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

 

• New Alternator Bracket. As detailed in Website Woes Resolved, I had completed a new article when my writing system went kaflooey. Today I have to the best of my ability recreated what was lost. Let us step back in time to the summer, when Seaweed was at Salt Creek boatyard. In addition to the normal boatyard items, I wanted to permanently resolve an issue with the alternator portion of my charging system.
  Categories: Characters, Gear, In the Bilges, Locations, Memory Lane,
   

• Christmas Memories. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is my favorite. Each year I search for one ornament or decoration to represent the year. It is the one "budget is no object" item in my list. This year I found a perfect miniature ceramic Christmas tree.
  Categories:  Characters, DVDs and CDs, Locations, Memory Lane, Organizing, Wild Things,
   

• Christmas Friends. Optimism is a trait I endeavor to always present to the world. When mine is gone, I continue onward. Then the old "fake it until you make it" lessons of yesteryear are put into practice. That sunny outlook often comes into play when I guesstimate how much time a particular task will take. My oh my, but I surely can minimize the struggle.
  Categories: Boats, Characters, Memory Lane,
   

• Thanksgiving 2020 and Shopping. Thanksgiving for me is the start of my favorite time of the year. I love turkey, especially the stuffing. Now that I know how to make stuffing without the bird... well, making a full turkey dinner has less appeal. However the day before Thanksgiving I was feeling young, ambitious and full of energy. A neighbor took me to Walmart.
  Categories: Characters, Galley, Locations, Security, Organizing,
   

• Website Woes Resolved. At first I mistakenly thought my computer issues were with the netbook that was gifted to me a few years back. I do work on it for many hours each day. A failure though unwanted could be expected due to age/usage. When my files were not opening up properly I was stymied. An article titled New Alternator Bracket was written, and then, well, nothing worked. To say the situation was frustrating is an understatement.
  Categories: Books, Characters, Locations, Wild Things,
   

• The List (swim platform edition) When making an appointment to go into a boatyard for non-emergencies, the yard will want to know your list of requirements. This is so they can schedule the proper amount of time for the haul-out. Of course things do not usually go as planned. Inevitably additions are made to the initial plans.
  Categories: Boats, Characters, Locations, Pets, Security,
   

• Salt Creek Boatyard. Being at Salt Creek Boatyard has been an interesting experience. I will say this yard is MOST IMPRESSIVE. Why you may ask? First of all, the guys are professionals. This is demonstrated by the way my boat was set up once on the hard.
  Categories:  Boat Talk, Characters, Locations,
   

• Shaft Key Alert. I missed something Very important in my How Shaft Keys Work article. While here in the boatyard I realized my mistake. Today I'll tell you what else you need to know in this brief vignette.
  Categories: Gear, In the Bilges, Locations, Vignettes,
   

• Why Seaweed Does Not Track. Seaweed is a great home. What she is not however is a boat that will steer a straight line. I ALWAYS have to be turning the wheel to adjust her course. I discussed this in the Tyranny of the Tiller (pre-purchase advice) article quite some time ago. Today I will show you why this occurs.
  Categories: Boat Talk, In the Bilges,
   

• Bilge Oil and Water Removal. For a few years now I have been keeping a gigantic syringe aka water blaster as a part of my rowboat gear. Initially this item was used exclusively in the dinghy. It would get out that last little bit of water from the bottom of Algae. The same item can be useful aboard your boat home too.
  Categories: Gear, Locations, Money, Vignettes,
   

• Apple Cider Vinegar VS Fruit Flies. A few years back during one of my many forays into growing food aboard Seaweed I had an extremely horrid fruit fly invasion. That disaster was mentioned in the Upside Down Tomato Plant How-To article. Suffice it to say, mistakes were made. Since then I have been looking for a solution. Recently I have discovered one that requires little storage space and affords me a non-toxic protection from those nasty little bugs.
  Categories: Galley, Gear, Money, Organizing, Recipes, Security,
   

• New Flares. In the 2014 vignette Flares Expire (my solution) I described my method of keeping track of my flares. In the intervening years I have changed that system and made it simpler. Today I shall cover that minor improvement in this brief update.
  Categories: Books (in comments section), Characters (in comments section), Gear, Organizing, Security, Vignettes,
   

• To the Boatyard. For several years I have been paying a series of divers to clean the bottom of Seaweed each month. Zincs are changed as needed. All in all, I have been satisfied. When I was able to get into the boatyard for a haul-out and paint plus more (there is always more!) I deliberately did not say anything to the current diver, Craig Edwards. This is an Excellent way to verify that the scraping is being done well.
  Categories: Boats, Characters, In the Bilges, Locations, Security,
   

• Credit Card Compromised. I use a credit card to pay my bills each month. Back in February my credit card was compromised. Charges that were not my own appeared on the bill. Baby works in the fraud prevention department of a financial institution. She advised me to set up phone alerts on my accounts. This is a free service, though your company may differ so do verify that if you chose to go by my route.
  Categories: Money, Security, Vignettes,
   

• Keeping Hands Flexible. In the springtime of 2019 I thought I was Tinkerbell and attempted to fly. I told you about that fiasco in the Broken Arm Lessons article. As a part of my rehabilitation the physical therapist recommended a series of Range of Motion exercises. For my hands I have done similar for many years in order to keep my fingers moving properly. Today I'll give you my $1 solution to stiff hands.
  Categories: Gear, Money, Pets,
   

• Birds bring Happiness. Each day I am thankful for my life aboard Seaweed. I get dressed then wander out to my dinette/desk. A fresh cup of hot tea is my morning nectar. On days when I turn on the netbook I am greeted by Buddy, my desktop background. It is such a treat to see his face each morning.
  Categories: Books, Characters, Locations, Memory Lane, Wild Things,
   

• How Shaft Keys Work. Aboard Seaweed I have had the "opportunity" to replace my shaft keys. The first time I did so for the one on my propeller, I used a galvanized replacement. That worked out just as well as you might expect. Abject failure was had. Experience has imparted to me the importance of having spare keys as a component of my parts inventory. Today I'll tell you what a shaft key is, where to purchase same, and why I believe you should have them aboard your vessel.
  Categories:  Boat Talk, Books, Characters, Gear, In the Bilges, Locations, Money,
   

• Preventing Injury, Step Edition. All folks of a certain age become concerned about our health. Staying independent is Extremely important. One way to insure same is to be proactive in preventing accidents. I learned about that in a rather abrupt fashion. Details can be found in the Broken Arm Lessons article. Aboard Seaweed there are however other places that needed attention. Today I'll tell you about a $10 solution to one safety issue I was experiencing.
  Categories:  Books, Gear, In the Bilges, Money, Security,
   

• Visiting Manatees (plus boatyard plans) 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.
  Categories: In the Bilges, Security, Wild Things,
   

• The Newest. The past few months have been difficult. A general malaise effected me more strongly than I at first realized. Now I did leave my Seaweed for a month. I have NEVER done that before, and seriously doubt I shall ever do it again. There was a very good reason however. And that is the subject of The Newest article.
  Categories: Characters, Locations, Memory Lane, Pets,
   

• Microgreens Aboard Seaweed (series) This article is the aggregate of the four parts published in the microgreens series. In it I tell how I successfully grow my own small-scale microgreens garden aboard Seaweed. That I have my own Victory Garden aboard a 23' trawler is totally cool. You can do this too. The complete series is on this link.
  Categories: Galley, Gear, In the Bilges, Memory Lane, Money, Organizing,
   

• Microgreens Summary for Success (cheat sheet) For the folks who wanted a brief overview, this is your page. It is intended as an adjunct to the Microgreens Aboard Seaweed (series).
   

• Microgreens Summary for Success (no pictures) For the folks who want a printer friendly overview, this is your option. The photos were removed. It is intended as an adjunct to the Microgreens Aboard Seaweed (series).
   

• Microgreens Shelves Installed (part 4) I have had so much fun creating my Victory Garden aboard Seaweed. Knowing I will no longer have to forego fresh salads while tucked away in a remote anchorage gives me a feeling of relief. A permanent place to store them out of the way yet easily accessible was needed. I opted for a $40 solution. Here is how I built my nifty new shelves.
  Categories: Galley, Gear, In the Bilges, Money, Organizing,
   

• Microgreens Seeds to Harvest (part 3) The impetus for my journey into small scale gardening aboard Seaweed is as a direct result of a vacation I took with my daughter and her family to Walt Disney World here in Florida. I told you about that in the Disney 2017 article. There, we took a special behind-the-scenes tour of the Disney facility's hydroponics area. I was fascinated.
  Categories: Galley, Memory Lane,
   

• Microgreens Container Set-Up (part 2) This is the second article in a multi-part series detailing the methods I utilize to grow microgreens on a small scale aboard Seaweed. Today I'll explain exactly how I set up my growing containers. It is easy to have success if you follow these few steps.
  Category: Galley,
   

• Microgreens Shopping List (part 1) Aboard Seaweed I have been growing sprouts for many years. The 2013 article Growing Lentil Sprouts has details from the beginning stages. Like all things boat, I've made mistakes.  Over the past year or so I've expanded my gardening efforts. Today I'll tell you how you too can grow good things to eat in a limited space, without dirt. Also, to get started will cost less than $10 total. This is my advice for the novice small-scale microgreen grower.
  Categories: Galley, Money,
   

• Multimeter Improvement (clamps) Every boater I know has a multimeter aboard their vessel. One of my neighbors has one from Harbor Freight. Although it was working as intended, I knew I could make the meter better serve his purposes. My improvement worked, he's pleased, and now I want to do the same for Seaweed. Here is how and what I did.
  Categories: Books, Comfort, Gear, In the Bilges,
   

• Multimeter Repair. In my opinion every boater should have a multimeter onboard. If memory serves me, mine came from Radio Shack. It was the bottom of the line/least expensive model sold at the time. All these years later I was still happy with my meter until last November. That is when it quit. Fortunately I was able to make the unit go again, for $1. Here is how I did it.
  Categories: Books, Gear, In the Bilges, Money,
   

• Inexpensive Draft Stopper. Frigid weather has arrived here on the west coast of Florida. Fortunately just last week I installed a draft stopper on the cockpit doorway. I have upgraded from the previous version described in the Draft Prevention using Foam article. The newest method is far better. Today I'll describe the $5 solution for my drafty boat.
  Categories: Characters, Comfort, Gear, Money,
   

• Nifty Nantucket Bagg (plus Harbor Freight tool rule) Last month I attended the St. Petersburg Boat Show. I had a blast. It was fun to look at all the cool gear for sale. A couple items I particularly liked. Today I'll tell you about the Nantucket Bagg. It is super nifty. I like the versatility of this canvas bag. Please Note: Nantucket Bag did not give me anything more than information when I stopped by their booth in the first tent of the boat show.
  Categories:  Books, Characters, Gear, Locations, Organizing,
   

• Shaft and Propeller Keys. Sometimes having just the right part can be the difference between a minor inconvenience and a major hassle. One such item that I keep aboard Seaweed are spare keys. No, not the kind of keys that go into a lock. These are made of square stainless steel bar stock. Having a couple of spares aboard your boat is a Good Idea.
  Categories: Characters, Gear, In the Bilges, Locations,
   

• Removing Blood Stains. In every boat project it is said that one donates a bit of blood. This happens to me quite frequently. A few years ago I bought a spiffy new shirt at the local thrift store. Then I promptly scratched myself. Today, long after the stain was firmly set into the fabric via multiple trips through a washer and drier I removed said bloodstain. The "secret ingredient" is available at the Dollar Store. Here is what you need to know.
  Categories: Money, Unmentionables, Vignettes,

The current year Archive can be found HERE