Sailboats fair and fine # 49 : read oldest posts first

NOVE 30 -Sunday Georgenes Log

We couldn't see much when we anchored last night but we got up this morning to find that we were in a beautiful place. The little man made basin was not meant for but one or two boats anchor- if that. There was a boat ramp that was very busy late last night and early this morning with fishermen coming and going. We were in a manatee area and I was hoping I'd see one- or an alligator. The one mile cut was really beautiful. We came into the Indian river and had a long straight stretch for about 35 miles once we turned to come down the river. This river was much wider with a little more depth and a lot of little islands just off the channel. At one of these islands we saw a couple dozen whit pelicans sitting on a sandbar. They are getting scarce and are considered endangered.

The sun was pretty warm a couple times today, I even put on my bathing suit-and then it rained. We had decided to anchored at mile 915 and I;m really glad we did As we came around Dragon Point we passed a huge stucco dragon sitting right on the point! He was about 40 ft long and 20 feet tall. We anchored at about 4:15 P.M. in the Banana River. It is a popular anchorage about 1 mile from the point to a bridge. There are a coupe of marinas just across the river from us.. After we anchored we saw porpoise swimming around near us and also got to see a fireworks display at one of the homes across from us. Some kids set off about a dozen Roman Candles.

As a kid about 11 years old I visited my mothers brother who had a sign shop Miami. He brought more up to this point to show me this Dragon he had built it and painted it years before. So I had no Idea where the thing was but was kind of excited to run across it.

Sailboats fair and fine # 48 : read older posts first

Well we were up early this morning before the alarm went off. Georgene was in a chipper mood and says she doesn't mind getting up early now that we are in warmer weather. It's cloudy and we have had rain of and on all day today. We've had a good breeze all day but smack in our face so again it's been motor sailing. We traveled a little slower, straight into the wind as we did. We passed behind Datona Beach today and stopped at the municipal marina long enough to get Ice, fuel, water and a few snacks. We are in tourist country now lined with hotels, resorts and huge homes.

This afternoon we came down the Mosquito Lagoon it's a long straight channel with shallows on each side of the channel close in. This area is fishing camps aplenty. Camping trailers everywhere and people launching and tasking up boats every where along the way. According to the waterway guide the place lives up to it's name. It's fall so I guess the mosquitoes are down and I'm sure the strong breeze is a help as well. The channel has been full of boats all day. I guess these fishermen like to fish in the channel.

Some places they are rafted up and unwilling to move out of your way. It's no problem with Woftrap because I just move out of the channel but If she was drawing five feet I would have to wait for someone to move and listen to their grumbling as the boat behind us did.

The porpoise and pelicans no the fishing is good here they are plentiful. I've heard people say they ride the bow wave because they enjoy it. I think what they are doing is watching the bottom and when your shadow runs over a fish he darts out of hiding to escape and the purpose is on him in a flash.

Running down the lagoon we could see the big missile assembly building at Cape Canaveral we watched it all day and I don't think it ever got any closed even though we were running right at it. It is one big building.

At the end of the days run down the lagoon the channel mad a hard turn to starboard and came into a cut channel that ran across a mile wide spit of land. Trees grow right to the edge and a few in the water. There are people fishing off the bank every 30 ft. Everybody waves and once in a while hold up a pretty string of fish. We had to wait a few minutes for the bridge to open and then motored through. We went on about a quarter mile and turned to Port into a really small basin. I anchored up short on two hooks to make room for another boat if they wanted to anchor. We were at mile 870 and tired. We stretched in the cockpit drank coffee and listened to soft music on our radio.

Sailboats Fair and fine, # 47 : read older posts first

Hi folks, Well here is where we are with the boat I am building today. Thought you might like to know what I do when I'm not on the keyboard. When the little boat is finished we will embark on high adventure. Now you have to know that at 70 couple of years old getting out of bed in the morning is somewhat of an adventure.

Picture at the top is the just glassed topsides

Next is the Rudder

Below it is the rudder hatch and hatch slides laying with them

The tp picture show the glass with onr coat of epoxy. With one more coat of epoxy on top then a little sanding and I'll start putting hatches and trim on her. One job I'm kind of dreading is bending a toe rail around the deck and bending half rounds on the hull as rub rails.. I will probably have to steam bend them and nail on to the hull to dry. Then drill the holes and counter sink for screws take the strips off and butter them up with epoxy and screw back on. I will likely have to have help doing the bending and nailing on when I take the strips out of the steamer as it has to be done fast. The good thing there is, that job is a ways off as I have to roll her over and glass the sides first. As with most things I dread doing, I start thinking about them way in advance so I'll have plenty of worrying time before I start.
I am really anxious to get the topside trim on and a coat of white primer, so the hull work will have to wait a little bit. I want to see what she will look like with hatches trim and a coat of white. Most if the trim is shellacked and it looks pretty good but will take on a darker amber color with several coats of varnish. I really hope the pine trim holds up well. It's a new thing for me ,varnish over pine but it will give me the color I want and so it will be a while in the weather before I can call it a success. I think it is so much prettier that teak or mahogany. Some of that is that I like the terpentine smell of working in pine.
Doug