January 1, 2000 !!!!!
Happy New Year to all!
My temperature went up to 102 yesterday so we didn't really party. We had a nice homemade dinner of brisket, carrots, farfel and homemade cookies from Kathy, Sharon and Maya. And a nice, chilled bottle of Martini and Rossi Asti Spumante. We toasted the New Year at 7:00pm and were in bed asleep by 10:30. We did watch that wonderful ABC special but couldn't quite make it to midnight.
Today my temperature was down and we went to the beach for a couple of hours. It was heavenly. It feels so good to be warm. The nights here get chilly but certainly not cold. Can't wait to get to the islands.
January 8, 2000
Hello all. We are still in Vero Beach and still awaiting repairs. Things sure move slowly in the boating world. I think they are expecting the stainless steel in Monday and should be starting on Tuesday. Repairs should take about 10 days. Meanwhile, we have hired another boater to begin taking up the old caulk around the teak decks and putting in new. He is also going to begin rebedding many areas on deck, which will keep us from getting leaks. This is just part of routine maintenance and we need to learn how to do it so while we pay him only a fraction of what a boat yard would charge, we will be watching and learning.
Yesterday I sanded the large wooden box up on the foredeck that houses 3 bottles of propane used for cooking. It only took about an hour and today I put on the first coat of Cetol (like stain). Tomorrow I will lightly sand again and apply the second coat. Hopefully that's all that will be needed but if a third coat is necessary, it's a job that I enjoy and I get to work in the sun.
And speaking of which, the weather has been just beautiful. Mostly sunny and in the high 70's. The nights get just chilly enough that sleeping is good and we can leave the doors open with the screens in. I'll bet you're all wondering why I'm not complaining about bug bites. Because, at night it has been cool enough to wear long pants and I spray my ankles. In the daytime, there aren't as many so I am down to maybe a total of 30 bites. This, my friends, is not to complain over although I do wake up scratching at night. I am so happy to be in a warm climate that it isn't worth the complaining.
There are still 3 other boats from Ohio here: Zaftra (Don and Gloria), Sirrah (Bill) and Goody Two Shoes (John and Diana). A couple of nights ago we had cocktail hour on our boat. Along with these guys, we had a young couple from Green Sleeves, moored in front of us, and Rick, who will be doing our teak work. We had quite a crowd for this size boat. After cocktails, a bunch of us decided to dinghy down to the Mexican restaurant. Only thing is, the Mexican restaurant was 5 channels away from us down the Intracoastal. We took 2 dinghies and down we went. No problem. We had a great meal (this was Mexican on one side and Sushi on the other; owned by a Chinese man). When we came out, about 10:30 PM or so, the wind had kicked up and the Intracoastal was a little choppier. And there we were in these little dinghies with flashlights. Those of us in front got a little wet but it was warm and a good laugh.
Last night John and Diana invited us all for this HUGE cherry pie they had. Yumm!! Tonight they all went to a free jazz concert and to dinner but I felt like a time-out so I made myself fried cabbage and noodles and a hot dog. The meal was good and the quiet time is nice.
Our dear captain was in the doghouse for all of last night and most of today. He took the dinghy yesterday about 3:00pm to make a run to the grocery store. About 5:30pm I started to get worried as the sun went down. About 6:15 I was getting pretty panicky. I thought of my options, including calling the Coast Guard and decided first to try to find him myself. I called John and he came down in his dinghy to get me. John was equipped with a hand-held VHF radio, life preservers and 2 lights and I also had a hand-held VHF and a spotlight. We started down the Intracoastal in the dark. My best fantasy was that the dinghy got stolen and Bob had to file a report and get a cab back. And you can imagine my worst fantasy. We would find the over-turned dinghy. We didn't have to go far before I flashed the spotlight on a shadow and saw Bob in our dinghy. We led him in (he had no light) and got the dinghy tied down and the groceries in before I found out what happened to him. Those that know him better than I will figure it out. Those of you who don't, feel free to e-mail me with your guesses. The clue, of course, is that he's in the doghouse.
We will be here for another couple of weeks and although I am getting antsy, it is really nice here. I get to talk to Eric and Susan (Elysia) every 2 or 3 days on SSB radio. They are still in Lake Worth but are getting ready to make another move south. I miss them and hope to catch up to them in the next month or so in the Bahamas. Hope you are all well and if not in a warm climate, have your heat on.
MESSAGE: WE HAVE A NEW MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. WE NOW HAVE POCKETMAIL AS AN ALTERNATE METHOD OF E-MAIL. WHEN WE ARE NEAR A PHONE, WE CAN USE THIS. OUR ADDRESS IS:
MUTUALFUN@POCKETMAIL.COM
For now, we still have the satellite unit and will be checking both. Pocketmail can accept up to 4,000 characters, so go ahead; spill your heart out!
January 14, 2000
A blowy one today! We knew it was coming and it's nice to know that they actually CAN forecast the weather to some degree, even if it is poopy. The wind kicked up at about 5:30am and woke me straight out of a wonderful slumber. On Tuesday, the workers came and removed our bowsprit, which left our lifelines and headsail just kind of hanging there, unsupported. Bob had tied the headsail to the staysail so it was secure but, still, the sound of the wind roaring through the rigging brought us on deck to check things out. Since we have been doing so much work on the boat, there were still a few things loose but all in all, everything was battened down and fine. Bob tied the headsail in a second place for good measure. I checked the wind speed and saw 28 knots before I went below and pulled the covers way up over my head. We both went back to sleep and got up later and went in for a big breakfast.
I have been busy at work while we are sitting here waiting for the rail. I have sanded and stained the caprails, the teak panels on both sides of the boat, parts of the bowsprit boards, the doors and the propane box is now finished. Everything is turning out quite nice. It is a lot of work and my back is always tired at the end of the day but it's the kind of work I enjoy. I get to be out in the sun and since nobody is paying me, I get as many breaks as I want. Bob is working with Rick on the rebedding and recaulking projects. They are coming along nicely as well. We have managed to keep Rick busy for a whole week. We better get our bowsprit back soon or Rick's bill will be enormous. We could keep him busy for a long time.
The hinges that fit the butterfly hatch, the huge hatch in the middle of the boat, simultaneously combusted so Bob has made umpteen phone calls trying to find new ones. They are bronze and odd-sized. Of course. He finally found a bronze maker and by fluke he had one that someone had ordered and never picked up. If it works, we will have this guy cast 2 more for us. We can't leave here without the hatch being able to close securely.
I think we have been here over 3 weeks now. They call this place a sinkhole because so many people come and never leave. It is a nice little town. Very convenient and pleasant but I don't think we'll be looking to buy any real estate just now. We are both anxious to pick up hook and move on. It will be another 10 days
or so.
January 19, 2000
We hare definitely in a sinkhole. Help, we want out! The people fixing the bowsprit said they would have it ready this Friday. We have to rent a dock space and one isn't available until Monday. We are also waiting on hinges being made and should have them Friday. In any case, we are ready to move on.
Last night was Diana's birthday (GOODY TWO SHOES) and we all went to Crusty's to celebrate. They only sell beer and wine, no hard liquor so we stayed fairly sober. A good time was had by all. We get together as a group over food way more than we should. We are all over-budget this month. We need to part ways and go back to our own galleys and not having as much fun.
Eric and Susan (ELYSIA) are now in Norman's Cay, south of Nassau. They are awaiting our arrival as we are awaiting our reunion with them.
Wednesday is movie day here in Vero Beach Marina. I took a day off my sanding and staining while Bob stayed and worked. A whole group of us board the bus (free) and head to the 24-picture theater and go our separate ways. Gloria was my date and we saw Sixth Sense with Bruce Willis. It was excellent. Up until the end I thought it was sort of dumb but I still liked it. The ending made it a really good movie. Surprisingly, Bruce Willis played a serious role and was quite good. It was strange to be sitting in a movie theater and I felt disoriented throughout the movie. I am not used to staying still for that long of a period. I thought maybe I would get land sick.
January 20,2000
Captain Bob's Birthday! Very early this morning Bob warned me, not for the first time this week, not to say a word to anyone about it being his birthday. I have been very good and not mentioned the exact date even once. They have been trying to get it out of me but I know where my loyalty lies. Or, I know I'll have heck to pay if I tell, so I don't. This morning, we all got together for breakfast and Diana pulled out John's driver's license and we all looked at his picture and pretty soon Bob had his out and whammo! Diana had him but good. "So, today's your birthday" she says. Everyone got a big kick out of that. It's awfully hard to catch Bob at having a spell of dumbness but she got him but good. After breakfast we were walking back to our dinghies and everyone stopped and sang Happy Birthday to him, right there in the park, by the beach. I took Bob out for the most delicious steak dinner we have ever had. I even got all dressed up in a skirt. I haven't had a skirt on in 6 months. It felt pretty good. We had a great meal and when Bob wanted to order dessert, I had to lie and tell him that I made him key lime pie at home. Actually, Bill's wife Connie had baked him a cake and we all met in the laundry room and had cake and coffee. The laundry room you say? It was too chilly and windy outside and someone had just run the dryer so, what the heck?
Our bowsprit is supposed to be ready Monday and we will have to move back to a dock to get it installed. If there are no further complications, we might be on our way at the end of next week. After sitting at a place for so long, especially a nice place with nice people, you have mixed thoughts about leaving. We are very anxious to get back out into the ocean and to get on our way to the Bahamas but also a little anxious, too. It's a strange feeling that all sailors feel when leaving port. Well, the wine and food have been good but it's time to "get back into things."
It's a little after 10:00pm and I am going to go watch the rest of the lunar eclipse. I wonder how many of you will be looking at the moon at exactly the same time as us?
January 29,2000
Greetings from…….. Vero Beach. Here we still are. Our bow pulpit is fixed and back on. Our hinges are ready for installation tomorrow. We could leave tomorrow but, oh, we wouldn't want to leave on Super Bowl Sunday, would we?
We went through a cold spell; not as cold as most of you but down in the 30's. The boat stayed fairly warm due to my ministrations. Meaning, I'm the one that was cold enough to turn on the heater. And by turn on the heater, let me give you a small indication of boat life. You might think that means walking over to a wall and flipping a switch. Ha! It's more like this: First, I go on deck (in the freezing cold) and remove the metal cap with a special tool and replace the cap with the stack. I screw that on and go below. After some moments of shivering subside, we (Bob helps me with this next step) remove the couch cushions and the boards underneath and turn on the fuel pump. We replace the boards and the cushions and then I (back to just I) actually do flip a wall switch. Then, I open the door to the heater, put newspaper underneath and clean off the glass door and scrape out all of the crud in the burner unit. I remove the burner ring and the round thing inside and put it on the newspaper. Now I wash the crud off of me (soot) and this entails washing up to the elbows. This takes awhile because soot and soap are not the best of enemies. Once I am clean, and of course the water was freezing cold so I am shivering again, I light a small piece of tissue and throw it into the unit where I have allowed about an inch of diesel to flow. I put the burner ring and the round thing back inside. Then I hurry up and close the door and turn on the fan. OOPS. Too much fan and now the fire goes out. I have to let 15 minutes pass so I don't blow up the boat so I go contemplate life and add 6 or 7 extra layers of clothing. That eats up most of the 15 minutes and maybe I cheat by a minute or two and relight the fire (which of course entails removing and putting back the burner ring and round thing). Hooray! We have a proper fire, fan and all. Now, mind you, the fan is just to get the fire going and does not spread warmth. The heat is spread in a v e r y s l o w manner by creeping out of the small vent holes and by warming the stack. So, about 3 hours later, bedtime, we have a relatively warm boat. We (I) turn off the flame and a warm night-night to all. The next morning I refused to get out of bed because I watched Bob brush his teeth and could see his breath.
Since we are preparing to leave Monday, I just turned the NOAA weather on only to find out the weather stinks for the foreseeable future. I believe the sailing gods want us to stay here. In fact, I believe they want us to stay here to keep the waterways safe for everyone else. Maybe we'll be here for next year's SuperBowl game.
Although this is a very nice place and although we have enjoyed our stay here, we do tend to get bored. I purchase a stuffed, striped kitty in Fernandina Beach because I missed Tiger so much. He's not an exact duplicate of our kitty but he was soft and I felt like I needed something to pet. I packed my stuffed teddy bear and he's been on board with us from the beginning. He was brought specifically for me to hang unto if I was off-watch, down below and scared to death (I have not had to use him to date). But stuffed kitty was for more day-day entertainment. We've gotten
pretty good use out of him. Bob was ashore yesterday and as I was cleaning up the boat, I decided to stack some pillows and let these stuffed animals join us for dinner. I tell you, we just have to get out of here pretty soon. I'm beginning to lose it.
If I hit the hay before Bob, I brush my teeth and call for him to tuck me in. He comes in and grabs stuffed kitty down from his shelf and throws him at me. Then he pulls the covers up tight and says "now shut up and go to sleep!" Where has all of the romance gone?
We still do have a good time on this boat and because of less outside stimulation, we have to make our own fun. Bob's sense of humor stays sharp and he keeps me and everyone around us, in stitches. We manage to keep each other laughing and most times at our own expense.
My nephew, Shaul, just arrived in Boca Raton, where he will be playing tennis and coached by a professional coach. He's trying hard to get on the pro circuit. I need to call him in an hour or so and see if we can hook up before we take off for the Bahamas. Wouldn't it be great if he could sail with us from here to Lauderdale or Miami?
January 31, 00
Hello from…. Ft. Pierce. OK, so it's only 13 miles from Vero Beach, but I'm so happy! Yesterday my nephew came to visit. He spent the night on the boat. While Bob and a whole group watched the Super Bowl, Shaul and I ate sloppy joes on the boat and caught up with each other's lives. He had to leave at 6:30am to meet his new coach in Boca Raton so Bob and I made a deal that I would pick Bob up in the dinghy after the game if he would take Shaul to land in the morning. I'm sure I got the better end of the bargain. When Bob took Shaul in, he said the weather was really nice. By 9:00am (when I finally rolled out of bed), the weather was turning to yuck. It was cold and windy and raining. We couldn't decide whether to leave anyhow or wait another day. No, I mean we REALLY couldn't decide. We laughed at each other because we hadn't made a decision in so long that we found we were unable to do it. Finally, we decided to go to the fuel dock and get fuel and water. We managed that all right. There were a few people up there who bid us safe sailing and we went back to our mooring ball. Then we couldn't decide whether to break down the dinghy and motor and stow it on board or not. It was really pretty comical. Bob knew that I really wanted to leave under most any conditions and I think he was afraid I would commit hari-kari if we didn't. I left the decision up to him because he's the captain. So, another few minutes goes by and we made another executive decision. We would have some hot, steamy mugs of soup and see how we felt. We're finished eating (or slurping) and what do you know? The wind has died down and the rain has let up. Thank goodness someone else made the decision for us because we seemed incapable. About 2:15pm, we took off down the ICW for Ft. Pierce. The dinghy motor stowed onboard and the dinghy still in the water. A compromise. We arrived here about 5:00pm and dropped the anchor. It was chilly; my nose and ears were cold and the wind was on my face and there was water all around and we were MOVING. I couldn't have been happier. We brought the dinghy onboard and scrubbed all of the dirt and barnacles off and cleaned the boat and I was so exhausted I could barely move. It is hard to believe we could get so out of shape in 6 weeks but we sure did. Bob made a wonderful dinner of eggs, grits and toast. We're both pooped and very happy. Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will head for an overnight, 20-hour sail in the ocean to Miami. It feels a little funny after sitting for so long but I'm ready!
