Mast sealing, a short sail, walk on the jetty, dinghy to island and back home

We went home April 10th.  But here's what went on at Fort Pierce before we left.  Life on the slip.

Drew finished sealing the mast so that's the last of sponges inside near the ceiling and little drips near the mast in the salon.
These are the ways we found to seal it.  Drew covered the entire mast deck plate with sealant because it was leaking from there.
You can see it here on the Island Packet Yacht forum, an excellent source of how-tos.

http://www.ipyoa.com/forum/46-rigging-stainless-steel/2873-mast-boot-deck-pin-mast-collar#5529

Here's our finished project at the base of the mast.  The deck plate is covered with clear sealant.

 Well it doesn't leak now.

This was as close as we got to snow this year (except while visiting Bangor for the new grandson around Christmas.) a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle of skiing and sledding.

We took a walk out on the Fort Pierce jetty along the Inlet and across from Fort Pierce State Park Beach.
I saw a life list bird, the Ruddy Turnstone on the jetty.  They were stepping along (versus a hop) running really, to pick up the fishermen's scraps.

Drew put the camera up to the scope and got these two movies of a surfer across the inlet at the State Park beach.

Here's the end of the jetty.

Here are the currents off the jetty on a day we sailed.

On another day we took the dinghy out to the nearby island.  Mazu has the place to herself and loves it.  First we slide the dinghy under the pier to get out into the channel.

Then we motor over to the island

Arrive at the island.

Mazu loves the freedom.

Just finishing an autobiography on Frederick Law Olmsted, A Clearing in the Distance by Witold Rybczynski.  He helped design Central Park, Prospect Park, The Fens in Boston and 5500 others. As the country grew he was there with wild landscape. That has put me into the woods and gardens. Also Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki by Haruki Murakami for book group.

A sail, a sail on a beautiful day.

From the other day up the mast

Our good friend Michelle came up from Palm Beach to go sailing with us Monday.

With light wind behind us we sailed wing in wing - mainsail to starboard (right) and jib to port (left).

On our sail

a bird flew aboard and stayed with us for about 20 minutes.  So cute.  It hopped along the floor. Finally just flew off.

And some jet skis around

On the way back into the slip we saw a heron posing on top of the mangroves. 

We've also seen a few other amazing animals other days.  This one is endangered.  We picked him up but a person said, "Don't let the ranger see you do that." and put him down.

At the local aquarium.   Amazing color. A seahorse - some think these are like unicorns - too incredible to be real.

The many sounds of the marina
 soothing to me.   We have the soft sound of a whoo, whoo train that goes by several times a day and night; that low woooo ooo as it passes the road intersections.
Walking down the dock there's the fairly loud whrrr of the wind in the boat shrouds, the gurgle of  water coming out of boats' air conditioning outflow, an occasional startling slap-flap of a fish jumping straight up and coming down on the water, low talking on some boats, hose spray cleaning boats, always the hum of an electric tool's motor somewhere either on a boat, in the marina or from the nearby boatyard at work and the ever present beeps of a big vehicle backing up or the phone or the microwave or some unknown source that causes us to say, "Where's that coming from?"

At the end of the day - today was pretty cloudy, so no sunset, but I saved 3 bucks off the dryer fee and dryed my sheets on the life lines on a windy day for scent, ease, and 'cause I'm cheap and cannot do this at home (stupid condo rules).

BOOKS: Just finished: The Nature Fix  - a must read - by Florence Williams,  Clementine, the Life of Mrs. Winston Churchill by Sonia Purnell and  Upstream by Mary Oliver. Now reading Savage Beauty, The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay - my favorite poet - by Nancy Milford - excellent with  more detail than some may want.

Up the mast - my favorite fix

The toilet now works completely and we have learned that we should put vinegar down the hoses to keep them clean and clear.

Drew is busy with his office moving to Bedford, New Hampshire from Auburn in April.  Furniture to order, decorating, image to portray, lots of decisions.

Future sail plans are on hold.  I am thinking of renaming this blog the Not-sailing in a sailboat blog.

Rain day aboard.  Pretty loud, but dry in the cockpit room.

The next day we decided to try putting the a new anemometer spinner on top of the mast.  Drew hauling on the winch and me going to the top which I love.  2 ropes/halyards are on the chair, green and red, the second is a safety.  Great workout for him.

Here I am in the bosun's chair waiting to go.  You can see the tools in the pocket and the new anemometer sticking out.  I bring up my phone/camera too and text pictures down to Drew so he can see what I'm doing and if there is anything else to be fixed up there.

 At the top it's a great view and fills me up for the day.  The swinging around on the way down is fun too.  No video though with Drew cranking me down.

Nice view of the harbor.

me at the top and the anemometer

Viewing the base of the anemometer before I screwed the new one in.

View of the nearby drawbridge

View of  the inlet from the ICW into our marina protected by mangroves.  You can see a little slim sand island way out that Mazu and I go to for a swim once in a while via dinghy.   This shows a blob of sealant on the top of the anemometer too.

Looking down at Drew in cockpit, solar panels

Little video of looking around.

The next day our French Canadian neighbor had watched me go up and asked me to do the same thing for his boat.  His anemometer had conked out too.  So I went up for a drink (of water) and did him a $150 favor.  He has an electric winch so I went up pretty quickly. FUN! easier than rock climbing and I still have a view.

 You can barely see me from the ground.

Of course a picture of moon over marina one of those full moon evenings.  Looking down the lighted dock walk.

Drew dives and I visit St Lucie County Parks

Drew had a great dive with our son-in-law, Yeang.  They took a dive boat out of Jupiter Florida, Kyalami.  Two dives where they saw rays, sharks, turtle, and large fish.  The visibility isn't the best, but a sunny calm day - the best of the week Yeang and family were here.

3 month Oliver

 Isabelle looking out.

On the St. Lucie County Preserve Indrio Savannahs walk  I saw an alligator in the canal.

 Nice paths with some of it shady.  There was an observation tower where I saw roseatte spoonbills.

The St. Lucie County Preserves have 30 parks nearby, with State Parks along the ocean.  The county seems to have more parks and places for the public than many places where we've stopped.   I've dinghied to islands with Mazu, explored mangroves and seen little red legged crabs - really hard to see but they are peeking out of the mangrove roots and rocks.

 
When we put Shawnee stern in at the dock to use the dinghy, we go under the dock to get out to the marina channel.  Me with Sarah and Isabelle.

 

dinghied up Taylor Creek from this marina to a dam with waterfalls.  A kingfisher followed us all the way back, skimming the water, perching on a tree then darting ahead of us.  Large great blue herons swooped across the creek clearly surprised to see a boat.  We scooted under four high and low bridges.  I went at high tide and slowly over areas where I wasn't sure of the depth.  It was so calm, end of the day light.  I passed an island that is an evening roost for primarily pelicans.

At the end of the day sunset over the marina

Toilet fixing and more

We are waiting for a new toilet pump.  As we have suffered along with a smelly head for a couple of months.  Drew started reading about toilets and how other sailors maintain them.  Some replace the whole toilet every year because it's just easier and then everything works.   You'd think, like at home, you'd install a toilet for life.  Not on a boat.  More boat bucks.

There are 4 types of boat toilets we can choose from.  The most common is the manual pump type that we have.  You go, then hand pump it into a holding tank (we had to replace our aluminum tank a couple years ago because it leaked. We replaced it with half inch polypropylene.)  Holding tanks now are required to be emptied about once a week by a marina or pump out boat.  The waste goes to waste treatment plants.  There are electric flush, vacuum flush and composting toilets that you change once a month.  Electric flush can have side by side waste treatment that then can be directly pumped to the ocean since it's been treated already.

The pump out requirement or no discharge became law and included a restriction from dumping waste into the oceans. In October 1972, Congress enacted the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA), sometimes referred to as the Ocean Dumping Act, declaring that it is the policy of the United States to regulate the dumping of all materials which would adversely affect human health, welfare or amenities, or the marine environment, ecological systems or economic potentialities.  In 1988 they added no burning of waste off shore.  Permits are needed to dump anything even dredged materials from waterways.
Sewage regulations are some of the most misunderstood boating laws. To be clear, it is ILLEGAL to discharge UNTREATED sewage on inland waters and within 3 miles of shore. To legally dispose of sewage boaters must either have an on-board treatment device (Type I or Type II MSD) or a holding tank (Type III MSD) to hold the waste and have it pumped out ashore. A No Discharge Zone (NDZ) further prohibits the discharge of treated boat sewage.

• Within NDZ boundaries, vessel operators are required to retain their sewage discharges on-board for disposal at sea (beyond three miles from shore) or onshore at a pumpout facility.

So this is all good for a cleaner environment.  The Coast Guard monitors by boarding boats and checking holding tanks.  The EPA gives out the permits for those who are allowed to dump dredged material only.

Here's Drew starting the cleaning process with vinegar and Krudcutter after removing the toilet pump assembly.  We are not replacing the toilet, but doing the more economical option and DIY maintenance first.

 Here is the Joker (not kidding) valve's condition after he removed it from our toilet. Guess we're replacing that.  Even after reinstalling everything, the toilet is not flushing dry correctly and the pistons are faulty leaking sewage back into the toilet causing it to smell again.

 After research online and the Island Packet list Drew ordered an entire new pump assembly and is replacing the new red Joker valve from Raritan with one from Jobsco. It has a different  black material and a tricuspid opening instead of a single slit as you see above.  So the spray bottles of air freshner we've been using regularly I hope will be put away.    I'll keep you posted after the pump arrives and is installed.

one more garden Morikami

One more garden in the afternoon Morikami Japanese Garden in Delray Beach off wealthy Jog Road.  This area had a population of Japanese that settled here in Boca Raton in the early 1900s to form an agricultural colony called Yamato, but the farming was unsustainable and they returned to Japan.  One of the remaining settlers, Morikami, donated his 16 acres of land to Palm Beach County to preserve the memory of the Yamato Colony and so this garden was developed opening in 1977. "The gardens are recognized as among the finest outside Japan."

There were many Japanese here walking the trails.

This is a bamboo fence with a bamboo fountain below in a little tucked away garden.

 A great blue heron in a perfect pose.

 Iguanas were walking all over the place.
Tree covered paths led around the lake and all plants were pruned perfectly, each and every one.

Even big trees looked pruned in the rough.

The education center had a central courtyard with classic raked stone garden.

With large photos they recreated a fast train station.  There was a simple classroom, dining room and other rooms.

Reclining happy Buddha

Rain catchers direct the water off the roof to a water border surrounding a gravel garden next to the reception hall.  At the gift shop the rain catchers cost $95.

Serene and calming.   You can make this at home.  Love the rain catchers.