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Cruising America's Great Loop and other inland routes

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What to do with the Stuff

F
FloridaKeyz@aol.com
Sun, Apr 11, 2010 7:38 PM

Just thought I would start a discussion on what to do with you "stuff"
while you are gone cruising.

For example

with our cars:

We park them out of our flood zones (we live on an island, key largo)
I fill the tanks completely with Non Ethanol fuel, and put in Star tron
stabilizer. Don't leave ethonal fuel in anything, it deteriorates.
I have a friend come by and start the car once a month and move it a few
feet.
I call the insurance company , and put my car on "vacation" mode, insured
while store, but not driving. Saves some $$
I put a battery tender on my motorcycle

With our houses:
Lock the thermostat on 81 degrees for the AC (we are again in the  south)
Have someone come by once a month and flush the toilets (you don't want
them to dry up and things crawling back up the pipe.)
I have timers on several of the lights in the house.
I have all the utilities on auto pay from my bank
I take all perishables out of the frig.

My daughter pays my bills once a month, and the banks and mail.

See you in  Paradise!

Capt  Sterling

A  nearly perfect Trawler for sale
(http://floridakeys.homestead.com/forsale.html)

Just thought I would start a discussion on what to do with you "stuff" while you are gone cruising. For example with our cars: We park them out of our flood zones (we live on an island, key largo) I fill the tanks completely with Non Ethanol fuel, and put in Star tron stabilizer. Don't leave ethonal fuel in anything, it deteriorates. I have a friend come by and start the car once a month and move it a few feet. I call the insurance company , and put my car on "vacation" mode, insured while store, but not driving. Saves some $$ I put a battery tender on my motorcycle With our houses: Lock the thermostat on 81 degrees for the AC (we are again in the south) Have someone come by once a month and flush the toilets (you don't want them to dry up and things crawling back up the pipe.) I have timers on several of the lights in the house. I have all the utilities on auto pay from my bank I take all perishables out of the frig. My daughter pays my bills once a month, and the banks and mail. See you in Paradise! Capt Sterling _A nearly perfect Trawler for sale_ (http://floridakeys.homestead.com/forsale.html)
J
Jim
Mon, Apr 12, 2010 2:30 AM

While we were gone for 8 months on the Great Loop
I left a Guest Battery Pal (1/4 amp float charger) on
each car battery.  When we got home both cars started
and ran perfectly.  I did get the oil changed before we
left but didn't bother to top off the gas tanks.  The cars
were parked in the garage.

Jim Fidler  "Fiddlesticks"

From: FloridaKeyz@aol.com
Sent: Sunday, April 11, 2010 2:38 PM
To: mark@semi-local.com; great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Subject: GL: What to do with the Stuff

Just thought I would start a discussion on what to do with you "stuff"
while you are gone cruising.

While we were gone for 8 months on the Great Loop I left a Guest Battery Pal (1/4 amp float charger) on each car battery. When we got home both cars started and ran perfectly. I did get the oil changed before we left but didn't bother to top off the gas tanks. The cars were parked in the garage. Jim Fidler "Fiddlesticks" -------------------------------------------------- From: <FloridaKeyz@aol.com> Sent: Sunday, April 11, 2010 2:38 PM To: <mark@semi-local.com>; <great-loop@lists.samurai.com> Subject: GL: What to do with the Stuff > Just thought I would start a discussion on what to do with you "stuff" > while you are gone cruising.
JE
John Esch
Mon, Apr 12, 2010 12:05 PM

what to do with you "stuff"  <<
while you are gone cruising. <<

We are away from our house for several months a year on the boat while doing a
"slow, backward Loop from Texas".  We are currently starting year 6 in
Baltimore and will stay on the Chesapeake Bay this year. Some notes on our
stuff:
1: Vehicles - My wife keeps a specific wrench and when she leaves the
house to the boat (usually after me) she disconnects the negative battery
cable.  Upon return she reconnects and the cars run fine.

2: Mail - We keep a UPS mailbox near our home.  All mail (except some

junk) goes there year round.  While cruising we call when we want mail and
give them the address and we get it by regular ground cost a few days later.
They (UPS) email me a tracking number so that I can follow it. I also try to
call a marina before hand to see if it is OK to send to them and again on
estimated receipt date to verify they are going to receive a package based on
the tracking number. When home we pick up the mail at the UPS location.  This
means we are never involved in the Postal service forwarding mail. NOTE: This
works well in the US,  now Canada is a whole different problem because of
inconsistent shipping times due to customs.  For this I have no reasonable
answer.

John & Cyndi Esch,  #2302
Carrollton, TX 75006
214-500-9478-John (Verizon)

Fet-Esch,a 48' Chung Hwa Seamaster
Currently "Backward Looping" and  lying Anchorage Marina, Baltimore Inner
Harbor
www.Fet-Esch.com

>>what to do with you "stuff" << > >while you are gone cruising. << We are away from our house for several months a year on the boat while doing a "slow, backward Loop from Texas". We are currently starting year 6 in Baltimore and will stay on the Chesapeake Bay this year. Some notes on our stuff: 1: Vehicles - My wife keeps a specific wrench and when she leaves the house to the boat (usually after me) she disconnects the negative battery cable. Upon return she reconnects and the cars run fine. 2: Mail - We keep a UPS mailbox near our home. All mail (except some junk) goes there year round. While cruising we call when we want mail and give them the address and we get it by regular ground cost a few days later. They (UPS) email me a tracking number so that I can follow it. I also try to call a marina before hand to see if it is OK to send to them and again on estimated receipt date to verify they are going to receive a package based on the tracking number. When home we pick up the mail at the UPS location. This means we are never involved in the Postal service forwarding mail. NOTE: This works well in the US, now Canada is a whole different problem because of inconsistent shipping times due to customs. For this I have no reasonable answer. John & Cyndi Esch, #2302 Carrollton, TX 75006 214-500-9478-John (Verizon) Fet-Esch,a 48' Chung Hwa Seamaster Currently "Backward Looping" and lying Anchorage Marina, Baltimore Inner Harbor www.Fet-Esch.com
J&
John & Judy Gill
Mon, Apr 12, 2010 2:28 PM

John and others listed,

The best answer for mail forwarding to Canada is Federal Express.
Canadian postal service is known for taking forever.  We established
a FedEx account and simply told those forwarding mail to us to use
our boxes and account number.

Make sure to get the exact address for the marina and not a corporate
office located elsewhere.

John

===========================

On Apr 12, 2010, at 8:05 AM, John Esch wrote: (SNIP)

NOTE: This works well in the US,  now Canada is a whole different
problem because of
inconsistent shipping times due to customs.  For this I have no
reasonable
answer.

John and others listed, The best answer for mail forwarding to Canada is Federal Express. Canadian postal service is known for taking forever. We established a FedEx account and simply told those forwarding mail to us to use our boxes and account number. Make sure to get the exact address for the marina and not a corporate office located elsewhere. John =========================== On Apr 12, 2010, at 8:05 AM, John Esch wrote: (SNIP) > NOTE: This works well in the US, now Canada is a whole different > problem because of > inconsistent shipping times due to customs. For this I have no > reasonable > answer.
JE
John Esch
Mon, Apr 12, 2010 2:30 PM

The best answer for mail forwarding to Canada is Federal Express. <<
Canadian postal service is known for taking forever.<<

This is probably true but, when we checked it, was "super expensive". A
normal load of mail for us in the US is $10 to $ 15. When we checked Normal
FedEx charges to Canada  would be  4-5 times higher or more.

John Esch
Fet-Esch

>>The best answer for mail forwarding to Canada is Federal Express. << >>Canadian postal service is known for taking forever.<< This is probably true but, when we checked it, was "super expensive". A normal load of mail for us in the US is $10 to $ 15. When we checked Normal FedEx charges to Canada would be 4-5 times higher or more. John Esch Fet-Esch
MD
Mark Doyle
Mon, Apr 12, 2010 2:52 PM

Check out the U.S. Postal Service International Flat-Rate boxes.

We use these to ship books & guides to our Canadian retailers.

I think they were developed for mailing to U.S. servicemen.

They're the best solution we could find for "weight."

Managing the Waterway Cruising Guides & Electronic Charts
www.managingthewaterway.com

On Apr 12, 2010, at 09:30 , John Esch wrote:

The best answer for mail forwarding to Canada is Federal Express. <<
Canadian postal service is known for taking forever.<<

This is probably true but, when we checked it, was "super expensive". A normal
load of mail for us in the US is $10 to $ 15. When we checked Normal FedEx
charges to Canada  would be  4-5 times higher or more.

John Esch
Fet-Esch

Check out the U.S. Postal Service International Flat-Rate boxes. We use these to ship books & guides to our Canadian retailers. I think they were developed for mailing to U.S. servicemen. They're the best solution we could find for "weight." ---------------------------------------------- Managing the Waterway Cruising Guides & Electronic Charts www.managingthewaterway.com ---------------------------------------------- On Apr 12, 2010, at 09:30 , John Esch wrote: >> The best answer for mail forwarding to Canada is Federal Express. << >> Canadian postal service is known for taking forever.<< This is probably true but, when we checked it, was "super expensive". A normal load of mail for us in the US is $10 to $ 15. When we checked Normal FedEx charges to Canada would be 4-5 times higher or more. John Esch Fet-Esch
B
bv
Mon, Apr 12, 2010 3:03 PM

In today's world, isn't it possible to get absolutely everything done by
Internet ?

Just a question, not a judgement.

Check out the U.S. Postal Service International Flat-Rate boxes.

We use these to ship books & guides to our Canadian retailers.

I think they were developed for mailing to U.S. servicemen.

They're the best solution we could find for "weight."

In today's world, isn't it possible to get absolutely everything done by Internet ? Just a question, not a judgement. > Check out the U.S. Postal Service International Flat-Rate boxes. > > We use these to ship books & guides to our Canadian retailers. > > I think they were developed for mailing to U.S. servicemen. > > They're the best solution we could find for "weight."
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