March 27, 2011
Just hitting the right keys to write this log is going to be a challenge. We are rocking and rolling tied to the dock as the Ft. Lauderdale waterway is humming with activity this Sunday. It is also spring break time and the beach is packed. We have had to walk in the water to walk the beach. Great people watching though.
Snow Goose is starting to look more like herself. We have been working on her bright work with only the port toe rail to be done now.
The jerry jugs are filled with fuel, the ice box is stuffed with ice blocks and food and we have full water tanks. So we are ready to leave here tomorrow morning. We are anxious to get started again.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Back in Ft. Lauderdale
Tuesday, March 15th
Mike here at the boatyard gave us a going away present yesterday, so I guess that means we should leave. It was a new fire extinquisher. We had to use our previous one to extinquish a fire created when we overfilled the alcohol stove. No harm done, but it was a mess to clean up the chemical.
We were given guest passes to the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens, and took the trip out there yesterday. We have gotten pretty good on the metrorail and with the bus system. The gardens are huge. We took the trolley tour and then a walking tour.
Ken and Francie called us from Cat Island in the Bahamas. We never made it there last year, but they say we must put it on the itinerary. Beautiful beaches, snokeling and shelling. They are planning to cross the first or second week in April from Abacos probably into Stuart, Florida. We hope to be able to see them there.
Friday, March 18th
We left Anchor Marine and made our way outbound down the Miami River thru the seven bridges behind Osprey, a motor yacht, on Tuesday. It was more than two hours on our newly re-repowered engine and the engine just hummed along like a finely tuned machine. We have anchored back in Sunset Lake. We need to save some money to offset our re-repower expenses and anchoring here is free. We are working some more on the bright work, sanding and urethaning. It really needed it and it looks so much better once done. Bill's hearing aid went out so we have sent it on to his audiologist and Greg will send it on to Ft. Lauderdale where we intent to go on Monday. We need showers and haircuts! We want to connect with Release when they come back across from the Bahamas, probably in Stuart. We are feeling so much better these days with confidence our new engine is installed correctly.
March 22nd
We had a lot of wind, choppy waters and ten bridges along the ICW to Ft. Lauderdale. But we arrived safely and Snow Goose just traveled along smoothly with no problems.
We secured the boat and then headed for a hot shower! Incredible how wonderful it can make you feel after two months of sun showers. Hair cuts happened today and now we look like civilized humans again.
This place is alive with people. However, unlike Miami, we do hear the English language being spoken. I am still blown away by the number of Cubans and the Latin influence in Miami.
Mike here at the boatyard gave us a going away present yesterday, so I guess that means we should leave. It was a new fire extinquisher. We had to use our previous one to extinquish a fire created when we overfilled the alcohol stove. No harm done, but it was a mess to clean up the chemical.
We were given guest passes to the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens, and took the trip out there yesterday. We have gotten pretty good on the metrorail and with the bus system. The gardens are huge. We took the trolley tour and then a walking tour.
Ken and Francie called us from Cat Island in the Bahamas. We never made it there last year, but they say we must put it on the itinerary. Beautiful beaches, snokeling and shelling. They are planning to cross the first or second week in April from Abacos probably into Stuart, Florida. We hope to be able to see them there.
Friday, March 18th
We left Anchor Marine and made our way outbound down the Miami River thru the seven bridges behind Osprey, a motor yacht, on Tuesday. It was more than two hours on our newly re-repowered engine and the engine just hummed along like a finely tuned machine. We have anchored back in Sunset Lake. We need to save some money to offset our re-repower expenses and anchoring here is free. We are working some more on the bright work, sanding and urethaning. It really needed it and it looks so much better once done. Bill's hearing aid went out so we have sent it on to his audiologist and Greg will send it on to Ft. Lauderdale where we intent to go on Monday. We need showers and haircuts! We want to connect with Release when they come back across from the Bahamas, probably in Stuart. We are feeling so much better these days with confidence our new engine is installed correctly.
March 22nd
We had a lot of wind, choppy waters and ten bridges along the ICW to Ft. Lauderdale. But we arrived safely and Snow Goose just traveled along smoothly with no problems.
We secured the boat and then headed for a hot shower! Incredible how wonderful it can make you feel after two months of sun showers. Hair cuts happened today and now we look like civilized humans again.
This place is alive with people. However, unlike Miami, we do hear the English language being spoken. I am still blown away by the number of Cubans and the Latin influence in Miami.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
And the rest of the gang.
Yes, Marcy is at the end of the pier and if the tide would come up higher she would be in the boat. These guys kept us sane during the past weeks.
Anchor Marine
March 10, 2011
Yesterday they finished up the work on our engine. What a huge difference in the quality of workmanship and the way she runs. Today we started to do some boat cleanup. Tomorrow a diver will come to look at our cutless bearing to make sure it hasn't been damaged. We plan to hang here until Monday and then follow the Retriever down the river through the 7 bridges. The Retriever is the ship docked here that does the Exuma runs with supplies.
Bill and I got off the boat yesterday and went to Key Biscayne to the seaquarium. What fun! Key Biscayne is simply beautiful. The Rickenbacker Causeway runs from the mainland to the Key. At the seaquarium we took in the dolphin show, the Flipper (the real Flipper and all his family) show and the Sea Lion show - all were wonderful. Finally found some crocs, but no allegators. I can't believe I have yet to see one. There were also sharks and manatees which we've seen many of in the waters. There were beautiful tropical birds everywhere.
Mike and Mary here at the boatyard took us out for Argentina cuisine one evening. We went to their home in Coconut Grove and then into the Grove for dinner. It was very weird to get into a car again. It has been since November. However, we are almost experts now traveling on the Miami transportation system.
The four dogs here at the boatyard have befriended us. Marcy comes down the dock and sits looking into the cockpit until we see her. She is the food driven Beagle and knows how to get a treat. Sebastian is a Yorky that is one tough guy with a big dog attitude. He and Jack wrestle endlessly. Jack is a mixed breed black something that loves to run and does not want to be petted. Samantha is a shepherd mix and a hard sell. However, our persistence and the treats have won over all the dogs. Sammie will even shake both paws and count for me. I will attach pictures.
Yesterday they finished up the work on our engine. What a huge difference in the quality of workmanship and the way she runs. Today we started to do some boat cleanup. Tomorrow a diver will come to look at our cutless bearing to make sure it hasn't been damaged. We plan to hang here until Monday and then follow the Retriever down the river through the 7 bridges. The Retriever is the ship docked here that does the Exuma runs with supplies.
Bill and I got off the boat yesterday and went to Key Biscayne to the seaquarium. What fun! Key Biscayne is simply beautiful. The Rickenbacker Causeway runs from the mainland to the Key. At the seaquarium we took in the dolphin show, the Flipper (the real Flipper and all his family) show and the Sea Lion show - all were wonderful. Finally found some crocs, but no allegators. I can't believe I have yet to see one. There were also sharks and manatees which we've seen many of in the waters. There were beautiful tropical birds everywhere.
Mike and Mary here at the boatyard took us out for Argentina cuisine one evening. We went to their home in Coconut Grove and then into the Grove for dinner. It was very weird to get into a car again. It has been since November. However, we are almost experts now traveling on the Miami transportation system.
The four dogs here at the boatyard have befriended us. Marcy comes down the dock and sits looking into the cockpit until we see her. She is the food driven Beagle and knows how to get a treat. Sebastian is a Yorky that is one tough guy with a big dog attitude. He and Jack wrestle endlessly. Jack is a mixed breed black something that loves to run and does not want to be petted. Samantha is a shepherd mix and a hard sell. However, our persistence and the treats have won over all the dogs. Sammie will even shake both paws and count for me. I will attach pictures.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Stuck in Sunny Miami
February 20th finds us still anchored in Sunset Lake, Miami with many other cruisers almost all of whom we have met along the way. The boat show was this weekend and it was huge. They had many venues and we decided on the Strictly Sailing venue. There were some beautiful boats and all very big and expensive. The booths were informative, especially the Yanmar engine section.
We met an interesting young couple from the very huge yacht Magic while waiting for the boat show shuttle. He is the first mate and from Miami. She is a crew member and from the Abacos. Magic stays here in Sunset Harbor in the winter and in the spring makes it way to Charleston and then on to Southwest Harbor ME for the summer. They are both sailors and just wanted to talk about Maine. They guided us around the boat show.
Fred, our neighbor in the $11,000,000.00 house who doesn't like sailboats anchored in the lake, has been creating havoc since all the cruisers have arrived for the boat show. He launches his boat playing rap music and tells the cruisers he wants them to move in foul langage. The use of a gun was mentioned this weekend to one of the cruisers. A boat with two small girls had to leave because of the language. The other cruisers are not moving, as he would like. There are only so many openings in this anchorage. The police were called twice on Saturday. We dealt with him on our previous trip here, and this time he has circled us but left us alone. Of course, we are not anchored in "his zone" now.
We have done some work on the bright work this past week. It was really looking bad. I'm not sure how much work will get done, but the deck rails and doran boxes that we sanded and put three coats on look great.
A couple from Middlebury VT on a 20 foot Pacific Cruiser just stopped by. They have an inflatable kayak they use to get to shore and yesterday they tore holes in it at the tie up. They bought a new one at the boat show. He is on a sabbatical and they hope to cross to the Bahamas. And I thought we were small!
We did the fresh market today on Lincoln Road and had lunch in the market place. That is the happening place on weekends.
February 22nd, and still here in Miami. We've been doing some of the bright work on Snow Goose and once all that work stuff is done heading for the beach. We have gotten the attention of the Yanmar reps from the company where we bought the engine and we are communicating with them. Through email and pictures, he has identified our engine installation issues, which are many. He has given us some recommendations as to places to be fixed.
March 2nd
We had decided to leave Sunset Lake and go to Ft. Lauderdale to a mechanic there with our installation issues. However, we just about got out into the harbor when the engine overheated. Decision made. We were towed to Anchor Marine on the Miami River. Doug from Yanmar has contacted Mike and his team at Anchor and together they have identified our issues and we are essentially being re-repowered. Mike is from Castine, Maine and still owns a family farm there.
It is difficult to live on a boat while they are repowering the engine - and we are in a boatyard, not a marina, at that. Bill loves being in the boatyard. Anyway, it is now very obvious we definitely made a bad choice in a mechanic to repower initially. As the engine is pulled and remounted and then reinstalled, more and more is discovered.
Since we can't get on and off the boat while they are working on the engine, Bill and I have been exploring. We have taken the dinghy up and down the Miami River and discovered a great fish market and good seafood restaurant. The shrimp are outstanding and so fresh!
We also have taken the Metrorail to Coconut Grove and explored the seashore and downtown there. The bus system also takes us to downtown Miami, although we weren't impressed. Miami Beach is definitely better and we have been back there a couple of times for the beautiful park walk along the channel.
Yesterday, March 3rd, we went to the Miami Zoo via the Metrorail. The zoo is beautiful - no fences to speak of. They use moats to enclose the animals. The animals had so much space amount the trees, rocks, etc.it was sometimes hard to find them. We watched the giraffes with their long black tongues and long eyelashes being feed by the kids - they were so gentle. I thought of Erik and the pet frog in used to have as we walked through numerous frog aquariums. That red headed kid Skipper would have liked all the lizards we encountered. Gus would have appreciated the size of the porcupines and the fact that they were huddled up in a cave -- he could have barked and barked until they were mad and then run like the devil, hopefully Oskar with him.
March 4th we have spent the day on the boat deck sanding and painting brightwork. Tomorrow, Saturday, they plan on working aboard again, so I guess we will have to find some activity to take up the major portion of the day. As I said, living aboard while the work is being done is not easy, and the work is taking longer than the mechanics expected. However, we can't go anywhere until this boat is fixed.
We met an interesting young couple from the very huge yacht Magic while waiting for the boat show shuttle. He is the first mate and from Miami. She is a crew member and from the Abacos. Magic stays here in Sunset Harbor in the winter and in the spring makes it way to Charleston and then on to Southwest Harbor ME for the summer. They are both sailors and just wanted to talk about Maine. They guided us around the boat show.
Fred, our neighbor in the $11,000,000.00 house who doesn't like sailboats anchored in the lake, has been creating havoc since all the cruisers have arrived for the boat show. He launches his boat playing rap music and tells the cruisers he wants them to move in foul langage. The use of a gun was mentioned this weekend to one of the cruisers. A boat with two small girls had to leave because of the language. The other cruisers are not moving, as he would like. There are only so many openings in this anchorage. The police were called twice on Saturday. We dealt with him on our previous trip here, and this time he has circled us but left us alone. Of course, we are not anchored in "his zone" now.
We have done some work on the bright work this past week. It was really looking bad. I'm not sure how much work will get done, but the deck rails and doran boxes that we sanded and put three coats on look great.
A couple from Middlebury VT on a 20 foot Pacific Cruiser just stopped by. They have an inflatable kayak they use to get to shore and yesterday they tore holes in it at the tie up. They bought a new one at the boat show. He is on a sabbatical and they hope to cross to the Bahamas. And I thought we were small!
We did the fresh market today on Lincoln Road and had lunch in the market place. That is the happening place on weekends.
February 22nd, and still here in Miami. We've been doing some of the bright work on Snow Goose and once all that work stuff is done heading for the beach. We have gotten the attention of the Yanmar reps from the company where we bought the engine and we are communicating with them. Through email and pictures, he has identified our engine installation issues, which are many. He has given us some recommendations as to places to be fixed.
March 2nd
We had decided to leave Sunset Lake and go to Ft. Lauderdale to a mechanic there with our installation issues. However, we just about got out into the harbor when the engine overheated. Decision made. We were towed to Anchor Marine on the Miami River. Doug from Yanmar has contacted Mike and his team at Anchor and together they have identified our issues and we are essentially being re-repowered. Mike is from Castine, Maine and still owns a family farm there.
It is difficult to live on a boat while they are repowering the engine - and we are in a boatyard, not a marina, at that. Bill loves being in the boatyard. Anyway, it is now very obvious we definitely made a bad choice in a mechanic to repower initially. As the engine is pulled and remounted and then reinstalled, more and more is discovered.
Since we can't get on and off the boat while they are working on the engine, Bill and I have been exploring. We have taken the dinghy up and down the Miami River and discovered a great fish market and good seafood restaurant. The shrimp are outstanding and so fresh!
We also have taken the Metrorail to Coconut Grove and explored the seashore and downtown there. The bus system also takes us to downtown Miami, although we weren't impressed. Miami Beach is definitely better and we have been back there a couple of times for the beautiful park walk along the channel.
Yesterday, March 3rd, we went to the Miami Zoo via the Metrorail. The zoo is beautiful - no fences to speak of. They use moats to enclose the animals. The animals had so much space amount the trees, rocks, etc.it was sometimes hard to find them. We watched the giraffes with their long black tongues and long eyelashes being feed by the kids - they were so gentle. I thought of Erik and the pet frog in used to have as we walked through numerous frog aquariums. That red headed kid Skipper would have liked all the lizards we encountered. Gus would have appreciated the size of the porcupines and the fact that they were huddled up in a cave -- he could have barked and barked until they were mad and then run like the devil, hopefully Oskar with him.
March 4th we have spent the day on the boat deck sanding and painting brightwork. Tomorrow, Saturday, they plan on working aboard again, so I guess we will have to find some activity to take up the major portion of the day. As I said, living aboard while the work is being done is not easy, and the work is taking longer than the mechanics expected. However, we can't go anywhere until this boat is fixed.
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