Happy Birthday Geoffrey!

Geoffrey is 15 today! Where oh where has the time gone? He's a terrific young man and handsome to boot. We love him with all our hearts and want only the best things in life for him.

Our first night on the Nimble is over. Not only did we survive, we thrived. The bed is significantly small than we are used to. It reminds me of the bed on Fodder's Cat. We lived aboard that small boat for 6 months! For the long haul on the Nimble, we'll need cushions with firmer mattresses but we slept peacefully and soundly.

We did more work on the boat and tested more systems. The trailer light bar project wasn't completed. We have to go back to West Marine to get more wire.

In the evening, we called Geoffrey to wish him a happy birthday. We find it difficult to be away during special times like birthdays.

Picking Up the Nimble!

It's 0530! The alarm starts ringing. Up and at 'em? Nope! It's time to hit the snooze button to get an extra 10 minutes of shut eye. When it goes off the second time, we're up! After attending to our personal hygiene and loading the truck, we were off on another adventure.

 The 250 miles went by quickly. At least until a big Jam-O on Big Pine Key. Doesn't if figure? Smooth sailing until the last 8 miles of the trip. The annual Big Pine Nautical Flea Market caused us to be in a 30 tie up with only 8 miles to go!

We persevered and were able to pick up the Nimble's trailer at A-1 Auto. Those folks were nice enough to get it from Lawrence's place so they could make sure everything is in good shape for the long drive to NJ.

We met the Cooter's owner, Lawrence, at the boat dock. We talked for a while after which we set about wiping down the interior on the vessel and applying some wood care treatment. The exterior is in need of a good buffing, but that will wait until we get it back to NJ.

I checked the battery wiring and found only the house battery is connected to the battery charger. When we add a second house battery, we'll reconfigure the wiring so the starter battery can be charged while the boat is plugged into a 120 line.

In no time, it was dinner time. Lawrence and Ann graciously invited us to dinner. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner exchanging stories about our lives and experiences. We very much enjoyed their hospitality. And the Cuban fusion dinner they provided was delicious and fun!

We returned to the boat, converted the dinette into our bed and hit the sack. Tomorrow we'll continue to set up the interior for cruising, check the engine and load the truck with the extra gear that came with the boat. We'll also decide which ramp we're going to use to retrieve the boat and position the truck. We'll probably leave the dock on Monday morning.

The Souvenir!

While in the Keys last weekend, we purchased a 1992 Nimble Nomad Pocket Trawler from a very nice couple on Summerland Key. We will take some time polishing the hull and varnishing all the interior and exterior wood and then we'll make only minor adjustments for livability.  It will be our go to boat after SUNSHINE is sold. It will also serve as the classroom when I teach the grandchildren to operate a motor vessel. I'm currently writing a curriculum to be sure I cover everything they'll need to know to get a boater's operator's license when they're old enough.

This particular Nomad sports custom cabinets that provide lots of extra storage space. the marine head and holding tank were removed and a port-a-potty was put in the head compartment. We will replace that with our Airhead composting toilet.We used the Airhead on our Atlantic City Catboat trip with great success. The A/C, refrigerator, and water pumps were removed too. The previous owners preferred the simpler is better system and used a simple hand pump to draw water from the tank. They must have removed hundreds of pounds of weight from the boat. We prefer simpler too and will continue to use the hand pump. I already replaced its seals and gaskets. It works well! Hot water will be supplied from a solar water heater. We will use refrigeration so we'll need to add another house battery. until we get a dinghy, we'll frequent marinas more often than normal so we can keep the batteries charged.

So our Summerland Key souvenir will remind us of the Florida Keys lovely couple, Lawrence and Ann, who sold us "their boat." It will remind us of the hospitality and friendship they afforded us while we stayed at their dock as we prepared the Cooter for cruising.

It will remind us to visit the many out of the way Florida Keys spots that we have often passed in SUNSHINE, our PDQ catamaran.

It will remind us to cherish the moments we have together and enjoy the simple things life offers each minute of each hour of each day...

Thank you Lawrence and Ann! The Cooter will be a wonderful souvenir indeed!

Our Souvenir of the Florida Keys -
The COOTER
Lawrance and Ann, Previous Owners

Boat Storage!

The first task today is to rework our schedule for the next two weeks. After rescheduling one appointment, we had a total of four appointments to add to the calendar. Said calendar is becoming quite full since our planned return to NJ is scheduled for March 10 or 11. 

The good news is that we pick up the pocket trawler tomorrow. We expect to use it for a couple of days in the Keys. Most of our time will be spent getting familiar with it and cleaning the interior. In anticipation of its arrival in Vero Beach either next Wednesday or Thursday (1/23 or 24), we secured a convenient storage spot just outside of the city limits.

A Road Trip!

A break in our routine happened last weekend. We drove to the Keys, set up the tent in the Knights Key Campground. We were looking at a Nimble Nomad Pocket Trawler on Summerland Key on Thursday and meeting friends to spend Friday in Key West.

We made arrangements to buy the boat and had a great time in Key West with our friends. The highlights included an eight mile walk through the old town district, finding the "I told you I was sick" grave in the cemetary, lunch ay Louis Back Porch and Dinner at Michaels. The sunset was spectacular but, alas, no green flash.

Routine!

Our daily routine is established. Most days include a three mile walk, sometimes more, rarely less. Meals are taken aboard SUNSHINE, but occasionally we'll have breakfast or lunch out. We haven't been to the theater yet, but we have seen three movies at the AMC Theaters in the mall. 

My struggles with Plantar Faciatus vary from day to day. In the good news department, I've experienced no (zero) pain on two walks. Although there has been varying amounts of pain on the other walks, I'm encouraged that the orthotic is working.

Most days involve some cleaning aboard SUNSHINE. We want her to look good when people stop by to check her out. In fact, one couple wanted to look at the boat for a second time. No brokers were available when the client wanted to come. We happily showed the folks the boat. They haven't made an offer to date, but they have told the broker that SUNSHINE is on their short list.

Back Aboard!

Well, we made it out of Dodge on 2, January, the day everybody went back to work and/or school. Coincidently, a polar vortex is on its way. The prognosticators suggest that 10 inches of snow if on the way.

Our route to the Sunshine State takes us down the Delmarva Penninsula to Norfolk where we cut over to I95 in Emporia, VA. We miss the mighty traffic jams of the Baltimore/Washington area. We figure it adds about an hour to our travel time, but we've been in Jam-O's that have lasted much longer than that! Besides, it's a nicer drive with less stress than I95,

We made it about 100 miles into NC before selecting a cheap motel for the night. Our drive on the third was uneventful and we made it to Vero Beach City Marina and SUNSHINE by mid evening. For the next few days, we provisioned and got SUNSHINE's systems up and running. We'll commission the motors a day or two before we leave the harbor.