The Ancient City

 St. Augustine bills itself as "The Ancient City", the oldest city in America, founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers. We arrived here at the Rivers Edge marina yesterday about 12:30 after a 30 mile cruise up from Daytona. The waters around here are know for heavy currents and big tide swings. Add a little wind and a narrow little fairway at the marina and well... glad to be in the slip safely.

Left at day break from Dayton hoping to reach the dock at slack tide to take current out of the equation.

Lots of Spanish colonial architecture here.

 

Racing Up To Dayton

 "the Bles-sing!" made the 87 miles to Dayton in about 10 hours. There was great scenery and one adventure along the way. The ICW was pretty busy. We are renting a slip from another boater in Charleston, who is boating south until July, and just happened to pass them. We hailed them on 16 and talked for a few minutes! 

We got a face dock at the marina, very welcome after a long day. We just slide right up to the dock and home for the night!

During the trip we happened up on a sad sight, like passing a car wreck on the highway. We noticed boats were stopped ahead of us and when we slowly passed it was because of a dead manatee that had probably been struck by a boat's prop. They are such gentle creatures ... makes us want to heed those "slow speed manatee area" signs even more. Out of respect for the family we didn't take pictures.

Adventure of the day. As we approached a known shoaling area at Ponce de Leon inlet on the Indian River we were being extra cautious about our depth. Just as we got to the crucial spot a big sailboat ground and stuck in front of us. There was just enough room to slide by off her port side so we kept moving. The sailboat, in the effort to get unstuck, put up another sail and started moving toward us. We gunned the engines and narrowly got by her. The sailboat ended up stuck again and we heard the crew calling tow boat US for help later on.

Big open waters and heavy wind made for a  bumpy ride most of the way to Daytona.

Ponce de Leon inlet

 

Melbourne Florida

Travelled about 30 miles from Vero Beach Marina to Melbourne Harbor Marina on the Indian River/ICW. Short day and very low stress. Docking was a little tight but no biggie. We were safely in our slip by 1:30 which gave us time for a walk and some work.  The marina is very nice and well run.

Tomorrow is a big day around 90 miles to Daytona!

Boy did this make us think of home. Nice little sandy beach on the Indian River.

Wabasso Bridge

Vero Beach

 We are at the Vero Beach City marina and are staying until Monday the 26th. Vero Beach is a great little town with a pretty beach and nice downtown area. The marina and surrounding neighborhood are very quiet.  People at the marina are very nice and extremely helpful. It has been a great place to do some planning. Several loopers have stopped in the marina on the way north. Even had a chance to catch up with people we met along the way.

A couple stopped by as they were strolling down the dock. Turns out they lived aboard their boat for 10 years! Most of it in the Bahamas where they owned a marina in Marsh Harbor. We had a great little visit. When we told them we were doing some planning he just chuckled and said, "We plan and God laughs". How true! Can't wait to see what the future holds for "the Bles-sing!" and her crew.

Nice homes here in Vero. Starting to look a bit more like the deep south as palm trees give way to stately old trees like these.

Hutchison Island to Stuart, Ft Pierce and into Vero Beach!

Storms were predicted so we had to violate the looper warning of "don't boat in Florida on the weekend" in order to get into Vero Beach on Sunday ahead of storms starting Monday. We made pretty short work of the 33 miles up from Hutchison Island because we easily got under all four bridges along our way. Busy, busy traffic day but no problems. We arrived into Vero Beach city marina about 2:30 and filled up with fuel and pumped out.

And Halleluiah! Best slip in a while and easily backed in. Dockhands are true pros and helped tie us off and hook up our electric.

Everyone looked like they were having a great time on the way up. Sandy beach ... ICW style!

  We are going to ride out storms here for the week and we are happy to do so. We need a break and are resting up, watching it rain and planning our next adventure!

Lantana to Hutchison Island

We lost count of all the bridges.  We think we went under a total of around 28 bridges. Guessing about half we had to request an opening. Anyway, on Saturday April 17 we went 46 miles (long day) to what we were hoping was going to be a wonderful Marriott resort and marina. Wan wa... not so nice but ok. It featured an over the hill hotel, a tiny pool full of drunks who never got out of the pool (and you know what that means) and a totally exposed marina. Winds blew between 20 and 25 as we docked. We got pinned against a piling as we tried to tie off. On this day... we were the show.

Several people on the dock came out to help and we eventually got her tied off. Boating folks are so nice and always eager to help. Next door lady tried to make us feel better by telling us we worked together like a well oiled machine. Right. One guy even offered us his personal slip in New York on the Hudson. Looking out for the public safety at local marinas I'm guessing.

No pictures... not worth it.

Lantana Florida Anchorage

 We moved 33 miles on Friday April 16 to a nice anchorage near the Lantana Florida bridge just south of West Palm. Happy to report that it was an uneventful night! We were anxious to make another push north to Hutchison Island and were up and out of there by 7:30.

Beautiful sunset in Lantana helped make for a peaceful night's sleep, along with this...

That is an image from our anchor alarm on Jane's phone. The black dot is our anchor and the gray part is tracking of our boat as it swings around the anchor. If it goes out of the circle an obnoxious alarm goes off telling you your anchor is dragging. Then, you get to jump out of bed and see what is going on. This was from the morning after and we were never close to the boundary! 

42 Years Later...

 ... and we are back at Ft. Lauderdale Beach for spring break! Why do all the spring breakers look so young?

We arrived at the city marina in Ft. Lauderdale on Tuesday April 13 and enjoyed 3 nights in the glitz and glamor of one of south Florida's hot spots. Seems like every boat is a center console with 3 or 4 engines on the back. All of them blaring Latin music with wiggling youngsters on the bow. And there are humongous yachts everywhere. In marinas, in front of mansions, cruising down the ICW. 

This is one of the smaller ones... 

We even got to go to dinner with Uncle Ben Goebel who was in town on bidness.  He treated us to a great meal at Roco's Tacos complete with a pitcher of margaritas! Thanks Ben!

Looking for Poor People

 Boaters can skirt Biscayne Bay and go north off the coast or take the ICW through Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. We chose the ICW to see the sights and are glad we did! From our vantage point there are only millionaires and billionaires the entire run. Not a poor person to be found as papa Charles would say. The yachts and homes are indescribable. Unbelievable really.  On our way from Boca Chita to Las Olas Marina (Ft Lauderdale City Marina on Las Olas Blvd.) we travelled about 41 miles on Tuesday April 13th and went through 14 bridges! On the river system you wait for locks and dams. On the ICW you wait for bridges to open for you.

Just one of many breath-taking homes along the ICW. What do these people do for a living?

Boca Chita State Park

After the night before and facing a 4th night on the hook we were looking for a secure place to hunker down and feel safe. We planned on reaching an anchorage with a beautiful view of  the Miami skyline but storms were predicated to hit about the time we could get there, not a great plan. So... what to do? Jane to the rescue. In her research she noticed a place called Boca Chita State Park that has a very small harbor with a wall that boats can tie off on. No power, no problem. Bingo! It was about an hour short of Miami so it looked like we could make it before another round of storms. Turned out to be perfect!

Our little shelter from the storm had its own little lighthouse! 

Sunday Was Not Fun Day

 We decided to move on from Shell Key on Sunday April 11 and went about 33 miles to Barnes Sound south of Biscayne Bay for our 3rd night in a row at anchor. Great trip to a pretty and secluded setting.  We were aware of a storm to the north and thought it would miss us... it did not. Just as we were finishing pork steaks on the grill and enjoying Sunday night jazz all hell broke loose. Driving rain, thunder boomers and 50 mph winds hit us out of nowhere. We started our engines and eased the boat up on the anchor to give a little help because we didn't want to risk it dragging and ending up in the nearby mangroves. So we stood there together at the helm with rain and hail in our face for a couple of hours and all was good ... and wet.

Ripped the isinglass out of the front and yanked this baby right off our roof. We feel lucky though.

It was scary and made us appreciate our time in marinas!

Batten Down The Hatches! 

Wish we would have seen this sooner. See the last line? The part that says 50 knots? That equals 57 mph.

On The Move

We had a wonderful 5 weeks in Marlin Bay! Yesterday we headed north on the ICW for 32 miles to an anchorage off of a little island called Shell Key just off of Islamorada. Our plan is to work our way up the ICW staying 4 nights  on the hook as we approach Miami. That will take us through Miami on Monday so we can avoid the crazy boating that goes on there during the weekend. Winds are around 15 knots so we are blowing around a bit but the scenery is wonderful.

Going to go for a dinghy ride today to a nearby state park on Lignumvitae Key. We may stay here another night or go up 10 miles to Buttonwood  off of Key Largo.

Channel 5 Bridge - one of the few ways to go from the Gulf to the Atlantic along the ICW

The ICW up through the Keys  is very shallow. We passed through this channel yesterday. It is no more than 6 feet deep and around 40 feet wide. No problems though.

Sometimes You Watch The Show... Sometimes You Are The Show

 Today, thank God, we watched the show. Actually we participated in two shows. 

Show #1 - We heard a strange noise from inside "the Bles-sing!" and Doug decided to investigate. Upon reaching the fly bridge he saw a sixty foot yacht sideways in a 20 mph wind across our bow and coming towards our anchor pulpit. Not just ours, the boat next to us, and the boat next to it.  The dockmaster was on the scene... dock hands running around, boat owners freaking out (us included). Turns out the boat lost engine power in the fairway and got blown all the way down toward us. Jane handed me two bumpers to put between the run-away-ship and our anchor just in time as it crunched shortly after. Things were at a crazy stand still long enough for the dockmaster to get in a dinghy and the guy next to us (Tom Cruise doppelganger) to get in his dinghy with another guy from down the dock. Some sharp, no heroic,  dinghy driving from the dockmaster and Tom Cruise pushed the boat off our bows and by some miracle he got in a slip across the way. And that is the condensed version.

Show #2 -  So back down below and back to work. Jane goes up to make sure things are ok.  Knock, knock, knock on the window. Game on again. This time 50' Defer trawler is just about in the slip and looses both engines and starts blowing around. The very same crew of staff and boaters are tugging and running around. And we got him in.  Turns out they are from Kentucky. I could tell, they weren't wearing shoes.

Back to Marathon

 Made it to Marlin Bay Resort and Marina on Marathon Key yesterday where we will stay for all of March. Had plenty of friends and fellow boaters help us out of our snug slip on Stock Island and had a great trip up on the Atlantic in 3 - 4 foot rollers so it was about the biggest seas that we have seen but gorgeous water and bright blue skies. Got to the marina in about 5 hours and docked first try without damage. Just in time for a great sunset.

Snug Slip

 So Wednesday of this week we pulled into Stock Island Marina and found our slip at the end of B dock, against a sea wall. As it came into view we realized that it was tight but here we go. The boating gods were with us and we gently backed in without touching. Not sure how we did it... I think I blacked out and came to after Jane had it in the slip. We are using tampons for our fenders on our starboard.

Starboard

Portside - just in case you were thinking 

we have a lot of room on the other side.

Sharks!

 Our friends gave us a ride back from lunch at Hurricane Hole by dinghy and we saw a bunch of Nurse Shark. Pretty eerie feeling cruising in a 10' dinghy through shark-infested waters. They are generally considered pretty docile but still... 

Moving Day

 This morning we are moving the boat to a nearby marina, Stock Island Marina Village. Had a fantastic time here at Key West City Marina the last four weeks but time to go! After a short stay on Stock Island we will head on up to Marlin Bay Resort and Marina on Marathon on Monday March 1.

Osprey Eating A Ballyhoo

 Caught this osprey having dinner right beside our boat. Bad day for the ballyhoo (common bait fish in these parts) but... circle of life.

Tom and Regina Going Home

 Tom and Regina have been aboard for the entire trip down from Lake Barkley. Huge thanks to them for all the help! We all have had a great time cruising together and enjoyed every minute. They are jumping ship for a while starting today as they return to ice and snow! They will be back and will share many more adventures with us on "the Bles-sing!" Can't wait.

The Crew at Compass Rose at Higgs Beach Pier

Manatees Are Cool!

 We have seen a lot of local wildlife; sea gulls, dolphins, jelly fish, pelicans, sea turtles, big fish, little fish and manatees. We saw this one near the downtown wharf.

Key West Update

 We have had a great time here in Key West the past 3 weeks. The weather has been spectacular and allowed us to get in a lot of walking around to just about every part of the island.  We are docked on the Marlin Pier at the City Marina and it is more of little floating community than a traditional marina. Most of the slips are occupied by floating homes of all shapes and sizes.

First Day In Key West

 Great day yesterday... 3 firsts. 1) We saw a manatee as we were walking off the dock. Very cool! 2) We launched Aunt Bethany and the four of us took a long training ride. Got her safely back to the boat and stored again too! The locals couldn't tell for sure what these 4 obviously non-locals were doing riding in circles and doing figure eights and changing drivers and laughing. 3) Went to Smathers Beach and had a great time sitting in the sun and lounging at the beach. The water, as Regina put it, is like memorial weekend at Barkley Lake, "refreshing" but crystal clear, unlike most memorial weekends at the lake.

Smathers Beach

Customs House From The Water

Our Neighbors At The Dock

Key West

 The crew of "the Bles-sing!" enjoyed the best weather day yet during our cruise from Marathon to Key West. 72 degrees, mostly sunny skies, light winds and gentle waves made the 5 hour trip a pleasure. Even the crab pots gave us a break eventually. Our slip here in the City Marina is perfect and will allow us to easily launch Aunt Bethany  for the first time to do some exploring by dingy. The scenery and water is gorgeous.

Our route took us through seven-mile bridge as we departed Marathon and put us out into the Atlantic for the ride down. We went all the way around Key West, giving us a chance to see many of the island's famous spots from the water. The bridge onto the island, the most southern point marker, the most southern house, Margaritaville Resort and Marina, military bases, the lighthouse across from Hemingway's house, Mallory Square... we had a good time seeing them from a different perspective and reminiscing about previous visits to the area.

Our View At the Marina

Florida Keys At Last!

 Made it to Marathon yesterday so we are officially in the keys! We arrived around 2:00 in winds around 15 knots gusting to 20. We dodged crab pots for most of the way down from Little Shark River with no problems at all as the water transitioned to that stunning emerald green that makes the keys so special. The water is also extremely clear so we could see the bottom as we glided into our marina at Marlin Bay Resort. We planned to stay just one night here but once again mother nature had other plans so we've decided to tough it out here until Friday when the winds are supposed to die down.

Colors Of The Keys

No Fun Parking In This

Little Shark River

 The mechanical issue that kept us at Marco Island another day turned out to be an easy fix so we made it to an gorgeous anchorage at Little Shark River at the end of a 65 mile cruise on Monday.  It is located on the coast of the everglades and is very isolated. No cell service but plenty of scenery. All kinds of birds dotted the sky while dolphins did lazy loops on the surface around our boat. No sign of alligators or sharks but surely they were eyeing us from the surrounding mangroves. Spectacular and peaceful. Five other boats enjoyed the brilliant sunset around us before the no seeums chased  the crew into the boat around dark. The anchor held easily in the slight breeze and made for a quiet night and good sleeping. 

Failure To Launch

 Well, under the heading of "S%@! Happens"... we were ready to blast off for our anchorage near the everglades this morning and waa waa... nothing. The starboard transmission would not go into gear. So... stuck another day on Marco Island, darn it. Pretty much have figured it out and even have it kind of fixed. The crew wants professionals to check it out on Monday to be sure. Better safe than sorry. Especially when you are headed to a spot with no cell service in a remote part of Florida.

Stay tuned kids. Should be out of here by Tuesday.

Sunshine At Last!

 Our cruise on Thursday was wonderful! We are now far enough south to feel like we are really in Florida. The water is a beautiful shade of green and the sun popped out and made for a glorious ride to Marco Island. About half of the trip down from Cayo Costa was in the very last part of the intracoastal water way, ending at the north end of Pine Island and the Southern tip of Sanibel Island. The rest of the way we were in the Gulf on seas of about 1 foot. Very nice.

We pulled into Rose Marina on Marco about 3 pm on Thursday and ended up staying three days. Marco is spectacular and we got to see a lot of it thanks to Doug and Jane's neighbors in Washington, Frank and Linda, who now live full time on Marco Island. Their condo overlooks the marina where we stayed!

The beaches on Marco Island are beautiful white sand and huge. The area has many great restaurants and expensive homes on cool little canals and high rise condos all over the island.  High winds kept is in Marco an extra day which we really enjoyed even though we had to move to the Marco Island Yacht Club. I know, we are surprised they let us in too.

On to our anchorage at the mouth of Shark River off the everglade coast! Next day to Marathon and then on to Key West!

Frank and Linda Sicurezza were wonderful hosts during our stay on Marco Island. 

Thanks so much for the hospitality!

Marco Island offers some of the best beaches in the world.

Sarasota to Pelican Bay

 On Wednesday 1/13 we cruised from our mooring ball in Sarasota Bay to a beautiful anchorage in Pelican Bay at Cayo Costa State Park. The cruise took us through very narrow and shallow parts of the intracoastal waterway. We concentrated on staying in the channel but we still hit bottom at one point. No damage done.  This is the last part of the intracoastal waterway that passes through some of the most scenic towns we have seen yet. We went through Siesta Key, Venice (very cool!), Manasota Key, Lemon Bay, Don Pedro Island, Gasparilla Sound off of Gasparilla Island and Boca Grande. All of these areas would be great stops along the way... not enough time!

The waterways in and around Cayo Costa and Pelican Bay are lined with mangroves... a shrub or small tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The park is a favored stop for a lot of loopers and a great place to hike and explore by dingy. It rained most of the time we were at anchor and the gloomy weather made us decide to just spend one night and move on in search of warm weather and sunshine.

Latest Addition To The Crew

 Yesterday Suncoast Inflatables in Clearwater installed Aunt Bethany. Just like in the movie... she's a little dingy. She can hold up to 5 people comfortably and will enable us to explore some wonderful beaches and waterways.

Another First!

Made it to the Marina Jack mooring field in Sarasota Bay today in 7 hours and hooked our first mooring ball. The wind made it a little more difficult than we expected but Tom and Jane got it done on the first try!

Today's cruise took us from Clearwater Beach Marina across Tampa Bay to Sarasota Bay. It was a mostly cloudy day and cool with 1 - 2 footers at our stern. We went through 9 bridges total, about half of them had to raise to let us through.

Tarpon Springs to Clearwater Beach

 We all really enjoyed Tarpon, the shops, people and the restaurants made for a great visit. Strong winds helped pursued us to stay an extra day which we were glad to do. Another day to take in a bit more great food.

We travelled 20 miles through the intracoastal waterway from Tarpon Springs to Clearwater yesterday dropping anchor about 2:45 in Clearwater Harbor. Winds and waves were strong and noisy all night but are expected to drop today. One of the most surprising things we've learned is how shallow the intracoastal is, 6 or 7 feet most of the way.

Today we will pull into Clearwater Beach Marina where we will spend two nights. We are looking forward to having our dingy, Aunt Bethany, installed by Suncoast Inflatables.  

 "the Bles-sing!" On Peaceful Waters in the Gulf

Thanks to Meredith Randall aboard Thunderbolt for this beautiful picture!

Made It To The Other Side!

 (The blooger apologizes for the length of this post... lots to report) 

We cast off our lines at Carrabelle Marina right on time and were underway by 3 pm Monday with our buddy boats Ten-Seven (42' Sea Ray) and Thunderbolt (40' trawler) . Going out for a cruise at the time we normally come in was very different as we experienced everything in reverse order. We saw a beautiful sunset as we launched, cruised in near complete darkness instead of daylight, neared the end of the journey at sunrise and docked in brilliant morning sunshine. 

The trip took 21 hours dock to dock, about 14 hours of it on the Gulf. As predicted, the wind and waves were nice and made for a smooth ride on gentle 1 foot rollers (no one got sea sick). The boat hummed throughout the night as we took turns staring at the chart plotter and gauges  The crew didn't sleep much but got a few winks here and there. We entered the Anclote River in pre-dawn darkness and soon heard a warning from the lead boat that they just saw a crab pot. Crab pots are a boating hazard. The cages rest on the bottom and are attached by line to small floating balls. If you hit one, the lines can get wrapped around your boat's shafts and props and can be a terrible mess. Once we spotted the first one we slowed to idle speed and spent the next 6 hours picking our way between row after row of pots. Slow going was even more challenging looking into bright sunshine for the sneaky little balls.

The Tarpon Springs City Marina is a real treat. It is located 3 miles up the Anclote River in a picturesque village that has a strong Greek heritage. Tarpon has a history of sponge production and fishing. Now it offers a ton charm with great Greek food and cute shops. This morning the crew is enjoying wonderful baklava and other pastries for breakfast from a local bakery.

We will spend 3 nights in the marina and then on to the next adventure!

"If it's going to happen... it's going to happen out there."

                                    - Captain Ron

The Crossing

 We plan to cast off lines at 3 PM today for our crossing from Carrabelle to Tarpon Springs. Our route will take us 172 miles to the Tarpon Springs Municipal Marina which features easy access to many local shops and restaurants. We will be going with 2 other boats and cruising around 9 mph . The weather forecast is pretty good; winds on our stern from the northwest and seas around 1 foot pushing toward the east. Should be a great little 20 hour cruise to warmer weather. The crew of "the Bles-sing!" is excited and ready!

THE ROUTE

 Day 5. We departed Saul Creek at 8:50 on our way to Apalachicola and then on to Carrabelle, conditions were beautiful again. We got a glimpse of the town before entering Apalachicola Bay. Waves were minimal but the bay was very shallow ... down to 3 feet, maybe less in some spots, IN THE CHANNEL!

Made it across to the mouth of the Carrabelle River, arriving at about 1:00 pm. We filled up at the fuel dock and after several tries fighting wind and current we got "the Bles-sing!" safely ensconced in our slip at C-Quarters Marina awaiting our chance to make the BIG JUMP!

Our weather window appears to be Monday the 4th or Tuesday for the crossing. Stay tuned!

 Day 4 of Tom's Birthday Cruise. The entire crew enjoyed Christmas with family then returned to the boat on December 27th and departed Treasure Island Marina in Panama City the next day. We made 56 miles on Sunday and anchored in the most peaceful spot we have found yet. Our night on the hook was totally still, peaceful and quiet under a gorgeous full moon.

This day's trip was a great experience! Bright sunshine, great temperature and mild seas made our journey through St. Andrews Bay into Wetappo Creek to Lake Wimico a truly memorable experience for all. We had a special escort by Flipper and Friends through much of St. Andrews bay.

 You're In The Driver's Seat

See What It Is Like to Dock The Boat

Nothing To It When You Have Good Help.

Gopro Footage From The Bow of "the Bles-sing!" Coming Into

Our Slip at Treasure Island Marina

Panama City Beach.

Merry Christmas from "the Bles-sing!"

Cruising The Grand Canyon 

 

 Day 3. We cruised through a beautiful section of our journey called the Grand Canyon. It is a man made 25 mile cut meandering through the countryside, connecting Choctawhatchee Bay and West Bay.  Both Bays are huge bodies of water by our standards but shallow, about 10 - 15 feet. Waves were 1 - 2 feet, not bad at all.

We made it through West Bay on our way to Saint Andrew Inlet ending at Grand Lagon (across from Panama Beach) and are tied up at Treasure Island Marina. Many of the local marinas and restaurants are still recovering from hurricane Michael back in 2018. The crew enjoyed grilled burgers while watching college football on Tom's phone. Great evening!

 Day 2.  The day started by reeling in a crab pot on our anchorage chain. Tom and Jane made short work of it with Jane's trusty knife and sent the metal beast cage back down to where it belongs.

Made it to an anchorage on Choctawhatchee Bay after a very chilling day of boating. We were underway by 7:30 and anchored at 2:25. A shorter day for us provided time to relax and enjoy the rest of the afternoon.  Another night of noisy waves hitting the boat but everyone managed a decent night's sleep. Headed to Panama Beach this morning... "a four hour cruise" (forecast says the weather will not be getting rough).

And we are off! Finally!

 The Christmas Birthday Cruise

In keeping with our tradition this leg is named for Tom who has a December birthday.

Day 1. The problem muffler cost us another half day but we finally departed Saunders Marina in Gulf Shores at 11:50. We went 28 miles in very chilly but sunny conditions and saw a bunch of dolphins along the way.  We had a great cruise on calm waters settling into our anchorage in English Navy Cove on Pensacola Bay around 3:20. Pretty strong winds and lapping waves were with us all night!

Quite on the set... roll 'em!

Hey gang stayed tuned for more video on the blog thanks to a generous Gopro camera donation by Ben and Sam. Check out a couple of short videos from Regina.

Coming into Mobile and Gulf Shores

What is that!!??

The Journey Continues!

Repairs are almost completed and that means it will soon be time, shooting for Wednesday the 16th, to make our way across the panhandle of Florida and down to Tampa to spend Christmas with Russell. It took longer than expected but Saunders Marine Service has finished:

• Repairing the windless by installing a new motor. Tom is especially thrilled to have this done.
• Stripping and repainting the Blessing's bottom with antifouling paint. This protects the boat while enabling her to slip easily through the water which is good for fuel efficiency.
• Repairing the ice maker.  Yay, cold drinks all around.
• Replacing all the sacrificial anodes (I can't explain it... just google it).
• Fixing the starboard muffler. May not sound important but it is. Several extra days and boat unit$ later we can now rest assured that this fiberglass part will not disintegrate and allow water to come into the engine compartment. Never a good thing. 

    "the Bles-sing!" on the hard.     muffler... and the crack         had to take up the floor