1:45 PM
Jono worked on a rip in the Bimini and I accomplished my boat chores as well. I changed oil in the main engines and overhauled the blinky carb on the starboard engine. She starts and idles like a champ now. Its amazing how much corn by-products came out of that carb. The problem started after I used a can of gas I’d bought in the states. I keep extra gas in 5 gallon cans for emergencies and I hadn’t rotated the ethanol added can out of the locker yet. No problem tho…. after two fuel filters and 3 carb cleanouts I think I’m finally rid of the wonderful ethanol additive. So far in the states I have been able to buy ethanol free gas, but its hard to find in Texas (where we make the gas). The thing that makes me cringe is….. gas is delivered to the distributors ethanol free and they add the carb glue (ethanol) to the gas when its delivered to the gas station… great idea Mr. US government, making my life miserable having to clean my carbs all the time certainly endears me more and more to my flawless federal and state rule makers.
The AC is doing a good job in here… the boat is cool. I have the sun fly up covering the salon roof so that makes about 10 degrees difference {thanks Mark and Julie}
Jono is on walkabout, looking for a grocery store and somewhere to buy gas cans. I want to add a few more to the boat stock for the crossing. Hopefully he will come across a McDonalds too, its almost 2 and we haven’t eaten yet. If nothing changes I’m planning on leaving tomorrow evening about 4:00. That would put us in the Venice cut below New Orleans mid morning on Monday. Its pretty hot during the day so spanning 3 nights with a daytime arrival sounds right to me. I’m calculating a little over 60 hours to make the 340 mile crossing. If for some reason we get close on gas and have to slow sail, maybe more, but I don’t expect that to happen. Right now a direct path to Venice looks like max winds of 10, and sometimes zero wind. Luckily any wind we find will be on our nose. That normally sounds goofy, but in the hot summer time if your travelling the same direction as low winds you keep the boat in a dead calm the whole way, with very light headwinds at least we won’t be stifling hot.
Jono just called from a burger joint, he’s bringing me a mushroom swiss burger. I’m pleased with how our provisioning and prep is for the passage is going. I still need some gas cans, I think I’ll go talk to the dockmaster about that after we eat.
Clearwater is in full tourist swing right now. Jono said everybody was on the beach yesterday evening taking slefies with the sunset….. lol. I haven’t ventured off the boat yet much but I’ll go on walkabout with Jono this evening for a while. This morning I slept as late as I could and did a fine job of it! I got out of bed at 10. If we are doing the night crossing thing, I may stay up a bit later tonight and sleep in tomorrow too in and effort to tune my bio clock for better night work during the passage. I really like Clearwater and the area. It seems homey and touristy all at the same time.
Jono is due back any moment with food so I better put some ice in the glasses and make a place to eat. SYL