Another licensed driver on the boat!

 

As we sat eating our breakfast burrito, this morning, the sun came through the window and hit Warren on the neck, creating a rainbow. What a lovely surprise, and we hoped, good luck at the lotto counter. Well, we cant be too greedy, but now that we have had a taste of the BIG TIME winnings (yeah riiight), we are hungry for more. Well, you Do, don't you?

 

After our breakfast we got the bikes out onto the dock and geared up for our first big trip on them. We needed to check this week's lottery (of course) and also go to the local JoAnn's for some webbing and buckle, and to get a new flag at West Marine...it has to be a sewn one, so that it doesn't fall apart too quickly.

First, the webbing. We bought a small zippered basket to hang off the handlebars to hold the stuff you take with you when riding...like money and water). It has a handle on the top, which is nice...kind of like a handbag, but not. What we ascertained while carrying this thing around, was that it would be even better if we could put it onto a belt, sling it across the body or around the waist. What we also needed was a clasp so that the helmet could also allow for hands-free working, while still attached to the body. Hence the search for webbing and buckle. No sewing needed, and instant installation. Works like a charm:)

 

 

Our two bikes locked into the supermarket bike park...just for the record!:) expect many more 'bike' photos. I wont show you the red soreness on the backside though!!! I see sheepskin soft seats or gel seats in our future!!

Here they are waiting, waiting for us to climb aboard and go somewhere. It is very liberating to have this mode of transport, and lots of fun, though we both miss walking side by side, holding hands, which is our norm. Nothing too intimate about riding single file along a sidewalk! We have been told we look like the local beach police, in our fluro vests, helmets with lights flashing (in the dark) and flashing lights on the bikes. We tested the lights out last night when we went down the neighboring road. I think you can probably see us for miles...lets hope so!!

 

I just had to show you a picture of the red hooter on Waz's bike. :)

Yesterday, Wednesday.
We had called Mark the Kiwi Diver, first thing Monday morning, and he agreed to come and give our bottom a last minute check out...or over...or under...the latter! He reported that we might not have been going anywhere, such was the growth on the props and the shafts..bah! however, he also managed to get the remaining zincs on (he missed a couple last time, because he couldn't get the old ones off) and cleaned her all up for us ready to move.

Mark is ready to jump into the murky water of the canal. His sidekick was already underwater.

 

I set up the sewing room on the Fly Deck again, and got cracking making Stef another couple of receiving blankets for the new baby (by request), having bought the fabric two days earlier...when we didn't want to stay on the rock'n roll'n boat, while the storm passed. They didn't  take long to make, and were duly delivered.

Next up was a new curtain for the Pilot House door window...through which the afternoon sun streams and heats up the whole Pilot House...and the boat in general. There was nowhere to hang it, so we had to use four of the suction cups with hooks we have in stock. Works like a charm!

 Yes, that is water damage on the bottom if the door frame. It was here when we bought our girl, and has been made worse by being unable to find the source of the leaking. We hope we have now fixed that problem, and there should be no more!! fingers crossed!

Close up!

The Galley also got a new curtain. I had taken the old one down when I made new ones for the salon, and the galley curtain was just always in the way of food prep. HOWEVER...This one is shaped and will pull back to the right, behind the utensil jar, so that it is right out of the main prep area.

This development is huge, in the scheme of things, and don't ask me why I hadn't done it a long time ago...because I have complained about the afternoon sun coming in these now covered windows, for as long as I can remember!!!duh! The Pilot House and galley are now pleasant to sit and work in now that the heat has gone, in the afternoon! yayayay!!

 

 

Meanwhile, back on the cockpit deck, his highness was taking apart and then re-upholstering the corner section of the salon sofa. This was the last piece to be done, and we wanted it finished before moving on.

The seat cushions on the outdoor seating were all wet through because we had omitted to remove them when it teemed with rain, the previous couple of days...they were drying in the sun, though there was a ferocious wind, yesterday, and we got a few loads of washing dry at the same time. Here they are sitting under the curtain, getting their ends dry.

Trying to work in and around the laundry can be a bit of a challenges, sometimes, but we are getting good at hanging things according to the activity taking place on the table and deck.

The master at work! We have done so much of this kind of thing, now, that we are pretty good at it:)

And...Voila! All done! It feels so good to sit on now...so we watched a movie last night (All the Pretty Horses, with Matt Damon and Penelope Cruz) et al, to celebrate:)

The 'sewing room' set up works well, until the afternoon sun eyeballs me...I have the sheets finishing their drying, draped over the seating, on the right, because they were in the way with Waz trying to work down stairs.

 

 See the plants?   how could you not, lol!!! They all got their dose of Vit. D. yesterday and some water. Normally, with the glas all closed, it is like a sauna, or in this case, like a Hot House. We have wondered if any bees will visit our tomatoes?? Waz might have to be Bee-like and get the paintbrush out and be master-pollinator, if we are to have any fruit from the two bushes! I could do it, but I usually get my things mixed up...not that I think Basil and tomatoes will get mixed up...now THERE's an idea!:)

We finished the day successfully, and went riding, as I said, down the neighboring street, to try out all the bells, whistles and hooters and lights. All work as they are supposed to!

We took the car back yesterday morning, 6 minutes early! really!!

We had to rent it for another day, as I think I have said before, so that Waz could take his Florida Drivers test at 8.30am, at the County Building.

He says the test was OK...but..BUT...he ALMOST drove on the wrong side of the road, lol....leaving the county building parking lot:) A bit of a hoot, as he hasn't done that for....hmmm...9 months??

He passed the test, got his mug shot taken and recorded for posterity and now we have another licensed driver on the boat! Phew!

NORMALLY you cannot get a driver's license if you don't have insurance for your car. Well, we did for the rental car. BUT...this is a problem we will face time and again. We don't own property, therefore we have no REAL address in state. We don't OWN a car, therefore we have no car insurance...so this is the merry-go-around with the insurance thing ...AGAIN! Aieeee!

We got around this whole issue this time, because our boat is our legal address *yes! and because we are living on our boat (legal address) behind someone's house on their dock...which is now on record as being the 'Behind........Port Charlotte' address.

We don't know what other 'issues' we will come up against in this respect, but we can assume there will be others. Not sure how to deal with any of them, because we don't own that all important Real Estate (or rent and have a Landlord) or Vehicle. Interesting, no?


Waz has been taking the screws out of the railings along the boat sides, resealing them and re-screwing. He also got the little red cart out of it's bag and we found a way to attach it to the bikes, for our shopping expeditions later.

Meanwhile, I set up the sewing machine on the cockpit table and re-sewed the flag which we had to take down last night as one of the seams had completely disintegrated. I also took in three pairs of shorts which are much too big for me now:) Say goodbye to the rest of the day!

Well, it is now 4pm, and time for a cup of coffee. I could settle for a nap, frankly, but wont sleep later if I do that. Waz already had his nanna nap...says he was awake, but I heard his snoring..:)

Another bike ride might be in our future, today, but I think a walk, hand in hand might be nice, tonight.

Ciao Amigos...