Monday February 22: A Move and Another Anniversary!

One thing that's really nice about living on a boat is that it's so easy to move!

Don't like your spot? Looking for a better view/more dock space? Untie and move - 10 minutes from start to finish.

The opportunity to move came just before we left for Puerto Rico - so we did. We actually hadn't even thought about it. After all we've been in the same slip here at Banana Bay for the past 4 years. You know how comfortable a rut can be :-)

 But when Randy and Cindy (now our next door dockmates) suggested it, it was a no brainer. Better view. Access the dock from our port side door which is much larger the the one on the starboard side - and the added plus of the door being lower (so shorter step down to the dock). Biggest plus? The view!!

Instead of looking out towards the trees, we now look out over the bay. Another plus: larger dock area.

Win, win all around .... and it only took a week to remember to go out of the correct door :-)


Goings on? Not a lot. Projects have been pushed back. One of these days.

Steve did finish up a window project from before we left. The only window that leaked on the boat - above my computer of course!

The sliding window was replaced with an inner and outer solid window instead. Tested it this morning (oddly there hasn't been enough rain lately to even know if it still leaked) and all is good. Guess I can now replace the outlet that kind of got a little blackened when a few drops hit the computer plug!

The dinghy engine is also now ready just in case there is a windless day and dinghy fishing under the bridge is a possibility. The last thing that needed done was to change the engine oil.

All went well and the engine is running very well. Nice when something works the way it should.

Ongoing project for the master chef on board? Trying to duplicate the grilled fish we had in the Dominican Republic - the place where there was no menu but the fish was EXCELLENT.


So start with a nice snapper (yellowtail - caught at Publix :-)  ). Scale and slice at an angle vertically through to the rib bones.

Repeat on the other side. Rub with lime and oil.

Throw on the grill and cook. Seems easy enough, right?

Nope. Guess we should have watched the chef at the restaurant cook! Two issues: skin stuck to the grill and it was undercooked (due to the loss of the skin it was hard to even turn it over).

Second try with lessons learned: start with a smaller fish. Use a fish basket so it can be flipped easily and it won't stick to the grill.

Outcome? WAY better! But still lessons learned: don't cook it too long - fish gets dried out.

And it may be that Italian dressing will be the dressing of choice rather than the lime/oil combo.

We'll see .....

Fun and weird happens going on:

Fun watching Steve and neighbor Gary trying to figure out how to put Gigit's leash on. Randy and Cindy left Cricket and Gigit in our care for a day and Steve was taking them for a walk.

Not sure they ever did get it exactly right :-)







Weird: finding a fish dropped onto our deck by the osprey that flew right by Steve as he was grilling! Very sharp teeth on the needlefish. Good thing he used a rag to pick it up ...

I'm thinking the osprey was a lot more unhappy at having dropped his dinner than we were surprised to find it!


Fun: finding roses on the table on Valentine's Day!



Also fun: folks gathered on the point in front of our boat to watch the storm roll in from the north (you have to remember there is entertainment value in just about anything around here!!).

I just watched from the flybridge!





And always fun: the sunsets. In a couple of weeks the sun will be setting over the water - possible green flash sightings!!

Best part of today? It's the 31st anniversary of my kidney transplant! I'm thinking that in 4 more years, I will have had my brother Tom's kidney longer than he did .... seems like at that point there is no way I would have to give it back to him :-)

Thanks, Tom!!!