Birthday/Super Bowl and Getting High on the Rio

2/1/15
cool and overcast

Well my birthday has come again while living on Island Sol.  Last year I celebrated in Roatan and this year on the Rio.  It was a great day, beginning with a present from my daughter that was secretly hidden by Charlie.  Thanks Haley...you are so sweet and thoughtful.  I then called Sean and then my parents for my yearly "Happy Birthday" song....love the family!!

That evening we made our way across the river to Catamarans and joined Vicky and Bob (s/v FoxSea) to watch the super bowl.  We didn't really care who won, but we decided to root for the New England Patriots...good choice....and was that a game or what?  The bar/lounge was packed with cruisers to watch on 2 huge big screen TV's and we got the upfront seats.  After several beers and a giant pizza, Vicky presented me with 3 pieces of chocolate cake and 3 pieces of white cake, topped with fruit and candles for 64....ouch!  Such nice friends to be so thoughtful...thanks Vicky and Bob.  Needless to say after pizza, beer and cake, I was done!  But another great birthday far away from home.


2/3/15
Now, let's get on with the "getting high".  You can go to Sundog Cafe just about any day of the week and find someone smoking pot while having a beer.  But on Island Sol, my drug of choice this day was ......wait for it.....contact cement!  I have never worked with that stuff and my is it strong.  All hatches open and fans blowing and still I got high, well just a little.

I have finally made my first hatch covers for the boat with "no-seeum screen".  A must have when anchored out near an island or mangrove area.  We have suffered in the past  with the hatches closed due to no screens or suffered the bites when we finally had to open the hatches because of the heat.  

We have a Sailrite sewing machine that will stitch together 8 layers of sunbrella canvas, now that is a machine.  At anyrate, I made my own pattern from the many hatch covers I have seen on other boats and lo and behold it turned out just fine.  We were able to find some velcro in the local upholstery shop and that is where the contact cement comes into the story.  

  

 

So on to the next hatch cover and finally the companionway and we will be off and ready for those no-seems and those mosquitos.

Finished product