SPLASH!!!!!

The wind has been blowing like snot for the last two weeks! But today, it calmed down and s/v IDRIS got wet.

Bert and Sheri, my former co-workers, wanted to witness this momentous occasion, so they joined me for the shakedown cruise.

She performed beautifully. Coming out of the local ramp, it is surrounded by mangroves blocking the wind. Luckily, there is a current that was running down wind and in the direction we wanted to travel. We only had to push off and take a few paddles to get in the canal, and we were on our way. The water is very skinny coming out of there, but since it was 3/4 high tide and she doesn't draw much, we only bumped a couple times.

Once in the wind, she took off. She performed well with three aboard, and Bert supplied us with champagne to toast the occasion.

I'm also pleased with the sail. I used a 3.3 oz tarp from Tarps Direct. I plan to build one from heavier material for stronger winds. She sailed close to the wind, and was easy with a jibe and tack... no problems at all. I guess I had her balanced.

I had both hands full most of the time, so Sheri took most of the pictures and video. However, her phone is not sharing those pictures at the moment. It doesn't feel like turning on right now. So, I put together a video taken with my GoPro.  You can see it here: Maiden voyage

Love that water!

WHAT?

Key West has a large population of artists, and some have used their vehicle as their canvas. I wanted to share a few of the rolling art pieces. These are not digitized graphics, they have been brushed on... or glued on. (Click on the image to enlarge.)

Over kill! They keep adding to it every week!

Boom box? I'm not sure.

Must like fish.

Floral design.

This is my favorite, it truly looks like a painting.

And the work is signed.

The wheels are painted too.

FANTASY FEST 2015

Remember when you were a kid, you went on Spring Break, got crazy, went home... and thought nobody would ever know? With a camera in every hand, and the internet posts... you can't rely on that  now.

We went to the Fantasy Fest Parade last night. When some of these people walked by, my first thought was, "Before you walked out the door, did you look in the mirror and say to yourself "I LOOK GOOD!" My second thought was, "What would your mother think!" There were some that had well thought-out costumes that were really cool. There were some that just threw on a mask. There were many, like me, that didn't dress in a costume.

This year, the parade was taped and uploaded to YouTube. I could have just stayed home and watched! lol

YOU HAVE TO TAKE CHANCES....

FOR THE THINGS YOU CARE ABOUT.

For about a year now, Chuck has been after me to go into business for myself. The canvas and cushion business. My head knows that there is a lot of business out here, but I have a problem letting go of security. Security of knowing I have a paycheck next, and every wednesday direct deposited into my checking account. Do I like sitting behind a computer, calling people to pay their bill, relieving cashiers at the register, stocking shelves when I run out of things to do in the accounting department? NO.

Chuck travels a lot, and would like for me to go with him. At the present, I can't take off on a whim and fly to Costa Rica... yes, he is gone to Costa Rica and I was invited. But, this employee couldn't leave the country on a whim. Damn it!

Here is my dilemma; take a chance and go into business for myself and have the freedom to travel and go on sailing adventures ... or be stuck in an office and put in requests for vacations. I am only four years away from early retirement. I want to take two weeks off next June for the Texas 200,  go to Oklahoma next October... I want to enjoy life, have fun.

I say all this after consuming half a bottle of wine. My son says, "In Vino Veritas"... In wine there is truth. I just watched a movie, and one of the lines, " You have to take chances for the things you care about." Is this an omen? LOL I do so wish I was in Costa Rica right now!  Security, or Freedom? What would you choose?

Deck

The dry fit.

I haven't worked on my boat much lately. Seems like other things are getting a higher priority. I did get the deck installed.

What other things have been given a higher priority? Well, scuba diving, fishing, making cushions for Chuck's boat.... and just LIFE.

Cockpit and storage were painted before the deck installed.

I love plants, and in my younger years, I always had a garden. I canned tomatoes, pumpkin, green beans, blackeyed peas, potatoes, okra, grape juice, pickles, jellies and jams. I haven't tried to grow anything in a few years, but I have a pineapple that I put in a pot. You just twist off the top, peel most of the leaves off and stick it in water. Mine has several roots now, so I stuck it in a pot. I've heard that it takes several years before you get a pineapple... I have time. Chuck has a planter in the back yard, but the boards have warped and it's coming apart. The growing season around here is the fall and winter months. This just does not seem right to me. BUT, it is way to hot in the summer months to grow anything. The sun is so intense that it literally fries the plants. I am thinking I will rebuild the planter and try my hand at some vegetables this winter. I love yellow squash. I wish I liked coconut... they are EVERYWHERE!  I'll let you guys know how the garden plan progresses.

Milkweed.

Pineapple plant.

There are so many "projects" around here. We are always working on something, and never feel that we are caught up. We have a total of five boat projects going. We are trying to not take on anymore projects until we have all of these finished. That's hard for Chuck. A few weekends ago, Chuck and I went to an auction. There were three items in this auction: a skiff (hull only), 2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible, and a 1984 25' McGregor Sailboat. We bought the car... another project. The sailboat did not sale, and we were told that if we would haul it away... we could HAVE the boat. If I had not been there to say NO... there would be another project tied to the seawall out back.

                                                      Chuck: "But it's free"

                                                      Me: "Take it home, and then what?"

                                                      Chuck: "Yeah, you're right"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ERIKA

This was the first hurricane threat since I've been in Key West. Saturday morning we pulled the 19' skiff out and put her on the trailer. The water lever was too high for the sandy spot around the corner, so I had to take the trailer and meet Chuck at a real concrete ramp. We put away the coolers and light weight stuff so we wouldn't be fishing it out of canal later. Around noon, we heard that Erika had broken up over the mountains of Cuba. That was a relief. We do still have some wind and rain to deal with though. The winds are 20 -22, that's not bad. Right now, most of the worse rain is to the east and west of us. I hope it stays over there.

Some people say, "I would never live there, what about hurricanes?" When I list all the pros and cons on living in Key West, the pros far out weigh the cons.

WEEKEND PROGRESS...

Progress was made this weekend. The decks are cut, two out of three storage compartments are painted, and the seat braces are all installed and fillets done.

If you notice, under the port seat brace, there is a PVC fitting going through the bulkhead. I am using PVC as my conduit for my wiring. I will install it after I paint the cockpit. I'm almost certain I will get caught out after dark, so I am installing lights.

It's been so hot lately. Instead of going to work on the boat after I get off work, I whine about the heat and just go home. But, it build is getting more exciting, so it will go faster now.

BOTTOM IS ON!

The plans call for an exterior chine log. They are on and everything has been faired. The bottom goes on in two sections, with a butt plate holding them together. Done! It went on very easy, I didn't need help.

The bottom is 1/2 inch plywood. I want this boat to last and to be durable. So, I am putting two layers of glass on the bottom. Paradox called for three layers, but I think two will be fine for this boat. The plans also call for a stiffener to be fastened to the bottom. I will attach that over the glass.

It is almost April, which means the "snowbirds" start to head back home. They usually show up in November and December, and stay until April. Nearly everyone I have met at the Sailing Club, is a snowbird. I was told the place is like a ghost town in the summer.

ROLLOVER DAY

The wales were attached, and it was time to roll her over to work on the bottom. There happen to be several guys working on the roof of the clubhouse. Walter gathered three of them and headed over to my little corner. Within seconds they had her turned upside down. At this point, she is not very heavy.

Tomorrow, the bottom work begins.

WALES

When your build location is a little cramped and the ground not perfectly even, you have to get creative. I do not have 16' of level ground area to glue the scarphs on the wales. I needed a jig that would hold the scarph cuts together while the epoxy cured. This is what I came up with.

I took a plywood scrap and screwed a scrap 2x4 to it, making sure that they were square. I then clamped my glued wales to this jig, holding them straight while they cure. I should have perfectly straight... 3/4" x 1 1/2" x 16' lumber.





















The plans are not specific when it comes to the shaping of the rudder, so we will see how this works.

With the time change, I will have another hour of daylight after work. This will help with the progress of this build.

3D

FINALLY, she is 3D.  Did the dry fit.  All the bevels on the bulkheads were perfect... except one. A quick run down the side of the last bulkhead with the jigsaw, and then it was perfect too. I have glued up the two aft bulkheads. It was dark and I was tired, so I gathered my things and came home.

 
I am very pleased with how easy she went together. And I do like her shape.

Key West Sailing Community

I was feeling like something was missing in my life. but I couldn't put my finger on it. I had a good job, a wonderful boyfriend, living in a beautiful place... and then I went to Sail OK. I realized I really missed the whole building and sailing small home built boats. That is the void that I need to fill.

The other day, I was filling in at the register at my work. Along comes Walter, a member of the Key West Community Sailing Club (KWCSC). He was buying a wheel barrow handle... just one. I made a comment about just buying one, and he said it was going to be a tiller. That opened up the conversation about building boats. I shared with him that I had built a boat, and wanted to build another. He said I should come and join them at the sailing club. I politely said I would, but was hesitant. Don't know why, but I was. A few days later, he came in again.  Walter said they needed a "boat builder" at the club, and that there was a 14' sharpie he had built, but it needs some work. I asked what it needed. He said it needed to be sailed.

I dropped by KWCSC to look around. Walter was there so we talked a while. He showed me the boat he built, then asked where I was going to build mine. He pointed to the corner of the property where there was a covered work bench. He said he would like to see me build it there, and he would bring it up at the next board meeting. A few days later, I received an email asking me to attend the board meeting. I did attend, and the proposal for my build, was passed.

I tend to be very organized, sometimes to a fault. Before I start my Mayfly 16 build, I made a copy of the plans, so I can cut it into sections and make notes on it. I don't want to mess up the original plans. I have put them all neatly into a notebook, along with an envelope that will hold all my receipts.

I will document this build as it progresses. It will go slow for a while, because there isn't much daylight after work. Most of the work will be done on the weekends.


I'm excited about this! There are a few changes that I will make, but only to the cockpit. I want it to be comfortable and every space used wisely. I will keep in mind the needs for a week-long adventure that I may happen to participate in... maybe in 2016 on the Texas coast.

STONE CRAB SEASON

Yes, it's that time again. Stone crab season begins October 15th, and you can lay your traps on the 5th and pull them on the 15th. Guess who has five traps with her name on them this year? Give up? ME!

If you have a fishing license, you can have up to five traps. They come five to a box, and you put them together.

After the sides and lid are assembled, concrete is poured
to make the bottom. It needs this weight to keep it on the
 bottom, otherwise, it would float away.

Here they are with the concrete set up,

Next, the line and buoy is added.

The "R" stands for RECREATIONAL. We are not commercial. 

They were baited with pig feet, loaded on the boat and we took off to set them.

In just 10 days we will have a feast on stone crab claws! I can't wait.

BULLY NETTING on the NEW SKIFF

Yes, you read that right.

BULLY NETTING: The art of catching lobster at night with a net from the boat.

After a delicious spaghetti dinner at sundown, Chuck and I loaded the new skiff…. oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about the new boat, but first, I'll tell you about my first experience at bully netting.

We gathered our flashlights, nets and tickle sticks, and hopped on the boat. Lobster come out and feed at night, so they are walking around looking for their dinner, instead of hiding in holes during the day.  There are two different lights mounted on the front of the boat, shining in the water. When the light hits their eyes, they glow red. Sort of like the freaky way a cat's eyes do.

The 12 volt light hanging off the bow has a shield above it so the light won't blind you. With both lights on, the bottom is clear and you can see very well in shallow water.

We ran out to the shallows close to the mangroves, just out from the house. Chuck took the net and climbed up on the bow, while I got behind the wheel. I have not had much experience behind the wheel of a power boat. I thought that was very brave of him to stand at the edge of the bow while I drove. We trolled around for about 20 minutes and didn't see a one. We got into some very skinny water, and Chuck thought it was best he took the wheel. If we hit something, he wanted it to be him driving… so did I. I took a net and positioned myself at the bow. I am not the most graceful person, and I couldn't help fear falling off if we suddenly ran aground. Within a few minutes, I saw my first lobster, but the water was too deep, and I was a little too cautious and let him get away before I could get the net on him. After three attempts, I gave up on him. It was getting late, so we headed back to the house. While coming through the channel that leads to the canal, I again took my net to the bow. I caught one, but he was a shorty. A shorty is a lobster too small to keep. He was thrown back and I quickly caught another. He was a shorty too. but man was that a blast.

The ballyhoo were just going crazy in the channel, and they are a good bait. We went to the house and got another net, went back out and caught 13 ballyhoo, stuck them in the freezer. By the time we got back to the house it was midnight. I had a blast!

Now about the new boat. Chuck is known for being a boat collector. . .

A couple months ago, a neighbor walked across the street and asked Chuck if he was interested in buying his boat. Chuck asked, "How much?" The number given had too many digits, so the answer was a quick, "No thank you." Chuck turns to walk away, and the neighbor asks, "How much would you give me?" Chuck came back with an amount just 1/5th of the asking price. Some haggling was done, and shortly thereafter… there was another boat parked in the driveway.

This boat needed some work, but will be a cool little boat for diving, lobstering, and working the stone crab traps. It is a 19' Sundancer with a Yamaha 4 stroke engine hanging off the back. It will be great on gas and low maintenance.

The motor needed work, new trim motor, new running lights, new battery and the gas tank cleaned. The upholstery was trash and was replaced. The bimini was not in bad shape, but the tie-down straps needed to be replaced, and a bimini boot will probably be added at some point.

She is in the water now, and she is a sweet ride. Last night the weather was perfect, a little moonlight, on the water with my Sweetie … what more could a girl ask for!

MY VERY OWN...

Ever since I got to Key West, I've felt off a few degrees. I finally figured out what has contributed to this feeling. First, I stayed with my daughter and her family. It was a temporary situation until I figured out my next move. The decision to stay in Key West was made, so I looked for a place to rent. Rent is VERY expensive here, so I took the cheapest route and rented a room from a lady. It never felt like "my place"… I was "staying" with someone. This lady put her condo up for sale, so again, I must relocate my belongings. The other day it hit me, I know what I need to make me feel more settled. I now have a legal mailing address all my own! A PO Box, and I got my first piece of mail. It may seem a little odd to some of you, but I have the need to have something all my own. Someday I will live in a space that I can decorate to my own taste, paint the wall if I want.  Who knows the future shape of "my space". It may not have four walls, it may have bulkheads and a cockpit to sit and watch the sunset. Anything is possible….

JIMMY BUFFET

We all have our favorite Jimmy Buffet song, and know the words to many of his songs. I have many of his songs, but I didn't understand some of the lyrics until I moved to Key West. Jimmy has spent a lot of time here in Key West, and even has a little recording studio by the water.

"All of a sudden I wasn't  alone picking' country music with old Joe Bones. Duval Street was rocking…"

Joe Bones plays a lot of Buffett's music and played at Margaretaville on Duval Street, here in Key West. 

"I'm goin' down to Fausto's to get some chocolate milk…"

Fausto's is a small grocery store on Fleming, just off Duval Street in Key West. It's within easy walking distance of the dinghy dock we always tied to when we first got to Key West. I didn't know it was famous, I just thought it was really expensive. Who knew!

SWORDFISH BILLS

Who wouldn't want a swordfish bill hanging on their wall! It would be a good conversation piece for your office.

One day, I was expressing an interest in making extra money. Living in Key West is not cheap. It was suggested that I paint on swordfish bills and sell them. I had never heard of doing such a thing, but when I found out what they sell for, I said, "I'm in!"

Preparing the bills for painting... well, I'll just say it's a stinky job and a long process. Chuck and I are both painting, and we have had positive feedback with our finished product. The hard part, is coming up with a design that prospective customers would fall in love with and be compelled to buy. My question to all of you guys; if you were vacationing in Key West, what would catch your eye? Would you want something that reminds you of your time in Key West? And what would that be: coconut, palm trees, fish, beach, boats, sunset on the water...tell me.

The surface to paint on a bill, is limited in size. Most are only 3 inches wide and they average 36 inches in length. I also want to try and make swords from bills. I've seen pictures of this done, and I think it is really cool. My only obstacle is the grip. I would prefer to buy a grip, but am having difficulty finding such a thing. I may have to build one from wood. It can be done, but I would like to have it made from metal. If anyone has any ideas, I am open to suggestions.

Years ago, I played around with oils, but never acrylics. Acrylics are a better medium for the bills, so I am learning the ways of the acrylic paints. They do not blend like oils, and I get frustrated because it doesn't come out like the picture I have in my head. Maybe it's my talent lacking, not the fault of the paint... nah, it's the paint.

Click on the image to enlarge the picture.

HOUSE CONCERT

Occasionally, C.W. Colt will have a concert at his home, here in Key West. Another artist is invited and this makes for  a full night of awesome entertainment. This was the case one night this week, and Chuck and I were invited to attend.

A few minutes before we arrived, the rain started. It was decided to move chairs from the courtyard into C. W.'s living room. This was a first.



In 1958, at the age of 5, C.W. won his first talent contest, singing and dancing, and this started his entertaining career. At age 10, Chet Atkins taught him his first guitar chords. Since, he has played all over the world and with big names: Hank Thompson, Buck Trent, Sons of the Pioneers, Rita Coolidge, Bo Diddley, Chet Atkins, Waylon Jennings, Roy Clark, Doug Kershaw... and many more. He is a very talented entertainer, and can be heard all over the Keys.

Dayna Kurtz was also performing at this event. I had not heard of her before, but she is very talented also! She was named the Female Songwriter of the Year by the National Academy of Songwriters.

Dayna recorded a duet with Norah Jones on her 2004 album. Norah and Bonnie Raitt have raved about Dayna in interviews.

After the music, while the living room was being put back together, I sat on the couch and visited with Dayna for a while. She is an interesting person and I enjoyed the visit.

Joining Dayna on guitar, was Larry Baeder, another musically talented Key West resident. He also has a history of performing with big names, from all over.

I had a wonderful evening, and hope to be invited again. Key West has a lot of musical talent, and I want to experience them all!!!