My place in the food chain... ongoing

Sailing into the USVI to find a big Amazon order ( can you spell DVD's) waiting at one of our mail drops is always nice and being able to catch up on "EXTRAS", "HOUSE, MD" and the second half of "ENTOURAGE" but the real treat was my new slip tip spear head for my hand spear from Gat Ku which is just PERFECTO...Excellent design and workmanship at a price that is cheap when you consider what others are charging these days. Can't wait to get it wet....

On the downside my minions at DEMA were unsuccessful at scoring new carbon blades for my Sporasub Variant fins which seem to be discontinued but as Sporasub did not have anyone around to ask about them ( and they do not respond to their emails) you have to wonder why a big company ( I believe that Sporasub is a division of Mares) does not provide the kind of service that a small companies like Gat Ku, Ray Odor and Hammerhead do on a daily basis.

Just a note on the Sporasub Variant fins ...They are the best fins I have ever used...PERIOD and the fact that the bane of long finners is overcome by the simple if clever fix of making them two part makes them pack and stow in almost less space than normal fins , an Elegant solution!.I have noticed that they seem to be closing out whats left of the model on Amazon but of course my sizing is not in the mix so if you have small feet and need some top of the line long fins at cheapo cheapo prices..Go for it!

And by the way if anyone out there in the real world knows of a shop that has blades for the Sporasub Variants please drop me a line...

Now I'll just say a hasty Happy "T" day as lobster is (hopefully) on the menu and still needs to be caught!

The rant free boat

My goal in this whole living aboard a sailboat gig is to have a rant free boat and the fact is there is light at the end of the tunnel...Well I can always dream!

The fact of the matter is there is a lot of great gear these days, stuff that just does its job and works...and not requiring fixing spells no rant in a big warm way!

Case in point our Coleman fridge just works and works keeping the beer cold and being quite frugal on the power in the process. The Sterling cycle as a means of cooling is really a great system in that there are no compressors or evil ozone destroying freons to leaks out ( and make refrigeration folks rich in the process) and the fact that it costs less than so called marine stuff makes the Coleman fridge/freezer a no brainer...

Another cool point is that when I took it all apart to see how it was put together it was quite apparent that if one wanted to build it in sans its plastic outer box it would be a very simple if not elegant build in installation. Fact is I am seriously considering buying another and building them in side by side to add a dedicated freezer to better be able to freeze the odd Mahi Mahi filet's and of course the required ice cream stash!

Now if only Forespar could makes its damn evil crappy winches work half as well as the Coleman Sterling cycle fridge/freezer we would be another step closer to the rant free boat...

Coleman Stirling Power Electric Cooler : Thermoelectric 26-Quart Portable Cooler W/ DC Power Cable & Household Power Supply: about $449 from Amazon (click link )