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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 decadence aboard my Seaweed. 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: 20 August 2024. Phone Saga, lesson 1.

© janice142
 

Less than 20 minutes after a friend said "be careful or you will break your phone" I dropped said iPhone7 onto the sidewalk. The screen shattered. So too did my world. Perhaps that is a bit hyperbolic, however not having my phone numbers accessible was disheartening. I lost everybody, almost. A lessons was learned.



 

Baby had gifted me the phone years ago.
Below is the first picture taken with the iPhone.



My Skipper was such an amazing pup. She was 5 pounds of fluffy
 fur that she left all over Seaweed. My bilges still have Skipper's fur.
 

But I digress...
Almost immediately after being told to be careful I managed to drop the phone. The screen shattered. Because of that I was unable to open the phone, retrieve phone numbers, answer calls, make phone calls, LIVE MY LIFE!!! It is amazing how much information I had on that little phone.
 

I should have had a written list of my friends, associates and the businesses I call. Because I did not, I was lost. Additionally, due to not having a replacement phone for quite some time folks who normally called me did not receive an answer. I was able to send letters to a couple of friends which was good.
 

 

The technology of telephones has changed the world far more than I ever could have imagined years ago. The Star Trek communicators of decades ago has been supplanted by the now common cell phone.
 

Having the ability to make and receive phone calls while boating has made a tremendous difference in my life.

After a couple of flip phones (both dropped overboard) my newer phone has a hotspot. Baby has me on her Verizon plan. Here in my area the coverage is spectacular. 

 

Oliver's mom enjoyed using her cell phone while aboard Lutin:
M/V Lutin is a 46' Grand Banks based in France. She's a beauty.
 




 

Phone coverage varies by area. What works where I am may be a terrible choice in your location. It is important to determine which company provides the best service where you are located.


Cell phone providers are similar to bottom paint options. For boaters, every area has different needs. Fresh water, brackish, and salt water all have distinct requirements. Choosing the bottom paint for your boat may indeed differ from my preference. Quite frankly, opting for what the boatyard suggests is most likely your best choice. More on that and a new-to-me boatyard in an upcoming article...


After shattering the screen on my old iPhone, Baby sent
me a new one. Now I have a spiffy iPhone11. (whoo-hoo!)

The iPhone11 in a lilac (pale purple) case is much larger than the one I broke. Baby even bought me a brand new cell phone case. I am blessed.


I am grateful more than I can say for the spiffy new phone. Because I knew Baby's number, I was able to contact her after shattering my original iPhone7. Unlike decades ago however, I had not memorized anyone else's number. Therefore, once I had the new phone in hand I wrote the numbers that remained into my address book. I did lose many numbers however...
 

Lesson Learned: HAVE A HARD COPY of important phone numbers.


But this is just one lesson, and there was another... that tale will be posted tomorrow. Thank you for reading.
 

Comments welcome and encouraged on the Phone Saga, lesson 1 page.

Categories:  Boats, Characters, Locations, Pets,
 

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: Don'ke
 on S/V Concord

Submit your pet's photo.
Please gate io 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



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!

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.

 

  
My Buddy, and his girlfriend...
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