It
has been a very long time since we posted, but here's our attempt to
catch you up on what we've been up to since last year.
SUMMER
2013
After
a brief interlude from cruising, we're back on the water. We hauled
the boat out last May and spent the summer back up north in Ohio,
Pennsylvania and Virginia. It only took us a few weeks before we
missed our life on the boat, but we very much enjoyed the time with
friends and family. By September the air turned chilly again and we
couldn't get back to Jacksonville fast enough. We found the boat in
great shape, better than expected. The home-zone stuff really worked
well, no sign of bugs, mold or mildew. So in the sweltering heat, we
reassembled the boat, had an insurance survey completed,
re-provisioned, and launched on Sept 20. A week later we're back in
Stuart, FL. Life is good.
Just
so you know, just because we live in a warmer place doesn't mean
we're immune to problems. We have a few big issues to resolve
before we can start prepping for the Bahamas.
- Linda needs a root canal and crown, but has no dental insurance.
- Our 10lb. fiberglass propane tanks have been recalled, so no one will refill them. The manufacturer is out of business and busy in the court systems somewhere.
- Our 8.5' inflatable dinghy is leaking air out and water in. Attempts to find leaks and patch have failed. We've been reduced to DUCT tape and pumping 4 times a day.
$$
Cha-ching $$
FALL
2013
So,
two weeks later I have a job for the holiday season. The root canal
will be paid over time. New propane tanks are ordered and the search
for a dinghy continues. Buying new could be as much as 5K so we
focus on used. We've seen quite a few on Craigslist, none worth
buying however. Well, we got lucky. We found one in a side yard near where our son lives. The price is right(cheap) and we grab it. The very next day, Jim runs
into someone posting one for sale at the marina. So we buy that one
too. Y-knot, right? Jim spends the next several weeks repairing,
washing, painting and prepping both dinghies. Which one to keep,
which to sell. Such decisions.
After
a very busy few months in Stuart, we now fully loaded with food and
beverages, boat is washed, laundry is done and it's time to “get
outta dodge”. On Dec 31st we leave Stuart and motor
down the ICW to N Lake Worth Anchorage and relax.
HAPPY
NEW YEAR!
It
will take us several more days to recapture the cruising mode and
we're so ready to go we can taste it. Further southbound and we
anchor in Santa Barbara Lake and then Lake Sylvia in Ft. Lauderdale.
Here we sit and wait, for weather and our friends from back home
Terry and Kate Braden. They are working their way down the west
coast of Florida and we hope to do the crossing together. We also
had a chance to find and visit another family from back home that has
a home in Ft. Lauderdale. Very nice people and they have a cute
little house on the canals near Las Olas. Its also fortunate that we
did find them as the very next day we needed a ride to the store.
The outboard is clogged, no water flushing out, and it may be the
impeller... Two days of parts searching and dismantling and we think
its fixed. As boats go, now its time for another problem, right?
Well, better now then after we leave the States. We have now found
fuel in the bilge. Oh no. So, more phone calls, more tools, and
more parts everywhere..... The fuel injector O rings are worn out
and leaking. Thank goodness Jim is so handy! We find the parts
close by, inexpensive, and do-able. Jim would also say they were a
pain in the neck since he had to dismantle half the motor to get
enough room to replace the parts.... anyway, problem solved. We're
done, right? Well, the weather hasn't cooperated so we've now been
in Ft Lauderdale for 10 days.
This has also made the Braden's transit impossible as well. They're
still near Marco Island so we abandon the idea of crossing together.
They've found another boat to buddy with and will do fine I'm sure.
THE
CROSSING 2014
Jan
13 and the weather window opens up for us. LV 330A, and out the
harbor entrance at 5a. There are 3-5 ft swells and wind is on the
nose. AARRRGGG. As we wait for the sun to rise we are both asking
ourselves if we should turn around and go back, try another day. The
boat is rocking violently back and forth causing cargo to spill down
below. We lost some soap and a few water jugs, so the carpets and
floors are now nice and slippery. Well, we held on and things did
settle in enough for us to make way. Not the ideal crossing, but we
made it. It's 445P and we're rushing into West End to catch the
Customs office before they close. In and out, 15 minutes. Must be a
record. And we cast off to get the anchor down before dark. We made
it!!! and then we slept like a couple of logs...
ABACOS
In
the morning we do one of those “OMG, look where we are. Its sunny,
warm and beautiful here. The water is blue. Oh look, there's a
fish” So here we are again, starting our third winter in the
Bahamas. The Abaco islands are not far apart and it's easy to move
from one to another in a few hours. We'll sail whenever we can, as
we hippety-hop our way around here for the a few months. If and when
we get tired of this area, we can always take an ocean cut and head
further south. For now, this is pretty nice. Last night we watched
the sun set over some Lobster Alfredo and angel hair pasta. We've
resumed fishing and are already filling up the freezer faster than we
can eat it. Since our arrival, we have visited several islands
including:
West
End, Great Sale, Grand Cay, Green Turtle, Great Guana, Treasure, Man
O War, Marsh Harbour, Little Harbour and
Lynyard. We are currently anchored
inside Treasure Cay as we wait for a strong front to pass through the
area tonight and tomorrow.
It's
75-80 most days and skies are clear. Wishing you were here.....
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