We are making progress

The new antenna for the SSB arrived. Hopefully the SSB and pactor modem will arrive any day and the AIS soon after that. Yep definitely feeling the pain in the pocketbook but we had planned these purchases. Meanwhile the work to repair the damage from Beryl continues and we can actually see progress. I am studying the Ham Technician License course material.  This is a chore for me since I am radio and electronically challenged. Oh well, I wanted to stretch myself, and get outside of my comfort zone. Right?
More pics of the improvements soon.

Work goes on

Went out to the boat after the afternoon thunder shower. The fiberglass work is coming along but there is still a lot to be done for us to be sea worthy (actually Stray Cat to be seaworthy) Freddie and I have a long way to go but that won't happen on shore. I am still working on how to fully utilize the feature of this blog, so bare with our amateur efforts.

Some Pics of the Damage from Beryl

Well work has been steady since we got Stray Cat to the boat yard. We have pulled the mast and we are having a new mast step made. The fiberglass repairs have been on going after we got all the mud cleaned out from inside the boat. The engines have been taken apart and are being repaired from all the water and mud from Beryl. We are going ahead and doing some outfitting that we had planned for later. The cruising kitty has been taking a major hit! We just ordered a SSB and AIS. We are also installing holding tanks to make sure the potty police are happy when we head south in a couple of months.

In the Yard with the Mast down

Mud everywhere

Yep more mud! and marsh mud stinks!

Damage in the front

Much more in the back

Ouch that hurts

Lots to be fixed from Beryl

Rescue after Beryl Pics

The crane and barge on the second attempt to lift us out.

Our dock after Beryl. Every boat broke loose the boat
you see was a total loss.

On our way finally to the boat yard.

Boat yard dock before being lifted to dry land.

Wow have things been Busy!

Been offline for a while. So long  in fact that I had trouble remembering how to get into my Blog. Guess I was suffering from a Blonde Moment.
Tropical Storm Beryl did a number on us here in St. Marys. All the boats on our dock had issues many ending up in the Marsh. Stray Cat was one of them. We even made the newspaper! Once we were able to get her from the Marsh she was taken straight to the boatyard. We are still working on repairs. We will post pictures soon.

Boat Work Stalled, Who's the Real Captain Here?

Plans? They just keep on changing.

Our original plans when we acquired Stray Cat were to get our sailing feet wet locally, flesh out the cruising kitty and shove off when I joined Freddie in retirement a couple of years from now. The local area offers good beginner sailing and weather most of the year. That worked out great the first year and then I joined the millions of Americans in the unemployment line. Job searches were exhausting and fruitless. OK tighten our belts, get serious about finishing the work on the boat on a budget, and get ready to shove off after hurricane season. We don't always understand what God is teaching us through our circumstances,but I am always amazed at his provision. With lots of projects started and struggling financially to finish the work needed, the perfect job lands in my lap! The problem is that work really interferes with extended cruising but it does help to pay for boat work. Since we had to wait for the boat yard to get their crane back to haul out Stray Cat, we weren't getting out of here as early as we had planned anyway. Then we found that the mast step looked really ugly. Time to pull the mast and get a rigger to check it out and make repairs. More time and more money. I am truly grateful for a paycheck! I have still been able to get to the ocean on my day off. Freddie volunteers at the Hospital in Fernandina once a week and I drop him off and head for the beach for sunrise.
Beautiful!

Maintenance project

We have a swim ladder that is right in the middle of where the dingy goes for offshore trips. When we take the ladder off  the supports rub the dingy when hoisted for travel. We removed the supports and had them alttered  by a welder to  protect the dingy. I am pleased with the results and hope our idea eliminates the sharp edges and damage to the dingy.

The Dingy Cutter Culprits!















Before



                                After alterations, the ladder itself will be removed for travel