Since the installation of our fans, the weather has cooled. Seriously!
Summer Rain Showers
We planned to spend a last few days bobbing up and down the west coast of Florida. The weather was not cooperative, at all. With the cooler weather came westerly winds, choppy seas, rain and strong afternoon storms. We wound up taking shelter in a secluded cove on the Manatee River. And there we sat for a few days enjoying the solitude and nature.
25 knots = 29 MPH Winds
When anchored at night, we are required to display a white 360 degree two-mile visibility light. The light is located at the top of the mast. We turned it on. Nothing! Hmm. It’s a long way up the mast to change the light bulb. Our mast is 65’ tall. It requires me getting into a bosun’s chair and for Cindy to hoist me up using a series of ropes. (And yes, I have offered to be the person doing the winching, but Cindy doesn’t care for heights). Not really wanting to go up the mast away from the dock, we improvised.
We had a milk jug, a LED flashlight and rope clip
The flashlight inside the jug serving as a light diffuser
The LED flashlight lasted all night
Back at the dock, I made the trip to the top of the mast only to find it was not the bulb but the socket that failed. The unit we have is no longer manufactured. This is going to be a little more involved than just changing a bulb. I would also like to convert the unit to LED bulbs. Oh well, I’ll add it to the list of projects. In the mean time, if you happen to see a boat with a milk jug hanging under the mast spreader, come and say, ”hi”. Or better still, “Got Milk?”
Life is good!
