Taming the Beast (the first week)

In short:
The life of many lists.
Lists of things to do.
Once you cross one off
There are two more new to do...


Life has been busy busy indeed. However, we are getting a good handle on things and we are starting to feel more comfortable with the basics of the boat. Our biggest accomplishment to date - how to get water from our sink to the outside instead of under our floor boards...Yes we may have slept on top of Friday's spaghetti dinner dish waste.


We have met many sailing characters here at the McCotters Marina. They are all friendly and enjoy unloading advice to us 'youngins' - especially Ron; who somehow manages to tie you to a short leash and won't let you stray an inch until he tells you everything in exhausting detail. Our first conversation was about 2 hours and all I asked was how old his dog George was. Just today Nick skipped away to the Marina washroom and disappeared for over an hour...no mystery that he was cornered by Ron.


Folding Bicycles: We had an enjoyable ride to town on the bicycles for some odds and ends yesterday. The weather was great and the ride was smooth - one flat road for 10km. It was about a 45min bike ride to town and the half way point was marked by the Piggly Wiggly grocery store. They had a demonic head resembling Porky the Pig mounted on their roof; which at first glance would make any human shutter in fear at this odd Halloween prop. We were later troubled to learn that this was the Piggly Wiggly mascot and his smile lurks in every corner of the store.


Tonight we learned our boat is completely water proof as it is raining cats and dogs outside but we are as warm as can be. It usually gets pretty chilly during the nights, so we purchased a space heater that plugs into an external extension cord. It makes it cozy warm in the steel boat. I fear the day when I will have to part from my new found friend.


We made an aggressively large pot of pressure cooked chili that will hopefully feed us for 3-4 days. We are working off a beat up alcohol stove. We purchased a newer looking alcohol oven/stove combo from a used Marine shop but it has been causing a few head aches. We tried fooling around with this, replacing that, turning that knob, which snap that one off... we are ready to go at it with a bat and put it in the grave. 


The peeping neighbour: Jasmine. A friendly kitten that belongs to a neighboring boat. You show this cat a little affection and it velcros itself to you. It is not uncommon to hear this feline scurrying around the deck while periodically pressing its face into windows. We have let her in the boat a few times, but she seems to hide in the engine compartment. 


Tomorrow: we sand the propeller and paint the boat name. After that, she will be as good as gold to go in the blue!


Over and out,
Em&N
Lat: 35.489153, Long: -76.958585 (VIEW MAP)
KM Traveled: 0