Swing Set: Cruising Full Time
03/09/13It's All Coming TogetherWe went to the Bahamas seminar last Wednesday and did get some useful information, as well as meeting some other boaters here in the harbor who we've only heard on the cruiser's net in the morning but haven't met yet. There were at least 50 people at the seminar, some who have been planning on "making the jump" for years and haven't done it yet anbd some who are going in just a few weeks or so. We hope to be in the latter group. We were happy to learn that we at least had all of the equipment that is usually recommended for the trip, plus some. We are also on the right track as far as what we need for paperwork when we visit the Bahamas Customs and Immigration Office, plus a valuable tip in regard to how to list everything aboard the boat, which is one... |
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03/06/13More "Life on the Ball"For the Florida Keys, the weather lately has been chilly. There was a lot of rain last Sunday, but the inside of our boat stayed nice and dry thanks to the repair I did a few weeks ago. We picked up a few ingredients at Winn-Dixie on our way to Advance Auto to pick up some engine oil I had ordered, so that we could make a big pot of ham 'n' beans, or in this case, Spam 'n' beans. I had soaked a half package of great northern beans in water and some baking soda overnight, so I rinsed them and put 'em in a small pot and got them to a boil for a few minutes. (The baking soda is supposed to help get the gas out of the beans, or reduce it at any rate. No one here wants to mess with the tried and true.) Then, I rinsed them again and put them in a bigger... |
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03/02/13A Slice of Life at Marathon City MarinaThe last six days have just flown by here in Marathon. We had several goals when we arrived here, and we've accomplished a few and have high hopes for others. The big thing was getting Holly's rabies shot. We knew getting the appointment wouldn't pose a problem, so calling the vet on Monday was not high on the list, but calling the wind generator repair people was. The promise of a Wednesday visit left us optimistic that this other big goal of getting the wind generator fixed so we would have it for travel to the Bahamas would be met before weeks end. Wheels also began turning for a potential haul-out by month's end and getting new bottom paint on Swing Set's hull, something we could put off, but we need to wait a month after Holly's rabies shot before... |
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02/26/13Back in Marathon with a Laundry ListI'll get a couple of things out of the way first: The wind generator worked for a couple of days and then quit again, so we're going to embark on a plan to get it fixed. On a successful note, I put on my snorkel gear on and quickly found our grill that I had sent flying into Newfound Harbor by accident. On Friday and Saturday, we spent some time visiting other boaters on Picnic Island. For the most part, the people we met were nice. Two couples from Canada waded over to meet Holly. We talked for a bit, and one of the things we talked about was Little Palm Island Resort. The one fella told us how they visited one time, and two shots and two appetizers came to a total of almost $300, and dinner was typically $500 and up. To spend the night there ran over $3,000. You can... |
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02/22/13We Emerge Victorious, For NowThe wind and rain has let up finally. Three days ago, we pulled up anchor and tried to get into Dolphin Marina to get our water tanks topped off. I quit using the water maker because, without the port wind generator working, the power drain was too much on our house bank of batteries. Toward the largely unmarked northern end of the channel leading to the narrow secondary channel into the marina (which is marked) we began to stir up sand, so we turned around and got away unscathed, and decided to learn more about entering Dolphin Marina before we make another attempt. We also didn't go at high tide, which would have helped. If you read the comments on our previous posts, you already know that we cruised over to Little Palm Island to get water. Active Captain indicates... |
