The Keys to Paradise....

One of our favorite stops once we get down into the Keys is the Upper Keys Sailing Club. We pulled the anchor in Jewfish Hole and set our sights 25 miles to the north. The day was beautiful, with mostly sunny skies scattered with puffy white clouds. The wind was, of course in our face, so we weren't able to sail.
The Intercoastal Waterway is a smooth ride up through the Keys. It's beautiful to ride through the mangroves and feel cut off from the rest of the world, well except for the mosquitoes.  Ray and I crank up the radio and listen to our summer playlist. My brother usually supplies us with new songs to try.  This year's song is "Cold Aint for Me". With the sun baking down at around 87, it is a good thing that I don't like the cold. lol
Ray called the Upper Keys Sailing Club to see if we could tie up to their T dock. We were surprised to learn that there is a new dockmaster. Joel and his wife Kacey are from Alabama and came down aboard their sailboat to work in the Keys.

What a friendly and helpful couple. They have their hands full with their new assignment which was apparent because they were supposed to have Tuesday and Wednesday off, however, they were hard at work. It seems they had just started on the previous week and were still getting to know the area and the Sailing Club.
We greeted them as they caught the lines and helped us tie Nu Trix up. I had to walk up to the parking lot and meet the guy from Enterprise Rentals. As much as I love walking, we needed to get to West Marine and get a new invertor and a mascerator pump. That is NOT a pump you want to have break down. West Marine is quite a hike so a car is helpful. Enterprise is a great place to get a car. They always upgrade me and the cars are really clean and drive well. The guy always smiles when I try my spanish out on him. I either told him we had arrived by boat or that we are castaways living on the water?? My spanish is not very good. He always smiles though. haha
When I got back to Nu Trix, in my nice black car, Ray had the A/C turned on and it felt soooo great. I also realized that I had not looked in the mirror in a couple of days and that may have been why the guy at Enterprise was smiling. Maybe I did say I was a castaway because that is how I looked. At least I remembered to put on pants! I promptly showered and washed away many days of salt and sea. I was a new woman! I even dried my hair! Let me tell you, I know how to live it up now and again!

Brisa, our seafaring kitty, takes about three hours to get over being mad at us for turning on the engine. We figured we would leave her alone and go in search of some fish.  There is a great restaurant that we found back in 2013 when my sister and brother-in-law were with us. Back then we rolled into the parking lot at 8:50 and realized that they closed at 9. We started to leave when a server came to the door and told us to come in. We said we didn't want to keep them open later than they were supposed to be and she assured us that it wasnt a problem. Well were we soooo glad that she beckoned us back. The food is amazing and the service spot on! So, here we are back again in 2017.
If you are in Islamorada, the Shrimp Shack is definitely a great place to get supper fresh fish. They come with hush puppies and homemade banana bread. It is very reasonable also. I ordered the scallops and they just melted in my mouth. I had a slightly religious experience. I kept trying to figure out what the amazing nutty flavor was in the rice. I gave a bite to Ray and he laughed and said, "Ummmm that would be butter, dear!" I guess a little over a month off of dairy and I had forgotten the yummy creaminess that is butter! I'm usually careful to ask, but I forgot. There's a reason that I am dairy free and it is not by choice. Nothing friends, nothing, tastes as good as the real thing, but heartburn, bloating and headaches are bad enough to make me pretend that they alternatives are just as good.... bother!!!! After we were stuffed and I took a preventative pill for my adventures with butter, we hit the road and headed back to our boat. I had been a long six days away from land and it was catching up to us fast. We barely got back to Nu Trix before our eyes were closing for the night. Brisa had finally forgiven us and curled up between us to snooze. What a great night's sleep.

The next day was a mad rush to get all of the things completed that were on our lists. We needed to re-provision, get water for our tanks, wash the sheets clean of mosquito carcasses.... bleck.... and get all the other clothes cleaned and put away. We also were looking for a harness for Brisa to keep her safe and make her hate us even more. I swear she looks at us like the Chucky doll from those crazy horror movies. I am sure it is all my imagination.........  Anyway, we had our coffee aboard and then hit the road to get all of it finished. The storms kept rolling through and we were kind of glad to be on land with the wind blowing through so hard and rain pounding like it would never rain again. Ray suggested that we take a break and find a place to eat. Well, I was all for that, so we put in restaurant finder on the phone and Voila, a place on the water where we could get fish. I never get tired of mahi mahi! We ate on the water where the snorkeling and diving boats leave. We both had the Keys Mahi sandwich which was beyond wonderful. It came on coconut bread with mango salsa. Ray got the mango slaw to go with his, but I wanted sweet potatoes.

The restaurant had a great atmosphere and the wait staff was superb. We will definitely come back next year. The chores were calling so we paid the tab and left to finish what was keeping us from crossing to the Bahamas. We topped off our diesel, stored our provisions, put away all of our clean clothes, tried to coax Brisa to love us again with several little catnip laced mice..... jury is still out, though she did come down off of the shelf and proceed to lay on the counter in the galley. She knows she is not allowed there but she sort of gave me a "What" look when I started to say something to her. Cats!!!!  Finally we were in a good position to leave the next day. We didn't have to rush because we would only be going 15 miles up the ICW to Pumpkin Key. We scanned through the TV channels, read a little, checked in with family and finally headed the call of our bunk. Brisa was feeling better because she spent most of the night bouncing off of the walls, grabbing our feet under the blanket, crawling under the blanket to explore and basically making it slightly difficult to sleep. I finally yelled at her and she gave me a "meow"...... I'm thinking it was so naughty kitty language, but she settled down and we all got some rest.
The next day was bright and beautiful. Kids from the sailing club were all over the little cove in their little hobie cats and kayaks. One of the parents has a small speed boat and was giving the younger kids a thrill ride on a large inflatable. It was the kind of day that you could just find a nice piece of sand, throw down a blanket and read the day away. We, however, had to get the car back, settle up with Joel for our time on the dock, get Rays obligatory bag of ice and throw the lines. We took our time as our bodies were already adjusting to Island Time and making us slower to move and lazy in our plans for the day.

We drifted over to Snooks Bayside and had yet another fish sandwich, took in the glorious water views, chatted with one another and dreamily let the upcoming trip form exciting destinations in our minds. What a great afternoon. Ray decided we may as well get back to the boat and prepare to leave. We went up to the clubhouse and talked with Joel and Kacey about our plans and listened as they talked of their hopes to sail for the Bahamas within two years. Back on Nu Trix, they helped us push off of the dock and into the cove. Nu Trix was on a heading to Pumpkin Key in hopes of a crossing through Angelfish Creek the next morning.

We dropped the anchor and put up the mosquito nets around the hatches. We read and watched the storms as they formed to the north of us. As it usually does, the weather closed in and we had to close the hatches. It rained and the wind picked up, but we were protected in our anchorage. It was a little stuffy with the hatches closed but our fans kept it from being unbearable. Sleep finally came and with it dreams of my 7th year crossing the Gulfstream to the Bahamas. I get nervous and excited at the same time. The ocean, though beautiful, is NOT to be taken lightly or she will take you. I trust in my captain and in myself so much more than I did way back in 2007! Whatever may come, we will be on our way to the Bahamas, because though boats are safe at harbor, that is not what boats were made for...... to adventure!!!!

Sometimes you just want a plain donut

      I was reading a blog the other day that I found interesting. The woman was taking pictures of her free donut on National Donut Day. She commented that her favorite was a plain glazed donut, but she wished she would have taken a picture of something prettier, like a sprinkled donut, for her blog. Her end point was simply this, we shouldn't pick something just so it will appear pretty in pictures or look great to everyone else. She liked a plain ole donut and that is what she chose to keep on her blog. That got me to thinking about how many pictures that I leave out of this blog for fear they aren't pretty enough or adventurous enough? You know, a good ole plain day at sea sure beats the heck out of a crazy day at work! I imagine though, that sometimes it must seem as everything goes smoothly, the sun always shines, the waves lap at the hull, Ray and I agree on everything, my bathing suit never gets put on inside out...... okay TMI, but come on, things happen on Nu Trix just like they do to everyone else. Sometimes, the waves are so scary that I get a panic attack, sometimes the storms seem as if they'll never end, sometimes the sun doesn't shine for days and sometimes Ray thinks that I am wrong???  I like my life though! I like the days of swimming and sailing, exploring and being scared out of my mind. I don't want to sugar coat or sprinkle pretty lies into my blogs. I want my family and friends to experience what living aboard a sailboat for 8 weeks is really like. So this is my blog.... a plain donut with a little glaze and because I am dairy free, it is a vegan plain donut with a cup of hot coffee with almond milk..... forevermore!!

The Everglades ( not for the weak of heart)  

We dropped the anchor in Indian Key and had a place where the wind would keep us cool and hopefully keep the mosquitoes away. As soon as we got comfortable in the cockpit and were talking about dinner on the grill, the wind picked up. Nu Trix was stern to the wind because the current was running so strong. I asked Ray if maybe we should pull the anchor and go further up the river towards Everglades City. Ray was concerned but  with the wind picking up, pulling the anchor would be a pain. The wind kept growing and growing and the sky was getting very dark. The waves started pounding over the stern and covering us in salt spray. Finally, Ray said that we needed to pull the anchor because the sky was looking ominous and the waves and wind kept getting stronger. He went up forward and I watched for his signals. I have been at the helm so often in way worse situations, so it was not really a problem for me. The anchor came up and I took Nu Trux further up the river.

The wind was still up when we dropped the anchor again and we hoped that it would be enough to keep the mosquito at bay. Well, it did not happen. The night was hot and sticky which sent me to the starboard settee to try and sleep. Brisa, our seafaring kitty, came and curled up near me. Ray tried to swat and cover up but those little buggers are relentless!!  We left Indian Key early because the mosquitoes were just too brutal. We didn't sleep very well because it was hot, stuffy and itchy!  We set our sights for Little Shark River because we were tired and the Keys would be a 14 hour day. We pulled out the head sail and still only got up to 5.5 knots. The wind was not cooperating with us at all and when we made a course correction for Little Shark River, the wind was right on the bow. We pulled in the sail and motored the rest of the day. We decided that to go up into the river, though protected 360 degrees, would be suicide. We have weather on our Garmin and it looked as if the weather would be okay for the night. We anchored about a mile from the entrance and put all of the mosquito netting up. Ray then took duct tape and went around the hatches.

Ray don't play!!! haha   We put together a nice dinner of kielbasa and baked beans... also known as beanie weenies!! We fell into the bunk and slept like the dead. When we woke up, the mosquitoes were covering the ports and the hatches. We wanted, no we needed coffee but the fuel had to be turned on outside! I pulled the netting away and Ray ran for it, albeit it covered in bug spray. But it was for a good cause...... coffee!! He flew back into the galley and we sat and drank our liquid speed of the gods. Finally we decided that unless we were going to put down roots among the alligators, deer flies and mosquitoes, we were going to have to make a run for it. It was decided that Ray would pull up the anchor alone and get us the heck out of dodge while I made sure Brisa was safe..... After about 30 minutes, when we were well off shore, I thought I would go up top and be with Ray and give him his breakfast. Hey, I'm good for a thing or two..... Well, the mosquitoes were still there!

Those crazy little stowaways were clinging to everything. As soon as I lifted the netting over the companionway, they swarmed down below. I spent the next 12 hours killing bugs, getting Zika and wiping dead carcasses off of the walls, ceilings and floors. No sprinkles on these donuts, people!! Brisa, the kitty, was up in the bunk laying on Rays clothes. She glared at me when I would go check on her. I think she is not a fan of the engine, the boat, us........ who knows with cats. I'm pretty sure that she would have called the Coast Guard if she had a hand held VHF. We purposely hid them for that reason. Anyway, Brisa wasn't happy with us and I knew we would pay for the long and loud ride south. Finally we saw land and I had obliterated all of the bloody, literally, mosquitoes. Ray dropped the anchor and we tried to coax, Brisa out of her fortress of solitude. She wasn't having it though. That night we had a grilled pork tenderloin, yellow rice and black beans. We hoisted the Conch flag and as the sun set, the conch horn blew to herald yet another beautiful day. Her we were, once again in the Keys.

My husbands home.... the islands that held such memories for him, the winds that still  blow with whispers of days gone by and adventures, that are etched upon his soul, still ride the waves that pound onto the shores of the mangroves. I listen to the echos and breath them in as we watch the sun get swallowed up by the ocean.
Our trip is just getting started, but already we have formed memories that will forever run through our days.
When we are back at the dock, both hard at work, the whispers of our adventure will sprinkle the plain glaze with the thoughts of the lazy days of summer and both  the horrors ,( lack of air conditioning,  holding tanks that need pumping, no bread, no more fresca, sheets that need laundering) and also the wonders (hikes to long ago homes,  snorkeling trips to caves, the perfect sailing days, spending time with each other). I am so happy to be here. I love our boat, our life, our love. Tomorrow we leave for Angelfish Creek and Friday we leave the States for the Bahamas. I am so anxious to be in our beloved Exumas with the clear water, friendly people and nothing to do but be with one another. I guess even when you are happy with the plain, life sometimes gives you a good dose of sprinkles. I'll take them, but I promise not to make anyone think that's all there is to life.

Sail away with me honey....

                The best laid plans of…. yada yada….. We were supposed to have left on June 2^nd for our 7^th annual Bahamas sail. Well, the 2^nd came and the 2^nd went and all the food and supplies still sat on the floor of our office.

Ray and I forget how time consuming work and chores can be. We have such grand plans to throw it all off and go, but the bills need to be paid, the lawn taken care of for two months, mail to get, cars to care for, a house to secure….. on and on it goes and there are only so many hours to get it all finished. Friday night we finally threw in the “leaving today” towel and went for dinner.  Over some really good scallops, we both discussed this constant rush to get everything done, to get going, to pull anchor. At what cost?? We have been in some very harrowing situations because of our need to rush. Most of the time, it is because we need to rendezvous with company or we stay too long and need to get me home before school starts back. The point however, is rushing is dangerous. There are things we forget and worse, things that we overlook, such as weather! One year, we had family onboard and were constantly in a 25 plus headwind, taking water over the bow and really taking unneeded risks for the sake of getting somewhere quicker. Ray and I both decided that cruising was supposed to be fun. We are tired of 18 hour days of standing at the helm and dodging lightening and crazy winds. If we get all the way to Georgetown this year, “YAY”, but if we do not, we will still be in the Bahamas and we will still be on our boat, enjoying the summer and each other. So when it was said and dinner was done, Ray and I had both decided to go home and get some sleep.

                                                            Saturday, we got up and carried all of our provisions to the boat.

I then got the wondrous joy of finding a place for all the stuff we purchased. I made up the bunk, stored clean sheets and towels, organized the head, rearranged the fridge and put all of our clothes onboard.  This year, we have our kitty, Brisa, coming with us. That meant that I had to find a place for her food and litter. I am going to try and teach her to use the head!! She’s pretty smart.  When everything was finally stuffed and sealed, we shoved off the dock and into a rain squall. We figured that all we needed to do was drop anchor if it got bad. Charlotte Harbor is pretty shallow and there are lots of places to ride out a storm.

We never got rained on, though we could seethe rain across the harbor, but we did get a push from the wind. 15 knots off of the stern helped us get to Pelican Bay in only 3.5 hours! We were able to drop the anchor and toast our first night of adventure. Brisa was so happy for the engine to get turned off. She jumped up into the cockpit with us and looked all around at the water and mangroves. She did not seem to impressed, so back down to her new bed       (our starboard settee) she went and plopped herself between the pillows.  Ray grilled pork tenderloin and I made rice and beans. We invited our fellow traveler over for cocktails and dinner. It was a really nice evening with a crisp breeze to keep us cool and music playing on our new speakers. Later that night, the breeze decided to stop and the mosquitoes decided to join our party. Curt left to go back to his boat and Ray and I tried to get settled in to sleep. It had been a long day for all of us. The mosquitoes were relentless and the breeze was too faint to keep them away. Ray did not seem to notice, probably because they love me and leave him alone.

Brisa decided to jump up through the hatch and explore the boat. I was afraid she would fall over, but she was staying up near the mast and grabbing at the lines. I think she was trying to make sure the main was reefed?? She finally came below and stretched out just below the fan. Sleep finally overtook me too and we all three snuggled into the bunk for a good night’s sleep.

Another first for Ray and I, today. We decided to go down the Intercoastal to Sanibel instead of going out into the Gulf. The weather looked ominous and the stretch around Sanibel with winds and opposing currents is sloshy and takes forever. There wasn’t much chance of sailing anyway since the winds were coming in the direction we would be going. It was a very pretty run down the coast with lots of big houses, mangrove islands, birds and pretty water.

We listened to music and chatted and mostly relaxed. I made breakfast and lunch underway. Not usually something we can do while taking water over the bow in a strong headwind.  Now we are anchored by Picnic Island and the sun has come out! Brisa is passed out on the sofa and Ray is writing in his sailing journal. It is a perfect afternoon and I am feeling so stress-free!!! So day two of our Bahamas 2017 cruise has been great so far. I think I might go up on deck and take a nap. So much time and so little to do!!!!

 Life is good!

Winter time dreamin'

Here I sit by the water with a nice breeze and 75 degree temperatures. I suppose that calling this blog, "Winter time dreamin'" could be called into question by some up North, but it is winter here in Florida which means that I am anchored to home and school. While I am happy to have a job doing something that I am very good at doing, I cannot help but dream about the long, hot days of summer where there is nothing but endless adventure.

Don't get me wrong, life here in Punta Gorda is quite lovely with bike rides to see friends, endless waterfront restaurants, sunset sails and dockside fires on a chilly evening, but here is also work responsibilities, a house to keep clean, bills to pay, running hither tither and yon and basically living on caffeine and a prayer to get me through long work days. Our rigging business is in full swing which means Ray is gone from early morning until way after the sun has begun to set. We try to pack in as much as humanly possible on Saturday and Sunday, but two days are just never enough.

When I met Ray back in 2003, I did not really know what adventure and fun was all about. My life seemed like an endless, snowy winter. Other than the two bright days when my little girls were born, a dreary sunless sky filled the years of my life.

All of that changed when I met Ray. I started kayaking almost daily, became an assistant kayak instructor, hiked numerous mountain trails, discovered ruins on islands, learned to backcounty camp, helped run a successful outfitter business, kayaked around the Keys, moved with Ray and our girls to Florida and basically found my endless summer!!    

So here I sit on this warm winter day, dreaming!! Not of quitting my job, selling everything and going...... but keeping my job, keeping my home and going!! For now, I will look forward to our weekend bike rides, art shows, dinghy rides around the harbor, restaurant hopping, visiting with friends, flying on a weekend get-a-way and taking in each and every moment that we are given. Ray and I love to sit by the water and plan our summer sails too.


We have been so blessed to have family and friends fly down to the Exumas to sail along with us and look forward to that again this year. In 2013 and 2016, my sister, Angie and brother-in-law Andy joined in our crazy adventures. My friend Robin, who I am pretty sure is part vampire, part snowman, came down in 2015 to join us even though it is way up in the 90s most of the days! She survived and got to snorkel and explore some pretty amazing places. Dean, my brother and Amy, my sister-in-law flew into Staniel Cay this past summer. We snorkeled, swam with sharks, (not by choice) and made so many wonderful memories. Our kids, Keegan, Lauren, Rachel and Hannah were able to come in 2013 and Tanner made it in 2010. He and Kelsey are due for a trip. Maybe next year when our little Primrose turns 1... :)

After all, as Jimmy Buffet said so eloquently, any blessing becomes a curse, if you keep it to yourself!  I have, since 2003, felt so very blessed. I know that it was me who had to finally say, "ENOUGH!" to the dark night and let the sunshine come through, but it also helped that I found Ray. He shares my passion for adventure, exploring, traveling and finding happiness in the little everyday things as well as the extravagant.

This coming June, we will throw off the dock lines and head NuTrix back to the Bahamas. I cannot wait to provision, clean, pack, plan and gooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!! We always have such an amazing time, meet new friends, reconnect with old friends, get into harrowing danger, somehow survive and come back for more. We plan to sail for the Keys, then jump across to Bimini. From there, we make the long journey to our beloved Exuma islands. The water is clear, the people are friendly and there is always something wonderful with the dawn of the new day.
From snorkeling caves, to celebrating Independence with the Bahamians on July 10th, we live each day cherishing each other and holding on to the memories that travel with us. Soon come, Mon, soon come!!

 Life happens whether you are enjoying it or not. You can hold onto the darkness, doubt, fear and anxiety, or you can let all of that go and find your happy place in this world. I am not waiting until I can afford to quit my job and go. I am not waiting until I am an experienced sailor. I am not waiting until I can fit into a size 6 bathing suit. I am not waiting for anything, because life does not wait. It keeps on going and before you know it, you are out of time. I quit waiting and started enjoying. Each day, I wake up to the man I love and I am thankful. I go to my job and do my best there and then share my evenings with Ray, making memories. I plan weekends away to visit my children and grandchildren, I make lunch dates with my friends, We take out our boat just to watch the sunset. And yes, we go on a long summer sail. Life is all about adventure and making as many memories as we can, before we have to say good-bye. I hope that we have many more years to fill up our passport, but I am not taking any chances. If you want to see us, you best call first, because there is so much to do and Ray and I are planning to do it all for as long as we can.

                                                                   

A detour to a little piece of paradise

Once in a while, it is good to get stopped on your planned adventure, and allow life to deliver you into a completely new and wonderful detour. In our charted course, we were supposed to be anchored out by Rodriguez Key, awaiting a great weather window to jump the stream into Bahamian waters. That was the plan, the reality however, was that our alternator was not pumping voltage into our batteries.

Now I am sure that somewhere in the world there are old salty dogs that would not care about batteries and alternators, but this sailing chik is NOT one of them! I tend to like fans and lights and refrigerated food, cold drinks and toilets that, you know, flush!! All of those wonderful things need electricity. Ray installed two solar panels which can pretty much keep up with our fridge, but the fans and lights will pull the batteries down quickly too. Our engine can more than compensate, however, we are not getting any juice to our batteries soooooooo the much needed stop in Key Largo. We found a small haven here called The Upper Keys Sailing Club which allows transients to join the club and stay on their finger dock. We gladly paid the dollar membership and the 50 dollars a night to stay in paradise. We hooked up the AC and walked up to join the Friday night happy hour at the club house. Everyone was so friendly and wanting to chat with the newbies.

I laughed when we were introduced as transients! I guess it does have a piratey ring to it?? The commodore smiled and amended her description to guest travelers. I replied that transient fit pretty well since we had not been off of the boat in five days!  We spent three hours socializing and listening to stories of fellow sailors. It was an amazing night to feel such a kinship with people that we had never met before, but are now forever written in our life book.  I wondered, as I saw the glimmer in the eyes of the older sailors as we talked about our impending trip to the Exuma islands, if they noticed the glimmer in my eyes while they talked about the years they spent sailing the world. 

Ray and I made our way back to the boat after a long day sailing and a long night listening to stories and spinning some of our own. The bunk was so inviting and we were soon sleeping to the gentle rocking of the waves on our hull. The next morning we rented a car so we could explore the island and get the parts for NuTrix that we needed. We drove around taking in the sparkling water and fighting the crazy traffic on US 1. After visiting West Marine, CVS and a laundry mat, we headed to find some yummy food. We had stopped at Islamorada Shrimp Shack back in 2013 and decided to go back for more. We were not disappointed!

The fish was so fresh that we had to smack it in the face! The service was fast and friendly and we both ate more than we should have. They even have homemade banana bread with honey butter. Heavenly day!!! We will definitely put it on our places to return! Well worth the drive and the price is spot on! We had intentions of going to John Pennekamp Park, however, the day got away from us. We came back to NuTrix and watched the sun go down over the bay. Then I got to catch up on my reading until the heat and fun of the day made my bed call so loudly that I had to go answer!! 

On Sunday, we were going to take a snorkeling trip out to the reef. The boats pick up from John Pennekamp and take you out to the reef where the snorkeling is amazing. It is 28 dollars each which is not so bad. The park does charge an admission also, but I have been wanting to go for a long time.

Before we left, we found the Theater of the Sea in some brochures. There you can see turtles and dolphins and other sea life as well as educational shows. That seemed more interesting since we would be snorkeling for free everyday in the upcoming weeks. We decided first to go have lunch somewhere and the guys sitting out on the porch of the sailing club suggested Snook on the bay, so that is where we went. We found chairs on the bar which was actually the railing around the bay. We sat down and started chatting with the couple next to us. They were down for her sister's wedding all the way from Charlotte, NC. They were a charming couple and we chatted the afternoon away sipping on rum runners and having some yummy fish. I will NEVER tire of fresh fish!!

One of the best parts of traveling, for me, is meeting all kinds of new people. Everyone has such a great story and I enjoy hearing them all. They had been to Ireland, which is where my daughter is going next month and it made me feel better to hear how friendly the people are there and how beautiful they found the country. Craig's mother is a part-time worker for Disney and so is my daughter. Small world that we inhabit!! Finally they announced they had to get going to Miami. They were flying home and had to make the flight. Interestingly enough, they both said that the pull to leave Charlotte was getting strong. Beth said that she got itchy when she stayed somewhere too long. WOW... it is cool, to me, how we happened upon two people so similar to ourselves! We said our goodbyes and Ray and I turned our attention back to the water and the upcoming plans that we hoped to keep this time! 

Back to the club, the characters had returned from a day on the water and as I sat typing, I could not help but smile at the stories and half truths that were flung around the building, permeating the walls and forming memories that would take hold here and be heard as whispers by generations to come.

I sat unseen in the corner becoming a part of the world long gone through the laughter that flowed from person to person. I love it here! I long to become part of this rag tag community of people who share the love of sailing, travel and adventure that capture the heart of Ray and I. I know, though that tomorrow, barring any other engine difficulties, Ray and I will throw off the lines and head toward Angelfish creek. We are crossing our fingers that the winds will become favorable for a Wednesday crossing. The Bahamas beckon and the wanderlust grows so that it is sometimes unbearable. I long for long days of hiking and swimming, relaxing and reading all while enjoying the company of my pirate. What a beautiful life we have.

I struggle to remember that even back home in Punta Gorda, I live a charmed life with the one who loves me so much. Our day to day lives are enriched by children and grandchildren, siblings and parents..... family!! They truly keep us grounded as we struggle to fly though our lives from adventure to adventure. It is great to have a safe landing spot because that gives us the freedom to go and explore, to live and dream. It is a big beautiful world and I hope to meet as many family members as possible before my trips around the sun are over!!!

Bahamas, here we come!!!

Another crazy sail for the Keys

    Ray and I had such an amazing sail from Sanibel to the 10,000 islands. The sun was high and the water sparkled as the wind danced on the top of the teal blue mirror. I saw two very large turtles breech the surface for a huge gulp before descending once again into the deep dark unseen parts of the Gulf.

We had music playing as we passed far offshore. With our binoculars, we spied families wading into the warm waters, parasailers screaming with the wind carrying them high above the waters and fisherman weary from sun, salt and sadness. Our boat took to the waves, heeled over and took the wind with stride. We made great time sailing down the coast. We finally arrived in the 10,000 island when the sun was starting to play with the horizon. I remembered when the year before, we anchored off shore and were terrorized by mosquitoes. Our boat looked like the scene from a horror movie the next morning! Blood covered the top of our boat where we had swatted at the little bastards all night long. The morning sun had not even breached the horizon when our anchor was up and our sights were on Sanibel and air-conditioning!! Soooo we thought maybe we should anchor a little farther out. Indian Key has a wonderfully protected anchorage which we had used numerous times; however, our thoughts were on bugs instead of protection….

BIG mistake!!!! We anchored, enjoyed a wonderful evening with dinner, sunset toasts and music. THEN after crashing in our bunk, the wind picked up, the waves pounded and our boat rolled and tossed with the beat of the gulf. I love roller coasters!! I can ride them over and over, HOWEVER, rolling, turning and tossing for 10 hours straight is more than even this daredevil can handle. My stomach finally said, “ENOUGH!!”…… When morning came, the wind was still out of the west and still kicking up the seas. We pulled the anchor with me clutching my Rescue Remedy and Ray at the bow with the waves bouncing the boat up and down so much that I couldn’t see him when the waves receded. I gripped the helm so hard that my knuckles turned white. There was no way to hear over the wind, the waves and the engine. My mind kept going over scenarios of how to get Ray out of the water before an alligator found him. My heart rate always speeds up and I literally cannot breathe normally. Finally the anchor is up and Ray points to the way that I need to take NuTrix out. He comes back to the cockpit and tells me how wonderfully I preformed and all I want to do, is throw up!! The wind is out of the NW and Ray and I pull out the sails and turn off the engine. NuTrix is in her glory!!

She heels over and takes the waves like a lover‘s kiss. It is an impressive run for about two hours, but then my legs start to ache from the leaning. I cannot go below because my stomach has not recovered from a long night of being tossed and turned. I want to make lunch but all I can manage is grabbing Pop- tarts from the stores. I finally take a Benadryl and try to pass out on the starboard settee. The wind is high and we are making sometimes 9 knots down the coast. I finally came to and went into the cockpit to look around. To the south, I see a big black cloud looming. I said to Ray that maybe we needed to go closer to shore and anchor. It doesn’t matter if no one believes me, because I believe in myself, however, I can feel when the weather is about to get bad. Ray keeps telling me that it is going north of us, but I keep reminding him that I know these things and it will be on us quickly. I am not sure why he always forgets the crazy intuition that I have been given, but he puts the thought out of his head and presses on toward the Keys. It is not any time before the storm is on top of us. Lightening popped around and the rain blew sideways. Ray is an amazing captain and turned the boat into the storm. We had unplugged all of our electronics which meant he was navigating with the compass. The storm got worse and worse until we both thought that we were done. I was below and using all of my prayer and thoughts to send the storm away…. I watched as the rain hit him and the lightening came closer and closer. Ray stayed at the helm and kept me safe. He is amazing like that. I will always be grateful for such a powerful love and an amazing captain… crazy though he may be!!!  We made it through the storm!!!

We anchored in Fiesta Key near a campground. We were both too tired to try and go to shore. I made us a plate of cheese, crackers, carrots and dip. We ate in the cockpit and watched the sun go down. My body ached from all the traveling and Ray was beyond exhausted from standing at the helm for 12 hours. We fell into our bunk and slept like the dead. When conditions are right, a night on the boat is the best sleep that you can imagine. The wind was pouring down the hatch, the water was calm and our dreams were of the Bahamas. Soon the morning sun swept over our bunk and awoke us with a gentle reminder that we were in paradise. Ray made us coffee and we sat in the cockpit listening to music and enjoying the life that we have chosen.

Our Garmin was giving us problems as well as our alternator. I am sure that the passage between Cape Romano and Cape Sable is part of the Devil’s Triangle. Every time we come through, we end up with problems with our electrical systems! I know that some of my friends will blame me because, well, I have issues with electric and my emotions…. But really, every time??? Soooo once again we were in the same place where we always have issues. Ray wanted to go to Marathon, but I just said that Marathon was a black hole and if we went there, we would be there for two weeks. We both decided, thanks to his kind of understanding with my emotions and the weather that we would go to Key Largo. We had no sooner turned NuTrix for Key Largo than a large waterspout formed over the way we would have gone towards Marathon. Again….don’t care if you do not believe!!! Anyway, we outran storms from Channel 5 bridge up to Key Largo.

We laid to the dock at the Upper Keys Sailing Club. No sooner had we tied on the dock lines than the squall line hit and our boat was heeling. The wind blew so hard that I thought our fenders would pop and we would smash into the dock. Below deck, the AC kicked on and the beautiful coolness swept away any worries of storms. We had had a beautiful run up the ICW with the sun playing through the clouds and the VHF screaming warnings  of potential storms all around us. I had made us lunch underway and we enjoyed the humid call of the mangroves as our boat passed through. The gulf side is a whole different world. The water is a strange greenish blue color swirling with the sun and playing off of the clouds. We spied some dolphins who played hide and seek with our boat as the day dragged into the afternoon lull. The beauty of the watery world made our dangerous start a distant memory. The light played off of the water and lulled us into a complacency that which was what we had both been needing for months and months.

Here we are and frankly, we do not know how long we will be here. The weather doesn’t seem to be cooperating for a jump across the Gulfstream. After 2010, I will never cross that part of water without pristine conditions!! Mother Nature is no one to fool with! She will kick your butt and go to dinner without a care in the world. I respect her and I am no fool…

. Crazy, but no fool. The area around here is nice and we have restaurants, shops and even places to swim and snorkel should we feel the need. I am in no hurry. Maybe I have been subjected to the disease that is Island Time??? I hear there is no cure and yet, I am not worried. For too long, I have let the worries of my job, my bills, my house, my life… dictate my well-being…. Well, no longer!!!! I have released the pressures of life and embraced the “what will be will be”….. Bring on adventure!!! I am ready…… Life is waiting and I am tired of keeping her at bay!!! Soooo I go….

Bahamas 2016 first stop

I read in a cruising blog recently that “comfort is the killer of dreams”.  I must say that I have to agree! We were supposed to throw off the lines at noon, but, and there is ALWAYS a butt, we kept thinking of things that we needed. Baskets and bins, towels and shampoo, oh and cheese. The other things, I suppose we could live without, but cheese, I mean really! Let’s not get crazy on our first day out! But I digress. The things that we use daily, our comforts, needed a space and on our boat, space is a limited commodity!  We finally squeezed, squished, pushed and shoved it all in places that we will probably forget about. Last year, we found a case of Fresca on the last week of our trip. I had taken to drinking plain water… perish the thought….and when Ray went to grab a tool from  the hanging locker, low and behold, the heavens parted and the angels sang as he pulled up a case of FRESCA! Let me tell you that was a joyous night akin to Christmas morning when you realize there is no hard candy in your stocking AND you got the actual Nike shoes and not the Kmart knock off brands!!! Yes sir…..  Who knows what we will find at the end of this trip but it is all here. 

I will enjoy, as the days melt into weeks, our needs dwindling away with the stress that has built up since we got back last year. As we dropped the anchor tonight, I smiled knowing that I do not have anything pressing other than toasting the sunset.

There are no news stations, no traffic, no TV and limited internet. What we need, will change over the next couple of months and that makes me happy. Our 41 foot boat is so much easier to clean and maintain which leaves time for snorkeling, sailing, fishing, beach combing and exploring! Back on land, it is easy to get caught up in fear, to give in to the notion that the world is a horrid place, but I will not allow that. Here on NuTrix, the world is ours to explore.

Tonight we are anchored in Cayo Costa.    

          

The sun is setting, the breeze is whisking down the hatches, our favorite jazz music is playing through the radio and our sundowners are waiting on the bow. This is the life that we have chosen. This is our chance to see the world, even if it is a small part. This is the time that we will make memories.  Tomorrow we sail, hopefully, for Sanibel. The ocean is calling and NuTrix is so ready to feel the salt spray, to let the wind catch her sails, to dance upon the water again. Ray and I once again get to be on an adventure. Where we will end up and who will meet, is written in the stars. A good captain can navigate by those stars… and so we go!!!!  Adventure waits…