Back home

We are back home from a wonderful two month stay at our friends Mike & Chris Link's home in Parakeet Park, Lake Wales, Fl. They were off enjoying life on their sailboat in the Bahamas for the winter. Hey, it's a rough life but someone has to do it! Our first leg of our trip home took us to Raleigh, N.C. to visit with our son and granddaughter. We had a nice but short visit. The next leg was to Chesapeake, Va.for another short visit with Mark and his growing family. Mark is another son. Surprise, surprise we got to see our brand new great grandson born just twelve hours before we got there. We were hoping he would arrive while we were there. Mark turns the big 50 in a couple of weeks so we were able to wish him a happy "big 50"! We drove straight through from Chesapeake arriving home around 5:00 PM.

WOW! what a temperature change from Florida! We miss all of the people in Parakeet Park but it is nice to be home.

Our boat is scheduled to be launched May 23rd so that will keep us busy until then getting it ready. Can't wait!

Enjoying Florida in the winter

We are enjoying Florida's winter weather due to our dear friends Mike & Chris Link graciously offering to let us stay in their Lake Wales Florida home while they are wintering in the Bahamas on their yacht The Missing Link.The weather has been beautiful since we got here three weeks ago. We have had a couple of cool days but all in all the average temperature has been in the 80's. It's hard to believe the weather can be this nice just a day and a half drive from our home in Ohio.

Thanks again Mike & Chris

THE SEASON IS TOO SHORT

Here we are hauling out once again. It's hard to believe it's that time of year already. We hauled out Sept. 27, 2011. It was a beautiful day. The day before they had 2" of rain! We pulled into the well at 8:30 A.M. We were out of the water, the engine winterized, the mast was off and stored, the boat was put in the building where we covered her for her long winter's sleep. We finished putting everything away on our dock, covered the dock box. It's left on the dock for the winter to protect it from the sea gulls and we were on our way home by 10:30 A.M. It is nearly a 3 hour drive home!

Starting Oct. 3rd they will be operating both lifts pulling 15 boats a day 6 days a week up to nearly Thanksgiving. I will post a picture after all of the boats are out of the water and stored. It's unbelievable the number of boats there are.

At home on the dock

Her's what she looks like sitting at her home dock at Sandusky harbor. It's great to be staying on her once again.

Back in the water

We are once again back in the water. We launched Tues. May 17th. The weather did not cooperate. The worst launch day ever! The wind was out of the NE at 25+ knots. It was too windy to put the mast up so the marina will bring it back to the well on a better day to put it up. It's no big deal for them as both lifts are equipped with cranes for this purpose. The photo (from last year) is the boat in the well the usual way. I had them put it in backwards, bow facing the channel so I could pull straight out. I didn't want to get slammed by the wind and end up on the rocks backing out. I took the boat to the dock while Pat was there to catch me. It went surprisingly well. We dock on the starboard side. For you landlubbers that's the right side. Entering the slip the wind was on the nose with enough north wind to push me right up to the dock. Sometimes the wind does work to our advantage. It's good to be on the water once again. We're anxious to do some serious sailing. Now, where did I put those sails?

 

Our friend Mike from, "The Missing Link", called yesterday to rub it in that they were docked at New Smyrna Beach, Fl. city marina. I suspect he and his wife Chris were laid back enjoying the sun with a cold one! They enjoyed their first winter in the Bahamas. They both retired last year. They are truly "Living the Dream". They are working their way north to Annapolis, Md. where they will dock for the summer to return once again to the Bahamas and beyond next fall. Rough life Mike & Chris!!

Ready to launch

Eagle is finally ready to launch May 17th.. This is a 1984, 31 foot Hunter. She is a deep draft, 5 1/2 feet, fixed keel. I have finished changing the traditional color blue that Hunter used on all of their boats to Hunter green. It has taken me long enough! I must say it was a chore trying to get it all done due to all of the rain we have had in north west Ohio.We are anxious to get back into the water and do some fun sailing.

Rain, Rain, Rain

Easter has started out to be another rainy day in Ohio. It has rained constantly for several days now making it almost impossible to do the outside work needed to be done on our boat before we launch May 18th. We did get a break last Thursday and I was able to finish sanding the boot (waterline) stripe in preparation for paint.

Mike Link from "The Missing Link" asked me to make a protective box for his new 2000KW Honda generator. It's made from 1/2" Starboard. Mike had it shipped to me. I took advantage of the rainy weather to build it for him. There is no bottom. It simply drops over the generator to protect it. I will give it to him when we meet this summer or I'll ship it to Chris's mom's place in Fl.

We have been thinking seriously of having our boat shipped to Oriental, N.C. this fall. This would be a stepping stone to the south for the winter. Of course with the constant increase in fuel prices may make the cost of trucking out of the question. We'll see what the fall brings.

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL.