We have decided to open a new business to help supplement our fuel bills. It will be called Looper Pooper Scoopers. Our motto is “your #2 is our #1”. And today we had a dry…er…wet run on our own boat to check out our proficiency. More on the outcome later.
Parked directly behind us was a relic of our historical past. This a Trumpy. No it is not The Donald’s yacht. I don’t even think he has one since he does not invest in depreciating assets but it is a work of art. These long low sleek cruisers are wooden and were quite popular in the heyday of the Gold Coast in NY. Now they are collector’s items and very expensive to maintain. Can’t you just see Jay Gatsby sitting on the deck?
This was a gorgeous day for riding bikes and we did not waste it. Every time I turned around someone wanted to ride bikes and I said yes each time as I need the cardio exercise and I have tentatively committed to ride the Natchez Trace in June with Team Bell if our schedule permits.
Pam on Seabiscuit just bought a new folding bike called a Jetty Runner. It is blue and white and has some nice technical improvements that I wish were on ours. I adjusted everthing for her and then she rode with Jan and me to the hardware store and to a quaint little souvenier shack I frequented yesterday.
We purchased a couple of pieces of yard art, a passion of ours, and one day the kids will all be standing in the back yard saying, “so this is what they did with all the money”. Jan also got a potted basil plant to keep on the flybridge. I guess we will be eating more Italian. The real trick is how to transport all this stuff on a bicycle.
Later Dean and Beth wanted to ride and explore so Pam and I went with them. Jan was done with biking for the day. We went back to the hardware store, to the bead store where I learned a little about making bead jewelry which many of you will now receive for Christmas next year. 🙂 Kidding. Then we toured various neighborhoods and stopped at the Boardwalk Pizza for iced tea. Well Dean had a beer but I didn’t want to single him out for starting before 5pm.
Back at the boat and it was time to pumpout. Plantation Marina is fairly unique in that the entire dock system is plumbed for pumpout at the individual boats. You just go and pick up a 40 foot hose with proper fittings, connect your boat to the system and throw the switch. Jan and I made a big production out of this telling neighbors we were always willing to take some crap from them. You fill it we spill it. You flush it we slush it. Well you get the picture. For the first time since we bought the boat here was an opportunity to really flush out our tank. Usually you are at a fuel dock with other boats waiting and all you can do is suck it out and go. But this time we sucked it out, refilled three times with freshwater and vacuumed it out getting all of the residue that is generally left behind, no pun intended. Far too many boats just illegally dump it at sea and more marinas need this sort of setup. It is legal to pump overboard outside the three mile limit in most places but if you have ever been following or passing a boat that is pumping it is like trailing a skunk. I am proud to say that Cbay has never used her overboard pump since the day she left the factory. A little management of ones and twos will allow you to get by just fine. If you ever see us out on the water and think we are mooning you that is not the case. We are just saving a flush!
Tonight Jan and I returned to Chillie Willie’s for dinner. I had not had ice cream since Sanibel and asked if they had a little. This is the result.
We rode back in the darkness and re-entered the Plantation at Founders’ Park.
