Marlene Anne Sassaman's Blog – May 2012 Archive (12)

Truth be told back I in February I designed the perfect way. To spend the night before I set sail. Well lo and behold my simple little fantasy became real. Actu ally it was the night before the night before. Because I do not kiss and tell these are the only details you get. What a send off.



My special friend surprised me by initiating a proper christening of SPRAY. I cannot help but wish Danny was here t be a part of this adventure. Then again another fantasia is sure to… Continue

Thankfully Beryl gave me an extra day. The best part was spending a couple of hours with Joan, Pat, and Amy.

Returning to Spray I proceeded to spend about five hours organizing the tool bins. There is still a lot to do.



Taping all the ring dings, buying batteries, flares and fresh produce along with packing my clothes are the main tasks. Whoops, my 0300 alarm just went off. This is when I miss Danny because the romantic side of my brain lhoped the soothing ringtone was a call… Continue

Uh oh, my mind might be taking me where my heart wants to go. So, it must be that a little fun is on the horizon. But with 96 hours until I am on the water I better focus on getting the to do list in order. Let me see What needs doing:

A. Register sat phone

B). Paperwork to be organized, documents, and manuals to file

C). Contacts to put on computer and in hard copy format

D). Banking, bills, and mail

E). Arranging a ride to boat so my red ragtop PT Cruiser can be… Continue

Where oh where does the time go. Like my budget I seem to have this propensity for taking longer than I plan to get things done and spend more than I budget to buy some of life's little pleasures.

Take today for example. I took a mental health day from my school counseling job to tidy up the house. It took me six hours just to wipe down the baseboards and vacuum between the carpet and the wall. You know the edges where it would seem impossible for even the smallest speck of dust to…

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Eighth Day??? What happened to Day 9? OMG as they say in text land. The last two days made for perfect sailing. With a northeasterly 12 knot breeze we cruised along at an average of 7.6 knots on a close reach using the stay sail as our jib. Then on Sunday we had no main sail (that's another story) and used the big jenny. Cruising along at an average of 5.5 knots we were happy sailors. Thanks to my blue eyed crew on Saturday and  my green eyed crew on Sunday SPRAY never kissed a piling at the…

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On the 10th day B4 setting a course for Sandy Hook, New Jersey I was let down this afternoon by 3 out of 4 guys. Thankfully my brother unconditionally loves me, is reliable and eager to share his knowledge. Whereas the sail maker again put the needs of his other customers before me, an acquaintance was predictably unreliable (shoulda' bet $50 on that one). Then there is pretty blue eyes who knows sailing tomorrow is contingent on getting the new hoses on but has made no offer to help (maybe he… Continue

On the 11th day b4 setting sail I found my head in the engine room. The intent was to change the 4 hoses that are probably as old as the boat. Challenges started immediately. One hose is obviously too big. Even the best clamp will not properly secure the ends. It would help if I could identify the parts of the engine. For today I agreed to call the end facing the forward cabin the front of the engine. That leaves the side of the engine where I check the engine and transmission oilnthe rear… Continue

On the twelfth day b4 departing I resumed my fitness routine. So at 04:37 I am leaving SPRAY to go home and do a P90x work out. Gotta be in top shape for the voyage.

"What the heck?" I muttered while the toothpaste oozed out of the sides of my mouth. Slowly, I eased out of my bathroom wearing a t-shirt that barely covered my butt. Curiously, I peeked into the master bedroom where a guest had been sleeping. Noticing the covers on the floor and no visible signs of a body in the bed, I tip toed toward the sliding glass door. "Oh gees" I thought in surprise. My 82 year old special visitor was briskly swimming in my pool. How invigorating is that?  What a…

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I have four elongated oval shaped plastic windows that I want to replace. Having taken off a similar window from my Corsair I do not want to attempt this on my own. Finding an installer is akin to getting free quality work on any boat project. Realistically, I expect to pay a fair price. I just can't seem to find someone who will take on the job. As I will be venturing north from Cape Canaveral in 21 days I'm wondering if anyone exists up the coast. Maybe I'll come into a marina knowing a…

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I have four elongated oval shaped plastic windows that I want to replace. Having taken off a similar window from my Corsair I do not want to attempt this on my own. Finding an installer is akin to getting free quality work on any boat project. Realistically, I expect to pay a fair price. I just can't seem to find someone who will take on the job. As I will be venturing north from Cape Canaveral in 21 days I'm wondering if anyone exists up the coast. Maybe I'll come into a marina knowing a…

Continue

Ahoy there guys and gals,

With 28 days until cast off I need the chart numbers for Bermuda from Florida, the Cheasapeake, and New York Harbor.

Charts that would cover from Florida to New York would be great. I have tried to order charts online but getting a clear view of what is shown on my little lap top screen is difficult. I could drive to Blue Water Books in Ft. Lauderdale at the cost of $100 just for gas (not to mention a 6 hour round trip drive). So, I'd rather not take…

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