Back in December, Bill and great pal Rick manned the two day/two night journey from Savannah to Palm Beach Gardens where our sturdy trawler was subjected, once again, to the attentions of legions of mechanics, electricians, fiberglass buffers, hull cleaners and other assorted nautical personnel. Old systems were inspected and updated. Corrections and additions were made where necessary. New systems were installed. There is no such thing as too much redundancy on a boat. The generator, often given to fits of pique, was coddled and tinkered with until she finally agreed to do her part again for this voyage. She will receive some much-needed tweaking in the spring.
We have some new monitoring devices, too. We are now the proud employers of a "Boat Nanny." This amazing little device monitors the activity, or inactivity, of electrical connections, motion on the boat, smoke, high temperatures and, significantly, the level of water in the bilge. Too much of that can cause drowning in boats, we hear. Nanny will be especially important when we are not aboard as she has the ability to phone home to alert us to adverse situations. She also, we've already learned, likes to call in at 1:30 in the morning just to see if we're up.
There are new toys on board as well. Bill has a sexy new wetsuit that is designed to camouflage him as he descends into the briny deep to enjoy colorful tropical fishes and reefs or to clean the keel of kelp. True! It is supposed to make him blend into the sandy sea bed if sharks or other predators come too close. The bright yellow hose of the hookah regulator might give him away though.
A new friend on Daufuskie, Mark, spent many hours with Bill last fall sharing a lifetime of knowledge about offshore fishing techniques and strategies. He gifted us with lures that assure us of catches in the 100 pound plus range, and the davit has been reconfigured to drag the unfortunate monsters aboard the boat until we can catch our breath and filet them. Let them eat fish!! To utilize the new lures, we now sport a pair of custom made stand-up rods with Penn International 50 reels. (Easy for me to say!) They have yet to be deployed, but a small black fin tuna was caught this morning on old gear. It's always a thrill to hear the "fish on!" shout from the cockpit.
We have not stinted Let's Dance electronically either. There is a computer program that we particularly like and use frequently called "Active Captain." This is an interactive program designed by a New England mariner in which individuals can enter their thoughts and comments on particular marinas, anchorages, etc., a la Wikipedia. The designer of this software has come out with another inventive program that we are currently test-driving. It's purpose is to monitor the distance that the boat moves after it is anchored so that you can tell if your anchor is holding or if it is loose and dragging along the sea floor. The name of this clever little app is, appropriately, "Drag Queen." You've got to love his sense of whimsey. So far the Queen has done well by Let's Dance, but stay tuned for the next chapter wherein our anchoring skills are tested by 65 knot winds.
The trip is going well and we've put in several 60 to 70 mile days to arrive in Key West in time to meet Bill's cousin Jim and his wife, Sandra. They will spend several days with us cruising the area, sightseeing in both Let's Dance and the Love Me Tender. We look forward to the company!
That's all for now from Boot Key, Florida.
Latitude 24 41.62 N Latitude 81 07.13 W
Let's Dance.......Carol and Bill
