Mike Jastrzebski's Blog, page 43

Name that boat!

The name on the stern of my boat this afternoon on arrival in Hopetown harbor.

by Christine Kling

Boat names — ugh. I’ve been listening to them all day long on the VHF radio since channel 68 is the cruiser’s network here in the Abacos and it’s like an open party line of gossip, and some days when I’m sitting alone on my boat and somebody calls with a real groaner, I jump up run (well take the two steps) over to the VHF radio and play like I’m sticking my finger down my throat and gagging myself. (I know, I’ve been alone on this boat too long.)

So, you ask, what is a groaner? If you are asking that, it probably means you’re not a boater, but that’s okay, we have some of them here, too.Most boaters have seen far too many groaners out on the water already. These are the boat names that when you see them spelled or hear them on the radio, you simply can’t believe that anybody in their right mind would be willing to do that.

Lately, it’s the catamarans that are making me nuts. Like this one guy who is always on the radio here – INCOMMUNIGATO – I always want to say, Really? Did you have to? Or there’s the one I saw this afternoon here in Hopetown – CHAT- EAU. What, do all cat owners have to learn how to spell cat in foreign languages?

Often times the folks who come up with the worst names are just trying to be punny.

FLOAT SOME AND JET SOME (Lemme guess, a pilot?), or  ACCREWED INTEREST

Then there are the nautical language puns:

A KNOTTY BUOY,  HIDE AWEIGH,  FRAYED KNOT,  BUOY N’ SEA,

Some like to go for the naughty giggles like

BETTER WHEN WET,  or  THE MOTHER DUCKER

And the fishing guys, oh, the fishing guys.

CARP A.D.M.,  MASTER BAITER,  GROUPER THERAPY, A-FISHY-NADO, PLAYIN’ SNOOKEY

Okay, so here’s the thing. Everybody strives in their own way to come up with something clever for their boat name, right? I think my boat’s name TALESPINNER comes close to being a little bit of a groaner, but it doesn’t cross the line. Mike and Mary’s boat name ROUGH DRAFT is one of the best I’ve seen.

But now I need your help with coming up with a new boat name for my current novel. My work in progress is a sequel to CIRCLE OF BONES (a title, which was chosen by the readers of this blog). The new book is called DRAGON’S TRIANGLE and in this story, Theo is aboard Cole’s boat (a trawler that has been converted to a research vessel and treasure ship). The boat used to be called SHADOW CHASER – because I thought that fit Cole the conspiracy nut. But now Theo has had to change the name of the boat to hide out from the bad guys. What would he call it?

What I think SHADOW CHASER looks like. How would you rename her?

The person who comes up with the best new boat name (to rename SHADOW CHASER) will get his or her name in the acknowledgements of the book and a free signed paper copy when the book is released in April, 2014. So get to work! Make some suggestions in the comments. You have until Thursday, May 9th!

Fair winds!

Christine

Shiny!

C.E. Grundler

It’s always nice to have something to show for endless hours of hard work.  I suppose that’s one of the reasons I enjoy brightwork — it’s so very visual and satisfying.  But my brightwork days are still far into the future. Much of the work I’ve been doing aboard Annabel Lee has been on things that ultimately no one will ever see. Passers by rarely pause to comment on the fairness of a keel, or the smooth, even curve of a deck.  And while I realize few people will ever see deep into the engine room, at long last, I can look in there and smile…because things are really starting to shine!

One more coat to go and the block will be finished.

The valve cover, starter and alternator are next in line for their makeover, then they and all the other nice painted parts, including the resealed tranny go back in. New belts, hoses, lines, clamps and more, and this little engine will at last look as good as it runs. And that makes me very happy.

I guess this means now I’ll have to start cleaning and repainting the rest of the engine room.

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A quick post

By Mike Jastrzebski

I’ve been trying to hit my goal of 50,000 words for April with Camp NaNoWriMo. So far this month I have written 46,212 words with two days left to hit my goal, hence the short post. Since arriving in the Bahamas on March 18th I have written a total of 50,442 words.

By the time we head back to the States I expect to have completed the first draft of Stranded Naked Blues, my new Wes Darling book. I also expect to have the first draft of the first novella in my fantasy series, The Believers, completed.

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Bahamian lunacy

by Christine Kling

I’ve been feeling twitchy all day. You know those days when you just cannot get comfortable and your brain is unable to focus? Those days when you’re unaccountably sleepy, and you just want to curl up with your puppy and withdraw from the world? Today’s been one of those days, and it all made sense to me when I was riding my dinghy back to my boat this evening after walking the dog, and over my shoulder I saw this  gi-normous full moon rising over the masts of the anchored boats.

One of my favorite bloggers, Kristen Lamb, blogged this week about The Myth about Introverts & Extroverts —Could you be an Ambivert? When I read it, I thought yes, that’s me, an ambivert, because there are some days I do enjoy being around lots of people and I can become a regular raconteur when it comes to sailing stories. But today, there was no question about it, the introvert was in full control. Several people stopped by my boat in their dinghies, interrupting my writing, and I began contemplating how to hang a Do Not Disturb sign from the lifelines. A couple of the folks who stopped by asked if I was going to the potluck at the JibRoom and I said I was — but I lied. When the time came to go, I waited until the dinghies were gone, and then I took my dog ashore on the opposite side of the harbor and took him for a long quiet walk far from any other people.

We have all these stories about people acting crazy under the influence of the full moon, and there have been so many times in my life when I’ve felt this lunar lunacy. So, this evening, I decided to do a little Googling to see what is myth and what is fact.

I learned some fascinating things about the moon. I mean I’d heard of the Big Bang, but who knew the moon was formed in the Big Whack? It turns out, according to Livescience.com that there was this big collision 4.6 billion years ago between Earth and some hunk of space rock the size of Mars and this produced a big ol’ puff of vaporized rock that got spun off into earth’s orbit. It eventually solidified and formed the moon. You would think that from that crazy beginning, the moon would be bound to drive us all mad, but in fact, that’s not the case at all.

It turns out that there is no statistical evidence that a) more crimes are committed or that b) more people go crazy and are admitted to psych wards or c) more pets are injured and treated by vets or d) more animals bite people or e)more people have epileptic seizures under a full moon.

There was only one of these myths that might have some grounding in fact. Researchers have suggested that before modern lighting, the “the moon was a significant source of nocturnal illumination that affected [the] sleep–wake cycle, tending to cause sleep deprivation around the time of full moon. They speculated that this partial sleep deprivation would have been sufficient to induce mania/hypomania.” (Livescience)

Reading this made me think back about last night. I must have awakened at least five times during the night, and I sleep right under a large window in the hatch through my foredeck. The moonlight last night lit up my forepeak like it was daylight. No wonder I’ve been feeling so tired and cranky all day!

So maybe I haven’t been afflicted with some sort of Bahamian Lunacy that’s making me crave my solitude so. Perhaps I can blame it on the moon after all. Either way, I’m still looking for good design for a Do Not Disturb sign I can hang from the lifelines. Or maybe Beware of Dog?

Killer Yorkie in Residence

Fair winds!

Christine

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A dirty subject…

C.E. Grundler

Dirty, oily, messy. Leaky.

Sadly, those were the words I’d use to describe my boat’s engine. And it was something that bothered me to no end. While some people think of an engine room as that place where the nastier workings of a boat are tucked away, out of sight and out of mind until they misbehave, that’s not how I see it. The engine is the heart of the boat, especially in a powerboat, and should be cared for with the honor and respect it deserves. The engine is that critical piece that should be there for you, humming along contently, or on the ready when all hell kicks up, and it should be cared for with the proper reverence and respect it deserves.

Alright. I’ll admit it. I’m a bit fanatical when it comes to engine care. But a clean, well-maintained engine is (at least in my eyes) a thing of beauty. A sound engine is one you can count on, and a clean engine is one that will readily reveal if any area develops a leak or other issues. In my opinion, the engine room above all else should be the cleanest part of the entire boat. And while the deck-glassing project proceeds, the engine overhaul has been moving ahead at a steady pace. I’m happy to report at this point I’m able to wipe the engine down from end to end with a white rag, and it remains white.

All loose paint has been scraped and wire-brushed off, and the entire engine treated with a pre-primer prep.  It won’t be long until this whole thing is gleaming Ford red, and fitted out with new hoses, belts, lines, filters, and so on.  And while much of what people see on my boat awaits cosmetic attention, the engine itself will, indeed, sparkle!

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Boston Aftermath – Boats to Build

By John Urban



(Customs Tower – City of Boston, Massachusetts)

With the click of the remote control, CNN and the national networks made it clear that the whole country was watching what was playing out in Boston neighborhoods last week. Any one of these events – the marathon bombing, mourning for the victims, the shootouts, the capture – was a vivid reminder of how lives can be changed forever without notice or reason.

Resilience was one of the first words to emerge following the attack, a theme articulated more bluntly by Red Sox baseball star David Ortiz when he reminded everyone that this is our city.

From the outset, a region better known for its chilly persona was revealed by its humanity as police officers, volunteers, doctors, nurses, and EMTs rushed to help others. As remarkably, politicians stepped back and followed the guidance of federal investigators and the local citizenry followed. It’s been some time since the public had faith in its government, even longer since that faith was so well-earned.

The events of the Boston Marathon Bombing are far from over, especially for the victims and countless others who were near the blasts or the manhunt that followed. Media overload will seep into our lives and as a society we struggle to find a new balance in life. Resilience may be in our character, but it will have no virtue if we succumb to a mindset that veers us towards becoming combatants ourselves. At the same time, we would be naive if we let our daily lives become blindly shielded from the realities that this event forced into our view.

I suspect, though, that this past week’s events were vivid enough not to be ignored or forgotten. My sense is that diversions which help us return to normalcy are welcome and healthy.

Some of us will spend time in boatyards, sanding and painting hulls in preparation for the coming season. Others will be at our desks, writing of worlds more distant than the one that was so harsh as to take the lives and futures of the innocent. Others among us – despite any proximity to Boston – will sit by the water, perhaps listening to music, maybe even Guy Clark’s tune Boats to Build.

Sails are just like wings

The wind can make em sing

Songs of life, songs of hope

Songs to keep your dreams afloat

I’m gonna build me a boat

With these two hands

She’ll be a fair curve

From a noble plan

Let the chips fall where they will

Cause I’ve got boats to build

Shores distant shores

There’s where I’m headed for

I got the stars to guide my way

Sail into the light of day

I’m gonna build me a boat

With these two hands

She’ll be a fair curve

From a noble plan

Let the chips fall where they will

Cause I’ve got boats to build

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Free Books and Things

By Mike Jastrzebski

This past weekend I offered The Storm Killer for free on Amazon. I used Ebook booster ($45.00), a site that will contact 45 different free blogs that post free book offerings. I also paid $30.00 to Digital Book Today for a featured listing. I then paid $230.00 for a listing on BookBub in their mystery/Thriller category.

The results-in 3 days I gave away 32,780 copies of The Storm Killer. It will take a few days to tell is these were good investments, but right now I’m feeling good about it.

As for Camp NaNoWriMo. I’ve slacked off a little. So far this month I have written 31,748 words. I need to write a little over 2000 words a day for the rest of the month to hit my 50,000 word goal. I think I can make it but I may have to glue my shorts to the chair.

We are still in Marsh Harbor.

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Just how good people are

by Christine Kling

As an author of crime fiction, I spend lots of time making up stories where people do horrible things to each other.  But one of the best things about fiction is that I get to make the good guys win and those bad guys pay. At a time in our country when the headlines are filled with the tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombings, I think it’s important to remember just how good most people are.

Last week Mary Jastrzebski and I paid a visit to the school Every Child Counts here in Marsh Harbor in the Bahamas (and thanks to Mary and her camera we have some pics to share). I was there to drop off the school supplies and books I had purchased with the money I earned from the March 1 promotion blog here at Write on the Water – thanks to my readers, friends, and family who helped with getting the word out. I’d sold plenty of books and rather than just donate cash, I’d gone shopping at Costco for school supplies that were on the school’s wish list and I went to thrift shops and bought up a bag full of illustrated children’s books.

Christine and Lyn Major, the school’s founder and director

Every Child Counts was started about 15 years ago when Lyn Major looked for resources for her adopted twin sons and learned there were no programs in Abaco to help children with special needs. The school’s mission is “To provide an alternative education for children with learning, developmental or physical disabilities (regardless of financial, family or social restraints) to maximize each child’s ability to become a productive, successful and independent citizen.”

Our tour guides

It was such a pleasure to meet with Lyn, the school’s founder and director, and she was so generous as to offer us a tour of the school.  Two lovely students showed us the art classroom where one student was in the process of creating an incredible table with a mosaic design of the sun and moon in junkanoo style. We saw the vocational lab where the older students learn skills by packing utensil packages that the local restaurants can then use with their customers. We also visited the soap making facilities, where students learn how make sweet smelling soap from the scrap tailings purchased from a high-end soap manufacturer.

But the best part of the trip was seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces and the genuine love that exuded from all the students and faculty. I spent many years working as a high school teacher, and I know how difficult and frustrating it can be for teachers and students when kids struggle to learn. What’s happening at Every Child Counts is changing the lives of these students and helping to make them into well-adjusted, productive adults. They are showing just how good people can be.

One of the best commentaries I’ve seen on the events that took place in Boston was Stephen Colbert’s Tribute to Boston. He ends with a line about how several of the runners, after having just completed a 26-mile marathon ran two more miles to a hospital to donate blood. “These maniacs may have tried to make things bad for the people of Boston, but all they can ever do is show just how good those people are.”

Enjoy.

The Colbert Report

Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,Video Archive

 

Fair winds!

Christine

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More destruction…

C.E. Grundler

I’m counting the days until Annabel Lee emerges from the shed and returns to the realm of sunlight and tides. The quiet corner where she’s dwelled, once solitary and serene, has over the last few months become a somewhat hellish place of earsplitting noise as compressors, grinders and sanders all tear into hurricane damaged hulls, and a constant layer of gritty white dust that coats everything and everyone. These days, I can’t even hear the passing freight trains — I only know they’re rumbling past when the boat begins to shake.  But it won’t be long now. The bridge is solid, smooth, and sealed up tight as a duck’s rear end. Likewise for the transmission, along with much of the other leaks in the engine room. The salon windows will receive some temporary attention until we can focus on them further. But as our days with the boat indoors, under a roof and out of the weather count down, there’s one last region of leaks I’d intended on eradicating, and though I knew it wouldn’t be pleasant, it had to be done. The forward and side decks.

I’m sure thirty-five years ago these decks looked lovely and seemed like a good idea. True, they had their charm, but at present they weren’t far behind the bridge, and left unattended I knew only too well where their advancing leaks would lead. It was time to be ruthless.

It was painful, ripping the first planks up. But before long I was coming to see how many fasteners were all but gone. These decks were on their last days, with or without my help. And in short time, I’d already cleared a large area.

Once all the teak is gone, I’ll strip off the bedding, drill and fill the holes, and this time around it should (theoretically) be a simple case of laying down some biaxial cloth with yet more epoxy, and finishing it off with some non-skid.  After the structural issues entailed in reconstructing the bridge, this should be a whole lot simpler, easier, and faster. At least, that’s my hope, but whatever the case, it needed to be done. I’m just looking forward to the days when I’ll have more time to focus on my writing, aboard a tranquilly floating, dust-free and relatively leak-free boat.

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Camp NaNoWriMo figures

I just finished writing 2016 words today and I’m afraid the blog is going to suffer as a result. We are still in Marsh Harbor and I am still writing away. Last week I mentioned that I had decided to work on two books at the same time and I am still doing that. I also set a higher goal of 60,000 words instead of 50,000 words.

Well, through Sunday the 14th I have written 23,714 words, right on track for 50,000 words. I still hope to come in closer to 60,000 than 50,000 words, but it’s going to be a struggle. I wrote 0 words Saturday which slowed my pace down.

The problem was I didn’t feel good about the writing of the young adult fantasy I’m working on. Stranded Naked Blues is coming along fine. Today I took a big turn on the fantasy novel and switched from third person to first person. I think I’ve found my voice on this book and I will continue to write it in first person. If I still like it when I’m finished with the first draft I’ll go back and change what I wrote earlier to first person.

That’s all folks.

 

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