Our first walk along the Gulf at Caya Costa

Geoff loves rowing the dinghy.  I can't talk him into a motor.  He says he is getting strong so that he can sneak into Paris Island and surprise Claire at boot camp.  She, of course , is thrilled with that  idea.

"Open Sesame"

 

 

Caya Costa

1/27-1/28-1/29        

Dear Blogwatchers,

HELLO!!!!  We are at Cayo Costa Island.  It is a state park near where Geoff and I “got started”.  I have to say I lured him into my clutches.  It was either me or some girl from Michigan.  I knew he liked bikes and boats so I thought …"what about a trip to Florida to bike and end up at my friend Vance’s who had a sailboat!! "  I, of course, disliked the biking part (didn’t have my electric assist then!) but my plan worked….oh yeah, and the gin and tonics!!!  So tonight I have given my fella some more gin and tonics.  We are in Pelican Bay and I think we just heard a manatee.  There is no wind and no bugs on the boat.  We got back from a beautiful walk on the Gulf side at the park, watched the sunset and the moonrise then showered off the back of the boat, even with warm water, while Geoff cooked supper and I watched the stars.  So beautiful.  Can’t beat this.

Okay, so the hard part…our depth sounder isn’t working. 

Yesterday I thought I was Miss Navigation Extraordinaire until Geoff pointed out that I was out of the designated channel.  Pissed me off (sorry Mom) then burst my bubble and made me sad to think that my skills weren’t perfect after a day on the ICW.  Still lots to learn and without a depth sounder it makes it all the more nerve-racking.

We stayed at Cayo Costa another night and got up early to go hunt for manatee. No luck there but we saw eagles and osprey and hiked about four miles on the island and DID NOT run into a feral pig or alligator.  Yes, they have them there.

Tonight we are in Fort Meyers.  Just walked a bit downtown, had a tasty BBQ dinner and tomorrow will visit with Rita and Bob, my friends from 1974!!! We are on the Caloosahatchee River, headed toward Lake Okeechobee..

Actual Boating

Sarasota Bay
1/26/13
Saturday

Dear Blog Listeners,

We did it, one day out and no calamities!!!  I have to say that we are proud of ourselves.  We left Palmetto at 0830 and headed down the Manatee River toward the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW).  Luckily, no wind, so getting out of the dock was “el perfecto”.  We stopped five miles down the way at the advice of a friend  just to check everything out, make sure the machinery was okay and that we would know how to use the windlass (anchoring device) when it was time to stop. Had some lunch, watched the dolphins playing, and then headed out.

Our first lesson was a bridge. Hmmm, the gauge at the bridge read 20 feet which is exactly our clearance, we think.  I might have just tried it but I travel with a much more careful and detail oriented person.  So we practiced our turns and our backing when finally the bridge guy calls us on the radio and says “Hey Trawler,  I see you circling around down there captain, what’s your plan?”  They are ever so polite, saying captain and sir (even though I was piloting the helm) but you wonder what they are actually thinking.  Geoff admitted to us being newbies (as if he couldn’t tell) and the bridge operator instructed us in the time of the next bridge raising.  We followed a sailboat through and all was well, until they blast this crazy alarm to say the bridge is closing and  you think you did something wrong and the Coast Guard is coming after you.

By 4PM we anchored in Sarasota Bay, Buttonwood Harbor.  We saw several Osprey on the way in so we knew that this was our spot. Geoff took his dinghy ride while I napped. Really, paying this much attention is hard work!!   I awoke to the moonrise over starboard and a beautiful sunset to port.  Our anchor seems to be holding.  Our only worry is that the depth sounder is reading “0” even though the boat is floating nicely.  I explained to Geoff that you always have to check the patient especially if the machine is reading flat line!!  He must be comfortable with that, he just conked out! Goodnight All!

My Childhood Roots

Bradenton/Palmetto

Yes we are still here.  Working on radar and steering mechanism...who needs it, really?  Returned the car today so that makes things SERIOUS.  We walk or boat!!!

Just a note that there are NO coincidences??  We are at the home of the PIRATE baseball spring training!!!  My home team!  And to prove it, see below.

RELAXING in Palmetto

Patty and Geoff shown here trying out Patty's brand new camera..........we certainly need some practice with the self-portrait functions, but do we looked relaxed?   Give us a few more weeks, then all the lines of worry will gone from our faces (hopefully not replaced withe new lines of worry; docking, anchoring, flying the right flag, calling on the VHF, using the correct fog signals, how much gin goes into a G & T. Stress of a different variety).

A WEEK LATER

Palmetto, FL

Well.......we still love each other, the boat still floats, and there is MORE tinkering to be done!!

The boat will be in spit spot shape if Geoff has anything to say about it.  The  stereo played for the first time last night, the propane tank is full, our BBQ arrived, just a few more things to install, inspect, and imbibe.  Oh yes, when Geoff finally lets us rest about 7PM it's G&T, R&C, or W&B time!!

We have had a week of 85 degrees with winds out of the east/southeast (see how nautical I am!).  Today, you North-westerners sent some chilly air and rain.  I had to make sure I knew how to batten down the hatches correctly.  I am in my bunk right now as the boat sways a bit (thank you stern, bow and spring lines!)and the wind is howling.

I learned something new today.  While in the grocery store buying chicken breasts I realized that I also had the opportunity to purchase chicken paws.  Yes, I wrote it correctly, paws.  I asked the cashier, who looked at me dumbfounded and then said "oh you mean feet?" I said that the package said paws. She and the lady behind me felt that it must be to flavor soup and was told that mostly the Haitian families buy them.  I continued my research and learned from another woman from Oxford, MS that her mom would just trim the nails, fry them up with some gravy, put it over rice.  "Yes, You are basically eating grissle," she said.  Well Mama, (who is also from MS) here I used to complain about collards  and mustard greens when I could have been eating chicken paws!!!!

Winnie and Karen.....found Coco Lopez (actually another brand) in a squeezable plastic container instead of a can!  My Mississippi friend who's Mama cooks chicken paws and whose husband is Caribbean, cooks with it too.  She squirts it on her jasmine rice as it cooks and then adds pineapple and almonds.  Mmmmmm I have to try that.

Okay, all from the Southern Kitchen for today.  Stay in touch. Patty

OUR FIRST DAY TOGETHER

1/10/13

Hello!!!!  We made it...exhausted but we made it.  Patty slept through both flights.  Thank you Winnie and Jack and Judy and Mark for the final push and pizza at the end and those "clean behind" chores that can be frightening!!  Tim,  what would we do without you..okay we would go without showers!!

Got to the boat after dark.  It was beautiful to sit out on the back of Osprey and toast to a new journey.  I have to say I was a bit heart sick after leaving my beautifully clean and ordered 2500 sq foot home to come to this 250 sq foot space COVERED with STUFF!!  I took some deep breaths and remembered that Geoff had been working hours to complete projects here before rushing home to complete projects there.  And besides, what do I HAVE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT????  I am in a beautiful area with a loving husband on a beautiful (though currently very messy) boat.  I slept well, the sun came up and things didn't seem so bad.  (Geoff also took some of the garbage out!).

New door tracks in and working marvelously.  An afternoon nap because I could instead of drinking more coffee to get through the day.  Sausage and onions cooked on a grill (how's that for our first meal on the boat Camille?) and then a dinghy ride out into the Manatee River to enjoy the night breeze and stars. Oh manatee, where are you?  And Geoff just keeps tinkering.......