Season 2019-2020, Covid, Season 2021-2022

2019-2020 Season – We were told we had to leave the Bahamas when Covid hit in March. We returned to the US and sat here in Vero for a month trying to figure out what to do, what was possible and what was not. Marinas were closed, fuel was not available. We knew of people trapped various places without fuel. We wound up taking the boat to St. Mary’s and hauled out. We were able to rent a car and drove home to NH. 

2020-2021 Season – We were not able to travel because of Covid, so Rhiannon sat at Rocky’s. In July of 2021, we did a road trip and visited the boat and friends and family along the way. It was pleasant and good to finally get out and about. We discovered, when visiting the boat that our dinghy had disappeared. We looked all over the yard, as did Rocky and Kevin, but were unable to locate the dinghy. On the return trip we stopped at Fawcett Marine while in Annapolis and purchased a new Highfield. Very nice boat. We had to wait about 6 months for it, but were able to get a very good price before the “supply chain shortages” began. 2021-2022 Season - We drove the truck south in November and picked up the new dinghy. Our friends Jim and Judy on Tug-a-Long had picked it up at Fawcett’s and had it at their house. We got the boat launched in November and immediately began having issues. The impellers on both the engine and the generator had dried out, hoses on the generator dried out, both macerator pumps had dire4d out, both head pumps, a window seal – you get the idea. We made it here to Vero and spent the next weeks replacing a lot of rubber stuff. The heat in Georgia is brutal and Rhiannon sitting there on the ground for 18 months was tough on a lot of things. The biggest issue we had was with the generator. Over the 18 months, the coolant (on the fresh water side) had coagulated into a gel. Over the next couple of months, we cleaned out the cooling system 3 times, refilled it and the generator would still overheat. At one point we took off the fresh water pump and blew out the engine with a compressor, then put on both a new fresh water and raw water pump. The engine still overheated. While all this was going on, Lisa tried to move the air compressor we were using and managed to ear an abdominal muscle – ugh! She was in the hospital for a day while they diagnosed the problem, and then recuperated at out friend’s house (Stan and Judy (Rhumb Runner)). When she was able to return to the boat, we sat in a slip for a while to make it easier for her to get on and off the boat. Pete (Scrubbing Bubbles) came over to the boat, we removed the head on the generator engine (it is a Kohler and the engine is a modified Yanmar 3GM30). We blew out ALL the ports and Pete took the head ashore to clean it up. We got it all back together and refilled, adjusted the valves and got it running. We managed to make sure coolant went everywhere it was supposed to and Voila! No more overheating! In the meantime, our truck decided to get finicky about when it would start. We would up replacing the starter, the starter solenoid, the battery, all the cables and finally the solenoid that works with the security system. It now runs great. THEN, we blew the lower radiator hose as we pulled into the marina parking lot! The hose clamp was one of those Chinese ones that are stainless, except for the screw which is not and the screw rusted apart, allowing the hose to come off of the connection on the lower radiator. Easy fix. Then, I got severely dehydrated and wound up in the hospital for 36 hours, while they re-hydrated me and got my electrolytes back in balance. We enjoyed Vero, even tho’ it seems we spent all winter fixing boat and truck problems. We made many trips to various beaches, found lots of sea beans, and enjoyed the company of several boating friends who also spent the winter there. We ventured south from Vero on April 4 traveling to Peck Lake (just south of Stuart). We spent 5 days there. It is a lovely anchorage, a very short dinghy ride to shore and a very short walk across the beach to the ocean. We wonder why we did not visit here before now. We have always really liked this place. I managed to break a tooth while we were there. I thought it was just a crown that came loose. Back in Vero, I was able to see a dentist and get a temporary repair. When we were getting ready to head north, we wanted to do the normal oil, and filter changes on the engine and the generator. We found that one of the supply chain shortages was the engine oil we use (almost any oil for that matter). We use Shell Rotella (diesel) 15W-40. None to be had. We found it on Amazon for $90/gallon. A year ago, it was $13/gallon at Walmart (twice that at West Marine). I finally found some at NAPA on 20th Street for $18/gallon. Tom, Dean, Earl and I all headed to NAPA and bought 6 gallons each (the maximum they would sell to one person) – Crazy! 

We departed Vero on April 14 with Autumn Borne. We traveled with them all the way to Baltimore, arriving on May 25. We stopped along the way to visit friends in St. Augustine, Southport and Annapolis. Rhiannon spent the summer at Anchorage Marina in Canton (Baltimore). A very up-and-coming neighborhood, with everything one might need within walking distance. Lovely. We have been having a problem with one of our refrigeration units staying cold. Everyone told us to look up a guy named Woody when we got to Baltimore. He’s the best. When we pulled in to the dock, our new neighbor was there to help with lines. Guess who? Woody! Good omen for the summer!