Monday 16 Nov, HHN, boat winterizing day 47:
Into the last couple of days now. Up early again, lots to do. Or at least I thought so. It’s another stunning Maryland day, crisp air and clear skies.
This morning I’m on a mission to Annapolis. It will be my third time visiting Coliflower hose fittings and I’m anticipating the usual long wait. On the other hand, I plan to tell him I now intend to get the replacement hydraulic hoses from Selden, so let’s just settle what I owe, and I’ll be on my way. But it turns out what he is intending to make me is actually very close to the original. So, decision made: screw Selden, I’ll have them made here. He says he can do it in an hour, so I venture off to Fawcett yacht chandlery for a browse. Now, for a yachtsman, a yacht chandlery is like a toy shop. It’s impossible for any child-like yacht owner to enter and come out empty handed! But today, I managed just that. Firstly, I don’t really need anything and secondly, the downside of owning a large sailing boat is that chandleries rarely have the size of gear you actually need.
Back at Coliflower, no surprise, the hoses are not yet done! So I sit and wait as usual. By the time I get to see Josh (the only guy in the store) there are 5 people already waiting behind me. So I’m actually surprised when he does start to make my hoses. 1 hour later hoses are done, and the queue is now 10 (patient) people long. He really does need an assistant in here.
Unlike my visit to Fawcett, this one burns a hole in my pocket. $1,340 for 6 hoses! Ouchy ouchy. That’s the price you pay for exotic materials like stainless steel fittings. But with all the above deck hoses now replaced, we should be good for the rest of our ownership at least – or until we finish the circumnavigation …. or whichever comes sooner!
Back at the boat I find I have plenty of time left for today’s list of tasks. So I start to take it very easy, enjoying the last bit of time I have here. I even went for a casual cycle ride around the yard and along the pontoons in the late afternoon sunshine. I did take a long look out to the river and starting thinking about this time last year, when we were about to set off south to the Bahamas and then to Panama, and a little prang of pain went through me knowing it will be another year for us before we set off into that blue wonder again ☹
My evening is all about scouring the boat cupboards to see what might need to be brought back to Bucharest. Things like mango chutney and pieces of clothing and other bits start to make a pile on the saloon table. Tomorrow will be packing day.