...with the sea as our living room

FInal Post

2010-01-15T11:21:00.002-05:00

Well, this will be our last post.

The original idea of this blog was to chronicle our life living aboard sv Mary Elizabeth. We have had an incredible time; met lots of great people, visited amazing places. But... we have recently bought a home in Annapolis, MD and -- soon enough -- will not be living on the boat anymore. I will soon re-enter the world of librarianship. Bill filed his paperwork for his Captains License on Tuesday and looks forward to finding a job on the water here in Annapolis. We will take Mary Elizabeth from Sarasota to Annapolis for the spring (by way of the Bahamas....) and will continue to enjoy her on the waters of the Chesapeake this summer.

The blog has been fun. We have had more than 9,200 visits from people all over the world. It has been a great way to keep in touch with family and friends and the perfect way to document our memories.

But I have been pretty bad lately about keeping up with the posts. So this is the last one.... Here are some of our favorite pictures from the past 2+ years.

Thanks for reading....

Lauren and Bill

2009-12-08T20:01:00.003-05:00

We have been AWFUL about keeping up with the blog....

Here is a quick summary of the last month or so.

We have been spending a lot of time at Mary Alice's house in St. Pete. We had a LOVELY Thanksgiving with her good friends and neighbors Fred and Monika and their family. Of course we ate too much, but it was worth it. We have been busy Christmas shopping, semi-living out of the car (we have spring, summer, fall AND winter clothes and have somehow accumulated lots of "stuff" in the past few months), enjoying the cool weather in FL, and basically just hanging out. Bill has been working hard on filling out all of his paperwork and documentation in order to apply for his Captains License; passing the exams was just part one. We had a great Friday night with Mary Alice, Jennifer, and Emmanual at the Florida Orchestra and then had dinner and wine at Burns. The Redskins have continued to disappoint us. All in all, not a lot going on.

Except for last night....

So, Bill and I went to bed early. It was foggy and kind of cold on the boat. We had the heat on actually.

At about 2:45 AM we both woke up because we heard something topside. I was kind of foggy not 100% sure what woke me up. A few seconds later I was fully awake when I heard the companion way doors shutting. WHAT???? I yelled hello?? And someone responded. I jumped up and there was a 50 year old man standing in the salon. I was FREAKED out. Bill got up and the guy immediately started to leave saying he was on the wrong boat. He just got in on a flight from New Hampshire and was mistaken about which boat to get on. WHAT????? At nearly 3:00 am! No luggage, no bag, nothing. He got off the boat and started running before Bill and I even knew what to say or do. Yikes.

We have NEVER had that happen to us before....

We are off to Annapolis tomorrow in the trusty Ford. We are leaving ME in her slip in Sarasota until after the New Year.

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season.

Back in Sarasota

2009-11-19T10:47:00.003-05:00

Well, we are back in Sarasota on the boat. We left Annapolis on Tuesday morning and arrived in Sarasota Wednesday around 3:00 -- not bad at all. We stopped outside of Savannah to sleep. So Mary Elizabeth looks great. All was well; no issues when we turned everything back on, etc.

It is great to be back!

Beautiful Annapolis....

2009-11-10T06:06:00.001-05:00

Bill and I walked around downtown Annapolis Saturday afternoon. Every street is prettier than the next. The homes and even the storefronts are so beautiful; most are designated historical buildings.

Click here for more pictures.

Tug of War

2009-11-08T08:16:00.001-05:00

On Saturday Bill and I went to the 12th annual Tug of War between Eastport and Annapolis. Since we are staying on the Eastport side, we watched the first few rounds from the "MRE" (Maritime Republic of Eastport" before crossing the bridge into Annapolis proper. There were a lot more people on the Eastport side and Eastport won each of the rounds. What follows is an explanation of the Tug of War from the MRE website.

BACKGROUND: The always revolting Maritime Republic of Eastport makes an annual call to its adversaries across the water, the residents and businesses of Annapolis, to take arms and meet at Susan B. Campbell Park -- City Dock -- on the first Saturday in November (more or less) for the Annual Slaughter Across the Water.
It all started 12 years ago when the MRE founding father Sam Shropshire and a few others decided that if the MRE had seceded from Annapolis there ought to be a "friendly" rivalry to mark the occasion and to do good in the community at the same time. How they came up with the idea of teams pulling across the harbor against adversaries they can't see might have had something to do with the the fact that that they were in a local watering hole at the time. But we digress. Fun with a purpose was born -- at least in this incarnation. To make a very long story very short, luckily, the founding fathers included a physicist who figured out how many people had to be on either side to be able to pull a rope 1700 feet long out of the water and in their direction and therefore how strong the rope needed to be. Also luckily, the founding fathers included a really good salesman who convinced Yale Cordage to build the rope at cost. And even more luckily, the founding fathers convinced everyone that this was a great idea. Eastport rallied around the battle and a great tradition was born.
So, once a year, local and national attention focuses on the Annapolis Harbor, or, as we like to call it, the Gulf of Eastport, for a competition unlike any in the world – the Slaughter Across the Water, the longest tug of war over a body of water in the world. The Tug is staged between the Maritime Republic of Eastport (MRE) and Downtown Annapolis, featuring a 1700’ rope, over 450 tuggers, and more than a thousand spectators.
Composed of a maximum of 33 tuggers, each team strives to bring home the trophy and the title, each tugger doing his or her own part to bring the fame and fortune to the appropriate side.
Eastport has been the dominant force most years, but there have been shut-outs on both sides. The winners earn a year's worth of bragging rights and the ensuing riches. Okay, there may not be any riches, but the bragging rights tend to be pretty strong and have led, in the past, to the renaming of Annapolis Harbor, the bridge and, in fact, the entire town of Annapolis (the Gulf of Eastport, the Bridge of our Glorious Victory, and Westport, respectively). So there.

It was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed ourselves.

Master Bill

2009-11-07T17:59:00.001-05:00

Bill successfully completed the 80-hour Captains Class at the Annapolis School of Seamanship this week. He passed the exams with flying colors on Friday!

And why I love Annapolis....

2009-10-27T10:25:00.002-04:00

Joe and Nancy took Bill and me out on their beautiful boat Aurora this weekend. It was a little chilly, but we had a fabulously great time; it was so nice to be on the water again!!!

Here are some pictures that I took.

Why I love DC

2009-10-24T11:14:00.001-04:00

Took these pictures in DC the other day after having a wonderful lunch with my friend Sara.

See you in November

2009-09-17T16:31:00.002-04:00

We are going to take a break from the blog for awhile since we are in Annapolis on land and aren't on board Mary Elizabeth. So... see you in November.

UPDATE Oct 16, 2009 -- We have extended our lease here in Annapolis until November 15th. Our original plan was to head to Key West the last week in October for Fantasy Week. Instead, we have decided to stick around Annapolis so Bill can get his Captain's License. What a great time we have been having here in MD. Last weekend my sister Andrea was here for a visit. We have seen friends, been to a concert (Los Lonely Boys) and show (Sweeny Todd) and the boat shows.

So.... we are taking a little bit longer break from the blog than we originally thought....

2009-09-10T22:34:00.002-04:00

Well we made it to Annapolis. Bill and I left on Tuesday around 1:00 after my dentist appointment. We defrosted the freezer and refrigerator, turned everything off on ME, packed the car and left. ME will stay in her slip in Sarasota (above) until we return to FL in October.

The trip was uneventful. We drove on Tuesday until around 9:00, stayed in a hotel and got up on Wednesday (09/09/09) and drove the remainder of the trip to MD. Bill ate his birthday lunch at Taco Bell! We will celebrate tonight with Joe and Nancy here in Annapolis.

We got to the place we are renting around 6:00 (we made good time) and were not disappointed. It is a cute little place, very clean, great view from the porch (see below) right near downtown. We can walk across the bridge from Eastport to downtown in about 10 minutes. There is a pool and we overlook a marina. The weather is spectacular (OK, it is raining right now, but it is cool and feels like fall!)

Our first meal in Annapolis was nothing other than corn and tomatoes. I went to the farm stand yesterday morning and they said we have about a week left for good corn.

Bill went and saw Juan yesterday and we stayed in and watched the first football game of the year cozy on the couch. It is strange to be in a house! We bought some essentials (toilet paper, paper towels, etc.) but are still adjusting. For example, we bought bagged ice.... even though we have a full sized refrigerator and freezer (with an ice maker). Old habits.... Oh, and we have a dishwasher!!! And we can have candles (I bought two!). And everything can stay plugged in. And we can take long showers and not worry about running out of water.

The house is pretty much fully stocked (although I cannot make the coffee pot work; guess I'll be making a trip to Target since that is an essential!)

Bill and I are looking forward to a few weeks here.... although we do miss the boat. Falling asleep without the rocking is strange.

Trip from St. Pete to Sarasota

2009-09-08T10:40:00.004-04:00

We had a nice time in St. Pete, but it was time to get back to Sarasota before leaving for Annapolis. Mary Alice came and saw us off (picture above) and Pamela watched from the balcony (picture below). We motored past the Pier and could see Tropicana field. We also went under the massive Sunshine Skyway Bridge. It was an uneventful 5 hour trip, except for the fact that we saw less than six feet in several places. I love the picture of the guy fishing *standing* in the water only a few feet from us.....

We are off to Annapolis today.

Smarty pants

2009-09-06T18:54:00.001-04:00

Monika and Fred have been nice enough to loan us their Smart car while we have been in St. Pete. It really is fun to drive. And just as small as it looks. Oh, and to boot -- they have a big Tampa Bay RAYS logo painted on the back.... Bill has made it a point to wear his Red Sox hat while driving the Smart car.

St. Pete continued

2009-09-06T18:51:00.001-04:00

We decided to stay in St. Pete until Monday morning, when we will sail back to Sarasota. St. Pete is really a great place to cruise. As I wrote, we have been staying at the Vinoy Marina, which is right downtown and close to everything. Very convenient -- and pretty. Here are some pictures of Mary Elizabeth at the dock.

The picture above is another taken from Mary Alice's balcony. You can see we have had a few more neighbors at the dock as the weekend progressed.

Last night the three of us tried out a new restaurant that opened this weekend in downtown St. Pete called 400 Beach. Today we went to a movie; tonight we are just hanging low. There have been some severe afternoon storms lately, so we want to leave early enough tomorrow so we can avoid them.

SURPRISE!

2009-09-05T22:46:00.002-04:00

It was a very happy SURPRISE birthday party for Mary Alice on Friday night here in St. Pete. Everyone had a great time, and she really was completely surprised. It was a great turnout and a nice celebration.

For more pictures, click here.

Going to the chapel...

2009-09-04T17:25:00.001-04:00

We have been docked next to everything from cruise ships to fishing boats to motor yachts that you read about in magazines.... But never a CHAPEL. Yes, this floating chapel docked next to us for a short while last night here at the Vinoy Marina in St. Pete to pick up guests.

We had a nice night with Mary Alice, Fred, Monika, and their grandchildren. We had tacos on board and then went to the final Red Sox Rays game here in St. Pete.

We're in St. Pete

2009-09-02T08:58:00.001-04:00

We have not been too great about keeping current with the blog. I recently spent the past week in Boston while the repairs were finished on the boat. Bill and Mike took Mary Elizabeth from Sarasota to St. Pete on Monday. There were a few issues (the windex was knocked off while going under a bridge and the engine was running too hot) but things are looking good as far as the repairs go. We are very happy and thankful that all of the damage from the lightning strike is fixed. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

So we are here in St. Pete for a week. It is really great because we are right across the street from Mary Alice. Last night we went to the first of three Red Sox - Rays games this week. We hope to have everyone over to see the boat in its new (temporary) home.

We are right downtown. The building above is the Vinoy Hotel (which happens to be where the Red Sox are staying!)

The flat, beige building on the waterfront is the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg where I have been volunteering on Wednesdays throughout the summer.

And Mary Alice can look down on us from her balcony. Yes, we really are that close!

We'll be here for about a week before taking the boat back to Sarasota and then we are off to Annapolis.

Bill made a new friend....

2009-08-31T08:56:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago Mary Alice was cat sitting Winston, who is the most beautiful, mild tempered little kitty. He was smitten with Bill....

Wow

2009-08-19T13:42:00.003-04:00

Check out this video of hurricane Bill as seen from the International Space Station. Truly amazing!!!

And I like this article from The State (from South Carolina) titled "Don't Mess With Bill."

yum!

2009-08-18T19:02:00.002-04:00

Whoever said that you can't cook on a boat has never tasted our homemade lasagna! Here is the latest culinary creation from sv Mary Elizabeth which we enjoyed earlier this week.

The irony....

2009-08-15T21:04:00.007-04:00

So apparently there are two storms that are forming and one -- ironically enough -- is named BILL. Since this is our first time in the "hurricane zone" we are, of course, paying particular attention to any tropical storms etc.

"Strengthening is indicated and Bill is expected to become a hurricane in three to four days," it said, adding forecasts showed this would take place when the storm was very near the Northern Leeward Islands. The five-day forecast track showed it could threaten Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.

Check out the full news article from Reuters.

Sarasota Slam

2009-08-09T17:14:00.001-04:00

This weekend there was a fishing tournament here at Marina Jacks called the Sarasota Slam. About thirty big fishing boats stayed on our otherwise very quiet dock. Saturday Bill and I watched the weigh ins. The biggest fish caught was a 172 pound swordfish (above). Other fish caught were tuna, trout, grouper, and dolphin. Many of the boats donated the fish to a charity (either to a soup kitchen or to restaurants that donated the money earned from selling the fish as part of their "specials" that night).

More Boat updates.....

2009-08-06T16:28:00.009-04:00

Since being struck by lightning just about two months ago, the repairs on the boat are coming along nicely. The guys have done such a great job of working quickly and coordinating all of the repairs. The DONE list is a lot longer than the IN PROGRESS list. We are hopeful that we will be able to make a trip to St. Pete in the boat soon.

DONE - The windex and lightning deflector have been added to the top of the mast

DONE - The freezer is now fixed (so both fridge and freezer are operational)

DONE - The DVD player and stereo have been replaced

DONE - Masthead foredeck lights are working

DONE - The bow thruster has been fixed

DONE - The air conditioning in the aft cabin is working (yeah!)

DONE - Water maker is all fixed

DONE - LED lights on the bilge pump and windlass are working

DONE - LED lights on the main control panel

DONE - VHF

DONE - Radar

DONE - AIS system

DONE - Tacometer / engine instruments

Really the only things we are waiting on are the single side band radio (which we won't need until we go to the Bahamas anyway) and the final connections for the instruments (GPS, depth finder, wind gauge, etc.) They now think that both units were affected so they are going to send the unit that is topside out to be repaired next week. Hard to imagine all that has been fixed in only 2 months!

Trip to Boston

2009-08-06T16:24:00.003-04:00

I just got back from eight days visiting family and friends in Boston. It was a lot of fun, great to see everyone, and a nice reprieve from the hot weather. Some "highlights" of the trip include; going to the Yankee Homecoming Road Race in Newburyport where I got to see my family (including my Godson Colin [below]), going to Hampton Beach with my parents and Andrea, staying at Amy's new apartment, seeing Andrea's new place, having lobsters at my parents house, going to Walloston Beach with Mel and Andrea, having dinner at my grandparents in New Hampshire. It was a nice time. I got back on Tuesday and Bill, Mary Alice and I went to both of the Red Sox vs. Rays games Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Unfortunately the Sox lost both games... but we still had fun. It is nice to be back on Mary Elizabeth!

Yankee Homecoming Road Race

2009-08-01T17:53:00.001-04:00

Here are some pictures of the 2009 Yankee Homecoming Road Race in Newburyport.

Random pictures of Sarasota

2009-07-27T19:00:00.000-04:00

Bradenton Beach and Siesta Key

2009-07-26T18:58:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of the beaches in Bradenton and Sarasota that we visited on Friday while we were driving around and exploring.

Sheikra (aka Shriek-ya!)

2009-07-25T18:41:00.001-04:00

Wednesday morning I had a doctors appointment in St. Pete and was unable to volunteer at the library (instead I went on Thursday). After my appointment, Bill and I decided to head to Busch Gardens to ride the roller coasters. When we went to Busch Gardens in October, we rode all of the coasters except one -- Sheikra, which is supposed to be the best. Last time, just as we got to the entrance of the ride, it started raining and there was lightning in the area so they closed the coasters. This time we were determined to ride. Sheikra is by far the best coaster that either of us have ever been on. Your feet dangle, you go virtually straight up, then dangle before plunging 90 degrees straight down. It felt like we were parachuting. Awesome. We rode the other coasters too and saw a few of the animal exhibits before heading back to St. Pete. Unfortunately on one of the coasters Bill's sunglasses flew off. They are currently sitting somewhere at the bottom of the tracks, smashed into pieces I am sure.

Wednesday night we were very graciously invited to Jennifer and Emmanuel's house for dinner with Mary Alice. We had a great evening. First we had a walking tour of their amazing neighborhood (the historic Driftwood neighborhood in St. Pete) and waterfront. Jennifer and Emmanuel have a chocolate lab named Max who is basically the perfect dog. He is so well trained and can do the most amazing tricks. Of course we were in heaven.... And dinner was amazingly delicious (Emmanuel is a chef and owner of the Garden Bistro restaurant in St. Pete). Wow.

Thursday I volunteered at the library while Bill played golf. We had dinner (and Skip-bo) with Mary Alice Thursday night and came back to Sarasota Friday afternoon. Instead of driving back on the highway though, we took the long way through Bradenton, Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, and Lido Key. We also took a ride over to Siesta Key and visited the beaches. Beautiful.

and the thunder rolls

2009-07-19T12:33:00.001-04:00

Here are some pictures of the thunderstorm that rolled in late Saturday afternoon. Beautiful, isn't it?

Selby Gardens

2009-07-16T16:48:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday I went to visit the Selby Botanical Gardens here in Sarasota. Despite it's hefty entrance price ($17) I really, really enjoyed myself. It is 9+ acres of stunning plants, flowers, and trees -- all of which are immaculately cared for by 900+ volunteers. The Gardens are separated into different areas; there is a greenhouse, which houses orchids, etc. (and was even hotter inside than the 90+ degrees outside!), a bamboo section, a cactus section, a bonsi section, butterfly and wildflower gardens, banyan trees etc. And part of the Gardens is right on the water. There are benches in the shade throughout to sit and enjoy. The slideshow below is of some of the stranger and / or beautiful plants and flowers that I saw.

More Pics

2009-07-13T00:42:00.002-04:00

Here are some more pictures of Atlantic City.

Atlantic City

2009-07-11T17:44:00.002-04:00

Bill and I had fun with my parents and two sisters in Atlantic City this week. We flew out of Tampa on Monday and got back late Thursday night. We went to the beach, saw a Cirque show, enjoyed the boardwalk and nice weather, and of course gambled. Andrea and Amy treated me to a massage at Tropicana for my birthday. Afterwards, Andrea and I put $20 each into side by side machines while we waited for Amy who was on the phone. I was down to $4 without hitting anything when the bells and whistles started going off. I hit for $4500.00! Yeah. All of us were very excited to say the least.

We stayed at Caesar's, which was nice. We enjoyed the pool and the new Pier, which is shops and restaurants. There is also a really cool light and water show set to music at the Pier which we saw a few times. We tried our luck at Caesar's, Bally's, Trump and Tropicana and had a lot of fun. It was nice for everyone to be on vacation together.

I'll post more pictures later. Here is a link to a few for now.

Fireworks!

2009-07-04T22:44:00.004-04:00

What a great firework show here in Sarasota! We were so close that it took Bill over an hour to clean up the debris that fell on sv Mary Elizabeth. It was a great night.

Happy Fourth of July!

2009-07-04T16:48:00.001-04:00

Hope everyone is having a happy 4th.

It is a beautiful day here in Sarasota. Mary Alice came down yesterday. She and I did a few errands and went food shopping while Bill dressed the boat in honor of the holiday. Doesn't Mary Elizabeth look so beautiful?!? Later the three of us tried a new restaurant on Main Street called Mosaic, which was delicious.

The marina is bus, and since we are on the (otherwise empty and quiet) transient dock, we have enjoyed watching the docking follies, etc. Everyone has decorated their boat with flags, etc. which is festive and nice.

We have had a lazy day of reading, watching golf, tennis, and the Red Sox, brunch, and laundry. Mary Alice and I walked up to Starbucks and got back a few minutes ago. We are looking forward to grilling out on the boat and watching the fireworks here in Sarasota tonight. They will be shot off from the park directly across from us. You can see from the picture below how close they will be! We plan on having a hose ready in case there are any stray embers....

Boat update

2009-07-02T14:33:00.000-04:00

The guys have been working furiously, and have made a lot of progress. We really are so thankful that they have been able to get so many things fixed in just a few weeks.

DONE - The windex and lightning deflector have been added to the top of the mast

DONE - The freezer is now fixed (so both fridge and freezer are operational)

DONE - The DVD player and stereo have been replaced

DONE - Masthead foredeck lights are working

DONE - The bow thruster has been fixed

DONE - The air conditioning in the aft cabin is working (yeah!)

DONE - Water maker is all fixed

DONE - LED lights on the bilge pump and windlass are working

These are the things that are still on the "to do" list.

Work in progress - LED lights on the main control panel

Work in progress - Single Side Band radio

Work in progress - VHF

Work in progress - Radar

Work in progress - AIS system

Work in progress - Tacometer / engine instruments

Work in progress - tank indicators

Slowly but surely!

David Burgess

2009-06-30T10:49:00.004-04:00

We flew back into Tampa late on Saturday night and spent the night at Mary Alice's house. On Sunday afternoon the three of us went to the Museum of Fine Arts to attend a Marly Music Series performance. We saw David Burgess play the guitar and it was amazing. He plays Brazilian guitar music, and we enjoyed the show so much we bought a CD.

Trip to DC

2009-06-29T01:48:00.006-04:00

We are back in Sarasota after five days in Washington DC seeing friends, going to (three) Red Sox games, and having a bunch of fun.

We flew out of Tampa on Tuesday direct into Washington National.... which is about 2 miles from the condo where we used to live in Alexandria.

(waterfront in Old Town Alexandria)

We stayed at Katie's house and finally met Jackson Hurley Vaca, who is now 3 months old and absolutely beautiful. He is a great baby and both Bill and I really enjoyed spending time with the newest edition to the Vaca family. He is one happy little boy. And of course we loved seeing Alex, who is almost 4 and is just the best.

So we got to DC on Tuesday afternoon and, after dropping our stuff off at Katies, met Mark at Nationals Park for the Red Sox vs. Nationals game. It was a lot of fun and there was a new attendance record set (thanks Boston!) The new stadium is truly awesome and we had a ton of fun all three nights. Our seats were on the first base line on Tuesday and the third base line Wednesday and Thursday nights. We went to all three games early to walk around and explore the new stadium and watch batting practice. We went with Mark and Fred on Tuesday, Mark and Sara on Wednesday. Katie, Rico, Alex, and Jackson went to the Thursday night game and Alex joined us for a bit. Thank you Sara and Mark for getting us tickets!!!!!!

(Loving the new ball park)

We really enjoyed ourselves in DC. In addition to the Red Sox games I enjoyed long walks with Katie around Old Town and Bill and I caught up with friends at Bugsys. We also did a tour of the new Capital Visitors Center, which was awesome. We went to the Library of Congress and explored a few DC neighborhoods around the new stadium. I met Sara for coffee at Foggy Bottom and went in to the State Department to see everyone one day. It was really nice to be there.

(Capital)

(Library of Congress)

And on Friday we spent the day in Annapolis and went to Amy and Juan's new house. After catching up with the Watsons we met Joe and Nancy at their new boat before dinner at Tsunami. We had such a nice night with our dear friends. The new boat is amazing, and at 11:00 pm when we looked at the clock and realized it was time to drive back to Alexandria, Bill and I just didn't want to leave! We both realized how much we love Back Creek and we are so happy for Joe and Nancy and their new boat. Hopefully we will be able to spend more time in Annapolis in the (near!) future.

(Flowers at the farmers market in Alexandria)

Saturday Katie, Alex, Jackson and I went to the Farmers Market in Alexandria early before we met the Sullivans. There were 11 of us for brunch and we had a blast. It was so great to see Fuzzy and Mary and their three amazingly beautiful children who have grown since the last time we saw them when they visited Mary Elizabeth in Annapolis 3+ years ago! Afterwards we went back to Katie and Rico's house so the kids could swim in the pool.

(Enjoying the pool)

Bill and I really had a great time in DC. The weather was beautiful. We are so thankful to be able to see our great friends; we loved seeing everyone and catching up. DC (ie Alexandria and Annapolis) simply feels like home to us.

Enough said.

Happy Fathers Day

2009-06-21T13:21:00.002-04:00

Happy Fathers Day to everyone. Hope you have a great day.

It is another sunny H-O-T day here in Sarasota. There is actually a heat warning. The heat index is at 100+ degrees. Needless to say, we are looking forward to a day spent on the boat down below watching the Red Sox and the Masters and enjoying a home cooked Sunday meal.

Enjoy the day.

2009-06-19T14:10:00.001-04:00

Well the boat repairs continue. They have fixed the generator, replaced a few batteries, fixed the stereo and DVD player, and have ordered lots of parts that they are waiting on before they can proceed with more repairs. We are happy and thankful for the progress. I have included a few pictures of some of the things that were fried when we were stuck. Amazing that nothing caught on fire.

Bill and I had a great week. Saturday night we went to a magic show here in Sarasota and Bill was picked to go on stage and participate. It was actually a really good show and we would go back. Sunday I went to a craft / jewelry / sidewalk sale at St. Armand's circle, which is a beautiful place. Wednesday we went to St. Petersburg and I went to the library while Bill golfed. We had a nice dinner with Mary Alice, Fred, and Monika Wednesday night. We have seen a few movies (there is a movie theater right here in downtown Sarasota) and have tried a few more new restaurants. Other than that, not a whole lot is going on. We leave Tuesday for Washington, DC and will go to St. Pete on Monday night to see Mary Alice and since we are flying out of Tampa.

2009-06-12T09:34:00.003-04:00

view of one of many parks in Sarasota from the bow of Mary Elizabeth

Well, it has been an exciting and busy week since we got struck by lightning. They have started work on the boat and so far have replaced a few batteries and fixed the generator. Ken, the guy who is coordinating all of the work said it will take a few months for everything to be back to normal. We are thankful that we are here in one place for the summer. Now we just have to decide whether to stay in Sarasota or to move to Bradenton where the mechanics are to cut down on labor costs (they are on the clock when they get to the shop so driving time will be billed to us). Since we have already paid for our slip here in Sarasota, it might be less expensive to stay where we are instead of paying for two slips. Either way, we know we'll go to Snead Island next week to have the boat hauled and inspected.

So besides boat maintenance and coordination of mechanics etc. we have been busy. On Wednesday we went to St. Petersburg for a few days. I volunteered at the library and then Bill, Mary Alice, and I went to dinner with Mary Alice's friends on Wednesday night. We had a really nice dinner and enjoyed meeting great people. We stayed in St. Pete until Thursday afternoon.

We have a marina friend -- a single dolphin who comes by every morning and afternoon. The dolphin has a mangled dorsal fin and surfaces every 45 seconds or so. He must have been hit by a boat. He is quite cute and friendly though and has come right up to the boat to check us out.

We are on the transient dock of the marina, which is nice because most of the time it is very quiet. We are the only liveaboards so have the place to ourselves.

It has been very, very hot (which we are still getting used to) and very, very muggy. I guess that is to be expected in Florida in June. Not looking forward to August.....

We are looking forward to our trip to DC that is coming up. Sara and Mark scored Red Sox vs. Nationals tickets, which we are excited for. And we'll finally get to meet baby Jack.

That's really about it. We have been keeping busy exploring Sarasota (including St. Armand's Circle, which is really neat). There is a farmers market and a crafts fair this weekend that I am looking forward to. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

the boat will continue to be torn up while they do the repairs

our slip at Marina Jack

Strike One

2009-06-05T13:12:00.005-04:00

I know that I said I was only going to post once a week....but we had to share.

At 6:15 this morning, we were struck by lightning in the slip here in Sarasota. It was a HUGE scary bang that startled me awake (Bill was already awake in bed). Bill noticed that the AC in our cabin was off -- and then quickly that EVERYTHING was off. No lights, no bilge, no head, no AC, no nothing. Then we smelled THE smell; something electrical. We immediately turned everything off (both AC and DC power) but we still weren't 100% sure what happened until we went topside and saw the windex shattered and lying on the dock. There is nothing left at the top of the mast at all!!! No anchor light, no VHF antenna, no stereo antenna, no windex. At least we won't have to sweat as much when we go under the fixed bridges.....

Bill and I immediately began assessing the damage. And it is extensive.

There is no rhyme or reason to what the lightning fried. The engine will start but there are no gauges (and the generator won't start at all.) The TV works but the DVD player doesn't. The freezer yes, refrigerator no. The radar/GPS unit works topside but not down below (which is bad since the 'brains' are down below.) The windlass works but the bow thruster doesn't (the windlass and the bow thruster share a battery and breaker.) The lightning also fried the circuit board on the water maker, the single side band radio, the satellite phone, the tank indicator, and the alternator.

It could have been worse. First and foremost, both of us are OK and there was no fire. We did have a lightning rod at the top of the mast which saved a few systems. The AC is working, which we are thankful for since it is 90 degrees today. And the computer thankfully isn't toast (it was charging overnight).

We had someone come and do a full evaluation / survey this morning and a claim is already in with the insurance company. We are very lucky that someone so capable and experienced was able to come out right away. He said that he handles about 6 boats a year that have been struck by lightning and he has seen worse. Oh, and did you know that Tampa Bay is the lightning capital of the world?

We will have to get the boat hauled next week at Snead Island (about 2 1/2 hours away via the ICW) since we don't know where the lightning actually exited the boat. It could have been through the prop shaft or a thru hull so we have to have the boat pulled to make sure. Bill will also go up the mast to inspect the shrouds and the spreaders in case the bolt exited somewhere up the mast.

So we'll keep you posted.

Settling in

2009-06-04T19:33:00.003-04:00

Well, in the few short days that we have been here, Bill and I have managed to do a lot! Cindy, Boyd, Bill and I explored a little of Sarasota on foot on Sunday and Monday. We ate at three really great restaurants.... There are literally more than a dozen restaurants within walking distance -- which is really nice. The Selby Library is also within walking distance. My grandmother volunteered at the Selby Library every winter when she and my grandfather were 'snowbirds' and lived in Sarasota. It is a fabulous library. Very crowded and fully staffed. The only downer was that I had to pay ($40!!!) for a library card since we aren't official residents of Florida. I think it will be worth it though. I checked out a bunch of cookbooks (since we are both want to eat at home more to be healthier and to save money [ironic since there are all these great restaurants around]). I also got a book on knitting since I am planning on joining a knitting circle that meets on Monday nights.

Cindy and Boyd took off on Tuesday and Bill and I did boat chores. On Tuesday Mary Alice came for a visit. The three of us went out for a fabulous birthday lunch and then drove back to St. Pete. We picked up the car and I also met with the Librarian at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Pete (which has a great Warhol exhibit right now that I am excited to see!) I will be volunteering there once a week while we are in Sarasota. It is a great library; bigger than I would have thought (20,000 holdings), and open to the public. One of the coolest things is that there are four women who come in every Tuesday and do book binding. What an amazing craft. I hope that I am able to meet them and get a lesson (or at least observe).

So now that we have a car, we have been exploring a little farther than the marina. I joined a gym that is about 15 minutes away. And I found the supermarket, Blockbuster, CVS, etc. -- all places we will use regularly while we are here for three months. Today we had a mechanic on board to flush the AC units. We had a mail shipment so we now have the replacement faucet for the galley (yeah!)

So these pictures are the views from Mary Elizabeth in her new home. We really are in a great spot. There are parks all around us and the marina is great. They even recycle.

On another note, we received this email (to our gmail account) and thought I would share. We don't know the sender, but she somehow found the blog and enjoyed the pictures. It's funny (and amazingly cool) how the blog has reached many people. Another example -- Bill recently received an email from a friend of his sisters who somehow found our site. Awesome!

Thanks so much for posting the pictures of the regatta. We live in Tennessee and could not get to Key West for the big event, so we appreciate the pictures and info that have been posted on the web. The 10-yr old Batman is our grandson and The Joker is our son-in-law. It was a fun experience for them and a treat for us to see the pictures and info. Thanks! Grammy and Grampa in Knoxville

Lastly, since we are going to be in Sarasota for the next three months (and not necessarily cruising, which is what this blog was originally supposed to be about) I think that will do just one big blog entry once a week.

Trip to Sarasota

2009-05-31T20:55:00.006-04:00

Sunset Saturday night

Yes, I sound like a broken record.....but....we decided to stay in Key West until Saturday. Cindy called and offered to help us take the boat straight from Key West to Sarasota. She took an 8+ hour bus trip down to Key West Friday afternoon. Friday night we met up with Doug and Chuck and had an early night.

Saturday we checked out of the marina (again!) and were off the dock around 7:45. We originally thought that it would be a 30 hour trip, but once we were on the water, Bill did a few more calculations and we realized we would be into Sarasota by early morning.

It was a perfect trip. The weather was great (a few showers and thunderstorms that we avoided), the wind was OK (we sailed most of Saturday afternoon before succumbing to the engine) the seas calm (beamy, but not bad). It was a stunning sunset and an even prettier moon set. Before the moon went down, the Gulf of Mexico was illuminated by the stars and orangey moon.

Bill did the 9 pm - 12 am watch, Cindy and I did 12 to 3, Bill did 3-6 and we did 6-around 8, which is when we got close enough to the cut to get into Sarasota that we needed to get Bill up. Both the marina and Sea Tow told us that - yes, the channel was recently dredged, but no, there are no markers; use the sun. And sure enough, it was sunny enough to see the shallow spots. We had two bridges to get under a bascule and a fixed 65 footer. We haven't had to deal with fixed bridges in awhile, and held our breath the whole time.

Sunrise Sunday morning

Despite living on a boat and traveling for more than a year, this was actually my first overnight trip. It was really nice to have Cindy there so I could sit with and learn from her during the watches. It was a good experience, and I do feel comfortable enough so that Bill and I could do an overnight by ourselves (although the more the merrier!) The water at night was beautiful; for me it was such a different experience being out there 'alone' (more or less) with the moon, the stars, and the flying fish.

All in all, it was about a 26 hour trip.

So now we are in Sarasota in our 'new home' where we will be for the next three months. We are in a great slip on the perfect dock and are happy to be here.

Sunday afternoon Boyd drove from Boyton and we all went to dinner and are calling it an early night. Everyone is wiped from the trip and lack of serious sleep.

Cindy getting ready to dock

More pictures of the trip

Vandenberg Sinking!

2009-05-28T08:05:00.009-04:00

OK.... so we are STILL in Key West....

Late Tuesday night we got a call from Chuck asking if we wanted to stick around one more day to see the sinking of the Vandenberg. Bill and I were fortunate enough to be invited out on Brian's boat with Chuck, Patty, Doug, Dillon, and George. And we are so glad we stayed!!! It was incredible.

The sinking happened around 10:20. The Vandenberg is a 522 foot decommissioned warship that was sunk in the Gulf of Mexico in order to make an artificial reef. The ship sank in less than 2 minutes.... it was actually quite amazing. There were a ton of news helicopters and hundreds of boats anchored to watch the sinking. We were less than a mile away so we had a great view.

There is a great article on CNN.com on the sinking. Check it out! Here are a few more articles from the Associated Press, and Reuters. The video below is from CNN.

After the sinking, we watched the mass exodus of boats and decided to stay anchored, hang out, and just enjoy the beautiful weather.

This morning Bill and I were up at 5:45 ready to depart. Unfortunately the wind is out of the SE at 10-15 knots -- pushing us onto the rocks. There is a small gap between the breakwater and another docked boat, which we didn't feel comfortable navigating. Since we have about a 13 hour day ahead of us, we had to leave by 6:30-7:00 am at the latest in order to get to Marco Island before it gets too dark (we decided to stop in Marco Island on our way to Sarasota instead of doing it in one shot). So Bill made the executive decision to stay for another day. Later today when the wind dies down a little we will move slips so tomorrow morning we can leave early without any problems. I think Key West is trying to tell us something.... she just doesn't want us to leave. We both really like it here and I am sure that we'll be back sooner rather than later!

Here is a link to all of our pictures from the sinking.

travel tips from real simple

2009-05-27T08:38:00.005-04:00

Last night I was reading the latest issue of Real Simple magazine and enjoyed a travel article titled "10 Things Every Traveler Should Do" by Pico Iyer. I am including a link to the short article because after traveling for over a year I agree that (most of) the ten things are great tips when traveling and wanting to get a true feel for the place you are visiting. Here are a few examples:

Savor every moment from the first few hours..... I can honestly say that our first day in a new place is my favorite. We always seem to see and do more and are the most excited. It sort of sets the tone for the next few days. For example, when we went to Savannah, neither Bill nor I had any idea that it would be the absolutely fabulous city that it is. We were so impressed with the beautiful parks, the small city vibe, the energy around the holidays, etc. that we decided to stay an extra day (which isn't unusual for us as you know, but that time we stayed because we wanted to see and do more of the sites instead of staying because we had chores or weather.)

Embrace the prospect of being a tourist..... Sometimes Bill and I try to fit in and "act like locals." Other times, such as in Key West, everyone is a tourist and we have allowed ourselves to do "touristy" things -- like take an airplane tour of the island and visit Sloppy Joes for expensive drinks just because it is Sloppy Joes. Even after living in Boston for so many years I regret that I never acted like a tourist and always skipped the Duck Tours. Maybe this summer...

Read the daily newspaper.... Reading the local newspaper really gives us an idea of what the place we are visiting has to offer. It gives us a chance to find out about local events and ideas on what to do while we are visiting.

Leaving Key West

2009-05-26T23:02:00.000-04:00

Our plan is to leave Key West early tomorrow morning (around 6:30) and head for Marco Island. We turned the boat around today in the slip with the help of the marina so we are all set to go in the morning. We have had a great time here and have enjoyed every minute of the sites, sounds, and people of beautiful Key West.

Minimal Regatta

2009-05-26T12:05:00.006-04:00

On Sunday afternoon Bill and I went to the Minimal Regatta held in front of the Schooner Wharf Bar in Key West. It was absolutely hilarious to see 47 boats race around 5 buoys. Each boat was handmade and was built out of one sheet of plywood, two 2x4s, fasteners, and one roll of duct tape. Some of the boats were incredible, others not so much. There were thousands of people there and we had a really great time. Several of the boats sank, most were cleverly painted/decorated. I think my favorite was the 10 year old who won his heat in a batman boat and costume. We took a ton of pictures.....

The was a lot press was there.... here are some links to Reuters, KeysNet, Fox,

Flying

2009-05-25T22:21:00.003-04:00

On Saturday Bill and I went for a 45 minute flight around Key West and the islands and reefs southwest of Key West in a Waco biplane. It was incredible. Neither Bill nor I had ever been in a biplane before. It is a strange feeling; you feel very 'exposed' with the wind blowing in your face. It was an amazing ride. Seeing the water from above was fantastic. The colors were so rich, the reef just awesome. We even flew over the marina. If you look closely you can see Mary Elizabeth next to the breakwater. Very, very cool. Afterwards we went to Sloppy Joe's for a cocktail and then had dinner on the boat.

To see all of the pictures from our flight, click here.

Sticking around

2009-05-21T14:25:00.002-04:00

Bill and I have decided to stay in Key West until the low pressure system does something! We still haven't decided whether we are going to go straight from Key West to Sarasota (about 36 hours) or hopscotch our way up the West Coast. The other issue is that we aren't sure how we are going to get out of our slip. It's hard to explain, but we are on an outside slip next to the breakwater. So Bill will either have to back the boat out of the slip about 150 yards into the fairway, or we'll have to turn the boat around in the slip using lines and the bow thruster with the help of the dock hands. You can see from the picture below how tight of a squeeze it will be, especially since other boats are docked in the outside breakwater slips.

Either way, we aren't worried about it now since we'll be here for another few days at least. And since it is Memorial Day weekend, I am sure that Key West will be especially fun/crazy/crowded.

2009-05-18T23:15:00.004-04:00

We continue to have fun in Key West. The weather has been mostly rain off and on with lots of wind, which of course we aren't complaining about! Bill and I met up with some of Cindy and Boyd's friends who live in Key West. Great people! We now know where to go for the best happy hour. Last night Bill participated in their Texas Hold'em tournament and had a good time.

Today I went to the Key West Museum of Art and History. There were lots of exhibits on the maritime history of Key West as well as famous people who called Key West home -- Hemingway, folk artist Mario Sanchez, shipbuilders, etc. Not bad.

There were two cruise ships in port today so the streets were crazy. All cruise ships have to depart by sunset since the cruise ship dock is also Mallory Square, where all of the street performers are. Bill and I went to Mallory Square on Saturday night and saw a few good shows (jugglers, fire breathers, etc.)

Tonight we tried a sushi restaurant and just missed the downpour on the way back to the boat. There is something so cozy about being on the boat when it rains. And the lightning is spectacular.

We have plans to go diving (Bill) and snorkeling (me) tomorrow so we are hoping the rain holds off until the late afternoon. Should be fun. There are several reefs around Key West.

We have plans to leave for Sarasota on Thursday. We are not sure if we are going to do one straight shot (about 36 hours) or if we'll hopscotch. We are in no rush; our contract doesn't start in Sarasota until June 1 anyway.

The air card came in the mail and Bill dealt with the installation "set backs" with the brilliant people from AT&T so we are now up and running with Internet again. Yeah! In the meantime, I dropped my phone and it shattered into a million little pieces. That too is now fixed. And we ordered another faucet which we (aka Bill) will install when we get a mail shipment (probably in Sarasota). Life is good.

Still... in... Key... West

2009-05-13T15:17:00.002-04:00

Bill and I have been having a great time here. We rented scooters for a few days and were able to see the whole island (which isn't very big....) Bill has been to Key West more than a dozen times starting when he was in college up through his days in the Air Force. The Air Force and Navy would have air fights at Boca Chica and they would stay here in Key West at the Truman Navy Annex. So... Bill knows all the sites, restaurants, and beaches. Mary Alice has also given us good tips on restaurants to get to.

We visited Fort Taylor and a few beaches on the scooter. It has been really, really hot during the days.

One of my favorite things about Key West, which I think is different from anywhere else we have visited, is that there is live music all the time in almost every bar or restaurant. This would be a great place for a musician. We have enjoyed listening to all types of music from locals and visitors alike.

We have decided to stay another week in Key West. Our contract in Sarasota doesn't start until June 1st and we are in no immediate rush to get to the West Coast (which we estimate will take about 4 days if we take our time and stop in Marco Island, etc.)

Our internet connection, or rather our air card that gives us an internet connection via AT&T is broken (again!!!!). Bill dealt with the AT&T folks this morning and they will send a new one to the marina here. In the meantime, we are using Bad Ass Coffee for their internet connection (and great coffee). Other "broken" issues include our faucet for the kitchen sink. I was doing dishes last night after dinner and the nozzle basically sheared off. Not sure how we are going to handle that one at the moment....

Hemingway House

2009-05-11T10:13:00.001-04:00

Here are a few pictures of the Hemingway House and other sites that we saw this weekend. Yesterday Bill and I rented a scooter so we will be able to see parts of Key West that we can't easily walk to. We rented it fairly late in the day, drove around to a few beaches, and then went over to the Navy Annex.

It was a lot of fun and we look forward to exploring more today.

We had dinner on board last night and watched the Sox. What a great series against the Rays. We did find the "Southernmost Red Sox Nation" bar where we watched the Saturday game with fellow Sox fans!

Beautiful sunset

2009-05-09T10:28:00.001-04:00

Going.....

Going....

Gone!

Sites of Key West

2009-05-08T14:10:00.002-04:00

Bill and I had fun exploring more of Key West yesterday. We went to Sloppy Joe's for lunch and to listen to the bands (they have live music all day and night). We then walked all of Duval Street and saw the "Southernmost point in the United States." After we headed to Mallory Square and had an afternoon cocktail before the shows at sunset started. We caught the end of the Red Sox game and then headed back to Sloppy Joes for more music and dancing. It was a fun day.

Key West

2009-05-07T13:14:00.001-04:00

Bill and I left Marathon around 8:30 yesterday morning and arrived in beautiful Key West at 3:30 or so. We are staying at Galleon Marina, literally right downtown. Unfortunately, they did not have a record of our reservation when we arrived. They did have a spot for us but we were told that we might be able to stay only one night (we were planning on staying for at least a week!) They would know more in the morning.

Bill and I didn't waste any time. We left the boat and walked to Duval Street, had a drink at the famous Sloppy Joes, and then headed over to Mallory Pier for the sunset and shows. The above picture is me actually participating in one of the juggling / magic shows. Ha! We are going to have a great time here!!!!!

This morning we were told that we had to move slips but that we can stay for the week. So we are now in our 'new home' and everything is all set. We have met several cruisers (many on Island Packets) that have made Key West their 'final destination' for the summer instead of the Bahamas as they too originally thought. I guess our decision to skip the Bahamas was a common one this year. So we are happy to be here; sort of the culmination of our winter. And it couldn't be nicer weather, company, sites, etc.

I am sure that there will be many a posts with lots of pictures this week, so stay tuned!

Back in Marathon

2009-05-04T20:01:00.001-04:00

We made it back to Marathon in time for the sunset. There is a banjo player / singer at the bar next door. You can see just how close we are from the picture above, which was taken from our cockpit.

St. Pete

2009-05-04T19:59:00.001-04:00

Had a great time in St. Pete. We drove up from Marathon on Thursday afternoon. It took about 6 hours and we made it in time for the first of four Red Sox games that we saw at Tropicana stadium over the weekend. The Sox lost the series (they won Saturday night, lost on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday) but we had a great time. Tropicana stadium is a really nice ballpark -- and Mary Alice lives literally 7 minutes away (with traffic!), which was a bonus.

Naturally Mary Alice is a Rays fan. As are her friends. There is a friendly rivalry going on. Bill had noticed that each time he went for a cigarette, one of the Rays would score a home run. Mary Alice passed this story along to a friend and neighbor Mr. Bell -- who is a Rays fan. The next night as we were leaving Mary Alice's house for the game, there was a package for Bill at the gate. It was a pack of cigarettes and a note from Mr. Bell saying "...Please accept these cigarettes and feel free to go out OFTEN tonight so we can continue our scoring...." TOO FUNNY. Bill, Mary Alice and I got a good chuckle.

So our weekend was FULL of baseball, eating, a few games of Skip-Bo. Bill and I walked around downtown St. Pete on Saturday and saw lots of old buggies at a Volkswagen convention -- there is always something going on in St. Pete!!!

After three of the four games, we went to the Vinoy (the hotel next door to Bill's mom's house and where the Red Sox were staying) to see if we could catch the team returning to the hotel. I guess they went in the back way since we never saw them. There were a ton of Red Sox fans in St. Pete though.

The other really cool thing is that Mary Alice gave us memberships to the Museum of Fine Arts in downtown St. Pete, which we will certainly make good use of this summer. We'll be in the Sarasota/St. Pete area in about a month for at least a few months.

Marathon, Florida

2009-04-29T18:48:00.002-04:00

We left Key Largo at 7:45 this morning. It was a beautiful day all day; sunny, breezy, perfect.

Bill and I arrived in Marathon, Florida on Vaca Key around 5:30. Yes, it was a long day. We traveled around 70 miles.

We are staying at Sombrero Dockside Marina between a beautiful houseboat and the restaurant/bar. As I am typing we are watching the sunset and listening to the live blues music next door.

Today we saw a few shallow spots (6.2 feet) lots of wind (20+ knots) and dolphins (finally!)

(Three dolphins following us at Boot Key!

Boat is all fixed

2009-04-29T18:39:00.001-04:00

Well, Mary Elizabeth is in tip-top shape again. The mechanic came on Monday morning and spent most of the afternoon troubleshooting. Turns out that the ground for the bow thruster was loose. When Bill tried to use the bow thruster it caused a fuse in the charging system to blow, which was keeping us from charging the batteries with the alternator. We are very thankful that someone at Ocean Reef was able to come on short notice and give us a hand.

Tuesday Bill played another round of golf at Ocean Reef, which turned out to be one the best courses he has played in a very long time. I spent the day walking around Ocean Reef and eventually ended up at the pool. Tuesday night Dave and Molly were back in Key Largo and we were able to see them and go to dinner one last time before they head north and we continue south.

Ocean Reef

2009-04-27T10:22:00.001-04:00

We have had a great week here at Ocean Reef in Key Largo. There have been days at the pool, golf cart rides, Red Sox, poker, Skip-bo and Go Fish games, golf, and food, food, food. All of the Taylors left yesterday afternoon for Ft. Lauderdale after Bill and Todd played a round of golf.

Last night Bill and I stayed on the boat and had pizza and watched the amazing Red Sox sweep the Yankees.

Molly and her sister-in-laws put on a huge spread every night at the house, which was a lot of fun. It has been so nice to be around a big group of really great people. Thank you Molly and Dave for sharing your family with us!!!

This morning we are expecting a mechanic who will work on the alternator. After troubleshooting with Dave, Jason, and the IP folks, Bill figures that the bow thruster problem is really a result of the alternator problem (not enough juice) so hopefully Mary Elizabeth will be in tip top shape soon. We are going to rent a car and drive to St. Petersburg on Wednesday or Thursday for the Rays vs. Red Sox series with Mary Alice.

Blues and Greens

2009-04-23T10:31:00.001-04:00

Bill and I left Miami around 11:00 on Wednesday in order to arrive in Key Largo at high tide. As we were taking the lines off and leaving the dock, Bill realized that the bow thruster wasn't working. Another blown fuse?

About 10 minutes after we left the dock, Bill also noticed that the "charge" light was on on the engine console. There were -18 amps going into the batteries -- meaning that the alternator was not working. Since we only had a four hour trip, it wasn't a big deal; the batteries would stay charged enough until we got to the dock and could plug into shore power.

While we were underway, Bill brainstormed about the alternator and changed the fuse out on the bow thruster, but it still didn't work. He thinks that maybe there is something stuck since we sat at the dock in Ft. Lauderdale for so long and there was a lot of growth.

Despite our few issues, it was such a beautiful day on the water. The colors were amazing. The ocean would change from navy to light blue to almost neon green within seconds. In parts it looked like the water was polka dotted.

Molly and her brother-in-law met us at the dock at Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo around 4:00. Bill docked the boat bow-to since we are without a bow thruster at the moment. We had a perfect lasagna dinner with Dave, Molly, Dave's sister and her family, and Dave's brother and his family all of whom are visiting.

Today we washed the boat and then went for lunch at the pool side restaurant here at Ocean Reef. Bill is about to start on more troubleshooting.

Leaving Miami

2009-04-21T13:11:00.001-04:00

The sights, sounds, and amazing colors of Miami have been fabulous. Neither Bill nor I realized how BIG Miami is -- not just in population numbers, but in area. Miami is spread out and there are actually several sky lines. We took a cab from South Beach to downtown Miami and drove through the city. There are honestly more sky scrapers than Boston. It is a great place to visit and we are glad we have had a few extra days here.

We are off to Key Largo to see Dave and Molly in about a half an hour. There is very little wind but it is sunny and hot.

Miami Seaquarium

2009-04-21T13:03:00.001-04:00

Bill and I are still in Miami. We decided to stay here in South Beach until Wednesday, which is when we will leave for Key Largo to see Dave and Molly. Yesterday Bill and I went to the Miami Seaquarium in downtown Miami. It was a beautiful day to walk around and see several shows -- including a Killer Whale show!

Today we are doing boat projects (cleaning sumps and strainers, troubleshooting the AC, etc.) and doing laundry. We met a liveaboard couple on a blue hulled IP last night at Monteys, the marina restaurant where Bill has feasted on oysters and crab claws almost every night we have been here!

Botanical Gardens

2009-04-18T16:07:00.001-04:00

Here are some pictures of the botanical gardens in Miami, which I visited today. Bill and I continue to have a great time here. The weather has been very nice -- and hot. We are looking forward to having dinner and experiencing some of the night life tonight.

South Beach

2009-04-16T22:33:00.002-04:00

South Beach is great. Yesterday Bill and I walked around for about two hours. We walked through a newly opened park along the beach down to Ocean Drive, which wasn't 'happening' yet in the afternoon. Ocean Drive is lined with lots of old hotels, restaurants, cafes, and lots of people walking around. We walked through beautiful neighborhoods and Espanola Way before ending back at the marina for oysters and fish tacos. We'll be in Miami until Sunday morning, when we will head for Key Largo to see Dave and Molly.

Hello Miami!

2009-04-16T14:54:00.001-04:00

Well, we finally left the dock at Ft. Lauderdale (after three months!) and started to cruise again. First destination - Miami. OK, so we had an easy three hour trip -- but neither of us have been here before and we are looking forward to finding a cafe and people watching! The weather is beautiful and hot. We are staying at Miami Beach Marina in South Beach, which several people told us is rolly (so far so good for us though). We decided to stay here since we are only about two blocks from Ocean Drive.

Goodbye Ft. Lauderdale

2009-04-16T14:50:00.001-04:00

Leaving Hall of Fame Marina

View of downtown Ft. Lauderdale

The 17th Street Bridge opening. We met the bridge tender Ron a few days ago. He is a fellow Bostonian who moved to FL a few years ago.

Last glimpse of Ft. Lauderdale beach.

Last pictures from Ft. Lauderdale....

2009-04-14T20:10:00.000-04:00

The last week and a half....

2009-04-14T12:04:00.004-04:00

Well, the last week and a half has been full of interesting tidbits for us here in Ft. Lauderdale.

The good news is that both Bill and I have finally received our Florida drivers licenses, which means we are officially Floridians. Yeah!

We had a lovely Easter in St. Petersburg with Bill's mom. Mary Alice cooked a delicious Easter roast, potatoes, and green beans and we feasted. There were a few games of Skip-bo as well as a movie for Mary Alice and me (while Bill watched the Masters) and lunches in beautiful downtown St. Petersburg.

Saturday night Bill and I celebrated our anniversary at Berns Steakhouse in Tampa. It was one of the most fun experiences we have had at a restaurant. We had a delicious dinner and then had a tour of the kitchen and wine cellar. Afterwards we went to a separate area and had dessert and coffee. We had reservations at 7:30 and didn't get home until 11:00! It was quite the experience.

Bill and I drove back to Ft. Lauderdale on Monday afternoon in a rental car. We left our car in St. Petersburg (thank you Mary Alice!) so it will be there in June and we don't have to worry about it while we cruise the Keys for the next few weeks.

On Friday on the way to St. Petersburg Bill and I stopped in Sarasota for a few hours to check out a marina. As we wrote before, we looked at 9 marinas in the St. Pete area but didn't find anything that we really loved. Since we are going to be on the West Coast of Florida for at least the whole summer, we really wanted to find somewhere that was close to everything and had the facilities that we have grown used to (pump out, laundry, secure marina, etc.) Well, we found that and more at Marina Jacks in downtown Sarasota. We are excited about our new "home" and look forward to arriving sometime in June. Sarasota is about 45-50 minutes from St. Pete so we will be making plenty of visits to see and stay with Mary Alice.

Last week we were woken up by someone banging on the boat telling us our car had been vandalized. We went up to the parking lot to find the passenger side window of our car smashed. The police had already been and filed a report. Apparently someone smashed the windows of five cars in the parking lot in the early hours of the morning. The vandals took only what was in the glove compartment -- the registration, proof of insurance, car manual, and our AAA membership. We are very lucky in the sense that they did not take Bill's golf clubs, which were in the back seat!!! We called the glass company and they fixed the window that afternoon.

Bill played golf last week with a few buddies and shot an 87, which he was very excited about. I went to the beach for a few hours. We also saw Amy and Juan for dinner last week, which is always fun. And of course we now have the Red Sox to keep us busy at night. We signed up for the MLB package again so we can watch all the games on the computer. We are still loving the Mac.

So today we provisioned and are ready to leave for Miami tomorrow morning. We will spend a few days in Miami and then head to Key Largo, Marathon, Key West (and points in between) before heading up to the West Coast of Florida.

We know we haven't been good about keeping up the blog (sorry!) and promise to be better about posting pictures and keeping everyone up to date with our travels.

Hope everyone had a great Easter!

2009-04-03T11:41:00.002-04:00

This week Bill and I broke down and got a new computer. And this time around.... we got a MacBook Pro!! We love it and it is surprisingly easy to work on a Mac after years and years of a PC. The three very cool things about our new computer are: it has an 8 hour battery life (no more cords, no more turning on the inverter to get a charge for the computer), it has an anti glare screen (I can even sit in the sun topside and use it) and lastly, there is this really cool application called Garage Band where Bill can practice and learn the guitar.

I love this picture of Bill transferring all of our pictures and documents from the other two computers we had to the new MacBook.

The marina is starting to slowly but steadily empty. Most people either go back to their home states or travel on the boat somewhere other than Florida for the summers -- too hot. The weather here in Lauderdale has been in the high 80s, which is about as hot as it ever gets in Boston and it is only April!

Visitors

2009-03-25T10:05:00.004-04:00

Bill and I have had the pleasure of having my father and sister here in Ft. Lauderdale for a few days. We had a great time golfing (Bill and my father) going to the beach (Andrea and me), visiting the casino (both my father and Andrea hit jackpots on the slots!) and going to Oviedo, FL (near Orlando) to visit my uncle and his family. Here are some pictures of the visit.

Andrea relaxing with my uncle's dog.

Andrea, Juan, Bill, my father, Ken, and me at dinner out on the town.

My father and uncle with their two dogs.

Andrea, my father, uncle, aunt, cousin, Bill and I had a delicious dinner in Oviedo.

Dad cooking a sauce on the boat!!!!

My father flew home on Monday, Andrea on Tuesday. Bill left Tuesday for Lake Wales with Dave so I have the boat to myself for a few days.

To see the rest of the pictures from the visit, click here.

Red Sox!

2009-03-16T08:03:00.002-04:00

On Saturday Bill and I went to the Red Sox game in Ft. Lauderdale. They were playing Baltimore, who use Lauderdale as their Spring Training facility. We went plenty early so we were able to see batting practice. Unfortunately none of the Red Sox starters were in the game. It was h-o-t in the sun in the bleacher seats. We ended up staying for seven innings. On Saturday night we went out to the beach and had happy hour etc. with our boat neighbor Ken.

Sunday was an errand day; Laundromat, grocery shopping, etc. Bill did a few boat projects and then cooked a delicious dinner!

We had a great weekend!

Traffic

2009-03-15T20:04:00.003-04:00

The traffic in Ft. Lauderdale is horrendous -- especially these past few weeks with spring breakers. We have learned (after this past Sunday when it took me 45 minutes to go about 2 miles!) that we should just never get in the car on Sundays - period. Sundays are especially crowded on the beach. And since the weather has been so perfect (80s, sunny, a little wind) it is even more packed. It's funny that we have been here so long that we have experienced a change in the city - more vacationers and "snow birders" on the beach and walking around, more people at restaurants, the supermarket, Starbucks. And traffic, traffic, traffic!

Bill up the mast

2009-03-14T08:52:00.000-04:00

On Friday afternoon Bill went up the mast to hang a new halyard for the birgees, reattach the thing that acts as a grounder in case we get struck by lightning (which was knocked off when we went under a bridge in the ICW), and inspect the spreaders. Our boat neighbor Ken helped, and I now feel confident hauling Bill up myself.

Visit to DC

2009-03-13T16:07:00.002-04:00

I had a great, great time in DC. Katie was due with baby number two on Friday the 6th and I flew in on Saturday morning. We had a really nice five days hanging out and waiting for Jackson Hurley Vaca to arrive. But he didn't.... not until 6 days after his due date! He was born Thursday night a little after 9:00 pm. Mother and baby are both doing great. And Alex is now a big brother! Unfortunately, I was already back in Ft. Lauderdale (I flew out of DC Thursday morning) but I will be going back up in a few weeks to help out and meet the new Vaca.

It was nice to be back in DC. The weather was perfect and Katie and I enjoyed long walks and lots of shopping and coffee drinking. Here are a few pictures of the visit.

Bill and I have been doing boat chores today. The weather in Ft. Lauderdale continues to be warm - low 80s! We are getting ready for my father and my sister Andrea's visit next week.

Annapolis Landing Marina

2009-03-06T11:42:00.003-05:00

Annapolis Landing Marina is also doing some major renovations this winter. Nancy passed along this link so we can keep up with the progress.

http://www.marinawindow.blogspot.com/

The video in the post entitled "Game" is of them ripping out the finger pier between the slips where we and Joe and Nancy kept our boats for several seasons. Wow. Thanks Nance!

Marina activities

2009-03-06T11:25:00.002-05:00

We have had a week full of marina activities. Last night the marina sponsored a happy hour and appetizers gathering at a nearby restaurant. It was nice to meet and chat with some of the people who have been here all winter and hear their stories. We are the newest addition to Hall of Fame. Most people bring (or leave) their boats here each year and have for a long time.

Monday night we had our boat neighbor over for dinner. Again it was nice to get to know the people who live right next door to us. And in a marina we all spend a lot of time in close proximity.

Tuesday night we went to a local restaurant with another boat neighbor. We had a great meal and conversation. Today Bill and I are going to do a few errands. I have to pack and get ready for DC. I leave tomorrow to visit Katie and help out with the new baby who is expected today!

We have been playing a lot with our new Kindle, which came in the mail when we were in St. Pete. I also think that I have my taxes figured out with the help of Fran at the State Department. I never received my W2s but she put me in touch with the right people so a duplicate can be sent to our FL address. With Cindy's help we figured out that it makes the most sense to become Florida residents. Our car is registered here, we will be here for the next year at least (off an on anyway), we are exempt from the boat tax since we bought the boat in MD over two years ago, etc. And FL has no state income tax.

On another note, Bill and I hope that Beeb feels better very soon.

These pictures are all of our visit to St. Pete last weekend.

St. Pete

2009-03-02T11:05:00.006-05:00

We had a fabulous weekend in St. Pete. On Friday Bill and I started our search for where we will stay this summer. We visited two marinas - St. Pete Municipal Marina and the Harborage Marina. Both had advantages and disadvantages. On Saturday we visited seven more marinas in Tierra Verde, Gulfport, Snell Island, Treasure Island -- all places within 1/2 an hour from Mary Alice. Most of the places either didn't have room for us or weren't exactly what we are looking for. We want a marina that has a pumpout at the slip, a secure gate, laundry, parking, close to 'things', etc. It looks like we will end up at St. Pete Municipal -- which is right downtown and within walking distance of everything - including Mary Alice! It is fairly cheap and has everything that we are looking for. The only 'minuses' are that we would have to pay for a 65 foot slip since there is a 50 (yes 5-0!!) month wait for slips for our size boat and we have heard that when there is any sort of a NE wind the boats rock and roll in the slip. We might look at other marinas in Tampa when we go back although St. Pete is really where we want to be. St. Pete is great because there is always something going on. It is a city but not too big. There are amazing cafes and restaurants. Lots of beautiful parks. Museums. Culture. We both really look forward to living there!

(Our potential "new home" at the Muncipal Marina in St. Pete)

Friday the three of us went to the movies and saw Milk, which was great. We got takeout and played Skip-Bo.

In the morning Mary Alice and I went to the Saturday Market. If we live at the Municipal marina I will definitely be doing some grocery shopping there! There were fresh farm grown vegetables of every kind, local bakeries selling breads and pastries, artisans, etc. Mary Alice and I bought fresh strawberries and flavored pasta. There was a stand that sold at least 50 different types of pasta and orzo. We bought lemon garlic, tomato herb, and garlic and herb flavors. Each comes with a recipe. We stayed on the conservative side to try things out but they did sell some outrageous flavors such as lime, chocolate, and berry.

Saturday night we were invited to Fred and Monika's beach house in St. Pete beach. What a beautiful place! After the five of us went to dinner.

Bill and I drove home on Sunday afternoon. It wasn't a bad ride; it took about 4 1/2 hours.

Today, Monday, we are going to try to go to another Red Sox game here in Ft. Lauderdale. Baltimore has Spring Training here in the city and they are playing Boston today! A cold front moved through last night so it is chilly.

Road Trip to Ft. Myers and St. Petersburg

2009-02-27T11:41:00.006-05:00

On Thursday morning Bill and I left Ft. Lauderdale and took our first "road trip" in the new car -- destination FT. MYERS. We saw the opening Red Sox Spring Training game against the Pirates. The field at Ft. Myers is great - small and not a bad seat in the house (even the bleacher seats and they didn't cost an arm and a leg like they do at Fenway.) It was a sold out game - lots of people visiting from New England. The Red Sox lost, but we got to see Ortiz, Pedroia, Lester, and the other Red Sox stars.

Ft. Myer is about 4 hours from Ft. Lauderdale and only two hours from St. Petersburg. So after the game we kept driving north to see Bill's mom. The weather in St. Pete is amazing - it is sunny and much cooler than Ft. Lauderdale. We are going to stay for the weekend and drive back on Sunday.

2009-02-25T10:42:00.002-05:00

We had a very nice weekend with Cindy and Boyd. They came over on Saturday afternoon and the four of us enjoyed the sunshine and hung out, then had an early dinner. We had every intention on going sailing on Sunday but there was absolutely no wind, so we stayed at the dock.

Bill was supposed to go to DC for a follow up doctors appointment on Monday but US Airways overbooked the flight so he got bumped until Tuesday. Since his appointment was supposed to be first thing in the morning and by the time he was bumped from the Monday flight the office was closed, he went to the airport Tuesday and called to get an appointment later in the day. The doctors office looked up his records and told him he doesn't have to be back for six months -- the complete opposite of what they told him two weeks ago!! So - he didn't end up getting on the flight afterall. Very frustrating.

Tuesday Bill and I made a decision. We are in Lauderdale for another few weeks at least. We are planning on spending the summer in St. Petersburg, FL. So... yesterday we went to CarMax and got a boat car! It is a 2002 Ford Escape - perfect for grocery shopping and doing errands. On the way home we thought about all the things we can do with a car; eat Taco Bell, explore some of the neighborhoods around Ft. Lauderdale, visit Miami, go and see Bill's mom in St. Pete (which we are doing Thursday), go grocery shopping without having to take a cab, pick Andrea up at the airport (she is visiting later this month!), go to Target, visit the Boggesses in Boyton and the Taylors in Largo.... We are very happy.

Grocery shopping!

2009-02-23T06:45:00.002-05:00

For our boater friends, this post might be boring; duh! of course we all go food shopping! To all of our non-boater friends, hopefully you'll find this interesting.

So.... what do we do about grocery shopping? Well usually we can find a supermarket relatively nearby. If we walk, I bring our big boat bags and try to stick to things that aren't too heavy. Here in Ft. Lauderdale there is a great Publix about 3 miles away. I usually take a cab and, depending on how long I know I am going to be, the driver either waits with the meter running or I call another cab when I am done. We use dock carts to get the groceries down to the boat. Hall of Fame is great because there are always dock carts available (which we have found isn't the case at a lot of marinas.)

Bill and I get the groceries where they need to be in a few steps. First we get all the bags in the cockpit.

Then Bill passes them to me down the companionway and I get them down below. And we begin the fun task of putting everything away...... Our fridge and freezer are top loading since when we are sailing and heeled over the doors could open otherwise. So our countertop doubles as the top of our fridge / freezer. We use bins inside the fridge to keep things organized and so we don't have to dig and dig to find things. It works for us - although it is a pain when that green pepper I am looking for is way in the bottom bin and I have to empty everything out to retrieve it....

We have a very small pantry that holds the few dry goods that we use regularly. Everything else goes behind the couch. The IP485 has storage in places you wouldn't believe..... We use behind the port side settee for snacks, canned goods, rice, cooking stuff, etc.

A little different from living on land, but all in all - not too bad! The key is to stay organized and always put things in the same place.

Other cool sites

2009-02-21T09:35:00.000-05:00

Here are some sailing blogs that Bill and I sometimes read. Check them out if you get a chance!

http://svthaleia.blogspot.com/ We met sv Thaleia when we were in Daytona Beach. They are currently in the Bahamas.

http://bristolrose.blogspot.com/ Bristol Rose is also in the Bahamas

http://www.splendido57.com/Splendido/Welcome.html Splendido is the beautiful boat of our friends Michael, Daniel, and Jeremy. We first met them last year during the 1500 and caught up with them in Marthas Vineyard and Annapolis this summer and fall.

http://sailmarylee.com/index.php
http://www.tripsailor.com/
http://sailingnightwatch.wordpress.com/

2009-02-20T11:13:00.002-05:00

It has been a quiet week. Bill and I have enjoyed the weather (plenty of sunshine) and hanging out on the boat. We have been cooking at home, which has been nice.

I have also started two virtual volunteer projects. The first project that I am working on is with Bookshare. Bookshare is online library of digital books for the blind. The way that it works is someone scans a book into the large Bookshare database (or the publisher 'donates' a scanned file.) What I am dozens of other volunteers do is basically download the file and then proofread and format the scanned books. Sometimes the scans aren't 'clean' and there are extra characters or misspellings. The page numbers have to be added and the bibliographic information verified. Once the file is proofread, I upload it to the database. A staff member does the final approval and then the book is available for 'check out' in either Braille or adaptable technology (text recognition) formats. Pretty cool. I have done 5 books over the past few weeks.

The second project that I am working on is with 50/50 Leadership, a non-profit that focuses on gender equality in leadership. I am working with a team of five to create a comprehensive online database of women's conferences, seminars, courses, symposiums, etc. The team was formed this week and the database is in the beginning stages. It should be posted on the 50/50 website within six months.

So I have been spending lots of time on the computer....

Here are some pictures of the beautiful flowers that I picked up last week. They are still in full bloom and make the boat smell pretty.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

2009-02-17T13:10:00.004-05:00

Joe and Nancy sent us this picture of the Wet Dog, the sandwhich shop at Port Annapolis Marina where we stayed this summer. I guess they are doing some major renovations. Hopefully we'll be back up that way to see the new cafe when it is finished.

2009-02-16T18:49:00.003-05:00

Well, it was a great weekend. Bill and I hung around Ft. Lauderdale all weekend, including Valentine's Day. We were going to try to make it to the Miami Boat Show, but since we don't have a car, we decided to skip it. We did wash the boat, which was badly needed. Mary Elizabeth is now sparkling.

Friday night we met a gentleman from Newburyport, MA. He is here for a few weeks and is staying at the marina next door. Come to find out, he kept his boat at the marina in Newburyport where we were this summer. Since it was a small marina and we were there for a few weeks, we definitely remembered the boat!

Last night Bill and I were invited to tour the inside of his amazing boat, which we loved! It is amazing. We had a nice steak dinner on board before he drove us back to Mary Elizabeth via dinghy.

Valentine's Day was low key for us. Bill and I hung out, had a yummy home cooked meal and enjoyed each other's company. We hope everyone also had a nice day.

Nothing crazy on the agenda for the week except to get Bill's phone fixed; it basically just stopped working (so if you need to get in touch you can call my phone for the time being).

Thanks Katie

2009-02-13T12:20:00.005-05:00

Thank you Katie for your hospitality. It made things a lot easier for Bill to be able to stay at your house in DC. You are the best.

Bill came back from DC with several "Alex stories." Alex is Katie's beautiful and amazing 3 1/2 year old son. Here is one of my favorites....

Tuesday morning Alex came into the guest bedroom to see what Uncle Bill was up to. He got really close to Bill's face (who was still asleep) and said, "What are you doing here?" Bill grumpily replied "Trying to sleep." Alex looked all confused and said, "But it's light out!?!" The kid had a point....

I am planning a trip to DC sometime in early March. Katie's due date is March 6th and I can't wait to meet Alex's little brother!

It is another spectacular day in Ft. Lauderdale. It is supposed to remain in the 80s with a nice breeze through the weekend. Yesterday we went to the beach for a few hours in the afternoon, which was just perfect.

Not a whole lot planned for the weekend. Things feel weird when there is no football to watch. Happy Friday (the 13th none the less) everyone.

Favorite sites

2009-02-12T09:25:00.001-05:00

I added a new "Favorite Sites" box to the blog. We have received several emails lately asking for advice on cruising and livingaboard. Although extremely flattering, Bill and I are hardly experts. We find Cruiser's Net, Living Aboard Forums, Lats and Atts etc. to be very helpful, informative, and the perfect places to post questions about various things from boat maintence to insurance questions to suggestions on liveaboard-friendly marinas. Anyone have a site you regularly visit that we might be missing?

Bonnet House

2009-02-11T07:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday while Bill was in DC I visited the Bonnet House, which is right up the road. The Bonnet House was the winter vacation house of Frederic Clay Bartlett and his wives Helen (who died shortly after they were married) and Evelyn who gave the land to Florida before her death in the late 90s. The brochure stressed that it was the last piece of land not developed with mega hotels and condos in Southern Florida. Supposedly the property is 35 acres, although I only saw a sliver of the land.

Yahoo travel summarizes:

Built in 1921, this historic two-story, 35-acre waterfront house was once the winter home of artist Frederic Clay Bartlett and his wife Evelyn. The Bonnet House is serenely elegant and preserved amidst the urban expansion of Fort Lauderdale Beach, which is what makes the land so special. Mrs. Bartlett, who died in 1997, gave the estate to the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation in 1983 in order to keep the property unchanged. Several concerts and events are held here throughout the year, and the house is available for private events such as weddings. Named for a waterlily that once inhabited the property, the Bonnet House is open year-round for guided tours.

So I sat through the hour and a half tour of the house and learned all about the lifestyles of the rich and famous. I was disappointed because I didn't catch a glimpse of any of the supposed monkeys and all types of birds that live on the property (although I did see a swan). The tour guide was great, but it was a very expensive 'home' to look at ($20 bucks!) It was a beautiful afternoon and I did take some nice pictures of the courtyard. Bartlett was an artist / art collector and the House featured some of his works as well as a gallery of contemporary artists, which was nice. I got my 'cultural' fix for the week I guess. They also collected sea shells from all over the world and had an extensive orchid garden (which was what peaked my interest to begin with). Unfortunately, the orchids were housed in a green house which we couldn't enter - although we could peak through the windows and they were spectacular.

Views from our cockpit

2009-02-10T07:03:00.007-05:00

As I have mentioned (several times) before, the marina where we have stayed for the past month + is fabulous. We are at Hall of Fame Marina, although we kind of ended up here by accident. Why is it such a great marina you might ask? Well because it is clean. And close to everything. And the staff is great. For example, yesterday I was returning from a Target, liquor store, Laundromat, Starbucks run (yes, we are with car again) and had a very large and heavy dockcart full to the brim. As I was going down the ramp trying very hard not to dump a bottle of wine or the freshly laundered pillow cases in the water, I saw Scott the Dockmaster walking the other way on the phone. He waved for me to stop, hung up the phone, and proceeded to take the dockcart from me and walk me back to the boat. Oh, and I should mention that it was way after 5:00 pm and he should have already gone home?

The marina office has also been very flexible and patient with our plans. We had a reservation for only two weeks. We are going on six.

Another great thing about this marina is that it is small. There is a north side (where the big boats are) and a south side (where we are) which is mostly liveaboards. Last night when the wind was howling out of the East pushing us onto the dock at low tide, my mind started doing that thing it does best when Bill isn't around to solve all the problems of the world (or at least give me the impression that he will). I conjured up the scenario of how the fenders were going to be caught under the dock as the tide started to rise and the boat would list to port and / or the fenders would be lost. But I did go to bed assured that if anything happened while Bill was in DC, I would simply knock on the boat door of a neighbor and ask for help changing the lines or whatever. Of course it didn't come to that.... But it was nice to feel comfortable enough that I could ask for help.

Cruising, living aboard, boating in general brings out the best in people. For the most part, it has been our experience that everyone is willing to help and be helped and then pay it forward. It is nice to feel part of a small community in some way... especially when we are so transient.

I will admit that we don't really know our neighbors at Hall of Fame too, too well. There haven't been any dock happy hours or dinners. I think part of the reason is because Bill and I have only been in Lauderdale to hang out one of the five weekends we have been here (Boston, Largo, my dad was here, Lake Wales). Ironically we were invited to a BBQ on a neighbor's boat last night. Bill was in DC and I politely declined since I was rearranging and cleaning out all of the closets on the boat. Plus I had to get through Mama Mia before Bill came home or I would never see that damn movie! When the cats away.... yeah right! Hopefully there will be another invite or we can host before we leave.

2009-02-09T10:15:00.000-05:00

Saturday we had a nice visit from Cindy, Boyd, Ginger, and Darren. We hung out and enjoyed the afternoon and had tacos for dinner. Tacos are easy and we probably have them for dinner at least once a week. I am becoming more in tune with our oven. I have learned that as long as I let the oven warm up for a good 20 minutes and turn it up an extra 25 degrees from what the recipe calls for, all is good in our baking / broiling / oven-cooking world. Of course Bill and I just have to remember the pan! Last week when Bill cooked chicken tettraziti, he had the mushrooms, chicken, and pasta all cooked and ready to go into the oven when we realized we didn't have a baking pan. Oops. So I jumped in the car and made a very quick run to Publix. We use the disposable tinfoil-like pans since they come in smaller sizes. Our oven isn't big enough to hold the regular size pans that you would get at Bed Bath and Beyond or Target, etc. Plus, we gave my sister Amy all of our baking pans when we moved out of our place in Alexandria in October (which she and her roommate Allison are now enjoying as they moved into their new place last weekend.)

So we had a nice time on the boat Saturday afternoon. It is fun having people on board and entertaining. There was some sort of sailfish tournament hosted at the marina across from us on Staurday and Sunday. We watched about a dozen big sportfish boats come in with their sailfish flags flying. One boat had 19 flags flying (meaning they caught and released 19 fish!!!) Most of the boats had between 5 and 8 flags flying. The clouds and the sunset both Saturday and Sunday were simply stunning.

Today Bill flies to DC for the night. He has finally given up on trying to get a straight answer out of the folks at TriCare (his medical insurance company via the military). They are at a loss on how he can get a doctors appointment since our address on file with them is Alexandria, VA but we are physically in Florida. His records are in DC, which is a different 'zone' than Florida so a referral is needed. Sounds easy, right? Right.... He has literally spoken to a dozen different people who have passed the buck and given him another phone number to call. This has been going on off and on since Thanksgiving! Very, very frustrating. It is discouraging when it is easier to get on a plane and fly to a different state than to see a military doctor down the street.

A year of blogging...

2009-02-08T09:16:00.000-05:00

It's been a little over a year since we posted our first entry on "....with the sea as our living room.... And this will be our 206 post. Bill and I have written about our adventures, the people we have met, the places we have visited, living on board, the sites we have explored. And of course we have posted hundreds of pictures!

We got the idea from Cindy who kept a blog chronicling the Caribbean 1500. Paula, a friend I worked with at the State Department, came up with the name ....with the sea as our living room. Our intentions in creating the blog were two-fold. First, we wanted to keep a record of our travels for ourselves. More importantly, however, we found that it is an easy way to keep in touch. Instead of sending email updates we write one post and whoever is interested in keeping up with our travels can simply visit our blog. This was particularly helpful when we were in the Caribbean last year.

We do receive the occasional comment (which we love). And we have received several emails (to our google account) from people we have never met commenting or asking questions about living aboard, etc. Cool.

I discovered Google Analytics in May, 2008, which has allowed us to keep stats on how many people are visiting our site, what city they are from, and how they find us (by typing in the link, doing a google search, referring link from another site, etc.). Since May there have been 6,767 page hits on our blog. 4,430 people have visited from 525 different cities in 60 different countries including Italy, China, Latvia, and Uruguay. The most hits we ever had in one day was 45 on December 20, 2008.

So thanks for reading. We have enjoyed looking back on the past year and remembering all of our adventures. And we hope you have too.

the beach!

2009-02-06T06:58:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics of Ft. Lauderdale. Last week Bill and I went to the beach for an hour and saw a cruise ship going out. They are massive.... We also saw lots of kite boarders, which is still something that Bill wants to try. Since it was a beautiful day the beach was fairly crowded in front of the hotels. Since we are a little further south, where we planted our chairs was perfectly quiet.

The weather has been chilly but we aren't complaining. Some of the restaurants on the beach have been closed at night since there is no inside seating and the 'strip' is pretty desolate at night with the cold.

On another note, we received the replacement part for the propane and are now 'back in business' which is nice. Bill cooked a delicious chicken tetrazzini last night for dinner. We have a ton of leftovers. Today we are turning in the rental car (after two and a half weeks!) so I have stocked up at the grocery store, etc.

Happy Friday to everyone.

More pictures of Lake Wales

2009-02-05T07:33:00.001-05:00

Here are a few more pictures of the awe-inspiring scenery that we experienced this past weekend. It was so peaceful and quiet in Lake Wales; a truly stunning place to be. We are so lucky to have incredible friends who shared such an awesome part of Florida with us.

Clay Pigeon Shooting

2009-02-04T06:35:00.000-05:00

Here are some more pictures of everyone clay pigeon shooting up at Lake Wales.

Airboating pictures

2009-02-03T18:53:00.001-05:00

As you know, Capt' Dave took Bill and me airboating while we were up at Lake Wales, which was truly amazing. An airboat is a flat bottomed boat that is powered by a propeller. Because they are flat and there is no engine in the water, airboats can go where other boats can't (including land!) Dave took us through water that was only inches deep. On Sunday Capt' Dave let Bill drive. It is a weird feeling driving straight over reeds, lily pads, and other vegetation in the water. But nothing can get caught in the prop (since there isn't one) and it is impossible to 'run aground.' Also, since the seats are high and essentially part of the bow of the boat there is nothing to obstruct the view. I felt like I was part of the incredible sites as we were gliding over the water.

To learn more about airboats, click here.

Lake Wales, FL

2009-02-02T15:30:00.008-05:00

What a weekend. This is going to be a long post since there is so much to write about -- airboating, clay pigeon shooting, hog hunting, quad riding, star gazing, fire building, eating Molly's amazing meals, meeting so many friendly and truly great people.....

On Friday morning, Bill and I met Dave and Molly in Ft. Lauderdale. They invited us up to Lake Wales (in Central Florida) for the weekend to their friend Todd's home. We made the +/- three hour drive and were in heaven by early afternoon. Todd and his two sons Carson and Dillon very generously opened their beautiful home (the picture above is the view from the house!) on the Tiger Lake to us and boy did we have a blast.

Dave and Molly keep their camper, airboat, and quads at Todd's house, so there were plenty of toys to play with all weekend. Friday Dave took Bill and me for an airboat ride, which I had never done before. Capt' Dave showed us around the creeks. We saw an alligator (my first!) and tons of birds including bald eagles. Airboating is cool! After we went for a night quad ride and stopped to experience true peace and absolute quiet. Friday night Molly was at it again and cooked everyone a delicious dinner.

Saturday the guys got up early and went to state land to go hog hunting while Molly and I picked up a few things at Walmart. Later in the afternoon everyone had fun clay pigeon shooting and then we all went back and did some more hog hunting on the buggy. Saturday night we had an incredible fire, the neighbors came by, we ate like kings and queens and enjoyed the clear starry night.

Sunday we enjoyed the sunshine and Todd's amazing property. His home overlooks the Tiger Lake and it is truly majestic. There is a pond with lots of fish, a private dock, and a spectacular view of the river. Bill and I went for an afternoon quad ride and did some exploring, came back to the house and Dave took us for another airboat ride. We saw lots of cows, deer, and bald eagles. Todd, Carson, and Dillon had to return to Ft. Lauderdale for work / school on Monday. After they headed south, Dave, Molly, Bill and I enjoyed Molly's roast beef and twice baked potatoes while watching the Super Bowl. We woke up today (Monday) and drove back to Lauderdale.

Todd's neighbors have a beautiful chocolate lab named Hershey (the same name as the Constantino family dog growing up!) who we all enjoyed. What a great place for a dog! Lots of land, all those ponds to swim in, and neighbors to throw the ball over and over (and supply the occasional treat!)

To be honest, when I think of Florida cows, beautiful big oaks with Spanish moss ("enchanted forests" as Molly calls them), deer, curving creeks with dozens of birds, acres and acres of untouched land are not the first things that come to mind. I can't express to anyone reading this how wonderfully amazing our weekend was. Hunting hogs, clay pigeon shooting, airboating, and wearing camouflage (Bill had a hard time taking off Capt' Dave's boots) are certainly not things that Bill and I do on a regular basis -- and man, what an experience. One thing that stood out to me was how quiet and -- well peaceful -- everything was. We were able to appreciate and stare at more stars than we have in a very, very long time. Oh -- and I am convinced that a fire pit is one of the most calming, spell binding things on the planet.

We met many incredible and truly genuine people at Todd's house. It is a different way of life. All of the neighbors and family who stopped by to say hello and hang out for a bit welcomed Bill and me as if we were old friends. Everyone driving by on their tractors or quads waved and said hello.

And the toys.... the airboat, the quads, the guns, the camper. As Dave said, it really brings out the kid in you!

It is also hard to express our gratitude to Todd and his family (who we had never met before this weekend!) and to our amazing friends Dave and Molly. How do you ever 'pay someone back' for sharing and opening up a whole other world to Bill and me? Can you ever really truly express sincere gratitude?

For a gazillion more pictures, click here.

We have a new neighbor....

2009-02-01T16:04:00.000-05:00

On Friday morning as we were packing our stuff to meet Dave and Molly a h-u-g-e yacht docked off our stern. So our current view is of the mighty m/y Man of Steel. She is 160 feet long and has three decks. Read more in an article that we found on the internet about m/y Man of Steel.

the art of cruising....

2009-01-28T08:39:00.007-05:00

It is funny how we have gotten into a routine here in Lauderdale. Are we still "cruisers" if we have been in the same place for three weeks and don't have any immediate plans on leaving? Our original plan was to travel the ICW south from Annapolis to "somewhere" in Florida and then, after the holidays, take off for the Bahamas. Well it is almost February and we are still here. But nothing is pushing us out the door.... The weather has been great, we have friends in the area, and my father was able to come for a nice visit. Why leave? The marina where we are is perfect for liveaboards. We have a pumpout station at the dock, the marina office has accepted our mail, there are laundry facilities, a parking lot (yes, we still have the rental car), a security gate. We are within walking distance of many restaurants and of course the beach. I have even joined a gym across the street (temporary membership). We are learning the area and the roads in Lauderdale. Yesterday I took the car and did errands. I had my eyes checked and got a pair of prescription sunglasses so I will finally be able to spot the markers in the distance. We have our favorite restaurants, coffee shops, and places to hang out. We have settled in.

But, we do know that we will move on. It might not be this week or next, but Mary Elizabeth is happiest when she is moving. One day we will get up and say, OK we've had enough. Let's go. And we will. Bill and I know that we are truly lucky to have such freedom with our schedule. And we are trying to take advantage of our fortunate situation now while we still have the opportunity. When we are back at work and in the 'real world' we'll look back on this winter and think of how much relaxing fun we had. So in the meantime we are enjoying every moment.

Everyone cruises differently. We have met people who are on the same schedule each year. For example they cruise in Maine for the summers and Florida for the winters, or they stay in Annapolis for the summer and the BVIs for the winter. There are others who cruise part-time. They might sail their boats south and then return home for a few weeks for work and then fly back to the boat whenever they can. There are others who cruise for a year and then take a break. Cruising is very much dictated by the hurricane seasons (and insurance regulations). Many are much more adventurous and cruise across the Atlantic (although we have met fewer and fewer people who are choosing this option since the dollar is so bad). We have our own style of cruising. For example, we stay at marinas more often than some people do. We are somewhat limited by my reluctance to do long passages (although we are very lucky to have great experienced boater friends who have helped Bill get the boat from point A to point B). We love to sit on a mooring or on anchor for days and days. There is little that we need to entertain us; books, games, conversation, an occasional movie (we have no TV when we aren't at the dock). Bill and I enjoy the peace and solitude of being on the hook as much as we love the conveniences at the dock. Mary Elizabeth was built to be self sufficient; we have a water maker and wind generator on board. Bill and I have adapted to "our" style of cruising, and although it wouldn't be for everyone, to say that we are enjoying ourselves would be the understatement of the year!

It does look like we will be in Lauderdale for a bit longer since we found out today that Island Packet does not have the hosing for the propane in stock. They will have to make one and then mail it to us, which could take a bit. Until then we are without a stove or oven, which kind of stinks. If anyone has any good microwave recipes, please share! Until then, we'll enjoy the weather and sites in Ft. Lauderdale. As I am typing, two very playful dolphins just swam by in the marina slapping their tails on the water and swimming on their backs. Truly amazing.

2009-01-26T08:01:00.001-05:00

My father and Bill golfed 5 times in 5 days. On Saturday they were paired up with two guys from Duxbury who actually know the Whalens (my Godmother). Small world.

We had a really nice time while my father was here. It was fun to show him around, for Bill to have a good golfing partner, to all spend some time together. Saturday night we drove to the Hard Rock Casino, and even though none of us won, it was a blast. It was actually much more crowded than we would thought.

On Sunday they had an early tee time, which would have left plenty of time to start the sauce. After they got back to the boat and had some lunch, my dad started to cook. But... we ran out of propane - again. Usually the tanks last us six months each (and we have two). I just had the propane filled when we were in Boca less than a month ago. Something is wrong. When I had the tanks filled before the guy told me they were safe but should probably be replaced soon since the salt air and water easily corrodes the tanks. It was on our list of things to get done before we leave Lauderdale. We discovered yesterday, however, that the part of the hose that connects the tank to the boat is leaking. Bill spoke to Island Packet who will let us know if it is a part that we can get at West Marine or if we have to order it through the manufacturer. Bottom line, however, is that we couldn't make the sauce. The good news is that my dad gave me the recipe, so I will be able to attempt to recreate his delicious cooking once everything is fixed.

In addition to taking care of the propane issues, I have a few other errands to do today including having my eyes checked. I have prescription glasses for driving and watching movies, but I think it is time to get prescription sunglasses so I can spot the markers in the distance.

Hope everyone has a good week.

2009-01-23T10:46:00.001-05:00

Bill and my father have been golfing every day at different courses around Lauderdale. The weather has been great, so I am glad that my father gets to enjoy some sunshine. Last night we went for happy hour and appetizers at the beach and then had snacks when we got back to the boat. Today I drove them to the golf course so I could have the car. On the way back to the marina I stopped at Publix to get ingredients so my dad can make a sauce before he leaves. Yes! I am going to work on the stainless today while they are gone and take advantage of the sun.

Here are some pictures of Ft. Lauderdale Beach. It is a great place to take a nice walk and people watch.

My Dad's Here

2009-01-21T11:23:00.003-05:00

Bill left the boat around 10:15 to pick up my dad at Ft. Lauderdale airport. He is visiting for a few days to play golf, get some sun, and escape the snow in Boston. I didn't go to the airport since they are heading straight to the golf course. Another cold front has moved through so it is chilly - but I think my dad will enjoy since it isn't 10 degrees and snowing.

Bill and I watched most of the inauguration on TV yesterday. What an event. The energy in DC was incredible. If we were still 'home' I think it would have been a tough decision whether or not to brave the crowds (and cold) and partake in the festivities or stay home in Alexandria and watch the ceremonies on TV.

Last night we had a nice dinner with Juan, who is in Lauderdale for the winter - actually the boat is just two marinas down from where Mary Elizabeth is docked. Amy is back in Annapolis. It was nice to see a familiar face and to catch up!