the bucket list

No, not that kind bucket list.  I have never believed in those.

I'm talking about a list of items I'll need to make my new anchor bucket for Spartina.  For over 20 I have used the same bucket - you can see it at the left in the photos above and below - to hold the ten pound navy style anchor, chain and line.  It worked very well until we went with a longer anchor line a few years ago.  Now the anchor sits too high in the bucket and sometimes the bucket will tip over when the boat heels too much.  My solution is the new square bucket, at right below, bought off the internet for under $10.00 with free shipping.

This new bucket, with a footprint not much larger than the old bucket, will work very well.  It is tall and will comfortably hold the anchor, chain and line, plus the mushroom anchor too.  I'll use some of those big industrial cable ties, some bits of line and some bronze hooks so that I can secure it, both top and bottom, to the foot of the mast so that it can't slide around or tip over.  (My thanks to Doryman for pointing out to me the the potential safety problems heavy items that are not properly secured on a boat.)

Speaking of new gear, my Garmin GPSMap 62s arrived on the front porch the other day.  I went with the whole package (though the items were bought individually from a few different places to save money) of the gps, the Garmin bluechart g2 for North America and the Garmin Homeport software for my MacBook.  I kind of cringed at spending the money (though I saved quite a bit off retail), but I lump navigation gear in with safety gear.  It was money well spent.  (I really love that nice carabiner attachment on the gps - I wish the folks at SPOT would take a hint.)

The nice thing about all of this is I can access the detailed nautical charts on my laptop, creating precise waypoints and - after a sail - enjoy a very detailed, accurate track..  Above you can see I have already created some of the waypoints for this spring's walkabout on Tangier Sound.

Another plus of upgrading the gps is that we'll have access to current predictors, a feature needed for the fall trip over the top of the Delmarva peninsula.  Those little pink "c"s in the screen shot below are sites that have current information, both real time and predicted, available.  Tides and currents will be a factor to deal with on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, plus inlets on Delaware Bay and down the Atlantic coast of the eastern shore.

As far as that old Etrex, which is less than two years old, it is showing signs of moisture inside the screen.  I called Garmin to learn, of course, that it is no longer under warranty.  I was also told that they don't even service that model anymore.  This not-so-old gps still works though and will live inside a dry bag on Spartina as a backup.

I spent yesterday and today sanding down and painting the cockpit and foredeck around the mast hole of Spartina.  While sanding earlier today I noticed that my gloves had the curly script of my youngest daughter, a remnant of when she borrowed the gloves to build scenery for a high school play.  I also noticed the Makita sander I was using was a gift from my Dad back in the 1980's on our first boat building project together.  I smiled and thought about, wondered about and enjoyed how things are passed from one generation to the next.

After the painting I pulled Spartina out into the street where she is exposed to the warmth of the sun.  The grey and white paint feels dry to the touch already.  Next weekend I will put the foredeck hardware back in place and begin applying the coats of varnish.

It was good to see Spartina out in the sunshine again.  Now I just need to get her back on the water.

steve