1 clove garlic, chopped
Thanks to Deb Swanson for posting this fabulous recipe.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Melt in your mouth broiled salmon
This is an incredible recipe that I found for our salmon. I would bet that it would be good with most thick steak style fish. Change the recipe to reflect the quantity you are making. We reduced the oil and the butter in half from the original recipe. We also made Quinoa in chicken broth and diced onions and sauted some asparagus in butter, olive oil and white wine. Delicious!
Allrecipes.com Recipe is Melt-in-Your-Mouth-Broiled-Salmon
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Patitsio...it's what's for dinner!
Tonight dinner was on me. I have venison burger thawing in the fridge, what shall I make? I see this as a challenge and a game. No one likes something new and different more than myself. The kids are always worried when I have tried something new and spend dinner time picking at their plate like they are disecting a frog.
I like to make new dishes and not get caught in the same rut. I pull out the Better Homes & Gardens Cook book and find the tab for "meat". The recipe for Patitsio (pa-STEE-tsee-oh) catches my eye. It sounds ethnic and I have most of the ingredients. It is Greek and translates to "messed up" or "messy kitchen" and "macaroni béchamel". The Greek word pastitsio derives from the Italian pasticcio, which loosely translates to a mess or a hodgepodge. Sounds fabulous for this "one armed chef"!
Here is the recipe that I used...
Heat oven to 350*F
1 lb ground beef (I used ground venison)
1/2 onion, chopped
1-2 T garlic finely chopped
brown in a deep frying pan. Once cooked add
1 8oz tomato sauce
1/4 C. red wine
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
2 T of fresh Parsley snipped
1/2 tsp dried Oregano flakes
salt and pepper
Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 10 min.
Pour meat mixture into
1 beaten egg
In a different saucepan
boil 1 C. of macaroni noodles. Drain and add to
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cp parmesan cheese
1/4 cp milk
Make the gravy sauce in another saucepan
3 T butter, melted
mix in with a wisk
3 T flour or a gluten free all purpose flour
add
1 1/2 C milk
bring to a boil stirring and thickening. boil one minute more.
stir in 1/4 C grated parmesan cheese
Layer in a 8x8x2 baking dish
1/2 of the macaroni mixture
all of the meat mixture
rest of the macaroni mixture
all of the gravy sauce mixture
sprinkle cinnamon lightly on the top.
Cook for 45 min. and let rest for 5 min.
I really liked this. Mark gave it a 4 out of 5 stars and Molly picked at the meat and gave the rest of the "messy kitchen" to her dad. I found as I was cooking this that the meat mixture was divine and thrown over some buttered angel hair pasta would have been sublime! This was suggested by Mark and I totally agree.
So, two recipes out of one! Perfecto!
I like to make new dishes and not get caught in the same rut. I pull out the Better Homes & Gardens Cook book and find the tab for "meat". The recipe for Patitsio (pa-STEE-tsee-oh) catches my eye. It sounds ethnic and I have most of the ingredients. It is Greek and translates to "messed up" or "messy kitchen" and "macaroni béchamel". The Greek word pastitsio derives from the Italian pasticcio, which loosely translates to a mess or a hodgepodge. Sounds fabulous for this "one armed chef"!
Here is the recipe that I used...
Heat oven to 350*F
1 lb ground beef (I used ground venison)
1/2 onion, chopped
1-2 T garlic finely chopped
brown in a deep frying pan. Once cooked add
1 8oz tomato sauce
1/4 C. red wine
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
2 T of fresh Parsley snipped
1/2 tsp dried Oregano flakes
salt and pepper
Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 10 min.
Pour meat mixture into
1 beaten egg
In a different saucepan
boil 1 C. of macaroni noodles. Drain and add to
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cp parmesan cheese
1/4 cp milk
Make the gravy sauce in another saucepan
3 T butter, melted
mix in with a wisk
3 T flour or a gluten free all purpose flour
add
1 1/2 C milk
bring to a boil stirring and thickening. boil one minute more.
stir in 1/4 C grated parmesan cheese
Layer in a 8x8x2 baking dish
1/2 of the macaroni mixture
all of the meat mixture
rest of the macaroni mixture
all of the gravy sauce mixture
sprinkle cinnamon lightly on the top.
Cook for 45 min. and let rest for 5 min.
I really liked this. Mark gave it a 4 out of 5 stars and Molly picked at the meat and gave the rest of the "messy kitchen" to her dad. I found as I was cooking this that the meat mixture was divine and thrown over some buttered angel hair pasta would have been sublime! This was suggested by Mark and I totally agree.
So, two recipes out of one! Perfecto!
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Fort Lauderdale to Cape Florida
New Years Day brought sickness for Mark. I think that he ended up catching something on the airplane because he was hit hard with sinus problems that bogged him down. He laid most of the day in bed at the dock. I busied myself with projects still undone. I took out of the bags both paddle boards and the dinghy and pumped all three up. When I was done I thought I might venture out on my paddle board while Mark sleeps. Though as I prepared myself for the adventure the weather took a turn for the worse and I thought better about going out alone. The ICW can get a strong current and with wind and rain I didn't want to be out on it alone trying to get back. It was a good decision because 15 minutes later it was raining cats and dogs.
Mark was feeling better the next morning so we through the lines off and headed down the ICW to the Port Everglades. We were headed out to the Gulf for some open sailing. Lets see what these sail look like and what the boat can do. The sails looked great and the boat was handling wonderfully. The highest speed we hit was 7.3 knots. The boat healed but it didn't feel as unsteady as New Girl. It felt comfortable and strong. We spent the entire day sailing passing Hallendale, Miami, and rounded Key Biscayne to Stiltsville.
Stiltsville started out from a shack built by "Crawfish" Eddie.
50 more stilt houses were built but many were destroyed over the years by hurricanes. Some were rebuilt but Stiltsville is now down to the remaining seven. Read here about the Stiltsville Trust.
A-frame house
Leshaw house
Baldwin, Sessions house
Baldwin, Sessions house
We sailed in through the channel markers and came around for our first anchoring just outside of No Name Harbor. We backed down on the 30lb. Bruce anchor and got a good solid holding and settled in for the night.
We used our oven for the first time and made some baked chicken, mashed potatoes and salad for dinner. I do believe that this is the first time this oven has ever been used. The broiler pan was wrapped in its original packing material and the instructions enclosed, untouched.
Life is good out on the water!
Miami in view on the horizon
The lighthouse is in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.
It is also on a beautiful beach that we visited on our return trip.
There are always many birds on the channel markers.
My dew rag to keep the sun off the top of my head and the hair out of my face.
Mark was feeling better the next morning so we through the lines off and headed down the ICW to the Port Everglades. We were headed out to the Gulf for some open sailing. Lets see what these sail look like and what the boat can do. The sails looked great and the boat was handling wonderfully. The highest speed we hit was 7.3 knots. The boat healed but it didn't feel as unsteady as New Girl. It felt comfortable and strong. We spent the entire day sailing passing Hallendale, Miami, and rounded Key Biscayne to Stiltsville.
Stiltsville started out from a shack built by "Crawfish" Eddie.
Crawfish Eddie
"Crawfish" Eddie Walker built a shack on stilts above the water in 1933, toward the end of the prohibition era, allegedly to facilitate gambling, which was legal at one mile offshore. Crawfish Eddie sold bait and beer from his shack and was known for a dish he called chilau, a crawfish chowder made with crawfish he caught under his shack. Thomas Grady and Leo Edward, two of Eddie's fishing buddies, built their own shack in 1937. Shipwrecking and channel dredging brought many people to the area and more shacks were constructed, some by boating and fishing clubs. Local newspapers called the area "the shacks" and "shack colony". Crawfish Eddie's original shack was destroyed by the late season Hurricane King of 1950. (as stated in Wikipedia).50 more stilt houses were built but many were destroyed over the years by hurricanes. Some were rebuilt but Stiltsville is now down to the remaining seven. Read here about the Stiltsville Trust.
Jimmy Ellenburg house
We sailed in through the channel markers and came around for our first anchoring just outside of No Name Harbor. We backed down on the 30lb. Bruce anchor and got a good solid holding and settled in for the night.
We used our oven for the first time and made some baked chicken, mashed potatoes and salad for dinner. I do believe that this is the first time this oven has ever been used. The broiler pan was wrapped in its original packing material and the instructions enclosed, untouched.
Life is good out on the water!
Miami in view on the horizon
The lighthouse is in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.
It is also on a beautiful beach that we visited on our return trip.
The beautiful sunset
There are always many birds on the channel markers.
My dew rag to keep the sun off the top of my head and the hair out of my face.
Baby Guinness
I got this recipe from One Love Catamaran. It sounds delicious.
Fill a shot glass 3/4 of the way with
Café Patron (coffee infused tequila)
Top it off with (maybe use a spoon when pouring to float it)
Bailey's Irish Cream
The finished effect will look like a glass of Guinness. Enjoy!
Thanks Rebecca and Mike!
Fill a shot glass 3/4 of the way with
Café Patron (coffee infused tequila)
Top it off with (maybe use a spoon when pouring to float it)
Bailey's Irish Cream
The finished effect will look like a glass of Guinness. Enjoy!
Thanks Rebecca and Mike!
Saturday, January 17, 2015
A Shakedown Cruise: What's that all about?
So, we bought the boat sight unseen. In other words, we did a TON of research (including
hiring a marine surveyor to inspect the boat), but we still hadn’t seen it with
our own eyes.
Let’s go back. With
the internet now, it’s amazing what you can find if you invest some time in
looking. We were pretty well “set” on
the particular boat model we wanted.
With the internet, we were able to scour Craigslist Ads worldwide, boat
brokerage listings everywhere, repo reports,, etc. From there, we requested pictures and “stories”
from the sellers. And from there, we
were able to start making some “low” offers.
On the third attempt, we hit the jackpot . . . . a boat that
“seemed” perfect at an incredible price.
Next step was signing and faxing
paperwork, wire transferring the money (gulp) and hiring the surveyor.
All that went through without a hitch . . . but actually SEEING the boat ourselves was
still scary. The scorecard looks sort of like this:
·
Pleasant surprises 90%
·
Bad surprises 10%
All in all, we think that’s pretty good. Here are a few more details:
1.
It DID have a complete (and nice) Dodger and
Bimini – both the frame and the canvas were included. This is HUGE. In our previous trip across the open ocean
and buzzing around the Bahamas, we got absolutely BAKED by the sun. We will now have some protection from the
brutal sun’s rays, waves that come up and over the bow, and rain. Excellent surprise. But (see #2 below) . . . .
Mark at the helm. The bimini frame but no canvas. We are able to tie our dinghy "Little Girl" to the back rail sitting on the swim platform. There is a davit system on board that we will need to reassemble at some point.
I put our swim towels up on the bimini frame for some sun protection while under way.
Mark at the helm. The bimini frame but no canvas. We are able to tie our dinghy "Little Girl" to the back rail sitting on the swim platform. There is a davit system on board that we will need to reassemble at some point.
2.
The zippers on the bimini and dodger were both
completely shot. The zipper teeth fell off like dandruff when we tried to zip them up. So, we brought them home with us and will
have a local sailmaker put new zippers in.
3.
The cushions (both inside and for the cockpit)
were in GREAT condition. None of them
need replacing or repairing.
4.
The boat is equipped with TONS of nice things
(luxuries???):
a.
Air Conditioning – great when hooked to shore
power.
b.
Freezer and Refrigerator --- a WONDERFUL upgrade. Although we did kind of learn the hard way
about how much battery juice this sucks up.
Note to self >>>> look at solar panels or wind generator
before next trip! Lol
c.
Windlass winch for pulling up long anchor rodes
(ropes). We didn’t actually need to
use this on our shakedown trip because we were always in (very) shallow water. However, the anchor chain was highly rusted and corroding. I was able to cut out some of those bad links and tie them back together with some spare halyard.
Mark is at the anchor locker removing some links so that we can continue to use the Bruce anchor.
Mark is at the anchor locker removing some links so that we can continue to use the Bruce anchor.
d.
Overhead halogen lights everywhere. NICE
lighting for sure. BUT, like the
refrigerator, we learned that they draw a LOT more electricity from our
batteries than our little LED lights we had on New girl. Note to self >>>>> find LED
replacement light bulbs before the next
trip.
e.
A head (bathroom) with a door and room to actually
turn around. In fact, you do NOT have
to back into the room to “do your business”.
Wow, such convenience.
f.
A hot water heater that uses the engine
circulation to heat the water.
Excellent. Although we discovered
that the High Temp Relief Valve was “tripping” and draining all of our potable
water when it got hot, so we’ll need to replace that valve (soon).
5.
The head sail (Jib) is completely shot. When we were offshore one day (22 knots of wind),
it ripped out completely – from top to bottom.
Kind of strange thing because most
of the sail is in GREAT – wonderful shape.
It’s only the trailing (back) edge, also called the “leech”, for about
24” that is terrible. It is so UV damaged that you can rip it with your bare
hands, like tissue paper. We consulted with our sailmaker friend back
home via cell phone and he thinks that someone used the roller furling “backwards”
and rolled up the sail without the UV cover protection exposed. Kind
of stupid, but perhaps that is what damaged it.
In any case, it looks like we’re now in the market for a new head
sail! This one is a costly “ouch”.
6.
Engine performance. The engine, a 3 cylinder Yanmar diesel,
starts and runs GREAT. It’s amazing. It
just purrs along. We ended up running
it about 60 hours overall and used under 20 gallons of fuel. That’s less than ½ gallon per hour. We’re thinking that is pretty good “mileage”!
7.
Engine cooling. We DID have some serious trouble
with the engine overheating. One of
those times, we were offshore in fairly
heavy seas and heading through a very narrow “cut” to get inside the barrier
reefs. This was a TERRIBLE place for an
engine problem. Well, we got sails back
up and Shawnae tacked back and forth while I played mechanic. After some online troubleshooting (on my
phone), I isolated the problem to the seawater pump. It was impossible to work on this while
bouncing around offshore so we came through the cut (Angelfish Creek) under
sail. That worked well -phew. Once at anchor, I essentially rebuilt the
water pump and it functioned well thereafter.
However, we still nervously check the engine temp gauge frequently
whenever the motor is on.
This is the water pump cover that I scrubbed clean with a copper scrubbie.
It is always good to have silicone lube on board!
Testing to see if the sea water would pump through. Eventually it did!
This is the water pump cover that I scrubbed clean with a copper scrubbie.
It is always good to have silicone lube on board!
Testing to see if the sea water would pump through. Eventually it did!
8.
Engine alternator. We had some difficulty with the battery usage. In No Name Harbor, we were fortunate to be
anchored next to an Electrical engineer – a nice guy named Jim Toups. In addition to giving me a “jump start”, he
helped me troubleshoot the charging system and we discovered that the
alternator IS indeed charging the batteries, just at a very slow rate. So, I think a high output alternator and new
regulator is probably on our shopping list too.
9.
Stability – this new boat is 100% more stable
and feels to be much more seaworthy. It
handles the heavier winds, gusts, and waves, wonderfully. I think this is partially because it’s so
much bigger and heavier than New Girl, but also because marine design has
improved and gotten more sophisticated from 1973 to 2001. In any case, we are delighted with the
performance.
10.
Spare parts – we had purchased a number of spare parts (fuel
filters, pump impellers, etc.) but every single part we bought was wrong! We had used information we were given to
buy those parts ahead of time. And
unfortunately, that was wrong.
Fortunately we didn’t need them.
But now at least we know the correct model numbers for those parts we
need to keep on board.
11.
Fuel gauge doesn’t work. This was pretty scary at first because when
we motored away from the boat broker’s dock, we had no idea if we had an ounce
of fuel or 10 gallons on board. It turns
out that we had plenty. We also filled
up right away and carried a full fuel jug on board thereafter too. I
replaced the gauge – still nothing, so it’s probably the sending unit. This will be hard to replace, because it
involves opening up the top of the fuel tank . . . . which is pretty much
inaccessible deep in the bilge!
So, all in all, we had a successful “shakedown cruise”. Some was good and some not so good. But we feel confident that we now KNOW the
boat and how the various systems operate. Things on a boat are ALWAYS in the state of
breaking down and being repaired – probably more so than any other
environment. But it is good to know
where things stand at this point.
Stay tuned for MORE surprises along the way.
Nice wide decks with the shrouds being toward the inside so that we can walk around. This was a big deciding factor when getting this boat.
The paddleboards can hang nicely on the outside of the lifelines so that we are still able to move about freely on the decks. They do not get in the way of the head sail either. This was really nice.
The sails looked great when we first raised them.
This is the headsail a few days before it started to rip.
The next day we put Mark's SUP on the outside of the lifelines to port. His is about 5' longer than my board so we weren't sure if it would work. It did though. That worked very nicely.
Fair winds to you all!
Nice wide decks with the shrouds being toward the inside so that we can walk around. This was a big deciding factor when getting this boat.
The paddleboards can hang nicely on the outside of the lifelines so that we are still able to move about freely on the decks. They do not get in the way of the head sail either. This was really nice.
The sails looked great when we first raised them.
This is the headsail a few days before it started to rip.
Friday, January 16, 2015
Firefly...symbolic meaning.
Firefly Symbolism
Thanks for this meaning from What's your sign.com
The symbolic meaning of the firefly of course deals with light, illumination and the like. Although an important focus, the issue of light is not the high feature behind the symbolic meaning of the firefly. Rather, it is the messages this wonderous creature gives us while her light is off may be most profound to our growth.
An ordinary looking creature during the day, admittedly, the firefly is a remarkable sight when it glows at night. This is a symbolic message to us humans that although our physical appearance may seem one way - it is our internal makings - what is inside us (such as our spirit) that makes us shine from the inside out. That which is within us will always illuminate us and those around us.
It is interesting to note that the firefly does not produce heat in order to create her light. This is a message that we must not burn our candles at both ends. Creativity and development is suppose to be a free, natural, and easy-going process - there is no need for us to "burn-out" in order to reach our goals.
In addition to using no heat to produce her light, the fact that fireflies eat very little is another symbolic meaning of economy or efficiency. Adult fireflies use their environment to the most effective extent possible in order to gain their energy. (I think this is a fine example of the love we have for sailing and relying on the wind for our propulsion instead of burning diesel). This is a lesson for us to use the resources we have availble to us, and not waste or consume to excess.
When fireflies come into our lives they are there to guide us to ways of living that are more earth-friendly, and soul-friendly. Fireflies teach us the value of living simply, and relying on our own inner voices for illumination. (Living on a sailboat is about as simple as it gets). Fireflies also come to us with a message of creativity, and remind us that our paths are made lighter by the beauty that we allow into our lives.
What a fantastic name for our boat!
Vote now. What shall we name her?
We purchased our 2001 Catalina 320 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Her name is Endurance. We are not thrilled with the name and it has no connection to us. We found after calling on the VHF about 45 times for raising the bridges that we need to change the name. Mark would call, "Los Olas Blvd Bridge this is sailing vessel.........we request your next opening". And for the life of us we could not remember the name. Endeavor, Induldge? But never Endurance.
So, we have come up with some options and would love to hear in the comments what you think.
1. New Girl... on the dock Too- Because our first boat is New Girl...on the dock.
Probably with the same bikini girl.
2. Lanai- Because the boat was originally named Lanai.
With either a hibiscus or a pineapple after the name.
3. Firefly- We love the show and have the entire series and watch it again and again. It would
make a cute design on the side of the boat. A firlefly and some scroll. Probably in purple and teal.
What say you?
So, we have come up with some options and would love to hear in the comments what you think.
1. New Girl... on the dock Too- Because our first boat is New Girl...on the dock.
Probably with the same bikini girl.
2. Lanai- Because the boat was originally named Lanai.
With either a hibiscus or a pineapple after the name.
3. Firefly- We love the show and have the entire series and watch it again and again. It would
make a cute design on the side of the boat. A firlefly and some scroll. Probably in purple and teal.
What say you?
The purchase of Endurance.
We have just had the best two weeks. However, it is with the heaviest of hearts and with tears in my eyes that we are headed home. Sailing is what we love to do. We have such a passion for the way of life. We feel very fortunate that we can do what we love but with the taste in our mouth and sand in our toes it is very difficult to put it to rest for snow in our backyard.
We flew down to Fort Lauderdale to pick up the new boat. It was so sureal. But, when we stepped on the decks we knew she was ours. We loaded all of our luggage, dinghy that we shipped and numerous other items that we had purchased on to the boat and prepared to push off the docks. We started up the diesel Yanmar engine and she fired up right away. One problem though, the fuel gauge didn't work. We had no idea how much diesel was in there and if there was enough to motor up the new river to our destination, Los Olas Marina. We were told that we were not allowed to stay on the boat in the sale yard after 5pm when they closed. 5pm came though and everyone had left without as much of a whisper to us. The sales crew took our money, we signed the papers and we were on our own. We ended up finding the tank and knocked on the outside of it and decided that the tank was not empty. There were some service guys still in the yard and after talking with them we were told that the new river was closed because a sailboat with a 75' clearance took out some electric lines at the bridge and was rushed to the hospital for electrocution. Glad the sales guys told us that! So with no one around we decided to sit tight and stay the night.
We awoke early in the morning and called ahead to the bridge and found that it was all repaired overnight and the river was open so we started our motoring to Los Olas. We made it few a couple of bridges and then were stopped at the Downtowner marina because the next bridge was closed for openings for a couple of hours for rush hour traffic. We were told there was a Publix just a couple of blocks away so we went out for a walk with our empty bags in tow to do a little provisioning. The weather was warm and I was thrilled to put on my skorts and a tank top. Today starts the 2 week long no bra wearing. It is a wonderful thing to leave it in the drawer and not don it again until our flight home.
We are back on board with our groceries stowed. We had a cup of coffee while we were out and some sushi for breakfast! Mmmm! We start motoring again and stop at Bahia Mar for diesel. We want to top her off just so we know what we have. The tank only takes 3 gallons. awesome.
We arrive Los Olas Marina. We pull into the same slip that we had in 2013. It is a comfortable "coming home" feeling. For the next couple of days we spend preparing the boat. We hop on the Sun Trolley and take it to the Harbor Shops. We stop into the Dollar Store, Ross, Ace Hardware, Batteries and More and Publix. We are getting everything that we need for a 2 week stay. Pots and pans, utensils, food, linens, pillows, dish drainer, etc. We also had to purchase 2 new golf cart batteries. Batteries and More were very helpful and delivered them for us to the marina. What a great service they provided for us.
We spent New Years Eve night on the beach in Los Olas. The streets were filled with people. We had wonderful Tuna Tataki and drinks at The Big Kahuna . Later we headed down to the corner where all of the festivities happen and watched from the second floor railing of The Elbow Room. Next to me stood a girl named Shawnai. What a small world. We were instant besties!
The year of 2014 has brought many wonderful things to Mark and I. It was an incredible year. May 2015 be as rewarding for us and our friends and family.
Happy New Year to you all!
Captain Mark at the helm. We now have a wheel instead of the tiller. Thought there is an emergency tiller handle located in the floor if needed. Bimini and dodger frame was also included. We attached it all to get it out of the cabin. The canvas looks okay but all of the plastic zippers are shot. The teeth just pop out. We will have those all repaired. That will be a LOT cheaper than starting from scratch with no bimini or dodger. Good news.
We brought the Lowrance with us in our luggage on the flight. Mark will have to later install this at the helm. For now it works just fine. There is a nice swim platform behind Mark and the railing there folds down as the ladder. Handy. There is also a hot /cold shower there for when you get done swimming. We LOVE that! We showered there every night before bed. The boat has a total of 50 gal fresh water tanks. That provided us for 4 days worth of use including showers.
Heading down the new river to get to the ICW. What a beautiful area.
What kind of duck is this? A turkey duck?
This is a cool old boat I would think to see in New Orleans.
Endurance in the slip at the Los Olas Marina.
Our clearance is 48' and it is nerve wracking every time we go under a bridge.
The galley is very efficient. Double sinks with hot and cold water, a huge fridge/freezer, microwave that we will probably take out and put a cupboard door on, 2 burner propane stove and oven, lots of storage space. Pretty much all of these items were lacking in New Girl.
A very room cabin. Beautiful teak and holly floors. The table pushes down to add a cushion and make another nice sized bed. Four windows that open for a breeze, roomy V-berth up front with a door for privacy.
Nice navigation station for reading charts. Stereo with indoor and outdoor speakers, air conditioning, charging station for phones, tablets, etc., VHF radio inside and out in the cockpit, and a desk that opens to store all of our paper charts.
The head with a hot/cold shower. Medicine cabinet behind one of the mirrors. And the head has a door! YES!!
The year of 2014 has brought many wonderful things to Mark and I. It was an incredible year. May 2015 be as rewarding for us and our friends and family.
Happy New Year to you all!
Captain Mark at the helm. We now have a wheel instead of the tiller. Thought there is an emergency tiller handle located in the floor if needed. Bimini and dodger frame was also included. We attached it all to get it out of the cabin. The canvas looks okay but all of the plastic zippers are shot. The teeth just pop out. We will have those all repaired. That will be a LOT cheaper than starting from scratch with no bimini or dodger. Good news.
We brought the Lowrance with us in our luggage on the flight. Mark will have to later install this at the helm. For now it works just fine. There is a nice swim platform behind Mark and the railing there folds down as the ladder. Handy. There is also a hot /cold shower there for when you get done swimming. We LOVE that! We showered there every night before bed. The boat has a total of 50 gal fresh water tanks. That provided us for 4 days worth of use including showers.
Heading down the new river to get to the ICW. What a beautiful area.
What kind of duck is this? A turkey duck?
This is a cool old boat I would think to see in New Orleans.
Endurance in the slip at the Los Olas Marina.
Our clearance is 48' and it is nerve wracking every time we go under a bridge.
The galley is very efficient. Double sinks with hot and cold water, a huge fridge/freezer, microwave that we will probably take out and put a cupboard door on, 2 burner propane stove and oven, lots of storage space. Pretty much all of these items were lacking in New Girl.
A very room cabin. Beautiful teak and holly floors. The table pushes down to add a cushion and make another nice sized bed. Four windows that open for a breeze, roomy V-berth up front with a door for privacy.
Nice navigation station for reading charts. Stereo with indoor and outdoor speakers, air conditioning, charging station for phones, tablets, etc., VHF radio inside and out in the cockpit, and a desk that opens to store all of our paper charts.
The head with a hot/cold shower. Medicine cabinet behind one of the mirrors. And the head has a door! YES!!
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