A Bit Of This And That

Since we arrived in Palm Coast, I have to admit I've been a bit unmotivated. At least when it comes to boat-related tasks. Sometimes you just need a break. So, we've been working on other issues.

One was my wife's car.  When we were in the middle of the battery replacement in Southport, we became the victims of a hit and run accident.  While parked in the Napa parking lot, our car was hit by another car.  My wife heard the crunch and went out just in time to see the the vehicle pull away from our car and take off.  She managed to get the license plate tag and general description for the police.  Not only that, but we ran across the vehicle later that day at the local Lowe's while getting some parts for the battery box changes and helped the police catch the hit-and-run driver.

Crunched Bumper.

Of course, that event left us with a car that needed some repair.  A new bumper cover and some paint and the car should be O.K., but finding a body shop in an unfamiliar city takes a bit of time.  We went to look at a few shops, checking their work while they did the estimate on our car. We found one we like and have an appointment to get the car fixed (in a couple weeks - I guess they are booked through "bike week" in Daytona).

We have had a crew member issue as well.  Our eldest dog has been suffering from ear margin vasculitus (a condition where sores develop on her ears).  She has been suffering from this for nearly 2 years now.  We have been getting her to vets for treatment but nothing seems to be working.  She has been to at least 4 dermatologists as well as other veterinarians and no one seems to be able to figure out what is causing it or an effective treatment. After we got in town, we got her yet another appointment because of an apparent reaction to the latest medications and have now made an appointment with the veterinarian hospital at the University of Florida, Gainesville. Needless to say it has been a bit trying and we are concerned for her.

Another non-boat issue has been my wife's cell phone.  When we switched service to Ting, my wife brought her phone over from T-Mobile.  Ting is our very inexpensive cell phone service provider, and to keep prices low they do not subsidize handset prices.  Since they work on both T-Mobile and Sprint networks, it made sense to just use her phone.  Almost a year has passed, and my wife's phone is getting a little long in the tooth.  The battery isn't holding a charge very well and the operating system and memory limit how well the newer versions of Android and various applications work on the phone.  It is time for a new phone.

My wife isn't an overly technical person and so the task of researching a suitable replacement fell to me. We needed a phone that would work well in both the U.S. and the Caribbean. This not only includes voice calls, but 3G, 4G, and 4G LTE data.  It needed to be an unlocked phone so we could swap out sim cards in the islands to get better phone and data rates. It needed to have enough memory to last through at least a few more operating system upgrades. It needed to be able to act as a WiFi hotspot for times when we don't have other WiFi connection options for the computers. And it wouldn't hurt if it weren't terribly expensive.

We considered purchasing a refurbished Google Nexus phone (in this case the LG Nexus 5).  These phones come unlocked and with only the basic Android operating system, so no memory wasted on useless applications. They typically have transmitters that work with a variety of voice and data networks. The battery isn't replaceable on this device, and we were concerned about how long the battery would last on a refurbished phone.

Blu Dash X LTE

Then we ran across cell phones made by a company called Blu.  They make relatively inexpensive phones that are unlocked. They have an interesting selection of phones with varying feature sets.  We found one (the Dash X LTE) that contained radios that worked on most of the voice and data frequencies used in North America. the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. It had a reasonable processor and moderate amount of memory with the ability to add a memory card. The best part is that the phone retails at a little over $100.  That is cheaper than the used Nexus phone.  The only negatives I can figure out are that the phone may not be all that rugged.  It would be nice if it were waterproof, but that is pretty much a dream.  Given the price of the phone, the build quality might be questionable, but the Blu phones we saw at Best Buy (they had a few, but not the one we wanted) seem reasonably well constructed. Oh, and it also can use two sim cards, so we can keep our U.S. card installed and have an alternate.  We ordered the phone and will see how it does, but we have high hopes it will be a vast improvement over her current phone.

One of these days I should do a more complete longer-term write up about our time with the Ting phone service and how we've been able to cut our phone bill by almost 75%.  The short story is that our average bill for two phones has been about $28 per month with the new service and our efforts to conserve.  We have had pretty good coverage throughout our travel area, with only a few small spots that we found limited or no service. If you are interested in giving them a try, this link can get you a $25 credit.

Of course it is tax time again here in the U.S. That means it is time to fill out government forms and file our taxes.  This year is a fairly simple year for us.  No home and very limited income makes for a pretty simple return.  Not quite the 1040EZ form, but not much more.  Still, it takes time to collect all the needed information and fill out the forms.  And with marina-quality (read 'spotty') internet, getting the federal and state forms filed electronically took more time than anticipated.  But after a little effort, our taxes are complete for another year.

Back in a marina that has $4 per load laundry facilities ($2 wash + $2 dry) has us looking at alternative washing solutions again.  We have used the plunger and bucket and that works OK for wash, but the spin type dryers seem like a good addition to reduce drying time.  If you recall, we tried a combination washer and spin dryer a while back but the spin function left a bit to be desired.  My wife has since decided that the spin function wasn't all that bad, so we might look at another one of those combination units. We have been researching these items as the marina internet allows.

We have a little cleaning to do before family arrives later today and then we will likely be doing more non-boat stuff (and hopefully more fun stuff).  It is a nice break from all the work we have put into the boat over the past months. Rewiring the engine and other projects can wait a bit.

Driving Next Door

Well, the plan didn't change in over a day, so it actually stuck. We left the anchorage next to Ft. Monroe for a marina we found that felt like it was right next door.  You know...kind of like that scene from...I think it was a Cheech and Chong movie...where they drive next door. Our destination was the Salt Ponds Marina in Hampton Virginia.

Old Point Comfort Marina and Ft. Monroe

Why did we decide on a marina?  Well...there are a few reasons. First, we currently have two cars scattered across the east coast that we need to retrieve...and hopefully sell. We also have some work we can do inside the boat, and that is a bit easier at a marina or yard (and living aboard is far easier in the water). My parents also want to come out and see our new home, and that is also easier with a fixed location. We were able to find a marina with a very reasonable monthly rate, so it seemed like the best solution.

We hauled up the anchor and made our way out of the Elizabeth River around 10 am. The clouds were disappearing, and it was turning out to be a nice morning for a sail.  Well, it would have been if there was any wind to speak of.  The wind would pick up, I would decide to raise the sail, and the wind would disappear.  I'd wait for a bit, give up and drop the sail...and then the wind would mystically appear again. Mother nature and I would play this little game 3 or 4 times before she finally gave us some wind...directly on the nose, of course. No matter, we didn't have far to go and had all day to get there, and this crew could always use a little practice beating to windward.  So we spent the next couple hours sailing along at 5 knots or so, with a VMG of 1 to 2 knots.

Shipping containers arriving at Norfolk

Even with the slow progress, we arrived at the marina between 2 and 3 PM. The entrance into the marina is via a somewhat narrow and shallow channel.  The reason it was narrow was actually due to the fact it was shallow.  Parked at the side of the channel was a bunch of dredging equipment, so my guess is the 5 foot depths will soon read more...not that 5 foot is a problem for a catamaran. The width wasn't too bad, enough room for my 21 foot plus beam...until you add in the large power boat that rounded the corner when I was in the middle of the channel. We were able to squeeze by one another, mostly because I could venture out of the channel and into the 4 foot depths.

I guess our stack pack stands out at most marinas.

We got the boat tied up to the dock and poked around the facilities a bit. The marina sits in a nice area, but the facilities themselves are starting to show some age and need for maintenance.  Still, not a bad facility, particularly for about $325/ month with electric. The marina stretches about 3/4 of a mile along the east shore of the "pond". We contacted family and started firming up plans for the month. We got the WiFi hooked up and I was able to resume publishing posts. True to most marinas, the WiFi is a bit spotty...but workable most of the time.

The long walk from our slip to the marina office.

The last two days we made the marathon drive south to retrieve the car we left at the marina in Florida a few weeks ago. One thing I can say, keeping a car while cruising is a pain. I hope the hassle is worth it for dealing with the upcoming maintenance tasks. Once those are complete, we should definitely sell the cars.

Greetings From Maryland

Yes, you read that right.  We are in Maryland.  Did we just set a speed record for sailing a Leopard?  Well, unfortunately not.  While our insurance folks would like to hear the boat is with us, it is still tucked in its slip in Florida.

We are in the process of repositioning our cars so we will have one available in the area when we find a place for the hardtop work. An old friend and work colleague has very generously offered to babysit a car while we move the boat. So today we made the drive up with both cars so we could drop one off with him.

It was a 14 hour trip and we are exhausted, so I'll keep this short. While we haven't decided on exactly where to do the work while we wait out hurricane season, at least we will have a car in the area to help once we do find something.

Here are a few random observations from the trip.  It seems that most parts of the country with seasons only have two of them: winter and road construction. Virginia and S. Carolina have cheaper gasoline prices than the other states we were in...by as much as 40 cents a gallon.  S. Carolina has lots of billboards advertising canned vegetables. Travel by interstate may be fast, but isn't very scenic...billboards not withstanding.

I'll try and write more later... I'm going to bed.