In Myrtle Beach

We are home, but missing home.  Since we left Marathon, we have had so much rain and cold, we want to go back.  But, on the way here, we have made a plan to finish our 1 bedroom oceanfront unit and rent that out now.  We mentioned before, that we decided to go with a bigger boat to live aboard 12 months out of the year.  Instead of having a condo sit waiting for us to use a few weeks out of the year, we are going to now rent it out. We figure a couple of months of work and we can head back out on Yasmine Ann again.

Due to big wind and seas, we have been doing all ICW running except from Hilton Head to Charleston.  Don't know if we left Florida too early, or this is normal, but the winds keep coming out of the north and bringing rain and cold weather.  Our big boat cruises under power at 7.5 knots, so we are near trawler speed.  When motor sailing, we run just one engine and both without the sail.  The mainsail provides the extra 2 knots that the second engine does.  Each engine burns about 0.8 gallons per hour.

We have a couple of big events coming up.  Tommy and Ashley with a Doctorate of Pharmacy in May.  And Rochelle is marrying Kevin in June.    

We plan on many projects with the boat as well and will keep our blog updated with pictures of everything.  Once the condo is done, we will head north for an end of summer adventure and then we are heading to the Bahamas for the first time.  We plan to spend November and December in the Abacos.

 Cool looking military boats near Savannah.

First overnight sail

We decided to stay an extra day in Palm Beach due to multiple thunderstorms predicted for most of the day.  We are so glad we did.  A couple who left on their Leopard Catamaran went out 6 miles, decided the weather was to iffy, turned around back to the anchorage.  They anchored next to us, a huge lighting and thunderstorm approaches and Roy is looking out around us. Then he sees lightening hit their mast with black smoke for a minute. Everyone aboard was ok but they lost all their instruments.  They're plans to head to the Bahamas is now delayed.
We arrived in St. Augustine on Wednesday evening after at 35 hr sail.  The winds were perfect the first 18 hrs and then slowly started hitting us on the nose.  So we ended up motor sailing for the second half of our journey.  We will leave St. Augustine on Sunday.  With a N/NE wind and big seas, it looks like it might be an ICW day! 


A turtle loves to follow us!



Sunset!



Flying Fish. I finally got a picture!

Unstuck!

Yes, we have been "stuck like glue" in Marathon for 4 months.  It it truly paradise and we already miss it.

We are sitting in West Palm Beach/ Ft. Worth, FL waiting for the latest rain system to move on and the winds to stabilize for tomorrow's departure to Ft. Pierce.  Three days of sailing has brought us from Marathon with stops at Rodriguez Key and Marine Stadium/Miami.

We have been traveling outside each leg.  Yesterday, we got to experience a 1 knot push from the Gulf Stream.  The water was such a deep, rich blue.  First time we have seen that.  While in such beautiful  water, we got our water maker operational and made water for the last three hours of sailing.  It only draws 10 amps, so our solar panels easily power it.  At 8 gallons per hour, just two hours per day will recoup all the water we need each day.

This is our first time cruising with Yasmine Ann, so it has been a learning experience.  Each day has had large beam or quartering seas with winds ranging from 10-40 knots.  The first day brought the 40 knot gusts and a close hauled sailing.  The last two have been broad reaches to dead down wind.  With the shrouds being so far aft, we cannot let the main very far out.  That explains why 120 degrees is the fastest point of sail for this boat.  Any deeper and the boat slows down.  I am able to fly "two by each" or "wing and wing" (picture below).  The stable platform helps to hold the head sail out without a pole being needed.  

Many people think catamarans are so much faster than monohulls.  They are not.  Many reviews have been written to tell you this.  Ours can point as high as 40 degrees apparent, but it likes it best at 50.  She really likes it when the winds get over 20 knots.  That is the biggest difference I can see.  Since these cats are designed for the trade winds of 15-25 knots, they like it windy.  The past two days, Yumsuch would of beat us to port by hours.  A Code 0 or spinnaker can help these big cats on light downwind days, but we do not have one yet.  In terms of ride, it is nice being flat, but I compare it to riding in a Ford F350 pickup on the highway.  It has a bumpy jerking motion.  So far, we have found it tiring.  We can function throughout the boat, but again, relate it the F350 on a 10 hour drive.  We know we will get used to it.

The high wind capability is our favorite aspect right now.  When the storms roll in and its blowing 40 knots, once the sail is reefed, its no different than sailing in 10 knots.  And reefing takes place with a push of a button on a flat deck.

I recently read a quote by Iain Murray.  He is a big name in the America's Cup and is on our team with the new 72' catamarans for this years cup.  He said, " “The normal feedback of wind and waves that give you the sense of speed aren’t there on a catamaran,” he said. “It’s a very serene sense of speed. Almost unemotional compared to the fuss you get with a big yacht.”  Keep in mind, he is sailing on a 72 footer doing 40 knots.  But, I couldn't say it any better.  If you pay attention, I can feel our boat accelerate in the gusts, but the only way you know your speed is by looking at your instruments.  Max speed to date is 9.2 knots.    

We haven't been stagnant for the last month.  After Yammy's brother passed, we came back and have had many guests and good times.  My father with his new lady friend Nancy, Duane and Lynn, and two of Yammy's sisters, Tamara and Laurie.  Many concerts with Steve Hall either with Eric Stone or others.  Steve is one of the most talented guitar players I have ever seen and look forward to seeing him play again next winter.

 Sailing downwind wing and wing.  Main on one side and head sail on the other.  In a rolling monohull, it can be difficult to hold the head sail out without a pole.  Here, I just set it and hit autopilot.

 Mother and Baby Manatee begging for fresh water at the marina.

 This Turtle just keeps following us.

They must be on to us.  Gifts from my Father and Nancy.



See.  There are real turtles here.

 Kent and Sid blowing Conch.  Warm up to a great evening.

 Can't pass up another gorgeous sunset.

 Private acoustic concert by Steve Hall.

 Yammy and Tamara at Pigeon Key

 Tamara conquered the paddle board immediately.  Must be all the Karate training.

 My father, Frank, and Nancy at Salty's for an Eric Stone concert.

Laurie, myself and Yammy at the Key Largo Micro-Brew Fest.  Finished that day with another Eric Stone Concert at Snapper's in Key Largo.

Pictures

We went sailing with another boat last week and were able to get some good pictures.  Sid and Bonnie joined us on our boat.  Kent and Jane brought their Catalina 34 out with Steve as a guest.

 I go away for  few days and the ladies take over the boat.  I never should have told her to behave herself.  

  Fat Tuesday Celebration aboard Yasmine Ann.  Sid and Bonnie to our right.  Kent and Jane to our left with Pat and Walt on the end.  Rich, in front had just made it back to Boot Key that day.  

Yammy was the first one to get candy out of the bull.

Another Problem Solved

Can't remember if I mentioned this or not, but Lagoon has a design flaw in their main sheet system.  When we first bought the boat, the main sheet block was tied to the end of the boom.  I could see where the bail had broken and they tied it, so I figured they were just too lazy to repair it correctly.  So, I removed the end of the boom, slid out the broken bail and slid in the new bail.  There are three other bails just sliding loose along the bottom of the boom.

When I discussed it with the rigger, he said I did the right thing.  The bail is designed to break free when the wind is too strong to avoid breaking the rig.  Basically a fuse for the rig.  Great.  We went sailing and in just 20 knots of wind the new bail broke and the boom crashed into the shroud.  After looking on-line, I found that this is a design flaw on the Lagoon 380 and 410 series and you either tie it with a line, or you come up with another solution.

I found a picture of an all stainless steel bail that was sold by a boat dealer in Australia.  It was sold with a brand new Lagoon 380.  So, I sent the picture to a good friend in NY and he made me the same.

So now I have to make sure to not overload the rig, but having a boom slam into the shroud doesn't seem like the right answer either.  We had the bottom scrubbed today and went out to test everything and all went well.  Moving ahead one step at a  time.

Shiny new bail for the main sheet block to attach to.

Found another Fast Garvey 10.  This is first I have seen.  Not as pretty as mine, but he built his exactly as the plans had it.

My dinghy for those who haven't seen it.
      

Our New Paddle Boards!

Roy and I purchased new inflatable paddle boards for our xmas present to each other.  They arrived the other day.  We had fun trying them out on a very windy day.  As you can see we both didn't dare stand up on a windy day on our first time!

Roy was the first one to try the paddle boards out!




I'm cruising along on my knees!



 

Beautiful sunset!



Beautiful sky!

Roy checking out the sail.

Roy and I at Salty's Tikki Hut when Eric Stone & Steve Hall play.  Great night lots of laughs and great music.

Bonnie, Yasmine & Pat in Key West

Keys Rigging

Keys Rigging was here most of the day Monday replacing the gull striker shroud and tuning the rigging.  We had a couple of other issues with bolts instead of clevis pins being used and they replaced those as well.  Good group and very reasonable.  We decided to pay for assurance instead of always wondering if we were going to lose another mast.

For those who don't know.  The dolphin striker is used on the bowsprit of sailboats to help with distributing angled loads for the sprit.  Picture below.  Rich (Snow Goose) told us that in the old days, there would be a harpoon tip added to the dolphin striker which would impale a dolphin who decided to jump in your bow wave and provide fresh meat for the crew.

When cruising cats started coming out, some wise guy decided to call the appendage  a gull striker.  This is because it faces skyward.  Now, everyone knows what you mean when you say gull striker.  It was explained that it actually forces a concave shape to the aluminum cross member and that when you load up the rig, it brings it straight.

Just came down from the top of the mast.  We finally have a functional anchor light.  We bought a neat product from a manufacturer in Key West, Stektronics.  It is a low cost LED anchor light and the best part is the boards are replaceable.  That is what makes it unique and appealing to me.

 Dolphin Striker is the steel rod pointing down towards the water.

 Certainly not as glamorous and the blunt top makes it hard to impale anything.  The gull striker is the bracket in front of the roller furler.  We had the steel cable replaced due to a crack forming in one of the toggles.      

Great Weekend!

Saturday a group of 10 of us headed down to Key West for the Seafood Festival. We enjoyed the bands, vendors and the food was just ok. We stayed for a couple of hours. Then to Duvall St and Mallory Square for the rest of the day.
Sunday Roy and I enjoyed a light air day of sailing, then we grabbed a mooring ball at Sombrero Reef to snorkel. We saw a lot of different fish we have never seen before.  I actually drove the boat up to get the mooring ball at Sombrero Reef and our mooring ball at Boot Key. I did a great job I  must say.

Great Sunset!

Rooster on Duvall St.

Bonnie & Sid

Kent & Jane

Roy, Kent,Jane,Bonnie & Sid

Banyan Tree

Paradise!!!

It's been along time since we posted!!
We live a tough life living in Paradise!  Marathon has been absolutly amazing for working on Yasmine Ann. We have West Marine and Home Depot in walking and biking distance along with Publixs.
We are enjoying all the wonderful sites in Marathon, Sombero Beach, 7-Mile bridge for walking or riding bikes &  many great restruarants, Hurricane's (Thursday night Happy Hour), Sunset Tiki Hut, Burdine's (great tuna & fried key lime pie), The Island Fish Co. (Pat's Washer's wonderful recommandation for girl's day out) and many more great places to eat.
We have meant so many incredible people, Bonnie& Sid on FIU, Anna & Rich on Snowgoose, Kent & Jane on Carina, and Jenette & Steve on Endless Summer.  Steve plays with Eric Stone from Lattitudes, they played at Salty's Tikki Hut last weekend everyone had a fantastic time dancing and listening to the two of them play.  Thanks to Jeanette we had front row seats!

                      Pat, Bonnie & Yasmine

                                         

                      Happy Birthday Pat!

 

                                         


                       Sid & Bonnie

                                          Rich & Anna

                               Sid & Bonnie trying out our Kayak!

          Walt,Pat, Roy, Yasmine, Rich, Anna, Sid & Bonnie