The Cats Face Reality

March 22, 2010
Lat/Lon 48 30.8 N, 122 36.8 W



January 15, 2010
From the Desk of Scamp:

It took a LONG time, but the people that lived here in OUR house have finally left. I was beginning to wonder if they’d EVER get a place of their own.

Sid, he was ok, I wouldn’t have minded too bad if he stuck around, he seemed to stay out of our way. But that woman, Linda, she was not a welcome guest. She was always spraying stuff that smelled terrible, running a loud machine that destroyed all the fur lined sun bathing places Sarge and I would spend DAYS to create, AND she’d try to rip our hair out with this hideous comb thing! Yea, she was a piece of work. She’s lucky we let her stay as long as we did. The only good thing about her living here is that she furnished a bird for my future hunting pleasure. Granted the bird was a little larger than I usually hunt, but hey, a bird's a bird. They’re all edible!

But even worse than that woman was that damn DOG! That’s the one thing Sid did that really pissed us off. What was he thinking to bring a brainless idiot like that home! We could never understand that. Good riddance!

The new staff member seems to be doing an adequate job of keeping the food and water dishes full for Sarge and I. I think her name is Gig, she’s owned by our buddy Grizzly up the alley. He’s a cool cat. I’ve had many a beer out in the alley with ol’ Griz.

The only problem with the new help is that sometimes when she comes in to serve us, she brings in what we believe is a large black horse. Who brings horses into a house??? They call the big horse Lobo, but he should be called Godzilla! He kind of seems like a canine, but he’s too big to be a dog. I’m sure he’s equine. The only thing that matters is that he is certainly NOT feline! The Sarge and I just retreat to our private quarters in the master suite when he comes in. (We’ve got a secret hiding place behind the TV up there.)

It took a while for the new staff member to realize that part of her job is to clean up the remains of my hunting trips. The first time she encountered a rat carcass, she let out a squeal of glee that I thought was going to shatter our huge picture window. She was clearly impressed with my hunting skills! She was SO impressed that she ran full speed from the house, and out to get her son to share the experience with him. Yep, I impressed them with my skills on multiple occasions. Birds, moles, rats. I am SUCH a stud! I think Gig really likes me.

March 21, 2010
From the Desk of Scamp:

Yes, things had been going well for a couple of months. Sarge and I were really enjoying having the digs to ourselves. But then, three days ago, it all went to hell.

The Sarge and I were snoozing away up in our master suite when we hear all this racket down stairs. People, dogs, birds, luggage. Crap everywhere in our house! We quickly retreated to our secret place behind the TV and watched the chaos ensue.

The next morning, someone came to our secret hiding place and pulled me out of it! Wait, there’s only one guy besides me an’ Sarge that knows this hiding place. And that’s Sid. I looked, and sure enough, it’s him! I was actually kinda glad to see him. He started petting me and being all nice, and damn if I didn’t start purring. I HATE when that happens! But I WAS glad to see him.

But WHY? Why, oh why, did he have to bring the rest of those creatures with him. The woman is back. (And I swear she wasn’t here 5 minutes before she sprayed something stinky in the air!) That bird is back, that sucker is soooo gonna be dinner! But worst of all!! What was Sid thinking??? He brought that bone-headed DOG back to OUR house!

Geez, just when ya think ya’ve got the world by the tail, some idiots come back into your house and act like they own the place. Shhheeesh! Well, there goes the neighborhood.

Home again! Home again! Jiggity Jig!

March 22, 2010
Hi 57 Lo 45
Lat/Lon 48 30.8 N, 122 36.8 W

Now that we’re back home in Anacortes, WA, the pressure is on to find work and make lots of money so that we can go back and be giddy and irresponsible again next winter!

From what we understand, we missed the nicest winter in the Pacific Northwest ever! In the 60’s almost everyday. Of course we experienced the worst winter in Southern Florida ever! In the 60’s almost everyday.
Que sera sera!

Here’s a picture of Bo, Gracie and I waiting to check in at the airport.

Our neighbors, Carol and Les, put this sign on our door!

The cats, Scamp and Sarge, were not really all that pleased to see us come back. They probably figured we were gone forever. I’m sure they liked having the house to themselves. They’ve got it made. They have a cat door, so they come and go as they please. Our neighbor, Gig, came over and refilled their big food and water dishes once a week or so. I’m sure they thought they had it made! Ahhh, but to their chagrin, we returned. And not only that, we brought that dog back with us! Bwwaaahhh, ha, ha ha!!!!

The Final Days of Quest’s Shakedown Cruise

March 21, 2010

We are back in Anacortes safe and sound. We arrived here about midnight on the 18th. The past couple of days have been hectic, but I’m finally getting to update the blog about our final days on this leg of the journey.

March 16, 2010
Hi 75 Lo 62
Lat/Lon 27 1.6 N, 80 29.1 W

Yesterday we put Quest to bed for the summer. Venturing in to the interior of Florida, to Indian Town, we encountered some new and very interesting things. Things that we will have to deal with again this fall when we take Quest back out to the ocean.

It’s about 30 miles from the ocean at St. Lucie Inlet to Indian Town Marina. We chose Indian Town because it has a great record for getting boats safely through the hurricane season. It’s inland a ways, they take the boats out of the water, and they strap the boats down securely. Quest should be safe here.

Along the way to Indian Town, there were 8 brides we had to go under. I know I haven’t mentioned brides much in this blog, but they are one of the more intimidating aspects of sailing in and around land. It seems that no matter how high the bridge is, when you are down on deck, it always looks like the top of the mast is going to hit the bridge as you go under. The very first bridge we went under, way back at Brunswick, GA, was 120 feet above the water line, and it seemed close. Since then we have gone under several bridges that were between 80 to only 56 feet above the water line. Did I mention our mast is 53 feet 8 inches above the water line? Yes,… well that creates some SERIOUS pucker factor at those lower bridges!

Of the 8 brides between the St. Lucie Inlet and Indian Town, only two, the first Roosevelt Bridge, (there are two Roosevelt Bridges right near each other), and the St. Lucie Bridge, were plenty high enough at 65 feet. The other 6 were all under 60 feet. The second Roosevelt Bridge was a bascule (lift) bridge that opened for us, the rest were all fixed.

One bridge, the Palm City bridge, was only 54 feet 6 inches high. Our bird spike at that top of the mast was apparently not counted in that measurement of 53 feet 8 inches, because it scraped along the underside of the bridge, and eventually broke off, landing on the deck below. We were relieved to see that it was just the bird spike, and not our anchor light or the lightening arrestor. Yessirrreeee, LOTS of pucker factor on that ride!


As Quest moved inland, we had to get into the St. Lucie Canal which required going through the St. Lucie Locks. We’d never been through a lock before, so it was kind of exciting. The boat is basically closed into a very narrow chute with high sides. It fills with water, and you float out the other end at the level of the interior canal. I envisioned this to be a very small version of what might be found along the Panama Canal. Although their similarities are probably like comparing a redwood tree to a tooth pick! But it was new and interesting.

Indian Town Marina sits just off the St. Lucie Canal, which is a deeply dredged fresh water canal that drains from Lake Okechobee. Although it is a man-made canal, the sides are not concrete, they are a mixture of thick mangrove, willow and other dense flora. There were a lot of mosquitoes there, and somehow, the area just ‘felt’ very different than what we’d experienced along the coastal areas. It felt more,… hmm,… untamed, I guess would be a good word.

And untamed it was! While we were docked at the marina, stripping the canvas and taking our luggage off the boat, Sarah spotted an alligator swimming about 30 feet off our stern! Cool!!! An alligator! I was so excited! (But I was also a little freaked!) I ran for the binoculars so that I could get a really good look at him. Dang those guys are UGLY! Weird eyes!!!

I should have run for my camera instead of the binocs. By the time I’d grabbed the camera, he was a ways off, and sitting lower in the water. I wanted to toss Bo in the water to try to lure him back closer, but Sarah wouldn’t let me. Hey, I would have had a line on him so that I could pull him back. Geez, I not THAT heartless! LOL!!! So without gator bait, this was all I got for a picture. That dark speck, yeah,…. that’s him!

After the excitement of seeing the alligator, it came time to haul Quest out of the water. Here she is being lifted up, all 22,000 pounds of her! (She kind of a 'plus-sized' girl, but she handles her 'full figure' with grace!)

Sid closely supervising.

I gave her a hug and told her we’d be back as soon as the hurricane season has passed.

Here is Quest, in her summer home. In addition to the jack stands, she will also be lashed down with straps to hold her in place.

We will miss our pretty Quest. I hope she's safe and doesn't get scared if the wind blows this summer!

Coming soon...
Home Again! Home Again! Jiggity Jig!

and The Cats Face Reality

On the road again!.... oops, I mean ocean!

March 15, 2010
Hi 74 Lo 59
Lat/Lon 27 11.9 N, 80 15.0 W

The engine is repaired and we left Miami, heading north to Indian Town. We are currently in a great little place called Manatee Pocket, inside the St. Lucie Inlet.

We got underway at 3pm yesterday. We sailed through the night and arrived here at 7:15am this morning. It was my first all-night passage. With the help of Jay and Sarah, we took 3 hour shifts as couples, and sailed all night. We had a good westerly wind and the northerly current of the Gulf Stream with us. We were averaging about 9 or 10 knots! A few times we were flying through the night at 11 knots! Yeeehawww!!!! Hang on tight, Gracie Bird!!!

The only bad part about the all-nighter was that I got sea-sick for the first time. :o( I think the combination of being below, trying to sleep during bumpy sailing, and then coming up to darkness where you can’t see the horizon, was more than my system could handle. But once I barfed over the side, I felt FINE,… Just FIIINNEEE!!!

Today and tomorrow the sails and canvas covers come off and we make our way up to Indian Town to hoist our little Quest up onto the hard for the summer. (I’ll post pictures of Quest in her birthday suit!) …giggle…
It’s going to be sad to say “Good bye” to her. But we’ll be back in only 6 or 7 months to take her down to the Bahamas. She’ll like that!

Thank you Jay and Sarah for ALL of your help.

Stay tuned to the blog, because even after we get home, I have more stories and photos to share.

Just another part of the 'adventure',...

March 13, 2010
Hi 80, Lo 64
Lat/Lon 25 44.4 N, 80 13.5 W

Jay and Sarah arrived on the 10th. They are going to help us sail up to Indian Town. They both have great sailing experience. They’ve sailed all over the place.
The engine has been repaired! Yipeeee!
I’m tellin’ ya, it’s just one crazy adventure after another! LOL!!!

Here's the horse shit...

Lat/Lon 25 44.4 N, 80 13.5 W

One of our 'flawed' friends decided he didn't want to hear about Finding Ponies in the Pile of Horse Shit. He said he'd rather SEE the pile of horse shit. So, Paul,... these are for you!

Still stranded...

March 10, 2010
Hi 78, Lo 62
Lat/Lon 25 44.4 N, 80 13.5 W

Sigh,… still stranded in Miami. We thought we’d have the motor repaired and put back together today and then be able to leave tomorrow, but now it looks like it won’t happen until Saturday or so. The engine parts are not here yet.
Geez, we’re going to end up with Miami residency if we don’t get out of here soon.

But as I mentioned before, there are worse places we could be stranded.
For instance:

Fargo, North Dakota

Or Al Udeid, Iraq
Yep, there are definetly worse places to be stranded than Miami, Florida.

Life is Good!

Misc. photos from the return trip up to Miami....

March 9, 2010
Hi 74, Lo 59
Lat/Lon 25 44.4 N, 80 13.5 W

We are still stranded in Miami, but we're not complaining, there are certainly a lot worse places to be stranded!

We’ve FINALLY had some nice weather! Yeeehaw! Three days in a row without rain, and two more expected! We’ve made good use of the time and nice weather. I’ve sanded and refinished all of the teak, and Sid has put new zincs on the propeller, resealed all the chain plates, and we’ve actually gotten to work on our tans a little. We were beginning to think we were going to have to go back to Washington with white bodies, but maybe not! :o)

We’ve also taken some nice walks around the area and had a drink or two is some cute open air bars. I have to say, Miami is actually quite pretty, well at least this area of town.

Here are a few random pictures from our ‘return trip’ up here, such as it has been.

This was from our anchorage off East Sister Rock at Melbourne. A rainbow after a really heavy rain and the subsequent moon rise afterward.


















The men on board had a brutal fight regarding feeding schedules and rum rations!
Oh, it was a hideous, bloody battle!!!


Here's an example of how comfortable Gracie is with living the sailing life. She has not problem with taking a bath while under way on fairly choppy seas. She takes turns, dipping her head, and then each foot into her water dish. In between dips, she grabs on to the cloth that is bungied there, to keep her balance.




























Here's Bo, checking out what's happening below deck. We must have been mistaken about his breed. He must not be an Aussie,... clearly he must be a Heeler, because he is very sure-footed and has no problem walking or standing when the boat heels.

Finding The Pony In The Pile Of Horse Shit

March 6, 2010
Hi 69 Lo 50
Lat/Lon 25 44.4 N, 80 13.5 W

Sid and I have both learned so much on this trip.

One thing that Sid has taught me is that, "Sometimes, life drops you in a big pile of horse shit. But you have to figure that if you've got that much horse shit, there’s just bound to be a pony in there somewhere. You just have to look for it!"

Here is today's Pony In The Horse Shit: We don’t have a cracked head and we don’t have to stay here for two weeks. We DO, however, have a blown head gasket, which still requires major surgery to repair. It’s still going to be fairly spendy, but what the hell, it’s only money. Anyone who’s ever owned a boat knows, it’s just a hole in the water where you throw money, right? B.ring O.n A.nother T.housand. (or two, or four). :o)

So we will only be here until about Thursday, which will still cause us to have to change our flights back to Seattle by at least a few days, because we still have to get Quest up to Indian Town to the haul out yard and get all of her canvas stripped off.

But here's another Pony: Sid’s friends, Jay and Sarah, happen to be in the area on vacation and are going to come help us sail Quest up the coast and get her ready to be stored safely for the summer and hurricane season. From what I hear, Jay’s pretty good at this stuff. I also hear he plays the bassoon! (Gee I hope he’s got it with him, I haven’t heard any good bassoon music in – geez - it’s been weeks now!)

And one more Pony: Since we’re kind of stuck here, I am sanding and refinishing the bright work, (the teak wood work), because it has worn in several spots and we were worried about water getting into the wood over the wet season. And Sid is re-sealing the chain plates because that is another weak area where water can get in. Now we won’t have to worry about those things.

See? Ponies! In the horse shit!

We have had an interesting turn of events,...

March 4, 2010
Hi 64 Lo 49
Lat/Lon 25 39.7 N, 80 9.4 W

Coming into the Key Biscayne area yesterday, we began having engine trouble.

After sailing most of the day, we'd furled the sales and began motoring toward Key Biscayne. The engine alarm came on,... uh, oh,... we'd overheated. So we added some coolant and cautiously carried on.

After a while, the alarm came on again. So we killed the engine and put the sails back out and sailed to the nearest anchorage, which was No Name Harbor on the southern tip of Key Biscayne. We added more coolant, checked some thing-a-mabob, drained some doohickey, (pardon my technical terms there,…) and waited ‘til morning, hoping that we’d catch a lucky break and everything would be fine, just fine.

Well, no luck,... and no engine.

So after contacting a few mechanics, turns out we think we have cracked head! (And I don't mean Sid fell down the companion way.)

So, we are getting towed over to Dinner Key Marina, where we have a mechanic coming tomorrow morning to check out the motor.

We may be here a while. We don’t know if it will be 2 days, or 2 weeks, but needless to say, we won't make our flight back to Anacortes on the 11th. We don’t know for sure what we’re going to do, or when. We should know more after the mechanics visit tomorrow. But one thing we are pretty sure about is that “it ain’t gonna be cheap!”

Keep your fingers crossed for us!

The Bird-nerd Chronicles

March 1, 2010
Lat/Lon 25 5.2 N, 80 26.8 W

I am a bird nerd.
When I was a little girl, my father would point out different types of birds to me. He’d set up his spotting scope on nests so that I could watch the feathered families grow. Since then, I’ve been fascinated with birds.

All my life I’ve kept track of all the different species of birds I’ve seen. This trip has been great because I'm in an area I've never really been before, so I’ve added over 20 new birds to my ‘life long list’. Most of them have been ocean/shore birds because that's where I've been hangin' out, and it's a bit too early for songbird migration yet.

Yes, I am a bird-nerd. What I am not is a wildlife photographer, so all of these photos have been taken from the internet. I greatly admire, appretiate, and thank all those amazing photographers with the ability, equipment and mostly, the patience to take these beautiful photos.


This bird, the Northern Gannet, was my favorite new find. What beautiful birds! I saw 2 of them in the Dry Tortugas.







Other new birds I saw out in the Dry Tortugas:


lft- Brown Booby,
(yes that’s a bird, not a naked
lady with a tan).


Sooty Tern - rt






lft - Magnificent Frigatbird






Black Skimmer - rt





Some of the new birds I’ve seen in other areas on this trip:

lft - Masked Booby



White Ibis - rt








lft - Green Heron









Little Blue Heron - rt




lft - Ruddy Turnstone








Laughing Gull - rt



lft - Gull-billed Tern









Eurasian Collared Dove - rt


Other new birds not pictured here:

Red Footed Booby (shown in earlier post)
White Pelican
Great White Egret
Fosters Tern
Royal Tern (shown in earlier post)
Least Tern
Boat tailed Grackle
Northern Mockingbird

Dancing Dolphins

March 1, 2010
Hi 70 Lo who cares...
Lat/Lon 25 5.2 N, 80 26.8 W

One of the best, most beautiful things about this area is the bottlenose dolphins. Our very first day at the boat, up in Brunswick, GA, we saw one in the marina. He swam right up to us, clearly checking us out. It was like he was saying, "Hey, there hasn't been anybody at this boat, who are you guys? Well, I'm sure you're fun, so welcome to my home."

We've seen several dolphins since. Both sets of visitors, Sids' kids and Rob and Apryl got to see dolphins during their visit. Despite seeing lots of dolphins, I haven't had much luck getting photos of them. I'm usually too mesmirized to run for my camera. And if I do manage to have my camera, I usually just end up with lots of photos of blue water! But here are a couple of things....

This video was taken with my cheesy little digital camera. It was a visit from about 5 dolphins that swam along beside Quest one day. Again, I got LOTS of pretty blue water, but there is a small amount of dolphin too!

On the way back from the Dry Tortugas, the swells were really large, 7 to 10 feet high. As Quest was going up over a really large one, we saw about 3 little dolphin heads sticking out of the wave. They were surfing the waves and having great fun! As we went over it, we turned to watch them. There were 5 to 7 dolphins, leaping incredibly HIGH out of the back side of the wave, having a wonderful time. Then they'd swim up close beside us again, ride another one, and then LEAP out the backside and come back. They did that a few times.

I did some cropping and tried to play with the lighting, but those two black blobs are dolphins.

Sid and I were both hootin' and cheering, and loving it! We watched a long as we could, until they disappeared from sight behind us. They were having such a great time playing in those big waves! They didn't care that it was windy and snotty. It wasn't such a great day to be sailing, but it was sure a good day to be a dolphin!

I love dolphins.