Miami and Queens

First Drew:  he moved the boat to a slip in Dinner Key to escape 90+ degree heat.  (Mazu is much happier with air conditioning since they are plugged in.) Drew had a business retreat with his partner and later took him and his family for a sail even before repairing the auto pilot.  : )  They worked around the thunder showers and didn't go out until 5:00 for a 2.5 hour sail Saturday.  Drew provided a nice sandwich spread in the salon for dinner.  I wanted to be there too.  Mazu is happier in the air conditioning but was shaking when they sailed.  This doesn't bode well for the upcoming sail north.  Even if we sail on the calmer ICW she isn't relaxed. We think it's the sail noise that she doesn't like, but really there is no reason because even if the sails aren't out and it's calm she shakes and pants and never does it on the mooring when the boat pitches and bounces or on bumpy dinghy rides.  Not sure what we'll do next year with her, but we will sail south!

In Queens the month is coming to a close and I have only a few more days with Isabelle and a chance to see the Brooklyn grandkids. 
   The Book of Mormon was outrageously funny.  The writers are the ones who write "South Park" and the music comosed by the Yalies who did "Frozen".  The sets and costumes for all the numbers are just brilliant.  Where does such creativity come from?  Dillon and I were very impressed, better than I thought it would be.  Very funny.
  Last week was full of cleaning up/painting/fixing the condo for a photo shoot since it will be put up for rent.  I must say I was so impressed in New York with the repairmen.  They come the same day when they say they will and fix everything usually the same day.  Workmanship is top notch.  Not so in New Hampshire at all.  I set up repairs several days ahead and sometimes they don't even show up.  It's very difficult to get much accomplished on the house in Exeter without constant calling, reminding, and searching for anyone qualified to do a good job at the level of quality I want.  I know, the population of NH is only 1.2 million and New York is 8.5 million.  This week Yeang flew to LA to find a new place to live and now Sarah and Yeang pack up for Malaysia for the month of May.  I drive back to NH, leave the car, and fly to Miami on Saturday.

 Up on the roof with 3 month old granddaughter, Isabelle Chng looking over the East River to Manhattan.  Crazy hair.  That's not the wind, it stands straight up on its own.

 When Isabelle was introduced to cousins Violet, age 2 and Celia, age 9 months.

New set up for back curtains

As some of you have read we continue to improve and maintain Shawnee.  We added bow thrusters and a full enclosure when we purchased it 2004.  Today the cockpit rear curtains needed the zippers replaced again because of the damaging sun and salt.  [A shop in Coconut Grove did a great job]  The pictures show how changing the placement of the zippers allows us to mount the dinghy engine onto the rail (see engine mount -red top- in the picture) without the curtain being in the way.  It will be easier to use the pulley and raise the dinghy engine onto the rail when we sail off shore. We'll be able to roll up the curtain just where the engine sits and work the other portions of the vinyl independently.  When the full vinyl is rolled up the exit out to the ladder to the dinghy is much wider for loading and unloading.

 When we bought our '99 Island Packet 380 in 2004 we felt like it was fully loaded: a water make, solar panels, wind generator, full navigation with a linx system and radar, SSB communications, below deck remote navigation.  We thought we could be off the grid with a strong wind.  However, we've come to know we still need to run our engine daily to keep up with refrigeration/freezer, 16 hour computer use, VHF and the overall amount of electricity we use.  We've purchased LED lights for everything...tried to reduce consumption.  The solar panels and wind generator can't keep up with how much we use.
So it goes with Shawnee today.

ASIDE:  Meanwhile in NYC my daughter and son-in-law surprised me with a present for taking care of 3 month old Isabelle this month which is a joy for me.  I was shocked:  2 tickets to see "Book of Mormon," one ticket for me and one for my son.    A mother son outing.  Can't wait.  Hurray Broadway. 
  Friday night my niece and I went over to my son's family for dinner.  Saturday morning I drove over to watch my grandson play 6 year olds' basketball in Brooklyn. That afternoon we drove out to Pelham to deliver my daughter's bookcase (she's getting rid of things before she moves to LA)  to my niece, and we had a nice walk along the park and beach there with Isabelle too--79 degrees today!

TOILETS AND BROADWAY

I have to say I really lucked out in NYC.  I received free tickets to "On the Town" a revival by Leonard Bernstein, the musical that brought us "New York, New York" (it's a wonderful town) given to Yeang and Sarah by their neighbors, musicians -  a violinist and french horn player.  Emily, their neighbor was in the pit playing the violin.  They were too tired to go and gave me the tickets.  How wonderful was that?  It was an old fashion feel good song (23 numbers) and dance show. Loved it!

http://onthetownbroadway.com/ 

[Aside:  As I walked into the show there was a massive demonstration protest marching down 42nd Street for $15 minimum wage by hospital, home care, and fast food workers.  It went on for about 30 minutes with large numbers, bands, drums, chants. Hurray.

At the same time Drew said I would have had more fun on the boat taking apart the toilet that decided to stop working.  He found tons of biological growth in the valve and throughout the hoses.  Time for daily vinegar treatments.  Living in the tropics where everything grows more has grown not only on poor Mazu with skin ailments, but also on the hull of the boat that needs monthly scrubs.  Now tropical growth in the toilet!  What next?

When a toilet doesn't flush it's not fun.














Mazu was a big help especially afterward with a kiss.

Drew is on the boat. I'm in NYC

I have a new page, Boat Fixes on the top of the blog. I'll be editing this page after Drew looks it over.  [I am writing while Isabelle naps (no pix - respecting Mom's request because she doesn't want her on Facebook or all over the Internet.  Good idea.)]

  So the boat fix page may interest others since our boat is a 1999 Island Packet 380, very seaworthy and stable.  We love it.  Now that it's 16 years old we have made some larger replacements to keep her like new.  Shawnee is loaded, as they say, with a water maker, new sails, solar panels, wind generator, frig and freezer, large 2 person shower and head, microwave, new dinghy, bow thruster, and she is wonderful to live aboard.  It is amazing how long boats, like great houses, continue in the water.  We have seen and boarded beautifully restored and maintained 40 + year old boats.
  One discussion Drew and I have is about the interior teak.  As it ages it darkens like many woods.  Drew says it's dirt.  I say it's age.  What does everyone else think?  We clean with Kutters and use Amazon teak oil on it.
  On the exterior we just had our teak bright work completed last summer.  It is not holding up.  We switched from using Bristol Finish to a new solution.  I'd go back to the acrylic hard finish of Bristol Finish even though if it cracks and water seeps under it it can lift.  Catching it yearly with small spot refinishing prevents having to do the whole boat all at once. The finish never scratches (we have Mazu aboard with nails) and looks beautiful.  We only did touch ups for 11 years.  This new finish is wearing away in less than a year.  Hmmm.  Expensive but we may have it redone...again.

Weather has been great in Miami with daily temps about 80; at night around 70.  Drew has been entertained by others in the mooring field; seder dinner with new friends,  and of course Mazu is there for companionship.