Chuck and Kathy MADE IT to St. John

They made it.  Parrot Tales arrived at St. John

On November 1st, s/v Parrot Tales departed the dock at City Marina, Ft. Pierce.  Yesterday, November 28th, they arrived at St. John.  I wrote about Chuck and Kathy Johnson and their planned route back on November 6th.  Told how they were going due East for a thousand miles and then turning South for 600 more.  They Made It!

Here is an excerpt from their Facebook page.  "We landed in St John today. 13 days away from land. There were so many similarities between my military experiences and the mindset needed to make the passage. All told, we left November 1, got here on the 28th. We sailed about 2500 miles. We used 50 gallons of diesel, about 90 gallons of water. 74 gallons of coffee. I ate 768 wraps..... the First Mate was a Rock Star. Peanut butter filled pretzels are the go to. Autopilot is your best friend until it gives up the ghost. I saw the Green Flash. Yes we sailed pretty much naked.....We are moored at the National Park in St John for $13/night. Reefs all around us and a 2 minute dinghy ride to town and, gulp, ICE CREAM!!! Let us know when you want to visit. "    you Go Chuck!  Atta Girl Kathy...

I'm still on schedule for my departure On January 4th.   

- Pirate Skip

Thanksgiving Anyone?

 Happy Thanksgiving!

 I was invited Thursday to the Yacht Club for a Thanksgiving Pot Luck.  We filled every seat and every plate.  It was a nice visit with lots of other sailors.  A couple of the club members attended to assist with the kitchen duties, set up and organization.  Dean, the City Marina manager (for the last 20 yrs) coordinated the lunch with the club and invited all the marina folks.  Remember the Yacht Club members live in houses in the city and celebrated with their families, while we yachties are all from somewhere else, living on boats and alone.  It was a very nice affair.  I met Mary and Larry Kerr, from B dock and a 43' Hatteras Miss Mary.  Plus the cutest couple, Dave and Lisa Cardinal from Michigan on their Hunter 45' sailboat, Caribbean Breeze.  The Cardinal's retired and left Michigan in August and JUST ARRIVED at the fuel dock at the marina minutes before the luncheon started.  They met Dean and he invited them to join us.  Soon after eating they got up and excused themselves.  They had to go and start again on their journey south.  They are en-route to Marathon.  (where I'll be going in January)

I took a corn dish to the Pot Luck.

Corn shown pre-cooking

My plate.  'a good time was had by all.'

I hope you didn't leave the table hungry?  Pirates do EAT!

- Peg Leg Pirate Skip

SEE what I SAW

A Tucker Torpedo car.  

Tucker 48

The Tucker 48 (named after its model year) is an automobile conceived by Preston Tucker and briefly produced in Chicago in 1948. Only 51 cars were made before the company ceased operations on March 3, 1949, due to negative publicity initiated by the news media, a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation and a heavily publicized stock fraud trial (in which the allegations were proven baseless and led to a full acquittal). Speculation exists that the Big Three automakers and Michigan Senator Homer S. Ferguson also had a role in the Tucker Corporation's demise.

I saw this thing drive by the front of the marina and park by the restaurant.  It was beautiful.  

note: the front tire configuration and how they turn.

When the cars appear at auction, which is rare, they command prices attained by only a few marquee cars. In August 2010 Tucker #1045 sold for $1.127 million while Tucker #1043 went for $2.915 million at auction in 2012.

I didnt get to see it any closer and have never seen it before or since.

Thanksgiving - a home - and Dog Sitting this week.

Happy Thanksgiving Dogsitting!

 Barkley and Bella

Ken being helped make coffee

Ken and KeeKee are in Alabama for the Thanksgiving holiday and I'm dog sitting at their house in Port Saint Lucie.  Barkley, Bella and I are enjoying a quiet relaxing 'stay at home' Thanksgiving this year.  Except we have to get out and make multiple walks around the neighborhood each day.  If we dont, they are so wound up and energized they jump all over me and bark, play and wrestle constantly.

This is a very brief example of their antics.

Perhaps I'll write more later, but they are just outside the office door now, barking - demanding - that it's time for our morning 'W.A.L.K.'  Gotta run, literally, as it's all i can do to keep up with them when outside and they get on the march.

Thursday I'm going back up to Fort Pierce to the marina for a Pot Luck Thanksgiving Celebration.  The dogs don't know about Thanksgiving, so please don't tell them.  To them it's just another day...

It's a Dog's Life!

- Peg Leg Pirate Skip

AC gone bad in the back-o-the boat.

On a boat the air-conditioner has water pumped through it.  It's "water cooled."  Well earlier this week my aft AC had it's pump crap out.  It may be cold where YOU are, but here in Ft. Pierce FL its still hot and stuffy.  Today it was in the high 80's.  To sleep, I prefer it not be hot and sticky.  As it's a very small space down under the floorboards, I had to mount the raw water strainer and pump onto a board to squeeze it all in.  After a trip to West Marine for a new pump and a $300 hit to my card, I have things cool again.  Ahhhhhh the Pirates Life! 

Back in place, installed and cool.

Earlier this week i got my 'new Florida numbers' put onto the dinghy.  (it used to have TX#'s.)  First paint over the old Texas information with grey paint.  Then get your $2 Walmart stencil and paint new black Florida info and place the registration sticker.  I'm legal again.

Now it's time for bed.     - Pirate Skip

Yes, Eye Can...

Today I went to get a pair of computer glasses.

The Optometrist said I have some 'minor Cataract growth', and not to worry.  (If I'm not to worry, why tell me?  Did she think that knowing i had some minor Cataracts would relax me?)  I have decided to forget what she said.  I'll go back again in a year and see (pun intended) if my very minor Cataracts are the same or worse.  Ahhh, how relaxed I am becoming.

Yesterday I did a big bike ride about 16 miles and 3 hours.  I did a super sized loop around my usual riding area.  At marker #21 I stopped at the Taco Stand and got a Gordita for lunch.  It was delicious.  It tastes like a Cornbread hot pocket filled with Steak, white Mexican Cheese, lettuce and tomato.  

A gordita (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡoɾˈðita]) in Mexican cuisine is a pastry made with masa and stuffed with cheese, meat, or other fillings. It is similar to a pasty and to the Colombian/Venezuelan arepa.Gordita means "chubby" in Spanish.  

Boating?

I'm working now on Schedules for Prodigal.  Planning for my co-pilots and I, charts, travel and boat preparation for departure to the Bahamas for the Season. (Jan-June) I have Customs paperwork.  Insurance paperwork.  Provisioning.  On and on the list making goes...    But it's still Hurricane Season till the end of this month.  I'll do a few more bike rides and eat more Gorditas.  Life is good.         

- Captain Skip

A Taste of Italy

A Taste of little Italy

My dear friends Bill and Denise Sears invited me to Jupiter for the Italian festival.  Food and more food, plus a stage with lots of great Italian singing.  A great time was had by all.