That sounds like great fun, sadly all I have is a10'4" boat with a 3" draft. But she works fine for me. I can not tell you how many times men have apron he'd me about my boat. There suggestion is I get on their boat with their wives and they will take my little boat into bass country. I kind of prefer that I stay on my boat and if one of their wives want to catch fish come with me. It is a 2 person boat..... I will ask my niece if she has any pictures of the party barge of sail boats. I know they have pictures of her boyfriend who fell a sleep during one. He is a rigger, and had been working hard for the weeks up to the 4th of July party in San Diego. There are a lot of rules around water, any water. Most are a sad statement, because it should be common sense. I have a May West, if I fall in, the gas automatically fills the vest. I do not need a vest in the boat, no one dose, the reason you need it is if you are no longer in the boat not by chose. You do not want to be caught with out it on. That is what I tell any one that thinks they do not need to have one on correctly, or they do not have to get into my boat. However, if you live on a sailboat, you almost never ware one. I put mine one when I am going back and forth. I was moored in a safe harbor, little wave action. However, we had PopEye. PopEye is a seal with one eye. Nasty tempered old guy. He has been known to chase kitchen people when they step out back for a cigaret, unless they give him tribute. Fish trimmings will do. I have taken fish back to the boat to clean. He shows up, trying to raise himself as far out of the water he can to see what I have. He is usually 1/2 second behind the seagulls. And the local Blue heron. I have seen dolphins circle me also. Partying on fresh water you do not need some of the unwritten laws. It is see to see the differences. A lot of people are unaware of boat people, or the sounds under the water. I have even heard wales at sea, all the way to were my boat was moored. It is a very, very noisy place. Now I have to ad, that there is the group of people, usually moored at a dock that live as though no one counts. I met a couple that for 20+/- years they lived at a dock that was bought and converted over to exclusive about $40.00 a ft. They and others were grandfathered in for a period of time by the original owners. They said they could not take the new neighbors. They just were not boat people even though they lived on their yacht or sailboat. My nieces boyfriend grow up on a 3 masted sail boat, traveling the world with his mother and grandparents. The boat took a 3 man minimum crew. Forgot how big it was.A party badge is also when several boats teacher themselves to gather, (usually sailboats), you hop between boats, you have kitchens, bath rooms, A PARTY BARGE or PONTOON is a large, flat individual boat with large aluminum cylinders that stretch the length of the boat placed on the bottom to keep it afloat. Which is what real barges use such as the barges that haul trash for Chicago etc. Made first in 1952 by a Minnesota man. Most do not come with sleeping accommodations unless people sleep on the floor or seating areas. There usually aren't bathrooms either... though many around have done modifications to their pontoon to provide one, these are usually day-usage boats. My Dad, who is the president of the Louisiana Power Squadron for the 4th year, has one. Some have two floors which adds to more flooring for sleeping I guess, it's mostly all wide open and ready for a party.
Now a HOUSEBOAT, or YACHT, at least what we use more here, my father has one of those as well. (Dude owns 5 boats) Awesome piece...3 bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom,sunning platform, fishing platform, even a washer and dryer!...lovely! When we go with friends, we call it a YACHT PARTY or BOAT PARTY, which if one gets an invite, your expected to bring your own boats and food to share as people DO hop across. In Louisiana, all rules are thoroughly written. We party all night if we so choose, those wanting to sleep disconnect from the bunch and putter away for a private spot, all kids under 13 wear a preserver at all times, etc etc, no open containers of alcohol. People receive the maritime Handbook when you take your Louisiana boating course to receive your boating license. My Dad is the one in Louisiana who determines WHAT to require politicians to place on the boating license test each year. So we obey the rules for sure in my family! A lot of people around me either travel the country by motorhomes, OR buy a boat and join a boating club... can meet some real awesome people! But since we aren't near an ocean...we generally don't have sailboats anywhere around here, except the REALLY rich, who travel to the coast often, or play with it on the Red River which is dangerous due to the currents, or on a lake which they are plenty, but it is seldom windy enough up here so they are seldom seen. It's neat to hear what those in other places in the country call these type boats and get togethers! Like to see pictures of the boats used!
PopEye had this habit, when you get into your dingy, put the lights on, push away from dock, and start your motor. It is so peacefully, usually the water is smooth, not a ripple. Speed limit is No Wake, so you start off in the still around you. Then! You hear a violent wishhhhhhhing and a fine mist shouting up next ti you, a large black form rises from the sea........ As soon as you land back in the boat, hand your heart has returned to your chest........POPEYE............! He got you again. He did eventually stop doing that to me when I started to expect it. He know exactly what he was doing. Animals do have a sense of hummer. I have also seen sharks, but usually not dangerous.......... PopEye on the other hand. I would not wish to be in the water with him. A life preserver would not help if I was dismembered.
It's a wonder the guys didn't pee on it!TGIF!!!! 3 day weekend!!!!!
New time clock at work is up & running. Before we installed it yesterday, I took it to the break room where several of our meter readers were. I showed it to them & explained that it works just like the old one that broke, except you drop your time card in a top slot instead of a side clock.
I had to bite my tongue to keep a straight face. I swear those guys eyeballed that time clock like it was a snake about to bite them. They cocked their heads & looked at it suspiciously, then worked up the nerve to touch it, then studied the new time cards (smaller). They did everything except sniff and lick it. Man, people sure do hate change.
Then I had to deal w/Mutt & Jeff from Maintenance, who managed to mangle and wrestle the new clock into place, along w/some diversions along the way like stopping to go get a ladder & change out the lightbulb above the area, etc. (FOCUS guys! Stay on track)!!
After they left, it wouldn’t even turn on. I called our IT guy, no answer, looked around, couldn’t find him, called IT & they said “call Greg” – OK I did that already –twice. I gave up & one of the ladies and I took the thing back down, opened it up, rearranged the wiring so it would actually turn on, and programmed it to work. In the meantime the door to the staircase opened & out walked our IT guy. I thanked him for NOT answering his phone – TWICE. Not that I was being sarcastic or anything. Frankly, we did better without him.
Now I have them all practicing with the new cards. We will start actually using it next week.
Pigeon (my Wellie roo) was out again this morning. I swear we should’ve names that roo Houdini! I had not even opened the coop yet! He somehow squeezed through the door I think.
I know.It's a wonder the guys didn't pee on it!
