All good things must come to an end....

 I haven't posted anything in a long time.....because there really hasn't been anything to post.  In the past few months I"ve lived in Puerto Vallarta for 3 weeks and then Istanbul for 3 weeks.  Loved both visits but it confirmed for me that I don't want to live overseas and I don't want to live on a boat.  Coronavirus has ruined cruising for me for the forseeable future and really, Florida and the Caribbean are just too hot.  

So, I'm posting my last blog on this topic...the boat is going on the market to be sold and my sailing days are probably over.  

But NO WORRIES!!!  I'll soon be starting a new blog on my new adventure (did you really think I didn't have an exciting new adventure in mind?????) STAY TUNED!

Thinking about a vacation...off the boat.

Ok, so my month in Titusville is nearing an end...my new dodger will be ready this weekend and my new lifelines will be finished tomorrow.  The best piece of news I have is that I figured out how the custom lazy jacks that used to be on this boat worked and I bought new shock cords and installed them myself and they work great!

But....I have news.  I am thinking about leaving my boat here in Titusville and going on vacation for a month or two.  The reasons for considering this now are:

1.  I have been on this boat for 10 months without a break.  

2.  It's HOT and the humidity is killing me.  

3.  Hurricane season is just around the corner.  I've called every boatyard in South Florida (and 2 in the Bahamas) to prebook a hurricane haulout if needed and everyone is booked.  As it so happens I am already at one of the best Marinas in Florida for hurricane protection (in boating terms a "hurricane hole".). It's fairly cheap here and they do a good job of watching the docks.  I won't haulout, but my slip is in a great spot and I can come and go as I please (no liveaboard fee).

4. When I come back in September I can work my way to key west....then when hurricane season ends work my way to Grenada.

So...now I just need to decide where to go!

June in Titusville

The rocket launch was great.  So glad that I got to see one in person.  It's a great time to be in a boat ready to escape looting idiots, Antifa crazies and "defund the police" airheads.  I encourage all Americans with a brain to buy a cheap boat and be prepared to escape.

I'm in Titusville to do the following:

1.  Purchase a dinghy and electric trolling motor and safety equipment (done!).

2.  Have a dodger made ($1,800 expense)

3.  Have rigging inspected, lifelines replaced and lazy jacks installed. (In progress).

4. General boat cleaning and a bit of maintenance  and prepare boat for sailing.

It turns out that the lines I thought were for a Spinnaker sail were actually lazy jack lines and I had EZ Jacks (went out of biz a few years ago).  So I need to replace the old shock cords and keep the design or buy Harken lazy Jacks and update the design.  I'll be figuring that out today.  Not expensive. 

After all of this upgrading the boat will end when I leave Titusville. This is it.  

The carribean and key West are now semi opened.....they are calling me.

Southward......Drenched and 0 visibility in Daytona Beach

The first half of today's adventure was uneventful, but then the rains came....huge deluge of bullet rain that actually hurt and caused all kinds of issues, including:

0 visibility - I couldn't see markers or if a boat was coming my way.

The bullet rain kept hitting my navionics on my phone, the phone assumed i touched it and it kept taking me to garbage apps at crucial moments of the trip.

I realize that I need to buy  a dodger after all.  I also need prescription sports glasses like handball players wear.  

A new Bimini is a consideration.  If I am going to do this indefinitely as planned, it's time to Bring On Another Thousand.

But I must admit I am proud of myself for just slowing down and waiting out the storm which blew through in about 40 minutes.  I just stayed at the edge of the channel and my new navionics chip in my Simrad Chartplotter worked great....really, I didn't need the app on my phone.

As the storm passed I saw 2 large sailboats both with TowBoatUS boats....the deluge had frightened them so much they called to be towed to shelter. PUSSIES!! Get a Cape Dory and Deal with it!!

I'm in Port Orange for 2 days, then New Smyrna then Titusville.  I'm going to have Riggers come look at the rigging on my boat in Titusville.  

Sailing waters are just around the corner.....till next time.

P.S. I was standing on my boat to film the NASA launch today at Cape Canaveral...it was cancelled due to the above referenced weather.  But - good news! on Saturday I'll have a front row seat when they try it again.

This month was more solar panels, aircon and new anchor and chain.

So I've been hanging out in Palm Coast Florida this past month.  I was going to leave this weekend for "THE BIG MEGA FINAL PUSH" but I didn't want to deal with the insanity on Memorial Day Weekend in Daytona Beach so I'm hanging out a few more days here.  I have new boat toys!!

My new Mantis M1 Anchor 

My new refrigerator...runs off of DC power

Air con!

I also added 15 more ft. of chain to the anchor rode.

I have refrigeration! (and led lights)

So my new boat fridge came today.  It has a cover which is what you see here.  It fits (barely) into the space where my old alcohol stove used to be.  It's a 50 liter Iceco fridge.  I will never be able to get it out of there so if the boat goes so does the fridge.

The cool thing is that it works great, and my 170 watt solar panel easily powers it (requires 3 amps - 36 watts).  We will see how it does at night. 

My other project today was changing out the old bulbs for led bulbs (less power required).

All of these changes are leading to going totally solar and minimizing my dependence on marinas.  I've got 2 more solar panels coming, which I am going to use as my Bimini.  Stay tuned for more boat projects.

An eventful day....

I was supposed to have my boat hauled out and power washed today and then leave to go south.  But Camachee Cove Boatyard is one of those places where big boats that have high dollar service needs always get priority and little sailboat owners get lied to and ignored.  Who knew that the worst thing about buying an older smaller boat would be finding anyone to work on it?

Anyway, I left.  So after getting screwed by Camachee Cove Boatyard and price gouged by the Camachee Cove Marina....Navionics (an app I trust and love) had a hiccup and told me to turn right and crash into a bridge, then crash into an area full of anchored boats.  I went my way and survived...even made it through the famous "Bridge of Lions" without having to slow down.  Reported it to Navionics:

Should be:

Saint Augustine is a cool town with tons of older sailboats dropping anchor just about everywhere.  The million dollar fishing trawlers fill the marinas...boats like mine drop anchor.  I'm ok with this....once I get a dinghy and electric motor and a heavier anchor.

Just south of St.Augie is where the water starts to look like Florida....aqua colored and clear with nice beaches everywhere.  

I did get to see the Coast Guard arrest/move an idiot who had dropped anchor in the middle of the icw channel.  Kudos!

The beaches have opened up for specific times of the day and only for walking or exercising...but I saw boatloads of people young and old flying down the river in their boats...not sure why Florida doesn't just open everything...it's never really been closed.

Love the marina I am at now....half the cost of Camachee and a nicer place with Beach access and walking trails.  I'm going to make some plans here about where I am headed, why I am headed there and what I need to buy.....I think there is a dinghy in my future!  Until next time....

Florida at last!

So I've been self- isolating in Jacksonville, Florida.  It's a pretty good place to be for catching up on medical appts., projects, online shopping, and staying away from other people.  But, my month here is almost up and my 2nd major milestone (Stuart,FL) lies due south and I need to get there.

My big accomplishment this month is the installation of my solar panel.  It works great!  It wasn't hard to do and I should have done it as soon as I got the boat.  But the learning curve progress I needed was in the way.

Jacksonville is a nice place, and I could see myself living here once (if) my boat adventure is over.

Still so many little projects to do.....but with lots of time and everything shut down I hope I'll get motivated enough to do them.  Next time!

Be safe!

Georgia, coronavirus, and Florida in sight

So I'm in Georgia.  I stopped in Savannah and really loved it, great fatty heart attack inducing food and good margaritas as well.  Very laid back people.

For the first time I anchored out by myself and stayed overnight in a nice marshy setting (see pic). I'm not sure the anchor ever set properly (see pic) but the tide and current kept changing so it's hard to know what the tracking pic really means.  I'm going to do it again in a day or two.  I didn't see a single boat the entire time I was anchored (Johnson Creek/South Newport River).  Dolphins did provide entertainment by circling the boat and shooting blow hole water at it. I was so anxious about the anchor set that I didn't sleep much but I did enjoy the experience (anchor popped out clean and pulling it up was easy).

I should also announce that summer is here in southern Georgia.  Coats and heater have been removed, fan is plugged in and I am finally finally wearing shorts and crocs.i am also sunburned and need to get a dodger made.  

The coronavirus has hit the marinas.  This marina has a sign on the door telling you that they aren't going to shake your hand and the bathrooms have handwashing instructions pasted on the mirror.  I have no problem with reasonable precautions but people buying out toilet paper and hoarding goods are being stupid.  Of course if I'm wrong....I'll be in my boat offshore fishing and crabbing for food in a remote uninhabited area and desalinating salt water to drink until anarchy has ended.  I'll also poop in the water and wipe with reeds and palm leaves like our forefathers did. Ah what a life!

Florida is a one day trip away, but I may take longer.  I'm only 5 months behind schedule! I think I'm going to stay a month in Jacksonville or Saint Augustine and get my solar stuff setup and have the boat hauled and power washed etc.  I also might paint the hull and finish rebedding stanchions while I'm at it.  Then, on to South Florida! Until next time....

SC marinas

Today I am staying at Safe Harbor Charleston City Marina.  It is expensive (about $20-25 more a night than what I usually pay).  All Charleston marinas are expensive.  This marina is huge, like a college campus, and truthfully caters to huge million dollar boats....not my 1977 Cape Dory.  

I did soon learn though that what you are paying for is services.  On the hour the plush van takes you wherever you want to go.  Then you call them and they pick you up.  If your boat needs work, they coordinate it for you.  My boat is not the smallest here, but it is probably the cheapest.

I did find alot of boats like mine though....about 100 yards from me with dropped anchors paying nothing.  There are lots of places here to do this.  I really need to get my solar panel installed so I can join my brethren poor cheap boaters.  

My initial impression of Charleston is that it is very much like a small New Orleans....but it isn't really what I had hoped for...it's a city that seems to think that it is more than what it really is and charges for it.  I'm stuck here for 2 days due to bad weather and the way the boat is bouncing around I doubt I sleep much.  Wednesday is supposed to be a good weather day so I am leaving and will try to get to Beaufort, SC on my longest trek yet.

Yesterday's 9 hour trek only used 3.5 gallons of diesel because the current basically pushed me to Charleston.  I hope I am that lucky again.

South Carolina, dolphins, beer and marinas

So I have made it to South Carolina and I've been hanging out at a Yacht Club for a few days waiting for some severe weather to pass.  It's looking like I'll be able to leave on Saturday but it will be really cold.  I think it's going to take 5 days to get out of South Carolina and then another 5 days to get out of Georgia and arrive in Florida.
But if I enjoy a place I'll stay a bit longer.  I've heard good things about Georgetown, SC and of course Hilton Head, SC.  I'm really starting to get the hang of marina life.  I've gotten much better at line handling and guiding the boat into a slip, it doesn't strike terror in me the way it used to.  I've even cast myself off with no help on several occasions and no one died.  I haven't been to a bad marina yet....and some of them are really posh and offer great weekly and monthly rates.  There are several liveaboards here at the yacht club, mostly retirees who hang out in the members only club house and drink beer until the happy hour circuit begins.  The marina I"m going to next has got to be the cheapest marina on the Atlantic Coast ($1 per foot for 1 night, then a quarter a foot for 4 nights, then $10 per foot if you want to stay a month).  It gets great reviews too. Things get pricier in Charleston and Hilton Head.
My trip out of NC to SC did have some fun moments.  There is an area called "Lockwood's Folly" on the ICW that was wild.  Each inlet that comes off the ocean into the ICW brings its own current which then does battle with the tidal current in the ICW.  The result is that ride at the waterpark where you get pushed in every direction until you finally get free.  For a minute it felt like I was going backwards, but in fact....I wasn't moving at all.  Then Bam! you feel the current hit the keel and off you go.
I've also had dolphins following me everywhere I go.  They like to do flips in front of the bow.  I can never get a good picture of them.  I'll keep trying!  Originally when I was planning this while in Saudi Arabia, I didn't want to do the ICW...just do the ocean and that's all.  But I'm really enjoying the ICW....you can go hours and not see any sign of human life....then hours of one million dollar home after the other.  But it's all interesting and worth a look.
So, I haven't missed having a dodger (spray hood) at all and I don't think I'm going to get one.  But, I may extend my Bimini up over the companionway and have one long cover.  Still thinking about that.....
NC and SC have microbrews in every county.  Maybe its like this everywhere now, but wherever you go there are new brews to try.  Some are amazing (Fish Towne Flounder Eye PA and Wicked Weed Pernicious IPA take a bow!).  Some are awful (Palmetto Brewing Co "Peace of Cookie" and New South "Java the Nut"  shame on you for desecrating beer).
I'm determined to have one blog entry where I don't mention work I need to do, but I did think I'd list.....
5 THINGS THAT HAVE REALLY COME IN HANDY
1.  My flagpole - this came with the boat and when you are working on the engine and you drop a tool or part in a place you can't get to, my extending flag pole has been invaluable to get it back. 
2.  Head lamps - These are the strapped lights that go around your forehead.  I use them for everything.  Who knew?
3.  Bungee cords - I could own 100 and it wouldn't be enough.
4.  Febreeze - trust me on this one.
5.  My nifty flexible socket wrench - It can get to odd places that my hands can't get in.  Great tool.

I'm really starting to think that the Virginia Lee and I are really going to make it to Florida together.  She's doing so well since <clench teeth angrily> Virginia <unclench teeth>.  I'm starting to calm down too and just enjoy what comes my way.  Norfolk seems like a long time ago.

Philosophical moment: I've spent so much of my life filled with regret, guilt and self-loathing over simply making human mistakes that everyone makes.  I have trouble letting go of it sometimes, when others forget their mistakes so easily.  But all of this time out in nature, seeing this beautiful county in a way I've never seen it has made me realize that life keeps moving and like a stuck fishing line, you cut bait and move with it.  The current of your life doesn't stop because you feel bad about something that happened.  Move! Onward!  And if you run aground, work your way out of it and modify your course....and then learn from your mistake and move!  Until next time.....

Moving South at last!

So I've made it to Topsail Beach in Surf City....a very nice charming place.  I'm going to hang here for a few days and then get back on the icw and head south.  During the past 3 days of icw travel, I have not seen one commercial vessel and I have only seen 1 sailboat.  

There is a spot just north of the Onslow swing bridge that I was warned about - and with good reason - that is very difficult to navigate.  Navionics told me to go outside of the green markers but when I did that the depth went down to 4.6 ft...and this was at high tide.  I took a chance and slipped back to the other side of the markers and did a little better.  No grounding, but it was close. My new Simrad Cruise chartplotter has been excellent.  The sonar works very well and it's depth readings are perfect.  It gets confused for a minute if a high speed boat flies around me on the port side, but it eventually corrects itself.  The vhf extension is working great too....I am heard much more clearly and I can hear better too.  

Making good progress now and the VLee has been great....no issues.

I haven't been able to sail much at all but my time is coming soon.  I am determined to go out of the icw and sail the Georgia coast.  Until next time....

Morehead City,NC

So Morehead City has alot more life in it than Oriental.  Uber, restaurants, pubs, food delivery and nightlife exist here.  I originally planned to stay 1 night but very bad weather is expected to hit NC on Thursday and Friday so I'm staying here until Saturday.  

So as I reflect upon all of the work that was done in Oriental in January, here's what I did:

Replaced batteries

Installed a bilge alarm

Replaced the water lock/muffler

Replaced the hose to the waterlock

Sanded and teak oiled the toe rails

Cleaned the boat

Installed the chart plotter and transducer

Installed the cockpit vhf

Setup and installed the tillerpilot

Replaced the bow deck lights 

It was a pretty good month, and I was rewarded with a nice trip down Adams Creek to Morehead City.  I still don't trust the boat completely (Norfolk Harbor Syndrome) and I get nauseous everytime I get ready to leave the marina.  When I look at the scenery I just try to pick out where I would swim or crash at if the power failed or water filled the cabin.  Slowly this will subside as my boat and I learn to trust each other.

I have a few small rigging tasks to do this week and I found a good deal on a big cockpit lounger that I might get.  Until next time.....

End of January 2020

So, I had intended to leave Oriental no later than today.  All of the major work that I wanted to do is complete.....or so I thought.  I tried to start the engine and the batteries were dead.  The problem with this is that the batteries are in a really awkward place and hard to get to.  But....I had no choice.  So I bought 2 new batteries yesterday and installed them today...I cannot describe my pain and soreness.  But, it worked great - engine turned over immediately.

I don't know how old the 2 west marine agm batteries that I removed were, but both of them were split open down the middle and dried acid was visible. I can't believe they worked this long.

So tomorrow I will clean the boat and plot my course, set up electronics etc. And Wednesday I will really leave and try to get further south as fast as I can.  Now that I have fixed my deck, running and bow lights I might even run at night.  

Today was very nice weather so everyone was out working on their boat.  You'd hear Shit! Fuck! God Damn it! Mother #$_#&&$*'  being hollered repeatedly throughout the marina as if it were our sacred creed.  

That's all for now....

Happy New Year! Status and plans

Ok, so today it's 75 degrees and sunny which would be great if it weren't for the 40 knot wind gusts rocking the VLee.  My jib car mid cleat was tugged so hard it fell apart with a loud BING! But I saved it before it fell in the water and was able to repair it. 

The teak sanding and oiling is completed except for some touch up. I'm working on installing my chartplotter today (difficult in this weather).  I decided not to get a new dodger here in Oriental but to wait until I get to Florida.  I want to leave asap, and don't want to be tied here waiting for a dodger.

So, my first window of good icw weather is January 9th, and I am targeting that date to leave here and continue my journey south. We will see if I can get everything done by that date.  Not much else to report, I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday.