The Sailing Vessel Alize

April 30 – The last few days of the month have been pretty active. We’ve got a purchase agreement to purchase the house that we’ve been looking at. If all goes as planned, we may be homeowners before the end of May. We had one potential boat buyer on the boat earlier in the week with more scheduled for tomorrow morning. Hopefully, something will come of this.It is April 29th and the weather has warmed up. This has been the 10th coldest winter recorded in this area. There were several days when we had to wear long pants and even a few when we had to wear sweatshirts or sweaters. However, we’re now getting daytime highs in the low to mid 80’s and comfortable nights. We’ve spent most of our time on the boat, keeping her clean and doing minor fix-ups. We still haven’t gotten a reasonable purchase offer for Alize, but more people are coming to see the boat and several are reportedly interested in buying her.

It is April 29th and the weather has warmed up. This has been the 10th coldest winter recorded in this area. There were several days when we had to wear long pants and even a few when we had to wear sweatshirts or sweaters. However, we’re now getting daytime highs in the low to mid 80’s and comfortable nights. We’ve spent most of our time on the boat, keeping her clean and doing minor fix-ups. We still haven’t gotten a reasonable purchase offer for Alize, but more people are coming to see the boat and several are reportedly interested in buying her.

We re-joined a local gym and are trying to work out three times a week. We went “camping” for a week in John Pennekamp State Park (on Key Largo) with Bob and Nancy and their friend, Angie. Lin and I slept in a large tent while the rest of the group stayed in Bob & Nancy’s camper. It was nice to get a way for a while and we had a good time.

For the past few weeks, we’ve enjoyed the company of our friends, Bill and Louise on Andelen. We last saw them in the Bahamas, about three years ago. Their plans to continue further south were interrupted when Bill’s son was badly injured in an auto accident. They have spent the last few years on their boat between Rhode Island and the Bahamas. They are buying land and planning to build a home in Clarencetown on one of the less visited Bahamian Islands. We’ve promised to come visit them there next Winter.

After hearing all of the reports about the Winter up north, we’ve decided that while we want to spend time with our sons and our Pennsylvania friends, we’re not ready to go back to really cold winters. Our plan is to be Florida residents, spending slightly more than half the year in Florida and the rest of the time back in the Media area. This will keep us away from all of the ice and snow and also avoid state income tax and get a property tax break in Florida. After a lot of looking around, we have made an offer on a house in Port St. Lucie (a short distance south of Ft. Pierce). The offer has been verbally accepted, but we are waiting for a signed purchase agreement before we proceed. The house is small, two bedrooms, two baths and a single car garage on a ¼ acre lot. It is in a gated 55+ community and is of concrete block construction (important in a hurricane prone area). Housing prices are really depressed here and I believe that we’re getting an exceptionally good deal. If Alize does not sell by the end of June, we’ll put her “on the hard”, securely strapped down in a nearby boatyard. It is nice to have a positive plan again, rather than just waiting around for someone to buy our boat.

That’s all for now, I’ll try to be better about putting out updates in the future.

It has been more than a month since I updated this log. The reason is that I haven’t had much of interest to report. Our life has been similar to life on land, with a little more bouncing around when the winds kick up or a passing boat puts out a wake. I will add an April entry with an update on our lives and plans.

Sun. Mar 21 — The morning was overcast (no sun as forecast), warm and fairly winds out of the south.

Sat. Mar 20 — Sunny, warm day. Lin stayed aboard for the day, hoping to getting feeling better. I went to the Saturday morning farmer’s market in Ft. Pierce, where I wandered through the stalls, had some Greek food for brunch and purchased some pastries to take back to the boat. Back on the boat, I took care of a few minor chores and then ran more errands, picking up a couple of movies and some Chinese takeout. Lin ran a load of laundry, which we hung all over the boat to dry. In the evening, we ate takeout and watched a movie.

Fri. Mar 19 — Quiet day on the boat. I replaced one of our solar vent fans (they don’t last very long), waxed the louvers that protect our cabin windows and did other minor chores. Lin pretty much slept the day away.

Thurs. Mar 18 — Cindy, the local broker who showed the boat the previous day called in the morning and asked to meet and talk. Lin is still not feeling good, so I took her to see a doctor. After bringing Lin back to the boat, I went and talked with the broker. The couple who saw the boat want to buy her. However, first they need to sell their house. We hope to meet with them, the local broker and possibly the listing broker as soon as Lin is feeling better to discuss this further. We have decided that the listing broker is not doing all that he should be doing in order to help sell Alize. Therefore, we gave him 90 days written notice, as required in the listing contract, that we are terminating our arrangement with him. He will still be our listing broker for 90 more days, and hopefully will sell the boat during that time.

Wed. Mar 17 — Another cool, partially cloudy day with a few showers. We spent some time cleaning the boat and getting her ready to show in the afternoon. It can be difficult living aboard and trying to sell the boat at the same time. At times, we feel like hostages of the boat sales process. The showing went quite well and the couple seemed to really like the boat.

Tues. Mar 16 — Cool, partially cloudy day and the wind has decreased a great deal. In the morning we went out for breakfast, partially to get away from the boat for a while. After running a few errands, we returned to the boat where we did a few minor chores. In the afternoon, I went to Bob & Nancy’s house to wait for some mail that we are having sent there. Back on the boat, we had a leftover dinner and watched a movie before going to bed.

Mon. Mar 15 — Very windy and cool today. In the morning we got a call from a local yacht broker. She wants to arrange to show the boat to a possible buyer on Wednesday. Lin is still not feeling very good, so we spent a quiet day around the boat.

Sun. Mar 14 — The day dawned warm, sunny and windy. We’re still feeling a bit under the weather, so elected to stay aboard and take it easy. While I was drinking my morning coffee, my boss from my old job called to ask me if I would be moving back to the Philadelphia, and if so, would I be interested in going to work for him, full time, part time, flexible hours, etc. He is a nice person and this is very flattering, but I don’t know if I want to re-join the working world.

Sat. Mar 13 — Neither of us were feeling well this morning, so we found an urgent care center that was open and both went to get checked out. Lin got something for a sinus infection and I got medications to help my breathing. Afterward, we went back to the boat where we played games, watched TV and read.

Fri. Mar 12 — Another wet day with the rain continuing all day long. In the morning we went to Bob and Nancy’s, taking a couple of loads of laundry. While the first load was drying, we put in a second load and left to run some errands. On the way back to the house, we stopped for lunch at a Mexican restaurant. When we got back, we discovered that the dryer had not run, so we spent a couple of hours watching TV while the laundry dried.

Thurs. Mar 11 — In the morning we drove to Lin’s cousin, Bob’s house and borrowed one of their cars. Bob and Nancy are away on family business, but left the car keys for us. The rest of the day was spent driving to Ft. Lauderdale, picking up our car and driving back to Ft. Pierce. The day was windy and rainy, but the drive uneventful. After returning Bob’s car, we returned to the boat for a quiet evening.

Wed. Mar 10 — We got our anchor up and took off around 8:00 AM. It was pretty bumpy going out the inlet, but once we turned and headed north, things settled down and we had a pleasant ride. It was windy enough that we motorsailed, using one engine for most of the day. During the day we saw turtles, Portuguese men of war (man of wars?) a couple of small rays that jumped completely out of the water as we approached and a large number of Ballyhoo (small fish that tail walked across the water getting away from us). We arrived in Ft. Pierce around 4:00 PM, fueled up and then tied up at the dock. After putting things away and covering the sails, we had a quiet evening aboard.

Tues. Mar 9 — We got away from the dock around 8:00 AM and made our way slowly downriver, timing ourselves to make an 8:30 bridge opening. There was very little wind, so once out in the ocean, we motored along, staying about two miles offshore. The day was sunny, but a little chilly and we had a pleasant trip. We went in through the Lake Worth Inlet (Palm Beach) and anchored for the night on Lake Worth. There was not much wind, but the current moved us all around.

Mon. Mar 8 — During the day we did some last minute shopping and prepared the boat for travel. We were able to clear out of the marina in the afternoon, so that we could get an early start in the morning

Sun. Mar 7 — We went to church in the morning and enjoyed an excellent service. We both agree that we would join this church if we were staying in the Ft. Lauderdale area. In the afternoon, we took care of a couple of chores and relaxed on the boat.

Sat. Mar 6 — In the morning we went to breakfast/lunch at a restaurant on the beach and walked along the beach for a while. You can really tell that Spring Break has started. The beach and the sidewalks were packed with students. In the afternoon, I walked to the gym and worked out. In order to get into the gym and back out, I had to make a wide detour around a large group standing outside a bar that is next door to the gym.

Fri. Mar 5 — Another sunny, cool morning with the daytime high predicted to be around 70 degrees. In the afternoon, we went to see a movie that both have been waiting for, Alice in Wonderland. We enjoyed it very much and recommend it highly.

Thurs. Mar 4 — Up early this morning. After packing our belongings and loading the car, we went to Lin’s doctor’s appointment. She got a good report and we were on the road by 10:00 AM. After wandering around for a bit, we found the interstate and headed south, arriving back on the boat around 1:00 PM. The boat was fine, and after putting things away, we relaxed for a while. In the evening, I walked over to a takeout Greek restaurant and brought food back to the boat. We watched TV and read for a while before going to bed.

Wed. Mar 3 — In the morning, Lin drove to downtown Ft. Pierce and got her hair cut. After she returned, I took the car to the local Toyota deal for some safety recall repairs. The rest of the afternoon was spent doing laundry and shopping. In the evening we spent some time in the hot tub, socializing and trying to identify constellations. The air was chilly, but the water nice and warm.

Tues. Mar 2 — Up in the morning and off to see a dermatologist. I got a clean bill of health, but Lin had to have a couple of spots removed. We’re paying the price for our years in the tropics. The rest of the day just sort of disappeared. In the evening we sat in the hot tub and socialized for a while before going to bed.

Mon. Mar 1 — We spent most of the day cleaning the boat so that it would look good if the broker brought people to see it while we were away. In the afternoon, we worked out at the gym before leaving for Ft. Pierce.

Sun. Feb 28 — In the morning we went to church. The service was quite good. Afterward, we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant. We spent a quiet afternoon on the boat and read and watched TV before going to bed.

Sat. Feb 27 — In the morning we walked to the beach and ate brunch at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Afterward, we walked along the shore and enjoyed the scenery for a while. Later, we worked out at the gym.

Fri. Feb 26 — We drove around for a while and did some shopping. Our old printer has died, and we bought a replacement. The new printer works quite well and even prints pictures.

Thurs. Feb 25 — The clouds and rain have finally cleared out, but it is still quite windy. We had planned going to the gym. However, we spoke with our broker, and learned that he was showing the boat during the afternoon. Plans changed and we spent the morning cleaning the boat. In the afternoon, Lin went to the gym and I stayed aboard to greet the potential buyers and answer questions. After they left, we spent a quiet evening aboard.

Wed. Feb 24 — We awoke to another cloudy, rainy day. I emptied our forward cabin and disconnected hoses to drain the water heater. Jim from Grace came over and helped me remove the water heater from its hole underneath the forward cabin bunk (now a storage area). It only took a couple of hours to finish the chore. In the afternoon, I took Jim and Theresa with me and we ran some errands. In the evening, it was more TV and reading.

Tues. Feb 23 — The weather remained cloudy and rainy. We went to the gym in the morning. Afterward, Lin dropped me off at the boat and went out to get a massage. After she got back, she and Theresa from Grace went shopping. I spent the afternoon working around the boat. During the afternoon, our new water heater was delivered to the marina and the dockmaster brought it to the dock. In the evening, I turned off the water heater, so that the water would not be too hot when I drained it out.

Mon. Feb 22 — During the night, a front came through and it was rainy and windy. We had planned to work out at the gym, but got caught up running errands and when it got to be late, decided to postpone the workout until the following day.

Sun. Feb 21 — The day was warm (mid 70s), bright and sunny. We attended a Unitarian Church in the morning. The church meets in an elementary school about 15 miles from the boat. The members of the congregation were pleasant, lively and welcoming. The service was very good and the minister’s message thought provoking. After church, we socialized for a while and then drove to a bookstore where Lin purchased some cards and books. After that, we went across the street to an upscale shopping mall where we had lunch and looked through some of the shops. Back on the boat, we watched the Olympics and read.

Sat. Feb 20 — We awoke to the sound of people cheering a large group of runners. A long distance run left the beach area near us and headed over the bridge and along Las Olas Blvd. After spending the morning on the boat, we visited “Butterfly World”. It is located in what appears to be a public park. In addition to a large enclosed space full of butterflies, there is a botanical garden, an insect zoo, a collection of mounted butterflies and insects and several walk in cages of birds. We had a good time and Lin took a lot of pictures. Afterwards, I dropped Lin off at the gym and went back to the boat and took care of some things. In the evening we watched the Olympics.

Fri. Feb 19 — Not much to report. We did a few chores, ran a few errands and worked out at the gym. As usual, we had a quiet meal aboard, watched the Olympics and read for a while before going to bed.

Thurs. Feb 18 — Up in the morning for some last minute cleaning up. The broker and potential buyers arrived and I answered questions and showed them around the boat while Lin ran errands. Afterward, I spent time on the phone ordering a new waterheater and arranging to have it shipped to us.

Wed. Feb 17 — The day was pretty uneventful. After a quiet morning on the boat, we went to the gym and worked out. Our broker called and scheduled another showing of the boat for the following day. We have been smelling antifreeze on the boat and discovered that the heat exchanger in our waterheater is leaking (we heat water with either 120 volt electricity or cooling water from one of our engines). We cleaned things up a bit and I started looking a replacement waterheater. In the evening we watched TV and read.

Tues. Feb 16 — We were up earlier that usual to give the boat some last minute cleaning before the broker arrived with a perspective buyer. At 10:00 AM the broker and potential buyer arrived on the boat. I stayed aboard talked with them while Lin went outside the gate to our dock and washed the car. The perspective buyer seemed to like the boat, but only time will tell. After lunch I ran some errands while Lin stayed aboard and caught up on emails.

Mon. Feb 15 — Around 9:30 AM, we joined Jim and Theresa and went to the Miami Boat Show. The show was spread between the Miami Convention Center and a local marina. It was a huge show and unfortunately, the main floor of the convention center was filled with sportsfishing boats and runabouts. As a result, venders were spread over a large area and it was very difficult to take everything in. We looked around for a while, bought a couple of small things, had lunch and then headed back to the boat. While we were there, our broker called and we arranged for a potential buyer to visit Alize the following morning. In the evening we watched the Olympics before going to bed.

Sun. Feb 14 — Happy Valentine’s Day! We were up in the morning and off to find the church that we had chosen to attend. The church was in a nice facility, but we were not as favorably impressed as we had hoped to be. In the evening, Lin made fondue and Jim and Theresa came over for dinner. We had a very enjoyable evening socializing with them. After they left, we watched the Olympics and then went to bed.

Sat. Feb 13 — The winds were very strong and the day cool and overcast. After a quiet morning, we ran a few errands, including finding the local Border’s Bookstore. We discovered that one of the Florida authors who I enjoy (Tim Dorsey) was holding a talk and book signing at the store, so we stayed and I attended it. If you enjoy books with really strange characters doing outrageous things (typical Floridians ??), then you might enjoy this author. Back on the boat, we read and relaxed and then watched the Olympics in the evening.

Fri. Feb 12 — The day is warmer (mid 70s) but continues quite breezy. Around 11:00 AM Theresa came to the boat and asked if we could drive her to the hospital to pick up Jim. Jim had gone for a morning walk and then breakfast at a waterfront café. As he was finishing his meal, a gust of wind knocked umbrellas over. One of them hit him on the face, producing cuts that required stitches. After picking him up and taking him to a supermarket to pick up some prescriptions, I went back to the boat. We stayed pretty close to the boat during the day, but I did run a couple of errands, walking over to a store to pick up some ice and later walking to a gym that we are thinking about joining. The day continued to be quite windy with winds in the 20 to 30 kt range. In these conditions, it is comforting being in a marina, securely tied to a dock.

Thurs. Feb 11 — It was pretty chilly overnight (low in the mid 40s) and we both stayed under the covers for a while in the morning. Around 11:00 AM, Lin and Theresa from Grace took our car and went shopping while I stayed on the boat. We spent the afternoon doing minor chores and reading. In the evening, Jim and Theresa came over for drinks and snacks. After they left, we ate some soup, watched TV and read and then went to bed.

Wed. Feb 10 — During the morning I spent time on the internet researching things to do in Ft. Lauderdale. Around noon, we went to ride the water taxis around Ft. Lauderdale. Jim and Theresa from Grace, the boat docked next to us, came along. The water taxi ride lasted several hours and took us all over Ft. Lauderdale. We discovered that the city has over 300 miles of waterways and some very, very wealthy people. We saw a large number of mega yachts, the longest (belonging to one of the Microsoft founders) was over 400 ft. long. In many places, the waterways were lined with huge mansions. Most were crowded together because of the cost of land, but one of the mansions, valued at around 38 million dollars had a very big side yard. The owner had bought two multi million dollars mansions next to his property and torn them down so that he has a place for his dogs to run. It seems wrong that some people have so much wealth when so many people are out of work and hungry. After riding the water taxi for a while, we stopped in the downtown area and watched the movie Avatar in IMAX 3D. We enjoyed the movie as much the second time as we had the first and Jim and Theresa were amazed by their first experience of 3D. Afterward we stopped for some dinner before taking the Water Taxi back to the marina. It was late when we got back, but we stayed up for a while and watched TV.

Tues. Feb 09 — Happy Anniversary to us. Somehow, Lin has managed to put up with me for 36 years. We spent the morning cleaning the boat and putting things away. Around 11:00 AM, Cindy, a yacht broker from Ft. Pierce, came to the boat. We talked for a while, and then a women who is buying a boat, and her captain, arrived at Alize. We gave them a tour of the boat and answered their questions. Around 1:00 PM, Michael, the broker we’re listed with, came to the boat and we all talked.

Mon. Feb 08 — In the morning, Lin finished running a couple of loads of laundry while I ran errands, including buying a replacement microphone for the VHF. I went back to the house and picked Lin up before taking care of a few more errands. Then, it was time for the long drive back to Ft. Lauderdale.

Sun. Feb 07 — Around 1:30 PM, Bob and Nancy arrived at the boat, after a 2 + hour drive from Ft. Pierce. After lunch (hoagies brought by Nancy) we all drove back to Ft. Pierce. In the evening, we attended a Super Bowl party an Bob & Nancy’s church. We watched the game for a while and enjoyed a wide array of snacks before going back to the house.

Sat. Feb 06 — We spent a leisurely day on the boat. The diver checked out saildrives and could not find anything that would explain our water flow problem. When I started the engine, water flowed out of the exhaust very nicely. Our best guess is that a plastic bag got wrapped around the saildrive while we were running offshore and came loose and fell off while we sat on the dock.In the afternoon I went for a walk. The marina is about two blocks from and beach, and the area along beach looks just like most Jersey Shore communities. In the evening, we were surprised by a large and elaborate fireworks show. According to the television news, there was a concert on the beach with about 35,000 people attending. We plan to stay here for about a month, but the area really is too busy and noisy for our taste.

Fri. Feb 05 — After a good night’s sleep, we got up and started cleaning the boat. I arranged for a diver to come to the boat on Saturday and check out the clogged water intake. We are on the New River, just south of the Las Olas Bridge. The traffic is rather noisy and the bridge opens every half hour to let boats go through. There are many very large power boats here, (mega yachts).

Thurs. Feb 04 — We had another fairly early morning and raised our anchor around 8:00 AM. After going out the inlet, we turned south and motor sailed around two miles offshore for the day. Conditions were excellent and we had a nice sail. When we re-started one of our engines, no water came out of the exhaust (not good). While Lin drove the boat, I went to work on the problem, which proved to be a clogged water intake. I could blow air out of the boat through the intake hose, but water would not flow back in. In the end, we kept going on one engine and only used the second engine while docking. While this was going on, Lin discovered that the helm station VHF mic was not working. Using the handheld VHF, we managed to communicate with the marina and get someone to show us where to dock.

Wed. Feb 03 — We got up early. The skies were still overcast, but we finally got away from the dock around 9:00 AM. We spent the day motoring along the ICW, arriving at Lake Worth (Palm Beach) in the afternoon. There were a large number of boats anchored in Lake Worth, all pointing in different directions. We got our anchor down and spent a quiet night on the boat.

Tues Feb 02 — Not much to report. We spent a quiet day with last minute preparations for leaving. We took our car to Bob & Nancy’s in the afternoon, parking it in their back yard. After dinner, Bob drove us back to our boat.

Mon. Feb 01 — We awoke to a cool, overcast, rainy day. Fortunately, we ran most of our errands yesterday, so we can stay on the boat. We spent a quiet day on the boat.

Sun. Jan 31 — The weather was warm but somewhat cloudy for most of the day. In the morning, we went to church, and socialized for a while after the service. Afterward, we caught a quick bite and went to a movie. The movie, Edge of Darkness, was violent but pretty good. After the movie, we ran a few errands and then went back to the boat. In the late afternoon, a front came though and the wind clocked around 180 degrees and the temperature dropped. In the evening Lin prepared dinner and we watched TV and read for a while before going to bed.

Sat. Jan 30 — We got to enjoy the sort of winter weather that Floridians like to boast about, warm and sunny. In the morning, we met a cruising friend (LaVonne from Temptation) who was in town visiting her mother, for lunch. We enjoyed sitting at an outside table and socializing while we ate. After lunch, we drove south to Sebastian and got together with a couple that we met in church, Phil and Tina at their rental condo. They have an interesting life, living at their home in North Carolina during the summer and staying in rented condos in Florida during the winter. The weather had cooled down a bit, so we stayed in and played board games, rather than swimming in the pool. In the evening Tina prepared an excellent meal using fish that Phil had caught the previous day. Later, back on the boat, we watched TV and read.

Fri. Jan 22 thru Fri. Jan 29 — Oops. I let a week go by without making any entries and now can’t remember everything that happened during the period. During the time, we got the outboard on the dinghy repaired and now have all of the items on our list of necessary repairs taken care of. We went to church on Sunday and took in a movie afterward. On Tuesday, I went to the local airport where Lin’s cousin, Bob, is helping load relief supplies for shipment to Haiti. The hanger was a very busy place with a large group of volunteers packaging donations and loading planes. In addition to a small fleet of DC-3s, they have a huge cargo plane (a C 130) shipping supplies and volunteers. We shopped and did boat chores and Lin did a few loads of laundry. For the information of our friend, Pete, no we got through the period without defrosting the freezer.

Thurs. Jan 21 — The day was warm (high 83), windy and partly cloudy. After collecting our things, we went back to the boat, doing some shipping along the way. On the boat, we put our purchases away, re-worked dock lines and took care of some boat chores. As predicted, it was very windy with gusts in the mid 20s. Lin did made a salad and we went back to Bob & Nancy’s, where Lin prepared a fondue dinner for all. It was delicious. After cleaning up we came back to the boat for the night.

Thurs. Jan 21 — The day was warm (high 83), windy and partly cloudy. After collecting our things, we went back to the boat, doing some shipping along the way. On the boat, we put our purchases away, re-worked dock lines and took care of some boat chores. As predicted, it was very windy with gusts in the mid 20s. Lin did made a salad and we went back to Bob & Nancy’s, where Lin prepared a fondue dinner for all. It was delicious. After cleaning up we came back to the boat for the night.

Wed. Jan 20 — Back to the boat in the morning. While the mechanic finished work on the sail drives, Lin and I washed and buffed the sides of the boat. Around 2:00 PM, Alize went back into the water. When we started the engines, we discovered that very little cooling water was flowing out of the port engine. We tied up at the dock while I replaced an impeller and made a few minor repairs. The return to our old dock went without problem and we were soon tied up to our old dock. After a few adjustments to our lines, we went back to Bob & Nancy’s for the night.

Tues. Jan 19 — Around 9:30 AM, with Tim (the mechanic aboard) we left our slip and motored to the haulout yard. As might have been predicted, we didn’t feel any excess vibration. The haulout went smoothly, though it always makes nervous to see Alize up in the air. The mechanic checked out both saildrives and flushed out the old oil. The only problem discovered was excess wear in the port propeller. We ordered a new blade kit and some zincs to be overnighted to us. In the evening we went to Nancy and Bob’s house where we had dinner and spent the night. They fired up their hot tub and we enjoyed sitting in the hot tub and talking and looking at the stars after dinner. Such a rough life.

Mon. Jan 18 — In the morning we finalized arrangements to have Alize hauled and the increased vibration in the starboard engine checked out. Our day was spent working out at the gym and getting the boat ready to be hauled. A diver who had promised to check our props and clean any growth off them never showed up. We were concerned

Sun. Jan 17 — Up in the morning and off to church. After church we went to lunch and a movie (Leap Year) with another couple. We’re really getting our movie “fix” these days. On the way back to the boat, we visited the yard where Alize is being hauled, later in the week, to familiarize ourselves with the setup and confirm the width of the haulout slip. We will fit into the slip about six inches to spare on either side.

Sat. Jan 16 — Another very pleasant day. After working out and running some errands, we went to see Avatar, a movie that we have really been looking forward. It was excellent and the 3D effects were amazing. After the movie, we enjoyed a very good dinner at a Greek Restaurant.

Fri. Jan 15 — Happy birthday to me. Lin had some presents in the morning. After running a few errands, we went to Bob and Nancy’s (it is also Nancy’s birthday today). We went out to a movie (Blindsided) and then met another couple for dinner. After dinner, it was back to the boat.

Thurs. Jan 14 — Another bright, sunny, chilly morning. We ran a few errands and worked out at the gym.

Wed. Jan 13 — In the morning, I ran a couple of errands while Lin stayed aboard. In the afternoon, we ran a few more errands. Walking to the car, we could look into the water and see dozens of snook, some almost three feet long resting in the water. Because of the cold temperatures, they were almost immobile. One of our errands was to convert our cell phones from pre-paid minute plans to contracts, simple, right. At the end of three hours, we had a contract signed and were on monthly plans. We also had two new (spare) phones that we didn’t need and a wasted afternoon. After a couple of more errands, we stopped by Bob & Nancy’s church for their regular Wednesday night dinner. Afterward, it was back to the boat to watch a rented movie before going to bed.

Tues. Jan 12 — In the morning, we got off the boat and went to a local diner for breakfast. Afterward, we ran a few more errands and then went back to the boat for a while. In the afternoon, we did a little more shopping and stopped at a Mexican restaurant for dinner. Afterward, we visited Bob & Nancy for a little while and then headed back to the boat.

Mon. Jan 11 — Another quiet day aboard. It was sunny but still pretty cold. Around noon, Lin’s cousin, Bob delivered mail to us that had been delivered to his home. It was nice to socialize for a while. We are feeling better, but still not 100%. In the early afternoon, the electronics technician arrived and replaced our GPS antenna. When we started the GPS, it initially showed that the boat was in Taiwan, but gradually corrected itself and placed us in Ft. Pierce. During the rest of the afternoon, we took care of a few more chores, getting canvas stitched, confirming work to be done, and contacting other contractors to schedule work. During the past couple of (cold) days, we’ve stayed aboard most of the time.

Sun. Jan 10 — The morning was sunny but very cold. According to the TV weather forecast the wind chill temperature was in the upper teens. I’m still not feeling well and we spent the aboard, with me sleeping a lot of the time. Temperatures are supposed to gradually improve during the next few days with highs in the mid 70s by the end of the week.

Sat. Jan 09 — The day was cold and rainy. The highs were only in the 40s, and we spent the day inside, resting and getting over whatever disease
we’ve got.

Fri. Jan 08 — We got up a little later than usual. Both of us have come down with something and stayed in and rested for the day.

Wed. Jan 06 & Thurs. Jan 07 — We joined a gym several days ago and got in a workout today. So far, we’ve managed to make it to the gym every other day It really feels good to work out, but every workout is a reminder of just how out of shape we’ve become. On Wednesday and Thursday an electronics technician came to the boat and diagnosed a problem that we’ve been having with our GPS. It turned that the man helped wire several of the early Mantas and may have helped wire Alize.

Tues. Jan 05 — The weather has gotten quite a bit colder, but still bright and sunny. We enjoyed a quiet at Bob & Nancy’s and Lin prepared excellent meals for all. In the evening, we went back to the boat.

Mon. Jan 04 — After doing a little shopping, we went to Bob & Nancy’s, where Lin did some cooking. Around 7:00 PM I left for the Ft. Lauderdale airport to pick up Bob & Nancy who were returning from Spokane. Their flight was on time and I picked them up with no problems. We got back to Ft. Pierce a little before midnight and all went to bed.

Sun. Jan 03 — In the morning we attended church at the Unitarian Church in Vero Beach. Afterward, we got a bite to eat and then went back to the boat. At the request of the marina we moved Alize to the other side of the dock to make room for some large boats that are coming to the marina. The rest of the day was spent quietly on the boat.

Sat. Jan 02 — The weather turned a bit cooler today, but the day was still sunny. During the afternoon, we went to Bob & Nancy’s, played with the dogs for a while, and used their grill to cook some shish kabobs. In the evening we watched Texas Tech playing in a bowl game (and winning !!!).

Fri. Jan 01 — Happy New Year. We made it up until around 10:00 PM last night. Since 9:00 PM is jokingly referred to as “Cruiser’s Midnight”, I guess that we can claim to have stayed up until after midnight. The day is bright, warm and sunny, and we spent a quiet day aboard the boat.

Thurs. Dec 31 — The day turned into a warm, sunny, pleasant day. We were glad to be running around wearing shorts and tee shirts, particularly since we would have been dealing with snow and ice if back in Pennsylvania. In the morning, we went to a nearby gym, signed up and worked out. Afterward, Lin went to a nearby salon to get a massage and I did some shopping before returning to the boat. In the afternoon we went to Bob & Nancy’s where I collected an outboard engine carburetor that I had ordered and Lin did a little cleaning. While we were there, one of the yacht brokers who has shown Alize called to say that one of the people who saw Alize is spending the weekend reviewing their finances and may be making an offer early next week. We also got a call from our friend, Pete of Pekabu, who is still doing some sailing on the Chesapeake, brrrrrr. After doing a little more shopping, we returned to the boat and put purchases away. We had dinner at the restaurant in the marina and then watched a move and some TV for a while before going to sleep. We made it up until around 10:30 PM, pretty good for us.

Wed. Dec 30 — We spent a very quiet morning on the boat. By noon, the temperature was up to comfortable shorts and tee shirt conditions. We ran a few errands, taking neighbors on another boat to pick up their car along the way. After running our errands, checking on Bob & Nancy’s dogs and stopping at our favorite produce stand, we went back to the boat.

Tues. Dec 29 — Lin not feeling well today, possibly a reaction to yesterday’s vaccination. We decided to spend a quiet day, Lin on the boat, me doing a little shopping and taking care of a few minor boat chores. In the evening, we watched TV for a bit and read before going to bed.

Mon. Dec 28 — After a quiet morning on the boat, we spent the afternoon running errands. One of our stops was to get H1N1 vaccinations. After several stops, we visited a gym. It seems to be well equipped and offered monthly memberships among its options. We will probably join the gym and push ourselves to work out at least three times a week. Around 9:00 PM, we saw a boat coming in on the other side of the dock from us. It was our friends Kent and Mary Lou on Beloved Barracuda (who had left the dock two days previously). They got as far north as Cape Canaveral when they encountered high winds (25 kts from the north) and heavy seas and one of their engines failed. They had wisely turned around and come back to the marina. While docking, their bow sprit struck another vessel. The owner of the other boat was very angry and very vocal (and probably not in full control of himself). We were glad to see them back, but would have preferred more favorable circumstances. I helped with their lines and made sure that everything was O.K. before going back to Alize.

Sun. Dec 27 — We were up fairly early in the morning. It was cool and overcast. Around 9:30 AM we left to find the Unitarian church in Vero Beach, about 12 miles away. With the aide of our GPS navigator we arrived with no problems. It was a large, beautiful church and a guest minister gave an excellent, sermon. After the service we stayed and socialized for a while. On the way back to the boat, we stopped by the beach for a while and enjoyed sitting and watching the ocean. We were a little cool, but had a very nice time. Afterwards, we went back to Vero Beach and had lunch at a BBQ place. Back on the boat, we took care of a few chores and then went to Bob & Nancy’s to check on the dogs and do a load of laundry. We were hoping to watch the Eagle’s game, but the local CBS station showed another game instead. We watched that game and, when it was over, the last few minutes of the Eagle’s game. We were glad to see them win. Back on the boat, we watched TV for a while before going to bed.

Sat. Dec 26 — We worked on boat chores for a while in the morning and then ran a few errands. One of our stops was at a large shopping mall. After years out of the country, we had forgotten what a large mall can be like, particularly during holiday season. We made our purchases and got away from there as soon as possible. We stopped by Bob & Nancy’s on the way back to the boat for some leftover shish kabob and to check on the dogs. The rest of the day was spent quietly on the boat.

Fri. Dec 25 — Merry Christmas. Christmas morning was warm, windy and overcast. I was wakened by a large number of Jacks (fish) running into the hull of our boat. It was a little like waking up in a bass drum that was being beaten. After opening a few presents, we finished our annual Christmas letter and got Christmas cards ready to send out. In the evening we went to Bob & Nancy’s and cooked Shish kabob on the grill. The temperature was in the upper 70’s and we enjoyed eating out by the pool. Afterward, we went back to the boat and watched TV for a while before going to bed.

Thurs. Dec 24 — We enjoyed a bright, sunny, warm day (high of 77 degrees). I ran a few errands and Lin prepared some food. Bob called in the afternoon from Spokane to say hello and ask how his home and dogs were doing. In the evening we went to a Christmas Eve Service at Bob & Nancy’s church. Back on the boat, we watched TV and read for a while before going to bed.

Wed. Dec 23 — After doing a few chores on the boat, we went to our eye doctor’s appointment. This was a follow up for the Lasik surgery that we had performed in Pennsylvania. We both got good reports. After lunch at a Mexican restaurant, we went back to the boat. I ran a few errands in the afternoon while Lin worked on our Christmas letter. In the evening, we stopped by Bob & Nancy’s to check on the dogs and pick up some leftovers from Sunday’s dinner.

Tues. Dec 22 — The phone rang at 7:15 AM, the surgery center calling to ask if Lin would like to come in early (they had a cancellation) for her diagnostic study. We went their early and Lin did her study. Staff were very helpful and friendly, but it was really good to have the study out of the way. Afterwards, we went to a nice little restaurant in Ft. Pierce for brunch. When we got back to the boat, the canvas people were replacing our mainsail cover after replacing the zipper. I helped them a bit and Lin went inside to rest. In the afternoon we did a bit of shopping and went to Bob & Nancy’s house to check on things and do a little laundry.

Mon. Dec 21 — Morning came very early today. I was up at 3:00 AM today to ride with Bob & Nancy to the Ft. Lauderdale airport and bring their truck back. The trip was uneventful and they got off all right. Shortly after I got back to their house, a local broker called to say that she had a prospective buyer and wanted to show the boat in the early afternoon. We went back to the boat and cleaned up a bit, then Lin went shopping while I met the broker and clients and showed the boat. Lin came back after they left and we enjoyed a late lunch. In the evening, we went back to Bob and Nancy’s and enjoyed a dinner of leftovers from the previous night’s feast. We also did a couple of loads of laundry and watched some TV. Back on the boat, we put laundry away and watched a little more TV before going to bed.

Sun. Dec 20 — We got up early and went to church with Bob & Nancy. After church, Lin went to their house to prepare dinner (she got to cook in a full sized kitchen) and I went back to the boat. After doing a few chores on the boat, I went to Bob & Nancy’s. Lin prepared an excellent meal for six and we really enjoyed ourselves. After dinner, we watched a movie, Second hand lion, before going to bed.

Sat. Dec 19 — We awoke to a bright, sunny, windy, chilly day. The clouds and rain of the last few days are gone, but the temperature is only supposed to get up into the mid 60s for the next few days. We worked around the boat for a while and then did some shopping. Back on the boat, Lin prepared some food for Sunday dinner. In the evening we watched TV for a while and read before going to bed.

Fri. Dec 18 — It was very windy during the night and we were both up several times checking our fenders when it sounded as if our hull was grinding against the dock pilings. Everything was O.K., but it still disturbed our sleep. In the morning the wind died down, but it rained steadily for most of the day. We spent a quiet day aboard the boat. I made a few calls to arrange repairs of things that should be fixed before we sell the boat. I spoke with the local yacht broker who has shown the boat, and she is re-scheduling the showing that was scheduled for Saturday. Our friend, Pete from Pekabu called to wish Lin a happy birthday. He had spent the day putting a cover on his boat, in anticipation of a storm with up to two feet of snow. I’m very glad that I brought our car south last weekend, rather than waiting for a few days. During the evening, we heard a loud crash from near us on the dock. A sailboat trying to dock in the dark had run into the dock. Eventually, the boat got tied up on the fuel dock. The person onboard had spent three days sailing single handed from Charleston, blew out part of his jib and finally crash landed in our marina. He was quite tired and glad to be tied to a dock.

Thurs. Dec 17— Happy Birthday, Lin (but I won’t tell which one). We plan to celebrate with a movie and dinner later in the day. It was quite windy during the night and in the morning started raining, heavily at times. We also had Jacks (fairly large fish) banging into the boat. We recognized the sound, because this was a common occurrence when we were docked in Bradenton, FL a few years ago. In the morning, we went shopping and ran a few errands. After returning to the boat and putting things away, we went to Bob & Nancy’s. We all went to a movie (Invictus, very good) and then to dinner at an Outback Steakhouse. It rained off and on during the afternoon and evening, quite hard at times. Later, back on the boat, we saw a weather report and were told that the area had received over six inches of rain during the day.

Wed. Dec 16 — Lin was up early in the morning and off to have some medical studies done. I stayed on the boat to wait for a broker and some prospective boat buyers. After a number of no-shows, the broker and customer arrived and toured the boat at around 2:30 PM. The man and his son are looking for a catamaran to sail back to their home in Australia. He seemed interested, but we will wait to see what happens. Another broker stopped by with some questions for other potential buyers. We’ve decided to get started with some of the minor things that we know will need to be repaired when the boat is sold. The broken mainsail cover zipper will be repaired next week and I have a mechanic who will check out the vibration in the starboard saildrive. In the evening we ate aboard and watched a movie.

Tues. Dec 15 — After some quiet time on the boat, we arranged to meet Bob and Nancy for breakfast. Over breakfast, we discussed our options if/when we sell Alize. While we want to live close to our family in Pennsylvania, we don’t to move back there until the weather warms up in the Spring. After we got back to the boat, I defrosted the freezer while Lin ran errands. When I bought ice from the marina, I mentioned that the broker from the local yacht broker’s office had never come to see Alize. I also discovered that the cost of a month’s stay in the marina was less than the cost of eight days at the daily rate. By paying for a month, I effectively got free dockage for the next three weeks. After I returned to the boat, another broker (called by the marina staff) called me and asked if he could come see the boat, sometime soon, so that he could start showing it to prospective buyers. A little while later, a broker from the local brokerage came to boat, toured it, and arranged to show Alize to three potential buyers during the next few days. We have not gotten a response to the counter offer that we made to the couple who toured the boat a few days ago. In the evening, we had dinner with Nancy and Bob and then returned to the boat.

Mon. Dec 14 — We woke up early in the morning. Lin left after breakfast to go shopping with Nancy. I took care of some boat chores and then did a little shopping, including refilling our propane tank. In the evening we had dinner with Bob and Nancy. While we were there, our broker called with another offer from the couple whose first offer we had rejected. After some discussion, we responded with a counter offer. Back on the boat, we talked with Lin’s brother and then watched TV.

Sun. Dec 13 — I got up early, ate the motel’s “continental breakfast” and was on the road before 8:00 AM. The day was overcast with periods of rain. Despite the rain, I made good time and reached the Georgia/Florida border shortly after noon. The day gradually warmed and the clouds disappeared. When I arrived at Ft. Pierce, around 4:30 PM, the temperature was in the mid-80s. It was really nice to see Lin and to be home. Alize looked really nice with her Christmas decorations on display. In the evening we watched the Eagles beat the N.J. Giants.

Sat. Dec 12 — In the morning, I ate breakfast and got underway around 8:00 AM. The knee that I had landed on while getting off the boat had stiffened up and I limped when walking. The weather was good for driving and I made it to Dillon, SC by 4:30 PM. During the drive to South Carolina, the temperature rose from the 30s to the mid 40s. Lin spent the day helping Bob and Nancy prepare for a parting that they were hosting at their house. The party, in the evening, went quite well with 35 to 40 people attending.

Fri. Dec 11 — We were up at 4:00 AM and out the door by 5:00 AM. Getting off the boat, I slipped on the wet dock and went down on my bad knee. We drove to Bob & Nancy’s house where Lin crashed in their guest room while Bob drove me to the airport in West Palm Beach (???). My flight was uneventful and our son, Mike met me at the airport. The temperature in Philadelphia was at the freezing mark and there were patches of ice on the ground. I was forcefully reminded of how little I enjoy cold weather. We had lunch and talked for a while before picking up the car. It started with no problem and I drove to my in-law’s house. It was nice seeing Howard and Anne and we enjoyed catching up on things. Lin spent the day decorating the boat for Christmas and helping Bob and Nancy prepare for a party.

Thurs. Dec 10 — We spent the day doing chores on the boat. With the dampness we’ve had (when the boat is heated during cold weather, the insides of the hulls collect condensation), several areas of the boat have collected mildew. We emptied the forward starboard cabin, a major storage area, and set things out to dry. The next step will be to clean the mildew off the walls. I finished packing for my trip to Pennsylvania and ran a few errands.

Wed. Dec 9 — During the morning, we spent more time cleaning. Around noon, Lin left for an appoint with a dermatologist and I waited for the broker and potential buyers. The showing went very well, and we’re waiting to see if we get an offer. I’ve decided to go to Pennsylvania and bring our car down to Florida, and purchased tickets to go to Philidelphia on Friday. Lin’s brother and his wife kindly offered to let me stay with them for a night before heading south with the car. In the evening we met Bob and Nancy and went to a dinner at their church. While we were at dinner, we ran a load of laundry at their house. After the dinner, we went back to the house and did more laundry and watched TV. Back at the boat, we went to bed.

Tues. Dec 8 — I work up to something banging on the outside of the hull. Looking out a port, I discovered that it was a pelican (apparently going after a fish). They can be very noisy neighbors. We spent most of the day cleaning up the boat in preparation for potential buyers who are coming on Wednesday. We worked cleaning the boat for most of the day. In the evening, we had dinner on the boat before going to bed.

Mon. Dec 7 — During one of our anchor checks, I discovered that we were staying in place but that another boat was dragging in our direction. After getting his attention with our horn, I stayed up for an hour or so keeping an eye on him. When he had stayed put for a while, I went to bed. We both checked on him periodically during the night. We woke up fairly early and by 7:45 had our anchor up and were under way. The day was warmer than recent days with mixed clouds and sun. We steadily motored along the ICW, slowly passing a number of sailboats along the way. During the day, Lin saw a manatee and we both saw several dolphins and a large flight of pelicans. Late in the morning we got a call from our yacht broker who had a potential buyer who was very eager to see Alize. We tentatively arranged for the broker and potential buyer to come to come see Alize on Wednesday. We arrived at Ft. Pierce around 2:00 PM, fueled up and tied up along the face dock. After we settled in, we called Lin’s cousin Bob and his wife Nancy who live in Ft. Pierce. Reluctantly, we turned down their invitation to dinner, explaining the need to get busy readying the boat to be shown. A little later, Bob arrived at the boat with the offer of a car to use while we’re in town. We gladly accepted and I drove back to his house and picked up the car. Back on the boat, it was cleaning time. In the evening we watched TV for a while and then went to bed.

Sun. Dec 6 — We got a fairly leisurely start in the morning, leaving the dock around 9:00 AM. The day was cool and overcast with periods of light rain and some sunshine. We arrived at Melbourne and were anchored by 2:00 PM. We spent a quiet afternoon aboard, had leftovers for dinner, watched TV for a while and went to bed early.

Sat. Dec 5 — We slept fairly late in the morning and awoke to an overcast, cold rainy day. We did a few boat chores during the day and Lin did a load of laundry before going to see a movie. I wasn’t interested in anything showing and stayed on the boat. The clouds started breaking up in the late and the sun came out, and promptly set. During the evening, we were startled by a loud rumbling that actually shook the boat. I went outside and checked, but didn’t see anything unusual. As I was coming back into the cabin, we discovered the cause of the noise and vibration. The television was showing a rocket that had just been launched from Cape Canaveral, only a few miles from Titusville.

Fri. Dec 4 — Up early again this morning. The sky was overcast and the air was cool. We had the anchor up and were underway by 8:00 AM. After threatening rain for a few hours, it finally began to rain. Because of the cold, the inside of the cockpit enclosure clouded up. Because of the rain, the outside of the enclosure became covered in water drops. All in all, visibility was pretty poor. Typically, while one of us drove the boat (usually Lin) while the other one navigated and used the binoculars to spot navigational marks. It was not one of our more enjoyable days. Because of the cold and the rain and the potential for storms with strong winds, we opted to go to a marina. At about 2:00 PM, we tied up at the Titusville Municipal Marina in a heavy downpour. After checking into the marina, we warmed up the boat and Lin used the dryer to dry our clothes. The evening TV weather forecast indicated that the next day might very similar to today, with Sunday and Monday looking like better travel days. Therefore, we decided to stay where we are for another day. In the evening we enjoyed a quiet evening aboard.

Thurs. Dec 3 — Up early and out of the marina by 8:00 AM. The sky was somewhat overcast and the air a little chilly, but we had an O.K. day motoring along the ICW. At around 2:30 PM, we anchored off of the city of Daytona. We spent a quiet afternoon and evening aboard, playing games, eating dinner in the cockpit while enjoying the sunset and watched TV for a while before going to bed.

Wed. Dec 2 — We woke to the sound of jack hammers at 6:00 AM. The people working on the Bridge of Lions were extremely noisy this morning. We completed a few boat chores in the morning and early afternoon. Later, we called a taxi and went to the movies to see the movie “2012”. The movie was non-stop action and we really enjoyed it. On the way back to the marina, the taxi made a couple of stops so that we could run errands. After watching TV for a little while, we went to bed.

Tues. Dec 1 —- After a quiet morning on the boat, we walked around St. Augustine. We visited some shops, bought envelopes at the post office and ate lunch at a Greek restaurant near the marina. The marina is filling up, probably because of the predicted bad weather. Another Manta 40 pulled into the slip next to ours. We met them when we were in Solomons, MD, the guy dinghied to our boat to say hi. In the evening we played games and watched tv.

Mon. Nov 30 — In the morning we worked around the boat and sent out emails to marinas in the Ft. Lauderdale area. We walked around town for a while and spent a quiet day. Bad weather is being predicted for Wednesday afternoon, so we’ve decided to stay where we are until conditions are good for travel.

Sun. Nov 29 — Bob woke us around 7:00 AM. After we ate breakfast and finished packing our stuff, we went to church with Bob and Nancy. The service included a lot of singing a sermon and a couple of prayers. After church, Bob & Nancy drove us back to St. Augustine. On the way, we stopped at an excellent produce market in Ft. Pierce and stocked up. When we got back to St. Augustine, we dropped our stuff off at the boat and went to lunch at our favorite Cuban restaurant. After lunch, Bob and Nancy left for Ft. Pierce and we wandered through some of the shops on St. Georges St. Back on the boat, we put things away, read and watched TV.

Sat. Nov 28 — We both enjoyed a good night’s sleep. After breakfast, Bob and I went to arrange for space in a marina when we get Alize to Ft. Pierce next week. We found that Ft. Pierce City Marina had no space, but did arrange for space in Harborview Marina. Lin and Nancy spent the morning cleaning. The afternoon was spent finishing decorating for Christmas.

Fri. Nov 27 — After breakfast, Bob and I ran errands while Lin and Nancy relaxed around the house. After stops for a haircut (me) and removal of an overly tight ring (my wedding ring needs re-sizing) and a little shopping, we returned home. For lunch, Nancy prepared some excellent hoagies. The afternoon was devoted to getting Christmas decorations out of storage and setting things up. In the evening, we enjoyed Thanksgiving leftovers, watched TV and read.

Thurs. Nov 26 — We awoke to a sunny warm morning. After breakfast, we packed to be away from the boat for a few days. At 11:00 AM, Lin’s cousin, Bob, picked us up for the three hour drive to Ft. Pierce. After visiting for a while and helping out a bit, we enjoyed an excellent Thanksgiving dinner. It was really nice seeing Bob and Nancy again.

Wed. Nov 25 — In the morning, it was overcast and rainy. Winds had picked up and the seas were pretty lumpy. Several times during the morning, dolphins visited us, playing around the boat for a while before going about their business. The forecast was still for winds of 5 to 10 kts with 2 to 3 ft. seas. That wasn’t what we got. It was not a 2 to 3 ft. wave that broke completely over the boat (including the roof of the cockpit), stopping us in the water. We made the 9:00 AM opening of the Bridge of Lions and were tied up at the St. Augustine Municipal Marina a short time later. After fueling up, we went to our slip and tied up. We secured the boat in the rain before going below for lunch and a much needed rest. Before taking a nap, I spoke with a St. Augustine yacht broker who is part of the Catamaran Company. We tentatively arranged for him to come see Alize on Monday.After sleeping for most of the afternoon, we had supper and watched TV for a while before going back to bed.

Tues. Nov 24 — We had a leisurely morning. Lin did some Soduko puzzles and caught up on email while I make a few last minute preparations for departure. We got underway around 11:00 AM. The passage down the Beaufort River to the open sea took a couple of hours. Even out in the ocean we had to stay in the channel for several miles with breakers breaking on the north side of the channel. Initially, the winds were light and variable and the seas very calm. When we put the sails up the winds, still light, came around to our stern and stayed there. We motorsailed south during the afternoon and evening. Around 11:00 PM, the winds picked up, but still from behinds us. To stop the banging of the sails and boom, we took the sails down and just motored. Later, we were quite glad for this decision as winds picked up more and the Coast Guard send a warning over the VHF that there was a front with very strong winds and widespread lightening ahead of us. The recommendation that mariners seek safe shelter is rather pointless when you are 20 miles offshore. We continued on through the dark, cold night, hoping that we would not meet the front. Fortunately, we never met the front and the night passed without problems.

Mon. Nov 23 — In the morning it was extremely foggy, and we could not see beyond the mid-span of the bridge next to the marina. After checking the weather forecast, we decided to stay at Port Royal for another day. We could have gone today, but tomorrow should be nicer and sea conditions very calm. After breakfast, we borrowed the marina rental truck and went grocery shopping. Back on the boat, we put things away and prepared Alize for an overnight passage. In the evening we enjoyed dinner aboard and watched TV for a while before going to bed.

Sun. Nov 22 — We were both up several times during the night, checking to make sure that we hadn’t dragged our anchor or swung onto the sides of the creek. The day was cloudy and drizzled a little bit in the morning. We got underway a little before 8:00 AM. Because of the overcast and the windy route, it took two of us most of the time to travel, one at the helm and the other checking charts and using the binoculars to locate navigational marks. We saw dolphins swimming around us several times during the day. We arrived at Port Royal Landing Marina around 1:30 PM. As we were approaching the marina, the promised rain arrived and we got a bit wet. After fueling up, we moved Alize down the dock and tied up for the night. The staff remembered us and greeted us by name, part of the reason why this is one of our favorite stops. It rained for the rest of the afternoon and the water got rather bouncy.

Sat. Nov 21 — We were up fairly early in the morning and left the anchorage at 8:15 AM. Our departure was timed to (hopefully) allow us to make the 10:00 AM opening of a bridge that only opens on the hour (the Ben Sawyer Bridge). After the bridge, we passed through Charleston Harbor. The day was overcast, but warm and pleasant. We traveled through saltwater marshes for most of the day. In the evening, we anchored on Thomas Point Creek, about 1.5 miles off the ICW. The location was isolated but very pretty, and subject to reversing currents. We enjoyed a nice meal of leftovers, played games and watched TV for a while.

Fri. Nov 20 — We were up early and fueled up before leaving the marina. The day was warm and sunny with light winds. We arrived at our anchorage, Whiteside Creek around 2:30 PM. The Creek is in the middle of a large saltwater marsh and the area is very beautiful. The anchorage was very nice, but exposed to the winds and subject to reversing tidal currents. We were both up several times when the anchor drag alarm sounded. We weren’t dragging, just being moved by the current when the tides reversed.

Thurs. Nov 19 — It was overcast when we woke up, but the cloud cover burned off and the temperature rose to the low 70s. Since the new filters were being shipped to Sarkis, we spent the morning walking around Georgetown and doing a little shopping. Georgetown is a picturesque old town and the people are very pleasant. In the early afternoon, Sarkis and his assistant arrived at the boat and installed the new filters. Because of questions about why the old glass bowl broke, Sarkis sold us the new filters at his cost and charged half of his standard hourly rate. After they left, I did a little more shopping while Lin cleaned up and put some groceries away. We needed some envelopes and (after asking the dockmaster) went next door to the local newspaper office, where they gave me some envelopes. We want to get away around 8:00 AM and the dockmaster offered to have the morning shift person come in early to sell us fuel. These really are helpful, friendly people.

Wed. Nov 18 — We awoke to an overcast, rainy day with very little wind. Lin was down below and heard a “popping” sound. I investigated and couldn’t find anything. A little later, we noticed that our starboard bilge pump was coming on periodically. We discovered that the glass bowl of the water separator had broken and fuel was leaking into the bilge. I shut off the fuel flow valve at the tank, turned off the bilge pump and called the mechanic who worked on the fuel system on Tuesday. Sarkis arrived a short while later and evaluated the situation. While he went to get a replacement filter bowl, one of his employees to clean the diesel fuel out of the bilge. After researching the matter, Sarkis discovered that our old water separators/fuel filters were not legal in this country because of the glass bowls. After further discussion, I asked him to replace our old separators/filters with new Racor units. He also took a saildrive dipstick that I had broken, to repair. In the afternoon, our friend, LaVonne, picked us up to go over to their house. On the way, we made many stops to pick up things that we need. We spent a very pleasant afternoon socializing with them. They have a beautiful condo with a great view of the ocean. In the evening, we went back to the boat for a quiet meal and some TV before going to bed.

Tues. Nov 17 — Before the mechanic (Sarkis of Sea Tec Systems) arrived, we stripped off bedding, opened both engine compartments (under the beds), ate breakfast and cleaned up. Sarkis changed fuel filters on both engines and adjusted the valves. After he finished, both engines were running very well. We were very relieved that expensive repairs, such as replacing injectors or injector pumps, were not necessary. However, when the engines were run with saildrives engaged, there was still a noticeable vibration on the starboard side. The mechanic said that this presented an immediate problem and suggested that we take the boat south to someplace like Ft. Lauderdale where there were people who were really qualified to repair a sail drive (not his area of expertise). While he was finishing up, our friends Daryl and LaVonne, and LaVonne’s mother (visiting them) arrived and we socialized for a while and caught up on one another’s lives. It was really good seeing them and we arranged to get together tomorrow after LaVonne’s mother leaves. In the evening we enjoyed a quiet evening aboard.

Mon. Nov 16 — We were away by 8:00 AM. The day was warm (70s) and sunny. Because of recent heavy rains, the water was very high in the canal, frequently well over the river’s banks. There were a lot of logs and other debris in the water and we frequently had to dodge around things floating in the water. We arrived at Harborwalk Marina in Georgetown around 2:00 PM. After settling in, I got the names and phone numbers of a couple of area diesel mechanics. The first one I called was free for a couple of days and agreed to come to the boat and check out the problem later in the afternoon. When he got to the boat, he collected information from us and listened to the engines. We agreed that he would return the following morning and work on engines. In the evening, we spoke with both of our sons and wished them a happy birthday. They sound as if they’re doing well. We also called our friends Daryl & LaVonne, two of our cruising friends (Temptation) who have moved ashore and live near Georgetown. They offered to come to the boat next day.

Sun. Nov 15 — Got a leisurely start this morning, leaving the dock a little before 10:00 AM. The day warmed up and the clouds burned off. We made good time, except for a one hour wait for a bridge to open (we just missed one opening and it only opens on the hour). Around 4:00 PM we arrived at Barefoot Landing. After settling in, we walked to a restaurant for dinner. After a very good meal, we went back to the boat and watched TV for a while. We called our suns to wish them a happy birthday (both have birthdays on 11/16). No luck reaching them, so we left messages on their voicemail.

Sat. Nov 14 — Up around 7:00 AM and off the dock by 7:45 AM. The Surf City Swing Bridge only opens on the hour and we went through at the 8:00 AM opening. The day was cool and overcast, but there was no rain. We made the 10:30 AM opening of the Figure 8 Island swing bridge. The current was with us and we were making great time. Doing almost 9 kts, we made the 11:00 AM opening of the Wrightsville Beach swing bridge (over 5 statue miles in a half hour). This bridge opens only on the hour, and if the bridge tender hadn’t delayed the opening for a few minutes, we would have had to wait around for the noon opening. After Wrightsville Beach, the currents were against us for a while and we slowed down a lot. Around 2:00 PM we arrived at East Village Harbor Marina and tied up for the night. We’re staying in marinas almost every night, but its cold and this allows us to run our heaters. Yes, we’re a couple of wimps. This is our fifth time here and the dock master greeted us warmly.

Fri. Nov 13 — It rained heavily a couple of times during the night and there were periods of strong, gusty wind. The day remained overcast and cool with periods of rain. Lin did some cooking and laundry, while I took care of a last few boat chores. In the evening we walked to a local pizza place for dinner. If conditions improve overnight, as predicted, we’ll leave in the morning.

Thurs. Nov 12 — We awoke to another windy, rainy day. The rain had decreased some, but the wind was still bouncing the boat around. We spent most of the day on the boat, but did get off the boat for a while to explore the town, look at the ocean and grocery shop. Later in the afternoon, I ran a few errands. In the evening we enjoyed a quiet meal aboard the boat and watched a couple of movies.

Wed. Nov 11 — The predicted rain is definitely here. It is cloudy and dark and it is raining quite hard. Rain and strong winds are forecast to continue through Friday. We’ve decided to stay where we are until Saturday morning. We considered renting a car and going out for dinner and a movie, but decided that because of the flooded roads, we would stay on the boat. Even though we were securely tied to a dock, there were times when it felt as if something had grabbed the boat and was shaking it. In the afternoon we watched some Harry Potter movies, and at times had to turn the TV up to almost full volume in order to hear the movie over the sound of the rain and wind.

Tues. Nov 10 — It was overcast, windy and warm in the morning. After arranging to stay in the marina for a couple of more days we walked around the town and ate breakfast. After a little grocery shopping, we went back to the boat where Lin did laundry and I defrosted the freezer. As predicted, it started to rain during the afternoon.

Mon. Nov 9 — Another relatively early morning. We got underway shortly before 8:00 AM. The day was initially overcast, but the clouds burned off and it became warm and sunny. We made very good time and extended our trip, arriving in Surf City, NC around 4:15 PM. Several pods of dolphins visited us during the day. We tied up at the back of the fuel dock of a marina and settled in for the night. We were both pretty tired when we got in. When we checked weather forecasts, we found that heavy rain and some high winds are predicted for the next few days. We decided to try and stay here until the weather improves.

Sun. Nov 8 — Up around 7:00 AM and underway shortly before 8:00 AM. The day was sunny and warm and the winds very light. We motored down the Pungo River, through a connecting canal and out onto the Neuse River. We arrived at Oriental during the early afternoon and decided to continue on to a marina on the Adams Canal, near Moorehead City, NC. The night was quiet and we watched TV for a while before going to bed.

Sat. Nov 7 — Up early and underway by 7:45 AM. It was a pleasant day with sunshine and very light winds. The sails were uncovered and ready to put up, but there wasn’t enough wind to warrant using them. During the day, we were joined by a large pod of dolphins who swam around us and played in our bow wake for a while. We arrived in Belhaven around 3:00 PM and tied up in a marina. One of the owners volunteered to take us shopping, so we and people from another boat were driven around to do some shopping. In the evening, we watched TV and read for a while before going to bed.

Fri. Nov 6 — It was cold and windy during the night and we were glad to be somewhere that was secure and with electricity to run our heaters. The morning was sunny and the winds gradually died down during the day. We are (for once) pretty well caught up on our chores and spent most of the day catching up on email and (Lin) making dill pickles. We also caught up our online log.

Thurs. Nov 5 — The morning was sunny and cool with very light winds. After some discussion, we decided to stay put for the day and try to get some medications that we need mailed to us here. Our mail forwarding service arranged to send the meds to us overnight at the marina. .

Wed. Nov 4 — We got underway around 9:15 AM. The day was sunny, winds light and water calm. Out in the Albermarle Sound there was a little chop. We motor sailed most of the day, doing around 6 kts. using our sails and one engine. We arrived at the Alligator Marina around 2:00 PM. After fueling up, we moved a short distance down the dock and tied up for the night. Lin had a very busy afternoon and evening, cleaning the outside of the boat and then doing several loads of washing in the marina laundry. I helped a bit, but she did the majority of the work. There is wifi here and we can pick up some TV stations. We spent a comfortable night, planning to leave in the morning.

Tues. Nov 3 — We woke early to the sounds of bow thrusters and boats getting underway. There are only four lock openings per day, and we had decided to take the 11:00 AM opening. We spent a leisurely morning slowly preparing to leave and socializing with our neighbors on the dock. We got underway a little before 10:00 AM and easily made our opening (only five miles away). After going through the lock and a bridge, we made our way down the river. We arrived in Elizabeth City around 2:00 PM and docked at the Pelican Marina. The marina isn’t fancy, but the people are friendly and the rates very reasonable (a flat rate of $35 which includes water, wifi and electricity). We took a taxi to the local Farm Fresh Supermarket. It is one of the nicest supermarkets that we’ve seen. They gave us a free ride back to the boat.

Mon. Nov 2 — It was very cold last night and we woke to a cold, cloudy morning. After looking around, downloading weather information (using the computer in the welcome center) and talking with our neighbors on the dock, we decided to stay here for another day. Our current plan is to leave tomorrow morning and go as far as Elizabeth City (past a lock and two bridges that have to be opened in order for us to pass). On Wednesday, we hope to cross the Albermarle Sound and stay for the night in a marina on the Alligator River. Lin cooked an excellent breakfast. Afterward, we ran the generator for a while and warmed up the boat and ran the hot water heater. Lin spent a few hours printing pictures and bringing our journal up to date.

Sun. Nov 1 — We slept fairly late this morning. Decided last night to remain here an extra day as the weather is changing and the prediction was for rain and 25 knot winds. We got awakened by the boaters leaving to make the 8:30 opening for the next lock (about 4 miles away.) Had a leisurely breakfast and went for a walk. Decided to stop at the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. There is a small, Dismal Swamp Canal Bridge between the sides of the canal and just for foot traffic. The refuge building is a new facility and is on the other side from the dock. Met a nice park ranger, Anthony “Tony” Disantis from Scranton, PA. He offered to take us on a short nature walk. The state is putting in a boardwalk that will run about a mile eventually. About 800 feet are completed. We walked along and Tony shared some information with us about the wildlife and plant life along the way. Did you know that bears dislike the taste of pressure treated lumber? Saw tracks for deer, raccoon, bobcat and a sign that had been gnawed on by bear. The Dismal Swamp is a wetland forest. It used to be much larger but now is about 111,000 acres. It’s in S. Virginia and NE North Carolina. It’s home to black bear, white tailed deer, raccoon, bobcats, beaver, turtles, snakes, butterflies, a zillion birds, and other critters too numerous to mention. The canal water is regulated from Lake Drummond. Walked and talked afterward on one of the nature trails. Ran the generator for heat and battery charging when we returned to the boat and the rain started again. Cold, damp, overcast day and a good day to stay put. Watched a movie, had leftovers and off to bed early to read. Will get an updated weather report in the morning from the park office and decide if we want to leave then or wait for another day.

We’re getting ready to get underway again and, as a result, starting entries in our online log. We don’t intend going any further than Florida and possibly the Bahamas this winter but hope that readers will enjoy the account of our travels. We’re looking forward to seeing Bob and Nancy in Ft. Pierce around Thanksgiving.
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Sat. Oct 31 — Happy Halloween!!! It rained during the night. Departed Norfolk in overcast but not rainy weather. Easily passed through the first three bridges because the bridges were just left open. Gilmerton Bridge had divers working at the side of the bridge. First we were told to hurry up and go through and then we were told to slow down because of the divers. Then we were told to hurry up because there was an emergency vehicle waiting to pass over the bridge. Humorous! We made our way down the confusing entrance to the First Lock on the Dismal Swamp Canal. Fishermen abounded. We were early to the 11AM canal opening. We lined up with 9 other boats (mostly power) inside the lock and waited. The lock tender released the coffee colored water into the lock. A million gallons are displaced each time the lock is opened. The water swirled. We had a small snake hitch a ride on the back step of Alize. Took a photo of it. We were the second boat out of the lock after the water equalized. Slowly made our way along the beautiful canal. The trees are different colors (mostly yellows and browns.) Rafted up with 8 boats for the night at the visitor center. We rafted against “SVLady Slipper” with Bill as a single-hander captain. It was awkward walking across Bill’s boat to get on and off the dock. Lin made fresh soup, rolls, and baked apples. Had a nice, peaceful evening and went to bed early.

Fri. Oct 30 — Up at 7:15 AM, by 8:15 we were at the fuel dock at Norview Marina. They were missing staff because of the H1N1 virus. Many of the schools are closed in VA because of illness! We exited Deltaville at 8:45 AM. We had 10 kts of wind from the SE and two ft. waves with chop on top. We were doing 7 kts. The sky was sunny blue at first and then overcast as we neared Norfolk. The bells on the green markers rang as we entered the Elizabeth River. Did they ring just for us? There was much air traffic. We passed the huge carriers and military boats of all sizes. There was a lot of boat traffic. It was a beautiful day to sail! We ran about 8 knots most of the way. We anchored off Hospital Point (across from Tidewater Marina.) We watched the lights come on in the city of Norfolk and enjoyed the show! At the last minute, various boats hurried in the channel to make their ports. We enjoyed a nice meal and early to bed.

Thurs. Oct 29 — We happily slept in again this morning. The sky is dark, overcast and it’s much colder. Borrowed the Mercedes and went for a wine run! There is always something needing done on a boat…never a lack of stuff to do. Finished up the laundry and used the marina dryer. Temperature dropped as the day wore on. Washed down the boat. Dosiers has two types of water on the dock…RO (reverse osmosis) water which is tasty and well water. They specify how it’s to be used. Preparations for departure tomorrow were completed.

Wed. Oct 28 — We slept in this morning at Dozier’s. The cloudy, rainy conditions forecast did not materialize and we enjoyed a warm, sunny day. Around noon, we borrowed one of the marina courtesy cars (a white Mercedes) and ran a few errands. It’s a long way to get into Deltaville. The town is small and sits along the highway. There are many, many sail makers in Deltaville! It boasts two West Marines. Went to the grocery store and found it to be fairly well stocked. We really enjoyed the autumn colors and the dormant fields. All of the trees and bushes are changing colors. Had no trouble locating all the places we wanted to stop as the marina gave us a small map and instructions. After putting our purchases away, we used the marina internet computer (we have not been able to get our computers to connect to the internet) to check weather forecasts and email. The marina staff, Larry and Arthur, are really helpful. In the evening, there was a potluck dinner for people staying in the marina. About 15 people showed up to enjoy good food and each other’s company. We had a good time. Lin especially enjoyed talking to Gail whom she met earlier in the day at a sailmakers. Gail has numerous allergies including gluten so Lin picked her brain! It was the first time in quite a while that we have attended something that felt like a cruiser’s get together. Most of the people who attended were headed south. Back on the boat, Lin did more laundry. I finally got the internet connection to work and checked emails.

Tues. Oct 27 — Another early day. Requested additional weather info from the USCG. Weather forecasters had predicted light winds and rain ending early in the morning. The small craft advisory was to last until 10 AM. We left the mooring ball 8:15 AM. There was no wind until we got outside of Solomon’s Island. Then the wind picked up to 25 knots. Took some waves over the port side. Once we turned southward, things became more pleasant as the wind and waves were behind us pushing us and we maintained between 7 and 8 knots of speed! We kept the sails down because the wind came directly over our stern! It remained windy, rainy and overcast. About 30 miles out of Deltaville we had fog and reduced visibility. At 63 A marker we accidentally dropped our spare anchor and happily enough, we noticed it and retrieved it. We were tired, hungry, and cold! We arrived in Deltaville around 4:00 PM and docked at Dozier’s marina on the outside transient T-head. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that they had reduced their rates, an unusual occurrence in the marine industries. Rick on Graceful Storm (Lagoon 440 catamaran with a 70’ mast) heard us on the VHF and called, asking about good places to stay in the Deltaville area. We recommended Dozier’s and he docked behind us a little later. It rained and poured most of the night and into the next morning. We snuggled and slept!

Mon. Oct 26 — We got underway fairly early on a cold, overcast day with very little wind. Came out of Rock Hall with two other unknown boats. The warming sun came out and sparkled on the water. The trip was rather boring but a good first day of travel. Saw pelicans diving, 1 large container ship, 2 barges pulled by tugs. Just past the Bay bridge we put up our sails. Wind became light and variable. Saw lots of tourist boats. Lin went into a deep revere about the past summer. In about 3 months time we: caught up with family and friends; had some wholesome R&R; had memorable meals out (two with Pete and Kathy!); went to a great cruisers party in Annapolis (Bob & Marsha from SVCrusader); enjoyed the beauty of Spring Cove marina; got to know the Rock Hall/Chestertown/Annapolis area; survived many doctor’s appointments; bought a 2009 blue Camry; had many trips up to PA; organized!; removed a bunch of weight from the boat; attended the Annapolis Boat Show; had Alize on sale in the brokers part of the boat show; and completed purchases for Christmas. Christmas is bought, wrapped and tucked away in Springfield. WOW, what a summer! We had such variety in weather from too hot to way too cold. Now we’re back sailing again and it’s like slipping our feet into old, comfy shoes. In the Solomons, we looked for places to anchor, but were unhappy with what we found. While looking, we saw Rick on Graceful Storm, a boat that was on the dock for a while on Back Creek before the broker’s boat show. As it was getting dark, we took a mooring off Zanheiser’s marina, but couldn’t reach anyone on the VHF to arrange to pay. We had a quiet evening and went to bed early.

Sun. Oct 25 — It was pretty windy during the night, and in the morning, the skies cleared some, though the National Weather Service still had a small craft advisory posted for the bay. Because the seas were still up, we decided to postpone departure until Monday. After some discussion, we decided to limit our first day’s travel and not do an overnight run to Norfolk. Instead, we will probably stop in Solomons for the night on Monday.

Sat. Oct 24 — As predicted, it was a very wet and windy day. The wind, out of the south, pushed a lot of water up the bay. This resulted in unusually high tides and made it difficult getting on and off the boat. We spent most of the day on board doing boat chores such as changing the oil and oil filters of our engines, cleaning out a shower sump and doing a load of laundry. In the evening, we read and watched TV.

Fri. Oct 23 — At 9:00 AM, I dropped the rental van off at the agency and got a ride back to the marina. A nor’easter is predicted to go through the area on Saturday with strong winds and 3 to 4 ft. seas coming from the south. Since we’ll be heading south, we decided to delay our departure until things settle down. It appears likely that we’ll be able to leave Rock Hall on Sunday, or possibly Monday. We finished a few last minute chores and relaxed on the boat.

Thurs. Oct 22 — We were early this morning and off on a busy day. As Lin was getting off the boat, a “door” mat that we had on the dock slipped out from under her. She suffered a strained shoulder and some bruises and the mat slid off the dock and sank. Fortunately, she wasn’t more seriously injured. At 9:30 AM we picked a rental van in Chestertown. After that, Lin ran errands in our car before going to Pennsylvania. I emptied our Chestertown storage locker into the van and drove to New Jersey. At the warehouse of the company storing furniture, pictures and other things that want to keep, I dropped off the contents of our storage locker for safe keeping. Back in Pennsylvania, we met up where our car was being serviced. After running a few errands, we rented a large storage locker, where we left our car. On the way back to the marina in the rental van, we met our son, Jon, for dinner. Back on the boat, we were happy to relax and go to bed.

Wed. Oct 21 — Summer is over and Fall weather has definitely arrived. We’ve exerted a lot of effort since we got back on the Chesapeake, fixing little things and making Alize look her best. With all of the things that we’ve taken off the boat, we raised the water line about three inches. Despite our efforts, we were not able to sell her. Earlier this month, we moved Alize to Back Creek (near Annapolis) to take part in a Broker’s Boat Show, held in conjunction with the Annapolis Sailboat Show. We had several lookers on the boat but didn’t get any offers. While here, we’ve seen a variety of physicians and gotten several longstanding medical problems. We’ve really enjoyed getting together with friends and family and catching up on one another’s lives. Our friend, Lee, and my brother and sister-in-law have been kind enough to let us stay with them when we’ve been in the Media area.

This web site was created several years ago when we took off cruising. The purpose was to let friends and family know where we were and what we were doing and share our adventures. We have now returned to the United States and placed Alize on the market. Our plan is to leave the cruising life, buy a home in the Philadelphia area and return to land. We have really enjoyed our travels during the past few years and will greatly miss many aspects of the cruising life. However, we have decided that this is the best decision for us. With the end of cruising, we are stopping the daily log updates. As things change in our life such as the sale of Alize and purchase of a house, we will add periodic updates. We are looking forward to seeing more of our land friends and hope to maintain contact with our cruising friends. We and Alize are in Rock Hall, MD and hope that cruising friends passing through the area will stop by for a visit. You can reach us at: Bruce@svalize.com or Lin@svalize.com.

Sun Aug 2 — We had a quiet night and a pleasant morning. In the afternoon we ran some errands and got better acquainted with Rock Hall and Chestertown.

Sat Aug 1 — Another quiet day. In the afternoon, I went looking for a self-storage place. There is one in Rock Hall, but no one answers their phone. There are also a couple of self-storage businesses in Chestertown, but the office staff doesn’t work on the weekends. We are eager to get a lot of our accumulated “stuff” off of Alize and need a place to keep it until we move into a house. In the evening, our friends Pete and Kathy came to the boat. We socialized for a while and then went out to dinner. It was great seeing them and catching up on events in their lives. Its our family and friends like these that drew us back to this area.

Fri July 31 — We both went to bed early last night and slept soundly. Traveling every day, ending with over nine hours on Thursday was very tiring. We’re really glad that we pushed ourselves yesterday. We had very calm, pleasant conditions. Today is overcast and they are putting out a small craft advisory for high winds and seas. Its good to be somewhere secure when things kick up. In the morning we called a car rental business and rented a car for a week. We were picked up at the marina and taken to the rental office to complete paperwork. Its really nice to have transportation. Now the next step is to buy one of our own. The first thing that we did with the car is go grocery shopping. In the evening a thunderstorm moved through the area (as predicted) with rain and winds of up to 47 kts. A lot of trees and plants were damaged on the marina property and boats were bounced around by the waves that the wind produced.

Thurs July 30 — A storm came through the area during the night, but we still enjoyed a good night’s sleep. I was up before 6:00 AM and we were under way by 7:00 AM. Winds were light and seas, even from an uncomfortable angle were still small enough that they presented no problem. We motor sailed for around nine hours, arriving in Rockhall a little after 4:00 PM. When we were approaching Annapolis, we heard our old friends on Sigi Seven on the VHF and enjoyed talking with them. We’ll arrange to see them sometime soon. Even with very light winds, we had an interesting time getting Alize docked. We backed into a slip with less a foot to spare on either side. This is not going to encourage us to do many impromptu day sails. The owner of the marina was very helpful and the area around the marina quite beautiful. With our return to a longer term dock on the Chesapeake, I guess that our “adventure” is officially over. However, if we can’t sell Alize for a reasonable price, we may be off to Florida and the Bahamas next Fall.

Wed July 29 — We set the alarm, got up at 6:30 AM and got underway around 7:45 AM. It was a long day and since the wind was light and on our tail for most of the day, we motored the whole day. As we were approaching the Solomons, the Coast Guard announced that thunderstorms were forming in our area. Winds became pretty brisk, but we got into a marina and tied to a dock without any problems. We were both tired and decided to enjoy a quiet evening on the boat.

Tues July 28 — Up a little early and underway by 8:00 AM. Winds were light and out of the south. While we headed south leaving Hampton, things were a little bit lumpy. As soon as we were out in the bay and headed north, it was much nicer. After a while, we put up our sails, but they didn’t do much good in the light winds from the stern. It became pretty warm during the day, from what locals have told us, temperatures were quite pleasant until just before our arrival, then really heated up. We got to Deltaville around 3:00 PM and went in to a marina. After tidying up the boat, Bruce used the courtesy car to go into town while Lin rested. In the evening, Lin prepared an excellent meal.

Mon July 27 — We got up a little early and left the dock around 8:30 AM in order to make an 11:00 AM bridge/lock opening. Along the way, we had a few run-ins with logs floating in the canal. We saw a number of turtles sitting on logs and warming themselves in the morning sun. At the end of the canal we entered Norfolk/Portsmouth harbor. This is a huge commercial/navy harbor with hundreds of large ships. We were very careful as we made our way through all of this shipping. Around 2:00 PM we entered Hampton harbor (it is just before the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay). We had hoped to anchor there, but when we couldn’t find the places suggested by our Skipper Bob guide book, we took a slip in a marina. We cooled the boat off and Lin did a couple of loads of laundry. We had planned to go swimming in the pool, but just as we were getting ready to leave the boat, a strong thunderstorm came through the area with 30 + knot winds, lightening and rain. After adding another dockline, we stayed aboard and watched the show. In the evening, we enjoyed a very good meal (thanks again, Lin), read and played backgammon before going to bed.

Sun. July 26 — Woke up and got underway around 9 AM. Had no difficulty raising the anchor or cleaning off the mud. The tripline was a good idea. Turner Cut and Goat Island disappeared behind us. The River wound around in S formations for many miles and got progressively narrower. Arrived at the first lock of the Dismal Swamp and waited maybe 10 minutes for the 11 AM opening. We were the only ones in the lock and chatted with the lock master. Watched the lock fill up with an additional 7 feet of coffee colored water. The lockmaster also opened the swing bridge about 5 minutes further down! ( Multi-talented guy!) Made our way down the swamp canal looking at the wildlife around us. Saw many turtles sunning themselves and dragonflies both blue and green and one bald eagle. Many bird sounds. We arrived at the visitor’s center and parked in front of a monohull boat and a tourist pontoon boat. The visitor’s center is a busy place and many people came by to “see the boats.” It was a constant stream of people walking the tiny dock. Met a really nice family upon arriving and they helped us tie up. The heat was very intense and we both felt extremely lethargic. Walked around a little in the evening and enjoyed the trails and picnic areas. Bugs still bugging us.

Sat. July 25 — Left Alligator River Marina about 9:30. Followed the ICW markers first on the Alligator River and then on the Albemarle Sound. Passed Elizabeth City and went up the river further. Many people were out enjoying the water and zooming by Alize. We went to Goat Island and anchored off the ICW. It was a beautiful place with lots of wildlife and no buildings visible. To cool off, we swam in the river water. It made our white skin look red. It was fascinating swimming in a river where there are alligators without being able to see into the water. Happily enough we exited the water with all our limbs intact! The sunset over the island was beautiful and we both saw the green flash….over and over and over. Oh, that was the green ICW marker #11 flashing. (Did I have you going for a minute?) Bugs, bugs, bugs.

Fri. July 24 — A second huge electric storm came through early in the morning. Decided not to leave Alligator River Marina for another day. Had a nice breakfast at Miss Wanda’s Restaurant. Miss Wanda’s is a gas station, marina, convenience store and restaurant. Multi-faceted. Miss Wanda took us to the local Food Lion so we did a little shopping and met her granddaughter, Samantha. It’s a long drive from the marina to the grocery so we were grateful for the ride. Spent a quiet evening aboard. Caught up on the internet.

Thurs July 23 — We woke up around 7:00 AM and slowly got ready to up anchor and leave. When I went out to roll up the side panels of the cockpit, it was filled with more mosquitoes. It took us a while to get underway. The anchor chain was covered with thick mud and the anchor seemed to have snagged on something. We eventually got the anchor chain cleaned and the anchor up. The day was uneventful and we arrived at the Alligator River Marina around 3:30 PM. We took advantage of being in a marina by cleaning the outside of the boat (Lin did all of the work), doing laundry, filling the water tank and fuel tanks and updating the web site. A huge electric storm came through the area late in the evening with a downpour of rain and strong winds. Happily enough, we weren’t the tallest thing around.

Wed July 22 — The alarm went off at 7:00 AM. By 8:00 AM the anchor was up and we were underway. We arrived at the anchorage on Upper Dowry Creek around 3:30 PM and soon were anchored. We were just above the Dowry Creek Marina and even though we like the marina, we wanted the quiet (and savings) of anchoring out. We were attacked by a horde of mosquitoes. Lin managed to kill about 30 of them (inside the boat), but there were still a few that she didn’t get. Lit our citronella candles and they helped.

Tues July 21 — Another uneventful day on the ICW. There were several spots that are shoaling in and quite shallow where we reduced our speed, but did not encounter any problems. After a relatively long day, we arrived at Cedar Creek (off Adams Creek) and anchored for the night. We had planned to stop at the town of Oriental, but changed our minds and went for the peace and quiet of this very beautiful anchorage. Except for the occasional quiet hum of some sort of equipment (probably something to do with fish processing) the only sounds were the cries of birds. There were a couple of other boats in the anchorage, but not near us.

Mon July 20 — We got up at 6:30 AM and were off the dock and away by 7:45 AM. The bridge just north of the marina on the ICW only opens on the hour and we didn’t want to miss the 8:00 AM opening. During the day, we passed through one more bridge that only opened on the hour and two that opened on the hour and half hour. This can make for a lot of wasted time. We arrived in Swansboro and (because there is not a really good anchorage in the area) tied up at Casper’s Marina. We ate aboard and spent a quiet evening surfing the net, watching TV, reading and playing backgammon.

Sun July 19 — We spent the morning relaxing and doing minor boat chores. I had discovered that there was water in the oil in our port saildrive (transmits engine power to the propeller). Since I can’t replace the oil or the seals that keep water out without hauling Alize out of the water, I replaced some of the water/oil mixture with fresh oil. My tool for doing this doesn’t work as well as I would like, so I’m going to try to replace it with something better. In the afternoon we took a taxi to the theater to see the latest Harry Potter. We enjoyed it very much. Afterward, we had dinner at a steakhouse before taking a cab back to the marina. In the evening, we watched TV before going to bed.

Sat July 18 — After a quiet morning on the boat, we got underway at 11:00 AM for Wrightsville Beach. By leaving at this time, we had hoped to avoid adverse currents, but we the current seemed to be against us for most of the day and we made rather poor time. Earlier during this trip up the east coast we had agreed to try and avoid weekend travel because of the increase in small boat travel on the weekends. By the time we arrived at our destination we really regretted our choice to travel on Saturday. The number of recreational boaters on the ICW has greatly increased since our last trek. We decided to stay in Wrightsville Beach until Monday. While we were motoring along, Lin called our friends Richard and Harriet of Perseverance who have moved to a house in the Wilmington, NC area. They picked us up at the marina at 6:00 PM and we went to their new home to visit and play dominoes. We really enjoyed getting together with them and catching up on things.

Fri July 17 — After some discussion, we decided to make the day a layover day, and stayed at the marina for the day. Lin did three loads of laundry and some cooking while I changed oil and oil filters on both engines. In the afternoon we hired a cab to take us shopping. The driver also offered to take our waste oil and dispose of it for us. Back on the boat, we put our purchases away and enjoyed dinner on the boat before watching TV for a while.

Thurs July 16 — We got up at a reasonable hour and headed north on the ICW. Along the way, we stopped at “Dock Holiday’s” fuel dock and topped off the fuel tank. Along the way, we encountered several barges and a tug along the way with another tug coming through the area as we approached. We got things sorted out and made our way thought the collection of tugs and barges. While we were talking with these boats, we were called on the VHF by Mark and Ange on Side by Side, another Manta. They were approaching Panama when the sail drive of one of their engines stopped transmitting power. With no haulout facilities that could handle them in the area, they made a twelve day passage to the US, and are headed to the Chesapeake Bay for repairs. We stopped for the night at the South Harbor Village Marina. We enjoyed dinner aboard before going to bed.

Wed July 15 — We got a fairly early start and arrived at Barefoot Landing around 3:20 PM. We docked at the marina and settled in for the night. You used to be able to tie up free here, but now they charge to stay here. We walked around the Barefoot Landing tourist/shopping area and bought some ice cream and take out she crab soup. We enjoyed dinner aboard and read and played games for a while before going to bed.

Tues July 14 — . After breakfast, I walked to the marina office and paid for another day. The dockmaster told me that Georgetown got three or four inches of rain and many streets were flooded by the previous evening’s rain. We spent the day doing boat chores and running errands.

Mon July 13 — After we got up and got ourselves organized, we took a cab to an Urgent Care center in Georgetown. While Lin was being seen, I walked across the street to a supermarket and did a little grocery shopping. During the ride to the doctor’s office, the cab dropped one woman off for dialysis and picked up another. During our ride back to the boat, he picked up a pizza for some other customer. He had an interesting and laid back way to do business. After dropping groceries off at the boat, we walked around the downtown area and got some lunch. Afterward, we wandered around and looked in a few shops before returning to the boat. As we were getting back to the boat, the skies opened up and it poured for several hours. We discussed our options and decided to stay in Georgetown until we knew that treatment was working and Lin was feeling better, at least one more day. In the evening we played games and watched TV before going to bed.
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Sun July 12 — The passage was uneventful (good) except for a lot of traffic outside of Charleston Harbor, most of it big commercial vessels at anchor waiting to enter the harbor in the morning. We arrived at the entrance to the Georgetown River around sunrise and made our way up to Georgetown. There were no staff at the marina (we later discovered that the dockmaster doesn’t get to work until 11:00 AM on Sundays) so we tied ourselves to a dock to wait for someone to show up. While we were putting things away on the boat, the man from the boat next to us asked if we wanted to see an alligator. Sure enough, there was a small alligator swimming by the dock next to us, looking for food. Lin managed to get a couple of pictures of him. We eventually got checked in and everything put away. We are in a hurry to get back to the Chesapeake, but Lin has a recurrent health problem that flared up, so we’ll take a couple of days here so that she can see a physician and hopefully get something to help her feel better.

Sat July 11 — We spent the morning getting Alize ready for passage. One of my chores was collecting crabs and tossing them overboard. Different places we’ve visited have had different pests that appear to be endemic to the area, usually flies, mosquitoes or no-see-ums. In Beaufort it is small crabs, typically about the size of a silver dollar (body & legs). Every morning we find a number of them hiding on the boat. I’m sure that we’ll be finding dead crabs on the boat for some time. We finally got underway around 11:00 AM. We really enjoyed our stay at Port Royal Landing and will miss the place and its staff. It took about three hours to get down the Beaufort River and out the channel to the open ocean. It seemed strange to be several miles offshore and still see breaking waves around us. It was rather lumpy outside with winds from the north-east (not what had been predicted). After a while it settled down a bit and the winds became very light.

Fri July 10 — As predicted, there were no rainstorms during the day, but the winds were pretty strong. When the winds were against the current, waters on the river were very bumpy. I ran a couple of errands and we spent a quiet day on the boat. In the afternoon, another Manta 40, Salty Paws, entered the marina and docked in front of us. We met the owners, Max and Alice and had drinks and snacks with them at the marina bar in the evening. Like us, they are planning to sell their boat and move back to land. Back on the boat, we read and watched TV before going to bed.

Thurs July 9 — The morning weather forecast is predicting more showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon today with conditions similar to those experienced yesterday. On Friday fewer storms and squalls are predicted, but winds are expected to get up to 15 to 20 kts and seas of 3 to 5 ft coming out of the direction we need to go if we go offshore. We decided to hold off leaving until Saturday. With all of our chores completed and rain for most of the day, we stayed aboard and read for most of the day. In the afternoon, we borrowed the marina courtesy truck and bought some fresh produce before going to the local Outback Steakhouse. After the poor quality meat that we ate in the Caribbean, we really enjoyed the food. In the evening we watched TV and played games before going to bed.

Wed July 8 — Once again we’ve put off leaving Port Royal. This morning’s weather forecast is predicting an 80% probability of showers and thunder storms today. We don’t mind the rain, but it makes us nervous when we’re offshore with lightening striking all around. In the morning, we borrowed the marina courtesy car and went to Beaufort for breakfast. After eating, we did a little shopping before going back to the boat. In the afternoon, I borrowed the car (actually a truck) and went back to the grocery store for a couple of things that we had missed. The sky looked threatening all day, and we saw a few storms in the distance, but didn’t get any rain ourselves until the evening. Lin was just finishing washing the boat when the skies opened up. The winds howled, the boat was bounced around and there was quite a bit of lightening. We put out a couple of extra fenders and another spring line. Fortunately, things settled down after a couple of hours.

Tues July 7 — In the morning, I got the boat ready to go offshore, but shortly before we would have left, Lin got a last minute weather forecast that included a warning that severe storms were likely in the area during the day. That, combined with some very dark clouds in the distance and the forecast that things looked much better after today resulted in our decision to stay for another day. Our planned two day stay here has turned into a nine day stay, but we’ve enjoyed ourselves and gotten a lot done. We were very pleased to get a phone call from our friend, Pete, of Peekaboo II. He was a neighbor when we kept Alize at a marina on Kent Island, Maryland and reads our web site regularly. Its nice knowing that there is someone who enjoys reading about our wanderings. We are looking forward to getting together with Pete and his wife, Kathy, when we get back up to Maryland.

Mon July 6 — After considering our options we decided to leave Port Royal on Tuesday and do an overnight passage to Georgetown, SC (a journey of about 140 km.). This will put a few more miles behind us in a short period of time. A phone call got us marina reservations for the night of Wednesday July 8th. Later in the morning, the diver came to the boat and cleaned our props, removed growth from the rudders and thru hulls. Afterward we did a few more boat chores such as cleaning out the shower sump and emptying a lot of water from the dryer vent hose (for our washer/dryer unit). Lin spent part of the afternoon making doctor’s appointments in the Media area and speaking with a real estate agent.

Sun July 5 — After taking care of a few boat chores, we joined two other boaters in the afternoon at a table next to the marina office for Mexican Train Dominoes. The heat and humidity was intense. The two ladies with whom we played (Cheryl and Pat) had very different rules so we basically learned a different game! We had a very good time and got our domino fix. Back on the boat, Lin did a couple of loads of laundry while I tried to get us a reservation at a marina in Charleston. I was not successful, so we decided to put off our departure from Port Royal, to give me a day to firm up plans for the next stage of our trip north. We also need the props cleaned before leaving so B set it up. In the evening, we enjoyed a very good dinner on the boat and watched TV for awhile.

Sat July 4 — We enjoyed a quiet morning on the boat. In the early afternoon, we borrowed the marina courtesy car and ran a few errands. I did some minor boat repairs using items picked up. In the afternoon, the marina held a picnic for slipholders. They provided hotdogs, hamburgers, salads and coleslaw, beer, soda, watermelon, etc. It was very nice. Afterward, we relaxed on the boat and watched TV for a while. When it got dark, we layed on the foredeck and watched fireworks displays from Parris Island and Port Royal. When the displays were over, literally hundreds of small boats that had anchored downstream to watch the displays, raced back upstream toward Beaufort and things were pretty rocky and rolly for a while.

Fri July 3 — In the morning, we borrowed the marina courtesy car and went to Beaufort for breakfast. We ate at Blackstones, a restaurant where we dined when we were here last. Afterward, we drove around, doing errands. Back on the boat, Lin decorated the boat for the 4th of July and I did a few chores. The marina holds a 4th of July picnic, providing food and drinks. Afterward, people go out of the dock to watch fireworks. One of the nearby neighbors is the Marine training camp, Parris Island, and the Marines reportedly set off quite a fireworks display. Lin dug out some decorations that we have been carrying with us and decorated the boat for the 4th of July. It really looks quite nice. Lin made some baked beans and potato salad and we enjoyed them with our dinner. In the evening we watched TV before going to bed.

Thurs July 2 — We had a leisurely morning and made a few more preparations for getting underway. Out of the blue, we changed our minds and decided to stay in Port Royal through July 4th. We both like it here and neither of us looked forward to spending the day plodding along the ICW. It didn’t take long to re-connect our hose and cable TV hookup and to put the sun shades out. When you enter a foreign country, you are expected to fly a courtesy flag, a small version of the country flag. We strung all of our courtesy flags together (about 16 of them) and flew them in a string on the boat. In the evening, we watched TV and played games.

Wed July 1 — After a slow start, we got moving and had a productive day. We borrowed the marina courtesy car (an F-150 with 180,000 + miles on it) and went to the bank, hardware store and supermarket. Back at the boat, I went to work changing the second engine’s fuel filters. This did not correct the problem that we encountered coming up river to the marina, and I was able to get a diesel mechanic to come to the boat. He agreed with my diagnosis and we (more him than me) fixed the problem. Afterward, I defrosted the freezer while Lin cleaned the boat. In the evening, we put a few things away in anticipation of leaving for Charleston in the morning.

Tues June 30 — We got up a little bit late and relaxed over cups of coffee (me) and tea (Lin). After that, we started on boat chores. I finished the washdown pump installation (the wiring) and tested it out. It is stronger than the old pump. Next, we took all of our anchor chain (all 225 ft. of it) off the boat and treated with Ospho, a compound that is supposed to remove rust and replace it with a phosphate compound that is rust resistant. The chemical reaction was rather impressive. When we put the chain back on the boat, we reversed the chain so that the end that always stayed in the anchor locker was attached to the anchor. Lin also did some cooking and baking and I replaced the fuel filters on one of our engines (will do the other engine tomorrow). When we were coming up the river, yesterday one of the engines temporarily lost power, three times. I’m hoping that the problem was a clogged fuel filter. We’ve decided to extend our stay here by one day. We’ll leave here, anchor out on the ICW one night and then go to the Charlestown City Marina for the nights of the 3rd and the 4th, in hopes of seeing a really good fireworks display.

Mon June 29 — We arrived at the Port Royal Landing Marina (Port Royal, SC) late Monday morning. It was an unpleasant journey but we are now well above Brunswick Georgia. The insurance company would be pleased to know we made it before July 1! The staff were very helpful and friendly and we were soon fueled up and secure on a T-head. Port Royal has serious currents as the water rushes in and out of the inlet through the bridge abutments next to the marina. In the afternoon Lin washed down the boat which was covered with salt and Bruce worked on replacing the deck washdown waterpump. In the evening, we walked to the marina bar/grill for burgers and a couple of drinks. While there, we talked to liveaboards who we met when we were here three years ago. Back on the boat, we went to bed early and slept very well.

Sun June 28 — We woke up fairly early in the morning and prepared to leave the marina. We had to go through the Bridge of Lions which has been under construction for the last 4 years. It’s cost DOT a fortune as the bridge has been torn down and now is being refurbished. The DOT also built a second bridge and has torn it down at this point. The bridge is on the national register of historical sights. They did not change any of the dimensions (it’s the narrowest bridge on the E. Coast). As we were finishing preparations, one of the dock hands came by to help with our lines. The dock hands at the St. Augustine City Marina are GREAT! We went out through the 9:00 AM bridge opening and proceeded out the inlet. We soon discovered why St. Augustine is not considered to be a Class A inlet as we saw breakers along a line of channel markers. The channel had silted in to the point where markers designed to show the location of the safe channel were outside the safe channel. At first, we made excellent time and considered Charleston rather than Port Royal Sound, but we suddenly slowed down (probably ran into an eddy of the Gulf Stream) and reconsidered Port Royal (a shorter trip). We had been told that significant squalls and thunderstorms were not predicted for Sunday or Monday, but then we heard the Coast Guard warning people about a line of severe thunderstorms with rain, hail, high seas and 40 kt winds and urging boaters to find a safe place to go to. Unfortunately, at the time, we were 20+ miles offshore in a boat doing 6 kts. We watched the storms on radar and managed to avoid most of them. However, we were glad that we had dropped our sails when winds got to the mid 30s during the squalls that did hit us. We had gotten forecasts of winds in the 15 to 20 kt range from the west or southwest. What we got were winds of up to 35 kts from the north (on our nose). Well, at least we did get some good practice in raising, lowering and reefing our sails. The seas were kicked up and we pounded and were hit by waves. At 10 PM the winds were 20-35 again. It was an unpleasant journey but we are now well above Brunswick Georgia. The insurance company would be pleased to know we made it before July 1! We arrived at the Port Royal Landing Marina (Port Royal, SC) in the late morning of Monday. The staff were very helpful and friendly and we were soon fueled up and secure on a T-head. Port Royal has serious currents as the water rushes in and out of the inlet through the bridge abutments next to the marina. Lin washed down the boat which was covered with salt and Bruce worked on replacing the deck washdown waterpump.

Sat June 27 — We both enjoyed a restful night’s sleep. In the morning, I spoke with Chris Parker of the Caribbean Weather Center. The forecast for our passage to Beaufort, SC sounds as if the trip should be reasonable if we leave tomorrow morning. Bruce checked with four different sources and all agreed. We hired a taxi and went shopping, West Marine, a supermarket and a liquor store. The taxi driver is a live-aboard who delivers boats and drives a taxi between boat deliveries. In the evening we walked to St. George’s St. (a tourist area) where we did a little shopping and enjoyed a memorable dinner at an excellent Cuban restaurant (Columbia Restaurant). Bruce had a tender steak and Lin had shrimp wrapped in bacon and deep fat fried. The soups and Cuban bread were excellent too! We waddled back to the boat and did a few more things to get the boat ready for sea. Lin worked on our ship’s log.

Fri June 26 — We woke up earlier than usual in order to get through a bridge that doesn’t open from 7:45 AM to 8:45 AM. As we started down the ICW, we heard one of the boats that we had spoken with the day before calling TowBoatUS. They woke up to find that the wind had shifted and they were stuck on the bottom. We called them and relayed our sympathy (there was nothing else that we could do, particularly since two other boats traveling with them were unable to help). The day was uneventful as we made our way along the ICW. We arrived in St. Augustine around 2:00 PM and tied up to the fuel dock to fill our fuel tank. Because we have to stay in a fairly narrow channel, we’ve been motoring for the past four days. Most of the area we passed through looked like a very wide river or bay, but outside of the ICW channel the water was often only one foot deep. Going from the fuel dock to our slip, there was a four kt current and a 15 kt cross wind. There were also barges involved with work on the Bridge of Lions that had to be maneuvered around. St. Augustine has a very historic bridge, the Bridge of Lions. When the bridge became unsafe, they built a temporary bridge, demolished the old Bridge of Lions, built a new Bridge of Lions and are now tearing down the temporary bridge. I guess that it makes sense to them. With attachment to a dock came water and electricity. We turned on the air conditioning, filled our water tank and Lin cleaned off the boat. After dinner, Lin did a load of laundry. In the evening, we played some games, read and checked emails.

Thurs June 25 — We got up fairly early and started our treck along the ICW. Absolutely nothing interesting to report. We did pass three other sailboats, and watched them arrive after we had anchored off of Daytona. There are a lot of comments and jokes about French cruisers because they tend to anchor much closer than Americans are comfortable with. Wouldn’t you know it. The first foreign flagged vessel that we’ve seen was a French boat that came too close to us and ran aground. The couple worked very hard to get off of the bottom and we worried about swinging into them if the wind changed. Just as we were getting very close, they got off and re-anchored. The couple worked very hard and we learned a number of things watching their efforts. We tried to be helpful, but could not bridge the language barrier.

Wed June 24 — Up around 7:00 AM and underway by 8:30 AM. Spent a quiet, uneventful day motoring along the ICW. While underway, we saw several river dolphin and Lin baked a turkey. We arrived in Titusville around 2:00 PM and decided to anchor there for the night. We would not have gotten to the next attractive-sounding anchorage until around 4:30 PM. The sky has ominous clouds and sprinkles on us occasionally. Severe thunderstorms are the name of the weather game in FL these days!

Tues June 23 — In the morning, Bob came to the boat to say good bye. He and Nancy have really made us feel welcome during our stay in Ft. Pierce. After clearing out with the marina office, Bob tossed our lines to us and we were on our way. When we were a couple of miles down the ICW, he took pictures of Alize passing. After an uneventful day of motoring, we anchored off of the city of Melbourne. We chose a spot to anchor which should have been protected from the prevailing winds. Shortly after that, the winds came around about 180 degrees and picked up to a gusty 20 kts. with rain. Fortunately, our anchor didn’t drag and after watching things closely for a while, we went to bed. We were very glad that the intense heat of the past many days has subsided somewhat and that we are fairly comfortable without airconditioning.

Mon June 22 — Nancy came home from the hospital! We spent most of the day running errands and getting ready for travel. Both of the ICW guidebooks arrived. We finished provisioning, including a trip to an excellent produce market… Nelson’s… which is near Bob’s house. We drove from Nelson’s to the Coutant’s where we swam and ate dinner before Bob drove us back to the boat. We did some last minute things in preparation for leaving Tues. AM. There was a very strong thunder and lightning storm during the night.

Sun June 21 — This was a day of more errands and boat chores. In the evening, we went to Bob and Nancy’s to visit and socialize. Bob was kind enough to drive us around and we accomplished many things. Nancy was still in the hospital, so we visited her. We ate dinner at a beach bar/restaurant in Jensen Beach. The food was good and Lin especially enjoyed the margaritas. Yum yum.

Sat June 20 — We attended a Saturday morning flea market at the park next to the marina. We walked through the food booths and bought a couple of things and then went across the street to an area where crafts items are sold. After wandering around in the heat, we went back to the food area for some frozen shrimp and then back to the boat. In the afternoon, we went to Bob and Nancy’s house where we socialized and swam for a bit. In the evening, we enjoyed a delicious meal of steak and king crab legs. YUM! We stopped at the park by the marina to see a patriotic light show with music. Back on the boat, I went to sleep and Lin (who had taken an afternoon nap) stayed and watched a movie. This is really a tough life.

Fri June 19 — In the morning, Janee from the local Coast Guard Auxiliary Unit, and a friend of Bob and Nancy, came to the boat and did a safety inspection. We passed and got our 2009 decal. While Janee was on Alize, Bob came to the boat. Afterward Bob drove us all over Ft. Pierce while we ran errands. Of the two computers we left for repair, one was fixed, the other was junked. The Skipper Bob books we ordered have not come in yet, so we will be in Ft. Pierce through Monday, at least. After lunch/dinner we visited Bob’s wife, Nancy, in the hospital. She is looking MUCH better. Back on the boat, we stowed our provisions.

Thurs June 18 — Plans for the day changed when Nancy went into the hospital during the early morning with a re-occurrence of a medical problem that has been bothering her. We did boat chores for a while before going to Bob’s where we tried to be helpful and ended up spending some time swimming. In the afternoon, we stopped by the hospital to see Nancy, but she was asleep. Afterward, we did some more shopping and took Bob out for supper. We are doing a lot of shopping right now, because we are back to a place where things are available and much less expensive. While on Highbourne Cay, I bought a small box of cereal (unavailable on nearby islands) for $8.45. On Nassau, the same box of cereal cost $5.14 and in Ft. Pierce $3.35. I find this an interesting comparison.

Wed June 17 — In the morning, Lin’s cousin, Bob came to the boat and took us to run a few errands and then to his home. When we got to his house, his wife, Nancy (who worked during the morning) was there and we enjoyed socializing and catching up on each other’s lives. We met their pets Chrissy (short for Christmas; black and chocolate lab mix) and Kara (black lab.) Kara is an avid swimmer and rests on top of Bob on a pool float. Chrissy is afraid of the water but Bob is being patient and hopefully will succeed in getting her to swim! The Coutants loaned us their camper and we went back to Alize in the afternoon. In the evening, we drove to their church for a delicious ham dinner, prepared by Nancy. After dinner, our phone rang, it was a call from our friend, Pete of Peekaboo, welcoming us back to the states. It was really nice hearing from him. Afterward, we went back to the boat and got to bed early.

Tues June 16 — We slept a little during the night. It was very calm and peaceful, but a few times we encountered other ships that seemed to be behaving strangely. For a while, our speed was very slow (5.4 kts at one point). When we hit the gulf stream our speed got up to 9.5 knots, with almost no wind. Lin saw a green turtle as we approached the coastline. There was a big fire in Port St. Lucie. We could see some serious smoke! We arrived at Ft. Pierce around noon. We first tried to go into the wrong marina, but got that sorted out and went into the Ft. Pierce City Marina. This is a much nicer (and less expensive) marina. After putting things away and calling Lin’s cousin Bob, we relaxed for a while and went to bed early.

Mon June 15 — We got up fairly early and were underway by about 8:30 AM. The winds were light and the seas quite calm. We had the sails up, but most of the trip we were essentially motoring. It was funny to go from extremely deep water (1,000 ft. deep +) to 10 – 20 ft. water as we crossed the Bahamas Bank, to extremely deep water again. The bank is amazing! You could clearly see all the way to the bottom which was sandy, or green, or stony at times.

Sun June 14 — We got up fairly early in the morning and motor sailed to Chubb Cay, arriving mid afternoon. We had planned to stay in the marina, but when we learned that it would cost almost $200, we opted to anchor outside of the marina. Good decision, the anchorage was beautiful with clear, light blue, water. We spent a quiet afternoon on the boat and went to bed early.

Sat June 13 — In the morning, we and Martin and Vicky from Arto took a taxi to the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. We and Vicky toured the resort’s aquarium while Martin checked out the Casino. The aquarium is quite nice and we really enjoyed ourselves. After lunch in an open air café surrounded by a pond with a large variety of fish, we took a taxi back to the marina.

Fri June 12 — We cleared out of the marina and got underway for Nassau around 9:00 AM. During the first half of our journey, there were a lot of very dark clouds around us and a great deal of lightning. Later, it cleared up and we arrived in Nassau around 1:30 PM. After docking the boat, we put things away and I did a little shopping in the shopping mall across the street from the Marina. In the evening, we went to Psyche (who were in the same marina) for drinks and snacks with Debbie and Eric and Martin and Vicky from Arto.

Thurs June 11 — We got up fairly early in the morning and finished preparations for the day’s passage. Arto left the anchorage around 7:30 AM, we got underway around 9:00 AM. There was little wind during the day, and what little there was came directly over our nose. We arrived at Highborne Cay at the same time as Arto and went to the fuel dock to top off our tank. Afterward, we went to our slip. Lin tidied the boat up and did two loads of laundry while I checked into the marina, planned our routes for the next few days and made reservations at Nassau and Chubb Cay. The weather forecasts that I downloaded indicated that there may be quite a few squalls going through the area during the weekend, If that happens, we will wait in Nassau for a while before going to Chubb Cay. In the late afternoon, we walked to Stromatolite beach with Arto and introduced them to Stromatolites. Back at the marina, we watched nurse sharks for a while (counted 11 of them, all quite large). While we were talking with them, our friends Erik and Evelyn from Everick stopped by, We haven’t seen them for four years, but heard them on the VHF and talked with them earlier in the day. It was really nice catching up on things with them. If circumstances allow, we will take them up on their offer and visit them in Key Largo sometime in the future. Back on the boat, we read for a while before going to bed.

Wed June 10 — It was a beautiful day in the Land Sea Park. We went exploring in the dinghy for several hours. Unfortunately, the tide was just starting to fall and the current was quite strong, so we couldn’t snorkel some of the better snorkeling spots. We finally went back to a reef that didn’t have any current and snorkeled for a while. After sitting on a swim platform for a while, we went back to the boat. Lin fixed an excellent shrimp dinner and afterward, Arto came for a visit.

Tues June 9 — The morning was a bit overcast, but we raised anchor and got under way around 10:00 AM for the Exuma Land Sea Park. There was very little wind and what there was came from directly astern. It took us three hours to motor the 17 miles to the park. Once there, we took a mooring and then dinghied to the park office to sign in and pay the mooring fee. Afterward, we went snorkeling on a small reef, and really enjoyed the colorful reef fish. In the evening, Martin and Vickie came to the boat and we talked and ate some of the birthday cake that Lin had baked.

Mon June 8 — In the morning, we listened to weather forecasts and got a leisurely start. Our original plan to go to the Exuma Land Sea Park today were changed. Martin on Arto has a birthday in a couple of days and he wanted to go somewhere that had a bar to celebrate, so we changed our destination to Staniel Cay. We anchored off Big Majors (an island) when we couldn’t get into the Staniel Cay Yacht Club and couldn’t get a mooring. The distance to the yacht club restaurant was too far to dinghy in, so it appeared that our plans to go out to dinner to celebrate Martin’s birthday (Arto) would have to be cancelled. However, Martin managed to find someone who would pick us up from our boats and take us to the restaurant and return us to our boats later. We enjoyed a very good dinner. While we were eating, it started to rain heavily and we got pretty wet on the ride back to our boats.

Sun June 7 — We got up around 6:30 AM and were under way by 7:30 AM. Two other boats left the anchorage around the same time as us, Arto and Cloud Messenger. We traveled slowly while in the harbor because of the need to watch out for reefs. After two days of waiting in the harbor to avoid predicted squalls, we were hit by a long line of squalls shortly after we got out of the harbor. Winds were up in the thirties at times, visibility very limited due heavy rain and there was a lot of lightening. Cloud Messenger turned back after they lost there electronics, apparently due to a lightening strike. After a while, things settled down and we made very good time. After coming through a wide cut from the Atlantic to the Bahamas Bank, we anchored off Black Point Settlement around 3:00 PM. Arto arrived in the anchorage about an hour after we did. We tidied the boat up, put things away and spent a quiet evening on the boat before going to bed.

Sat June 6 — In the morning, I did a couple of chores on the boat and then went ashore to do some shopping. In the early afternoon, we took Alize to the local fuel dock, and after anchoring out and waiting while another boat finished fueling, we topped off the tank and then went back and anchored again. Lin spent the afternoon cooking food in anticipation of several days of sailing. In the afternoon, we finished getting Alize ready for an ocean passage and in the evening we went to bed early.

Fri June 5 — In the morning, we went to town to do some shopping. Guess what? It was another holiday, and everything was closed. After walking around for a bit, we went back to the boat and Lin did a load of laundry. In the afternoon, we went in to St. Francis and played Sequence with Martin and Vicky from Arto. When we got back to the boat, four dolphins were playing in the waters around Alize. It is really great when something like this happens. In the evening we read and watched a movie before going to bed.

Thurs June 4 — Using a relay, I got a weather report this morning from Chris Parker, Caribbean Weather Center. It is supposed to be squally today, with even more squalls Saturday and Sunday. The morning has been overcast and rainy, but with no significant rain squalls. We don’t want to be caught out when there are 30 to 50 kt squalls around and will probably stay here for a couple more days.

Wed June 3 — A bright, sunny day. We plan on going to the market for some fresh produce either this afternoon or tomorrow. One of the two weekly supply boats came in today and we want to wait until supplies are unloaded and put on the supermarket shelves. In the afternoon, Martin and Vicky from Arto came to Alize and we played Sequence. Afterward, Lin made a meat pie that we enjoyed for dinner and we read for a while.

Tues June 2 — In the morning, I took care of a couple of minor boat repairs, end-for-ending one of our reefing lines and removing a lazy jack (helps keep the jib from flopping all over the deck when the sail is lowered) that had gotten caught on a spreader. Afterward, I and Martin from Arto went in and cleared in with Customs and Immigration. Afterward, I made a few purchases before going back to the boat, and getting soaked in the process. Next, we went to the St. Francis resort to have lunch and buy internet access cards. We met friends there and spent the afternoon socializing. In the afternoon, we saw a couple of rain spouts coming down the harbor toward us, but both dissipated before they got to us. In the evening, we watched a movie and read before going to bed.

Mon June 1 — We awoke after a sticky night and little wind, but many mosquitoes. We’re don’t know how so many of them got into the cabin. During the night, the wind shifted from easterly to almost due south and the boat followed the wind around, leading to some fear that we might have dragged. When we got in yesterday evening, Debbie of Psyche called us to let us know that Monday (today) is a holiday, Whit Monday (occurs 40 days after Easter) and everything is closed. I went in to town to check in, or at least be able to say that I had tried to, and everything is indeed closed. All of our errands are put off for a day. We spent a quiet afternoon and evening on the boat and watched a movie before going to bed.