Hanging out at Minstrel Island

We spent a week or 10 days here last spring because we were both sick and it made a good place to layover while we recovered.  This year its a good spot to have internet access and solitude.  There’s a caretaker couple in the cabin to the north of us but, other than them, we haven’t seen anybody for 4 days now.  Occasionally there’s a fishing boat goes by in the distance and a couple of little tugs have dragged log booms through the channel in front of us but its a pretty quiet spot this time of year.

I wrote last year that this place likely has 5 years left before the ocean reclaims it and I don’t think I’m far wrong.  The docks are a little more rotten, the pilings a little more worn, the bullrails a little scarier.  The whole place is one bad storm on a high tide away from being too scary to tie up at.  As it is we walk carefully because some of the boards on the ramp are pretty spongy.  We made sure to put the lines completely around a bolt that goes through the deck beams because we’re not sure the old bullrails would stand a solid pull midway along their length anymore. 

Marilyn needs internet access for the next week and I’ve got lots of puttering type jobs to do onboard.  I’ve been putzing my way through a complete oil change and touching up the white and red trim paint in the engine room at the same time.  Right now I’m held up on finishing the oil change because my paint won’t dry.  Its just too chilly and damp down there for the oil based Tremclad to dry quickly.  I ran the engines for a while this afternoon to warm up the blocks thinking that maybe that little bit of heat down there will help speed the paint along. 

We’ll probably stay here at least until the weekend, maybe into early next week.  We don’t have any agenda at all.  The first night after we leave here we’ll likely be away from internet access and right now that would be bad for Marilyn so we just won’t leave right away. 

I noticed last night that someone has done a property development just to the south of the old resort property here.  They claim that some of the lots are sold already which could be complete bullshit.  If its true though and if the rest of the lots sell then maybe there’s still hope for this place.