Merry Christmas!

Once again Santa got his naughty and nice lists mixed up and brought the kids presents.

Dylan, Dee Dee, and Dora got gingerbread treats.

They love treats!

There was a toy Santa.

Dylan and Dora enjoyed a good tug-of-war. Dylan can still hold his own against a young pup.

But the most popular toy was the new Nylabone.

Everyone wanted to play with it.

Dora was not happy when Dee Dee stole it from her. How early does Santa start next year’s naughty and nice list?

The Red Head crew wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Key West!

The Red Head crew has settled nicely into Key West. Dylan and Dora head off to the dog park every morning, while Mom takes Dee Dee on a long walk.

Dora is loving her dog park friends.

There’s so much to do.

Then the crew gets to relax on the back deck.

With so many boats and people passing there’s never a dull moment.

Red Head Has Arrived

After 59 hours, the Red Head Crew docked at Stock Island Marina, Key West, just in time for the sunset.

Tomorrow we hit the new dog park. Perfect!

One Cold Crew

Red Head started pulling anchor before it was first light. Good to be underway after weather delays and then a few more days while Mom and Dad got over colds. The plan is to do a double overnight ending up in Key West Wednesday or Thursday. Perfect conditions so far.

But it was COLD when we got up this morning. In the 40’s at 5 am. Only slightly better with the sun behind clouds. Dora has been huddled under a blanket since she finished her breakfast around 5:15.

Even Dee Dee wanted to be under cover. The whole Red Head crew was looking for some warmth.

Except, of course, Dylan who is never cold. We really need to get south. ☀️☀️☀️☀️

It’s So Embarrassing

Time for a confession. Mom has privately mocked dogs who run around in little outfits. How silly. OK, there was that time when Dee Dee had to wear little t-shirts, but that was for medicinal purposes.

Now there is Dora who is cold if the temps drop out of the 70’s. It’s really no wonder when you look at Dora’s practically naked belly...

Compared to Dee Dee’s furry one.

Mom broke down and bought Dora a winter coat. She loves it. But it stops here. There will be no frilly tutus or cowboy outfits worn by the Red Head crew.

Apologizes to all the fur deprived pups out there.

Sharing

Today Dee Dee and Dora did something unusual - for them. They nicely shared a toy. The two girls sat side by side while they worked diligently to eviscerate a poor stuffed puppy.

Just in case you believe Mom simply got a lucky shot, she took a video. What good girls!

On The Move

Dylan, Dee Dee, and Dora left Morehead City almost a week ago. It’s been pretty much constant movement since then. We started with an overnight run to Beaufort, SC. Overall it was a good run except for the start and finish. The first two hours out were quite bumpy and the final run into the inlet had 3-4 foot beam to seas. Dylan and Dee Dee showed thier salt by curling up into corners.

Dora hasn’t quite figured out lumpy seas yet but eventually did curled up with Dee Dee. There were several anchorages, some calm, some bumpy. The hardest part was too many days without a walk - that goes for Mom and Dad, as well as the crew.

Today we pull into Brunswick, GA. As we entered the St Simons Sound Inlet, Dora discovered a stowaway. Fortunately, there was a gate to separate them.

Then the crew got to see the salvage operation on the car carrier that grounded a while back. The whole Red Head crew is looking forward to some downtime at Brunswick. Dad will do some projects and Mom and Dee Dee will be taking a trip to help tend to Grandma.

C-C-C-C-Cold

The Red Head crew woke to 61 degrees in the galley. For this crowd, that’s cold. Dylan and Dee Dee don’t mind, they’re built for it. But poor Dora, with her almost naked belly, is not.

We’re waiting in Morehead City while yet more bad weather passes by. The crew had a bit of excitement when a large Nordhavn pulled down the narrow fairway and into to a slip just down from Red Head.

Dee Dee and Dora made sure they knew who owned the dock.

Spark Plugs

Yesterday a Dad changed the spark plugs on the dinghy. Friday the Red Head crew plans on going offshore overnight. That meant that Dylan, Dee Dee, and Dora had to help a Dad test out the dinghy by taking a ride. They love dinghy rides. 💕

Outta Here

The Red Head crew woke yesterday to quiet winds and calm seas. We pulled anchor and headed to Morehead City.

It was a great day. Dylan, Dee Dee, and Dora even spied some dolphins.

Stir-Crazy

It’s been a tough couple of weeks for the Red Head crew. First, they were at Atlantic Yacht Basin for a week or so, with few options for fun, waiting for a window to move to River Dunes. Then severe weather offshore created high winds causing Red Head to tuck into an anchorage a couple hours away from River Dunes. After days stuck on onboard, Dylan, Dee Dee, and Dora are going a bit stir-crazy. So are their mom and dad. There’s a chance the crew could leave tomorrow as the winds are settling. Everyone has their fingers crossed.

Dee Dee’s Turn

Red Head has spent a week back at Zimmerman Marine having engine maintenance and a few other small projects done. Mom and Dad have gotten a few more things off their to-do list.

Boatyards are certainly not the best places for the crew. Mom has been taking Dylan and Dora on long walks each morning. But the most fun has been had by Dee Dee.

Her dad takes her to the big field every morning to play double tennis ball retrieve.

She loves it!

Short Timers

It’s almost time for the Red Head crew to leave DC. Everyone has had a great time here at the Capital Yacht Club. Mom and Dad because they were able to visit lots of new places in DC and places they hadn’t been to for a while. Dylan, Dee Dee, and Dora because they were able to have that routine dogs love.

The morning starts with Mom taking Dylan for a long night walk on The Wharf.

That’s followed by Mom taking Dee Dee on a long walk.

Around that time, Dad takes Dora on a long walk to the dog park where she hopes to find her new best buddy, Stella. If not, she can always chase a squirrel instead.

The new DC Wharf is lovely with so much to do right here and a short walk away on the DC Mall. Everyone on Red Head is a little bit sad to go but the crew has new adventures waiting.

She’s (approximately) 2!

We still don’t know what day Dora was born. Her dad choose 9/9 as her special day. His explanation is here. It doesn’t matter. Today is the day we celebrate our littlest crew member. She had a good day. Dad took her to the dog park and then there was a little birthday party on Red Head.

No birthday party for a 2 year old would be complete without cupcakes with sprinkles.

Yum!

Happy birthday sweet girl!

Stella’s Back!

Dora’s best dog park buddy, Stella, has been gone on vacation with her people. Dora sure missed her.

Well, Stella is back and the girls are making up for lost time. Dad captured it on video.

Somebody’s Watching

Mom noticed Dylan was being watched from one of the high-rise condos we pass each morning. When the little cutie was still there when Dee Dee walked past, Mom snapped a pic. Wonder who has to clean the nose prints off that window.

What About Dylan and Dee Dee?

Dylan and Dee Dee may not join Dora on her dog park trip but they are still enjoying visiting DC. So what is their routine?

Mom heads out early before the heat really kicks in. First, she takes Dylan for a walk along the waterfront at The Wharf. There are long piers to visit, side streets to explore, and lots of people saying how cute he is. Note the Washington Monument in the background.

Then it’s Dee Dee’s turn. The kids let Mom know when it’s time to get out of the heat and back to the blessed A/C on the boat. This morning things had cooled after a fierce storm last night so the walk was longer than it has been.

There are plenty of trees and posts and planters so Dylan and Dee Dee can send and receive their pee-mail.

There are even fire hydrants.

Of course, Dora thinks it is all terribly unfair that she is left behind. No worry, her dog park time is coming.

After the Dog Park

The Red Head crew arrived in Washington, DC a few days ago.  The newly rebuilt wharf is wonderful.

The first thing Dora’s dad did was find the nearest dog park. Dora doesn’t mind the walk to and from the park in the sweltering heat. But she is much more subdued afterwards.

Stopping is the problem...

Red Head was splashed this week, but not before there was one last issue. After having the mufflers and exhausts on both engines worked on, a leak was discovered in the port muffler when Dad powered up the engines.

Red Head had to be towed from the haul-out well to the dock by a boatyard skiff - actually, two skiffs, one in front and one in back. While it was impressive to watch them get her underway, it was more impressive to watch them bring her up to the dock and stop her - with no damage to the people or the boat. A quick repair followed and she was ready to set off.

There’s been several days of cleaning boatyard slim off Red Head, a final run to the grocery store, and general tidying up. Tomorrow the crew looks forward to throwing off the lines and heading out.

Something Nice?

When you have 3 dogs, it’s hard to have anything nice.

Since our summer plans were disrupted, Mom and Dad decided to tick off some additional items on the project list.

They had previously picked out some lovely vegan leather fabric for new settee cushion covers in the salon. The local canvas shop was able to fit in the job and the new cushions arrived last week. It was $$$ but everyone was pleased with the results.

Especially the Red Head crew. Dee Dee wasted no time reclaiming her spot.

While Dylan and Dora quickly joined in. Mom thought this was just a little too nice for this gang.

She quickly created a bottom cover using some outdoor canvas and well placed Velcro. Hopefully it’ll keep the settee “nice” for a little while. But honestly, a good crew beats a nice settee anytime.