What Earl?

Yesterday marked the closest approach old Earl made to South Carolina.  Here in Charleston there were few signs of old Earl.  The tides were more or less normal and the air temp was very nice until late in the day when a wind shift brought some steam in.  Folks here were not phased by Earl except the surfers on the Folly Beach.  They were treated to some spectacular wave action.  The harbor on the other side of the peninsula did get some spectacular rollers.  Otherwise, it was a non-event.

Our decision to get my neck fixed will cause us to remain here for at least another month.  Gee, that is not all bad.  Since mid September is peak season for Atlantic storms, we think any attempt to head north is ill advised for now.  Earl surely disrupted maritime interests up north anyway.

Sunrise the day Earl passed

Strolling the dock yesterday, I spoke with a fellow that had a huge mess on his hands.  He was cleaning strainers which he claims to do every four days.  This place offers amazing sea life some of which love strainers.  The really repulsive critter is a sea grape.  That is short for a slime ball that grows very fast and those guys love through hull fittings.  I had a close encounter with one the other day.  They are about the size of a large grape, fairly firm on the outside and slick, almost impossible to hold.  Caught one of them growing in our a/c strainer.  Says I:  just pluck the critter out and toss him overboard.  Easier said than done.  Without disassembling the strainer completely, it was like trying to grab a greased olive in the bottom of a Coke bottle with chopsticks.  Had 'em several times only to drop 'em back in the hole.  Just as I was thinking about taking the strainer apart, I got him to the neck of the opening.  Just then, he decided to let me have it.  Said critter has a way of squirting a really foul liquid over great (relative) distances.  I was about to toss him out the companionway and had him in a curve ball grip.  He managed to squirt stuff all over the engine compartment and me.  OK, suckah, you are outta here.  I accelerated him to mach .0000001 but missed the water and he wound up on the cockpit sole.  He did it again.  Mind you, the stuff could be used to make perps leave the hide out.  So, I lined up for to kick him out of the transom opening.  Did not work.  Seems the non-skid allowed me to spread his remains over about six inches of deck.  More smell sorta like the drippings from a seafood restaurant dumpster.  Ok, a quick squirt from the swim deck shower and he entered the food chain off the stern,  or so I thought.  This morning, the stench is still aboard only more subtle.  Since today is boat wash day, I hope to remove him completely.  The big boat guys all use Cascade dish soap to keep decks clean.  Perhaps I will try that-- or not.