2018 Cruise - Week 13

The Final Days and the Drive Home

March 31 - April 4, 2018

Work Stuff - It’s Saturday, March 31, and our task for the day is to wash, remove, clean and stow the canvas for the trip home. It took a couple hours to accomplish but we got ‘er done. I removed the panels but AM helped on a couple of the front ones that I couldn’t reach. She did the yeoman's work of cleaning, rolling and packing the bundles in the truck.

We decided to haul the boat at (or near) high tide on Easter Sunday, April 1st. The task was easy pleasure, especially compared to last year’s fiasco. The one glitch was the V Stop. Recall that it was tweaked by the factory. This marks its first use since. The tweaking made it not fit as well as it had. We even raised it up one hole. That was problematic because the holes don’t line up exactly. Kevin and Tim were able to ratchet it home. All in all it took about fifteen minutes to load her up.

Fun Stuff - In the evening of the 31st,  we went to the ‘Cane to see Villanova final four game. I was so tired that we left before five minutes had expired. We live streamed the rest of the game using our Pyle Projector. Nova won the game handily, setting an NCAA record for three point shooting.

The North Dock group invited us to their Easter supper. We had a great time conversing with everyone. There was even an adult Easter Egg hunt.    

Following the festivities we bid everyone a fond farewell. There were lots of hugs and kisses.

Friends/Acquaintances - Brian and Coleen hauled the Gansett Ranger on March 30. They stayed aboard on the hard and left on the morning of the 31st.. we are now surrounded by fishing machines! The closest cruiser is Liberty (Ethan and Tammi) four slips up the line.

As it happens, Liberty is departing tomorrow, but on its own bottom. They are heading to the Bahamas for two months. They promised to call us when they get to NJ. We take them out to dinner and/or shopping,

The Drive Home Day 1 Monday (5/2/18) - It’s 0800 and I’m awake and ready to go after a night devoid of sleep, on my part at least. After saying good bye to Barry, we were on the road. While driving, we made arrangements to stop at FloatOn Trailers again. The recently adjusted V Stop is a worse fit for the boat. Tim said to bring it in and he would rework it. After three hours, the V Stop fit perfectly and he put a roller on as well to protect the bow from a pair of bolts that were sticking up. 

The time spent at FloatOn paired with my lack of sleep meant we would not make our destiny, St. Mary’s, GA. We got a room at the Howard Johnson’s just a mile from the trailer factory. Hopefully we’ll watch Villanova win the NCAA BBall Championship and I’ll get a great night’s sleep! 

Marathon to Vero Beach - 250 miles, 5 hours

The Drive Home Day 2 Tuesday (5/3/18) - It’s make up distance day. Our target destination is South of the Boarder on the SC - NC line. If we make it, getting home on Wednesday is still a possibility.

Despite stop and go traffic on I95 in SC and our insuring 60 Mile bushwhacking expedition to avoid much of the slow down, we made it 49 miles beyond South of the Boarder into NC, stopping at the Days Inn at Exit 49 in Fayetteville, NC.

Aside from the traffic, the rest of the drive was uneventful.

Vero Beach to Fayetteville, NC - 605 miles, 13 hours elapsed

The Drive Home Day 3 Wednesday (5/4/18) - Our day started at 0630 with breakfast at the Fayetteville Days Inn. At 0700, we were on the final leg of the long road home. As usual, we headed east toward the east toward Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.  Conditions were good for the crossing. The predicted 25-30 knot winds hadn’t yet materialized. They would however prevent us from taking the Cape May Ferry.

We ordered oysters for lunch at the Great Machipongo Clam Shack and they were as good as ever! Sirius radio kept me entertained and I only got tired for a few minutes during the entire drive. A two minute cat nap and an ice cream cone took care of the tiredness in short order. We arrived home at 1930 hours.

When we got out of the truck, we were greeted by 30+ knots of wind and biting cold. I guesstimate that the temperature was in the high 40’s.  It was on with the winter coats to unload just the front of the truck. We’ll off load everything else and unhitch tomorrow.

Fayetteville, NC to West Creek, NJ - 576.4 miles, 12.5 hours elapsed

Return Trip Total - 1431.4 miles, 30.5 hours elapsed 

Sami getting yet another treat from Anna Marie.

Sit Sami!

Good girl!

Easter dinner with the North Dock group

Easter dinner with the North Dock group

Easter dinner with the North Dock group

There was even an Egg Hunt!

2018 Cruise - Week 12

Week 12

March 24 - 30, 2018 

Friends/Acquaintances - Kismet, Jim and Lisa Favors, departed the marina this (Saturday, 3/24) morning. They are headed for Key West. Unfortunately we didn’t get to say goodbye because we were up early to get some supplies from the organic sale at the church on Big Pine. Jim and Lisa left us a note. They have made reservations for next year. Their departure has reduced the number of Ranger Tugs to Two, Liberty and Gansett Ranger.

March for Our Lives - after making our purchases at the aforementioned organic flea market, we scooted back to Marathon so we could participate in the March. I estimate there were over one hundred participants including musician/Councilman John Bartus. There weren’t many children or young adult marchers. It seems the Marathon March was planned rather late in the process. The HS kids had already planned to join the larger rally/March in Key West.    

Weather - Well well, as predicted, the wind clocked to the east and dropped to a gentle 12 to 15 knots. The high temp reached the high 70s and, on this day, Saturday, March 24, the sun is   out and it is just a delightful day!

Fun Stuff - On Saturday, the first day of Week 12, I took AM to lunch at Key Colony Inn. We splurged on Seafood Italians (shrimp and scallops over pasts and homemade sauce. It was exceptional an the scallops were the best ever. The dish was $14.95.

On Monday, we found ourselves back at a Burdine’s Chiki Tiki for perhaps the last time this year. While there, an F-31 was heading out of the harbor.

We also took a stroll on Coco Plum Beach. The Irma made significant changes to the beach. 

On Wednesday, the 28th day of the third month of 2018, we enjoyed a special evening. We dine at the Lorelei in Islamorada. The place was hopping. By the time our meal was served, all the tables were occupied. A three piece band along with a computer drummer and computer bass entertained. They were loud, but good. The food is always top notch. 

Following dinner, we went to the Jewish Community Center in Tavernier for a concert by David Feder. He is described as a flamenco/folk guitarist and is he ever talented. We enjoyed the concert. Read more about him here: http://www.davidfeder.com and you can learn more here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=na9R_9kiS8U 

What a  Birthday Celebration! - early to rise... We’ll, maybe it wasn’t that early, but it was earlier than what has become our new norm! To celebrate my 70th trip around the sun, we went to the Island Fish Company for breakfast. Anna Marie concocted this plan that we would enjoy breakfast on the eastern end of the island to enjoy the view and the warmth of the rising sun. We’d cap off the evening over a sunset dinner at the Sunset Grill on the western end of the island. 

The first part of the plan worked well as we had a great breakfast at a very nice restaurant with a fabulous view. Of course we were too late to see the sunrise, but it was still well before noon, so technically, it was still rising! It was a great start to our day.

Returning to the boat, we relaxed a bit on the boat, then in front of the boat, and finally, at the Point. While watching the comings and goings of folks walking past our boat, we watched a cow and baby manatee hanging around our boat. We first saw the baby playing with the zinc fish dangling from Brian’s Ranger Tug, Gansett Ranger. The baby played with the zinc for well over thirty minutes. The cow was hanging around the boat ramp. Eventually, they got together on the port side of our boat and played with each other for quite awhile. It was pretty special to watch.

It was the final part of the plan that had a glitch. We were looking forward to a sunset dinner at the Sunset Grill while listening to the Marathon All Stars. Upon arrival, an hour before sunset, we were advised that there was an hour and a half wait for a table. We listened to the band, which sounded great and walked the beach. Ultimately we decided to pick up stakes and go to the Key Colony Inn. Our meals were fabulous and our server was very personable. I’m afraid he got in trouble for not following protocol after bringing our salad so our dinner was delayed. We didn’t mind in the slightest as we were having a delightful time. The waiter apologized profusely as did the hostess who seemed perturbed with the waiter for having made the faux pax. On the way out I mentioned how happy we were with the service. The hostess reiterated his mistake. Regardless, we enjoyed the meal! Editorial Note: The next day, it dawned on me that I never received the New Potatoes that were supposed to come with the meal. Could it be the hostess was correct in her evaluation of the server?

Thank you to Anna Marie for a wonderful birthday celebration!

Work - I cleaned the bilge, bilge pump and float on Monday. It was very dirty and cruddy. It took a while to accomplish the dirty task. I found that the float switch was glued down. Not wanting to drill holes into the bottom of the boat, I cleaned the old adhesive and then applied fresh sealant to keep it in place.

On Wednesday, the 28th, we cleaned the dinghy, folded and bagged the bikes, organized the back of the truck and stowed the dinghy, bikes and gear. We managed to accomplish all that in only a couple of hours. I had intended to do a little bit over three days. The didn’t pan out. It’s just as well because to pack the dinghy and bike we had to do all the other stuff.

Sign from the March for Our Lives

Another sign from the March for Our Lives

March for Our Lives crowd

John Bartus, musician and councilman participating in the March!

Our favorite March for Our Lives sign

Here comes an F-31

There goes an F-31

A new, larger Coco Plum Beach after hurricane Irma

Birthday Breakfast

Baby Manatee

Mother Manatee

Chilling' at the Tiki on my birthday 

2018 Cruise - Week 11

Week 11

March 17 - 23, 2018

Work - Since we had the enclosure made, the rear cockpit has been our lounge. We started this project last week and finished it today (Saturday, 3/17/18). We can now convert lounge into our dining area. We used a couple of Bamboo cutting boards, some hinges, dowels, and Cetol to make and finish two folding tables, one for each of us. The third folding table which we’ve had for a couple years, holds the food before it is transferred to our plates. Oh. And we made a similar table a couple weeks ago for the front cockpit. It’s located next to the grill and is used     to hold grilling implements and  serving plates. 

Diver Rich stopped by today to scrub SUNSHINE’s bottom. He worked for twenty or thirty minutes. He charged $60.00 for the service.

On Wednesday, we attached a safety chain to the trailer. It didn’t have one. We bought a “U” Bolt from Stainless Steve at the Big Pine Flea Market last Saturday. The chain is intentionally     too long. We’ll cut it to length when we get the boat on the trailer.

A package with remote controlled light arrived. They were installed in the aft cockpit which doubles as our lounge and dining room. They work great and are adjustable for brightness (intensity), color and they can be set to turn themselves off. 

  

Fun Stuff - We went to Bev and Mike’s St. Paddy’s Day (Saturday) dock party. Mike and Al played some tunes. I tailed to Al about his Blueridge guitar and the next thing I know, I was playing a few tunes for the crowd.

On Sunday, the 18th, we listened to Joe Mama and friends. He had a couple of new players who were very good and they seemed to energize Joe. It might have been his best performance yet. 

On Tuesday, we celebrated Joanne’s Birthday with the North Dock gang. Following the party, it was pizza and Four Sheets to the Wind on the porch.

We welcomed Spring this week without any special celebration. It’s not really that special for us since we’ve been in Spring like conditions pretty much since we got here.    

On Friday (3/23), we took some mackerel fillets given to us by Pat and Ellie to Sparky’s for their catch and cook offerings. We had two lightly fried and three lightly blackened. The and the sides were very good. While dining, we enjoyed the dulcet tones of Four Sheets to the Wind. Following dinner, we checked out the recently reopened Havana Jacks. The place looks good, but it isn’t ready for prime time. The bar is open, but the kitchen is operating out of a food truck set up in the parking lot. The only serve lite fare. Being a cool evening, we ordered coffee and tea. Apparently they aren’t set up to serve hot beverages. I did manage to eventually get a decaf, but it came from the Kerrigan machine in the lobby of the hotel. Anna Marie never did get her tea. We did enjoy watching the first half of Villanova’s sweet sixteen game. We watched the second half on the porch at the hurricane.it was touch and go until five minutes were left in the game. Nova took control and won by twelve.

   

Food - Three squares a day! Sometimes. Other times it may be two squares and some snacks. The Key Lime Dip has been a hit at Two dock parties so far. On Sunday, lunch consisted of an ounce of a fantastic cheddar and some of the best black olives on the planet along with a slice of tomato basil ciabatta. Then we shared a Greek salad while listening to Jon Mama on the back porch. Just before dinner, a Tarpon stopped by to listen to me playing my guitar!

For dinner, I grilled a couple of small Hog Fish fillets and Anna Marie made a nice Cucumber Salad. Delicious as usual!

Weather - i’s warming up! The temp made it to the high 70s on Paddy’s Day and the wind dropped to the single digits. Thanks to a favorable wind shift, most of the sea grass has left the marina.

Another cold front arrived on Wednesday bringing strong NE wind 20 - 25 knots which dropped into the mid to high teens overnight. The high reached the mid 70s and the low dropped to the low to mid 60s.

Friends/Acquaintances - Pat and Ellie arrived today (Sunday) for fishing tomorrow. They wanted to be here well before now, but the wind has not cooperated. The forecast for tomorrow suggests a repeat of today with a light breeze, high near 80, calm seas and mostly sunny.

Cheryl and Chuck, friends of Gary and Carol Kramer, found us at the Point today. No, they didn’t know who they were looking for, but the Kramer’s told them to look us up. They started talking to us while we were chilling at the Point and exchanged names. We joined them later in the evening to listen to Four Sheets to the Wind on the back porch at the ‘Cane!

We also met the Episcopal School Bus driver who tried to recruit us as volunteers for the Red Cross. He made some compelling arguments.

Departure Planning - It hasn’t been planned yet, but we have started discussion about when we’ll blow this popsicle stand. If we leave on March 26, we’ll be home by Easter. Or we could wait until our previously planned departure on April 6. Right now, we seem to be undecided!

On Wednesday, we determined that our departure date will be April 3. We’ll haul out on either on the 1st, Easter Sunday, or the 2nd. We’ll start getting things ready next Wednesday, a week from today. That way we won’t be rushing around.

Four Sheets to the Wind at Sparky's

Port side dining table in  folded position

Starboard side dining table in folded position

Starboard dining table ready for use

Port dining table ready for use

Center and port tables

Playing Al's Blueridge Guitar

... att the mic

Anna Marie using her table.

Dinner is served!

Pat's and Ellie's cooler is filled with mackerel!

Havana Jack's has just reopened after repairs of Irma damage

Havana Jack's

Watching 'Nova at Havana Jack's

Tarpon!

2018 Cruise - Week 10

Week 10

March 10 - 16, 2018   

Entertainment - Saturday, March 10, 2018, is the first day of the Marathon Seafood Festival. We go for the music, but visit the vendors too. This year, we’re excited to hear old favorites, I-Land Vibe and Howard Livingston and new, this year, Tito Puento Jr. 

Sunday, March 11, marked Day 2 of the Seafood Festival. We caught Karen Weber and the Funkin’ Conchs and the Stone Crabs, voted best band in Marathon for the last two years. While the music was playing, we bought a dip cooler and four packs of dip mix. We’ll use them for future happy hours.    

We returned to our seats for Howard Livingston and the Mile Marker 24 Band. We enjoyed their performance and that of Maggie Baugh who closed the festival. On our way out, we scored two lobsters for $5.00 each and a free glass of Merlot. All in all, we had a nice time at the festival.

On Thursday, we joined the Tug Nuts for a Lobster cookout. Another good time!

Work - We picked up the V-Stop for the boat trailer on Wednesday of this week. unlike when we dropped it off, the pick up came off without a hitch. Our timing was perfect for a lunch stop at the Lor-e-lei, one of our favorite Islamorada eateries. unfortunately, The new holes drilled by Float-On don’t line up with the  receiver. We’ll get a larger bit tomorrow so we can enlarge the receiver’s holes a bit. We’ll also work on the attachment point for a safety chain.

Placed a couple of orders this week, hooks for the new folding tables in the front and rear cockpits and lighting for the rear cockpit. 

Worked on making the cutting board tables for the rear cockpit. We even tried them out a time or two and they work great! Next week we’ll varnish them with Cetol.

The house next door is hosting a circus. We clearly see the big top, but we neither heard nor smelled the lions, tigers or elephants!

Friends/Acquaintances - The Ranger Tugs are still in the Marina and John and Susan returned from Key West aboard Nuclear Fishin. The North dock liveaboards are still here as well. Folks in a Cape Dory 28 trawler pulled in to Slip 3 while we were at the Seafood Festival on Saturday.

We haven’t seen Pat and Ellie since their appearance in February.

Captain John left late last week to visit his son in Tennessee. He gave us fish again before he left. He should be back in a week or so.

Weather - We turned the clocks forward one hour on Sunday morning as Daylight Saving Time is now in force.

The week started with lighter winds (mid teens in strength) and dropped to calm by Sunday evening. We had showers of liquid sunshine both Saturday and Sunday nights (actually, it was the wee hours of Monday morning. Temps on Sunday reached 90 and the sleeping temp aboard SUNSHINE was 80 Sunday night/Monday morning. Then a cold front moved in bringing overnight temps into the high 50s and low sixties with daytime temps barely reaching 70.° The front also brought strong 20+ knot N - NW wind.

On Thursday, the wind, still out of the north, finally laid down a bit. It was nice when it dropped to around 12 knots and it was even nicer in the evening when there was just a very slight breeze.

The Latin music of Tito Puente Jr was fabulous!

Trop Rockin' with Howard Livingston and Mile Marker 24

Toe tappin' with I-land Vibe!

Adrienne, John Bartus and Storm Jade

Bev dancing with a giant turtle!

A manatee out of its element!

The very talented Maggie Baugh

New neighbor

View from our table at the Lorelei.

A floating Pink Cadillac water taxi at the Lorelei

No, the circus is not in town. The exterminator is working on our neighbor's house.