Manatee

So there are no pictures....but I saw a manatee today....my first ever....Paul saw one last year at Dinner Key. We are "parked" in Lake Sylvia and took the dingy over to a restaurant/dingy dock past the 17th street bridge to complete provisioning at Winn Dixie. Just as we got close I saw in the water this HUGE speckled black mass in the water....I "alerted" Paul in my typical fashion....yes, there was a little while that he didn't know what I was talking about...then he slowed down. The manatee dove down and re-surfaced...with his huge body just below the surface and his two little nostrils above the surface...he/she was pretty cute. I'm really glad I got to see one!!!! So now that I have seen an endangered manatee we can leave for the Bahamas....okay we were going to leave tomorrow anyway!!!

Laundry

Just thought I would share with all what laundry day looks like on the boat. I have never been one to hang laundry to dry for all to see....and it still bothers me to do it....but reality, you know.....and clean clothes....AND Paul says we do it because WE CAN...most all the other cruisers have to go into town and take their laundry to a laundromat....so yes, it is convenient....it just....well it is still hanging laundry for all to see......and yes, WE CAN....

Two "cars"....and "graboid".....

So maybe....just maybe....by starting this...I can get Paul to post a little (usually with him a lot) of his wonderful information on what has been going on...here he is with his "new" Yahama (electric start)....then our bikes - what a difference getting around without pain (for him) makes!!!! AND, our two car (dingy) "right place - right time" finds.....and, yes, he has been so busy downloading tv shows with Graboid....he has hardly let me on the internet....let alone the computer!!!!

And now the rest of the story.....

Yes it has been a while...but I have an excuse....I had a 3 pager going with all the pics and blow by blow with the dinks and motors....damn Blogger decides to delete the whole thing...I have been on strike!!! Well after loosing the dink...we went on a buying spree...bargains that could not be passed by. First we found a Yamaha 15 hp 4 stroke.. a 2004 model with 3 hrs on it....seems the guy has all the toys...just never used the outboard....thing is worth 2 grand...guy was selling for $1800..then dropped to $1200. Well we rented a car...drove to Ft Lauderdale...arriving back in Marathon about 10:30pm...then we had to get this 120 lb monster on the Stern of the Wally waggon...my old dink minus the inflatable floor....we tied the engine to the car and lowered it down the 4 ft to the dink..Joyce guided it on to the transom..and with a push of a button we were on our way back to the boat....soooo quiet..you can carry on a conversation while under way. Without the floor the Wally Wagon starts to bend in the middle when you twist up the throttle....not good if you want to go fast...guess we could have lived with that till we got down to Margarita....the dink I want...and AB is about 1/2 price...so we wet back on CraigsList looking for a dink..seems this guy in Marathon had just listed his on CraigsList....so we dinked ashore..jumped on the bikes for a 4 mile ride to the guys house... He was from Montana..selling their home in Marathon and had no use for a dink in Montana. It was a RIB..(fiberglass floor) by Zodiac...8 ft...a little short but almost new. The outboard was a Mercury 8 hp with maybe 10-15 hrs...almost new....asking price 600 bucks...I could turn around and sell the dink or the motor for $8-900 apiece. So now we have 2 motors and 2 dinks. Well we needed to get up t Miami to get the new batteries...decided to do an overnight to Ft Lauderdale since the Marina in Miami was full due to the Miami boat show. Had a wonderful sail up..got out into the Gulf Stream for the 2-3 knt push and arrived into Lauderdale by 8 in the AM. Downtown marina could take us aday early so we were good. Phil by Britt friend arranged to loan us his pickup on Monday so we could swap the Batteries. Now you must remember Joyce will not let me lift anything heavier than a 12 pack...batteries weigh about 65 lbs apiece. I unhooked them by 9:30 a and Joyce had them up on the dock by 10 am. Phil showed up about noon...we loaded up and headed for Sam's...oh yea..had called around the night before...the 4th Sam's had 12 of these batteries..the others had only 2 or 3. Joyce unloaded them onto a flatbed and we headed in. The Tire and Battery guys come out and start t test them with some voltage thing...they pronounce the first 3 as good. I protested that one cannot tell the condition of a battery by voltage alone....I asked if they had a load tester or hydrometer...nope just the voltage thingy that was saying all my batteries were good. I volunteered to go buy a hygrometer....we walked oer to Walmart...bought 1 for .88 cents..walked back and tested the batteries they said were good...guy disappeared for 20 min...asks us for the receipt....fills out a form and sends us up to the front desk. We wait in line...and charges me 17 dollars for 12 new batteries....wow sun was shining on me for once...guy even loaded them into the truck for Joyce...well we gave Sam back most of his loss on the Batteries by buying half the store....this would be our last big fix on US stuff for some time. We went back to the boat...I started to use the food sucker to suckie bag the meat...in the middle of this Phil and Joanna show up to get the truck...DAMN...well we went down the dock for dinner ...a good time had by all.

We were up to ride to West Marine the next morning..probably a 5-6 mile round trip...I had 1 crash...thanks to the soft grass , only my pride was hurt...when we got back ...well we both hurt...me from the crash and Joyce from yesterdays weight lifting Championship...yes she came in 1 st place...simple dinner and we crashed. We were a little sluggish this AM. We had to go pick up a lifeline at the riggers , check out and move the boat. Joanna came by about 1 pm to pick up their movies (about 500) they had pirated from Netflicks). We were able to copy about 20. We were going to try and sail down to Miami...but decided to anchor in Lake Sylvia ..the only place in Ft Lauderdale to anchor...and then for only 2 days....So here we sit...sucking on a Gin and Tonic...the end of just another day on the Lady H

New Year Update

Monday Jan 7.... 8:40 am Well it has been a busy 1st week of the New Year....yes we did have a fun time New Years eve. After Joyce recovered from her Dark and Stormy overdose on New Years day morning I checked the weather and decided that I did not want to be in that crowded anchorage in a 30+ knt blow. Far too many ditch diggers anchored too close on a short scope (not enough anchor line down)Around noon we set course for Marathon. Little or no wind so we burned expensive diesel and motored up ariving about 6:30 pm. On the way up we swapped the new Rocna anchor for my tried and true Buelle. I wanted to see how it worked in a blow. After dropping the hook and 80-90 ft of chain we launched the dink...alot easier now when it was calm than when the wind picks up. Had dinner and crashed early, still recovering from the previous night. The storm hit about midnight. Was up to check the anchor and snubber for chafe. Wind by this time hit 41 knts...a little bumpy to say the least. New Rocna was up for the challenge, set a back up snuber in case the 1st failed. With this kind of wind the chain was like a steel bar, even with 80 feet out in 9 feet of water the chain was straight. To reduce the shock loads we put out about 30 feet of 5/8 in nylon line. It streches about 5-8 feet. That kind of load not reduced by the nylon can rip the windlass right out of the deck. Awoke to a sunny but cold windy morning. No going ashore today...wind still 25-35 knts...we were fine, UNTIL I looked aft to see how the dink was riding...what dink......GONE....some of you might think it blew off during the night...but I use a S/S caribiener to clip the dink to the boat. Yes I did lose the dink a few yrs back ....small line on a big cleat...can slip..Coast Guard returned a week later. Not far from where we are anchored is the east end of Boot Key. There are stories of the rough crowd that lives on this almost deserted Key. Well we called the cops..they wanted me to meet with them...sure...now how do I get in...Insurance company also wanted us to contact the Coast Guard. So here is the situation...we are anchored about 1/3 mile from the entrance to the harbor, wind is blowing 25-35 for the next 2 days.......garbage building up, out of bread and fresh veggies...no salad makings for Joyce...and NO dink. Those that have been on the Lady know I hated that dink...(and just a few posts back you might remember he was describing his "enjoyment" of that dingy) so we checked Ebay...nothing in my budget. Joyce suggested Craigs List...never been there, so we did look and then called a few of the posts...some a boat and motor package some just the motor or dink. It has been my plan to get a new AB dink in Margarita ...they make them in VZ. Paul was up early working on BOTH computers downloading more TV shows and movies (his new Graboid thing - I think he explained a few posts back also)...so in the interest of keeping everyone sort of up to date on what has been going on I'm going to post this - albeit without pictures....and I'll see if I can get him to tell the rest of the story after we go in to Marathon for a bike ride!!!

Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve day we said goodbye to Matt and Jessica after a nice visit. Then we went for another bike ride. We now have two of these little unique bikes on board! It means that Paul does not have to walk quite so much and far yet we can get to where we want to go because when he rides...he doesn't hurt! It is amazing how much ground you can cover in one of these bikes...and they are so smooth to ride! We rode most of the island of Key West one day!
We went downtown Key West for New Year's Eve...Paul even got me to go up the stairs to the clothing optional bar...of course...my option was....ha ha ha! Then on the way back to the boat we met up with some other cruisers...Jim is sitting next to Paul...then me and next to me is Matthew ..Roberta's son who is also a marine. Roberta is taking the picture. The other couple sailed here from Norway! I won't post the picture of Paul and I closer to midnight....he had a plastic white hat on and I had a tierra....we did make it safely back on the boat by midnight!!!