FEELS LIKE 45 DEGREES (105 F)

We've measured, sweated, climbed up and down the ladder, went to a Home Depot, West Marine, a Wal-Mart and Camping World. We have many projects on the go. I did mention the generator and the watermaker, but we are getting the rub rail replaced too. This is a teak rail that runs along both sides of the boat. This fends off the boat when we are tied to large posts at a marina or gas dock. Our rub rail is cracked where the joints meet and does not look nice as teak needs maintenance. This new rub rail will not be teak and look much nicer. We also want to put rain gutter … like a mini eavestrough on the upper part of each port window... that is why we went into a Camping World. They have items that boaters like too, not sure if campers go into West Marine.

The teak rub rail along the side of boat

There was mold up where the wires were in the flybridge so that overhead work is all clean. We will get some wood cut and use epoxy on it to replace that old vinyl ceiling that fell down. Paul is taking off the old polyglow (like a wax) and will put new polyglow on the sides of the catamaran. We bought a ladder at Princess Auto to bring down for just these kind of things plus to get actually on and off the boat.

I cleaned the interior of ceiling before we put the new one up
Paul tie wrapped all the wires up

Paul carefully sponging on the Polyglow, this protects the
 boat from dirt and dust etc.

This morning we checked out of the Wingate Hotel and will try living on the boat. It is much harder when it is not in the water. The normal air conditioner needs water to work. Last May we bought a floor model air conditioner and it is vented through the stove fan's hole. We had to buy the insulation to cover the tubing as the tubing was hot to touch. It is over 80 degrees in here but beats 106 outstide and the humidity is low inside. We feel we may manage on the boat for a night or two. Paul plugged in another cord to a nearby building so now we have a fridge and freezer plus hot water. We are camping ….....but no swimming here.

Our air conditioner working overtime.
It is still 80F inside but much better than outside

YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN THE UNITED STATES WHEN:

1. You have to go inside to pay for your gas at the gas station in advance, everyone needs a zipcode to match their credit card.
2. Advertisers here are insurance companies, prescriptions drugs and lawyers 90% of the time. Billboards with 1-800-vasectomy (yep, you don't see that in Canada!)
3. Every sales clerk and restaurant staff are super friendly to ya!
4. No one seems to shop on a Saturday morning.
5. There are 2 or 3 fast food places every block even inside their gas stations.
6. Beer and wine available in Wal-Mart (not Pennsylvania we discovered)
7. Beer and wine available at the gas station checkout... for an impulse buy? (in Florida)
8. The motorcyclists do not wear helmets (in Florida)
9. There are wonderful rest stops along their interstates that are wonderfully maintained and manicured.
10. Their credit cards can be either credit or debit, same card + they are NOT chip enabled yet. So when I say Mastercard, they ask me debit or credit? Then I have to sign like the old days.

I will have more of these as I think of them. Anyone who travels probably can relate to the above ten.

This blogging has come in handy as we go back to the blog to refer to what we did on previous occasions. We just did that today as we could not remember the dates exactly we were here last Fall. This is a "diary" without a key!