Friday, February 16, 2007

Drove to West Palm Beach Airport and flew over to Marsh Harbor.  "Island Girl" had just returned from a charter and the Moorings crew was still working on it so we walked to town to the bakery and fish market.  It was very windy with a strong front coming through.  Prediction is for more strong winds through the weekend.  Our guests don't arrive until late Sunday so hopefully we'll be able to leave on Monday.  Had fresh conch salad (we've become addicted to it!) and peas and rice (another local favorite)  for dinner.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

It blew all night from the west and increased all day.  It blew gale force all afternoon with sustained winds of 47 knots and gusts up to 52!  The harbor looked like a giant washing machine.  We took a walk on the docks and had to hang on!   Things started to quiet down around 3:00 pm and our guests, Mark, Alex, Teak, Cassidy, and 10 year old Adriana arrived around 5:30 pm. 

Monday, February 19, 2007

The whole crew did some shopping in the morning and by noon the weather was favorable enough for us to head out to Guana Cay.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Had a great week.  Spent a night in Guana Cay, a night in Man O War Cay and two nights in Hopetown.  Everyone had a great time - plenty of fun and sun, swimming, snorkeling, shopping, etc.  There were many "firsts" for young Adriana - her first time in the Bahamas, her first sighting of dolphins, her first sea turtle, first time snorkeling, first time seeing a huge ray and swimming with him, and more.  The crew agreed  it was a successful trip all around.   Guests had an early morning flight out.  Alan and I flew back to West Palm on the 11:00 am flight.

We arrived back at the Marina and were on board  Mystic Jitney around 2:00 in the afternoon.   Went grocery shopping and stopped by the anchorage to check on availability of moorings. They had one for us so we paid for a month and said we'd be over with the boat on Sunday.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Cleaned the topsides, filled the water tanks and stopped at the fuel dock to fill up  before leaving the marina for our mooring.   Took a walk into town in the afternoon only to discover they were having another art show!  This town is big on the arts - there's always something going on.  Received word from home that my brother-in-law's mom, Phyllis,  passed away today.  She was very much a part of our family so we started to look into getting home this week.

                                                Downtown Stuart                                                                    Riverwalk at Stuart

                                      "Sailfish Circle" - Stuart, Florida                                  Stuart Florida - "Sailfish Capital of the World"

We've been wondering why the boat is getting covered with a "soot" that seems to be in the air.  Learned on the news today that they are having wild fires 80 miles west of here.  The wind direction from the west is blowing this stuff to us!  It's unbelievable  - every so often there's a price to pay for paradise!

Monday, February 26, 2007

We've been concerned that we're getting an odor when we run the generator lately.  Alan did some initial inspection and found the air filter that he had just replaced dirty. He called the manufacturer to make some inquiries and the the manufacturer suggested he look for a leak in the exhaust system.    Some  of you may recall we had generator problems several years ago in Annapolis.  But this is a new generator with barely 200 hours on it.  The old "energy gremlin" is back with us.  We're flying home tomorrow so this problem will have to wait until we get back.

Saturday, March 3, 2007

We flew home on Tuesday for Phyllis's funeral which was Wednesday.  Despite the circumstances it was good to see everyone and especially good to spend a couple of days visiting the kids.  Also good to be in our house and see that everything looks great.  Got to see the snow - all 2-3 feet of it!  By today we were ready to get out of the cold, snow, and northeast and back to Florida (even though we're having a cold spell down here).

Monday, March 5, 2007

Alan started his class on today. 

Story:  "My First Day on My Own"

This morning I ferried Alan to shore.  He took the car to class and I took a long ride on my bike to try to find my way around Stuart.  I was looking for the Post Office to mail some packages and also for St. Joseph's Church.  Rode through some "very interesting" parts of town - not sure I'd ride there again - and felt pretty good about myself.  After a two hour ride I went back to the marina, and out the the boat to do some computer work and have lunch.  Around 1:00 I went back out on my bike for a short ride downtown.  Got back to the marina around 2:00,  locked my bike up, took my keys out of my backpack and walked down to the dock.  

My dinghy was in a tangle with a bunch of others that had come in behind me so I put my backpack down on the dock and proceeded to try to untangle the mess.  When I was ready to board the dinghy I realized I didn't have my keys in my hand anymore!  They were on one of those  blue "West Marine" floaties so I started to move boats around hoping I would find them in the water.  I began to get more and more distressed (the keys included: the ignition to the dinghy, the key to Mystic Jitney, the key to my bike lock, and the key to another lock for the dinghy- not good).  I knew that we had another key to the ignition to the dinghy on the Jitney but I had lost the key to the Jitney!.  I didn't know if Alan had a key to Mystic Jitney with him and was pretty sure he didn't.  I began having visions of having to break down a door to the Jitney - oh how I wished it was locked with a padlock that could be cut!. 

Since I  couldn't find my keys all I could do until Alan returned was keep searching.  I emptied my backpack a half dozen times, retraced my steps from the bike to the dock, moved dinghies around again - nothing.  Went into the marina office to see if anyone might have found my keys.  The wind was blowing hard so I walked downwind and down current along the shore for a couple of blocks in  and out of  backyards thinking maybe my keys might have washed up on shore - nothing. My spirit was going downhill exponentially.   I became convinced that the keys went over and instead of floating they sank.  I talked to my friend, Dan, who got a big magnet out of his toolbox and said that he'd been very successful finding things with it and if my keys were on the bottom he'd find them - still nothing.  I became more and more distressed until Alan arrived around 3:45 and said that he did have a key to Mystic Jitney!  At least we wouldn't have to break into our boat  - but I still wasn't feeling much better.  While Alan continued searching with the magnet, Dan ferried me out to Mystic Jitney to get the spare ignition key for our dinghy.  Alan didn't have any luck with the magnet - the keys were gone.

Next day, Tuesday, my job was to try to get another spare ignition key for the dinghy.  First thing in the morning, I called the dealer in Lauderdale who we bought the Honda from.  She needed a number off the key and my key didn't have a number on it.  She suspected that my key was the older type but didn't want to send me one until we were sure.  She  suggested I first go on the internet and locate a  local Honda dealer. I called a  local dealer and he  also needed the number off the key.  His suggestion was that I take the whole ignition/lock mechanism apart and look for the number on the internal tumbler!  I called our original dealer back and she said not to do that.  She would fax me a picture of both types of key and I could call her and let her know which one looked like my key.  She faxed the picture to the marina office here at the anchorage. 

After waiting for about an hour to be sure the fax had arrived I got in the dinghy and headed into the marina.  I found a spot to tie up, put the ignition keys in my pocket (NEVER keep them in my hands again!), secured my line and leaned over to step out onto the dock.  As I leaned over to step out something blue in the water less than a foot away caught my eye. I couldn't believe what I was seeing!  It said "West Marine"!  I scooped it up and to my total astonishment I had my keys in my hands!  It was so surreal I had to catch my breath.  I sat down on the dock and grinned from ear to ear.  I put the key in the ignition and it worked!  I looked around and thought "Lord, you are really playing with my mind! " and then  had a good laugh!

p.s.  Tuesday night Alan and I did a couple of Florida lottery scratch offs and we both had winners - $15.00!  Later in the evening a light in my galley that hasn't worked since we boarded Mystic Jitney in January suddenly started working - think our karma has taken a good turn!

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Alan inspected  the generator today and found a hair line fracture at a weld in the "oh so beautiful stainless" exhaust system.  Couldn't get the manufacturer because it's Saturday so Alan got out the old JB Weld and went  to work on a temporary fix.  On Monday he'll call for parts. 

Our weekday routine now goes something like this - I ferry Alan to shore around 8:00 am.  He gets in the car and drives to class.  I get on my bicycle (purchased for $20 from a crew member from another boat who was flying home)  and go for a ride to a small gym, workout, then get on my bike and head back to the marina.  I'm usually back by 9:30 am, run the generator (engine now because we're waiting for a part for the generator!), do computer work, etc.   I'm really getting into having time to myself.  One day a week I  drive Alan to class and keep the car so I can get groceries, etc, - things I can't readily do on my bike.  Alan gets back from class around 4:00 pm and I dinghy in to pick him up.  He has plenty of school work to do after class and on the weekend, tons of reading, etc.  So he's keeping himself very busy.

Monday, March 12, 2007

Alan ordered our generator part.  Since it was six months out of warrantee they wouldn't replace it for free.  After negotiations Alan was able to reduce the price by $140.  Unfortunately, it was a $390 part.  Who says energy is cheap?

We've found a wonderful fish market less than 4 blocks from the marina, Atlantis Seafood Market.  We thought we were in paradise when we were in Fort Myers with the shrimp fleet but this shop is even better.  Monte, the owner, is from Lousiana and a fisherman who knows what he likes.  I go there at least three times a week and every time he introduces me to something new. Everything he carries is wild caught and in addition to the local fish and shrimp he carries some very wonderful fish from around the world -  stuff that he really likes to eat.  So far we've had "Louisiana  Reds"-shrimp from Louisiana, local grouper, local cobia, corvina from Ecuador,  baramundi from Australia, sushi tuna (which Alan prepares to perfection) and fresh clams from New Bedford.  All of it has been amazing.  This week Monte's going to show me how to prepare a whole yellowtail or snapper (whichever he gets in).   At this rate we just might be eating fish 7 days a week!  Monte "rounds down" when charging us and often throws in something for free - what a great guy and terrific market!

I met a woman at the gym whose name is Gerta and she's a wonderfully interesting older lady from Germany who speaks many languages including Spanish.  She has taught Spanish and is happy to help me out with practice.  Several days a week after we finish our workout we spend 15 to 20 minutes conversing in Spanish.  She tells me about herself and I try my best to tell her about myself and my family.  It's so wonderful to actually have someone to try to converse with on a regular basis.  Gerta's family owned a home in northern Germany on the Baltic.  Her parents were educators  and she was just 10 years old when the Russians occupied Germany in 1945.  So the stories she tells me  are living history and fascinating.  We're becoming quite good friends.  Alan comes home everyday with plenty of schoolwork and spends most of the evening going over notes, getting organized and reading.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

After my bicycle ride to the gym and conversations in Spanish with Gerta I returned to the boat and spent the rest of the day on board.  I'm trying to take advantage of this time and focus on my creative spirit.  Spent the day working on my Inkle loom weaving belts and experimenting.  It's such a luxury to have this kind of time.  Alan's class went sailing this afternoon to acquaint those who have never been on a sailboat with sailing.   He didn't get home until an hour later than usual but he did have the new generator part that had been mailed yesterday from Jacksonville.  He won the bet with me and had it replaced and the generator working in less than 30 minutes!  Practice, practice, practice.  He can now repair two models of generators blindfolded.

Tomorrow the school is  having a representative from one of the software companies come in to do a demo so I'm going to keep the car so I can go over to class to see the demo in the afternoon.  Guess it'll be my market and errand day. 

Friday, March 16, 2007

A front came through today and the wind blew out of the SW at 30 knots most of the afternoon.  Around 2:30 I took the dinghy to shore and walked over to  Atlantis Seafood Market to meet Monte for "Preparing a Whole Yellowtail 101".  Met Monte's son, John, who just returned on Wednesday from his tour of duty in the army.  Monte took me through all the steps in cleaning and preparing a whole yellowtail for baking on the grill.  He did the first fish and I did the second.  When we were done I had two beautiful whole fish cleaned, seasoned with fresh ginger and soy sauce, stuffed with onion, celery, and green pepper and wrapped in aluminum foil ready to put on the grill.  Can't wait to dig in!

Monte and John, Atlantis Seafood Market