These chain plates look better than in the last blog, eah?
You know when you work on a boat project and you end up going to west marine 5 times that day? Well for me every trip is an 8 hour bus ride, a hotel, or staying at a friends house. HOW THE HELL COULD I FORGET COTTER PINS! I dug into my kit and had a few to finish these two chain plates. Man that makes me crazy. Doing a boat project here takes 10 times as long as if I were close to supplies, ARRGGGG!
My money has gone fast but I’ve really got some things I need.
I’ve been wanting a Vita Mix for quite some time. I’m all about eating healthy these days and the vita mix will set me free. I’m having lots of smoothies (warm), but will be milling bean and oat flour soon so I can make gluten free breads and pasta. I have a funny feeling I could make some killer margaritas with this machine as well ;)
I haven’t had a working VHF for over a year. I bought a new ICOM 504a VHF with loudhailer & fog horn. I could have got something cheaper but if you have ever been caught in really thick fog you would know what I mean. In many of these small countries, small boats don’t have radar, they just bang on a pot. I’m also looking forward to the loudhailer as you can be really, really obnoxious with a loud hailer if you need to be :)
I was finally able to buy a real mattress. My back has been really suffering and I needed to bight the bullet. I’ve had my second night sleeping on it and all I can say is “wow, what a difference”! My buddy Eric drove me to the mattress factory in Panama city and we strapped it to the top of his car to get it back to Linton. Sooooo happy!
I’m going to hold off on ordering my refrigeration system, the money has gone too fast. I had a long talk with my buddy Roger Olson about it. He used to own the yard that built Bristol Channel Cutters and wrote a really good cruising book “Plot your course to adventure”. He lives in Panama city and I often stay with him. He actually owned and sailed “Serifen”, Lynn and Larry Pardey’s old boat. He knows a lot about these sort of things and I often look to him for advice & ideas.
Ultimately I would want an engine driven / 12v system. I have an engine driven system now and I just need to plumb it all up. I don’t know so much about silver soldering and refrigeration plumbing but I need to learn. I’ve been a bit intimated by it all but need to conquer the whole thing.
I also want to keep a grand in my life so I can buy screws and get my printing done so I can start advertising and 
chartering, not to mention a few hundred for fuel. I’m ordering business cards and flyers from vista print, pretty cheap, and want to keep a little money flowing in my future :) I don’t want to go through the hard times of teeth problems & no money like I did a few months back :(
I’ve converted the v-birth to a work shop. All of my paint supplies, epoxy & fillers, sandpapers and tools are neatly laid out. I’m trying to keep the boat in order so I don’t live in total kayos anymore.
I ordered a new (used) flip video camera and will get back to making some video again.
I’m also about to finish the SCUBA/pneumatic system. I just bought 2 old SCUBA tanks ($150) that need to be hydro’d and visually inspected. I got the final piece made for my scuba compressor and just need to find some compressor oil now. After a few more hi-pressure plumbing parts and a pressure regulator from my 1st stage I should be in business and able to start shooting primer and paint. The pressure is about 140 PSI coming out of the LP side of my first stage scuba regulator. I’m going to put an adjustable regulator in after that so I can manipulate the pressure to the spray gun.
I feel alive with new motivation. I spent far too many months watching the clouds and stars pass from my hammock, but it was so nice to afford the time to make sense and contemplate my life.
I do so love this website, communicating with all of you, and living a simple and free life on the sea.
Cheers guys.
Peace, Love, and freedom!
– alex
I was curious if you’re going to start selling those short movies again? I know you have the new camera coming. I’m one who is willing to continue paying a little for them. Keeping the income coming in a little.
Soldier4him
alex,I’m interested in doing a charter with you.Any info would be appreciated.
Congrats on your new purchases. That vita mix looks sweet. Excited to hear you got a new flip-camera =)
Take care!
Dad has that same mixer and it does make killer margaritas. Just so you know. :)
Travis,
if your interested in a charter drop me an email at (alex dorsey at gmail) no spaces, i write it out this way for security.
Love’n the bed :)
I’m really excited to get back to making some online videos as well. The flip is good for the on-line videos but I’m going to try to raise / make enough to buy a cannon T3i package with assorted glass, and hopefully an underwater housing. I want to make another film, its been 3+ years or so since I released the last one :(
I hate work’n in the heat & sun, ARRRGGGGG!
As you get older and get the ackes and pains sleep is all too important, a good mattress is most emportant.
Your looking happy these days motivated, good for you.
We have a new Westmarine here in MA. North shore. It’s a super store I mean big big store four or five times the size of any Westmarine I’ve ever saw fun fun.
Tim
Timtoolman,
Who’s getting older?
This post has been extremely insightful & useful to increase my knowledge in the field of knowledge & its many facets. Well, I’m so happy that I have found this post because I have been seeking some information about it. Here’s a good resource that is also worth a look.
Beth
Technology Guide
http://www.bailerbin.com
Alex could you tweet every time there is a new entry in the ship”s log?
Regarding tinpusher’s comment, Alex you could use the free service twitterfeed.com/ and that would update both twitter (and face book if you wish) with an excerpt from your blog posts allowing people that follow there to read more with a link back to your site.
LOL, social media is what I do.
marck,
thanks for the tip, will try to figure it out today :)
Beth,
no advertising in my comment section please.
I think I got twitterfeed figured out? Man for someone who is not so “plugged in” I’m sure “plugged in”!
Oops, signed of with Marck instead of Mark last time .
That’s great Alex. Twitterfeed works great when wanting to update twitter and facebook too, but without the separate work, and it will read right off of your Blogs RSS without you needing to do anything. If you need help there, shoot me an email.
Off to to work on the wood on my boat. :) LOL, and for some reason I bought wax and feel the need to apply it to the whole boat the next few days, argh! Turning into one of those shiny boat people.
Cheers,
Mark
Mark, think its working now, we’ll see on the next blog.
I just milled oat, and red bean flour with my vitamix. Making some protein bean bread, we’ll see????? I’m suprised how hot the flour gets when you mill it, the vitamix is pretty amazing.
Rainy day today, party/BBQ at my friens boat (escape too) tonight :)
Cheers
Hi Alex,
Great to see/read you’re “back in the saddle”. I think one of my most difficult goals in life is to be a “positive” force when I have real difficulties and struggles. Keep up the great work here on your site. As a side question…do you know what bow anchor roller you have the handles your big ass Supreme? A picture perhaps? I am considering the Supreme, but want to know which roller will fit prior to my purchase. Thanks.Gordon
Good Morning:
Good stuff on this post. Things are looking up. How’s the yoga going for the back? I’m back on that path again. Ouch. Too much sailing and not enough taking care of myself. Could have been that last trip to the Tortugas. Big, sloppy seas and 18 to 20. It sure let me know what was not nailed down. But it was a good time to clean when we got there.
Keep up the projects. I’m glad you are enjoying life as usual. Take care of yourself and we’ll be in touch.
Capt. Paul
s/v Panacea
Alex, Did you get the vita-mix cookbook with your unit ?? If you didn’t, try to pick one up on e-bay, this machine is not what you are used to, I found it hard to wrap my head around at first. Yes the heat is amazing, the cookbook has recipes for soup which is cooked right in the Vita-Mix. Don’t forget that it kneads your bread dough too.
Stuck in the mountains, Karl
alex trying to gmail you but it is not recognizing your adress
Travis,
its alexdorsey @ gmail.com, no spaces, you can also try alex @ projectbluesphere.com
If anyone is interested in a cool boat already in Panama check this out:
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1975/Whitby-Ketch-2302713/Panama
I havent seen the boat, but whitby’s are nice :)