Thursday 7.31 Marathon, FL.

Well i was informed that my BLOG was not keeping pace with my vacation... (it's a lot of work - not working!)

yesterday: i did 'open-boat' on two sailboats here in Marathon. (like open house) neither rates top contender marks. they had some 'issues.' Please allow me to explain.

#1. DISCOVERY. You first see the sailboat. Either in person or on the internet. (as this one was in the Marina and the for sale sign was visable from the road) from photos or 'the road' they all look the same - beautiful. you can't smell the mildew, see the dry rot or the neglect till you open it up and climb down into the 130 degree heat of late July Florida boat shopping.

(note: i take a shot showing the headroom - priority one.)

#2. INSPECTION. When fact separates from fiction. is it tall enough? is the bed long enough? is it rotted? sunk? hurricane damage, moldy, mildew, nasty? IS IT WORTH THE MONEY? can this be a home?

water in bilge. crack on deck. water inside. too short.

#3. MOVE ON. after you determine (quickly now after more experience) that this vessel is not worthy of your time, you walk away. then you have a lovely dinner and begin searching for the next one to look at. remember, there are plenty of boats on the sea.

just find a nice view with a cool ocean breeze and order your tuna rare.

-skip

Monday Marathon, FL. 7.28

Well i didnt get much done today. (in the boat shopping category) Looking down island for shopping this week. some sailboats in the key west area. I'll need to set up some sales appts.

I did want to pass along that over the weekend we did some scuba diving. Craig used the 'new' Spear Gun to kill 4 Hogfish, which we promptly ate. (i screwed up and didn't get a photo of the fish before cleaning.)


Tonight Angela is trying out her 'new' Presto 8 qt. stainless steel Pressure Cooker. cooking some baby back pork ribs. FANTASTIC!!! they were splendid. the 250 degree steam cooked the ribs so tender they were "meet falls off the bone" when we picked them up. it only took 15 minutes. (this was a learning experience for all involved as we had not used a pressure cooker before) a great tool for 'island shopping' where the cuts of meat are tough and poor quality.


can't visit any more now. I have boat shopping to do.
-skip

Florida Keys, Sat 7.26

• SIGN POSTED ON DECK of the Sailboat for my arrival. What a welcome site to see after driving for days! Taking it easy in the hammock on deck at anchor. (it's not all work) .........
  
  1 Sorry for the delay writing. I'm taking a delay from boat shopping to island hop in the Keys. Today we are at Bahia Honda Key just north of key west. going fishing for snapper in a second. Craig just started the engine and is ready to go.... Angela cooked: banana pancakes with sliced fresh pinapple and sausage on the side. it's a sunny beautiful day here. (warm but breezy) gotta run and Captain the ship. sailing out about 5 miles offshore to the reef.
  
  2 In a 'continuing education' plan - I am being a 'single handed' sailor today. Starting at the dock in the Marina, Craig has been teaching, coaching me through all the different technical aspects of sailing the vessel by myself. (raise the sails, drop the anchor, start the engine, steer, set course.) this has been a great refresher course. some things are not quite like riding a bicycle. the winds were light so the threat of being blown into the dock was removed. i 're-learned' lots. the entry back into the marina under engine power was the tricky part... "how much gas do you give a 13 ton ship to straighten it into the wind beside a million dollar yacht without crashing it into the end of the dock?" no sweat - i got lucky my first try!
  
  ITS NOT FISHING - IT'S CATCHING!!!
  Dockside cleaning fish. ** see bird. as Craig cleaned fish he threw scraps to the ever closer 'inspector bird.' the ones that didn't get away...
  
  
  having fun! -skip
  the Ring Craig gave Angela.

Wed 7.23 St.Pete/Bradenton Shopping

Saw 5 boats today. (have 5 scheduled for tomorrow) things are going better. i may have this figured out - "how" to shop. I drove down from Tampa to St. Petersburg to the marina - downtown. Lovely city! i was also impressed with Bradenton. these two are cutest, cleanest, nicest seaport towns i've seen in Florida. (like; 'i could live here' kinda places)

After St. Pete i drove over the bridge to Bradenton and LUNCH. Grouper Filet, with Sweet potatoe fries and Crab Soup. WOW!!! ($22) (didnt know 'how' to eat the crab claws. picked them up with my fingers - out of the bowl)

it was a great shopping day. now i'm in Port Charlotte for my 9am meeting. Thursday i shop then drive down to Marathon. (~100 miles south of Miami in the keys)

still having fun. gotta run now for dinner somewhere here near the hotel.

xo skip

hotel Port Charlotte

Wed 7.23 Tampa Shopping

Breakfast Peach. ahhhhhhhhh yummy! (this peach is from a little store in Bayou La Batre, AL.) i've been saving this little beauty till it got to the perfect-sweetest-ripeness. So, this morning in the rain seems like the time to enjoy it. a cool gentle rain will help cool off the boats and make for a great day of shopping... yippeeeee!!!


HERE I GO!

Tue shopping continues - Tampa

Maybe I was naïve? . . . Thinking I would drive into a city, ease down to the Marina and find the ‘used sailboats.’ (you know. all lined up like an open house) This shopping thing is turning out to be a full blown CHALLENGE.


Today I drove from Pensacola down to Tampa. (all in florida – no challenge to that) My goal was to line up a viewing for one of the sailboats I had seen online. So, I call the listing Broker. He’s in New York. The boat I want to see in Tampa turns out is actually sitting in Ft. Myers. (remember these things ‘move’ they have sails) The owner lives in Nashville, TN. A song writer who only lives on it during the winter months… back to square one.


Now I’m in my hotel in Tampa, resting, thinking dinner thoughts and going online again to “shop.” In the morning I will meet some Brokers for viewing boats in the Tampa, St. Petersburg area.

La Vita Loca Baby!
Mapquest, Yachtworld and a tablet. here we go again! -skip

Monday 7.21 shopping

Monday was just another shopping day… I woke up in Mississippi and then drove to Alabama. My first stop - Bayou la Batre to look at a Gulf Star 50’. It was funny with this visit. I called my yacht broker in Kemah, Texas who is handling this boat, he calls the owner in Shreveport, Louisiana and I’m driving to Alabama to see the boat. The owner calls his 76 year old neighbor (Cliff) to come open it up for me. AFTERward, I had a killer lunch at the Lighthouse Restaurant there in Bayou la Batre. then i Saw a very clean 41’ Morgan Classic in Mobile. Then I drove to Pensacola Florida to see another boat. (catalina 38) In the morning I’ll drive down to Tampa and start over with more shopping.

Tonight I had fresh Tuna appetizer, Redfish and veggies down on the waterfront in Pensacola.
Lunch / grouper.
It’s going well. I’m really enjoying my search. Yesterday I realized this is NOT a job, its a ‘vacation adventure.’ So I’m slowing down and smelling the roses. Having fun.

(note: he painted a small blue stripe 1' up on the glass. "Katrina")

Boat Buying Trip 7.20

I am driving from Dallas down to Key West, Florida shopping for a sailboat. This is a fun trip. Yesterday, saturday 7.19 i made it down to Alexandria, Louisiana before i stopped to sleep. Today i am sleeping in Ocean City, Mississippi. (i had a breakfast; western omelet with lots of coffee at Opelousas, LA.) i drove down to Slidell to shop a 50' Gulfstar ketch. it showed well but i didnt make an offer. made plenty of notes and took photos. Then i tried to find a hotel in: Gulfport, Biloxi and finally found something i liked in Ocean City, MS. i'll start tomorrows shopping in Mobile, Alabama. (after a breakfast somewhere) Oh hey, dinner tonight - Catfish on the Bayou. yummmmmmmmy. yes, those are sweet potatoes and the hush puppies had chunks of Jalapeno to give them some bite, cole slaw. $9.


Boat Shopping is fun. It's like window shopping and an Easter Egg hunt at the same time. yippee! -skip

Sailboat Story. July 2008

I'm going to buy a sailboat and live on it. I put my house up for sale. I'll cruise the Caribbean being the true 'American Tourister.' This has been an ongoing project for several months. Last week i drove down to Houston (clearlake, kemah) and did some boat shopping. There are several lovely boats in my price range. but it's gonna take some effort to find the perfect one. First: sell the house. Second: find a boat that i can fit into, one with enough headroom...


nothing new to report on this front. the house is showing and it only takes one buyer...


-skip