Celebrate!

The Sombrero Light Regatta was held on Saturday the 21st.

There were 4 classes: "Multi-hulls", "Cruising", "Live Aboard" and "Racing".

I raced with Duane on his 33' sailboat Trilogy. (Yup, that's Duane reading the race results.)

Duane worked really hard for the couple of weeks prior to the start of the race, lightening the load as it were.

He removed anchors and chain and rode and excess water and who knows what else.

He laid out his sails, watched the weather patterns and predictions and made his choices.

I pretty much came along for the ride.

(And even though I had it all laid out in the morning, FORGOT my camera! D-arrgh!!)

It turned out to be a great way to celebrate my birthday.

The weather was perfect, not too hot.

The winds were ideal, not too strong and not too light.

The competition was primed, some even with water-filled balloons!

Read it and weep Mateys!!!

TRILOGY

First place!!!

The Cruisers' Net

"Good Morning Boot Key Harbor!

And Welcome to the Marathon Cruisers' Net.

"We meet here every morning at 0900 on Channel 68 to Welcome New Boaters, Say Goodbye to Those Leaving, Make Some Announcements, Answer Questions/Solve Problems, A Little Buy/Sell/Trade, and a Bit of Trivia."

The Net is beginning their 7th year of operation in Boot Key Harbor! The VHF radio program is presented 365 days a year, no matter the weather or the holiday.

Channel 68 is the place to tune in if you are new to the harbor and wondering where to get your propane tank filled, or your hair cut or your pet vaccinated before jumping off to the Bahamas or beyond. Recommendations are found for computer or outboard motor repair, where to find a good $5 lunch, or live music. Local picnics, festivities and events are also announced. And if you are looking at trading in your dinghy for something bigger/better/faster -- try the Net first!

There are 7 volunteers that 'man' the radio each morning, on a rotating basis. In the event that one of the "Net Controllers" leaves the harbor for foreign shores a replacement volunteer is found. I'm the Thursday girl.

Not only the daily radio program, but welcome bags are provided for each new arrival filled with local information. And during bad weather Channel 68 is monitored for those in need of help, searching for a lost dinghy, a watch-dog for dragging vessels and the like.

Make sure to 'tune in', 0900, Channel 68!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NET!

Rats! As In Plural!

Two Rats in Two Days is just about enough!

I am losing my beauty sleep!! Listening intently to every little creak and groan wondering if that was a rat moving about?

So when the trap tripped the second time, and I got up with my flashlight making sure he wasn't pissed of and running amuck about the boat, and saw that he was safely secured in the strong spring of the trap... and abandoned until morning light...

We decided that was enough!

And moved back to the mooring ball! A bit earlier than was planned, but it's working out fine so far. We are presently located on M-4, but intending to move back to our old location of N-4 tomorrow morning.

Watch for us on the live web-cam!

Rats!

I am sitting here quietly, have just finished watching Casablanca. (Lew's first viewing, imagine that!)

Bought a rat trap today at Home Depot.

Because this morning we woke up to a banana that had some very big tooth marks in it -- not ours.

And my Hawaiian King Bread was partially eaten!

So the movie is over. Lew has gone to bed and I am loading music into my computer when...

This huge hairy beast runs right by my foot, up the settee, across the galley and lands unceremoniously behind the stove!

I screech! (Definitely a girl thing, I'm entitled.)

I had the front hatch open for some air, and both ear plugs in listening to what I am loading, and never heard him come in! (It has GOT to be a him.)

The rat trap is now primed with peanut butter, and I am still loading music, but only one ear plug is in...

Dock living is TOTALLY over-rated!

I am wondering if Janus (my friends retired police dog) would like to do a sleep-over.

So.

I went to bed.

Trap primed with peanut butter (a suggestion from the dude at Home Depot), made sure all other food was stored, as well as can be. And about 1/2 hour into it we heard the distinctive SNAP (remember this is a rat - BIG SNAP) of the trap.

Lew says "Are you going to get up and look?"

I say "No, I'll wait 'til morning."

But who can sleep, knowing that there may be an angry rat running around.

So I get up to "pee" and grab the flashlight and tiptoe into the main salon.

Behold the rat trap!

No rat.

(I'm thinking this needs to go on the blog.)

But there, in the middle of the galley SITS the rat. Looking at me. I'm looking at him. The flashlight stays focused on him anticipating a quick movement in my direction.

I call (screech) for Lew.

Now we are both looking at the rat bathed in the light.

He keeps looking at us.

We decide we need the bat (baseball, that is, hard wood, our weapon of choice).

Lew said it is mine. "Just hit him."

I say "I can't hit him."

Lew says "Hit him."

I say "I can't."

He says "You have to."

I hit him.

He scurries.

I hit him again.

He scurries.

I climb the companionway ladder.

Lew says "Hit him in the head."

I say "I can't."

I try.

I miss.

He scurries.

Lew grabs the bat.

I grab the light.

Lew hits him.

He goes into convulsions.

Lew hits him again.

He is dead!

(I didn't mention the black scorpion that I killed in the apartment, did I? We really need to move back to our mooring ball!)

One Dozen Roses

I don't know much about him.

I know his name is James.

I know that he wasn't feeling very well and needed some Air Conditioning, some Gator-Aid, a place to put his feet up for a bit.

And then he disappeared for a couple of weeks.

Nothing.

But Tuesday morning there was a knock on the boat, and there he was, a dozen roses in his hand.

Sailing Dinghy Races

There we all are at the start!

Juliana, the 11 y/o who has been sailing for about a month in her Walker Bay 8, was the first across the start line, a line between the orange buoy on the right and Diver Dave on the dock at Dockside. Next is me in Whopee my Walker Bay 10, then Larry with his brand new sail rig in his Walker Bay 8, Duane with his Dyer, and Fiberglass Dave in his Whitehall rowing scow. And Chris! Where is he? Still working his way to the start line???

Thanks Dave for organizing the race!

The course was from the East end of the Harbor at Dockside, around Dog Island (keeping it to starboard), around mooring field marker "A" near the bridge (keeping it to starboard), back around Dog Island (this time keeping it to port) and back to Dockside and across the line to the cheers, hoots and hollers from the rocking chair fleet on the Dock!

It didn't take long before Fiberglass Dave worked his way up through the fleet (with his red sails, yup, sails - as in 2) and secured the lead which he held for the entire course. Whopee inched her way forward into second, having a hard time keeping Juliana off her stern!

And then it happened! Larry popped his red "Mary Poppins" sail, the umbrella, on the downward leg. Then Duane popped his "Mary Poppins" sail, and what was I to do??? I "popped" mine! (I'm thinking next race there could be some NEW rules about our spinnakers.)

We weren't the only boats out racing. Bobby brought out his Viking Boat (a re-birth of a RIB into something that brings a look and a smile and a camera out of your bag, no matter your age) and there were a couple of Sunfish's that got a late start due to launching issues.

See that sweet young thing in the middle of the picture, the one with the sunglasses on???

SHE is the one to keep an eye on!

She washed and waxed (yes, WAXED) her boat, rudder AND center board before the race, and even though she has been sailing for ONLY a month (or less) in her dink, she is definitely a force to be reckoned with!

Mark my words. There is something to be said about young women in sailboats... Click on this link!

Home!

Home at last, Home at last, thank God Almighty we are Home at last!

Lew is feeling a bit stronger every day, and has been climbing up on the boat for a while now, and back off without any problems. So yesterday we chose as "The Day" to move all of our 'stuff' back to the 'mother ship'!

Incredible how much 'stuff' we had accumulated at the apartment! It took quite a few trips back and forth. Probably all do-able in one big trip, but I combined moving/cleaning/and putting away into several small trips.

Lew was in charge of 'putting away'. The boat was looking so clean that I was hoping that it would remain that way after we came back aboard... but of course the reason that it looked SO clean was that our 'stuff' wasn't there!!!

Go figure.

I would like to thank Margey and Frank for opening their hearts and their home to us while Lew was recuperating! What a simply marvelous peaceful place to be while on the mend.