Well here we go again. Bought an island packet in 2020 and have been “hudlowing” it up for the ride to the coast and beyond. (hudlowing is a term used for “it is already in great shape but i can improve this”) We are installing the watermaker this week and will be leaving on November the 8th 2021 Monday. Our boating friends Barry and Andrea will be sailing away with us in their awesome sailboat “Caretta”.
We have been working since 2012 when we came back on the Unwinder from our first sailing adventure! I should have called the blog “a boat a book and a (many prayers)prayer”. I have been spending a lot of time with my grandson while taking care of things at Hudlow Axle and of course our Rottie Dana. She will be staying at home with a sitter while we are gone. While being semi retired we finally decided lets go back to the ocean on a sailboat. SSOOO we decided to go to Kema Texas and check out the Island Packett 41 SP Cruiser. So we checked it out came home went back and bought it and had a mini adventure coming up the GICW from Kema, Texas to Mobile, Al to home.
I just wanted to welcome everyone back to the blog and hang with us on our many adventures with the “Big Moose”! We will be traveling down the Tennessee river to the Ten Tom Bigbee to the Black Warrior and to Mobile bay. And from there who knows? Thanks for checking out the blog!
Captains Log: Improving a boat is making many new brackets! OH and a pimped out dinghy is a must.
Steve and Denise's Great Adventures 
Have fun and see you in December. Love always your Mom
Life:Explained
A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
“Not very long,” answered the Mexican.
“But then, why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?” asked the American.
The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.
The American asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”
“I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. I have a full life.”
The American interrupted, “I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat.”
“And after that?” asked the Mexican.
“With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise.”
“How long would that take?” asked the Mexican.
“Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years,” replied the American.
“And after that?”
“Afterwards? Well my friend, that’s when it gets really interesting,” answered the American, laughing. “When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!”
“Millions? Really? And after that?” asked the Mexican.
“After that you’ll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends.”
And the moral of this story is: …
Know where you’re going in life, you may already be there.