Saturday June 20

June 20 Saturday

So I know I said that the boat work would be boring and I wouldn't post but I had to say that so Liz wouldn't know I was coming home for the Inspection. I didn't want to miss it because she had done so much work getting the WWII memorabilia from HMCS Owen Sound gathered and from Terry Cook of Georgia whose dad was a radio operator on the Owen Sound. It was Todd's first year in the band and Natasha frist yer as a cadet. It was Liz's first year as C.O. without me hanging over her shoulder. She has done some wonderful things for the corps this year and I am SO proud of her!  They also retired me officially so I know I am off the hook!

So I flew home on Friday last week and arrived at 9:45 am. My sister and brother-in-law picked me up and we spent the day with ALL my siblings which was great!!

I stayed with Joe until Sunday when the inspection was scheduled.  Barb had said it wasn't a good idea to surprise Liz at the Inspection, and she was right...so I went over to the Legion early to see if I could help set up. Barb was right ... she lost it, but recovered quickly enough to carry on. I've been staying with them and been so busy ever since... don't ask; you don't want to know!

Rick arrives this Wednesday same flight [$113.00 to Toronto...good deal!!] We have dr. app'ts and other stuff to organize before we bring the kids down to Florida for the rest of the summer. I think I might find out if we can still fly that cheaply!

So, obviously there are no pictures of paradise. Rick has sanded the boat and got it ready for the next few coats of paint, which we will do when we get back there, and we can get it into the water to go sailing with the kids. We will gather up the things we forgot and get them ready to ship or take down with us... water-maker, wind generator etc.. IN the meantime we are going to power visit and get our business stuff done so we can enjoy the 'peace and quiet ' with the kids. hahahahahaha

New discoveries: Natasha has an impressive skill as an artist for a 9-year old and has developed some good conversational skills ...she is her mother's daughter!  Todd is starting to grow up and slim out a little: he also wears his glasses most of the time. but needs bigger frames. Quentin has grown 6 inches since I saw him last, It's hard to be the enforce when you have to look up! But he still listens to me. We are discussing him coming to the Bahamas for the winter with us; he is weighing the pros and cons. His cousin thinks there are no cons and what is his issue???
So will probably blog sporadically for the next couple of months.
ttyl

June 10 Haul out

June 10, Wednesday

OK, here’s the thing…boat work is boring so unless there is some spectacular thunderstorm you won’t be hearing from me for a few days…oh, wait… here comes one now!

They came by at 110:00 am and said, “We’ll be ready for you in about an hour. When you see the two boats come out…” At least that’s what I thought he said. So we turned on the engine and powered up.  Shit…we’re grounded…tide’s out.

So we bounced up and down on the deck. Rick took the dinghy and played pusher tug for a while and I revved us back and forth…kind of like getting a car with no snow tires out of a snow bank.  Wow, I actually remember doing that!

We got free and we watched one sailboat come out but no other boats and the travel lift wasn’t moving. So Rick took the dinghy in while I tried to keep the boat inside the channel in deep water. He was gone about half an hour, and I had to go out into the main channel turn around and come back because the wind was coming up stronger and the tide was starting to turn.

Finally he came back and we tied the dinghy up…imagine the cowboy jumping onto the stage coach from his horse …same thing but not quite so fast. I took her into the marina through the alley of old crappy boats and big new ones. We had to make a 90 degree turn into the slip…piece a cake! Didn’t even come close to hitting anything!

So we got hauled out, pressure washed and dropped onto our spot. We drained the oil out of the drive and started scrubbing the barnacles off that didn’t let go with the pressure washer.  Then it started to rain, thunder, lightening, and it hasn’t stopped.  We were out just in time! The wind was howling and boats at the docks were bucking like crazy! Thank God we are sitting on 2x4’s but we’re surrounded by boats on jack-stands. Solid ones, I hope!!

We sat under the boat for awhile talking to another couple who came out behind us. They are from England and used to sail a 65 footer that they built and chartered around the UK. They have a smaller 39 foot sailboat. It’s their 8^th boat.

So now it’s 5pm and still booming out there. I am going to make supper and then we will watch another movie. I have walked into the hull 3 times now and have a huge goose egg on the top of my head. It makes my hair look fluffier but hurts like hell! So Ttyl or whenever I have something to tell you!

After the washing, hanging in the lift. I was afraid she would break with all the heavy stuff in the front

Power washing the gunk off

Uh oh...storm coming

Manatees like to swim in the marina.These guys were in the lift slip after we got out.

Crowded and busy in here

This is the tiny space they stuck us in!

Crowded1 that little clear strip is the road. and another boat was put in front of u after we got hauled

Before washing the gunk off

June 5-7 Am I boring you yet?

Sunset in Manatee Pocket

Manatee Pocket... this boat is heading to the Chesapeake... has a huge underwater scene painted on the other side.

On the ocean beach at Peck Lake the turtles have laid their eggs. Would love to watch the hatching!

Check the top of the mast...an osprey

This is a massive Catamaran!

He's been up there fishing all day...imagine what the masthead light is covered in! Yuck!

June 5-7 Manatee Pocket - cool name eh?

June 5

We finally moved this morning at 7:30. I forgot about bridges…we have to wait for them to open so if we can’t reach each bridge on time, we have to wait for a ½ hour for the next opening.  And it’s really hard to turn in some o the spots because the channel is so narrow and all the private docks are so big! GRRRRRR!

And we’re back in stupid sport fisher country!  I have been trying to figure out what cultural quirk makes some power boaters so damned ignorant. It’s not age: we have had some very respectable considerate slow passes from young men and some pretty rude passes by a lot of old farts.

Size of boat is also not a confirmed factor. Yesterday a small [20 ft] powerboat deliberately sideswiped a diving boat with divers I the water then cut across the channel to sweep around us and rock us then went back over to the other side of the channel to challenge a bigger boat coming down.  Never a cop around when you need one!

Speaking of cops, after three boats were rocketing by us, turned and came back, because they missed their little inlet, [all full of small children] a fourth boat was coming up on us very fast and I waved them to slow down, to no avail. It was the cops! They waked us as well!

But we’ve had some big and small boats give us gentle passes; maybe they were all former sail boaters and understand the dynamics of sailboat design. And some can’t help it because their hulls were designed to throw big wake no matter the speed because it looks impressive. Anyone else have a theory?

We headed up to a place called Manatee Pocket. It’s a little bay off the ICW where there are a bunch of marinas side bay side and an anchorage in the middle. We managed to anchor amongst a bunch of small sailboats… sailboats seem to be the only ones who anchor off docks. We had dinner and watched a movie…Pirates II I think, and then crashed.

June 6

Joseph came to get us today so we could go to Ft Pierce. No-one is answering my emails from Titusville, and Ft. Pierce is about a half hour by car [all day by boat].

We met the owner…saw Amazing Grace on the hard…and signed up. We will take the boat up there and anchor As soon as he has a spot - the place is packed!!- He will haul and set us up to work on her. We went over to Indiantown to see where Joseph is located. He has a nice work space but he hates the place.  We saw several Prouts sitting there all sadly neglected…very tempted to ask about the ones bigger than us but I am not intending to spend another 10 years or even 1 or 2 working on another boat…hmmm…unless we could “flip” it?   NO, NO, NO, what am I thinking!?

We came back to the boat, had dinner and watched another movie.

June 7

We are sitting here deciding what to do today. Rick needs a DL and he can get a Florida one. He can also pick up the deck paint and more epoxy if he goes with Joseph tomorrow to back to North Palm beach. I can stay here and clean up stuff and repack some of the rooms than need to be re-organized before we go back to Canada to get the kids.

We will leave on Tuesday to head up to the anchorage and get ready to be hauled. I am not happy about that but if I think of it as the car has to go into the garage for servicing then it’s not so bad.

So, gotta go and do laundry then get ready to pull the sails… Ttyl

June 3-4

June 3

I spent most of the morning working on locating a suitable place o leave the boat. We have a few choices if we can be lifted which is the main criteria. After lunch we went over the bridge to Publix but walked a ways down the PGA blvd to see what else was there.  We found a store called Stein Mart… yes, like Wal-Mart, K-mart but on a par with Sears or Eaton’s even. Rick got 5 shirts!!! 2 SPF shirts, a couple of good wear-out shirts and a swim shirt. I got a couple of T -shirts that don’t come up to my neck and, of all things, a belt!!

We stopped at Duffy’s for a burger because by the time we got finished in the drug store, the grocery store and Stein Mart we were starving and it was supper tie.

When we got back to the boat I tripped on the cord that was plugged into his iPad and it fell over, breaking the USB plug on the charging cord. Crap!  So we looked up the Apple store and found it about 2 miles up the PGA Blvd. He deiced to walk up there tomorrow.

June 4

There was no way he was going up there by himself.  I would fret all day, wondering what was taking so long. We called Joseph to tell him we were leaving the next day, and said we were going to walk to the Mall. He said that the bus goes right into the mall. So we caught the bus. It was a very long 2 miles! I went with him and I could never have walked in that heat.

The bus cost us $3.50 each for an all-day seniors pass [I LOVE being a senior!] The mall was HUGE… and we spent all day there! It had a Sears, Nordstrom’s, Bloomingdale’s, Sax 5^th Ave, and Macy’s!  The second floor was Louis Vuitton, Brooks Brothers, Ferragamo, Tiffany, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Hugo Boss… you get the idea! I went into Macy’s and a t-shirt blouse was 40% off for $170.00! Most of the stores I went past and just inhaled deeply.

Rick’s iPad was under warranty so the cord replacement was free! Bonus! We wandered around for about three hours, split a Greek salad for lunch and wandered some more. I am ashamed to admit it…I needed a window shopping fix. There are no clothes or fabric stores in the Bahamas and I needed the texture/colour visuals that I had been missing. Rick will shop for anything…he’s a shopaholic.

On the way back we went to CVS for a phone card. Its right next to Duffy’s so Rick suggested some fries and a drink. Ok, Liz, you can stop reading this.  We went in and it was 2-for-2 day so I had a plate of fires and 2 Coronas; Rick had a plate of fries and 2 Planter’s punches and then a huge ice cream brownie. I ate some of it. Then we staggered back to the dinghy. So we are sitting here half asleep, planning tomorrow’s move. We will call a couple of these places to see what gives, and then head for Port St. Lucie or Stuart. I am suddenly realizing that I am not going to be swimming anymore and it’s a little disappointing, but there is one place up the ICW that is very close to the ocean so we will stop there and go over for a swim tomorrow. Ttyl

Photos from the last 3 days

Sea of Abaco - no-one & nothing in sight all day

Passing this guy leaving West End

Can you see us in there ??

Getting ready for the band parade; they put on the typical costumes when it got dark and marched around the docks

Sunrise over West End ..leaving the Bahamas

Trying to find out way through construction to Customs - grey bldg

We are anchored in Little Lake - Lake Worth surrounded by these houses. This one is for sale. Anyone want the info??

This is the lovely dinghy dock. Under the bridge are homes in a gated community called Hidden Key.  Over the bridge is the Publix and other stores, past the gated community.

              

June 1-2 MON-TUES

JUNE 1: Back in the USA

SO this morning we got up at 6:00 am! Habit…anxiety…too much noise?

We went over to the dinghy dock as near to Customs and Immigration as we could get. Unfortunately, the Riviera Beach Municipal Marina has taken over the whole area and we paid $15.00 to leave the dinghy there so we could walk the 5 blocks to Customs.

When we got there, they were loading up the new casino /cruise ship so it was like being in the departure lounge of an airport, except everyone still had their luggage. Luckily there is a special section for cruise ships so we went upstairs to the regular tourist / immigration office.

We waited for awhile 'til someone came out to answer our “buzz’ and the first thing she asked was” What is your arrival number?” We were supposed to call the 800 number as soon as we arrived so we could e searched if they wanted to.  We thought we supposed to go in, in person to check in but she couldn’t check us in until we had a number, so she tells me to go downstairs to call Homeland Security.   NO phones allowed in the Immigration Office. As I am leaving I pick up the passports and she says, “You’ll need your visas, too.”  I stopped dead. “We don’t have visas.”

“Yes you d. YU had to have visas to e into the USA.”

“No, we didn’t. No-one told us or asked for visas, and we had no problem before.”I am very close to losing it [tears] because I am tired and hot and frustrated.  She says, “What nationality are you? Oh, you’re Canadian. Yeah, OK you don’t need visas.”

Her English is perfect, no accent. DO I HAVE AN ACCENT????

I stomped off downstairs and talked to a really nice man on the phone for 20 minutes, at HS to get our number. He sounded familiar. I’ve probably talked to him before. Anyway we discussed all the usual questions: where were you? How long? Where are you now?   He asked me, “Where is the boat now?”, so I described the anchorage. I think he might have been in California. Rick figures he was upstairs in the next room.

Then he said, “You are not on land are you?” I thought, Uh oh here it comes, but I said, “I’m actually standing in your office because we thought we were supposed to report in.” I cringed as I waited for him to start reading me the riot act, but then he said, “Why don’t you get a local boaters reporting from, so all you need t do is phone in every time.”

“Because I’m Canadian?” he said, “SO? You can still get one, just turn over the form, read the back and fill it out.”

Here’s the thing: a] it’s really hard to turn a form over on-line, and b] we already tried that and it didn’t work.  I just let that go.

When he asked if I had anything to declare…wait for it, Liz…I said, “My daughter says I should declare an AWESOME TAN!”  He started to laugh.  He gave me the usual spiel about fruits and vegetables and how to dispose of them… “Just put them in a garbage bag and put them in a special dumpster. All marinas should have a place for foreign garbage.” Now, that’s the first we EVER heard of that.

Then he said, “Are you carrying $10,000.00 in cash?” I tried to figure out what he was really asking me, and said, “What?”

He repeated the question, and I started to laugh and said, “NO!” I couldn’t stop laughing and said, “Sorry, but I have $3.00 and need to find an ATM!” He was laughing too and said the reaction he got from most people was, “I wish!”But he had to ask anyway.

So after more chitchat, and we got our information squared away, I asked him about the dreaded calling in procedure. I got the dreaded answer: “every time you go to a new port.” I think we’ll stay outside as much as possible, and anchor everywhere.

So back upstairs and she is happy, stamps the [passports and says, ‘Have a good day.”

I said, “OK, now, how long do we have here now?” She says, “Until November 31…6 months.”  WHAT???? NOT what the website says!!!!

We say, “Are you sure, because we came in here in February to confirm this and got another story from someone here in this office. And our cruising permit expires in October. How do we get a new one?”

She said, “Turn in the old one when you take the boat back. Mail it in and apply for the new one when you come back?”

We said, “But what if we don’t take the boat back?”
She said, “Then you don’t need a new one.”

Rick said, “We asked that last February before we left for Bahamas and were told, we didn’t need to worry about it. Why were we asking?”

“Oh, he shouldn’t have told you that. Not everyone knows all the rules.”

THIS IS CRAZY!!!!

So, we have no idea what is going to happen. But that’s another story…

We came back to the boat, Rick changed out all the oils; I searched for info on boat yards in the Chesapeake and then it was time to meet Joseph.

Today we are “vegging”  a bit and then we will get our act together and move out tomorrow morning. Waiting for a weather window. It looks like some of that nasty weather in the Gulf is starting to move east. Oh, goody!  Rain here is not like the warm rain in the Bahamas…you can still swim and snorkel in the rain there. I don’t think I’ll be getting in this water any time soon. It’s not the temperature; it’s the colour… yuck!

So … we went to town and Publix for some groceries. Joseph is coming for supper. It’s very gray right now…completely overcast L we are waiting for rain. It will cool us off except that we have to close the hatches.

Ttyl