Finished the wiring job – finally. Had Steve and Cathy from ‘Kit’ over for supper.
Saturday 28th March
A day spent in the marina doing laundry and updating the blog.
Sunday 29th March
The winds finally drop but thunderstorms are forecast. Cleaned the waterline of barnacles and green weedy stuff. The thunderstorms thankfully miss Marathon.
Monday 30th March
In preparation for leaving the next day we motor to a marina for fuel and water fillup and then on the way back our Garmin GPS Chartplotter dies – perfect! After all that wiring. Took the dinghy to the beach and flipped it over to get all the crud off that.
Tuesday 31st March
After just over six weeks we finally unglue ourselves from Boot Key Harbour and head out towards the Moser channel with `Never Say Maybe` and back up the gulf side of the keys. However, about 10 minutes out `Never Say Maybe` has engine trouble and has to turn back. We plough on.
We’re heading into Islamorada not far from where we picked up the crab pot on the way down and run over this in the water which proceeded to wrap itself around our propeller.
After going ashore to buy a new facemask and a few minutes underwater, it came unravelled quite easily actually.Wednesday 1st April
Before setting out again we get in touch with Doug and Cindy on `Never Say Maybe` and find their problem is resolved and they`re on the way, so we decide to wait for them.
After a day lounging around on the boat at anchor, `Never Say Maybe` turned up and we celebrated with happy hour aboard Incognita.
Thursday 2nd April
The wind is right for sailing, so after running the engine long enough to replenish the batteries we are actually `sailing` with no engine noise. "Never Say Maybe" took this rare (we have never actually been photographed underway before) shot.
Due to the wind strength and direction we end the day at anchor in Thursday Cove exactly where we anchored on the way down and have happy hour aboard `Never Say Maybe` with Doug, Cindy and Abby.
Friday 3rd April
After a fairly windy and sleepless night, although Carol is reluctant, three of us want to make good use of the 25knot south wind so we have a wonderful day of sailing to Crandon Park on Key Biscayne just with our genoas up.
Here`s `Never Say Maybe` chasing our tail.
The strong wind keeps us relatively cool in spite of the fact it`s in the 90`s and really warm and humid.The intention was to stay on a mooring ball there for a few days but Doug doesn't have his boat registration papers with him, something they insist on. When we try to leave the fuel dock there is no one there and we can`t get both boats off the dock, the wind is too strong. So we end up spending a bumpy night on the fuel dock.
Saturday 4th April
After an early before dawn start we leave Crandon Park and motor past Miami. Here`s looking back across one of the biggest anchorages there – note that `building` on the right with all the windows is a cruise ship.
We head for one of our favourite anchorages, Sunset Lake, in the `Venice` of Miami, passing buy some beautifully situated real estate.
By bus, metro mover and train I made my way to West Marine with our broken GPS where it was replaced for $30 which I think is a hell of a deal compared to sending it back to Garmin for repair. They also sold me a three year warranty for 100 bucks which seemed a prudent move.This is the metro mover - it's a little disconcerting to note that every one of the 'carriages' (which have no driver) has a big gouging scrape down each side - ?
Here's a thing you don't see in too many places, buses have bike racks on the front.
We ended the day aboard Never Say Maybe for a movie (Anchorman).
Sunday 5th April
Jobs around the boat and provisioning at Publix.
Into our small anchorage this monster arrives and proceeds to leave for a few hours each day.
Apparently it's owned by a Spanish celebrity.Monday 6th April
Jobs around the boat as we wait for a strong cold front to come through which it does in the late afternoon. Doug and Cindy come over for a re-run of Little Miss Sunshine.
Tuesday 7th April
Laundry Day in South Beach plus a little provisioning. We decide to buy a TV for the boat instead of watching stuff on our laptop. We also buy a little tiny notebook computer which will consume less juice and also is truly 'portable'.
We end the day with our favourite movie - Idiocracy.
Wednesday 8th April
Took a trip into the more scenic parts of Miami South Beach down Lincoln Street past this old church which is oddly protestant.
We also visited the holocaust memorial which was a very sobering experience. This is what it looks like from the street.
Closer to the arm is rather more chilling.
Thursday 9th April
Time to move on further north. So on a cooler day we up anchor and motor on up the ICW past Hollywood where we stayed on the way down , Fort Lauderdale and on to Lake Santa Barbara where we anchored for the night.
Friday 10th April
It's the Easter holiday time and the traffic on the ICW is building but we intend to go to Lake Worth in the West Palm Beach area.
On the way we passed through this bridge - pity these Americans can't spell (:-)).
We anchor for the night next to the Phil Foster Park where I pickup Ira and Ann (our Floridian friends) in the dinghy and they join us first for happy hour with Doug and Cindy and then for supper.Saturday 11th April
Between the waves caused by the relatively high winds, the wake from boats going to and from the park and the wake from boats passing on the ICW we decide this is not the place to stay so we and "Never Say Maybe" up our anchors and head for the relatively quieter waters of North Lake Worth.
We were supposed to visit Ira and Ann's place and catch a show in their complex but the weather forecast is not good so we settle for supper aboard Incognita.
Sunday 12th April
The bad weather never really materialized so we head over to Ira and Ann's for much needed showers, Internet and supper.
Monday 13th April
It's on we go, strong south east winds pushing us up the ICW to our anchoring spot at Jensen Beach. It's a little rough in the anchorage even though we have a little shelter from the bridge.
Tuesday 14th April
We left as soon as possible in the morning for the relatively short hop to Vero Beach. It's a good job that we did as the weather started to deteriorate as we got there as yet another front blew through with rain and high winds.
Wednesday 15th April
We're back on a mooring in Vero Beach where we plan to stay a while and search for an RV to take back to Canada.
Thursday 16th April
Connect to the Internet (actually pay) and search for RVs
Friday 17th April
Rent a car on our Aeroplan points. Carol gets a much needed hairdo.
Saturday 18th April
Drove around locally looking at RV places without finding anything and came back for a meet and greet at the marina with special guest Jimmy Buffet. As we expected, he didn't turn up.
Sunday 19th April
Headed over to the Vero Beach American Legion for one of their great value breakfasts. Did a little shopping and ran some wire on the boat. We had supper at a great Chinese Buffet with Doug and Cindy and ended the day on Incognita watching a movie with them.
Monday 20th April
Carol was having problems with a painful hip so we took a trip over to the local hospital to get it checked out. The high spot was watching this little fellow trying to get in through the window.
Tuesday 21st April
Drove up the coast to Melbourne to visit RV places - no luck.
Wednesday 22nd April
We had a birthday to celebrate so we make an afternoon of it at the local AMC complex and see The Class and Love You Man and finish off the day with supper at the the New Century Chinese Buffet with Doug and Cindy.
Thursday 23rd April
Drove up the coast to Titusville looking for RVs - no luck.
Friday 24th April
Drove a ways down the coast as far as Jensen Beach in the big search - no luck.
Saturday 25th April
First stop on our trip to West Palm Beach is up the coast a little to drop Buddy off at the boarding kennels and then after a quick McDonald's breakfast we head off down I95 to the Century Village retirement complex.
The complex is huge with its own theatre and activities centre. You can do everything from woodworking to dinghy sailing. That night Ira and Ann take us to the theatre to watch The Motowners - a singing group with an self-explanatory repertoire. It was a lot of fun and the old folks (even older than us) really got into it - standing and clapping their hands above their heads.
Sunday 26th April
Ira and Ann thought it would be a good idea for us to go visit nearby Indiantown where we are intending to leave Incognita over the summer. The intent was also to go look at RV dealers too.
Indiantown is a small place but the marina and storage area is pretty big.
We took a walk around and it looks not a bad place to spend some time which we will inevitably do come this November/December as we get the boat ready for launch.
There's a lot of land for boat storage.
However, there was a lot of space not used which Ira and Ann found a little odd.
Our attempt at finding RVs was pretty abortive as we found all the dealers are closed on Sunday - doesn't that not make sense.
Monday 27th April
We spent the entire day indoors making use of Ira and Ann's phone and Internet, seeking out and calling RV dealers with not a whole lot of success. Although we do find a couple of prospects close to Vero Beach.
Tuesday 28th April
It's back we go to Vero Beach and while I go to pick Buddy up from the kennels, Carol gets some physio for her hip.
Wednesday 29th April
Spent the day phoning around for potential RVs.
We made contact with someone in Vero selling an RV and go to check it out. It's a class A which is not what we're looking for but we are getting less fussy. It's 15 years old but in good condition. However, it doesn't have a separate grey water tank which is a huge negative.
Thursday 30th April
Drove up the coast again to Sebastian and checkout an RV. It's relatively new but quite beat up with high miles.
Friday 1st May
Had to go to the airport to extend the car rental.
To cheer us up we headed to the beach and I got to use my body surf board for the first time. Once I got the timing right it was quite a hoot.
Saturday 2nd May
Drove across Florida to the West Coast to look at an RV in Fort Myers. We were about to make an offer only to be told someone had bought it over the phone - we were not happy.
When we got back we found our 'old' friends John and Rejeanne had arrived on "Bilbo". We had not seen them since we left them in Vero in January before they went to the Bahamas.
We had a prior engagement to watch White Squall aboard "Never Say Maybe".
Sunday 3rd May
Breakfast was at the trusty Legion folowed by an afternoon on the beach.
Supper at the Chinese Buffet and "Wind" aboard Incognita.Monday 4th May
A day for shopping and heading over to the dock for water. We ended the day over on Bilbo catching up on all their Bahamian news.
Tuesday 5th May
Laundry day and searching the Internet for RVs.
Wednesday 6th May
Back over to the west coast (Port Charlotte, Sarasota and the outskirts of Tampa) to look at more RVs including this one.
But we returned home empty handed.Thursday 7th May
A day organizing our RV search and making phone calls.
We did something different at night when the crew of "Never Say Maybe", "Bilbo" and "Incognita" drove down to Fort Pierce for their 'bike' night.
We had supper on the sidewalk and then took a walk down a street full of bikes of all kinds - I don't think we have ever seen this many motorcycles in one place.
Some of them were really 'tricked out' like this one with concealed lighting that changed colours.
This one had a special spot for Fido.
The noise was deafening.
