Moving Reunions

Well, we're out of Fort Lauderdale!  We tied up loose ends on the 26th and waited for Rob's college buddy (another Rob, aka Cloos) and his wife, Lidia, to arrive in Lauderdale for a visit.  We had waited around a bit as their arrival had been delayed by a week but we did connect that evening and had a great reunion at the Bahia Cabana bar and grill just off our anchorage.

That afternoon, before connecting with Cloos, we noticed a boat in the anchorage we thought we recognized.  It was Rich and Anna aboard Snow Goose who we met in Marathon last year.  This sailing community give the "small world" concept new meaning.   We made up for lost time sharing a sundowner toast before heading to the restaurant for our meet up.

It's so fun to have visitors during this adventure.  Finding ways to connect in strange locations makes for even more excitement when it actually works.   Rob and Lidia live in India so this required even more planning and maneuvering than normal.  And then in the midst of it all, you have chance reunions completely by surprise.

Early the next morning we left the anchorage with Rick on Nautilus, our traveling partner of late and Snow Goose after they decided to join us in No Name harbor as a next stop.  We had a nice run of it offshore without a lot of wind but without discomfort as well.  5 hours after our departure, we were happily anchored in No Name Harbor with the sun shining.

Justin from Fort Lauderdale met us there as well and surprised us with having his mother and companion onboard as well.  After 3 years of enjoying Justin's company, it was fun meeting his family.  Also in the anchorage were Jim and Irene aboard Escapaid who we sailed from West Palm with and spent time with in Fort Lauderdale.  So now we had five boats we new in one anchorage - almost entirely unplanned!


The biggest surprise was yet to come, however.  We dinghied over to Justin's boat to meet the family and realized the boat tied up just next to him we had met in Boca Chita last year on our way home!  We were all standing there getting reacquainted when Kelly Hood and family from Charleston appeared!  I wrote about Jeff and Kelly bringing their kids aboard last week before grabbing a charter with their kids for the holiday.  You can imagine how surprised I was when they showed up on the dock!

So in the little harbor of No Name, we knew just about everyone there before the power boats started arriving for the sunset.  Jeff and Kelly had to head out as their flight back to Charleston was the next morning in Miami but the rest of us planned an impromptu pot luck and made a celebration out of the evening, comparing notes of everyone's cruising plans for the season.

After great food (cruisers are really great at sharing food!) and even better company, we once again marveled at how unique this experience continues to be.   The next morning Escapaid made their crossing to the Bahamas, Justin and family headed back north to Lauderdale and Snow Goose, Nautilus and us moved across the bay to Coconut Grove.

The change of atmosphere and attitude in Coconut Grove is so refreshing.  After the negativity extended to cruisers in Fort Lauderdale, the community here is totally welcoming.  We're having a great time with Rob and Lidia who have come here for a few days as well as our fellow cruisers as we get ready to cross to the Bahamas in the next few days.

Keep your eyes open, the big crossing is due to happen on the 1st or 2nd as we join 3 or 4 other boats across the stream to Bimini.   The big moment is close at hand!

Christmas Afloat

Hello, my name is Laurie and I'm a Christmas-aholic.  I have been nuts over Christmas from the beginning of my memory.  In my land life, the routine included baking Christmas cookies.  This ritual began every year on my birthday in early October when I would pull out my books, choose my recipes for the year, organize my shopping list and get to work.  The finished project produced in the neighborhood of 10-20 dozen of 25 types of cookies that I boxed, plated, bagged and shared.  Yup, I love Christmas.

So being away from my family and friends (even in sunshine and palm trees) has really been the greatest challenge of this cruising life for me.  With the problem we had retrieving packages from home, Christmas has been harder than ever although each piece of mail received was that much more of a thrill!  Poor Rob has to endure my melancholy while I struggle with my addiction.  So he wasn't really surprised when I bought the box of candy canes on Christmas eve and we started "cane" deliveries around the anchorage with invitations to a "dinghy raft-up" Christmas day.  We stopped at near 25 boats in Lake Sylvia most of whom were "onboard" (that's a pun . . . ). 

While we were making our invitations, we were invited aboard a couple of boats for "an adult beverage".  We spent the rest of the evening getting to know new friends on two boats - BOTH of which I've forgotten the name of!  We had Swiss cookies with gin and tonics with Deider, Karen, Gabrielle and Dale and then had a great time with Cal and Marti who had brought both of their fathers (Cal, Sr and Irv) with them from West Palm for a Christmas Eve escape aboard their catamaran.  Marti and I hit it off immediately finding many things we had in common and Rob enjoyed the company of the three men. 

We told Marti of our plan to attend the 11pm carol service at a nearby church and she jumped on the chance to join us.  So we picked up her and Talulah, her purse hidden toy maltese pup in the dinghy at 10:30 and motored down the creek to the Church by the Sea.  We all found it funny to have to jump a secure fence to go to church!  We did have a nice time and appreciated the quiet and coziness of the candlelight service.

Christmas day dawned clear and calm with a 7:00 o'clock phone call from our new friend Rick saying breakfast was ready!  After a gracious albeit early feast, we came back to Moonshadow to attend to Christmas revelry.  Phone calls from both of our boys, our moms, siblings and best friends took much of the day and we prepared for our floating party.

Rick brought his trusty bruce "anchor-lette" and the two of us floated mid-anchorage wondering if we had a solo celebration on our hands.  About 15 minutes later, other folks started to dinghy over and before we knew it, we had 8 boats and 16 people!  Our crowd included Australian, Swiss, German, Austrian, Russian and we believe a Brit - amazing diversity for such a small group!  Oh - and here's my new talent . . . Rick (solo sailor), Rob, Jeff, Jeff Jr, Katherine, Luida, Gabrielle, Dale, Cindy (a solo sailor), Deider, Karen, John, Brenda, Julie, Terry, and Me!  I can remember names!  We shared snacks and stories for the next several hours before the clouds drifted in along with a building breeze and we all headed back to our floating abodes.

Our day ended with a feast of the remaining lobster gifted to us in St. Augustine.  Rick joined us for two massive tails with sauteed asparagus and wild rice pilaf.  We finished with a freshly baked key lime tart.  Quite a fitting, floating feast.

Rob and I  hope you all had a cozy and joyous holiday.  

Not all Fun and Games

 Ah, the sailing life!  And you are all thinking Rob and Laurie are out in the sunshine with the gentle breezes blowing.  We've gotten "away from it all" and are in some kind of blissful euphoria . . . all I've got to say is . . . HA!  Rob has exclaimed repeatedly in the past couple days "Cruising is HARD work!".

Yesterday was a good example.  The winds shifted overnight welcoming a new cold front with strong winds clocking from South to Southwest and around to the North.  The gusts were giving us a run for our money; our anchor had dragged and we woke up almost kissing a boat lift of a nearby property.  No problem, time to reset the anchor, right?

Well, that would have been much easier if we hadn't spent the last three days figuring out why our starter was blowing 200amp circuits (and, yes, I'm learning about electricity and just about every other boat function).  With the concrete pilings only feet away from our stern, Rob decided it was time to pull out the spare starter.

Earlier this week, the existing starter (55 pounds of it) had been hauled out of the engine compartment and WALKED the 1.5 miles to the repair shop.  We were told it was working fine without any load and we should look at the remaining elements of the system.  After more testing and failing, we realized that it WASN'T working under load!

So in the midst of a continually approaching dock and gusting winds, Rob lugged our 55 pound spare starter in and out of the engine compartment and bypassed the fuse just in case.  Of course another project Rob had done amending a fuel filter meant that the pump wasn't primed and we had quite the time of getting a start from our old girl - but after repeated priming tries, start she did!

Then came the saga.  The winds were at about 25knots in the anchorage and boats were shifting around like they were sailing.  We headed for our anticipated next anchor spot, dropped the anchor and swiftly floated backward without getting any hold . . . REDO!    We tried again.  No luck.  We tried another spot - between the shifty winds and the precarious bottom, we just couldn't get a hold!  We made several passes and 8 attempts at anchoring when we finally sat exhausted in our new spot.

Add to all of the simple physical element the emotional trauma and embarrassment of circling the anchorage and you have the REAL romance of the cruising life!  Of course, if this is what the entire experience was like, noone would stay at it very long but we count on the days of blue water and warm breezes to wash away these "not so romantic" days!

Despite the challenges, the week has brought visitors from home (SO fun to have you aboard, Hood Family!)  Today we went around town from post office (Tameka is THE BEST!) to UPS pick up center (more great staff here!) gathering the much anticipated Christmas gifts arriving and enjoyed the spirit of the REAL people of Fort Lauderdale.  We enjoyed a lively 45 minute bus ride and a Christmas carol singing customer at the post office.  Plans for Christmas day are being put in place and we toured Christmas lights along the river with several other cruising couples this evening.

Yesterday is almost already forgotten - and THAT'S cruising!

Test, Test, one two three . . .

I'm hoping we're back in business!  After much surfing of the google ocean, I believe I've found where my picture problem arose.  Now, with a monthly fee firmly in place (who woulda guessed?!), I believe we're ON . . .

It's funny, but technology sure does have it's price.  On top of a week of trying to sort through the self help menus of google (there is no other help besides SELF on google!) and hopefully repairing the photo storage, we both now have new fancy "smart" phones that we're trying to get used to.  I swore we wouldn't join that whole movement but I must say that we both secretly coveted people checking their email from anywhere.  Along with that, the apps available for sailors on these devices as well as the ability to have internet access without carting a computer around on a dinghy, made the choice a little easier.  Oh - and I didn't mention the ability to convert these internationally to boot.

So if you're trying to reach us and get an email with dozens of misspellings (the keyboard is definitely taking some getting used to!) OR we drop your call (do you ever figure out these buttons and push the right one?!) - please don't think we're in a state of perpetual "sea fever"!  It's the over 50 learning curve at work!

Let's see how my new memory is working.  Here are a few photos from our recent adventures and camera experimentations . . .

Time is Flying!

It's Saturday night.  We've been a long way since my post on Monday.  I could swear I posted since then but that's just my wishful imagination.  How does this happen anyway?!

Regardless, it's been a busy and eventful week although without a lot to really report on.  We had a great ride down the intracoastal waterway on Tuesday and Wednesday.  With our enclosed cockpit and the calmer waters of the ICW, it was pretty easy going both days.  The first night we stopped in Fort Pierce at a different anchorage than we were at in the spring.  We traveled with a friend we made in Melbourne, Rick, who owns a CSY 44 like ours but it's decked out with all kinds of amazing systems and gadgets - ah, a single guy on a boat!

We anchored safely and securely right next to a THIRD CSY 44!  We put the dinghy down and went for a row around the anchorage.  It's always fun to see how quickly you make friends when you're making your way in a dinghy.  A couple we met ended up coming back to Moonshadow with us as did Rick and we all had a glass of wine and dinner aboard.  More entries in the address book!

Wednesday was again uneventful as we motored the ICW once again heading for a destination of West Palm and Lake Worth.  Rick pulled off in St. Lucie to visit his son and family for Christmas and we continued our ICW trek through the building number of bridges along the way.  It was interesting to see the dynamics of the bridge operators.  Some were gracious and fun while others seemed to have some kind of power "trip".   Oh well, so it goes!  We definitely got good at maneuvering our approaches!

In making our way on Wednesday, we started up a conversation on the VHF with a nearby boat and were friends by the end of the day.  We both anchored together just outside of the Lake Worth Inlet and shared a sundown cocktail hour, getting to know each other.  Plans were made to sail outside the following morning and we shared our secret of the Lake Sylvia anchorage in Fort Lauderdale where we all ended up on Thursday eve.

Thursday dawned without a huge forecast contradiction and we did head offshore.  It started out as a beautiful day and we put up all the sails and were making a comfortable 5 knots until the clouds rolled in with an unpredicted front and we started the motor, took down most of the sail and closed up the cockpit for the rain.  No matter, we made decent time and were anchored in Lake Sylvia, our favorite little spot here, by 3:30 that afternoon.

Since then we've been enjoying the company of the folks in the anchorage as well as Justin, our friend of several years who brought his boat here for the weekend.  We've been to West Marine and of course the Southport Raw Bar and we're enjoying meeting our neighbors in the anchorage.  We're doing a few projects getting ready for the next leg - the big one - of crossing the gulf stream and entering the Bahamas.  Rob's double checking all systems while I'm recording all of our provisions and making lists of any last minute additions needed.

Tonight we were treated to the Fort Lauderdale Winterfest boat parade.  It lasted over 2 hours and was quite spectacular.  Seven dinghies from our anchorage rafted up on a couple anchors and enjoyed the show of the stream of mega-yachts all dressed up for the holidays.  The diversity was pretty amazing - everything from a few lights on the rails to the EXTREME.  Some had huge sound systems, bands and lighting that had to take several generators to keep lit!  It was a fun night leaving us with that Christmas glow.

I'm really sorry about the picture situation right now.  Today I've got one broken camera, a new phone with nice camera being charged, my favorite CANON's battery is dead and my photo memory on the blog is full.  I can't find anywhere how to upgrade my photo allowance in several days of trying so I'm as frustrated as you but promise that pics are soon to come.  I miss them myself!  Great opportunity to be in touch to give me some clues if you've got any ideas . . .

Our first "GAM"

It's again been several days since my last post.  We arrived in Eau Gallie for the Seven Seas GAM (there really isn't a solid meaning behind that term) and there was a bustle of activity with boats arriving steadily.

The weekend was great with lots of seminars, activities and parties.  There were new people to meet and boats to visit.  Happy hour Thursday, seminars and cocktail party Friday, CSY owners (that's us!) breakfast, more seminars and a big dinner event Saturday and a flea market with final wrap up roundtables on Sunday.  It was busy and fun . . .

We met lots of great folks!  Rick whose same model boat as Moonshadow is outfitted with every bell and whistle and system imaginable.  (Rob was taking notes!)  And there's Jim and DJ who both are single handing their boats.  There's Dave and Trish on a CSY 37, a model we hadn't seen before, and Rick and Pam aboard another 44 CSY like ours.  We saw Jack and Nicole (with Marietta and little Jack in tow), our friends from Charleston and met our new dear friend Kenna who we hope to see again soon!  We even met a couple in the Nassau area who will let us use their dock when our son comes to visit in January!

There were hundreds of sailors on hand having experience ranging from buying their boat this very weekend to living aboard for countless years.  There were reports of close or distant shores - so many people who had crossed one to all of the world's ocean bodies!   We heard stories and tips and warnings and methods.  We had encounters on the dock, in town and at meals and parties.  We played silly games with raffle tickets, wandered the streets of the town during a holiday craft market, shopped around and compared boating experiences and lessons.

That's the thing about sailors.  There isn't a stranger in the crowd!  No matter where we show up, no matter who we meet - we all have this one crazy thing in common and it makes introductions barely necessary as the stories start to be told.  Once again, another good time was had by all!

Note . . . I've run out of picture space and don't know how to fix it!  Pics coming . . .

Progress South

I can't believe it's been three days since I've updated the blog.  It seems like ages ago that we were still in the sling hanging over concrete and hoping to launch WITHOUT sinking!

We got a good start on the day Tuesday when the final repairs were made and we successfully launched.  The sun was out, the boat looked great, we DIDN'T sink and we said our goodbyes to Scott and Paula and left the dock at 10:30 for points south.  After the whole ordeal of the yard, it felt more amazing than ever to get back on the water.  Even with the motor clunking away, there's this wonderful peacefulness of plying the waters of the intracoastal.

With bridge openings, currents and other distractions, it's hard to determine exactly what kind of progress you'll make on the ICW.  We made, however, great time and were able to get settled in Daytona after an uneventful seven hours of motoring in the gorgeous sunshine.  The anchorage we ended up in was in exactly the same spot that we had in the spring on our way home.  The weather this time was much improved and we had a grilled lobster dinner (thanks again, John!) in the cockpit looking at all the Christmas lights of Daytona.

Wednesday brought unexpected rain and cooler temps.  We surveyed the latest leak situation (from RAIN this time!) but didn't delay in weighing anchor and were moving by 7:15 hoping to make it past Canaveral before the major bridges closed for evening rush hour.  The dolphins were more numerous than I ever remember in the ICW and were good company and we both had some good time to "just chill" throughout the day - something I was thankful seeing Rob take advantage of.

We spent much of the day leading a chain of four sailboats down the path after we all sat waiting for a bridge opening.  The pack of us stayed together for over 5 hours before one by one they started peeling away leaving us to make the final stretch to Cocoa Beach solo again.

After some thought, we decided to forgo dropping the dinghy and spent the night aboard again sharing a big stir fry and watching a movie.  We were just heading to bed when Rob did his final check and went to empty the bilge with the pump to find that SOMETHING was wrong and it was pumping salt water INTO the boat instead of the other way around!  You really didn't think this stretch would be without drama, did you?

After quite a scramble (insert here "Rob, what's up?"  "I've got a situation here"  "Are we okay?"  "I can't say right now . . . ") Rob did another miracle assessment and quick fix and had the "situation" under control.  This, of course, involved an already over-tired Rob being down in the depths of the engine compartment again cleaning out some God-forsaken mess that hadn't yet been discovered or replaced or repaired!  But fix it, he did and after making the repair parts list, we finally made it to bed about midnight.


We woke to an amazingly beautiful morning ready to make the final trek to our destination for the next few days.  We pulled the anchor up and got on our way, making good time and arriving well before noon.  We're now in Eau Gallie, FL just north of Melbourne for a weekend gathering of the Seven Seas Cruising Association.  In the few hours since our arrival we've met countless other cruising couples we look forward to getting to know.

Our anchorage is calm, the manatees make their lazy way all around our boat and the anchorage, the Christmas lights are twinkling from boats nearby and the shoreline and we've got a lot to look forward to in the weekend ahead!

Ups and Downs

Today has certainly been a day of ups and downs!  It was launch day.  Seven days after being pulled up on the sling and into our spot for the week, we were due to be placed back in the water at 3:30 sharp.  The day dawned with rain, the first "down".  Although it was cleansing in it's own way, it meant that the last coats of paint planned would not happen on this go around.

Despite the result of the weatherman's miscalculation, both Rob and I excitedly finished the projects we were working on.  The jackstands were moved one last time for the bottom paint to be applied there, final checks were done on all of the work we had done.  I washed the boat.  Oh, really, this is the big UP of the day!  With the decks covered with dirt from the road construction and the yard projects going on all around us, it was such a treat to take a bucket of soapy water and scrub away in the drizzle!

We ran our final errands to West Marine courtesy of our ever gracious neighbors, Scott and Paula.  Once again, it's these relationships that make cruising worth all the work it takes!    Another UP!  Thanks for EVERYTHING, Scott and Paula!

Upon our return, the final preparations for launch began and the big lift made it's way into our bay.  Up we go!  And down into the water!  And UP WE GO AGAIN!  Hmm . . . not in the plan!  After a quick evaluation of the new thru hulls installed, a leak was found in one of the connecting fittings (a newly refurbished sea cock).  Down go our spirits.

The team/staff here at Oasis Boat Yard win the prize for being the most pleasant, helpful, courteous and professional of all time.  A big UP!  All through the week, they've been on time, conscientious and obviously talented in their work.  This situation once again confirmed our feelings.  We had the help of Eddie, Scooba and John (the yard owner) assessing and repairing the problem (which entailed ANOTHER emergency run to West Marine and more dollars . . . )

With a new 1 1/2 inch sea cock in place, down we go into the water again.  And UP WE GO when now a DIFFERENT sea cock decides to start leaking!  Yet another emergency run to West Marine (it's now an hour after the yard closes and the staff are still here doing all they can to help . . . for a beer!) and we've got enough parts to keep us busy until morning.

Sunsets from the launch are great!

After a few more adjustments and installations, Scott and Paula came over to share the sunset (about 3 hours too late now) and the small birthday celebration I had put together for Paula's birthday tomorrow.  John had given us fish and lobster tails (really - can these guys get any nicer?!) and Scott had grilled his up to add to the feast.  We partied appropriately after a long, hard day and shored up for tomorrow's work ahead.

Up and down.  Down and up.  A freshly washed deck, a beautiful sunset, great people to work and play with and despite the disappointment, a safe place to stay the night, nestled on our swinging sling just slightly above the ground and within sight of the water.  Sweet dreams!

Christmas Season in the Yard

It's DECEMBER!  And everything feels "Christmas-y", well, kind of!  We've been hard at work in the yard.  We've removed and replaced 7 thru hull fittings, installed a new depth gauge, had the cutlass bearing replaced, corrected bottom wear, completely sanded and prepped the hull and bootstripe and got the first coat on yesterday.   Rob has been nonstop and wears the scars of hard, continuous work - busted knuckles, stained fingers, bruised arms - he's a trojan horse, this guy!  But we're almost done and due to "splash" some time tomorrow and continue our journey south.

All along this yard adventure, Christmas has been happening.  In bits and pieces, the inside of the boat is taking on a holiday charm.  Our mast is decorated and presents are in the planning and creation process.  The city of St. Augustine is contributing with great holiday celebrations one after another.

To add to the fun, we've made new friends here.  Along with Scott and Paula Sullivan, our yard "neighbors", we've made some memories amidst the craziness of our mutual situations.  Being that there's not much that can be done after dark, when all of the mess gets put away, we have shared a sundowner, a pot luck dinner and a meal out at a new favorite restaurant.  The first gathering was a simple "can I get you a beer?" situation that turned into several hours of getting to know each other.  The pot luck was an attempt for us all to have a decent meal without anyone having to work too much and Carmelo's (more on this one later) was a necessary evil after days and days of hard work!

Scott and Rob have been able to run errands for each other, Paula and I get to laugh at our lovely lifestyle!  They have a car (an amazing helpful amenity) and have carted us back and forth to West Marine, Home Depot and such and Paula and I have taken in a yoga class together.  That, by the way, was quite the treat!  After not having a space aboard to do a decent yoga move, I got an hour of intense practice leaving me rubbery armed and happy!  8 Limbs Yoga - you rock!

Yesterday saw a lot of progress on the boat along with some holiday fun.  After finishing my "mast tree", Paula and I biked over to the local Christmas Parade.  Although not rivaling the Charleston parade by any means, this one did the trick!  We quickly pedaled home ahead of a squall line and spent the rainy hours running errands again.

Last night, having gotten the first coat of paint on the bottom (SUCH a goalpost!), Rob and I had a quick bite and headed downtown for the British Illumination.  St. Augustine was under British rule for a short time in the 1700's.  There are large numbers of reenactors in the area and they gather for a candlelit parade and "securing of the city walls" ceremony with a volley of muskets and all!  It was a delightful night with the candles illuminating the walk through town to the sound of fifes and drums.  At the end of the ceremony and musket fire, the crowd of thousands sang Christmas carols in a light falling rain.  Another one of those nights that make you glad to be alive!

Walking home, the rain picked up and we decided maybe it was time to check the college football scores along with finding a way to ditch the rain.  Back to Carmelo's we went.  Carmelo's was a place we passed numerous times because it's attached to a gas station (think truck stop here).  What a surprise to find amazing food and friendly service matching many or even most of the Italian places Rob and I normally frequent.  The eggplant parm is a definite must!

Despite the later night time, Rob reveled in a piece of pizza and a beer and I had a glass of wine and (SSSHHHH!!) french fries!  Funny detail about Carmelo's if you ever find yourself there . . . don't bother with a glass of wine.  I learned this last night after I was sipping from mine - they have bottles offered at just dollars over the cost of one glass!  OK, this is certainly a detail I wish I hadn't missed the first visit!  We had fun talking to the manager and staff, drying out and replenishing.  All in all it's been another banner day in a week of new friends and memories!

It's a HARD Life!

Well, we made it to the yard.  Monday dawned early and we prepared for our exit from the mooring field.  After getting to shore for a quick bit of exercise, we grabbed an early lunch aboard and dropped the mooring ball at 12:25 for the 12:30 Bridge of Lions opening.  We made good time to the yard where they had had an unexpected problem with a boat in the lift so we settled onto the dock and enjoyed the sunny day.

Pulling into a lift bay can be tricky business with any current and since we missed our slack tide opportunity with the delay, we had a bit more of an eventful haul.  No problem, just a little more to get excited about with the current pull and Moonshadow's heavy hulk.

The yard here is quite impressive really.  After being hauled, we were thoroughly power washed and blocked in our space.  Every step of the way, the yard maintained its meticulous standards.  Every area is completely cleaned after each job and the staff are professional and friendly.  What a nice surprise!

So we got right to work pulling the first thru hull before dark fell.  A thru hull is where any drain or water intake makes its way through the hull - in other words, the connections between top of the water and bottom of the ocean!  These, of course, are quite important!  Being that our girl is a rescue (think animal shelter!), it wasn't surprising that all of the thru hulls on the boat were leaking and worn.  We feel pretty good about getting this fixed, needless to say!

The first thru hull and another transponder came out with relative ease giving us hope for those yet to be done.  Yesterday was all about exactly that.  We now have 7 thru hulls out of the boat and another hole ready for our new depth gauge (another important MUST HAVE for a boat with 5+ feet under the water!).
We found a new problem needing attention but have contracted the yard to get it done while we're here so the engine will be in fine condition for our journey as well.

I spent the day at first helping Rob before he got into spaces where two couldn't go and then I took advantage of the gorgeous sunshine and warm weather and pulled all the cockpit cushions off the boat for a good bath.

At the end of the day Rob looked like he had been run through the ringer!  A Home Depot/West Marine run was required to we dinghy-ed across the creek to Hurricane Patty's and ran our errands before returning for some happy hour beer and wings and heading back to the boat.  We took our space heater into the showers and had a warm, hot soak after a long day of grinding, sanding, cleaning and otherwise busting knuckles - getting ready for another day (or two or five!) of what is still to come.