Bejasus
Well-Known Member
Arrived in Houston on the 4th via Continental from Gatwick. Nice enough flight and half empty. Weather in high 80’s low 90’s. Drove up to Ft. Worth on the 6th for a stag party on the following evening. Guys were US Air force and Lockheed employees, so expected a few laughs. The organiser took us to the first bar to meet up which was a local Hooters. Lots of tight t-shirts on the serving wenches. Next up, another bar with the guys all doing Jaeger bombs, not me I hasten to add, as I have been there before and never again. Next bar turns out to be what must be Ft. Worth’s worst strip joint. I mean seriously, I have been in some rough dives around the world but the girls?? in this place were the absolute dregs. I am sure they were only getting paid to put everything back on again, including the iron masks. Next place was the total opposite and a real classy joint. Surprisingly, they don’t do stag night do’s with as much exuberance as we seem to enjoy.
Anyway, to get to boats, we drove back down to Houston the next day and over to Mississippi on the 9th to complete the boat purchase. Only the broker present as owner had to get back to Birmingham(Alabama), for a doctors appointment.
Two items of note that the surveyor had picked up on, was a crack on the exhaust manifold at one of the outer lugs, and also a cracked exhaust outlet on the transom. Both of these items were supplied new by the owner, but due to Katrina last year, there is a great shortage of labour in the area, to have them fitted, so I agreed to fit them myself. Only problem was that the manifold was the wrong one. Anyhow, got the old one off and sent it to the seller, for repair(doubtful) or replacement, but replacement will have to come from Bowman in the UK.
Spent the next couple of days trying to find our way around everything and tidying up a bit.
As I had $6k left over from the money I had transferred to the US I decided it would be prudent to open a bank account and use the cash for local purchases and mooring fees etc. Although I am not a US citizen, SWMBO is, so we thought no problem. We toddle off to the first bank and try to open an account with 6k cheque in hand. No chance. Although SWMBO has US social security details and passport on various other forms of ID, she needs a drivers licence issued by the State of Mississippi. What if she was unable to drive? Surely a US passport was acceptable. Nope. Crazy!! Anyhow scouted around and finally found a bank that would do the necessary.
A bit perturbed to find most of the coast still in a state of disaster with many houses gone and many wrecked and lots of peeps still living in trailer homes where their houses used to be. However, nice beaches along this coast, but it looks like the now vacant lots are being snapped up by hotel/casino complexes.
Spent a few pleasant nights on the boat but had to return to work, whilst SWMBO is swanning around the Caribbean with the wedding party. (actually I know she is hating it as cruise ship is definitely not her thing). Anyhow, took her down to Galveston to pick up the cruise, and spent a couple of hour in the Fishermans Wharf watching a US football game and enjoying a beer, with the dolphins leaping and the pelicans diving in the harbour in the background.
Got back to Houston to find it hissing it down(I said hissing, madam). Houston would flood if you dropped a bottle of mineral water, and needless to say had a 4 hour delay at the airport the following day. Finally left and plane half empty again, but late to arrive in Gatwick, so missed connection to Amsterdam and subsequently back to Billund, in Denmark. Got rebooked to Amsterdam but this also delayed a few hours and then had to spend 4-1/2 hours in Schipol waiting for the evening flight to Billund. Finally got back to my ship at 23:30, absolutely knackered, but still a happy yachtie.
Anyway, to get to boats, we drove back down to Houston the next day and over to Mississippi on the 9th to complete the boat purchase. Only the broker present as owner had to get back to Birmingham(Alabama), for a doctors appointment.
Two items of note that the surveyor had picked up on, was a crack on the exhaust manifold at one of the outer lugs, and also a cracked exhaust outlet on the transom. Both of these items were supplied new by the owner, but due to Katrina last year, there is a great shortage of labour in the area, to have them fitted, so I agreed to fit them myself. Only problem was that the manifold was the wrong one. Anyhow, got the old one off and sent it to the seller, for repair(doubtful) or replacement, but replacement will have to come from Bowman in the UK.
Spent the next couple of days trying to find our way around everything and tidying up a bit.
As I had $6k left over from the money I had transferred to the US I decided it would be prudent to open a bank account and use the cash for local purchases and mooring fees etc. Although I am not a US citizen, SWMBO is, so we thought no problem. We toddle off to the first bank and try to open an account with 6k cheque in hand. No chance. Although SWMBO has US social security details and passport on various other forms of ID, she needs a drivers licence issued by the State of Mississippi. What if she was unable to drive? Surely a US passport was acceptable. Nope. Crazy!! Anyhow scouted around and finally found a bank that would do the necessary.
A bit perturbed to find most of the coast still in a state of disaster with many houses gone and many wrecked and lots of peeps still living in trailer homes where their houses used to be. However, nice beaches along this coast, but it looks like the now vacant lots are being snapped up by hotel/casino complexes.
Spent a few pleasant nights on the boat but had to return to work, whilst SWMBO is swanning around the Caribbean with the wedding party. (actually I know she is hating it as cruise ship is definitely not her thing). Anyhow, took her down to Galveston to pick up the cruise, and spent a couple of hour in the Fishermans Wharf watching a US football game and enjoying a beer, with the dolphins leaping and the pelicans diving in the harbour in the background.
Got back to Houston to find it hissing it down(I said hissing, madam). Houston would flood if you dropped a bottle of mineral water, and needless to say had a 4 hour delay at the airport the following day. Finally left and plane half empty again, but late to arrive in Gatwick, so missed connection to Amsterdam and subsequently back to Billund, in Denmark. Got rebooked to Amsterdam but this also delayed a few hours and then had to spend 4-1/2 hours in Schipol waiting for the evening flight to Billund. Finally got back to my ship at 23:30, absolutely knackered, but still a happy yachtie.
