Day 237 Happy Anniversary to us!

We celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary yesterday!

Dinner started with a nice salad.  Then on to beef fondue.  Back in the 70's that was one of the standard gifts everyone got when they got married.  We received 3 when we got married.  You used to have to use Sterno--alcohol in a can to heat the oil--but it took for ever.  Once they came out with electric sets, dinners became a lot easier.  Add on a nice baked potato--done in the oven to help keep the boat warm and it was a great dinner.  A nice bottle of red wine and the dinner was complete.  We got married so young, I had to take my brothers drivers license with me on our honeymoon so I could have a drink.

The snow is still melting but more is in the forecast so we expect a white Christmas.  Normal for Colorado but not in Seattle.  The folks in Seattle are set to receive more just like us.

I found a rigger in the morning that could fabricate our new gate for the lifeline on the starboard side of Zephyr.  I had the pelican hook(closes the gate) but needed the wire and the fastener that goes at the other end of the wire.  Brion Toss--our rigger--doesn't carry the fittings so I took off for Port Townsend Riggers down the street.  They had the fittings and got it all done for me.  I timed it perfectly as they are going to be closed till January 5 like many of the businesses around Port Townsend.  When they say holiday, they mean holiday here in Port Townsend.

While Tracy went to Safeway for more food supplies, I finally tackled the bilge.  I started removing the floor boards ands scrubbing starting at the bow and working myself towards the bilge about half way back the boat.  I finally stuffed the upper portion of my body down into the deep bilge and with a sponge and bucket in hand, out came the rest of the water and "stuff" that had flowed down there when the forward head hose had leaked.  Rub and scrub, add some bilge cleaner and all was clean.  

I rechecked the old bilge pump that seemed to no longer pump by putting it into a bucket of water and turning it on.  It barely pumped at all.  Out came the new one from the box and after a check of its pumping power--really pumps a lot of water, it went into the same bracket in the bilge the old one came out of.  Hook up the hose and electrical wires and I was done.  This baby pumps 3700 gallons per hour.  One of the biggest available.

After that--it was off to the showers to be nice and clean for our special dinner.  

A real nice day.