Sitting On the Boat in the Rain

This is the lug I went looking for more of at Home Depot.

I came expecting thunderstorms and what I got was 95 plus degree days with humidity and a bright sun and no rain. This made working deep in the boat a little bit uncomfortable, but I have been reminded of how to sweat profusely, and once you get that accomplished, it’s actually quite livable.

Just the same I decided to acquire a floor standing air conditioner to make sleeping conditions more survive-able. These things sit on the floor and spew cold air and they dump the hot air out a window thru a dryer hose . Costco had some of these devices last time I was here so I got a cab and I went to Costco to round one up for Spill the Wine.

When I got there, Costco had moved all their air conditioning supplies to a different location in their store and they no longer had any floor standing units at all. Did the weather change and it is no longer HOT!? I think NOT!

Cab driver says “hey let’s go to Walmart, it’s on the way back to the marina anyway.” I said okay that’s a great idea. And off we went.

Walmart has no floor standing units but the cab driver says Sam’s Club is right next door… go look. So I go to Sams Club and they had three of one model of LG unit. I bought one. Hooked it up at the boat and it chills the aft stateroom ok, but barely there. Still, it’s a leg up on what was. Which is to say 97. 🙂

What I’m not mentioning in great detail is the joys of installing a new autopilot device and integrating it with the systems already installed on the boat and making them all get along. It’s a lot like running an office…

Anyway I like that sort of thing and a small subset of the population does too. I think the rest of my thoughts have more universal appeal so I’ll spend more time on those.

This afternoon I rode my bicycle to Home Depot for some parts. It was only about 5 or 7 miles in the heat of the day—95 plus very humid. Fascinating conditions to ride a bicycle in.

When I got there I walked into the place and it was like walking into a walk-in freezer, so was dramatically cooler. Air conditioning was definitely doing the job. Pleasant space to go and try to fumble your way through and find what you’re needing. And for the most part I did.

After I got back it was like I’d been drenched with a hose. I must have lost a kilo of body weight in fluid loss alone on the journey. Time for a shower and a nap, by crackie!

Then I got up and the weather had changed. Cloudy now and even a bit cooler. And I have work to do… best done on the dock. Soldering lugs on to the ends of number 6 wire to power the single side band radio. If it’s not sunny that’s much more pleasant.

Then the thunderstorms I had come for arrived. There was thunder, there was lightning, but as they go it was a gentle program, and then the rain came and it was also mild and lasted continuously for some hours.

I stepped out for dinner. I had a beautiful chef salad at a local restaurant. As I was walking back to the boat, the frogs had a lot to say. Mostly I will love you forever if only you will kiss me and I may or may not turn out to be a prince but you will always have my kiss! repeated and repeated and repeated again. Certainly like teenagers, but you know, a lot like humans at any age.

Back on the boat, I’m playing a little guitar, listening to the rain on the canvas and the frogs and their never-ending passionate entreaties. I realize I’m playing Let It Rain by Eric Clapton as I’m sitting on the boat in the rain.

There are many beautiful moments in any given day and some of them stick with you. I think this will be one of them.

P.S. I’ve been bootlegging boat parts to Mexico for my friend Andrew. Who knew alternators were so much fun to hang out with? We hung out drinking beers and talking about books we’d read…