Giant tupperware is now stacked three deep in rows in the lounge and family rooms. We watch snippets of the Olympics between the plastic bin highrises. One fifth of humanity is Chinese. The Olympic opening ceremony was awesome. Our own "Pack up the house Olympics" needs more corporate sponsors.
Next week is 'vaccinations' time. Because of the area and length of time we expect to be cruising, the Health Department suggests vaccines for: hepatitus A, typhoid, yellow fever and tetanus. A prophylaxis for mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever can be taken.
For those not too familiar with nautical terms, here are a few brief descriptions that may help later on.....wh
en we actually move on board:
en we actually move on board:BOW : (sharp end of the boat) not to be confused with curtsying before the "Queen of Florida" or that thingymebob in Archery.
STERN : (back of the boat) The flat piece for writing the name on, hard to get the letters on straight if it is rounded
MAST : That's for mounting the anchor light. Keeps the nautical types happy
SAILS : Essentially to provide shade on one side of the boat or the other. Occasionally used for forward motion
DECK : To stop the boat from filling up with rain water. Generally covered in teak which will cost you an arm and a leg and ends up burning your feet
COCKPIT : Place to put your burnt feet, empty beer cans, trash and wine bottles. Has a wheel and a compass in it.
COMPASS : Early Chinese invention for steering manufactured products all round the world.
WHEEL : Found in cockpit and used to hang towels
RUDDER : Very important for steering. You cannot see it and you have to believe it is somewhere under the boat. Rudder Club is where old rudders end up and if they stay too long they end up rudderless.
CABIN : A place for doing wonderful things. FWD CABIN has built-in love nest
BOWLINE : A knot that anyone can undo and few can do
ANCHOR CHAIN : Made of steel and very heavy. Used for hauling black stinky mud out of rivers
HEAD: Tiny compartment with mirror to perform incredible ablutionistic contortions
DINGHY : Form of escape device to shore to email someone to send more money
LINES: Ropes made for tying things up. Called SHEETS if connected to sails, called HALYARDS if used to pull those sails up. On deck they all look exactly the same. Its a trial and error thing
LIFE LINES : Wires for keeping you on board but used mostly for drying bikinis
SIGNAL FLAGS : Different color bikinis strung in a line
BOOM : The noise it makes when it hits you in the head during a tack
TACK : That's going up a side street on the Ocean
STAY : Used to hold up mast. Take firmly in hand and just as with your dog say " STAY"
WINDLASS : Derived from "wind-her-up-lassie", a younger female version of "anchor wench"
HATCH : An opening in the deck for sticking your head up to see if you need to put clothes on
HEELING : Soul searching and making adjustment to the body
DOWNWIND : A place not to be when someone is going to be sick
YACHT : A poorly designed dwelling insecurely fastened to someone else's real estate
MOTORYACHT : Same as above only smells worse and makes noise
RADIO : A device for attempting communication with others by using words like "Over", "Charlie Bravo" and "Foxtrot" and generally used for long distance screaming
BILGE : A collection place for everything you can't find and won't recognise when you do
KEEL : Huge piece of lead used to generally keep the boat upright
HULL : Huge piece of wood generally used to keep the ocean out
ENGINE : Used for moving forwards or backwards and for parking
DECKCLEAT : Toe killer
I think that kind of covers it for now. More in-depth things later.
