beautiful sail

This morning, with some encouragement from the Gully Rooster, Cap'n went in search or pipe pieces and fittings to rebuild our exhaust system.  It's just one more thing that has now been replaced on Marquesa.  He still needs to give it a tweek, wrap it up, and then he can remount it- hopefully tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Willis and I were reading through the cruising guide to the Abacos, in case we can still squeeze a trip to the Bahamas in before we have to head home.  Willis is a pretty good navigator, when he can keep his eyes open, that is.  He's usually much more interested in the charts, papers, books, and such.  This morning he was just so very, very tired.

How many ways can a Willis catnap on the mainsail winch and sheets?

Let me count the ways....

still counting...

that's five and still counting...

He's a ball of fire this morning, isn't he?!

If I didn't know any better, I would think he was sleeping off a major bender.  But last night, Cap'n and I ran off One-Eyed Jack and Peg Leg here at the Pointe, and grounded the boy to Cap'n's quarters down below.   Dern cat.

Biddi and I had been planning a "Let's be Bad" meal at McDonald's for weeks. It was lovely!  A Big Mac never tasted so good :)  And who knew a McDonald's could have such a nice tropical atmosphere?!

We were invited at 4:30pm by One Gallon Don and his boys to take a sunset cruise.  It was so nice to be guests on someone else's boat for a change :)

Cap'n Thud (aka Kevin) and his First Mate (brother) Justin wanted to take care of the boat and sailing all by themselves- so we all just let them.  Kevin is a Merchant Marine and works on big container ships.  He's sailed all over the world, and this boat will be his future home when he is off ship.  Well, I guess he will still be 'on ship', just his 41' Morgan instead.  They did a perfect job, and work really, really well together :)

Diesel was demonstrating how being on a boat is like hanging your head out of the car window- only different.

John had woven them a 'seat' in the bow pulpit and I just had to try it on for size.

It fit perfectly!  We gotta have him make us one of these for Marquesa!

Look Ma, no hands!  This is the perfect spot for dolphin watching :)  Yeah, the toes are still broke.  I keep reinjuring them so the healing process is not going so very well.  It's hard to heal broken toes on a boat that heels.  Dern cat.

It was a beautiful afternoon/evening for a sail.  We cruised at 7+ knots the whole time.

Their mast is so tall it has two spreaders...and the lazy jacks system works like a charm.  We have GOT to get that set of lazy jacks built for Marquesa.  We have the pulleys and line to do it, it's just a matter of finding the time.  The days just go far too fast when you're living in paradise.

It was a beautiful, cloudless sunset.

The colors reminded me of Easter, and it was only fitting to be basking in the glory of His creation on the eve that Christ arose.  I just took a few moments to Thank Him for all the many blessings in my life.  I am one richly blessed girl.  Simply beautiful.

Coming back into port, Diesel really needs to learn how to relax more when he is on the boat, lol.  That's 110 pounds of golden puppy love right there.

It was well after dark by the time we started dinner.  Dan and Biddi grilled rib eyes steak and baked potatoes on their grill, and we fried a mess of snappers on our grill.  You read that right- we fried on our grill.  I learned this trick a few weeks ago from some Argentinians who where having a picnic at Banana Bay.  They used a charcoal grill, placed a foil turkey pan on top, filled it with cooking oil, and fried their shrimp and fish.  There's no grease splatter in my galley and the cleanup is super easy- throw the whole mess away!  We ate like kings tonight.  Willis was peeking around supervising me as I was in and out and tending to the grill on the stern rail.  Now I know how our bimini has gotten stretched out- dern cat.

We weren't done with dinner until nearly 10pm, but my honey promised to take me up to the Hurricane to hear my favorite band, the Doerfels (aka the Band of Brothers).  They were fantastic, as always.  I wish y'all could see and hear these kids play.  Their talent is unbelievable.  As a former band geek, I just sit and marvel at their ability.  These kids need to be playing to a wider audience...like getting discovered on America's Got Talent or something.  They should be in Nashville already. They are crazy good. 

We didn't stay for the second set, as we have plans to go to the Easter sunrise service at Sombrero Beach.  I can't think of a more beautiful setting to celebrate Easter.  G'nite, 'all!

mystery solved?!

It is POSSIBLE that the mystery of the black soot in the exhaust may be solved...by Cap'n!  He went over this morning to Luis to get the exhaust system that contains the mixing elbow.  It's Good Friday, and like all good Cuban-Catholics, the shop was closed.  So, Donnie helped himself to the back shed where it was, and there was no lock on the door.  Home she went.

Even though we didn't have Steve's camera doo-hickey, once Donnie got the hose off, we could plainly see that it was CLOGGED.

I'm looking down in there and can see the interior pipe (where the water flows), but surrounding it (where the exhaust should flow) is completely clogged with black nastiness.  I chiseled at it with two screwdrivers and an ice pick, and beat on it.  I got out all sorts of black chunks like charcoal briquettes.  Donnie went in search of some muriatic acid.

Five heads are better than one- seriously.  We welcome the suggestions of others :)  A quick soak in the muriatic acid, and it smoked, boiled, and spewed out more black nastiness.  The galvanized pipe all still seems to be solid, so tomorrow Donnie is going to put the hose back on, wrap it all up as it was before, and reinstall it.  THEN, Luis will hopefully come back on Monday, retime it once and for all, and we should be good to go.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

We met at the Hurricane for our last Friday Night Pizza Night.

Rich had Tuna Takati instead- I prefer my fish cooked- no thank you!

Awww....caught Kenny in a sweet moment, giving Frannie sugar :)

I was steppin' and fetchin' it as fast as I could to see the sunset, but I missed it.  The sky behind us was beautiful still.

Say "hi" to Charlie, he works security with his owner, Ray. 

My honey and I took a hot tub tonight...



Afterwards we joined Dan and Biddi on the Beast to watch the ballgames.  Willis came along to visit with Uncle Danny and Aunt Biddi :)  Such as sassafras...

Truth be told, he wasn't visiting by choice.  He's grounded.  He had given me lip earlier today, and I caught him with one Eyed Jack out on the Pointe when we got back from the hot tub tonight, so he's stuck hanging with his Mom and Dad for the rest of the night.  Danny's worried he's going to do the three P's on his pillow (pee, poop and puke)...it would serve him right.  Attica! Attica!! ATTICA!!!  G'nite, y'all!

long, sad goodbyes

 

I was working in the galley this morning, and had that feeling that someone was behind me, staring me down.  Just a Willis.

Cap'n Donnie gave our dinghy to Dave here at Banana Bay.  His dink got ruined by someone who borrowed his.  We're hoping that by passing ours along, some good mojo may finally come our way. We got a lead from our brother-in-law, Dave, about a West Marine hard dinghy that has only been used three times  The owners live on a 52' Irwin (NICE :), and he built his own dinghy, so they now want to sell theirs.  I think Donnie and Kenny are going to go over and look at it tomorrow morning.  Ironically, it is at Harbor Cay, the marina that Five Sheets to the Wind played at last night.

He also talked with Luis again this morning, and they have done nothing on our exhaust system yet.  Great.  And the days of being dead in the water just keep ticking on by.  Donnie reconnected the muffler and muffler hose this afternoon, but we still need to get the mixing elbow back from Luis.  I think Donnie is going to get it from him tomorrow, as Steve here at the marina offered a camera he has that can be run though our mixing elbow, and it will project what is seen onto their computer screen.  Having one of these outfits would be awfully nice for the nuts, bolts, and tools that get dropped down into the bilge, never to be seen again.  And as Linda said, you can also check for cavities!  Shoot, I could use a camera like that just to find stuff in my refrigerator!  As it is now, I have to nearly stand on my head when I get down in the bottom...and whatever it is I need ALWAYS makes it's way down to the bottom.

While Donnie was gone this morning, I cleaned the head, straightened up the salon as best as I could, swept the floors and made my grocery list.  I fully intended to enjoy the afternoon by the pool and I did!  I finally got some sun, met some interesting people, and tried to take a nap through the screaming kids.  This is the last of the spring breakers, and it is a holiday weekend to boot, so the hotel is full.  There will be a mass exodus off the island after this weekend is over.  The month of April is much more quiet around here, and by May, Marathon is back to the just the locals.  I think they rather prefer it that way, right sis? :)

The last get together with everybody was at Tiki da Hut this evening (aka Bryan and Polly's place).  The band had a rehearsal earlier in the evening, which it's always good to hear them play. 

They even got Ken on the beat box!

Polly treated us to Banana's Foster...

...made with Bryan and Polly Foster's bananas!!!

It was delicious!  She made some kind of rum caramel sauce :)

Paps loved it, so much so it crossed his eyes, lol.

hey, hey, momma rock me...

Edie's only been here less than two weeks and she's darker than us all put together!

Donnie got his musical genes from his dad's side of the family.  Mamaw said she was behind the barn door when the musical talent was passed out!

Me with the two sisters I never had, Lucille and Fran :)

We capped off the night with the first of many goodbyes.  Mamaw and Paps leave tomorrow morning. Nancy and Ron's family are leaving early Saturday morning, and Ken and Lucille are also leaving on Saturday.  Edie and Rich leave on Sunday, and then its just down to us and the locals.  Things are going to get mighty quiet around here... G'nite, y'all!

winding down...

The cold front that brought y'all a bunch of snow up north has pushed all the way down into the Florida Keys.  It's been freezin', y'alll!  I mean teeth-chattering, fingers-numb, freezing a** cold.  Truthfully, it was in the mid-60's today, but the wind has blown 25-35mph the last two days straight from the north, and it is bone chillin' cold out on Paradise Pointe.

To add to all of that pleasantness, we are dead in the water once again.  For real?! This has been the season of B.O.A.T.S. and boat repairs.  It's getting beyond ridiculous.  Cap'n now has the entire exhaust system dismantled, and it was delivered to Luis yesterday.  They are thinking there may be an obstruction somewhere which is causing the excessive soot.  At any rate, we aren't going anywhere, of any real distance, until the problem is resolved.  If the exhaust system is not the problem, then it is back to the drawing board as a timing issue.  Ugh.  I'm ready to wave the white flag, or go in search of a magic wand....oh, and some warmer weather, too.

Meanwhile, since the boat is torn all to h**l, once again, (to get to the engine 'room'- ha!)  Willis has taken to laying wherever he can find a spot, comfy or not...

I found him in the pile of mess this morning while I was fixing breakfast.  Before that, he was UNDER the covers in our bed.  I told you it was cold, y'all!

On the sink, really?  I think he was trying to warm himself next to the stove...I had just made Dad's coffee :)

After lunch I found him on the refrigerator...looking for a snack?  Silly Willy.

The season is quickly winding down, so we had a last lunch together at Cabana Breezes.  All 12 of us :)  Mamaw and Paps are heading for home Friday morning, with some stops to visit family along the way.

Ken and Lucille head back to Long Island (I think!)

Edie and Rich leave for Hatteras Island on Sunday.

I'm glad we've got another month yet!

I have a new role here in Marathon- being a groupie to Five Sheets to the Wind!

 

They played a gig for Harbor Cay Club, a nice little marina next to Porky's.

I snuck away briefly to catch the sunset.  No green flash, but beautiful all the same :)

Mamaw and Paps sure love it when they play bluegrass music!  Take note of the coats and blankets- I wasn't kidding when I said it's cold, y'all!

Bryan and Donnie are always so "Happy Together"....it's kind of sickening to watch, really :)  Makes me want to take a bath afterwards.  That, and Bryan's "Naked Song" are always a crowd pleaser. 

You know its been a good night when the crowd all gets up to dance.  Waytogo, Five Sheets!  G'nite, y'all!