LIFE IS GOOD IN PALM COAST, FLORIDA

                                                              
                                                      
                                             Diane at the Fort in St. Augustine


                                                                     
                                        Two Old Farts Resting at the "Oldest Schoolhouse"




Palm Coast is a "new" community about 20 miles south of St. Augustine, on the east coast. We pulled into the Hammock Beach Marina on Sunday, March 22 as this is the place where we would spend several days with Kris and family at the Hammock Beach Resort. We rented a 3 bedroom condo at the resort for the "kids" but never really needed 2 of the bedrooms as the little ones (Anna--age 11; Asher--age 8; Elli--age 6)
wanted to sleep with us on the boat at the marina. Fun times. They were really excited about it and we managed to put up with having our grandkids with us. It was great!
One day we took the boat out and motored up the waterway to Matanzas Inlet where the plan was to anchor and cook a hamburger picnic on the boat. We encountered some really shallow water at the intended anchorage and opted just to turn around and head back down the waterway at a leisurely pace while we cooked the burgers on the Jenn-Air grill on the fly-deck and picnic while underway--taking turns at the helm. What a glorious day. Several times dolphins swam in our wake--no more than 3 feet from the side of the boat, jumping and really putting on a show. You can imagine how thrilled the little ones (and the big ones) were. It was like some movie director said, "Cue the dolphins!!
The visit was far too short and the weather didn't cooperate completely but we had a great time. We did get in 2 days at the beach although one of them was quite cold with a cold front that blew through the day after their arrival. Beach, swimming pool, boat ride, dinner out, picnic on the boat, sleeping on the boat, playing "quarters" (a mindless game where you roll dice and either pass one or more quarters to the left or right or into the pot and the last one left with quarters wins the pot. When 6 year old Elli won she muttered, "Bring it to Mama" as she raked in her quarters---We about fell off our chairs laughing. She is a very precocious character)
It had been an interesting trip up here. We left a marina at New Smyrna Beach the morning of the 20th after waiting (we thought) for a very dense fog to lift. We got about 1/2 mile up the waterway when it settled in again and we couldn't see more than 25 feet in front of us. Rather than head back to the marina we opted to just sit adrift in the middle of the channel and wait. Of greatest concern at the moment was a drawbridge up ahead about a 1/2 mile that we felt we could fit under with a couple feet of clearance but weren't sure as we were on a high tide. We would have had to get right up on it before making the decision to ask for an opening or not and I didn't want to risk it in the middle of the fog (You can be fined a fairly stiff penalty if you require an unnecessary bridge opening). The fog would not cooperate---We hung out in the middle of the channel, sounding our horn every couple of minutes to warn off any approaching boats, for about an hour. Finally we radioed a marina just off to our right and asked permission to tie up to their T-Head dock until the fog lifted. The harbor master came out and helped with our lines and we waited there for about another hour. Our fuel was a bit low--just over a quarter tank--so we took advantage of the time to fuel up while we waited. Not the best price but not too bad--but very convenient.
Finally, the fog lifted and we were underway once again on our trek north to Palm Coast.
Having some time to relax and assess our circumstances we came to a couple conclusions that result in a change of plans (we should know better to even talk about our "plans" on this blog because they're always changing). First--overnight or even 2 night stops are killing us, cost-wise. We've found that there are not enough safe and easy anchorages in this part of the ICW and end up spending too many nights in marinas. Second--We actually do most of our site-seeing from our car. While motoring along "the ditch" is pleasant and sometimes quite scenic but you really only see the area on land. So, we decided to park the boat here on a month-to-month basis (much cheaper than doing a bunch of overnights at different marinas) and explore the area by car. We spent two days in St. Augustine doing what tourists do there--a very pretty and interesting city and history--and are playing some golf at area golf courses. Also, we decided to head back to Houston earlier than originally planned to take care of some business, taxes, check in with the medical profession and begin preparations for our cruise to Alaska in May (with our dear friends from Madison, WI--my old army buddy, Bernie and wife Jane.
So we'll be leaving the boat here soon, and start heading back to H Town with a couple of stops along the way for some Apalachiacola (SP?) oysters and some golf in Pensacola. This schedule allows me to attend a couple of my choral organization's events and an important Board Meeting later this month. (The Lake Houston Musical Arts Society board drew me back in as Chair just before and despite their knowledge that we were heading to the boat in Florida). The "plan" is to return sometime in June and either continue up the east coast or, possibly, head over to the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas--or both. Of course June begins the oppressively hot summer here in Fla. so we'll not want to linger too long in this area. (I've been to the islands in August and, with the sea breezes it's not too bad. Heading up the coast to the north also would bring some relief from the heat. Fortunately we have very competent A/C on the boat and a helm station in the main cabin where, if it gets too uncomfortable, we can turn on the generator, while underway and steer from the comfort of our air-conditioned living room.

Anyway, that's "the plan". Stay tuned for more changes. One thing is certain--we are loving this experience, despite the bumps and challenges.

 The Gang of Seven

  Downtown St. Augustine                                                        

                                                     

                                                                               

                                                                                 

                                                                      

  

                                                                    
                                                          
                                                                      


                                                                    

MOVIN' NORTH

We are tied up in the Cocoa Village Marina in Cocoa, Florida.
As usual, our plans took a dramatic turn when a minor incident occurred that required us to head out of our anchorage in Lake Worth and head into a marina in North Palm Beach. (I won't go into the details here). As it turned out it was a very nice change in the plan. Instead of heading south to Ft Lauderdale, my cousin, Jane, with whom we had left our car in Ft Lauderdale, drove up to pick us up in N. Palm Beach at the North Palm Beach Marina. We all drove down to Ft Lauderdale and spent the afternoon at a restaurant/bar on the New River, took a short boat ride up the river and enjoyed the sights along the way. (The New River is a narrow river that runs west out of the waterway through downtown Ft Lauderdale. It is lined with condo's, bars, restaurants, marinas and a "river walk" area. Quite the place to see and be seen. It was a Friday afternoon so around 4:00 the river got quite crowded with boats of every type and size and people---lots of people. Our original thought had been to take our boat up the river to experience the experience but we are glad we didn't, The river was jammed with traffic--is quite narrow and many of the "boaters" have no idea what they're doing. Kind of a "Caddy Shack" experience) But it was FUN.
We went back to Jane's house; had dinner at a nearby Cuban restaurant and spent the night at her place. The next morning we left and headed down town to link up to highway A1A, the road that meanders along and through all the beach towns. We stopped in Ft Lauderdale By The Sea to meet up again with Jane and her daughter, Julie and Julie's fiancée, Brian (we'll be attending their wedding at Key Largo in April) for lunch at a beach side restaurant--Aruba--(very good). After saying our good-bye's Diane and I continued up the coast back to our marina in N Palm Beach (right around the corner from Jack Nicklaus's home on "Jack Nicklaus Drive" right down from PGA Drive (Think they play a little golf here?)
As it turned out this marina was fantastic. Floating docks, very accommodating staff and an excellent location. It was so nice we had decided to stay there rather than get into the crowded waterways around Ft Lauderdale. Plus, it kept us at least a day closer to our destination south of St. Augustine where we will meet up with Kris and family for a get-together toward the end of March (They are driving from CO. Springs to spend several days at Disney World with Paul's folks before heading over to the Hammock Beach Resort where we will be tied up in the marina there. It's supposedly a very nice resort with lots to do for the munchkins.
We left N Palm Beach on the 10th, spent one night on the hook in the Indian River and pulled into this (Cocoa Village Marina) marina on Tuesday evening. Wednesday we rented a car and took a road trip back down A1A to pick up our car at the last marina. Thursday we drove over to Orlando to pick up Diane's sister, Nancy, who was flying in to spend a few days with us and escape the bitter Chicago winter. (I don't know how people live up there!) That night we were fortunate to see a NASA launch of an Atlas V rocket from  the Kennedy Space Center, about 10 miles away, as the bird flies, from the comfort of our bridge deck right here in the marina (We will get to see an afternoon launch when the kids are here--planning to drive down for it and spend the day at the Space Center). It was spectacular. The timing of our arrival here was just perfect and I feel so fortunate to have been able to see the launch. It wasn't a shuttle launch but still pretty impressive.
Today we take Nan back to the airport in Orlando (when there last we spotted a Chuy's Restaurant---great Mexican food despite it's being a chain). This will be our first Mexican food fix since we left Houston---Love the green salsa!!!!!
Tomorrow we reprovision and then take off again on Wed to head north and our eventual rendezvous with "The Kids". Getting really excited about seeing the little ones.
Cocoa Village has been a nice stop-over. The marina is right on the edge of the village where the area is undergoing a renaissance with lots of neat restaurants, bars etc. -a very quaint little town. You cross the bridge over the Indian River to Merritt Island (where NASA is located) then over to Cocoa Beach where Diane and Nan have spent a couple of days lounging on the beach. Very touristy, and it is Spring Break--so very crowded--but what you would expect for a tourist destination. Met some nice people, again, at the marina, including a guy on a Nordic Tug Trawler who owns some slips in the Myrtle Beach area and invited us to park our boat there for a very reasonable rate when we need to leave it and head back to Houston. Don't know if it will work--whether we'll get that far or pass it by altogether, but it's a very tempting possibility.
The weather has been wonderful. Warm and sunny but not too hot. Perfect tanning weather.
So far we have traveled 300 miles in the boat, burned around 150 gallons of diesel (You do the math---we're starting a "Fuel Fund" to which you may contribute). We've spent way too much time in marinas and not enough time at anchor which is what we prefer but that will all change, I hope, once the visit with the kids is over and we start moving north again. Life is soooo good!!!
When in Cocoa Village you must! eat (or drink--or both) at Norman's Raw Bar---Outstanding and cheap. Also---breakfast at Muddies--3 people, huge breakfasts--21 bucks.

SPOT

If you are following us on SPOT (see left hand columns on this page--just click on the SPOT link) you will see a "cluster" in Lake Worth. This happened because DIANE forgot to turn off the SPOT sending device and it recorded us bouncing around on the anchor all night long. (You just can't get good help anymore).

THE OKEECHOBEE WATERWAY TO FLORIDA'S EAST COAST

                                    The St. Lucie Lock (14 foot drop)

 

We departed as scheduled—at around 7:30 AM on Sunday, Mar 1, and headed up-stream up the Caloosahatchee River and into the Okeechobee Waterway across Florida. The weather was perfect—warm and very little wind. We managed about 58 miles without incident, passing through several bridges, only a couple of which needed to open for us (we are 17 ft in the air and most of the bridges here are at least 21 feet high with a little wiggle room). We arrived at Moorehaven, Fla on the west side of the lake at around 4 and tied up to the city docks that are right on the waterway—electricity and water supplied, all at very little cost. As it was Sunday, no-one was in the City Hall bldg directly across the street but we placed our fee in a baggy and dropped it with our boat card through the pay slot for the first arriving clerk to use for what would probably be a pretty good lunch in Moorehaven the next day.

Monday was more of the same but included a very peaceful and relaxing crossing of Lake Okeechobee from around 9:30 to around 12:30; then more “ditch” travel as we made our way down the St Lucie canal to the east side of Florida, eventually turning south in the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW –but I prefer “ICW”) and winding up at a lovely anchorage in the north end of Lake Worth, just north of Palm beach. There are lots of sail boats here and they appear to be awaiting the coming weather window to cross the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas. I’d love to join them but will have to pass this time as our plans keep us pretty well tied to the east coast.

Once we turned into the ICW the traffic increased considerably, especially when we enter into the various towns along the way. It’s interesting seeing al the different boats and people but can be a bit annoying when you encounter the inevitable A-hole. The homes and yachts here are amazing. This is a very interesting way to see Florida.

We’ll spend a couple nights here on the hook and then depart for the Ft Lauderdale area where we’ll meet up with my cousin, Jane, and her family and do some exploring of the area before turning North to head up the coast to Palm Coast, just south of St Augustine to meet Kris and family at the Hammock Beach resort for a few days. They will have spent several days at Disneyworld with Paul’s parents before joining us at Hammock Beach. We’re also hopeful that Scott will be able to join us (currently in San Fran)

The boat is doing beautifully (except for brief scare the second day out when one of the raw water alarms went off on the port engine indicating the engine would overheat without sufficient cooling water to keep it cool. Investigation however showed the engine running at normal temps despite the alarm and it went off several minutes later and we haven’t heard it since. Talked to my engine guy and we think it was a short in the alarm sending unit—ie something electrical as opposed to mechanical) But, no other problems and we are really getting to know and enjoy this boat.

 

                                                                            

UPDATE OF CRUISING PLANS

We leave tomorrow!!!! (We hope!!!) The weather has not been cooperative for our departure. Can't remember a February this cold and windy in this part of the world. Although tomorrow is "iffy" the rest of the week looks good for our travel across the Okechobee Waterway (Caloosahatchee River eastbound from Ft Myers; across Lake Okechobee; into the canal system and exiting into the ICW on Florida's east coast around Port St Lucie). Along the way we will encounter numerous bridges and locks. There are only a couple of bridges that we will need to ask to open but we can fit under most of them (We are right at 17 feet including the radar mast and anchor light on the fly-bridge. The lowest bridge that we will negotiate without asking them to open is around 25 feet. It will be a bit nerve wracking with only 8 feet of clearance but it shouldn't be a problem even at high tide. This will be Diane's first experience with locks (From Ft Myers to the Lake the locks will raise us up to lake level--each lock only rises a couple of feet on this side) They'll be taking us down on the east side of the lake and the last lock is about an 8 foot drop--should be interesting. Fortunately, I experienced several locks on our way from Houston to New Orleans in Assisted Living back in 2010 and know that they are not as intimidating as they may appear to Diane. My confidence, however, has done little to alleviate Diane's anxiety. "Seeing is believing"

We were fortunate to have some great weather last week-end for a 3 day side trip back to Pelican Bay and Cabbage Key where we celebrated my 39th birthday again.

                                                                   

After 2 nights in Pelican Bay we cruised over to Cabbage Key, about 1 hour away, where we anchored across from the Key, showered and dressed and dinghied across for my birthday dinner at the restaurant. Just as we were preparing to leave the boat a dense fog settled in and stayed through dinner and our return to the boat. Up to within 50 yards of the boat it was not even visible but we managed to find it (We had left the running and anchor lights on as well as our salon lamp so once we were close enough it was easy to spot). The next day we motored on back to the marina where the wind and current were up and it took me several attempts before I was able to back the boat into our slip--to the amusement of quite a number of our anxious neighbors. BUT--I succeeded, once again without incident. Each time is a new experience on the learning curve and I'm getting more confident. Just take it slow and easy and avoid running into stuff.
We drove our car to FT Lauderdale yesterday to leave it at the home of my cousin Jane, so we are now officially car-less as we make our last minute preparations for our departure tomorrow. (Fill water tanks, empty holding tank, last minute provisions, check all engine fluids, a last minute tutorial from Eric, the dockmaster, on the use of our Furuno chart plotter and radar instruments, chart study--general clean-up and a "Farewell Lunch" with our dock neighbors.
Let's hope the forecast is correct (a very rare phenomenon down here) and we're able to finally get on the road tomorrow. More later.


                                                                 


                                                               


                                                             

I think I figured out the photo thing

                                                                                                        Here we are at anchor in Pelican Bay.




     Pelican Bay is a small bay west of Pine Island at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor. It's a small bay with a very tricky (shallow) entrance, but once inside it's very nice, well protected and just a very special place to us. This was one of, if not the, first anchorages we found back in 2011 aboard Assisted Living. After you get your anchor set and get the dinghy in the water you take the dinghy across to a state park on Cayo Costa Island, and either take the shuttle or walk the 1 mile across the island to the beautiful beach on the Gulf of Mexico. Since the only way to get the beach is by boat into Pelican Bay the beach is quite unpopulated and quiet--good shelling, watch the dolphins swim by, watch the birds--or just hang out. After our time on the beach we always stop at the park headquarters building for a Klondike bar before returning to the boat---or am I repeating myself.
Anyway---I think I have the photo thing figured out. Here's one of the Admiral at the
beach.
                                                                                 

WE DONE DONE IT !!!!

   Well, we've been on the boat at Legacy Harbor Marina in downtown Ft Myers for about a month. I drove down the middle of Jan. with a car completely full of "boat stuff" and clothes. There literally was no room for Diane in the car. So she flew over a couple days later (There were other reasons she didn't drive with me--but the car really was full.) I arrived at the boat around 11 AM on a Monday and was immediately overwhelmed with the huge learning curve that I realized was in store. I'm glad I came early as it gave me an opportunity to clean her up and at least familiarize myself with enough systems, mostly electrical, to begin at least basic operations before Diane arrived. I drove over to pick her up in Ft Lauderdale--about 2 1/2 hours away (cheap airline tickets on Spirit Air)-- and brought her back and watched as she began to experience the same level of panic and overwhelmedness (is that a word??) that I had experienced a couple days earlier. The first two weeks were spent cleaning her up and out and getting familiar with all the systems. The previous owners had left an incredible amount of material--from engine spare parts to binoculars, safety equipment, to pots and pans and linens. The first order of business, however, was to provision the boat with food, drink and even the spices that we all have had in our pantries for years (probably expired). Think about it in terms of stocking a kitchen for the first time. Fortunately, this marina is located right downtown--walking distance to everything, including many fine restaurants in the very quaint downtown. We're even just a stone's throw from the Edison Ford home/museum. A fabulous location. The Publix grocery store and liquor store are a 10 minute walk--but with the amount of stuff we needed we used the car.
After a couple of weeks I felt like I had it down. Figured out the  water systems, electrical systems, including operation of the generator and achieved a basic familiarization with the 2 240 hp diesel engines. BUT---I had yet to operate her. I hadn't had her out of the slip. Driving this boat is a whole different thing from Assisted Living(our previous sailboat). I have been told by many people that once you get the hang of it it's easier than a sailboat. I had yet to try out that theory. So, we hired a licensed captain for a morning and took the boat out and up the river and back and practiced getting her in and out (backwards) of the slip and tying up to a "side tie". It actually went surprisingly well, such that after our learning session we decided to take her out, fuel her up and head down river to a couple of our favorite anchorages--off St James City on Pine Island and in Pelican Bay on Cayo Costa Island, our clearly favorite anchorage in the area. We spent two nights on the hook and returned to the marina on Super Bowl Sunday around 2 in the afternoon to prepare for the pot luck Super Bowl Party at the marina. Of course returning to the marina meant I had to back her into the slip without any captain standing by to rescue me if I got into trouble. No sweat!! Nailed it on the first try. (Of course there was no wind nor current to complicate the task.) When a known novice is engaged in this activity all the owners of the boats in the immediate area stand nervously by their boat and watch nervously. This was no exception. No problem--I do my best work in front of a jury.
                                       I wanted to insert a photo of us at anchor in
                                       Pelican Bay in this spot but I'm having trouble
                                       posting photos.
                                                          
I didn't figure it out! Must be something wrong with the web site!
I'll have Diane tell you about the marina and people we've met and what our plans for the immediate future are. I hope you enjoy the Blog. Again--you can sign up to be notified of new postings and can click on "SPOT" in the upper left of this page to see where we are. I just reactivated it. Life is good!!! And SPOT is now working!!!!!!!






Diane here:  Hard to believe we have been here almost a month but we have needed every minute of it to get acquainted with this boat and new lifestyle. Regarding the boat,  it doesn't disappoint.  There is so much more room and so many different features than a sailboat.(Where was this boat 4 years ago??)  Having a fly bridge is literally living in a 2 story. Our inherited marina is first class and very active.  Monday night is movie night, Thursday night is pot-luck and then there are special events (like Super Bowl).  While there are several sailboats here, this marina in overwhelmingly a power boat mecca and the majority of the people we have met are from the East Coast.  All of them have more experience than we have doing the "ditch: (the Intracoastal Waterway) and it has been a delight to share stories and adventures with them.  The cruising community is truly a helpful and interesting group.  We have been encouraged and intend to join the American Great Loopers Cruising Association.  There are numerous benefits to this but mostly a camaraderie. (The Great Loop is the route up the ICW of the east coast, thru the Erie --and other- canals into the Great Lakes to Chicago and then down the river system to Mobile and then into the ICW again and down into Florida until you "cross your wake" wherever you started from)
We hope to take off in the next week or so.  We will be moving up the Caloosahatchee River, across the Okeechobee Waterway(think Seminole Indians)  to Port St. Lucie.  Basically we are just crossing from the west side of Florida to the East Coast.   Then South to Ft. Lauderdale.  From there we will take our time traveling up the Eastern Coast.  Waiting for warm weather but enjoying beautiful sunsets!


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

As you might deduce from the photo above, she is now ours. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with her-- but she's now ours. Just kidding----we know exactly what we're going to do. We're going to have a blast. But first I need to learn how to drive her.
We flew over to Ft Myers a week or so ago and attended the pre-acceptance survey and took her out for a sea trial--about 12 miles up the Caloosahatchee River to a marina for a haul out (to check all the underwater parts and integrity). WE had to employ a Captain for this part of the survey as the seller's insurance required it. Eric, from the marina where she was being kept, a licensed captain, came on board and very skillfully took her out and put her back in a very tight docking situation. It was amazing and quite difficult to believe that I'll ever learn to do it with any where close to the skill and ease that he did. I've decided that once we get on her I'm going to hire Eric for the day and spend several hours learning the ropes. It's really quite different from driving the sailboat. All the power boaters that I talk to tell me that I'll have no problem, and that it's easier than driving a sailboat. All tight maneuvering is done with the engines with only a slight bit of steering involved and usually, the best and most responsive steering is in reverse. Should be interesting!
The survey went very well with only a very few issues found and they are all quite minor. The previous owner apparently took excellent care of her and all major systems checked out well. Part of the survey involves checking out the engines (2 240 hp diesels). They had 2100 hours on them--the most of any of the boats we looked at--but they checked out perfectly. We had all the fluids from the engines and the generator collected and sent out for analysis. This will usually identify any significant problems---they came back completely clean and clear. Both the hull and engine surveyors told us the boat was in excellent condition and that we were getting a "good boat". Now it's up to me to keep her in this condition.
Things I learned: She'll run at around 20 miles per hour, wide open (but will also burn about 20 gallons of diesel an hour at such a speed). She cruises comfortably and quietly at around 8 to 10 mph while burning around 5 gph of fuel. The generator is powerful enough to run 2 air conditioning units, all burners on the stove, the oven, the electric grill on the flybridge and all electronics at the same time---ie. plenty of power.  Overall she just seemed to be very solid and comfortable (of course we didn't hit any heavy seas in the river)
A note about the previous owners. Jim and Judy H. bought the boat, I believe, in 2007. They cruised the Great Loop (more on that later), and made at least 3 trips over to the Bahamas--The Exumas, Bimini and The Abacos and islands in between. They had very little trouble with the boat and quite clearly loved their time aboard. They are from Decatur Indiana. Jim was the owner of 2 True Value hardware stores and, I understand, an engineer by education. (This explains the excellent condition in which he kept the boat). Jim unfortunately died of prostate cancer this past April. Thus, the decision to sell the boat. How do I know all this? I found and read their blog. (Google "The Silver Foxes Blog and you should find it if you're interested) They seem like the kind of people we would have wanted to meet on our travels and feel badly for Judy. I plan to call her and introduce myself to her soon so she'll know the boat went on to some other "good people" and to express our condolences.
It looks like the boat will sit vacant until we get through the holidays and take care of some business in early January and then off to our new adventures. We are both terribly excited and anxious to get going (BTW--Diane fell in love with the boat during the sea trial--right when she took over the helm)
More on our plans for cruising later. We won't be activating our SPOT (see top of page) until we get moving in Jan) . For now, it's off to Colorado Springs for Christmas with Kristin and family. Scott is back from China and interviewing for US based jobs--San Francisco and Seattle-- and, of course will be joining us for the holidays in CS. A joyous time. Life is good!!!

GOING OVER TO THE DARK SIDE

The "Dark Side" is where aging sailors go when they want to continue cruising but realize that on their last outings, whether it be coastal cruising or crossing the Gulf Stream or the Bahama Banks, the wind is NEVER out of the direction you want  and you have run the diesel auxiliary engine roughly 80% of the time to get to your destination. There continues to be no substitute for the thrill of a day under sail on those rare occasions when the wind is right (like our perfect "10" day on the run from the Little Shark River in the Everglades down to Marathon in the Florida Keys in  March of 2011) but they are indeed rare. It's a different thing when you're just going out on the Bay for a day sail and you can go in any direction that the wind will allow--as opposed to having a destination ahead of you and a limited amount of time to get there--which is much of what cruising is all about. (A sailboat can only sail to within about 30 degrees on either side of the direction from which the wind is blowing, and it almost always seems that the wind is blowing out of the direction you want to go--thus, you fire up the "Iron Genny" to get there.) This was certainly our experience in 2010 thru 2012.
Thus, our anticipated move to the "Dark Side".
 Having sold Assisted Living in  October of 2013 we have been boatless for over a year and way too long. Thanks to our friends in the sailing community here in Houston we've been able to satisfy our lust for being on the water on several occasions over that period of time, including my crewing onboard Gene and Marylou's 44 foot  Catalina, "Fresh Aire" in the Harvest Moon Regatta (Galveston to Port Aransas) in October. But, we were sitting around having a "sundowner' one evening several months ago when we both lamented having sold A L and realized that we really badly missed the cruising life and all that it had offered to us. After discussing what we wanted to do if we got another boat we decided that a Trawler was the way to go. One of the things that I had hoped to do on A L after I had gotten the Bahamas out of my system (does one ever??) was to cruise up the intracoastal waterway of the east coast and visit all the storied maritime towns and sites along the way, eventually getting as far as the Chesapeake and up the Potomac to D.C. where we could live on the boat for a couple of weeks and really take the time to see the sights and museums of that city. After a great deal of thought and discussion we decided that a power boat, specifically, a trawler, was the right kind of boat for this trip. A trawler is a power boat that we used to describe as a "cabin cruiser". It's not a go-fast boat and actually cruises "economically" at a pace not much  faster than most sailboats--around 8 or 10 knots.  It doesn't have a mast sticking up 50 or 60 feet in the air so you don't have to worry about the many bridges along the way. It is generally more spacious and comfortable and allows for guests to visit in comfort as well.
Soooooo---we have entered into a contract to buy the boat pictured above--"The Silver Foxes".  We will have it surveyed in early December and, if every thing goes as hoped, we will take possession around the middle of December. She is a Mainship 40, 40 feet long with about a 14 foot beam and draws less than four feet of depth. She is powered by twin diesel engines that will push her along at an easy 8 to 10 knots and faster, up to about 15 should we need the extra speed. There are 2 nice sized staterooms, one head, a full galley and seating for 5 or 6 people comfortably in the main salon. It has a double sized hide-a-bed in the salon as well. We liked this particular make of boat because, in addition to the large fly-bridge with lots of comfortable seating it also has a large outdoor cockpit on the rear (which is where we like to hang out). This opens through double doors into the main salon. This boat presents a huge learning curve for us but we're excited and ready to jump into it. WE'll move it back to Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda (where we kept A L) after we take possession and probably spend the month of January in that area as we learn how to operate and drive her. At least we'll be in very familiar waters as we become familiar with the boat.
So--wish us luck. We have our fingers crossed that the survey will go well and we'll be back on the water in a month or so. We plan to "reactivate" this blog as we move on, learn and start our new adventures and hope you'll find it interesting. WE will reactivate the "SPOT" (see above) also as we begin to head out.

Ageing isn't for Sissies

Diane here - Moving forward in this ongoing saga.  We followed our plan - nice 4 day trip up the Western Florida coast arriving back to Burnt Store Marina February 23rd.  My brother did join us at Marco Island and as Feb 23rd is Dave's birthday we had a wonderful night of good food and good music at the local restaurant near the marina.  A good time was had by all.
Before we left from Marathon Florida, Dave had called a neurologist friend of his who had worked with him as an expert witness and I had an appointment for the following Thursday.  We flew to Houston, anxious to get some answers.  He listened to my story, spent plenty of time with me and basically put my fears of demetia to rest.  He did however tell me that my symptoms suggested a mini-stroke  in the front part of the brain ( the executive thinking part).  I had a MRI that afternoon.  We returned to Florida and I got my results last Thursday.  I did indeed, have a mini-stroke in the front left part of my brain.  As this probably occurred at the end of the year, and I don't have any lingering effects that I know of, he was very positive.  Right now this is just a lot to take in. . . .and I would be remiss not to mention how patient and supportive Dave has been.  We want another 20++ years like the last 44 years!
 We are currently enjoying our stay on the boat.  We plan to see the grand-children the first week of April and while we were in Houston we looked at houses in Kingwood.  Not making any major decisions just yet.
I have heard from many of you, and I can't thank you enough for the concern, prayers and love that you have shown.

Dave here---The "ol' girl" is doing just fine----her usually ebullient self--enthusiastic and happy and enjoying life. Very glad to have answers, and especially, an explanation.
We've been on the hook at Pelican Bay, Cayo Costa Island (just north of Captiva) for the last 2 nights--plan to dinghy over to Cabbage Key in a little while for a"cheeseburger in paradise" (They say this is the original burger of song). Got Jimmy Buffet on the radio as we write. This is a favorite place for us--a short dinghy ride to the park HQ and then a jitney ride across the island, one mile, to the Gulf side to a beautiful beach (sat there on our beach chairs for a couple hours yesterday) . This side of the Gulf is beautiful--blue water, white sand beaches. They don't have the run-off from all of the major rivers that we have on the Texas side so the water is always a nice blue to blue-green. Came upon a dead sea turtle on the beach during our beach stroll yesterday--sad--reported it to the park rangers and they'll have someone check it out, determine cause etc. It's a pretty good size--probably 3 feet wide and 4 feet long--Intersting to see it up close and personal. I'm posting my first video below--Not sure if I know how, so if it doesn't appear you'll know I've failed. As I'm sure you know, I'm not real tech savvy---but I try...........
                                           Didn't work---maybe too long??
                                             I'll try again soon.
                                                           

Home again!

Diane here . . . . well, I am sure that you have noticed a lack of postings and those of you who are following us on Spot may have noticed we are going the wrong way.  There's a reason-- but first the good news.  Right now we are in Marathon Florida, in the Florida Keys.  We have been here since Wednesday - the 13th- as a huge cold front has the State pretty much in a deep freeze with some serious North winds.  Plan to leave tomorrow but more on that later.

We had a wonderful week in Miami. (Feb 6th-11th)  Lunch with good friends Anne Sheldon and Randy and Judi McKean was delightful.  Then on Saturday, good friends, Teresa and Ed Dormer from Kingwood, (vacationing up in Del Ray Beach) spent the day with us exploring Coconut Grove.  Good times!!  Scott and Adam's flight was indeed cancelled on Friday but they made it in Saturday night.  So, we spent 4 nights at the marina then took off to Key Biscayne.  A very short sail (we motored) across the bay.  The wonderful little harbor-called No Name Harbor- that we wanted to anchor in was packed - I mean really packed with powerboats, sailboats, kayaks, and all manner of water toys.  (Scenes from Caddyshack).  We dropped anchor only to have it drag and come seriously close to some pretty big yachts.  Up went the anchor and we got out of there!  Anchored in the bay that night (Sunday) and spent most of the night up as we rocked and rolled in the current.  Monday morning we moved into No Name - note:  stay away during the week-ends but during the week it is great.  The guys went to South Beach and we rested.  Weather was blustery but we took off Tuesday morning for Rodriquez Key.  You may remember that the plan was to sail to Bimini with Scott and Adam.  Even before our plans changed, this plan only works if the weather cooperates.  This particular week - no one was going to Bimini.  North winds prevailed and with the monster storm that hit NY moving out (Yes, I know that was a thousand  miles away from Miami) our weather was also affected.  As the weather person and navigator on board, I call this "looking over your shoulder".  I can guarantee you that when a huge storm (and February has had its share this year!) is threating the Southern states and moving up the East Coast, it affects us here in Florida.  Back to our trip, from Rodgriquez Key, we sailed back to Marathon.  Adam had to leave to fly back to NY on Wednesday, so we had to get him to terra firma to get to the Miami airport. This is always hard for a sailor - you hate to be on a schedule and you feel very responsible for delivering your guest.  We made it, but there were some anxious moments. Scott did not leave until Friday so we rented a car and drove to Key West and took in some of the sights.  A cruise ship was in port and the place was packed - I really missed the quiet place we had visited before.  We loved having the guys on board and were thankful they could spend as much time as they did.  We spent this last week-end re-provisioning, doing laundry and basically getting ready for a 4 day trip up the Western coast of Florida.

                                             US IN COCONUT GROVE
                              (Overlooking the Dinner Key Marina and Mooring Field)

                                                   ED AND TERESA

                                         ADAM AND SCOTT (at the wheel)

                                     A L AT HER BERTH IN MARATHON

Sometimes a number of things happen and you know it is time to re-evaluate your plans.  That is what happened and it happened even before we left Punta Gorda.
Without going into too much detail we had a very hectic December and January-Colorado for Christmas, a major move from our condo with all of our furniture going into storage, trip to Florida, move onto the boat and a cruise.  Now I know most of this sounds absolutely delightful but it was a logistical and organizational nightmare for me.  I started having some serious memory problems, compounded by the fact that we found that I had missed checks, both paying and receiving, for November and December.  I knew by the time we left Houston for the boat that something was wrong.  We discussed it and assumed  that with our cruise (mindless) that we would have a chance to settle down and focus.  To some extent that happened and by the time we returned from the cruise we were ready to go.  Two days, however, before we left Dave had a conference call from his insurance clients.  The docket that we call our "pension plan" was being pulled and sent to an Austin law firm.  Not good.  We had to make some major decisions and basically we were all over the map.  Each day we had a different plan - the plan du jour - as we called it.  Since our son was coming half way around the world to sail out of Miami that was an easy decision.  Our next goal is to get this boat back to Punta Gorda and for both of us to go to Houston for me to seek some medical attention.  (A side note on this - my sister,  she's pretty well versed on this, has pointed me in the direction of stress and memory loss. I have finally looked this up and there is tons of literature on this. I choose to hold onto this but do want some definitive answers).  So, the next 4 days will be spent going up the western coast of Florida with hopefully, medical visits the week of the 25th or the first week of March. We will be joined in Marco Island by my brother, John, for the trip back to Punta Gorda  We will keep you posted.

                      THE DINGHY DOCK AT MARATHON CITY MARINA

Dave here---Yes--another "Perfect Storm". The insurance client decided to consolidate  the cases with a firm that already represents a number of their insureds in this litigation--a good business decision---but a bummer for me. Oh well, maybe I'll fully retire from the practice of law this time--eh-----probably not. But our first concern is to get Diane's head "right". I truly believe that the problem is a general sense of unsettledness (which I, too, share), along with the added stress of everything that we've had to do over the last month or so. We feel currently (but things seem to change so fast) that we need to get back to Houston and get Diane checked out and also concentrate on finding  a new "land based" home in the Houston area. Their's another factor as well---While we've had a marvelous trip so far--really good sailing and 95% great weather, the boat doing well (with minor issues) we miss our family and friends. There couldn't be two people more in love and compatible than us but we now know that we would realy like to do the rest of our cruising with some additional company--teaching the grandkids to snorkle, sharing the sunsets with good friends, etc--we just don't have the room to do it on this boat, so we're even thinking of selling her and concentrating on doing more frequent charters on bigger boats in all of the beautiful sailing areas we've visited over the years. Right now, though, we've got to get back to Houston and get settled and get the good diagnosis that I know we'll get once back.
Soooo---please wish us well with fair winds and we'll see you soon.
                               Life is still good----while it ain't perfect, we still feel so thankful for the opportunities that we've had and the promises of our future.

                    




                                                                                                   
                                                            

UP THE FLORIDA COAST TO MIAMI

                             APPROACHING MIAMI FROM BISCAYNE BAY

We left Marathon after topping off the fuel on Tues., Feb. 5 and motor sailed most of the way east to Rodriguez Key. The wind was just off our nose to starboard and the seas  were a bit rolly from the starboard beam. We raised the main to help with the rolling from side to side as the waves hit us on the beam (raising the main sail has the effect of damping the roll. Because it provides resistance against the air as the boat rocks back and forth it lessens the amount of roll and makes for a much more comfortable sail). Shortly later the wind began to clock just enough around to the south that we actually got a little bit of lift from the main sail and increased our speed by a fair amount. Nonetheless, we just made Rodriguez key about a half hour before sunset and dropped the hook in 10 feet of water on the north side, protected from the southerly wind and rolling seas. We had a beautiful sunset and a wonderful and comfortable night on the hook.
Wed. morning--up and at it again. This time we were able to sail without engine assist most of the way to Biscayne bay and the Dinner Key Marina, ariving at around 3 in the afternoon. After securing the boat and hooking up the power at the marina we took a walk into Coconut Grove. (The main reason we like this marina is that it is contiguous to the Coconut Grove area--a very quaint, neat part of Miami with lots of sidewalk cafe's, bars and restaurants--shopping for those who are into that--and fairly close to the Publix where we plan to provision before being joined by our son and his friend on Friday. So, we walked around C.Grove awhile--good to be able to stretch our legs a bit--stopped at Johhny Rockets for a sidewalk rootbeer float and fudge sundae, a stop at the CVS and spotted a nearby nail bar where Diane can get her much needed pedicure---honestly--those nails were 3 inches long and sharp as a knife. She really needed a pedicure after having one in Ft Myers before we left (Sarcasm added)
Today, (after the pedicure) we'll walk to the Publix and carry back some groceries for the next several days--enough to feed us and Scott and friend.
Speaking of Scott and friend--they're supposed to fly out of NYC on Fri night--just as that huge storm is scheduled to strike. So we're concerned they may be delayed a day or two. In the meantime we are to meet our Kingwood friends, Ed and Teresa Dormer here either Friday or Saturday and are having lunch with some local friends Ann Sheldon, Randy and Judy McKean (friends from Vail who live here). But mostly, today, we're just hanging out and relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather. Well, the toe girl just got back and we're heading off for a walk and our provisioning run.
See ya later...
                                                          

Moving on Down the Coast

 
Sunrise on the Little Shark riverWell, guess what-----There is less than 23 feet of water in the Marco Island channel area---and guess what-----I found it. "Red Right Returning" ? I wish someone had told me!!
When you get distracted in a narrow channel early in the morning you run aground. At least that's what happened to me----Yep----was right of the "green" and found 4 feet of water---had to call Tow Boat US (a division of Boat US--for about $120/ year they'll come get you anywhere free of charge) He arrived within 20 minutes of my call and we were off and in deep water within 5 minutes of his arrival---Whew.
Now we had to worry about making the 60 mile run down to the Little Shark River anchorage and getting in in daylight. WE did and we did. Going out of Marco was a bit rough as the wind and 5 to 6 foot waves were on our nose just a bit to starboard  and we were rolling all over the place until we could turn to port and put the waves and wind (18 knots) on our stern. From there we had a very pleasant sail down the coast, arriving at our destination at the mouth of the Little Shark just before sunset. We had just enough time to scout the area and find a good spot to drop the hook before settling in for the night. (Side-note---Despite the remoteness of the location I was able tp get the Super Bowl--what a yawner--on the TV with our on mast digital TV antenna--whodathunk?)

                                          THE "ADMIRAL" AT THE HELM     
Monday we rose early and had a very pleasant sail south toward the Keys, 7 Mile Bridge and Marathon. We needed to run the engine to boost our speed up to an average 6 1/2 knots but it runs quietly at low RPM's and it really was enjoyable (Chuck--not as nice as two years ago when we didn't need the engine on this part of the sail)
The farther south we got the bluer the water--gorgeous.

                                          #*^*&^%** CRAB POTS
They're everywhere--thousands of them---strung together in lines/groups of 8 or 10 or so. They are a real nuisance (but since I love crab I guess we have to put up with it). The only thing marring a lot of our sailing down and then back up the coast of Fla. are these darn things. Whereas we would like to just set the sails and put the boat on auto-pilot, just checking ahead occasionally, we can't--we have to keep a constant vigil lest our ruder, or worse, opur prop gets hung up in the attached llines. From time to time you get a respite and find yourself in a stretch of water where, for some reason, there are no pots. This is true of the areas of Marine Sanctuaries that appear occasionally along the coast.

                                                          Dolphins
Dolphins are better. They have a knack of avoiding your boat and are always welcome company when under sail

                        7 Mile Bridge--Gateway to the Atlantic and Marathon

WE arrived at Marathon early Monday afternoon and had enough time to meet some fellow cruisers, share a coldy, take a shower and have an absolutely fabulous dinner, watching the sunset at "Lazy Days" just a 3 minute walk from our slip at the  Marathon Marina ( We chose to go to a marina rather than the mooring field this time as we were only staying one night and felt like enjoying the convenience of being tied up where we could step off the boat rather than have to put the dinghy in the water and then replace it on deck). We highly recommend Lazy Days. The sunset view was magnificent and the only thing better than our dinner was our lunch of fish tacos the next day from our leftovers from the night before.
It's been a truly easy and uneventful sail so far and the forecast is for more of the same. Life is good!!                                                                              
                                                        


            

FINALLY !!!!!!

This time it's for real (or as our daughter used to say, "for really". We departed on schedule on time. After a few last minute preps, like putting our car in storage and filling water tanks, and beer cooler with ice (forgot the beer!) we departed Burnt Store marina at 7:30 AM on Friday, Feb 1. We knew we would have some fairly strong winds heading out Charlotte Harbor as we were on the tail end of a pretty strong cold front that made it through here the day before (This was the one that froze the mid-west last week). We got a bit more than we expected----winds out of the north at between 16 and 20 knots with gusts up to 26. Seas were in the 3 to 5 foot range with an occasional 6 footer. Fortunately they were on our starboard beam aft of center, so while it was a rolly ride it was reasonably comfortable even while surfing down one of the big ones at over 8 knots (hull speed on our boat is just 71/2). The bigger issue was---It was COLD---AGAIN---If you followed our blog of our trip over here in 2010-11 you'll remember us describing the coldest winter known to man---well, here we go again. The non-wind chill was in the low forties as we left Burnt Store. But we knew it would warm up during the day--and it did.
At the speed we were sailing (under jib sail only) we made Cayo Costa island in record time, turned south into the ICW (putting the wind directly on our tail for a smoother ride) and continued on down the ICW to FT Myers beach under just 1/3 of our jib (the jib is the head sail--it's on a furling system that allows you to wrap it up around itself. This system also permits you to wrap it up partially, as small as you want). Even with such a small sail and the wind on our stern we still moved along at a brisk 6.5 knots.
The wind began to subside around lunch time and the temp finally rose into the low 70's, but we never got out of our layered garb until arriving at the marina.
WE arrived at the marina (Moss Marine) at around 3 in the afternoon and tucked in for the night--met some nice people--Don and Cindi Petersen, from Lost Wages, Nevada. doing the same thing we are doing except they're headed the other way. They've already been out for several months.
Saturday, we rose a little later than usual to softer weather conditions and a short trip off shore down to Marco Island---It was fabulous---wind at around 13 to 15 off our port beam and sea conditions that would simply rock you to sleep---blue sky and warm enough to take off the wind-breakers. We departed Ft Myers Beach at 8:30, headed off-shore , sailed on down past Estero Beach, Naples, etc. and eventually into Marco Island to a very nice Marina at Factory Bay.
WE had been told by several people that the entrance into Marco Island could be pretty tricky so, as we were headed in the channel we turned back out to sea to wait for another sail boat headed in, hailed him on the radio and determined he was a local and  followed him through the unusual twists and turns at the entrance. We never saw less than 23 feet of water but at one spot the GPS shows you actually going over land--an island that was "moved" during the last big storm. (That's what happens down here--the geography changes constantly with tides, currents and storms so it's always a good idea when in a new area to ask for a little local knowledge and not rely completely on GPS charts (maps) that may have been created 5 or more years ago.)
We've both been a bit rusty with our sail handling and other chores on the boat but it's coming back quickly. It's great to be back on the water in this beautiful place. Just checked in with Scott and he has landed safely after his flight from Beijing and we can't wait to see him in Miami on Friday. The weather looks great for a fun week on the East coast if not over to Bimini or beyond (again--depends on whether we get a good weather window to cross the Gulf stream).
Tomorrow we head for an overnight anchorage at the mouth of the Little Shark River, in the Everglades--check out SPOT-and then on to Marathon, in the Keys. I'm sure I won't have internet at Little Shark so it will be a couple of days before the next post
I know--I know--I promised photos and videos. Hey, it's enough that we've accomplished as much as we have--get off my back!!! We'll start posting some photos in our next post. Till then----Keep living and loving.

FINALLY------WE'RE OFF

Well----not quite, but we're close. It's been a long and hectic last couple of months as we've moved toward our departure. In addition to all the chart review and trips to Florida to do the work on the boat, we traveled to Colorado for Christmas with our daughter, Kristin, and her family (joined by son, Scott, in from China) and returned to Houston to make all the neccessary financial and mail and other personal  and business arrangements, move out of our rented condo in downtown Houston. (The latter involving putting all our furniture back into storage and moving a bunch of stuff to our other storage area in Humble)--then on to Florida where we moved onto the boat for a few days and began  preparations for our departure. On the 18th, though, we drove over to Ft Lauderdale to my cousin Jane's home for a brief visit. Jane then drove us to the port where we boarded a cruise ship for a much needed rest from all the commotion in our lives (our Christmas present to each other). We embarked on the 19th for an 8 day cruise of the eastern Carribean--St. Kitts, St Maarten, San Juan and Labadee, Haiti (Food, fun, food, rest, food, relaxation, food, king size bed, food, wine and pampering---Did I mention food?) It was great---great weather and a real good head start on our tans, Jane picked us up again when we returned and we enjoyed a truly wonderful evening back at her home with her daughter, Julie and son, Todd, his wife and new (7 month old) baby, Will. It was a very nice reunion as we haven't spent any time with Todd and Julie for quite a while and it was great to see them "all growed up".
Tomorrow we head back to Punta Gorda and the boat and a few days of final preparations--topping off water tanks and filling extra water cans that we carry on deck, filling extra fuel cans that we carry on deck, testing the dinghy engine, testing and stowing the generators, changing engine oil, checking and changing out all filters, provisioning and storage of all provisions including several cases of water and probably 4 or 5 cases of wine and assorted booze (can't sail without "boat drinks"). In addition I have a guy coming to replace the condensor unit of our refrigerator (freon leak) and an engine mechanic coming by to help me find and repair a very small fuel leak the site of which I have not been able to determine. Then we have to find somewhere to store our SUV which will be loaded with all the apparel we brought with us for our cruise ship cruise plus other stuff from the boat that we won't be taking with us. Then we settle into taking care of many of the business matters that need attending before we strike out into the world of limited and spotty e-mail and cell phone communication.
Right now the weather forecast is looking very good for our 3 day run down the west coast of Florida to Marathon in the Keys. The plan is to sail to either Ft Myers Beach or Naples the first day, spend the 2nd night at anchor in the Little Shark River in the Everglades and then on to Marathon. We hope to leave on Feb 1 or possibly the day before. We're on a bit of a schedule due to a very delightful change in the plans. Our son is flying in from China, via New York to meet us in Miami with a friend of his from New York. He is scheduled to arrive on the 8th, so we want to get to the Dinner Key Marina in Coral Gables before he gets there. The hope is that we'll get a weather window so that Scott and Adam can join us for the trip across the Gulf Stream to Bimini and, hopefully, on to Nassau before they have to leave us to fly home on the 15th. If the weather turns against us I'm sure we can find something to do in the Miami, Ft Lauderdale area, including attending the Miami Boat Show.
So----still much to do before departure --- but it's all fun.
On a more spiritual? note---We realize how truly blessed we have been--with good health, healthy kids and Grandkids and, overall, a truly loving family, and wonderful, supportive friends (You know who you are). WE also know that we have our own "weather window" to be aware of--we're not getting any younger and this is something we just have to do while we can. It's this loving family and these good friends for whom we write this blog and share the experience because we know they care for and worry about us. Those who may not know us quite as well may just like reading the blog because of a shared interest in what we're doing. When I write on this blog I always have this nagging feeling that what I'm writing is a form of bragging or that maybe I'm really writing it just for me. I don't do Facebook or any other social media stuff so I'm not really into telling the world what I'm doing on a regular basis so there is a bit of discomfort when I post our story---like, who cares?? But a number of people have told me that they enjoy it and don't view it in a negative light and I hope that you will feel the same way. I'll try to keep it more informational and hope that you'll enjoy our experience vicariously. We truly know that we are very fortunate to be able to do what we're doing. Every day is a blessing and we thank God for it.
Now that we're "into it" I'll try to post every couple or several days but there may be lapses because of internet access or the lack thereof. Please write back and let us know how you're doing or ask any questions you may have. Peace and Love to all!!
Oh Yeah---don't forget to follow us on the SPOT link at the top of the page.