How Many Engineers Does It Take...

It's been a busy week for the kids. Monday two engineering managers from Garmin arrived and more people onboard means more potential for treats, belly rubs, and cuddles. Always a good thing.

We headed back up the St Johns River giving us a chance to delve even deeper into our new electronics with the ultimate experts. They took the opportunity to discover how to improve on their already great products by observing and participating in the trip planning and execution.

Also in tow was a writer from PassageMaker magazine. Fortunately, he had left the boat before the engineers became enthralled with the raising of the anchor. But I had my phone ready and was able to snap them in the act.

It was a fun trip. Good to be moving on the water and even better to be sharing the time with people we really like. Dyna and Dylan were the perfect hosts and look forward to having them visit again. And next time Dylan is hoping Otis will come too.

Painting antennas...

Since every person walking down the dock had the same reaction to this project, "I didn't know you could do that!" I thought it would be a good idea to document it a little.

Many boats like ours have white, fiberglass antennas. Over time the fiberglass starts to come out causing uncomfortable handling as the microscopic shards penetrate skin. And especially at the top of the antennas that bend in the wind, paint flakes off over the years.

About 3 years ago we thought the antennas were starting to look sad and were becoming painful to handle when we needed to lower them for bridges. We decided to have them all replaced as part of the electronics refit.

Then we had the owners of Lambs Yacht Center over to our boat and for some reason, the topic came up. Downing asked a key question: "Are the antennas still working?" Well, yes, in fact they were performing as perfectly as the day we first keyed the mic on any of the radios 9+ years ago. "Then why not just paint them?" he asked.

So I researched it a bit and even on Shakespeare's site they give advice that you can paint the antennas:

http://www.shakespeare-antennas.com/media/faq.asp?c=9&q=17

This would save a lot of money and avoid hassles of running cables through the bases of the arch. I honestly had no idea this could even be done.

So we purchased a quart of Easypoxy white from Defender for about $30. I lowered and disassembled the antenna sections and hung them in reachable areas around the upper deck. After some cleaning and light sanding, 2 coats of the paint were applied. To complete the job, another light sanding should be done and a final coat should be applied - I'll probably let these coats harden well and do that last part at Olverson's in May.

I found that Easypoxy went on better with a normal brush than a foam one.  The brush strokes seem to magically fill in and produce a nice, glossy finish. It all cleans up easily with mineral spirits.

Replacing the 16' VHF antenna and 22' SSB antenna would have cost around $800.  It would have taken about 3-4 hours of effort. Instead, the cost here was about $35 and an easier 3-4 hours of effort (not one curse word).

Unfortunately, the very shiny antennas now show how badly our boat needs waxing! There's a team coming to do that job next week. Then we'll be all shiny and ready to head back north.

A spin around Murphy Creek...

Ahhhhh!

Life at the Marina at Ortega Landing is nice. A few blocks walk to Publix for fresh meat, fruit, anything you might crave. Restaurants nearby. The field where the dogs play with their buddies. There's even a pool and hot tub and a beautiful clubhouse. You're surrounded by fellow boaters who are always ready to get together for cocktails, a walk to dinner, or just to chat or help out. We even have a car!! We'll talk about that in a future entry. To say we have been spoiled would not be an understatement.

We've pretty much been at the dock for 4 months, longer than we have ever stayed in one place before. It has become extremely familiar and comfortable. So we've been wondering, when does it stop being cruising and become a floating condo?

We knew it was time to get away. We needed to do a sea trial of the new equipment and do some calibrations. We'd never explored the St. Johns River. Mostly we wanted to feel like we were cruising again. The big question, would the crew remember what to do?

Friday we finally threw off the lines and headed up the St Johns River. It was a beautiful morning. There was light fog as we headed out the Ortega River. Just enough to let us really test the new radar. Dyna quickly found her bed in its new spot by the starboard door as our new helm chair no longer left room for it under the table.

Dylan still managed to squeeze in between the helm chair and the helm, his safe spot.

The first night we anchored near Six Mile Creek because everyone, and we mean everyone, told us we had to go the the Outback Crab Shack. There's a shoaling spot that prevented us from taking the boat all the way up and staying on their free docks. So we launched the dinghy and had a wonderful 2 mile ride up the creek.

The best part, the kids got to go. Jeff had called and asked - well, begged, really - if we could bring them and sit outside as it was too hot to leave them onboard. "I promise, they'll be really, really good dogs." Really?

The food was good, the atmosphere was unique, there was plenty of leftovers for the next day, and the kids behaved pretty well. All along the docks are signs warning against feeding the alligators. Maybe it's just for the tourists but we kept the kids close just in case.

The next night we went beyond Palatka were the river becomes quite narrow and remote and anchored behind Murphy Island, a spot recommended by some local cruisers and with great AC reviews. It was a creek really but quite deep. There was lush vegetation and we were told we'd see alligators.

We barely had our chairs out on the cockpit before Jeff spotted one sunning on a log. He stayed there for hours but we didn't see any others. We searched on the iPhone to find interesting alligators facts. Did you know they can go for 2-3 years without eating? Don't know if it's really true but it's a cool tidbit. We also found that alligators eat by "lurking." They just hang out somewhere until food happens by and then they grab it. Guess you can do that when you can wait 2 years for supper. Jeff suggested we let Dylan take a swim...

The night was so calm it felt like we were still tied to the dock. We awoke surround by light mist coming up off the water. In Maine we would have called it sea smoke. Don't know if there's such a thing as "river smoke." We imagined there were alligators hiding on the mist as we began our return trip.

Tonight we're anchored in Doctors Lake and tomorrow we pull back to the dock. All systems worked well and the crew passed with flying colors. I guess it's like riding a bike.

Splash!

The schedule was to have aCappella back in the water by 1:30 pm Friday - high tide. We all know the saying about boating and schedules. But I'll be darned if they didn't release the slings at precisely 1:30 pm Friday afternoon. She floated out of the hoist and we were back "home" in the Marina at Ortega Landing slip before 2:00.

We'd hoped to make this entry before now but we spent the weekend putting things back together. At least, as back together as we could given there's still more electronics installation work to be done.

Dyna and Dylan are thrilled to be back onboard and more or less back on their schedule. We are still living in the midst of boxes and dust and workman. But the kids have found their place on the settee and this afternoon Dylan has a playdate with Abbie. What could be better?

La Quinta

It is a tough few weeks for Dyna and Dylan. Last week the boat was swarmed by electronics guys starting the work on our helm refit. Ceilings were exposed, wires hung down, boxes piled up, and furniture was rearranged. Dyna and Dylan were lucky to find a good spot on the settee in the salon. On the positive side, electronics guys were there, so that meant pats and excitement and the possibility of food.

This week the boat was hauled at Sadler Point Marina to change some transducers, clean and paint the bottom, and other various projects. That meant a trip to the La Quinta Inn for the crew. Now this crew is no stranger to commercial sleeping establishments having spent many a night in a Red Roof Inn. But the La Quinta is a step up and its pet policy allows two dogs in a room. No sneaking in one dog at a time a la Red Roof Inn.

But first we spent most of Monday hanging out in the car at the boatyard. The kids split their time between napping and staring out the window at their home up on stilts. Needless to say we all were a bit antsy by quitting time and anxious to get to the room.

Of course, a new space is always interesting and they checked out every nook, cranny, and trashcan. Then someone came to the door with Chinese food. Dylan thought, "I'm gonna like this place." The best part - a kingsize bed, room for everyone to stretch out.

Now it's evening of the second day. Dad spent most the day at the boatyard ensuring that this adventure doesn't last any longer than Friday. Sadler Point is promising a splash by 1 pm Friday.

Dyna and Dylan spent much of the day in the room with Mom with a couple of walk breaks, excitement when Dad came back for lunch, and big time excitement when the nice lady came to clean the room.  We're all getting a little bored and itching to get back on the boat.

Only two more days. At least we hope so!

Sad Goodbyes

One of the aspects of living onboard is frequently meeting and then leaving friends. It's a mix of emotions. You're sad to say goodbye, excited about their, or your, next adventure, and always looking forward to the next time you will meet again.

That's one of the best parts of cruising, knowing that you will run into your friends again and again yet never knowing quite where or when. And then taking up where you left off as if you just saw them yesterday.

This is true for Dyna and Dylan as well. They have made dog friends in nearly every port. And also have pals they meet again and again. Charleston, Vero Beach, Miami Beach, Callao, even back in Castine, the kids meet their buddies and play. Dog play, the best kind of play there is.

But some goodbyes are a bit harder.

Today Oddie and Salty left Ortega Landing to start their next adventure. For many weeks now Dyna and Dylan have enjoyed daily play dates, impromptu visits, and stares and barks across the sterns. It has been pure pleasure to watch them.

Oddie and Salty are far from their homeport in Turkey and have been traveling around the world with their people, Nur and Bahadir. Today they started their journey back south and on to, who knows where.

Of course, we all hope to meet again and maybe we will. Life on a boat is full of the unexpected. We may one day pull into a secluded anchorage and hear, "Woof, woof, woof" and say, "Is that Oddie?" We hope so.

Nur took many beautiful pictures of their time together. Here are just a few.

Dyna, Dylan, and Oddie waiting for a treat.

Salty makes the catch.

Air Dylan.

Oddie is, you guessed it, barking.

Dyna, the Queen.

The field where is all happens.

Salty and Dylan keep their eye on the ball.

Dyna takes a rest.

Dyna, Dylan, Oddie, and Salty - BFF's.

The Jacksonville Routine

Anyone who has owned a dog knows that they are creatures of habit. Routine is the most important facet of their day. The thing Dyna and Dylan like best about being settled at a dock is there is time to develop a routine.

Having been here at Ortega Landing in Jacksonville for some time we have developed a definite routine which centers around 4:00 pm - play-date time. Kitty-corner from us is the sailboat belonging to Oddie and Salty. As 4 o'clock approaches Dylan starts to watch out the stern and often Salty appears on deck looking back. 

Sometime around 4 pm there are 16 paws scrambling down the dock to the large field onshore. Dylan and Salty chase, Dyna moseys about, and Oddie barks and rolls on his back. It's about an hour of pure dog fun.

A few days ago Dixie and Gracie arrived. If you've been following Dyna and Dylan for a while you will have seen Dixie and Gracie before. They even visited Dyna and Dylan this past July 4th in Castine.  Needless to say, the kids are returning to the boat even more exhausted than before.

Yesterday we were joined by Abbie, another yellow lab. Abbie owns a nice lady who works at Huckins Yacht Corporation who brought her by to join in the fun. Dylan is completely smitten. Abbie is playing hard to get. Ah, young love. But no matter what, you can count on 16 paws heading down the dock sometime around 4 o'clock this afternoon.

New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve morning is bright and warm and dry. A picture perfect day. We started with a quick workout and then breakfast outside on the cockpit. Halfway through we realized it was the first time we have ever had New Year's Eve breakfast outside...

Neighbor Paul on Carry On thought we looked so "idyllic" he snapped a picture. Of course, Dylan had to be a part of it, too.

Tonight we will join Betty and Al and Dinny and Paul on Carry On for a New Year's Eve dinner and celebration. It is doubtful we will be awake at midnight but certain we will have fun.

We look forward to the new year, to new adventures, to friends old and new, and to time with those we love including our faithful crew.

We wish everyone a happy, healthy, and safe New Year.

Karen, Jeff, Dyna, and Dylan

Christmas Day

The temperature was warm.

Dyna and Dylan enjoyed Christmas treats, although Dylan thinks Dyna's was much bigger

It never gets old, at least for me.

 A wreath helps the kids welcome Christmas.

A pecan pie, ice cream, a sampling of rum from around the world, and fellow boaters close a wonderful day.

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas!!

This is the first time that we will be staying on the boat for Christmas and not visiting family. There are several reasons but one was to just have the experience and see what it would be like.

So what do I miss? Well, certainly spending time with family, especially my youngest niece and nephew. I miss a Christmas tree and lots of decorations. I miss the big family feast. I even miss the snow.

But Christmas here on the boat has its own charm. We've strung some lights, got a wreath, and a poinsettia. Several other boats in the marina have done elaborate lights and even Christmas trees. We even had a boat named Christmas pull in a few days ago, who stayed true to her name with a Santa, lights, and a tree on the bow. We've participated in some local events. And will be spending time with fellow boaters.

There's no snow but we've been eating breakfast on our new cockpit table and taking our walks in short-sleeves and even shorts. The dockmaster has donned a Santa hat and a local radio station is playing Christmas tunes. Tomorrow is suppose to be in the 80's.

We'll be doing some baking and having our own Christmas feast, all scaled down to fit in our galley stove. Dyna and Dylan will keep ever vigilant for Santa.

Of course, we'll watch my Christmas favorites on DVD - Charlie Brown Christmas, Grinch, and It's a Wonderful Life. And it is a wonderful life indeed.

We hope that everyone has a safe and happy Christmas wherever you may be.

The Sexiest Man Alive

Admit it, gals. There's nothing sexier than a man wearing rubber gloves. At the galley sink, in the head, wiping down woodwork, give me that over Brad Pitt any day. In the stateroom might be creepy, unless he was scrubbing the floors.

We have not done a thorough cleaning inside and out since we've been back onboard. Moving south, business, travel, are all things that have kept us busy and just keeping ahead of the dog hair has been a challenge.

Arriving back at the boat following Thanksgiving we realized it was time - past time. So we decided to take a section each day and do a complete "spring cleaning." Hey, these temps in Maine would definitely qualify for spring.

We started at the back and are working our way forward - saloon, galley, pilothouse. She is looking good. Of course, the dog hair keeps chasing us but then it's such a small price to pay for these two cuties.

Thankful

Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday. It's a time to take a break and be with the people we love. And of course eat lots of great food. It doesn't have the pressure of buying gifts or weeks of hype. Just quiet time to be together.

We loaded up the rental car last week and drove the 500+ miles from Jacksonville to Tennessee, where inexplicably most of Karen's family has migrated. Dyna and Dylan settled in together on the back seat which we'd encased in sheets to keep the hair at bay. They didn't know where we were going but were just happy to be going.

We stayed with Grandma who graciously puts up with the dog hair. Thanksgiving day was at Aunt Jane and Uncle Chuck's. Dylan's job was to guard the dinning room table, even long after the meal was complete and all it contained was a puzzle.

Most of their cousins are grown but the youngest, 9 year old Marcos, and one grand-cousin (is that a term?), 2 year old Isaac, provided Dylan with some much appreciated crumbs from the table.

They handled the long trip back like the seasoned travelers they are and all were happy to be back onboard.  It's hard to beat an evening on the sofa with Dad.

We look forward to settling in for a few months and getting many projects done. We'll find time to have fun with fellow boaters and we just heard about a dog park nearby.

Life is good and we have much to be thankful for.

Offshore overnight through video...

Stuck in Paradise

River Dunes Marina is an ActiveCaptain sponsor. I originally contacted JC, the Marina Manager, about this time last year when we were looking for a place to stop because I had been seeing the amazing reviews they always received. He urged us to come and see for ourselves but the timing just didn't work out for us.

I spoke to JC again this year and again he urged us to come see for ourselves. This year we made it, planning to stay a day and then quickly move on - we'd lost time when we were "stuck" in Portsmouth. The plan was to head to the Beaufort inlet and then offshore so we could be in Florida by mid-month, then to my mom's for Thanksgiving.

We all know about boating and plans.

We pulled into the channel for River Dunes on Wednesday afternoon not expecting the large, beautiful basin that opened up before us. We both went, "Wow" - honest. I don't know what we expected but this is a beautiful place with just the right amount of manicured grounds (lovely to look at but not overdone), magnificent homes, winding streets, a pool surrounded by cabanas, a large clubhouse, and fabulous floating docks.

And it just kept getting better. JC met us at the dock with a knowledgable dockhand. Imagine that, a dockhand who knows how to handle lines. Quite an unusual finding. When we went into the clubhouse to check in I met Louise who handles the front desk and was a constant help during our stay. She was not only competent but she was thoroughly pleasant and fun to talk to. I thought, too bad we can't stay longer.

We signed up for their family style dinner Thursday night with plans to leave early Friday morning. We were pleasantly surprised when Elle and Dick on Summer Wind pulled into the basin and we all joined JC and his wife for a terrific dinner. Talked turned to the weather with predictions of 20 foot seas off of Frying Pan Shoals and gale force winds.

By Friday morning the winds were howling, yet again foiling our plans. By the afternoon a gaggle of Krogen trawlers began coming in out of the weather - it is called a gaggle isn't it? The basin filled up as the weather got worse. We weren't going anywhere. I wasn't complaining. A great dinner at the clubhouse with the Kogren-ites, a couple of trips into Oriental in the courtesy car, numerous walks on the grounds with the kids - I could get used to this.

But we do need to move on. Tomorrow is looking promising, so tonight we're making plans to leave early. Whatever the morning holds I won't complain. We do have places to go but being stuck here for another day wouldn't be so bad either.

aCappella's anchor light...

The highest fixed item on our boat is the anchor light.  While we can tilt down the VHF and HF radio antennas for bridges, the light on top of the arch only comes down with great effort.  It sits a full 20 feet above the water surface.  We know that any bridge lower than about 20' must be lifted in order for us to proceed through it.

No, we didn't hit a bridge.

In 2005 I changed the bulb in the anchor light.  It's an expensive halogen light that we turn on through all darkened hours at anchor.  It has burned brightly over many nights for us warning other boats that we were anchored.  Because of its technology, it consumes a fair number of amps to provide the required 2 mile range.

A couple of weeks ago there was a wonderful new LED replacement bulb at a great price from Defender (part of our Defender 1st program with them).  We purchased a couple of the bulbs with the intention of using one for the anchor light.  It has the required range but burns less than 30% the amps of the previous bulb.

So I carefully removed the sealed fitting that has guarded the existing bulb from wind, rain, and even hurricanes through the last 6+ years.  When I got the housing off there was an unexpected finding inside.  It was almost filled with dog hair.

Can anyone come up with an explanation of how this sealed container could be filled in this way?

The new bulb is wonderful, bright, and saves a lot of power.

I'm starting to wonder what my lungs look like.

Stuck in Portsmouth

We really do love Portsmouth, VA and always stop here going north or south. We pulled into Ocean Marine Yacht Center, an ActiveCaptain Sponsor, last Monday with the plan to leave Tuesday morning. We thought it would give us some time to chat with Dave, the dockmaster, about some cool things we have coming, get our Bagel Nutz fix from Starboards Coffee, and see what's new at Skipjack Nautical, two other Sponsors, and be on our way.

Then we ran into good boating buddies Elle and Dick on Summer Wind and met some new boaters all staying at one of the town basins. As we pulled away from the dock at Ocean Marine we decided 24 hours just wasn't enough and swung around to the basin. Another day wouldn't hurt, we had plenty of time.

First, the weather turned a bit nasty, then we decided to fix a small generator raw water pump leak, and then the weather turned really nasty. Yadda, yadda, yadda, we've been stuck here now for almost a week.

But honestly, it's been a great week. We've met numerous new boaters including another couple from Maine, had great German and Chinese food, tried the chocolate muffins from Starboards (Elle's suggestion), made it to the farmer's market, found a field where Dyna and Dylan could romp, walked through the lovely houses in the historic section of Portsmouth, and stayed long enough that our good friend John Salyer showed up. John is dad to black labs Gracie and Dixie who visited Dyna and Dylan in Maine this past summer. It was 16 paws having a much needed chase this morning.

Yesterday and today have been cold, rainy, and windy. The water lapped high above the dock this morning causing us to wade ankle deep to get back to the boat after going to the farmer's market. It reached about 2 feet over the dock before receding, causing us to repeatedly adjust the fenders.

Tomorrow looks good and we plan on finally throwing off the lines. It's time to move on but we know we'll be back. After all, is it really considered "stuck" if you like being here?

The Piankatank River

If you were following us in 2009 you may remember we fell in love with a beautiful anchorage on the Piankatank River tucked in behind Berkley Island. At first we just liked saying the name of the river. Come on, everyone together - Pee-yank-a-tank. Now tell me you said that and didn't smile.

We loved it so much we stayed several days taking the kids to a small beach at a camp every day for a swim. Dyna was our swimming fool. She loves to swim more than anything in the world, even eating. Dylan, well, there's nothing he likes better than eating. It was a wonderful time.

We decided to go back and it was as beautiful as we remembered. The kids had dinghy rides and walks on shore. Unfortunately, there was no swimming. Dyna can't swim since her throat surgery. It was a bittersweet reminder that she's now a very mature girl. But also reminds us how lucky we are to still have her with us.

We spent five days in the anchorage and saw the full spectrum of weather. One morning the water was as flat as a mirror with the clouds as distinct on the water as in the sky - those things in the water are reflections of the sky. The next we had white caps surrounding the boat.

It was hard to leave but the nights are getting cool and it reminds us we need to move further south. There are other anchorages and dinghy rides and dog parks and friends at the dock. But nothing is better than some quiet time in a beautiful anchorage surrounded by the kids.

Meandering South

We finally pulled anchor this morning after a week on the Corrotoman River. It was a quiet, secure anchorage that saw us through a small squall and a few days of rainy, blustery weather. The squall blew the rain sideways into our open port-side portholes right into the stateroom. By the time I ran down to close them it looked like someone was spraying in the porthole with a garden hose. Mother nature is amazing.

Because of the weather the kids only had a few dinghy rides and little time ashore, but we were able to get a lot of work done. Watch upcoming newsletters for announcements!

Today was a short day, barely 26 nautical miles. I did most of the piloting with the help of my ever vigilant crew.

Every good captain knows the importance of good alert crew members to ensure the safety of the vessel and all onboard.

As we approached the Nelson Bridge crossing the Rappahannock River I was blinded by the glare. It reminded me of a cool tip I learned from good friend Pat Berry on Got The Fever. Portable shades made from screen material and little suction cups. I made one as soon as we got in.

Cut the screen to the size you want, nip just enough in each corner to push the tip of the suction cup through, and put them up when needed. I decided to do one that could go across the top of the main window like a shade visor. I couldn't get a good picture of the whole thing so I just took some detail of the suction cup in the corner. I'll let you know how it works.

We'll be off again in a few days but not before we get the kids to shore and let them stretch their legs. We're looking forward to that also.

Catching Up

We apologize that we have been remiss in updating our blog. It has been a busy time. There is nothing we love more than meeting other boaters, seeing our old friends, finding new ones, and of course, what boaters do best, partying. But with two back to back rendezvous the whole crew is exhausted.

The Krogen rendezvous was terrific. They had the same amazing band as last year and once again we managed to dance way past our bedtime. This year we were invited to stay at the dock as honorary Krogen-ites. We dropped anchor Sunday morning to watch the intricate dance that is done to undock all the Krogens. This year was blustery with threatening skies so the show took a bit longer.

The talks and our songs were very well received. In fact, we've already been booked by both groups for next year's events. Can anyone recommend a good agent?

We had hoped to spend some downtime in Solomons and visit two ActiveCaptain Sponsors, Zahniser's Yachting Center and Spring Cove Marina. Unfortunately, Dyna developed an, um, digestive issue we couldn't solve, so we headed back to Olverson's were we had our car and a vet we like. She got checked out and received some antibiotics. She's fine now.

Of course, it is never possible to have a brief visit at Freddie's. There's friends and Nino's Pizza and easy shopping and Liars Corner. So we ended up there for the week. It allowed us to drive over for the Annapolis Sailboat Show. Ted and Sally on Amichi joined us. It was a beautiful day. We met up with numerous business partners and kept running into boaters we knew. This boating world really is small.

We finally shoved off today to head to a quiet anchorage to get some work done. A lot is happening so the parties need to stop for a while. Dyna has taken up her favorite spot in the breeze. Of course, Dylan has to make his way into the picture, too...