look wrong on her. She was as impressive as an Admiral of a fleet looking over her ships. She made our day.
My wife and I left with big smiles and both of us wondered where she could have gotten such a fine Pirate hat. We figured she must have made it.
We now call the Quickie store the Admiral's Mart.
Here in Florida, October has a number of Pirate festivals and week ends. I have my Jack Sparrow hat, my wife has her Barbossa hat (she is the Admiral). We load the schooner up with rum rations, pirate flags, deck cannon, swords and the like and head for the sea.
On a provision run to the Quick Mart / Gas station / Snack food / Beverage center/ Etc. Shop to get a few essentials for a day on the water, there was a little old black woman shopping. She was no more then 4' 8" tall, in a nice dress, neat as a pin, and on her head was the BEST EVER PIRATE HAT. My wife did not come in the store with me...she thinks the place is creepy. I had to go get her to show her the woman with the pirate hat. She was as impressed with the hat as I was.
This hat was wide brimmed, black and red, with shinny decorations and 3 BIG feathers. As I have said, the women was dressed sharp and neat as a pin, and the hat did not look wrong on her. She was as impressive as an Admiral of a fleet looking over her ships. She made our day.
My wife and I left with big smiles and both of us wondered where she could have gotten such a fine Pirate hat. We figured she must have made it.
We now call the Quickie store the Admiral's Mart.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
You can tell its and old boat!
When I told my wife I wanted to build a schooner I was totally taken aback when she did not object. She did put a cap on what I could spend on the project per month. I think she thought it would keep me out of trouble.
The building of the boat went more smoothly than I thought it would. It did keep me out of trouble for the most part. She was launched and we were off with the wind in our sails.
On the water and in a almost noiseless sail boat you can here people talking on shore. We sailed past our local boat launch site on the river and over heard 3 OLD GUYS sitting on the dock just passing the time talk about our boat. One said that you seldom see sailboats on the river sailing...today they just motor up and down the river. They really like to see young folks sailing these days, not just zooming on those little jet things. Then one said that " you can tell its an old boat...they don't make them like that anymore.
My wife, dog and I all had grins on our faces. I could not tell them that the boat was first launched the week before. My goal had been to make it look classic old. I felt the " old boat " comment was a complement and I still do. Being called young folks also was nice.
We have found that sailing our schooner was not as easy as we thought it would be for the two young old folks that we are. More on this at another time.
The building of the boat went more smoothly than I thought it would. It did keep me out of trouble for the most part. She was launched and we were off with the wind in our sails.
On the water and in a almost noiseless sail boat you can here people talking on shore. We sailed past our local boat launch site on the river and over heard 3 OLD GUYS sitting on the dock just passing the time talk about our boat. One said that you seldom see sailboats on the river sailing...today they just motor up and down the river. They really like to see young folks sailing these days, not just zooming on those little jet things. Then one said that " you can tell its an old boat...they don't make them like that anymore.
My wife, dog and I all had grins on our faces. I could not tell them that the boat was first launched the week before. My goal had been to make it look classic old. I felt the " old boat " comment was a complement and I still do. Being called young folks also was nice.
We have found that sailing our schooner was not as easy as we thought it would be for the two young old folks that we are. More on this at another time.
Worcestershire sauce and bronzes
When we built our schooner I wanted to make it look classic old style. When it came to cleats...Wood or Brass were the only two types I considered. The wood ones...easy, I made them. The brass / bronzes ones were a little hard to find, were expensive, but looked great ( For the fist year )
Wife said just shine them up or let then get the aged bronze look. She said she liked the aged look, so she would not have to help shine them up. 8-)
I tried a number of products, and they all worked OK, but the most important part of the shining was WORK. My wife did help by bringing me ice tea and a sandwich.
I remembered reading some where that Worcestershire sauce can clean bronze. I requested my wife to bring me some. She did. I found it worked better than some of the stuff I was using. It still required work, but it smelled better. 8-) After 18 cleats were all shinny I figured I could live with a aged bronzed look the next year, after all the boat WAS getting older.
Wife said just shine them up or let then get the aged bronze look. She said she liked the aged look, so she would not have to help shine them up. 8-)
I tried a number of products, and they all worked OK, but the most important part of the shining was WORK. My wife did help by bringing me ice tea and a sandwich.
I remembered reading some where that Worcestershire sauce can clean bronze. I requested my wife to bring me some. She did. I found it worked better than some of the stuff I was using. It still required work, but it smelled better. 8-) After 18 cleats were all shinny I figured I could live with a aged bronzed look the next year, after all the boat WAS getting older.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Square Meal
Ever wonder where the term square meal came from? Well in the British Navy the Sailors were paid by giving a money amount per day and two Square meals a day. Because storage space on the ship was limited and all space needed to be used to its best advantage, the plates were square. They stacked and wasted no cabinet space like a round plate would. The plate could also be smaller then a round plate of the same area.
Thus part of the sailors pay was two meals per day ( on the square plate ) .A square meal.
Thus part of the sailors pay was two meals per day ( on the square plate ) .A square meal.
Bow bunk sheets
Sleeping in the bow bunk can have some short comings. The sheets are hard to put on and they pull out. With the V shape of the bed, a fitted sheet will hook over the point, but flat sheets pull out.
If you take a flat sheet, fold it in 1/2 and sew the bottom edge together, you can make a pocket that can hook over the point of the bed. When you open up the sheet the top of the sheet goes to the top of the bed like normal, but the bottom, when laid out flat now has a v pocket that can hook over the point of the bed. It hooks so it will not pull out and holds the bottom sheet down also.
It is not cat proof though. 8-)
If you take a flat sheet, fold it in 1/2 and sew the bottom edge together, you can make a pocket that can hook over the point of the bed. When you open up the sheet the top of the sheet goes to the top of the bed like normal, but the bottom, when laid out flat now has a v pocket that can hook over the point of the bed. It hooks so it will not pull out and holds the bottom sheet down also.
It is not cat proof though. 8-)
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