Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Lightning Strike #4
June 3 and its Rumbling Loud at 3 In the Morning. Thunder and Lightning.
June 5 we are headed out Sailing to Galveston for the first stop on our Cruise to Rockport.
" Seatalk Failure" is Blinking on the Autopilot. Maybe we can get it fixed when we get to Galveston.
Chart displays the Map but there is no GPS. Main VHF is intermittent. We use the Hand held.
Turns out we were Hit by Lightning for the fourth time.
Luke Sterling loaned us his hand held Garmin chart plotter. We were On our way to the Shrimp Fest and would not be deterred. The Depth sounder was the only working Item of Electronics.
This time the Inverter was hit and the strike welded the Ground cables to the battery posts.
Today we are waiting for the parts to come back from Raymarine.
The ten day cruise was great. Fine sailing in the ICW and across Matagorda, Aransas and San Antonio bays. See Cruise story elsewhere.
Friday, March 27, 2009
New Job
Just call me "Count609". I have a Part time job with the Census. Went to training yesterday.
We US Census workers are sworn to Secrecy about what we discover about people.. so just whisper in my ear... I won't tell a soul.
Once upon a time I was a student for the Priesthood... they are bound to keep things learned in confession secret.
Others with pledged secrecy: lawyers, doctors, newsmen, Defense and Intelligence workers.
So Here I am just Blabbing away...
We US Census workers are sworn to Secrecy about what we discover about people.. so just whisper in my ear... I won't tell a soul.
Once upon a time I was a student for the Priesthood... they are bound to keep things learned in confession secret.
Others with pledged secrecy: lawyers, doctors, newsmen, Defense and Intelligence workers.
So Here I am just Blabbing away...
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Ike did a Number on Us
Marion and I were in France doing the Midi Canal Cruise when Hurricane Ike came ashore in Texas.
We had been following Ike for the previous two days when It was forecast to hit way down the Coast at Port Mansfield. That would have been fine. One of our travelling companions had a Blackberry. He got skimpy little web pages but they showed the danger.
On Saturday morning we turned in the canal boat and went to a Hotel in Castelnaudry. They had a CNN Europe Channel which gave some coverage and they also had a Free Internet terminal. I camped out to use it in the Lobby. It was still early Saturday morning ( about 7 hours time difference) in Texas. Ike was coming ashore over Bolivar roads.
By late afternoon in France Ike was up to about I10. There were some Daylight photos on CNN.
On Sunday we took the train to Toulouse and made our way to a Hotel near the Airport. we had a Monday morning flight to Amsterdam and Transfer to Houston. The Houston KLM flight was cancelled and we were put on Air France out of Paris.. We were Very impressed with the Service from Air France in picking up the cancellation and sending us on our way.
The Plane was not Full so we had the comfort of a spare seat between us. I highly recommend Air France!
We arrived in Houston and Picked up the Mountaineer and with less than 1/4 tank we searched for Gasoline. We found a Line and got in it for about a half Hour until the Station ran out of Gas.
Decided to risk it and drove on to Randy and Paula's Place. They Informed us that Out Complex was intact and we were greatly relieved. We headed on home. No Electricity at our place but across the street the Valero Station suddenly came on line and started selling Gas. I headed over and got in Line but when 7PM came along they shut down all sales due to the Curfew.
Monday night the weather was cool and we slept well in our own bed.
Tuesday we got Gas and picked up the Miata. The rest of the day was working on our complex Cleanup. The cleanup crew did a great job over the next three days. Large Dumpsters and a front loader were used to cart off the wreckage.
Five of the ten Boats in our marina were Sunk(4) or Ashore(1).
Bill Berg and Mark Stuart prepared Remedy for the storm and moved it across the marina to a double wide slip. This move saved Remedy from certain destruction. In her usual slip she would have been impaled on a piling and/or taken out both Sea Cruise and Le Damn Bateaux. As it was Remedy suffered only a blown out head sail and surface scratches on the aft starboard quarter.
Before we got home looters visited Seagate and took everything of value.. My Outboard Motor was taken from the storage locker below our unit.
Tuesday night Mely's Restaurant next door opened for dinner. We did not get electricity until Wednesday around 2 PM.
As of today Sunday, Sept 21, 8 days after the storm, most of Seabrook is still without power.
We count our blessings and have been trying to help our neighbors and friends in need. Yesterday we joined a dozen other TMCA members to remove rubbish from Jerry Giallanza's place on Dickenson Bay. We filled a 1,280 Cu Ft Dumpster. We also had an MRE feast.
We had been following Ike for the previous two days when It was forecast to hit way down the Coast at Port Mansfield. That would have been fine. One of our travelling companions had a Blackberry. He got skimpy little web pages but they showed the danger.
On Saturday morning we turned in the canal boat and went to a Hotel in Castelnaudry. They had a CNN Europe Channel which gave some coverage and they also had a Free Internet terminal. I camped out to use it in the Lobby. It was still early Saturday morning ( about 7 hours time difference) in Texas. Ike was coming ashore over Bolivar roads.
By late afternoon in France Ike was up to about I10. There were some Daylight photos on CNN.
On Sunday we took the train to Toulouse and made our way to a Hotel near the Airport. we had a Monday morning flight to Amsterdam and Transfer to Houston. The Houston KLM flight was cancelled and we were put on Air France out of Paris.. We were Very impressed with the Service from Air France in picking up the cancellation and sending us on our way.
The Plane was not Full so we had the comfort of a spare seat between us. I highly recommend Air France!
We arrived in Houston and Picked up the Mountaineer and with less than 1/4 tank we searched for Gasoline. We found a Line and got in it for about a half Hour until the Station ran out of Gas.
Decided to risk it and drove on to Randy and Paula's Place. They Informed us that Out Complex was intact and we were greatly relieved. We headed on home. No Electricity at our place but across the street the Valero Station suddenly came on line and started selling Gas. I headed over and got in Line but when 7PM came along they shut down all sales due to the Curfew.
Monday night the weather was cool and we slept well in our own bed.
Tuesday we got Gas and picked up the Miata. The rest of the day was working on our complex Cleanup. The cleanup crew did a great job over the next three days. Large Dumpsters and a front loader were used to cart off the wreckage.
Five of the ten Boats in our marina were Sunk(4) or Ashore(1).
Bill Berg and Mark Stuart prepared Remedy for the storm and moved it across the marina to a double wide slip. This move saved Remedy from certain destruction. In her usual slip she would have been impaled on a piling and/or taken out both Sea Cruise and Le Damn Bateaux. As it was Remedy suffered only a blown out head sail and surface scratches on the aft starboard quarter.
Before we got home looters visited Seagate and took everything of value.. My Outboard Motor was taken from the storage locker below our unit.
Tuesday night Mely's Restaurant next door opened for dinner. We did not get electricity until Wednesday around 2 PM.
As of today Sunday, Sept 21, 8 days after the storm, most of Seabrook is still without power.
We count our blessings and have been trying to help our neighbors and friends in need. Yesterday we joined a dozen other TMCA members to remove rubbish from Jerry Giallanza's place on Dickenson Bay. We filled a 1,280 Cu Ft Dumpster. We also had an MRE feast.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Di Valerio's From Norway Visit Houston
Phil, Ingrid, Elsa and Maja Arrived July 1
July 4 was our big Party
Monday, June 02, 2008
Herndon's Visit Austin's in Folsom
The real Highlight of my trip to see Lisa and Duncan and their kids: Ethan and Allison was..
Philosophical conversations with Duncan.
Followed close By were two Daredevil trips down the Chute Slide at Folsom Aquatic Park. Their answer to Schlitterbahn.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Marion Elected Commodore
Things have been very busy around here.
Marion was Elected Commodore of Texas Mariners Cruising Association and took Office on Jan 1.
The term is One year.
Here she is at the Petroleum Club New Years Party.
She looks Ready to Reign... benevolently of course.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Thrice Lightning
Who Would have ever predicted a Third Lightning strike?
We were Hit Again! This Most recent strike was less damaging than the previous two.
The Repairs were accomplished in shorter time, and we are up on all systems.
Again we were serviced promptly by the same insurance adjuster. He quipped, "You are my best customer."
This latest strike occurred in the same boat slip a year after #2. We await the insurance check shortly.
We were Hit Again! This Most recent strike was less damaging than the previous two.
The Repairs were accomplished in shorter time, and we are up on all systems.
Again we were serviced promptly by the same insurance adjuster. He quipped, "You are my best customer."
This latest strike occurred in the same boat slip a year after #2. We await the insurance check shortly.
