Boat and Smoke Alarm with fried Salmon Croquette

The dogs and I are having a quiet evening on the boat with them praying that I drop something. Fried Salmon in the air, pasta in boiling water, heated up enhanced Amy's Tomato soup, all while keeping mosquitoes at bay. Right when everything is done, the smoke alarm started going off.

All my focus is to get through the dogs to stop the smoke alarm, and to open hatches as I go. Apparently I just reached the smoke point for olive oil. I now remembered the last time that I fried croquettes, the smoke alarm went off too. Next time remove the battery before I fry croquettes, because leaving the stove is far more dangerous.

Two Dogs Are Enough.

Update: Hooray, Rescued Golden Retriever, Sadie, adopted.

Weekly I travel this long stretch of 2 lane highway in rural east Texas with 2 dogs to go to the boat. Yesterday was different. I added a third dog from the Polk-Liberty Countyline.

Flash floods and horrible thunderstorms had torn through this area only five hours earlier. There running by herself with nothing but pine trees for miles was an older looking golden retriever (white around her eyes like my Golden). She was carrying a purple fuzzy slipper along this busy highway, smiling and running across the road.  My heart sank.

Cool Temperatures means Shrimp Boil

The fire is too big for this boil.

During Game Day in Clemson, SC we shared the tailgate version of seafood stew known as Frogmore Stew (shrimp, potatoes, corn, sausage, lemon, spices).  The Stew's history dates back to the fisherman and labors cooking big pots along the (Frogmore community) South Carolina shores for their fellow workers and family.

Now it is a BIG southern tradition. 

Showing me your Nautical Signal Flags

EXODUS

Exodus goes Topless for Christmas

One of the projects that has been on our list for a while now is pulling the mast. This project was completed over the last two weeks in December. We had a laundry list of associated projects. We replaced the standing rigging, wire in the mast and masthead sheaves. Also this gave us a chance to add a PA/ foghorn, a masthead windex and an LED anchor light. The backstay was also insulated to facilitate an antenna for our SSB. While the mast was down this also gave us a chance to rebed all of the chain plates and add new ball bearing deck organizers.

All projects tend to expand while in process and this one being no exception. Upon inspection of the wiring for the nav lights on the inside of the boat I found all of these wires to be severely corroded as well. We rewired the nav wiring from the base of the mast all the way back to the panel. All wiring connections were wrapped in rescue tape to prevent future corrosion.

With all of these improvements hopefully the mast will not need to be pulled again for 24 more years.

 

Boat Projects

For Our Shortest Cruise We Had a Ball

We disconnected from shore power, pulled away from our slip, and motored over to the adjacent marina, Lakewood Yacht Club for TMCA's Commodore Ball, where we stayed for the night at their transient slips.  What a blessing it was to be only a few feet to the party.  We (got gussied up) dressed in the bathhouse by the pool with JT in his tuxedo and me in my glamor dress which had not been worn since 2003 (I couldn't believe that it still fits).  Kept the dogs at a distance since we did not want dog hair accessories.

Sharpening your Boating Skills and Safety

See below links for new Texas boating laws, CPR, Captain's license, engine, compass, radar, HAM radio, skin care, fire prevent, man overboard, cruising...

10 Question Boating Safety Practice Test

Test your boating knowledge with this 10 question boating safety practice test.

After completing the ASA 101 course and mentoring program years ago, I rented the Annapolis Book of Seamanship, (5 sailing training videos) from Netflix last winter to prepare for our big trip. Wow what a wealth of useful information. 

Fun facts too, such as most men found overboard have their flys down. In the man overboard drills, the poor boy who jumped in the water better have been paid extra for those scenes; heck we just practiced with a lifesaver. While there is some outdated info such as how to use the RDF (radio direction finders), the overall information is extremely useful (I even took notes).

From my Galley to Yours

Practice our favorite recipes in your galley (over water or land) and download cooking basics and recipes below for later use.

ziti noodles, homemade tomato sauce, saute zucchini, beef medallions

A novice cook tries to transcend her hungry crew to a tasty paradise.

Crossing the rough waters of Matagorda Bay at lunchtime, I tried out my cooking skills in the galley. I should have tied my waist somehow to the galley. Even with an L-shaped galley I struggled to stay balanced. 

Christmas Lights and Boats in Clear Lake

December is here and time for sailboats, lights, and drinks...

Tonight, Dec 10, a new display of Clear Lake boat owners creativity. Past years we enjoyed the Snowman with music in sync with its FM music site, and prior the Christmas tree (that involved a couple major oops in navigation). While it would be fun to be in the parade, we will leave that to others. I do not see how you can navigate safely with all the lights; I guess rely on your nav. equipment. The crowds are here and the parties are beginning. Ready with the gloves, hats, lubrication to help ignore the cold. Not too bad with temperature tonight in overcast Seabrook, Texas. Our lights are on and ready for the fun.

Oh the parties were so fun, our favorite boat was the power boat with the Dancing Elvises and Show Girls. People had fire pits, served wine, good gumbo, and appetizers all night. We made the round to all the parties. The parade boats came around about four or more times. Out in Clear Lake we could see all the anchor lights of 15 or so sail boats rafted up to watch the parade.

Gentlemen, We Have Boat Drinks

Quote from a Movie, Things to do in Denver When You're Dead

Perfected the Margarita

First try for Margaritas

Whatever season comes, boat drinks bring us to the sunny tropics. No umbrellas or silly tiki glasses needed. Pineapple juice, orange juice, limes, rum, coconut, cherries, or tequila is all you need, and you are on the white Kona Beaches of Hawaii or any Caribbean Island.

Warning: Dog poisonings in BVI

I was going to do my next post on the Texas Yacht Show in Kemah and about Abby Sunderlands lack of appearance, but this takes precedent.

As a warning for anyone in the British Virgin Islands or planning on going with dogs or cats, there have been reported numerous horrific dog poisonings around the islands. Police are investigating. The dogs "ingested a mixture of ground meat and a white powder believed to contain strychnine." Even therapy dogs in people's backyard are being killed and apparently the poison dosage is so high that there is no way to save them. This has been happening since October in Havers, Josiahs Bay, Tortola, and Cane Garden Bay.

If you take them to shore, keep a halti leash around their mouth so that they cannot reach the ground. This is the tropics with more poisonous species of frogs and bugs, than we have here. Place extra caution with your animals when you go to other islands.

For cats, do not let them off the boat. (For us that is good in all cases)

Sailing Santa is Coming to H-Town Nov. 17

Sailing Santa, Saint Arnold's newest beer, a blend of the Elissa (India Pale Ale) and the Christmas ale, set sail (for sale) on November 17. Hooray for Saint Arnolds... only 3600 cases of 12, 22 oz. bottles (bombers).

Update: The brew master informed me that as they do for all Elissa IPA beer,

Saint Arnold is donating a portion of the proceeds of this beer to the Galveston Historical District for the ship.

Does Adversity Make You Stronger...

Solo circumnavigating the globe is an amazing accomplishment, but imagine being deaf.

Charl De Villiers, first deaf man to do this returned to Palacios, Texas in December 2004.

The heroic and record-setting journey of Charl de Villiers came to an end on Sunday (Dec. 19, 2004) with nearly 300 people lining the shoreline as he sailed back into Palacios following his 9-month solo around the world odyssey. 

The triumphant 44-year old de Villiers, sailed his 37-foot Tartan 1977 sailboat Island Time into a slip at the Serendipity Resort RV Park & Marina around 1:30 p.m. to become the first deaf person to have sailed around the globe completely alone.

Navigation: Charts, Computers, Stars, AIS

NOAA Chart- for Galveston Causeway Bridge and Offatts Bayou

Loaded a FREE Chart Software and the latest NOAA maps for TX (RNC) on my laptop. 

Tried Memory-Map (which I used on another laptop), but got an error saying, "could not load on system 32." Loaded up Map-tech Chart Navigator 5.08--worked great-- prefer some of the features better than Memory-Map. Loaded all the RNC for TX (some dated 11-10, dated on bottom left of map), but I plan to update the newest charts before we go cruising again. It took me a while to remember where everything was located (since last April). Hopefully this will be a go to site to find the links.

Sailing to Double Bayou for Halloween

Double Bayou pasture 2010

Boat Camping in style, generator for TV and coffee pot

Heading out late Saturday morning, we sailed along with a fellow sailor across Galveston Bay to Double Bayou for Halloween party in a pasture. The day was beautiful, and winds were very cool (so we bundled up). The ship channel was incredibly heavy, and had to move fast to get across to the Trinity Bay side. We had heard on the radio of a collision in the Houston Ship Channel, which may have caused some of the backup. Collision in Houston Ship Channel.

Books, Boats, and Films

Joshua Slocum on Spray (first man to single-hand Sailing Alone Around The World)

With the cool Holiday season coming around the bend and nights getting longer, we might be spending more time in the cabin. So here are some true boating movies that have real boats on the water and not all filmed on a studio. In fact my criteria insists that the boat be a main character in the movies. If you can, use a home projector on a sheet for your boat buds and you to enjoy. Popcorn is in the galley.

The books that I have paired with the movies must be written by someone who clearly knows boating and the correct terminology, whether fiction or nonfiction. Most of these books are in the public domain and can be downloaded for free in ibooks, plus in itunes university the free audio version for some is available for download by chapter.

Spring 2011 Texas trip

While I do prefer to remain in the shadows on the Internet, I now feel thrust into this other realm. Our one month sail down the ICW (aka GIWW) last spring with our clan of four was far more than I imagined, and staying connected to TMCA made it bigger than us.