Christmas 2011

Visiting the girls, arrived Christmas Day, staying in the cold cold north for a week and then back to the sunny south.

Sally, McKenzie and Abby just moved into a new place, a cute little bungalow where I'm sure they will be very happy. They've added a dog to their family, Emmet - very smart and rather handsome.

I've noticed that the people in Saskatoon are a hardy bunch. It's around the freezing mark and they're out in sweaters, no coats and some are even in shorts. The photo above was a blustery day and McKenzie's parents did bundle up for the walk in the dog park. Abby rode in luxury. I'm the one in blue wearing 2 hats, a hood, 2 pairs of pants, etc etc.

Out for dinner, with a little face painting thrown in for fun.

Butterfly face

Emmett

Gaming is serious business to a 4 year old

Crafts (thanks Gerry)

Wasn't that a Party!

December 3, 2011 the powerboat (formally known as Cruisin II, Dilly Dally and Saw-Mill III) was officially de-named and christened. Gary, being an "ordained" minister and having the gift of gab graciously agreed to officiate.

Part I:  De-naming and expunging all the former names. I blacked out all reference to the old names on all the paperwork I found on board. Then you have to tell Neptune that the old names are no longer valid, throw a metal tag bearing all the names (in water-soluble ink) overboard and appease him by pouring perfectly good champagne into the sea.

Reverend Doctor H.G. Berger

Expunging the old names

Appeasing Neptune

Toasting the de-naming

Part II: The christening. Words of wisdom from the Reverend Doctor, announcing the new name and once again pouring champagne overboard for Neptune. And for those who haven't yet heard - the new name is "Dirty Girl."

Pouring perfectly good champagne overboard

Toasting to the new name

Part III: A surprise birthday party for Diana. Lots of food, wine, spirits, and fun with added features of a disco ball, laser lights, stripper pole, fog machine and of course birthday cake!

Partying on the back deck.

Susan, Diana, Jennifer, Leo and Nick

Bill on the pole, pretty sure this is not how you're supposed to use it.

I'm really sure Gerry and Richard aren't using it right either.

No-pony-tail Richard and Chris

Laser lights on our hair

Surprised the camera captured the funky laser lights

Happy Birthday Diana

Dirty Girl all lit up

All work and no play makes for a dull "vacation"

No rest for the wicked never rang truer. Since Ramblynn has returned with all the "stuff" needed for the powerboat it's been non-stop work.

Brush trimming to deter varmints from jumping onto the boat and making lines easier to tie

Installing an awning for shade and rain

Reinstalling bimini

Yes, it's me working outside, a break from constant cleaning inside.

Unscheduled fix - drinking water pump failed

Taking a well earned break from polishing and cleaning

Wasn't all work, had to take some time off or there would have been a mutiny and Chris and Les might never come back.

Soaking up the laid back Bahamian ambience

Hitchhiking tree frog

Crab - refused to get off the coral fan. I think he was frozen in fear.

Horseshoes on the beach

November 24 - Bad Boat, Bad

The general consensus of those who believe boats are some sort of sentient being is that if we "talk nice" to her she'll come home without any more trouble. To this I say poppycock, nonsense, hogwash, baloney, malarkey and bilge. We tried and yet she was still uncooperative, intractable, obstreperous, truculent, defiant, rebellious, willful, wayward, headstrong, contrary, perverse, and difficult.

It was our plan to come over to Florida on Celebration and almost immediately leave for Port Lucaya.   Of course things like that never happen and we didn't cast off until 1 p.m.  Had to visit the bank, get some sandwiches for the trip, shop for incidentals and  exchange the water pump parts for the correct ones. This involved going back to the boat for the engine serial number and by the time we returned to the parts store they were closed for lunch! How can a parts store be closed for lunch?? We didn't wait around for them to open, hoping Bill could do this for us.

So off we go, with a leaky pump (and who knows what else will happen) not knowing exactly how long it would take to get to Boca Raton and then the ocean. With an old cranky engine and waiting around for lift bridges to go up it took 5 hours! When you look at a chart the intracoastal looks pretty straight forward but you have to stay in the channel or you will run aground. We arrived at the inlet in the dark, which is not good. Talk about stress, I'm behind the wheel and with all the lights, buildings and lay of the land and water we couldn't see the bridge until it started to go up. So now we're out of the frying pan into the fire trying to get through an unmarked narrow channel with rocks (that I can barely make out) on either side. Although there were plenty of lights on one side of the bridge, the other side was pitch black.  Two small boats zipped past and disappeared so at least I had a vague idea of where to go. I did see one marker/sign that said “Danger Rocks” but I had to look behind me to see it. Gee, thanks for that information. Would it have killed them to put up a light or two, or a marker that is visible? Check out Boca Raton Inlet on Google satellite map. I found this little tidbit on the web: “The current is considerable and there is a draw bridge that must be traversed. Sailors running this inlet with a following current should exercise caution so they are not swept into the bridge.”

Lantana

Ocean

SE 15th

George Bush

Atlantic

Linton

Spanish River

Palmetto

No photo of the last bridge, Boca Raton inlet, too dark.


As you can see we made it out of there in one piece and Ramblynn didn't cause any trouble until we were well off shore, too late to turn back for silly reasons like engine failure and fouled main halyard.

Around 11 pm Gerry did an engine check. The salt water pump was leaking even more so the engine was overheating. We decided to raise the main sail (only had the jib out). At least we tried to raise it.  The halyard had some how fouled on the port lower spreader. Gerry managed to free it only to have it get caught on the starboard lower spreader. Got it off there and it caught on the port upper spreader and then it was free (maybe). The wind was blowing like mad, the boat was rocking like mad -  I don't know how he managed to not fall off.  Anyway in the blackness of midnight we were unsure if the halyard was free so decided to forego raising the main until dawn.

Near daybreak we tried to start the engine to see if we'd be able to use it to get us past the reef into the canal when we got there but the small mixing elbow leak had become a major problem and was leaking exhaust into the boat. It was light enough to see that the halyard was free so we finally got the main up.  We needed all the help we could get as getting into Port Lucaya would involve tacking and luck.

Finally, after 21 hours and getting towed into the channel (thanks Richard and Betty) we made it to Port Lucaya and there a miracle happened. We filled out 5 government forms (most of the information on them was duplicated), Gerry took them to the office and he came back after only a few minutes with all the necessary stamps of approval. That has never happened, we usually have to wait a minimum of an hour and usually much longer.

Richard supplied the power, we supplied the steering.

Tomorrow we start the never-ending job of unloading and installing and sorting.

Best Laid Plans of ............

So what's wrong with this picture? I'll tell you - Ramblynn is still not here. All looked well, they set off down the intracoastal and disaster struck once again - batteries weren't charging. Another call to our helpful mechanic Bill. By the time this problem was repaired the weather window had once more closed and would you believe another problem cropped up! The other water pump broke and the part had to be ordered. Chris and Gerry have flown back here where we await another weather window and repairs. Talk about frustration!!!

I have a theory, which, by the way has been verified and confirmed by half of the members of coffee club. Ramblynn's nose is out of joint. Gerry has brought another boat to the dock and she fears she has been replaced. We made the mistake of extolling the virtues of the other boat in her presence and now she has no intentions of coming back to the Bahamas. Just like Dulcinea threw roadblocks up so she couldn't be sold, Ramblynn is breaking down in retaliation. Hell has no fury like a woman/boat scorned.

It's In Ramblynn

That's our mantra - it's in Ramblynn. Where's ??? - It's in Ramblynn. Don't we have any ??? It's in Ramblynn, over and over.

Fortunately the weather looks good for Ramblynn to come home Wednesday night so Chris and Gerry are going over to Florida to bring her back. Chris is going to check out a sailboat and help Gerry sail back. I'm willing to let her go in my place to enjoy the experience of sailing at night, across the gulf stream and getting no sleep. Fortunately for her the winds will be light and the seas almost nonexistent so it will be a more pleasant experience than the last 3 crossings.

Once they're back Les thinks the mantra will be "It's somewhere in Ramblynn." Hope someone remembers to measure the waterline on the boat before she's unloaded.

November 9 - 12 from West Palm to Freeport

Wednesday: The engine has been repaired and we're good to go. Unfortunately the weather is not cooperating - wind isn't too bad and it's from the right direction but the waves are ridiculously high for me and a boat that is not exactly in her prime and is very loaded. Why it's still afloat with all the stuff we've put on her is a mystery to me. It's difficult to make repairs when "stuff" is in the way and the ride over would be damn uncomfortable (and scary) and wet so we've opted to leave her behind and take Celebration back across. She'll be fetched when the seas calm down. That gets us back the day before Chris and Les arrive and things need to be done before their arrival - the most important, install a new manual marine toilet as the old electric one leaks badly. This is one reason we're taking the ship over and not flying. I'm sure the airline would break the toilet since we no longer have the original packing and on board ship you don't have to check your bags. We caused quite a stir when we checked in at the port. The xray of the toilet looked like a TV lying face down in the bag (which we barely managed to cram it into) and they did not for a minute believe it was a toilet until they opened the bag and sure enough there it sat - a gleaming white beauty. I think they're still laughing.

Thursday: Seas had been rough when we started out and people were getting seasick but in the middle of the night everything calmed down and we wondered if we couldn't have made it across on our own. Oh well too late now and I firmly believe better safe than sorry and I will freely admit I'm more of a fair weather sailor. Might not be if I was younger but another birthday is fast approaching and I've become very aware of my mortality and why be dead or horribly miserable in high seas when you don't have to be. 

Friday: Les and Chris have arrived and the toilet was in operation just an hour before they got here - great timing. Due to Ramblynn's temporary absence they'll have to bunk in with us and I mean bunk in - the other stateroom has bunk beds!

Saturday: Chris did not fall out of bed.

isn't she a beauty?

Waiting waiting

Hopefully the new water pump arrives tomorrow. We've been filling our time with yet more shopping, well one of us has. Cannot find a suitable throw rug for the salon so have purchased supplies to make my own. Gerry calculated how much yarn I'll need and how to cut it efficiently into 2.5" lengths (so I think that means he gets to do the cutting).

Went for a walk on the beach, check out the video of the bird taking a bath; went with Petey to the "big store" (Lowes) and the pet store; drove up to the bar Two Drunken Goats to visit with Janice and listen to Steve play; dropped in on Lerry at his second home (bar on Hollywood boardwalk) and had a great steak dinner at Paul and Melyssa's. And of course a little more shopping - after going to 5 Dollar Trees we finally found the soy milk we were after. Great thing to have on the boat, no refrigeration until you open them and only cost $1. We got some strange looks when we almost depleted their entire stock by buying 25 of them.

Checking out the ferrets

Good times

Almost

Well we almost made it out of Florida. We set off, quite a chore getting all the lines off, so many lines to pilings, dock and dinghy, due to configuration of dock, waves, current and wind. Managed to back out with the dinghy alongside, quite a feat. We got through the Lantana bridge just in time (it opens every half hour) and Gerry mentioned that the boat should be going faster and I noticed the engine smelled different. The fresh water pump, he thinks, is broken. So there we sit in the intracoastal waterway, adrift. Now what? Tow ourselves back or call TowBoat US? Fortunately common sense prevailed and we called for a tow. We have unlimited towing insurance, purchased last year when we took Dulcinea back to Florida (it was unknown whether her engine was really fixed). TowBoat US is amazing - arrived exactly when they said they would and got us back to the dock and safely tucked in very efficiently (commercial vessels can open bridges on demand so there was no waiting) and he was cute too. Will definitely renew that service!

Power boat racing to catch up to take advantage of the unscheduled bridge opening

And off he goes to rescue another hapless sailor(s)