Went out to get on the dink...
There was supposed to be a picture here of a cormorant sitting on the swim ladder sunning itself. I think it is somewhere in cyberspace.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Monday, March 4, 2013
Florida? Winter???
This living on a boat for the winter seemed like a good idea because...??????? !!!!! It is 48 in the galley this AM and has been since I got up at 7. Now the closed-in cockpit is warm enough to enjoy without gloves and a hat but the laptop isn't readable there because the light it too bright!!!!! Everyone has their generators going this am - it sounds like warm up for the Daytona 500 around here! Is this really what you imagine as Cruisers???? Brrrrrrrr!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Lew & Florrie's Valentine Adventure
After opening our presents Lew & I would take the bus to the beach area (check), walk to our favorite shore restaurant for lunch (check), then walk the mile to the terrific ice cream store for dessert. It started to rain a little so we took the bus there and had yummy desserts (check). The rain was very light so we walked (check) back to the marina (about a mile) and sat in the lounge for awhile. Nice. The rain began to look serious so we decided that we'd better get back to Harmony. NOT what we had planned!
Oh well - Florida needs the rain.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Same marina, different mooring
Good Morning My Friends,
Today I am so content I could purr… We moved ½ mile up the (Vero Beach City Marina) mooring field to one of my FAVORITE spots on the planet. We're surrounded on three sides by mangroves. It is quieter here and less light so the stars are much more visible. I think I heard a dolphin at 6 AM…. a manatee? The bikes are finally off the boat and chained to the racks by the Capt's Lounge. We're "home"… for the winter!
Lew was surprised at how happy I was to move from mooring #2, near the bridge, to #54. Oh well. With the bikes off, finally, I'm cleaning the cockpit this morning. There was a large, fist-sized mud wasp's nest and 5 little ones behind the bikes! Yikes. No wasps though. With the 4 tree frogs we found in Oct in St. A, we were beginning to harbor a veritable Nature Preserve on this boat.
Funny story: When we got the water tanks "filled" 10 days ago, I got a shower when the tank "burped"! It spewed like a volcano from the intake on deck, straight up! I cracked up, totally surprised, and the dock hand had to have been amused - never having seen THAT before. Thank heavens it was a warm day. Well, yesterday was a warm day again and this time I let Lew do the filling and he got the "shower". No laughing… but I was glad it wasn't me! This boat sure has some unusual idiosyncrasies. Eventually we'll figure this out so it won't happen again (I hope).
FYI - we decided not to go to the Bahamas this year. We have a new granddaughter due around March 16th so it will be easier to go home for a week or so from here. I hope the weather cooperates!
Stay warm and I hope you are enjoying your winter, too, as much as possible.
Much Love,
Florrie
Monday, January 28, 2013
Changing Batteries.
Today was the day to replace all 6 of the batteries. Old ones out and new ones in while the boat is on a mooring. All transportation by dinghy. Marine batteries are very heavy (about 60 lbs apiece) and, when you have to crawl into the engine compartment and lift them almost to eye level while you are on your knees... Luckily I had help for that part then he left. The old ones were almost 7 years old and don't really owe me anything. I wired each of the new ones BUT when we tested everything, the two bilge pumps did not work. Now which wires did I not connect? On and On but finally, after 5 hours total, everything is working and powered.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
1st Day
January 23rd - Happy 17th Birthday Maddie!
Now we're 52 miles from St Augustine, made it to Daytona in 8 hours.
It was cold when we left at dawn, slipping off the dock into the quiet slack tide, only the osprey and herons protesting our passage.
Lew was at the helm all day while I read, napped, made lunches, etc. Dolphins rolled in the water around us now and then. Pelicans were hunkered on their docks or pilings, keeping warm.
But the afternoon warmed up. Fifty miles makes quite a difference in temperature. Once we dropped the hook in Daytona's ICW, my work started… cleaning the outside windows/hatches of months of dust, beginning to clean the fenders of grime and sea vegetation, and washing at least half the isinglass in the cockpit so Lew can see better tomorrow. Now it's 5:15 and I've decided to take a break while the generator gives me the juice to work on my laptop. NO email today - I can't get onto any WIFI until we get to Vero. Hopefully tonight will be warmer than last night! It should be.
This afternoon I'm pretty sure I was hearing a race at the Daytona Speedway to the west. Lots of shore noise, engines revving on the turns I think - for a long time. Now Lew is grumbling about the generator - it's leaking water and shut off too soon. It's always something! So I'll close for now.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
LiveAboards
Lew Wally Wayne
Florrie Connie Gaye Judy
Nora John Bob
A joyous afternoon at Hurricane Patty's.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
present location
29 53,1827N 081 19.2929W is our present position. You can cut and paste into Google Earth. In that image Harmony is the last cat in that line...taken about a year ago.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
We're Baaaaaaaaaaack
'r
Yes it is true. We finally made it back to the boat in Saint Augustine and all is well. Company from the 16th to the 20th and then we are free to do whatever.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
QE2 and fuel efficiency
Interesting fact. According to Snopes, the QE2 does not get 6 inches per gallons as rumored. It actually gets between 40 and 50 feet per gallon. If we assume 50, then it uses 105.6 gal to go a mile. Top speed is 32.5 miles per hour then 3432 gallons per hour. Fuel capacity, according to Cunard is one million gallons for a 7500 mile range. Doing the math the fuel weighs about 8,000,000 lbs. If they pay $3.00 per gallon, that is $3,000,000 for a "fill-up" after 230 hours of travelling (9.5 days).
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Sandy and Keyport
While Sandy pounded the Keyport fishing pier (lost the shack) and 5 boats rode it out on moorings, 
our fearless leader was painting the bottom of Harmony in Florida. BUT from now on, the yard has to do it...DEA strikes again.Letter to some cruising friends.
Bob and Judy,
Good to hear from you. Florrie has gone back to NJ to sing at a friends wedding and is dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane. Our condo did OK and the little boat we bought is fine. The dinghy we kept at the condo has disappeared. The yacht club, 1/2 block down lost the launch driver's shack and Freezer at the end of the dock and a lot of boards. Boats on the hard in the main boatyards got slammed and lifted off the jackstands by a 14 foot tidal surge. Looks like dominoes. Some friends had major damage to their houses but no one lost their life, There were five boats who decided to sit Sandy out on the moorings fully exposed to the wind and waves and all are still there. We did lose a lighthouse in the middle of the bay. Nothing but a rockpile and cement slab left. It seems really strange that Florida did fine and NJ got hit by the hurricane. I am sure you are aware that the Bounty, a replica used in the movie, was lost at sea along with her captain and one of the 16 crew. They had gone out to weather the storm at sea. and were about 90 miles offshore of the Outer Banks of NC.
I am still in St A and waiting for the guy to come and give the heat exchanger an acid bath. Although only the port engine needs it now, I will have them do both. I have learned that this what you have to do on a catamaran, It is the last thing on the list although, last night, the toilet decided to quit and will be my job for today. Oh Joy! If they get the engines working, I will leave tomorrow and go down the ICW to stage at Vero for a crossing.
Your boat, Greenstone, looks fine. Right next to a working generator. We did have some electrical problems over the summer here so the dehumidifier didn't do much. I need one that will turn itself back on after a pause in the power. A little mildew but not too bad.
Last night was interesting, It was almost dark when I heard a "who, who whooooo" from outside. I went out to scare the pigeon when a hugh owl flew away from the top of my mast and flew over to the top of a mast of a boat on the hard. Of course, he returned later to my boat but only for a short while. I hope that doesn't mean anything about rodents on the docks.
Hope to see you down the "road".
Lew
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Catamaran Harmony has electricity.
HOOOOO HA! I am not sure that any non boater would understand the JOY when an engine (in this case the generator) starts up after two days of trials, sweat, tribulations, trips to West Marine and autoparts stores, prayers, threats, swearing, cuts and bruises. I say again HOOOOO HA! One lesson: go to the autoparts store for filters. Cheaper and have more stock then West. They also had the 12v 25watt navigation lights I needed while the "marine" store did not.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Keyport after Sandy
These are pictures of Keyport after Sandy taken by Florrie and put on her facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=3790384117458&set=a.3790383797450.2142622.1212773617&type=1&theater
Friday, November 9, 2012
FW: Before and After Satellite Views
absolutly amazing..!!!!!!
Absolutely Amazing Satellite Views of our Area
Before and After Hurricane Sandy
Click on the Link Below
|
One of my crew, Nancy Smalling found this on the RCYC website - you can sweep across the pictures to see before and after views. Keyport (Pedersen's marina) is among the images.
Steve Fronapfel
"Nancy found this on the Richmond County Yacht Club site. Move your mouse across each image to get side-by-side before and after views.
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/weeklynews/nov12/ngs-sandy-imagery.html Pretty amazing technology/software to be able to compare these images with the sweep of a mouse." - Paul B. McKeefry |
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Hurricane Sandy
Friday, October 26, 2012
St Augustine
Uploading the dink from the car to the boat.
Day before Hurricane Sandy. Just
starting to build up.
Pumpkin carving at River's Edge
Marina in St. A.
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