Good day all,
I like to use old fire hose as chafing protection between mast and spars, mast and battens, etc. Recently we were searching at all the local fire departments for old hose, hoping for about 20 yards of 5" diameter hose for Persephone.
Well, when it rains it pours. A friend at the Baltimore FD said "sure, we have hose...we condemn it all the time." Well, we now have 7 full rolls of the stuff, many diameters, and it comes to about 400' total. Plus one roll of 10" that he mysteriously called "Feeder Hose". Last time I saw something like that, it was on the FRONT of the pumper truck and looked necessary. I have a feeling Lieutenant Baltimore cleaned out the city's surplus stocks. But that is Maryland, and this is Virginia, so we are OK with it since raging fires can't cross the Potomac.
Well,
I know many of y'all are across the Pond, so to speak. But if anyone happens to be doing the Intracoastal, Chesapeake, or heading NE fleeing hurricanes, feel free to drop anchor here in Virginia and help yourselves to some pieces, and even some spares. There is enough here for the whole Royal Navy. However, the last time THEY were here, they shelled the place and burned the capital. No need for gunnery this time...it is FREE. Plus, if you burn the capital we will need that fire hose. Consider this the surrender notice.