Archive for the Category »Boat Life «

New Favorite Sailing Song
Saturday, January 15th, 2011 /

Thanks to fellow cruising couple, Bright Eyes, we stumbled onto some incredible new tunes created by former young cruisers and musicians, Tennis. The pair set out on a eight-month sailing trip on the Eastern seaboard where they started writing songs together as “sort of a soundtrack” for their experiences.

This one is called ‘Marathon.’ (Where we are at this week, waiting for the next weather window to cross over to the Bahamas.) It’s about the first time they ever sailed at night, and as they describe, “it’s exactly like being in outer space, and it’s really scary. And when I was doing it I was like, the only reason why this is worth it is cause I can tell a really cool story afterward. So this is the story.”

What a backdrop for any grand adventure! I adore these breezy lyrics …

Coconut Grove
is a very small cove
Separated from the sea
by a shifting shoal
We didn’t realize that
We had arrived
At high tide, high tide
Barely made it out alive
Oh … Oohhoohuh

Red over white
Fishermen working at night
Not even once did we see a light
We didn’t realize
The forecast had been revised
By moonless skies and
Shifty wind that gusts and dies
Oh on the sand our keel is heaving
But tonight we’ve got to be leaving
Travel through the day and into the evening
Oh … Oohhoohuh

Marathon how long we’ve been gone
And still not yet set foot upon you

Your low lying shores open welcomingly
To one who’s spent the night at sea
Adrift in the shallows, a modest repose
Adorn with coral, your bright color shows
Ushered in through a bridge that is never closed.
Oh … Oohhoohuh

Bonus: iTunes is offering a free download of this single track as they launch the album this week :o).

N 24° 42.22 / W 81° 05.99

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Florida, Inspiration  Leave a Comment
The Butchers, The Bakers, & Key Lime Pie Stick Makers
Monday, January 10th, 2011 /

We spent yesterday afternoon and evening exploring the Keys with two long-time friends and fellow adventurers from Dallas, Erica & Sean Baker! Before they arrived, we were able to wave to the live webcam for Boot Key Harbor and to Christie’s parents who were on the computer receiving our virtual hello back in Texas.

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The Bakers & The Butchers at No Name Pub
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Looks like we found it
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Fish eye view into the entrance

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Our corner table consumed by dollars

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Christie & Erica adding their decorated Washingtons

Erica and Sean were generous enough to drive from their Fort Lauderdale home to pick us up for an awesome day of:

  • Checking out the must-experience and hidden gem, No Name Pub, off the main highway in Big Pine Key (about 25 miles east of Key West). The Bakers heard about their conch fritters and quirky character touted on the Travel Channel so we were off to find it. We were greeted with thousands of dollar bills hanging from 100% of the interior space, ceiling to floor and everything in between except the floor and tables. It is said that this tradition with the bills started back in the 70’s and 80’s when there was so much illegal money floating around in the Keys that they started hanging it on the walls! Of course, we had to leave ours as well. After a hearty lunch, while the fritters didn’t live up to their reputation, we completely understood why they were voted the best pizza in Florida last year. This rustic little place was an adventure and definitely worth the twists and turns to find it.
  • Driving to Key West to spend the rest of the day
  • Walking to our obligatory buoy photo opp at the claimed Southernmost Point in the continental US
  • After briefly attempting to catch one of the wild roosters that roam the streets of Key West, Christie escaped its retaliation by quickly retreating
  • Lounging, visiting and sipping tasty drinks at the Rum Bar of the Speak Easy Inn
  • Walking down Duval Street, taking in the vivacious sights and interesting people watching
  • Wrapping up the day with frozen Key Lime Pies on a stick, dipped in Belgian Chocolate from Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Pie Shoppe

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With full bellies and warm hearts after getting to catch up, we returned to our floating home in Marathon. Thanks again, Erica and Sean!

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Florida, Friends  One Comment
A Marathon Sail
Saturday, January 08th, 2011 /

We’ve been spending the start of our new year by moving further south. After leaving the Tampa area, we spent a few nights at anchor along the ICW as we motored down to Fort Myers. Then, we picked up a mooring ball for two nights in Fort Myers waiting out a strong storm front and rain that came through. While in town doing laundry, another cruiser asked where we were from, and to our reply she said with excitement “Oh, you’re the kids!” It seems our reputation proceeded us as our friends and fellow cruisers, the Sittons, mentioned we would be coming through the area soon. For a little context, at the start of our adventure a handful of other cruisers we had gotten to know (and our diesel mechanic) started affectionately referring to us as “the kids,” a name that stuck. We like it and it certainly suits us as we have so much to learn from their experience and advice.

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The main, full of wind, from Fort Myers to Marathon

On Friday morning we dropped the mooring ball in Fort Myers and topped off our water and fuel before heading out into the Gulf. The wind was blowing in the opposite direction of what was forecast (blowing SE, forecast to be NW) dashing our hopes of a smooth downwind sail to Marathon. Combined with seas from the west, meaning they were perpendicular to the boat, made for a very rolly ride. Though uncomfortable, we were making good progress so we moved on past our backup stop of Marco Island to keep heading toward the Keys. The wind continued on the nose until about 7 p.m. then started to clock around to the west enough to raise the main sail. That helped speed but just after dinner we heard the dreaded “thunk” of a crab trap hitting the prop. Thankfully it didn’t get wrapped up in the shaft (which would have necessitated a dive trip into the water to cut it loose). With the darkness, it was impossible to see and avoid the crab traps so we decided to shut down the motor and raise the remaining sail. The wind filled from the west and much to our delight, Kaleo was gliding along at 6.5 knots under full sail (and only full sail). The peaceful quiet of water lapping past the hull and the whisper of wind through the rigging reminded us why we love sailing. It’s a beautiful feeling to be moving along in your house, powered completely by mother nature. About midnight, the sailing was still great but our speed would put us into the Moser Channel before light (a big no-no as you never want to enter a new channel in the dark). So we dropped the jib and sailed under just the main at about 3 knots to ensure a daylight arrival. With sunrise came wind on the nose, the motor came back on and we weaved our way under the Seven Mile Bridge and into the Atlantic Ocean.

About an hour later, Kaleo was securely anchored in Boot Key Harbor with gorgeous 70° weather under sunny skies. We promptly changed into swimsuits and fell asleep lounging in the sun on the foredeck. A few hours later we took the dingy in to check out the marina and take showers. The city marina, though utilitarian, fosters a great community of sailors and liveaboards. When checking into the marina we even received a welcome bag from the local cruisers’ net. Think of a “net” as an interactive morning radio show for every boater in the area who has a VHF radio and wants to join. We’re looking forward to listening in tomorrow. Coming back to Kaleo after dark, we were awe struck by just how many boats are in the harbor. There are rows and rows and ROWS of anchor lights lit up like a city on the water and our best guess is that we’re neighboring at least 300 other boats.

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Dusk at Boot Key Harbor

Tomorrow, our friends, Erica and Sean, are driving in from Fort Lauderdale to have lunch nearby and Monday we plan to do a few last minute errands. Then, it’s time to get serious about our crossing to the Bahamas. We’ll have our eye on the next weather window with plans to stage in Angelfish Creek (or somewhere nearby) for the crossing.

N 24° 42.16 / W 81° 06.23

Category: anchoring, Boat Life, Cruising, Florida, Friends, Passage, Sailing  3 Comments
Looking Forward While Celebrating 2010
Tuesday, January 04th, 2011 /

As we look forward to what 2011 has in store for us, we reflected on our blessed-beyond-belief 2010. This has been a year of big changes, new beginnings and celebrations galore.

Looking forward to a walk like this soon

The first part of our year was filled with starting more projects than we finished on Kaleo, learning as much as we could aboard, as well as through Seven Seas University courses, and spending a few freezing weekends planning for warmer weather projects.

Spring brought warmer weather, some great sailing in Galveston Bay, the wedding of our dear friends, Amy & Jeph, and Christie’s parents’ 35th wedding anniversary in April.

May was a landmark month as we became officially debt free, gaining financial freedom. We also moved from our 1,400 square foot townhome to a 650 square foot studio apartment to better prepare for our life aboard Kaleo. And, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary at The Joule, were we stayed on our wedding night. Of course, we spent a few weekends completing some boat projects along the way.

With the Texas summer heat came lots of family and friends visiting the boat, marina BBQ’s, and more boat projects. And in June, the “Cyclin’ Sailors” geared up for our 4th annual Urban Assault Race in Austin!

The Fourth of July was shared with the Wilborns by sailing and watching incredible fireworks shows while anchored out in the bay. Then, we jetted to Coeur D’ Alene, ID to celebrate the newest Butchers, as Matt’s brother Jeff married his bride, Meloney. We topped off the trip to the Northwest with an incredible experience of sleeping 50′ off the ground in the boughs of a giant, old Washington Red Cedar Tree at Cedar Creek Treehouse and touring Mt. Rainier National Park. Of course, we spent a few weekends completing some boat projects along the way.

While the summer heat continued to bake us, we enjoyed a shakedown cruise to Galveston with the Kryzaks and a sailing weekend with The Powers. Of course, we spent a few weekends completing some boat projects along the way.

The fall brought a trip to Minneapolis to celebrate Grandma Butcher’s 90th birthday, visit with family and to Trader Joe’s to stock up on our favorite snacks. The realization that we were now within one month of tossing the docklines helped us get a lot of boat projects wrapped up almost every weekend.

October was a big month as Matt took his leave of absence from work, Christie resigned from her job, we moved out of our land home and aboard Kaleo full-time, sold a car and put another one in storage along with our belongings. We soaked up treasured time with loved ones and were given three outstanding Bon Voyage parties. We also got to celebrate the marriage of Ben and Carly (Matt’s cousin) and spent time with family in San Diego. Of course, we managed another trip to Trader Joe’s for more provisions.

November 8th marked the beginning of our cruising life. Before leaving the dock, we met up with some cruising mentors, The Sittons, and celebrated Christie’s birthday with family and a dear friend, Crystal, aboard. The month was filled with a host of new experiences – from adjusting to life aboard to overcoming unknown challenges and navigating new waters to connecting with new friends along the way. We topped it off with a roadtrip from Mississippi to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with family.

The year wrapped up by crossing the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and into Florida. It was on those passages that we learned to love the open ocean, more fully appreciate warm days and spent time digging our toes into our first white sandy beach. Christmas with shared with family and friends in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida and we were back home aboard Kaleo on New Year’s Eve.

We welcomed the new decade with the most unusual of celebrations for us at this time of year. The clock struck midnight as we pushed two carts down the isles of a 24-hour Walmart. We laughed and shared a little “Happy New Year” smooch in the canned goods aisle and continued provisioning in preparation for the Bahamas and beyond. Yes, really. Oh, the cruising life ;o).

Thank you for joining us as virtual crew along this adventure. It means a lot to us. We wish you peace, blessings and togetherness in your new year!

We’re ready for 2011 and believe the best is yet to come. God has even more amazing things He wants to do in and through our lives so we’re straining to what is ahead. (Philippians 3:13-14)

Category: Alabama, Boat Life, Coeur d' Alene, Cruising, Education, Family, Finance, Florida, Friends, Galveston Bay, Inspiration, Louisiana, Mississippi, Passage, Provisioning, Refit, Resources, Sailing, Seattle  2 Comments
Finding Our Pace in the New Year
Tuesday, January 04th, 2011 /

Happy New Year! We wrapped up the decade by spending the past couple weeks with family and friends in Dallas, Houston, Crowley, LA and Clermont, FL. It was a whirlwind of visits to their beautiful and warm Christmas-adorned homes, our favorite restaurants, pampering appointments that helped transform us from salty sailors to our recognizable selves, and provisioning trips at every type of store from Target and Whole Foods to West Marine and Elliott’s Hardware. All those business trips paid off in miles for the ideal, direct flights that allowed us to be close to loved ones and bring the maximum amount of gear back with us (both in number of boxes and weight!).

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There’s no missing our airport pick-up. Thanks Maurice!

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Playing Cornhole Toss with the Breens and a few new friends

Returning to the boat and getting back into cruising mode punctuated just how different the pace of life is out here versus on land. While cruising, we typically do one or two things a day that take all day. Transiting from one place to another may take all day, if not longer. Sometimes we add in grocery shopping or laundry if we’re docked, but not often both in the same day. And exploring a new place will certainly take a full day on its own. While on land, we seem to do over forty things a day, everyday. Staying up as late as it takes to get it all in.

After just two months of cruising, we were surprised by how much we were affected by this intense pace that in our former land life, we could have run circles around.

Yesterday is when it all caught up with us. After getting several months worth of provisions organized and stowed away, we drafted an aggressive transit plan from our Christmas dockage to the Florida Keys with the goal of catching up with our cruising friends and making the crossing to the Bahamas by week’s end. While we felt a little worn out, we were motivated to get going so we set out for the Gulf.

After a late start waiting on bridges (Florida has strict bridge opening schedules) and two groundings, our ambition was trumped by exhaustion. While it was absolutely worth traveling back to the “real world” for Christmas, the pace had gotten the best of us so we made the prudent decision to anchor nearby in Sarasota and get some rest. We’ve dusted ourselves off and are now en route south to Fort Myers.

As we’ve learned over the past couple months, plans are always subject to change so we’ll continue on our course to the Bahamas as weather and our cruising pace permit.

N 27° 07.16 / W 82° 28.06

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Family, Florida, Friends, Provisioning  3 Comments
It Is A Wonderful Life
Sunday, December 19th, 2010 /

We took it easy yesterday as another cold front was forecast to blow through the Clearwater Beach area. After sleeping in until the sedating sounds of rain waned, we decided to move anchorages for better protection from the north wind that was on its way.

We reset the hook, cleaned up a bit, and by about 3 o’clock noticed that the gray clouds of the day had made way for a little sunshine and clear skies for the evening. Given the better weather, we jumped in the dinghy and were off to see if the outdoor movie, scheduled for the night, was still a go. Yes! The screen was up right along the beach at Pier 60 for Sunset Cinema and the night’s showing was “It’s A Wonderful Life”. I love, love, love this movie because it shows that God makes what seems ordinary and insignificant in our lives into something extraordinary and significant when we are living our lives for Him. We made a date night of the moonlit movie by picking up a pizza from a local cafe and snuggled up for the show under the stars.

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Sunset Cinema at Clearwater Beach

Just as it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas, we returned to the restaurant where our dinghy was tied, only to find the entrance securely locked for the night. Much earlier than they had told us they’d be closing. Our dinghy was within sight, yet we were separated by about 30 feet of cold, dark water. Matt thought about making a quick swim for it. For about two seconds. The next logical option was to call marina security for a little help. The call yielded neither an unlocked restaurant nor a boat to give us a lift. Looked like we were on our own. So, up to the roof Matt went. His ninja skills paid off as he scaled the building, crawled along the steep peaks of the roof and dropped down to the deck where he could rescue our dinghy. Whew, freezing late night swim avoided and a great laugh was had while break-in arrests were averted.

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Ninja captain retrieving our dinghy

We returned to our floating home safely and tucked in for a solid night’s rest. This morning, we pulled up the anchor in Clearwater and headed back into the Gulf to sail a few hours south to Tampa. Remember when you used to ride your bike as fast as you could up those really steep homemade ramps and crash down only to get up and do them again? Welcome aboard Kaleo’s wild ride today. The first hour or so was pretty rolly and once we turned due south, the north wind propelled us along at about 7 to 8 knots! A few hours later, we negotiated a tricky and rough pass into the ICW, once again proving to us that open ocean sailing seems to have far fewer obstacles to navigate.

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Running downwind to Tampa, FL

We’re now docked for awhile as we’re catching a flight to Texas tomorrow to spend Christmas with family and friends. We hope you enjoy a blessed one with those you love.

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Florida, Sailing  Tags: , , ,  2 Comments
Opa! We’re At The Beach
Friday, December 17th, 2010 /

Clearwater Beach, FL has given us our first full day of powdery, white, sugar sand and endless sunshine at the beach!

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After the past two long offshore passages, we were particularly grateful for such a perfect day to stretch our sea legs and be part of the action on land.  Kaleo spent the day quietly anchored while we explored and soaked in almost every inch of Clearwater Beach as well as the neighboring towns of Dunedin and Tarpon Springs.

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Kaleo resting at anchor

“Bubble and Squeak” (our dinghy and motor) quickly propelled us from our anchored floating home to the city docks within a short walk to try out the highly recommended, original Frenchy’s Cafe for lunch. Patio dining in t-shirts were topped with Prince Edward Island steamed mussels, fries and sangria for me, Baja Grouper tacos, coleslaw and Rolling Rock for Matt. What a way to start the day!

Within a block, we were digging our toes into the fluffiest, sugar sand we’ve ever felt! Yet. For the next few hours we played and lounged, taking in the serene sights and gentle sounds of a relatively secluded beach on a Friday before Christmas. We can’t think of a better way to have beat the holiday chaos.

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Jolley Trolleying

Next up, we hopped aboard the Jolley Trolley and were whisked about town, stopping off to experience the street fair on Pier 60 and were convinced that we should check out Tarpon Springs for an authentic Greek dinner that night. Authentic Greek in Florida? While we were a little suspect of such authenticity, we were up for an extended Christmas lights tour aboard the trolley so we went for it. And so glad we did! We stepped off the Jolley Trolley in Tarpon Springs and into a genuine Greek community, ambushed by aromas of Souvlaki and Baklava just waiting for us.  Considered the sponge capital of the world, the Sponge Docks of Tarpon Springs brought Greek Spongers in 1905 and is still a working port with sponge and fishing boats, shops and incredible Greek dining. We’re sure glad they came! We wandered about for awhile taking in some of the history and ventured down a side street where the inviting windows of Costa’s Restaurant called us in. There we enjoyed our fill of hummus, pita, Greek salads, Spanakopita, Souvlaki, and of course, more sangria.

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The Tarpon Springs Sponge Boat

Were we done? Of course not. You can’t fully appreciate Greek cuisine without diving into their rich, buttery pastries so we walked back down the main street to the must-stop of Hella’s Bakery where we sipped cappuccinos and split a Saragli (walnuts rolled in filo and dipped in honey). Ahhh, we have truly lived today!

With rain in tomorrow’s forecast, we plan to stay on the hook, order some parts to be shipped before Christmas, go for a run and if the weather clears, check out the outdoor movie at the beach near Pier 60.

N 27° 58.59 / W 82° 49.29
Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Florida  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment
Ahoy Pirate’s Cove
Thursday, December 09th, 2010 /

We slept in a bit today knowing that we had just a short hop to cross into Florida and stage for a longer Gulf sail tomorrow.

Talk about hospitality! We discovered a freshly delivered USA Today at our companionway doorstep. Thank you Marina at the Wharf! After breakfast and catching up on all the daily headlines, we fueled up and headed back into the ICW toward “The Sunshine State.” Before we dared to cross the state line, there was a must-stop in Josephine, AL. Pirate’s Cove! Legendary hamburgers, white sandy beach, clear waters, and a mandate to stop by almost everyone we’ve met who knows these waters. It was just as they had described and the only way it could have been better is if they were docked there with us.

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Kaleo waiting while we enjoyed lunch

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One of the dogs took this photo while our burgers were on the grill

After our fill of burgers and wings, we motored over the Florida state line and into Big Lagoon where we tied up at Lost Key Marina & Yacht Club in Pensacola, FL. (For any cruisers out there, this is a hidden gem, not in the guide books, at $15/nt with power, water, and spacious, well-kept shower facilities.)

It’s off to get some rest now as we prepare for our longest run yet out in the Gulf. We’re planning to shoot out of Pensacola Pass tomorrow morning and sail for about 24 hours straight to Port St. Joe, FL. Yes, mom and dad, we’ll be taking turns between sleeping and sailing so no over-caffeinating will be necessary ;o).

N 30° 19.5 / W 87° 21.3

Category: Alabama, Boat Life, Cruising, Florida  Tags: , , ,  2 Comments
Ice Cream Monday
Monday, December 06th, 2010 /

Today was all sunshine, yet a brisk 34° as we spent most of the day keeping warm with a mega migas breakfast, laying down a couple coats of varnish to the coaming tops, some housecleaning (how does a boat get so dusty in just a day or two!?), and looking forward to plans with our new friend and fellow sailor, Dick.

We really enjoyed and appreciated him taking the time to point out some anchoring and route alternatives for the next leg of our journey, being treated to shrimp po-boys at Bozo’s and walking up to get ice-cream cones at Edd’s Drive-In. After treats at Edd’s, we were introduced to some favorite, local ham while picking up a few groceries (Matt’s looking forward to lunch tomorrow!). Throughout the evening, we learned more about the history of Pascagoula and enjoyed hearing stories of him growing up in the area. It really does make such a meaningful difference to connect with new friends in places that could have been just another pin in the map along our route. Thanks again, Dick!

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Walking up for ice cream at Edd’s

Tomorrow we plan to get the boat prepared as we’re hoping to untie from the dock early Wednesday morning. Though it will still be quite cold, it’s forecasted to have lighter winds making for better conditions to cross Mobile Bay.

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Dick and Matt going over charts for the Mobile Bay crossing

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Friends, Mississippi  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
Warm Spirits in Cold Winds
Sunday, December 05th, 2010 /

Kaleo is tied to a marina dock in Moss Point, MS (near Pascagoula) with the cold North wind blustering about outside. Despite needing to wait out the weather once again, the engine seems to be up and running and we’re ready to keep sailing toward warmer waters as soon as the cold front passes.

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Aboard s/v Blue Dolphin (Thanks for this & many more great photos, Dick)

Yesterday, after an early morning start on finishing up the sea water pump repair and changing the oil one more time (our 7th oil change in a month!), the engine roared to life and ran smoothly for about an hour under load (meaning the engine was running in gear but we were tied to the dock to keep us from moving), satisfying Matt’s repair test.

Weather and engine issues are driving us into marinas with slip fees slowly chewing into our cruising spending plan more than we’d like. Other cruisers reassured us that they too were forced to use marinas more in the gulf of Mexico because there is so much open water to transit (i.e. fewer protected winter anchorages).

In the afternoon, we met some fellow sailors on the dock and asked them about other possible places we might tie up or anchor in the area. After a quick discussion, one of them offered to drive us to a channel that would offer great protection from the coming winds. Dick, not only drove us there and helped us figure out the best way to tie up but also was kind enough to give a tour of the town. He also took us to his marina, showed us his unique and beautiful french-designed sailboat and many of the photos he has taken of his sailing and cruising experiences in the areas we are heading toward, giving us so much to look forward to.

We returned to the boat for a warming lunch and saw how the decorations for the evening’s Christmas by the River boat parade were coming along aboard s/v Blue Dolphin, owned by one of Dick’s friends. Matt triple checked his engine repair and started cleaning up the boat, when Dick stopped by to pass along an invite to join the crew for the parade. To which we quickly said YES, thank you.

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The Christmas Crew aboard s/v Blue Dolphin

An hour later we were cruising the river with a stampede of boats each lit up like the Griswold’s house. We spent a little time getting to know everyone on board while waiting for the parade to start and in our matching blue shirts, began practicing “the routine” in prep for passing the judging booth. After wishing the Merriest of Christmas’ to the crowd and judges, we tied up at the city dock in perfect timing for the spectacular fireworks show exploding from the sky less than 100 yards away. Though Blue Dolphin didn’t win first place, she was the best looking boat on the water and her crew were a delight to spend the evening with.

With temperatures forecast in the low 30’s tonight, we’re going to stay tied up at the marina to take advantage of all the amenities (complimentary laundry, shore power to run our on board heater and probably pizza delivery ;o). We are coming to peace with the cost and enjoying the places that we’re getting to visit along the way.

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Engine, Mississippi  Tags: , , ,  One Comment
Family Fun & Exploring Ocean Springs
Wednesday, December 01st, 2010 /

The past week has been FILLED with everything from giving thanks with family and feasting on all our favorite holiday dishes to exploring and enjoying almost every nook and corner of Ocean Springs, MS.

Here are some highlights:

  • Made a rental car road trip back to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with family

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Louisiana marsh from the road

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Thanksgiving dinner at Nana’s

  • Decided to spend a few extra days there to help Christie’s mom and Nana put up Christmas decorations, run some errands, and just relax with loved ones

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Mom and I putting out the Christmas lights

  • With our rental loaded down with fresh foods, Thanksgiving leftovers! and other provisions, we returned to Ocean Springs with a cold front right on our tail
  • While waiting for the weather to pass, our marina neighbor, and new friend Gene, was generous enough to play tour guide and took us exploring all over Ocean Springs, Biloxi, and D’Iberville
  • We were introduced to the BEST shrimp and crab po-boys along the Gulf Coast at Ole Biloxi Schooner (a local fav and now ours!)
  • Picked up Gene’s favorite baguettes at Le Bakery (with the air smelling so amazing that you could taste the french bread and pastries)
  • Took a tour of Back Bay and learned all about the damage and reconstruction since Hurricane Katrina
  • Received three Mississippi seafood recipe books as an early Christmas present from Gene (thanks!)
  • Stopped by the Walter Anderson Museum of Art (fascinating character, incredible depictions of nature)
  • Had Gene over for dinner and reviewed the next leg of our route through Florida on the charts he’s lending us (thanks for all the advice and tips!)

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We love this beach

  • Meandered all over town, stopping along the way to enjoy a good old fashioned buttered pecan milkshake at Lovelace Drugstore on Washington Street (Ocean Spring’s “Main Street”), picked up pecans that had fallen from neighborhood trees (we must have at least 3 lbs onboard), and played at the beach.
  • Discovered that the first restaurant we dined at in the marina, Harbor Landing, had closed. We heard they were selling to the city for office space but we are hoping someone reopens it for others to enjoy. It was a gem along our route.

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Some pretty tasty milkshakes and malts are made here

Ultimately, we learned that connecting with friendly folks like Gene are what makes the difference between just being tourists in a new place and truly becoming part of the community for a little while. We have so enjoyed this charming town and are grateful to have spent some extended time here. Tomorrow, we untie from our slip and get back underway toward our next anchorage at Daulphin Island, AL.

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Family, Friends, Mississippi  Tags: , , , ,  2 Comments
Adoring Ocean Springs, MS
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010 /

We’re spending a few days in Ocean Springs to get ahead on a couple boat projects, wait out some weather blowing through, and to take a roadtrip back to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with our family. While here, we’ve had the chance to explore the town and absolutely love its character and charm in the quaint small town atmosphere, white sandy beaches and genuinely gracious and kind neighbors.

In between traversing about town, we’ve:

  • Replaced a few port (window) screens and seals
  • Polished all the crazed ports (scuffed and oxidized windows that needed some love to become clear again)
  • Started revarnishing the coaming tops
  • Got a personal visit from our diesel mechanic, who happened to be passing through town, to inspect the engine and put our minds at ease (completely a God thing!)
  • Did a little maintenance on the head plumbing (completely a Matt thing!)
  • Took advantage of our beautiful surroundings to get in some evening jogs and walks
  • Spent some time with a fascinating group of a few gentlemen who gather each evening on the harbor docks to talk about all things boating. They have a wealth of knowledge to share and we appreciated them making us feel at home in their group and for keeping an eye on Kaleo while we’re away.
  • Been the recipients of a ton of blessings by people willing to go out of their way to help and encourage us along our journey.

N 30° 24.15 / W 88° 49.45

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Mississippi  Tags: , ,  2 Comments
Navigating New Orleans
Thursday, November 18th, 2010 /

The day started early as we untied from our dock in Lafitte and made our way back through the Barataria Waterway to rejoin the ICW on our way to New Orleans. We were met with a morning storm passing in the distance along a spectacular sunrise.

As we neared the Port of New Orleans, we could hear and feel a consistent thundering overhead that soon revealed themselves as circling fighter jets. Must have been some training exercise or important activity in the area because we also saw gunships (heavily armed helicopters).

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Passing storm and rising sun along the Barataria Waterway

Before getting into the Mississippi River and the city of New Orleans, a series of nautical obstacles must be overcome to be granted access.

First up, the Harvey Lock.

Last night we had thoroughly read up on all the steps and protocol and were feeling confident as we approached. While we were hoping to be the only vessel in the lock (or at least one of a couple), we found ourselves being instructed to jam in alongside a barge and three tugs, on our port side. Our port side?! We were prepared to tie up on our starboard side as all the guidebooks instructed.

After hurriedly switching the bumpers to the other side, Matt slowly maneuvered Kaleo inside the lock and close to the wall where we attached a line to a built-in cleat. After specific instructions to watch for prop wash from the tugs (which could push Kaleo quickly into the wall), we were given our exit order and before we knew it, the water had risen the two feet needed to meet with the river.

The doors on the other end of the locks opened and there it was, the mighty Mississippi River!

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Inside the Harvey Lock

Once exiting the Harvey Lock, we had the sight of New Orleans’ skyline in our view. We’ve gone under many bridges so far, but going under the Crescent City Connection was impressive with a clearance of 170 feet.

We passed under the bridge and cruised alongside The Riverwalk, downtown New Orleans, Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, the river boats along the bank, and the French Quarter.

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Approaching the Crescent City Connection

Soon we were at the entrance to the Industrial Lock.

We tried hailing the lockmaster several times with no response as we inched closer to the lock entrance. When we heard a number of other tugs hailing the lock without reply from the lockmaster, we knew we were going nowhere fast.

After a few phone calls and two hours later, radio chatter with the lockmaster in attendance commenced. Hearing barge after barge check in, with the latest being at position 19, we were finally answered and granted a position for entering the locks. Luckily, it was position number three and after waiting for one barge to lock across to our side, we entered the Industrial Lock along with one other tug (much roomier than the Harvey Lock).

A couple lines were tossed down from a lock attendant and we secured one to the bow, one to the stern as we snuggled up to the port-side wall. It was then that we learned that the past two hours of radio silence had been caused by an impromptu union meeting of the operators.

The water in the locks dropped a foot and a half around us, the other side of the doors slowly opened and we were on our way. To a bit of anxiety as we could see a lift bridge (not lifted) less than 100 feet away. Again, the bridge operator was MIA as we requested an opening. Finally, after idling to lessen our distance her voice crackled through the VHF to ask where we were and when we needed it opened. Here and now.

This is really starting to feel like an unforgiving game of frogger out here.

Next up, the Florida Avenue Railroad Lift Bridge. Because of our delay at the previous bridge, this bridge operator let us know we had better get up here as he was lowering this bridge because a train had been waiting to cross for the past five hours. We throttled up to max speed to get through as quickly as possible. Just as we crossed under, the bridge started lowering and moments later we heard the operator announce that it had gotten stuck at 34 feet (pretty much in the middle). We were pretty grateful to have not been stuck between those past two lift bridges for the entire afternoon.

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Inside the Industrial Lock

Because we have both already spent time in New Orleans, we had hoped to just pass through to an anchorage further down the ICW for the night. With the delays of the morning, exhaustion from the obstacles, and not enough daylight to reach the anchorage, we decided to stay at a marina close-by at SeaBrook Harbor Marine.

After tying up, we spend the rest of the evening stretching our legs with a great walk around the area, washing down and organizing the boat, checking in on finances via Mvelopes, making dinner and some pretty heavenly pumpkin spice bread with Cranraisins and walnuts.

Tomorrow, it’s off to Rabbit Island with plans to get to Biloxi, MS by Monday or Tuesday for a roadtrip to spend Thanksgiving with family!

N 30° 01.47/ W 90° 01.93

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Louisiana, Resources  Tags: , , ,  2 Comments
Morgan City and Houma, LA
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010 /

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Hanging out in Morgan City for the day

We took advantage of the rainy day today by catching up on a little rest, finishing some engine work and ran (walked) errands while docked in Morgan City. Here’s how we spent it:

  • Slept in till 8:00 a.m.!
  • Made a mega Migas breakfast
  • Visited with our new friend, Hank the shrimper (incredibly nice guy who went out of his way to help us)
  • Took a sloshy tour around Morgan City to hunt down some Wi-Fi, starting at the library but was a no-go with stationary computers that were too slow and no Wi-Fi. A local library goer turned Morgan City tour guide offered to walk us about two miles to the nearest McDonald’s to try theirs. After meandering the miles in the rain, James, though his friends call him Jimmy, was ready to camp it out with us at Micky D’s (and aboard Kaleo had we let him) so we bought our new friend, Jimmy, a soda and tried to get going on catching up on all things digital. Wha wahhhhh. Faulty internet at Ronald’s house. We gave in and pulled out our Hilton Honors card and walked next door to relax in the less greasy aromas of the Hampton Inn lobby to quietly tap into Wi-Fi (all that work travel is starting to pay off).
  • Worked out the kinks in our onboard internet service and are back up and running. Whew!
  • Got a call from our former marina neighbor, Steve, who happened to be passing through Morgan City for work. He stopped by the boat to visit, sign the guest book and let us know about a little treasure of a Cuban restaurant just a few blocks away. We planned to go there for dinner but the restaurant didn’t answer their phone to confirm they were open and it was dropping buckets at dinner time. We opted to stay dry and made dinner at home while watching a LifeChurch.tv service.
  • Received a call from the mechanic we had been working with remotely at about 8 p.m. (surprising as it was after work hours). He was responding to a message left earlier in the day about working the kinks out of our oil pressure issue. Matt stayed up a few hours completing his suggestion, talking with one of his dad’s friends and ended up with a list for the parts store in the morning.

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A visit from our former marina neighbor, Steve of s/v Ebb Tide

Tuesday morning came, still cold but without the rain, and Matt began his trek to the parts store. The only one within walking distance didn’t have what he needed and after talking with Hank, it was decided that his wife would drive Matt to the store across town. A short while later Matt was back with the parts, the engine was put back together and the high oil pressure we experienced coming into Morgan City was resolved. Whoo hoooo!

We were back on course to our next destination of Houma (pronounced Home-uh), Louisiana. It turned out to be a gorgeous day with 10-15 knots of wind from a direction our sails could use. We rolled out the jib sail and clocked 6.5 – 7 knots for most of the day. Morgan City to Houma is the most scenic section on the Louisiana GIWW. Majestic cypress trees line the banks, their knee-like roots protruding from the water surface to breathe, and the Spanish moss romantically hangs from tree branches.

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Cypress trees dripping with Spanish moss along Wallace Bayou, east of Morgan City, LA

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Enjoying the gorgeous day. In my flippie-floppies.

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Matt assembling our new shower bench that he and his dad made

We arrived to a wonderfully quaint dock just off the ICW in Houma, tied up and walked to the laundromat (sailors have to wash clothes too).

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Docked at the Houma Downtown Marina

After laundry was put away, we set out for a date night on the town. Some local joggers led us to discover Café Milano in historic downtown Houma. To say the least, we had a FEAST. (Started with lobster & shrimp bisque and jumbo lump crabmeat in a creamy herb dressing atop fresh avocado garnished with cherry tomatoes and sherry balsamic reduction. Next up were Stuffed Filet, Filet filled with shrimp & crabmeat mornay stuffing, topped with sautéed mushrooms, served with oven-roasted potatoes & sautéed vegetables. Matt had the Pork Chop Belanger – All natural pan-seared Bone-in Pork Loin Chops finished with blackberry demiglace served with a pork confit and sweet potato mousse (BEST EVER), accompanied by sautéed vegetables. Ah, and the bottle of Ausi Pinot Noir and Chocolate Terrine, Frozen chocolate mousse glazed with chocolate ganache, with raspberry, chocolate, white chocolate and passion fruit sauces for dessert). Wow! We might have gone a little overboard (pun intended).

Part of this adventure for us is about new experiences. And at the dinner table, we each committed to a specific promise that would expand our perspectives. We’ve coined them, “Café Milano’s promises” and are holding each other to them as we continue forward. We’ll reveal them as they’re kept. As you can see, we had plenty of time to pontificate through the dinner courses.

We enjoyed (and needed) the brisk walk back to our floating home, took showers (loving the hot water heater!) and fell asleep with a full and restful day behind us. It’s back on the waterway tomorrow to Lake Salvador for the night and then on to New Orleans and beyond.

N 29° 34.88/ W 90° 43.03

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Inspiration, LifeChurch.tv, Louisiana, Sailing  Tags: , , , , ,  3 Comments
Week 1 Wrap-Up
Sunday, November 14th, 2010 /
It’s been an eventful first week of cruising. As we start to adapt to this new lifestyle, here are some highlights from the past 7 days.
  • 235 miles traveled
  • 3.5 nights spent on the hook (anchored)
  • 3.5 nights docked (the .5’s represent our first night where we were half anchored, half tied to a dock at Stingaree’s)
  • 6 fixed bridges and 1 lift bridge passed under and 2 pontoon bridges passed across
  • 2 locks crossed
  • An insane amount of mosquitos killed during their ambush at our marshy anchorage in Taylor’s Bayou (buggy!)
  • 4 times stuck in the soft mud of the ICW
  • 2 times towed off of the soft mud of the ICW
  • 1 gator crossing
  • 2 engine issues (jammed oil pressure relief valve, broken pre-heat solenoid ground)
  • Enough notes and voices of encouragement to keep our spirits up as challenges were overcome
  • 7 spectacular sunsets
  • 7 days we’re grateful for this dream coming to life

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Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Inspiration  Tags: , ,  2 Comments
Introducing “Bubble and Squeak”
Friday, November 05th, 2010 /

The dinghy is to a cruising boat what a car is to a house. It’s how we get to and from shore, carry groceries to the boat and see the sights in a new area. Last week Matt took our (now former) dinghy for a test spin and are. we. glad he did! Within seconds from motoring away from Kaleo, the dinghy started taking on water and the faster he motored back, the faster the this little dinghy was filling like a kiddie pool. Needless to say, we decided to go a more trustworthy route by investing in a new, shiny dinghy that we could rely on going forward. Part of the fun of a new dinghy is naming it, and within a week we stumbled on the right combination for both our dingy and outboard motor. Here’s a little backstory on how they came to be …

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Last Saturday morning, our marina neighbors, Steve and Christina, had us aboard s/v EbbTide for a “FULL English breakfast” with bacon, eggs, mushrooms, sausage, bubble & squeak, tea and toast. A feast of a breakfast and great company punctuated by a beautiful sunny morning! It’s at this breakfast that we learned about Bubble and Squeak, a traditional English dish of potatoes and cabbage.

The next morning we got the day started briskly with dinghy races to breakfast at Seabrook Classic Cafe (thanks for the reco, Stuart!) and a Sunday “drive” through the marina neighborhoods. It was there, in a canal as our motor bubbled along and our new dinghy made squeaky clean sounds, that it dawned on us. Our dinghy and outboard motor are now known as “Bubble and Squeak” with gratitude to our marina mate, Steve!

Category: Boat Life, Dinghy, Friends  Tags: , ,  7 Comments
A King-Sized Thanks
Friday, October 29th, 2010 /

Thanks to our friend and sewing superwoman, Paula J, nights aboard Kaleo are even more comfortable. Paula was gracious enough to sew us two sets of custom v-berth (our bed at the bow of the boat) sheets. Since v-shaped bed sheets aren’t readily available at everyday retailers and canvas shops wanted more than $300 per set, it seemed that we would be stuck tucking and folding to get regular sheets to fit. Paula, having lived on a sailboat in the tropics, happened to ask if we had tailored sheets and upon hearing we didn’t, offered to sew some for us!

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Paula cutting our sheet to the v-berth template

We also owe our appreciation to Paula’s daughter, Taylor. Upon hearing that we needed an unknown center-line measurement, she applied the Pythagorean theorem, that she’d learned in her math class recently, to determine the needed dimension. With some new sets of sheets and the proper dimensions, Paula went to work and turned regular king sheets into Kaleo sheets. A million thanks again. We l-o-v-e them!

Category: Boat Life, Friends  Tags: ,  4 Comments
Moving Along
Thursday, October 28th, 2010 /

Although the blog has been quiet lately, our lives haven’t been! We’ve officially finished at our jobs, sold Christie’s car, packed up our belongings and most importantly, soaked up some treasured time with our nearest and dearest friends before moving out of Dallas. The migration to Kemah was eventful, as Dallas wouldn’t let us go easily. After a flat tire on the moving trailer and our tarps disintegrating with rain to dodge, we made it in around 2:30 in the morning. The trailer looked like it belonged to Gypsies but it ended up fitting quite perfectly in our little storage unit.

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We’ve spent the last week and a half working tirelessly on boat projects, and while an official cast off date hasn’t been set we are getting closer. Fortunately, Kaleo is close to Christie’s parents’ home so we’re enjoying spending time with them and the rest of the family as we make final preparations. We’ll keep everyone updated as timelines firm up.

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