Days 225-244; February 5 – 24, 2016

Total Miles Traveled: 2482

From Faro Blanco Marina on Vaca Key (Marathon) to 411 Sombrero Beach Road to Sombrero Dockside Marina. Note: we have traveled one whole mile East to the Atlantic side of the Key since our last post.

It has been a long stretch and a great deal has happened but mostly February has been a month of sharing our adventure and celebrating with family and friends as well as creative problem solving.

Debbie and Tom Littlepage landed a third visit of their promised once per quarter trips to meet us wherever we are: Pentwater in August, Gulfport FL in December and Marathon in February. We had a great time even though the weather was far from Florida’s finest. An overnight trip to Key West in their rental cargo van and sleeping in a great hotel bed were treats, even in the pouring rain.

Next, a big part of our clan spent their winter break here on Marathon. Per long term planning, thirteen of us shared a beautiful vacation rental home complete with three kitchens and a pool. Mike, Veta, Liam, Klava as well as Elena, Michael and Vanya from Veta’s family, Curt, Brooke, Leonie and Cedar enjoyed ten days of gorgeous summer weather in paradise. The Namaste rested quietly on the canal behind the house along with a go-fast, center-cockpit boat that Curt captained for long trips through the canals and out into the ocean.

Our Backyard on Sombrero Beach Rd.

The sunsets were spectacular but wind and waves got in the way of ocean snorkeling. Other highlights included another trip to Key West; a visit to the Turtle Hospital (more later); Jim riding along in the golf cart with Mike at Doral; meals at the Outpost, Burdines, the Sunset Grill and Blue Heaven – all highly recommended if ever you are in the Keys.

Boat buddies Ron, Vickie and their daughter Voni, who was visiting from Seattle came for dinner cooked by Curt and Brooke with Klava creating a memorable Valentines Day celebration for all. On our final morning together Veta arranged the first annual Pirate Pancake Breakfast by the pool with her friend “Mo” orchestrating sword-fighting lessons, battering of a piñata, and tattoo art. You can only begin to imagine Liam’s delight! Leonie ignored the pirate but with life jacket and often sans bathing suit jumped in over her head and swam like a fish alongside beautiful mermaid Klava. Cedar enjoyed his first dip in the pool and fell asleep to the hum of the boat engine more than once and loved Mom carrying him nonstop in the Boba – sleep, feed, sleep, feed. Thanks Vanya for your ongoing entertainment of the children, you have amazing talent and patience. Leonie is clearly in love!

Pirate Sammy

Pirate Liam

Pirate Elena

Mermaid Klava

Vanya and Liam horsing around

Leonie loving the pool

Going or is it coming back from snorkeling?

My favorite part of the week was simply floating around the pool in conversation with various subsets of the group. It was tough to say good-by at the end of a week we had been anticipating since we left Lake Michigan. Once they were packed into three vans headed to Fort Lauderdale and with tears in our eyes we once again boarded the Namaste, charted our way through the channels to Boot Key and arrived at the Dockside Marina where we napped until bedtime.

More about the Marathon Turtle Hospital: This is the largest of 12 turtle hospitals in the country and a wealth of turtle history and information. There are five species of Sea Turtles clearly threated by: ingesting or tangling in man-made objects (fishing line, plastic bags and balloons, etc.); tumors created by toxins dumped into the ocean absorbed by the plants the turtles eat; and finally gashes to their shell or flippers due to boat props. The turtle hospital and their two ambulances rescue sick or injured turtles anywhere, bring them to the hospital for treatment and release them as long as they have at least one eye and three flippers. The hospital is staffed by marine biology interns and veterinarians from the community (including the vet who gave Sammy her annual physical today) who treat the turtles and do surgery several times per week. There are currently 73 turtles in care. A few are permanent residents but most will ultimately return to the wild where they reportedly adapt back immediately. Among other interesting facts, the female turtle houses the male sperm and determines the best time to fertilize her own eggs before depositing them on a sand beach. They will never reproduce in captivity.

Whomever rescues the turtle gets to name it.  In this case is was an MSU fan who named it Sparty.  All turtles have a name painted on their shells for identification.

Note the missing right rear flipper 😦

Now, a few thoughts about our boating life-style challenges. Since my last post I lost my iphone and have been besieged by noseeum bites. Neither of these are life-threatening and could happen anywhere/anytime but resolving them on a boat requires additional creativity.

I believe I left the phone on a restaurant table but when I went back minutes later, it was nowhere to be found and NO, I had not set up the “find my phone” app properly! Thankfully Debbie was with me and knew exactly what to do – wipe the phone and report to Verizon who turned off the service and connected me to the insurance company which I mindlessly and thankfully must have purchased. For $149 I had a new phone the next day and everything important was saved to the cloud. However, due to a poor internet connection and even worse phone service it took me a full day to maneuver the various help systems including my own Noah Goldsmith to get everything downloaded (a word with which I have an ongoing love/hate relationship)!

Secondly, the noseeums are prevalent and viscous, particularly anywhere near the mangroves. Apparently I have a sensitivity to the acid they leave on the skin and develop welts/blisters at every bite site. There are as many prevention/treatment options as there are people but if you have suggestions please send them along as I am keeping a running list (stay tuned). At the moment treatment has included a prednisone injection at the local clinic, Benadryl to sleep, and cortisone cream. Prevention is somewhat trickier but local knowledge has it that vanilla coconut oil heavily and frequently applied to the skin is the best deterrent. I add heavy duty bug spray over the oil which creates a greasy mess and I smell like a fruity drink. Oh yes and we have purchased and stitched noseeum screening over our regular hatch screens which are then sprayed with screen insect spary. Apparently the best prevention is a strong wind as they hide (who knows where) and leave the people alone. Today it is windy!!!

Other challenges include a rejected debit card pin number (after a mile walk one way to an ATM machine); getting a diver to clean the barnacles off the bottom of the boat and three trips to West Marine to add the right zincs (important sacrificial metal to prevent the deterioration of the Namaste’s prop and shaft); purchasing and filling a rare and heavy propane tank with no easy transportation; taping and painting the decks and then touching up the edges where the tape pulls off the old paint. I am trying not to whine but rather to impress you with the everyday challenges of the simple life.

Another observation that requires comment is the amazing number and variety of boats here in the Keys. It is clearly a lifestyle of choice. One of our favorite past-times is to peruse Boot Key Harbor in our dinghy where there are 60 mooring balls (all full) and almost as may anchored boats. One reason for the overflow is that the weather has prevented many boaters from taking off for the Bahamas this month so everything has backed-up here in the Keys. That is where Jim is right now – makes for fun yacht shopping.

Mooring Field at Boot Key – full to overflowing

We aren’t sure about our next leg but will probably stay on Marathon and enjoy the sun for another week or so, then begin to move up the Keys toward Miami.

Quote of the day: “Pee jumped right through the pull-up and landed on my jammies” -Leonie

Boat Name Theme of the day: Star Gazer, Morning Star, Evening Star, Star Rising, Starlight, Wanderin’ Star, Stardust, Wishing Star, Star Fish, Sea Star

Bad Boat Name of the day: Don’t have one this time

Happy Birthday to Colleen Sinclair, Ollie Sinclair and Shawn McFall

Days 215-224; January 27- February 4, 2016

Total Miles Traveled: 2477

From Banana Bay Marina to Faro Blanco Marina on Marathon. Note: we have traveled one whole mile south since the last post!

First report is that we finally have real summer! It has been warm, sunny and beautiful until this morning when there is a warm rain that varies between a tropical downpour and a gentle shower. I cannot remember the exact stats but the normal southern Florida rainfall for January is something like 1“ and we have had 12+”. That is a lot of rain, not to mention the wind, lightening and thunder but we are not complaining just reporting and the sun is forecast for later today. Promise, I won’t mention the weather again.

You may remember my earlier comment about marina reservations. As we crossed the Gulf we had none and no phone coverage to make the important calls. Fortunately as we approached shore, Mike and Flint made space for us in the Banana Bay Marina and we are grateful for our stay there with lots of other loopers. It fit the Keys perfectly – just slightly off center or “Keysee” as they say.

The very first morning there we awoke to confusion on the dock as a manatee lay on her back two slips down drinking fresh water from a dripping water hose. It was great fun to watch her but it is against the rules to allow these animals access to fresh water as it is not healthy for them, so it was a short lived event.

Other highlights include the friendly folks, great pool and beach facing the Gulf. The Hurricane restaurant next door offered bargain meals of the decade – Taco Tuesday (tacos for $150 each so my dinner was $4.50 with a big glass of water) and Wing Wednesday ($.35 wings in countless flavors and heats).

We would have stayed but they had reservations to honor so we moved on to the beautiful and squarely on-center, non-Keysee, Faro Blanco Marina (Hyatt) just one mile south down the beach. The dock master and staff are the nicest and most helpful yet. Interestingly many of them came from the Hawk Cay Marina just north of here where Curt taught sailing back in about 2003.

The marina hosted a Polker Run the day we arrived (think very big, fast and loud cigarette boats in competition). Someone said that one boat made it the 50 miles to Key West in 26 minutes which would be about 100+ mph, a gazillion gallons of gas at a cost of $3,000+.  It was great fun to see but everyone was relieved upon their noisy departure Sunday morning when things got back to normal.

The bad news good news is that Jim lost his wallet on Sunday and found it wedged behind stuff in the hanging locker on Monday. Of course we had reported all credit cards, ordered new drivers license and insurance cards, etc. etc. Lesson learned is that recent copies of the front and back of everything in your wallet is priceless!

I have found a great, if temporary, walking buddy – Nancy, retired psychologist from Ohio. We have walked all but one day since we arrived at Faro Blanco. I even logged 18,500 steps once and then slept like a rock for 10 hours. We usually walk to the Seven Mile Bridge connecting Marathon to the south – an old railway bridge that has been converted to a walking, biking trail with a continuous view of the turquoise, crystal clear waters as far as the eye can see.

Mostly we have been hanging out by the pool and exploring the nearby coast in our dinghy. There are no real sandy beaches given the make-up of the Keys but the ambience` and a good internet connection are making me most happy.

Quote: “You guys are on a vacation from your vacation.”-anonymous

Boat Name of the Day: “On your mark. . .” one of the thunder boats.

Bad Boat Name of the Day: “Ultimate Bitch” Really?

Happy Birthday to brother, Kevin on the 9^th and nephew Carson on the 7^th!

‘til next time. . .

Windy Day in Banana Bay Marina

Private Island just off the shallow channel entrance to Banana Bay Marina.  Rents for $4,000/week including the boat!

Resort living – thatched roofs, palm trees, blue skies and warm temperatures!

Go fast boats.  Nates comment: “My want one of those.”

Faro Blanco Resort on race day.  Note Jim and Sammy on the dock checking it all out.  Also, Faro Blanco means White Lighthouse.

Seven Mile Bridge – made for walking, running, biking and viewing.  Marathon is mos tourist friendly.

The view from where I sit writing this.  Namaste is 50 yards to the right of this picture.

Cedar at almost 3 months.  We will see him and everyone coming to the Keys in a week.  Cannot wait!  Note the deep sea play mat.

Days 207-214; January 20-26, 2016

Total Miles Traveled: 2476

Fort Meyers Beach to Marco Island FL to Little Shark River and on to Marathon Island!!!

In the last post I mentioned the strong current at the marina in Fort Meyers Beach. Well, we had clearly become much too confident of our docking skills. While leaving our slip the current grabbed our bow off the dock spinning us into a large post and literally snapping our starboard (green) running light from its home on the bow sprint (crunch). We call these sacrificial lights as this is the third one we have managed to leave in various places at $35.00 and considerable installation frustration each. Otherwise it was a perfect departure and trip to Marco Island. The inland waterway here is shallow with low bridges so we didn’t risk it and took the outside (Gulf) passage. It was a gorgeous bright and sunny day with enough wind that we sailed about two miles offshore past Naples into the Rose Marina on Marco.

Since bad weather was forecast, we decided to quickly rent a car with Vicki and Ron and go to the Everglades National Park. A treat beyond words! First we had lunch at the Rod and Gun Club in Everglade City (Est 1864) with the best Key Lime pie in Florida. Second, we selected the slow/quiet boat out of the National Park taking us for an hour and a half tour of the mangroves. We learned much about this one of a kind ecosystem and the environmental issues, solutions and protections in place by the dedicated park service. If you aren’t a member of the US National Parks, you might consider joining. If you are over 65 a lifetime pass to all parks costs $10! No better bargain anywhere. No, we never spotted an alligator but were assured they were there waiting. Maxine, our server at the Inn and Teddy, our captain/brilliant lecturer were both highlights! Our friends on “Lydia” with a shallow boat draft continued on to Everglade City where they are waiting out this storm.

Now some tales about the southern tip of storm Jonas at the southern tip of Florida. On Friday (22^nd) it started to rain at daybreak and came down in torrential buckets most all day long. Our ill-conceived trip to the local coin laundry to wash rugs and sleeping bags left us tired and soggy. Just as the rain ended and the sun came out the wind picked up and we braced ourselves for sustained 25-35 mph winds and higher gusts for a long 24 hours. Luckily the wind kept us off the dock but the Namaste’s undulating and shimmering prevented good sleep and our sense of balance became marginal all day. As a solution Jim and I went for a six-mile windy walk. Our destination was to be a stop the Tigertail Beach where we couldn’t enter even the deserted parking lot area because we had Sammy on a leash. Everything is gated and definitely not dog friendly! I don’t think we saw another dog the entire six mile route!

Other highlights of the weekend included a visit from. Bob and Debi from Washington State, friends of Vicki and Ron plus gold loopers.  We shared story after story and ended with a wonderful Italian dinner at Alturo’s on Marco – an exceptional time of new friends for us great food and laughter all around.

On Monday morning Jan. 25^th we departed Marco Island at daybreak heading to Marathon. Since this is a 100+ mile trip we divided it into a 60 mile day (9 hours) to an anchorage in Little Shark River (deep within the Everglades and literally no place for Sammy to potty on land) followed by a 40+ mile day (6 hours) to Marathon Island – there are no marinas between Marco and Marathon. It was a bumpy/rolling start that eventually flattened out into a beautiful turquoise sea as far as the eye could see (please note the exceptional and intended pun on the “Sea to See”, Vicki and Ron’s boat name!).

The anchorage at Little Shark Island was as perfect as they get – see sunset and sunrise pictures below. We managed a trapped anchor and then were treated to a Pelican hitchhiking on the dinghy as we headed back out into the gulf. Success!! Sammy, for the first time ever, went potty on the deck to the great relief of us all! This was after 27 hours and only when Jim and I were both down below with Sammy and the auto-helm in charge. She promptly settled down and went to sleep for the rest of the trip to Marathon.

We are now in the Banana Bay Marina with lots of friendly loopers. The place fits it’s name perfectly. We will be here for three nights and then move on to the posh Faro Blanco Resort Marina for a few days. This is one arena in which Jim and I have never resolved our travel differences. I would like to have reservations all along the way and he prefers to simply “wing it”. So far so good, I say as I take a deep breath!

Boat Name of the Day: “Minimum Balance”

Bad Boat Name of the Day: “Ship of Fools”

Quote of the Day: “Every year more people attempt to climb Mount Everest than attempt to complete the Loop.” – Bob & Debi Smith (gold loopers)

Happiest of Birthdays to our Curtis James – January 29 and also, Roger DeRose on the 28^th!

Chart hour on the dock at Marco Island.  Sammy’s favorite time of day.  Far right are Dwain and Jackie onboard “Lydia”

Not great photography but a very fun evening with Debi and Bob.

The Rod and Gun Club in Everglade City – if ever you are there it is highly recommended!

 Maxine, our waitress who that day had returned from a year of sick leave following heart attackS.  She was so happy to be back and offered the best service ever!!

Mangrove passage teeming with life.  Saw no alligators but I bet they saw us!

Another part of the mangroves at sunset.

Teddy our Everglade captain, tour guide and eye candy all in one.

A cool but fascinating day in the Everglades.  Marine biology as a next career?

Sunrise as we left Little Shark River heading the last leg to Marathon.  This was deep into the mangroves so no going ashore for anyone.

Mr. Pelican hitching a ride back to the Gulf.

How about these tropical blues?  On our way from Little Shark River into Marathon a wonderful trip across under sail.

The Banana Bay Marina welcoming committee.  Nicer people we haven’t met anywhere, with the exception of you! It is finally Florida warm too!

Days 202-206; January 15-19, 2016

Total Miles Traveled: 2310

Gasparilla Marina in Port Charlotte to Salty Sam’s Marina in Fort Meyers Beach, FL.

The Namaste followed the Lydia out of Gasparilla on a gorgeous Saturday morning (16^th) with sunshine, warm temps, blue sky and calm waters. The few fishing boats leaving with us turned into a boat parade by 11 a.m. and a literal traffic jam by 1 p.m. It was gorgeous, it was a three-day weekend and everyone with access to a boat was cruising the narrow 40 mile channel with us. Understand that there is plenty of water along here – wide rivers and large bays but only the fishermen with expert local knowledge dared to diverge from the narrow/deep channel. Most everyone “behaved” except a few very large and fast boats thinking they owned the channel or several rented boats that perhaps didn’t know the rules who raced down the middle of the channel sending everyone awash in their wake. It took all four eyes to keep us safely out of the way of other boats while managing to stay in the channel. It was lovely to reach Salty Sam’s Marina where even with a swift sideways to the dock current we were relieved to be docked next to a large Pirate tour boat.

We wasted no time in getting to  Bootlegger’s Bar where many loopers were gathered, including Ron and Vicki on Sea to See and even Dennis and Carol on “Reunion” who we hadn’t seen since KY! This is a fun marina with restaurants, shopping, laundry, lots of boats and good people – probably 5-8 looping boats.

Saturday night and Sunday the weather turned wild with more huge rain and winds of 25-35 mph with gusts to 50 (tornadoes reported just north of us in Sarasota). We slept well as the Pirate ship blocked some of the wind but Sammy was restless and only calmed when she came in bed with us (positive reinforcement for whining). The wind stayed high all day Sunday and it turned chilly but Jim, Sammy and I walked across the bridge to Fort Meyers Beach to watch the waves, the people and enjoy ice cream pretending to be warm.

The weather has settled down but it is still cool and we will stay here a couple of days with the guys going shopping at the boat stores and the ladies getting pedicures and groceries (in order of importance). By current plan on Wed. we will head south to Marco Island and beyond to Marathon in the Keys!

Boat Name of the Day: “Yabba Dabba Doo ” (sailboat from Charlevoix MI)

Bad Boat Name of the Day: “It’s a Great Day”  (ask me about it sometime!)

Quote of the Day: “A ship is designed to take you places. So if your companionSHIP, friendSHIP, partnerSHIP, or relationSHIP isn’t taking you anywhere, then it is best to abandon ship.” -unknown

Happy 4^th birthday to Nate on January 23d, our bestest middle grandson!  Also happy birthday to good friend Doreen Murasky on the 20th!

The Channel just outside Gasparaill – beautiful peace!

We are as far right as possible in the channel.  The boat traffic looks frighteningly identical  looking back too!

  Salty Sam’s Marina and the Parrot Key Bar and Grille!

The pirate ship (“Eight Pieces”) our boat next to which we are docked.  They put on a real show!

Bay behind Fort Meyer’s Beach.  Salty Sam’s is half way down on the left.

Fort Meyers Beach.  The waves are far bigger than the photo allows!

Ron (Sea to See), Dwain (Lydia), Jim and Sammy cruise planning!

Meeting up with Lynn and Gary Soblotne in Fort Meyers Beach.  Now, Gary is a great guy but really, a halo?

Ladies afternoon at the nail spa!  My toes are the crooked ones!

Days 195-201; January 8 – 14, 2016

Total Miles Traveled: 2278

Gulfport Marina to Seafood Shack Marina (Cortez) to Marina Jack’s mooring field (downtown Sarasota) to Fisherman’s Wharf (downtown Venice) to Gasparilla Marina (Port Charlotte)

Jim finished Namaste maintenance, we had dinner with Steve and Judy of the “Norne Gaest” and if I haven’t told you about them before, they have lived aboard for 13 years and are a wealth of knowledge. In addition to vital cruising information we learned more about compostable heads than I ever thought imaginable. On January 10 Namaste pulled away after her month-long stay at Gulf Port (with some last-minute chaos when the joy-stick momentarily came off of the bow thruster as Jo Ann spun to exit the fairway). We crossed the VERY shallow Boca Ciaga Bay using every navigational tool available including hand written notes from the locals which proved to be the most helpful of all! It was a gorgeous day making us feel happy to be back on the water and on our way.

We headed down the inter-coastal waterway to the Seafood Shack Marina in Cortez – a lovely place where we tied up right in front of their excellent restaurant. Here we met up once again with Vicki and Ron onboard Sea to See (our bestest boat buddies!) and were joined by Ron and Marilyn Steiner who are spending January on Anna Maria Island, about 2 miles from the marina. We shared food, stories and dogs. Sammy loved Steiner’s 9 month old Daisy Dog, Brutus (see pictures). They chased around the condo day one and the local dog park day two. Early one morning we walked several miles north on the beach, caught the free Trolley and rode to the tip of Anna Maria Island and back to the marina. Getting around is surprisingly easy when there is only one road that goes anywhere! It was a perfect Saturday morning! Before we left the Seafood Shack, an old schooner sunk right at the dock causing quite the excited response of the owner, fire department, police, coast guard and environmentalists! I suspect they will get it sorted out.

Another 15 miles or so down the inter-coastal road we came to Sarasota, staying just after the bridge at the city’s mooring field ($25/night) and marina ($100/night). Guess which we selected? This perfect spot was only slightly marred by the winds and cold weather that marched in. Namaste doesn’t have real heat unless plugged in at a marina but the propane cook stove works wonders. On the ball, we felt like we were back at Put-in-Bay, Lake Erie.   A motorcycle festival nearby even provided the music. Here we did laundry went to the Ringling Museum and used Uber to provision. Have I mentioned Uber? It is a handy app for getting around by private car.   We have never waited more than 8 minutes and the price is beyond reasonable, particularly when you need milk and eggs!

After two nights we let go of the mooring and headed south in search of warmer temperatures. It was sunny and bright if cool, as we moved on to the city of Venice. Boat traffic is friendly, polite and most watch their wakes.   We came upon an old Lyman runabout “Happy” just like the one my dad bought when I was in 6^th grade and behind which I learned to water ski. It was a nostalgic moment for sure as we approached Venice near where he and my mom retired in 1975. Sadly he never owned a boat in Florida but I suspect he understands what we are doing and how much fun we are having. We think of him often and sometimes talk to him while pretending he is riding along with us on this adventure.

Fisherman’s Wharf Marina in Venice was a real treat as the nostalgia continued. We docked next to “Lydia” (Dwain and Jackie) before hustling off for the short walk to town, Venice Avenue. This is where my grandparents retired and owned a house in the early 1960’s. My memory (along with brother and sister-in-law, Bill and Missi’s) could not come up with the address where we visited them several times over the years but we delighted in purchasing Nate’s birthday gift at Nana’s Closet where I am certain my Grandma and Mom purchased gifts for our children. Shopping became dangerous so we continued walking to the deserted Venice Beach before heading back for a relaxing dinner with Dwain and Jackie at the Fisherman’s Wharf.

Finally, yesterday we headed south once again to Port Charlotte and the Gasparilla Marina. It was a cool and windy day with many bridges to call as we approached to either open, lift or turn to allow our passage. Five dolphins played all around for several minutes with one coming right up next to the boat teasing Sammy. As an added treat there are Osprey nesting on every marker along the channel. In Gasparilla we met our high school friends Shirley (cheerleaders together) and Dick (swim team together) Osborn. They picked us up for a lovely beachside dinner on Boca Grande and I am so sad I didn’t get a picture. Their grandson is playing hockey at MSU (#2) and they are the folks many years ago that encouraged us to join the hockey family!

Rain and high winds are predicted for the next couple of days so we will stay put here until Saturday (16^th) to catch up on this blog, do home repairs, read and figure out the next leg of the trip. Be well!

Good Boat Names of the Day – I move on to boat name themes: “Never Home”, “Always Home”, and “No Zip Code”

Bad Boat Name of the Day: “Mayhem”

Quote of the Day: “Sometimes the reason good things are not happening to you is because you are the good thing that needs to happen to other people.” – Steven Aitchison

Birthdays:  January 15^th – Happy 10^th to our Liam! Wish we were there to celebrate with you. Love you and have fun!

Crossing Tampa Bay and the Tampa Bay Bridge

Early  Saturday morning walk along Anna Maria Island Beach (just north of Long Boat Key).

Sammy and Brutus (Jo Ann and Marilyn Steiner too) at the dog park!

Sammy being completely ignored by the Great Blue Heron

Dinner with Ron and Marilyn, Ron and Vickie at the Seafood Shack.

Osprey sitting on a nest at almost every marker.  Sometimes the male and female were both there!

The Namaste taken from our dinghy in Sarasota ” on the ball.”

Picture of downtown Sarasota from the Namaste.  Blue and white building (center) is Marina Jack’s.  They take their marina’s very seriously down here!  I’m thinking of the comparison to Bobby’s Fish Camp or Hoppie’s on the river.

Ringling Mansion and Museum.  Great visit to enjoy the grounds and appreciate the philanthropy of John and Mable to Sarasota.

Full dinghy dock in Sarasota

Days 166-194; December 11- January 7, 2016.

We spent a relaxing mid-December weekend in Gulf Port, FL with Debbie and Tom Littlepage. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect and the activity of choice turned out to be beach sitting, beach walking and beach bar time (St. Petersburg Beach) with a craft show, holiday boat parade, shopping and a fantastic meal or two thrown in. Yes, we all stayed on the Namaste together! As always, Debbie and Tom’s company is cherished and the value of their ongoing assistance with electronics cannot be measured. Their rental car was a real treat for getting around easily and transport to the Tampa Airport for our much anticipated home-visit departure. Thanks for everything!

Sammy did not enjoy her first  flight. Did I mention that her ticket cost more than ours? Anyway, we went straight away to meet our newest grandchild Cedar Curtis McFall. He was just a month old and could not be a more perfect and beautiful baby boy. By the time we left he was either sleeping, eating or smiling.

It was a great time and perhaps slightly more relaxing than our October visit. Mostly we spent time with family which included holding Cedar at every opportunity; spending play times with Nate and Leonie; attending Klava’s third grade birthday party where we were in charge of decorating gingerbread houses; picking up Liam and Klava from School and hosting an overnight on Blue Heron; assembling a drum set with Liam; attending Ashleigh’s hockey party and family skate and enjoying the Detroit Zoo light show and a tour of Face Book Detroit Headquarters with PHLAN + Grandma Ollie! Out of town visits from Georgie, Roger and Colleen were highlights. There were lots of shared meals and cups of coffee too.

We also caught up with good friends; celebrated our 49^th anniversary and bringing in 2016 during Bryan and Julie’s wedding at the Art Museum on the U of M campus – a terrific venue and party; and sadly attended the funeral of Dominic Taddonio, a highly accomplished and well loved man.

The practical doc and dental appointments resulted in good reports and a fixed tooth. Haircuts were accomplished and Sammy was groomed. Jo Ann walked her 10,000 steps most days with the company of Judy, Monica and Maureen. Jim finished and delivered three cherry tables and endlessly studied the charts of Florida and the Keys. We did some Christmas decorating and un-decorating, made the usual date bread, cooked a few good meals and left the house in order. The unseasonably warm weather and lack of snow prevented us from an annual downhill trip at Boyne but otherwise it was a whirlwind of the best life has to offer! Thanks to all for your rich company and memorable times!

We flew on the 6th to Tampa and Sammy isn’t any happier about her confinement – the indignity of it all! As I write this we are back onboard the Namaste with Jim doing a few minor maintenance and installation tasks.   We look forward to reuniting with friends and the loop as we move on to the Florida Keys.

Good Boat Name of the day: Audacious and Bodacious as we have seen both names. Audacious means confident, daring, adventurous. Bodacious is likely a combination of bold + audacious so boldly confident, daring and adventurous. Who knew?

Quote of the day: “Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding.  -Bill Bullard (not sure which one)

Sorry, the marina we-fi is too slow to upload the pictures.  I will add them when I get a good connection.  Yikes, frustrating!

The beach at St. Petersburg or was it Passe-a-Grille

Holiday Boat Parade in Gulf Port

Christmas Day

Grandma and Cedar

Nate at the family skate.  He and Liam love to roller blade throughout the house – getting ready for hockey!

Leonie helping Grandma decorate the house

Grandpa and Cedar

Klava is 9!

Oh the indignity of it all!

We are grateful every day for our “WOW” adventure and wish each of you the possibility of your own dreams whatever, whenever, and wherever they may be.  Thank you for your encouragement, support and friendship.

Love, Jo Ann Jim and Sammy

Days 161-165; December 6-11. At Turtle Cove Marina we embraced turtle speed and very slowly moved along the inter-coastal from Tarpon Springs to Gulfport, just north of St. Petersburg FL. Total miles traveled: 2,097.

Backing up, I want to add a couple of stories. First is an additional comment about our Gulf Crossing. We recently learned that during the four day weather window available (November 29 – December 2) at least 37 boats crossed the Gulf with us. Since approximately 150 boats complete the Loop each year, 25% of the boats were in our Crossing and we know all of them, at least by boat name – they are our  community away from home.

The final day in Tarpon Springs we decided to take the Jolly Trolley into Clearwater ($2.50/day-pass each), thinking this would be a simple round trip excursion to some of the highlights we had picked out on their map. Suffice it to say I felt like a tourist for the first time since leaving home in June. In the end it turned out to be a five-hour trek on pretty uncomfortable trolley bench seats but we did get a tiny sense of Clearwater – the home of Scientology! Later we attended Carols at the Cathedral (St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox), a terrific musical adventure into the Christmas spirit. If ever you are in Tarpon Springs the first Sunday in December. . .

The next morning we left our comfortable resort slip and best boat buddies saying good-bye, sharing memories and hugs with Vicki and Ron onboard Sea to See. Vicki reported that she was in withdrawal and I countered that I was in denial as we have been mostly together since leaving Chicago on September 2^nd.   We followed them back out to the ICWW for the first few miles when they peeled off to stay in a Clearwater marina as both have doc appointments this week for hopefully minor (knee and back) tune ups and family holiday visits in Clearwater and central Florida!

We continued moving along the inter-coastal, an interesting change from the river system, Panhandle waterway, and Gulf where we experienced rural beauty and peaceful anchorages (read as lots of water and trees). Now there is constant diversion and a different beauty exists but clearly not the peace of the first 160 days. To our starboard are the barrier islands that break the waves from the Gulf and to our port is the mainland/playland of Florida. The steady stream of homes, condos, and businesses span a range but most are high-end and many are beyond spectacular. The waterfront hotels offer marina slips to boaters including all hotel amenities.

We anchored two nights in bays just off the ICWW – free and quiet. Both had easy access to grass for Sammy. The first night we were in the high rent district of Bellaire Bluffs and the second night we were 50 yards off an American Legion restaurant/bar where we sang to continuous live 60’s music all afternoon. Just down the way the local McDonald’s offered a dinghy dock capable of mooring more than 30 little boats with a one hour parking limit. We have to imagine what this place looks like in high season?

The Namaste has come upon a half dozen highway bridges spanning the ICWW under which we could not proceed as our mast is 45’ and most of these bridges are 24’ creating a 21’ problem, even at low tide. It is a unique feeling when these huge bridges split in the middle and lift their arms for us to pass. Most bridge tenders open upon signal but others have a set lift schedule, yet another daily puzzle to master.

On December 9^th as we drank our coffee and remembered the birth day of our lovely granddaughter Lexi (17), we were greeted by an early morning dolphin show. In case you are wondering, dolphins have longer noses, bigger mouths, more curved dorsal fins, and longer leaner bodies than porpoises. Dolphins are by far the most prevalent so I suspect that is what we are seeing. The avian live is also ever-changing so add huge Osprey to what we have already identified.

Fortunately before we up-anchored we realized the opportunity to use our Tow-Boat US insurance. The engine wouldn’t start for the first time since leaving Boyne City. The story is longer than this but basically the alternator belt had worked loose and the engine hadn’t charged the batteries the previous day. Then we ran the refrigerator and lights all evening creating a morning low voltage situation.

We are currently in the Gulfport Marina with a happy engine. Jim and I walked three hours this morning along the water having breakfast at Stella’s. We will enjoy the weekend here with Debbie and Tom Littlepage before tucking in the Namaste and flying home for the holidays. Please stay tuned for our holiday post!

Boat Name of the Day: Slow M’ocean

Bad Boat Name of the Day: Funk ‘n Around

Quote of the Day: The Art of Zen: Zen Things (appropriate for the holiday season)

1.Do one thing at a time.

2.Do it slowly and deliberately

3.Do it completely.

4.Do less.

5.Put space between things.

6.Develop rituals.

7.Designate time for certain things

8.Smile and serve others

9.Make cleaning and cooking become meditation.

10.Think about what is necessary.

11.Live simply

Congrats and Go Green to the MSU Football, Basketball and Debate teams!!!

Yet another spectacular sunset while at anchor near St. Petersburg.

Days 156-160; November 30 to December 5. We crossed 170 miles of the Gulf from Carabelle to Tarpon Springs, Florida for total miles traveled: 2,050.

Let me begin by saying that the crossing of the Gulf has been the most anxiety producing part of this adventure. Back in May when putting together the slide presentation for our bon voyage party, I vividly remember looking at the Loop map and thinking, I’ll worry about that later, secretly believing that we would follow the “big curve” hopping marina to marina close to shore from the panhandle down the western coast of Florida. This is a long and pretty trip but much too shallow an option for the Namaste’s 5 feet of draft. Later had now arrived and the Gulf crossing was upon us. Given its relative importance, I will allow myself a longer- winded than usual description.

There had not been a good weather window for several days if not weeks and many boats were backlogged in Carabelle waiting to cross. Also, there had been a significant incident in which the Coast Guard had been called to rescue a couple from their boat while trying to cross in “it will do weather.” Although anxieties were high, a potentially long window (days) opened on Saturday, November 29^th and we were determined to take advantage of the moment. We provisioned (mostly comfort/junk food), checked all boat systems, studied charts, and had a lovely group dinner (laughingly termed the last supper) before departing on this 170 mile crossing. Doing the math: 170 miles divided by 7 miles an hour (our cruising speed) = a minimum of 24 hours on the open ocean!

It was a beautiful Sunday morning and not wanting to worry family and friends we advised only Curt of our float plan before departing Carabelle at 11:30 a.m. behind Sea to See, our long-standing boat buddy. Faster boats would leave Carrabelle later in the day with the theory that they would pass us during the night and we would be in an ever changing but never ending flotilla throughout the crossing. What we later learned was that there were at least ten other boats out there with us that night – thankfully all on a slightly different course.  Also, it was important that we plan to arrive in Tarpon Springs late morning due to tide levels and so that we would not be blinded to the potentially dangerous floating crab pots that might fowl our propeller.

As we passed Dog Island, the R2 buoy and headed out to sea, the wind seemed to pick up and the waves from the NE insisted on hitting our beam making us roll more than cut through the waves. The good news was that we happily put up the sails to steady ourselves and motor sailed for six hours. By sunset the wind subsided and the water turned almost calm allowing for a perfectly beautiful 138 degree course for the next 12 hours. We had hoped for and got a gorgeous, warm, clear night watching the mesmerizing cycle of spectacular sunset (celebrated with our Jimmy Buffet CD and a coke) followed by a star-lit sky, a slightly less than full moon and finally sunrise to a new day.

Jim and I had decided on two hour watches so during the night hours we each were at the helm three times for a total of six hours alone on the sea while the other slept. For me the time went by almost too quickly as I listened to an Anne Lamott ibook and sang along with my playlists while holding Sammy in my lap and thinking deep thoughts. With the auto-helm set, I watched the stern light of Sea to See ahead and the running lights of Friar Tuck behind throughout the night and listened intently to VHF radio check-ins and announcements.

Just before sunrise the wind picked up again and I awoke to what felt like monster waves hitting us broadside once again. Truism: the darkest hour is just before dawn! This had been unanticipated and was surely unwelcome as we were groggy and slightly spicy with the discomfort. Although challenging, it did seem that we had earned our crossing medal as we arrived at the R4 buoy at 11:30 a.m. as planned, turned and headed up the long channel arriving at Turtle Cove Marina in Tarpon Springs at 1:00 making it a 25.5 hour successful crossing.

I don’t think Sammy closed her eyes the entire crossing nor did she eat or drink. For sure she never took my suggestions to potty on the cockpit floor which contains a grate and a drain. Others, including the vet, had told us this would probably be the case so we didn’t worry but tried to empathize with her state of confusion. We suspect that the payback happened a couple days later when she ate the turkey from Jim’s sandwich sitting unattended in the cockpit. She carefully left the bread and cheese untouched. I suspect she was saving them for the next course when I caught her. Yet another payback has been happily allowing her to pee on every blade of grass she finds fascinating.

We are spending a week in Turtle Cove which is a short walk into Tarpon Springs where the Greek influence and tourist shopping are palpable. We are filling up on Greek food and pastries while enjoying the marina pool and Tiki bar. Last night I cracked a tooth so we found over the counter tooth fixing stuff and also came upon two walk-in dentistry clinics not open on Saturday. Who knew?

Next week we will anchor out a couple of nights and then head for Clearwater for a long awaited weekend visit from Debbie and Tom Littlepage. I plan to post again before we fly home on Monday, December 14^th to meet Cedar and celebrate the Holidays.

Boat Name of the Day (Or rather a theme of boat names): Never Home, Always Home, No Zip Code

Bad Boat Name of the Day: My Dixie Wrecked (just to see if you are paying attention) on a very fast cigar boat

Quote of the Day: “Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.” – Robin S. Sharma

Happy Birthday to: Our beautiful granddaughter, Lexi (17!); Sammy (4) and Monica Law

Oh yes, and GO GREEN tonight!

The shrimp boats of Carabelle.

Captain Jim surveying the Gulf

Admiral Jo Ann at the helm.

R2 Buoy and heading out

Sunset on 11-30-15

Sunrise on 12-1-15

R4 Buoy – a welcome sight!

One of many Greek bakeries with Vicki and Ron. What to pick?

Sammy and Benjie at the Tiki Bar. No dogs allowed on the bar top!

Cedar, two weeks old!

Days 147-155; November 21-29; Add an eighth state: Florida. We left Turner Marina; crossed Mobile Bay; stayed at Lulu’s; Pensacola Beach; Destin; Panama City; White City and ended in Carabelle. Total miles traveled: 1,980

After an interesting week at Turner Marina in Dog River at the north end of Mobile Bay the masts were up, the rigging set, the sails on and we were prepared to cross Mobile Bay heading for the eastbound IWW (intercoastal waterway). It was early on a gorgeous, calm but somewhat cloudy morning with no rain predicted. This is a shallow bay so we meticulously followed the channel down the bay and then cut east. Dolphins danced, shrimp boats quietly passed, and the pelicans swooped so low at our bow that I occasionally feared a potentially messy collision. Rain clouds appeared out in the Gulf but we never experienced a drop.

The mouth of the IWW was a welcome sight as we were excited to arrive at Lulu’s restaurant and the Homeport Marina. We had seen pictures of the place and this level of civilization and entertainment was anticipated. It was a lovely marina (if a country mile to the showers) and Lulu’s did not disappoint. It is owned and directly operated by Lulu, Jimmy Buffet’s sister. There was an enormous ropes course that appeared as a stairway to the sky; acres of sand with toys and fountains for children; great trinket shopping and of course a beach restaurant/bar exactly as you would imagine it. We missed Jimmy singing by one night as he had been there to celebrate Lulu’s two granddaughter’s birthday the day before. Yes, we bought a CD! The two days we were there were crystal clear but very windy and cold (into the low 30’s at night) so we pretty much owned the place. Oh yes, we watched “The” Michigan State University beat Ohio State sitting at Lulu’s bar.

The following day we left Lulu’s and Alabama crossing the state line into Florida, complete with an official welcome sign. Palm trees and beautiful white sand beaches greeted us all along the IWW. We bounced along the bottom coming into the Sabine Marina in Pensacola Beach but Captain Jim is good at maneuvering off the sand shoals and we were free within seconds. Tides will take more of our attention from now on. The Sabine Marina wasn’t a Lulu’s but it was in a great location for walking out to the Gulf and enjoying the spectacular Pensacola Beach while later dining at the world famous Hemingway’s.

Our next stop was Sandestin Resort and Baytowne Marina, a huge, high-end establishment where there is everything imaginable to do. Here we paid the most for dockage yet ($2/foot/night) and again the showers and fun stuff were so far that you had to rent a golf cart at another $70/day.   So, after a long cold travel day, gumbo for dinner at the marina bar, and a good night’s sleep, much to Jo Ann’s disappointment, we cast our lines and moved on. It was still cool and day after tomorrow would be Thanksgiving with no real plan. Maybe turkey sandwiches onboard?

It was windy and rough in the lakes and bays we traversed but we made it to the Panama City Marina where we celebrated Thanksgiving the next day with eight looping boats and their families. We had a prime docking spot although Vickie and Ron had their beam to the bay with significant rocking and an unstable and difficult to maneuver finger pier. Slip assignments are surely luck of the draw! Fourteen of us took cabs to the “Po Folks Sea Food, Chicken And So Forth” restaurant where we feasted on a traditional turkey dinner and Arnold Palmers at $12.99 per person. After returning to the boats we gathered on the marina picnic deck for drinks, snacks, sunset, and a full moon rising. There is an interesting story here not fit for the blog so ask me about it f to f sometime. The weather had turned beautifully warm. While we all missed and talked nonstop about family, I am certain I was feeling the most homesick missing a wonderful gathering at Mike and Veta’s. At the same time we felt fortunate to be together enjoying our new friendships and this pretty place. We’ll be home for Christmas. . .

After two nights we headed out for White City, a city park with FREE docks, bathrooms, power and hot weather but no showers or wifi/cell signal. The IWW has been river-like and narrow with mostly cypress swamp shores but every so often it opens up to a bay or lake that feels like it could be anywhere in Michigan on an inland or great lake. We are back on EST and it is getting dark later, a real plus!

A word from Sammy: These eagles (three in two days) are scary as they eye me from aloft but at least we have seen no alligators or snakes. Please let Gio, Gillie and Aunt Missy know that I am mostly doing fine. The run on Pensacola beach was f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c except that the hoped for refreshing drink turned out to be no unsalted Lake Michigan. Most overnights allow for some good smelling walks, and the sleeping is peaceful as I am always tired after a hard day at the helm. The downside was the burrs I got into yesterday that took hours for the staff to remove, as I lay like the princess that I am. It is a tough life!

Boat Name of the Day: (1) Tiller U Lubber (after our beloved Tiller) and (2) O Sea D (for my therapist friends and yes, the boat was immaculate)

Bad Boat Name of the Day: Nasty Habit

 Quote of the Day: “People who were young in the 60’s are cooler than anyone.” – Natalie Portman

Update: Cedar is reportedly flourishing and “chill”. We enjoy a new picture every day to keep us company on our phone screens. Thanks Brooke!

LULU’s

Acres of Sand and Fun

The bar where we watched MSU beat Ohio State

Sunset over Destin FL

Traditional Thanksgiving dinner in Panama City – well really not all that traditional.

Dockside Thanksgiving Celebration

Don’t miss the Eagle

Typical view of the Panhandle IWW

Early morning travel to reach Carabelle for the weather window to cross the Gulf!