Date: 16 June 2020. Visiting Manatees
(plus boatyard plans)
©
janice142
It is good to be home. I missed
my critters. Manatees come by often this time of the year. Usually they arrive at or near high tide. Last month there
was a rather amorous male nearby. As an aside, monthly I have the
bottom of Seaweed cleaned. In May the diver told me there was a male
manatee trying to pin him between the boats. I didn't ask why.
The diver did return the next day
incidentally.
Apparently that fellow (the frisky
male manatee) gets around. Here is proof:
That shadow just off the
starboard beam of the manatee mama is indeed a new baby.
A baby manatee is
called a calf.
The manatee family
has come by only twice
thus far. I am hopeful I will see this duo again.
If you have the opportunity to see a manatee up close, be sure to
listen for the breathing. Their breaths are deeper and more
prolonged than that of dolphin. Once you hear one, you will be able
to differentiate between the two.
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In the meantime I'm getting things together. I am
scheduled for a haul-out shortly.
There are several items I need done,
including:
-
Haul out, pressure
wash and paint the bottom of Seaweed. I will ask for
additional coats of paint as I would like this job to last
a while. I'm debating about adding a special propeller
paint. Any advice?
-
The old exhaust pipes
will be welded shut. At present they are capped inside and
outside. This is a major safety concern for me.
-
Three L-brackets that
hold up the swim platform will be removed. Said platform
will be reinstalled on hinges, and raised. (Yes, I have
waterline issues.)
Mostly I am concerned about backing into something and
having those stainless support brackets punch through my
transom. That could be catastrophic. I also want the
ability to raise the swim platform to shorten Seaweed's
overall length when paying dockage at marinas.
-
Two cockpit
locker scuppers will be closed off.
-
A new raised
waterline will be painted or taped.
-
If the boatyard has
time I would also like the boat painted from the gunnels
down, but I am not sure if that is affordable. The
paintjobs I've seen there are Superior!
As a side note, #6 is a
wish list item. It is not necessary nor was it a part of the
initial list provided to the boatyard when scheduling. One
of the neighbors here suggested painting might be a good idea to
take care of now while Seaweed is out of the water.
It is the
dead of summertime so my top priority will be to get in and
out of the yard in a timely manner. Being on the hard in the
heat of summer is brutal. |
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And that is life aboard Seaweed.
I'm watching manatees, feeding my birds and reading a lot. The
article on shaft keys is nearly done. As I'll be hauling shortly I
can get a picture of the propeller shaft key then. That's when that
article will go up.
Like many, I am staying busy.
There have been several
boat-improvement tasks completed of late.
I'll tell you about them soon.
Of course the birds still require
attention, and hotdogs. Ella is hiding in the mangroves:
Ella is a great blue heron. She is named after Ella
Fitzgerald who
sang the blues. There are two blue herons that visit though never
together.
In the meantime, thank you for
reading. I appreciate that.
I'd love to hear what boatyard projects you're planning
next.
And, have you any advice regarding using special paint on the propeller?
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