(2017 POST # 11) - 5 MAY - 2017, FUNNY FLORENCE
Some fun stuff since arriving Florence . . . this is our 7th month of living aboard, Bonnie is never left on the boat alone-she is "always" with us, we typically go ashore with her three to five times a day without fail.
So, one could guesstimate she has deboarded and boarded some 1,000 times each . . . that has been in driving rain/wind gales, heaving-gyrating decks, sleet-snow and deluge rains, very high winds and freezing temperatures creating icy decks. Until today we have had no mishaps, today, sunny-60 degrees and mild, she simply mis-stepped and fell in !
Of course we were there, and fished her out, she was non-plussed ....an'ya was so stressed it was pitiful.
Here at A-10 when the tide runs out, it is a 15 knot current sweeping by us at an alarming velocity for about two hours, fortunately it was slack-tide and very still waters, the hardware has been aboard for months to add-on a boarding rail (with a two bar aft rail for Bonnie) to the swim-deck, (just for added people safety), the pipes needed were never bought, but now (obviously) that project moves up the scale a notch or so.
I decided to try the campground/marina private showers, and headed up there entry code in hand, hit the numbers, & went in to inspect . . . it all looks really good for size, water pressure/temp, it is free, and very clean ! so I decided to go get my shower bag . . . hit the exit button, it buzzed, but the door did not open.
No instructions here, but I see a second switch button on the latch (that has three positions), so, I hit the big wall button, get the buzzer and turn the switch..... nothing, I try again (this time turning the switch the other direction).... nothing. I retry all of these combinations again, and again, with no luck,
This is an windowless concrete block building, with only two small 4" high by 16" slit vents some 10 feet above the floor for ventilation (with steel grates), the solid industrial steel entry door is tamper-proof, you cannot enter an entry code from the outside "if" someone is already inside, and, there simply is no way out.
Did I tell you I have Cleithrophobia? which is a similar thing to claustrophobia, (the extreme or irrational fear of confined places), Cleithrophobia is a fear of being "trapped", a fear of having no escape, it is typically classified as an anxiety disorder and often times results in a severe panic attack.
Well, locked in, it took not long for me to panic and go bonkers with fear and into a full blown panic attack, no way out . . . some frantic/magic combo eventually worked, and I did exit . . . trembling and out of breath, light headed. an'ya said the "other" shower had a different lock mechanism on it, so I cautiously took a look . . . and noticed the main entry door has a 16" high x 24" wide louvered grate low mounted for ventilation...and... it has phillips head screws on the inside holding it all in place.
Simple fix . . add a screwdriver to the shower kit and go for it !! great facility, great shower, and NO ONE can get in ! (or sometimes out).
A-10 is proving to be by far . . . the best spot for us absolutely, we have no adjacent neighbors, we have a very active water area, and our view is second to none in this harbor, we have privacy and finally ample electric service.... we are SOOO impressed. and pretty well convinced that given our boat history, a side-by-side "Marina" setting would not work for us, we are too private, require a view and space, and do not need another boat 5 feet away playing Chinese music, or a drunken family argument, or worse ,invading our leisure time.
The A-10 or G-Dock tied alongside environment is all we could ever tolerate, we simply love it here !
I have not forgotten my promise to recap the zany events that got us to Florence, (I simply have not had the time), I "will" get caught up after we finish a few more of the major projects.
So, one could guesstimate she has deboarded and boarded some 1,000 times each . . . that has been in driving rain/wind gales, heaving-gyrating decks, sleet-snow and deluge rains, very high winds and freezing temperatures creating icy decks. Until today we have had no mishaps, today, sunny-60 degrees and mild, she simply mis-stepped and fell in !
Of course we were there, and fished her out, she was non-plussed ....an'ya was so stressed it was pitiful.
Here at A-10 when the tide runs out, it is a 15 knot current sweeping by us at an alarming velocity for about two hours, fortunately it was slack-tide and very still waters, the hardware has been aboard for months to add-on a boarding rail (with a two bar aft rail for Bonnie) to the swim-deck, (just for added people safety), the pipes needed were never bought, but now (obviously) that project moves up the scale a notch or so.
I decided to try the campground/marina private showers, and headed up there entry code in hand, hit the numbers, & went in to inspect . . . it all looks really good for size, water pressure/temp, it is free, and very clean ! so I decided to go get my shower bag . . . hit the exit button, it buzzed, but the door did not open.
No instructions here, but I see a second switch button on the latch (that has three positions), so, I hit the big wall button, get the buzzer and turn the switch..... nothing, I try again (this time turning the switch the other direction).... nothing. I retry all of these combinations again, and again, with no luck,
This is an windowless concrete block building, with only two small 4" high by 16" slit vents some 10 feet above the floor for ventilation (with steel grates), the solid industrial steel entry door is tamper-proof, you cannot enter an entry code from the outside "if" someone is already inside, and, there simply is no way out.
Did I tell you I have Cleithrophobia? which is a similar thing to claustrophobia, (the extreme or irrational fear of confined places), Cleithrophobia is a fear of being "trapped", a fear of having no escape, it is typically classified as an anxiety disorder and often times results in a severe panic attack.
Well, locked in, it took not long for me to panic and go bonkers with fear and into a full blown panic attack, no way out . . . some frantic/magic combo eventually worked, and I did exit . . . trembling and out of breath, light headed. an'ya said the "other" shower had a different lock mechanism on it, so I cautiously took a look . . . and noticed the main entry door has a 16" high x 24" wide louvered grate low mounted for ventilation...and... it has phillips head screws on the inside holding it all in place.
Simple fix . . add a screwdriver to the shower kit and go for it !! great facility, great shower, and NO ONE can get in ! (or sometimes out).
A-10 is proving to be by far . . . the best spot for us absolutely, we have no adjacent neighbors, we have a very active water area, and our view is second to none in this harbor, we have privacy and finally ample electric service.... we are SOOO impressed. and pretty well convinced that given our boat history, a side-by-side "Marina" setting would not work for us, we are too private, require a view and space, and do not need another boat 5 feet away playing Chinese music, or a drunken family argument, or worse ,invading our leisure time.
The A-10 or G-Dock tied alongside environment is all we could ever tolerate, we simply love it here !
I have not forgotten my promise to recap the zany events that got us to Florence, (I simply have not had the time), I "will" get caught up after we finish a few more of the major projects.