GOING…GOING…UH – NOT GONE YET?

    Sorry it's been a while since my last blog entry.....It's hard to post a lot about our "adventure" when we haven't yet left the dock!

Thanks PAT- for the send -off party!

To catch up, I retired in September from 35 years working as a Registered Nurse. After all those years, it was actually a sort of shock to my system - but once I got used to the idea of having little driving reason to awake each morning - I actually was able to realize how lucky I was to be able to retire! It's a very different way of life and it causes me to see myself in some ways that I fear delving into - like - I'm not really the "self-starter" I thought I was! But I am trying to be as productive as I can be without a boss directing my actions.    

............Whoa! What did I say? I forgot - I have a "Captain" and if I start to slack, the Captain cracks the whip and reminds me of our mutual goal and how much I need to do on my part to get us there. Thank goodness for my Captain! He does it all with the diplomacy and geniality of a well raised Brit!

So, what I have been doing daily is - readying our little ship for our voyage. This has been somewhat stressful for me, as #1- I’m not used to spending lots of $$$ on food, and #2 - It's a challenge stowing 3 months worth of provisions - with the hope that I will later know exactly where those f*%#ing canned peas are!



Where to put it all?!

    So provisioning is my job - and cooking- cleaning - laundry we both share - - And then -because Richard is so proficient at ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to do with our boat Partners - balancing the boat maintenance with me becomes inequitable - so I have my parts to maintain - Cleaning the teak interior - walls, floors - I polish all the Stainless (there's a lot!) and wash all the windows (they get dirty daily - but I'm not doing it daily) - assist the Captain with his projects-many take 2 people - or like a nurse assisting a doctor - I hand things to the expert - so he can get the job done easier; clean the life rings (they get dirty outside) and reading chart books and manuals to familiarize myself with the workings of the boat, as well as taking on-line seamanship courses for "rules of the road" and places I want to visit. Don't underestimate this last thing - the amount of information available is ENORMOUS and the more you read the more you want to research and read more!  

    My family members are concerned about WHEN we're leaving - WHERE we're going - HOW will they be able to get in touch with us - none of them being familiar with long-tem cruising. How can I tell them anything, when I'm not really sure myself?! ....at once I realize - even I'm not familiar with long-term cruising - I've never done it before! But I know it will all unfold and we are both so excited to start the journey....

Pilot House Re-Do

    We have done many things to the boat to get her ready. We installed a Wi-Fi system via a Wirie Antenna to pick up a signal farther offshore; we had privacy screens made for our pilothouse windows and a Bimini canvas top made for our flying bridge - so that we can pilot the boat from up high to see the bottom of that clear Bahamian water! Richard made a "lookie bucket" glass-bottomed bucket so we can check the anchor without diving in! We replaced, cleaned and polished a myriad of dials and equipment, I sewed my bedspread to fit the contours of our tiny master bed - it's now much easier to make up neatly! I had the Pilot bench cushions reupholstered in a pretty tan ultrasuede, and gave myself an aching back after 5 days of re-painting and wallpapering our Pilot House. We installed a new Simrad autopilot and upgraded our navigation charts, got an AIS (which is an electronic for showing us all the other boats near us to prevent collisions) I bought tons of lock n lock containers to store all the things that normally come in boxes (pasta, cereal, sugar, flour, rices, etc) boxes and their glue attract bugs and cockroaches - Yuck! - Don't want them! Then I did a first run provisioning (food in the islands can be very expensive). Richard got a full run through of the engine maintenance from a professional who spent the day aboard training him (that's as much as I know about that!) We moved our dinghy up to the flying bridge and sold the rear davits in one day on Craig’s List. We gave her a good cleaning and bought a new 20 hp Tohatsu 4-stroke engine and she’s ready to take us exploring all the islands and to shore for supplies wherever we travel. We installed a hoist on our boom – the part of the mast that lifts the dinghy. Before that we had to do that by hand pulling all the ropes – so this is a big help for us! We sold Richard’s car and mine (mine being on the last legs of life anyway!) and added 400 feet of chain to our anchor (670lbs!) - And so much more that I can't even remember! But the days have been full, readying for the Big Event. When and where are the hard parts. We hope to cruise to the Bahamas to start and then on to the Caribbean. 


Our new Bimini!

OMG!

    Installing our new autopilot became a sort of a nightmare project for us, because they couldn’t seem to complete the job. We can't leave until we have a shakedown cruise and get the autopilot compass gyro working correctly. Jim – our technician (a really patient man!) –is so busy – he can’t return until the first week of February!  So - I worry - and Richard gets upset that I do - because this is just the way of an older boat - no biggie. 


    Meanwhile, my daughter and her husband from Raleigh visited after Christmas and my granddaughter Grace came too - so we had one last time to be together before we cast off. Originally we tried to set the goal for Christmas in the Bahamas - but that didn’t happen, so I'm glad that we could be with family and good friends instead. After all – that’s what it’s all about anyway. 

     So this is a long “catch up” post but I will try to keep up the writing – as we are so close to leaving now and much is unfolding! Follow us in our adventure, and maybe you will find that this boating lifestyle is for you too!

 

My First Trip Away from the Dock!

Welcome Friends - to our corner of the Sea! This week-end we finally had enough of our "stuff" packed away to be able to take "Partners out for a week-end jaunt away from the dock - and what a fun time we had!

As soon as I left work, I texted Richard to tell him I was on my way. He so kindly - and so Captain-ly - he started doing all the hard work of undoing the shore power cables (50 lbs each!), cable TV wire, filling the tanks, getting the pump out barge here, undoing all the weathercloth screens we keep on the pilothouse windows to keep the sun out - and various checks of the engine and mechanics - just to be sure. By the time I arrived home, I just had to change clothes and start helping undo the dock lines.

- About that- We had a practice session earlier that week with the boat hook and which lines should come off first, etc... so I felt prepared. The sky was clear blue and weather was forcasted to be nice on Saturday - but a front was coming in on Sunday - with cooler temperatures. Nevertheless, we decided to go anyway and give it a whirl.

Richard manned the helm and backed us out of our slip like he was driving a Mercedes Benz! He sure knows how to handle a boat - and it makes me feel so confident to know that. As we motored out of Longboat Key Marina toward the channel to Sarasota Bay, I tidied up the dock lines and remembered to bring in the fender (after we'd been underway a bit...oops!)

It was so exciting for me to finally be asea on our beautiful boat! All the memories of "OP" (Old Partners) came flooding back and it felt so freeing to be traveling on water once again!

Of course I was on the bow and looking for dolphin - but no luck. I did get a few shots of the captain, though.... Most of the time he let "George" drive the boat (our autopilot)...so it was relaxing..

We had a good time motoring along Sarasota Bay. We found a nice spot near Ca D'Zan where we hung the hook and settled in for a relaxing evening. Richard showed me how the windlass worked, and how to remove the snubber. Then we had a drink and some cheese and crackers and talked about the boat and the charts and other stuff. There's a lot I have to learn and I'm ready to get started!

We so enjoyed the evening - the stars seemed so bright out there, and it was fun watching the planes land and the twinkle of the Sarasota downtown skyline.

As the night grew on, the wind and the waves picked up and we were getting a nice rocking sensation - but our hook stayed strong - we never dragged. The next morning we watched the sunrise and Richard made his traditional English Breakfast. The weather was windy - but still sunny, but we made the decision to return to the slip by early afternoon, because the weather for Sunday was going to worsen and we didn't want to battle the wind and current when we didn't need to.

We enjoyed the day motoring through the Ringling Bridge and into Marina Jacks. We saw another Kadey Krogen called "Mon Ami"- moored there and the Captain ran out on deck to wave at us and ask us where we were from! It was fun seeing the other boats and enjoying the friendly wave of a fellow sailor. Once a 65 foot Fishing boat blasted past at about 40mph and we wondered how anyone could afford the diesel for a boat like that.... We did see some fun sights though. A beautiful old sailing boat with lots of friends aboard....

                

The LaBarge - taking her afternoon cruise - with all those palm trees on top!... And even a friendly visitor to our cap rail!

Our Trip back was just as easy and Richard -once again - was a master at docking her - even with over 20 knot winds. The docklines - my part - didn't go nearly as smoothly....Those winds made it so hard for me to tighten up the lines. I was sweating and exhausted! Richard helped me and I manned the helm and bowthruster - but he spent a lot of time re-adjusting my lines to get them to handle those strong winds. I didn't realize how important it is to be precise with those lines. We woke up Sunday morning - to 35 knots winds - but our lady "Partners" held strong and firm with her mooring lines.

So , all in all, it was a great week-end. One of learning - and my Captain is a kind and patient teacher....We both got a taste of our dream for our future - a life at sea - traveling to many different places - and enjoying the simple things, like a bird or the beautiful weather and stars... and connecting with people... Dancing on the aft deck together after a dinner al fresco...that's what boating is all about for us....and hopefully...maybe you too - will find your dream in boating.

Moving Aboard "Partners"

Welcome Friends - to our corner of the Sea!

Currently we are aboard our 42' Kadey Krogen Trawler - "Partners" and she is at dock at the Longboat Key Club Marina, in Longboat Key, Florida. This is the Gulf Coast of Florida and a beautiful place to be. Richard, my husband and I have lived here - on land - for 20 years.

 Now it is time for retirement and realizing our dream of living aboard our own boat and sailing off  to new places - new experiences - for as long as our bodies can hold up! In preparation for that experience, we are living aboard for a year, prior to casting off, so that we can bond with our boat and ready it - and ourselves for our voyage.

This blog is my viewpoint of these experiences. Let me warn you now - I am truly a novice. That's the scary part! I have taken one Coast Guard course, read two books and gone to many, many boat shows. But I realize that I have no clue about what I am about to undertake....Richard and I have had this dream for many years, but since moving aboard in November, I've realized it takes much more than a dream and desire to voyage - it takes knowledge and skill and common sense and a clear head in emergencies. It takes self discipline and awareness and lots of reading and self-education, and a good sense of humor to handle the rough times in an elegant manner! And that's just what I've learned in the past 2 months!

When we were dreaming of sailing through the Caribbean in retirement, I didn't envision crawling on my hands and knees to get out or put away pots and pans - which I stow under my stove, neither did I think it would take me an hour and a mini-breakdown to make my queen sized bed - which is bordered on three sides by walls - so I have to climb on it to make it! I didn't think that I would need to check my water levels every time I use the water or run a wash, and I certainly didn't think I could blow a pump by letting the water run dry....Oh yes.....I am learning many things, and hopefully - if you read this blog - you will too - and maybe you too...will find your dream in boating.