Season Starts - Boston to Florida:
January 21 2020
The
holidays are over and it is definitely winter in Boston. We stored Christmas decorations and wreaths,
we emptied the fridge and we packed our bags (with things collected and needed
since we were last at the boat). We
locked the door and off we went to the airport.
Hello Florida and welcome back to cruising! We arrived at River Forest Yachting Center at
3pm – just in time to say “hi” to Tracy and George and JP and Alex (Jan 3). A bit of engine room work needs to be
buttoned up but otherwise, we should splash in three days. Boxes were moved aboard and the full
enclosure was put up. Hey – not a single
drop of hydraulic oil leaked from the dinghy crane…huge success! We checked in at the Marriott Courtyard and
grabbed dinner at Charlie’s.
Coffee,
ladder climbs, sleep, repeat (Jan 4 and 5).
The weekend means the marina is quiet but we scurry to do last minute
tasks before splashing; zincs changed, watermaker re-organization completed, moving
stuff outside that has been piled and stored inside, laying rugs in the sun to
freshen up, cleaning walls and surfaces…you know the drill. Plus, I found the dinghy cradle protector at
Chapman’s Marine Supply (nylon reinforced sanitation hose) and together Chris
and I split it with the gee-whiz roto-tool and got it replaced before the
dinghy is dropped back into place.
Inventory was made of our larders in preparation for our big food and liquor
shopping runs…slowly, slowly; siga, siga.
Today
is splash day! We were up early, really
early – even before twilight occurred (truly black as a bat’s ass). A quick McDonald’s breakfast to go and we
were at the marina (Jan 6). Into the
water she went only to have water pouring in at the stern bilge. Drat!
It’s a cracked PSS…or is that a piece of shit – just kidding…it’s a
twenty-year-old shaft seal. That water thing is not supposed to happen –
water is meant to be on the OUTSIDE. Still
in the slings it was quick to lift us right back out of the water. The replacement part was found in Washington
state (could it be further away – nope).
Overnight shipping should keep us moving forward. Barefeet is back on the hard and we are
checked back into the hotel.
Moving
forward is good but it has felt a bit like one step forward and two steps
back. Two strike outs on chair cushion
replacements (looks like they are harder to match than hoped) and the Westerbeake generator impeller replacement will simply not
fit. What?! Gopher Erin went to Chapman’s, West Marine
and finally Shearwater to find said impeller part with exact part number. Chris snuggles up to the generator, reaches
behind it and installs the impeller blind.
Install, that is, except for the last quarter inch. Crazy – do we need a bigger hammer?! A bit of research shows that there is a lot
of chatter and frustration about this in the boating industry. It seems there is a slight difference in the
pin size in the center of the impeller between the impeller that fits and the
one that does not fit. This happens when
the generator water pump is upgraded which results in the fact that the
impeller is no longer backward compatible.
Sheesh! Well, the marina ordered
the right part for delivery tomorrow and we should be back in business. Okay, time for a change in latitude. We joined fellow cruisers Jeannine and
Richard for an Italian dinner at La Forchetta.
Hey – it is right across the street from our hotel on Lost River Road;
however, we have never noticed it tucked between the Wendy’s and the Holiday
Inn Express. It is family run, homey and
delicious – the perfect reset.
It
is a new day and we hit the ground running (Jan 7). The new impeller greets us as we arrive and
slides in like a dream. Voila! Wow – industry knowledge is priceless. Can you tell the difference between the two
impellers in the photo?! A run to the
Town & Country laundromat was followed by a run to Walmart for a stock up
on toiletries. As we move through the
day we are reminded of past projects that make our lives easier…like the gas
struts in the pilot house pantry and the stern lazarette. They make us smile. The day wrapped up with a dinghy
project. The dinghy stern plug has been
slowly leaking while the dinghy is in the water. It’s not enough to sink us and is quickly
emptied with a hand pump…but…Chris is sure that there is a better way…and has
sleuthed a solution. He removed the old
drain plug, gooped up and installed a new one and installed a flapper
scupper. The sun is setting, the UV4000
goop is drying and we are off for showers and $2.50 Taco Tuesday at
Charlie’s. Slowly, slowly; siga, siga.
Tasks
are starting to be completed which feels great: generator service – done; wing
engine service – done; PSS shaft seal part – arrived and installation started
by John. We re-splashed late in the
afternoon (Jan 8). Whoop, whoop! We are moving forward. Nightly showers lead to the discovery of new
bruises and scratches – affectionately referred to as boat bites and definitely
par for the course. Tonight it’s tacos
and burritos from The Taco Truck on SE Dixie Highway for a hotel fire pit
picnic (and some wine, too). Aaahhh.
More
runs for Gopher Erin with hydraulic and engine oil from the friendliest NAPA at
745 SE Monterey Road. Oh la la – and
meats for the freezer from Supreme Meats at 2026 SE Federal Highway. Yep, fridge and freezer systems are running
and get the thumbs up. Late in the
afternoon we went for a sea trial.
Drat! Full throttle and then a
whistle screamed followed by a big bang. We stopped in our tracks
and the
Yanmar 80-ish horse power get-home-engine got us home (solid
girl). A
look-through the engine showed 1) a hose clamp that had blown off on
the high
pressure side of the turbo which likely caused the loud bang and 2) a
more worrying fact that the engine temperature was very hot.
The best idea is that there was an air lock in
the coolant lines. Back out tomorrow morning to test the theory. But that’s tomorrow, for now – it’s time to
wind down with sundowners aboard m/v Almost Perfect. Thanks Jeannine and Richard.
Bright
and early at 7.30am we took sea trial #2 (Jan 10). We put Barefeet through her paces running in forward,
in reverse, at full throttle, at idle and once again. She is purring like a kitten and mechanic
John has checked temperatures and vibrations while underway. Fantastic!!
Thanks to the River Forest gang of Alex, John, George and Austin we are
still focused on the Bahamas...maybe next Friday?! Well, it’s way too far
in the future at nearly a week away to know for sure but who knows…maybe?!
System
checks continue with toilets, sinks (sole leak at the kitchen sink was quickly
remedied), fans, washing machine, oven, stove, shower sump, navigation systems,
VHF radio, etc. Mechanical lists are
shrinking and provisioning is getting closer.
Now, if I were a cookie sheet where would I be?! Oh, right – in the cupboard above the
stove. Gopher runs to two Ace Hardware’s
and one Lowe’s allows the watermaker work to continue.
Several
days blur together as we fill the larder and spares lockers. Lists, lists and more lists while driving
hither, nither and yon. Plus, the final
few projects get finished. The
watermaker leak police (aka Chris) has stopped all leaks. And, the tank sight tubes have been
replaced…one on the water tank and one on each diesel tank (check out those
shiny brass elbows – definitely boat jewelry).
In the evenings we rally for some fun aboard with dinner on the top deck
(until the mosquitoes chase us inside) of pizza or Korean ground beef (recipe
below). But sometimes it is extra fun -
TGIF! Friday night we had dinner at
Twisted Tuna with Boston friends unexpectedly in the area (Rich and Jodi). It had been a long time since our last get
together which had the poor waitress returning again and again as the band
tuned up before we even managed to open a menu.
Great to catch up - good friends are good for the soul.
Back
at it and the routine continues. The
dinghy jerry cans are filled with gasoline, deck wash pump functions, meat is
portioned into dinner servings and vacuum sealed for the freezer, Bed Bath
& Beyond is visited, decks are scrubbed, Chapman’s Marine is visited
(again)…and…you know you’re a cruiser when you have hose clamps in your purse. The dinghy went for a test drive – yeehaw!
The
NFL playoffs are less stressful now that the Patriots are out of the mix;
however, we still love the game. So off
we went to Charlie’s Bar & Grill for the San Francisco vs Minnesota game
(Jan 11). Lots of TVs means that there
are many good angles to catch the action but we miss the play-by-play
commentary. Hey, what’s that?! It’s a re-chargeable box that tunes to the
game telecast and sits right on your table.
Cool! Feeling festive we dove
into some deep fried oreos?! Wow –
amazing. Yes, they make your teeth ache
they are so sweet but – wow.
Another
day, another project (Jan 13). We bit
the bullet and purchased a new wireless auto pilot remote. We have been nursing along the original remote
and watching the wire connection points becoming more and more fragile. Chris thinks simply breaking open the unit
will lead to a fix but if it does not fix it – we will be without a
remote. The remote is important because
it means we can steer while away from the motherboard in the pilot house. This is especially helpful for driving from
the upper deck. We have kept an eye on
Ebay for a couple of years but we have not found a replacement for sale. Well done – the wireless is installed and
running. Fabulous! Go Chris, go Chris!
Lists
and projects and errands took a pause for a couple of hours with a visit to The
House of Refuge at Gilbert’s Bar (Jan 16).
The drive meandered through a charming area of Stuart on SE St Lucie
Blvd with vibrant bougainvillea, Manatee mailboxes and a stunning Banyan tree
tunnel. The Gilbert’s Bar location got
it’s name from ruthless Pirate Gilbert who went marauding on the sea but
dragged his boats across the bar into a protected hiding spot away from the
authorities whenever they got too close.
The term “ruthless” came about because he was supposed to have said,
“Dead cats don’t meow” whenever ransacking a captured boat. Pirate Gilbert was successful but greedy and
re-located to Boston where he hoped for greater riches. Unfortunately, without his hiding spot his
luck ran out. He and three of his crew
were caught, tried and hanged at the mouth of Boston harbor in 1835.
From
Gilbert’s Bar’s nefarious past came a life-saving mission. In 1876 a shipwreck life-saving station was
built and staffed by keepers – generally a married couple or young family. The US Life-Saving Service scattered a dozen
Houses of Refuge along the Florida coast to watch for stranded sailors. This location is the only one that
remains. Life of a keeper was solitary
and isolated with the nearest supplies located in Titusville approximately 120
miles north and reached by small sailboat.
The Gilbert’s Bar House of Refuge transitioned from the Life-Saving
Service to the US Coast Guard and then the Navy who built a spotting tower to
look for WWII German U-boats. Today, it
is owned by the Martin County Historical Society. Storms have understandably battered the
location over the years and in 2004 a hurricane unearthed human remains and
pottery which were carbon dated as 3,000 years old. It was a small museum but fascinating and
packed with stories and lore. Definitely
swing by if you are nearby.
Two
weeks and we are ship shape! It has been
full tilt so we are excited to toss the lines and slow down a bit. Off we went to anchor off of nearby Stuart (Jan
18). The sun is setting and we are on
the top deck with sundowners. Cheers! The next morning we moved about 30 miles
south along the ICW for better protection from upcoming strong, northern
winds. Coffee brown water transitioned
to blue and the water’s edge transitioned from mangroves and stumps to
sand. We returned to often visited Lake
Worth with good holding and familiar surroundings – including a Publix
supermarket and pharmacy, Duffy’s Sports Bar and Enterprise Rental (just in
case). Let the cruising rhythm begin…and
it has. We have spotted dolphin ambling
through the anchorage and elegant egrets flying overhead. Our plan is to cross to the Bahamas as soon
as a good weather window appears.
Nothing on the horizon yet so we have no idea of timing. In the meantime, we will keep heading south
to Miami for a better jumping off point.
Korean
Ground Beef
(kawalingpinoy.com) serves 4
1lb
ground beef
1
Tablespoon vegetable oil
2
cloves garlic, minced
1
thumb-sized ginger, peeled and minced
¼
cup soy sauce
3
Tablespoons brown sugar
1
Tablespoon sesame oil
½
teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼
cup green onion, chopped
Sesame
seeds – garnish
1) In
a wide pan over medium heat, heat veggie oil.
Add garlic and ginger and cook until aromatic. Add ground beef and cook, breaking apart as
you go (3-5 minutes, lightly browned).
Drain excess fat.
2) In
a bowl, combine soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and pepper flakes. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add to beef pan.
3) Continue
to simmer until beef is cooked through. Add
green onions and cook, stirring to distribute, for about 1 minute.
4) Transfer
to serving platter and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve hot over rice or wrapped in lettuce
leaves.