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23' mini-trawler by Schucker	Janice aboard Seaweed, living the good life afloat... Trawler life on a nickel budget is possible. I'm doing it and you can too. Janice Marois, nautical journalist. Accredited member of Boat Writers International.
Thanks to those who chose to make purchases through my Amazon links found at the upper left corner of each page. This costs you nothing and does help fund my decadence. Plus, I appreciate it loads!!! My mailing address is: Post Office Box 8284, Madeira Beach, FL 33738 or 15019 Madeira Way, Box 8284, Madeira Beach, FL 33708
Date: 28 May 2023. Gratitude for Gary. © janice142 Five years ago I received a gift that made a large difference in my life. Back then I had my Seaweed, an older Toshiba netbook, a phone and a Kindle PaperWhite. What more did a girl need? Nothing, or so I thought. That was until Captain Gary entered the picture. Cap'n Gary mailed me a Verizon tablet. You see, when Cap'n Gary needed to renew his Verizon phone plan they offered to add a tablet to his service. He agreed, and generously sent the tablet to me. Although I had read about folks who had tablets quite frankly I wasn't sure another gizmo was necessary. How wrong I was!!! The tablet has been a true treasure. The speed is lightning fast. For the past five years I have always been able to connect to the internet. In my area that is because this is a Verizon. The tablet has become more important to my life than I ever could have anticipated. I am grateful. My phone is on the T-Mobile network. Service is inexpensive. The coverage is spotty. The tablet continues to be important in more than one way. It helps keep me occupied while waiting for my mechanic. Seaweed has not left the dock in a few months. I miss anchoring out. This ordeal is frustrating. My engine starts however she does not continue to run. The problem appears to be related to fuel starvation. I do have an electronic fuel pump which theoretically should keep the diesel flowing. The issue has been diagnosed as a clogged injector screen or filter. This is a relatively (knock teak) inexpensive fix. However, like most things boats, there are complications. The mechanic is temporarily recovering from an accident. In the meantime I have a beautiful boat that cannot leave the dock. Argh!!! Hopefully this will be resolved in June. All is coming together, finally. This is Jesse. ↑ He made my air conditioner work when the Dometic motor arrived with a broken shaft. I wrote about that fiasco in the AC Install from Hades (Mistakes were Made, complete series) series. All boats can be heart-breakers. When my Seaweed is not working properly life seems more difficult. Much of country music feels melancholic to me. Generally I do not listen due to the sad lyrics. I used to have Dean Martin's country album turned into an MP3 which I did enjoy. Recently though I had a thumb drive fail. I lost my complete MP3 music collection. ARGH!!! Complaining while living aboard a boat in Florida is untenable. I know I am blessed. I get to grow plants in my cockpit. Regarding my engine difficulties... Here is the Plan: Jesse will be the lead mechanic. Though still recovering from his fall, I will pay for his expertise while another fellow (Mark) does the physical part of the project. Having a resource like Jesse is a true blessing. And Mark is amazing. Both regularly help on the docks around here. They are gems. Jesse is the best diagnostician I have met since Daddy left this world. Truly, it would be difficult to overstate the depth and breadth of his knowledge. Like many old timers he has seen the boating world as it evolved. The world spins and we all get to watch the changes. One thing I hold dear is the peace and calm found in remote anchorages. With the assistance of both Jesse and Mark soon I will be able to spend time watching boats sail by while reading my Kindle or tablet. Seaweed is a wonderful home. I am indeed fortunate to be aboard her. While attached to the dock I get a lot of happiness from my Kindle and the tablet. Although Verizon is no longer working on the tablet it still brings me joy. I am indeed fortunate. A big thank you to Ken and later Michael for the Kindles all those years ago and to Gary for the tablet. Both gizmos are sources of happiness and relaxation. Quite frankly, I am not sure which of the two is more important to me. In the meantime when not on the devices I have been organizing and sorting my stuff. I have too much stuff, and that's okay. Thank you for reading. I appreciate that. Comments welcome and encouraged on the Gratitude for Gary page. Categories: Characters, Entertainment, Announcement: Folks who want to be notified when I post are welcome to become subscribers. I email readers every time a new article goes up. That's usually once or twice per week. If you'd like to be included via BCC* simply drop me a line to janice@janice142.com and I'll add you. It's free. *BCC - Blind Carbon Copy. Basically no one but me will have your email address and the list of subscribers is not available. Now this is not fancy. Basically I copy off the top three items in my Archive file. That way you can catch up if life gets in the way of your reading fun. Secret: If you want to know what's what, start in the Archive. It offers you the title, first paragraph and topics (Categories) covered in each article published on my website.			Something a new reader might not realize: Almost every picture on this website can be clicked. The photo will get larger when clicked. Do that a second time and the picture should be full size. Enjoy... My Cruising Kitty earns money each time you buy on Amazon through my links found in the upper left corner of every page. This is a tangible way to support me and is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your support, and heck, just for being here. I appreciate that more than you can imagine. Paypal Tablet link: CRUISING KITTY for those who wish to donate direct to me via paypal. Pet of the Week: Mac on S/V Gypsy Submit your pet's photo. Please email pictures of your crew! More canine, feline and feathered crew members can be found on the The First Mate Gallery page. Archive The Archive holds a chronological list of every item published on my website. It includes a brief synopsis (not just the title) along with the topics covered in each article. Click on the title and voila: you're there. Enjoy! Skipper, First Mate extraordinaire Of course every boat needs a Deck Swabbie. Mine, born in 2008, is a papillon mix. She weighs in at five pounds. Coming soon ... Topics of Interest: You can achieve a simple satisfying life Anchorages Nice versus never again Becoming Clutter-Free One Week at a Time Boat Talk A glossary for nautical neophytes Boats Find yours here Books On the bookshelf Channel Markers of Life Small yet significant Characters Interesting folks Comfort Decadence aboard DVDs Movie-time aboard Seaweed Entertainment Relaxing afloat Fishing* catching dinner - tips and tricks Your ideas, hints and articles welcome! Galley Off-the-grid and not starving* Gear The good, the bad and the ugly Humor Laughter along the waterways In the Bilges Repairs and Upgrades Locations Where we've been Memory Lane Stories from yesteryear Money Thriving on very little Organizing How to fight clutter Pets Aboard Boat life with four paws Recipes What's cooking aboard Recommendations Relationships Cruising partner matters Security Be safe, plus the Medicine Locker Simplify Less is more Sojourners Saloon Boater chronicles Unmentionables The head aka bathroom, trash disposal, pests, etc. Vignettes Brief notes about life Wild Things Nature entertains The Writer's Block by guest authors Oh, a wondrous bird is the pelican! His bill holds more than his belican. He can take in his beak enough food for a week. But I'm darned if I know how the helican. (Poem by Dixon Lanier Merritt, 1879-1972.) Aphorisms For years I've been collecting short pithy statements otherwise known as aphorisms. If you're like me and enjoy the weird, go ahead and CLICK! These are previously posted at the bottom of each article -- for new, you'll have to come visit again. Seaweed is in St. Pete right now. The above chart (#411) can be a wish book of sorts as you look over your domain and wonder where to go next. And yes, I do have the originals (sans red arrow) as jpeg's for download should you desire your own for closer perusal. Enjoy! 411a.jpg (1024x840) at 556KB or 411b.jpg (5000x4102) at 7.41MB The Writer's Block It's my belief that other folks who boat are some of the most interesting in the world. Inside every boater is a story. Let yours out! I'd love to post short stories, vignettes, or even longer articles that focus on some aspect of our life on or near the water. Suggested topics include: 1. I Remember When... 2. My First Boat 3. Who inspired you to be a boater? 4. Fishing Trips or Tricks 5. Or another subject of your choosing For the novice, here's how to write: Simply pretend you're sending a letter to a friend. Tell about an event or a memory from years ago that you still recall. Life has changed so much on the water since I was born aboard. Personally I'd love to hear your memories of life when you were younger. Boats were smaller, narrower, and much slower. Kids were kids and our families often shaped the adult we have become. Here are my two aboard the tow boat my dad ran for a time: Your pictures would be wonderful too. I posted one of Boot Key Harbor taken in 2001 that has gotten quite a few downloads and really, that's not so terribly long ago... Do you have any photos to share? Email me. Do you want to help out? Often an article for the website will be completely written yet lack photographs. I like pictures and am looking for some for up-coming pieces: Pets afloat (include pet and boat name please) Any picture of boats underway or at anchor Photos of people enjoying life in or on the water Size: a minimum of 1000 pixels across please. If that doesn't make sense think bigger versus resized for emailing. I prefer the full-size version. Also, the name you'd like me to use when I add the copyright stuff to your picture. And thanks bunches! My email address is janice@janice142.com

Thanks for visiting. If you happen to see my boat along the waterways, give a call on Channel 16. I'm always listening.
click picture to enlarge		My home is not fancy by any means, however you cannot imagine how wonderful it is to come back to her after an expedition on shore. If I can live this life, why not you too?		Skipper, First Mate extraordinaire
Aphorism Alert: Begin doing what you want to now. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand, and melting like a snowflake. Marie Beyon Ray.
Contributions to my Cruising Kitty via are always appreciated. Every gift helps. The Cruising Kitty is what boaters refer to as spending money. There's never enough aboard Seaweed! I am also an Amazon Affiliate.
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