I got the house closed up on Thursday. I needed to winter-proof it, that is clear the refrigerator, freezer, wine cooler, and secure the water pipes. Draining the hot water tank proved to be a real trial. That delayed the start of the road trip to Pensacola by nearly three hours.
After the late start and nine hours on the road, I stopped for the night at a Days Inn. I had a good night's sleep and a shower and it was on the road again. Another six hours got me Pensacola and Jolly Rogers Marine Services. They are the folks that painted the bottom and also created the enclosure for the stern section of the boat. They offered to trailer the boat over to Galvez Landing (a local launch spot) and get me going.
Of course, we got the boat in the water and it wouldn't start. It took some doing, but we got it jump started. A quick jaunt across the Intracoastal Waterway and I was in my temporary home. It took a massive effort to get tied in, but fortunately the guy who owns the sailboat next to me rose to the task. Secure!
Not long after tying in, I discovered the the dock is a bit too high for my little boat. Ever seen a walrus beach itself? That's what I had to do to get on the dock from the boat. Belly flop? Fortunately, no pictures or videos are known to exist.
Friday was a long day! But, I got a lot accomplished. Last week, long before leaving Mathias, I went to Walmart and bought a foam mattress pad, some new sheets, and clips to hold the sheets in place. I deployed said pad and sheets and slept quite comfortably. When last I was here, the nights were a little uncomfortable.
This morning, after sleeping late, I went and had a shower. On the way over to the bathhouse, I stopped to chat with one of the RVers living here at the resort. He said that we were about to get hit with some really bad weather. We chatted for another moment and I went on for my shower. By the time I showered and dressed, the storm had started. I was soaked all over again on the walk to the boat.
Once the rain let up a little bit, I had a visitor.
After the late start and nine hours on the road, I stopped for the night at a Days Inn. I had a good night's sleep and a shower and it was on the road again. Another six hours got me Pensacola and Jolly Rogers Marine Services. They are the folks that painted the bottom and also created the enclosure for the stern section of the boat. They offered to trailer the boat over to Galvez Landing (a local launch spot) and get me going.
Of course, we got the boat in the water and it wouldn't start. It took some doing, but we got it jump started. A quick jaunt across the Intracoastal Waterway and I was in my temporary home. It took a massive effort to get tied in, but fortunately the guy who owns the sailboat next to me rose to the task. Secure!
Not long after tying in, I discovered the the dock is a bit too high for my little boat. Ever seen a walrus beach itself? That's what I had to do to get on the dock from the boat. Belly flop? Fortunately, no pictures or videos are known to exist.
Friday was a long day! But, I got a lot accomplished. Last week, long before leaving Mathias, I went to Walmart and bought a foam mattress pad, some new sheets, and clips to hold the sheets in place. I deployed said pad and sheets and slept quite comfortably. When last I was here, the nights were a little uncomfortable.
This morning, after sleeping late, I went and had a shower. On the way over to the bathhouse, I stopped to chat with one of the RVers living here at the resort. He said that we were about to get hit with some really bad weather. We chatted for another moment and I went on for my shower. By the time I showered and dressed, the storm had started. I was soaked all over again on the walk to the boat.
Once the rain let up a little bit, I had a visitor.
