I am so pleased to report that i found some stuffing for the packing gland and that project is done. Also on the 4th try i think we have the leak stopped in the hydraulic line. (fingers crossed and still have the bed un-made watching for drips tonight. right now After five hours the rudder post is dry and there are zero drips from the hydraulic fittings. Before, the rudder was like a running toilet that would not stop... it just kept running and running with water leaking into the bilge. This is a great load off my worry list. With the hydraulic leak fixed i can be less scared to death of losing steerage. After having lost steering, one has a tendency to become somewhat gun shy. How would YOU feel if every once in awhile your car just would not go where you steered it?
This morning i went to see the Florida Forest - Tate's Hell. I figured with a name like that it might be interesting. The story is that long ago Mr Tate went off into the forest, got bit by a snake and finally made it back out. He told someone that 'it was Hell.' So they of course named the forest after this incident. Tate's Hell State Forest. Makes sense. I drove down a sandy rutted forest road looking for the dwarf cypress. i had been told that it was really unique. well it's WAY out there in the boonies and it's a field of smaller trees. Not what i would have spent my time driving to see, but hey here you go. photos of small trees! enjoy. *note: while driving down this long sandy, dirt, pot holed, rutted road, i straddled a snake. i thought it was a stick till it moved. it slithered off into the ditch before i could stop and get any photos. it was about 2 feet long, thick as a big carrot and black like ink. i think i hit every pot hole after that while looking for more snakes.
The second thing i did was go see the Oyster Fishermen. I was in a car with two locals the other day (searching boat parts) and asked the guys "where do the Oyster boats go?" they laughed, we drove by them on the bridge.... I had seen several, but noticed none. Today i went searching them. The two guys from Florida 'fish control' told me that the Oysters can grow in 'clumps' with numerous Oysters grown together, but when the scoop them up, the Oysterman has to separate them. Any Oyster smaller than 3 inches has to be thrown back. (so they have the culling boards across their decks to work on) Because lack of water from the rivers through Alabama and Georgia, plus drought have put strains on the supply of Oysters, each fisherman is limited to 'three bags' per day. Also they have to deliver them to the packing plant before 11am. ("any Oyster delivered after 11am cant be served RAW and must be cooked." - FWC guys) The FWC guys also told me the Oyster boats have a large AP number painted on them to signify their: Apalachicola Permit #.
Oh and i drove to Carrabelle looking for stuffing for the packing gland. Ate lunch and then rushed back to the boat to meet Kevin the bicycle repairman - sometimes boat mechanic. I cooked some chicken on board tonight and am so tired my eyes are drooping. I just need to post some photos in here, hit save and turn out the lights.
I hope your day was even half as productive?
Tomorrow more chores are going down! -Skip
