Paying the Piper

Bottoms Up!

With a full winter of fun in the sun behind us, it was time to haul the boat out of the water and get to work.  We dawdled in the southern Chesapeake for a couple of weeks after our return to the states, trying to get our bearings and reconcile ourselves with the reality of crowds, noise, pollution, and traffic.  We celebrated well-stocked grocery stores and cheap food, reveled in reliable connectivity (well, most of the time), and tried not to think too much about the crystalline waters we left in our wake.  The novelty of "being back" quickly over, we were anxious to get to Dennis Point Marina, the boatyard where we intended to complete boat maintenance and repairs, and get on with the inevitable chores.  We pulled in just after Memorial Day and watched, with some trepidation, as the enormous Travelift trundled over, lowered its well-worn straps, and lifted us out of the water.  With Dream Catcher swaying gently, the Travelift brought us over land and the crew began the process of making her presentable again.  Fortunately, the long passage from the Abacos went a long way towards stemming the growth of vegetation that had taken root on the bottom, but we could see that we had a lot of work ahead of us.

Up, Up, and Away!

High and Dry

While the yard crew settled Dream Catcher into her land-based berth, we settled ourselves into one of the two cabins in the marina/campground.  A small, 1-room affair, this was to be our home away from home for a couple weeks while the boat was on the hard.  The size didn't bother us as we were all used to small spaces and, best of all, the cabin had air conditioning, something we would come to appreciate at the end of a long day's work.  We had plenty of meals that I had prepared ahead of time so we wouldn't have to worry about cooking when we were hot and tired.  Ken had downloaded some movies and shows, and we binged on three seasons of Sherlock Holmes as we savored the chill of the a/c and the luxury of stretching out our exhausted bodies on the bed.

For the next two weeks, our days were spent scraping, sanding, painting, waxing, polishing, and otherwise undoing the wear and tear our boat had endured since we picked her up in Little River, SC in 2012.  The weather cooperated in that we didn't have much rain, but it was unbearably hot and muggy, at times, and we were counting the days until we could call the boat done.  As always, there were a few unpleasant surprises, but we still managed to complete most of the projects before embarking on the next phase of our summer to-do's.  

Tie-Dyed Hulls - the latest in boat fashion

Getting ready to sand

North and South

Borrowing our friends' 1990 Ford conversion van, we drove up to Milford, CT to collect the rest of our belongings and move them south.  While Jeanette spent time catching up and playing with her much-missed friends, Ken and I sorted through clothing, books, and other so-called essentials.  Re-visiting our belongings after a year on the boat gave us the perspective we needed to pare down even more.  We stayed with our dear friends and neighbors, Trish and Steve, who welcomed us with a New England lobster feast and offered up all of the comforts of their beautiful home.  It was just the kind of pampering we needed after two weeks of non-stop boat work.  We didn't have long to catch up with friends before it was time to get back on the road.  

Lobster Feast - New England Style!

Jeanette and Lily

All (well, almost all) of our worldly possessions

We departed Connecticut filled to the brim with loving memories and warm hearts, and began the 2-day trip south to Florida.  Our first stop was at my brother Joe's in Melbourne.  Jeanette and cousin Ethan were ecstatic to see each other and spent hours every day playing in the pool while Debbie and I played in the kitchen - just like old times.  Happily, the timing of our trip coincided with my niece Amanda's first mini-triathalon.  We had a blast watching her compete and beat her personal goal by nearly 15 minutes!  After spending a few days catching our breath, it was time to get down to the business of unloading the van into our new home.  

Amanda and her biggest fan

A Strong Start

Proud Mama

Best Cheering Section

Ethan gets a pair of Pterodactyl feet, courtesy of Uncle Ken

Ethan and Jeanette make a splash

Jupiter and Beyond

When I was a kid, my friend Dede and I used to drive up to Jupiter from Hollywood and fantasize about living there someday - in old Florida, where runaway development had not yet ruined the natural beauty of the place.  Who would have guessed that we would do just that and that our homes would end up only a mile apart?!  Of course, we haven't had much time yet to enjoy our house or the close proximity, but our tenants are taking good care of it and we know we have a beautiful place to land when our cruise comes to an end.  We stopped by the house briefly to drop off our belongings before heading to Delray Beach and visits with brothers Chris, Phil, and Matthew.  My dad and Connie had just sold their house in Hollywood, and I spent a couple of days helping them pack up.  With the last "give-away's" and pineapple plants distributed, we all said goodbye to a home that held so many great stories.  I'm pretty sure that when my dad said he wanted to move north, he meant Maine, and while Jacksonville is nowhere close to that, I know that we're all looking forward to filling their new home with wonderful memories.  

Boys, Boys, Boys

After so much girl time in the Bahamas and Connecticut, Jeanette was now inundated with boys - her cousins Ethan, Bobby, Douglas, Philip, and Gabe - all closer in age to Jeanette than Amanda and baby Dylan (hooray - another girl!).  The mix of ages and genders provided ample opportunities for "teaching moments" as the kids learned the complexities of courtesies, boundaries, and personalities.  I, too, was spending time catching up with my brothers and half-brothers - 5 in all (yes, girls are a rare thing in my family!), my cousin Jim and his family.  Meanwhile, Ken was enjoying the novelty of live TV and immersed himself in the World Cup competition.  Typically not much of a sports follower, he quickly got carried away into the realm of rabid sports fans - yelling, shouting, jumping out of his seat, throwing his arms up in the air...  It was quite something to watch and I was happy when the series ended so that I could have the sane version of my husband back.    

Minecraft Mania

Testing out the new engine on Joe's skiff with a run up to Cocoa Beach Village

Baby Brother

Carmen and Phil

Jeanette and Gabe

Vans, Cars and Tow Trucks

One more stop in Melbourne, two more days of family fun, and we were headed north again. This time, our route took us through central Florida to Williston (near Ocala) to pick up the new rudders for the boat.  We had discovered in our travels that our rudders were moving somewhat independently of our steering. While the movement was still small, this problem would grow over time to the point that the boat would have its own opinion about what direction to travel in.  New rudders seemed to be the safest course of action rather than have a catastrophic failure in the middle of a passage.  We picked the rudders up at the Foss Foam Factory (think abandoned shed) deep in rural Florida. 

Melbourne uncle and aunties

Carmen and Dylan

Jim, Caitlyn, Allison, and Pam

The scenery was beautiful and we enjoyed some good southern cooking at Cotillon just outside of Ocala and again at Steffan's in Kingsland, GA.  The owner of Steffan's is from Marion, MA and we had an entertaining conversation with him about how a Yankee came to own a restaurant in the Deep South and earn the trust of the locals. He won Ken's vote by making something off the menu for his breakfast - fresh local shrimp folded into a cheesy omelet.  Although our bellies were happy, our simple drive home turned into an epic adventure.  Not long after we passed Orlando, the faithful van began giving us problems.  Assistance from a State Farm roadside safety driver and a stop at Jiffy Lube provided a quick fix that soon had us on our way, confident that we would make it back to Maryland.  That confidence shattered somewhere just south of Fayetteville, NC when the transmission failed altogether.  Fortunately, we were right near an exit and were able to coast off the freeway and into a hotel parking lot.  The AAA membership we took out just before we left was turning out to be a very good idea.  We were lucky that a Ford dealership was just a few miles up the road and that they would be able to make the necessary repairs.  Leaving the van in their competent hands, we continued north in a rental car so that we could complete the last few boat projects before relaunching it.  

Holy Confederacy, Batman!

Chris (owner) and Debbie at Steffan's

Halfway "home"

Happy Endings

If you've read other posts in this blog, you will know, by now, that when it comes to boats, there's always something going awry.  We returned to the boat rested and motivated to finish up the last couple of projects before putting her back in the water.  I epoxy'd and painted the rudders, and as I was touching up the paint along the hull, I noticed what appeared to be a white streak.  I wiped it with my hand and it turned out not to be a streak at all, but a CRACK IN THE HULL!  It was just forward of where the boat was blocked and I quickly ran to the other side where I saw an even bigger crack in the same place!  After conferring with the yard manager, we agreed that he would make the necessary repairs and that we all learned something new about blocking a Leopard 40' (though it's not the way I would have chosen to learn that lesson!).  As luck would have it, only the gelcoat was cracked and the repairs, with painting, set us back just a day or two.  The van repaired and running smoothly, the boat floating prettily at the dock, our friends on Makai right next door, it's finally feeling like summer vacation has begun!

Uh oh, that's not supposed to be there!

Painting the new rudders (note the beautiful blue hull!)

What Next?

Ken has signed up for two more years of wandering. For the rest of this summer, it looks like we'll be Chesapeake-bound. We're planning a few weeks parking the boat in Wash DC where we can explore the museums at our leisure. Baltimore is also high on our list. Once again, we're limited by insurance to stay north of Cape Hatteras until mid-Nov to avoid hurricane season. After that, we'll head for Florida and then hop back over to the Bahamas in December. Come join us!

Bahamas Daydreaming (Warderick Wells)