The best laid plans of Ray and Kim.....

Making plans is a task that I enjoy probably more than most people realize. I love calendars and date books, organizing and putting things into motion then sitting back and watching it all come together. I think most people enjoy the ride when the course is laid out and the weather is cooperating. Planning is my way of making sure that we sail through and go where we intended. But that's not life! No matter how hard we try, and trust me, I really try, tires blow, engines die, the torrential rains fall, we lose our job, we get sick, cancer finds our family, death takes our friend...... and our courses have to change. I do not subscribe to the belief that these things are destined to happen, I believe that they simply do and how we handle these "bumps" in our journey affects where we go next and how we get there.

Pulling out the charts and laying a course, consulting the tidal highs and lows and watching for the weather window, this is what I did last Wednesday as we were tied up to the dock and enjoying the cold, cold hum of the AC. Ray and I had a lovely two days at Sombrero Marina complete with a funky little tiki bar and live music, though Wednesday was country night!! Country music and palm trees just do not mix, thank you very much! But we sat through one set, just to be neighborly and to finish our french fries.
Probably more for the fries.....

Afterwards we walked back down the dock and let Bob Marley sing to the sunset the way God intended it here in the Keys!!

After the ceremony of singing the sun to sleep, we looked over our itinerary for the next day.  I had it all figured out and smiled as Ray looked over the plans making his captainly adjustments, cause that's what captains do! Excitement built as we imagined in two short days making a 10 hour crossing into the clear waters of the Bahamas!! What could possibly go wrong?? Anyone that EVER asks that question should be called Jonah and thrown overboard immediately..... live and learn, live and learn!!!

We threw off the dock lines after a mile long walk to Publix for things that you only realize that you need when you go back to the dock! On a side note... I have walked more in 10 days that I have since my knee injury in NOVEMBER!!! Its amazing how the thought of a cold fresca will pull out the long dormant athlete snuggled down inside a sleeping muscle!! But I digress....
NuTrix made her way through the mooring fields and to the fuel docks at Burdines. The smell of french fries called us to stay a while, but the pull of the Bahamas was too strong, thankfully!! I have sworn off calories since the aforementioned fries the night before!!!  Anyway, we took on fuel and Ray's addiction... ice.... (I really need to get the recipe and save us some money!!) and waved goodbye to the friendly manager and turned NuTrix out into the Atlantic. I actually was at the helm making my way through the markers, around the shoals and into the beautiful teal water. As we got to the bridge, I thought it best for Ray to take over, mostly so I could sit on the deck and take pictures, but also so as not to be on CNN that night for ramming into the Seven Mile bridge. Hey, it happens!!

We had a lovely run back to Fiesta Key with light winds and the sun sparkling over the water. The water is so clear and it looks like we could hit the bottom but we are right on course. I had been watching the weather forecasts and it looked like Saturday was a definite GO for our jump across. Ray and I chatted about swimming and diving, hiking and exploring the islands. It all seemed to be coming together! I decided to make some chicken salad for our lunch and then do some light cleaning while underway. I opened the cabinet under the sink and thought it was odd that I smelled diesel. I figured Ray must have spilled a little while putting fuel into the tank. The opening for our tank is in the cockpit but I thought to tell Ray about it when I went back up. I forgot..... When we finally got the anchor set, turned on our music and was planning dinner, Ray caught a whiff of diesel and that is when I remembered smelling it too. Upon pulling off the stairs and looking into our engine compartment, Ray spied red drips on the spill cloth. The diesel on the fuel dock is colored with red dye and there it was in our bilge!! Ray spent most of the night and into the next day trying to figure out where the leak was coming from. We decided, sadly, that our plans were going to have to wait until we could get our engine fixed.... AGAIN!!! Sooooo back to Marathon we went with the SE winds on our stern pushing us away from our dream vacation with a little more force than I liked! Watching the water, I saw a small pod of dolphins swimming around our bow, playing and dancing on the waves as if there were no cares in the world except to be free and roam.

Looking around, I felt saddened that I let a small snag empty my heart of excitement and fill it up with an attitude of annoyance! I mean forevermore, Kim.... you are in the Keys, on your sailboat, with the love of your life.... WOW... epiphany and mental face slap!!! We came back through the bridge and picked up the same mooring that we had on the Sunday before. The sun was just as bright, the water just as clear and another group of dolphins swam up to say hello as I leaned across and grabbed the mooring line. We were invited to a beach party that night complete with Reggae music and food!! I had the most yummy Mahi-Mahi sandwich that tasted like the little sucker was swimming that morning!! His life was NOT in vain!!

Our worries were forgotten as we swayed to the music, dancing around with people we did not know and listening to the laughter and music that is life.... the good and wonderful life!!!
The next day, we found a wonderful guy, Don, who lives on his boat here in Marathon and agreed to fix our engine. He had retired but said he could not just sit by and watch as the big companies gouged boat owners with exorberant prices for repairs. Lucky for us!!! He and Ray are there now, pouring over a smelly engine while I sit here, sipping coffee and writing about our adventures. Thats what they are... adventures! You never know where the currents are going to take you in life. We try to adjust sails and pull in sheets but in the end, its the currents that decide where we go and it is our attitude that decides how we enjoy the ride!