Friday, June 27, 2008

Day 58 Time to pay more bills

While we may be on a boat, there are still bills that need to be paid.  Today was the day.  Thanks to the internet and on line bill pay, it is getting much easier and quicker.  Some needed stamps for the snail mail route but most could be done on the internet.  With us being on the move as of next week, paying bills on the internet will simplify our lives.

The battle over the shortwave radio ended just a few minutes ago.  All our money is being refunded.  I received an email this morning from PayPal wanting to know the circumstances behind my purchase and the payments I had made.  For some reason, the payment I made for postage wasn't applied to the same account as the purchase of the radio.  If the emails I just received are correct, the money should be off my credit cards as of tomorrow.  In this case, the squeaky wheel gets greased.  I made enough calls and emails that I finally got results.  Tomorrow, I'll order the radio from a different company and have it shipped straight to Port Townsend where it will be installed.  I've got the Pactor Modem--for internet service--already on board.  Since they work together, We're set.

The afternoon was running errands and reading more manuals and magazines.  I packed up the
Schaefer blocks for return to the factory for service and repair.  They have bearings on the inside of the big black wheel.  They're supposed to rotate as the outer wheel rotates.  Ours don't.  They are locked solid.  They still spin, just not as smoothly as they should.  If Schaefer is willing to repair them, I'm all for it.  These blocks control the lines (also known as ropes) that control one of the sails at the bow of the boat.  After the re-rigging, we will be using them.  Until then, we don't need them so we might as well get them fixed and shipped to Port Townsend afterwards.

We walked the docks this evening looking at other boats and speculating on their history and where they have been.   With so many older boats to see, there must be a lot of history floating at these docks.  It's fun to imagine.  It's like looking at a dollar bill in your wallet and wondering where it has been all its life.


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