Agonizing! Simply agonizing! Tropical storm Erika has altered paths and the prediction is now for it to head up the west coast possibly centering on Fort Myers. Crap! So much for my prediction. Here we sit side tied to a fixed dock with no props! We can't run back in land for protection. We can't even move the boat other than by hand. This doesn't leave a lot of options.
The wind may not be as big a problem as the storm surge. Currently they predict Erika will not reach hurricane status (winds over 75 m.p.h) but if there is a storm surge someone (meaning me!) will have to be here to adjust the dock lines to accommodate the storm surge since it is not a floating dock.
Doc's Holiday has been through 4 hurricanes and sustained only minor damage such as scratches, rub marks and ( in Hurricane Ike) damage to the props and teak rail when the 20 foot storm surge lifted her off the stands and she settled back down on the keel and stabilizers up against another boat. During one of the unpredicted storms Beth and I worked all night to adjust lines to keep the boat out from under the slip roof so she wouldn't get crushed like many of the other boats did because there was no one to help adjust lines.
Well, I guess I will slow down now!
Beth is able to get some reading, cleaning and most importantly cooking done. Hmm! I see brownies in my future and her roast beef is delicious. I am able to get a few more maintenance issues addressed.
Getting a good recommendation from the Hatteras Owners Forum about a straight forward, honest air conditioning tech named Bruce Weld located in Fort Myers, I contacted him to come have a look. The $3,000 estimate I got to replace the air conditioner was fixed for $150.00 and he replaced my holding tank filter while he was here.
No, I don't think the people in St. Augustine intentionally tried to sell me a new install. Here is what I think happened. Remember Danny Kennedy and I found two burnt wires on the air conditioner condenser. We rewired them with screw on caps. One of the wires came off but couldn't be seen without removing the cap. The cover on the relay for this air conditioner had at some time in the past been mixed up with the state room air conditioner which was a 6000 BTU . The failed air conditioner is a 12,000 BTU so the readings on the coil were much higher and the tech interpreted that to mean the unit was failing. Being an old unit it was reasonable to suggest an entire new unit. Bottom line a very experienced and honest tech solved the problem and the boat is very comfortably cool.....even for a Canadian! Great we will be comfortable when we get blown away!!
In the mean time we will explore Fort Myers. The Edison mansion and enclave is nearby and there are lots of pubs within walking distance. They even have an entire store called "Naples Soaps" filled with wonderfully fragrant smells. You know the kind that arouses your senses when your wife gets out of the bath and crawls in bed beside you. I wanted to buy a bushel basket full but Beth declined. Ha...I will sneak back and get some!
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