Sunday was a whole new set of issues. I went to CVS pharmacy to pick up some things and walked in the boat and asked Steve did he smell propane? He said no and i said check the bedroom, he immediately went outside and turned off the propane. Micheal (a sailor down the dock) came by and they started going over what would cause the leak to smell in the aft berth and how to find it. Steve got some soapy water and found the leak at a fitting by the tanks.  Steve fixed the leak and then we discovered that the bilge was a little full so we started bailing out the bilge to a completely dry state to see how much water was coming in and from where. So let me put this simply the boat ended up looking like a salvage boat because we had the complete bed including mattresses pulled up and in salon with the complete salon floor on the deck outside. I got a bucket of water and cleaned every one of the hull openings. I still had stains under the floor from the ocean crossing pineapple juice incident! So we dried up every bilge area and also cleaned the water out from under the bed. We still have to fix the ladder leak. Needless to say Steve and I were filthy and damp and worked all day on this project. Boats are not all pleasure just like a car or a house work has to be done and boat maintenance is constant. Esp in sea/salt water. We received a text from Jim and Pam to come eat they had cooked us a southern meal! We were totally exhausted but could not say no. Especially when someone cooks a meal dedicated to the south. The meal was off the hook and it was so nice to sit at a well placed table. We thanked our hosts and proceeded to head back to the Thingamajig foe some well needed rest.

Today we woke up ate pancakes, bacon and eggs performed morning duties and were invited by Jim out to his boat for burgers. Jim had a boat called an Island Trader, it has hand carved doors with dragons and oriental carviings, there is a hand carved dragon on the bow of his boat starboard and port! Look up the boat online they are beautiful. It is a 1980’s model and from what i learned the best sailboats are not normally the newest ones. Craftsmanship means a lot i have found out. Anyway we got into our dinghy which is an adventure in itself. I have to climb down off the bow of the boat holding on to the handle on the deck of the boat and perching precariously on one foot in the dinghy for balance and jumping into boat while maintaining enough balance not to tip dinghy over, or just fall off the side and in to the cold bay water, OOOOSSSHHH! Well into the dinghy without incident and revving up our Yamaha and into the wild blue yonder out to the Eros II for burgers and home fries. Jim used to own several restaurants and i cant wait for meal. Our dinghy has no lights so we have to be very careful even though the boat is not that far away the big boats come in and out of the bay all day long. The waves hit our dinghy and bounce us around like a piece of styrofoam on the water. The waves bouncing up over the bow a little bit is fun. Bobbing like a fishing bobber we finally made it to Jim’s sailboat and tied it off climbed the ladder to the deck and crawled over the pads that cover the helm seats. Jim has a center enclosed console on his boat with seats all around the wheel. Small wooden doors that lead down to a large salon with a walk thru kitchen ( all down one wall ) behind that is the big master berth and bath. Also past the salon is another berth and second bath. It is all beautiful wood. Pam (Jim’s woman) was there and we had a wonderful time. We played with the cats and one of them is huge like Garfield. They are both brothers and 9 years old. After our wonderful meal we hopped back into the dinghy and made our way back to the Thingamajig. The water looks beautiful and it feels great out here in the water. Moonlight gleaming on the water making the waves look etherial. Loving this life couldn’t ask for more. Thanks to Steve I am the happiest woman in the world right now. I wish my son Daniel could be here too. After climbing back on the boat with the dinghy moving back and forth i managed to pull myself up on the deck. tied up the dinghy so Steve could climb aboard. His “pirate beard” is coming along fine. My own pirate!

CAPTAINS LOG:  Get a dinghy motor you can manage with more than 2 horsepower if you can.

Nothing to post today, hanging out on boat and being total slugs! TV and sleep! Ahh relaxing kinda life. 🙂

These are some pics from St Pete. What a place! I didn’t really like it, it goes from nice to a lot of homeless people around the next corner. Just didn’t feel comfortable there. I loved the upscale restaurants and street shops. We stopped and looked at all the boats at the marina. Clearwater is much nicer. I will try to take more pics. Wont be long now we will be out on ocean again!

Not a lot happening this week just cleaning boat washing clothes and groups to discuss what we need before we hit open water again. I have been watching the touring pirate ship, the huge fishing boats, and the massive dinner boat going in and  out of the marina every day. The pier we are close to and the marina are tourist areas that rent pontoons, round circular sea doo type vehicles, jet skis, a little tugboat called the little toot, and a ton of fishing boats, catamarans and sailboats. I told Steve we should rent ours out for dolphin tours and charge 50 bucks a head. There are new people who come in every day. I did not know it but i mistakenly called a yellow black mtn cur a Labrador, i forgot totally about mtn curs. One of our boaters has an abscess tooth but cant get the tooth pulled until the antibiotics take effect after Christmas. whew! She is very nice and from ten mile tn. Steve and i are just hanging out while our boat rocks and rolls with the wind. The guys at the dock office know us by name and keep tabs on us, hard not to we are the first boat slip next to gas docks right in front of the office. No problem our boat is in good hands when we are off to the market. 🙂 I have come to love the morning walk to the showers or washateria, and the beach. The rain doesn’t last long here and the windy weather isn’t really cold at all. There is a fishing booth that books large fishing groups and in that booth is a young girl with a two-year old little boy named David, after several weeks he finally talked to me. I asked him what he wanted for Christmas and he said, “bike” His mother and he are there every day taking reservations for fishing tours. I like to do laundry that way i can catch up on my blog, cross stitch and check on Rudy the little miniature Yorkie in the marina store. I like to walk along the beach and hit the stores just window shopping up Mandaly Avenue. Steve is thoroughly enjoying all the sailors at the marina and all the advice and stories they tell. We found a coffee shop and a gelato shop we like. Loving the time we have together and missing our friends back home too. More Later— NISE and CAPTAIN STEVE 🙂

Hung around at the marina today. Not doing anything exciting so i will download pics for you guys.

Clearwater beach

Clearwater beach

Steve and I decided to go sailing on the ocean today. It is beautiful weather and we have both sails up and sailing so peacefully into the ocean. The water is cold and the sun is beautiful. It is warm enough to lay out in sun though. I am still white and need a tan bad. The dolphins play around us like kids they are jumping in and out of the water and just gliding along getting only close enough for me to barely get a picture. Steve and I have seen about 30 dolphins today just hanging out in the ocean. The wind in the sails and the boat on a course for the Tampa bay we just lay out on boat and enjoy the peace and quiet. Steve caught a lizard fish trolling from the back of the boat. Too bad he broke his rod, the handle fell of as he was winding it. The lizard fish we let go, some people use them for bait. This is sailing today just listening to the wind in the sails and just the wind pushing us along the coastline in the ocean. It is like a game though dodging crab pots. Tempted to pull one up and see if it has any crabs in it.  Captain Steve is enjoying the day. Well the wind died and we just sat in the ocean barely moving and took a nap. This is the life! I am so happy that i have someone like Steve to share it with.

Laundry Day! whew hoo. I sat at the marina washette and washed and dried our blankets clothes and sheets for 3-4 hours. The doggies are at the pier stations the little white terrier with his sweet demeanor loves to be petted, Didnt see the fat little pug today, The brindle pit mix is chewing his stick, and i met 2 big English bulldogs about the size of my labrador. The owner stopped and gave me the dogs history. 🙂 There are a lot of dogs here at the marina and most don’t bark.The pelicans are always here at the dock waiting on the fishermen to come back from fishing and start cleaning their fish. We have met so many people here. Micheal and Sharon are still here from Ten Mile Tn. Not much else happening today so will write more tomorrow.

So excited got to go shopping today on bus route to a couple of malls. Steve went fishing and hung out. I thought i would be back by about 5 pm, WRONG! Riding a bus route takes a long long time, especially when you get on the right bus going the wrong direction! I finally made it to the mall and realized i really dont need any of this overpriced merchandise and just wanted to go to Wal Mart. I finally made it to Wal mart the one i didnt want to go to LOL. I was looking for some craft supplies and well they didnt have any. I got on the bus to another mall, made it about dusk and found a Micheals and a mall i loved! It was all outdoor stores with Panera bread and a Lowes. I was right at home. Well i had to get back on bus to go to marina, whew! OK now lets describe the bus rides! I know you guys have seen Jerry Springer and Jersey shore, i was there! All the people who are in those reality shows was riding my bus that day. I was glad i had a knife with me. I listened to heated discussions on why people are poor and they cant help it, with a reply of poor people can work if they want to. Two girls who would fit right on Jersey shore, even louder than me and talking baby daddy drama, the poor boy who was one of their sons, and a newborn i just wanted to take them away! Just use your imagination! well enough of that, i made it home. I do think the next reality show will be on a public bus. Steve will definately be on the next bus ride with me for backup. 🙂 Back at the marina we had some wonderful tuna with sweet midgets and relaxed with a movie. I did buy some peppermint soft sticks and we were both enjoying one when i broke my front tooth that had been repaired several years before. With my accent and now a broken front tooth, in the middle of a bunch of people from the North! You get the picture.

Getting more difficult to keep track of days on the boat, Steve is having a wonderful time and is learning to relax. He is always smiling and happy! Nothing to do but wonder around visit places hang out with other sailors and learn more about sailboats. Steve is on the hunt for another one with more room and an enclosed helm. I have learned that some motor boaters or cruiser people dont like sailors. We dont care, and  I am glad that most people are friendlly and i am going to say hello anyway so  they better be ready! lol  We are enjoying the Pier 60 festival on the beach at night. There are crafts using every type of sea shell, rocks, plenty of jewelry, and i enjoy the live acts the most. Street performers make their living performing on the beach at night (what a life)! Walking down the pier there are all kinds of boating excursions with a salesperson at a booth eagerly awaiting the people walking by to pitch their speech for an “one of a kind fishing trip”, “see the dolphins close up and personal”, “take a ride on our rock and roll pirate ship”, and my favorite “come sailing on our sailboat to see dolphins and marine life”. We just decline but some are so persistent we just tell them we have a sailboat and are enjoying seeing the marine life just fine. I love all the puppies that the salespeople have. There is Rudy (a small Yorkie who is very obedient) he stays in the store at the marina ready to protect his owner at any time. The pit bull who loves to be scratched and petted, the small terrier that looks like Benji, the yellow lab on the cruiser who loves to bark at anyone, Nelda the blue pit who cant wait to be walked (she lives on the sailboat down the dock with her owners), and loves rubs, the cat on the leash who reminds me of Garfield only gray, The brown lab who guards his boat with fervor, and last but not least the mixed breed that looks like a beagle dachshund who just likes to  hang out! When then fisherman come in to the pier at night its like a huge race for the pelicans to see who can walk on water and fly from boat to boat getting pieces of fish the fisherman throw out. It looks like a bunch of children running for the icee or ice cream truck! The beach is always pretty in the morning i am still white as i always have something to do besides lay on the beach,  i am going to have to schedule beach time. 🙂 Have a great day everyone!