Had another fun filled day yesterday. Took the trolley to Mote Marine and toured the aquarium. It is the largest research organization for sea life in North America. Many well known researchers work there including a woman who specializes in sharks. She has discovered that sharks get 8 of the same cancers as humans but they don't die from them. Came back to the boat, and again jumped into the dinghy to watch the sunset. Full moon last night, and very chilly. We had talked about going in the kayak for a full mom cruise, but we chose to stay in the warm boat instead. We had hot soup and salmon for dinner, and watched a very funny show on HBO to go (technology is great) As I made coffee in my old fashioned percolator on the stove just now, I thought about all the fancy things I use every day at home. They are all nice things, but in the end very unimportant. It's only the people that matter in life.

Another day in paradise...we could travel thousands of miles and the scenery wouldn't be as pretty as it is here. Yesterday, after a long, leisurely breakfast, we jumped in the kayak and paddled over to Coquina Beach. It is a good distance from Free Spirit; we have walked there from the boat which involves walking out to the main drag and crossing the Longboat Pass bridge. We had a picnic lunch and then walked all the way to the turnaround where there is a street of shops and restaurants. Omi, Deb and I have gone there to shop and to eat crepes at a cute French restaurant. The great thing about this area is that you can walk for miles safely on paved walkways, or if you rather ride, jump on a trolley - which is what we did on the way back. We retrieved our kayak and, after some fun exploring, came back to the boat. Eric read and I enjoyed yoga in our cockpit (there is room for my yoga mat, which is great). Soon it would be happy hour, and because the trees block the sunset a bit, we jumped into the dinghy and rode out to the Gulf entrance to watch the sunset. We had a delicious dinner...it's funny but everything tastes great when on the water, in the fresh air. Woke up to the sounds of birds chirping. I like this alarm clock much better than the one at home!

It is nice to stay in one spot as beautiful as this anchorage in Longboat Key for more than just a pass through. The morning started with a group of dolphins playing near our boat and even jumping out of the water - of course, in honor of Eric's birthday. We walked to the main road and caught the bus to St. Armands. It worked great. Only $1.25 per person. We had lunch at the Columbia, sat outside and watched the world go by. The server brought a flan for Eric's birthday. We shopped around the circle, and at 3 caught a van back to our anchorage. I quickly jumped into the kayak, and for the first time, took it out by myself. What a treat. The water was like glass and I felt like I had the whole anchorage area to myself. It was so peaceful. Birthday dinner was lamb chops and salad. Then we watched Boardwalk Empire on the ipad. So what a world...Ed (may he rest in peace) would have loved this new world. This morning we read the Tampa Bay Times on our ipads, replied to work emails, etc. etc. all on the boat. Love it.

We had a beautiful trip to the Mar Vista anchorage in Longboat Key yesterday. We listened to the Bucs game on the radio and enjoyed the beautiful, clear weather. On the way out of the lower Manatee, Bob and Cindy Weisberg called us on the radio; they were anchored on the other side of the river. We sailed with them for a while, and then said good bye and went on our way. When we arrived yesterday afternoon, we jumped into our kayak and paddled around the anchorage, over to Jewfish Key, an Island close to us. There are several homes there, and it was fun to get close to them (closer than we have ever gotten in our sailboat because it is too shallow) and take a good look. I wonder if people live their full time or just use the homes as weekend and vacation get aways. Eric made a delicious dinner of sauteed eggplant, onion and summer squash and quinoa. Nice and hot, which was perfect for a chilly evening. This morning (Eric's 55th) we are enjoying coffee and breakfast, and just savoring the opportunity to rush nowhere. Our plan today is to dinghy to shore, and catch a trolley to St. Armands, and have lunch at the Columbia to celebrate Eric's birthday. So far, I am still in my pajamas and drinking coffee!

Thanksgiving sailing trip 2012

We arrived at the lower Manatee River Friday morning, after a very nice Thanksgiving day, spent with the Sokolovs, Arlene and Bill, Jacob and Omi. Of course, there was a an empty seat and an emptiness in our hearts without Poppi with us. Josh wasn't with us either, as he is on a two month stint in Belize, to open a call center in Belize. The Benstocks arrived here on Sababa shortly after us, and we immediately kayaked over to them for happy hour and we had a delicious steak dinner. Yesterday, they came here for breakfast, and then Eric and I went to shore and hiked for an hour around Emerson Park. It is an amazingly beautiful, vestige of what Florida used to look like before it was developed. The plants, trees, etc. are so lush, and there are butterflies everywhere. We even saw lemon trees. Lunch of delicious fish chowder made by Chef David was on Sababa, followed by a nap on Free Spirit, then back to Sababa to watch the Gators crush the Noles. Mike had us on a regular feeding schedule throughout the evening; whole wheat pasta with Chef David's homemade pesto at half time, brisket sandwiches after the game, and then a tradition that began on our last trip with Margot and Mike (Mike said it was so much fun he will never forget it), hot dogs with sauerkraut at the stroke of midnight (last night it was just before midnight) All night we had a countdown...4 hours til hot dogs, 3 hours and 42 minutes til hot dogs, etc. One would think we were consuming the most amazingly delicious gourmet meal, but there is something about being outside, under the stars eating a hot dog at midnight. Unforgettable. This morning we will leave for Longboat Key; the Benstocks are heading home. The weather couldn't be better; beautiful during the day, and chilly at night, which is great for sleeping. As we enjoy a leisurely breakfast this morning, I am once again reminded why I love this boat so much. The sky is blue, and the only sounds I hear are the birds and the water lapping against the boat. Peace and quiet.

Guess who came to dinner? After an absolutely beautiful sail to Longboat Key, we convinced Mark (it didn't take much arm twisting) to come for dinner (of course, he had to bring steaks to grill, because we are all out of food!) and stay the night. When we got here, we walked on the beach, swam, watched a beach wedding and on the way back, our dingy motor gave out and a nice couple towed us home.

We had a delicious dinner. We talked and saw Debbie and Corey in China on Mark's phone! What a world. Amazing technology. Now if a cure for cancer could be found...maybe Jacob will do that. Heading home soon. Sad our time off is over, but feel extremely fortunate to live in Paradise. We are already planning our next get away on Free Spirit.

In Venice enjoying a delicious breakfast of my bread, lox, eggs, cheese and melon on the stern of our boat watching the boats go by. Yael is in the hospital to have her baby and we are anxiously waiting to hear the good news. When I am on the treadmill that I call life I can't imagine not rising at 5:30, working out every morning at 6, gulping down my coffee, etc. Waking to the sounds of birds, boats and water is a joy. Sitting here enjoying a leisurely breakfast is unreal. After I wash my dishes (even that is fun on a boat) we will head to Longboat Key for our last night. I am so grateful that we live in Florida and we can hop on our boat any time for some R and R. We met people on a sailboat from Texas. They keep their boat at the Vinoy and fly in to use it. We complain about driving 20 minutes! Florida is a boater's paradise.

It is so nice to see the light! We left Key West yesterday morning and had a nice day on Free Spirit. It started out a bit rough but eventually the seas calmed. Eric caught a small mackerel(too small to keep) and then had four false fish alarms so we had a delicious dinner of chicken, quinoa and veggies. I baked a delicious loaf of whole wheat raisin bread which was done just in time for dinner. It was a pretty sunset and there were many stars. We took turns on watch and when Eric woke me for the 2 am shift he had a hot cup of chicken noodle soup waiting for me, which made me not quite as crabby to be woken up. I read and it was very hard not to nod off. I was on watch when the sun rose and it was so nice to see daylight again. We should be in Venice by about 12:30.

The seas have finally calmed down (darn!) and we are leaving Key West for Venice, so we will be on the boat out at sea until Thursday. We always thought that a few days in Key West was enough, but after this experience we changed our minds. It takes a few days to get into the Key West rhythm, and there is plenty to do here. Yesterday we rode ten miles around the Island. We happened upon a beautiful garden club area that was converted from a war structure right on the ocean. We ate our picnic lunch there. Tom picked us up at the dingy dock at 6:30 and took us to their boat for dinner. They stay at a mooring field for only $18 a night and now that we see how it works we may opt for that situation next visit. Not as convenient as staying where we are, literally in the heart of Key West but much much cheaper. Hoping for calm seas today and tonite!

The seas are still too rough to head home (awwwww. So tough to be stuck in Key West!) so we are making lemonade out of lemons...or actually rum punch out of rum, orange juice and cranberry juice! Our plan is to leave tomorrow, so yesterday we rode our bikes 3 miles to the grocery store to reprovision. We each had a backpack and we also were able to put bags into our bike baskets. After lunch on the boat, Eric decided he wanted a Conch Republic flag for the mast, so we set out to find one in town, and we succeeded (not hard to find in Key West!) I also bought a sun dress for $5 (there are $5 stores all over Key West) and it was worth every penny because I wore it last night, and it was the topic of many jokes at dinner last night!

Tom and Brady showed up for happy hour (their timing is impeccable!) and we went to a great little Chinese Restaurant for dinner. I think what I am enjoying most is the lack of rushing all of the time. I feel guilty not running to the gym every morning, but we seem to be getting our share of exercise biking and walking. Being able to wake up, check email, drink coffee and just relax in the morning is a real treat...not to mention napping in the afternoon, actually finishing a book and not putting on make up! Today some last minute shopping so we can head out in the morning.

Yesterday while it poured all the way until sunset, we did what any member of the Conch Republic would do during a storm - we donned our foul weather gear and made our way (which wasn't easy because roads were flooded) to Sloppy Joe's for bloody mary's and the best tasting nachos, topped with the famous Sloppy Joes, ever. We walked around Duval in the rain, just like everyone else, except coming off of a sailboat, we were much better prepared with our raincoats and boat shoes. We came back to the boat to rest and to weather out the storm, which stopped shortly before sunset. After a swim (we had the entire pool to ourselves) we saw a beautiful sunset. Went back to our favorite Schooners Wharf Bar on the boardwalk for dinner. Walked around the marina and talked to some of the participants in the World Kingfish Tournament, which we learned is for people who are wealthy...and more wealthy. The cost is about $10,000 to enter, then you have to have one of these fancy, million dollar plus fishing boats with about 7 crew (including a photographer to document the catch), many have another boat just for bait, and on and on. The top prize can be over a million bucks. Guess we will stick to our two lines we troll off of our stern!

Yesterday's weather was the calm before the storm. We rode our bikes in the morning, about 6 miles. We went over the bridge to see where Tom and Brady are moored, and decided that it is worth it to pay for the convenience of being in the heart of Key West, at a marina where we have electricity, pool, etc etc. We ended up at our favorite Mam's Kosher restaurant (well, it's really just a walk up counter and 3 tables outside)for lunch. We were happy Mam is still here, as when we ate there last year, she said she was planning to go back to Israel. Eric had shakshuka and I had falafel. Out of this world. We spent the afternoon on the boat, doing laundry, reading and napping. After a swim, we headed over to Schooners Wharf for the launch of the Conch Republic Festival. We got a table that was perfect for watching the world walk by. There was a parade through the restaurant and it was a typical weird, crazy and really fun time. Today we are waiting for a horrible storm to pass. It is thundering, lightning, pouring and the wind is howling. We are hoping to at least be able to put on our foul weather gear and be able to get off the boat and go into town.

We arrived safely in Key West on Wednesday morning, after a very rough passage. The forecasts, which Eric and Tom monitored and discussed thoroughly before leaving, called for 15 knots. Well, with all of the technology in this world, they still can't predict the weather. They blew 28 knots most of the night, and it was miserable. Instead of grilling lamb chops (there was no way that was going to happen) we grabbed whatever we could, and when an entire glass of red wine blew into my lap, it was downhill from there. I wasn't a happy camper, and Eric could tell I had that pre-seasick look on my face, so he gave me two dramamine and set me below to sleep. I stayed down below the entire passage, and poor Eric was on duty the entire night. The morning brought calmer seas, and we sailed into Key West feeling very beat up (especially Eric). After enjoying a cold margarita to celebrate our safe passage, we swam showered and slept for about 4 hours. We grilled the lamb chops, went to Mallory Square to watch the sunset

and walked around town to poke our heads into our favorite bars to hear the music. Yesterday, our first full day here. we met Tom and Brady for brunch at Harry's, and then spent the day with them here. Last night, we went the Green Parrot to hear the Red Elvises, a popular band (the place was mobbed), grilled steaks on our boat, and when they left, we walked around town. It turns out we will not be going to the Dry Tortugas this trip, as the weather isn't going to be great, so we have to stay put in Key West until early next week. There are worse places to be stuck! In fact, it turns out this is a great time to be stuck here, as it is Conch Republic Festival starting tonight, and there are many celebrations planned. We are going to Schooners Wharf Bar tonight to watch the Festival begin. Should be a hoot.

It's Tuesday

morning and we are off to Key West. Yesterday we had a full day of perfect weather and lots of exploring. We went over to Cabbage Key for the most delicious hamburger, mahi mahi and black beans and rice, and of course key lime pie. We love this restaurant (the only one on the Island), with its "dollar" room, where patrons tape up dollar bills all over the walls and ceiling. Feeling very content, we went on Tom and Brady's dingy and set off to see the stilt houses a couple of miles from the anchorage. These houses, built about 100 years ago, were there to provide fisherman with ice, and they are literally in the middle of nowhere! There are only about 6 of them left in the area, and it's fascinating to see them. Apparently, they are still used, as we saw one of them had small satellite dish and a boat behind it. From there we went to Captiva Island and had a beer at a beach bar. The mansions there are beautiful. On the way back, we stopped at Caya Costa Island and Nature Reserve to walk the beach, which is pristine and isolated. We say one other person and many osprey. When we got back to our boats, Tom suggested we have happy hour on his dingy and putter around Useppa Island. We brought our beverages and they brought cheese and crackers and we spent a wonderful hour on the water, looking at the amazing mansions on Useppa and enjoying a beautiful sunset. Dinner was on Free Spirit. We had ravioli, salad, cauliflower, and of course, wine.

We are at Useppa Island, a utopia for boaters. Useppa is a private island, with many large homes, and the only way to get there by boat (or helicopter!). In the other direction is Cabbage Key, where there are cute bugalows on the water for rental and a restaurant where it is rumored Jimmy Buffet wrote "Cheeseburgers in Paradise." We went out in the Gulf yesterday to get here, and it was very pitchy (the Captain didn't know it would be rocking and rolling as much as it was). Long story short, I should have taken a dramamine when it was offered to me. The seasickness hit me like a ton of bricks. I took two of the pills, told Eric to get out of the Gulf and into the Intercoastal (where it would be calm) and slept. Eventually we did get out of the gulf, took Stump Pass to the intercoastal and I was feeling like a new person. One of the highlights of the trip was a dolphin that decided to coast along our boat for about 15 minutes. It was amazing. When we arrived at Useppa, we went for a swim which felt wonderful, then joined our friends, Tom and Brady on "Mo Headroom" for happy hour and dinner, which consisted of chicken, broccoli and Tom's famous salad (spinach, gorgonzola and walnuts). The weather is perfect for sleeping, and waking up hearing the birds and water lapping on the boat is a real treat. Today we will get in the dingy and explore. Might pack a picnic lunch and go to the beach.

Venice (Florida, not Italy)

Had a beautiful sail to Venice on the intercoastal. Enjoyed a great workout for about an hour on deck. Beats the heck out of the gym! This area is heaven. Water is blue and there are so many dolphins. We arrived at Crow's Nest and Eric spent about 2 plus hours repairing our jib sail. I walked to the beach and took a swim and saw two dolphins very, very close to shore. It was amazing. Walked out on the Venice jetty to watch the sunset, which is always a treat! Off to Useppa tomorrow.

APRIL 2012 ON FREE SPIRIT

Left the marina at 11:30 on Friday April 13. One unwritten rule for boaters is NEVER leave for cruise on Friday the 13th. But, we left anyway and when we saw a dolphin on the way out of the marina, we took that as a good sign. We had a beautiful sail to Longboat Key and met up with our friends Maya and Al on Fantastique. They came aboard for happy hour and then we went on their dingy ashore to Mar Vista for dinner. My friend, Tosca (the gatekeeper at Mar Vista) was happy to see me, but we still had to wait a while for a table. We bought a bottle of wine and sat on chairs on the beach while we waiited. Al told us a great story about how he and Tom (of Tom and Brady, the couple who shared our poisonous barracuda last year) worked for 4 months, 3 days a week on Fantastique getting blisters off the bottom and redoing the fiberglass. Enjoying a beautiful morning at this anchorage. Made coffee in a french press that I bought on Groupon and it is really good, a perfect way to brew coffee on a boat. I am watching some kids with their Dads fishing on the little Mar Vista pier. When I get out here, I am convinced I could get used to this for extended periods of time. We will leave later this morning for a day trip on the intercoastal to Venice to spend the night. A good day to all of you from Free Spirit!