Barefoot Man in Great Guana

I think I mentioned that we were going to go to the Barefoot Man concert in Great Guana.  It was a pretty wild time.  He has a great following in the Bahamas and many people turned out to listen and dance.  He put on an afternoon performance and an evening performance.  The afternoon was much better than the evening.  The weather was nice during the afternoon and there were lots more people.

Had some pictures of Pat and Judy Sorenson that I wanted to get on line and also some pictures of the wild surf on the beach at the Abaco Inn on Elbow Cay.

The weather was beautiful today.  Absolutely no wind which happens only once in a great while.

Good Bye to Pat and Judy Sorenson

Pat and Judy Sorenson left Marsh Harbor this morning after visiting a little over a week.  We had a great time and we're sorry to see them leave.  We made it to Hopetown, Elboy Cay and Great Guana Cay while they were hear.  After leaving Hopetown we had a nice sail to Great Guana.  While there we went to Nippers restaurant for their weekly "pig roast".  There were lots of people there which was a surprise because we didn't see very many boats in the marina or at anchor.  The big swell was still running on the Atlantic side of the cay and it was fun watching people try to get pictures of themselves with the surf in the background.  They'd get up on rocks along the shore and then a big wave would come along and cover the rock.  I was sure someone was going to fall in, but everyone managed to stay on the rock even though they were pretty wet when they got off.  After leaving Great Guana, we sailed back to Marsh Harbor so that they were here to get to their airplane for the trip home.

This week-end there's a concert being put on by "barefoot man" and we had hope to attend.  We have reservations for the marina, but the wind is suppose to be 25 to 30 from the north which would be right on our nose.  The week-end itself is suppose to be nice, but I'm afraid we won't find any place to stay, either dockage or anchorage, if we don't get there early.  So, we'll see how everything goes.

Pat and Judy in the Bahamas

Pat and Judy Sorenson made it to Marsh Harbor on March 4th.  We had to stay in the Marina for a couple of nights because of strong winds.  After a couple of nights we finally decided to head on out.  Plans were to head for Great Guana Cay, but those ended quickly when we saw that the wind was  right on our nose.  So, we headed for Hopetown Harbor on Elbow Cay.  We'd heard that the harbor was full because of the cooler and windier weather we'd been having, but we decided to check it out anyway.  We called in and found out there was one mooring still open and we got it.  Spent two nights there and rented a golf cart to do some exploring.  We had a great time exploring new places.  The Atlantic side of the island was spectacular.  There was a very big swell running so the surf was unbelievable.  Made me wish I was still young enough to go surfing.  Saw a few surfers paddling out, but never saw any of them actually get into the breaking waves.  No pictures this time because of the uncertain internet, but we have some new ones, and I'll  try to post some later.

Cooler Weather in Paradise

Still in Marsh Harbor for a few more days.  Pat and Judy Sorenson from Colorado are coming for a visit arriving Monday March 4th.  The weather has been unusually cool and rainy for the last week.  It doesn’t look like Spring is here yet.   It sounds like the forecast is for better weather right after Pat and Judy arrive.  So, we hope to move around a little while they are here.

Marilyn has managed to get into a daily routine of playing dominos with several other ladies.  The guys were even playing for a few days when it was really cool and rainy.  I’m not sure what she’s going to do when we leave.  We will come back to the marina to drop Pat and Judy off when it’s time for them to return home.

We had lots of fun going to the Marsh Harbor "junkanoo" celebration.  This normally happens around Christmas time in conjunction with "boxing day", (see google) but evidently many of the out islands have competitions at various times of the year.  Junkanoo is kind of like a band day parade only different.  They have a kids day where schools compete and then they have one the next day for the adults.  

Right after Pat and Judy leave, we have reservations at the Orchid Bay Marina on Great Guana for 3 nights in conjunction with a concert being put on by “Barefoot Man”.  Everyone we’ve talked to says it’s great fun.  After that we’re kind of going to go wherever the wind takes us.  The southern part of the Abacos have some good spots for snorkeling and anchoring if the wind direction cooperates.  Little Harbor is the southern most anchorage on the Sea of Abaco with good protection so we hope to make it there for a short visit.  

As hard as I try to be better about blogging, the internet systems seem to have ideas of their own and then I have trouble.  I’ll try to report on some of these spots as we get there.

Chilling in Marsh Harbor

Still snuggled in at Marsh Harbor Marina in the Abacos.  We’ve managed to get snorkeling once at Mermaid Reef which is very close to the marina.  We’d forgotten how cool the water is compared to other places we’ve snorkeled down island in the Caribbean.  We have wet suits at home and we were wishing that we’d brought them.  It would allow us to stay in the water much longer than we’re able without them.  We’ve scoped out some of the local establishments like the major grocery store, the hardware stores and also been able to get propane.  Next week we hope to try a couple of the restaurants that are a little further from the Marina.  Everything is done by dinghy now that we’ve returned the rental car, so we’ll probably see what kind of lunch specials there are.  That way we don’t have to be using the dinghy at night.  It’s not that we can’t, it’s just a lot easier to get around during the day light hours.

Next weekend the Man o War Cay school system is having a fund raiser flea market and we’re hoping we can go.  They plan to run ferries from Marsh Harbor to Man o War.  However, Chris Parker, the cruiser’s weather guru is predicting gale force winds for the that day.  Who said weathermen could predict weather a week in advance.  So, we’ll see what happens, but if that happens, I’m not even sure I want to take the ferry over there.  Time will tell.

Checking Out Marsh Harbor

We made the decision to hang out in Marsh Harbor for awhile and right now we’re glad we made that decision.  Three cold fronts moved off the U.S. coast and winds have been blowing 20 to 25 for 3 to 4 days now.  There are lots of boats in the area and it's like Georgetown in the Exumas, they have a cruiser’s net that broadcasts on VHF radio every morning at 8:15am.  They provide a weather forecast and announcements from many of the stores and restaurants about things happening around the area.  Of course this weekend is Superbowl Sunday, so everyone is having a party.  The marina here is having a chili cook-off and pot luck.  Even though they have a restaurant they seem to encourage the pot lucks.  They always have a cash bar so looks like they make way more on drinks than they do food.  There seems to be no lack of activity.  Since we arrived they’ve had a mexican pot luck, happy hour with goodies, and a conch blowing contest to name a few.

“New Wave” is one of the boats we met on our way from West End and they showed up here 2 days after we arrived.  They had heard the weather reports and decided to hide here for a few days too.  We were able to use our rental car and help them retrieve some batteries for their boat.  They had a couple batteries go bad and were having problems with their charging system.  Finding the battery store was another adventure.

We drove to Treasure Cay to check out the golf course.  We decided to play even though the green fees were more than Glen Ullin, ND, but it wasn’t too bad considering we had to rent clubs and everything.  The course was OK but with the lack of rain and water, the ground was pretty hard.  That’s OK though, that way my ball would roll further.

We did our laundry the other day and took it to the laundromat in town since we had a rental car.  There were about 30 washing machines of which about 23 were out of service.  Same with the 15 dryers that they had.  They had someone working full time while were there.  It's really hard to understand the mentality that just ignores these problems.  When we look at the prices for food, the availability of all kinds of goods and services and especially computer and telephone service, we forget how lucky we are and how good we have it in the United States.  The Bahamas are still pretty third world.  More people should see this reality and we all might be more grateful for the things we have.  

We have to return the car today, Monday, but at least we had a chance to see a little of Great Abaco in addition to the Marsh Harbor area.

Warm Wind and Blue Water

Yesterday January 28th was relatively chilly.  72 degrees for the high and it was overcast and windy.  Today is much better.  81 degrees for the high, light winds and partly cloudy sky.   Last night, the marina had a mexican night pot luck with a cash bar.  The food was great with lots of different kinds of dishes.  I still feel a little new on the block and our boat is definitely low man on the totem pole.  Many, many, 38 to 40 footers with all the electronics, roller furling main sails, and all the other amenities you can think of.  Many of the people in the marina are from the Chesapeake and Annapolis area, so they've basically moved their summer activities to the Bahamas for the winter.  We are planning to stay at the Marsh Harbor Marina for a month or so until the weather starts to moderate a little with fewer fronts moving off the US coast.  We were thinking of renting a car for a couple of days.  While sitting in the marina restaurant using the computer, we overheard a man (Cliff) calling for prices on rentals.  We asked what he found out and to make a long story short we went together on a weekly rental.  He's going to be out fishing for a couple of days, so we'll have the car to ourselves at least for a couple of days.  Went exploring with the car this morning and found the bakery and the hardware store.

The Whale

Yesterday January 25 we left Green Turtle Cay about 8:30am headed for Treasure Cay.  In order to get there we had to go through Whale Cay Channel.  The concern that exists with Whale Cay Channel is whether there is a "rage" going or not.  With a rage the channel can literally have waves breaking across the entire channel.  We traveled with several other boats and the trip was uneventful.  It was a little rolly in spots, but nothing breaking at all.  The wind was relatively light so we motored most of the way.

Treasure Cay is a full service resort with marina.  They used to have a mooring field but now it is used for anchoring and all the moorings are gone.  Treasure Cay now charges $10 to anchor but allows the use of all their facilities.  Not a bad deal.  Weather has been relatively cool (long pants cool) so not a lot of water or beach activity.  Many of the locals we've talked with say this is the slowest January they can remember.  Had pizza at "Pizza Night" at the marina last night.  Lots of people there, many that looked like they might be golfers since there is an 18 hole course connected to the resort.  We'll probably spend at least one more night here because the weather is suppose to deteriorate again.  Saturday or Sunday sound good so we may head to Guana Cay or Marsh Harbor depending on what actually happens with the forecast.

A Long Time Coming

Just noticed that I haven't blogged since we left Key Largo.  Shame on me.  We actually left Key Largo on January 3rd and anchored in a local bay called Thursday Harbor.  The next day we sailed to Card Sound and anchored at Pumpkin Key.  When we woke up the wind had switched and just before breakfast we noticed our anchor was dragging.  We  quickly moved to the west side of the key for more protection and re-anchored.  From there we sailed into the Biscayne Bay and headed for the Herbert Hoover Marina (named after the vacuum cleaner inventor not the president).  They didn't have much in the way of services but at least Marilyn could watch the Pakers in the playoffs.  From there we sailed to Miami and took a mooring at the Dinner Key mooring field.  The first couple of nights were fine and then the wind started blowing from the east all the way across the bay and into the mooring field.  We knew we weren't going to move since we were on the mooring, but we had a rocky few nights.  Dinner Key did have a transfer boat so at least we could be picked up and transferred to shore.  It was a good location with good local transportation and lots of stores close by.  I think we'll look for something with a little more protection on the return.

On January 12, we left the mooring at 7:45am headed for Fort Lauderdale.  We couldn't go out the Miami Harbor because it was closed for cruise ship security.  We arrived at about 3:00pm but had to wait for a bridge opening at 3:15pm.  Stayed at the Las Olas City Marina.  The marina was very nice with great rates and a great location.  The facilities were in wonderful shape with a nice laundromat, wifi and super showers.

We waited several days for a good weather window to leave for the Bahamas.  During that time we met Stan and Diana Pendelton aboard "West Wind" who were from Maine and were looking for the same good weather to make the crossing.  Originally we had planned to go to West Palm Beach for the crossing to West End, but after talking with several people we were convinced that it would take no more time from Ft Lauderdale with the help of the gulf stream.  So, on January 16 at 9:40pm, La Contessa VII, West Wind and 9 Lives made the 10:00pm bridge opening and headed for West End.  As we left Port Everglades, we were met by rain, rolling seas and a pilot boat ordering us out of the channel because of an arriving freighter.  Not what NOAA had predicted.  After about 30 minutes La Contressa turned around and returned to port.  After talking with West Wind we decided to give it another half hour and if things didn't get better we'd turn back too.  Things did settle down a little but still nothing like the predictions.  We continued on motor-sailing since the wind was more easterly than southerly as predicted and also stronger.  We made good progress, but at 2:20am we lost power to our engine.  I was able to restart it, but was concerned about having the engine when we got to West End.  So, we put up more sail and kept going under sail alone.  The winds never did get light and even strengthened as the sun came up.  The boat handled the winds very well and we kept pace with West Wind who continued to motor sail.  We arrived at West End, took the sails down and tried the engine.  It started; life is good!!  We tied up at 11:30 am.  We've decided that all marine weather forecasters should be required to be an off coast sailor for at least two years.  After changing the fuel filters I found them full of some ugly looking stuff which caused the engine to shut down.  Feel pretty confident that we've solved the problem at least for the time being.

After 2 nights at West End and their exorbitant rates, we headed across the Little Bahama Bank for Great Sale Cay.  We left at 7:00am and arrived at 6:00pm just as the sun was setting.  We had a long trip because we had to motor the entire distance with the wind directly on our nose.  On January 20, we left Great Sale Cay for Alans-Pensacola Cay with absolutely no wind.  Motored all the way and arrived about 2:00pm.  As at Great Sale Cay, there were no other boats except ours at anchor.  We finally got in the water to check the anchor, fiddle with a rudder that was up a little and to cool down.  The water was refreshing, not cold, but felt good and it was crystal clear.

The next day January 21, we pulled anchor and headed for Green Turtle Cay.  Again, there were light winds.  We arrived and decided to go to the Bluff House Marina.  Their rates were great and the facility was wonderful.  Today, January 22 we're still at Green Turtle Cay.  Weather kind of went to pot, and may not be any better for a few days.  This is a great place to be stuck.  We rented a golf cart to explore the island and found a bakery, so life is good again!!!  Our next goal is to get to Marsh Harbor, which is not too far away, but we still need good weather to do it comfortably.  We hope to get a rate at one of the marinas and maybe stay there for about a month.  Weather tends to be kind of ugly in the Abacos the first part of the winter and slowly moderate as you head for spring, so we'll do some more moving around as we get into March.  Our Bahamas cruising permit is good until April 17, so we'll most likely start to head back to Key Largo on or about the 1st of April.  Once again "everything depends on weather"!!

Still On The Dock

Been a little lacks in updating the blog.  Sorry about that, but if you look at the pictures, you’ll probably see why.  I’m still doing mechanics 101.  We thought we had everything ready to go on New Years Day, but got up and had trouble with our pressure water.  I can do without a lot of things, but not water.  For some reason the valve that changes the water from starboard and port tanks was not working right and allowing lots of air into the line.  This was determined after about 3 hours checking all the fittings and lines.  So, we spent New Years day at the dock and today we headed for West Marine and Home Depot for new fittings and lines.  Everything went together pretty well and it seems we have water again.  Just like at home fixing the water at the lake.

Marilyn wanted me to be sure and show everyone a picture of one of her favorite Christmas presents:  the Greenbay Packer nome.  Thanks nephew Wes.  Marilyn called Wes, who is a big Vikings fan to thank him and express amazement that he was able to bring himself to purchase the little bugger.  He replied:  It's OK, it's like chopping onions, you cry for awhile and the smell doesn't come off your hands for a couple of days, but he's over it now.  Pretty sad, but a least she doesn’t have any other bad habit.  Right!!

Weather is suppose to be good again tomorrow, so hope that nothing else goes wrong and we can finally get off the dock.  Happy New Year to everyone!

A Little More Time in Key Largo

It's Christmas day so pretty much everything is closed.  We're on the boat and in the water, but we still haven't left the dock yet.  I kind of wanted to hang around until right after Christmas so we could communicate with Tom and with Andrea and Kyle.

Two days ago we were invited by the owners of the boat yard to travel with them by boat to a nearby restaurant, Alabama Jacks, for lunch.  We left about 10:30 am in the 30' wooden electric runabout that he had built about 2 years ago.  It's a beautiful boat and the electric motor is wonderful.  Totally quiet and pushes along at about 5 or 6 knots .  He could go faster but then he doesn't have the range if he would by going slower.  It took us about an hour to get to the restaurant and a little longer on the way back.  When we got back he'd only used about half the potential for the batteries.  I was very impressed!

We attended church this morning in Tavernier at the Emanuel Lutheran Church.  There were between 40 and 50 people at the service.  Fortunately most of them had shorts on, so we fit right in.  There were people from Denmark, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana a well as North Dakota of course.  It was a small church but the service was very nice and the people were very friendly and inviting.

Unfortunately or probably fortunately, with the time on our hands, I found that the backing plate for one of our port shroud lines was severely rusted and corroded.  To the point where it had the potential to fail.  I have pictures.  So, after a few special words and help from my first mate, we were able to remove the backing plate.  Now I need to get another one fabricated.  I've talked with the owners of the yard and they've suggested a welder in Homestead.  Tomorrow we'll call and see if they're open and get it to them to duplicate.  It's always a question of how long it will take.  So, it looks like we'll still be here for a few more days.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone.  Contact us, if you can.

Splash Time

9 Lives went back into the water at about 10:00am this morning.  Had a little trouble getting the diesel to fire, but persistence paid off and she started up.  The Manatee Boat Yard is really a tight little yard so moving from the lift to the slip was interesting.  Fortunately there was little wind and we had a yard hand to help us get around a really crowded corner.  We've decided to stay here through Christmas and then head on out.  That way we'll be able to Skype with Andrea and Ky on Christmas Day.  Marilyn got an email from Tom yesterday, but we still don't know where he is.  Sounds like there is a good possibility that he'll be home on or near Christmas.  We hope so!!

The picture is 9 Lives next to another boat.  We're now back off the highway, which is close to the boat yard, so the traffic sounds are much better than where we were when she was still on land.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas.  Marilyn just got a call from Tom!!!!  He's in the Crete airport waiting for a plane.  They're sending him all over to get home, but he doesn't care as long as it ends up back in the US.  Our Christmas will be much better now even though we won't be able to be together.  I'll try to post more as things develop.

Back to Key Largo and Goodbye to the Kids

We're almost back to Key Largo.  Should be back to the boat tomorrow.  We haven't had much in the way of a wireless connection while we were on a Carnival cruise with Andrea and Kyle.  Both Ky and Andrea had a wonderful time and neither wanted to go home.  Ky used his charms on all of the waiters and the room steward to make friends forever.  If you're friends with Andrea, you can see Ky dancing with the waiters on her face book page.  The weather was great except for a couple of days where we had some rain on and off.  Andrea and Ky thought it was a lot better than the weather that was back in Bismarck, so no one was complaining.  We visited the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the Turks and Caicos.  We'd never been to the Turks and Caicos before and the water was beautiful.  We did a semi sub tour there and Ky thought it was great to be able to see under the water without having to get wet.  The photos are of the Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos.  By the time I get done posting this information Andrea and Ky should almost be home.

Tomorrow we'll be heading back to the boat yard and hope to see about getting the boat back into the water.  I still need to have someone clean the port fuel tank, so it still may be a few days before we actually get it in the water.  That will give me a chance to think about where we're going to head.  I guess I'm trying to stay close for the Christmas holiday.  As soon as we get something figured out, we'll let you know.  

Cleanup Continues

Just put new covers on the windows, compliments of Micki Giese.  Micki took the covers we had and the new material and put the new covers together while we were home this summer.  They're beautiful compared to the original covers that were there.  The originals were getting pretty tired.  THANKS MICKI!!!

Marilyn was feeling a little under the weather yesterday, but seems much better today.

We did go to Marathon Friday and talked with the guys at the Inflatable Shop their about our Dinghy situation.  Looks like we're going to buy ourselves a new inflatable for Christmas.  At least we know what we're getting each other now.  The Dinghy we had was made out of PVC and it could be fixed for $600-700 dollars and because of the material, he wouldn't guaranteed the glue job for more than 1 or 2 years at the most.  Like I said, we did want to get a little smaller boat to make it easier to carry and move about.  I just hadn't planned on doing it quite so soon and under this type of circumstance.  The one we're getting will be Hypolon and should deal with the elements much better.

Today is Sunday, so that means we'll be looking for someplace to watch the Packer Game, so not much will be done on the boat today.

B.O.A.T.

 You do know the definition of boat (B.O.A.T.) right?  Bring On Another Thousand.  Things were really in pretty good shape when we got to the boat yard until we uncovered the inflatable.  Even though we had it covered, it looks like the summer sun in Florida did a job on the it.  We've been cleaning the big boat and putting sails back on, etc. for the last 3 days and haven't run into anything else that is too serious.  Lots of little Florida bugs to clean off the boat after sitting for 6 months, but we kind of expected that.  Surprisingly, there wasn't much water and/or moisture on the interior so we didn't have anything to deal with like we did last year.

We're going to go to an inflatable sales/repair company in Marathon, tomorrow, show them the picture and see what they say about dinghy repair.  I'm sure that anything can be repaired, but the big questions are how much it will cost and how long it will take.  I did want a smaller dinghy, but I wasn't planning on doing it quite like this.  We'll see what we find out.

The place we're staying is working out very nice.  It has nice accommodations and is relatively close to the boat yard.  The worst thing that has happened while we've been here, at least for Marilyn, is that the Green Bay Packers lost their game last Sunday.  About another week and Andrea and grandson, Ky will be here.  Gramma is really looking forward to that.

On the East Coast of Florida

We've made it to Fort Lauderdale on the east coast of Florida.  Thanksgiving was spent in Cedar Key, Florida which is a very laid back fishing/claming town.  They actually have private clam farms that the residents farm and sell the clams commercially.  The first two photographs are of Cedar Key.  We took a key tour by water in order to get a better idea of where things were.  The weather was sunny and in the upper 60's but it was nice to have a sweatshirt out on the water.

The third photo is off the pier in downtown St Petersburg, Florida.  There was a light wind with several boats in the water, but most were heading for the dock since it was just starting to get dark.  Lots of activity around the pier.  We bought a "Napolean and an Eclair" for our dessert.  They were great!!

Today we went from St Pete to Fort Lauderdale and then tomorrow we'll be headed for Key Largo.  Probably won't get to the boat tomorrow, but will for sure on Monday.  They only have temporary staff there on the week-ends anyway.  I made plans to have the bottom of the boat repainted, so I hope it's all done when we get there.  I have several projects that I want to do, so we'll be busy for at least the next week or so.  We have a small condo lined us for accommodations while we work on the boat.  

Crazy New Orleans

Made it to New Orleans and have plans to spend a couple of days here.  Yesterday we played tourist and went to the River Walk, the French Quarter, ate beignets and did a little bit of drinking in some of the bars.  The picture is of our host at Buba Gumps restaurant.  It was crazy now, I can't imagine what it's like during Mardi Gras.  Today, Sunday, naturally, it was important that we find someplace to watch the Green Bay football game.  The closest place we could find was Hooters, so the game was good, they won, and there was lots of other scenery to look at as well.

The weather is getting better.  It's definitely easier to deal with than what we left at home.  However, it looks like the temperatures are back in the 50's in Bismarck.  Looks like the weather is going to be good for the Thanksgiving week and it should get better and better the further south we get.

We will leave tomorrow for Panama City, Florida, and then on to Cedar Key, Florida the following day.  We've been trying to keep our drives to between 300 and 400 miles a day.  No marathon driving since we don't really have an where we have to be by any particular time.  At least not at this time.

We need to find warmer weather

Did I say it was starting to look like winter?  I should have kept my mouth shut.  We planned to leave on a Saturday and couldn't get away until Monday.  We received 8" of snow after a couple of inches of freezing rain.  Needless to say, it was a mess and I moved snow for a good 3 hours on Sunday.  And here I was hoping I could avoid the snow removal scene.  In the midst of all this, Andrea decided to buy a different car so we were helping her work through those steps.  It's probably a good thing that we didn't leave on Saturday.

We finally turned the house key over to Andrea and made it out of town on Monday, November 12th.  We're currently in St Joe, MO.  Originally we planned to head for Augusta to have Thanksgiving with Tom, however, his deployment was extended and now he hopes he'll be back in country just before Christmas, but even that is not definite.  So, using Plan B, were headed for New Orleans where we plan to spend a few days and then keep going to Cedar Key, FL over Thanksgiving.  We've never been there before, but it looks like it should be interesting.  We have a condo rented with a small kitchen, so we'll see what we can whip up for Thanksgiving.  Ultimately, our plan is to be in Key Largo the 25th of November.  We again have a place rented for a couple of weeks while we work on the boat and get it ready to put back in the water. We still have plans to take Andrea and grandson Kyle on a cruise the 9th of December.  Tom was suppose to go too, but unfortunately his extended deployment will prevent that from happening.  We're still excited to take Andrea and Kyle.  It should be fun!!

We'll give you an update as soon as we get to New Orleans.

Time to head south again

The weather is getting more and more like winter, so it looks like it's time to think about heading south again.  I'll get things active again here and we're thinking about leaving for warmer climes about the 1st week in November.  So, we'll turn the keys over to Andrea again and then grit our teeth.  She stays at the house on and off to make sure everything is working properly and make sure everything is OK.  We're not sure how often she stays here, but we suspect it's more often than not.  But that's OK.  At least we know everything is in one piece.  We hope to take our time going south this year with the idea of being in Augusta for Thanksgiving with Tom.  That assumes that he's back from his submarine adventure by then.  When he left in September he was told that he would be back on or about the 9th of November.  But we'll see.  Probably won't have anything else until November.

Back to Manatee Boat Yard

We've arrived back at the Manatee Boat Yard.  We spent one night at their dock and then this morning they hauled her out of the water.  We had the bottom power washed and it looks like we might have to have the bottom repainted before the beginning of the next sailing season.  I worked most of the day changing oil in the dingy outboard, changing  zinks on the diesel, stowing lines and putting things away in general.  Marilyn took the car to get the oil changed and pick up a few odds and ends that we need to get the boat ready to leave. Besides that, she's been packing and stowing lots and lots of things.  We figure it will take us about 2 days, give or take, to get things ready to leave.  Last night while at the dock we took down the Genoa sail and also bagged the screecher.  We still need to take down the main sail and put it away.  We did have a little excitement on the way to the boat yard.  We picked up part of a ski rope or something similar on our prop.  So, it took us a sharp knife and some words of encouragement to get the prop cleared.  Today is Wednesday, April 25 and I hope that we can be ready to head back to Bismarck on the morning of the 27th.  Till next time.