Thursday March 20: The Fun Continues!

Kaitlyn with her matching goggles and fingernails!

I'm once again wondering where the time has gone. Tomorrow is Christi and Will's last full day to be here in the Keys - the time has flown!

Having Kaitlyn and J.P. around reminds me how much energy kids have - perhaps I will be able to develop a method to bottle this energy, sell it and become a millionaire :-)

I have to add that it has been a wonderful respite from the work on the boat. Either work for this boat or work for Guppy.

We are up in the morning and off to spend the day in a leisurely fashion rather than up in the morning and getting started on the latest project.

I have spent more time in the pool in the last week than I have for the last month! It's been great :-)

The weather has for the most part been quite nice. One of the past days was perfect for kayaking on the bay side so we used our two inflatable kayaks and were able to borrow a couple of other kayaks from boat neighbors.


It was a tour of the neighborhood in search of the monstrous iguana that live in the canals very near here to Banana Bay.

It was a group? pack? pod? flock? Whatever. It was a fun time and many iguana were spotted along the canals.

There was a hike among the hammocks, alligator viewing and enough interesting information along the trail to make it a learning experience as well!

The Keys Fisheries was on the list for lunch places. After lunch, Steve and I received the "Franko's Florida Keys Adventure and Dive Guide" as a gift from the Toracks - who knew that we published dive maps!!

Never saw any of these down here before - it was a fun find.



Yesterday was the perfect day for a trip on the Bay side. The object was to fish and see dolphins. The fish didn't cooperate and neither did the dolphins but we still had a nice day.


Kaitlyn caught the first fish of the day (longer than 3 inches at least!) with Will, J.P. and Steve quickly following suit.

None were keepers but at least there was a bit of catching going on.








One of the weirdest things was a huge flock of commerents along with the occasional pelican.  I was hoping this was an indication of schools of fish in the area but sadly it didn't turn out that way.

There was more kayaking today - this time at Sombrero Beach. The wind was out of the north so the south facing beach was perfect.

And it's so easy to deflate the kayaks, pack them in the back of the car and we were good to go. Except I forgot the pump to reinflate them :-(

Will and Steve zipped back for the pumps and all was good. Kaitlyn and J.P. took a spin down the beach and then turned the kayaks over to Will and Christi for a turn.

But there was still time for a divide and conquer to pare down the list of things to do. Christi and Kaitlyn went to the turtle hospital while Will, J.P., Steve and I visited the small but interesting Air Museum at the airport.

The neatest thing was you could sit in the cockpit of this plane from the 1940's (it still is flown on occasion). Grace Kelly was a passenger in this very plane when she was at the height of her acting career!










The small built by hand kit plane was a perfect fit for J.P. - maybe he'll end up being a pilot - who knows!


Tomorrow being the last full day will need to be a full one, right? I mean after all there are still a number of things on THE LIST :-)

I'm thinking it's going to be a late start though ........

Monday March 17: Torack's Have Arrived!!

It's St. Patrick's Day in the Keys and Torack's have arrived!

J.P. and Kaitlyn showed up at the boat this morning dressed in their finest green for the day. After a conversation with Christi, it seems these two are more Irish than anything else so let the celebration begin :-)

More on their visit later in the week.....


Also, a Happy Birthday to my brother, whose name is Patrick of course. How could my parents have named him anything else?!!

Saturday March 15: It's a Fine Line ...

Ever notice how two different things can be so similar? I was looking through our pictures for the last week and it again occurred to me that unless a picture of a sunset or a sunrise is designated as such, it's very hard to determine which is which. Can you tell which one is the sunset?

The week started with a return trip to Key West - this time via the $1.50 (one way) bus (sometimes it pays to be a senior). Former Cleveland friends Laura and Barbara were traveling from Ft. Myers (west coast of Florida) to Key West via the fast cat boat so we made plans to meet them for a few hours.

Steve, Barbara and Laura

The Plan worked well - we were there when they walked down the gangplank. It was GREAT to see them again - as it always is :-)  First things first: lunch!

And then of course we needed some of that famous Key Lime pie so that was desert on the Sunset Pier.

Steve tried on a couple of hats, Laura and Barbara purchased some souvenirs and before we knew it, it was time to head back to Marathon.

It was really nice to be able to connect with them even if it was for such a short time.

Yesterday's Dream, Anna Virginia and Jenna Star at anchor.

In the meantime, Steve had been itching to get out overnight again and the opportunity weather-wise came on Tuesday. We had hoped for 2 nights out but it was clear that the weather was going to deteriorate again - those doggone north winds!

The island nearest our anchorage was a haven for the many bird types in the area - it was VERY shallow near shore so we stayed a healthy distance away (in the dinghy as it was too far to really kayak to the island). Wonder if TowBoat US would have come to our rescue?

There were great white herons in the tree tops and sitting along the shoreline. And of course many pelicans and cormorants which are so numerous around the Keys.

All in all it was a great night out.

The dolphins spotted the two days were some of the largest that we've ever seen. The bow wave on our boat is still the favorite place for them to ride but there were several that seemed to enjoy surfing alongside. Of course I didn't have the camera on the flybridge so I missed the best group (5 of them) riding alongside the boat.

What fun to see when we travel!!

The rest of the week just seemed to pass - the days blending. Time for a breakfast out to IHOP (a great place that has some excellent low fat choices) and of course shopping.

Steve has been wanting to pick up a lobstering "kit" for the Bahamas. Just getting it back to the boat was interesting but Steve devised a way to stuff it between my backpack and my back. Figures he'd manage some way to get it back to the boat :-)

The focus continues to be on making sure we have what we need to go to the Bahamas as it's so much easier to take what we need with us rather than try to get it over there.

Plans are in place: we'll be meeting Peter and Cheryl on Surona in a week and a half and head over from Ft. Lauderdale.

In the meantime, we were trying to figure out where Dude the turtle went. Seems he didn't like being by the beach where we left him so he made his way to the neighbor's chair.

Then he disappeared again - only to show up on another neighbor's kayak! Guess he thought it was time for his great escape ....

Who knows where he'll end up next!

Sunset last night: clouds = no green flash but interestingly enough, there was a bit of green when the top tip of the sun passed behind the cloud. Never saw that before ....



Top pictures: sunset left, sunrise right.


Tonight? Christi, Will, J.P. and Kaitlyn arrive!!

Sunday March 9: Finally Getting the Cosmetics Done

It was a frustrating trip to try fishing again at the Bamboo Banks. Funny how traveling with the wind masks the real strength of the wind!

Sadly no fish - not that we even had a chance to try. When we tried to anchor, it just wasn't  to be. Couldn't get the anchor to hold in the wind ....

The fish at Bamboo Banks were safe for another day .....

In the meantime, later in the day when we were safely back and tied to the dock, the storm rolled in rather quickly. We knew it was coming - the dockmaster had walked around to make sure everyone was well tied. Including chairs and other things that can become flying objects in high winds! It rained much of the evening - even had some thunder as well. Rain on the roof is an enjoyable thing :-)

The overcast skies stayed most of the next day so Steve decided it was time to take on the cosmetic redo of Yesterday's Dream. The outside teak was long overdue for sure.

It's not a horrible process but it does take time. First all of the spots that are bare need to be sanded.

Then once that's done, it all needs to be wiped down with acetone or mineral spirits.

This is a process that is easy to do - unless we wait too long and then it becomes a much harder process. This southern sun is very hard on the finish (we use Cetol - kind of like a varnish but much easier to use) so getting it redone early is definitely better.



Once Steve has everything ready (he definitely does the hard part), then we both paint on the cetol. Three coats. Three days. Today was the third day for 3/4 of the boat but only day two for the other 1/4.

So tomorrow first thing we'll put the finish coat on the last 1/4 of the teak trim.










It's looking really good!!!

And for a special lunch during all of this work, Steve managed to find lobster tails reduced. That plus the corn that the neighbor dropped off to us made a perfect combination.

What a great lunch!!



Finally today was another polishing of the clock. OK - this thing is getting tarnished just too fast. Last time it was redone was less than a month ago. Solution? Polish it up again and then coat it with a spray lacquer made for metals. Home Depot special. The guy said it would work well so it didn't seem there was much to lose in trying it.

An added bonus was getting the letter openers we received from Rebecca for Christmas (she had been to Africa) mounted on the wall under the clock. Thanks!!

Seemed like the perfect place for them :-)

Tomorrow: a bus trip to Key West to meet friends from another life in Cleveland: Laura and Barbara!!

Wednesday March 5: Road Trip to Key West

So we picked up a rental car yesterday for the trip to Key West. The goal was to check in with US Customs and register with the Local Boater Option.

This allows us to re-enter the US from the Bahamas with a phone call instead of having to make our way to a customs office immediately upon arrival as we return.

After a convoluted trip downtown to the Federal Building and then to the Key West Airport where the customs office REALLY was (even though a phone call the day before to the customs office confirmed we were to report to the Federal Building), we were fingerprinted and received our Boater Registration number. For the most part, rude people were involved - one of which was NOT me!

Anyway, we stopped at the Hogfish Bar & Grill for a late lunch. Marialice had told Steve about this place as being one of the tops in the US and if we were nearby we should go there.

So we did! Loved the weather sign ... and the larger than life hogfish!

We tried hogfish when the kids were here but sadly it was full of bones even though it came from a seafood place. Guess I should have checked it.

Anyway, it was hard to tell if it was really all that good or not then but yesterday's sandwich was great! Maybe we'll try again from Keys Fisheries - only this time we'll make sure the bones are out.

Guppy's canvas is now finished!! Both tops (no side curtains) are under the bunk and packed to be taken north when we return this summer.

Steve requested a cover for the small generator (that will also go back to Guppy) so with a couple of pieces of leftover material, I made a cover for it. It fit well - I was pleased.

I'm getting concerned though. It seems more and more that Steve is looking for covers for stuff that sits around a lot and doesn't get used much. I'm just waiting for him to suggest I make a cover for myself ......

Tuesday March 4: Why is the Boat Listing???

We've developed a serious list. Not a written paper and pencil list but a serious tilt of the boat to the starboard.

As soon as anything that can roll is dumped onto the table, it heads rapidly to the right side of the table.

Check the fuel tanks - is one closed off so we're drawing from only the port tank? Are the water tanks emptying at different rates or is one leaking?

We were really at a loss as to why the boat has now developed this serious tilting to the side. It's been really noticeable for the past week or so.

And then we figured it out.

Some days we're just plain stupid.

Could it be such a simple thing as the table being crooked? Oh yeah - we were pounding on one end of the table the other day when putting grommets in Werner and Kathy's front cover. The table height is adjustable - just loosen the set bolt toward the bottom of the leg, lift or lower the table and then re-tighten. Fixed - we're no longer listing :-)

I'm getting concerned.

At least once every two weeks or so, the comment comes out of my mouth: we just must be stupid.

Someday we'll outgrow that .....

Monday March 3: The Green Flash Returns!!

The sun is now FINALLY setting over the water on our side of the bay - and last night we saw the green flash for the first time this season!

There was a gathering on the point across the marina and it sticks out just enough farther north so we were able to watch the sun as it set over the water.

Steve waded out into the water on our side of the harbor and saw it again tonight. Those of us that stayed on land will just have to wait a few more days!

The list of things to do before we leave for the Bahamas grows smaller every day. One thing on the list was to replace the light at the top of the mast. This must be on anytime we are anchored out and the old style bulbs draw way too much power so we replace it with an LED light.

Of course a pain because we had to lower the mast to swap it out. But it's now done. This is a Coast Guard approved light as it is visible for a radius of a full circle for a distance of 2 nautical miles. It's REALLY bright!!

Next on the list was to replace the engine raw water pump. Nothing wrong with the old one but it seemed like the thing to do. Again it's the philosophy of replacing something in our time frame rather than have to do an emergency fix.

Painting it was easy - innovative ways of getting the fittings out of the old one were successful. Heat the body of the pump, use an improvised vise and we were good to go.

Another fix while we were putting a new belt on the alternator was to figure out what to do with the shift cables that were strung too close to the exhaust manifold (which gets hot). Cables were fine but the protective coating was not!

The fix: a 5 minute liquid heat resistant epoxy coating - worked quite well and will protect the cables from moisture.

 There was a quick trip out the bay side for several hours - Steve heard the Mangrove Snapper were hanging out around the Bahama Banks. Off we went with our live shrimp bait and squid as a back up.

Sadly, the biggest thing he caught was a remora!! These fish stick to the back of sharks (usually - sometimes turtles) and clean their skin/shell. The bottom of the remora is covered with a large suction cup like area that allows them to stick to the larger fish. Everyone is happy!

Except us - needed some fish. But it was a good test run again of the alternator and new belts.

Time for a party though. Cindy and Randy on I Think I Can were celebrating a wedding anniversary at an early docktails Saturday night.

Randy grilled shrimp on the back of their boat - other great foods were served at the picnic table. It was a great night!!

As the evening wore on it was actually quite cool (I know - relative of course) as the wind had picked up a bit. Evidence of it being chilly: Cricket snuggled in her down throw (she weighs all of 3 1/2 pounds!).

I told Steve it was too cold out there!! Time to head back to the boat :-)

Tomorrow: we're off to Key West to register for the Local Boater Option with Homeland Security. This will permit us to return to the US with just a phone call instead of having to appear at a Customs office. Seemed like a great idea to us!