Loxahatchee Battlefield Preservationists 180 years later

The Loxahatchee River Battlefield Park in Jupiter, Florida is the site of the last great battle of the Second Seminole War. On January 24, 1838, Major General Thomas S. Jesup, accompanied by 1500 troops, stormed the headwaters of the Loxahatchee River where he met 300 Seminoles in battle. When Jesup's army came into Jupiter in 1838 it was the largest army assembled during the seven year war and the battle would be known as the Battle of the Loxahatchee River.

On Saturday, volunteers and spectators will gather at the Loxahatchee River Battlefield, the original location of the battle, which happened 180 years ago this month. The daylong event will feature the reenactment along with speakers Chris Davenport, Judge Nelson Bailey, Guy Bachmann and Dick Kazmar.

The Howitzer Canon, a period piece, is LOUDER than you can imagine.  

The muskets by contrast were just little pops.  

The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between the Seminole, a Native American tribe that formed in Florida in the early 18th century, and the United States Army. Taken together, the Seminole Wars were the longest and most expensive (both in human and monetary terms) Indian Wars in United States history.

the SVRS and the CBP - asap, prior to form 1300

Holy Cow can they make it any more complicated?  

I was reading a 'how to sail to the Bahamas book' by Skipper Bob.  He mentions that you want to acquire your Customs Decal prior to departing the US.  In the book, Bob says, "you can write the Decal Program Administrator in Pittsburgh" to request the form.  Or, you can call.  Lastly, he suggests you can obtain it online.  (duhhh!  when was this book published?)(2003)  I went online and filled out a form - paid by credit card - and have a decal on order. 

After reading online and in Bob's book, i see that the decal is required to 'check back into the US after being abroad.'  If you dont have a decal, you have to go, in person, to the closest Customs and Border Patrol office, to check in.  *The Master only.  (the Captain is called the Master.)  Everybody else has to say on-board the vessel.  (the Captain - Master takes everybody's passport and the ships papers to the Customs and Border Patrol office)  Pays his $27 and gets a decal.  BUT further reading shows another option.  SVRS.  

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What procedures must a small boat follow when entering the United States?

The master of a pleasure boat must report to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) immediately upon arriving into the United States from a foreign port or place and must provide a formal vessel entry on CBP Form 1300 within 48 hours. He will also need to report any foreign merchandise on his boat that is subject to duty.

CBP has implemented the Small Vessel Reporting System (SVRS) to improve the security of our nation's borders while enhancing legitimate travel specifically for small boaters. For information on how to enroll, please click on the SVRS Enrollment Form and/or call 1-800-432-1216 for additional question about SVRS registration.

If your boat has anchored or tied up, you are considered to have entered the United States. No one shall board or leave the boat without first completing customs processing, unless permission to do so is granted by the CBP Officer in charge. The only exception to this requirement is to report arrival. If it is necessary for someone to leave the boat to report arrival to CBP, he or she must return to the boat after reporting and remain on board unless instructed otherwise. No one who arrived on that boatmay leave until the CBP Officer grants permission to go ashore. A report of arrival into the United States should be made to the CBP office nearest to your point of entry.

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Short version:  SVRS allows you to arrive back in the USA and CALL the Customs folks and check in over the phone - instead - of going to their office.  Well, that sounds like something i may need?  So i went to the link for the SVRS and filled it out.  I am now an official Small Vessel Reporting System sailor.  *But hold on.  First you have to go in person to the closest CBP office and have a face to face interview....    Bring your Passport and your Coast Guard paperwork.  I set that up online too and made an appt for Tue at 1:30pm.  The biggest difference is I have a car now.  I didnt just sail over from the Bahamas and need an expensive Taxi.  I dont have crew stranded on the boat waiting.  I can do this at my own convenience.  The closest reporting station is Ft Pierce municipal airport, about 40 miles north.

When i showed up there was another couple in front of me.  They were not US citizens so they didnt have SVRS.  Their paperwork was more 'scattered.'  Then another couple soon came in behind me.  (Canadians)  They had to leave the country and not take their boat with them and wondered what paperwork nightmare they were jumping into?  (the front desk guy - speaking through thick glass - walked them through the 'how to' procedure while i waited for an agent to come help me.)  My Customs and Border Patrol Officer, agent Bowden, arrived and asked me, "is your appointment for today or yesterday?"  (it seems they were shut down for the Govt closing)  Then all he wanted was my Passport.  Since i did everything online, he just went back to his desk while i stood in the lobby and confirmed my info.  He came back in about 3 minutes, handed me my Passport and said you are finished.  He wrote my Boater Registration Number onto my Passport and waved goodbye.

With my SVRS, I will go to the CBP website to do a "My Float Plan" prior to departure, and a NOA when i return.  A Notice Of Arrival.  I got a real sinking feeling I'll screw something up the first time.  But I'm trying real hard.                              

 -Peg Leg Pirate Skip

 SVRS

The Christmas HITS just keep coming

Remember this post from Xmas Eve?

"At the Potluck dinner ~5:10pm a cute older couple walked up and sat down on the boardwalk chairs facing the sunset. They were dressed up a little 'too nice' for boaters. Also they chose seats for the sunset and not to be with the group. I figured they were visitors and not marina rats like us." 

Well, guess who i ran into tonight...

Wow, you are good guessers!  Paul and Nuala O'Higgins.  Paul shared his Website with me.  I shared their photo and Paul wrote, "Great to see you again at sunset.  May the goodness and mercy of Our loving Father overtake you this year as never before .  May He show you the way ahead and empower you for every way and work He has for you. "

thanks Paul.  God Bless, Peg Leg Pirate Skip

Leaky Rudder Post Packing

My back is killing me.  

I spent 4 hours bent over working down below my knees deep in the bilge.  The rudder post packing was leaking and needed to be replaced. (where the rudder post comes up through the boat to steer the vessel, it has a Flax to keep water from flooding in.  Flax is like a thick twine covered in wax.)  I got the job done, but it was touch and go a few times.  (see my Picaso below)  I got up to get another tool and my back locked up, cramping from being tweaked too long.  Lots of stretching in my future.

Leaking Packing lets water into the bilge.

A lock nut tightens up snug from the bottom to hold the Packing Nut in place.

The Packing Nut is hollow up underneath, where you shove Flax and then tighten it down till the water stops coming in.

To remove the old Flax, i used some curved picks and pulled it all out.

*see the curved pick here

In the package above is the new white Flax.

Here it is, with old Flax removed.  The new installed, tightened down, cleaned and fixed.

Now to go out, get to shore and S-T-R-E-T-C-H my back.  Walk, stretch, and ride my bike.  Then i think i'll do some stretching.  My neck is like a tight rubber band. 
My back aches.  Even my hand is cramping...
I hope your rudder post is not leaking.    

- Peg leg pirate Skip

Yuck, another COLD front

It's 39 degrees right now.  

The local weatherman says it 'feels like 32.'  But he's wrong.  It FEELS LIKE -12.  I'm so cold.  I have on 2 pair of long pajama bottoms, 3 layers of shirts, a warm fleece pull over and a heavy jacket.  Plus a hat.  For warmth i am cooking a pie in the oven.  8am and i'm up thawing a frozen pie and now cooking it.  Oh, did i tell you i also put on socks, shoes and have a stadium blanket wrapped around my legs?  i was wearing gloves earlier but cant type with them on.  (darn)  You can see your breath down here in the salon of the boat.

It's hard to get motivated when you are freezing.  I got my Bahama re-entry decal online this morning.  (I dont actually - yet - have the decal, but i filled out the application)  I read that you first need your re-entry form before you leave the US so that when you return you can give the info to the US Customs folks.  So I got up to listen to the weather from Chris Parker via my SSB radio @ 6:30a, wrapped my hands around a steaming cup of coffee and did some decal research.  I found out i also need a CBP form 1300 prior to return.  (Custom Border Patrol) Form 1300 is the Homeland Security vessel entrance statement.  i glanced at the form and copied it to a file for later.  (later when i'm not freezing)  it's my understanding you give Customs the filled out form upon your return.  "The Master of the vessel must turn in the form within 48 hours of arrival."

I think I'll go now into the galley and put my hands on the stove for awhile.  If they thaw, i'll maybe call the 800 number shown and talk forms with a Customs agent.  It's a big day in boat planning central.                 * i can smell pie.  :-) 

-Frosty the Pirate Skip

PS.  it's been about an hour and half since i started all this.  it's still cold.  (44)  But i finished both the PIE and the forms.  (cooking.  i'll hold off till lunch for the pie)  I went to the website for the Homeland Security and filled out the form for SVRS.  (small vessel reporting system)  I also got an appointment to go meet in person with the Customs and Border Patrol for 'my interview.'  To get an SVRS, you have to qualify and pass an interview.  "Mr. Williams, please report for your interview and bring your Passport and boat paperwork."  I'm pretty pumped about this.  Tuesday afternoon.  *I hope you hear from me on Wednesday!

Confetti is leaving for the West Coast

My Christmas Miracle Friends, Mack and Vicki McGahee 

of the Motor Vessel CONFETTI, left Stuart yesterday for a crossing of Lake Okeechobee to the west coast of Florida.  Before they left, they invited me AGAIN for a grill party.  Lucky for me it was cold with spitting mist so we moved the party indoors, to their lovely boats salon table.  They are a lot of fun and i will miss them.  Thanks again Mack and Vicki for all your hospitality.  Thanks for putting up with me.  A Pirate could not wish for better friends!    - Peg Leg Pirate Skip

Confetti, a 39' Kadey Krogen motor yacht.

Stuart Sailfish and Confusion

Stuart Florida - Sailfish Capital of the World.  

(you cant make this stuff up)  i heard from some locals that Stuart used to be known for its flowers.  (I've seen some flowers, but not a single Sailfish.  except some statues around town)  What i wanted to  point out though is CONFUSION CORNER.  There are numerous traffic circles around town.  Where multiple roads intersect at a spot with a circle in the middle.  Everyone goes counterclockwise and plays chicken with everybody else.  Now "in season" (november-april) you have triple the traffic and most of it is Snow Birds from the North.  Older people who are not used to driving, not used to traffic circles, and not sure where they are, or where they are going.  Throw them into this mix and you have some great chances for wrecks.  Traffic circles don't have stop signs, they are Yield to enter and nothing to exit.  You circle and circle till you want out on one of the roads.  Then you turn right and get out of the circle.  Not Snowbirds.  Snowbirds might stop any time, and anywhere.  They can be in the circle and just stop.  Stop because they are lost, because they dont know who has the right of way, because the mind blowing number of choices where to go...    Now drive up on Confusion Corner and hang on!  *Plus to make it interesting they added a train track through the middle. 

Think - State Fair madness combined with Roller Derby!

January is flying by

I’m wanting to go over to the Bahamas next month and feeling a tad overwhelmed.  (i need a crew to sail over) Most recently I’ve been ‘trying’ to get motivated.  I am daily loading my software back onto the laptop and trying to get it back to normal.  Some of the software is harder to load than I have brain power to use.  (where is my ten year old FotoSlate page format template?)  But I’m not giving up.  Yet.

Back during Hurricane Season I found my wind gauge propeller laying on the deck.  It had apparently unscrewed itself and fallen down from the mast top to just rub my nose in it.  So Wednesday I had a Rigger out to help climb the mast and re-install a new prop.  (make sure it’s on right and use Lock-tight so it cant unscrew itself again)  I just went into the cockpit right now to test the monitor since the wind is howling today and it’s working, showing the direction and wind speed.  While he was up there I had him fill any / all small holes to prevent rain from sliding down inside the mast.  Yippee, one thing done.

Another thing I did recently was help Don to launch and ‘get’ his new ZAR dingy.  It’s French, 12’, aluminum and expensive.  (yes, I’m jealous, but not $5,000 worth of envy.  It weighs about half of mine and costs twice as much.)  Don was across from me on the dock during hurricane season.  Since it’s brand new, it does not have his Coast Guard numbers and he wanted to tow it back to his boat to ‘avoid the appearance of improper boat handling.’ So I took my dingy and tied his up to drag it back to his boat.

That’s about it.  Lots of paperwork still coming in.  New Insurance and old Insurance emails and bills.  I need to get all the boat crap stowed.  Back when we had a hurricane headed our way I got a local storage unit and drug everything off the boats deck into storage.  Then at the end of December I emptied the storage but I’ve not found spots to store it all.  (maybe some needs to be thrown overboard?) 

I have been careful to be sure and include plenty of PIE in my diet.  Pirates need Pie!  Also I am thrilled to report the leg is totally healed and I forgot to mention it till now.

Gotta run and attempt to tackle my boat chore de-jure.  I’ll wait and tell you what I did instead of spoiling it by telling you early what I failed miserably at.

I hope you are living large wherever you are moored.       

-Pirate Skip

ps.  I just got a text message from Mack and Vicki inviting me to the Super Friday Happy Hour and Grill-a-thon tonight.  (the Christmas miracle that keeps on giving!)  *they are on  motor vessel, Confetti, a Kady Krogen.  Confetti is leaving Tuesday to cross the Okeechobee to the west coast for a month and then returning for 'more boat chores.'  

pss.  The ship Lilly.  She is a handmade wooden boat built in 1973 near Boston to carry firewood (during the "oil crises") and now a day sailor for tourists.  some days 5 ppl.  some days 35.  She is on the mooring ball beside me.  (note: she appears in some of my sunset shots as i view West)

"Lilly was actually a working cargo boat--a piece of northeast cargo history. She was purposed built to haul cargo commercially under sail power in the United States. Originally known as the "Lily of Tisbury" she transported lumber, vehicles, and even other boats between Martha's Vineyard, Boston, and Maine."