Janice aboard Seaweed,
living the good life afloat...

• Dating for Boaters - Part 3. Finding someone to share the journey afloat is not so easy. This is Part 3 of a series for those seeking a cruising partner. Seeing a sea turtle pop up his head is so much more satisfying when you can say "did you see that?" to someone you care about. I had that with my Bob, albeit via the telephone. Since then though, well, I miss Bob. You met Bob in the Time Stopped article.
  Categories: Anchorages,  Boats, Characters, Gear, Locations, Relationships,
   

• Dating for Boaters - Part 2. This is Part 2 of a requested series. A sailor asked how to find a cruising partner. I can totally understand the desire to share this  experience with others. Here is my advice to that gent:
  Boat Talk, Boats, Characters, Locations, Relationships,
   

• Dating for Boaters - Part 1. A long time subscriber on the Pacific coast asked how to find a lady to share his journey afloat. He wants to find a partner to cruise with aboard his boat. Frankly it can get lonesome out here. I believe it is easier to find someone when you are based shore-side versus living *on the hook. Here's how I would find The One.
  Categories: Boat Talk, Boats, Books, Characters, Galley, Recommendations, Relationships, Wild Things,
   

• Best Choice Washer. Over the years I have changed the way I do laundry aboard Seaweed. About a year ago I decided to buy a portable washer. On Amazon I found one for just $55. My experience with said unit has been both frustrating and fabulous. Today I'll share my triumphs and the not-so-great details of Blue.
  Categories: Boat Talk, Comfort, Gear, Recommendations, Unmentionables,
   

• Battery Cap Fiasco. As described in the Battery Check and Cheater Method article, I check my batteries each month. When one batt showed a higher temperature than the rest, I investigated. Part of that meant removing the cap. That's when things took a turn for the worse. Here's what happened, and the steps taken to ameliorate the situation should I ever make this mistake again.
  Categories: Gear, In the Bilges,
   

• Catalytic Heater Won't Light Remedy. As the temperatures plummet, I have a solution for those of you with the Coleman catalytic heaters that don't light easily. I too had that problem with my original heater. Because I was sure the first one was broken I threw it away. The replacement developed the same issue. Here's how I solved the hard-to-light heater fiasco aboard Seaweed.
  Categories: Characters, Galley, Gear, In the Bilges, Locations,
   

• Frog and the Red Tide. Soloist life aboard Seaweed can be interesting. One particular thing I enjoy is the variety that each new day brings. Today I might spend blitzing on new Kindle books, while tomorrow might find me in the bilges. I believe the mental stimulation is good for me. Sometimes though I'm a bit too stimulated. Here's what happened recently.
  Categories: Characters, Galley, Locations, Money, Wild Things,
   

• Battery Check and Cheater Method. Aboard Seaweed I inspect my batteries the first week of each month. But checking each cell, load testing, and more all takes time. Sometimes I just want the job done. It is important to do this monthly, at least for folks like me using inexpensive lead acid batteries from Walmart. After six months of testing I am confident my  "cheater" method  is working well. Here's what I do.
  Categories: Boat Talk, Characters, Gear, In the Bilges, Locations, Recommendations,