May 2008Headlines - Click on a Headline to see the Story |
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Here are some small projects you can do while waiting for fuel costs to go down. If you would like more details, email me and I'll answer your questions.
Save the Isinglass -
Nothing destroys the Isinglass faster than rolling it up when you need
to open it up.
Let the Light Shine In -
When we bought the boat, it didn't have the curtains that normally are
over the entry doors into
We decided to try acrylic inserts on the Plexiglas doors. Stuart's world famous Flea Market showed us several very nice patterns and we chose one that looks like Frank Lloyd Wright's Prarie Collection. Cost was about $20 per panel. They were very easy to install, using a water bottle and a squeegee. The acrylic inserts are not like decals, in that they can be removed and re-installed, although you do need to use some care when pulling them off, to prevent stretching. We are now thinking of using similar inserts on the forward head porthole and a shaded cover in the forward hatch.
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Robert Janger's Article As always, Robert seems to have a nose for news. His article about stinky boats and how to fix them is HERE.
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Cutting Costs Costs for almost everything are going up this year, especially fuel prices. Here are three things you may consider in trying to reduce costs this year. Slow Down - We keep pretty detailed records on total cost of ownership for the boat. We especially track the cost of marinas and fuel when we transit the ICW. Our fuel consumption at hull speed is about 1.3 statute miles per gallon. When we are at full cruising speed, that drops to about 0.8 statute miles per gallon. That's about a third less by traveling slow or to put it another way, it turns a 100 mile round trip from $590 fuel cost at full cruise to $360 at hull speed. You can calculate hull speed by multiplying the square root of the length of the boat at the water line by 1.34. That's about 8.9 knots for my boat or 10 MPH. Obviously, wind, currents, and tides affect the cruising speed, too. Negotiate with Vendors - I use PriceLine whenever possible to save money when traveling on business. I'm not aware of a PriceLine like service with boaters, so you just have to negotiate it yourself. I've found that you must speak to the vendor's owner or manager and not the poor kid who's assigned to the late Sunday afternoon shift. Be reasonable in your request. For example, the Gang of Four that came north together received a significant discount on fuel at one stop because we were a group. We received the full use of courtesy cars at a couple of marinas, saving us taxi or rental car costs. I've not been as successful in negotiating lower rates for dockage, but I'm pretty sure that's coming. Cruise your boat at least once a month - The gunky buildup that all boats get slows things down. A friend told us that moving the boat at least once a month kept that from happening. It doesn't have to be fast or long, but it does have to be fairly regular. Keeping your boat's bottom clean will save you money.
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Planned Events We have the details for the Chesapeake Bay Rendezvous, June 6, 7, and 8. This year's event will be held at Rock Hall, MD. For more information about Rock Hall, go to http://www.rockhallmd.com. The zip code is 21661. We have slips reserved at Haven Harbour Marina, although you can also anchor nearby at Swan Creek. The per foot cost is $2.10 per night, plus electric. The Saturday Night cocktail party and dinner will be held at Waterman's Restaurant. One of the menu choices is All-You-Can-Eat crab. A shuttle operates until midnight, so we will have good transportation to and from the marina. The per person cost this year is $75.00, thanks to the sponsors. You must be a member to attend. Reservations are fairly limited, so I encourage you to make your reservations soon. We're trying to make the reservation process easier this year by asking you to call us at 800-540-2926 to make reservations.
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EZ2CY uses snaps to hold the open curtain in place. Why can't you
do that with regular curtains? I had two straps made (okay, 4
straps, but it would have been two if I had measured correctly) and
installed twists on the Bimini support beams. Drilling into the
stainless steel tubes was an adventure - I had to use a carbide drill.
I also isolated the twist holders by installing them into plastic hollow
wall anchors to avoid corrosion. You can see the red plastic
anchor at the arrow in the photo. It works very well, most of the
time.
Here's how it looks from the bridge.
the
salon. We liked the open feeling not having the curtains gave us.
I liked the cost avoidance that not having curtains gave us. I'm
not sure that our "open air" views were appreciated by the restaurant
patrons behind us in Jensen Beach.