Beef Satay

We've been working on our boat as well as several others this summer.  We are right in the middle of replacing the forestays and stern hoses on our boat but have had time to enjoying cooking and eating as well. 

Lesley picked up some spicy Thai noodles at a farmers market last week and we decided to do a combo Asian meal - beef satay and spicy Thai noodles with veggies.  The beef is marinated tenderloin cooked lightly on the grill served over the noodles and veggies with a spicy peanut sauce over the beef. 

Really yummy!

Wonder what's for dinner tonight?

Replacing Hoses

We've done a great job with preventive maintenance on the boat but now that we have the boat back here we are finding that it is really easy to tackle some of the jobs that we had put off.  I knew the cockpit scupper hoses needed to be replaced and to gain access to them I had to remove the generator exhaust hose, electric bilge pump hose, etc.  While I was in the area I also removed the engine exhaust hose - a real pain but as the pictures will show it was waiting to fail.  The wire reinforcement was gone at the exhaust flange and a few rust spots were showing elsewhere on the hose.

Engine Exhaust hose

 Cockpit scupper hose - dry rotted and cracked but not leaking - yet!

Collection of hoses removed from the boat.

New hose is on the way and will start reinstalling in the next several days. 

Also on the agenda is replacing the rigging (Forestay and Staysail stay wire) with parts on order.  WE have already replaced all of the other standing rigging over the past several years.

Dingy ride for Lewis

We had planned to take Lewis out for his first dinghy ride over the weekend but it was windy and chilly so waited till this morning..

 Basenji's are known to not like the water but with a little coaxing we got him to follow us through some shallow water to another small island.

 He did good in the dinghy.  We first got him in and there was no issue with that.  Drifted for a little while then started the outboard and he was fine.

 He wanted to see where we were going.

 Coming back in - he is sticking his tongue out at another boater!

Comfort.

This Week

I've been in Islamorada this week working on an IP-38 - lots of work done and lots to do.  Lesley has been sending me photos of our new buddy Lewis and I just figured out how to download pics from the camera to the laptop so will post a couple below.

Our morning routine.  Lewis get up and out of his crate and goes to the litter box then comes up on the bed and helps me with my morning coffee.

Then, after dinner he helps with the dishes - what a great puppy!

Easter Sunday will be his first ride in the dinghy.

Grillin

I've been so busy with boat projects I haven't had a chance to post anything about food.  Worked on our boat replacing cockpit speakers and moving food today but wanted to grill something so here's the menu.

First, I roasted several years of corn and Lesley whipped up a Bobby Flay recipe of roasted corn, several types of cheese, spices, chopped green onions, and left for me.  I cut open some fresh Jalapeno's and then stuffed them with the corn/cheese mix.

Next, I just started new charcoal and will grill a NY Strip steak seasoned with medium hot New Mexico red chili power, garlic, sea salt, and cracked pepper.

Will grill the steak and then smother it with Anaheim chili's, grated sharp cheddar cheese and then warm that till the cheese melts.

Steak Ranchero, fried potatoes, stuffed Jalapeno's,  roasted corn, baracho beans!  Yum......

Picture of the stuffed peppers follows.

I loaded up the car and will be headed to the Key's tomorrow for a week to do some work on an IP-38.

Guten Appetit!  

Great News - Medically

I had an appointment with my Oncologist yesterday fully expecting that I was going to have to start radiation treatment for post Prostate Cancer Surgery.  I was very very very surprised when the Doc indicated that my PSA ( I don't have a prostate any longer) level appears to have stabilized at or near the magic number of .1ng/mL.

For now at least we can celebrate as radiation treatment is on hold! So we did celebrate - had a nice lunch and a few good drafts beers at Fords Garage for lunch.  The a grilled ribeye, baked potato, and asparagus for dinner.  So what if I blew my cholesterol level all to hell, at last the PSA level seems to have stabilized.

Matanzas Pass Brige in a Bosuns Chair

I helped friend Steve move a Leopard 44 to Fort Myers Beach this morning and had a very interesting experience in the process.

We arrived at the USCG Station just North of the Bridge a little after high tide - the bridge was supposed to have 65 feet of vertical clearance at a high tide of 3.6ft.  We arrived just after a high tide of 2.6 feet and the depth board was showing only 64 ft.

We did all kinds of checking and waited the till depth board showed 65 ft then I went up the mast in the chair.  I removed the wind transducer and Windex and because I could not get the whip off the mount I bent it horizontally.  Steve slowly approached the bridge with me up the mast and with some shouting and hand signals I had him proceed.  As we neared the bridge I gave him the high sign to proceed and we cleared the bridge with perhaps a foot to 18" to spare!

Not the way I would do the ICW or any bridge but we got the boat into the yard.  The return trip will be equally thrilling I'm sure!

The Leopard was "Modified" at the factory to be OK for the ICW - this makes me wonder if ICW means something else in South Africa?