Home is where the boat is

Today was moving day from the canal on the Atlantic side to Banana Bay Resort on the Gulf of Mexico side.  This requires a jaunt through the canals, through Boot Key Harbor, pass Burdine's, under the Seven Mile Bridge, dodging lobster and stone crab pots ('bobbly bobbers' as Aunt Cora calls them :) all along the way.  Basically, with a stop at Burdine's for lunch (one cannot pass by without stopping!) it's a half day trip.  Cast off time was 11:00am, and we had several other items to stow away to prep the boat for passage.  If the sails are up, nearly anything can become a projectile if it's not properly stowed away.

First order of business, moving a Willis aboard :)

True to Willis form he had a twitchy tail the minute he was
sprung from his cat carrier- time to go explorin'

His nose was in overdrive, too :)

He had to explore every nook and cranny...

and he rediscovered the ladder for a look about outside...

And then he settled in for a Willis flop.  All
was well in the world of Willis until...

Cap'n fired up Bessie, then he started panting :(

By the time we casted off, he assumed his usual traveling
position, hiding behind the pillow on the starboard settee.

Leaving Dave and Diane's- we're off!

We asked the seniors to join us on our jaunt, and Mamaw
assumed her usual position, too- up on the bow :)

Making our way through the canals, past all the mangroves.

Through Boot Key Harbor to Burdine's- world famous for their
burgers and basket of fires with 'fry dust', mmmm.  We saw boats
in Boot Key from all over the world- Sydney, Ontario, England, etc.
Boot Key Harbor is a famous place for world wide cruisers to
spend the winter months.  Check it out on Google.

Me and my honey while we wait on our burger, goodness
are we lilly white...we need to start working on our tan!

Well, this was the deep fried key lime pie, before we all
tore in to it! Suffice it to say it was delicious :)

The seniors hopped on the elevator back
down to ground level, then we all
hopped back on the boat.

Aunt Cora was helping me keep and eye out for the
'bobbly bobbers' (the lobster pot buoys :)

I was just happy to be back at the helm :)

Willis was happy to sleep through the seasickness,
the poor puss hasn't got his sea legs yet :/

Passing under the Seven Mile Bridge

We no sooner got tied down at Banana Bay and hooked up the
shore power and cable, and look who came to greet us, a bull
 manatee!  The pic is not too clear, it was from Donnie's phone.

I say that in the log cabin back home I have a
"one butt kitchen"- room for my butt only.  Well,
on Marquesa, it's about a half-butt galley! And,
just like at home, Willis is underfoot while I'm
trying to work in the galley. Dern cat.

Only those a little OCPD like myself can appreciate the
organization and expert packing in my wee little
refrigerator/freezer- all $146.00 worth :)

 So friends and family continue to ask us why we want to go live on a boat for 4-5 months.  I know there are those that disagree with our decision.  Truth is, our kids are essentially grown; 32, 28, 27, 21, & 20.  While the youngest two are in college, they all have a nice place to stay, where ever we happen to be docked or anchored out.  In fact, our son is on his way down now, to bring in the New Year in Key West with us.  So the question is Why?  I've pondered that alot over the years in planning for the day when we could "one day..." (live on a sailboat).  First of all, with the technological world we live in, we are still just an email, text, FB message away.  I am in as much communication with friends and family when we are gone- some people even more so :)  In that respect, I don't feel as if we are truly leaving, nor do I feel as if I am missing out.  The truth of the matter is if there were truly an emergency, and if I were needed back home (like Mom's heart surgery last year) I'll be on the next plane out of here, no doubt.  So again, Why?  The answer is really simple.  Life on a boat is simple.  I have everything I could ever want or need in the cabin of Marquesa.  Our lives have become cluttered, our homes have become cluttered, we place far too much emphasis on 'stuff'.  I just need a few essentials in my galley to prepare just as good of meals, if not better, with about 1/10 of the dishes, pots, pans and utensials.  It's ridiculous, really, how we buy in to the commercialism these days.  I am just as guilty as the next person when I am on land.  I just orchestrated another over the top Christmas, when I had said that I wanted to cut back.  However, on Marquesa, I am forced to make do with less.  And the truth is, I am happier for it and I am less stressed because of it.  That is why Donnie and I both work so hard, so we can have the privilege of R & R on Marquesa, doing what we love to do; be it soaking up the sun, going fishing, diving, paddleboarding, pedal, pedal, pedaling on our clown bikes, hanging by the pool, or out on the pointe with a cold drink and new friends...home is where the heart is...and for the winter months, home is where the boat is :)

Honestly, you simply can't beat the view :)

 

getting closer

Tomorrow is moving day for sure...as today we made a big dent in moving aboard and getting all the systems up and running.

The boys started the morning by unloading the car top
carrier to get to the 6hp outboard he bought for the dink.

Got her mounted and fired up on the second pull :)

What's a boy to do, but take a hot lap through the canals.

Next up, the mascerator needed tended to.
Donnie used the car battery to check the motor,
and it was simply frozen up from a lack of use.
Nothing a little grinding and lube job couldn't fix.
The shitter works, and it's not full :)

After that, Bryan and Paps offered a hand to get Windy, our
wind generator up and running. She's bolted and wired, so its
a go- we need to replace a chipped blade, but other than that it
will come in handy when we are cruising the Bahamas.

I have no fun pictures to show as I spent the day oiling the remainder of the teaks, washed every dish, bowl, cup, knife, fork and spoon, squirreled away three boxes of food we brought down, put all of our clothes away, and basically got our home in liveable condition.  All I have left to do is sweep the floor, but I will do that tomorrow after we get to Banana Bay.  Donnie called Larry the Dockmaster, and we're a go to come in tomorrow- slip 34, same as last year, on the wall overlooking the Gulf of Mexico- perfect!  Tonight, it was time to catch up with old friends and make some new ones, at the Hurricane.  It's Taco Tuesday and Wednesdays are 25 cent Hot Wings :)

Good to see Dan and Biddie again, our neighbors to the north
that we share the wall with at Banana Bay. The rest of the
year they are our neighbors to the south as they are from KY.

Dan and Biddie brough along some boat guests that are
staying with them from Pensacola over the New Year's.
L to R is Stacey, Bobby, and Kandy.

Tomorrow the plan is to finish stowing the scuba gear, extra lines, and take care of some loose ends.  We hope to cast off by 11:00am, cruise through the canals, and dump out at Book Key Harbor for a celebratory lunch at Burdine's.  From there, we'll sail under the Seven Mile Bridge to the Gulf side, and make a hard starboard to Banana Bay.  We'll have much to do on that end to get settled as well- fill the water tanks, hook up shore power and cable TV, put the bikes together, have a cold drink, sit in the hot tub, etc., etc., etc.  Donnie has to leave at about 5:00pm to go get Michael and Erica from the Miami airport.  I plan to stay behind to pedal, pedal, pedal to the grocery, make up the guest beds, do some more cleaning, and so on.  Then I plan to do some SERIOUS sunbathing by the pool and/or beach for the next three months. For now, it's time to go move Willis to his boat home.  For those of you who were wondering about our furried beast, he will promptly be put on house arrest for the first week or so.  I'm afraid if I turn him loose to go find the KitKat GoGo Lounge, he will over imbibe and not find his way back to the boat.  Better to be safe than sorry with a Willis on board. G'nite all!

The sound of money

After yesterday evening's rainshower, it was cool this morning and the wind was still cranking.  We had lots of projects to tackle on today's to do list.  I headed 'to the basement' (as Donnie's Aunt Cora calls it) armed with more bleach water, teak oil, windex, a scraper, and a lifetime supply of rags, compliments from Donnie's sister, Diane, and Fisherman's Hospital. I decided to tackle my least favorite job first, Helga (the head). While I was folded up in the head, scrubbing and polishing away, I could hear Donnie and Paps up top working to get the headsail into the roller furling.  I kept peeking out the porthole, looking at Paps feet.  Mind you, the wind was really cranking, as Donnie was guiding the sail into the roller furling while Paps was cranking the sail up.

The picture does not do justice to how hard the wind
was blowing the sail, and Paps, around the deck.  I
thought for sure any minute I'd hear a big splash with
Paps going into the canal!

The boys finally figured out that it made much more sense to have Cap'n wrestle the sail and work the winch and leave Paps up in the bow pulpit to simply guide the sail on. By the time the boys had finished the bimini and headsail, and I had the head sparkley clean and smelling fresh, it was time for lunch.  No lunch in the Keys is complete without a siesta afterwards :)

After lunch, the wind had died down, so it was decided to hank
on the brand new mainsail next.  Bryan came over to lend a hand.
The mainsail was beautifully folded, and nice and crisp.
As the boys took her up the mast, Cap'n remarked that the
new crisp sail sounded like about two grand to him.

Meanwhile, I worked my way around the main salon, oiling
all the teak in sight.  No need to use stain or varnish on a boat.
Teak oil restores the rich color and makes a beautiful warm
shine.  You can see the 'before and after look' above.  I love
when the teak has all been freshly oiled, it reminds me of
the warm glow of living in our log cabin back home.

Say hello to Bessie!  Donnie checked the oil,
cleaned the raw water strainer, and put vegetable
oil in it to lubricate the impeller on the raw water
pump.  Didn't have to bleed the fuel lines or
beat her with a wrench! After 30 seconds on the
glow plug, she fired right up like a champ.

Thumbs up for Bessie!

While I made my way cleaning into the stateroom, Donnie
and Paps got the dinghy put together and blown up.
The plan is to get the motor on tomorrow.

After a delicious spaghetti dinner and homemade butterscotch pie, thanks to Mamaw and Aunt Cora, I was done in and ready for a shower.  Donnie decided to tear into Helga (the head), as a simple press of the flush button made not a sound...kind of wish I hadn't cleaned it afterall.  It couldn't be a simple wiring fix on the electric flush. Oh no, it seems the mascerator (poop grinder) is shot. Looks like I'll be cleaning it all over again after the shitter's fixed :/ 

So the plan for tomorrow is to continue working on the head, get the dinghy motor mounted and fired up, clean and oil around the galley and chart table, sweep and mop the floors, and then I'll be ready to unpack the Jeep, and stowing it all away- whew.  Oh yeah, we mustn't forget Willis, either.  He is staying on Diane and Dave's back porch until we're ready to move aboard.  He's not a happy puss...he and the two dogs growl at each other through the slider screen door.  I believe Willis has a louder growl- he should, he's the size of Sugar and Oreo put together.

We hope to be moved in and ready to cast off mid morning on Friday.  The plan is to take Marquesa to Burdine's for lunch, and then sail her around to Banana Bay Resort & Marina, her winter home, afterwards. Yay!  Then our semi-retirement can offically begin!

We made it to Marathon!

What should have been a six hour trip today, turned into seven, for another traffic jam.  This one was when we finally got to Highway 1 to take us through the Keys.  It was bumper to bumper and stop n' go from Key Largo to Islamorada.  But we made it to Marathon by 3:15pm.  The good news?  While it was snowing at home...

...it was sunny and nearly 80 in southern Florida! Hooray :)

Perfect for hanging a lilly white leg out the window!

Welcome to the Florida Keys!

It was a beautiful day for playing on the Gulf of Mexico.  Willis
had a twitchy nose and a twitchy tail for all of the salty smells.
The salty air smells wonderful to the Cap'n and First Mate!

We made it, and she looks beautiful :)

Cap'n loves his girl- he was missing her bad...I could almost get
a little jealous, except I missed her, too.

Paps and Donnie set about putting on the bimini and dodger,
while I went to work with the bleach water down below.  I got
her all washed down, top to bottom. Tomorrow I'll oil the teak
and can begin moving all of our stuff in for the next four months :)

  Believe it or not, a storm blew up and the skies dumped a hard rain shower.  Mother Nature took care of washing the topsides for me, so I can oil the teak up top tomorrow, too.  It was hard dark soon after 6:00pm, and Aunt Cora had a delicious home cooked meal all ready for us.  We celebrated Christmas after dinner, and had some good laughs over the Tshirts Donnie had made for his Mom and Dad.  Let the fun begin!  For now, it is time to turn in early as it has been some very long days and very short nights since the holidays began.  Hope to make good progress on the boat tomorrow.  Keeping our fingers crossed that Bessie fires right up.  If not, I've already located the wrench in case she needs a little encouragement...G'nite all.

We're back...and we're off!

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Well, we did exactly what we set out to do.  Leave the boat in May, return to our log cabin in Indiana, and work as hard as we could, to make as much money as we could, so we could return to Marquesa by the first of the year.  Christmas, for us, was essentially 'over' by mid afternoon. We had to get  crack-a-lackin' packin'!

Such a pretty Christmas kitty

The tree and decorations were down within hours, and the Jeep
was packed soon thereafter.  This was Willis' idea of being helpful.

Simon, our little buddy, was safely delivered to Grandma's
by bedtime.  They were both happy to see each other; she
spoils him rotten.  Grandma had his 'sleeping spot' all ready
for him up on her bed :)

Bedtime for us didn't come until after 1am, so it was rough going at 5:30am. There were lots of last minute details, and though we didn't make AIS by 6:00am, we left at 6:15am, loaded for bear and bound for Marathon, Florida. New mainsail, - check; new 5hp motor for the dink- check; addt'l scuba tanks- check; hawaiian sling for me- check; flip flops and bathing suits for the next four months- check; box of receipts and invoices for tax time- check; kitty food and litter for the next four months- check; essential food stuff provisions for the next four months-check...you get the idea!  Willis howled and carried on for the first 30 miles or so, and then he settled in...

...travelling the better part of the day in his litterbox :/

...until he was brave enough to come out for a look about.
I believe he prefers to travel at about 7 knots rather than 75mph.

Twice, I-75S was like a parking lot.  It seemed everybody and his
brother, and his mother's uncle, was all heading south for the winter.
We saw motor homes, travel trailers, boats, (even a trimaran!),
and countless cartop carriers. (Speaking of, our cartop carrier is going
on Craigslist the day after tomorrow!) We saw license plates  from
Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Nebraska, Canada,
and even Alaska!  I'd hate to think how long they were stuck in a car.

The good news is we made it to Wildwood, FL, or 967 miles under our tires. We have just 417 left to go tomorrow.  The bad news is that it has been two very long days, and two very short nights for this momma, so I am heading to bed.  Willis finally settled down in our motel room, and is asleep at the foot of the bed.  I am going to join him.  G'nite, all :)