Warm Beer

Although I'm still in the yard and hooked up to shore power (I'm really just using a regular extension cord right now since I've removed the socket in the cockpit while I'm getting ready to paint), I still don't have any refrigeration on the boat. I've got an "ice box," but that's exactly what it is, an insulated box built into the galley where you can store food along with a block of ice.

I don't keep anything on board that requires refrigeration, but would occasionally buy a 12 pack of beer, and when I did, I'd also buy a 10 pound bag of ice. Even so, the ice would melt before I could finish the beer, so the last few would always be cool at best unless I bought more ice the next day, which I normally didn't.

Anyway, I decided to simplify things and now whenever I buy beer, I just get a single 6 pack and no ice. I still get to drink the first few cold and the last few warm, but don't have to worry about the ice at all.

Chichester's boat was partly financed by the Whitbread, so he had a beer keg built right into the keel and used a hand pump to fill his mug with Whitbread beer whenever he wanted. The keel is normally the coolest place in the boat, but other than when he was in the Southern Ocean, I doubt his beer was ever cold. I have no plans to add a keg to the keel, but since my main water tank is down there, at least my drinking water will be cool.

Zoe watch:

She's back under the boat sleeping right now. It's a little warmer today, but with the breeze, she's nice and cool down there.

Poison Ivy watch:

Some of the original patches are starting to dry out today, but I still have blisters in between my fingers. I switched from 1% hydrocortisone cream to 2% diphenhydramine hydrochloride which seems to dry it out better and isn't as greasy. It itches a bit more, but at least it's drying out. Also, Gill just gave me some vinegar and baking soda to mix up and put on it, as well as some calamine lotion he had. I'll try that this afternoon, but at this point, I think it's just a matter of time before it's all gone.

Boat watch:

Haven't gone back to work yet, but might wash down the decks again this afternoon. I need to wash and dewax everything before I can paint, and then dewax again after each coat of epoxy. I should be able to wash down the decks without bothering the rash, but will probably wait on the dewaxing since the chemicals, xylene or toluene, might make it worse -- I don't want another setback.