Almost Done... Delayed!

Monday, February 24, 2014 - Almost Done!

We attacked our tasks again and we're almost ready to leave SUNSHINE after this short season. Rather than listing everything we did, let's just list what is left to do tomorrow:

     -   The pump out boat is scheduled to be here tomorrow;

     -   We have to off load the ice maker, freezer, guitar, Apple computer and some tools;

     -   Wash the decks;

     -   Tie up all the halyards to keep them off the decks;

     -   Haul out;

     -   Meet with Bill Watson.

With any kind of luck we should be finished in the early afternoon.

We picked up the Nimble from the storage yard early this afternoon and parked it in a campsite in Phipps County Park on the St. Lucie River near the Corp of Engineers Park at the St. Lucien Lock on the Okeechobee Waterway. We tried to get a sit at the COE Park, but they were full up. They had one tent site, but rather than pack up the tent on Wednesday morning, we'll just hitch up and go. We should be on the road faster that way.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 - Delayed!

SUNSHINE didn't get hauled today. It seems the travel lift has two flat tires. New tires won't arrive until after 1200 hours and then it will take a couple of hours to put them on.

It looks like nothing will happen until Thursday. Of course, we're supposed to be home on Friday. Brian offered to have his guys move the boat and pickle the engines. We may have to take him up on that!

Everything but the computer and the guitar has been off-loaded. We need to sanitize the fresh water tank, sweep up a bit, and clean the refrigerator. 

We talked with Bill Watson. He said he'd take the main and jib to Mack Sails for repair. He'll also check the baby stay every couple of weeks or so to make sure it doesn't leak.

We asked Brian to have the boat washed once a month. Tomorrow, we'll need to ask him to add water to the wet cells once a month.

After working all day, we think SUNSHINE is almost ready for her layup.

On Our Way!

At 0645, we slipped our lines and departed Vero Beach. It was most certainly a pleasant stay and we enjoyed mostly mild weather.

Our trip to the Hinckley Yard in Manatee Pocket, Port Salerno, was relatively easy, especially for the first three hours. After that, the wind, which had been in the 8 to 12 knot range, picked up to 18 knots. That and a foul current that we met after the Fort Pierce Inlet caused our speed dropped from 5.8 mph to 4.8 mph. 

Oh, during that time, the autopilot belt broke. I'll need to order one and install it when we return to SUNSHINE.

As we approached the marina, the guys directed us to a tight slip. They wanted us to back in. At first, I thought the strong breeze would push us into some expensive boats, but the wind died down to about a knot and we slid gracefully, in reverse, into our slip. The captain next was watching with some concern. As we easily slipped into our space, he admitted that he was very impressed!

Almost Ready to Leave Vero Beach, But Where to Go?

We are rethinking leaving SUNSHINE at the Hinckley yard in Stuart. Brian, the dock master, has been very slow in returning calls and nonresponsive in getting someone to evaluate some work we would like to have done on SUNSHINE.

We're going to check other alternatives today.

After much conversation and debate, and a trip to the Hinckley Yard, we decided to stick with our plan and take SUNSHINE to the Hinckley Yard. 

South Pacific!

Joining us for lunch at the Riverside and South Pacific at the Riverside Theater were Pat and George and Wendy and Bob (our Olympics watching friends). Lunch was very good and the show was SPECTACULAR! We have come to really appreciate musical theater and this show reinforced that fact. 

The actor who played Emile Dubraque was spectacular. He has a powerful voice and brought such emotion to the role that he had tears in his eyes at the conclusion of the song "This Nearly Was Mine." 

It was another great show at the Riverside Theater.

Nimble Cushions Again!

Picked up the cushions for the Nimble. This time the foam is very firm. I put a five prong plug on the trailer to accommodate the brake actuator wire. 

Once again we went to the lounge at 2000 hours to watch the Olympics. Bob and Wendy. We're their when we arrived.

More Olympics!

For the last week or so, we've been gathering in the lounge to watch the Olympics. We were joined there by three other couples. The pair from Annapolis moved on after a couple of days. That left us, Ian and Jan, Scots who live in Canada, and Bob and Wendy from Bainbridge Island, Washington. Ian and Jan are headed north and left a couple of days ago. So now it's just us and Bob and Wendy. They are going to lunch and South Pacific at the Riverside with us and the Henkel's on Wednesday.

We talked to Sandi a couple of times yesterday. She's going through some pretty bad times right now. Anna Marie and I  talked about heading home early to see if we could help. Last night she asked if we could come home. We said yes, but it'll take a week to move the boat and lay it up. We're going to try to get home early next week.

Uh Oh!

Are you up for a bike ride? Sure! We rode to South Beach, had lunch at the South Beach Pizzeria and headed back to  Hummiston Park. On the way, Anna Marie's bike broke. When she pedals, the gears just spin. I'll have to look up how to repair it.