Boating; Sailboats prepare for the Dry Tortugas differently.
Boston Bob is loading gear for the Annual Dry Tortugas trip and he is approaching it all wrong according to several Fort Jefferson veteran sailors. The "Dead End Canal Yacht Club" always assists our members in critical undertakings and we as a group are very curious in a arms length way about sailboats.
"You aren't taking enough coffee," said Louisiana Dave as he rifled through a box destined for storage aboard the sailboat. "Twenty four hours under sail is a long time for you rookies!"
“We have plenty of Caramels and
they're better for stayin' awake than coffee, you Coonass sailor,”
Boston Bob retorted. Dave told Bob that he wasn't a Coonass because
he didn't have Cajun blood in him but he took Bob's intended slur as
a compliment.
“I'd be careful how I throw that word
around in the Dry Tortugas because a lot of Coonass commercial
fishermen rest up there. Some will fight you over that, especially a
Yankee from Boston,” said Dave.
Not sure Bob even heard him because he
was busy working the shifter back and forth. Several curious
stink-potters were observing and even giving erroneous advice. Only
Commodore 'Pennsacola Slim' Jim, who had been a sailor way back
seemed to have a lucid suggestion.
“Yes, I feel the hesitation, it is
sticking or binding and there is only one thing to do, replace it
before you go,” 'Pensacola Slim' said authoritatively. “It's one
thing to have it stick in reverse when your backing down your anchor
but altogether another thing to have it stuck in forward when you're
entering the anchorage.”
So Bob had the solution he sought,
“I'll drive airport car service a couple extra days when I get back
mumble mumble,” Bob said as he stuck his head far down into the
depths of his engine compartment. He was using telescoping mirror to
see numbers on the cable.
Mrs. Boston Bob arrived with a load of
canned goods from Publix. She passed them on-board to her friends but
not without being noticed closely by the gathering. “Canned
Asparagus tips and hearts of Palms,” said Erie Earl out loud,
“where is the Chili Dog sauce and Mac and Cheese?”
“You can have all of that you want
but 'boatguy Ed' promised us fresher Fish than you can get at the
Fish Monger Restaurant here on Fort Myers Beach and I won't eat
Chilli Mac at the Fish Monger and I won't eat it with still snapping
Snapper,” she shot him down.
“I think it is very selfish of the
Fish Monger Restaurant to close all summer. I understand the Mary
Piccolo Ruland is crazy about her grand baby but where are we going
to get fresh fish,” said Erie Mary. Everyone except Cap'n Crunch
ooohed and aaahed about how gorgeous the year old little girl is even
though we've never met her in person. Facebook keeps admirers up to
date.
After the canned goods were stored
there was a loud discussion about how all the provisions were to be
stored.
This wasn't the first time that Mrs.
Boston Bob had loaded a seemingly overwhelming amount of goods into a
sailboat. She assertively pointed to and told how each group of items
would be placed ending with the 'icebox' with it cold machine plate
in the bottom.
“Frozen drinking water will cover
half of the plate and frozen food will fill it out. The frozen items
will alternate until the top where the thermal blanket will be tucked
down before closing the lid,” she said confidently. Then she looked
puzzled and said. “We still haven't decided where all the fresh
ears of corn will go. Nothing is better than saltwater steamed corn
still in the husk!”
“You'd stick an ear of corn in that
saltwater and eat it,” 'Chico Rodriguez' asked in a high pitched
voice while pointing to the water in the canal.
“Of course not! The water around Fort
Jefferson and Garden Key is as clear as drinking water. We take the
ears around the back side and let them soak in a net bag. We love it
but we certainly don't recommend it for everyone,” said Mrs. Boston
Bob as she watched her husband and some hanger-ons leave to find a
shift cable.
“Ain't it time for Happy Hour,”
said Cap'n Crunch. Yes it was and that was enough stocking sailboats
for one day. PLEASE LEAVE SOME COMMENTS. IT AIN'T EASY TRANSCRIBING
ALL THESE EVENTS AND IT WOULD BE NICE TO HEAR FROM YA'LL!
Boatguy Ed (boatguiEd@aol.com) is a manufacturer of the worlds BEST anti-fouling bottom paint,www.supershipbottom.com. TWEET me @boatguyed and a corresponding web site ishttp://www.boatingbyboatguyed.com/........ NEVER, EVER TRY TO BUY HIM A DRINK!
This column is meant for educational purposes only. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Void where prohibited. Some assembly required. Do not read while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment.
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