Stuck in ol’ Beach Haven AGAIN!

After being weathered in for five days, for a healthy dose of optimism, mix three fingers

of gin and a dash of olive juice. Pour over ice and shake until bruised and icy cold.

Serve up with three anchovy stuffed olives. Toast to calm seas and light breezes.

It worked! This morning, we opened our eyes at dawn and lay in our bunk listening for

the howling winds that had hammered us for five straight days and nights. Other than the

calls of the gulls, it was totally quiet. Hurraaaay!

We are finally on the home stretch to New York and the Statue of Liberty!

It seems like much longer than a week ago that we dined on Crabby Eggs Benedict for

Easter breakfast, steamed crabs for lunch, and scallops for dinner while docked in

Hampton Virginia. Although the overnighter from there Monday was very bumpy, it was
uneventful. With the dawn Tuesday morning came a blanket of thick fog. The sun and

stiff winds were not even successful in burning it off, so by late afternoon we were

contemplating where to duck into for a well deserved break. Captain Gary determined
that we were within striking distance of Beach Haven New Jersey, one of our favorite
places along the east coast.

Gary hailed TowBoat U.S. for some moral support, and within seconds our buddy Captain Rick responded. Rick earned hero status in 2008 when he guided our battered and weary crew in off the Atlantic after a fourteen hour storm, and he came through for us once again. As tsunami looking waves roared over the shoal to port and starboard, Rick

talked us through the Little Egg Inlet. The fog decided to envelope us completely as we made the turn toward the skinny channel leading to Beach Haven Yacht Club, and the reds and greens disappeared from sight. Gary pointed Tessa ever so slowly in each direction while I desperately searched for the markers through the thick milky fog. We

bumped across the bottom every way we turned. Where did the channel go? We could

almost hear Rick muttering under his breath “Damn Sailors!” as he announced over the

VHF that he was coming to get us. We tucked our tail between our legs and timidly
followed TowBoat U.S. into the dock, fully expecting to be harassed relentlessly by

Captain Rick. He actually went pretty easy on us, although he would have preferred

Tessa had gone hard aground out there since he makes more money on the “grounders.”

Beach Haven is the perfect place to be weathered in. We had warm reunions with dock master Ernie and my girlfriend Sailboat Linda. We drank happy hour beers with our friends at Tuckers, and enjoyed the famous $2.22 breakfast at Uncle Wills. We walked the beach and  ate clam chowder. We listened to NOAA predict 5 to 10s, then sat in the

cockpit and watched the anemometer register 25 knots, 28 knots, 30 knots, while Rick giggled merrily in anticipation of grounders and stranded vessels.

Tonight’s destination is an anchorage at Sandy Hook. Tomorrow, hopefully we will be

waving to Lady Liberty for the fourth time. Then we’re off to the Hudson River for a two

day trip toward Castleton, where we will unstep the masts in preparation for the Erie

Canal trip.

It seems like much more than thirty days ago that we left Fort Myers, and it seems like FOREVER since I saw my last palm tree. But we have much to look forward to in the days ahead on the Erie Canal. And then that most welcome sight of Perry’s Monument coming into view across Lake Erie. Home sweet home!

"We're having fish tonight!"

Revisiting the Intracoastal is just one big trip down memory lane.

The bridges in Florida. (We go through 32 bridges today? Seriously?) The shallow

water. (It’s not a question as to whether we are aground. Are we aground at high tide or

low tide?) The fishermen in the Carolinas. ( Could you possibly block the center of the

channel any more, guys?) The rusty “mustache” on our bow. (Will I ever get that off?)

The Albemarle Sound. ( Do we REALLY have to do that again?)

The memories that really count are of the unforgettable people that you meet along the
way.

Tessa and crew have been stuck in the Intracoastal since Beaufort North Carolina, as the

winds and waves around Cape Hatteras are strong and dangerous. So we began looking

forward to docking at R.E. Mayo’s commercial fishing dock on Goose Creek once again.

In 2008, we had the pleasure of meeting the honorable Mr. Roy Watson, who was 93 at

the time. He held court around their wood burning stove, telling stories while we warmed

up. We were captivated by his personality, charm, and kindness and hoped to enjoy his

company again this trip.

Thursday evening we docked just before sundown and enjoyed chicken tacos aboard and

a movie. Yesterday morning we hurried into the store office to check in and see Mr. Roy

again. His rocking chair was occupied by a younger man, who said that Roy had sold out.

“Passed on” is what immediately crose our minds. It was a relief to learn that the current

occupant of the chair, Mike Potter, was the new owner’s son. Roy was alive and well,

and had recently sold the business to Carol and Birdie Potter.

We each grabbed a rocking chair to enjoy their Southern hospitality and get acquainted

with Captain Mike. This day was no run of the mill Friday. He had just docked an hour

before from a 17 day scallop fishing expedition out on the Atlantic. He, his crew, and the

Potter family were in a celebratory mood, as the Jane Carolyn was loaded with her limit

of scallops. 18,000 pounds! They also brought in lots of flounder, including a big

whopping 15 pounder.

“Can we buy some?” I pleaded, salivating. “Not to be greedy, but would you happen to

have some fresh crabs so I can whip up some crabmeat stuffing for the flounder?”

He disappeared for a few minutes and returned with a zip lock bag of last night’s leftover

fried scallops and flounder. I am sure he expected us to heat them up for lunch or dinner,

but we devoured the entire bag right then and there, at 8:30 a.m., while we continued to

chat.

We overheard Mike call one of the guys over and ask about crabs, but I was surprised
when he whispered a little later that “your crabs are on your boat.” Sure enough, crabs

were on our boat. Not just a couple of crabs. A full LAUNDRY BASKET of them!

Could any one be more hospitable and generous? Well, Mike was only getting warmed

up! After he came on board to tour Tessa, we swapped some more stories and relaxed for

a few minutes until it was time to unload the bootie, which Mike invited us to watch. It is

a fascinating, fast, and furious process, which takes an astonishing two hours to

accomplish. After the scallops are shucked in the “house of pain” where carpal tunnel syndrome flourishes, they go into 50 pound bags which are tossed down a ramp, then

loaded into a big cardboard tower. All the while, workers are fork lifting ice into large

containers to be shoveled on top of the scallops before sealing each tower up. From there

they go to seafood distributors in New Bedford, then to retail stores, then to customers,

then to the frying pan.

Mike gave us a tour of the Jane Carolyn, then took us on a land tour of the local area, all

the while sharing interesting local lore. We were having a fantastic time, and wished we

could spend the entire day. Due to a tight schedule to get to New York we really could

not afford to delay departure. But not before Mike did one final favor! He demonstrated

how to properly fillet and scale a flounder.

All the way to the anchorage last night, and then while we savored fresh crab stuffed

flounder, we marveled at our good fortune. We could have been grieving over spending a

thousand dollars in Beaufort on a fuel injection pump, but already that pain has begun to

subside. We could be frustrated about being forced to do the Intracoastal with all of it’s

challenges, delays, and financial strains. We could be obsessing over going outside in the

North Atlantic overnight to New York. (OK, one of us is, but that’s beside the point.)

The point is, we are living a life that most only dream about, and we have the opportunity

to get to know some absolutely wonderful, unforgettable people. People who, after only

spending days….or even hours with, we are honored to call our friends.

Monday April 18

We are outside (on the Atlantic vs the Intracoastal) en route to Beaufort North Carolina. The seas are calm with no wind to sail at this point. It is predicted to pick up to 15 knots this afternoon from the south, which will be a welcome change from what we experienced after St. Augustine.
Chas arrived safely last Wednesday, and we had another unexpected guest for dinner that night. Jim Jordan (Myassis Dragon) was in Jacksonville on business and took the time to drive to St. Augustine to party with us for a few hours. We had a great time catching up.

Chas enjoying my now famous lettuce wedge

Thursday morning we departed St. Augustine and enjoyed a full day of calm seas and light winds. We alternated sailing and motor sailing, but at least the sails were up! Chas started his watch at 2:00 a.m. Friday morning with comfortable conditions, but around 5:00 a.m., the wind began blowing directly on our nose, from the north, at a steady 15-20 knots. And it continued to blow all day long, burying Tessa's bow and throwing walls of saltwater against our "picture window" and clear down the decks. The strength of the water forced it's way into any crack, crevise, or weak point and leaks sprung up everywhere down below. The crew decided to duck in at Charleston instead of our original destination of Southport, which would have entailed a second overnighter. We had had enough abuse!

OMG, did we make a good call! Saturday, violent storms and winds buffetted Charleston, as well as much of the Midsouth and Mideast. 25-30 knot winds sent waves surging across the bay, crashing broadside to all the boats tied up along the MegaDock at Charleston City Marina. We put out extra bumpers and then ran down the dock assisting others and loaning out spare bumpers. Once it appeared as though Tessa was protected, we left the marina to meet up with Chas' girlfriend Kerry and friend Wac to visit West Marine (of course) and downtown Charleston.

Our party was interrupted by a call from the marina, saying that several boats were sustaining damage and that we should return as soon as possible.

The first thing I saw as I scurried down the dock was splinters of dock wood. Our mega-fender had split right down the middle, and another bumper line had worn through so that the bumper was uselessly floating under the dock. Tessa's rub rail had ground against the dock until dock neighbors and marina dockhands managed to replace the bumpers. She will need some repairs, but she'll be fine!

As quickly and fiercly the storm came upon us, it left us with totally calm conditions for a Sunday morning departure. Calm, but unfortunately no wind for sailing. So we have been running the faithful Perkins for over 24 hours. We are hoping for the wind to pick up and maybe just maybe come from a favorable direction for a change. Looking forward to a stop in Beaufort before sunset tonight if all goes as planned.

sleeping after a long hard shift

Tomorrow we will lose our crew/entertainment, Chas, as his leave is up. I hope the positives of this journey outweigh the negatives so that he will join us again. Even though we discovered his entire bunk and duffel bag (and all his clothes) filled with saltwater Friday night, his phone and wallet did dry out, so maybe he won't hold that against Mother Ocean for too long!

WE’RE ON VACATION!

Since our arrival in St. Augustine last Saturday afternoon, it has felt like we are on

vacation. After the hectic winter living and working in Fort Myers, it is really fun to be a

tourist for a change.

We have been sleeping in. We’ve been exploring historic St. Augustine. Instead of hot

dogs, we drank Sangria for lunch yesterday. We have met many interesting people at the

local happy hours and sampled the regional cuisine (including our first deep fried

cheeseburger) instead of cooking on board. We have actually sat in the cockpit and done

absolutely nothing but enjoy the surroundings. We are soaking up all the relaxation we

can, knowing that once Chas arrives tomorrow, it is full speed ahead north on the

Atlantic. During that leg of the trip it is all work and no play.

The trip from Miami to St. Augustine was the usual combination of good and bad

conditions. The bright Miami skies and comfortable waves turned into overcast skies and

bumpy waves, so Captain Gary decided to enter the Intracoastal at Port Everglades.

I loved this part of the trip, marveling at the mega yachts and mega mansions. Gary, not

so much. He got to watch the depths go from almost-deep-enough to not-quite-deepenough

for our six foot draft, while dodging boat traffic and anticipating bridge openings.

All 33 of them from Ft. Lauderdale to Fort Pierce!!! Some of the bridge operators are

friendly and competent. Some seem to enjoy the power and control they have over

boaters and exercise it to the limit.

We spent the first Intracoastal evening anchored in Boca Raton Lake, which is really

nothing more than a shallow (yes, we went aground) wide area beside the channel with

room for a few boats.

Next morning, we were up at dawn heading toward Stuart to anchor near our friend

Jage’s marina. She warned that the St. Lucie Inlet and River were shallow, but friends

just did it with only a few bumps on the bottom. Gary slowly made the turn off the

intracoastal toward the river and BUMP BUMP BUMP, aground again. He worked us

off the bottom and headed back up the Intracoastal toward another anchorage option

where the chart showed 8 feet. And right at that spot, we went aground yet again.

“I LOVE THE INTRACOASTAL” he growled over and over again.

Eventually, we dropped the anchor just off the channel, far enough to be out of

everyone’s way, but certainly not in an anchorage where the other shallower draft boats

were congregated. Good enough!

The next morning we hightailed it to the Fort Pierce Inlet and waved bye-bye to the

Intracoastal and hello to the Atlantic, where Captain sighed with happiness as the depth

sounder read over 100 feet.

I, too, appreciate the depth but it usually comes with a price. Like big winds and waves.

This overnight voyage to St. Augustine was a pleasant surprise. We got the best of both

worlds. Deep water and calm, calm, calm.

It was so calm I could move around down below without holding on to anything.

It was so calm that boiling water was not life threatening.

It was so calm, a glass of chocolate milk waited patiently on the counter instead of
toppling over the moment I removed my grip to close the fridge.
It was so calm, I was comfortable enough on deck to bring out the fishing poles.
It was so calm, I allowed Gary to wander around on deck checking rigging and cleaning
stainless.

It was so calm that we could rest comfortably in the cockpit all through the night enjoying
the ocean instead of tolerating it.
It was so calm that…OK! OK! we had to run the Perkins the entire way instead of sailing.
I may lose every sailor’s respect by saying this but I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!

Once the sun came up Saturday morning, we saw all kinds of activity. Dolphins, Manta
Rays, Turtles, Manatees, everyone was feeding and frolicking in the tranquil turquoise
sea. It was a fantastic ending to a lovely trip.

Now, we prepare for the next leg of our journey toward Southport or Beaufort North

Carolina, depending on weather conditions. My part of the preparation is to provision, as

we have depleted our supply of food. We blew through the fresh fruits and produce, the
Caesar salads and lettuce wedges with blue cheese and bacon bits. The lamb chops, roast

duckling, grilled pork tenderloin, mahi mahi, alligator tail, rib eye steaks, and angel hair

with clam sauce were all superb.

Since we have no transportation, I plan to walk over to 7-Eleven and stock up on hot

dogs, pork rinds, a few cans of SpaghettiOs, and beef jerky for Chas’ leg of the trip. I am

sure he’ll understand.

Heading Home!

As we were sailing from Rodrigez Key toward Key Biscayne yesterday, the lyrics from Jimmy Buffet's song kept running through our minds. "It was a beautiful day, the kind you want to toast!" Yesterday was, in fact, one of our best sailing days ever, a cruiser's idea of perfection.

Bright blue sunny skies. CHECK!

Favorable warm winds coming from the right direction. CHECK!

Breathtaking turquoise water. CHECK!

Tessa charging along at six and seven knots. CHECK!

Back on ball 12 looking at the stunning Miami skyline last night. CHECK!

We had large doses of all that we love about the keys and Miami, and a small dose of what we remembered we did not love so much. It felt as though we had earned this beautiful day after the rough start of our journey home!

We debated about departing Fort Myers last Tuesday, as the winds were predicted to be on our nose and building late the following day. If we waited for a better weather window, it wouldn't open for four more days. Tuesday was picture perfect calm, we had already said our goodbyes, so Tessa and her crew agreed that it was time to go, even though we would need to travel overnight to complete the18 hour trip to Marathon and Bahia Honda.

Tessa slid past Marco Island's beautiful lights shortly after sunset, and we enjoyed a nice comfortable ride until midnight, when the winds picked up...NOT PREDICTED...and beat the crap out of us for the next sixteen hours. Nothing scary but just pain-in-the-butt uncomfortable. I slept a bit off and on, Gary napped for 1/2 hour during the twenty seven hour cruise. He claimed that Tessa wouldn't let him sleep, as he was jarred awake with each pounding wave.

It felt great to drop anchor Wednesday evening in one of our favorite spots, Bahia Honda. As luck would have it, Cuzzin Debbie and Mike were vacationing just south of us, and Cuzzin Pammy and family were vacationing just north of us at Duck Key. We certainly couldn't have planned this reunion, but happily it worked out just perfect! Thursday we celebrated a wonderful day on Tessa, kids swimming, adults imbibing, everyone laughing and relishing this unexpected time together. We truly missed Mike, who was with his ailing father, but his buddy Bobby Sutter filled in with some comic relief.

Friday morning we weighed anchor and headed to Rodrigez Key, where we planned to spend the night. Once again, the winds and waves were about opposite of what was predicted, and we bounced our way north east with head sail snapping and rigging clanging, as Tessa tried to deal with shifting winds from every direction except the one we wanted. Thankfully, Friday evening was calm and peaceful and we got a good nights rest.

Saturday dawned sunny and beautiful, with the perfect wind direction. The day could not have been more perfect. We were so excited to get back to Key Biscayne, even more so when Rickenbacker Marina invited us back to ball 12, where we spent the winter of 2009.

And then we entered Government Cut, and remembered what we DID NOT like about Miami. Every go-fast boat sped by at full throttle, throwing a wake that no one would consider doing in normal boating communities. They came at us from all directions, passing, crossing, full speed ahead, Latino music blaring, bikinis dancing, and Captain Gary cursed all the way to ball 12. After the peacful tranquility of the keys, this was GO-FAST overload.

But he navigated us safely and happily to ball 12 and here we will stay until the weather window opens for another Atlantic journey. It is a wonderful place with wonderful friends and I wouldn't mind if we were weathered in for weeks....but home calls and soon we will head north.

Friday, January 14

Time Flies When You’re...

Wait a minute! Is it almost the middle of January 2011???
That means we’ve been in Fort Myers for nine weeks. Which means it’s been eight weeks since my last update. No wonder everyone is harassing me!

Understand, people, that we have not been laying in the sun, listening to Jimmy Buffet and drinking Pina Coladas! Well…we have been drinking a bit, but not expensive Pina Coladas. Our drink of choice is a $1.00 draft.

However, the majority of our time has been spent taking care of business. Seriously. Living on a boat is not a life of leisure. There is constant maintenance and upkeep to be done. When you finish one project, another needs to be started. Honestly. OK, never mind, no one is sympathizing here. We might as well come clean.

First we did in fact work a lot, cleaning up Tessa and Taken Care of Business after the long trip south. There were water lines and hulls to clean, top sides and decks to pressure wash, and teak to be cleaned and oiled.

The day we checked in at Matanzas, Gary saw an ad in the local newspaper for a job fair at the new “Nauti Turtle” bar and restaurant, inviting people to bring their resumes between 1:00 and 4:00. He scurried back to Tessa, hastily composed a resume, and off he went on his special yellow bike (compliments of Tarpon Spring’s Ted) to apply.

As he is filling out his application, Brad Meyers, a former bartender at The Goat at PIB, pats him on the back and asks how he’s doing. When he turned to the gal accepting applications, he was surprised to see that it was Marika, the manager of J.F. Walleyes at Middlebass Island. It was, as they say, old home week at the Nauti Turtle.

The following Monday, we ran into Marika at happy hour, and she told Gary he was asked back for a second interview. She encouraged me to come along and apply if I was interested in joining the fun.

Long story short, we were both hired for an opening later in December. In the meantime, Gary checked in with the West Marine on San Carlos, and was thrilled to learn that they were going to have some hours for him this winter, probably a day or two a week. We agreed that we had better pile on the fun while we can!

One of the first fun adventures for Captain and I was to attend the annual Sand Castle Competition in late November. We left Walt and Vickie having cocktails at the Yucatan and jumped on the trolley down to the south end of the island where the event was being held. For a couple of hours we wandered around in amazement, trying to digest the fact that what we were seeing were actual sand sculptures. They were incredible. We didn’t get any really good pictures, as we didn’t spend the big bucks ($10.00 each) to get up close. That’s two pitchers of beer for gosh sakes!

Walt and Vickie phoned to say they were STILL at the Yucatan drinking with a crazy couple from Scotland. They demanded that we stop by for a beer. We contemplated stopping by to be sure they could make it back to their boat safely. So we pulled up a stool at their table and promptly witnessed the drunken Scottish girl lay a big lip lock on Vickie! Apparently, they had hit it off quite nicely. Vickie informed us she was going to Scotland to visit her new BF. Several spilled drinks later, the Scottish guy carried Vickie’s BF out of the bar and we convinced the Loopers to head home with Gary’s assistance. This, we wondered, is what happens when we let those two out of our sight for one afternoon?

A couple of Sundays later, they agreed to meet us at our favorite Sunday spot. The Dek in Cape Coral offers $1.00 Bloody Marys, Mimosas, Screw Drivers, and a daily special of a large pizza and pitcher of beer for $10.00. We knew Walt and Vickie would fit right in, as it is a “biker bar” and they rode Harleys for a while during one of their past mid-life crises. They were an hour into the dollar drinks when we arrived, and it wasn’t a round or two later that they made more BFs at the bar. Walt’s BF was Torra, a gorgeous blond, who began lavishing him with attention, just like Vickie does at home. Soon we were following them to a big Tiki Bar across the street, where a band harmonized away while the crowd filled the dance floor. Here, Vickie danced with several new friends while Walt gazed longingly at Torra, just like he gazes at Vickie at home. Our buddy Doug Lane was visiting this weekend, and he had secured a room at the Holiday Inn within walking distance to either bar. Therefore, we had permission to peg the fun meter with no worries about driving. Vickie departed with plans to see another new BF the following day on board Taken Care of Business.

“You can’t let me do this any more!” she groaned the next morning. As though any one could reign in her natural ability to make new friends!

Late November, Dave and Lynnette flew into Fort Myers and spent a fun packed evening on their way to Key West. We started the evening in a mature fashion, dining at Nervous Nellie’s and listening to our favorite local group “The Yard Dogs”. Things began to slide down that slippery slope when they ordered a Margarita the size of a bird bath. Gary and I were sliding right behind them after downing several house drafts. The Yard Dogs kept playing, and we kept partying, until the Wernings remembered that they had to get up at 6:00 am the following morning. I was excited to get back to Tessa and serve a key lime pie for dessert.

Except…..as we were walking back to Tessa, we heard a familiar sound that never fails to suck us in. Drunk people singing KARAOKE! We MUST join in for one round, mustn’t we?

Several rounds and songs later, we escaped from the Karaoke clutches and hurried to Matanzas office, where my key lime pie was stored in their freezer. Sadly, by that time the office was locked up tight for the night. What a scene we must have made. Four inebriated adults transformed into disappointed children, each with a raging sweet tooth, our faces pressed against the glass door, peering into the dark office and hoping for a miracle that would allow us access to the pie. Needless to say, 6:00 a.m. came way too early the next morning.

Before Thanksgiving, we celebrated Trace and Diane’s return to Matanzas at Fort Myers Beach with a party box of oysters. It was so great to be together again, and this reunion signified the official beginning of our winter here in Fort Myers.

We spent Thanksgiving by traveling to be with our Annapolis Boat Show buddies in St. Mary’s Georgia. The plan was to make the seven hour drive on Tuesday, so that we could maximize our time together Wednesday and Thursday, then drive back to Fort Myers on Friday. Unexpectedly, West Marine needed Gary to work on Friday. In keeping with our philosophy of working whenever possible, he accepted the hours. With so much going on, we just weren’t ready to head over there Tuesday, so we didn’t arrive in St. Mary’s until Wednesday afternoon just in time for our annual Painkiller Party on the dock. After a wonderful reunion with Jage, Archie, Leslie and Boat Show friends, the time flew by so fast that it was time for the Thanksgiving feast way too soon. We must be getting old, because we did the sensible thing and drove home Thursday after the big dinner, so that Gary could be fresh for work on Friday morning.

Early December, we made our annual trip back north to spend Christmas with our Port Clinton pals, Mom, and both of our families. We slept around as usual, and had a wonderful time with the many special people that we love and miss during our travels south. Gary and I so enjoyed our Sushi lunch with Mom. I phoned a local friend prior to it, inquiring about the best sushi place in town for lunch with Mom. “Your 83 year old Mom loves Sushi?” he asked incredulously. “Absolutely!” I answered. Mom is definitely one of a kind!

During the Christmas trek home, my brother David and I were suffering together with simultaneous outbreaks of our genetic inherited Hailey-Hailey skin disease. We compared notes and medications, and hoped that soon the outbreaks would subside. We knew that there is no cure for the disease, but we also knew all the home remedies that provide relief while the outbreak runs it’s course.

Unfortunately for me, it did not subside. Instead, it flamed on and expanded across my chest to encompass a patch the size of a saucer. To spare the horrible details, suffice to say that I have been in pain and discomfort for the past six weeks. I did not give in and miss work at the Nauti Turtle, but I sure wasn’t top of form, worrying about blood showing through my t-shirt and agonizing over the affects of keeping it covered all day. The most comfortable position was flat on my back in our bunk with a fan blowing across the wound to try to keep it dry. I suffered and cried, and Gary was so beside himself trying to help and make it all better. He encouraged me to stay strong and keep fighting, but it kept getting worse instead of showing any improvement.

A week ago, we sought a dermatologist’s help… and help me he did! His biopsy revealed that it had progressed to a staph infection, which he treated appropriately and I am feeling wonderful, heavenly relief.

After this long ordeal, I have a new appreciation of simply stepping off of Tessa and walking the dock without pain. I am no longer laying in our bunk down below, lonely and depressed, listening to the outside music and laughter. I was avoiding the entire reason we are here…activity, sun, and warmth, which only aggravate the condition.

Life is feeling good again! That’s not to say all of the last six weeks was totally ruined by the skin issue. There were many occasions where I covered it up and forgot about it for a while.

Dick and Molly Widdis invited us to an open house at their lovely, newly decorated condo in North Fort Myers.

My birthday lunch was spent at The Dek with Trace, Diane, and Don Dunn, enjoying our favorite $10.00 pizza and beer combo. That night, Gary and I celebrated by quietly slurping a couple dozen raw and grilled oysters.

We spent our third annual Christmas together with Don and Lauren, celebrating Christmas Eve with their Pine Island friends, grazing and drinking. Christmas Day the four of us joined June Stoiber and friends for a feast at her home in Naples.

Mark and Carole came down from Dayton to their estate home in North Fort Myers, and we spent a great evening dining at the Nauti Turtle.

Paige and Jim arrived at Fort Myers Beach right after Christmas, renting the same beach house as last year, which was our “party central” again for New Years Eve. Kevin and Carole, Larry and Debbie, and Denny and Sue came down from Ohio for vacation, and shared in the New Years Eve daytime festivities. Chas, his girlfriend Karrie, and his buddy Wac drove down from Fayetteville to ring in the New Year with us. Our good friends from Dayton, Greggie-Boy and Charlotte, and Huggy Jean and her friends joined us for food and fun and fireworks on the beach.

During the entire holiday season, we have been continuously surrounded by wonderful family and friends, which is really all that matters in the big picture. The saying “If you’ve got your health, you’ve got your wealth” isn’t exactly on the mark. We have realized that even though my health wasn’t up to par, we are still so very wealthy in all that is important. We have each other, and we have the love of family and friends.

We wish the same blessings for everyone in this New Year. Please be sure to count them and cherish them every day of 2011!

Carrabelle to Fort Myers

The mast stepping in Carrabelle could have been a painfully expensive endeavor, but thanks to the kindness of a very special family who owns Dockside Marina, it was truly an enjoyable experience.

Our plan was to rent their crane and crane operator and do all the labor ourselves, just like we did at Dog River Marina in Mobile last year. This saves a lot of money, and after having done it several times, we are getting pretty darn good at it. We were totally unfamiliar with this marina, but dared to ask if we could take the masts off the boat the night before the stepping so that we could have everything prepared and minimize the crane rental time. Randy said no problem, he would bring the forklift over and lift them off. In his eagerness to help, we suspect they underestimated the amount of time and manpower involved.

As we pulled into the slip, two friendly dock hands appeared and helped with the lines. Shortly, Randy came down to survey the situation, and guys just kept appearing after that until we had a half dozen of them, scurrying around Tessa, ribbing each other while figuring out how in the heck they were going to move these "telephone pole" sticks! Eric, the owner, joined in and eventually the masts were stretched across saw horses.

As I am the designated worrier, I assumed the position and expressed my concern about the cost associated with all the labor and help already incurred, when we hadn't even started stepping the masts! Gary, the designated placater, assured me everything would work out just fine. The guys were great, Eric was great, life was good. Let's have a cocktail and relax!

The next morning, the guys were ready to start stepping, but first we had to move Tessa from the lift slip over closer to where the crane could pull up. Tessa decided to take control of the situation and refused to cooperate with the winds and current, and soon we had a dock hand on the boat with us and several guys positioned on the dock pulling lines with all their might. Since we could not pull up parallel do the dock, Eric decided to turn her around and back into the slip to step the mizzen mast first. Next, turn her bow in to step the main. All the while, the hours ticked by and I counted $$$$ like watching a spinning taxi meter heading to Chicago O'Hare.

Instead of leaving it to Gary and I to handle all the labor, the guys gathered around and efficiently got everything done. I commented to one of them that it looked like they were having fun! "This is fun...as long as everything goes right!" one of them replied. Eric was the last one on the scene, checking to make sure everything was completed properly. "Eric" I asked "Should I just bring the title to Tessa up to the office to settle up???" He just laughed and offered his truck for our use that night. We accepted, and ran across the river to pick Walt and Vickie up for one last supper at Old Salts Cafe. The oysters and grouper was as good as the first time.

We awoke early the next morning, anxious about paying our tab. Eric slid the invoice across the counter and I looked up in amazement. He smiled and said "I didn't charge you for all the labor." All we could do was offer a very heartfelt "THANK YOU!" Not only did we receive the royal treatment for almost three days, but they offered it generously with no strings attached. What great people!

We hated to leave this hospitable group, but needed to get back across the river to the Moorings Marina, where Bryan Diveto and Danielle were scheduled to rendezvous with us on Sunday, in time for an early Monday morning departure toward Tarpon Springs.

The weather was ideal for crossing the Gulf.....for Walt and Vickie. Calm seas and bright sunny skies, but lacking in one critical element for us. WIND! The masts were up, sails ready to fill, and we got nutthin! We didn't complain much as the Perkins droned on and on for the 24 hour overnighter to Tarpon Springs, as it could have be A LOT worse. Since it was calm enough to be out on deck to fish, we threw a lure out and Bryan reeled in what we thought was a small tuna. I filleted it on the stern deck, and tucked it right in the freezer for dinner. To our disappointment, it was a "Little Tunney" which sounds close, but definitely not tuna quality fillets. Strong and a weird consistency.

Anyway, who needed Tuna when we arrived at Tarpon Springs ready to feast on the Greek culinary delights. But our first delight was meeting Ted, the dock master of Tarpon City Marina. He professionally handled our docking procedure, all the while welcoming us exuberantly and explaining that he was not Greek, just a Polish guy imitating one. Picture Bruno from Dancing with the Stars, only much more masculine. Soon the Tessa crew joined Walt and Vickie on shore, all surrounding Ted to catch the next laugh. When I told him I might have to jump ship to stay with him on his big roomy SeaRay, I became his "Chickie".

Ted was generous enough to offer his somewhat rusty mountain bike for Walt to ride to Walgreens. Vickie wisely declined on Walt's behalf, so Ted next offered the bike to Gary. Not just to ride, to keep! Gary gleefully accepted, pumped up the tires, and off he rode to West Marine. Little did Ted know that he had just donated Gary's transportation to work in Fort Myers.

Each one of us enjoyed every charming aspect of Tarpon Springs. The Greek food, the beautiful pastries, the octopus, the Ouzo, and most importantly, the sponges. They didn't give the sponge fishermen convention enough credit in "Captain Ron". It is a fascinating industry, which we learned all about during the "Spongerama" movie. After shopping and laughing and playing with sponges, we did in fact buy several of them. These are not your everyday blue or yellow kitchen sink sponges. They are works of art!

As much as we hated to leave Ted and Tarpon Springs, the Tessa crew departed the next afternoon for destination Fort Myers. 20 uneventful hours later, we entered Matanzas Pass and arrived safely at a mooring ball. We celebrated with champagne toasts and then were treated to pitchers of beer and garlic teriyaki wings at one of our favorite hangouts, The Beached Whale.

Bryan and Danielle departed with his Mom and Stepdad, and Gary and I wandered around town seeking out old friends from last season. Gary kept saying "We're home, baby!" and after the long, exciting eight week journey, it felt wonderful to be back.

For the past week, it has been a whirlwind of activity, which will soon be documented in another update. For now, I must get back to work and finish pressure washing the decks!