New Dodger and We're on Our Way!

We were going to try and get one more season out of our dodger but then a big hunk of it ripped off and we knew we needed to get it fixed. Hans called E & M Marine Canvas in the Hollywood area and even though it was Sunday, Manny answered the phone. On Monday they picked it up at our marina and after talking it over, we decided to go ahead and replace it. This morning the crew showed up and installed it. It's so nice to now have sturdy leak-free canvas with windows you can actually see through!











Here one of the workers is installing the eyes (I have no idea what their nautical name is) on the new dodger that fasten to the boat.

























No plumbers here!





We had pretty nice weather all week but of course the wind had to kick up yesterday and today we left the marina in 20 knot winds. That's not really a lot of wind but it is when you're trying to get your boat out of a slip that's just a touch too small! Even though Hans did a great job we still ended up banging our dinghy outboard (it's mounted on our stern rail) on a piling.


We are now Miami bound and Hans wants to anchor in front of the home he lived in when he was in high school. I hope he was on good terms with his neighbors and they don't say, "Oh my God, he's back!"

It Be My Birthday!

And I'm very happy to note that fifty-one bothers me a lot less than fifty did. I have no idea why, but I'm not going to question it.


We are still hovering around Hollywood (thanks to needing our dodger replaced and our main sail repaired yet once again), and yesterday a friend of ours lent us his car. We were off and running lickity split, and were able to accomplish quite a bit from 10 AM to 8 PM. Of course my first concern was for Wilbur, whom we could not leave on a hot boat all day long, and thanks to the Internet I found us a doggy day care.


The only draw back was the fact that here in Hollywood they are not allowed to 'socialize' pit bulls with the 'normal' population.

I kid you not!


You can see why we sometimes refer to Wilbur as 'Wilbur the Red-Nosed Pit Bull' as he's not allowed to play in other doggy's reindeer games.

Anyway, the people at Camp Canine were very nice, and since Wilbur ended up being segregated from the general pupulation (misspelling intentional), he received a lot of one on one attention from the staff. Just before I departed I got to see Wilbur having a major zoomie session (via a TV screen with video) with one of the employees. He had a blast and everyone loved him. What a shame that this lovable breed has gotten such a bad rap. I only hope it's true that 'Time wounds all heels' (get it?).


We purchased snorkeling gear (my birthday present from Hans), first aid supplies (my gift to Hans), a very deadly spear for fishing (just don't piss me off), jerry cans for water, a solar shower (mostly for me), dog food, doggy nail clippers (what a joke), a new rope toy (for Wilbur, not Hans), six weeks worth of beer (for Hans, not Wilbur), and another hundred and fifty dollars worth of groceries (added to the approximately thousand dollars worth that I've already stockpiled).

In addition to all this running around we managed to visit the cemetery where Hans' parents are buried. Hans' mother died at the age of 40 when Hans was 18 and his father died in 2001 at the age of 79. Buried with them are Hans Sr.s' mother's ashes, and my heart goes out to Hans' mother as this somehow seems a bit cruel.


Today Hans finished replacing the hoses and antifreeze on the port engine, and I did yet one more load of laundry and cut out some canvas for what I hope will become a Wind Scoop for the hatch to our berth. I also took Wilbur for a walk, and while he sniffed like a blood hound at his new favorite smell (bird poop with a side of barnacles) I tried not to have a major heebeejeebee attack when I spotted a very wet and very dead rat within a few feet of us, and luckily I was able to get Wilbur the hell out of there before he spotted it too!






An 'after daycare' picture of Wilbur.


"I don't care whose birthday it is! I love my new rope toy and that's all that matters!"

That's our boy!

Still Hanging in Hollywood

Six years ago Hans and I came down to Hollywood for Valentine's Day. We ended up at Le Tub, a very rustic restaurant with old toilets and tubs that have been re-purposed into planters full of flowers and even furniture. They make a huge pot of gumbo every day and I'm glad I got to eat some back then because they ran out of it the two times we were there this time.








Anyway it's right on the ICW and we had walked up and down the waterway and admired all the boats that were docked. Gee, wouldn't it be neat to someday arrive here and be a part of this someday we said.



















And six years later we did.

It gave me goosebumps last week when we motored past Le Tub in our very own boat. Who'd have thought it would really happen.

We were able to take some friends out into the ocean on Saturday. We didn't have much wind but we did have a few left over waves from the previous day which made it a little lumpy.

There was quite a bit of traffic on the water and for God's sake why on earth everyone felt the need to cluster in one big pack is beyond me! It's an ocean! There's plenty of room for everyone.

There was one fishing boat that was trolling along with huge lines out in all directions and it even had a kite flying way off its stern that apparently dangles bait in the water in order to draw more fish in. We were under sail and when we got too close they screamed, got on the radio, and when Hans told them we were under sail and they were powering, they said, "You've got a rudder don't you? You effing sailing people are all alike!" We then watched a couple of other boats come close but we didn't hear anything on the radio. Now keep in mind these were not commercial fisherman which we do have to stay away from. I just don't know why they didn't go further out and avoid all the smaller boats.

Dave is from Pittsburgh and was very glad to get away from the weather up north.













Dave's nephew, Kevin (who lives here in FL) and his girlfriend Norelle.

Kevin works here and Norelle is finishing her degree this summer. I had such a good time talking with her and if I were twenty four I'd want to be her best friend.









Wilbur doing his best lap dog impersonation for Norelle.


We ended up having a pretty good day at sea and later on we all went to dinner. Dave's wife Kathy was able to join us after driving around for over a half hour while trying to find a parking space! I don't miss traffic.






This is what the ICW looks like from our many colored bridge.
















I made this dress and was just able to finish it the night before we got on board back in January. I never thought the weather would ever be nice enough to wear it and now it's almost too hot!


Tomorrow we have access to a car and we're going to do a huge provisioning run for last minute things like snorkeling gear, dog food, etc... and then we're off to Miami.

Hollywood, FL

We arrived in Hollywood yesterday and are currently at a marina since Hans has a business meeting in Ft. Lauderdale on Monday.

Here we are with the ocean behind us.

Wilbur was incarcerated on the boat since all the signs said that not only are dogs not allowed on the beach they aren't allowed on the 'broadwalk' (we call it the boardwalk).

In Europe you can take your dog nearly everywhere (I've seen them in restaurants and even the subway) and I wish the USA would get that stick out of their a$$ and let responsible dog owners walk about freely.

We ended up at the 'Broadwalk' (as opposed to the Boardwalk??) which stretches for a few miles and I insisted on getting my feet wet before heading back to the boat.

Finally!!! The Welcome to Ft. Lauderdale sign at one of the 30 bridges we had to pass under for the last three days. I have to admit that after reading about how much trouble a lot of cruisers have had with bridge operators etc... we really had no trouble whatsoever. Maybe it has to do with my pleasant radio voice(?) .

You see, when we first started out on this voyage back in October, I was assigned the duty of radio communicator and I still remember at the beginning of our three hour tour when a speed boat captain asked permission for a 'slow pass'. I gave the go ahead and when the boat did indeed pass slowly with virtually no wake I responded with the comment, "You just made the Knotty Cat purrrrr!" The captain of the other boat meowed back at me and as I sat in the companionway giggling like a school girl, Hans called out to me, "What are you doing over there?"

"Umm, nothing?"

"You realize the radio isn't for fun don't you?"

"Of course I do!"

Maybe.

Here's a freighter from Hans' homeland.

Look at this huge freighter with all the containers sitting on it. How something like this gets across the ocean without tipping over, I'll never know!

Ft. Lauderdale is supposedly the yachting boat capital of the world and I believe it. We've never seen so many huge boats in our life.

Now that we're at a marina in Hollywood, if we want to get to the beach or any of the local shops, we need to traverse a bridge.

By foot.

Go figure!

We arrived at the bridge just as it was going up.

Hans looks like a little school boy with his shorts and white socks!

But look at how fancy schmancy this bridge is!

It changes colors. Just like the horse of many colors from The Wizard of Oz.

Orange.

Lime green.

Pink.

Friends from Pittsburgh arrived in town today, and tomorrow we're taking them out for a spin in the ocean.

NOAA promises light winds and calm seas, but we all know that NOAA is a habitual liar (I would love to say lying bitch, but I'm too nice) so God only knows what we're in for.

I'll keep you posted.

The Knotty Cat Interview

Livia from the blog Newly Salted recently asked us if we'd like to be interviewed. And before she could take it back, I said yes!

Newly Salted is an interview site for cruisers who've been bumbling around for under two years and we certainly fit into that category.

Hans (who has been sailing since he was a teenager) and I (who had never been on a sail boat until I met Hans 7 years ago) bought our Island Packet Cat in January of 2008 and moved her from Massachusetts to Maryland with the intention of eventually moving aboard full time. We moved on board for what we hope is for good in January of this year and finally arrived in Florida a couple of weeks ago.

We both sold our houses so now instead of wondering when we'll have to replace a roof, or the furnace etc... we now spend our time replacing water pumps that break down just before company is due to arrive, leaky hoses that give up the ghost and saturate the contents of our lockers, and "Oh God! that's not the head I smell is it"!?


Of course when I do something I go whole hog and we ended up bringing a pit bull puppy with us.
Wilbur is our rescue project and we couldn't ask for a better companion. He learned to use his potty patch within a week and as you can see here, he also helps navigate.








What (if anything) do you wish someone had told you before you started cruising?

Actually, I read so many blogs before hand that I think we had a pretty good idea of what to expect. However traveling the ICW has been an eye opener for us both. We didn't realize how much the tides affect the currents and even though we think we've tried to time ourselves perfectly it doesn't always turn out that way and we end up with the current on our nose half the time.



In your first year of cruising, what transitions did you find the most difficult?


Nothing major but trying to get our mail is a pain. Even in this electronic age I'm surprised by how much paper stuff we still need. Right now my daughter sends it on when we finally know we'll be somewhere to actually receive it.

I also don't like not being able to wash my hair more often, but when we're at anchor I can't use a hair dryer. If the weather is warm it's not a big deal but if it's cold out, my hair, which is really thick, won't dry. Hans doesn't have that problem!


What mistakes did you make in your first year of cruising?

Trying to keep a schedule and biting off way more than we could chew. This summer we bought a new dinghy and motor, picked up our newly repaired sail, a new bimini, brought a dog and cat with us, and then tried to fully provision our boat. All of this in one weekend!
It was a nightmare and of course since the marina wanted us out of there we took off towing our dinghy complete with huge motor attached and ended up sailing in horrible seas!

What do you enjoy about cruising that you didn't expect to enjoy?

I'm surprised that I don't miss TV. We do have one on board but we only use it when we're at marinas. We have a digital converter and a good antenna so it's free and we can always pick up something if we want to. And not that it had a good ending (we're from Pittsburgh!) but we were able to watch the Superbowl in the comfort of our boat and the beer was cheap.

At first when things broke down it would drive Hans crazy but he's really learning a lot. He's done oil and impeller changes, replaced our water pump when it quit on us one too many times, and he loves to come up with too many ideas on how to get our dinghy up on the stern sans dinghy davits!

What do you dislike about cruising that surprised you?

Being at the mercy of Mother Nature. In the old days if the weather was nice, we went sailing. if it wasn't, we didn't. Now it doesn't matter whether we like it or not, we're in it. Period. Getting up in the middle of the night when a 40 knot storm blows through because we want to be prepared for the anchor to drag. Having thunder hit overhead so hard the fillings in my teeth rattle. Trying to stay warm. Trying to stay cool!!!

What is something that you read or heard about cruising, that you didn't find to be true?

We were both laughing the other day about how everyone perceives our sailing life. Everyone thinks our life is like the covers of all the sailing and boating magazines. The weather is always nice, the sun is always shining, the ladies don't have filthy hair, and we lie around and drink Margaritas all day long. If the magazines showed how glamorous sailing really is; bruises, dirty fingernails, no makeup; I have a feeling boat sales would be lower than they already are!

What is something that you read or heard about cruising, that you found particularly accurate?

I'd read (via Windtravelers blog) that your working systems are usually going to be 80/20. 80% working and 20% not. Very true and there have been times when 80% would have been heaven!

Is there something you wish you had bought or installed before starting cruising?

Dinghy davits for sure!!!! There have been a lot of times I would have loved going ashore but messing with the dinghy and its motor both before and after an excursion just wasn't worth it to me. We also don't have a generator and we'd love to get a diesel one but we hate to spend money on a gasoline one right now. We have gas on board for the dinghy motor but Hans hates to have to have large quantities of gas and diesel if we can get by with just one fuel.

What piece(s) of gear would you leave on the dock next time? Why?

Right now we think we're okay. We learned last summer that we really don't need tons of clothes and I don't really need five pairs of sandals.

I also ditched the microwave since I don't use it. I did buy a portable ice maker for $150.00 and it's already paid for itself. It starts making ice within ten minutes and if it gets left at the dock, I'm going with it!

What are your plans now? If they do not include cruising, tell us why.

For now we'll continue on South and hopefully head to the Bahamas. After that we'll probably come back over and sail back up the Atlantic coast. Having a dog on board limits your destinations a bit as they are not allowed in the BVI because of rabies. But that's okay, we found out last summer when we were in the Chesapeake and Potomac that there are tons of places to see and go and I have no problem with limiting myself to this hemisphere!

What has been the scariest event you've experienced so far?

We've gone through some heavy seas that probably weren't dangerous but certainly weren't fun and a couple of times our anchor dragged but the scariest event for me was when Hans fell off the boat at 4 AM while we were at a marina. He wanted to adjust our dock lines due to the strong currents and because of the frosty surface he slipped and fell in between the boat and the dock. He also broke our rule that no one goes aboveboard at night without notifying anyone and the huge bang he made when he went in is what woke me up. I had to lower our swim ladder (we've rigged it now so that it can be lowered by someone in the water) and he was able to get out. He did end up with seven stitches in the palm of his hand and I think he got off very lucky!

When all is said and done though, living on a boat is different. It's not for the weak at heart or those who live for the Midnight Buffet (not when you're asleep by 9 PM!). Showers (and I'm not talking rain) are sometimes few and far between, and thank God I've never had a manicure so I don't have to worry about missing them. But nothing beats watching a sunset or a full moon rising... sitting in the cockpit and being surrounded by the lights of a new city...grilling a steak in a secluded anchorage and then enjoying a Bloody Mary the next morning... need I say more?

West Palm Beach

We spent two really nice nights anchored at Peck Lake. We beached the dinghy on the shore, walked through a small path to the other side of a strip of land and then VOILA!!! We were on the beach and Wilbur became a real salty dog.


Before heading to the beach however, we decided to replace the Eye splice on our anchor.

Wilbur gets his first splicing lesson.









Can you tell he had fun? I spent most of my time trying to keep my shoulder in its socket and avoiding very pretty but nasty Men-O-War. They were everywhere.






















Zoomies!!





















You can't really see it but his nose is covered in sand. Wilbur's not Hans'.
























































I'm a huge copy cat (no pun intended) and a lot of cruisers write the names or initials of their boats in the sand.

I did my best but I honestly couldn't remember what our logo looks like! I'll do better next time.











A full moon at Peck Lake.
















In order to avoid seven bridges (yes, seven!!) we decided to head outside. We left St. Lucies inlet and came in at Fort Worth. Winds were fore casted to be 8-12 E/NE with 3-5 foot waves.

They got the wave part right but we ended up with E/SE winds and while that's not a big deal we ended up rolling all day. Imagine being on your most hated amusement park ride for over six hours, and yes I tossed my cookies!



Stay tuned for our next post where we get interviewed by Newly Salted.

Still in Vero Beach

We hooked up to a mooring here in Vero Beach Sunday afternoon and we are finally enjoying what I would call perfect weather. Cloudless sunny skies with temperatures in the 70's!

Dinghy+Wilbur=Adventure.













Poor Wilbur's eyes nearly popped out of his head the first time a dog burst out of the mangroves right behind where our boat is moored (although I was pretty damn surprised too!).

It turns out there's a dog park within a stones throw from our mooring but the only way to get there is to dinghy way down the shore and then walk to it.

We've been there twice but since Wilbur doesn't listen very well, I had to keep him on his leash nearly the whole time.

I told Hans I really need to get my hair colored but I think I'll steer clear of the stylist that takes care of this bunch!
I smell a lawsuit!











These are the mangroves right beside our boat. Sometimes we swing so close that I think we could actually jump to shore if we wanted to. Don't think Wilbur hasn't thought about that already and I'm keeping a sharp eye out.








This mornings breakfast was bacon, eggs over easy, and toast.

Today was also a Bloody Mary morning.
I think it's a national holiday.







This is the first real few days that we've been able to relax on this trip and not feel pressured to MOVE!!! So I've finally been able to do some reading. I took some of my already read books to the book swap at the Marina and ended up finding Twilight. Since there seems to be a huge following of this book and its sequels I finally decided to give it a try.


Then I got back to the boat and read the sappy three sentence blurb on the back cover that's supposed to hook and reel me in. I think the chances of me suddenly going crazy and screaming hysterically at a Clay Aiken concert (I waited on a bunch of Claymates once and it was surreal!) are a lot greater than my actually enjoying this book.