My Winter Driveway!

December 1, 2012 | Captains bLOG | 0 comments | Author: Captain Rob

I don’t want to complain but my driveway is a mite icy right now!  In fact it has been that way for weeks!

I’m down in Homer doing boat things like changing out the all the boat batteries.  NO, theyare not the little D flashlight batteries.  They are 3 engine start batteries, 3 generator start batteries, and 3 4D house batteries (power radar and such).  Yes, every engine gets it’s own battery.  It is a boat thing.  I’m skipping weight lifting for a few days in my work out.  Stupid batteries are high tech and HEAVY.

You would think new technology would make them lighter.  I could have made big money on American Home Video if someone had filmed me trying to move all of them down the float on the big cart.  Think it would have gone better if I’d had my ice cleats on.  I think you can get the mental image at this point.  I would paint a picture of what it was like taking them down the ramp at low tide by myself, but I recently read laughing too hard is bad for one’s health. So I won’t go into detail about the ramp escapade.

It was the right time.  Is the  answer to your mental question as to why not wait for high tide. It was already −1 with temps dropping and winds picking up.  It was the right time for my one person Abbott & Costello act.

I was supposed to be out on another trip to Iniskin Bay across the inlet 90 miles away.  Four little words have so far stalled the effort…oh you want to know the words?  Repeat after to me “Heavy Freezing Spray Advisory!”

Yes, those four words have wiggled their way into every marine weather forecast that calls for any substantial breeze for weeks.  If you don’t know what that means, it equates to the your boat getting covered in ice, which if it gets too top heavy makes bad things happen…like rolling over.  Once I leave the harbor I’ve no protection for 10 hours.  So here we sit.  Photo is not us but it gives you an idea of what happens.

As to upcoming weather patterns. Long range and the short range weather synopsis is more of the same!

Of course we now have another issue even if we get a weather window.  Sasha, “the Russian Engineer,” whom we all enjoy working with and  heads the project has a self imposed problem.  His wife is pregnant.  Due date is Feb 10th which means she could go anytime and he thinks he needs to be home for this fourth child.

I emailed him yesterday with a little boat wisdom to help him sort out his priorities.  I explained it this way, “Having a baby is like building a boat.  You have to be there when the keel is laid, but you don’t have to be there for the launch!”

No, Star wouldn’t think my wisdom is all that sound and would most likely smack me for sayting it, but she is at home. So unless someone informs on me I’m safe for the time being!

Still awaiting for Sasha’s response.

Have a nice day I’m going to go throw some ice melt on the driveway.  Need some more ice melt…my last 10 lb. bag didn’t’ go too far…must be doing something wrong.

Robert

No, Star is not here but the computer program thinks her name is supposed to be there and has it locked and I can’t figure out how to delete it. Maybe it is trying to tell me something. Wish she was, it would be romantic here in our own ice palace sitting by the fireplace in the stern lounge reclined in the love seats watching a chic flick, eating bon-bons…I’ve been gone way to long.