This is what happens if a boat stays too long in the Salt Creek Marina.
It's day 33 of our trip and we are in sunny St Pete. We had originally hoped to get out of here by April 8th, but now I will be happy to be floating anytime in April. Linda's prediction is the 19th but I think that's optimistic.
Our life has become a series of breakfast
s at the Comfort Inn, shopping for boat stuff, working on the boat until 7:00 or 8:00 and then home to the hotel and maybe dinner. We had a bit of a break over
the weekend when we went to the St Pete Grand Prix. They had a bunch of different race classes from sports cars up to full fledged Grand Prix cars racing through the streets of waterfront St Pete. They postponed the Sunday final due to torrential downpours but we saw(and heard) lots of up close high speed racing. This photo was Linda's choice and is Danica Patrick signing a girl's tee shirt. For those who don't know, Danica is famous for being a successful woman driver for the "GoDaddy.Com" team. She came in 7th in this race out of around 20 cars. Pretty good!Overall, this is really
hard work, physically and mentally. Every time we go to do something, we find something else that needs to be done. It's dirty work, the boat is filthy due to all the work going on in the yard and in our boat and we get filthy every day. We are spending more money than we hoped.However, there are also many good things to report too. Our new shafts are back and ready for installation. We have our new chartplotters and are keeping them in the hotel room until we are ready for installation. The company that is helping with some electrical mods and toilet changes started today and seem to be doing a good job. I actually started putting some of the engine stuff back on yesterday. Linda has pretty much prepared the bathrooms for a little "remodel" work. I figured out a way that I think will fix the leaking hatches and won't be too hard to do. Etc. etc. I did a tally today and of the roughly 55 projects that we identified six weeks ago, we have completed or at least started 36 of them including all of the "biggies". We are in a great spot about 15 feet from the water so any break from work includes great views.
We miss all of you and hope you are well.
More on the 15th unless something interesting happens between now and then.
Bye for now - Tod and Linda.
Sounds a lot like home remodeling - takes longer than you think and more money than you think. Guess it's a lesson that gets re-learned with every experience! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteBravo for the two of you ! Sticking to the challenge. Knew you both are problem solvers. And the Grand Prix experience sounds very cool. I can hear the engines "roar" and I read of your experience. Reminds me of going to the Unlimiteds when the boats really "roared" Boy I would love to drive one of those "fast" cars one day... i think.
ReplyDeleteBrings me memories of my Dad and his Porsche.
Keep at it. Enloying hearing about your adventures..with Love
Ugh! That is tough work in small places. I admire your ability and willingness to stick with it.
ReplyDeleteI was talking to Aerojet the other day about a grant for Hopelink, and wound up talking to Joyce Armstrong about you and your current adventures. Seems you have some past boating adventures in common.
I mentioned your blog but didn't want to give her the address without checking with you. If it's ok, I'll send her your blog address.
Enjoy...you will soon be on your way.
Bob Maynard
And I can't even get my bedroom painted! Been and back from Tunis, still hoping to see you in the Tidewater or Bay by June. That is one very long boat, Cap'n Tod. It is an incredible, inconceivable adventure for us landlubbers. Wayne
ReplyDeleteRealized I had not connected or checked on your progress in a bit. What an adventure. Why does the name of your boat have Wilmington DE under it rather than Kirkland, WA ? Just curious.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are finally seeing some beautiful country. Would love to see the coastal birds your experiencing, but not the "presents" they leave.
Keeping you both in our thoughts and prayers.
Cuz Carol