What'd ya Mean No Dogs in a Rental Car?

Jeff had to drive down for the Miami Boat Show last week so we decided to rent a car for a week. That way we could easily re-provision, see some of the sites, etc. We needed to have some of Dyna's blood work redone to find out if there were any improvements in her liver levels. So early Thursday morning we loaded the kids in the rental car and headed to the vet.

We've done this rental car thing many times from the boat and have used a variety of methods to try and keep the bulk of the dog hair at bay. My latest creation involves a flannel sheet with Velcro attached and holes put in to accommodate the harnesses we use to strap them in. It works pretty well. Of course, this car had an all black interior - not good for this crew.

We brought Dylan along because he loves rides and we wanted to get him weighed. Lately he's been, well, a little larger in the rear end. It hasn't helped that Dyna has become more finicky about her eating. It's a constant battle to keep Dylan from scarfing up the dropped and left-over food.

Unfortunately, Dyna's blood work has not improved so we need to explore what might be happening with her liver. We decided the best place to settle in and do that is Jacksonville. So tomorrow we leave to begin heading that way. On the good side her digestive issues are better so she hasn't lost any more weight.

As for Dylan, well, can you say portion control?

We'll keep you posted on Dyna's progress.

No Takers

This past weekend there was a Mardi Gras celebration here in Cocoa Village. Sunday afternoon they held the Mardi Gras Paws in the Park event. Dyna and Dylan insisted on attending. There were hundreds of dogs of all shapes and sizes - and I mean ALL shapes and sizes. The event benefited the Central Brevard Humane Society with lots of food and vendors and even a dog parade.

We ran across the Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida booth and thought maybe they would take Dylan. But they turned us down. Dyna asked if they were absolutely positive...

We had great seats to watch the dog parade. Dyna was too dignified to wear a silly costume and Dylan, well, he does whatever Dyna does. There were lots of silly outfits. Dylan wasn't sure what to make of it all.

The whole crew had a great afternoon. But before we left Dyna thought we should make one more stop at the Lab Rescue booth to make sure there were no takers for Dylan. Sorry, Dyna.

Tending to Dyna

There's something about an old dog. They have a sense of appreciation that isn't there when they're young, agile, and healthy. It's like they really know they need you. The time comes when they no longer fight your efforts to help them and simply relax and accept your care.

A few months ago Dyna started needing to be carried down the steep winding stairs to the master stateroom. You might wonder why she doesn't simply sleep above but these are Siegel dogs, spoiled to the bone, and Dyna didn't want to be left behind. So Jeff carries her down every night. At first she struggled and squirmed but now she just settles into her daddy's arms and enjoys the ride.

We came back north because Dyna was having difficulties tolerating the heat and humidity. If you've been following her for a while you may remember that she had throat surgery a year and a half ago to fix a breathing problem. She's much better but still only has half an opening to breath through. So panting is less efficient plus all of these things are more difficult as she ages. Dyna will be 15 in May, a true grand dame.

In addition, she's had digestive problems due to chronic UTI's which have been cured with antibiotics but then stripped the good bacteria out of her stomach and intestines. Add to that the need for a periodic blood test to check liver functions due to her daily pain medicine, and we needed to find a good vet. So as soon as we pulled into Cocoa Village Marina we started searching. We checked online reviews, talked to the staff at the marina and some boaters with pets on the dock. We found a nice vet very close by but still too far for Dyna to walk. We started making plans to bring her in a dock cart, something that worked at Cumberland Island last spring.

So I went to the office to let them know we needed to take the cart off site. The manager Ken said, "I'll drive her." I told him it wasn't too far and I didn't want to bother him. "It's no bother. I'll do anything for a dog." I knew there was a good reason I liked him so much. Off Dyna went to Brevard Veterinary Hospital.

After tests and exams and consultations both here in Florida and with Stephanie back at Lucerne Veterinary Hospital in Maine, we devised a plan. Now on top of her hard to find dog food, she is getting a raft full of supplements - cranberry extract to keep the UTI at bay, probiotics to restore her good digestive bugs, Sam-e and milk thistle to help her liver levels, and Nupro vitamin supplement to ensure she's getting what she needs. Oh, and she also needs the addition of canned, wet food to get her to eat all this stuff. My galley pantry is becoming filled with dog items.

Do I care? Not a wit. She's our very special girl and every day with her is precious. Plus she's perked up and has even started a few tussles with Dylan. We know we can't have her forever but we can make her days the best they can be.

The Busiest Crew Member

We've told you that Dylan loves dolphins and that his job while underway is to maintain a constant watch to alert the other crew members of impending dolphin attacks. Dylan takes this job very seriously and never falters. Any time the boat is underway you can find him making his rounds - check the port-side bow, check the starboard-side bow, look through each of the hawseholes, fly down the starboard side to check the stern, check the port-side stern, fly up the port-side and start all over. He does this without stopping for the entire cruise. 90% of the time he finds nothing but then, well, see for yourself.

 

Beautiful Boats

We can't believe it's been two weeks since the last blog entry. I guess Dyna and Dylan have just been too busy to sit down and write. Actually, they dictate and I do the typing but don't tell them I told you. So what have they been up to?

They spent several days at the Loggerhead Marina in Vero Beach which is beautiful and peaceful. Every day they took long walks through the lovely grounds. Then they spent over a week at the Loggerhead Marina in Stuart. By now they are considered honorary Loggerheads. They met many other dogs on the docks while taking their walks along the water. They weren't allowed in either of the swimming pools though - bummer.

Then they cruised 6 long miles over to Hinckley Yacht Services in Manatee Pocket where we all enjoyed walking among the beautiful boats! Yes, there were lots of beautiful Hinckley boats of all sizes and types along with many other boats being worked on and stored.

We took our morning walks through the huge on-land storage area so we could see them up close. Dyna was partial to the go fast jet boats being a speed demon from way back.

Dylan thought a Nordhavn 55 was more his speed. After all, if you go too fast how would you be able to spot the dolphins.

But when all is said and done the whole crew loves being back on aCappella were they know all the good napping places.

Kennedy Space Center

We decided to rent a car the week of Christmas so we could explore a bit further. Plus we had some Christmas parties to attend and some shopping to do - Orlando is only about 30 minutes from Titusville. But first on our list was to visit the Kennedy Space Center. We were pleased to see they were decked out for the holidays. There was even Mr. and Mrs. Claus there who had just returned from space.

The facility is very well done with lots to see, more than you can easily do in a day. The Imax theater is wonderful and the tour out to the launch pad is great. We even saw alligators and a huge eagle's nest along the way. Never thought I'd see a Christmas tree among rocket ships!

We had a terrific time. This is something that should not be missed.

We've finally left Titusvilles but not before we were visited by some "friends" from Maine. The last few days we saw dozens of Loons many swimming right up to the boat.

 

We look froward to the new year with new adventures. Happy New Year and safe travels from the aCappella crew!

Titusville Kayaking

Dylan's manatee buddies visit almost daily.

After a week of looking at all the wonderful wildlife that surrounded the boat we had a real hankering to explore. Our new smaller kayaks weren't appropriate to cross the ICW where the real beauty is, while the sea kayaks sitting in our basement in Maine would have been perfect. Darn! So we looked into A Day Away Kayak Tours which Mark here at Titusville Municipal Marina had recommended and knew right away it would be perfect.

Looking for sleeping manatees.

We met Ron who manages the tours and he suggested we try a motorized kayak tour. Well, being long time kayakers who enjoy paddling we were a bit skeptical. Wouldn't the sound of the motor destroy the peacefulness of gliding along the water? Weren't we just being wimps by not paddling ourselves? But we're always up for something new, so we met him in Sand Point Park adjacent to the marina early on a Sunday.

A small electric motor does the work.

Each kayak had a small electric motor that barely made a hum when it was on. You turned the motor on and off with a switch and steered using a a long handle that attached to a rudder. We also had paddles we could use to turn or backup - the motor only went forward. When we turned on the motors the kayaks glided through the water "at about the speed of a good paddler," according to Ron. It was terrific. We were able to keep our attention on the sights around us rather than focusing on paddling and didn't need to think about saving energy for the return trip.

Look, Ma, no paddling.

We moved along the shore ducking into the basins to watch for manatees sleeping and dolphins. Then went across the ICW to some islands where we got out and stretched our legs while observing the shorebirds. It was a perfect morning which ended way too soon.

Crossing the ICW.

It's a great way to get out and see the natural beauty that is here. It's easy to do even if you've never been in a kayak. And Ron is a terrific and knowledgeable tour guide. You just have to try this! The only thing missing were side cars for Dyna and Dylan. They promised they'd sit still... Yeah, right!

Christmas in Titusville

In the two weeks we have been at the Titusville Municipal Marina we have come to appreciate what is truly special here. And it's not just the dog park. All day Christmas Eve the boat was surrounded by manatees snorting and diving and playing. Dylan spent hours hanging over the edge and quickly learned to recognize the bubbles followed by the circles in the water that meant a manatee was about to surface. I don't know which was more fun to watch, the manatees or Dylan. Just walking to the grocery store or dog park I pass dozens of wood storks a threatened species of bird, but apparently not in Titusville. There's something abundant here that is becoming increasingly difficult to find elsewhere - simple natural beauty.

We were fortunate to meet Ron who runs a variety of kayak tours in the area and he invited us to an annual Christmas morning tradition, birding in the Merritt Island National Refuge. At 8 am in the nearby Burger King parking lot, we met the group and headed over. Luckily there were many in the group who were serious birders or I would not have known how many different species I was seeing. It was spectacular!

Did you know that Titusville is the home of the largest birding festival on the east coast? We had the privilege of spending Christmas morning with several of the founders on Merritt Island.

Mid-morning we stopped and enjoyed the many goodies we had brought plus Mimosas. Then driving out of the refuge we spotted a large gator sunning himself. We are so thankful that this group of old friends included us and made us feel at home.

The afternoon was spent with the kids who unfortunately missed the birding adventure despite promising they'd be good - yeah right. Everyone cuddled for a nap and before we knew it, it was time to go to the dog park which was full of dogs even on Christmas.

The turkey is about to come out of the oven and we still have It's A Wonderful Life to watch on DVD. The kids love a movie night.

The whole crew wishes all of you a very Merry Christmas!

Karen, Jeff, Dyna, and Dylan

Our New Favorite Dog Park

When it comes to dog parks there are no better experts than Dyna and Dylan. They have been to scores of dog parks up throughout the US and have played with thousands of dogs. The route taken by the aCappella crew often involves planned stops at some of their favorite ones. And we now have a new one in Titusville.

We've been at the Titusville Municipal Marina for over a week now and the kids quickly fell into the afternoon habit of heading off to the dog park and become quite restless if something delays us for even a few minutes.

So what makes this park so special? Well, the city of Titusville decided to turn a parcel of land right next to (and I mean it touches) the marina into a park. It's appropriately named Marina Park. It has a large playground, a ball field, and a big, beautiful multi-lane boat ramp. But the best part is they made a huge dog park. If you look at the satellite image here it is the large rectangular-ish area in the lower left.

It's fully fenced, has a large (over 25 lbs) and a small (under 25 lbs) section - we're not sure what you do if your dog weighs exactly 25 lbs - doggy pickup stations, water hookups complete with a wading pool and drink bowls, benches for the dogs' people, and the best part, lots of dogs. All of this is just a short walk that even our grand dame, Dyna, can make every day.

Are they having fun? Well, see for yourself.

And more dog park fun!

If you are fortunate enough to have four-legged crew onboard you just have to check out the new Titusville dog park. And if you and your crew are nearby you just have to stop in to play with Dyna and Dylan.

It's Kid Time

We really enjoyed the Melbourne SSCA Gam. Our final day ended with a beautiful sunset which just put the whipped cream on the sundae. It is the most interesting and diverse group of boaters we have ever encountered. Some have circumnavigated the world (a few more than once), some regularly visit remote and exotic places, some love to simply cruise the coastlines, and some are still dreaming about the day they will be able to throw off the lines. But what we all have in common is a love of the cruising lifestyle and a desire to share our knowledge and experience. Everyone has something to offer.

While we were off meeting and greeting and learning and partying, the kids where spending way too much time waiting for us on the boat. The abuse was so intense that I even caught Dylan trying to hail the ASPCA on the radio. So we promised them that as soon as the last event was over it would be kid time. Before we put the dinghy back up they got a dinghy ride. Dyna was in heaven.

Monday morning we pulled anchor and headed to Titusville Municipal Marina to try out their new dog park. Both kids give it 5 stars. This marina is dog central. We can't leave the boat without meeting another dog and of course now that we're tied to the dock Dyna and Dylan can meet and greet across the bow. We plan to be here for a spell so the kids are pleased to settle in, soak up the attention, and stretch their legs ashore. We're just happy they let us join them.

Bad Rap

A common occurrence when fellow cruisers find out that our homeport is in Maine is some comment like, "I hear it's so beautiful up there but I'm afraid to go because..." followed by one or more of the same complaints.

Complaint: The bottom is rock, not sand or mud, so if I run aground...

This is true but I point out that the depths are ridiculously deep, the rocks are all charted as they've been there for about a million years, and they never shoal. If you're running aground in Maine, you're doing something seriously wrong. Here in Florida running aground is simply part of the experience.

Complaint: There are too many lobster buoys.

There are alot of them but these same folks never seem to complained when sitting down to their lobster roll lunch or full fledged lobster pound feast. In reality, actually grabbing a buoy is harder to do than you think - we've done talks on just this topic. Besides, Maine is a place that needs to be savored, so slow down and enjoy.

Complaint: It's always foggy.

Well, that's actually not true and much can be avoided by picking the right time to come. Hint, September is the absolutely best time to visit Maine. But knowing how to use your radar is really an important skill so think of it as practice. Fog is actually quite beautiful. And even if you don't think so, it typically burns off within a couple of hours.

For the record, the picture above is not of a lovely anchorage in Maine. This has been the view for the past two mornings in the anchorage here in Melbourne, FL where we are attending the SSCA Gam. So you see that practice you get with your radar up in Maine can really come in handy.

Joining the Parade

We've been moving every day since we left Hinckley Yacht Services in Savannah to ensure we will make the SSCA Gam in Melbourne. Today we finally caught up with the ICW parade, the stream of boats that move south along the ICW this time of year. The weather has turned warm and we are pleased to be back in shorts. Life is certainly good.

We've been visiting several of our ActiveCaptain Sponsors which means the kids get to have almost daily time ashore and meet new friends - the two and four-legged kind. Palm Coast Marina was full of canine crew keeping both Dyna and Dylan on the watch. At Loggerhead Daytona Jeff found a nearby by dog park and father and son went off for a much needed romp. The girls stayed home and we did girl things. They returned tired and happy, with no pictures but lots of mud.

While underway Dylan has taken on the position of Chief Wildlife Observer. He spends the whole day on the bow scampering from port to starboard looking for birds, other boaters, and of course his favorite, dolphins. He is a busy boy only taking a brief break to schmooze while we have lunch. By nightfall he crashes in utter exhaustion.

We're at anchor tonight. Tomorrow we head to Cocoa Village Marina and then on to Melbourne where we'll finally stay put for a bit. If you're coming to the Gam make sure to say hello.

God of the Waves

We've mentioned before that Dylan was named after the Celtic God of the Waves. When it comes to sea conditions we are certainly not above pandering. Lately it appears to be paying off.

At sunrise this morning we left Hinckley Yacht Services in Savannah and went offshore to Morningstar Golden Isles in Brunswick. The seas were even calmer than they were for our overnight a few weeks back - if that's possible.  I worry about payback and remind Dylan that we've certainly paid our dues in the past. The god not the dog, although I believe they're very nearly the same thing.

The kids enjoyed the ride even though it was overcast. At times it was hard to tell the where the sky ended and the sea began. Dylan (the dog not the god) was greeted all day long by dozens of dolphins, or as we need to say in the pilothouse, d-o-l-p-h-i-n-s.

We were amazed that we had the ocean pretty much to ourselves. All we saw all day were a few shrimpers, lots of birds, and of course the dolphins. Mid-afternoon some threatening clouds appeared but we didn't see so much as a sprinkle as they skirted around us.

We'll be taking the next week and a half to meander down to Melbourne in time for the SSCA Gam. For now we are content to glide along the flat ocean.

Wishing the calmest of seas for everyone.

Another Thanksgiving

Dyna and Dylan have had a great week staying at Grandma's house for Thanksgiving. Dylan especially likes the increased number of people around as it means more opportunities to make a score. There where numerous family gatherings including aunts, uncles, cousins, and even three first cousins once removed. According to Dylan, the younger ones make easier marks.

 

Dyna liked having her bed in the thick of things so she could keep an eye on the comings and goings. All the little people did tire her out after a while.

Grandma's glass front door made the perfect spot to watch the neighborhood dogs being walked and to generally alert us to the many dangers lurking outside.

Our visit would not have been complete without a trip to the Purple Cow. The best milkshakes you will ever taste in a choice of about 100 flavors. If you ever find yourself in Kingsport, TN - it could happen - you absolutely, positively must make a stop.

Dylan selected his youngest cousin, Marcos, as his mark during Thanksgiving dinner. Overall a pretty good choice. The metal around Marcos' neck is from the Turkey Trot 5K that he, his sister, his mom and dad, and Uncle Jeff did Thanksgiving morning.

Dyna choose a quieter spot away from the hustle and bustle and, by the way, just beneath where the feast was laid out.

The day was long and finally both crashed after the dessert was served. I fear the boat will be rather dull when we return.

The whole crew of aCappella hopes that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We wish you all safe travels and look forward to seeing you on the water.

Man Overboard!!!

It was terrifying! I was shaking out the bedspread to get the, what else, dog hair off when suddenly there was Woobie floating in the water beside the boat. I screamed for Jeffrey and launched into the procedures we had gone over in our drills. In a flash Jeff was over the side balancing on the rub-rail and scooping him up before the swift current took him away. Tragedy averted!!

Woobie is Dylan's nighttime comfort toy. He often sucks on him before falling asleep and in the morning if he awakes before we do. We can't remember why he's called Woobie, he just is. He must have gotten caught up in the spread when I gathered it up. After a quick bath in the washing machine and a turn in the dryer, he is now safe and sound back on the bed waiting for Dylan.

Overnight to Savannah

I can hear some of you are saying, "Geez, another picture of Dyna sleeping. Is that all she does?" First, Dyna is a sweet old girl and thus can sleep as much as she wants. Second, this is totally different. In this picture Dyna is sleeping about 20 miles offshore. Notice the yellow edge of the life raft.

Friday was the perfect day to hop offshore for Savannah. The predictions were for "flat" seas. Yes, it actually said flat, something we do not remember ever seeing before. After spending a night at Southport Marina and having a very nice meal at Fishy Fishy we headed out about 11 am. This time NOAA did not lie...  After weeks of fighting weather it felt great to just go!

The seas were indeed basically flat for our complete 26 hour passage. This made the kids very happy. Dylan spent much of his time watching for dolphins. And Dyna, well, she slept, sometimes on the settee in the saloon and sometimes in her bed in the pilothouse.

We fell into our well established overnight pattern. The standard dinner, Chicken Fried Rice, was prepared and packaged Thursday afternoon. The boat was readied for offshore, bringing out the life raft and ditch bag, securing the cockpit table and dog box, stowing items throughout the boat, and generally hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. But this passage we could have had crystal wine glasses balanced in a pyramid. Well, almost.

The night would have been boring except for a clear sky with brilliant stars and solitaire on my iPhone. I never encountered a single vessel on either of my watches. The sunrise was beautiful and brought Dylan's first dolphin sighting. His dad joined him on the bow.

We arrived safely at Hinckley Yacht Services in Savannah Saturday afternoon. The kids were happy to get off the boat and settle in for a bit. We have a couple weeks before we take to the sea again. For now Dyna and Dylan are wishing calm seas for all their cruising friends.

Making Tracks

Pulling out of Top Rack at 6:45 am

We finally pulled out of Portsmouth Wednesday afternoon. Don't get me wrong we love Portsmouth but unfortunately we had a "schedule" - a very bad word to use on a boat. We were willing to miss the various dates for safety but if we made some tracks over the next two days, it would all work out.

So we headed south 8 miles to Top Rack Marina. OK, not exactly making tracks at least we were underway. We had a part for one of the heads that was waiting for us and we couldn't exactly pass up dinner at the Amber Lantern. We were going to have to miss visiting our other Sponsors, Atlantic Yacht Basin, Coinjock Marina, and Dowry Creek Marina. We'll be back in the spring to visit them.

We wanted to cover some miles on Thursday and try to get through Currituck and Albermarle Sounds so we pulled out of the slip before sunrise to make the 7 am Steel Bridge opening. Otherwise, we would have to wait until 9 am. The crew thought we were crazy.  This is the same bridge that annoyed Dyna a few years back. You can see her blog entry here.

The day was cold but pretty uneventful until we got to the Albermarle Sound. We got spanked by the very choppy waves. Even Dyna was mad. I'm fairly certain the crew was planning a mutiny but then supper time came and all was forgiven.

Sunset at Cyprus Swamp

We dropped the hook in Cyprus Swamp, a 70+ mile day, just as the sun was beginning to set. One more long 70+ mile day day and we pulled into River Dunes about 5 pm on Friday. Good friends Cindy and Don came by to visit us Saturday. Cindy is famous on our blog for her homemade pound cake which she brought along. You see we make Cindy and Don think we won't let them visit the boat unless they bring us some of this pound cake. Actually, they're always welcome but don't tell them that because we really, really like the pound cake.

The Morning After

Tuesday morning we awoke to only mild winds and the sun attempting to peek through the clouds. We felt very lucky but were sobered by watching the morning news reports about what happen to the north. She may let us become a bit complacent but Mother Nature will always let us know that in the end she is in charge.

The sight Monday morning was somewhat different. The highest tide of the storm was predicted for around 9:30 Monday morning as the surge and the tide combined. Jeff found a cool graphic on the NOAA site showing the predictions.

 
The alarm was set for 7 am Monday morning as the dark skies were confusing our usual "alarm clock", Dylan looking for his breakfast. We wanted to ensure we were awake, warmly dressed, and fed so we would be ready to adjust the lines and fenders as the water rose and the winds picked up. The water rose to just inches from the tops of the pilings on the other 3 docks, giving us about a foot of leeway. All the boats in the basin held fast and as the water began to recede we breathed a sigh of relief. Just about then the cold began to set in and we dug into our stash of warm clothes.

We were fortunate that the maximum storm surge was somewhat less than predicted and that the winds took longer to clock around and push us towards the pilings than expected. By mid-morning on Monday our fender boards where well positioned against the pilings as the wind pushed us hard towards shore. We spent the day listening to the winds howl while feeling periodic bumps as the winds pushed us against the pilings. But we knew we were safe.

By evening we had pulled the boat back close to the docks and decided to go into town for dinner to celebrate. Even bundled up in our foul weather gear it was a cold and blustery walk. We decided on Chinese food and when the waitress ask us what we wanted to drink we both said, "Hot tea!"

Back on the boat we setup the rabbit ears and pulled in some local news for the first time thinking about those further north and hoping all would be well. As the temperatures dropped and we wished we had one more dog we remembered a small ceramic heater we had tucked away and pulled it out. It at least took the edge off. We set it up in the stateroom as we went to bed and even had to get up in the middle of the night to turn it off.

Today we worked to out the boat back to rights. The morning was spent putting the bimini and antennas back up on the flybridge. It was cold with occasional gusts of wind. We kept winter gloves on except when we had to use our fingers for something. Dyna sat on the settee in front of the ceramic heater until she got too warm and moved to the side. As I came down to fetch things I kept wondering what was wrong with this picture.

In the afternoon we pulled in our extra lines and fenders. The biggest job was getting the anchor chain we had pulled across the basin undone and back on board. The picture below was taken by fellow cruisers the Lovings on Compass Rose and is of us feeding the chain out on Friday. Note who is doing the messy job of feeding the chain. Just sayin'...

All is pretty much back to normal on board. The plan is to move down to Top Rack Marina tomorrow afternoon and stay the night. Thoughts of real heat, hot showers, some laundry, and a fabulous meal at the Amber Lantern are keeping me going right now. With a few long days we still plan on being at River Dunes Marina for our scheduled seminar on Sunday. That is, of course, if there are no other unforeseen obstacles.

We've seen a few boats meander south today anxious to get going. I'm happy to let them find out first what Sandy may have left in our way. For now we are safe and dry and reasonably warm. But most of all we are proud of our seasoned crew for pulling together. With two hurricanes now beneath their belts, Dyna and Dylan have proven themselves true salty dogs.

We thank everyone for their expressions of concern and warm thoughts. For now we wish the best for those who suffered far worse than we did. Please stay safe everyone.