Sunday, April 28, 2013.  Terry (Lisa's first cousin) brought dinner to the boat.  What a nice treat.  Brian and Jennifer's kids came too (Lindsay and Nick) as well as Noah (Terry's son), his fiancee Natalie and their daughter Noel.  A boat full of people.  Very nice.  It was great to be able to visit with all these folks that we have not seen in a while.

Click here for pictures of the cousins

Monday, April 29, 2013.  It is RAINING - coming down sideways.  We are up at six. Packed.  We leave the boat during a break in the rain, have breakfast at Dino's Pancakes, then return the rental car.  Hertz was kind enough to give us a ride to the airport.  There is absolutely nothing enjoyable about air travel any more.  I traveled all over the world and really enjoyed it back in the day.  No one seems to be enjoying it these days, not the passengers, not the airport or airline employees, not the security folks..................................It really is like riding a bus (one of our flights today did not serve anything) - but it is the fastest way to get somewhere (most of the time).  Jeff met us in Boston and we made it home in time for dinner.

We are home for two weeks and then back to the boat and continue the trip northward, probably to Deltaville, VA or Oxford, MD.

Stay tuned.

April 28, 2013

Tuesday, April 23, 2013.  We were off the dock in Beaufort, SC at 6:45am, along with Teri Ann (Mainship 40 Trawler with Al and Teri Jensen), Symmetry (Lagoon 380 Catamaran with Lisa Brooks and Tom Schlagel), Baboo (Island Packet 40 with Cindy Lilly and Bob Wenneson) – and a couple of other boats that we did not see again.  The reason for the early departure was to make the 7am opening of the Ladies Island Bridge.  If you miss that, the bridge does not open again until 9am.  This also allowed us to pass some shallow parts of the ICW with a favorable tide – which we managed to do without touching bottom today.  The skies are PC and it is chilly – about 55 degrees.  We have a couple of layers on and the Mr. Heater keeping the cockpit warm.

About 1 PM, our calculations show that we will not make the opening of the Wappoo Creek Bridge at 3:30pm.  Baboo called the bridge tender, and while the publications say the openings are restricted from 4pm to 6:30pm, they don’t open at 4pm.  The last scheduled opening is at 3:30pm.  They will, however, open the bridge at 6:30pm instead of 7pm.  We slow way down and still get close to the bridge by 4:30pm.  Baboo is anchored alongside the channel and we raft to them for cocktail hour.  At 5:45pm, we break up the party and head for the bridge, along with Symmetry, a Trawler Summker Skis and three other boats. 

At 7:30pm, we finally get the anchor to hold and we are anchored across the channel from the City Marina.  Dinner on board.  Tomorrow, we will leave in time to make the 9am opening of the Ben Sawyer Bridge, which is the other side of Charleston Harbor,  Hopefully, we will make it to Georgetown, SC, tomorrow.

67SM, 53NM today.  32° 46.59’ N  079° 57.23’W.  Mile Marker 469

Wednesday, April 24, 2013.  We have the anchor up at 8:10am and are following Baboo towards the Ben Sawyer Bridge.  Lots of dew last night.  A front went through and it is chilly this morning.  Sunny, no wind. We get to the bridge for the 9am opening and head north.  Baboo is aground at Green Marker 119.  He gets off, but I seem to remember that you are supposed to favor the red side along here.  After checking my chart notes and Active Captain, there are lots of shoals between here and Georgetown, so we will have to be extra diligent. 

By 2pm, the wind has gone SE at 10-15.  We put up a sail and are making 7 knots over the ground, even tho’ the tide is against us.  The horse flies must have hatched out as we have about 30 in the cockpit and are using the fly swatter relentlessly.  They aren’t biting, but there are sure a bunch of them.

We arrive at Hazard Marine in Georgetown, SC, at 5:30pm.  This is the second time we have been in here and both times, they had someone wait for us (they close at 5), help us get tied up, plug in the electric and fuel us.  However, there fuel nozzle, is not set up for a sailboat.  It about a foot long and 1 ½ inches in diameter and pumps 15 gallons a minute.  So we wind up refueling from the jerry cans we carry and refilling those.  The attendant helped with all of this.  Nice tip for him this evening. 

Baboo chose to tie up at the Riverwalk Marina.  The dock they put them on was old and falling apart.  They advertise new floating dock, but a lot of those are “coming by the fall”.  We met Bob and Cindy (Baboo) for dinner at the River Walk.  The food was good, but not cheap.  A nice evening was had by all.

32° 21.65’ N  079° 16.80’W.  67SM, 53NM today.  Mile Marker 403.

Thursday, April 25, 2013.  We are off the dock at 8:20am. Cloudy and sprinkles.  Not as cool as yesterday morning.  Someone said on the trip north, you should stop whenever it gets chilly and let the weather catch up to you.  The tide is helping us this morning, and in fact, helps us all the way to Myrtle Beach.  We get a steady 1 to 1 ½ knot push all the way.  We tie up a Barefoot Marina at 3pm.  We will visit with Lisa’a cousins (Brian, Jennifer and their kids, Lindsay and Nick) and hopefully our concierge doctor Lachland MacKay  and his wife Diane.  Brian is one of the dockmasters here at Barefoot Marina and we will be leaving the boat here to head home for a couple of weeks.  Our Lab has to have surgery and Lisa has some meetings to attend.  We will return on May 15 and continue the trip up to Deltaville, VA, where we plan to leave the boat for the summer.

Lachland has been in the hospital, first with bronchitis, then he had an allergic reaction to some meds, then they found a blockage in one of his arteries and put in 2 stints!  He is home now recovering.  We hope to get to visit.  If not, maybe on the return trip.

At 3:30, Baboo passes by, continuing north.  They are meeting grandkids at Southport.  At 4pm, the clouds thicken and rain begins.  It continues, heavy at times all night.

033° 48.14’ N  078° 44.69’ W.  49SM 36NM today.  Mile Marker 354.

Friday, April 26, 2013. We rent a car for the week-end and drive up to Jennifers house in Calabash, NC, pick up the kids and then dive over to the restaurant she manages for a late lunch (The Boundary House).  I had a BLT and it had the most bacon on it of any I have ever had.  When we get back to the marina, across the ICW at Barefoot Landing is Teri Ann.  We wind up going for an early dinner with them at T-Bonez, where they have cheap drinks and eats 4-7.  They are leaving in the morning headed north.

Saturday, April 27, 2013.  Today was cleaning day.  Rhiannon got a thorough bath, including removal of her moustache (the brown stain on the bow caused by the coffee-colored water of the ICW).  I also changed out a pump in the aft head, as it has gotten to the point where it no longer wants to work.  I changed out the forward one earlier in the week and then rebuilt it to I can use it in the aft head.  I also sprayed the dodger and bimini with 303 fabric protector as the were starting to let water through, especially after the very heavy rains we have had.  I find this need to be done about every 4-6 months.

Lisa and I went over to Barefoot Landing and had dinner at “Smokin Hot Southwestern Grill” – just OK.  Too many other restaurants in the area to go back to this one.  There are lots of ice cream places here also, so we had dessert and then back to the boat.  It is raining again.

Sunday, April 28, 2013.  Laundry day.  Showers ashore.  Clean the inside of the boat.  Terri, another of Lisa’s cousins (Jennifer’s mom) and her son Noah and Lindsay and Nick and Brian are coming to dinner.  Tomorrow morning, we head to the airport early.

 Click here for the latest pictures 20130428

Stay tuned!

Saturday, April 13, 2013.  We leave the dock at Cocoa Village Marine at 8:15am, partly cloudy, wind NW @ 5.  There is a ½ knot current pushing against us.  At 10am the wind is NW 10-12.  At 11:30am, the wind is NW at 15-20.  It pretty much stays NW at 15 all day.  Of course, that is the direction we are traveling.  Stan Hedlund says that no matter what direction you are going on the ICW, the wind will be on your nose.

At 11:50 we have passed Cape Canaveral and approaching the cut through Merritt Island into the Mosquito Lagoon.  Both of these bodies of water are very shallow (2 feet outside the channel) and the water is 86 degrees.  We wonder how warm it will be at the end of the summer.  This is the habitat for the Rosette (Pink) Spoonbill, and we see quite a few in flight.  The small islands just west of Merritt Island are their roosting/nesting places, but they are too far away to get a good camera shot.  More info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roseate_Spoonbill

Between Mile Marker 860 and 850, we saw herd of Manatees.  The most we have seen on our trip.

We planned to anchor off the ICW east of Green Marker 47 and Red 48, but it looks as if the entrance to this anchorage is shoaled to the point where you could walk across it.  We continue on.  The free docks at New Smyrna Beach are already taken, so we take a slip at the New Smyrna Beach City Marine.  We are on the dock at 4pm.This is a nice little marina and we have been here before – Mile Marker 246.  51SM, 47NM today.  29° 01.65’ N  080° 55.22’W  Mile Marker 846

Note:  We touched bottom in the channel at Green 39 (where you turn to enter the Marina).

We had dinner on board, then walked into town.  Tonight is old car night. 

 Click here to see the pictures of the New Smyrna Car Night.. 

Sunday, April 14, 2013.  We are off the dock at 8:15am.  It is partly cloudy and the wind is east at 5.  We clear the Coronado Beach Bridge (aka George Mussen Bridge) at 8:40am.  We made the infamous corner where we went aground twice on the trip south .  Last time, we were “advised” to hug the Red 18 buoy – no water there.  This time we stayed just south of the Red/Green 19 and had 7+ feet at mid-tide.  I believe if you go north of this Red/Green buoy, there will be even more water.  We have between ½ and 1 knot of current pushing us this morning – nice.

Clouds built up all afternoon, and by 3:30pm it is raining.  We planned to anchor at Fort Matanzas, but it is starting to rain and the weather service has just issued an tornado and hail warning for this area.  We decide to continue on to St. Augustine (another 14 miles). By the time we reach St. Augustine at 6pm, it is starting to lightning and thunder.  We get tied up to the dock and everything hooked up, when the storm really hits.  Big crashes of thunder and lightning very close by.  We have dinner on board, watch some of the John Adams HBO Special we have on DVD and to be early. The storm continues most of the night.  68SM, 57.9 NM today.  29° 53.52’ N  081° 18.54’ W.  Mile Marker 778.

There is a new dock going in to the north of the current docks which has a 6 foot skirt and will act as a breakwater also.  There are also lots on new mooring, both north of the Bridge of Lions and south of the marina.  The bathrooms and showers have all been redone, also.

Monday, April 15, 2013.  Patriots’ Day in Boston and the Boston Marathon.  The day is clear and beautiful.  Sunny with a cool breeze.  Lisa and I do laundry, some housekeeping, take showers and then go for a walk around this lovely old city.  See pictures.  A guy named Henry Flagler built many of the public building, churches, hotels, and Flagler College.  All we built using poured concrete construction in the Spanish Renaissance style.  Beautiful buildings. In case you don’t know, Flagler was a business associate of John D. Rockefeller and one of the owners of Standard Oil.  He and his wife honeymooned in St Augustine and fell in love with then area.

Click here for some pictures of St. Augustine

We have a wonderful lunch at Harry’s (New Orleans style food).  Now, mostly I find that once you leave New Orleans and especially Louisiana, the “New Orleans Cuisine” is mediocre at best, but this was very good.  I had a shrimp po-boy and gumbo and Lisa had fried eggplant with crab.  MMMMMMM good!

Jeff called with the news of the bombings in Boston.  I guess there are crazy people everywhere, but this is a little close to home.  Maybe we need to re-institute public hangings – or let the families of the victims stone the perpetrators – I’m just saying………….

Jim and Judy Foster (Tug-a-Long) are in Fernandina Beach.  We will try to make it there tomorrow, so we can see them.  Nite Cap is still in Velcro Beach.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013.  We are away from the dock at 8:15am and make the Bridge of Lions opening at 8:30.  We made plans to stop at Jacksonville Beach, because there is no room anywhere in Fernandina Beach because of the Trawler rally.  At 11am, the marina at Fernandina Beach calls and they have a mooring for this evening!  Great!  Hopefully, we will get to hook up with the Fosters!

Shortly after leaving St. Augustine, the fog closes in.  We are in the company of 3 other boats and using the radar for about an hour, we finally break out of the soup.

We arrive in Fernandina Beach at 5:30pm.  The dockmaster has found us a spot on the face dock right behind a small cruise ship.  It makes a nice wind block!  Jim and Judy come by and we wind up going out to dinner at the Salty Pelican.  Good shrimp.  Today has been a long day and we will turn in early.  30° 40.23’ N   081° 27.99’ W   61.5 SM, 49.2NM today. Mile Marker 716.5

Wednesday, April 17, 2013.  We decide to take advantage of the wind and the tides and leave Fernandina Beach at 9:30am.  We tried to connect again with the Fosters, but they are in a group meeting with the Trawler Rally.  Wind is NNE @ 10 and the skies are clear.  We decide to visit Brunswick, GA, and arrive there at 4pm.  It is actually 5 miles west of the ICW up the Brunswick River.  It is supposed to be the best hurricane hole (place to hide from hurricanes) in the southeast.  However, in town is a big plaque with the story of the 1898 hurricane that wiped everything out in the area with a 16 foot storm surge.  The harbor is well protected from the wind, but is open to the south into the      Brunswick River, which is open to the ocean.  The dock hands were less than helpful and the three of them spent most of the time we were there sitting in the office, smoking, and grousing.  The docks look strong, tho’.  Lots of NoSeeums.

We had dinner at Tipsy McSways.  Mostly a bar, but the burgers were good and the beer was $2.  There is also a store in town that makes cup cakes and has ice cream.  The downtown is trying to make a resurgence and there are shops and restaurants to walk to, but anything else requires a car.

We have been crossing paths with Teri Ann a Mainship 40 trawler since we left Cocoa (Teri and Al Jensen, Massapequa, NY).  They are here in Brunswick tonight along with Hooper (their Golden).

31° 09.07’ N  081° 29.99’ W  42.5SM, 35.4NM today.  5 miles west of ICW Mile Marker 680.

Click here for most recent pictures 4/16/13 

Thursday, April 18, 2013.  We leave the dock at 8am.  Although the dockhands are all in the office, they are too busy to help “until later”.  No problem getting off, skies are clear and there is no wind.  There are some shallow area to deal with today.  We managed OK through Buttermilk Sound at 11:30am and then the Little Mud River at 12:45pm.  Both of these on a mid tide that was rising.  The tides are 9 feet through Georgia.  The south end of Althamaha Sound saw only 6.5 feet on the magenta line, but we did not touch.

At 2:20 (Red Marker 153), we see lots of dolphins and a sea turtle.

At 2:57 (Green Marker 143, there are serious whitecaps as the wind builds 15-20.  Sun and clouds.

We decide to visit Kilkenny Marina.  It is at Mile Marker 614, up Kilkenny Creek.  It is supposed to be “rural”, but have a great restaurant and fuel.  We arrive there at 6pm.  The docks are floating docks and there is good protection from the wind.  Quaint would be the description I would use.  They have a small travel lift for launching the locals’ fishing boats and you can buy live shrimp for bait.

We had dinner at the adjacent Marker 107 Restaurant (named for the green ICW marker at the entrance to the creek).  Nice place, excellent food and cheap beer.  The restaurant also has a dock and you can anchor in the creek either above or below the marina.  Plenty of  water.

031° 47.34’ N  081° 12.16’W  73SM, 61.4NM today.  Mile Marker 614.

Friday, April 19, 2013.  We depart Kilkenny Creek at 10:25am.  It is dead low tide, but we hope to catch a rising tide for the remainder of the day.  PC 77 degrees, wind SE @ 10.  The least amount of water we way in Kilkenny Creek was 8 feet at low tide.  Locals told us to stay in the center or just north of the center of the creek. 

At 11;!0am, the wind is S @ 15-20.  At noon, the wind is S @ 20-25.  At 12:45, we pass through Hell Gate and the lowest water we saw was 7.5 feet.  However, it is mid tide.  We saw 4.5 feet through here at dead low tide on the trip south, but we did not touch bottom.  The wind is now gusting to 30.

We arrive in Thunderbolt, GA at 3:15pm.  We have made great time with the wind howling on our stern and a tidal push most of the day. 

We had an early dinner at Tugby’s (one of the two restaurants you can walk to from the waterfront).  $2 beer and free appetizers.  Burgers and fries.  As we leave the restaurant, thunderstorms arrive and we wind up standing under an awning until they pass.  Lisa heads back to the boat and head “two blocks” into town to get some milk and ice cream.  Two blocks is more like 8 and there are no sidewalks in this town, so you walk in the street or through someone’s yard.  There are apricot trees at the marina, so I picked some.  Very sweet.

Morningstar Bahia Blue Marina 32° 01.89’ N  081° 02.89’ W  32SM, 26NM today.  Mile Marker 582.5

Saturday, April 20, 2013.  We are off the dock at 9:00am, as the skies clear.  It has rained hard all night.  That helped wash some of the salt off the boat, but she is in need of a good bath and her water line cleaned.  The bow and the waterline turn brown from the water when traveling the ICW.  Water ever minerals make the water coffee colored, do the same for the boat.

Our raw water strainer is cracked and leaking.  It is heavy plastic material, but I have no idea how it would crack.  We patch it with Llife Caulk (an underwater sealant), and hope it will suffice until we get somewhere where we can replace it.  There is no water pressure per se, so hopefully this will work.

We had the heat on this morning, it is only 58 degrees.  Stan and Judy said sometime you outrun the warmth going north.  I think we did.  We also have the Mr. Heater set up in the cockpit and jeans and jackets on.

At 10:15, we are exiting the ICW into the Savanah River.  A huge container ship crosses in the river just as we get there.  The chart and chart plotter show the channel on the wrong side of the Red Markers.  Make sure you stay to the right of the Reds heading north, regardless of what the electronics tell you.

As we cross the river and turn north into Fields Cut, we run aground and are stuck fast, in the middle of the channel.  It is low tide here, but the charts say there is 7.5 feet of water, but there obviously is not.  Active Captain says to favor the Red Markers, but that didn’t help us.  Luckily, we sit for about half an hour and are floated off.  Do not try this cut at low tide.

At 10:50am, we are exiting the northern end of Fields Cut and run aground again.  Right in the supposed channel.  The deep water is close to the east shore (Green Side).  A large power boat is behind us and we ask hime to pass us with a learge wake to “bounce” us off the shoal.  Normally, you want a slow pass with no wake.  Magic Queen obliges with a large wake and we are free!

At 11:10am as we turn north from the Wright River to the New River at Red 42, the chart and plotter show the magenta line (preferred course) far to the east of the Marker.  Do Not Do That!  The channel is in the middle of the river and there is plenty of water there.  Whoever drew the magenta line through this area must have been in a flat bottom air boat!

\We received a message from Diane MacKay that Lauch went into the hospital with pneumonia or severe bronchitis and then he had an asthma attack as a reaction to one of the meds, then they found an 85% blockage in one of his arteries.  They put in 2 stints and have him on a broad spectrum antibiotic and is now in ICU.  He was one sick puppy.  Lauch was our conceriege doctor when Lisa had her tonsillitis when we were last in Myrtle Beach.

We arrive at Downtown Marina in Beaufort, SC at 4:30pm.  We have dinner at Luthers, a burger and beer joint on the waterfront.  Food was OK, beer was cheap (happy hour) – some places in Georgia and South Carolina have Happy Hour all the time!  Also, Savanah is one of the four areas of the country that allow “take-out” drinks.  New Orleans being another one.

32° 25.79’ N  080° 40.49’ W  46SM 38NM today.  Mile Marker 536.

Sunday, April 21, 2013.  There are high wind advisories posted for this afternoon and tomorrow – 40+ knot wind gusts.  Sustained at 15-25.  We decide to visit Beaufort until Tuesday, when we will head for Charleston. 

Teri Ann arrives and we say hello to Teri and Al and Hooper.  They went to Savanah and tied up to the wall at the river walk there.  They said they got beat up pretty good by the passing ship wakes and today got beat up coming up Port Royal Sound.  They will probably also be here until Tuesday.  Water Music (a Hunter 35) that we have crossed paths with several times is also here hiding from the wind.  The marina is, in fact, full.

Monday, April 22, 2013.  There are still high wind warnings, so most everyone, including us, is staying put until tomorrow.  We hope to get an early start and make it to Charleston.  There are quite a few boats leaving to make the first bridge opening at 7am.  Hopefully, the weather will co-operate.

Click here for pictures of Beaufort, SC

Stay tuned!

April 12, 2013

Monday, April 1, 2013.  April Fools Day.  Our generator is still non-functional.  Today, I called Winter Island Yacht Yard in Salem, MA and talked to Peter and Diane Hayward.  They have taken care of our boats for 25 years now.  Peter thinks it may be a fuel issue and gave me some things to try to narrow down the potential problem.  I also placed calls to Ace Marine in Vero Beach, Jaz Marine in Stewart and Whiticar Marine in Stewart – all Kohler service shops.  If we have to stop in Stewart to get this fixed, then we will.  I checked all the electrical connections and replaced the High Water Sensor (I had a spare).  Nothing seemed to help.  Lisa and I went for a walk on this beautiful beach.  Nice.  Later, we were invited over to Whale’s Way for cocktail hour.  It was a pleasant visit.  Then back to the boat for dinner on board and finally to bed.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013.  I talked to Adolf Ellert at Whiticar this morning.  He seems to be in charge of their service department.  He went over the trouble shooting guide in the Kohler Service Manual with me and then walked me through how to test the 3 sensors which could be telling the generator’s brain (circuit board) that there is an issue and shut down the machine.  Based on what I can tell the sensors are working as they should.  The circuit board looks OK and the proper LEDs light at the appropriate time, but I have no way to really test this circuit board.  The engine throttle is controlled by a “fuel solenoid” which is closing the throttle and that is what shuts down the engine – so that could also be bad.  I will test more later.

At 10am, I bend the messed-up pulpit out of the way enough so that we can get the anchor locker open.  We weigh anchor and head north to Vero Beach.  Sunny, 72°, wind NW @ 8. There is only one bridge today, and it is on request.  The City Marina at Vero Beach is full and they are doubling up boats on the moorings.  We raft up to Torla-O (home port San Francisco) at 4:45pm.  34NM 42SM today.  Vero Beach City Marina 27° 39.56’ N, 080° 22.28’ W  Mile Marker 950.

Tonight, we met folks for Jubilee Yacht Club in Beverly, MA at Mulligan’s On The Beach for dinner.  George and Susan Barlow and George’s sister Jody (Precocious) and Stan and Judy Hedlund (Rhumb Runner) who came by land – and Bob and Chesley Logcher (Cygnet) who came by sea.  A good time was had by all.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013.  Stan and Judy now rent a house in Vero for the winter and volunteered that we could have parts shipped to them.  Diane (at Winter Island) shipped us a new circuit board for the generator and it will arrive tomorrow.  Adolf (at Whiticar) doesn’t know what else to check.  Mike, from Jaz, says he can schedule a tech here Monday is we have not fixed the problem by then.  Peter Brocker lives at Vero Marine and came by to look at the generator.  He fixed our outboard for us on our way south and knows quit a bit about diesels.  He disconnected the fuel solenoid and started the engine and it runs fine.  We will have to double check the oil and cooling as with the brain and fuel solenoid disconnected, potentially it could overheat – but it runs fine and generated electricity the way it is supposed to.  So now we know it is a sensor, circuit board, or the fuel solenoid.

We dingied over to Mr. Manatee’s for dinner with Darrell and Ruth (Nite Cap). We are on a mooring at the other end of the harbor).

Thursday, April, 4, 2013.  Every night we hear lots of “clicking” coming through the hull.  Sometimes loud, sometimes not.  We first thought it was the wind generator on the boat we are rafted to.  While “regular”, it is not always the same and sometimes it is heard and other times not. The locals tell us that is the local dolphin pod.  Interestingly, they usually quiet down (or leave?) about bedtime.

We met Stan and Judy, Bob and Chesley and several other couples at Chef Lin’s Asia Buffet for lunch.  Huge buffet.  The food was good and plentiful.  After my “senior discount”, the total bill was $13.50 for both Lisa and I.  It would be twice that for dinner.  Needless to say, the place is always mobbed!

Judy gave me the new circuit board that had been delivered to their house.  After installing and testing the circuits, we try to start the genset.  It immediately shuts down.  Same symptoms.  Aaaaargh!!!!

After placing more calls to Mike and Adolf and Peter, Lisa and I go for a dingy ride up the creeks.  We find a park where you can beach the dingy and then walk over to the ocean beach.  Nice.

At 5pm, it looks like the sky is going to open up, so we duck into the boaters lounge.  There is supposed to be a meet and greet today, but with the weather, we figures it would be cancelled.  But no, everyone shows up and the lounge is crammed.  A couple of guys Jim and Bentley) from the good ship “Salty Paws” pay folk music until 7.  Very enjoyable. 

Friday, April 5, 2013.  I spent the morning going over the generator service manuals one more time.  Is it possible everyone has missed something.  Of course, all this would be easier if the tech were on board, with his tools, all the spares possible, test equipment.  I am certainly a novice and it is very frustrating.  There are two relays, which could conceivable cause the engine to shut down (K20 and K25), or it could be a bad fuel solenoid.  I called Diane and asked her to fedx those parts to me a Stan and Judy’s address.  She found the parts and they are on the way.  I spent a hour or two trying to actually find the relays.  They are located on the control box (with the circuit board), but under a gaggle of wires.

Lisa and I took the free bus to the “Miracle (shopping) Mile.  Met a neat couple on the bus (Jorn and Kat) who had bought a boat in Venezuela and half way home the engine died, so they sailed, were becalmed for 3 days, etc.  And we think we have stories to tell.  We had lunch with them at Panera Bread and then went to the craft store.

Saturday, April 6, 2013.  In the morning, we walked to the beach area where there is a farmer’s market.  No large, but nice selection of fruits, veggies and homemade goods.  We had a deli sandwich at Cravings for lunch.  This place originated in Michigan, where they had one on Mackinaw Island as well as several other waterfront towns.  Now, just the one here on Vero.  Ice Cream, sandwiches, baked goods, soups, candy.  All the necessary food groups.

Lisa and Kathy (from Torla-O) work on some basket weaving in the afternoon.  Stan and Judy delivered the (hopefully last) parts for the generator and I get them installed and everything hooked up.  IT WORKS!  I had ordered 2 relays and a new fuel solenoid.  I replaced one relay (K25) and everything seems to be working as it should.  I don’t know if that relay was THE PROBLEM or the LAST PROBLEM.  I sent thank yous to all who helped and received an email in return from Adolf at Whiticar saying he would refer future Kohler issues to me.

We used the jerry cans to fill the boat with fuel and had dinner on board.

Sunday, April 7, 2013.  This area of Florida still closes on Sunday, so except for grocery stores, drug stores, restaurants and entertainment, most places are closed.  Even some of the restaurants.  We walked to the beach and through town.  Cravings is open, so we bought a couple of loaves of bread (vanilla/cherry and lemon) to take to Nite Cap for dinner this evening.  Cocktails and dinner with Darrel and Ruth and Judy and Tony aboard Nite Cap and then back to the boat.

Monday, April 8, 2013.  Lazy day.  Another dingy ride and a walk into town were the highlights.

Tuesday, April 9, 2012.  Peter Brocker shows up at 8am to clean the bottom before we depart.  Stan and Judy call and would like to have dinner before we leave, but can’t get together until tomorrow evening.  Looks like we are delayed one day.  Dean Perry calls this place “Velcro Beach” because there is so much to do, so many people to do it with, and it is easy to get around.  We are understanding why he calls it “Velco Beach” – hard to tear yourself away!  We walk into town with our rafting buddies Sterling and Kathy and have brunch at Cravings – yes, there are other restaurants in town………………

Sterling and Kathy have a car here and Kathy gives us a ride to Walmart to re-stock the larder.

When Peter cleaned our bottom, he also checked the sacrificial zincs (one on the prop (a MaxProp) and one on the prop shaft).  These get eaten up by electrolysis, which is ever present with boats, marinas and salt water. The 80 degree water makes this worse. The one on the prop is already in trouble although it has only been on the boat a few weeks.  Peter told us to paint around the edges and the screw holes with nail polish as these are the thinnest parts and get corroded away first, then the remaining 90% of the zinc just falls off.  Also, if you drill a small hole in the middle of these zincs, that will expose more of the actual zinc to the water.  See the picture!  Seems to me I remember an email from Dean Perry discussing painting the zincs.  If you have a MaxProp take notice (that is where the zinc I described is located).

Wednesday, April 10, 2013.  Lisa and I take the bus over toward Publix (grocery).  She wants to go to the craft store and I want to go to West Marine.  Although this is one of the smallest West Marine stores, the people in it see to know what they are doing and I always seem to find what I need.  We also visit the Fresh Market for some sea food, lunch at Panera Bread, and buy a couple of things at TJ Max to replace clothes we have ripped, torn or gotten greasy.  I also bought Lisa a shell necklace and earrings.  Back to the boat and Lisa and Kathy are off to the beach and I am working on this blog.  Tonight we have dinner at Bobbie’s (a locals’ favorite) with Stan and Judy and then get the boat ready to depart in the morning.

Jeff calls with disturbing news.  Our Lab has (the doggie equivalent of) a torn ACL.  He has been limping and Jeff took him to the vet today.  The dog will need surgery.  Not a good way to end the day.

Thursday, April 11, 2013.  Instead of getting off the mooring at 7am, as was our plan, we call the vet to find out options.  He can’t schedule the surgery for a week or two, so we will try to get the boat to Barefoot Landing in Myrtle Beach by the end of April, then fly home for a couple of weeks to deal with the dog issue and the empty rental apartment (which needs work).  Then we will return to the boat and try to get it to Norfolk by June 1, as our insurance requires.

We are off the mooring at 9:15am, stop by Nite Cap on the way out and say we hope to see them in St. Augustine.  The wind is South at 8 knots and it is beautiful.  At 10am the wind is SE @ 15.  At 11am it is SE @ 20-25.  At 3pm, it is SE @ 25-30+.  On our stern all the way to Cocoa.  There were 3 foot rollers in the ICW.  What a sleigh ride!  We arrive at Cocoa Village Marina, snugged down out of the wind, tied to a dock at 5PM.  53 SM  46.6 NM today.  No bridges that had to be opened.  28° 21.44’ N  080° 43.45’ W  Mile Marker 898.

Friday, April 12, 2013.  Instead of leaving this morning to head to New Smyrna Beach, we opted another day in Cocoa,  The weather forecast is for a repeat of yesterday with a few thunderstorms thrown in.  Lisa called George and Bev Major (George was in the Air Force with Lisa’s Dad and is more like an uncle) and she called her Uncle Franny – both live in the Cocoa Area.  We had lunch at Olive Garden with George and Bev and then went shopping at the Ron John Surf Shop – a must do if in Cocoa Beach.  Uncle Franny and his wife Virginia came by the boat for a visit this evening.  A very nice day.  Franny brought Jeff a replica of the hat worn by Chief Oceola of the Seminoles and we promised to get it to him.  Franny is part Abenaki and is really into the Native American history.  He and Bev were both disappointed that Jeff had gone home.

The boat in the slip next door is a 50+ foot steel hull sailboat that someone is rehabilitating.  An osprey has decided that the top of the mizzen mast is a great spot for a nest!  See picture.  Glad it’s not my boat!

Lisa and I walked over to Cocoa Village (like a mini Coconut Grove) and had an ice cream and then back to the boat.  Maybe next trip we will have more time to explore some of the neat shops and restaurants.  We will leave for New Smyrna in the morning weather permitting. 

 Click here for April 12 pictures.

Stay tuned for more!

March 31, 2013 Easter Sunday

Monday, March 25, 2013. Today was a shopping day.  We met Darrell and Ruth at the Galleria Mall and then decided to go to lunch on the beach.  We ate at the Oasis on the beach (where all the booths are large porch swings) and then Darrell and I went to the new West Marine here in Fort Lauderdale.  It is supposed to be the largest West Marine Store and the best stocked.  It is south of town by the airport.  Well, it may be the largest and the best stocked, but………….no lamp oil and no zinc for my MaxProp.  The three cashiers at the front of the store were obviously in training and the customer service reps only knew how to look stuff up online, but did not know what they actually had on the shelves.

Lisa, Jeff and Ruth went to Tommy Bahamas and had much better luck finding what they were shopping for.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013.  Today I took Jeff to the airport.  He is flying home so he can finish his private pilot’s license and get into the summer program at Lakes region Community College.  We will certainly miss him traveling with us.  The boat seems much larger and quieter tonight.  Lisa and I walked into town (Las Olas Street) and then took some pictures along the waterfront. Tonight is car night in Fort Lauderdale.  Some very nice vehicles on display.

One of Lisa's favorite glass artists id Dale Chihuly.  He does amazing things with blown glass.  We saw his exhibit at the Museum of Fine Art in Boston in 2011.  One of the ice cream shops here (Sweet Udderances) has several of his chandeliers hanging in their shop.  Apparently, the owner knows Mr. Chihuly.  I am sure the chandeliers are worth as much as the shop.  We also saw some of his art in a shop just down Las Olas from Sweet Udderances. Check out his fabulous works in glass!  http://www.chihuly.com/

Wednesday, March 27, 2013.  The plan is for me to drop off Lisa at hazel’s sister’s house in Boca Raton, where she and Hazel and Hazel’s niece (Darlene) will repaint a bedroom.  While they are doing that, I will drive to Palm Beach and pick up some parts for our winches.  When we arrive at Hazel’s, Darlene comes in from a walk with the dog.  The dog looks like a Manchester Terrier and is barking and growling.  After he settles a bit, they ask Lisa to let the dog smell her hand and he should settle down.  Nope.  Dog latches on the Lisa’s hand and doesn't want to let go.  I guess this had happened before, but not like this.  Hazel is mortified.  Lisa is shocked.  We, obviously, do not stay to paint.  We feel really bad for Hazel – not her dog – her brother’s I think.

So…………off to Florida Rigging for winch parts.  We are met by Peter Linwick, who went over our wish list and offered some other parts we might want to keep aboard. He spent 2 hours with us going over the particulars of the winches we have on board.  In the end, he had every part on the list in stock except of a couple of large Teflon washers.  So, he sent us next door to Sunray Plastics, where we bought a sheet of Teflon to make our own washers.  What a great experience!  If you ever need winch or windlass parts, or service -  email Pete at pete@rigginghydraulics.com    www.rigginghydraulics.com

Thursday, March 28, 2013.  Today is prep day to depart Fort Lauderdale.  Lisa and I took showers, then did laundry, washed the boat, filled water and emptied holding tanks, grocery shopped and turned in the rental car.  We had dinner at the Downtowner.

Friday, March 29, 2013.  Another beautiful day in Florida.  We are off the dock at 8:45am.  We had planned to wait until later in the day, but the tide has eased considerably, so we are off.  The wind is coming out of the NE at 10 knots.  We debate going outside to Lake Worth Inlet, but the wind is supposed to built to 15+ and the waves have not yet settled down from the front that went through on Wednesday.  Today is a bridge day. 19 bridges.  We missed five openings and finally arrive at Lake Worth at 8:30pm.  Lisa made dinner while we were underway, so as soon as the boat is settled, we are in bed.  North Lake Worth (North Palm Beach) 26° 50.23’ N, 42° 13.19’ W.  42.8NM, 53.8SM, 42.8NM today. Mile Marker 1064.

Saturday, March 30, 2013.  We try to start the genset and it does not want to run.  It will start and then it dies.  After several attempts, we give up and start the main engine to charge the batteries.  We are meeting Robert Wyman and his friend Lorain.  Robert and Lisa took a couple of glass carving classes together at Aliento in New Mexico.  He and his friend live in Lake Worth and we meet them for breakfast at Sarah’s Kitchen.  It is on the corner of US1 and A1A behind the shopping center.  Great little place.  Like a diner.  Marvelous!  If you tie up at the bridge at the north end of Lake Worth, it is a 10 minute walk.  After a leisurely breakfast, we went back to the boat and are underway at 12:15pm.

If you look at Lisa’s website, it will give you a better idea about her work in glass.  www.lisajeansglasscreations.com

We arrive at Peck Lake (just south of Stewart) at 5:15pm.  It is a busy place as it is Saturday and the beach (ocean) is just across a narrow strip of land.  Lots of boats, people and partying.  There are pontoon boats which ferry people from the mainland over to the beach.  Today, we negotiated 7 bridges, and only missed one opening.  Peck Lake 27°06.89’ N, 080° 08.61’W.  24SM, 20NM today. Mile Marker 992.

By evening, the wind has switched to the SE and has increased to 18-20.  About 100 yards off our bow are two sportfishing boats rafted (only one has an anchored down and the second boat is tied to the first).  They are doing some serious partying.  By midnight, one of the boats has left and the party is over.  At 12:45am, we hear and feel a large BANG, then another.  When we get on deck, there is a 35 foot sportfishing boat alongside us and drifting aft.  We bang on the hull, yell and scream, and finally wake up the occupants.  They are having a bit of trouble functioning, but finally get their anchor up, which is too small and has no chain to keep it on the bottom.  They drug this anchor a significant way across the lake and were headed north up the ICW.  I tried to get the name and address of the owner and the registration or at least the name of the boat, but there were no numbers or name on the boat – and they took off!  Hit and Run.  Nice.  He banged up our pulpit pretty good (see pictures), but there was a lot of fiberglass on our bow roller, so he had damage too.

Sunday, March 31, 2013.  Easter.  Bent pulpit.  Generator still not working.  No Easter Basket from the Bunny, but a nice day to walk on the beach! There is a trawler anchored close by, so we asked them if they happen to see or hear any of the wreck last night.  He said he heard the commotion, but did not see what happened, nor did he see the boat that hit us.  Oh well.  These folks are George and Martie Aspland on “Whales Way”.  We have drinks with them in the afternoon and find out they have just purchased a condo in Stewart after living on the boat for 14 years!  Nite Cap is in Stewart and we hope to catch up with them soon.  Dinner on board and early to bed after last night’s adventures.

Check out this week's pictures - 20130331

March 24, 2013

Tuesday, March 19, 2013.  Jeff and I dingy in to shore.  I have not yet walked the length of Linclon Road, which is “the shopping street” in Miami Beach.  All the high-end stores are here, but the only thing we purchased was a SD Card Reader for my iPad at the Apple Store.  Even though it is a Tuesday, the stores and restaurants are full.  The area reminds me of a combination of the Quincy Market area of Boston combined with 5^th Avenue in New York.  Lots of “beautiful people” and expensive cars.  Someone said that people come here more to be seen than to actually shop. I know that is true for Jeff and I.

When we lost the dingy anchor yesterday, we tied the rope on the anchor (properly called the “rode”) to an old wooden pram, in case we wanted to try to retrieve it.  Today, we thought we’d give it a try. After pulling the rode in several directions with our dingy, and lifting mightily, we were finally able to get the anchor where we could at least see it.  There was the chain of another anchor wrapped around it!  It is common practice to have a few feet of the rode (between the anchor and the rope) be chain as it helps the anchor lay properly on the bottom.  After working some more, the second anchor came to the surface – not attached to a boat, only attached to our anchor.  So, now we have another dingy anchor, as well as ours. Poseidon, I am sure, was unhappy to loose two sacrifices!

We had dinner on board and prepared to depart the following morning.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013.  We raised the anchor at the Sunset Islands at 9am.  It is clear and there is no wind.  We make the opening at the Venetian Causeway West Bridge at 9:30am and are outside of the Miami Harbor entrance at 10am.  The wind is SE @ 3.  It is 19 miles to the Fort Lauderdale cut and we make a steady 6 knots under power.  At noon, instead of a lunch break, we move in close to shore and jump overboard for a swim.  The water is 81 degrees.  As soon as we are underway again, the wind pipes up to 15 knots. We arrive at the 17^th Avenue Bridge in Fort Lauderdale Harbor at 2:30pm and then make our way up the New River to the New River Docks.  We are tied up alongside the river at RiverWalk at 3pm.  Dinner on board and then a walk down East Lao Olas Ave – Fort Lauderdale’s version of Miami’s Lincoln Road.  Ice Cream at Udder Sweets and then a walk home and to bed.  Very noisy area.  We are tied up next to the SE 3^rd Ave Bridge, and it apparently has a plate loose and every time a truck or bus passes over it, the sound is like someone throwing a boulder into an empty dumpster.  Also, someone’s boat has a pump running, or a sonar on (depth sounder) and we hearing a “pinging” most of the night.  It always amazes me how well sound travels through water!

New River, Fort Lauderdale City Docks, 26° 07.05,N  080° 08.36'W.  28SM 22.4NM today.  Mile Marker 1064.

The New River narrows as it get farther from the ocean.  We are right downtown Fort Lauderdale and there is a lot of boat traffic.  Although the river is only about 80 feet wide here, the size of the vessels passing by in a steady parade is amazing.  The are 60 foot tour boats and 100+ foot yachts (interesting when they meet), as well a many smaller boats, water taxis, and fishing boats making their way up and down this narrow river.

Thuursday, March 21, 2013.  Today would be my Dad’s birthday.  We moved down the dock away from the bridge.  We pumped out the holding tanks.  Jeff and Lisa made arrangements to go scuba diving tomorrow on the reefs just offshore.  We decided to rent a car as we are going to be in the area until at least the 26^th, when Jeff flies home.  Jeff and I went to the Adventura Mall to look for shoes for him.  Everyone in Florida must have been there.  Have you ever been to a mall where there was a kiosk that sold caviar and champagne?  We must have gone into 20 stores looking for shoes (not sneakers).  We wound up in the Clark’s Store and Jeff bought a pair of Desert Boots and a pair of Wallabies.  These shoes have not changed significantly in years and I was proud that he chose comfortable, well made shoes that will last him a long time – and he got 40% off!  What was especially nice was the service (remember how it used to be in a store when the clerk would help you select the shoe, try it on, etc?).  They even showed him how to take care of them! 

Jeff elected to “stay in” for dinner.  Lisa and I walked down the dock to the Downtowner Saloon” for a late dinner.  She had a burger and I had grilled flounder and veggies served over rice.  Both were excellent.  Reasonable prices too (especially for this area).

Friday, March 22, 2013.  Lisa and Jeff went diving and then came back to the boat and crashed.  Visibility was marginal and it was getting rough on the surface at the end, but they both had a great time.  I worked on servicing our winches.  Believe it or not, even after 30 years of sailing, I had never taken a winch apart, cleaned it, replaced the needed parts (prawls, springs, etc.) and put it all back together.  That had always been done by the yard in the spring.  Well, today I did that and the thing works great!  One down, four more to go.  Who knows when these were last serviced. We ordered pizza, a calzone and a panini for dinner from Luigi’s Coal Oven.  The food was great!

Saturday, March 23, 2013. We are docked next to a park and some pretty fountains (see pictures).  Our friend Hazel Trembley (from Salem, MA – godmother to James and Jeff) came by for a visit and a lunch at the Downtowner,  She is still helping out her sister, who is very ill (lives in Boca Raton).  Jeff and I found a Barnes and Noble and bought a few books.  We still like the real thing even though Jeff and Lisa have Kindles and I have a iPad.  Tonight there is a blues band at the Downtowner – in case you did not know I love The Blues, being raised in New Orleans and all.

Sunday, March 24, 2013.  We all went over to Cooley’s Marina (farther up the river) for showers.  They have a nice laundry, internet, showers, etc. and are part of the marina system owned by the city.  The other marina the city owns (in addition to New River Docks, where we are) is the Las Olas Marina at the Las Olas Bridge and the ICW.  We brunched at the Egg and You Diner.  Typical diner food, but with a New York Deli flare (cheese blintzes, potato pancakes, etc.).  Lots of people out for lunch/brunch.  It is Palm Sunday and many people went to church and out to eat.  It is very warm today (92 degrees) and very windy (West @ 20).  We opted to go to the mall and bought Lisa some clothes at Chicos’ and shoes at Nine West.  I will try to get this posting shipped out later today.

 Click here for this week's pictures

Stay tuned.

Thursday, March, 14, 2013.  Boat chores today.  Cleaning, showers, laundry.  Haircut.  Lisa and I walked up to SuperCuts and I got a wash and cut.  Long over due.  Lunch at Subway, and then a stroll to the Fresh Market for desserts for tonight.  Dinner on board and then we began to catch up with season two of Downton Abbey.

Coconut Grove is a village within Miami.  It is very neat area with shops, restaurants and other places to see.  Coconut Walk is like a mini mall within the village.  Several of the streets are lined with restaurants where you can eat inside or outside along the sidewalk and people watch.  If you continue west out of the village, you will come to Little Havana and Coral Gables.  Some of these areas have gotten run down and you will see whole city blocks for sale for redevelopment.  Miami has “circulator busses” which do a circuit around a specific area, usually connecting to other bus lines or to the light rail commuter system.  The circulator bus for Coconut Grove is #249.

If you have ever seen the TV show “Burn Notice”, it is filmed at Dinner Key in the Miami Convention Center here (not the only convention center in Miami).  They have turned the convention center into a studio and most of the filming is done here (as well as other locations in Miami).  We did not get to see any of the stars of the show, but the production folks were gearing up to film another season this week.  Lots of props.

Friday, March 15, 2013.  The Ides of March.  We used the pump out on the dock to empty holding tanks and then flush them out.  Filled the water tanks.  Filled the fuel tanks from the jerry cans and then took the cans by dingy over to Scotty’s (Grove Key Marina) to be refilled.  Chores done, we met Darrell and Ruth and walked up to Crook and Crook (the real name of a marine supply store – their motto “We don’t try to live up to our name”).  Lunch at “Lokal” (Best Burgers in Town” award), but ours weren’t.  Darrel and Ruth had eaten there earlier in the week and it was “terrific”.  Our fries were cold and burgers burnt.  Not sure it will make the list for the next visit.  Readied everything for tomorrow’s departure to Sunset Island, Miami Beach.  Darrel and Ruth have friends coming for the week-end and will probably head for Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday.

Saturday, March 16, 2013.  Sunny, winds SE @ 2.  Left Dinner Key Marina at 11am.  As we pass downtown Miami waterfront, there is a huge pavilion that has been erected for “Ultra Music Festival” aka “Spring Break 2013”.  I am sure the folks at Dinner Key could hear it! (5 miles away)!  Tickets are still available for only $210!  The railroad bridge was up so we did not have to wait an hour like the last time we came this way.  Anchor down at Sunset Islands at 1pm.  Sunny, wind Se @ 8.  10 NM today.  Sunset Lake anchorage, Miami Beach.  25° 48.48’ North, 080° 08.49’ West.  Mile Marker 1088.

 Jeff had called his friend Andrew, who goes to school in Miami and they are headed into the fray to check out Spring Break!

Sunday, March 17, 2013.  St. Patrick’s Day.  We did not realize we were missing this party also!  Bummer!  We took a dingy trip up the canal at the end of Sunset Lake (aka Biscayne Waterway) over to Indian Creek (not a creek, more of a Bay) which runs behind all the big hotels and condos on the beach.  Nice ride.  The bay becomes a canal again at 41^st Street and that canal leads back to the bay by the Venetian Islands and the dock where we normally tie up the dingy when we go ashore.  About a 5 mile dingy trip. 

Lisa made pork chops on board and more Downton Abbey.

Monday, March 18, 2013.  Today we visited the Holocaust memorial here.  Very moving.  Saw some familiar names, but no way to know if these names are related to the folks we know with the same names.  It amazes me still that the world let the Nazis get away with this, and even more amazing, that now there are governments who say this never happened and it was all a fabrication.  There is a Holocaust memorial in Boston and Houston that I have visited, but not like this one.  If you ever in Miami Beach, make sure you visit.  www.holocaustmmb.org

Bummer.  When tying to the dingy dock, it is standard practice here to put out a stern anchor so the dingy does not get caught under the dock when the tide comes in.  When we tried to retrieve the anchor it had fouled on something and no matter what we tried, we could not free it.  We were told there is a lot of “junk” on the bottom and advised not to dive on the anchor to retrieve it here, so we will add that to the gifts to Poseidon.

One of the mansion owners along the canal at Sunset Islands does not want “gypsy boats” anchored in front of his house – ruins his view.  So, he started out blaring LOUD music at all hours of the night and shining spotlights on the boats when they anchored there.  Finally, his neighbors got upset enough to call the cops.  Now he has anchored about 25 laser sailboats in front of his (and his neighbors’) mansion(s) so no other boat can spoil his view.  I guess it keeps out the vagrants, but I’m not sure looking at a bunch of lasers is a great view!

Swimming off the stern and then showers on the stern.  Dinner on board this evening – George and Susan Barlow’s Chicken and Pear Curry.  I hope George and Susan do not mind that I share their recipe.  Umm, umm, good.

George and Susan Barlow’s Chicken and Pear Curry

 Ingredients

2 ½ lbs Chicken parts washed and patted dry (we use boneless, skinless thighs, fake       chicken strips for Jeff (vegetarian)) – cut into 1 inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ Cup chopped onion

2 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon crushed garlic (fresh or from a jar)

2 Asian pears, or golden delicious apples (peeled cored, cut into six pieces) – you can also use any ripe pear or even canned pears

8 Ounces shitake mushrooms

1 Zucchini pealed, cut into bit size pieces

2 Tablespoon curry powder

2 Tablespoons unbleached flour (or corn starch)

1 Cup chicken stock

1 Tablespoon mango chutney (more if you like)

¼ Cup heavy cream or sour cream

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Serve with:

1 Cup mango chutney

1 Cup shelled peanuts, ground up

1 Cup dried currants or 1 cup shredded coconut

Rice – sticky, white, wild, brown, pilaf – have also used rice noodles and pasta

Preparation:

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet and brown chicken on all sides.  Remove from pan, drain.
2. Add crushed garlic to oil and brown
3. Add onion, zucchini and mushroom to oil and sauté over medium heat until onions are clear (about 10 minutes).
4. Add pears to the pan and mix in.  Cook another 5 minutes.
5. Add ½ of the chicken stock and deglaze the pan with the veggies still in the pan. 
6. Add curry powder and flour and whisk until smooth.  Add more stock as needed.  Cook 3 minutes.
7. Add remainder of chicken stock, chutney and cream and cook 2 minutes stirring constantly until smooth.
8. Return chicken to the pan and heat through – about 3 minutes.
9. Serve over rice and garnish as above.

Enjoy!

Just a note on the above recipe.  We had some fresh pineapple on board, so I added that to the recipe.  The pineapple absorbed most of the mango chutney, so when you ate a piece, it was very spicy.  Be fore-warned!

Pictures from this week

Monday, March 4, 2012. 

Well, as might be expected, the winds do not die down for us to head north to Miami.  So, we are here another day.  Today is our son James birthday, so we call and wake him up and Lisa, Jeff and I sing Happy Birthday” to him.  Later in the day, he called to say several people had stopped by and some brought birthday cakes. For dinner, Lisa, Susan (Autumn Borne), Ruth (Nite Cap II), and others organize a cook out at the tiki-hut.  Everyone brought something to put on the grill, as well as a side dish and drinks.  It was very nice.  The wind from the north made it uncomfortable shortly after dark, so the get together did not last long.

Notes on Marathon (aka Boot Key Harbor, aka Vaca Key).  Marathon has several marinas as well as a huge, well protected mooring field (260 moorings) and anchored boats as well.  This population has a “cruisers net” on VHF channel 68 every morning where new arrivals are greeted, departing boats are wished bon voyage, announcements are made the upcoming activities and events, items are announced for sale, and anyone needing help is able to ask for it.  There is even a morning trivia.  On Wednesday evenings, there is a “meet and greet” at the tiki-hut for new arrivals.  The City Marina has showers and laundry facilities, 2 large dingy docks, wifi, library, TVs, a large work room for projects, and another used for crafts or other activities.  Many people have called Marathon “camp for adults”.  There is always something going on (crafts, classes, games (Mexican train, cards, board games).  There are many restaurants nearby, the Turtle Hospital, a Dolphin Research Center, grocery stores, drug stores, a K-Mart, West Marine, Home Depot, etc. All in all a nice place to visit. 

Tuesday, March 5, we leave the mooring at 8AM.  Darrel and Ruth Richards leave with us, but shortly thereafter develop an issue with their charging system.  It seem to correct itself and we both proceed north to Rodriguez Key.  The wind has been SE all day and built to 15+ knots, but dies down at night.  We are anchored in the lee of the small key at 6pm and the night is peaceful. 25° 03.52' N  080° 26.90' W.  Mile Marker 1145.

Wednesday, March 6, we head north at 7AM towards Angel Fish Creek , where we will cross over into Biscayne Bay.  The creek is shallow and we want to traverse it on a rising tide (which begins at 9:37am.  It is 10:30 when we get to the entrance of the creek and we have no issues going through (although the depth sounders on both boats found some spots that sounded the alarm).  Once inside Biscayne Bay, we had a nice run north under sail.  Biscayne Bay is also shallow, so we had to make sure we stayed in the channels as marked.

As we approach Dinner Key in Miami, there are many sail boat races going on.  It seems the Bacardi Cup Regatta is this week.  It is neat to see some of these (relatively) small boats getting up on plane in these 20 knot winds!

We tie up at Grove Harbor Marina in Dinner Key, Mile Marker 1094. 25° 43.81' N  080° 13.96' W. Lots of expensive boats here, but not many transients (like us).  Very nice dock facilities, but there are no showers, laundry, or other items folks traveling by boat normally expect.  The electricity for our dock does not work.  Apparently, it is “out of phase” and our boat does not like it one bit.  After finally figuring out that it is the marina, not the boat, we manage to hook up to another electric post across the dock.  We have dinner at Scotty’s on the waterfront.  Burgers and Beer.  Good.

Nite Cap wound up being tied up too close to the main dock and their anchor platform got caught under the dock (cement) when the tide came in.  The platform now has a pretty good bend in it.  The dock hand who helped tie them up should have known what would happen, but, then, the captain is always ultimately responsible for his own lines (and gets to pay for the damage).  The staff at the marina was mostly not helpful with our issues and the office staff and the dock master were pretty surly.  Pretty sure we won’t go back there. 

After two days, on Friday, March 8, 2013, we move over to the Dinner Key Mooring Field.  In addition to laundry and showers, they also have a launch service, so you do not have to use your dingy all the time.  Lisa makes a nice dinner on on board and Darrell and Ruth come.  Ruth brings key lime pie ice cream.  Very interesting flavor.  It is all gone at the end of the night.

Saturday, March 9, 2013, is spent doing boat chores and projects.  Lisa and Ruth go shopping.  We met Darrell and Ruth for dinner ashore.  Jeff picked the restaurant – Bambay Dar Bar in Coconut Grove.  Very highly rated in Yelp.  There was a 20 minute wait for a table, the place is not very big.  The food was terrific.  If you arte ever in Coconut Grove, try it!

Sunday, March 10, we spend preparing to depart for Fort Lauderdale.  The window to cross to the Abacos is Tuesday, but it is not looking like a very long window.  There is a storm way up north that is throwing large seas all the way down here.  We talked to a couple today who crossed over from Bimini to Miami and they had 10+ foot seas all the way – absolutely no fun.

We had dinner aboard Nite Cap.  They have pretty much decided to forego the crossing to the Abacos for this season.  Maybe next year.  The window for the coming week has pretty much disappeared.  Jeff has a flight home on March 26^th, so we are now worried that we will not be able to get to Marsh Harbor in the Abacos in time for his flight.  We check options and find an inexpensive flight out of Fort Lauderdale on the same date.  Doesn’t look like we will make it across either.  If we have to wait another week for weather, then that would be our last option to get over before Jeff has to fly home.

Monday, March 11, 2013.  Talked to Renee and Dave on Lunar Sea.  They are friends of Dean and Sue (Autumn Borne) and are here also waiting on weather to cross to the Bahamas.  They are seriously considering strating the trip north as they are running out of time for this season and the weather continues to be unco-operative.

We have dinner aboard and are at the Coconut Grove Bookstore doing internet stuff.  Click this link for newest pictures.  http://imgur.com/a/gE85Z

Tuesday, March 12, 2013.  Today is boat chores (cleaning the bilges that are starting to stink) and checking sink drains.  Showers ashore and maybe some ice cream later.  Tomorrow, Wednesday, we plan to head over to Crandon Park Marina for fuel and water fill-ups and then on to South Beach until the week-end and the winds calm down.  At that point we will begin to make our way up to Fort Lauderdale.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013.  Enough already with the north winds and lumpy mooring area.  We headed in to Dinner Key Marina for at least a couple of nights.  A/C power on the dock to charge batteries, run refrigeration and air conditioning.  Fresh water to wash down the boat and we can walk to town without getting soaked in the dingy!  Dinner tonight with Darrell and Ruth at Atchana's East West Kitchen (in the Hotel Mutiny) - on the patio - lovely - Thai food - very good!  Gelato in the village (Coconut Grove) for dessert - mmmmmmm.

Stay tuned.

March 3, 2012

Wednesday, February 27, 2013, we had dinner with Darrell and Ruth (Nite Cap II) at Annette’s.  Very nice, close to the marine, and the food was great!  They are considering going to the Abacos, so we are now planning to travel with them to Miami and then over to  West End (presuming we ever get a decent weather window).  The weather guru’s say that this next cold front should be the last major one of the season.  Who believes weather gurus?

 Thursday, we had dinner at Hurricanes. It was wing nite and I believe everyone in Marathon was there. We dine with Dean and Sue (Autumn Borne) and then go for ice cream.  Dean ordered his annual banana split and Benny had to help him eat it.  MMMM!

Friday, March 1, 2013, we received mail from home, parts for the boat and found a guy to make us a new bridle for the anchor.  The bridle takes the load off the bow and distributes it to the bow cleats so all the pressure is not on the anchor roller. 

Our good friends, George and Susan Barlow have been chauffeuring us around.  They are here for the winter in their motor home.  Now they have lent us their vehicle.  Nice to have good, helpful friends!  You may remember that George and Susan were crew for a week while we finished the Erie Canal.  They met Dean and Sue in Catskill, NY.  So it is nice for them to renew that friendship. 

On Saturday, we spent most of the day with George and Susan.  First a trip to the farmers/flea market on Big Pine Key, then off to the No Name Pub for lunch (world famous pizza).  The place has been there since 1936 and the interior is decorated with one dollar bills.  You are supposed to decorate the bill (perhaps putting your name and the date on it) and then staple it to the wall, ceiling, or wherever you can find a spot).  Pizza was great!  Along the way, we saw a couple of the “Key Deer” that inhabit the island.  They are protected and roam freely.  You are not supposed to feed them, but they come right up to the car, so obviously, someone is feeding them.  Because they roam freely, it is tough to have a garden on Big Pine unless you fence your yard.  We also stopped at the Blue Hole and saw fresh water alligators.  Fresh water is lighter than salt water, so it will “float” on top.  They keys a saturated with salt water, but this hole was originally a “borrow pit” for building roads and now is full of fresh water.

Sunday, March 3, 2013.  We spent today provisioning and running errands while we had the use of George and Susan’s vehicle.  We are going to try to depart for Miami tomorrow if the wind dies down and it warms up.

Unfortunately, it does not warm up, and the wind has abated some, but not much.  Our plan is to leave early tomorrow and try to get to Miami by Wednesday evening.  Then we will wait (hopefully not too long) for a wind to cross to the Bahamas.  If it turns out to be a long wait, we may head farther north to Fort Lauderdale and then across.

Latest pictures click here http://imgur.com/a/Swez0

Stay tuned!

February 28, 2013

Wednesday, 2/27/2013.  Today we  visited the Sea Turtle Hospital (where they rehabilitate injured and rescues sea turtles). It is quite an interesting place.  The turtles in will eat anything that resembles food, and wind up ingesting all kinds of material (mostly plastic), which can cause “turtle gas” that they cannot pass because of the plastic, which makes them buoyant, so they get hit by boats.  They also get infections, and other injuries, as well as tumors caused by insecticide (and other chemical) run-off.  The hospital treats all of these and then releases the turtles back into the wild.  Those that cannot be released are kept at the facility, or other aquarium facilities or zoos. 

 These folks do a great job and the facility is first rate.  If you are in the Marathon area, it is definitely worth the visit.  It is right on Route 1 almost across the street from West Marine. www.turtlehospital.org

 One picture shows a Loggerhead who had been hit by a boat.  Her shell has been repaired, and you can see the deep scars on her shell and head, as well as the metal straps used to put her shell back together.  Another picture shows a Loggerhead with a floatation belt to keep it level.  This one has a collapsed lung and can’t maintain a “even keel”,  Both of these animals are expected to recover and be released back into the sea. Another picture shows one of the staff cleaning the shell on a small Loggerhead.  Enjoy the pictures!  Click here to see all the latest pictures! http://imgur.com/a/S4tc1

 

Stay tuned for more!  We hope to head north toward Miami on Monday then over to the Abacos (Northern Bahamas).

February 26, 2013

We spend Sunday, 2/17, anchored at Rodriguez Key.  The wind is howling out of the north.  We are not getting much in the way of waves, but the wind is buffeting the boat. 

Monday, 2/18/2012, the wind has died down to 10-12 knots, now in the northeast.  We leave the anchorage at 7:30am, headed south to Marathon.  The wind dies off almost completely at noon and we are motor-sailing.  By about 2 pm, we are off Marathon, the wind goes into the east and build to 25 knots.  We finally manage to get all the canvas down and are in Marathon on a mooring by 3pm.  Today is President’s Day, so the Marina Office is closed, but we will check in tomorrow.

46.1 NM today.
Marathon (Boot Key Harbor) 24° 52.53’ North, 081° 05.20’ West Mile Marker 1195.

Lisa and Jeff have signed up at Tilden’s Dive Center to get their NAUI Certification.  They spent the next five days in class, pool and open water diving.  Exhausted at night.  They got to dive on Sombrero Reef, Ivory Wreck, Horseshoe reef and Barbers Point.  They had a great time and both got their certifications.

I spent a great deal of the time with George and Susan Barlow tracking down the details of our electrical system.  We have been experiencing some strange voltage output from our inverter.  We (I think) have figured out that it is dirty contacts (from lack of use).  As a side note, we now have a complete wiring diagram of our boat.  George had helped me do one of these for our last boat.

Thursday, I am doing laundry, and as I leave the laundry room to go to the Marina Office, I hear someone shouting my name.  It is Darrel and Ruth from Nite Cap! We have not seen them since before Charleston. 

We have had dinner at Hurricane’s (Taco night and two other times), Keys Fishery (sort of like Woodman’s in Essex, MA), Annies Steak and Lobster (very good, great desserts – try the carrot cake cheescake!).  We also ate at a very good Thai restaurant across from the marina.

Today is Tuesday and we are waiting on spare parts to arrive.  We have paid for another week here and will spend some time sight seeing and again provisioning for the Bahamas.  There is a bus to Key West, so we may do that for a day – we really like Key West.

This morning the pump out boat came by and as I was helping the pump out operator empty the rear holding tank, the hose cam loose and “stuff” went everywhere (including dousing me! Ukh!  Into the water to wash off and then a shower ashore after cleaning off the stern of our boat.  Holding tanks are great for the environment, but there has to be a better way to dispose of waste!

Wednesday, 2/27/13.  Lisa is now a qualified dumpster diver!  We rteceived replacement spare parts yesterday (remember all the water pump issues?).  We inadvertently threw out some of the parts with the packing, so Lisa dove into the dumpster to retrieve them!  It was the recycle dumpster, so it was ”clean”, but she showered afterward anyway.  Fun never ends!

Our plans as of now, are to leave here early next week and head back north to Rodriquez Key, Angel Fish Cut and then over to Bimini.  From there north to West End and the Abacos.

Stay Tuned!

We spent Wednesday at Miami Beach and then on Thursday 2/7/12 moved south to Crandon Park for Fuel and then on to No Name Harbor in Biscayne Channel to wait for the sun to peek out for the crossing to Bimini.  No sooner had we gotten the anchor down and turned on the generator (to charge the batteries, etc.) – the generator began to overheat.  We go the soundproof cover off the unit and found that the pulley on the raw water pump (the one that pumps sea water through the heat exchanger) had come apart! 

Crandon Park Marina 25° 43.40’ North, 080° 09.29’ West.

No Name Harbor 25° 40.60’ North, 080° 09.75’ West

Dinner Key Mooring 25° 43.26’ North, 080° 43.26’ West

 Benny made Chicken Lillian (see recipe) for dinner with Dean and Sue and a nice evening was had by all.  However, instead of heading to the Bahamas the next morning, we got on the phone to find a part in Miami and we headed to Dinner Key (Coconut Grove) to pick up a mooring.  It is boat show week end and there are no slips available anywhere!  The folks at Astral International ordered a new pump for us, which will be here on Monday.  Kohler no longer makes that pump pulley, they have upgraded the unit with a new pump and pulley which is not supposed to come apart. 

 Dean and Susan (Autumn Borne) were leaving with us, but decided to stay also.  Nice to have the support!  We all had dinner at Scotty’s, but the wind whistling through the tent was a little chilly.

 We spent the week-end enjoying Coconut Grove.  Late on Monday (2/11), the pump was delivered to the marina.   Lisa made chicken alfredo for dinner and Dean and Susan came over.

The pump got installed on Tuesday (2/12).  It looks like the next weather window to go across to the Bahamas will be Wednesday.  The new pump also has a new mounting bracket, so the installation took longer than expected (doesn’t everything on a boat?). We had lunch at Johnny Rocket’s and went to Yogurtini (a yogurt bar in Coconut Walk).  Great selection of frozen yogurt!

Wednesday afternoon (2/13), we are ready to leave to head for No Name Harbor again.  When we start the main diesel, there is no water coming out of the exhaust.  After checking the sea strainer to make sure it wasn’t clogged with sea grass, we find that the engine water pump is not pumping water!  Dean and Susan have already left and we are stuck here!  After finally getting the main engine water pump apart, we find that the impeller (looks like a rubber paddlewheel) in the pump is completely destroyed!  Luckily, we have another in our spares kit, but by the time we get it changed, it is late. 

Dean and Susan come back to the mooring field the next morning and we spent the day doing Valentines Day (2/14/12) stuff on land.  We have missed another weather window, so our plans get modified.  We will head south to Marathon, where Jeff and Lisa will work on the dive certification, and then we will see what happens.  We will either head across to the Bahamas or continue south to Key West.  We have a late lunch at Scotty’s and again prepare to depart.

Friday (2/15/12), we depart Dinner Key at 9:30am and head back across Biscayne Bay to Crandon Park for fuel and water.  We had a pump out at Dinner Key, so we should be all set to head south.  We depart Crandon Park and 11am and catch up with Autumn Borne as they head south down Biscayne Bay. As if we have not had enough issues, when we start to unfurl the main, it jams inside the mast.  Won't come out, won't go in.  Then as we get ready to set the anchor at Pumpkin Key, the thing decides to unfurl itself!  We had to drop the sail on the deck to get the anchor down. We spend the night anchored at Pumpkin Key (Key Largo).  Susan made spaghetti for dinner and brought it over to our boat. Dean came over early and he and Jeff and I managed to get the main sail back onto the furling in the mast and correctly set all the furling lines.  Then we discover the generator is no longer pumping water!  I spend the evening taking the pump apart and replacing the impeller.  That’s three water pump fixes in three days! 

It rained a lot over night and is still cloudy as we depart for Angel Fish Creek to go out of Biscayne Bay into the Atlantic and into what is known as Hawk Channel, which runs between the land (the Keys) and the reefs.  Pumpkin Key 25° 19.41’ North, 080° 17.75’ West.  21.7 NM today.

We arrive at Rodriguez key as the wind starts to build behind the front that brought all the rain.  Overnight, the wind hits 35 knots and it is bouncy in the anchorage.  Our anchor holds, but Dean’s gives up at dawn and he has to move in closer to shore and reset.  We will sit out the high winds here today and depart tomorrow morning for Marathon. Rodriguez Key 25°03.92’ North, 080° 27.06’ West.  24.3NM today

Link to recent pictures http://imgur.com/a/NVyKD

Chicken Lillian

2 medium onions

3 ribs of celery
2 bell peppers
2 cloves fresh garlic ½ lb fresh mushrooms (optional)
olive oil
1 stick butter
6-8 pieces of chicken (6-8 thighs or drum sticks or 4 breasts halved)
1 ½ cups sauterne wine (or a nice chardonnay)
chicken stock
rice

 

I use an 8 quart pot.

 Finely chop onions, celery (including tops), peppers, garlic and mushrooms.

 Melt one stick of butter (and add at bit of olive oil).  Salt and pepper chicken pieces (usually leaving the skin on).  When the butter is melted brown the chicken until crusty (usually 2-3 pieces at a time). Remove chicken and place on paper towels.

 Pit all the veggies in a pot and sauté for saute’ for 7-8 minutes. Add wine.  When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to simmer.  Put in chicken.  Cook over low heat 45 to 60 minutes.  If more liquid is needed during cooking, add chicken stock to cover.

 Serve over rice.  Steamed broccoli or fresh green beans make a great side dish.

 

Chicken Lillian is named after Lillian Handley, one of our favorite people and Janet Handley’s mom.  Janet gave me the recipe years ago and we have prepared it many times - and we have had this dish prepared by Lillian and Janet as well.   Enjoy!