Stocking Up

Although I haven't settled on a route yet, I have decided to winter in the Keys, probably Key West, and continue on to Houston in the spring. So, in order to avoid the high cost of provisions in the Keys, I'm trying to stock up here.

I've already made two trips to the grocery store, once walking, which limited me to about 60 pounds, and the other with Paul, KM4MA, yesterday. I will probably make another trip to pick up a few more things before I leave, but I think I've already got about 3 month's worth.

Hopefully, I'll be able to augment that by fishing along the way. I bought some fishing gear before leaving Huntington, but haven't used it yet. I'll also need to buy a fishing license, as well as a net and anything else I find I'm missing, before I leave Titusville.

Dinghy watch:

Paul has the same dinghy and had to redo his gunwales too. He took me by the local hardware store and helped pick out the appropriate fasteners. He's also going to give me a piece of fire hose I can use to make a fender cover for them. Once that's done, she'll be as good as new. Well, except for a sail.

Haircut watch:

I finally got tired of dealing with my hair, and reluctantly cut it just before Christmas. The first try wasn't terrible, but I re-cut and evened it up again after New Years -- and have to say it doesn't look bad.

I've got really thin hair, as opposed to coarse, not quantity, so it isn't easy to cut. At least I've never found a barber who could give anything short of a high and tight that didn't look jagged. So, even though it isn't perfect, it's still better than most I've had -- of course Zoe's the only one who sees it anyway.

Boat watch:

The portholes are starting to corrode again, so I bought some paint and will clean them up again and paint them. I'll use a zinc chromate primer and engine enamel, but may need to fill them with epoxy first -- the lip where they seal has been eaten away on a few of them. I'm going to do them in place, so I'll probably just do one or two at a time -- total of six.

Zoe watch:

With the warmer weather, she'll often sleep in the shade, either on the side deck, or under the dinghy on the fore deck. I think she prefers being under the dinghy on really hot days because she also gets a nice breeze up there. Unfortunately, that area will go away once I move it abaft the mast -- hope she'll forgive me.