A Long Time Coming

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Monday 21st January
It’s warm and sunny.  Carol and Kathy went off to Publix while I did some boat tinkering.
In the evening we went to see Lincoln at the local movie theatre.  Quite a history lesson in American politics.
We went with Kathy and Steve but also Kathy and George (Ishmael) who we met last year.   They used to live in Burritt’s Rapids (near North Gower) but now live with their son Ben on their boat in the US.

Tuesday 22nd January
Laundry day and a walk to West Marine for odds and sods.  Seems to be problem with my left knee – kinda sore after the long walk.

Wednesday 23rd January
Carol walked to Publix for groceries while I walked to Home Depot for all sorts of goodies.  Knee sore again – what’s happening here?

Happy hour aboard Kit with their friend Marguerite – one of those people you meet while cruising whose lifestyle is definitely not the norm.

Thursday 24th January
Fridge defrost day and wiring up our anchor light with a proper connector.
Happy hour aboard Kit with Marguerite again.

Friday 25th January
One disappointment on our arrival in Marathon is that the wi-fi provider that broadcasts over the mooring field has been bought out by Beacon W-Fi who charge an arm and a leg for Internet access – can’t see that state of affairs lasting too long, Marathon cruisers are not going to pay over a hundred dollars a month for access.  Fortunately the Municipal Marina still has reasonable access in the common area and Buddy can join us there.

Saturday 26th January
Seems to be some issue with the marina wi-fi – they’re changing things.  So I spent some time trying to get Steve’s computer on-line.

There was a festival in the park – can’t remember exactly what it was all about but there are always interesting animals at these things.

Carol went off to Publix with Kathy.

Move of the day: Let the Right One In (original) – Very creepy, but good.

Sunday 27th January
The American Legion Sunday morning breakfast has become a tradition with us and it didn’t disappoint.
The foot pump on our sink has bust so there’s a few hours there dismantling it, taking it over to Kit to try and fix and then ordering new parts on-line.

Monday 28th January
The knee thing is not getting any better so I tried icing it.

There’d been a lot of generator thefts in Marathon over the last little while.  The generators would disappear off boats in the middle of the night.

However, when I was ashore I overheard a cop talking to someone about having caught the guy just before he left the area.

Tuesday 29th January
Met Bill (boat name Kittiwake) aboard Kit when we headed over for supper there where we were joined by the other Kathy and son Ben.

Wednesday 30th January
Strong winds in Marathon as per usual but it’s clear skies and warm.

Tinkering on boat and another trip to Publix.

Thursday 31st January
Out in the car with Kathy and Steve and chance to go to the best place for Florida shrimp and smoked fish.  We also dropped by Walgreens’ (the Pharmacy) booze store.  A bottle (very large large) of Southern Comfort for twenty bucks – how can you resist.

Friday 1st February
Foot pump work and general buzzing about in the dinghy.

Saturday 2nd February
Every year, Miami University medical students  converge on Marathon to participate in a free medical checkup service for anyone willing to be experimented on.  Just kidding, but some of them are a little inexperienced.  Fortunately there are mentors to ensure everything is OK.

Actually, they were very thorough, checking things that would not be done in your average yearly medical.
We had an entertaining morning milling around with lots of people, many that we know.  Here’s Carol lining up to checkout.

By the end, we were pretty hungry as you were supposed to fast for blood test stuff so we stoked up on home fries and eggs across the road at the Stuffed Pig.

It’s Saturday and the matinee at the movie theatre.  Django Unchained – completely and totally over the top violence but so good.

Sunday 3rd February
A rare thing here but someone was partying loudly and drunkenly way into the early hours.  Couldn’t tell where it was coming from though.

The knee problem isn’t getting any better so a trip to the Hospital emergency is in order.

An X-Ray showed no bone problems so a course of Prednisone was prescribed.

Monday 4th February
The new pump parts arrived so the pump got re-assembled and installed.  Let’s hope it lasts another 22 years.

We had bubble and squeak for supper, truly wonderful; we shall be having it again.

Tuesday 5th February
Carol gets a ride to the hairdresser’s.

One of our immediate neighbours in the mooring field is heading ashore for a couple of weeks and since we’ve promised to keep an eye on the boat we get the stuff in his fridge he’s chucking out.

Wednesday 6th February
Steve and Kathy fancied a trip in Kit out to the reef and we went along with the other Kathy.
However, when we got there it was way too rough for snorkeling so we settled for lunch closer to shore.

Thursday 7th February
The Prednisone worked great for the time I was taking it but now the knee is back again so it’s time to see a specialist.  First though you have to call Blue Cross to get approval.

Big supper aboard Kit with the Markhams and son Ben with girlfriend.

Friday 8th February
The weather is gorgeous with a light SE wind.

Home Depot for a propane tank swap – the cheapest way to do it here.

Kathy and Steve drove us over to Key Colony Club which has a restaurant with a reasonably priced lunch menu.

They gave me a pile of cracked conch – enough to take another meal away.

We called at the Walgreen’s booze store on the way back – more Southern Comfort.

Saturday 9th February
Modifying our dinghy solar light to have two LEDs instead of one.

Maybe the extra LED attracted him/her but we got a nighttime fisherman aboard the dinghy.

Sunday 10th February
Legion breakfast with Kathy and George Markham.

While Carol went on a boat cleaning spree I helped Steve with his outboard and here he is testing it out.

Sunday is movie matinee day so we all went off to watch Silver Lining Playbook: An unusual Oscar contender but very good all the same.

Monday 11th February
Grocery shopping for the ladies while I examined a suspicious stain under the holding tank vent.  Examination of the new tank revealed it to be only half full, so that wasn’t the problem.
A rare happy hour aboard Incognita with Steve and Kathy.

Tuesday 12th February
Visited a local orthopedic surgeon (once we had the right address – thank you Hospital for getting that wrong) about my knee which he diagnosed as a torn meniscus.  An MRI is in my immediate future.

Wednesday 13th February
We had expected Corey, Jessica, Colby and Peyton Young (Madison Lynn Scott – what a boat name) to come over for happy hour at around 4 but when they didn’t show I went to investigate.  Turns out their main boat engine conked out while they were out and about and they had to tow the boat back with their dinghy.
They came over eventually.

Thursday 14th February
A day aboard followed by happy hour (there’s a LOT of these) aboard Kit with Bill ? in attendance.
We had supper aboard and then while we were watching the TV, the boat suddenly swung like crazy as the wind instantly changed direction 180deg.  Steve ran out and saved Carol’s Crocs on the edge of the boat but mine sailed off into the wild blue yonder never to be seen again!

Friday 15th February
I went out early looking for the missing Crocs but they were long gone, probably ½ way to Andros in the Bahamas by then.

Appointment for an MRI on Monday.

Supper aboard Kit with extra guests Tony and Karen (Leap of Faith).

Saturday 16th February
The weather has changed and we’re getting lots of rain and a strong North wind which means one of those Canadian cold fronts is on us.

Carol’s back is really bugging her, she really needs to do something about it.

Sunday 17th February
It’s windy and cold, so Carol stays on board while I go ashore for Internet.

Monday 18th February
The wind is NE and very cold as I head off for my MRI at the local hospital.  Being the US, you are actually given the results of your tests to take with you.

Here’s a torn meniscus (apparently – looks OK to me).

When I get back to the boat I find Carol has gone to the chiropractor for her back.

Tuesday 19th February
When our neighbour, Bob (Chicago Marie) left to go home for a couple of weeks he asked us if we’d keep an eye on his boat.  As well as giving us the food from his fridge (a customary gesture) he also gave me an LED anchor light.  It’s one of the best there is, made by natives on an island somewhere in the South Seas, it’s totally bomb proof, unlike our Davis light which let water in and therefore hardly works anymore.  So I switched us over.

Wednesday 20th February
Heavy rain in the night.

Cleaned up the stains on the transom caused by rust I’ve finally determined and re-seated the anchor light connector with 5200 to stop the rain getting in.

Bill is buying a Kindle so I help with that process.

Thursday 21st February
Dinghied out of the harbour to Pancho's for dinghy gas and then drove ashore to work on sanding the teak cup holder that John, the inveterate thrower-awayer gave me.

While ashore I was treated to a sighting of amanatee traveling up the office canal to the dinghy docks.  I rush back to the boat to get my camera but by the time I get back, he/she is gone.

Steve and Kathy over happy afternoon/hour.

Friday 22nd February
A rare trip to the water dock for the boat and then a short run down Sister Creek to give the boat some exercise where I nearly ran it aground – oops!
Laundry day with happy hour aboard Kit.

Saturday 23rd February
It was Steve’s birthday, so we treated them to Pizza at the Upper Crust just across the road from the marina.  The Markhams came along too.

Sunday 24th February
At four in the morning the party people started up on a neighbouring boat, this time we could identify the source of the noise.  Yelling at them had no effect so we just put up with it.

First thing in the morning I went to complain about them to the office and was joined by Corey who’d heard them from many boats away.  We were told the boat was leaving the next day (turned out not to be true but we never heard another peep out of them).

Although we were somewhat feeling a lack of sleep we had arranged for a trip to the reef on Kit.  It was a fabulous day and I snorkeled several times and saw a very large grouper in a holding pattern right next to a moray eel – bizarre sight.

Both Carol and Kathy were seasick as the boat moved quite a bit in the swell.

Monday 25th February
The nice weather continues with clear skies and a light south wind.
Kathy and Steve have to drive up to Wisconsin to attend to some business and I’m the designated boat watcher.

We went ashore to see them off.

Kathy Markham gave us both a car ride; to the surgeon for me (to discuss my knee) and to the chiropractor for Carol.

Corey had a Smartphone that he had no use for and he let me have it for $50.  It was locked to AT&T but for $13 on the Internet I unlocked it and put the SIM from my T-Mobile phone and hey presto I have working Smartphone.

Tuesday 26th February
The Academy Awards download finished (it’s big and takes a while on a slow system) so it was Oscar Night.

Wednesday 27th February
Colby and Peyton (Corey and Jessica’s kids) were very eager to be professional dog walkers since I was somewhat incapacitated and here’s a perplexed Buddy heading out with them.

Carol got a ride to the chiro with Bill before we had the Young family over for happy hour.

Thursday 28th February
Overcast and cooler with a light North wind.

Another happy hour aboard Incognita, this time with Bob and Maxine from Sea Elf.

Friday 1st March
Carol tried walking to her chiro after I gave her a dinghy ride part of the way.  I was supposed to pick her up at the same place for the ride back but my nice new phone decided to stop being a phone and I never got the call.

Saturday 2nd March
Overcast with a cold north wind.

Computing ashore.

Sunday 3rd March
Legion breakfast with Kathy and George Markham.

Later we went to the movies with Kathy and George and were joined by Bob and Madeleine to see Life of Pi again.

Monday 4th March
Sea Elf left to return to Indiantown and sell the boat.  I managed to find someone to buy my old Kodak camera (which I always hated).

Bill gave us and Buddy a ride to the groomers and we treated him to a Hurricane $5 lunch.

Tuesday 5th March
Laundry day followed by happy hour aboard Incognita with our neighbor Bob from Chicago Marie.

Wednesday 6th March
Clear with a cool NW wind.

Computing aboard since there’s tons of solar power.

Thursday 7th March
Putting final coats of Cetol on our refurbished binnacle cup holder while Carol gets a ride to Publix for groceries.

Friday 8th March
Another coat of Cetol and dinghied Carol part-way to the chiro and then to Pancho’s for dinghy gasoline.

While there I checked to see if the seafood store we used to buy from had re-opened under its new management.  It had and I got some mahi-mahi which, like all the fresh fish we bought this season was quite disappointing.

Saturday 9th March
Final coat of Cetol for the cup holder.

Kathy and Steve returned from Wisconsin and we celebrated by all going (the Markhams too) to Lazy Days for their happy hour cheap booze and hors d’oeuvres.

Sunday 10th March
The clocks went back so I think we got an extra hour’s sleep but probably not.

Grocery shopping for Carol and Kathy while Steve went ashore to polish his car a little prior to putting it up for sale and I did computing stuff in the office.

Monday 11th March
I started the cup holder install only to find that although I have a huge selection of stainless screws, there weren’t four that could do the job.
Kit had a charter in the morning and early afternoon but afterwards they come over for …. Yes, you’ve guessed it, happy hour.

Tuesday 12th March
Light SE wind with clear warm skies.

We both did some gentle yoga at the bandstand in the park with Kathy as yoga master.

I got a ride to Home Depot to buy my screws and Carol went off to the hairdressers.

Figured how to make free phone calls with my phone using wi-fi.


Wednesday 13th March
Finally installed the binnacle cup holder and it’s a fine thing.

This time we went to Madison Lynn Scott for happy hour with Corey, Jessica, Colby and Peyton.

Thursday 14th March
It will soon be time to leave and the dinghy bottom needs a good scrape so I dragged it ashore and flipped it – after struggling with removing the motor.  Next time I’ll remove the motor at the boat and row ashore.
Supper aboard Kit with the frozen linguini and garlic shrimp we found that’s soooo good.

Friday 15th March
More Cetoling round the binnacle before heading over to Kit for Carol to play cards while I sit and chat with Steve and Kittiwake Bill.

While we’re talking I got a call from my Ottawa friend Bob to tell me our mutual friend and ex-business partner Harry Keays has died.  Before we left to come south for the winter we were all having lunch together and he was fine.

Saturday 16th March
While Carol was off taking Buddy ashore with the kids and I was making breakfast I got a call from Montreal friend Ken to say his mother had died.  Man this is a depressing couple of days.  And Carol’s back is killing her.

We had supper aboard Kit yet again, boy they spoil us.

Sunday 17th March
Up fairly early to load the dinghy, drop the mooring and head over to the water dock to fill up one last time.
Kathy and Steve say goodbye and push us off and down the channel to Pancho’s for diesel.
With the sails up, engine on and favourable wind and tide we ‘zoom’ at 7.1 knots to Islamorada not without picking up another infernal crab-pot which I cut loose with Carol’s beloved Cutco kitchen knife.

Monday 18th March
Another early start and we fly on, sometimes over 7 knots, past Jewfish Creek, where we usually anchor and on to Little Card Sound where we can shelter from the strong SW wind.

Tuesday 19th March
We’re relatively close to Miami, our next destination so we didn’t need such an early start and by 3 o’clock we’re tied to a mooring ball at Crandon Park marina at the north tip of Key Biscayne.

It’s a place we enjoyed staying at in the early days of our southern travels but recently we have been unable to get a mooring as they have very few transient mooring balls.

One of the best reasons for coming here is that the fishing charter boats sell their excess catch on the dock.  That night it was amaco.

Wednesday 20th March
A calm day on the water.

A bus ride to Winn Dixie which we usually find to be a low rent supermarket chain. But this one in Key Biscayne is anything but since its makeover.

Thursday 21st March
Onwards to Sunset Lakes where I was dismayed to find that they have posted no-trespassing signs on the empty lot where I go ashore with Buddy.

Friday 22nd March
Onwards up the intracoastal to Lake Santa Barbara.

All of us ashore to find that the seafood store there is now closed for business.

Saturday 23rd March
A lot of wind and rain the in the night and in the morning there’s a powerful south wind.

Just before we were about to go through a bridge we ran out of diesel.  I don’t know how I thought I would make it through the day without pouring some into the main tank from our on-deck reserves.  A short delay and we were on our way again.

We did intend to anchor for the night before West Palm Beach but there was nowhere where there was protection from the waves caused by the very strong wind.

We arrive at Peanut Island at West Palm Beach around 6 at night hoping to find shelter behind the island but before we can go around it we were stopped by a very heavily armed coastguard inflatable who told us (and several other boats) that we could not pass.  The problem seemed to be that the cruise ship Bahamas Celebration was backing out of its slip to head out into the Atlantic.  It was doing this very slowly and then came to a complete halt.  The next thing was a frantic voice on the radio imploring the coastguard to help because the cruise ship had hit their docks on the island and boats were loose.  We then decided to hell with this we’ll just anchor even though there was a couple of feet of chop from the wind.

It turned out to be not that bad once we were anchored on a long road and snubber, we’ve had much worse nights.  The worst part was taking Buddy ashore in the dinghy.

Sunday 24th March
Since the wind showed no signs of abating we decided to take a slip in a marina.  North Palm Beach has reasonably priced marina that gives discounts for Tow-Boat US members.
It was very pleasant to be in a slip with showers, wi-fi and unlimited power.

Monday 25th March 
The wind had clocked more west so we had no trouble getting to Peck Lake to anchor.

Tuesday March 26th
With the wind coming strong from exactly the direction we would be heading up from the St. Lucie Inlet and the tide not quite right we decided to wait another day at anchor.

Any dreams I had of a last swim in the ocean were nullified by that cold, cold north west wind.

Wednesday 27th March
Anchor up at 7:30 and we’re off on the last leg home.

Last year we had a miserable time getting up to Stuart with contrary current and wind.  This year we made sure the tide was with us and we were past Stuart and up to the St. Lucie Lock to go through at 11.

We had intended to stay on the west side until the next day but we were so early we decided to go all the way to Indiantown and we were in a slip by 1:45.

There was enough time to unwrap the RV, move it near the boat and for Carol to clean the fridge and fire it up.

Thursday 28th March 
A busy day taking the dinghy for a spin to flush out the motor, hoist the motor onto the boat, run the diesel and change the oil and wash the anchor and chain in fresh water.

We had an afternoon drink with Bob and Maxine in the screened in area.

Friday 29th March
Had a fairly leisurely day cycling into town for supplies and to rent some DVDs

Saturday 30th March
Pumped up the RV tires and installed the tire pressure monitors and prepared the RV for moving.
We took a trip to Publix in it for groceries and boost our depleted wine supplies.

We slept in the RV for the first time.

Sunday 31st March
Started “The Process” i.e. moving all our stuff from one vessel to another.

We had Lawrence and Joan, who actually never left the marina the whole winter in Tranquility, over for happy hour aboard the much emptier Incognita.

Monday 1st April
Sails down and stowed, moving stuff from one place to another.

Tuesday 2nd April
Haulout day.

Wednesday 3rd April
Install sacrificial lines, take off canvas and remove a solar panel.

Thursday 4th April
Tarps installed.  We’ve never been back this early, lots of empty spaces in the yard providing an unobstructed view across to Bilbo.

Friday 5th April
Carol to the hairdresser`s and me to Good year for a service and get the rubber tire valves swapped for metal ones.

Last trip to the boat and close her up.