We were awake by 6:00 Saturday morning so we started getting the boat ready for our trip over to Marco Island. As Nelson was checking the oil, he noticed that all our engine coolant had leaked out and was in the bottom tray under the engine compartment. We begin checking and found that the hose to the radiator had rotted and had come off the engine. So, Nelson quickly repaired this problem and we pulled the anchor in Little Shark River around 6:45 with very little water depth and slowly moved out into the gulf for our day to Marco Island. Yea! We did find enough water and did not run agound. It was a much better day on the water as the winds were only blowing 10 knots most all the day until late afternoon. We had to go way out into the gulf because of shallow water so it took us longer to get into Marco than we expected. We did arrive around 3:00 and anchored at the Factory anchorage. It was a pleasant place to anchor and there were two other boats anchored there also. We had drinks and a snack, later had dinner, and watched two movies before going to bed.
Sunday, November 27, we pulled our anchor for the last time in a while and headed out into the gulf for Cape Coral, where we plan to leave the boat when we go home for Christmas. What a wonderful day on the water! The weather was perfect! I actually lay in the sun for two hours while we motor sailed most of the trip. We made it there in less time than we had expected. We were tied up to Nelson’s brother, Ike’s dock by 2:30. We are so thankful for the wonderful trip we have had coming south. We hope to be back in NC by the first of next week. Ike is letting us drive his car back home for Christmas. He and Babs are so kind to let us leave our boat at their house and then use their car to drive home. Plus, they are feeding us so well while we are here and we also are doing our laundry. Better than Marina life! Thank you, Ike and Babs! We are looking forward to seeing our friends and family when we get home.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
More pictures of Last Boat Journeys 2011
Susan Cole on SuzyQ riding in the hammock
Nelson & Ondra having dinner (outside, of course)
Oh no, smoke again! They were burning where they were clearing lots beside the ICW.
How would you like to live here? We see this boat here everytime we have been this route.
Even the captain likes a sweet treat every now and then.(candy)
One of the many Lighthouses we have seen on our trip
One of 20 bascule bridges we went under after having to wait for it to be raised. Sometimes we waited 30-40 minutes.Nov.22-25 Last Boat Journeys
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 we pulled the anchor at 6:45 in Pumpkin Key and headed south continuing our trip through the Florida ICW. We had had enough of the ocean and decided to go through the Keys by ICW which we had not done before. The books say that a 5 foot draft boat can make it through the skinny waters of the ICW. Well, we had our doubts many times as we just knew we would be aground with 0 depths too many times. But, we had made the commitment to go the entire trip ICW so we decided to continue our journey even though we were not sure we would make it. But, we did! We don’t know how except that God was guiding us all the way. We arrived at Marathon Shores at sunset and decided to anchor there for the night and finish our trip to Boot Key Harbor the following morning. We anchored at 4:30 and had another peaceful night on the water.
Wednesday, we pulled anchor at 8:15 and headed under the Seven Mile bridge and over to Boot Key Harbor. We stopped at a fuel dock just before the Harbor called Ponchos and refueled and got our forward water tank filled. Then, we called Boot Key Marina and they told us to go to T9 mooring ball for the night. Nelson later rode the dinghy over to the Marina to check us in. Later, Nelson and I went for a ride through the mooring field and did not see any boats there that we had met in years past. We then rode over to some docks where our friends, Jeff & Ann were living on their boat, Sea Quest. Jeff was there and we enjoyed getting to talk with him again. He was leaving on his boat in two weeks for Texas. Hope you have a great trip, Jeff!
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
We thought we would have Thanksgiving dinner with other people in boats there at the Marina, but we heard on the Cruisers Net the following morning that we visiting sail boaters were not invited. That was ok! We had a great meal by ourselves and then went to the beach for the afternoon.
Friday, November 25, 2011 is a special day for Nelson and me. Our first son, Will, was born on that day. Happy Birthday, Will! We love you!
We also departed Marathon and headed west and back under the Seven Mile Bridge. We are now anchored at Little Shark River for the night. We arrived here this afternoon around 2:30. We were not sure this was going to be a good day on the water as the winds were forecast to blow all day at least 20 knots. Well, they did and sometimes 28-30. It was a choppy ride most of the way here but we are thankful to be here and all in one piece. The crab pots were everywhere so we had to continuously watch for them the whole trip and deal with the high winds. We are here for the night and are thankful to have made it here in record time.
Wednesday, we pulled anchor at 8:15 and headed under the Seven Mile bridge and over to Boot Key Harbor. We stopped at a fuel dock just before the Harbor called Ponchos and refueled and got our forward water tank filled. Then, we called Boot Key Marina and they told us to go to T9 mooring ball for the night. Nelson later rode the dinghy over to the Marina to check us in. Later, Nelson and I went for a ride through the mooring field and did not see any boats there that we had met in years past. We then rode over to some docks where our friends, Jeff & Ann were living on their boat, Sea Quest. Jeff was there and we enjoyed getting to talk with him again. He was leaving on his boat in two weeks for Texas. Hope you have a great trip, Jeff!
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
We thought we would have Thanksgiving dinner with other people in boats there at the Marina, but we heard on the Cruisers Net the following morning that we visiting sail boaters were not invited. That was ok! We had a great meal by ourselves and then went to the beach for the afternoon.
Friday, November 25, 2011 is a special day for Nelson and me. Our first son, Will, was born on that day. Happy Birthday, Will! We love you!
We also departed Marathon and headed west and back under the Seven Mile Bridge. We are now anchored at Little Shark River for the night. We arrived here this afternoon around 2:30. We were not sure this was going to be a good day on the water as the winds were forecast to blow all day at least 20 knots. Well, they did and sometimes 28-30. It was a choppy ride most of the way here but we are thankful to be here and all in one piece. The crab pots were everywhere so we had to continuously watch for them the whole trip and deal with the high winds. We are here for the night and are thankful to have made it here in record time.
November 18-21 Last Boat Journeys
On Friday, Nov. 18, we decided to stay one more night at Vero and get some boat projects done. We changed the oil, and cleaned the raw water filter. Both jobs were needed and the weather was not a good traveling day as the winds were up and the skies were very overcast.
Saturday, Nov. 19, we departed Vero at 7:00 and traveled 62 miles to North Lake Worth anchorage. Great place to anchor with many other boats. Weather was beautiful all day and temperatures were in the mid seventies.
Sunday, November 20 at 7:00, we departed our anchorage with two Canadian sailboats and headed south for Ft. Lauderdale. What a beautiful day on the water! The temp was probably in the eighties. We had a tiring day as we had to wait for bridges with many other boats all day. Most of the bascule bridges have certain times they open and if you are not right there, you have to wait for 30 minutes to 1 hour for the next opening. We had to go through 20 of these bridges today. What a pain! We made it to Ft. Lauderdale at 4:15 pm and anchored in the Middle River anchorage. What a nice place to anchor. We followed the Canadian boats there and we were impressed. We will definitely stay there again.
Monday, November, 21, we pulled anchor at 7:15 am and headed out the Inlet at Ft. Lauderdale for the ocean voyage to Miami. We were by ourselves as the other couples had to go to the bank before leaving that morning and they were staying in Miami until they could get a weather window to the Bahamas. Boy! We had a rocky, rolling time on the big open seas. The winds were up and it was a rocky ride all 59 miles to Miami. We were moving along the coastline and were about 10 miles out so we still could see the big Condos on the beaches. We decided we had had enough and went into the Governments Cut at 12:30 and continued our journey down south through Florida’s Biscayne Bay. This was a much better ride for the both of us. We arrived inside Pumpkin Key at 5: oo pm and anchored for the night in front of some nice homes along the waters edge. We had a very nice quiet night and got some much needed rest. Nelson and I are traveling alone now and are still enjoying our trip together.
Saturday, Nov. 19, we departed Vero at 7:00 and traveled 62 miles to North Lake Worth anchorage. Great place to anchor with many other boats. Weather was beautiful all day and temperatures were in the mid seventies.
Sunday, November 20 at 7:00, we departed our anchorage with two Canadian sailboats and headed south for Ft. Lauderdale. What a beautiful day on the water! The temp was probably in the eighties. We had a tiring day as we had to wait for bridges with many other boats all day. Most of the bascule bridges have certain times they open and if you are not right there, you have to wait for 30 minutes to 1 hour for the next opening. We had to go through 20 of these bridges today. What a pain! We made it to Ft. Lauderdale at 4:15 pm and anchored in the Middle River anchorage. What a nice place to anchor. We followed the Canadian boats there and we were impressed. We will definitely stay there again.
Monday, November, 21, we pulled anchor at 7:15 am and headed out the Inlet at Ft. Lauderdale for the ocean voyage to Miami. We were by ourselves as the other couples had to go to the bank before leaving that morning and they were staying in Miami until they could get a weather window to the Bahamas. Boy! We had a rocky, rolling time on the big open seas. The winds were up and it was a rocky ride all 59 miles to Miami. We were moving along the coastline and were about 10 miles out so we still could see the big Condos on the beaches. We decided we had had enough and went into the Governments Cut at 12:30 and continued our journey down south through Florida’s Biscayne Bay. This was a much better ride for the both of us. We arrived inside Pumpkin Key at 5: oo pm and anchored for the night in front of some nice homes along the waters edge. We had a very nice quiet night and got some much needed rest. Nelson and I are traveling alone now and are still enjoying our trip together.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Vero Beach -Nov.16-18
Monday, November 14 we left the mooring field and headed south. We were not sure just how far we were going to travel but we ended up going passed New Smyrna Beach and anchoring south of the New Smyrna Beach Yacht Club just to the left of the ICW with three other boats. We arrived there around 5:15 after traveling 59 miles on the water. Again, the weather was wonderful and we were in short pants and short sleeve shirts. Robert and Susan on SuzyQ radioed that they wanted us to come to their boat for spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Boy! They were great! And, to top it off, Susan had made another delicious key lime pie and we all had a piece before we returned to our boat for the night. We missed the first of Dancing with the Stars but watched the last half.
Tuesday, November 15, we pulled the anchors and started our last travels together with Robert & Susan for Titusville, FL. We only traveled 31 miles on the ICW before getting there. The weather was good but we did have some overcast weather at times. We arrived at Titusville at 2:30 in the afternoon. Nelson and I decided to wash our boat as it had gotten a yellow residue on it when we were in Fernandina Beach. After a long afternoon of cleaning we were tired and ready to get cleaned up and go for a walk to find a neat place to eat dinner. Robert, Susan, Nelson, and I walked to a restaurant under the bridge not too far from the marlna. The food was good. After a walk back, we went to their boat for the last of the key lime pie. It was great! It was sad to say our goodbyes to Robert and Susan. We enjoyed traveling with them.
We will miss them.
We departed the Titusville Marina on Wednesday morning at 6:45 by ourselves headed for Vero Beach.
We had a long day on the water with the sky looking like rain most of the day. But, we did not get the rain and had a good 72 mile day on the water. We arrived at Vero Beach Marina at 5:30, just before the sunset. We were very low on fuel and were happy that we made it to the dock where we refueled, got a pump out, and filled the water tanks before going to the mooring ball. After the marina trip, we went to find our mooring in the dark. We found the boat that we were on the mooring ball with and yelled “Hello” so they would know we were getting ready to hook up with their boat. Eric came out of his boat and helped us hook up beside his sailboat. He is alone at the time as his wife went to see her grandson in a play in MO.
Today, we slept in and later went into town on a bus and did some shopping at West Marine and then grocery shopping. When we returned to the boat, I did laundry at the marina while Nelson connected speakers outside the boat. Tonight, we are going to our favorite River Café here to have a shrimp Po Boy and I will just have fried shrimp. Later we plan to change the oil and if we get that done, we may travel further south tomorrow. We are watching the weather before we make the decision. Take care; Nelson says it is time to go eat!
Tuesday, November 15, we pulled the anchors and started our last travels together with Robert & Susan for Titusville, FL. We only traveled 31 miles on the ICW before getting there. The weather was good but we did have some overcast weather at times. We arrived at Titusville at 2:30 in the afternoon. Nelson and I decided to wash our boat as it had gotten a yellow residue on it when we were in Fernandina Beach. After a long afternoon of cleaning we were tired and ready to get cleaned up and go for a walk to find a neat place to eat dinner. Robert, Susan, Nelson, and I walked to a restaurant under the bridge not too far from the marlna. The food was good. After a walk back, we went to their boat for the last of the key lime pie. It was great! It was sad to say our goodbyes to Robert and Susan. We enjoyed traveling with them.
We will miss them.
We departed the Titusville Marina on Wednesday morning at 6:45 by ourselves headed for Vero Beach.
We had a long day on the water with the sky looking like rain most of the day. But, we did not get the rain and had a good 72 mile day on the water. We arrived at Vero Beach Marina at 5:30, just before the sunset. We were very low on fuel and were happy that we made it to the dock where we refueled, got a pump out, and filled the water tanks before going to the mooring ball. After the marina trip, we went to find our mooring in the dark. We found the boat that we were on the mooring ball with and yelled “Hello” so they would know we were getting ready to hook up with their boat. Eric came out of his boat and helped us hook up beside his sailboat. He is alone at the time as his wife went to see her grandson in a play in MO.
Today, we slept in and later went into town on a bus and did some shopping at West Marine and then grocery shopping. When we returned to the boat, I did laundry at the marina while Nelson connected speakers outside the boat. Tonight, we are going to our favorite River Café here to have a shrimp Po Boy and I will just have fried shrimp. Later we plan to change the oil and if we get that done, we may travel further south tomorrow. We are watching the weather before we make the decision. Take care; Nelson says it is time to go eat!
St. Augustine FL- Nov. 12-14
Thursday, November 17, 2011 and we are at Vero Beach! We have been having so much fun, that I have not taken time to update my blog lately.
We arrived at St. Augustine, FL on Saturday, November 12th on a beautiful, sunny and warm day. We traveled 57 miles on the ICW and made it there by 3:15 in the afternoon. What a neat place to be! We caught a mooring ball in the mooring field after stopping by the marina for fuel, a pump out and refilling our water tanks. Nelson asked everyone if we could find a pizza place to eat as he was passed ready for pizza. I don’t make pizza on the boat! Guess I should!
Too much trouble! We found a great Italian Place on St. George St. and we all had salad and then two different kinds of pizza. We had pepperoni of course, and then Garbage Pizza (black olives, pepperoni, sausage, peppers, onions and lots of cheese). We all ate and still had pizza leftovers.
A great place to eat! Robert stopped at a fudge shop and bought us a slice of fudge. Wow! It was great chocolate with walnuts! Yes, I did eat too much of it! It did not last long.
Sunday morning, we invited Robert & Susan to our boat for a country breakfast. We had country sausage in the links, grits, eggs, bread, and fruit! They ate as if they enjoyed it. We also had plenty of coffee. We ate outside as the weather was beautiful!
Sunday afternoon, we all went back into town for a long walk and over to O’Malley’s to watch the ballgame and talk with other boaters that we had met earlier. We spent the afternoon and had a roast beef sandwich before we left there. We also went by Rick & Linda’s boat before going back to our boat. What a nice boat they have! It is a 43 foot catamaran and has four sleeping berths.
Monday morning, we left St. Augustine and headed south. We did enjoy our time there.
We arrived at St. Augustine, FL on Saturday, November 12th on a beautiful, sunny and warm day. We traveled 57 miles on the ICW and made it there by 3:15 in the afternoon. What a neat place to be! We caught a mooring ball in the mooring field after stopping by the marina for fuel, a pump out and refilling our water tanks. Nelson asked everyone if we could find a pizza place to eat as he was passed ready for pizza. I don’t make pizza on the boat! Guess I should!
Too much trouble! We found a great Italian Place on St. George St. and we all had salad and then two different kinds of pizza. We had pepperoni of course, and then Garbage Pizza (black olives, pepperoni, sausage, peppers, onions and lots of cheese). We all ate and still had pizza leftovers.
A great place to eat! Robert stopped at a fudge shop and bought us a slice of fudge. Wow! It was great chocolate with walnuts! Yes, I did eat too much of it! It did not last long.
Sunday morning, we invited Robert & Susan to our boat for a country breakfast. We had country sausage in the links, grits, eggs, bread, and fruit! They ate as if they enjoyed it. We also had plenty of coffee. We ate outside as the weather was beautiful!
Sunday afternoon, we all went back into town for a long walk and over to O’Malley’s to watch the ballgame and talk with other boaters that we had met earlier. We spent the afternoon and had a roast beef sandwich before we left there. We also went by Rick & Linda’s boat before going back to our boat. What a nice boat they have! It is a 43 foot catamaran and has four sleeping berths.
Monday morning, we left St. Augustine and headed south. We did enjoy our time there.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
From Cumberland Isloand, GA to St. Augustine, FL
Thursday, November 10, we departed our anchorage and headed over to Cumberland Island, GA. We got there around 2:30 and the winds were beginning to blow hard bringing in the dreaded colder weather. Robert and Susan came over with their dog, Abbey, picked me up and we went for a long walk through Cumberland Island. Wow! What a beautiful place. There are trails for walking and the Island is covered with very old large oaks covered in Spanish moss and the ground is covered with small palms. We saw many wild horses, wild turkeys and a deer. We came to a large frame of a mansion which had been destroyed by fire. It was a fine place in its time.
Later that night, we had a delicious steak /salad dinner with our friends; Robert & Susan on Last Boat .They make some delicious scalloped potatoes and more key lime pie. We enjoyed having them over for dinner together!
Friday morning, the weather had turned very cold and we chose not to leave our anchorage until 10:00. We were only going to Amelia Island Marina where we chose to get a boat slip and have electricity so we could use our heater. What a nice place to stop! We enjoyed getting here by 12:00 and had the remainder of the afternoon to rest and take a break from the cold and windy weather. We called a cab and went to the Wal-Mart and Winn Dixie for needed supplies and groceries. Later, we took a cab to a nice restaurant, here on Amelia Island, called Sliders Grill. We had a delicious cup of seafood chowder and also a crab cake.
We want to thank all the veterans for their services to help our country have the freedom that we enjoy here in the USA. We wish them all a Happy Veterans Day!
Tomorrow, we plan to travel 60 miles to St. Augustine, FL where we will stay two days. Hope the weather will get warmer and the wind will not blow as strong as it has for the past two days.
Later that night, we had a delicious steak /salad dinner with our friends; Robert & Susan on Last Boat .They make some delicious scalloped potatoes and more key lime pie. We enjoyed having them over for dinner together!
Friday morning, the weather had turned very cold and we chose not to leave our anchorage until 10:00. We were only going to Amelia Island Marina where we chose to get a boat slip and have electricity so we could use our heater. What a nice place to stop! We enjoyed getting here by 12:00 and had the remainder of the afternoon to rest and take a break from the cold and windy weather. We called a cab and went to the Wal-Mart and Winn Dixie for needed supplies and groceries. Later, we took a cab to a nice restaurant, here on Amelia Island, called Sliders Grill. We had a delicious cup of seafood chowder and also a crab cake.
We want to thank all the veterans for their services to help our country have the freedom that we enjoy here in the USA. We wish them all a Happy Veterans Day!
Tomorrow, we plan to travel 60 miles to St. Augustine, FL where we will stay two days. Hope the weather will get warmer and the wind will not blow as strong as it has for the past two days.
Travels of Last Boat Nov-6-9, 2011
November 6, 2011 after anchoring in South Edisto River, we departed Mon., Nov 7 headed to Beaufort, SC. We were making great time on a beautiful sunny morning. When we got to the Lady Island Swing Bridge, we found out we had to wait from 11:00 am to 1:00pm before the bridge would open due to excess traffic on road going into Beaufort. So, we threw out an anchor, and had lunch and just rested until 12:45. By then, there were 8-10 other sailboats waiting to go through the bridge. Of course, it was exactly one o’clock before it opened. What a waste of time for our travels! That night, we anchored at Bull Creek anchorage around 5:30 just before dark. The new time keeps us from traveling late in the day. We had a beautiful sunny day on the water and a peaceful anchorage for the night. Since Nelson was feeling poorly, we opted to stay on our boat and get some needed rest.
Tues., Nov 8, we pulled anchor at 7:00 am and headed south down the ICW. The weather was sunny and we even motor sailed since we had some wide water to travel. We keep hoping to go out in the ocean but the big waves keep us in the ICW. At 5:00 pm, we anchored in Cattle Pen Creek. A nice anchorage! We went over to the SuzyQ for cocktails and later a delicious piece of Key lime pie. Wow! It was great!
Later, back at our boat, we watched the end of Dancing with the Stars and saw Nancy Grace get voted off! I knew it had to be her time.
On Wed., Nov 9, we pulled anchor and motor sailed down the ICW on a sunny beautiful warm day. We actually had shorts and short sleeves on today. Wish all the days were like this one! About 4:00 in the afternoon, we pulled into Morning Star Marine at St. Simons Island for a pump out, fuel refill, and added water to one of our water tanks. Afterwards, we motored over to an anchorage close to the marina for the night. The winds picked up and by morning, we had temps close to the 30s. Robert and Susan on SuzyQ came over to our boat, and had cocktails and she brought the remainder of her key lime pie for desert. Wow! It was wonderful! I can’t wait to get to the grocery store to get ingredients to make another one.
Tues., Nov 8, we pulled anchor at 7:00 am and headed south down the ICW. The weather was sunny and we even motor sailed since we had some wide water to travel. We keep hoping to go out in the ocean but the big waves keep us in the ICW. At 5:00 pm, we anchored in Cattle Pen Creek. A nice anchorage! We went over to the SuzyQ for cocktails and later a delicious piece of Key lime pie. Wow! It was great!
Later, back at our boat, we watched the end of Dancing with the Stars and saw Nancy Grace get voted off! I knew it had to be her time.
On Wed., Nov 9, we pulled anchor and motor sailed down the ICW on a sunny beautiful warm day. We actually had shorts and short sleeves on today. Wish all the days were like this one! About 4:00 in the afternoon, we pulled into Morning Star Marine at St. Simons Island for a pump out, fuel refill, and added water to one of our water tanks. Afterwards, we motored over to an anchorage close to the marina for the night. The winds picked up and by morning, we had temps close to the 30s. Robert and Susan on SuzyQ came over to our boat, and had cocktails and she brought the remainder of her key lime pie for desert. Wow! It was wonderful! I can’t wait to get to the grocery store to get ingredients to make another one.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
My typing skills are not what they used to be. I have started this blog twice and lost everything that I typed before I saved it. Now, I will type in word and transfer so I do not lose it again.
We enjoyed our stay in Isle of Palm. The weather was cold, some rain, but mostly very windy which made it even seem colder than it was. We stayed on the boat most all day Sat. morning doing odds and ends jobs that needed our attention. We fixed broken parts, replenished batteries, and just cleaned and organized the boat. Saturday afternoon, after a short walk, Susan and I did laundry and enjoyed talking while we waited for our things to finish drying.
At 5:30 Saturday afternoon, we went to an oyster roast given by the marina restaurant right beside our boat. They had a live band which played great music! They had oysters, chili, and trimmings for $15 for all you could eat. It was very good and there were many people there from all around even in the windy cold weather. At 8:00, we had enough to eat and decided to go inside the restaurant for coffee, and dessert and most of all, to get warm. We shared a crème Brule and key lime pie. It was delicious! Our night ended with decaf coffee with baileys & crème. We were back on the boat at 9:00. I must have eaten too much or what I ate did not agree with me as I turned very sick with a terrible stomach virus until I finally went to bed around 11:30. Not a good thing on a sailboat but I survived! I was very weak yesterday, but we did leave the docks and continued on down the ICW on our trip south. It was a good day on the water even though it was still a little cool. We are now used to changing clothes quite frequently to accommodate the weather. We anchored just beside the ICW last night north of Beaufort, SC. We stayed on our boat and just rested and of course, watched the football game. We both are feeling better today and the weather is beautiful out here. We hope to get close to GA this afternoon. We are eager to get further south to get warmer weather.
We enjoyed our stay in Isle of Palm. The weather was cold, some rain, but mostly very windy which made it even seem colder than it was. We stayed on the boat most all day Sat. morning doing odds and ends jobs that needed our attention. We fixed broken parts, replenished batteries, and just cleaned and organized the boat. Saturday afternoon, after a short walk, Susan and I did laundry and enjoyed talking while we waited for our things to finish drying.
At 5:30 Saturday afternoon, we went to an oyster roast given by the marina restaurant right beside our boat. They had a live band which played great music! They had oysters, chili, and trimmings for $15 for all you could eat. It was very good and there were many people there from all around even in the windy cold weather. At 8:00, we had enough to eat and decided to go inside the restaurant for coffee, and dessert and most of all, to get warm. We shared a crème Brule and key lime pie. It was delicious! Our night ended with decaf coffee with baileys & crème. We were back on the boat at 9:00. I must have eaten too much or what I ate did not agree with me as I turned very sick with a terrible stomach virus until I finally went to bed around 11:30. Not a good thing on a sailboat but I survived! I was very weak yesterday, but we did leave the docks and continued on down the ICW on our trip south. It was a good day on the water even though it was still a little cool. We are now used to changing clothes quite frequently to accommodate the weather. We anchored just beside the ICW last night north of Beaufort, SC. We stayed on our boat and just rested and of course, watched the football game. We both are feeling better today and the weather is beautiful out here. We hope to get close to GA this afternoon. We are eager to get further south to get warmer weather.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Nov 2- Nov 4, 2011
When we returned to the boat Sunday afternoon to take the pictures, another boat across the dock from us was from Kansas City, MO and Lindsey was asking if we had met the people on the boat from her home town. We had not seen they until we started to leave that day and they came down the dock returning to their boast after a road trip to Charleston and we met them briefly. They were also leaving Tuesday morning and were interested in leaving with us going south also. So, we talked to them Tuesday morning and we decided to travel together. We have a 35 ft. Catalina and they have a 36 ft. Benateau called SuzyQ. Their names are Robert and Susan Cole. We appreciate them wanting to hang along with us older folks as they are much younger than us. They also have their dog, Abby who travels with them. They live on their boat and have been traveling since May of this year. We have really enjoyed their company and their cute Boykin spaniel, Abby.
Tuesday, we traveled the ICW as the ocean was 4-5 ft waves.
We did not leave Wilmington until lunch time so we only got just past Southport, NC and anchored in Dutchman’s Creek for the night. Robert & Susan joined us on our boat for afternoon snacks and drinks where we got to know more about each other. What a nice and fun evening with getting to know them and of course, Abby. They too are planning to go to the Bahamas this trip. But, they are leaving before Christmas so maybe we will see them again after the holidays as they plan to stay there until April.
Wednesday, we departed our anchorage at 8:15 and continued our journey south followed by our friends Robert, Susan, and Abby on sailboat, SuzyQ. We had a great day on the ICW again with the sun shining and the temperature in the high 70s. We decided to travel through the good day while we had it and anchored in the Waccamaw River after Myrtle Beach, SC in a small Creek to the left of the ICW which looked like dinosaur land. There was one other boat there when we arrived. Reminded me of dinosaur land. Lots of Cyprus trees and water.
We went over to SuzyQ and had drinks and snacks with them until 9:00. Next morning, we pulled anchor and headed down the ICW south with cooler weather and more wind. ICW is not wide so we do very little sailing while traveling ICW. But, the sun did come out and the weather was good for another day to travel long distance. We motored all day and anchored in Awendaw Creek around 5:00 for the night. This is a wonderful Creek to anchor as the water id plenty deep and there is lots of room for many boats. There were probably at least ten boats anchored there last night. We saw dolphins playing in the waters there also.
We had anchored there on our trip home in June and liked it then.
Friday, Nov. 4 we pulled into Isle of Palm Marina near Charleston, SC. We had rain last night and the weather has gotten cold. Back to coats and more clothing this weekend. We were glad to get to the Marina and get hooked up to electricity so we could use our heat for the weekend as we will probably stay here for the weekend. The weather is supposed to be rainy tomorrow and also very windy. We may take a water taxi into Charleston while we are here. It is nice to be here and getting my blog started again for this trip. Sorry I talk so much but hope you will enjoy keeping up with our travels on our boat south. Take care and let us hear from you. Nelson & Ondra
Tuesday, we traveled the ICW as the ocean was 4-5 ft waves.
We did not leave Wilmington until lunch time so we only got just past Southport, NC and anchored in Dutchman’s Creek for the night. Robert & Susan joined us on our boat for afternoon snacks and drinks where we got to know more about each other. What a nice and fun evening with getting to know them and of course, Abby. They too are planning to go to the Bahamas this trip. But, they are leaving before Christmas so maybe we will see them again after the holidays as they plan to stay there until April.
Wednesday, we departed our anchorage at 8:15 and continued our journey south followed by our friends Robert, Susan, and Abby on sailboat, SuzyQ. We had a great day on the ICW again with the sun shining and the temperature in the high 70s. We decided to travel through the good day while we had it and anchored in the Waccamaw River after Myrtle Beach, SC in a small Creek to the left of the ICW which looked like dinosaur land. There was one other boat there when we arrived. Reminded me of dinosaur land. Lots of Cyprus trees and water.
We went over to SuzyQ and had drinks and snacks with them until 9:00. Next morning, we pulled anchor and headed down the ICW south with cooler weather and more wind. ICW is not wide so we do very little sailing while traveling ICW. But, the sun did come out and the weather was good for another day to travel long distance. We motored all day and anchored in Awendaw Creek around 5:00 for the night. This is a wonderful Creek to anchor as the water id plenty deep and there is lots of room for many boats. There were probably at least ten boats anchored there last night. We saw dolphins playing in the waters there also.
We had anchored there on our trip home in June and liked it then.
Friday, Nov. 4 we pulled into Isle of Palm Marina near Charleston, SC. We had rain last night and the weather has gotten cold. Back to coats and more clothing this weekend. We were glad to get to the Marina and get hooked up to electricity so we could use our heat for the weekend as we will probably stay here for the weekend. The weather is supposed to be rainy tomorrow and also very windy. We may take a water taxi into Charleston while we are here. It is nice to be here and getting my blog started again for this trip. Sorry I talk so much but hope you will enjoy keeping up with our travels on our boat south. Take care and let us hear from you. Nelson & Ondra
Oct 24-25, 2011
Thursday, Oct. 24, 2011, we pulled the anchor and headed out of Spooners Creek going south again down the ICW. We were headed to Wilmington but knew we could not get there today, so decided to stop early at Mile Hammock Bay, the military training area which is a wonderful place to anchor after leaving Swansboro area. There were helicopters flying over the anchorage until late afternoon so it was very noisy when we arrived. There were also some marines on the shoreline doing some other training but we could not decide just what they were doing but it did not look dangerous to us. One cannot leave his boat when anchoring there because it is military owned. There were many other boats to join us there by late afternoon.
We enjoyed turkey and gravy over rice for dinner along with green beans. Watched Grey & Private Practice and went to bed after the news.
Friday, Oct 25, we pulled anchor around 7:30 and headed over to Wrightsville Beach to SeaPath Marina as we were leaving the boat to stay the weekend with our other son, Justin and his family for the weekend. We arrived there around 2:30 in the afternoon and were pleasantly helped by the dock masters, Chris and Adam. They were very helpful in helping us with fueling and getting our boat secure before leaving it there over the weekend.
Justin, Lindsey, and Mya met us at the boat around 5:00 and we stopped long enough for some takeout dinner and headed to their house. We loved getting to see them and spending several nights with them. I had gotten a cold and was beginning to cough much so planned to see a doctor while there. On Saturday, we went to a soccer game in Leland to see Mya’s babysitter’s two children play. They were so excited to see us there. Mya was also excited to see them and them her also. We are so glad they found Olga and her family for Mya as they are a very sweet and loving family and we could tell they loved Mya as much as we do. Olga has three children, ages, 5, 9 & ll. Sorry we did not get to meet her husband. It started raining so we did not stay long. We stopped for breakfast and went shopping for new rugs for our boat. We went by to see if they fit and they were the perfect fit and color. Sunday, Lindsey and I took Mya to the doctor to check to see if she had an ear infection as she also had a cold. She only had the cold and was given some meds to clear it up.On Monday, I went to an Urgent Care and also saw a doctor as my cold was turning into asthma. I am now taking prednisone and hopefully will be well soon. Sunday afternoon, Will, Stacey, and Jackson came to Wilmington. We enjoyed eating burgers at PT’s and later went to the boat and took family pictures. They turned out great! I had copies made so I could have them on my trip. I will try to get them on the blog one day. Nelson and I had the pleasure of keeping Mya on Monday while Lindsey was at school. We also got to spend extra time with Justin after he came home from work. Monday night was Halloween and we loved being there to see Mya dressed as a cute little cupcake! We gave out candy to the other kids while Justin & Lindsey took Mya around their neighborhood to some of their friends. Jackson was in Wilmington dressed as a skeleton! He was really neat! We drove back to the boat late Monday night so we would be ready to pull out from the Marina Tuesday morning. We loved getting to see our family one more time before leaving any further south!
We enjoyed turkey and gravy over rice for dinner along with green beans. Watched Grey & Private Practice and went to bed after the news.
Friday, Oct 25, we pulled anchor around 7:30 and headed over to Wrightsville Beach to SeaPath Marina as we were leaving the boat to stay the weekend with our other son, Justin and his family for the weekend. We arrived there around 2:30 in the afternoon and were pleasantly helped by the dock masters, Chris and Adam. They were very helpful in helping us with fueling and getting our boat secure before leaving it there over the weekend.
Justin, Lindsey, and Mya met us at the boat around 5:00 and we stopped long enough for some takeout dinner and headed to their house. We loved getting to see them and spending several nights with them. I had gotten a cold and was beginning to cough much so planned to see a doctor while there. On Saturday, we went to a soccer game in Leland to see Mya’s babysitter’s two children play. They were so excited to see us there. Mya was also excited to see them and them her also. We are so glad they found Olga and her family for Mya as they are a very sweet and loving family and we could tell they loved Mya as much as we do. Olga has three children, ages, 5, 9 & ll. Sorry we did not get to meet her husband. It started raining so we did not stay long. We stopped for breakfast and went shopping for new rugs for our boat. We went by to see if they fit and they were the perfect fit and color. Sunday, Lindsey and I took Mya to the doctor to check to see if she had an ear infection as she also had a cold. She only had the cold and was given some meds to clear it up.On Monday, I went to an Urgent Care and also saw a doctor as my cold was turning into asthma. I am now taking prednisone and hopefully will be well soon. Sunday afternoon, Will, Stacey, and Jackson came to Wilmington. We enjoyed eating burgers at PT’s and later went to the boat and took family pictures. They turned out great! I had copies made so I could have them on my trip. I will try to get them on the blog one day. Nelson and I had the pleasure of keeping Mya on Monday while Lindsey was at school. We also got to spend extra time with Justin after he came home from work. Monday night was Halloween and we loved being there to see Mya dressed as a cute little cupcake! We gave out candy to the other kids while Justin & Lindsey took Mya around their neighborhood to some of their friends. Jackson was in Wilmington dressed as a skeleton! He was really neat! We drove back to the boat late Monday night so we would be ready to pull out from the Marina Tuesday morning. We loved getting to see our family one more time before leaving any further south!
Tuesday, October 23, 2011 Departed Jordan Creek heade4d south for warmer weather
Tuesday, October 23, 2011 at 11:00 am, Last Boat departed Jordan Creek Marina with captains Nelson and Ondra Gainey headed south to warmer weather, Florida bound.
We went to the boat on Monday but it took us a day and a half to get the boat packed with warm, cool and cold weather clothing as well as food for the first few weeks of traveling the ICW. Our first night, we anchored just outside of Oriental in Adams Creek. After a shrimp Alfredo dinner and some TV watching, we retired early and slept until 7:00 the following morning.
Wednesday, Oct. 24, we pulled anchor at Adams Creek around 8:15am heading further south toward Morehead City. We had a beautiful day on the waterway and stopped just below Morehead City at Sooners Creek for the night. We arrived there early afternoon, around 1:00pm. What a neat little creek to anchor for the night. There was a small marina and many beautiful houses surrounding the waters edge. It was well protected from the open waters. Several other boaters came in as the time became later in the day. Around 4:30, our son, Will called and said he and Jackson were headed over to see us. We were delighted to take our small dinghy off the back of the boat and Nelson motored over to the docks to meet them. Jackson had to have me tell him exactly how I had fallen when I had my accident while traveling to Edenton three weeks before on our boat. If you were not aware, we were in the ICW Alligator Canal and we hit something which caused the boat to come to an abrupt stop and I was thrown down into the main salon of the boat. I was a lucky girl as I only had a broken nose, seven stitches to my forehead and a swollen right knee from tissue damage and a hairline fracture on my wrist. Thank you, God for looking out for me! Nelson was fixing something in the head and was not hurt and did not know I was until he came out the door and found me lying on the floor bleeding from the head and nose. Anyway, I am fine now and we were so glad to have Jackson land Will on our boat. Jackson and I fished for awhile until we caught an eel. Then we played a few games and made some soda with our soda machine. Later, we went to Walmart to get several things we had forgotten to bring. Stacey then met us at Snapperz for a delicious seafood dinner. Later, we said our goodbyes to Jackson & Stacey and Will returned us to Spooners Creek where we dingied back to our sailboat. We loved getting to see them on our way south!
We went to the boat on Monday but it took us a day and a half to get the boat packed with warm, cool and cold weather clothing as well as food for the first few weeks of traveling the ICW. Our first night, we anchored just outside of Oriental in Adams Creek. After a shrimp Alfredo dinner and some TV watching, we retired early and slept until 7:00 the following morning.
Wednesday, Oct. 24, we pulled anchor at Adams Creek around 8:15am heading further south toward Morehead City. We had a beautiful day on the waterway and stopped just below Morehead City at Sooners Creek for the night. We arrived there early afternoon, around 1:00pm. What a neat little creek to anchor for the night. There was a small marina and many beautiful houses surrounding the waters edge. It was well protected from the open waters. Several other boaters came in as the time became later in the day. Around 4:30, our son, Will called and said he and Jackson were headed over to see us. We were delighted to take our small dinghy off the back of the boat and Nelson motored over to the docks to meet them. Jackson had to have me tell him exactly how I had fallen when I had my accident while traveling to Edenton three weeks before on our boat. If you were not aware, we were in the ICW Alligator Canal and we hit something which caused the boat to come to an abrupt stop and I was thrown down into the main salon of the boat. I was a lucky girl as I only had a broken nose, seven stitches to my forehead and a swollen right knee from tissue damage and a hairline fracture on my wrist. Thank you, God for looking out for me! Nelson was fixing something in the head and was not hurt and did not know I was until he came out the door and found me lying on the floor bleeding from the head and nose. Anyway, I am fine now and we were so glad to have Jackson land Will on our boat. Jackson and I fished for awhile until we caught an eel. Then we played a few games and made some soda with our soda machine. Later, we went to Walmart to get several things we had forgotten to bring. Stacey then met us at Snapperz for a delicious seafood dinner. Later, we said our goodbyes to Jackson & Stacey and Will returned us to Spooners Creek where we dingied back to our sailboat. We loved getting to see them on our way south!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Sat., February 19, 2011
Last Boat departed Marathon Boot Key Harbor on Monday, Feb. 14 (Valentine's Day) and sailed to Little Shark River along with two other sail boats.(Hardheaded Woman & Skye) We had a beautiful day and the weather was sunny with winds blowing at times 15 plus knots. Great day for lots of sailing! We departed around 7:00am and arrived around 5:30 in the afternoon. After getting our anchor planted, we settled in for a snack and a drink with our friend, Brian on Hardheaded Woman. He stayed and ate pork loin and vegetables with us. We pulled anchor Tuesday around 7:00am and headed over to Marco Island. We traveled over 50 miles both days. The winds were less today and we did some sailing but not as much as to Little Shark River. We anchored around 6:30 and were so tired, we had an early dinner and went to bed early. Marco Island has beautiful white sandy beaches and I hope we go there again someday and stay so we get a chance to visit the Island and enjoy their beaches. Wednesday, we pulled anchor around 7am and headed over to Cape Coral, FL where Nelson's brother Ike lives and where we are leaving the boat until June. We have missed our friends in Boot Key Harbor and hope to see them again. Tomorrow we will drive our car back to Jacksonville and spend two or three days visiting friends and Nelson's sister, Loretta. Our plans are to be in NC sometime late Wednesday. Ondra is going to keep Mya, our little granddaughter who was born in Dec. while her mother, Lindsey, completes teaching Spanish in High School this school year. We plan to drive back to Cape Coral in June and bring our sailboat back to NC. Nelson will be playing golf and visiting Wilmington and Morehead during three next three months. We are looking forward to seeing family and friends when we return to NC next week. We have had a wonderful trip here in Florida and are looking forward to coming back again next year.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Feb 13 Last Boat Journys & Pictures
1-Feb 11, 2011 Happy Anniversary Nelson & Ondra - 45 years
2- Connie & Ed who have their boat at Brunswich, Ga drove to the Keys and were here
to celebrate with us They came on Fri. and stayed until Sun. am
3- Dinghies tied to our mooring ball while we took our boat and two other couples to the Sombrero Light House for diving-water was a bit chilly we did see some beautiful fish
3- Dinghies tied to our mooring ball while we took our boat and two other couples to the Sombrero Light House for diving-water was a bit chilly we did see some beautiful fish
4- One of many beautiful sunset
5- A Meet and Greet (pot luck dinner) (everyone brings a dish to share)at the Marina, dogs come too
6-Good food! We all enjoy!
7-Susan & Dean Perry from Buffalo eating with us at our table
8-Everyone standing in line to get food at Meet & Greet
9-Going on our dive trip to the Sombrero Light House with Dean, Susan, Randy & Kathy
10-Marathon City Marina
11-Nelson & Ondra leaving the marina in our dinghy
12-Marina & Tiki hut-we have had many nights of music and fun around the hut
13-Another beautiful sunset-Ondra blows the conch when we are at the boatduring sunset
14-Dinner on our boat with Randy, Kathy, Dean, & Susan
15-Man of wars jelly fish-I GOT STUNG BY A SMALL ONE BUT IT DID BURN-wouldn't want it to be a large one like this
16-One night after the Meet & Greet, we listened to music and a girl did a fire dance for us with a hoola hoop and fire ropes- she was good and brave
17-Buddies- Ondra, Kathy, & Susan
18-Dean & Randy
19We were sailing on the ocean and Nelson and I were constantly looking out for the lobster pots they are everwhere- Great day for three hours of just sailing
20-Ondra even tried fishing of course with no luck
21-While we were sailing, we took pictures of Intransition(Randy & Kathy Chamberlain's boat)
22-We were at Bahia Honda with Randy & Kathy
23-Anchorage ast Bahia Honda (Can you find Last Boat)? She is closest to the hwy bridge.
24- Can't take enough pictures of the beautiful sunsets. And always blow our conchs at the end of the sunset
Hope you enjoy seeing why we enjoy being here and a few of the many friends that we have made while traveling by boat It's a great life most of the time.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
February 8, 2011
We cannot believe that we have been at Boot Key Harbor, Marathon, FL since January 16th. The time has really flown and we have been very busy having fun and doing just what we want to do, well, most of the time.
Every Wednesday night, we go to the Marina for a pot luck dinner. We carry a dish of something we make and others who go do the same. We have met many new friends and also have enjoyed the entertainment that follows after we eat. There are many boaters who have guitars and they like to get together to sing and play. The others of us enjoy listening to them. We even had a girl dance with fire on one occasion. She was really good. Yes, all the guys really enjoyed her. There are losts of activities that are offered here for us to do daily. They have yoga three mornings a week. No, I haven't gone yet. We do much walking as that is our only means of transportation here unless we catch a bus. We did call a cab last week when we had to buy many groceries. Only cost us $4.00 for a one way trip. There are six washers and dryers here at the marina and we pay $2.00 per load. Not bad but we try not to go often. Nelson said I brought too many clothes and I guess I did. We had two other couples here to eat with us last night. We had a fun time. Dean brought his guitar and we enjoyed listening to him play and sing after dinner. We went to the movies one night to see "True Grit" and the next week, we went to see the production at the little theater, "A Bad Year for Tomatoes". It was entertaining and had some really good actors who live here in Marathon. Each and every morning at 9:00, we tune our VHF radio into channel 68 where we listen to the Boot Key Harbor Radio Net. They welcome new boats into the Harbor and give them a chance to tell where they are coming from and then talk to boats who are leaving and where they are going from here. Then, they have people radio in any announcements or points of interest for the day. Then, they let boats announce things they want to sell or buy or give away. Also, if a boat needs help, they say what they need and if someone else listening can help them or knows of someone who can, they come on the radio and tell. After all boats who want to make a comment have finished, they do two or three trivia questions and anyone listening can answer. We usually listen to this when we are eating our breakfast. Because we are not at a dock, we have no way to keep our batteries charged, therefore, we need to run our generator twice a day to keep the refrigerator running and other electrical things going on our oat. The generator is not too loud but I think it is annoying. We try leaving it running when we are away from the boat. We have had beautiful weather for the last week and have been spending much time at the beach. We take our dinghy(small boat) and carry our chairs and the beach is not far from our mooring area. Last Tuesday, we took our sailboat and another couple took theirs and we sailed to Bahia Honda which is west of here about 12 miles. It is a National Park and the water there is very clear. We only stayed overnight as we did not like the anchorage there. There was a lot of coral and it was hard to find a good place that the anchor would hold. It was a neat place to walk on the beach. We went into the harbor docks there with our dinghy and enjoyed an ice cream treat. The remains of the Flagler raidroad bridge is here and we walked over to the bridge and took pictures of the harbor. The day was perfect for sailing on our return trip on Wednesday, so we sailed for seversal hours before returning to our mooring ball here in the harbor. There is a delicious Fisheries Seafood place here that we have eaten several times. Everything we have eaten is always fresh and delicious. We ate breakfast Sun. am at the Americal Legion close to the Marina. They served a wonderful meal for $6.00. We went with three other couples. We plan to leave here next week as soon as we find a good weather window and head back to the west side of Fl. where we will leave our boat at Nelson's brother, Ike's house and head back to NC in our car. We have enjoyed our time here and hate to leave this beautiful weather.
Every Wednesday night, we go to the Marina for a pot luck dinner. We carry a dish of something we make and others who go do the same. We have met many new friends and also have enjoyed the entertainment that follows after we eat. There are many boaters who have guitars and they like to get together to sing and play. The others of us enjoy listening to them. We even had a girl dance with fire on one occasion. She was really good. Yes, all the guys really enjoyed her. There are losts of activities that are offered here for us to do daily. They have yoga three mornings a week. No, I haven't gone yet. We do much walking as that is our only means of transportation here unless we catch a bus. We did call a cab last week when we had to buy many groceries. Only cost us $4.00 for a one way trip. There are six washers and dryers here at the marina and we pay $2.00 per load. Not bad but we try not to go often. Nelson said I brought too many clothes and I guess I did. We had two other couples here to eat with us last night. We had a fun time. Dean brought his guitar and we enjoyed listening to him play and sing after dinner. We went to the movies one night to see "True Grit" and the next week, we went to see the production at the little theater, "A Bad Year for Tomatoes". It was entertaining and had some really good actors who live here in Marathon. Each and every morning at 9:00, we tune our VHF radio into channel 68 where we listen to the Boot Key Harbor Radio Net. They welcome new boats into the Harbor and give them a chance to tell where they are coming from and then talk to boats who are leaving and where they are going from here. Then, they have people radio in any announcements or points of interest for the day. Then, they let boats announce things they want to sell or buy or give away. Also, if a boat needs help, they say what they need and if someone else listening can help them or knows of someone who can, they come on the radio and tell. After all boats who want to make a comment have finished, they do two or three trivia questions and anyone listening can answer. We usually listen to this when we are eating our breakfast. Because we are not at a dock, we have no way to keep our batteries charged, therefore, we need to run our generator twice a day to keep the refrigerator running and other electrical things going on our oat. The generator is not too loud but I think it is annoying. We try leaving it running when we are away from the boat. We have had beautiful weather for the last week and have been spending much time at the beach. We take our dinghy(small boat) and carry our chairs and the beach is not far from our mooring area. Last Tuesday, we took our sailboat and another couple took theirs and we sailed to Bahia Honda which is west of here about 12 miles. It is a National Park and the water there is very clear. We only stayed overnight as we did not like the anchorage there. There was a lot of coral and it was hard to find a good place that the anchor would hold. It was a neat place to walk on the beach. We went into the harbor docks there with our dinghy and enjoyed an ice cream treat. The remains of the Flagler raidroad bridge is here and we walked over to the bridge and took pictures of the harbor. The day was perfect for sailing on our return trip on Wednesday, so we sailed for seversal hours before returning to our mooring ball here in the harbor. There is a delicious Fisheries Seafood place here that we have eaten several times. Everything we have eaten is always fresh and delicious. We ate breakfast Sun. am at the Americal Legion close to the Marina. They served a wonderful meal for $6.00. We went with three other couples. We plan to leave here next week as soon as we find a good weather window and head back to the west side of Fl. where we will leave our boat at Nelson's brother, Ike's house and head back to NC in our car. We have enjoyed our time here and hate to leave this beautiful weather.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Pictures of Last Boat trips 2010-Jan
Key West Butterfly Museum Pictures
Boca Chita
Brenda Barnhill
Bud Sealing and Brenda Barnhill
Nelson & Ondra waiting to catch the bus to Boca Chita near Key west
Little Shark River anchorage the day before we arrived in Marathon
Randy & Kathy Chamberlain's boat who sailed with us to Marathon- "Intransition"
Judy Gainey and her brother Cliff Gainey- Nelson's cousins who live in Altamonte Springs, FL
Nelson getting friendly with the Pelican at Ft Myers Beach Pier
Ondra at Ft Myers Beach PierThursday, January 20, 2011
Tues., Jan. 18-Thurs. , Jan 20, 2011
Happy Birthday Ike!
Nelson and I after eating a big breakfast Tuesday morning, went for a shower at the Marina and then headed off to Boca Chita Naval Air Station to meet our friends, Brenda & Bud, who use to be at our docks at Jordan Creek in NC. Since we were not taking our boat we had to catch a bus and ride as far as the base which is right next to Key West. They met us at a store before entering the base as we had to go in with Bud since he is retired military. They keep their motor yatch there and enjoy coming here when the weather is cold where they now live in Asheville, NC. They took us to a neat restaurant/Bar right on the water way in Keiger Key for lunch. We fish and shrimp and it was delicious and fresh. Nelson got his favorite shrimp po boy sandwich and I got a salad with blackened mahi. Very good! We walked around the campground there and checked out the ship's store. We then returned to Bocas Chita where their boat is socked and enjoyed a nice afternoon of leisure. Late afternoon, we went to a gathering of people on the docks who blow their conch shells each and every day as the sun goes down. Yes, I do that also when I have mine with me. We bought one which I usually blow every afternoon but did not have mine with me. They served us delicious snacks and drinks. Later, we returned to the boat and had peel and eat shrimp that Bud had prepared earlier. Brenda, Bud, Nelson, and I enjoyed several games of Farkel after dinner. Bud won every game but one that Brenda won. Nelson and I had fun but could not win but had fun trying. We spent the night with them.
Wednesday morning we had a delicious breakfast prepared by Bud and then we dressed and went in to Key West to the Butterfly Museum. What a neat and beautiful place to visit. The butterflies were flying everywhere and the plants and birds were beautiful to see and hear. They even had a small brook running through and there were very large gold fish in it. I have never seen so many butterflies and with so many different designs and colors. They also had larvae and cryalis hanging and some were developing into butterflies or moths. If you are ever in Key West, you would love going there. It was great! After a little shopping, Bud and Brenda carried us back to Marathon in their car. We then all got into our dinghy and rode them out through the canal to where the ocean begins behind the mooring field where we moor our boat. It has been beautiful days since Monday. We later drove their car over the Fisheries Restaurant for another delicious seafood meal. Bud & Brenda had a lobster wrap and Nelson got grouper and I had snapper. It was very fresh and very good. After dinner, they delivered us back to the docks and they drove back to Boca Chita. We are getting no TV here. (only Spanish) so, we watch movies that we have brought along with us.
Today, Nelson and I spent cleaning the bottom of our boat. It had a reddish mustache from the muddy waters of NC. Later, we walked to West Marine and the Dollar store for a few needed items. I guess we will be watching another movie as the TV is still Spanish only. I hate missing the beginning of Amer. Idol. We are continuing to enjoy our stay here and meeting many new friends and seeing old friends from our last trip here. The best part is the warm weather.
Nelson and I after eating a big breakfast Tuesday morning, went for a shower at the Marina and then headed off to Boca Chita Naval Air Station to meet our friends, Brenda & Bud, who use to be at our docks at Jordan Creek in NC. Since we were not taking our boat we had to catch a bus and ride as far as the base which is right next to Key West. They met us at a store before entering the base as we had to go in with Bud since he is retired military. They keep their motor yatch there and enjoy coming here when the weather is cold where they now live in Asheville, NC. They took us to a neat restaurant/Bar right on the water way in Keiger Key for lunch. We fish and shrimp and it was delicious and fresh. Nelson got his favorite shrimp po boy sandwich and I got a salad with blackened mahi. Very good! We walked around the campground there and checked out the ship's store. We then returned to Bocas Chita where their boat is socked and enjoyed a nice afternoon of leisure. Late afternoon, we went to a gathering of people on the docks who blow their conch shells each and every day as the sun goes down. Yes, I do that also when I have mine with me. We bought one which I usually blow every afternoon but did not have mine with me. They served us delicious snacks and drinks. Later, we returned to the boat and had peel and eat shrimp that Bud had prepared earlier. Brenda, Bud, Nelson, and I enjoyed several games of Farkel after dinner. Bud won every game but one that Brenda won. Nelson and I had fun but could not win but had fun trying. We spent the night with them.
Wednesday morning we had a delicious breakfast prepared by Bud and then we dressed and went in to Key West to the Butterfly Museum. What a neat and beautiful place to visit. The butterflies were flying everywhere and the plants and birds were beautiful to see and hear. They even had a small brook running through and there were very large gold fish in it. I have never seen so many butterflies and with so many different designs and colors. They also had larvae and cryalis hanging and some were developing into butterflies or moths. If you are ever in Key West, you would love going there. It was great! After a little shopping, Bud and Brenda carried us back to Marathon in their car. We then all got into our dinghy and rode them out through the canal to where the ocean begins behind the mooring field where we moor our boat. It has been beautiful days since Monday. We later drove their car over the Fisheries Restaurant for another delicious seafood meal. Bud & Brenda had a lobster wrap and Nelson got grouper and I had snapper. It was very fresh and very good. After dinner, they delivered us back to the docks and they drove back to Boca Chita. We are getting no TV here. (only Spanish) so, we watch movies that we have brought along with us.
Today, Nelson and I spent cleaning the bottom of our boat. It had a reddish mustache from the muddy waters of NC. Later, we walked to West Marine and the Dollar store for a few needed items. I guess we will be watching another movie as the TV is still Spanish only. I hate missing the beginning of Amer. Idol. We are continuing to enjoy our stay here and meeting many new friends and seeing old friends from our last trip here. The best part is the warm weather.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Jan 15 - 17
We departed Marco Island on Sat. am at 7:30 headed to Little Shark River. It was a nice, sunny day on the water with temps in the 80s. We motor sailed all day and arrived there at 5:30 pm. We are still sailing along with our friends, Kathy and Randy Chamberlain on sailboat, Intransition. There was also a trawler there whom we had met in Ft. Myers Beach who had anchored at Shark River for the night also. After a long day on the water, we ate steak, potatoes and broccoli and with no television signals or phone signals, we watched a movie and went to bed early.
The next morning, we started our day early. We had pulled anchors and were headed over the gulf toward Marathon by 7:30am. Another beautiful day on the water. Again, the temps we in the 80s and the winds were good enough for motor sailing. We had to use a watchful eye all day because of so many lobster or crab pots everywhere. We arrived at Boot Key Harbor, Marathon by 3:45 and are now attached to R7 mooring ball where we will call home for the next three or four weeks. We enjoyed dinghing over to a restaurant on the water late yesterday afternoon for a dinner with Kathy & Randy. We all enjoyed a fresh Mahi dinner. Great choice! This morning, the rain storms hit and it poured most the morning but now, the weather is just perfect. The sun is out and it is 88 degrees. Boy, we are enjoying this warm weather! Wish our family were here with us. We miss them.
The next morning, we started our day early. We had pulled anchors and were headed over the gulf toward Marathon by 7:30am. Another beautiful day on the water. Again, the temps we in the 80s and the winds were good enough for motor sailing. We had to use a watchful eye all day because of so many lobster or crab pots everywhere. We arrived at Boot Key Harbor, Marathon by 3:45 and are now attached to R7 mooring ball where we will call home for the next three or four weeks. We enjoyed dinghing over to a restaurant on the water late yesterday afternoon for a dinner with Kathy & Randy. We all enjoyed a fresh Mahi dinner. Great choice! This morning, the rain storms hit and it poured most the morning but now, the weather is just perfect. The sun is out and it is 88 degrees. Boy, we are enjoying this warm weather! Wish our family were here with us. We miss them.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Tuesday, Jan.11 - Fri., Jan.14
Tuesday morning, Nelson and I walked around the city of Ft. Myers Beach and visited many shops and points of interest. Yes, we did spend a little money on things for Ondra. I needed shorts for when the weather starts to warm up. Tuesday night, we met many other sail boaters at the Pizza place close to the docks to get acquainted. We had the biggest slice of pizza that I have ever eaten and good also. We met many other people who were headed to the Keys or to the Bahamas. The weather took a dive and turned very cold that night. We had to get out the down comforter to keep us warm enough. We had to get the heavy clothes out again and dress like winter again. Thursday, our friends, Randy and Kathy were going over to the Recreation Center to play Pickle Ball so we decided to walk there to watch them play as we had never heard of it before. It is like tennis but you use a plastic ball with holes and a rectangular solid racket. After watching them for an hour, we decided to walk back to the main street and get a hamburger for lunch. We ate at a cafe right beside the beach and it was very good, but, we had to fight the birds for our lunch. One flew down and got a fry out of Nelson's hand twice. We later decided to take a walk on the beach. We walked west until we came to the inlet and had to find a trail back out to the road. Yes, we walked so far our legs were sore the next day. Friday, around 9:00, we disconnected our boat from the mooring ball and left with our friends, Randy and Kathy sailing to Gordon Pass. We did not make it there as the water was so shallow that Randy ran aground and we had turn around find deeper water. We finally sailed on to Marco Island where we are anchored for the night. We plan to go further to Shark River tomorrow which is in the gulf also and head further to the Keys. Our hope is to be in Boot Key Harbor, Marathon, FL by Sunday. The weather got warmer this afternoon and tonight is at least 50 degrees. Tomorrow is suppose to be in the 70s and continue to be warm for the remainder of next week. Thank goodness!
Monday, January 10, 2011
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