May 29: Memorial Day Thanks

Flags at the Perrysville Cemetery

There will be many Memorial Day celebrations today to help us thank and remember those who served and died in defense of our freedom. The display of flags in this tiny town (population 722) was amazing!

We're spending our time in Ohio visiting friends, family, doctors and dentist :-) Today just driving around my old stomping grounds in mid-north Ohio. Things have in some ways changed but for the most part seem to be just like they were 50 years ago when I graduated from high school. Funny how times flies.

Thursday is arrival time at Guppy. The weather in upstate NY is a very easy prediction: rain every day! So we'll see when we get there. There may be a plan B if the rains don't stop :-)

May 23rd: Putting the Boat on the hard for the summer

So the day was going so well, right? Winds low, sunny, waves reasonable - great day. And then 6 miles from the marina the engine quit! Probably because I was being smug and thinking how good we must be getting. Cutting fuel lines, transferring fuel and doing this without getting any air in the system! Sadly it just took a long time for the air in the system to shut down the engine.

Toss out the anchor and Steve has the job of bleeding the fuel system. Easy - unless you are in an anchored boat with the waves getting worse so there is a bit of bouncing around. Loosen 4 screws in sequential order while pumping fuel through the fuel pump. 30 minutes and we were good to go!

We spent the night at the dock - ready to be hauled out first thing the next morning.

Turned out to be later than that so we just went to breakfast instead!




It doesn't seem like it should have taken two days to get the boat ready to sit for 5 months or so but somehow it did. Fortunately the marina was able to provide 110 power so we were able to plug in two low wattage heaters that will help keep the humidity down inside the totally closed up cabin. We'll see how that goes ...

It was almost easier just traveling around the Loop again as it was to put the boat up for the summer!


There was a cute little motel just down the street (The Ranch House Motel) recommended by friends so that made it easier to get everything done as we weren't trying to stay on the boat.

We were trying to pack what we would need for the summer on Guppy and then some traveling in the fall. Most of our bags were filled with pills and supplements!! Enough to last 6 months.






It looks like bottom paint will be on the list for when we return - along with new zincs and a good cleaning of the rudder and prop.

Not bad though for a boat that traveled 6,500 miles over the past year! Brings the total miles traveled over the past 7 1/2 years to 23,000 - hard to believe - and all at 8 miles an hour :-)








And for our little Corolla keys cruiser? Stored at a home just one street from Banana Bay under cover. We'll see how that goes as well ...

Friday the 19th was a trip to Ft. Lauderdale in a rental car - first a stop to see Dr. Friedman and then on to the airport for the flight to Ohio.

Two weeks in Ohio and then on to New York to put Guppy in the water!

It was a great season in Marathon - not the least of which was to be able to have two functioning hands again :-)

A great thanks to Steve for keeping the blog going - I suspect he'll be back writing it occasionally .....

May 18th: Time to Go North!

Linda's left hand is doing very well and we have the blessing of her surgeon, Dr. Freidman and Rosie, Linda's physical therapist, to head up to Guppy. We will truly miss our time with Rosie. She is a wonderful therapist, wonderfully caring and dedicated and a great/funny story teller. She is not only excellent at physical therapy, but has the ability to convince even Linda to "Follow the Rules". She encouraged Linda to stay in touch, feel free to ask questions and even Skype if needed.   We are truly grateful Linda found her to work with.

We have enjoyed our time here at Banana Bay but it is time to head north and we are anxious to go!

Given we are the last snowbirds to leave, I had responsibility for the flower boxes in front of our boat. Terri and Sharon did great job of keeping them looking great while they were here. Terri and Dave will be coming back from the Bahamas before too long and can hopefully keep everything growing.









I put these pictures in the blog to document that I left the flowers in good shape. Diana, a year round marina resident, volunteered to take over until Terri returns.










We were treated to a beautiful sunset the night before we left. No green flash but the colors and reflection were amazing.

We left the dock the next morning observing several boats new to the marina. We are starting to feel like a little minnow in a big lake. Added recently were a 60 foot Viking, a 55 foot Sea Ray and a 39 foot Sea Ray Motor Yacht. Word about Banana Bay must be spreading!

60 foot Viking on left, 55 foot Sea Ray 4th from left

Dock master Dan was there to help us off and say goodbye. Diana left the "Bon Voyage" flowers in the water which means we must return!

Heading out of Banana Bay

When we came around from the Bay side to the ocean it was a beautiful day. The winds were predicted to come up later but so far so good.  It was great to be out on the ocean for a change.

Linda had no problem driving the boat with her "new" right hand. We had approximately a 3 hour cruise to Dockside Marina where we made arrangements to leave the boat for the summer. We'll spend a couple days in a motel so we can work on getting the boat put away.

May 14th: More Projects As We Get Ready to Head North

It seemed we still had an issue with the pump out system.  Despite my changing hoses and cleaning out the holding tank it was still pumping rather slowly the last time I pumped out the holding tank. I had not yet closed up the hole I cut in the tank just in case. After total inspection I determined there was no problem on the boat. I talked to another boater and he told me he was having the same issues. He also changed hoses and cut a hole in his holding tank to clean it out. While we both agreed that work was worthwhile doing, we both believe the pump out system is losing some vacuum power! Regardless, I know our boat is fine and I sealed up the hole on the top of the tank. Good for another ten plus years.

We had another pump issue. There is a small automatic bilge pump that keeps the bilge relatively dry because it can pump out water that is only 1/2 inch deep. (That's in the deep V in the bow so it isn't a lot of water.) The pump checks every 3 minutes and if there is water, it pumps it out. The bow is the lowest point in the boat so any water flows forward to get pumped out. There is also a much larger pump farther back that comes on if a float switch is activated due to a major leak. That pump, however, only comes on when there is about three inches of water. (We can turn it on manually and it will pump to a much lower level but we don't often look in the bilge.) Unfortunately, the automatic pump died. Fortunately, however, we bought the 3 yr replacement warranty for $20. These pumps just don't seem to hold up well so we started buying the warranty because a new one is $74 plus tax.. We seem to be replacing the pump about every 2 years. Went to West Marine, turned in the old pump, bought the warranty for $20 for the new one, and was good to go. Kind of a pain to install because its a pretty small opening in the floor of the front cabin but at least I didn't need to crawl under the deck.





There has been a steady stream of sunset watchers as the season moves on. There was a great deal of hope for a Green Flash one night but it didn't happen.  Too much humidity which creates a haze that blocks the green flash.












We were, however, able to turn 180 degrees and see a spectacular full moon. It was followed a short time later with yet another beautiful sunset.
















We decided to empty the port diesel fuel tank due to the leak that developed when it was over half filled, and just decommission it. The starboard tank holds 130 gallons which will more than adequately provide us the cruising range we need. The question was how to empty the tank. Despite the fact Linda's manual labor assistance is minimal, her planning abilities remain creative and effective. A good thing about this job was I did not need to crawl under the floor. There is an opening from the aft cabin with an access door and access also from the open engine compartment.







She devised the plan to use a 12 volt electric fuel pump to do the job, ($17 on Amazon).

















I needed to cut some fuel lines and splice them into a drain hose but it worked great. The vice grip is there to prevent the diesel fuel from running out of the supply line to the engine. If you get air in a diesel fuel line the engine will not run! I know how to bleed the air out of the system but prefer to avoid it if possible. Hmmm, as I think about it I have not tried to run the engine since completing this job. Better do that tomorrow.



I am starting to get some labor out of Linda since her right hand is "finished". She was able to check the fuel levels as we were pumping out the tank and hand me the tools I need as I work under the deck. (Doesn't sound like a big deal but having to crawl in and out of the bilge to get tools gets old real fast.) Washing dishes still seems to be out of her rehab range!

Tomorrow is Linda's final physical therapy appointment with Rosie in Key West. Then Tuesday we take the boat to Driftwood Marina where it will be stored for the summer. We'll spend a couple days getting Yesterday's Dream squared away while we stay in a great "Mom and Pop" type motel nearby. We'll see her surgeon in Miami Friday morning and then fly back to Ohio Friday afternoon.


Decided we should have a good Mother's Day dinner. I have found a very low saturated fat pizza at Publix grocery story that we both really like. Check the picture in case you are interested.

May 11th: Sure Feels Like Groundhog Day

We've been at Banana Bay since December. That's the longest we have ever stayed in one spot on Yesterday's Dream. Especially given the snow birds have all left, every day seems pretty much the same. Even the weather seems very consistent, 10-15 knot winds and temperatures in the low to mid eighties. There is just enough wind to prevent us from taking short trips in the boat. We could go but it's not terribly comfortable.

We are getting to the gym almost every day. Linda can ride the reclining stationary bike because she doesn't need to use her hands.



As we were leaving for Linda's latest Key West Physical Therapy appointment, we saw this little guy sitting on the dock sunning himself. We love seeing their curly tails. This one is about 6 inches long. There are a lot of them around and they are not very skittish. We decided to visit the Eco Discovery Center in Key West before our 12:00 PM appointment. Might as well take advantage of the drive.




We were glad we went. There was a topographical map of the Keys which showed details of the immense Eco System in which we are spending the winters. There were many models of sea creatures and some dioramas showing the different landscapes. I have always liked the Roseate Spoonbills with their unusual beaks. We've seen a few in the wild but not in the Keys. Apparently if you get away from civilization they are out there.









There was another display about the Aquarius Undersea Lab. The actual lab is 63 feet below the surface near Key Largo. A lot of research is carried out there as well as astronaut training.The astronauts remain in the lab for ten days. Before they come out and up they must spend 17 hours in the decompression chamber! Not sure that sounds like fun.







The replica of the living space of the lab was interesting. The residents have full internet accessibility, a microwave and cell phone connection. The actual lab remains stationary off Key Largo.

The Aquarius Lab Replica

Linda inside the lab replica pushing buttons

As I was walking away from the Aquarius Lab I noticed a large screen with underwater movies but it was all blurry. I looked closer and saw the 3-D glasses on the table. The 3-D was some of the best we have ever seen. We both found ourselves reaching out to touch things. A little girl came by with her father and she just kept trying to touch the fish, the coral etc. It was very well done.

We left the Eco Lab and moved on to the physical therapy. Linda's therapist Rosie said she was doing great. She fitted her with the new mechanical splint she'll wear during the day for the next two months. Then both hands should be good to go.

This splint, like the last one, holds the fingers in the correct position for the soft tissues around the knuckle replacements to heal correctly.






Speaking of her hands, this picture shows that the time spent here is well worth it. Linda is at the point she feels like she should be able to use her left hand. But not yet! We can both hear physical therapist Rosie saying, "NO NO NO. The soft tissues are still healing, you should not use that left hand yet!" But it sure looks good.







Getting the mechanical splint certainly feels like we're getting there. That allows her to bend her fingers while still keeping the knuckles supported. Of course this splint is just like the one she had for her right hand, hence reinforcing the Groundhog Day feeling. She needs to wear this splint two months to insure her knuckles are properly seated.

By now we were hungry. Rosie recommended a Thai place nearby. It was a challenge trying to get in to the parking lot but we finally made it. We ate on a balcony that overlooked the harbor. The food was great as were the view and the weather.

One of us, (I won't mention his name), thought about the expiration date on our passports. We'll need the passports to go to Canada on Guppy. Turned out our passports will expire this summer so we renewed them. They sent the old ones back along with the new ones. They punch holes in the old ones! Now we are all set go to Canada on Guppy.

May 6th: It's Always Something

The sanitary system on a boat is quite simple. The head (toilet) pumps into a holding tank under the deck. When it's full, there is a pump out machine at the marina to empty it right at our slip. That's great when everything works well. The last few times I was pumping out, something was getting stuck in the tank and making the pump out very slow. Not good! Never fun to work on the sanitary system but I decided I better fix it before it became plugged completely. As you can see from the picture it is a tight fit for me. Linda can sit up straight down there but not me! Linda did take a picture to "Give me credit". She has a vested interest in keeping me motivated! After reaching the holding tank, I noticed a very small leak by the macerator pump which combines the waste from the two heads into one larger tank. Better fix that also while I'm in here, it will only get worse.





Fortunately, our multi-tool lets me saw at a 90 degree angle because I had very little clearance at the top of the tank. I cut a square hole in the top of the tank and I could just barely get my head high enough to see what was going on. I was surprised to see about 2 inches of sediment which apparently built up over the last ten years. It took a while and a lot of water but fortunately I was able to blast everything loose and get the tank cleaned out. It would have been a major job to remove the tank.







Next I removed the macerator pump and inspected it. I discovered a leaking gasket. Thanks to Linda keeping our supplies current we had a spare. I replaced the gasket, put the pump back in and closed up the hole. Hopefully we're good for another ten years.









We had a fairly calm day so I decided to paddle out to a wild bird refuge Key. It's only about 2 miles and when the water is clear I see a lot of sponges, soft corals and fish. And of course birds on the key.








In addition I saw a huge iguana sitting in a tree. It was 3.5 - 4 feet in length. I hear they eat bird eggs so I guess a wildlife bird refuge is a great place to be.














I was reminded that the Keys are made up of ancient coral reefs. There is literally no dirt. Mangroves can grow without dirt and attach themselves to the coral. Eventually the dead leaves and branches provide decaying material for other stuff to grow. It was low tide so the picture shows the dead coral which surrounds most Keys. It's amazing anything grows on them.











An update on the red-bellied woodpeckers. I believe this is a picture of a chick that was in the nest and its mother. These are very noisy woodpeckers but fun to see.











We are starting to get the boat ready to be put on the hard. The canvas on the bimini top and window covers need to be waterproofed and UV protected every so often. I decided I might as well get that done.










We're starting to make a list of things we need to do before we leave the boat. Fortunately, the list is not too long. The weather looks very calm from Monday thru Friday next week. I'm tempted to take the boat out for a final cruise if it is truly calm. It's really fun to be on the open ocean snorkeling and/or fishing in calm waters. We haven't been able to get out much this year so I think I'll take advantage of good weather if it comes. Linda is fine driving the boat with her right hand!

May 5th: Was it something Linda said?

It seems like all of a sudden we are at Banana Bay by ourselves! Over the past few days the marina has really cleared out of "Snow Birds". Of course we too would be gone if we weren't waiting to rehab Linda's knuckle surgery.

The final exodus started in earnest this week.

First it was Pat and Craig on Silent Faith. They have a home in Stuart, FL and were returning home. Pat ran a catering business for a while and her special treats will be missed. Craig took me out in his dinghy to catch barracuda. We always thought we shouldn't eat barracuda but Craig told us less than 2 foot barracuda make great eating and are safe. They are very tasty! (The larger barracuda eat parrot fish which can contain toxins.) We don't usually do early, but they were leaving early so we set an alarm so we could wave goodbye and throw flowers as they left. (When someone throws flowers it means you must return.)

Next Sharon and Stephen on Stevedore, and Lois and Dennis on Mystified, were scheduled the next morning to leave at 7:00 AM. Sharon and Stephen are originally from Michigan and Dennis and Lois still have a house in New Jersey. Both were heading north for the summer. Again, we don't usually do 7:00 AM,  but we set the alarm so we could say "Bon Voyage"  Turns out that Dennis and Lois were apparently on island time.

The picture left is Terri, David, Stephen, my teak refinishing buddy Sharon, Linda and me waiting on the back of Stevedore for Dennis and Lois to start their engines.






 They eventually appeared to be ready so Stevedore left to lead the way.  The rest of us were on the other side of the marina helping Dennis and Lois off.

Mystified soon followed. Diana and Linda were waiting on the end of the dock to throw the "Bon Voyage" flowers.

Three down, one more to go the next day. Terri and David on TD Dream. They are originally from Mississippi but now live on the boat at Banana Bay. They were leaving for a trip to the Bahamas. They planned to leave around 8:00 AM but woke up to a beautiful windless day so they left at 7:00 AM. Linda woke up when she heard their engines running and I went out just in time to wave goodbye as they left the harbor. Didn't have time to get a picture, maybe next year! Flowers were not necessary -  we know they are coming back!

The next day we went to Key West to see Rosie, the wonderful physical therapist working with Linda. Beside being excellent at what she does she is a lot of fun. Even though Linda could drive herself to the appointment, I told her I would hate to miss the entertainment value of her sessions.

 At our last Clinic appointment, Dr. Friedman, her surgeon, said everything looked great and to do exactly what she did for her right hand. So Rosie  put Linda back on the same PT path as for her right hand. She'll get her mechanical splint Tuesday. Now its all about exercising patience for the next 8 weeks, but well worth it.