The Coast Guard Vessel Documentation Service has now charged my credit card twice for their services, but I still hold no paper in my hands. I called them up and explained the situation, only to be told that they are way backlogged, and it is unlikely they have started ours yet. He suggested making an e-mail request of the webmaster to get something to that effect on paper and try to use that as an excuse for not being properly documented. We feel no warm fuzzy feelings about that. We still don't have the boat put all together, but it is in a state that we could move it. There are so many terrorists coming into the country by sailboat from Canada that we fear being mistaken for one of them and possibly being treated shabbily if we go out riding around in the boat. We were going to go up to Liberty Bay to Poulsbo for their July 3rd celebration, but don't want to risk any complications. Maybe tomorrow would be a better day, as there will be 2 million boats out running about, but alas, that's usually a good time for crackdowns, too.
Day to day life is about the usual. I found some trampoline material that we like, but it is up in Bellingham, about 3 hours from here. Went out to the car on Tues. and the battery was dead. Had no way to jump it, but decided to try a battery from the boat. Surprise, surprise, they all have the terminals on the wrong side to put in the car. Called around an found a new battery aobut 2 miles away, but I have no inclination to try and carry one that far. Decided to go rent a bicycle by the ferry docks and ride up there. As I was strolling over, I came upon a scooter rental sign and asked a guy in the parking lot about renting a scooter. He started to tell me what a grand way that would be to take in the island, but when I explained, that I just needed to get a battery, he offered me his car keys. The kindness of strangers can be both heart warming and handy at times.
Went up to get the nets the next day, and stopped by in Port Townsend to pick up some led lights for the boat and drop off a winch for a pattern to have new winch mounts made in aluminum. On the way out of the dock area, the maintenance guy informed me that I need to move my car by Thurs. So I now have another project, to find a spot to park the car while we are gone, if we should ever leave. We no longer have dock priveledges at the private docks, sigh, no hot showers, free laundry, free parking. It appears that our dockage provider is no longer affiliated with the dock and we are kind of on our own.So, the week is rapidly dwindling, and not a whole lot of progress to report. We did receive the remaining packages we were expecting, so now we just need to plug it all in and go.
One of the other reasons for not going out in the boat is that the head has no pump out facility, and the coast guard likes to give courtesy inspections along with citations for $250 if your head open to the water. I can't tell if there is a valve under there or not, so maybe they won't be able to figure it out either. The new head is a self contained bunny hugger certified composting toilet, which will allow us to remove a bunch of stinky plumbing, and a metal holding tank and macerator pump. No issues with through hulls if you have none. This will free up enough space and water connections to install our water maker.
The water in Eagle Harbor here at Bainbridge Island is certified foul in many ways and not a good spot to use a watermaker. The harbor used to have a creosote plant which built boats and treated timber and is a designated superfund cleanup site. The city has a hundred year old sewer system, which is bing replaced now, but swimming, shell fish taking, crabbing, and taking of bottom fish is forbidden, along with a few more delightful cautions. Did I mention the algae bloom( see pic)? Kinda dims my enthusiasm for going kayaking around here.
Just got a reply from the coast guard about the status of my application. They are now reviewing cases from april 27, so it may be a while. We can't go to Canada without documentation, so that is off the list of featured activities. Think I'll go for a swim now.
2 comments:
I give up. All I get is Creat a blog which I don't want to do.
Hi Ifound you.
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