Wednesday January 13: What's With the Weather?

We've now been here in what is supposed to be the sunny, warm Florida keys. You know - where you sit at the point in a t-shirt and shorts to watch the sunset?

Only lately (about half the days we've been here) it's been jeans and a jacket. VERY windy. I know - it's not like at the Vikings game where they played in temps of below zero - to say nothing of the wind chill factor. But really?

This kind of weather keeps us in the boat with the heater running. Of course the other days, we're in the boat with the air running as the humidity has been out of control! No happy medium this year .... so far. We're hoping for better ....

The biggest project for the season is the removal of our 1978 Onan 7.5 kw diesel generator. Anyone need a generator?

The plan was to take it apart to get it light enough to lift and maneuver it sideways and up from under the floor.

Even with stuff removed, it still weighs 350 pounds. On to plan B: have Billy the general mechanic bring in an A frame hoist, get it up out from under the floor and hoist it to the dock.

We'll update the progress as it happens ......


In the meantime, we have lots of parts :-)

On a 1978 boat, there are always other things that need attention so the cold weather has given us time to do a few.

All miniblinds removed and scrubbed (they REALLY needed it from the long summer as the boat sat). Waterproofing the flybridge canvas is still on the list due to the rain. Did I say the weather has not been very nice?

Last Friday the weather settled down long enough for our boat neighbors Randy and Cindy (with crew of Gigit and Cricket) to return from their 9 month journey around the Great Loop route!

And this 6,000 mile journey in their 25' Ranger Tug! Left from Banana Bay last March, traveled counterclockwise up the East coast, up into Ontario, down Lake Michigan, down the central rivers, across the Gulf of Mexico and finally returning here to Banana Bay.

Nice job!!

And now we get the occasional visit from Cricket and Gigit both. Well, Randy and Cindy too ....









There was a day and a half of really nice weather - nice temp and no winds.

Time for a trip 45 minutes up the coast on Jenna Star (our next door neighbors George and Nancy) for a relaxing lunch and ride.

Best was that Dave and Joyce (formerly from Joysea) were down here for a week and were able to join us!

They were traveling with us when we completed the loop in Rome, NY on the Erie Barge Canal in 2011.

Once Looper friends, always Looper friends :-)