June 12, 2010
For some reason, my mahogany rudder cheeks still look good
I hate to complain, but I’m a gonna anyway. Have I mentioned it’s hot here? It’s 98 squared: that’s 98 degrees and 98 percent humidity. I can’t wait to get back to that nice, cool 107 degree desert heat! Whoofa!
Ok, thanks for letting me “vent.” I’m ok. After the sun went down, the a/c was finally able to get caught up and I was comfortable on board. I was able to sleep in until about 8:30. Then I got up to get some stuff done before things heated up again.
I accidentally broke the fan’s stand, so I rigged it as an a/c booster!
Since the mast lowering project is a no-go, I tried to get a local crane to come out and pick off the stick. I forgot I was in the south and folks down here don’t work on weekends . . . at all. Kinda odd, yet delightful at the same time. I’ve worked every weekend for so long I wouldn’t know what to do with a whole weekend off. Perhaps it is time to go sailing again.
I climbed the mast and removed everything that could be removed, including the radar dome, lights, extra rigging. If it wasn’t used to hold the mast up, it came off. I’ll be having the yard crew work with a crane company to remove the mast, so I got it as stripped as I could. It’ll be a pretty straight forward process for them to get it down. I’ll wait until the fall. No sense in making someone else sweat as much as I am right now.
Demopolis fuel dock and tug
All in all, it went pretty well. It is just turning noon now, so I’m ahead of the game. I’ve already sorted the gear I need to take home with me for my trip aboard Shaboom in August and loaded it into the car. I’ve taken the mast prep as far as I can go. We are ready for transport.
Barge traffic on the river
Tonight will be my last night here. I’m unhappy here. The boat is in bad shape and there is nothing I can do about it right now. In the morning, I’ll head back to Birmingham, where I have reserved a room at the Clarion right near the airport. I’ll be sleeping in a big king bed with the air on full tomorrow night. For now, off to the shower, then off to see Demopolis from shore. Never really spent any time here, so I may as well have a look around.
No sense in just sitting around sweating.
– Steve