December in Marathon - What FUN!

The time has simply flown since our arrival at our Winter Home at the Marathon Yacht Club on Saturday after Thanksgiving. The day we arrived, the "elves" had begun decorating the Club and the fun began in earnest! With the rest of the eastern half of the country freezing, we didn't escape all the cold weather, but here it means you need a sweatershirt!

Last Friday night was the highlight of the year for the Club with the Lighting of the Fleet -- Club was packed and the weather was perfect! We gathered at 5:30p for the Lowering of the Colors with Bridge in their whites; the cannon firng and the music & message in the respect for our American Flag and all we hold dear for our freedom was the great launch for the weekend.

Then at 6:15p, the cannon fired again -- and all the vessels in the marina lit their Christmas lights simultaneously! It was really magical with all lights twinkling against the water and the beautiful sky. Everyone walked the docks with a cocktail in hand and admired the handiwork -- many were very creative.

Ivory Lady

Overall Winner

Greg - Nova - Winner over 40'

We're keeping to our commitment to work out at the local gym -- good thing, as between the parties, the Christmas brunch and the Christmas party this coming Friday, we need some balance! On Saturday 12/18, Bill & I hop an airplane in Key West to travel to the cabin for Christmas. Our dear friend, Bill Wanless, and perhaps our dear nephew, Jim Davis, will join us for the week -- we return on Wednesday, December 29 in time for celebrating the New Year with our friends in the Florida Keys!

Merry Christmas -- and the Happiest of New Years!

The Final Leg

We departed Marco at first light on Saturday morning, as planned. The passage through the "backwaters" of Marco and Goodland were absolutely fabulous!

By shortly after 8:00a, we were at Coon Key Light and headed offshore for the five hour cruise to Marathon. The day was overcast, which made sighting all the crab pot buoys much easier -- combined with calm seas, it made for a most delightful finale to our journey. At about 12:30p, we had the Marathon Yacht Club in our sights!

So, we're "home" for the winter -- with plans to prepare Ivory Lady for the "Lighting of the Fleet" on Dec 10, which is the launch of the Christmas season here! We're returning to Dry Dock for Christmas and returning to Marathon in time for New Years' Eve.

We'll post a few thoughts and pictures as we journey through the holiday season! But, one last picture, from Useppa Island that Bill wanted to share with you!

Thanksgiving @ Useppa Island

We safely traversed the channel out of the Redneck Riviera -- with Touch N Go leading the way.

The 21 miles was rife with wildlife -- manatee, lots of dolphins playing our wake and a flock of white pelicans (quite unique to this area of western Florida).

Useppa Island is a little slice of paradise! We had a lovely evening with Stu & Diana on Wednesday evening and then a delightful Thanksgiving Day, beginning with Willy's infamous cured salmon and then a sumptuous buffet at the Collier Inn, dining on the patio.

Friday morning dawned with clouds and rain -- providing the appropriate weather for our sadness that our week of travel with good friends had come to an end. Ivory Lady departed in the rain for the 60 mile trip to Marco Island Yacht Club and Touch N Go headed north to Bird Key.

Tomorrow (Saturday) is the last leg of our journey (80+ miles of open water across Florida Bay) -- and we are really excited about seeing our friends and settling in for a few weeks at our winter home. We're starting out at first light to take advantage of the most water in the back channel behind Marco Island. We're projected to get the "tail end" of the cold front racing across the US, so we'll have some wind, but should not be much!

Cruisin' the West Coast

On Friday, November 19, Ivory Lady made the large journey to Pass-A-Grille -- about 20 minutes. Had a wonderful time seeing good friends on the dock & at dinner -- table for 12!





Saturday morning dawned with fabulous weather and three boats ready to PLAY! Water Wings (Don & Beverly Hyde) left first, making a stop for fuel and taking the "inside route" to Tampa Bay. Next went Ivory Lady going out the channel for another day "off shore" and Touch N Go (Willy & Caryn Bain) the last to depart. But, of course, Touch N Go passed us all and was first to arrive Sarasota Yacht Club. Water Wings & Ivory Lady entered together after a lovely cruise by all.


Weekend was absolutely fabulous with good boating friends -- time seemed to fly with many "remember when" conversations. Monday we bid Water Wings a safe cruise as they headed back to Pass-A-Grille for a Thanksgiving holiday with children & grandchildren. Touch N Go & Ivory Lady cruised out Big Sarasota Pass and back in at Venice Pass -- and found Chadwick's Cove at Englewood Beach. Quaint old Florida -- just think water and no markings for a channel!





Good bike ride and delightful lunch on Tuesday and Willy's home-cooked black beans for dinner -- doesn't get better than that! From the fly-bridge, as we sipped glorious wine and snacked on stone crabs provided by our dock neighbor, we enjoyed a memorable sunset over the "Redneck Riviera"!

It's now Wednesday morning and we're headed a whopping 21 miles to Useppa Island -- a favorite stop for us. Stu & Diana Sheldon (good friends we met @ Dinner Key Marina in Miami when we moved to Florida twenty years ago) live on the Island -- they are joining us for dinner aboard Ivory Lady tonight.



Tomorrow is Thanksgiving -- and we are truly blessed and thankful for our life and our friendships. Wishing everyone a Fabulous Day!

Catchin' Up

Having so much fun -- the blog got left behind! We'll try to "catch you up" in the next few paragraphs.

Entering Okeechobee through Pt. Mayaka Lock

Saturday - The journey across the Okeechobee Waterway provided great excitement. Winds remained up but Ivory Lady held her own as we crossed the lake and into the calm waters of the Caloosahatchie River. Wildlife abounds with alligators, sea turtles, osprey, egrets, hawks, eagles and hundreds more.

The river provided entertainment in a variety of ways -- the locks (3) were a bit of a challenge, but having done the Panama Canal, they seemed rather tame. A race on the waterway with antique boats & antique motors was a hoot -- and we captured a picture of a boat/motor combo exactly like Uncle Bob's -- Bill has great memories of having to pass the Coast Guard test before he was allowed to take out "the vessel". Bill was 12 years old at the time.

Then some real local color - looks like something you might expect to see in a Chinese river -- but certainly a low cost approach to living!!

It was a long day (105 miles) as we cruised into the Ft Myers Yacht Basin @ 4:50p. Fueled Ivory Lady, provisioned for Captain/Admiral and had a lovely dinner aboard.

Sunday - Out early (best part of the day) with a plan to anchor out that evening. A couple hours out, the radio provides the information that the Boca Grande Swing Bridge (9' clearance) is broken until further notice. Some research got us the phone number to the bridge-tender who confirmed it would not be operational until "at least" Monday 6p. Mid afternoon, we were securely anchored in Pelican Bay -- found that we need an anchor bridle to improve the anchoring enjoyment and Bill is planning to make one in the next few weeks.

Monday morning dawned gorgeous, but a rather significant low tide. So, we enjoyed the morning on the anchor, sailed out around noon and cruised over to Boca Grande Marina. Waters off-shore were reported 2-4 and starting that late did not make sense, especially when the weather forecast for the following day was greatly improved. We love Boca Grande and have a great evening washing Ivory Lady and then a lovely dinner @The Temptation Room. Sunset at Pelican Bay Anchorage

Tuesday was everything the 'weather gods' promised and we had a fabulous trip off-shore to Longboat Pass and into Bradenton Beach Marina, negating the need to worry about the Swing Bridge repair. Cousin John & Trudy Horigan joined us for the afternoon/evening and we had a delightful visit.

Wednesday morning we're off to our "destination" at Bob & Shar Fillingham's dock behind their home in Broadwater in St. Petersburg. Arriving about noon, we launched several projects that will keep us busy for about a week -- which will be intertwined with lots of "doings". A superb compound/wax beauty treatment for Ivory Lady (Wayne & Rick Schmoyer), oil/filter change on her engines (good learning experience and great findings from Mark Donaldson's team), new microwave and associated woodworking by Steve Schuler (& Marvin).

So, it's now Monday, November 15 -- we've had some great visits (more to come) and joined Bob/Shar/friends for the "Blessing of the Fleet" at St Pete Yacht Club yesterday. Today, Bill had his MRI but we won't find the results until Thursday regarding his hearing -- but nothing appears to have changed (we hope!). I flew to Philadelphia mid-day and am working with Tyco Electronics tomorrow -- with hopes of getting home on Tuesday (rain forecasted, so it's always a question out of Philly!).

We'll be moving to Pass-A-Grille on Friday to join Water Wings (Don & Beverly) and Touch 'N Go (Willy & Caryn) -- and on Saturday morning we begin our Thanksgiving Trip and head south for the week, culminating at Useppa Island for Thanksgiving Day.

More Soon!

Cruisin' the East Coast

Tuesday put us @ the Halifax River Yacht Club, right downtown Daytona Beach. Brian, the dockmaster, was a gem! Enjoyed the evening with dinner in the Club, then early the next morning we were off to Eau Gallie at Indian Harbor, just north of Melbourne FL. Lovely cruise down Indian River and past Cape Canaveral. Unfortunately, the Discovery Shuttle launch got pushed back at least a couple days, but for a while we thought we'd have ring side seats.

Longer day on Wednesday filled with dolphin sightings, manatee, jellyfish and all sorts of birds, including significant number of osprey. Eau Galle lived up to its reputation as a great stop in the north-south trek. We were fortunate to be there for their monthly "Colors Event" - cadets from Patrick Air Force Base Guard retired the color amid singing of the National Anthem and America the Beautiful.

Out early Thursday for a short trip to Vero Beach and a stop at The Moorings Club. Superb facilities and we took the opportunity to use their fitness center for a great workout. Then a special treat, we had dinner with Jim & Helen Dodds, good friends from Greenville SC that we haven't seen in ~18 years -- quite a memorable evening.

Awoke Friday to blustery wind & seas -- certainly not going outside today with reported 8-10 foot seas. Assistance from the gracious dockmaster & the Vice Commodore got us on our way without incident -- and the turbulent weather stirred up the water even in the ICW. Saw some flying stingray as we began the day (too quick for any pictures!)

We journeyed 25 miles to Stuart and the St. Lucie River and then began our journey across the state on the Okeechobee Waterway. There are two locks going up to the Okeechobee River and then three going back down on the other side of the lake. Today, we did the first lock (St. Lucie) at mile marker 15 and then continued 13 miles to our stop for the night at Indiantown Marina.

Lock Gates Closing Behind Us Vessel in Front of Us -- Had LOTS of trouble!

On our last mile, we cruised through the open railroad swing bridge -- not knowing that it was going to close as soon as we passed and 3 minutes later the Amtrak train was flying through!

We were here several years ago while Bill was captaining a vessel for a good friend (former customer of mine) -- and we had dinner at the Seminole Inn here in Indiantown. Seems The Seminole Inn was the "hide-away" for Prince Edward and Wallace Simpson that led to his abdicating the British throne. Ironically, that night long ago was the night Princess Di was killed in the automobile accident in Paris.

Tomorrow we plan to cross the lake and continue the journey west into the Caloosahatchie River.

More Later!

Back in Florida!

Had a great trip from Jekyll Island with amazingly little water traffic! A beautiful sight, both from the sheer magnitude of the facility but also because it's the last thing we see in GA, is Kings Bay Naval Station. This facility performs the re-arming of our nuclear submarine fleet -- and as part of the Salt Treaty, the re-arming bays are shorter than the submarines so that "enemy" satellites can identify that a "boomer" is being re-armed.

Kings Bay Naval Station, St. Mary's GA

Once in Florida, we again confirmed that Jacksonville is still really south Georgia, as there was no apparent difference in the scenery - endless marshes! We "turned right" at the St. Johns' River and continued some 25 miles through downtown Jacksonville to the Florida Yacht Club. As the northern most Club on the East Coast, we started our mileage log in the yearly competition for most miles traveled between Florida Council yacht clubs during a calendar year.

Gorgeous slip and facility -- even though the Club was closing within a couple hours of our arrival and we had the entire marina to ourselves for the evening.

The side trip through the Port of Jacksonville was astonishing in the magnitude of the facilities.

As we passed a container vessel, we saw another way to get your boat from port to port!

Early departure this morning got us back to the Intracoastal and again heading south. Made it a "short day", stopping in St. Augustine by 1p, avoiding a collision with a "run-about" who didn't have a clue!! Afternoon spent re-provisioning and doing a bit of "seeing the old city".

Bridge of Lions, St. Augustine FL

Tomorrow morning we head for Daytona Beach and the Halifax River Yacht Club -- these "free nights" sure are nice and the facilities & friendliness are tremendous!

Blog Reset

It's been a great summer -- since our last posting beginning the journey north, Ivory Lady spent the summer at Ripley Light in Charleston SC, as planned. We spent most of the summer at the cabin in the mountains, but did have a lovely week over the 4th of July when we cruised to Georgetown.

Admiral Jann decided there was no way Ivory Lady w/Captain Bill would be making the return trip without her, so she finished full-time employment at the end of September!

October was filled with visits to Ohio/Indiana to see relatives, great visit with dear friends Deb & Pete (whom we visited in their home in Cape Cod in September) and a fabulous weekend in Annapolis with Bob & Barb Sammis and Willy & Caryn Bain.

October brought beautiful fall weather in the mountains -- and we took full advantage with trips to Lake Jocassee with Old Times. We actually had her out four times this year -- twice to Lake Glenville and twice to Lake Jocassee. Special thanks to great friend, Larry Weir, who helped again in rebuilding the engine and preparing her for the summer! Old Times is a 1936 ChrisCraft -- and while she is in need of significant restoration, she still gets lots of "thumbs up" from folks as we cruise the mountain lakes.

On October 27, we closed up "Dry Dock" and headed for Charleston & Ivory Lady. We accomplished two needed repairs -- at the last minute, which is always the way with a boat! Thursday, October 28 @ 11:30a, we popped the docklines @ Ripley Light and began our journey south. Our first day took us to Beaufort SC -- a lovely and quaint city that treated us with an absolutely fabulous sunset.

By Saturday, October 30, we've made our way to Jekyll Island GA -- perfect weather, good bike ride and excellent accommodations @ Jekyll Harbor Marina. Tomorrow we'll make it to Florida and plan to stop in Jacksonville at the Florida Yacht Club. Stay tuned!

The Spring Migration Begins

7:30AM





Yesterday, cousin James Horigan arrived Key West about the same


time that the admiral flew in from her work week. James has


agreed to help crew Ivory Lady on our spring migration to


Charleston, SC. The crew got a somewhat fitful night's sleep and


are ready to shove off almost at sunrise.





It's been a wonderful two months at Marathon Yacht Club. We've


made some great friends already and are going to miss them for


the summer. We'll be back in November, however, to enjoy another warm winter in the Keys. At the same time, we're looking very forward to getting to the cabin in the mountains for the summer and fall.





Our trip will take us to Miami today; a cruise of about 100 miles up the Gulf side of the Keys and through Biscayne Bay. One of our old haunts, Dinner Key Marina is our destination.

8:30PM

We've just returned to the boat from a walk into Coconut Grove and dinner at an interesting Argentinian steak house. After a couple of minor mechanical problems, we were able to make Dinner Key Marina by about 3:30PM and had time to give the boat a bath as well as our own bodies.





Tomorrow it's an early start to try and make West Palm Beach where we have reservations at a nice marina in Riviera Beach. Look forward to a visit with another cousin and his wife tomorrow night. Monday morning, Jann flies from West Palm back to work. The admiral is working hard to pay for the diesel fuel to get us to Charleston!

Kayaking

Hello again after a month of getting Ivory Lady ship shape and personalized. A lot of time that could have been spent blogging was devoted to doing our tax returns - UGH!

Good weather has finally reached the Keys and we decided to launch the kayaks on their maiden voyage. These are Hobie Mirage sport boats with pedal drive units, rudders and lots of accessories for fishing and sailing. We're still thinking about the sails.

After wrestling them into the water, getting the parts and pieces assembled and gracefully climbing aboard, we were off to test their seaworthiness. The Gulf was a little choppy, but these boats cut right through it. Pedalling and paddling at the same time yielded plenty of speed and a great cardio workout. We only had time to travel about 2 miles, but what fun.

The next adventure with these babies will be flyfishing for bonefish. In the mean time, we plan to take them north with us to the Carolinas and enjoy them in the mountain lakes around our cabin.

Blessing of the fleet

Today, after a spectacular brunch at the Marathon Yacht Club, we enjoyed the annual "Blessing of the Fleet" ceremony. A local minister walked the docks and blessed each boat for the season. We were "Dressed" for the occasion. For Ivory Lady, that means full flags displayed. Perhaps the blessing will keep us safe and trouble free for this next year.

Of course, it's not going perfectly all the time. We discovered that the clothes washer is dumping lots of water into the carpet and storage lockers under the galley floor. Time to invoke our Mainship warranty! We can't seem to find access to the back of the washer and dryer. Hope it's not a skill saw job!

Otherwise, the weather finally is beginning to feel like the Keys. We're looking forward to some cruises with the boating group here at the club. We've met several of them and like them very much. The next cruise is to Key West in a couple of weeks. Stay tuned.

Sunday night and Jann has flown from Key West to go back to work. We arrived in Marathon on Friday after a delightful cruise down from Tavernier Key. Ivory Lady is home for the winter and we couldn't be happier with our slip at the Marathon Yacht Club. Had dinner last night with the commodore and his wife and the immediate past commodore and his wife. The members we've met are all very friendly and welcoming. Another of those nasty cold fronts came through yesterday which started lots of complaining by the locals. I guess we still are oriented toward the weather we left in North Carolina. It didn't seem too bad to us.

Jann's work schedule will limit our cruising for the next month or so, but we have already signed up for a trip with the cruising group from the club to Key West later in March. Meanwhile, I'm outfitting Ivory Lady with the toys we bought at the Miami Boat Show. Lots to do to keep me out of the club bar which is a bit to close to the boat. We'll see how disciplined I can be.

Many friends already have plans to visit us here in the Keys. It's a great place to escape the snow for a time. C'mon down. The conch is wonderful. There's a little fish market and restaurant only a block from the club that serves the best stone crab soup I've ever tried.

Stay tuned. We'll get some pictures of the boat as she gets fully outfitted.

February 22, 2010

The Admiral & I continue south toward the Keys. Today we travelled from Jupiter FL to Ft. Lauderdale. Arrived in time for a visit from good friends. Cocktails aboard and then out to dinner. Our first guests aboard! Lots of slow travel through Palm Beach and North Lauderdale, but made it to Coral Ridge Yacht club by 1545 before the dockmaster went home.

Ivory Lady is behaving very nicely and we're happier by the day that we found her. Even the washer & dryer are first rate.

February 23, 2010

Took delivery this morning of one of our new kayaks that we bought at the Miami boat show. Second unit (Jann's) will be shipped to Marathon. We didn't depart Ft. Lauderdale until about noon, but made it to Coconut Grove and the Coral Reef Yacht Club by 1600. Uneventful day on the water. Lots of money tied up in waterfront property and large yachts along this stretch of intracoastal. Downtown Miami is really impressive from the water, even on a mostly cloudy day.

Walked the Grove and reminisced about 20 years ago when we stayed near here on our first boat "The Golden Dawn". We had good friends who lived in the Grove and also met some new friends who have remained so through the years. Good memories!

Feb 24, 2010

Finally we got to excercise Ivory Lady as we hit the open water of Biscayne Bay headed for Key Largo. She was a dream at 17 knots even with a moderate chop. We dodged thunderstorms and generally had a great day on the water. Arrived in Jewfish Creek, the intracoastal gateway to the keys and are starting to feel like we're home.

Also arrived early enough to give the boat the cleaning she has needed since leaving the boatyard in Stuart. She looks great! Tomorrow, we take the final leg to Marathon and settle into our winter digs at the Marathon Yacht Club.

For more pics of Ivory Lady, check out the slide show at www.yachtpics.com/new_boats/43-117_mainship/index.html .

IVORY LADY'S MAIDEN VOYAGE, PART 1

Feb. 21, 2010

Just took delivery of our new dinghy and lashed her to the transom for our trip from Stuart, FL to Marathon, FL, our winter home.

She's been in the boatyard for about a week getting some bottom paint and her propellers balanced. The last of the minor repairs required before we get underway are complete.

Our first trip will be short; only about 30 miles to Jupiter, FL on a pretty Sunday afternoon. The selling dealer has given us a fine orientation on the boat's systems and we find that she's much less complicate than our last boat, "Passages". However, since she's newer, lots of things are now electronic including the engine controls and guages. The captain is an old dog who likes his mechanical guages. Well, the Captain didn't know how to blog a week ago either.

Stay tuned.