Tuesday February 8th 2011
Believe it or not, we are still in Miami. We are still waiting for a good weather window to cross to the Bahamas, and the winds have not been favorable. In the meantime, we’ve been having a ball!!
We are in Dinner Key Marina, in Coconut Grove, the southern most part of Miami. It is a pretty upscale part of Miami; beautiful homes and high end shops. The downtown area is called “the Grove”, and includes many restaurants and clothing boutiques, a bookstore and movie theater. We have enjoyed many meals in the restaurants, and even went to see “The King’s Speech” at the theater. It was a good movie, but I’m not sure it is Best Picture worthy. It didn’t have enough action for Dave.
Because we don’t have a car, we have become very good bus riders. If you take the bus going north, you end up at Crook & Crook Marine (they aim not to live up to their name!). When you go south, you end up at West Marine. Each ride is 25 cents. We have been back and forth many times, and are thankful for the transportation.
However, we wanted to broaden our horizons a bit, so on the weekends, we take advantage of the $9.99 per day special at Enterprise. The one we use doesn’t have very many compact cars, so each weekend, we have ended up with a mini-van. This has led to some great outings with our new friends.
Speaking of new friends, we found a couple from Ontario, Canada, on another Whitby 42 like ours, Dave and Renee on “Lunar Sea”. It is their first year living aboard, also. We also met a couple from Virginia, Dave and Kathy, on “Orion”. They have been living aboard and cruising for the last 5 years. (Seem to be a lot of Daves!) One day, we loaded up the van and headed for South Beach, Miami. What a crazy place!! Lots of neon, tons of restaurants, and outrageous people everywhere!! We walked up and down the waterfront, then had dinner at a sidewalk restaurant. As you walk through the myriad of sidewalk establishments, each one tries to outdo the others, to get your business. The one we settled on, offered us 20 percent off our meal, and the first round of drinks, free. We had a very nice meal, and enjoyed our first drinks, then Dave decided he wanted a second. When the bill came, that second Mai Tai cost $19.00. Couldn’t believe it! It’s been the source of a lot of jokes lately!!
We spent one day on a day sail, on Cort and Carolyn’s catamaran. The huge beast took up the whole channel, as we made our way out. They are new to the boat this year, and had never had the chance to actually sail the boat, so it was fun being in on the inaugural sail. When the sails were unfurled, we couldn’t believe all of the silt, salt, and old wasps nests that rained down on us. They had been furled for quite awhile. We were then in for a nice sail, enjoying the sunshine the whole time.
After the first week here, Cort and Carolyn decided to move their catamaran across the bay, to No Name Harbor. So, last Saturday we drove over to see them and took Dave and Kathy along. We ended up driving to Hollywood (Florida, that is) to walk the boardwalk there. Not quite as entertaining as South Beach, but we still had a great time. Afterward, we drove to Fort Lauderdale and did a drive-by of the beach, then cruised through the mansions lining the canals throughout town. Pretty amazing!!
Sunday we drove back to No Name, and took Cort and Carolyn to a burger joint to watch the Super Bowl. They had about 20 different burgers on the menu. While we ate, we rooted for Green Bay. It was one of the better Super Bowls, since it became a close game, in the second half. I knew our friends, Kathy and Norm, back in Longview, were ecstatic!! They are the biggest Packer fans we know.
Earlier, we found a great sports bar here called “Monty’s”, where we watched the play-off games. They have an outdoor area, under thatched roofs, that easily seats about 300 people, and hosts about 50 big screen TVs. We were fortunate, one afternoon, to have live Reggae music. Really quite good!
Our days are mainly spent doing boat maintenance and running errands. Since we are on a mooring ball, we have a 10 minute dinghy ride to get to the dock. Sometimes, it can be pretty tricky, if the wind and waves are high. It seems as though we are usually going out to the boat after dark, making it even more challenging. The ride back and forth gives us the chance to see what boats have moved on, and which new ones have arrived.
We have also been having an infestation of Portuguese Man of War jellyfish. They are really strange looking. The top looks like a clear pot sticker, with a blue bottom, and then blue tentacles hanging down into the water. It floats along on top of the water, being blown by the breeze. They have a very painful sting. So, no swimming!
Not too much else happening here. We did get a call from Austin last week, telling us that he has a new job. The Marriott in Crystal City, Virginia, right across the border from Washington, DC, needed a Supervisor of Operations, so they contacted the Wardman Park Marriott for a recommendation, and they sent them Austin. He was hired on the spot, after his interview. He starts on February 11th. He will hold this job until this summer, when Austin and Cindy move to New York City!! That’s right, the big apple! Cindy graduates from Georgetown Law this May, and was recruited for and landed a job with the Justice Department in Newark. They will make their home there for a couple of years, and then hope to relocate to Seattle. So exciting!!
Meanwhile, back in Olympia, Matt is celebrating his 6th year with Empire Office Equipment, as an Internet and Copier Technician. Wow, where did the time go?? We are so proud of both our boys! Matt and Jacinda are planning to go back to Hawaii this spring, and we are hoping to accompany them and James, on a trip to Disneyland, next Fall.
So, here we sit, waiting, still. Looks like maybe this weekend, or the first part of next week, will be good for crossing. We need a good 3 days to get all the way to Nassau. It’s hard to wait, but this is a pretty good place to hang out. At least we’re finally back to wearing shorts and flip flops every day! (I know, I know, quit bragging!)
Have a Happy Valentine’s Day, and maybe when I write the next post, it will be from the Bahamas!
Love & hugs,
The Admiral
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Thursday January 21st 2011
We are in Miami!!! But before I tell you about that, let me tell you about some of the interesting things we did in Fort Pierce to help pass the time, while we waited for some good sailing conditions.
We were not the only boat waiting it out. The boat next to us, a Benetau 411, was owned by a couple from Port Aransas, Texas, Howell and Jo. He is a retired sales rep, and she is a retired school teacher, after 31 years!! They have two sons, also!
There was also a catamaran from Bellingham. Yes, Washington! Talk about a roomy boat! I’m jealous of all the space, but I wouldn’t want to dock the thing. It is owned by Cort and Carolyn. He is an architect in LaConner.
Dave loved having some guys around to discuss the weather, radios, charts, repairs, etc. He gained some wonderful information, and I’m sure he gave out some, as well. If he disappeared for 20-30 minutes, I knew he was out on the dock talking with one, or both of them.
On the first Friday of the month, Howell and Jo invited us to go with them to Jazz night, at the city marina park. There was music, food, venders, and beer. We walked around the park, looking at all of the “trinkets” for sale, and had a couple of beers, then sat on the seawall and listened to music. It was a little nippy out, so we decided to go somewhere warm for dinner, and found a restaurant close by. We had a great meal, and learned more about our new friends.
The next morning, we set off again with Howell and Jo, for the farmer’s market, held every Saturday, at the same venue as the Jazz night. This time, there were twice as many venders; some with trinkets and some with produce or baked goods. They also had music, which we sat and listened to for quite awhile. Then it was time for lunch, so we piled in the car and found a restaurant called “Captain’s Galley”. It seemed appropriate, so we stopped. The food was great, the prices were low, and we really enjoyed the company we were with.
Fort Pierce is so close to Vero Beach, about 12 miles, so we took advantage of that and went to the marina’s Thursday night happy hour every week. It was fun to see some old friends and meet some new. Howell and Jo went with us to the last one. The wind was blowing, and it was a bit cold, but we had a great time, and were the last ones to leave. We gave them a quick tour of the beach area, and then had dinner at the Riverside Café.
We also had a little football fun while in FP. We had dinner with “the gang”, at the marina restaurant, and then watched Oregon and Auburn in the BCS championship. We really thought Oregon would dominate the game, but Auburn’s defense was just too good. At half-time, the restaurant was closing, so we moved down to the cruiser’s lounge for the second half. It’s pretty comfy in there: nice poofy couches and chairs, a big screen TV, a library and reading area, game table, etc. It was late when we headed back to the boat, but we had a great time watching it.
The Seahawks vs. New Orleans was another game we really enjoyed. Who would have thought that the hawks would come away with a win. We were so excited to see them play Chicago, but it seemed like the old Seahawk team, not the one from the week before! We met up with the gang, again, at the marina restaurant, and watched on their big screen TV.
We will always remember watching the Steelers play the Ravens. We were attending the 5th annual Chili Cook Off, at the marina. I decided it might be fun to enter the contest, with my daughter-in-law, Jacinda’s great recipe. So, I made a huge pot of chili, and took it to the contest. There were 10 entries, and we tried to sample them all, and then everyone voted for the best one. While we ate, we were serenaded by a father on guitar, and his daughter on keyboard. They were really good!! The other entertainment was the play-off game, on a small little TV in the opposite corner. Those attending the cook off, were all cruisers or marina liveaboards, but they are from all over the USA, so it was fun to experience watching a football game with them. One woman was a New England Patriot’s fan, who desperately wanted Pittsburgh to win, so the Pat’s would not have to play the Ravens. She was a real hoot!
After the votes were tallied, Jacinda’s chili did not win the prize, but it did get lots of compliments. Dave and I thought it was hands down, the very best, but we may be a bit prejudiced.
Fort Pierce is known for its large population of manatees. We did not see any for the longest time! Then finally, we saw five of them, under and around the docks. What a strange creature they are! And very friendly. If you are swimming, they will come right up to you and rub against you. But, because they are so docile, they do not know to be afraid of boats. Many of them have cut marks on their backs from boat propellers. Many of them are killed every year by boats, and lately because of the cold water. Poor manatees!
On one of our last nights in FP, the gang got together for one last dinner at the restaurant. We had a few extra people with us: Cort and Carolyn had friends from Sedro Wooley, Washington, visiting them; and another British couple on another catamaran joined us, Richard and Marie. We had a wonderful time swapping tales and eating seafood. Howell, Jo, and the Brits, will be leaving for the Abacos, while the rest of the gang will be heading to Miami.
And so, on Wednesday the 19th, Dave and I said our good byes to Howell and Jo, and sailed off for an overnight trip to Miami. It was cloudy when we left, but by the time we got 3 miles offshore, the sun was shining bright. We motor sailed all day and into the early morning hours, with a nice breeze from the West. When night fell, a beautiful full moon lit up the sky, and the water was calm as could be. We started having trouble maintaining our speed, and realized that we were bucking the gulf stream current. Dave decided we should move closer inland. That helped a lot.
In the morning, when we reached Miami, the water was so clear, you could see the fish swimming below. It was a beautiful sunny day, that topped out at 82. After finding our mooring ball, and trying to get a little more sleep, we headed into shore for a shower. Boy, did that feel good. After that, we walked over to “Scottie’s” restaurant, right on the water, and had nachos and beer, and watched for Cort’s catamaran, “Celise Spirit”, to arrive. When we were done, we realized that there were clouds gathering, and that we might be about to get a thunderstorm, so we opted to head for the boat. It was a good thing we did. It takes about 10-15 minutes to get from the marina dock to the boat in the mooring field. Shortly after we arrived at the boat, and just as “Celise Spirit” entered the harbor, the heavens opened up and the rain poured down. We spent a quiet evening, hunkered down in the boat, as we were both pretty tired after our night offshore.
Today is another beautiful day, though a little windy. Too rough to cross to the Bahamas. We will most likely be here for at least 5-7 days, waiting for just the right conditions to cross over. It will take us about 12 hours, so we will leave in the early morning hours, to arrive there in the late afternoon. Keep your fingers crossed, that we will not end up here for several weeks, waiting for weather.
Hope all is fine back home. We miss you all. We are having a great time, but it is difficult to be away from home so long. It seems like our time is standing still, and the rest of the world is going on without us.
Take care and stay healthy. Send us an email when you can. DO NOT CALL. The charges in the Bahamas are outrageous!! Only call if it is an emergency. Email is your best bet, but if you don’t get a reply right away, it means we are in some small tropical bay where they don’t have Wifi. When we get to a destination that has Wifi, we will get back to you.
Love and Hugs,
The Admiral
We are in Miami!!! But before I tell you about that, let me tell you about some of the interesting things we did in Fort Pierce to help pass the time, while we waited for some good sailing conditions.
We were not the only boat waiting it out. The boat next to us, a Benetau 411, was owned by a couple from Port Aransas, Texas, Howell and Jo. He is a retired sales rep, and she is a retired school teacher, after 31 years!! They have two sons, also!
There was also a catamaran from Bellingham. Yes, Washington! Talk about a roomy boat! I’m jealous of all the space, but I wouldn’t want to dock the thing. It is owned by Cort and Carolyn. He is an architect in LaConner.
Dave loved having some guys around to discuss the weather, radios, charts, repairs, etc. He gained some wonderful information, and I’m sure he gave out some, as well. If he disappeared for 20-30 minutes, I knew he was out on the dock talking with one, or both of them.
On the first Friday of the month, Howell and Jo invited us to go with them to Jazz night, at the city marina park. There was music, food, venders, and beer. We walked around the park, looking at all of the “trinkets” for sale, and had a couple of beers, then sat on the seawall and listened to music. It was a little nippy out, so we decided to go somewhere warm for dinner, and found a restaurant close by. We had a great meal, and learned more about our new friends.
The next morning, we set off again with Howell and Jo, for the farmer’s market, held every Saturday, at the same venue as the Jazz night. This time, there were twice as many venders; some with trinkets and some with produce or baked goods. They also had music, which we sat and listened to for quite awhile. Then it was time for lunch, so we piled in the car and found a restaurant called “Captain’s Galley”. It seemed appropriate, so we stopped. The food was great, the prices were low, and we really enjoyed the company we were with.
Fort Pierce is so close to Vero Beach, about 12 miles, so we took advantage of that and went to the marina’s Thursday night happy hour every week. It was fun to see some old friends and meet some new. Howell and Jo went with us to the last one. The wind was blowing, and it was a bit cold, but we had a great time, and were the last ones to leave. We gave them a quick tour of the beach area, and then had dinner at the Riverside Café.
We also had a little football fun while in FP. We had dinner with “the gang”, at the marina restaurant, and then watched Oregon and Auburn in the BCS championship. We really thought Oregon would dominate the game, but Auburn’s defense was just too good. At half-time, the restaurant was closing, so we moved down to the cruiser’s lounge for the second half. It’s pretty comfy in there: nice poofy couches and chairs, a big screen TV, a library and reading area, game table, etc. It was late when we headed back to the boat, but we had a great time watching it.
The Seahawks vs. New Orleans was another game we really enjoyed. Who would have thought that the hawks would come away with a win. We were so excited to see them play Chicago, but it seemed like the old Seahawk team, not the one from the week before! We met up with the gang, again, at the marina restaurant, and watched on their big screen TV.
We will always remember watching the Steelers play the Ravens. We were attending the 5th annual Chili Cook Off, at the marina. I decided it might be fun to enter the contest, with my daughter-in-law, Jacinda’s great recipe. So, I made a huge pot of chili, and took it to the contest. There were 10 entries, and we tried to sample them all, and then everyone voted for the best one. While we ate, we were serenaded by a father on guitar, and his daughter on keyboard. They were really good!! The other entertainment was the play-off game, on a small little TV in the opposite corner. Those attending the cook off, were all cruisers or marina liveaboards, but they are from all over the USA, so it was fun to experience watching a football game with them. One woman was a New England Patriot’s fan, who desperately wanted Pittsburgh to win, so the Pat’s would not have to play the Ravens. She was a real hoot!
After the votes were tallied, Jacinda’s chili did not win the prize, but it did get lots of compliments. Dave and I thought it was hands down, the very best, but we may be a bit prejudiced.
Fort Pierce is known for its large population of manatees. We did not see any for the longest time! Then finally, we saw five of them, under and around the docks. What a strange creature they are! And very friendly. If you are swimming, they will come right up to you and rub against you. But, because they are so docile, they do not know to be afraid of boats. Many of them have cut marks on their backs from boat propellers. Many of them are killed every year by boats, and lately because of the cold water. Poor manatees!
On one of our last nights in FP, the gang got together for one last dinner at the restaurant. We had a few extra people with us: Cort and Carolyn had friends from Sedro Wooley, Washington, visiting them; and another British couple on another catamaran joined us, Richard and Marie. We had a wonderful time swapping tales and eating seafood. Howell, Jo, and the Brits, will be leaving for the Abacos, while the rest of the gang will be heading to Miami.
And so, on Wednesday the 19th, Dave and I said our good byes to Howell and Jo, and sailed off for an overnight trip to Miami. It was cloudy when we left, but by the time we got 3 miles offshore, the sun was shining bright. We motor sailed all day and into the early morning hours, with a nice breeze from the West. When night fell, a beautiful full moon lit up the sky, and the water was calm as could be. We started having trouble maintaining our speed, and realized that we were bucking the gulf stream current. Dave decided we should move closer inland. That helped a lot.
In the morning, when we reached Miami, the water was so clear, you could see the fish swimming below. It was a beautiful sunny day, that topped out at 82. After finding our mooring ball, and trying to get a little more sleep, we headed into shore for a shower. Boy, did that feel good. After that, we walked over to “Scottie’s” restaurant, right on the water, and had nachos and beer, and watched for Cort’s catamaran, “Celise Spirit”, to arrive. When we were done, we realized that there were clouds gathering, and that we might be about to get a thunderstorm, so we opted to head for the boat. It was a good thing we did. It takes about 10-15 minutes to get from the marina dock to the boat in the mooring field. Shortly after we arrived at the boat, and just as “Celise Spirit” entered the harbor, the heavens opened up and the rain poured down. We spent a quiet evening, hunkered down in the boat, as we were both pretty tired after our night offshore.
Today is another beautiful day, though a little windy. Too rough to cross to the Bahamas. We will most likely be here for at least 5-7 days, waiting for just the right conditions to cross over. It will take us about 12 hours, so we will leave in the early morning hours, to arrive there in the late afternoon. Keep your fingers crossed, that we will not end up here for several weeks, waiting for weather.
Hope all is fine back home. We miss you all. We are having a great time, but it is difficult to be away from home so long. It seems like our time is standing still, and the rest of the world is going on without us.
Take care and stay healthy. Send us an email when you can. DO NOT CALL. The charges in the Bahamas are outrageous!! Only call if it is an emergency. Email is your best bet, but if you don’t get a reply right away, it means we are in some small tropical bay where they don’t have Wifi. When we get to a destination that has Wifi, we will get back to you.
Love and Hugs,
The Admiral
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
January 11th 2011
Howdy faithful followers!! I can’t believe it’s been so long since I wrote in last. No, nothing horrible has happened. We are alive and well. However, we are not in the Bahamas, yet!! We are still in Fort Pierce, Florida, waiting for a good weather window to sail down the coast to Miami. While the rest of the country has been hit with the cold nasty weather from Canada, believe it or not, we are being affected down here. Not near as cold, of course, but when you live on a sailboat and it gets down to 30 degrees at night, it feels pretty darn cold. If we were in Seattle and it got that cold, we wouldn’t even think about being on the boat! Other than the week that Austin and Cindy came to visit, we have been wearing jeans and sweatshirts most of the time!
I’m getting ahead of myself though! Dave and I spent the week before Christmas having new batteries installed in the boat. Six new beauties! They were our Christmas presents!! We decided that the old ones might not make it through 6 months in the Bahamas.
We also managed to finish our shopping and get our gifts in the mail, and send off our Christmas cards. While we were at the mall, we also treated ourselves to a movie, “The Tourist”, with Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. We really enjoyed it!
By the time Christmas Eve rolled around, we realized how much we really missed our family and friends. I thought we wouldn’t have any problem, but the holidays are just not the same, when those you love are far away. We tried to chase away the blues by going out for a prime rib dinner, but the only restaurants we could find open were Chinese and Mexican. With visions of “A Christmas Story”, we settled for Mexican. Later that night, we called and talked to Matt and Jacinda, who were spending Christmas Eve with Dave’s parents in Seattle. It sounded like they were all having a great time! Then we called Austin and Cindy, who were in Minneapolis with Cindy’s parents. They were cold! There was a foot and a half of snow on the ground and the highs were in the teens!!! They had taken their new little puppy, Tiger, with them. She loved the snow. So much so, that when she “did her duty”, she did it on top of the highest snow peak, then just grinned as Austin or Cindy climbed up, to clean up after her.
On Christmas day, we drove up to Vero Beach and had a potluck meal with all of the other cruisers up there. There were not as many people as our Thanksgiving potluck, but it was just as much fun, and we had a ton of food! After our mid-day meal, we had a group of musicians play carols, while we sang along. As soon as we were back on the boat, we made calls to the kids again, Dave’s parents and aunt, and to my sisters and brother, who were spending the holiday at MaryLynne and Ted’s mountain home above Lake Chelan. With nearly 2 feet of snow on the ground, my brother and nephew were having great fun sliding down the hill on a sled run they had built! We enjoyed talking with them all, but it really made us miss them all the more.
After getting their fill of cold weather, Austin and Cindy flew south to join us in Florida. We hit the road and joined them in Fort Lauderdale on the 30th. We spent that evening at Lulu’s Bait Shack, a sports bar, right on the beach. We had a great meal and enjoyed watching the Holiday Bowl; the Huskies vs. the Huskers. Washington had played Nebraska back in September, and it was not a pretty game! This bowl game will be a favorite in Husky legend for years to come. We not only won the game, we dominated it. It was so much fun, and I’m glad we had someone to share it with.
We spent the next day on the beach, laying on the warm sand and playing in the surf. That evening we spent New Year’s Eve at a restaurant close to the hotel, had a glass of champagne at midnight, and were back in the hotel room at 12:10, ready for bed. It’s hell getting old!
On January 1st, we loaded up the car and headed for Coconut Grove, just south of Miami, and checked into another Marriott there. What a beautiful place!! The hotel is just across the street from the marina that we are trying to get the boat to. We walked over to check things out, then walked a few more blocks to the downtown area. We were amazed at the number of shops and restaurants. That night we went to another sports bar for dinner and watched Wisconsin and TCU in the Rose Bowl.
The next morning we drove over to Key Biscayne and spent the afternoon at the beach. It was perfect! Just the right temperature, lots of sunshine with just a little breeze. If the water had been just a little warmer, it would have been heavenly! Afterwards, we drove up to South Beach, Miami, and walked around a large shopping mall near the beach, then had dinner.
Monday morning we headed for the Keys, but first made a stop in the Everglades, to see some gators! We took an airboat ride, which was very loud, and very exhilarating. We saw a few alligators and lots of birds. Back at the safari park, they had an alligator show that was very impressive. Then we saw lots of alligators in their zoo area. Cindy walked up behind one and he lashed out with his tail and dove into the water. I’m not sure which of them was more scared!
After a quick lunch, we headed to Key Largo, and checked into yet another, very nice Marriott. It was right on a waterway, lined with boats. We walked the pier and then stopped at a tiki bar for a drink. That evening we had dinner at one of Jimmy Johnson’s sports bars, and watched Stanford play Virginia Tech. It was nice to see another Pac-10 team do so well!
Tuesday, we drove on down to Key West, did some shopping and had lunch on the dock. Back at the hotel, we took advantage of the fabulous pool and hot tub, then had dinner at the tiki bar on the waterway.
We hated to see it end, but on Wednesday we headed back to Fort Lauderdale and sent Austin and Cindy back to DC. We could not have asked for a better week of weather. I was extremely disappointed that we were not able to meet them in the Bahamas, as we had planned, but we had a great time anyway, and they were happy just to get some sun!
So, here we are, waiting in Fort Pierce. There are some other boats here, waiting with us. We have been having fun, going to the local farmers market, and listening to jazz, and having dinner out with our new friends. Last night we got together and watched Oregon in the BCS Championship game. Hard to believe that we were actually rooting for Oregon, but we really wanted another win for the Pac-10. But, it was not to be.
The temperatures are going down again. It will be in the low 40’s tonight, lower tomorrow. We might be able to leave this weekend. It will be a bit warmer, if we can get to Miami. At least we don’t have all of the snow that the rest of the east coast is experiencing.
I will try to write again when we get to Miami. In the meantime, stay warm, and well.
Love & Hugs,
The Admiral
Howdy faithful followers!! I can’t believe it’s been so long since I wrote in last. No, nothing horrible has happened. We are alive and well. However, we are not in the Bahamas, yet!! We are still in Fort Pierce, Florida, waiting for a good weather window to sail down the coast to Miami. While the rest of the country has been hit with the cold nasty weather from Canada, believe it or not, we are being affected down here. Not near as cold, of course, but when you live on a sailboat and it gets down to 30 degrees at night, it feels pretty darn cold. If we were in Seattle and it got that cold, we wouldn’t even think about being on the boat! Other than the week that Austin and Cindy came to visit, we have been wearing jeans and sweatshirts most of the time!
I’m getting ahead of myself though! Dave and I spent the week before Christmas having new batteries installed in the boat. Six new beauties! They were our Christmas presents!! We decided that the old ones might not make it through 6 months in the Bahamas.
We also managed to finish our shopping and get our gifts in the mail, and send off our Christmas cards. While we were at the mall, we also treated ourselves to a movie, “The Tourist”, with Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. We really enjoyed it!
By the time Christmas Eve rolled around, we realized how much we really missed our family and friends. I thought we wouldn’t have any problem, but the holidays are just not the same, when those you love are far away. We tried to chase away the blues by going out for a prime rib dinner, but the only restaurants we could find open were Chinese and Mexican. With visions of “A Christmas Story”, we settled for Mexican. Later that night, we called and talked to Matt and Jacinda, who were spending Christmas Eve with Dave’s parents in Seattle. It sounded like they were all having a great time! Then we called Austin and Cindy, who were in Minneapolis with Cindy’s parents. They were cold! There was a foot and a half of snow on the ground and the highs were in the teens!!! They had taken their new little puppy, Tiger, with them. She loved the snow. So much so, that when she “did her duty”, she did it on top of the highest snow peak, then just grinned as Austin or Cindy climbed up, to clean up after her.
On Christmas day, we drove up to Vero Beach and had a potluck meal with all of the other cruisers up there. There were not as many people as our Thanksgiving potluck, but it was just as much fun, and we had a ton of food! After our mid-day meal, we had a group of musicians play carols, while we sang along. As soon as we were back on the boat, we made calls to the kids again, Dave’s parents and aunt, and to my sisters and brother, who were spending the holiday at MaryLynne and Ted’s mountain home above Lake Chelan. With nearly 2 feet of snow on the ground, my brother and nephew were having great fun sliding down the hill on a sled run they had built! We enjoyed talking with them all, but it really made us miss them all the more.
After getting their fill of cold weather, Austin and Cindy flew south to join us in Florida. We hit the road and joined them in Fort Lauderdale on the 30th. We spent that evening at Lulu’s Bait Shack, a sports bar, right on the beach. We had a great meal and enjoyed watching the Holiday Bowl; the Huskies vs. the Huskers. Washington had played Nebraska back in September, and it was not a pretty game! This bowl game will be a favorite in Husky legend for years to come. We not only won the game, we dominated it. It was so much fun, and I’m glad we had someone to share it with.
We spent the next day on the beach, laying on the warm sand and playing in the surf. That evening we spent New Year’s Eve at a restaurant close to the hotel, had a glass of champagne at midnight, and were back in the hotel room at 12:10, ready for bed. It’s hell getting old!
On January 1st, we loaded up the car and headed for Coconut Grove, just south of Miami, and checked into another Marriott there. What a beautiful place!! The hotel is just across the street from the marina that we are trying to get the boat to. We walked over to check things out, then walked a few more blocks to the downtown area. We were amazed at the number of shops and restaurants. That night we went to another sports bar for dinner and watched Wisconsin and TCU in the Rose Bowl.
The next morning we drove over to Key Biscayne and spent the afternoon at the beach. It was perfect! Just the right temperature, lots of sunshine with just a little breeze. If the water had been just a little warmer, it would have been heavenly! Afterwards, we drove up to South Beach, Miami, and walked around a large shopping mall near the beach, then had dinner.
Monday morning we headed for the Keys, but first made a stop in the Everglades, to see some gators! We took an airboat ride, which was very loud, and very exhilarating. We saw a few alligators and lots of birds. Back at the safari park, they had an alligator show that was very impressive. Then we saw lots of alligators in their zoo area. Cindy walked up behind one and he lashed out with his tail and dove into the water. I’m not sure which of them was more scared!
After a quick lunch, we headed to Key Largo, and checked into yet another, very nice Marriott. It was right on a waterway, lined with boats. We walked the pier and then stopped at a tiki bar for a drink. That evening we had dinner at one of Jimmy Johnson’s sports bars, and watched Stanford play Virginia Tech. It was nice to see another Pac-10 team do so well!
Tuesday, we drove on down to Key West, did some shopping and had lunch on the dock. Back at the hotel, we took advantage of the fabulous pool and hot tub, then had dinner at the tiki bar on the waterway.
We hated to see it end, but on Wednesday we headed back to Fort Lauderdale and sent Austin and Cindy back to DC. We could not have asked for a better week of weather. I was extremely disappointed that we were not able to meet them in the Bahamas, as we had planned, but we had a great time anyway, and they were happy just to get some sun!
So, here we are, waiting in Fort Pierce. There are some other boats here, waiting with us. We have been having fun, going to the local farmers market, and listening to jazz, and having dinner out with our new friends. Last night we got together and watched Oregon in the BCS Championship game. Hard to believe that we were actually rooting for Oregon, but we really wanted another win for the Pac-10. But, it was not to be.
The temperatures are going down again. It will be in the low 40’s tonight, lower tomorrow. We might be able to leave this weekend. It will be a bit warmer, if we can get to Miami. At least we don’t have all of the snow that the rest of the east coast is experiencing.
I will try to write again when we get to Miami. In the meantime, stay warm, and well.
Love & Hugs,
The Admiral
Friday, December 17, 2010
Friday December 17th 2010
Happy Holidays! Just a quick update. We spent most of the last week in Vero Beach, Florida, riding out the cold weather front that came through. Got down to 27 degrees for 2 nights, highs in the mid 50’s. We were on a mooring ball, so had to use a small propane heater, and lots of blankets at night. This is central Florida??
Vero Beach was very cruiser friendly, and we did enjoy our time there. There were a lot of people to get information from about the Bahamas, and for Dave to talk to about mechanical issues. The city also has a very good, free bus service that allows you to get to the ocean, and to the downtown area for almost any retail store you could need.
By Wednesday the 15th, the temperature warmed up just enough, so we left Vero Beach and headed for Fort Pierce. We decided that the boat needs new batteries before we cross to the Bahamas, so we have arranged to have them put in while we are here. It will take a few days. In the meantime, the temps are back up in the 70’s, and it may even hit 80 tomorrow. We are staying in a marina, and they are having a holiday potluck Saturday evening, with live music and smoked hams. Sounds like it could be fun!
As soon as the new batteries are in, and the weather is right, we will head on down the coast to Miami. In the meantime, we are preparing for Christmas. The cards have been mailed, packages have been sent, and all of the shopping is done. I’ve never been ready for the holidays a week before!! In fact, we won’t celebrate Christmas until the 29th, when Austin and Cindy will be with us, so I’m really ahead.
I hope all of your holiday preparations are going along as scheduled. If you don’t hear from us again before the big day, have a fabulous Christmas!!
Love & Hugs,
The Admiral
Happy Holidays! Just a quick update. We spent most of the last week in Vero Beach, Florida, riding out the cold weather front that came through. Got down to 27 degrees for 2 nights, highs in the mid 50’s. We were on a mooring ball, so had to use a small propane heater, and lots of blankets at night. This is central Florida??
Vero Beach was very cruiser friendly, and we did enjoy our time there. There were a lot of people to get information from about the Bahamas, and for Dave to talk to about mechanical issues. The city also has a very good, free bus service that allows you to get to the ocean, and to the downtown area for almost any retail store you could need.
By Wednesday the 15th, the temperature warmed up just enough, so we left Vero Beach and headed for Fort Pierce. We decided that the boat needs new batteries before we cross to the Bahamas, so we have arranged to have them put in while we are here. It will take a few days. In the meantime, the temps are back up in the 70’s, and it may even hit 80 tomorrow. We are staying in a marina, and they are having a holiday potluck Saturday evening, with live music and smoked hams. Sounds like it could be fun!
As soon as the new batteries are in, and the weather is right, we will head on down the coast to Miami. In the meantime, we are preparing for Christmas. The cards have been mailed, packages have been sent, and all of the shopping is done. I’ve never been ready for the holidays a week before!! In fact, we won’t celebrate Christmas until the 29th, when Austin and Cindy will be with us, so I’m really ahead.
I hope all of your holiday preparations are going along as scheduled. If you don’t hear from us again before the big day, have a fabulous Christmas!!
Love & Hugs,
The Admiral
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Monday November 29th 2010
We intended to leave Beach Marine early this morning, but because of the tides, we missed our chance, and had to stay another day. But last night we had the opportunity to reconnect with some sailing friends from Jacksonville, Jennifer and John. We had a great time sharing our summer adventures with them.
We spent this extra day doing boat projects, paying bills, and washing bedding. All things that needed to be done, and now we had the time to do them. It was a quiet and peaceful day.
Tuesday November 30th 2010
The last day of November??? How did that happen? We left with the early high tide, and headed down the ICW to St. Augustine. What a great city! And, they have one of the nicest municipal marinas. We arrived in the early afternoon, and spent a few hours walking around town, before meeting up with Phil and Roxy-the wonder dog, our friends from Green Cove Springs. Fortunately, we happened upon a dog specialty shop, and I was able to buy some treats. Can’t meet Roxy unarmed!
I wasn’t sure that Roxy would remember me, but I needn’t have worried. The moment she spotted me in the crowd, she was ready to break into a dead run. Thank goodness, Phil saw what was happening and had already set the brake on his wheelchair! After a few doggie treats, we were on our way to “Scarlett O’Haras”, a restaurant we had discovered on our walk. It was located next to “Rhett’s Piano Bar”. We had dinner outside on the veranda, with Roxy under the table, just waiting for the occasional scrap. Her favorite is French fries. We enjoyed hearing about the gang back in Green Cove, and Phil enjoyed a night with “normal “ people. Do Dave and I really fit that description?
We had a fabulous time! Phil seems to be doing well and is working hard on his boat, getting it ready to sail up to Long Island, New York in March. He and Roxy have their own adventure in store. We wish them well!
Wednesday December 1st 2010
We spent another day in St. Augustine, as we needed more time to investigate this old town, and because the winds are causing havoc on the seas. It was a cool, but sunny day, and we tramped from one end of the city to the other, and back again. They have a very nice walled off shopping district with many interesting shops. We poked our noses down every street we had not been on before. We also stopped in to see the dorm at Flagler College. It used to be the Ponce de Leon Hotel and Resort, back in the 1920’s-30’s. It really is too beautiful to be used as a dorm, but it was donated to the college, and had the perfect set-up to be transitioned to a dorm. Those lucky students! It looks like you are stepping into a great villa in Italy. Lots of tile, marble, and wood adornments.
We also strolled by several museums, but each one charges a steep admission price, so we decided not to stop. We had already been to the famous fort and its’ museum on a previous trip to the city, so figured we knew enough already about the oldest city in Florida.
After a long day of walking and shopping, we decided to get some dinner. Right across the street from the marina, is an old sea captain’s home, called O. C. White’s. It is now a great restaurant, with live music. We enjoyed a fantastic meal and listened to a guitarist, who sounded a lot like James Taylor. All of his music was from our collection and genre. We stretched the meal out over several hours, and left there with our tummies full and our souls filled with spirit. It was a lovely evening.
Thursday December 2nd 2010
The winds were not cooperating, so we stayed another day in St. Augustine. It is actually one of the nicest places to get stuck. The city marina is soooo nice, and also low in price. You just step off the boat, walk up the dock, and you are right in the heart of the city. All of their Christmas decorations are now up, and at night it looks like a fairy tale city, with a ton of twinkling lights. In the town park, there is a giant Christmas tree, complete with wrapped packages beneath its boughs. Every afternoon one of the churches in town has an organ playing Christmas carols for about an hour. The only thing missing is snow. Thank goodness!
We walked back into town to do some Christmas shopping. What a fun place to do that! Late in the afternoon we stopped at a New York pizza parlor to grab something to eat, and ran into Andy from “Sisu”. We arrived in town on the same day, and have been running into him and his family on several occasions. That’s how it is cruising. You meet someone, and then every few days you may see them again in another location. We are all basically headed in the same direction, with the same goal of getting to the Bahamas, so in every harbor, we see boats and people that we have seen or met before. Everyone is very friendly, and there are a lot, I mean A LOT, of Canadians out cruising. It also seems as though most of the people in trawlers (power boats), were once on sailboats themselves, so there is a much better relationship between sailors and power boaters on this coast. Since we have not been able to sail much while on the ICW, and we have now traveled over 1800 miles, we feel like we are a trawler with a mast. We look at the big comfortable trawlers go by, with their indoor steering, and wonder why we are sitting out in the cold wind. Although I must say, the new dodger is wonderful. It really helps cut down on the cold wind, except when the wind is directly behind us!
After inhaling a slice of pizza, we walked back to the marina and decided to see what musician was playing that night at O. C. Whites. We bellied up to the bar for a drink, and since it was very cold outside, I decided I would like something hot. There was a drink on their menu called the “millionaire’s coffee”. To the original brew, they add Bailey’s, Frangelica, Grand Marnier, and rum, then top it with whipped cream drizzled with chocolate. I was skeptical. It looked like too much straight coffee was in it, for my taste. Boy, was I wrong! It was so delicious, I had two of them!
When the musician showed up, it was not the same one we had seen the night before, and he was not even close to being as good. So, after warming our innards, we moseyed on back to the boat for dinner and a quiet evening at home!
Friday December 3rd 2010
Today the winds calmed a bit, so we piled on the extra clothes and headed down the ICW for Daytona. The nights have been getting very cold for Florida. Down into the lower 30’s at night, with highs in the mid 50’s during the day. Even the water temperature is in the 50’s. Feels like home, except for the sunshine!
As we pulled into the marina harbor, the channel became very shallow. We got into the harbor and the instructions we received from the harbormaster, did not jibe with what we were seeing. OOPS! We were in the north harbor and should have gone in the south. So, out through the shallow channel again, and down a bit farther to another shallow channel, and in to the gas dock for refueling. We were surprised to find no deck hands on the gas dock, as they had told us there would be, so Dave and I managed to get the boat safely moored, then Dave went looking for help with the fueling. He found all of the deck hands up in the marina office decorating for a Christmas party. AAAARRRGGGGHH!
After refueling, we slipped into our nights mooring, and then walked to the local West Marine store to buy some new water hose. It was right on the marina property, so very close, but they did not have what we needed. It was now Happy Hour, so we stopped into the Blue Bar next door. We decided to eat on the patio, as the evening temperature was quite pleasant, and sat next to a gentleman from Montreal. We exchanged stories with him. He was French-Canadian, so we had to listen to him very intently, to make sure we understood what he was saying. It was really very interesting! Our meal was nothing to brag about, and, after the sun went down, it got quite cold on the patio. Thank goodness it was just a short walk back to the boat!!
Saturday December 4th 2010
APPLE CUP!!!!! Today we headed to Titusville, Florida. Right down by Cape Canaveral. You would not believe the Mega mansions we have seen on this waterway. And, we have seen quite a few dolphins. Even some doing flips out of the water!! After getting situated at the dock, we walked up to the marina office to check in, and find out where the nearest sports bar was located, so we could watch the Huskies beat the Cougs. Lucky for us, there were a couple of options!
We ended up taking a cab to, of all places, “Dogs R Us”. We were ushered to a small booth in a corner alcove, where they turned the game on, not one, not two, but three different flat screens!!! And, they even turned on the sound for us! So, while we watched the game, we also enjoyed Rib-eye steak, a baked potato, and onion rings. Yummy! And, it turned out to be a great game, too!! Can’t believe the Huskies are really bowl bound again. Finally! What a great way to end the regular season.
Sunday December 5th 2010
Today is laundry day. Didn’t we just do this??? Oh well, the machines are plentiful and cheap, so it was easy to do. I think I picked up some kind of flu bug. Just didn’t feel too good, so sitting in the laundry room was easy to do. We had tried to go into town. We hiked up to the bus stop the marina office had told us about, only to find that the buses don’t run on Sunday. So, we were marina bound.
After my laundry duty, I went back to the boat and took a long nap, under a nice warm blanket. We spent the rest of the day in quiet mode.
Monday December 6th 2010
This was a busy day! Thankfully, I was feeling better. We started the day by renting a car, so we could get all of our errands done in one day. After a good breakfast at IHOP, we stopped at Walmart to do a little grocery shopping. It turned into a huge provisioning trip. We decided that with easy transportation, we should take advantage and really stock up for the trip over to the Bahamas. Everything in the islands is super expensive, and sometimes hard to get, so they recommend you stock up prior to crossing over. So we did!! We filled up the trunk and part of the back seat. Then off to the hardware store for the water hose. The closest West Marine was not very, so we hoped to avoid going there. Thankfully the Ace Hardware store had what we needed.
Next, we stopped at Wendy’s for a cheap lunch from their 99 cent menu, then went across the street to the JC Penney store to search for a new swim suit! No luck there, so we moved to the Sears mall and got lucky. Not only did we find one, but it was on sale! All you ladies out there know how difficult it is even to find a suit, let alone, one that is on sale!! Florida is probably one of the only states where this could happen in December!
We also stopped at Walgreens for their sale on Diet Coke, and managed to finish up on our Christmas shopping. We even got some snowflake lights for the boat. Now I just need to get all of the Christmas cards ready to mail, before we leave the United States. Seems surreal!
After gassing up the rental car, we headed back to the marina and prayed there would be a dock cart available to help get all of our goodies to the boat. Voila!!! We were in luck. It only took two trips to get everything down the dock, then we just had to get it all on the boat. In this particular mooring, we are in a 50 foot slip that is a fixed pier. That means it does not float. There is a tide here, of a few feet, so sometimes the boat is two feet below the dock and with the current, it is a foot away from the dock. This makes passage of all the goods, very tricky! It took us awhile, but we did manage to get everything on board. Then the real work began, finding space to put everything away! Plus, I had to remove the labels from all of the cans, and write what was in them, on the top, with a permanent marker. This is to prevent a cockroach infestation. They like paper, cardboard, and glue. So, I also had to take everything out of cardboard boxes, and put the contents into plastic bags, and label that. Kept me busy for a few hours!!! We still have to provision with our fresh foods and meats, just before we cross the gulfstream. When we purchase the meats, I will have to vacuum pack them for freezing. Gee, I can hardly wait!! Thanks to Norm and Kathy, I have a new Food Saver to use!!
Tuesday December 7th 2010
Time to move on down the road, to Melbourne, Florida. We had a good, but cool day on the water, and ended up in a very nice small marina. I had my doubts as we entered the channel. They told us it would get shallow, and to favor the red markers, but the depth sounder showed 3.5 feet, and then 2.9!! Because of where it is located on the boat, you have to add 2 feet for the real depth, but we draw 5.5 feet so we were sloshing through the muddy bottom! It got better, once we were in the marina harbor and safely docked.
We were next to a trawler from Vancouver, BC. They had their boat trucked to Lake Huron and then traveled to the East Coast from there. Yikes!! They really traveled a long way!! We had fun talking about the San Juan Islands and Victoria. Sounds like they will be staying on the Florida coast this winter. We will probably run into them again before we cross over. The name of their boat was “Twin Spirits”.
Speaking of boat names, we have seen: “Tuition”, “Happy Our”, “Atsah’mibote”, to
name a few. That last one took me a few minutes! Some people are way too creative!
We had dinner at the marina restaurant, “Ichabod’s”, before getting a good nights sleep in this peaceful harbor. Tonight we were expecting an all time low temperature! Great!!!
Wednesday December 8th 2010
It was so COLD last night!! A low of 31!! And this day the wind was blowing, too. We cruised on down the ICW, dressed in many layers! It seemed so unreal. We were dressed like we would have, if we were sailing at home in Seattle, in December!! Only, if we were in Seattle, I would have been smart enough to stay home!! It was so funny, we decided we needed some pictures, so those back home would believe us! The only difference is, there are palm trees here, and the sky is blue!!!
Today the ICW was a little more interesting. Instead of the usual straight line south, the route was more twisting and turning around some strategically placed islands. It just got prettier and prettier! Then suddenly, we arrived in Vero Beach, Florida. The locals call it “Velcro Beach”, since some people arrive here and never leave. They have a very large mooring field. We are very near the end of the inlet, a long way from the marina dock, on number 54. Most of the mooring balls have two or three boats on them, as boats wait here for a good weather window, to cross to the Bahamas. We actually are on a mooring, all to ourselves.
We motored over to the dinghy dock, to check out the marina facilities, and found out they have a free bus line that runs all over town. We were just in time to catch the bus, so we hopped on. Only blocks from the marina, a small car ran a stop sign, and the bus nearly collided with it. Thank goodness the bus driver was alert, and managed to avoid disaster!! After that, we had a quiet and nice drive through the ocean beach area. It looked like Palm Springs. Lots of high end shops, expensive cars, and beachfront condos. Then we turned around and headed for the downtown area of Vero. The bus took us to a large shopping area with just about anything you could need. We got off the bus and went into a large watersports store to look for fins. They had quite an assortment, but we wanted to do a little research before purchasing, so we will go back in a few days.
We then caught the bus back to the marina, and had a cold dinghy ride back to the boat. With the sun down, it was getting quite cold, and since we are on a mooring ball, we have no AC power, so we fired up the Little Buddy propane heater. Very soon, it was quite toasty in the boat. It helped that I also fired up the propane stove and made spaghetti.
Thursday December 9th 2010
Didn’t get quite as cold last night, as the night before, but it was still cool, and for the first time in a long time, cloudy this morning. I woke up some time last night, and heard rain falling, but it has stopped this morning, and left everything wet outside. A good day to stay on board and do boat projects. Our next voyage will be to go offshore down the coast to Miami, so we will have to wait here until a good weather window opens up. That may be until early next week. It is supposed to start warming up here tomorrow. I hope so!
I may not write again until after we have crossed to the Bahamas. Depends on the timing, the weather, and whether we get wifi when we get there. Don’t worry about us. We are being uber careful!! And, we are in the company of a lot of people who have done this many times!!
Until then, stay safe yourselves. Hope the winter weather in your area is as good as it can be for this time of year!
Love & Hugs,
The Admiral
We intended to leave Beach Marine early this morning, but because of the tides, we missed our chance, and had to stay another day. But last night we had the opportunity to reconnect with some sailing friends from Jacksonville, Jennifer and John. We had a great time sharing our summer adventures with them.
We spent this extra day doing boat projects, paying bills, and washing bedding. All things that needed to be done, and now we had the time to do them. It was a quiet and peaceful day.
Tuesday November 30th 2010
The last day of November??? How did that happen? We left with the early high tide, and headed down the ICW to St. Augustine. What a great city! And, they have one of the nicest municipal marinas. We arrived in the early afternoon, and spent a few hours walking around town, before meeting up with Phil and Roxy-the wonder dog, our friends from Green Cove Springs. Fortunately, we happened upon a dog specialty shop, and I was able to buy some treats. Can’t meet Roxy unarmed!
I wasn’t sure that Roxy would remember me, but I needn’t have worried. The moment she spotted me in the crowd, she was ready to break into a dead run. Thank goodness, Phil saw what was happening and had already set the brake on his wheelchair! After a few doggie treats, we were on our way to “Scarlett O’Haras”, a restaurant we had discovered on our walk. It was located next to “Rhett’s Piano Bar”. We had dinner outside on the veranda, with Roxy under the table, just waiting for the occasional scrap. Her favorite is French fries. We enjoyed hearing about the gang back in Green Cove, and Phil enjoyed a night with “normal “ people. Do Dave and I really fit that description?
We had a fabulous time! Phil seems to be doing well and is working hard on his boat, getting it ready to sail up to Long Island, New York in March. He and Roxy have their own adventure in store. We wish them well!
Wednesday December 1st 2010
We spent another day in St. Augustine, as we needed more time to investigate this old town, and because the winds are causing havoc on the seas. It was a cool, but sunny day, and we tramped from one end of the city to the other, and back again. They have a very nice walled off shopping district with many interesting shops. We poked our noses down every street we had not been on before. We also stopped in to see the dorm at Flagler College. It used to be the Ponce de Leon Hotel and Resort, back in the 1920’s-30’s. It really is too beautiful to be used as a dorm, but it was donated to the college, and had the perfect set-up to be transitioned to a dorm. Those lucky students! It looks like you are stepping into a great villa in Italy. Lots of tile, marble, and wood adornments.
We also strolled by several museums, but each one charges a steep admission price, so we decided not to stop. We had already been to the famous fort and its’ museum on a previous trip to the city, so figured we knew enough already about the oldest city in Florida.
After a long day of walking and shopping, we decided to get some dinner. Right across the street from the marina, is an old sea captain’s home, called O. C. White’s. It is now a great restaurant, with live music. We enjoyed a fantastic meal and listened to a guitarist, who sounded a lot like James Taylor. All of his music was from our collection and genre. We stretched the meal out over several hours, and left there with our tummies full and our souls filled with spirit. It was a lovely evening.
Thursday December 2nd 2010
The winds were not cooperating, so we stayed another day in St. Augustine. It is actually one of the nicest places to get stuck. The city marina is soooo nice, and also low in price. You just step off the boat, walk up the dock, and you are right in the heart of the city. All of their Christmas decorations are now up, and at night it looks like a fairy tale city, with a ton of twinkling lights. In the town park, there is a giant Christmas tree, complete with wrapped packages beneath its boughs. Every afternoon one of the churches in town has an organ playing Christmas carols for about an hour. The only thing missing is snow. Thank goodness!
We walked back into town to do some Christmas shopping. What a fun place to do that! Late in the afternoon we stopped at a New York pizza parlor to grab something to eat, and ran into Andy from “Sisu”. We arrived in town on the same day, and have been running into him and his family on several occasions. That’s how it is cruising. You meet someone, and then every few days you may see them again in another location. We are all basically headed in the same direction, with the same goal of getting to the Bahamas, so in every harbor, we see boats and people that we have seen or met before. Everyone is very friendly, and there are a lot, I mean A LOT, of Canadians out cruising. It also seems as though most of the people in trawlers (power boats), were once on sailboats themselves, so there is a much better relationship between sailors and power boaters on this coast. Since we have not been able to sail much while on the ICW, and we have now traveled over 1800 miles, we feel like we are a trawler with a mast. We look at the big comfortable trawlers go by, with their indoor steering, and wonder why we are sitting out in the cold wind. Although I must say, the new dodger is wonderful. It really helps cut down on the cold wind, except when the wind is directly behind us!
After inhaling a slice of pizza, we walked back to the marina and decided to see what musician was playing that night at O. C. Whites. We bellied up to the bar for a drink, and since it was very cold outside, I decided I would like something hot. There was a drink on their menu called the “millionaire’s coffee”. To the original brew, they add Bailey’s, Frangelica, Grand Marnier, and rum, then top it with whipped cream drizzled with chocolate. I was skeptical. It looked like too much straight coffee was in it, for my taste. Boy, was I wrong! It was so delicious, I had two of them!
When the musician showed up, it was not the same one we had seen the night before, and he was not even close to being as good. So, after warming our innards, we moseyed on back to the boat for dinner and a quiet evening at home!
Friday December 3rd 2010
Today the winds calmed a bit, so we piled on the extra clothes and headed down the ICW for Daytona. The nights have been getting very cold for Florida. Down into the lower 30’s at night, with highs in the mid 50’s during the day. Even the water temperature is in the 50’s. Feels like home, except for the sunshine!
As we pulled into the marina harbor, the channel became very shallow. We got into the harbor and the instructions we received from the harbormaster, did not jibe with what we were seeing. OOPS! We were in the north harbor and should have gone in the south. So, out through the shallow channel again, and down a bit farther to another shallow channel, and in to the gas dock for refueling. We were surprised to find no deck hands on the gas dock, as they had told us there would be, so Dave and I managed to get the boat safely moored, then Dave went looking for help with the fueling. He found all of the deck hands up in the marina office decorating for a Christmas party. AAAARRRGGGGHH!
After refueling, we slipped into our nights mooring, and then walked to the local West Marine store to buy some new water hose. It was right on the marina property, so very close, but they did not have what we needed. It was now Happy Hour, so we stopped into the Blue Bar next door. We decided to eat on the patio, as the evening temperature was quite pleasant, and sat next to a gentleman from Montreal. We exchanged stories with him. He was French-Canadian, so we had to listen to him very intently, to make sure we understood what he was saying. It was really very interesting! Our meal was nothing to brag about, and, after the sun went down, it got quite cold on the patio. Thank goodness it was just a short walk back to the boat!!
Saturday December 4th 2010
APPLE CUP!!!!! Today we headed to Titusville, Florida. Right down by Cape Canaveral. You would not believe the Mega mansions we have seen on this waterway. And, we have seen quite a few dolphins. Even some doing flips out of the water!! After getting situated at the dock, we walked up to the marina office to check in, and find out where the nearest sports bar was located, so we could watch the Huskies beat the Cougs. Lucky for us, there were a couple of options!
We ended up taking a cab to, of all places, “Dogs R Us”. We were ushered to a small booth in a corner alcove, where they turned the game on, not one, not two, but three different flat screens!!! And, they even turned on the sound for us! So, while we watched the game, we also enjoyed Rib-eye steak, a baked potato, and onion rings. Yummy! And, it turned out to be a great game, too!! Can’t believe the Huskies are really bowl bound again. Finally! What a great way to end the regular season.
Sunday December 5th 2010
Today is laundry day. Didn’t we just do this??? Oh well, the machines are plentiful and cheap, so it was easy to do. I think I picked up some kind of flu bug. Just didn’t feel too good, so sitting in the laundry room was easy to do. We had tried to go into town. We hiked up to the bus stop the marina office had told us about, only to find that the buses don’t run on Sunday. So, we were marina bound.
After my laundry duty, I went back to the boat and took a long nap, under a nice warm blanket. We spent the rest of the day in quiet mode.
Monday December 6th 2010
This was a busy day! Thankfully, I was feeling better. We started the day by renting a car, so we could get all of our errands done in one day. After a good breakfast at IHOP, we stopped at Walmart to do a little grocery shopping. It turned into a huge provisioning trip. We decided that with easy transportation, we should take advantage and really stock up for the trip over to the Bahamas. Everything in the islands is super expensive, and sometimes hard to get, so they recommend you stock up prior to crossing over. So we did!! We filled up the trunk and part of the back seat. Then off to the hardware store for the water hose. The closest West Marine was not very, so we hoped to avoid going there. Thankfully the Ace Hardware store had what we needed.
Next, we stopped at Wendy’s for a cheap lunch from their 99 cent menu, then went across the street to the JC Penney store to search for a new swim suit! No luck there, so we moved to the Sears mall and got lucky. Not only did we find one, but it was on sale! All you ladies out there know how difficult it is even to find a suit, let alone, one that is on sale!! Florida is probably one of the only states where this could happen in December!
We also stopped at Walgreens for their sale on Diet Coke, and managed to finish up on our Christmas shopping. We even got some snowflake lights for the boat. Now I just need to get all of the Christmas cards ready to mail, before we leave the United States. Seems surreal!
After gassing up the rental car, we headed back to the marina and prayed there would be a dock cart available to help get all of our goodies to the boat. Voila!!! We were in luck. It only took two trips to get everything down the dock, then we just had to get it all on the boat. In this particular mooring, we are in a 50 foot slip that is a fixed pier. That means it does not float. There is a tide here, of a few feet, so sometimes the boat is two feet below the dock and with the current, it is a foot away from the dock. This makes passage of all the goods, very tricky! It took us awhile, but we did manage to get everything on board. Then the real work began, finding space to put everything away! Plus, I had to remove the labels from all of the cans, and write what was in them, on the top, with a permanent marker. This is to prevent a cockroach infestation. They like paper, cardboard, and glue. So, I also had to take everything out of cardboard boxes, and put the contents into plastic bags, and label that. Kept me busy for a few hours!!! We still have to provision with our fresh foods and meats, just before we cross the gulfstream. When we purchase the meats, I will have to vacuum pack them for freezing. Gee, I can hardly wait!! Thanks to Norm and Kathy, I have a new Food Saver to use!!
Tuesday December 7th 2010
Time to move on down the road, to Melbourne, Florida. We had a good, but cool day on the water, and ended up in a very nice small marina. I had my doubts as we entered the channel. They told us it would get shallow, and to favor the red markers, but the depth sounder showed 3.5 feet, and then 2.9!! Because of where it is located on the boat, you have to add 2 feet for the real depth, but we draw 5.5 feet so we were sloshing through the muddy bottom! It got better, once we were in the marina harbor and safely docked.
We were next to a trawler from Vancouver, BC. They had their boat trucked to Lake Huron and then traveled to the East Coast from there. Yikes!! They really traveled a long way!! We had fun talking about the San Juan Islands and Victoria. Sounds like they will be staying on the Florida coast this winter. We will probably run into them again before we cross over. The name of their boat was “Twin Spirits”.
Speaking of boat names, we have seen: “Tuition”, “Happy Our”, “Atsah’mibote”, to
name a few. That last one took me a few minutes! Some people are way too creative!
We had dinner at the marina restaurant, “Ichabod’s”, before getting a good nights sleep in this peaceful harbor. Tonight we were expecting an all time low temperature! Great!!!
Wednesday December 8th 2010
It was so COLD last night!! A low of 31!! And this day the wind was blowing, too. We cruised on down the ICW, dressed in many layers! It seemed so unreal. We were dressed like we would have, if we were sailing at home in Seattle, in December!! Only, if we were in Seattle, I would have been smart enough to stay home!! It was so funny, we decided we needed some pictures, so those back home would believe us! The only difference is, there are palm trees here, and the sky is blue!!!
Today the ICW was a little more interesting. Instead of the usual straight line south, the route was more twisting and turning around some strategically placed islands. It just got prettier and prettier! Then suddenly, we arrived in Vero Beach, Florida. The locals call it “Velcro Beach”, since some people arrive here and never leave. They have a very large mooring field. We are very near the end of the inlet, a long way from the marina dock, on number 54. Most of the mooring balls have two or three boats on them, as boats wait here for a good weather window, to cross to the Bahamas. We actually are on a mooring, all to ourselves.
We motored over to the dinghy dock, to check out the marina facilities, and found out they have a free bus line that runs all over town. We were just in time to catch the bus, so we hopped on. Only blocks from the marina, a small car ran a stop sign, and the bus nearly collided with it. Thank goodness the bus driver was alert, and managed to avoid disaster!! After that, we had a quiet and nice drive through the ocean beach area. It looked like Palm Springs. Lots of high end shops, expensive cars, and beachfront condos. Then we turned around and headed for the downtown area of Vero. The bus took us to a large shopping area with just about anything you could need. We got off the bus and went into a large watersports store to look for fins. They had quite an assortment, but we wanted to do a little research before purchasing, so we will go back in a few days.
We then caught the bus back to the marina, and had a cold dinghy ride back to the boat. With the sun down, it was getting quite cold, and since we are on a mooring ball, we have no AC power, so we fired up the Little Buddy propane heater. Very soon, it was quite toasty in the boat. It helped that I also fired up the propane stove and made spaghetti.
Thursday December 9th 2010
Didn’t get quite as cold last night, as the night before, but it was still cool, and for the first time in a long time, cloudy this morning. I woke up some time last night, and heard rain falling, but it has stopped this morning, and left everything wet outside. A good day to stay on board and do boat projects. Our next voyage will be to go offshore down the coast to Miami, so we will have to wait here until a good weather window opens up. That may be until early next week. It is supposed to start warming up here tomorrow. I hope so!
I may not write again until after we have crossed to the Bahamas. Depends on the timing, the weather, and whether we get wifi when we get there. Don’t worry about us. We are being uber careful!! And, we are in the company of a lot of people who have done this many times!!
Until then, stay safe yourselves. Hope the winter weather in your area is as good as it can be for this time of year!
Love & Hugs,
The Admiral
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Tuesday November 23rd 2010
We decided we would spend another night here in Fernandina. We had a visit from another Whitby 42 owner that is here. Andy and his youngest son Eli came over in their inflatable to introduce themselves. They are from Topsham, Maine, and have been sailing down the coast since the end of September. They, too, are headed for the Bahamas, along with Andy’s wife Chris and their two teenagers, Rachel and Jake. Five people on their Whitby!!!! They told us about a Thanksgiving for boaters in St. Mary’s, Georgia, just up the river, that sounds too good to pass up. It is a lot closer than going all the way into Jacksonville, as we had planned.
Andy told us that the city of St. Mary’s provides all of the turkey and ham, and the boaters are asked to bring a side dish or two. I didn’t have much on the boat that would be good for a turkey dinner, so we decided to go into town and do some shopping. We took the dinghy into shore and then called for a cab to take us to Walmart. It was maybe a 10 minute ride, but it cost $10.00, one way!! Ouch!!! Then we discovered that the Walmart did not have groceries. Fortunately, there was a Winn-Dixie right next door. We picked up an apple pie, a pecan pie, and a bag of dinner rolls, as well as a few other things to supplement our stores.
When we got back to the marina, we took the bags to the dinghy, then walked back into town to the Green Turtle for happy hour. Dave had hoped that some of his buddies at Rayonier would show up, but no such luck. We had a nice cold beer, and then found out that it was Taco night. Just like back home, Taco Tuesday!!! They weren’t that great, but they were cheap! Afterwards, we strolled down to the corner and had ice cream for dessert.
Wednesday November 24th 2010
This morning we headed for St. Mary’s, Georgia. Not sure what to expect. It was a beautiful day and a short cruise up the river. The anchorage was huge, but there were already close to 100 boats there. It was not easy to find a good place to anchor. We tried a couple spots, but were not certain that we had adequate space, so we moved on. Eventually we found a spot that looked pretty good, but the current was really running. We decided we would sit and watch for awhile after setting the anchor.
A short time later, an old friend from Green Cove Springs came over in his dinghy. He had seen us come in. He told us that there were several other boats from Green Cove there as well. He also mentioned that there was to be a Pain Killer Party, on the end of the dock, at 3:00PM, and an oyster roast at the Seagle Restaurant at 5:30. Cool!!!
About 2:00, we headed into the dinghy dock to check out the town. They have a very nice and well kept waterfront park. All of the walls around the park are concrete mixed with clam shells, and look really nice. They have a band shell, a fountain, restrooms, and benches and swings that face the water. The town also looks well kept and very old fashioned. We walked over to the Seagle, which was a part of the Riverview Inn, and headquarters for this holiday event. We were able to secure an itinerary for the next few days. It actually is a weeklong event, with something special happening each day.
We headed back to the dinghy to pick up our cups for the Pain Killers, and ran into Gordon and Susan from Green Cove. The four of us walked over to the dock party, where we found more old friends. Even the Pain Killers were like an old friend. Haven’t had them since we left the BVI. There was lots of good conversation and I marveled that everyone managed to stay on the dock. It got pretty crowded, and the dock was fairly narrow!
Pretty soon, the party broke up and everyone headed to their boats to get their appetizers for the oyster roast. As we neared the boat, we could see that Dream Ketcher was awfully close to another boat, and pretty soon, one of the officials came by and asked if we were adrift. We weren’t, but with the current ripping through, the boat was kiting quite badly. So, we decided we had better move. We hauled up the anchor and once again, circled the bay looking for a good spot. We then set the anchor once more, and hoped that this would be the last time.
I hadn’t planned on having to provide an appetizer, but found a head of cauliflower and some ranch dip to take. At least Dave would love it! Then we hopped in the dinghy and headed to shore again. Oddly enough, we ran into Gordon and Susan again and walked with them to the restaurant. Although we did not partake in the oysters, we did enjoy the vast array of appetizers that were brought in by the boaters, the beer, and the conversation. It was a nice ending to a very nice day!
Thursday November 25th 2010
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! Our morning started off with a presentation in the band shell, for those interested in how to get to the Bahamas, and where to go when you get there. A lot of good information from those who had been there and done that! We’ll take all the advice we can get.
At 12:30, it looked like the town was being invaded, as every boat had a dinghy headed for shore for the big event, a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, and then some. They had planned for 300 people, and I think that was a good estimate. A long line started to form outside the doors, and after a brief prayer heard only by those at the start of the line, they opened the doors, and everyone filed by one of the three tables piled high with food. We spent the next three hours, eating and conversing with people from near and far. We met one man whose home is in Iceland and another young couple from Sweden.
Afterward, Dave, Susan, Gordon and I, walked farther into town to the used bookstore. They open on Thanksgiving, just for the boaters. It was a nice walk that took us by some very old homes and historic sites. They had a great selection of books, and a reading room, whose walls are covered with the names of boats and their owners who have visited. Of course we joined in and added our names to the wall!! As the sun began to set, we made our way back to the boat, where we spent the rest of the evening watching football and making phone calls to our loved ones. We missed being with them, but they were close at heart!!
Friday November 26th 2010
The only event on the schedule today, is a swap meet. So we headed to shore, not only for the swap meet, but for the showers!! We waited until late in the morning, and it paid off. Neither of us had to wait in line. Afterwards, we did a little Christmas shopping and had a snack, then headed for the dock. On the way, we noticed that several of the boats were moving and kiting quite badly. In fact, the boat next to us, was getting quite close. As we watched, it came right over and bumped against us! We took off at a trot and got Dave into the dinghy. I had scheduled a ride to the local Walmart, so needed to stay close to the pick-up point. I was worried as to whether Dave could handle the situation alone, but as I looked back out at the boat, I could see that someone else had boarded our boat to help out. Not sure what was going to happen, I boarded the van for the ride into town.
I spent the next hour picking up some more groceries, and having some “me” time, then went back out to the drop site, for a ride back to the dock. There were 8 of us that needed a ride back, plus all of the stuff we had bought. I don’t know how we did it, but we got everyone in, and all of the stuff, too! On the way back, I got a phone call from Dave, saying that he had to move the boat again and re-anchor. It was the only way he could get us away from the wandering boat. He asked if I could get a ride out to the boat with Chris (the wife of the other Whitby owner, Andy). Turns out, the good Samaritan that had boarded our boat, was Andy. He helped Dave move the boat and get re-anchored. Then he realized that his boat was having problems, too! So, while Dave and Andy watched the boats, his son Jake came to the rescue and picked up Chris and I on the dock, with all our stuff.
We spent the rest of the day on the boat, listening to the rain and the wind. There were a lot of boats that had to reset their anchors, due to the wind and the current. We thought that we might be able to watch the Oregon/Arizona game, but it was not on a channel we were able to get. Instead we spent a quiet night reading and watching TV.
Saturday November 27th 2010
Time to keep moving! We said good bye to all of our friends here and headed south again. It was sunny, but COLD! The wind was really whipping, so we had to bundle up in several layers. When we got to the St. John River, we were entering into unknown territory. We found the southern entrance for the Intercoastal Waterway and began to see an area we had not previously seen. It looked a lot like the rest of the canal, but seemed to be deeper.
We ended up at Beach Marina in the Jacksonville area. I’m not sure how I got the boat into the dock. They have a narrow entrance and even narrower fairways. It was a tight squeeze. After securing the boat, we went ashore to check out the facilities. We have laundry that needs to be done!!
After our long day at sea, we were parched! We headed into the Beach Marine Bar & Grill for a beer, and found ourselves in the middle of the Florida/Florida State game. It suddenly occurred to me that we might be able to listen to the Husky game, since the bar had WIFI. Dave ran back to the boat and was soon back with his laptop. In no time, we had our earphones in and were listening to Bob Rondeau. What a game!!! We had ordered some appetizers, so we moved from the bar to a table, where we could spread out. This lasted for quite awhile, then suddenly, as the Huskies were on the move, getting close to the goal line, Dave’s battery went dead!!! We made another move to another table that was close to an electrical outlet, and voila!, the game was back again. This was a nail biter to the bitter end, and I mean end. The Huskies made a touchdown on the last play of the game, with the game clock showing just 2 seconds, to win 16-13!!!!!!
Sunday November 28th 2010
We slept in this morning. Last night, as we got into bed, we heard these funny crunching noises. Dave decided it was either mice or cockroaches!! Not a happy thought to go to sleep on! We found out today that what we were hearing, was shrimp!!! I’ll definitely sleep better tonight!
Today was laundry day. They have a very nice laundry facility here, with 3 washers and 3 dryers. And, while the laundry was washing, Dave and I took showers! Then back to the boat for chores and blog updating, and football! Tonight we have friends from Jacksonville that are meeting us for dinner, and in the morning, we will leave for St. Augustine, where we will meet up with Phil and Roxy – the wonder dog!!!! Can’t wait to see them!
So, here we are at the end of November!! I can’t believe that in just a few weeks, we should be in the Bahamas! If the weather cooperates!!! We have been living on this boat for 7 months now. Unbelievable!
Hopefully, you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving, and you are now getting into the Christmas spirit. The end of the year will soon be upon us. Good luck with all of your shopping and holiday preparations, and check in again next week for more about our unconventional life. We do miss you!
Love & Hugs,
The Admiral
We decided we would spend another night here in Fernandina. We had a visit from another Whitby 42 owner that is here. Andy and his youngest son Eli came over in their inflatable to introduce themselves. They are from Topsham, Maine, and have been sailing down the coast since the end of September. They, too, are headed for the Bahamas, along with Andy’s wife Chris and their two teenagers, Rachel and Jake. Five people on their Whitby!!!! They told us about a Thanksgiving for boaters in St. Mary’s, Georgia, just up the river, that sounds too good to pass up. It is a lot closer than going all the way into Jacksonville, as we had planned.
Andy told us that the city of St. Mary’s provides all of the turkey and ham, and the boaters are asked to bring a side dish or two. I didn’t have much on the boat that would be good for a turkey dinner, so we decided to go into town and do some shopping. We took the dinghy into shore and then called for a cab to take us to Walmart. It was maybe a 10 minute ride, but it cost $10.00, one way!! Ouch!!! Then we discovered that the Walmart did not have groceries. Fortunately, there was a Winn-Dixie right next door. We picked up an apple pie, a pecan pie, and a bag of dinner rolls, as well as a few other things to supplement our stores.
When we got back to the marina, we took the bags to the dinghy, then walked back into town to the Green Turtle for happy hour. Dave had hoped that some of his buddies at Rayonier would show up, but no such luck. We had a nice cold beer, and then found out that it was Taco night. Just like back home, Taco Tuesday!!! They weren’t that great, but they were cheap! Afterwards, we strolled down to the corner and had ice cream for dessert.
Wednesday November 24th 2010
This morning we headed for St. Mary’s, Georgia. Not sure what to expect. It was a beautiful day and a short cruise up the river. The anchorage was huge, but there were already close to 100 boats there. It was not easy to find a good place to anchor. We tried a couple spots, but were not certain that we had adequate space, so we moved on. Eventually we found a spot that looked pretty good, but the current was really running. We decided we would sit and watch for awhile after setting the anchor.
A short time later, an old friend from Green Cove Springs came over in his dinghy. He had seen us come in. He told us that there were several other boats from Green Cove there as well. He also mentioned that there was to be a Pain Killer Party, on the end of the dock, at 3:00PM, and an oyster roast at the Seagle Restaurant at 5:30. Cool!!!
About 2:00, we headed into the dinghy dock to check out the town. They have a very nice and well kept waterfront park. All of the walls around the park are concrete mixed with clam shells, and look really nice. They have a band shell, a fountain, restrooms, and benches and swings that face the water. The town also looks well kept and very old fashioned. We walked over to the Seagle, which was a part of the Riverview Inn, and headquarters for this holiday event. We were able to secure an itinerary for the next few days. It actually is a weeklong event, with something special happening each day.
We headed back to the dinghy to pick up our cups for the Pain Killers, and ran into Gordon and Susan from Green Cove. The four of us walked over to the dock party, where we found more old friends. Even the Pain Killers were like an old friend. Haven’t had them since we left the BVI. There was lots of good conversation and I marveled that everyone managed to stay on the dock. It got pretty crowded, and the dock was fairly narrow!
Pretty soon, the party broke up and everyone headed to their boats to get their appetizers for the oyster roast. As we neared the boat, we could see that Dream Ketcher was awfully close to another boat, and pretty soon, one of the officials came by and asked if we were adrift. We weren’t, but with the current ripping through, the boat was kiting quite badly. So, we decided we had better move. We hauled up the anchor and once again, circled the bay looking for a good spot. We then set the anchor once more, and hoped that this would be the last time.
I hadn’t planned on having to provide an appetizer, but found a head of cauliflower and some ranch dip to take. At least Dave would love it! Then we hopped in the dinghy and headed to shore again. Oddly enough, we ran into Gordon and Susan again and walked with them to the restaurant. Although we did not partake in the oysters, we did enjoy the vast array of appetizers that were brought in by the boaters, the beer, and the conversation. It was a nice ending to a very nice day!
Thursday November 25th 2010
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! Our morning started off with a presentation in the band shell, for those interested in how to get to the Bahamas, and where to go when you get there. A lot of good information from those who had been there and done that! We’ll take all the advice we can get.
At 12:30, it looked like the town was being invaded, as every boat had a dinghy headed for shore for the big event, a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, and then some. They had planned for 300 people, and I think that was a good estimate. A long line started to form outside the doors, and after a brief prayer heard only by those at the start of the line, they opened the doors, and everyone filed by one of the three tables piled high with food. We spent the next three hours, eating and conversing with people from near and far. We met one man whose home is in Iceland and another young couple from Sweden.
Afterward, Dave, Susan, Gordon and I, walked farther into town to the used bookstore. They open on Thanksgiving, just for the boaters. It was a nice walk that took us by some very old homes and historic sites. They had a great selection of books, and a reading room, whose walls are covered with the names of boats and their owners who have visited. Of course we joined in and added our names to the wall!! As the sun began to set, we made our way back to the boat, where we spent the rest of the evening watching football and making phone calls to our loved ones. We missed being with them, but they were close at heart!!
Friday November 26th 2010
The only event on the schedule today, is a swap meet. So we headed to shore, not only for the swap meet, but for the showers!! We waited until late in the morning, and it paid off. Neither of us had to wait in line. Afterwards, we did a little Christmas shopping and had a snack, then headed for the dock. On the way, we noticed that several of the boats were moving and kiting quite badly. In fact, the boat next to us, was getting quite close. As we watched, it came right over and bumped against us! We took off at a trot and got Dave into the dinghy. I had scheduled a ride to the local Walmart, so needed to stay close to the pick-up point. I was worried as to whether Dave could handle the situation alone, but as I looked back out at the boat, I could see that someone else had boarded our boat to help out. Not sure what was going to happen, I boarded the van for the ride into town.
I spent the next hour picking up some more groceries, and having some “me” time, then went back out to the drop site, for a ride back to the dock. There were 8 of us that needed a ride back, plus all of the stuff we had bought. I don’t know how we did it, but we got everyone in, and all of the stuff, too! On the way back, I got a phone call from Dave, saying that he had to move the boat again and re-anchor. It was the only way he could get us away from the wandering boat. He asked if I could get a ride out to the boat with Chris (the wife of the other Whitby owner, Andy). Turns out, the good Samaritan that had boarded our boat, was Andy. He helped Dave move the boat and get re-anchored. Then he realized that his boat was having problems, too! So, while Dave and Andy watched the boats, his son Jake came to the rescue and picked up Chris and I on the dock, with all our stuff.
We spent the rest of the day on the boat, listening to the rain and the wind. There were a lot of boats that had to reset their anchors, due to the wind and the current. We thought that we might be able to watch the Oregon/Arizona game, but it was not on a channel we were able to get. Instead we spent a quiet night reading and watching TV.
Saturday November 27th 2010
Time to keep moving! We said good bye to all of our friends here and headed south again. It was sunny, but COLD! The wind was really whipping, so we had to bundle up in several layers. When we got to the St. John River, we were entering into unknown territory. We found the southern entrance for the Intercoastal Waterway and began to see an area we had not previously seen. It looked a lot like the rest of the canal, but seemed to be deeper.
We ended up at Beach Marina in the Jacksonville area. I’m not sure how I got the boat into the dock. They have a narrow entrance and even narrower fairways. It was a tight squeeze. After securing the boat, we went ashore to check out the facilities. We have laundry that needs to be done!!
After our long day at sea, we were parched! We headed into the Beach Marine Bar & Grill for a beer, and found ourselves in the middle of the Florida/Florida State game. It suddenly occurred to me that we might be able to listen to the Husky game, since the bar had WIFI. Dave ran back to the boat and was soon back with his laptop. In no time, we had our earphones in and were listening to Bob Rondeau. What a game!!! We had ordered some appetizers, so we moved from the bar to a table, where we could spread out. This lasted for quite awhile, then suddenly, as the Huskies were on the move, getting close to the goal line, Dave’s battery went dead!!! We made another move to another table that was close to an electrical outlet, and voila!, the game was back again. This was a nail biter to the bitter end, and I mean end. The Huskies made a touchdown on the last play of the game, with the game clock showing just 2 seconds, to win 16-13!!!!!!
Sunday November 28th 2010
We slept in this morning. Last night, as we got into bed, we heard these funny crunching noises. Dave decided it was either mice or cockroaches!! Not a happy thought to go to sleep on! We found out today that what we were hearing, was shrimp!!! I’ll definitely sleep better tonight!
Today was laundry day. They have a very nice laundry facility here, with 3 washers and 3 dryers. And, while the laundry was washing, Dave and I took showers! Then back to the boat for chores and blog updating, and football! Tonight we have friends from Jacksonville that are meeting us for dinner, and in the morning, we will leave for St. Augustine, where we will meet up with Phil and Roxy – the wonder dog!!!! Can’t wait to see them!
So, here we are at the end of November!! I can’t believe that in just a few weeks, we should be in the Bahamas! If the weather cooperates!!! We have been living on this boat for 7 months now. Unbelievable!
Hopefully, you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving, and you are now getting into the Christmas spirit. The end of the year will soon be upon us. Good luck with all of your shopping and holiday preparations, and check in again next week for more about our unconventional life. We do miss you!
Love & Hugs,
The Admiral
Monday, November 22, 2010
Hooray!! I’m back on line. We left Charleston, SC on Saturday morning, November 20th at 6:45am, and headed out to the open ocean on the outgoing tide. Twenty-nine hours later we entered the harbor at Fernandina Beach, FL, and it was so warm, I traded my jeans for my shorts, right after we tied to the mooring ball.
This was my first time being offshore in the USA, however, we did sail on the ocean down in the British Virgin Islands, but never on an overnight passage. I was a little anxious, since I wasn’t sure how my stomach would do, or how I would handle my four hour watch alone from midnight to four am. I needn’t have worried, I came through it all just fine, including having chili for dinner.
The entire trip we had no wind - nada, zip, zero! But, since there was no wind, we also had no waves, just the ocean swell, which was considerable. We rocked and rolled the entire trip! Twenty-five degrees to one side, then twenty-five degrees to the other side. All day and all night! It made cooking dinner rather interesting, but I was determined to have a hot meal. Thank goodness for the gimbaled stove. The chili on Fritos was delicious!!!
After dark, it wasn’t too cold out, as long as you were wearing a long sleeved shirt, a sweatshirt, and a raincoat over that. Then later, when the dew set in, you needed rain pants, too. About 8:00 pm, I decided I should try to get a little sleep before my watch, so I went down below and climbed into my nice warm bed. Dave was listening to the Stanford vs. California football game on the satellite radio, and since we have speakers in the aft stateroom, I tried to sleep with the game blaring in my ears. Where were my ear plugs??? I finally got up and put on my headphones, but that only muted it a little bit. I was thankful when at halftime, we lost the broadcast. All the while I had to combat the rolling of the boat. First all of my innards would slide all the way up towards my head, and then they would slide down to my feet, and then back again the other way. I think, of the 4 hours, I probably slept about 2.
Right at midnight, Dave slid the hatch open and woke me up for my turn at watch. I once again donned all of my clothes, including a watch cap and my PFD (personal flotation device), and a pair of gloves. I also raided the galley and found a bottle of water and a bag of cinnamon and sugar pita chips, for my midnight snack. Now I was ready to brave the elements. Out of the goodness of his heart, or for his own peace of mind, Dave decided to sleep in the cockpit, in case I had any problems. Thankfully, he is able to sleep just about anywhere, at any time.
While out on the ocean, we use an auto pilot program that steers the boat and keeps it on a set compass course. During the dark hours, you can’t see where the boat is going, so you rely on your radar to tell you if there are obstacles in your way, and you must also do a visual check every so often to see what lights you can see on the horizon. We set a timer for 20 minutes, and when it goes off, you carefully peer around the dodger and carefully scan the horizon. We also take an hourly chart position and enter it in the log book. You also need to be watching the chart on the GPS for marked buoys (you don’t want to run into them!), and the radar screen for blips indicating other boats, buoys, or land. Once you get into a rhythm of doing all of this, it is rather easy, and the radar is very reassuring. It is a wonderful feeling to have a blank radar screen all around you!
The time passed very quickly, although I wasn’t doing anything, just thinking, and watching the water in the moonlight. It was a beautiful full moon, and a nearly cloudless sky. The moon was so bright that we could only see the usual amount of stars. I really wanted to see dolphins, but never spotted any that night.
Around 3:30 am I looked at the chart and saw that our projected course took us straight over land!! Not good!!! I woke Dave up, so he could help me change course. Thank goodness for the GPS. At the time the land mass showed up on the screen, we were already in 9 feet of water, but since the water in this ocean is so shallow anyway, I don’t think we were in any imminent danger, but would have been if I had been asleep at the helm. I actually was quite alert during my watch and even let Dave sleep an extra hour, since I had had to wake him, then went back down to my bed at 5am, and after peeling off all of my layers, snuggled back in for a few more hours of sleep.
I awoke to beautiful sunshine! As each hour passed, it got warmer and warmer, and we started peeling off layers. We must be getting close to Florida!!! The auto pilot took us straight to the channel into Fernandina Beach, and as we made our way in, a huge freighter crept up behind us. We were startled when he called us on the radio and informed us of his intention to pass us. Seeing that big mass of steel pass us, I was glad that we only saw a few of them during the night, and they were all quite a distance from us. The biggest boats we saw close, were fishing trawlers.
So, now that we are safe in Fernandina Beach, let me tell you a little bit about our stay in Charleston. It started off not so good. We had planned to stay at a small, cheap marina in the Isle of Palms. When we arrived, it was very windy. The opening to the marina was very narrow and shallow. As we proceeded in, the waterway stayed very narrow, not leaving a lot of room for maneuvering. We were trying to call the marina, first by VHF and then by phone, to find out where they wanted us to dock. We could not get an answer!! So, we decided to tie up to the gas dock, but with the wind blowing, it was going to be tricky! A man came out on the dock to help us, or so we thought. As I got the boat close to the dock, Dave threw the man a line and told him to tie it to the cleat. He said, “Yeah, right!,” and threw the line back onto the boat. At this point, a gust of wind began blowing us down the dock and very close to some power boats that were docked on the end of the pier. Somehow, I managed to get us past them, and back into the channel. We would have to try it again, but now we were headed in the wrong direction. So, we decided to go all the way out, and come back in again. I was not a happy camper. It was difficult the first time and I was not happy to have to try it again. As we were leaving the marina entrance, I got a little too far to one side and the boat went aground! Now I was really not a happy camper!! I threw the boat into reverse and managed to get us back in deeper water, and out into the canal where we could turn around and go back in. On the way back in, we spotted a section of dock that we thought we could temporarily tie to, and attempted to do so. Between the wind, the angle, and the length of the dock, I just couldn’t make it happen, and I lost my cool!! I managed to get the boat turned around again, and headed back out of the marina!! After a few minutes time out, we decided that we would go on into Charleston and try to find space in a marina there, where we would hopefully have some help in docking. Dave got on the radio and found space for us at a marina on Patriot Point, just east of downtown Charleston. I was so shook up after our fiasco, I let him steer to the marina, then took over again when we got there. Although the wind was still blowing and the current was ripping, I got the boat safely docked with no trouble at all. That was a big confidence booster! And, this place was beautiful!! We walked up the long dock to the Marina office to check in, then went up to check out the resort it is attached to. There is a four story hotel with a swimming pool, a hot tub, a sandy beach with a volleyball net and lounge chairs, fire pits, and, a very inviting bar! After the morning I’d had, I needed a drink! As beautiful as it was, I knew it would be expensive, but it would make a great home for the next couple of weeks.
Before arriving there, we had decided that our present dodger (canvas over the cockpit) would not make it through the harsh winter sun in the Bahamas, so we opted to have a new one made. We researched and contacted a company in Charleston, and they came down to take a look at what we would need, the day after we arrived. They said they would have it done by the 18th of November. A little longer than we had hoped for, and a little more expensive, but what the heck! It turned out to be a great decision.
We spent the next two and a half weeks working on boat projects and playing tourist. We were able to get a great price on a rental car from Enterprise, so we were able to visit some places that were at a distance. We took one beautiful Sunday and drove up to Columbia, SC, where we hoped to see some fall colors. It was a really nice drive, but not too colorful. We did see the University of South Carolina, or USC, as is locally called. Boy, was that ever confusing. They kept talking about USC on the news, and we would automatically think of the other USC. The one in southern California! Anyway, the campus is right in the middle of this capital city, so we saw it, as well as the state house for the government. After the last election, SC now has its first woman governor! And the first of East Indian descent.
We took a day off from boat chores and went into downtown Charleston, where we took a carriage ride around the city. Our horse was an older male named “Bob”. He loved his job, and did very well. He did get spooked if he had to pass any construction areas that were covered with netting, or had to go by those big “cherry pickers” parked on the sides of the road. We saw some beautiful old antebellum homes and old cobblestone streets.
We also spent some time walking in the old slave market area, and sampling praline candy and fudge in some of the shops. Oddly enough, we also drove to the West Marine stores on the opposite side of the city for boat parts. One foray found us hunting for the Citadel Mall where we did some window shopping and had dinner before heading back to the boat.
Another day we traveled to the city aquarium, where they have one of the only albino alligators in captivity. Now that is a really strange sight! He doesn’t look real! They had the usual aquarium displays, and in addition, they had a 4-D movie. It was one of the Planet Earth series, ”the Ocean Deep”. It was amazing how many times they showed whales or dolphins spouting, so they could spray water on you. It was a lot of fun though!
We also drove out to the Boone Hall Plantation where they were having a Civil War Re-enactment of the Battle of Secessionville. What a hoot! There were probably a thousand re-enactors there in period dress. We got to see the inside of the plantation house and they have about 10 slave quarter homes still standing. There was also a presentation made by a woman whose ancestors had been slaves on the plantation. She explained how the slaves came to be there, and the traditions they followed. Very interesting! We also visited the dock house down by the river, where the ladies were having tea and a display of the quilts they had made. On our way back up to the main event area, we met up with General Robert E. Lee. Looked pretty good for a man that old!
We had lunch sold from a tent, where they cooked Indian Tacos, just like the ones my Aunt Toby used to make. They were delicious! After lunch, it was time for the big battle. We even had a regiment of very young soldiers, on the sidelines, fighting with their stick muskets, with a captain in command. They were soooo cute. True to the day, the Yankees outnumbered the Rebels, yet the south won the battle! The old muskets they used were noisy enough, but when they fired those cannons, it really got your attention! And your ears!!!
It was a really enjoyable day. We loved looking at all the campers in their old canvas tents and cooking over the fire pit in cast iron pots and pans. They really know how to rough it!! Made our boat seem quite comfortable by comparison.
Because we were in a big city, we also were able to watch some Husky games. There was a pretty nice sports pub, only a few blocks away, and we watched the last game against California, in the bar at Sticky Fingers, a fantastic barbecue restaurant. The food was great, and the game even better!
The marina is a home to a whole pod of dolphins. They were great entertainment for us. The water is so clear that we could see them swimming and chasing the small fish they wanted for lunch. We would stand on the dock and watch them, just under the surface of the water.
So, all in all, we had a great time in Charleston. However, I think both Dave and I were anxious to get under way again and head for Florida. The Bahamas beckon!!! We plan to stay here in Fernandina for another night, and then head in to Jacksonville for a stay at the city marina. According to some friends here, the city has some great Thanksgiving events going on down at the waterfront, and they have asked us to join them at the dock. Sounds like too much fun to pass up.
Sorry it was so long since my last blog entry. While in Charleston I had to take my computer in to Staples for a clean-up. It was taking way too long to boot up.
Thanks to Angie, Mary, Nancy, and family for your messages. It was wonderful to hear from you. We even got snail mail from home. Even junk mail can be fun, when you don’t get it all the time!
We hope that you all have a great Thanksgiving and enjoy the time with friends and family. I know we will be missing our own, but we will be with new friends this year. Stay happy and healthy!
Love & Hugs,
The Admiral
This was my first time being offshore in the USA, however, we did sail on the ocean down in the British Virgin Islands, but never on an overnight passage. I was a little anxious, since I wasn’t sure how my stomach would do, or how I would handle my four hour watch alone from midnight to four am. I needn’t have worried, I came through it all just fine, including having chili for dinner.
The entire trip we had no wind - nada, zip, zero! But, since there was no wind, we also had no waves, just the ocean swell, which was considerable. We rocked and rolled the entire trip! Twenty-five degrees to one side, then twenty-five degrees to the other side. All day and all night! It made cooking dinner rather interesting, but I was determined to have a hot meal. Thank goodness for the gimbaled stove. The chili on Fritos was delicious!!!
After dark, it wasn’t too cold out, as long as you were wearing a long sleeved shirt, a sweatshirt, and a raincoat over that. Then later, when the dew set in, you needed rain pants, too. About 8:00 pm, I decided I should try to get a little sleep before my watch, so I went down below and climbed into my nice warm bed. Dave was listening to the Stanford vs. California football game on the satellite radio, and since we have speakers in the aft stateroom, I tried to sleep with the game blaring in my ears. Where were my ear plugs??? I finally got up and put on my headphones, but that only muted it a little bit. I was thankful when at halftime, we lost the broadcast. All the while I had to combat the rolling of the boat. First all of my innards would slide all the way up towards my head, and then they would slide down to my feet, and then back again the other way. I think, of the 4 hours, I probably slept about 2.
Right at midnight, Dave slid the hatch open and woke me up for my turn at watch. I once again donned all of my clothes, including a watch cap and my PFD (personal flotation device), and a pair of gloves. I also raided the galley and found a bottle of water and a bag of cinnamon and sugar pita chips, for my midnight snack. Now I was ready to brave the elements. Out of the goodness of his heart, or for his own peace of mind, Dave decided to sleep in the cockpit, in case I had any problems. Thankfully, he is able to sleep just about anywhere, at any time.
While out on the ocean, we use an auto pilot program that steers the boat and keeps it on a set compass course. During the dark hours, you can’t see where the boat is going, so you rely on your radar to tell you if there are obstacles in your way, and you must also do a visual check every so often to see what lights you can see on the horizon. We set a timer for 20 minutes, and when it goes off, you carefully peer around the dodger and carefully scan the horizon. We also take an hourly chart position and enter it in the log book. You also need to be watching the chart on the GPS for marked buoys (you don’t want to run into them!), and the radar screen for blips indicating other boats, buoys, or land. Once you get into a rhythm of doing all of this, it is rather easy, and the radar is very reassuring. It is a wonderful feeling to have a blank radar screen all around you!
The time passed very quickly, although I wasn’t doing anything, just thinking, and watching the water in the moonlight. It was a beautiful full moon, and a nearly cloudless sky. The moon was so bright that we could only see the usual amount of stars. I really wanted to see dolphins, but never spotted any that night.
Around 3:30 am I looked at the chart and saw that our projected course took us straight over land!! Not good!!! I woke Dave up, so he could help me change course. Thank goodness for the GPS. At the time the land mass showed up on the screen, we were already in 9 feet of water, but since the water in this ocean is so shallow anyway, I don’t think we were in any imminent danger, but would have been if I had been asleep at the helm. I actually was quite alert during my watch and even let Dave sleep an extra hour, since I had had to wake him, then went back down to my bed at 5am, and after peeling off all of my layers, snuggled back in for a few more hours of sleep.
I awoke to beautiful sunshine! As each hour passed, it got warmer and warmer, and we started peeling off layers. We must be getting close to Florida!!! The auto pilot took us straight to the channel into Fernandina Beach, and as we made our way in, a huge freighter crept up behind us. We were startled when he called us on the radio and informed us of his intention to pass us. Seeing that big mass of steel pass us, I was glad that we only saw a few of them during the night, and they were all quite a distance from us. The biggest boats we saw close, were fishing trawlers.
So, now that we are safe in Fernandina Beach, let me tell you a little bit about our stay in Charleston. It started off not so good. We had planned to stay at a small, cheap marina in the Isle of Palms. When we arrived, it was very windy. The opening to the marina was very narrow and shallow. As we proceeded in, the waterway stayed very narrow, not leaving a lot of room for maneuvering. We were trying to call the marina, first by VHF and then by phone, to find out where they wanted us to dock. We could not get an answer!! So, we decided to tie up to the gas dock, but with the wind blowing, it was going to be tricky! A man came out on the dock to help us, or so we thought. As I got the boat close to the dock, Dave threw the man a line and told him to tie it to the cleat. He said, “Yeah, right!,” and threw the line back onto the boat. At this point, a gust of wind began blowing us down the dock and very close to some power boats that were docked on the end of the pier. Somehow, I managed to get us past them, and back into the channel. We would have to try it again, but now we were headed in the wrong direction. So, we decided to go all the way out, and come back in again. I was not a happy camper. It was difficult the first time and I was not happy to have to try it again. As we were leaving the marina entrance, I got a little too far to one side and the boat went aground! Now I was really not a happy camper!! I threw the boat into reverse and managed to get us back in deeper water, and out into the canal where we could turn around and go back in. On the way back in, we spotted a section of dock that we thought we could temporarily tie to, and attempted to do so. Between the wind, the angle, and the length of the dock, I just couldn’t make it happen, and I lost my cool!! I managed to get the boat turned around again, and headed back out of the marina!! After a few minutes time out, we decided that we would go on into Charleston and try to find space in a marina there, where we would hopefully have some help in docking. Dave got on the radio and found space for us at a marina on Patriot Point, just east of downtown Charleston. I was so shook up after our fiasco, I let him steer to the marina, then took over again when we got there. Although the wind was still blowing and the current was ripping, I got the boat safely docked with no trouble at all. That was a big confidence booster! And, this place was beautiful!! We walked up the long dock to the Marina office to check in, then went up to check out the resort it is attached to. There is a four story hotel with a swimming pool, a hot tub, a sandy beach with a volleyball net and lounge chairs, fire pits, and, a very inviting bar! After the morning I’d had, I needed a drink! As beautiful as it was, I knew it would be expensive, but it would make a great home for the next couple of weeks.
Before arriving there, we had decided that our present dodger (canvas over the cockpit) would not make it through the harsh winter sun in the Bahamas, so we opted to have a new one made. We researched and contacted a company in Charleston, and they came down to take a look at what we would need, the day after we arrived. They said they would have it done by the 18th of November. A little longer than we had hoped for, and a little more expensive, but what the heck! It turned out to be a great decision.
We spent the next two and a half weeks working on boat projects and playing tourist. We were able to get a great price on a rental car from Enterprise, so we were able to visit some places that were at a distance. We took one beautiful Sunday and drove up to Columbia, SC, where we hoped to see some fall colors. It was a really nice drive, but not too colorful. We did see the University of South Carolina, or USC, as is locally called. Boy, was that ever confusing. They kept talking about USC on the news, and we would automatically think of the other USC. The one in southern California! Anyway, the campus is right in the middle of this capital city, so we saw it, as well as the state house for the government. After the last election, SC now has its first woman governor! And the first of East Indian descent.
We took a day off from boat chores and went into downtown Charleston, where we took a carriage ride around the city. Our horse was an older male named “Bob”. He loved his job, and did very well. He did get spooked if he had to pass any construction areas that were covered with netting, or had to go by those big “cherry pickers” parked on the sides of the road. We saw some beautiful old antebellum homes and old cobblestone streets.
We also spent some time walking in the old slave market area, and sampling praline candy and fudge in some of the shops. Oddly enough, we also drove to the West Marine stores on the opposite side of the city for boat parts. One foray found us hunting for the Citadel Mall where we did some window shopping and had dinner before heading back to the boat.
Another day we traveled to the city aquarium, where they have one of the only albino alligators in captivity. Now that is a really strange sight! He doesn’t look real! They had the usual aquarium displays, and in addition, they had a 4-D movie. It was one of the Planet Earth series, ”the Ocean Deep”. It was amazing how many times they showed whales or dolphins spouting, so they could spray water on you. It was a lot of fun though!
We also drove out to the Boone Hall Plantation where they were having a Civil War Re-enactment of the Battle of Secessionville. What a hoot! There were probably a thousand re-enactors there in period dress. We got to see the inside of the plantation house and they have about 10 slave quarter homes still standing. There was also a presentation made by a woman whose ancestors had been slaves on the plantation. She explained how the slaves came to be there, and the traditions they followed. Very interesting! We also visited the dock house down by the river, where the ladies were having tea and a display of the quilts they had made. On our way back up to the main event area, we met up with General Robert E. Lee. Looked pretty good for a man that old!
We had lunch sold from a tent, where they cooked Indian Tacos, just like the ones my Aunt Toby used to make. They were delicious! After lunch, it was time for the big battle. We even had a regiment of very young soldiers, on the sidelines, fighting with their stick muskets, with a captain in command. They were soooo cute. True to the day, the Yankees outnumbered the Rebels, yet the south won the battle! The old muskets they used were noisy enough, but when they fired those cannons, it really got your attention! And your ears!!!
It was a really enjoyable day. We loved looking at all the campers in their old canvas tents and cooking over the fire pit in cast iron pots and pans. They really know how to rough it!! Made our boat seem quite comfortable by comparison.
Because we were in a big city, we also were able to watch some Husky games. There was a pretty nice sports pub, only a few blocks away, and we watched the last game against California, in the bar at Sticky Fingers, a fantastic barbecue restaurant. The food was great, and the game even better!
The marina is a home to a whole pod of dolphins. They were great entertainment for us. The water is so clear that we could see them swimming and chasing the small fish they wanted for lunch. We would stand on the dock and watch them, just under the surface of the water.
So, all in all, we had a great time in Charleston. However, I think both Dave and I were anxious to get under way again and head for Florida. The Bahamas beckon!!! We plan to stay here in Fernandina for another night, and then head in to Jacksonville for a stay at the city marina. According to some friends here, the city has some great Thanksgiving events going on down at the waterfront, and they have asked us to join them at the dock. Sounds like too much fun to pass up.
Sorry it was so long since my last blog entry. While in Charleston I had to take my computer in to Staples for a clean-up. It was taking way too long to boot up.
Thanks to Angie, Mary, Nancy, and family for your messages. It was wonderful to hear from you. We even got snail mail from home. Even junk mail can be fun, when you don’t get it all the time!
We hope that you all have a great Thanksgiving and enjoy the time with friends and family. I know we will be missing our own, but we will be with new friends this year. Stay happy and healthy!
Love & Hugs,
The Admiral
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