November 26, 2010

Hi again---

Just couldn't resist adding these two shots for a couple of reasons.   The cormorant is Fred's new best friend.  They were hanging out together on the dock at, as you can see, high tide.  The second shot is Fred's chair about six hours later.  Gives you a good awareness of the SC tidal range!  Six feet? Eight? Another place we notice it is at the bridge to the floating dock.  At high tide it is a level walk--as the water disappears, the ramp drops to about a 45 degree angle.  Challenging--especially if you're pulling or pushing a loaded cart!

November 24, 2010

Hello and a happy Thanksgiving to all!  And we do have so very much to be thankful for!

For openers, Fred and I are  together again aboard YOUNG AMERICA.  I’d spent a month in Newburgh with grandson Matthew, who now is living in Greene County, NY.  Fred met me at the airport in Savannah last Wednesday and ‘twas oh, so good to be back!

On Friday we hopped in the Burb and went to Brunswick, GA, where Fred joined Mike Borum aboard SEA DREAM.  While they cruised leisurely to Fernandino Beach and then Jacksonville, I drove to Lake City, FL and spent a day with long time friend, Lorraine Kirkland.  We had a great visit, and then I rejoined the travelers at JAX Landing. We each motored up the St. John’s River to Green Cove Springs, where SEA DREAM will be docked for awhile.

We delivered Mike back to his car in Brunswick, and then came back ‘home’ to the boat. Used the Tom-Tom I brought from NY to locate the nearest Dairy Queen!  Ah, the joys of modern technology.  (OK, so it’s not so modern...Tom is new to us!)

While I was in NY, another one of those ‘on the list’ jobs that got done was to replace the salon air conditioner with a new model--rewired to run at 220V.  The original 110V unit would neither heat nor cool, and soon it was discovered that it had lost all freon. ‘Had lost’ was the operative term, as a balloon test to see if freon was escaping showed that all the freon was elsewhere.  Happiness is a new, working a/c unit.

On Veteran’s Day, Fred flew the big flag in honor of all the servicemen and women who deserve special recognition every day, and are especially remembered on Nov. 11.

Our Turkey day celebration will be at the Parish Church of St. Helena in Beaufort.  Two years ago we accepted the invitation posted around the Beaufort marina to come to the church for Thanksgiving Dinner.   Since we’re in the area this year, (only about 20 min. away by car) we’ve volunteered to help clean up after they serve the many folks who come by for a meal.  Looking forward to it!

I find it hard to believe that it's Holiday time, although the stores have been extolling the virtues of Christmas since mid-October!  We plan to drive to NY in a couple of weeks, and be there until mid-January.

So this may be 'it' for YA Blog 2010.  It's been a strange and unusual year for us cruisers--we've done very little of that!  However, we have enjoyed the boat, the family, the friends and each other to the max!  Hope your year has been a successful and a happy one.  All the best, until we meet again! 

Linda and Fred

October 22, 2010

Well, hello!

What I said about that frost on the pumpkin is really true---if you aren’t in Hilton Head...

I’m not.  Family matters have caused me to take a little detour from cruising, and I’ll be bundling up in the increasingly cool weather of Newburgh, NY,  for the rest of Oct. and a good portion of Nov.   Life, I heard someone say, is what happens while you are making other plans.....

Fred, on the other hand, continues to bask in the sunny 70’s at Shelter Cove.  Maybe  bask isn’t the best word.  He’s doing one of the things he loves best---crossing items off the To Do list.  Some are paperwork (not so much fun) and some involve tools (Way Better!).

This week, in addition to taking these photos of foggy mornings and sunset over the dinghy, he installed an echo charger for the parts of the dinghy that can fade away without electrical input.  So there now is a new panel (with, of course, indicator lights) on the console.   No more wondering if the dinghy motor will start when we hit the water.  The inverter will, I’m told, keep that puppy up and running!

As in Fred’s adventure behind the navigation screens where miles of extra wire were found to be just hanging around, inside the dinghy’s nether compartments Fred discovered no less than 65’ of unused wires. Makes you wonder.  He has now removed the excess, installed what was needed and is happy with the result.  It is not, however a project that was taken on lightly, nor would it be repeated.   A lot of up and down-ing of ladders,  muttering, and spending time in physical positions more appropriate for a well trained contortionist.  Best part?  The job is off the list!   Next???

With Fred moving about on YOUNG AMERICA, the graceful heron has moved across the inlet, and now stands on the stern of ALLEGRO TOO  patiently watching and waiting for his meals.  Or maybe he’s just relaxing and enjoying the view.  Who knows?

That is it for this edition.  Do remember to breathe in, breathe out, and repeat endlessly, thereby bringing a measure of inner peace that can be passed on to others.........

Linda and Fred

October 5, 2010

Almost Monday.  Hey, it takes a bit to get back into the groove!  

We did stay in Newburgh until, Wed., and  Thurs., and  Fri., and Sat., and Sunday...  On Monday Sept 27, we dropped the VW Eos off to get a minor repair.  Daughter Molly generously offers to pick it up on these occasions--note to Klaus and Betty,  Molly likes that little car a lot, too!

We headed south in the Burb, and what  a day it was!

We routinely head west to I-81 to get to the south USA. It’s a much more pleasant ride than I-95--ususally--and bypasses all the metropolitan bru-ha-ha  in the Baltimore-Washington corridor.  On this day we could have been anywhere.  The rain poured down and did not wash away fog so thick that we were the only car we could see most of the time.  Not that there wasn’t traffic--we weren’t the only ones slogging along, but a slog it was--and like PA,  it went on and on and on.

We finally reached, and stopped in, Winchester, VA where we slept the sound sleep of people who’ve bumbled through fog all day.  Happily, we awoke to a much clearer day on Tuesday.  VA, like PA, takes forever to cross, but it’s a beautiful ride and by evening we’d put NC behind us and were settled in near Columbia, SC.  Rode over to Aiken in the morning to have breakfast with Ted and Rita---the brothers certainly do look alike, don’t they?  

From Aiken, we rolled into Charleston and once again stopped at our new favorite hotel, the Historic Embassy Suites, or as then 3 year old Becca called it, the Pink Castle, site of the Mangelsdorf family reunion in April, ’09.  We returned to the Cold War Sub Memorial, as Fred 1) has been authorized by his shipmates to fund raise for a bench to commemorate the Cutlass 478 at the memorial site, and 2) he has a new camera to try out.  It’s a pocket digital--a very light weight replacement for the bag of camera equipment that went missing in GCS in June.

By 5 pm on Thursday, we were once again ‘Back in Boat’ (Did you watch “All of me” yet?  GO rent it!!!)  YA was happily awaiting us in the  tranquil waters of Shelter Cove.

The rest of the week has been a little bit of Paradise.  We have tasks every day, and we regularly invoke the ‘rule’ given us by Joan on FOREVER 39 when we were first looking at Great Harbour Trawlers.  She said that for a cruiser, a day with two tasks accomplished is a good day.  Talk about maxing retirement!  We find that we are very, very good at this, and thank you, Joan---you may not have realized that you were offering life-altering advice!    :-)

My high school classmate, Paula, brought her traveling companion, Patsy to visit  (from their home in Sumter, SC) on Saturday.  Was a fun time, a beautiful day, and we walked a couple of miles around the Cove--Disney has an island just over the bridge, and we wandered by to watch the crabbers and fishermen on the dock.

So I looked at the clock today and realized that Monday had passed us by---something to do with new tires for the Burb, taking the boat to the Marina office for a pump out (Yes, we are still cruisers, so to speak!) and  then having to check out the delightful restaurant above the Marina store, and sitting on a bench while the guitar player at San Miguel’s restaurant strummed some of our favorite oldies...a busy day!

Onward and upward!

Be well, and, as Garrison Kielor says in his daily 5 minute Almanac, Keep in touch!

Linda and Fred

September 20, 2010

Hi, Hey and Hello there!  Here it is Sept. and the MonDAY messages seem to have devolved into the MonTHLY messages.

We’re back.  Were Back in Boat  (Digression: if you haven’t see Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin in “All of Me” to recognize that I’m alluding to the hilarious line “Back in Bowl” rent the dvd.   Silly laughter--the best medicine!)  We WERE back in Boat---drove to Hilton Head when Hurricane Earl reared it’s ugly head.  We believed that it would go way off shore (it did) but we wanted to see for ourselves that all was well.   So we drove down and  spent 3 days on YA in the ultra calm waters at Shelter Cove.

Shelter Cove is a great marina, and Dock E is just opposite the pavilion where Shannon Tanner performs twice nightly.  First show for children, and the later one for adults.  We really got a kick out of his music and engagement of the kids--and he had noticed YA, and so had a tour.  We expect to see more of him when we return.

We attended the UU of the Lowcountry in Bluffton, spent an evening with an old friend from Newburgh, and the boat time passed all too quickly.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation In Rock Tavern, NY has completed the rebuilding of the church that was destroyed by fire in 2006, and the official dedication was scheduled for the weekend of 9/11-12.  I’d returned to Newburgh in May for the first service int the new bldg. but we both wanted to be there for the dedication.  So we once again locked up YA and headed north by car. 

First stop was Charleston where we spent several hours taking pictures at the Cold War Submarine Museum in Mount Pleasant  Fred’s 2 years of  Navy service aboard the Cutlass 478 made this an especially interesting place.  And the crews of the Cutlass were gathering in Pittsburgh that week for their bi-annual reunion that very week, so our next destination was, you guessed it,  Pittsburgh, PA.    Very nice to renew old acquaintances, and we got to go on a  boat ride on the three rivers of Pittsburgh.  We duly noted that but for the torrential spring rains in Nashville and the oil spill in the Gulf, we probably would have arrived in Pittsburgh by boat.  That was our Plan A for 2010. This was just not the best year to go upstream, so we didn’t.

We were in back Newburgh on Saturday, 9/11. With the national news espousing man’s inhumanity to man, it felt very reassuring to attend the dedication service at the UU, where the inherent worth and dignity of every person is celebrated, and all religious faiths are deemed worthy.

Hope springs eternal for people to learn tolerance and spread peace on this fine old  earth of ours.

On Wednesday evening we gave  a Power Point presentation on locks to the members of the Mid Hudson Power Squadron.  They’d asked for info about unusual locks, and Peterborough and the Big Chute on the Trent-Severn Waterway certainly fit that qualification.  It was a fun evening with about 25 folks gathering for a pot luck before the slide show.

This week we continue to straddle both worlds.  Enjoyed visiting with family as my niece Mary, her daughter Kyra and their friend Nick stayed with us before and after they participated in a Warrior Dash at Windham ski lodge.  The grueling, messy, and apparently hugely fun 6K obstacle run was quite the event.  We helped them recover with pizza and birthday cake.  (September B’days, Kris and Linda Lee).  We also tucked in a visit with Klaus and Betty from MOON BEAM.  Missed out on the mini-rondesvoux with Brooke and Dee (EAST PASSAGE) and Mike Jackson (SEA GLASS) at Mike’s home in Warwick, NY.  We’ll catch up another time!

We’ll  be around the condo until after Fred’s board meeting for the Condo Association on Wed. Then it’ll be time to pack up and return to the sunny climes of SC. Mornings in NY are deliciously cool  now, and the pumpkins are out, awaiting the frost.  Time to think warm.

Until next time,

Be well, and keep in touch...Linda and Fred

August 24, 2010

And the weeks go by....still here in NY, and we’re beginning to have conversations about what to take with us when we return to the boat.

The nice drivers from UPS and FedEx have been our friends during these weeks as Fred orders more and more items to replace those things we ‘lost’ to the thief.  No encouraging words from the GCS Police about catching anyone so we’re guessing that event will simply slide into history.

Whoever was in charge of the weather for Ada and Jim’s wedding did a fantastic job!  Eighty degrees was the top number the thermometer scored, and that was perfect for an outdoor event overlooking the gorgeous Hudson Valley.    We had two opportunities to get to know Jim’s relatives--the Rehearsal dinner on Friday evening and then the reception after the wedding itself.  A good time was had by all, and now Mr. and Mrs. Seymour have moved into  the ‘happily ever after’ phase!  

I’m officially  a sighted person!  Tomorrow it’ll be a week since eye #2 was enhanced by Dr. Mary--she implanted a prescription lens, and also relaxed my corneas to clear some of the major astigmatism I’ve looked thru for lo, these many years.  I swear my eyes look different, and I can certainly attest that everything I look at is sharper and clearer.  I’m slowly adjusting to the ability to turn my head quickly without fear of losing a lens, and can’t wait to go swimming!  Yee hah!  To go from 20/800 to 20/60 in 15 minutes with no pain is a pretty remarkable experience!

So we muddle on, doing the things we do in New York--we meet with family and friends, hang new blinds in the last 4 of our five  bay windows (only took 6 years to get to that!) and count our blessings.  Will update when we’ve actually returned to YA--for however brief a visit--and know that one day we’ll return to our status as live-aboards!

Happy to have you checking in with us--we send love and peace and happiness to all!

Fred and Linda

August 4, 2010

Well, let’s see what marvelous excuse for not writing I can come up with this time! 

I’ve got it!  When we are not on the boat, there is no YOUNG AMERICA news!  Remember how when last we spoke, Fred and I were looking forward to returning to Shelter Cove at Hilton Head?  Didn’t happen.  YET.  We shall return, but probably not for another month.

There are a lot of reasons, all of them good, and the bottom line is that we’ve chosen to remain in New York and participate in family events, as well as clean up unfinished business and take care of health issues new and old.

We knew that daughter Ada was planning to wed the love of her life, Jim on August 14---and she will.  Plan A was that we’d spend July bringing the boat to the Chesapeake and drive home from, say Baltimore, for the wedding.   First week in July, 21 year old granddaughter Tarryn announced her engagement and imminent marriage to her college sweetheart, Austin,  who has become a Pfc in the Army and will be off to Hawaii in mid-August.  In order to get Tarryn enrolled as an Army spouse prior to that date, they had to marry pronto!  And so they did--a lovely ceremony in a Rhode Island Rose Garden, with a delightful reception last weekend at the West Point Club.

They are an adorable couple and happy as newlyweds ought to be.   Tarryn will leave for Hawaii Sept. 1st.  Good excuse for a visit there, but not on YA!

Now that we were in town for July, there was time to advertise our condo (my home before Fred and I married, which had recently been vacated by Ada) on CraigsList.  The excellent response was  a real surprise to me--showed it two and three times a day and within a week we had to choose between two good tenants.  Strong recommendation for CraigsList.com!

In a totally different vein, we’re doing all the medical stuff (pun intended) while home.  Fred’s in great shape.  The doctors and dentists have seen his smiling face, soon he'll glow with one of the fancy new tests the cardiac people have devised, and he’s also been able to re-connect on a pretty regular basis with the Wed. a.m. breakfast group of guys he’s been a part of for over 12 years. They call themselves the  DOF's (Dutchess Old Fogies--Dutchess is the county in which they meet).  It is very nice to have such a constant in life, thinks I.

At a routine eye exam, I discovered that the lens inserted as a replacement after cataract surgery can be a prescription lens--and one need not have cataracts to have that procedure done!  So after wearing coke bottle glasses from age 2-18,  followed by 50 years of hard contact lenses, yesterday a prescription lens was inserted into my left eye, and in two weeks the right lens will be placed.  Holy Happiness!  For the first time in my entire life I was able to read the alarm clock (with it’s 3” high digital numbers!) as soon as I woke up today--no fumbling for spectacles.  I’m beyond excited to discover lens free life on YOUNG AMERICA--- 

YOUNG AMERICA--we miss her terribly, and remain unclear about when we’ll rejoin her.  Best guess is end of August, and it may be mid Sept.  So we’ll continue to randomly keep in touch.  Happy to hear from all of you, and we send love and peace......lots of it!

Fred and Linda

June 30, 2010

Blog???   What blog?  Oh man, does the time fly when you are having fun.  And even when you’re not!  There has been some of both in recent weeks, she whined.

Our stay at the Sleep Inn turned out to be 15 days.  We did get some good stuff done--hull washed and waxed, I went to the Apple store in JAX for another class in ‘how to use the Mac’, we saw a movie (The A Team), and every day we were back and forth as the fiberglass work and replacement of the rails and swim ladder progressed.

Sad to say, on the morning of the day the boat was to return to the water, the first thing Fred noticed at 8 a.m. when he arrived at YA was that the door was unlocked.  It went downhill from there.  During the night we had an unexpected and most unwelcome guest who departed with more of our possessions than we’d think could be carried away.   From the tool chest in the engine room (complete with socket sets) to the +/- 60 dvd’s on the bookshelf--with stops along the way for jackets, pocketbooks, passports and most everything else that wasn’t tied down, we were thoroughly burgled.

Note to Mirage owners:  you might want to rethink that ‘hiding’ place for the key to your boat.  Our key was used---and left on the bed--we hope with traceable fingerprints!

So we spent an extra day in GCS doing police reports, replacement costs, and shopping for the few things we’d need to be safe on the water.  With new binocs, a new handheld and our old headphones (don't know why they were overlooked!) at the ready for docking, on Sat. June 19 we headed north. 

You’ll think we’re pretty silly if I spelled out our activities over the next few days--we had boat and car to move north, and a commitment to be in Aberdeen, SD on Friday, June 25.  Suffice it to say that by 7:25 a.m on the 25th the boat was tied up in Shelter Cove at Hilton Head, the car had been moved from GCS to the dealership in NY and was having work done, and we’d driven to Albany to board plane #1.

I’d retrace the boat part of the trip, but honestly, all I can remember is that the ride up Broad Creek on Hilton Head Island was delightful, and Shelter Cove is a great marina!! Thanks for the recommendation to Jim on LONE WOLF!

You can’t get from Newburgh to Aberdeen, so we flew from Albany to Mpls. and rented a car for something different--a 6 hour ride.  Had a wonderful visit with my family--I re-enacted my duties as Maid of Honor for my sister--only now it is 50 years later!  (I must have been 4 when they were married!  Those pictures just lie.  That’s all there is to it!)  

We returned to Newburgh just in time to meet son Geoff, his wife Amy and 11 year old Pete.  Geoff will begin a year at the Navy War College in Newport, RI next month, and they’d left Ft. Huachuaca, AZ about the same time we left Hilton Head.  2 of our other 6 children and their families were available for a pizza party last evening, and a good time was had by all.

Tonight (Wed. the last day of June), we’re taking a deep breath and looking ahead to the summer.  

Plans??? What plans?  The Chesapeake is waiting, and we're looking to see how much cruising we can squeeze into the next few months.   So little to do, and so much time to do it in, as Willy Wonks wisely said.........Until next time, stay well and keep in touch!

June 5, 2010

Moving right along....or not!   We did do the separation thing for a few days.  I flew to NY and attended all the afore mentioned events--and had a great time!   Who knew that 6th 7th and 8th graders with very little prior experience could put on such a fabulous song and dance show in Damn Yankees!  Katie played her violin and sang like a pro (a 6 year old pro, that is) and Molly and Jeff had a very relaxing and well attended Cinco de Mayo party.  It was really nice to hang out with family and friends.

The dedication service at the UUCRT (Unitarian Universalist church that burned to the ground on 9/12/06 and has just been rebuilt) was a very special event. (www.uucrt.org)  Although I was a long distance participant for the construction phase, the post fire decision making, right up to the ground breaking, was a very big part of my life--pre-YA.  The building will be a wonderful addition to Orange County, NY for many generations to come,  and the tiny group (66 congregants) that worked together to get the building built while carrying on their participation in the church, their personal lives and the community deserve kudos!  A job well done, by all!

Meanwhile, back at Green Cove Springs, the days were filled with ‘boatwork’.  The microwave was examined and the washer/dryer repaired.  Fred set out to hardwire the small GPS we use as a backup, and got lost in the electric panels behind the computer screens.  When he re-surfaced about 5 days later, nearly 50 feet of excess electric wire had been trimmed away, and tidy, well organized  and labeled panels have appeared.  The last 2 steps, actually hard wiring the GPS, and cutting the floor of the box where the wires live in half (to ease the access process for the future), were finally accomplished.  Whew!  

And then, when June arrived and the insurers were setting the rules, the boat was hauled. Since we've not taken YA north of Savannah now that the Hurricane season has begun, we have special ‘trip’ coverage for the month of June--turns out the whole policy would have been null and void without it.  No charge for the trip coverage, but if named storm coverage is expected, well, that’s a different story.  So the extra premium goes onto the list of expenses incurred as a result of someone’s negligent operation of a watercraft.  

The wooden rail is off, and sanding and fiberglass work have begun.  We’re ensconced in the SleepInn--have a suite that feels bigger than the boat!  While the boatyard people do their magic with the damage repairs, we’ll be doing more ‘boatwork’ and expect that when we depart GCS--in the not too far distant future, we’ll have a truly shipshape vessel!

Will keep you posted!

May 17, 2010

Well, this was a very different sort of week for us.  For one thing, we were up and underway by 7 a.m. 3 days out of 5!  Hardly recognized ourselves!

From Jupiter we headed for Vero Beach, and spent one night there.  Found that they had delivered a newspaper onto the deck in the a.m.--a nice touch.  Headed out and moseyed up to Cocoa, where we stayed Monday and Tuesday nites. Had a good time in downtown Cocoa--did some Christmas shopping at Coco’s, where Lynn was great fun and very helpful.  

That getting up early thing is pretty neat.  We were in Daytona at Halifax Harbour before 4, having been pushed to 8 knots for awhile, and then slowed to 5.5 kn. by the same water, but on the other side of an inlet.  Amazing how the water moves back and forth, in and out, and takes us right along with it.   Lots of Manitee zones along the way as well. We have yet to see a manitee, but the dolphins show themselves every now and then.

Thursday morning at 8:15 I poked my head into the engine room, just to check, and lo, the starboard alley was full enough of water that it was sloshing over into the center of the boat, where the bilge pump lives.  Caught it before the bilge pump went on, and within minutes Fred had diagnosed the problem as a loose shaft seal on the starboard engine.  Slowing down slowed the incoming water, and we put a sump pump into the water that had collected inside the boat.  Ran the hose across the engine room into the sea chest and allowed the water to go right back where it came from--and where it belongs.  Outside the boat!  

As soon as we came to a wide spot in the channel, we deployed Knute, shut off the engines, and Fred tightened the offending seal.  Bingo.  Problem solved.  It certainly is a pleasure to travel with a mechanic!  Anchors aweigh, and we were off in less than 1/2 hour.  

Somewhere along the way we remembered that we had a car in the Keys, and would want to have it at Green Cove Springs before the boat work began, so we boogied on to Jacksonville Beach rather than stopping at St. Augustine.  Early mornings do give more options, we learned!  From JAX Beach it was an easy run across the St. John’s inlet on Friday.  

We chuckled at what a difference two years have made to our experience of the Jacksonville Harbor.  Not a big deal at all this year. The first time we crossed it, heading north in our brand new boat in 2008, we were following AVOCET, and very happy to be doing that! 

We trekked up the brown waters of the St. John’s River, and by 2:30 pm were tied up at Reynolds Park, where we’ll stay until YOUNG AMERICA has been fully repaired.  Picked up a rental car and on Saturday morning we got yet another early start.  By 3:00 p.m. we’d retrieved the Audi, and were heading out of Banana Bay in Marathon to drop off the rental.

We made it a fun trip back by stopping for the very best Mexican Food EVER at Senor Frijoles in Key Largo, then drove on to Palm Beach where we once again tested a Tempur Pedic mattress (we’d tried one out at the B&B in Gainesville and really liked it.  Doubletree Inn in Palm Beach has Tempur Pedic on all the beds.  Who knew??)  Slept well and got a more normal (for us) start at 11 a.m. Sunday.

With stops for lunch in Vero Beach and to pick up another pair of sunglasses at Coco’s in Cocoa, we got back to the boat at 7 p.m.  And now it’s time to say sayonara for a couple of weeks.  We’ll be here in Green Cove until the repair work is done--with other appointments to have the Microwave and Washing Machine serviced.  I’ll be in New York for a few days--grandchildren events (Katie Rae’s first grade concert,  JT will be on stage in Damn Yankees, and there’ll be a party to celebrate his confirmation and graduation from 8th grade).  Additionally, the new church building at the UUCRT is completed, and I’m excited that I’ll be able to be there for the very first service!

So it’ll be June--1/2 way through 2010! when next we meet.  Until then, be well, keep smiling, and remember to breathe!   :-)

May 10, 2009

Sigh, our last sunny, beautiful days at Banana Bay.   I finally got to the health food store--and discovered that they make delicious coffee!  Go figure. Also found Anthony’s dress shop in the same strip mall--a nice place to shop! Too bad I don’t need dresses.

On Wednesday we left slip 24 and moved into 23--that is we put the dock on the port side so the davit could reach the Go-Pet, which now is

neatly stored under it’s new cover.  Headed north and made our first stop at the Islamarada city dock.  No concert greeted us this time, but we had a good, healthy walk around the water’s edge before calling it a day.

By noon on Thursday we were in the Jewfish creek--leaving the Keys.  Got a closer look at Stiltsville as we crossed Biscayne Bay, and somehow the combination of light, humidity and sun bathed the Miami skyline in am iridescent glow that was absolutely stunning.  We crossed under the Rickenbacker Causeway, and decided to anchor in front of the Marine Stadium--or what is left of it. The amazing concrete structure was built as a power boat racing venue in the ’60’s.  A floating stage  saw the likes of Pres. Nixon, Sammy Davis, Jr., Phil Donahue, NY Mayor Mario Cuomo, and, most notably, Key West’s Jimmy Buffett. Damage from Hurricane Andrew forced it to close in 1992, and today the Stadium is a graffiti showcase.   Great anchorage, though!

Friday was  a day!  We covered 50 miles--not a lot--but passed under 26 bridges--many of them with timed openings (vs. opening as you arrive and request passage).  Speed up--oops idle speed zone--slow down or we’ll have a 15 minute wait...that was pretty much the day.  One fun thing, though, we were behind a Peterson Fuel Barge for awhile, so phoned and their price for diesel was very competitive--$2.90/gal. + 6% tax.  We made an appointment, and at 1:30 pm made a U turn to raft to the starboard side of the barge while the Baroness was rafted on her port side.  We topped our tank with 200 gal. of diesel, and as we pulled away,  the Baroness’ staff was still watching the meter. The barge captain offered us 8500 gal. of the barge’s 10,000 gal. capacity, so I’m guessing

that the Baroness took in the neighborhood of 1500 gal.  We felt so tiny!

After being told there was no room at two marinas, Del Ray Yacht Club was our stopping point for the night.  Marcel the dock master, bless him, stayed late to settle us in, and then we were off for a swim in the gorgeous Olympic sized pool.  Mmmmmm delicious.

Saturday was everybody’s favorite day to be on the water. We love to see people using the Waterway, the beaches and their boats.  And, boy, did we see them!  We ha a late start, and early stop. By 4:40 we were in Jupiter, FL, again tied up at the local yacht club. They, too, had a pool, and we used it!

Got an early start on Sunday--our lines were off by 7:30 a.m.  Amazing for us.  Today perhaps everyone was having breakfast in bed with mom--or brunch, as it was well after noon when the traffic began to pick up.

We ducked into Vero Beach’s Municipal Marina for the night, and on Monday morning are en route to Cocoa..

And that was our week.  How was yours?

May 3, 2010

Well, it has been a week.  Unlike any other we’ve spent aboard, but that is what the cruising life is all about.  Hey, you never know!

Our navigation computer was away from the boat for as long as we were.  It completed the Loop by getting us to Marathon, and then simply refused to turn on. Fred shipped it to Travis Fickett, he who constructed all it’s innards, in Gainesville, and we picked it up, sporting a new hard drive, on our way home.

Nav computer being removed from the boat, and brought back, translates to a very, very large number of Fred hours re-installing software and re-connecting all the aids to navigation, like the Auto-pilot, radar, GPS, AIS, depth sounder, etc.etc.etc.   Also installing charts for everywhere we might plan to go--both vector and rastor.   Not to mention locating all of the above parts, ports, discs, instructions, manuals, passwords, keywords, and assorted minutiae that are clearly designed to frustrate. It is, after all, a computer.  That is what they do.

Needless to say, Fred has been equal to--and even a cut above--the assignment.  Not something he’d choose to do often, but as of today (Monday) everything that needs to light up, flash, beep, scroll and/or indicate seems to be willing and able to do it’s appointed task at the appropriate time, so we’re good to go.  

In that department, at least.  The damage to the boat (see last week's blog) was a whole ‘nother animal.  The number of damage-related visitors has been terrific!  Gentlemen have come to scour the bottom and look for any underwater damage (none found, thankfully), survey the damage, and assess for an estimate for repairs--first the general marina fella with his fiberglass guy, and then, another day, the welder came.   Additionally, we found an attorney who will be in the area when court time rolls around, so we should be ready to head north.

One big job to make the boat seaworthy was the installation of a new, wooden rail on the port quarter.  No, it won’t be painted, stained or varnished.  But it will, we believe, keep us on deck when we’re underway.  It’s kinda cute, don’t you think?

A Power Squadron member from Vero Beach passed through Banana Bay on his way (with 7-8 other boats) to a vacation in Key West.  He had his Vessel Safety Inspection kit with him, and with our new rail, we passed with flying colors.  

We did have some good times, too, during the week.  One sunny morning we took a bi-plane ride around the area.  Whoosh!  I got the seat with no door, and the 100+mph winds caught my goggles, elbow, hand--anything that moved more than a few inches from center was in danger of departing!  Fred got some nifty photos of Banana Bay and YOUNG AMERICA.   Paul the Pilot did a couple of roll-y, “fun” maneuvers--45 degree tilt or more--that had me hanging on for dear life and wondering what I was doing there, but we landed safely after a 1/2 hour ride that was mostly enjoyable.  Scratch “ride in a small, private plane” off my ‘things to do before I die’ list.   Happily, the two did not coincide.

I’ve been taking advantage of Banana Bay’s beautiful swimming pool and hot tub.  The weather has been delicious--in the 80’s and sunny with beautiful blue skies and fluffy clouds.  We had one morning of pitter-patter rain, and even that was lovely.

The rest of the country--most notably the area we were considering traveling touring this summer, (the Cumberland, Tennessee, and Ohio Rivers), has had way more than pitter patter rain.  Traveling north in the River system can be tricky in the spring, but is usually possible.  This year, with flooding and huge amounts of debris heading south, plus the threat of a slippery, slimy oil slick possibly approaching from the west, prudence says, “how about a summer in the Chesapeake?”

So that is the plan.  We’ll be underway from Marathon Wed. a.m. and when next we 'speak', YA should be in or near Green Cove Springs, where she’ll be hauled for repairs.  And then, well, stay tuned!

April 25, 2010

Whew!  That was a long week!    Somehow I neglected to update before we left for New York on March 25th and here it is, that same date in April.   My, my, how the time does fly when you’re having fun!  

The AZ Mangelsdorf’s arrived as promised.  Peter is growing like crazy, and his new glasses make him look oh, so very cool.  Geoff and Amy will return to Ft. Huachucha for a few months, then travel across the country to their next assignment--Navy War College in Newport , RI.

It was great to visit with them.  One highlight was a trip to the Turtle Hospital in Marathon--that’s been on our ‘to see’ list for awhile, now.  Was interesting and unusual to see how they’ve re-done a resort motel with swimming pool to create surgical suites and ‘storage’ areas for ill  or wounded sea turtles.  Florida’s unusually cold weather this year really created havoc for the staff--over 100 turtles were brought in to be warmed up as reptiles can’t adjust to the frigid temps.  

Spent a few days sorting out 2 years worth of ‘stuff’ and deciding what really needs to be on the boat.  How easy it is to stow and forget!  We packed the car to the gills and on Thursday, March 25, headed nortth.

We stopped to visit Fred’s brother Ted and his wife Rita in Aiken, SC.  As luck would have it, there was a Polo Match on Saturday, and we decided not to miss it!  What a hoot!  The thundering horses, changing of goals with every score, and of course, the stomping of the divots at the half time.  That would be after the first 3 Chukkers--and before the last 3 Chukkers--and then the game went into overtime!  Needless to say it was a great event!

I’ll spare you the day by day and blow by blow, but as this blog was created to be a memoir of sorts, here are some highlights:

We:
 visited and spent time with all 6 of the kids and their families who live in the Newburgh area,

got our income taxes done and filed well in advance of Apr. 15,

attended the Change of Watch for Power Squadrons--both the local (Mid Hudson) and the District,

traveled to Boston to attend a scholarship luncheon at MIT,

spent time with friends, 

showed up for doctor and dentist appointments as scheduled,

helped Ada move to her new home in Sugar Loaf, NY, and had dinner with Ada’s soon to be in-laws, clapped and cheered for kindergardener Casey as he, dressed as Abe, announced that  'L is for Lincoln',

toured the fabulous new UU building that should receive its Certificate of Occupancy very soon!

gave a presentation on Cruising the Great Loop at the Storm King Power Squadron’s April meeting,

and,

received, sadly, word that YOUNG AMERICA had an unfortunate incident involving a 23’ boat rapidly riding up onto her swim platform while she sat innocently at her dock.

All in all, it was a great visit, even though we debated long and hard about dropping everything and racing south to take care of our baby.  Instead, we decided to complete the planned events at our 'vacation home', and then drove to Gainesville, FL by Wed. the 21st to attend the Great Harbour Trawler’s Association’s annual meeting, and the annual Seminar put on by Mirage Manufacturing, the company that builds the boats.

We’re now back aboard the battered and bruised boat, and Fred’s spent the day doing his assessment of the damage.   By next week we’ll have a clear picture of our future plans.  Right now it’s not looking so good for the West Coast of Florida and River Route to West Virginia.  That may be the 2012 cruise.  Too many pieces of boat need repair, and we’re leaning toward returning to Mirage to get it fixed by those who know it best.

Onward and upward!  We’ll ‘see’ you all next week!

March 15, 2010

No need to beware the Ides of March, at least from our perspective.  The day is gorgeous--warm, sunny and blue-skied!   Does it get better than this? 

And it’s been 2 weeks since we returned from IL and settled in to the pace of life at Banana Bay.  Not too strenuous a task, that....my ability to be completely lazy never ceases to amaze me!

Fred, on the other hand, has been pretty busy!  He ordered and supervised the installation of covers for the dinghy and Go-Pet.  He’s done an amazing amount of re-wiring in the salon.  We now do actually have ‘liberally dispersed’ electric outlets!  What a difference that makes!  The breaker box is also updated in ways that only Fred can explain, but I can attest to the number of hours spent, and the happiness he expressed with the job well done!

Along those lines, Duane from SALT (Sea, Air and Land Technology) has, at last, completed the conversion of the water maker to 220 volt status.  That has been on the ‘list’ since 2008, so we are happy to have it move to the “don’t have to think about it any more” file.

Evenings at Banana Bay come complete with a lovely (sometimes) sunset.  But never mind the weather, the boaters gather at the ‘point’--ostensibly to enjoy the view, but really, to enjoy the getting together with a cuppa whatever in hand.  

It is pretty rare for us to see another Mirage boat in our travels, but this week there were two of them.  First,  JACK O’ HEARTS tied right up here at Banana Bay!  Mike and Lenny spent a couple of days visiting before setting off for the Bahamas.  At the same time, LAZY DOLPHIN pulled into the Marathon City Marina.  We’ve enjoyed several get-togethers with Barb and Randy as they contemplate the Great Loop.

On Monday we loosed YA’s lines and took a 5 minute trip across the Marina. All the way from slip #16 to  slip #23!   We’re now directly opposite Cap’n Billy’s house, and YA will remain here while we spend a few weeks in New York.

Before that, though, we’re looking forward to spending time with family members #4 for this season--Geoff, Amy and Peter will arrive momentarily!  They’re visiting all around Florida this week, and we're excited that they will spend three days with us.  The birthday balloon announces Geoff’s special day!

Our plans for the future are slowly formulating.  When we return from NY we expect to head back in the direction we just came, and check out Western FL more carefully.  It was a sort of ‘hold ‘er, Newt, she’s heading for the barn’ (an old SD expression....) trip down, as we were about to close the Loop, and got caught up in the destination, vs the trip.

Florida’s west coast has much to offer and many hide-y holes to explore, so that is the plan.  From there, we’re thinking we’ll just meander up to Pittsburgh, and maybe WVA.   More on that later..........What we are perfectly clear about today is that our 2 year experiment (living together in a 37x16 foot space) has been immensely successful!  And, as we all know, if a thing works, there is no reason to fix it.  sooooo, we'll continue to cruise until.........well, who knows?

For now, be well, laugh a lot, and enjoy the coming spring!

Fred and Linda

March 1, 2010

Once again, I've skipped a week..or so....but here we are in sunny FL---no, make that snowy Illinois.  Plans do change, but I digress...

Jen, Chris, Casey and Rebecca sadly drove off to Ft. Lauderdale on that Monday, and left our car in the Long Term parking lot until Thursday when Kris, Gerry and Devyn picked it up and returned to Marathon.  The Motel at Banana Bay is happy with us, and we're happy to have space available for those for whom bobbing at the dock is not high on the pleasurable list.   Jen still doesn't have her 'sea legs' and reports that she's continues to rock in NY!

The long weekend with the McGraths was sunny and warm--well. pretty warm.  Day one we visited the iguanas, Hurricane (the famous $5 lunch!), the Dolphin Research Center, and  rounded out the day with a Looper's get together on the Banana Bay point.  Fun.

On Saturday, Gerry and Kris fished from Islamarada and brought home a cooler full of spiny lobsters (Kris says she picked them up when they grabbed her legs while she waded in shark infested water to free the boat from the sandy bottom....Sounds like a case for Ripley, to me!) snapper and perch.  We sorted them out, froze some and brought the rest to LazyDays South (Gerry's favorite restaurant in the Keys) where they were cooked and served and dee-lish!

While the grownups were fishing Dev and I had a fun day (well, I thought washing the boat's window covers was fun)--we hung out at the pool and got her a hot pink manicure!  Sing ho for no more nail biting!  Congrats, Dev! 

On Sunday, we IHOP'ed breakfast and set out for Key West.  On the way we detoured onto the ferry to Pigeon Key for a tour of the buildings  built by Henry Flagler to house employees and their families when the Key West extension of his Florida Railroad was under construction.   There is a house on the tiny key that is available for rent---hmmmmm.  A neat spot.

We rode the Ferry back. got on Route 1, and headed south.  The restaurant next door looked too good to pass up, so we stayed for lunch, and THEN set out for Key West.  There were a lot of folks out on a Sunday, and we had a fun time as the New Yorkers explored DuVall Street and we all enjoyed Mallory Square.  Sunset was abbreviated by a low cloud cover, but a good time was had by all!

Monday was Departure day, and yukky weather in the Detroit area had us wondering about the connecting flights that would get these travelers home!  As luck would have it all went well.  AND, don'tcha know that once they were back in Newburgh the snowstorm of the century began, and as it turned out, they could have stayed in the Keys all week!  No school, no work, no power, no nothing but white flakes in Newburgh for many days.  Uffda.

After dropping the travelers at Ft. Lauderdale, Fred and I made a quick stop at West Marine, and then met Marilyn and Pam Marcus for dinner.  Our 'slip' is still available at Marilyn's canal--maybe next year!

We returned to Marathon Monday evening and on Tuesday received the sad news that my nephew and godson Tracy Newnam  died of cancer at age 51.  On Thursday we drove back to FLL for a flight to IL. We are so thankful that we were able to visit with Tracy and his family when we 'looped' through Joliet last fall!     Our prayers are for peace for Tracy's wife, son and daughter, and all the rest of the family and friends who grieve this tragic loss.

We will return to Florida tomorrow. And be back to you next week....or so....

Just to note, on this Saturday, March 6, we'll complete our two year commitment to live on the boat!  The only 'for sure' at this point, is that we'll continue cruisin'.   Where  will remain to be seen.........

Fred and Linda

February 15, 2010

Two weeks later.....

As you can see, while we’re docked in Marthon, the Monday Messages are a bit spotty.

After the Power Squadron meeting ended on Sunday morning, Suzanne Nentwich joined us and we went to watch the On the Water Training Certification Course taking place north of Orlando.  Was good to see USPS working with boaters in their boats!  District 2’s guy, George, was there, preparing for Certification courses in NY this summer.  

It was Super Bowl Sunday, and we arrived at Suzanne and Eddy’s condo in Hollywood Beach, FL, just in time for the game.  Too bad, Peyton--and good for Payton!  Was an exciting game, with a great dinner at half time!

Monday morning we walked the Hollywood Beach Boardwalk and had breakfast ‘out’, then we headed for Miami Int’l Airport where we met daughter Linda Lee’s flight from NY.

Back to the boat where we enjoyed a four day visit that included scuba diving, sunning at Sombrero Beach, sunset at  Mallory Square in Key West, a trip to the Dolphin Research Center, and  a good deal of relaxation--just hanging out!

On Thursday afternoon, while Linda and I were out Scuba-ing, Fred picked up daughter Jenny with Casey and Rebecca at Ft. Lauderdale airport.  Friday, he almost ‘met himself coming back’ as he returned Linda to the Miami Airport, checked out (but didn’t attend) the Miami Boat Show, and then picked up son-in-law Chris at FLL.

The long weekend was again packed with relaxation--the kids enjoyed our ‘private’ Banana Bay Beach, as well as Sombrero (on the Ocean side of the Key), Crane Point Nature Center, swimming in the ‘hot tub’ and the ‘cold tub’ at the Marina, and of course, sunset at Mallory Square.

Again. the time passed all too quickly, and now everyone has safely returned to NY--check out Facebook for their photo albums.

Fred and I took in the local Cinema tonite--sadly, we can’t recommend Lovely Bones....'twas a very strange film which I didn't enjoy watching, but it is sorta growing on me in retrospect.

Boat work continues, and if the sun shines every day as warmly as it did today, after last week’s  brutal cold snap, we’ll be happy campers!

We hope you all had a happy Valentine's Day!  Onward and upward!

Linda and Fred

February 1 (not)

Friday February 5???  Can’t be!  YIKES!   We did not drop off the edge of the world, I simply allowed Monday to roll on, blog-free!  Also Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday!

Oops.

Short version of the weeks--

YOUNG AMERICA set out from Sanibel Island on the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 26, and arrived in Marathon. FL at 9:45 Wed. am.

The ride across this southern part of the Gulf of Mexico, and the Florida Bay was a bit bumpier than our earlier Gulf crossing.  The wind and current pushed us up to 8.5-9 knots for a good share of the trip, and the moon was a day away from being full.  It shone brightly in a cloud free sky, and lighted the horizon line for all but about 20 minutes of the trip--then dawn began it’s ghostly brightening of the eastern sky, and soon we were ‘crossing our wake’ as we passed through the harbor buoys at Banana Bay.

Over breakfast on Thursday we decided to celebrate the completion of the Great Loop so Fred printed up an invitation for our dockmates, and we issued a verbal invitation to all Marathon Loopers via the daily VHS Radio Marathon Greet, Buy, Swap, and Sell program.   The Marina loaned us a table (with cloth) for wine, lemonade and goodies, and at 5:30 pm about 30-35 folks cheered as we took down the white AGLCA burgee, and hoisted the Gold burgee--symbolic of completion of the Loop. 

The American Great Loop Cruiser’s Association certainly provided us with a lot of support as we traveled the 6000+ miles around the eastern half of North America.  (At 7 miles/hour)  We spent 11 months underway with, as you may recall, side trips here and there, and we didn’t begin to see and do all that was available.  Time will tell what happens next for us.

The rest of the week we did boat work and packing, and on Monday a.m. we picked up a rental car and drove to Pensacola to get our car.  We learned that FL is a pretty long ol’ state!  From the keys to the AL side of the panhandle is about 813 miles--and who’s counting?

We visited a bit with the Pica’s, who had kept the boat for the holidays, and the car after that.  From Pensacola we moseyed down to Mickey-land in Orlando for a US Power Squadron meeting, and here we are.

And here we will remain until we pick up Linda Lee in Miami on Monday and return to Marathon..

Until then, be well, and do make an earnest effort to laugh slightly more than seems to be possible.......

Linda and Fred

January 25, 2010

Greetings from Sanibel Island, FL!  Last Monday was as beautiful as Sunday was blustery!  No rain, very little wind, and a fine run for us across the FL panhandle to our jumping off spot for the Gulf Crossing.

Our arrival time at the East Pass by Dog Island was perfect to set out, but the afternoon would have been bumpy before the nice calm night crossing, so we opted instead to motor up to Carabelle.  

As usual, we were happy with the decision.  Went to the Salty Dog for dinner.  We unknowingly seated ourselves in the ‘cold section’ of the restaurant, and  the crew of ANNIE LEE  generously shared their table by the stove with us!  A delicious bonus as it was a chilly night!

Tuesday a parade of five boats headed out to cross the Gulf of Mexico.  ANNIE LEE and FLOATING STONE were heading for Tarpon Springs (sponge country).  STEVADORE and OSPREY were enroute to Clearwater, and YOUNG AMERICA’s destination was St. Petersburg.  This overnight trip was much more relaxed than our white knuckle crossing of Cape May and the Delaware Bay!  As night fell, the moon lighted our way for a few hours.  There was no boat traffic and  every hour we checked in with OSPREY to coordinate our locations.   Fred and I took turns napping--actually, both of us admitted later that we’d read our books while on our ‘off watch’ time.

I’d forgotten how beautiful the morning is when you see it from the very beginning. The eastern sky slowly fades from black to grey although the boat was still surrounded by darkness the promise of light quickly gave way to full blown daylight.  A large cloud hung low to the horizen, preventing the sun from blinding us as we motored eastward.  About ten miles from shore, OSPREY radioed us the theri engine hsf failed.  Although Bob was able to re-start it within a few minutes, we changed our route and followed them into the Clearwater channel, then turned south and headed down the ICW to St. Petersburg.  We cleared the Clearwater bridge at 8:42 am--20-1/2 hours after we’d departed East Pass.

The ICW ride proved to be delightful  We were surprised to see how much of Florida’s west coast is undeveloped.  The first bascule bridge we encountered (and there were many along the 5 hour run) had only 19 feet of water under it, so we had to once again lower our antennas--and then listen hopefully as we slowly passed under the bridge.  Happily there was no meeting of us and them, we cleared by about 6 inches, and we continued merrily on our way.

St. Petersburg municipal marina was easy to find, and docking was an easy slide up to the wall--a bonus for our sleep deprived selves.  We rinsed the salt water off of YA and then  walked down the municipal Pier for a quick dinner before we turned in for the night.

Thursday morning the generator repairman from Mastry Inc. arrived and spent the day doing his magic to the failed sea water pump.  I explored the city bus--a very easy to navigate system--and found a health food store.   On Friday the Mastry man was back  to finish up in the morning, and in the afternoon Mike from Pompanette arrived to once again repair the air conditioner in the dinette.  We also spent a couple of hours visiting with our AGLCA Harbor Hosts, Angela and Nick Metro.  They’d seen our Looper’s flag across the marina, and called to see if we needed anything in St. Pete.  Nice family--they’ve lived on LAD’Y ENNA for 11 years, and Nicky and Eileen, their two children have known no other home.  

St. Pete has, as I mentioned a great bus system.  Fred and I walked out of the marina and caught the Downtown Looper--a 20 minute ride around the center of the city that during the day has a narrated tour of 12 points of interest.  Our bus driver was apologetic that his ride was just a ride, no talk,  but he accepted our fare--10 cents each (we’re senior citizens.  The real fare for everyone else is a quarter!).

It was a lovely evening and we departed the bus half way around the loop and had dinner at one of the many sidewalk cafes.  Nice.  

We planned to set out on Sat. am, but as we another Looper came by--Maurice has a 25’ Ranger Tug named QUOTIDIAN and we’d met him twice before--in Clayton, NY, on Lake Ontario, and again at the Loopers get together in Penatanguishine, ON.  He and his friend Julie gave us a tour of the magnificent 100 year old St. Petersburg Yacht Club, and then we all had breakfast at Ceviche, a popular spot nearby.

So it was nearly noon when we tossed off the lines, and we motored through the Old Boat Regatta in the harbor, and then headed south. We passed through Sarasota, home to the Ringlings of Circus fame, and put it on our list of places to re-visit.  The ICW passes through a channel in the Bay, and outside the channel the water quickly goes to only one to three feet deep.  Keeps you on your toes!

Our stop for the night was the Cedar Key Fish Camp at Blackburn Point.  Live music in the tiki bar and a great dinner in the restaurant.  Early to bed and early to rise and Sunday we ran from 7:15 to 4:30, arriving at Sanibel Island--our half way to Marathon stopping point.

Today was a great day to NOT go out on the Gulf. Strong winds and heavy rain made it very easy to enjoy the blueberry muffins and newspaper (USA Today--our favorite puzzle paper) that Tom, the Marina Man delivered to the boat at 7:30 a.m.  Later this morning we were picked up by Bill and Gen from POTLUCK and treated to a delicious lunch on their boat. They’ve been here for a month--could be very easy to do, but Banana Bay in Marathon is calling, and we’ll see what the weather says about traveling there tomorrow.

See you next week!         Fred and Lina