Pierless Adventures - April 2 - E-PIRBus Unum

A common safety device that vessels carry is an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon).  Pierless had one when I bought the boat.  After checking the cost for new battery and re-programming the original unit, it made sense to spend a little more and buy a new one with more advanced locating features.  This left me with a functional, but unnecessary unit to get rid of.  I checked ebay and other sites to see if it had resale value.  Some, but not that much.  In the end, I decided to jettison it with the other surplus items and let someone else have it.

EPIRB:

Saturday morning while working on a project, I hear a knock on the boat.  It is one of the marina security guards.  He hands me his ratio and I speak with the marina manager.  Apparently, I have a phone call at the office...  It  is a bit of a hike to the office.  When I get there, sure enough, there is someone on hold.  I pick up the phone and identify myself only to find it is the US Coast Guard calling me to check on my status!  They had received an emergency notification from the old EPIRB I had given away!  I explained that it was an old EPIRB and that it was no longer registered with my boat and that I would see if I could locate it.

Back at the boatyard, two of the yard guards had picked up the old EPIRB on Thursday.  I explained that it was for emergencies, needed a new battery and would have to be re-programmed for use with another vessel.  I think that translated into something like "Press the red button for music."  

After my USCG phone call, I went over to see if  I could find it.  I spoke to the guards with similar results, so went to get Gloria in the boatyard office.  She speaks pretty good English.  After some back in forth, I learned the guards decided they had no use for it and put it in the trash.  The trash was picked up on Friday and the whereabouts of the device is a mystery none can solve but the US Coast Guard in California who have the GPS coordinates!  

I called the USCG back and explained the situation.  They were more that gracious and noted in their logs that this EPIRB can be ignored.  The battery should die in about 1 or two bags of ice.

In other news:  We ran the jib sail (our genoa) up in the morning.  It looked fine, but we are having a problem with the furler device.  I brought a device with me to fix it, but we have not tackled that yet.  We also rigged the boom and raised the mainsail.  This went smoothly, though it takes more time as there are many more control lines on the mainsail and boom.

Later in the day (after a siesta during the heat), I walked out to the bus stop for a trip to Home Depot and Soriana.  The faucet in the head needs replacement and I had a short list of other items to acquire.

Nice Bus Stop:

Sorting through plumbing parts to cobble together a way to hook up a new faucet has to be one of the most frustrating ventures to attempt in a poorly stocked Home Depot.  For a while I felt I had fallen into one of Dante's nine circles of hell, but I could not tell which one...

The faucet I am replacing has hot, cold and an extendable arm for showering.  Very complicated...  So, I determined that a single cold water faucet would be the best solution.  We don't currently have hot water anyway, it was the cheapest model and it would be easier for Dave to learn to operate!  I picked up a few other items, then checked out and headed across the street to Soriana.

It was getting late in the afternoon by the time I entered Soriana.  I wanted to get out and back to the boat before dark, so focused on my shopping list.  We needed paper towels (the ones that don't disintegrate upon contact with water), a bottle brush for filter cleaning, mug, and other items.  I also picked a couple items in the bakery for a late lunch.

Upon leaving, as I was walking toward the bus stop with my pack, a bag and a large planter box, I passed two women and two younger kids on the sidewalk.  As I approached, the kids drew in close to their mothers.  I guess it is time for a shave, haircut and a change of clothing...

From Scott:

As I alluded to in an earlier post, I have decided my position as First Mate makes me responsible for discipline of crew members.  Since Dave arrives on Monday, I have settled on a policy of Proactive Retribution which I think the crew will find helpful.  Simply put, you are already in trouble for your next mistake so that should ease the anxiety of punishment.  Punishment may include pink belly, purple nurples, and walking the cutting board (we don't currently possess a plank).

I also see educational instruction as being in my purview and I plan on instructing Dave on the nautical names of various items that I have tripped over or smashed my head into such as the Dirty Ankle-Grabber, the Head-Denting Mechanism, the Finger-Breakers, and the Toe-Stubbing Thingamajig.

I learned that "cosomajig" is Spanish slang for thingamajig and it serves me well when I don't know the name for something, which is often.  It is not used as an informal greeting however, as in Hola Cosomajig.

Lesson learned.