Greenhorns

Banner Elk, NC

Well, we saw some fantastic sights today, we made it into Tennesee, but we blew the camping and tonight we are in a motel back in North Carolina. Here's the story.

Our plan for the day was to drive NW to the Blue Ridge Highway, then south to Indian Banner Camp near the Smokey Mountains. We found neat secondary roads where we could drive 45 mph without bothering anyone, and to see the small towns. We made t to the mountains, and up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, but it was 1500 before we got there. Late. We decided to stay in Blowing Rock Campground instead.

Blowing Rock Campground was closed. Oh we'll, we headed south. The scenery and the parkway were very beautiful.

Soon we figured that we would arrive too late at Indian Boundary, so we sought an intermediate spot. Then we came to a sign, Parkway Closed Detour. Uh oh. We got off at Spruce Pine, 50 miles south of Blowing Rock. Libby located Roan Mountain State Park as a compromise campground, but it was an hour away and now it was 1630. We saw a sign for Spruce Pine Campground, and we turned but we couldn't find it. Later we saw a sign for Shining Water Campground, and we went there. Alas, we arrived at 1705 and their office closed at 1700. Onward.


Roan Mountain turned out to be a real mountain. I got worried going up this long long mountain road because the car was sucking gas and we had only 3/8 of a tank left, and it seemed many miles to a gas station. Eventually we hit the summit at 5500 feet (hooray, that's the height of Mount Mansfield. It has been 15 years since Libby has been that high, and 3 years for me.).

Eventually, after 1800 we arrived at Roan Mountain State Park. Then, shock and horror, a big sign said self contained camping only, no tenting allowed. Oh no, it was much too let to look for a 6th camp sight today. We surrendered, and no we are in a motel. We traveled 50 miles south on the parkway then we had to backtrack 55 miles north again to find this motel. Our grade for navigation and planning F.

Chalk it up to inexperience as campers. We will ha ego learn to do better. We may even have to pick tomorrow's site in the morning and phone ahead to check availability, That is counter to our cruising style, but we may have to live with it. Finding campgrounds is not as easy as finding anchorages or finding motels.

We are not whining. A benefit of our wanderings is that we saw mountain roads and mountain communities that are far more dramatic than anything in New York or Vermont.

 

Deja Vu

Zebulon, NC

Our chores and prep work on the boat are complete. We're waiting to hear if the haul out can occur Tuesday. If not, we're going to abandon the hope of being there for the haul out and depart on our trip.

Meanwhile, we're staying with Dave and Cathy near Raleigh. I'm also handling some mailings for the Westsail Owner's Association. This morning Libby and I were both involved with the printing, collating, envelope addressing and stuffing chores. It hit me with a deja vu moment. What set me off (as I collated) was the realization that my grandchildren would probably not recognize the word collate or even understand the concept.

collate (kə-lātˈ, kŏlˈātˌ, kōˈlātˌ) 
v. To examine and compare carefully in order to note points of disagreement.
v. To assemble in proper numerical or logical sequence.
v. Printing To examine (gathered sheets) in order to arrange them in proper sequence before binding.

Years ago I worked at PTI, a thriving engineering consulting firm. Firms like that do studies, and to complete the study they write reports. They also write and publish numerous scientific papers. Therefore, a large important part of the operation had to do with paper handling. Typing, proofing, printing, copying, collating, sorting, packaging and shipping paper consumed lots of our resources. We needed one secretary per 4-5 engineers to keep up with the load.

Going further back to the 60s, I recall reports typed by hand, mistakes fixed with an eraser, and copies made by carbon paper or by mimeograph. The quantity of paper work then was similarly high but the quality was much lower.

Even further back I remember working with IBM collating/sorting machines.  IBM became rich and famous making collating machines.  Also, how people of the 60s and 70s saw these machines featured in countless movies and TV shows.  Remember the card with the computer's answer popping out in the hopper of the sorter? Now, the meaning of the word is nearly forgotten.

Collator

 

sorter

Today, all that is so unnecessary. Even with the Westsail Owners Association, the vast majority of our members receive their materials online. I suppose that some businesses, such as courts, deal with lots of paper, but most things today are done electronically.  My oh my, how profound and rapid the changes are.  Has there ever been a generation seeing such rapid changes.  After all my ancestors were millers, their grandchildren  understood mills.   Coopers had grandchildren who still understood barrels.  

Pity The Nomads

Minnesott Beach, NC

 

As the day of departure nears we are experiencing a few butterflies.

Libby was talking as if we could drive to New Mexico, then drive back to check on the boat. Then drive to Arizona, then drive back to check on the boat. Then drive to California, then drive back to check on the boat. ... This boat is not a toy, it is our home. We are entrusting it to strangers and hurricane season. Luckily, our friend Jeff offered to stop by and check on Tarwathie from time to time.

Yesterday I realized that we will be cut off from buying anything online. We won't have a mailing address to send to. We could send stuff to Mary Ann, but our visit to her is weeks away. UPS and FEDEX will not deliver to a general delivery address. Besides, we don't know what cities or even which states we will visit.

I've written before about the plight of nomads in the modern world. By that I mean people who have no street address. People like ourselves may have difficulty meeting the requirements to prove residency in any state at all. Meanwhile, the machinery of commerce and government become more intolerant of that state every day. Next up, Obamacare. Anything and everything having to do with that is intimately tied to your state of residence.

Cruisers aren't the only people with that problem. There are homeless people. Then there are gypsies, and migrant workers. In today's net enabled world, even professional people are able to work with no fixed base, but they can't become full fledged nomads without a permanent residence because of the bureaucracy. Hobos also come to mind although I don't see many of them left. No doubt there are other kinds of nomads I haven't thought of.

It came as a shock when I realized we will be cut off from e-commerce. We will still have my phone for email and blogging, but no commerce. A news story the other day said the following, "eventually all brick and mortar retailers will have to deal with the fact that their online competitors have a huge cost advantage. Brick and mortar stores are on the way out." I can safely say that we will be long dead and buried before the last brick and mortar store disappears, but still the plight of nomads get worse year by year.

The homeless at least have advocates. Somehow I think that he'll will freeze over before nomads have advocates or champions.

 

Chemicals Galore

Zebulon, NC

 Some rainy days coming up, so Libby and I took the opportunity to spend some time with Dave. We also brought a load of stuff that we don't want to keep on board Tarwathie over the summer. Foremost in that category are toxic or smelly things. You see below the result all laid out on the floor of Dave's garage.  Holy mackeral, what a collection!

 

One thing often overlooked when one cruises full time is that everything you own must be carried on the boat wherever you go.  That includes tools, materials and chemicals.   Of course there is a practical limit.   At some point you have so much stuff that you can't remember what you have and can't find what you need.  Obviously, we went beyond that point.  I'll discard many of those things.

In the meantime it is entertaining to list the inventory and to think that each and every one of those things got on board because they were needed at some point.

1. Gear oil 
2. Tilex mold&mildew remover 
3. Motor flush engine cleaner 
4. Cetol marine varnish 
5. Rubbed effect interior varnish 
6. Bug spray 
7. Polyurethane floor varnish 
8. Goo gone 
9. Wood Glue 
10. Non-skid paint additive 
11. More Cetol 
12. Acetone 
13. Sunbrella fabric cleaner 
14. Mineral spirits 
15. Blue topside paint 
16. West System epoxy and hardener and fiberglass mat 
17. Aluminum colored paint 
18. Simple Green Marine cleaner 
19. Fuel injector cleaner gas addititve 
20. Cooling system treatment 
21. Tibet Almond furniture stick 
22. Gorilla glue 
23. Radio Shack Electronic Contact Cleaner 
24. Rope end whip dip 
25. Sunbrella Seam Sealer 
26. Oven Cleaner 
27. Outboard motor paint 
28. Carburetor cleaner 
29. Special Marine Grease 
30. Dry silicone lubricant 
31. Red Rustoleum paint for chains
32. Underwater primer paint
33. more acetone
34. paint stripper
35. more marine grease
36. vinyl protectant wipes
37. 3-in-one oil
38. more Goo Gone
39. Corrosion Block
40. Camp Dry waterproofer
41. Antifouling bottom paint
42. Muriatic Acid
43. High heat black paint
44. Wasp spray defensive weapon
45. Jump Start ether
46. Thompson's Water Seal
47. Epoxy resin and hardener
48. Gasoline stabilizer
49. Shellac
50. Blue touch up paint
51. WD-40
52. Lewmar winch grease
53. Rubbing compound
54. Paste wax
55. Waterproofing 
56. Clear Lacquer
57. PB Blaster penetrating oil
58. Anti-seize anti-galling compound
59. Glass cleaner
60. Murphey Oil Soap
61. Barkeepers Friend
62. Oxy cleaner
63. Marine diesel fuel treatment


Not pictured


64. Diesel fuel
65. Motor Oil
66. Engine coolant
67. Chlorine Bleach
68. White Vinegar
69. Biocide fuel additive
70. Joy soap
71. Alcohol
72. Hydrogen Peroxide
73. Drugs, medicines and remedies too numerous to count

Whew, what a list.  If we ever become terrorist suspects, they'll have ample evidence to convict us.

Wayfarers Cove

Minnesott Beach, NC

 

We're out of New Bern! It felt very good to have Tarwathie on the move yesterday.

 

Wayfarers Cove will be Tarwathie's summer home. Dave of Dawson Creek Boatworks will undertake refinishing our decks while we are gone. I'll blog about that when the job is complete.

For now, Libby and I have to focus on the remaining chores needed to prepare the boat for the work, and prepare her for being left alone all summer. We've never been away from the boat for an extended period before, so much of this is new to us. Our friend Jeff agreed to check on her once in a while over the summer.

I plan to leave the fridge empty but tuned on all summer powered by the solar panels.

There may be some delay in hauling the boat out. Therefore, we may go up to Zebulon for a while and I can drive back for the haul out.

As a marina/boatyard this place seems very nice. It is a beautification location. We re entertained by very many song birds. The facilities are good, the people are friendly. What's not to like?