Project Motor Boat

Our 5 Favorite Lines from "Captain Ron"

2012-02-24T07:30:00.000-05:00

Captain Ron is one of those movies that every boater should see and if possible even memorize lines from. When I first got into boating GR exposed me to Captain Ron saying I couldn't begin to understand what life on a boat was going to be like without this brief introduction. I never understood those lines he was quoting until I watched it either! After I'd seen Ron, Oh, maybe 300 times, I had my favorite lines picked out. These simple line can be applied to bigger areas of boating & life and still carry meaning. So, with no further adieu, I present our 5 favorite lines from Captain Ron.

"If anything is gonna happen, it's gonna happen out there." - Seriously though, no amount of time spent sitting at the dock, reading, researching, buying, planning and dreaming of driving a boat, anchoring a boat, docking a boat and/or cruising in general can truly prepare you for the real deal! Once you "get out there" the boat is really being used. She's moving around all the fuel in the tank, stirring up junk. She's got a little resistance under the keel and the wind is on your face causing extreme periods of elation. All this combined with the fact that Mother Nature is a force to be reckoned with can make for some interesting bonfire stories! Which is in fact why we love to live this way, is it not? Just get out there and do it! Use the boat, use your judgement, practice makes for better because no one is perfect!

"Shit happens, cough it up." - At this point in the movie Ron and Ben are playing Monopoly for money and Ben says, "That's all the money I have!". As the saying goes with boats, it's just a hole in the water we dump money into. Doesn't it always seem to take the biggest chunk too? It seems like every time we turn around now, it's break out another thousand! B.O.A.T. But once again, that is life. We earn it to spend it! So why not spend it one your dream boat, or on your dream cruise or trip to the Caribbean? Don't complain, gripe and moan; shit does happen. Just ask Forrest Gump!

"It's just a little squall. They come on ya fast and they leave ya fast." - Generally speaking, squall lines roll in and roll out. You ride the storm and while you are clinging to the life lines or the tiller you are learning some great lessons on how to steer your ship. Isn't this a great metaphor for life? Life has a funny way of teaching us things sometimes. You can be in the midst of some terrible times but in the grand scheme of your life it's a very short time. Once the storm calms down and you are able to look back on the tumultuous time you persevered through, it seems a lifetime away. Take this advice from Captain Ron lightly if you wish but there is some depth to it; I promise!

"If we get lost, we'll just pull in somewhere and ask directions." - While this is a very funny line, it isn't that practical. You literally can't pull in somewhere and ask for directions in the middle of the deep, blue sea - but there are several electronic advancements around these days that can help in times of delusion or GPS Failure or feeling lost. One time, we had our GPS go out on us after a long night of slogging across the Gulf Stream. I mean we were being given at least a 5 gallon bucket wave every 20 minutes for 6 hours. UGH! Typically we would plot our course as a back up but in this weather it was impossible. We reached about 6 miles offshore of Bimini, Bahamas but weren't exactly sure of our location, SCARY! We hailed on the VHF and were helped in by some friends already there. Shortly after this incident we invested in a Single Side Band Radio, "just in case."

"Let's kick the tires and light the fires" - This just sounds like FUN doesn't it? What better way to get the crew psyched up and ready to go then this? We use this lines just about every time we start the engine. But you could also use it before you start the car, the grill or your outboard! Every crew needs a little motivation now and then. Find a motivating phrase you like if this one doesn't suit - but don't deny it, you were ready to go!

All this talk about sailing and Captain Ron has got me ready to drink a beer, but "hey, you want a beer you get your own beer!" Ha ha!

Being Resourceful

2012-02-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

Resourceful: adj.

Able to act effectively or imaginatively, especially in difficult situations.

Able to use the means at one's disposal to meet situations effectively.

Ingenious, inventive, creative no matter what word you use to describe it; there are times when you just have to think outside the box! When we moved from one boat to another we didn't have the convenience of taking our belongings by car from one marina to another. We went from Central America to the Eastern Continental U.S. by plane. With the cost of bags these days we felt it unnecessary to pay for things twice. Books, art supplies, tools, cruising charts and games can be heavy really add weight to your 50 pound limit. We figured we could probably just buy those things again, in good time.

Fast forward 3 months( my how time flies) and my how we are accumulating things left and right! Some friends donated a ton of paint brushes to Gia and me. We were so thankful that they also donated a huge coffee tin, bread ties and a sprouting tupper ware (for growing sprouts)! When you put your needs "out there" (into the cosmic universe by prayer or meditation) I knew that the universe would provide for us.

Since we are on a budget as many people are I took matters into my own hands when the new year came around. I felt we really needed a calendar, what with all of Gia's school functions, my work schedule and our now various bills to pay. (ick) But instead of going out and spending almost $15 on a wall calendar I decided to be resourceful! Using one of our old shopping bags I created 4 months worth of calendars using the front and back sides of a brown paper bag.

If you have a collection of things around the house or boat, think about new ways to use them! We now save all our bread ties and use them in the school garden to help hold up those delicious tomatoes and green pepper stalks. We use binder clips and rubber bands to close cereal and chip bags. Part of what makes cruising fun is the ability to leave "land life" behind and sometimes that means there is not a Target or a Wal*Mart nearby. Learning to do without can have tons of benefits, just one of the many is being resourceful!

In what ways have you become more resourceful? We'd love to hear your comments!

Art Festival Recap

2012-02-22T07:30:00.000-05:00

The Coconut Grove Art Festival was incredible, colorful and encompassed a large section of the main streets of the town. What seemed like a lock down for the residents of the Grove was in fact a huge income producer for the town. I think we can live with a little bit of inconvenience for the sake of art and revenue. The locals have it down to a science by now anyway, and I should have followed suit. I heard friends say to go on Monday because there is significantly less foot traffic. We, however, went on Sunday around noon and there was barely room to walk among the tents. Gia and I weaseled our way around to get a view of some of the most spectacular pieces. Here's what we liked!

Using a potter's wheel and drawing his inspirations from nature this artist had some cool pieces!

Who doesn't love yard art? Even if you don't have a yard, it's pretty cool!


This jewelry artist gave us some great ideas for wire wrapping!

Last but definitely not least these lovely ladies. Overall, the Art Festival was music, food and art that left nothing to be desired. It was great fun and I think next year we will volunteer with the festival, get in free and rock those cool volunteer shirts!

Boat Show Recap

2012-02-21T07:30:00.000-05:00

The long awaited boat show! We were so excited to finally get there but in reality 1 day just isn't enough!

After battling traffic and waiting for a shuttle from Bayside and then another shuttle from the convention center Gia and I finally made it to The Miami Yacht & Brokerage Show in Miami Beach. There we connected with GR as he escaped working the show for the day. I say escape as if he isn't sitting in the lap of luxury!

Here is the yacht he gets to hang out on!


No Bada Bees squeezed in tight among all the Mega Yachts on Collins Ave, SoBe Miami Fl

I got a quick tour and have to say the interior is really impressive. The walls are bamboo, not laminate and the light color is very light and modern. With 6 staterooms there is no shortage of space for guests. This boat is not actively for sale but was in the show as a model of what IAG Yachts can offer.

We changed gears and scenery when we entered the Convention Center, we were in Progressive country!


Flo was everywhere!


Gia and Savannah gathered all the pamphlets and goodies from the exhibitors.


Think they went a little over board?

GR just loves to ask questions to these guys, he really gets answers too. Kohler Generators now use a Lamborghini engine. Sounds cool but expensive, we like when parts are not proprietary. Let's keep looking.

Finally, we found OceanLED a vendor we really wanted to get some answers from! Here Kyle demonstrates just how bright these underwater lights can be! These guys are definitely on our list of things to buy!

By 5:30 that evening we made it to the Strictly Sail Show at Bayside, we were rushing through the stalls to see everyone. Eagle Nest Outfitter's have the best hammocks, we put them on our "want" list for sure!

The sun was setting over Miami, what a way to end a busy day surrounded by all those mast. *sigh* We gotta get cruising again! We aren't ready yet so we will just keep reading our favorite blogs and dream until the day we can throw off those dock lines and motor away!

Arts Festival! Repost from Coconut Grove Grapevine

2012-02-18T07:06:00.000-05:00

My friend Tom runs the Coconut Grove Grapevine, an awesome resource for everything Grove. He wrote yesterday about the events of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival that will attract anywhere from 12-20,000 people from all over the globe! The Marina where we live is located right in the middle of the affair and I beginning to feel like a caged animal. Streets are barricaded off by chain link fence and security officers were asking us for "credentials". We were just coming back from dinner in the Cocowalk. Can we go home now? Luckily, my license actually states 3400 Pan American as my physical address, can't argue with that I guess. With any luck I will get out of here this morning with no problems and be able to escape this madness and enjoy the madness that will be Downtown with the Miami Boat Show!

Check out this article and the many more photos I'm sure he will post today! The Art Show will be magnificent and I will totally be there on Sunday!

Coconut Grove Grapevine

Felicity's Five Favorite Items to Drool Over

2012-02-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

"Good plans shape good decisions. That's why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true." - Lester Robert Bittel

To say that we look at West Marine or Lewis Marine catalogs very often would be an understatement. I venture to say we are not the only ones though. I mean who doesn't love scanning through the pages of all that fancy gear and dreaming of having it on their own boat? Why not dream big, right?

Since it's Miami Boat Show weekend, I see it only fitting to mention our five favorite items to drool over:

12' Livingston Dinghy w/ a 30 hp Yamaha - Yes, we will absolutely get another Livingston dinghy! We had so much fun with our last one we can't think of a reason not to! We are excited to go a size up because the 10' was great for the three of us or even another full size human, but if we had two extra adults along for a ride we weren't able to plane. Since we plan to have more guests along in our now bigger boat we plan to be able to get up on a plane and hit the beach in style!

Tecma Silence Plus Heads - Sure two heads are better than one, but we've got three and only one is operable. GR was exposed to these bad boys through the current yacht he works on and he is sold! The design is easy on the eyes with clean lines, keeping all the hose under wraps. They are affordably priced at under $1,000 and operate electronically so none of that hand operated pump action. Guests will feel right at home when they just push a button to quickly and silently flush. The system has programmable flush cycles that even prevent flushing when the tank is full.

Northern Lights 10KW Generator - The difference in the technology of models built in the 1960's and today is enough to want to replace the generator not to mention the difficulty in getting parts that dated. The Northern Lights 10KW weighs less than half of what our current generator does and would offer double the fuel efficiency. The goal of Project Motor Boat is to create a live aboard motor yacht that can be as efficient as a live aboard sailboat. We don't plan on staying at the dock forever and the sooner we get to self sufficiency the sooner we can get cruising!

Magnum MS4024 Inverter Charger - Basically we will need this unit to operate the reefer; something we have grown to depend on! Although, we currently have a household refrigerator I would love to eventually have an RV style counter depth unit that would be more efficient. Our boat is currently on a 32 volt operating system which makes this unit perfect for us to slowly make the switch to a 24 volt system.

Ocean LED Underwater Lighting - You've seen them, those boats that light up the night making their own personal anchorage aquarium show! WE WANT TO BE THAT GUY! I can't tell you how long we have pined over hauling out and installing these incredibly efficient LED lighting systems. To be precise
we need to 2010 HD flush mount model. These models are easily accessible from inside the hull for maintenance and even offer color changing abilities depending on the type of water you are in! It's so cool!

So, tomorrow I will finally get the chance to make my rounds at the 2012 Miami International Boat Show and hope to make stops at these booths for more information and more drooling! See you there!

Recipe: White Chicken Chili

2012-02-16T07:30:00.000-05:00

Our White Chicken Chili has made it into the bowls of many friends and family. We love sharing it and they love eating it! GR has made it for the crews he has worked with and once we made a quadruple batch during a camping trip. Be warned, it's spiciness can open up those nasal passages. Breaking out this recipe on the blog makes me a little nervous I have to admit. By giving it away to all of you I'm giving away one of my best recipes! Please inbox me your favorites!

To make White Chicken Chili you'll need:

1 can Red Beans
1 can White Beans
1 can Black Beans
1 can Corn
1 can Ro*Tel (diced tomatoes & chiles)

Onion, chopped
Garlic, diced
1 lb of boneless, skinless breasts, cubed
olive oil
McCormick's White Chicken Chili Mix (*secret ingredient)

Sour Cream
Shredded Cheese *we like Cheddar and Jack

Once your prep is done, use your biggest pot and saute up the onions until translucent(with the lid on and constant movement you can keep them moist), then add garlic. Shortly after add chicken and cook up to 15 minutes until chicken is all white, stirring continuously. Open all cans red beans, white beans, black beans, corn and Ro*Tel and dump them in, keeping all the juices. It's such a beautiful mix of colors! Now add the secret ingredient and stir! Let simmer for up to an hour depending your stove top, how much propane you have and how fast you want to eat it!

Before serving each bowl gets topped with a spoonful of sour cream, it helps cool things down and gives it a wonderfully creamy flavor and a sprinkle of shredded cheese! And....Voila! White Chicken Chili in minutes! My favorite snuggly weather, comfort food meal in a flash! Bon Appetite!

Parent to Parent

2012-02-15T07:08:00.000-05:00

"I prayed God would give me an awesome life; I think he just made me famous!" - Gia

Okay so, after yesterday's post and comments I have to say that not only is Gia awesome, (I mean I am a little biased) but all boat kids are awesome. I got to thinking and every single one of our best friends live on boats. There's Sebastian on Jamoco, Maya & Finn on Tranquility, Arias on Necesse, Jade & Marc Antoine on L'Eau Dace 4, Storm on Cat and many many others I forgot to mention. We keep in touch with these kids through an awesome website, kids4sail.org run by an incredible boat mom as a way to foster play dates and get the kids to keep in touch with their friends even after they sail away!

Kids that live on boats have more responsibilities, they are more aware of their surroundings and learn nautical language as well as boat handling skills on top of their every day studies. Since the sailing lifestyle includes a lot of travel they are able to adapt to change and make friends quickly helping them to fit in anywhere. I'm so happy that we were able to share our lifestyle and education choices with the South Florida region through WSVN Channel 7 and hopefully even further by sharing the link with our sailing friends from all over the world!

Please take a minute and view the video. If you' d like to share it with someone that is interested in learning more about alternative education or sailing with children please do.

Click here

Kudos for Gia!

2012-02-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

Gia has been looking forward to being in public school for a long time. She remembers what school days are like; frolicking on the playground, eating lunch with her peers and even spelling tests. Since 2006 we have been combining a bit of home-schooling with a bit of public schooling while we continued to "live the dream" and cruise on our boat. Popping into a town long enough to register into a public school but not long enough to complete a grade; kind of like 6 months public, 6 months home-school. I think it's been the experience of a lifetime but to Gia, it's just life. She sees us leaving her friends at school and missing social engagements although she knows how much she loves to snorkel and hike and meet new friends in other countries.

For the past 3 months, Gia has been attending Coconut Grove Elementary and I have had nothing but glowing reports! She is definitely in her element now, all that practice we had done by ourselves in the comforts of our little sailboat are paying off for her in big ways! On Friday Gia competed in her first Spelling Bee. She gave an incredible effort and displayed confidence as she spelled out; garnish, butterflies, kitchen and twitter. Her first "real" report card came home with all A's & B's. She was given a free movie pass for completing the most Accelerated Reader comprehension tests of her class and I also received an email from the teacher acknowledging her hard work using an online component offered by the school for assignments in all subjects. It has been a great couple of months for Gia as most of her hard work and efforts are being recognized on such a bigger scale. We are so proud of her.

I meet many people that ask if I was afraid of home-schooling or the moving around that comes with our transient sailing lifestyle. I always respond with, "No I think it's a great experience." Gia has proven that she is resilient and can easily go with the flow of our ever changing lifestyle. She is able to pick up where she left off with friends and neighbors as well as the rigors of public school, uniforms and standardized testing. At a Christmas party in the Grove, a friend introduced us to her mother, Dr. Val. Dr. Val was taken by Gia's charms and amazed at her eloquent speech. She expressed a general interest into our boating lifestyle and alternative way of schooling Gia. She told me she had a TV show and her producers would be in touch. Sure, I thought. Well, 3 weeks later we had a producer and photographer out on Felicity interviewing Gia and me. Gia swore her life was changed forever and soon movie producers would be knocking down the door.

Tonight on Channel 7, WSVN will feature our segment on Parent to Parent between 5 and 5:30 pm. Soon after we will post the link and video so we can share it with you. I am so excited and proud of our little girl she has brought so much happiness and light into our lives and she really makes this lifestyle worthwhile. When we see the learning taking place and then applied in real life there is no better reward in parenting!

Boat Show Gear!

2012-02-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

The 2012 Progressive Insurance® Miami International Boat Show and Strictly Sail is happening! This week begins the move-in of thousands of boats to the Miami Beach Convention Center and Sea Isle Marina & Yachting Center. Some boats are still shrink wrapped and are brought in by crane, while still others like the one GR is on will be driven in and parked into tight spaces where they will show off their goods for the next week to dreamers and buyers from around the world!

GR brought home our first bit of boat show gear last night!

I'm so stoked to rock this hat! IAG Yachts are the manufacturer of the current yacht GR is working with. EARLY this morning, I drove G up to Ft. Lauderdale so he could get on the brand new 127' model and bring it down to South Beach to get prepared for the show. If you get a chance to check out the Mega-Yachts at Sea Isle and look for him! Tell him you heard about it on Project Motor Boat!

Felicity's Five Favorite Marinas

2012-02-10T19:00:00.000-05:00

We have never been a fan of docks. They can take a huge bite out of the cruising kitty; but let's face it marinas can be a necessary evil. Choosing a marina to stay in for one or more nights can be a daunting task. Having up to date information and/or good cruising guides can really make the search easier. Sometimes we would just take a stab in the dark by calling random marinas that were close to where we'd be stopping and ask a few key questions.

No matter the amenities, price is the biggest factor. Many marinas will have some but not all the amenities included in the price of dockage. That is where you compare the amount of time you are staying on the dock to the cost of the slip. Are you getting your money's worth?

In keeping with the theme of "Sailors gone Power" I must say that in the sailboat, dockage was almost never beneficial for us because we were completely electricity free. There was no reason to plug in, no refrigeration, no air condition and any of our power draws were handled by our wind generator. However, on Felicity, we "need" the dock. We have a generator that doesn't run (yet) and an electric stove, fridge, heat and air conditioning AND 32 volt lighting! Needless, to say when we began our cruise down the inter-coastal we stopped (almost) every night at a marina in order to cook and heat the boat. (North Carolina in November, need I say more?)

Since we stayed in so many marinas, I decided to give the ones that were worth our while a little love by recommending them to all of you! If you find yourself in this neck of the woods you won't be disappointed and I'll tell you why not...

Ocean Isle Marina

North Carolina just 2 miles east of mile mark 335.5

Ocean Isle Marina will always have a special place in our hearts because it was there where first laid eyes on our new girl, Felicity. OCM has all the benefits a traveling cruiser needs, internet, shower and laundry facilities, fuel, and water. There were hardware stores, grocery, eateries as well as thrift stores nearby and car rental was easy! They specialize in winter storage due to their location in North Carolina and their ease of access out the inlet attracts many center consoles and sport fishing vessels. They have dock space for up to 30 vessels but could also accommodate larger vessels as they have a few long spaces. OCM gave a us a very warm welcome into our new venture of power boating. The staff was friendly and helpful in helping us get off the dock and underway. Gia made friends with the resident dog, Toby, a Labra-doodle and even got us a walk on the beach with Toby's pet, Tim.

Osprey Marina

MM373 Myrtle Beach SC

Osprey Marina is by far the least expensive, $1 a foot! Seriously! When we called they weren't sure they had room for us, so we waited for a call back. Sherry, Osprey Marina manager called back to let us know they had "made" room for us. We were a bit curious but found out after we arrived a marina employee who lived aboard moved his boat just so we could have that slip. Talk about accommodation! We were instructed to go to the office and get our "welcome gift". The office shares a space with a well stocked mini market and a cafe/grill. Sherry, the sweetest lady invited us to free crackers with all the jams, jellies and butter we'd like to try! After we settled up she handed us a gift bag filled with goodies! They also offered, free internet that was easy to access from inside the boat.

*Recently, we even received a call from Osprey Marina, to thank us for staying with them.

Port Royal Landing Marina

Beaufort/Port Royal SC MM 539

This marina dazzled us with their excellent customer service. They had internet service, cable, and water. There was a charge for electricity but it was minimal. We called in and were given easy instructions to pull up to the face dock. The same person who spoke to me on the phone tied up our lines and when we were tied off he reached to shake GR's hand and said, "Welcome to Port Royal!" That right there, that small but powerful, southern hospitality struck a chord with us. We have told everyone about the place ever since! It didn't end there. We have always joked about finding a marina with a courtesy car. Well, yup, they had one. Although, we didn't need it, we did giggle knowing we had finally hit one of those marinas!

*Port Royal Landing Marina did not hesitate adding us to their e-mailing list and we even received a post card thanking us for our patronage!

Fernandina Harbor Marina

On the Florida/Georgia Border @ MM716

What a great welcome into Florida. Stopping at Fernandina was a great way for our friends from Georgia to come over and see us! Staying in Fernandina was a fabulous treat! I love the vibe of that old time Florida town. There are many shops nearby house in those old brick buildings that transport you to times gone by. Fernandina Harbor Marina has one of the largest face docks offer 1,000 ft of space and it gets filled pretty quickly. They offer fuel, laundry and internet access as well as cable and water.

Dinner Key Marina

25.43.9 N 80.14.3 W Mile 1095

We are now able to call Dinner Key our home. Officially, we are tied up to the dock on Pier 7 and we are content. We are so busy with work that we haven't had too much time to dig in to many boat projects but being at the dock allows easy access to shore for work and school. Dinner Key has a friendly staff and water & electricity are included in the dockage. However steep the price, we know that we have it good living on the water. The homes on shore rent for far more than we pay so we feel we are better off since our home can carry us wherever we please in good time! Coconut Grove is an awesome location allowing for us to feel the city vibe of Miami but still be in a small village where everybody knows our name.

Wherever you are, remember that you can always change your attitude even if you can't change your scenery:)

Gia's in The Spelling Bee!

2012-02-10T07:22:00.001-05:00

Today's post will be delayed because Gia is in the Third Grade Spelling Bee at her school. So we will post Felicity's Five Fave Marina's as soon as we update you on the Bee! Wish her luck!

Hotel Backpackers

2012-02-09T07:11:00.002-05:00

If you ever take a trip to Guatemala, go to Hotel Backpackers. Some of our readers are sailors, cruisers or just plain world travelers. So when I say if you ever get to Guatemala, I really mean when you get there!

Located on the Rio Dulce in El Relleno, Guatemala Hotel Backpackers is along the "Mayan Route" allowing visitors making their way through the popular spots to catch a glimpse of life on the river. This photo is taken at night just off the pier of the Hotel and captures the Restaurant lit up at night! Hotel Backpackers is the organization Casa Guatemala's way of supporting themselves by operating a beautiful restaurant with fantastic food at great prices and a hotel for, you guessed it, backpackers. Those are mainly people travelling through the country on a budget. Most times volunteers of Casa Guatemala stay at the hotel as well and ride in a launcha to the orphanage every morning. (Oh, how I miss the river.)

Heather @ Hotel Backpackers is a great voice on the river hosting the Cruiser's Net once a week. She has the most enthusiastic broadcast and announces specials & events the go on at the restaurant every day, even Sundays. My favorite was the Thai food, and Gia's was the Tortizza (mini pizza on a tortilla). The Casa also goes around to every marina on a launcha offering goods for sale, every Tuesday and Saturday. Now, this was a special treat! The boat would be filled with coolers carrying, delicious meats, cheeses and freshly baked breads! Boaters didn't even have to venture off the deck of their boat and you couldn't miss them because they would shout out, " Casa Guatemala" as they passed every boat at a slow drift!

Hotel Backpackers and Casa Guatemala are on Facebook, Like them!!

Casa Guatemala is a self funded organization so they get NO help from the government. Hotel Backpackers is solely run to support Casa Guatemala and often times the children that grow up at the Orphanage begin working at the Hotel and Restaurant as they come of age! Besides that only the help of supporters like you and me, and an extensive Canadian population as the founders of the Casa were originally from Canada.

I wrote last Sunday about Casa Guatemala and the good work that they do providing shelter, medical care and education for the desperately needy families in the surrounding areas. Several of you had more questions about Casa Guatemala and wanted more information. For more information email us @ MVFelicity at Gmail. Make a donation directly by clicking HERE.

Slideshow of the Hotel here.

The Daily Blend

2012-02-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

For those of you who read our Friday post about GR's Five Favorite Products listen up! We didn't do any boat projects this weekend! Oops. Sometimes life gets in the way.

We started off the weekend with blueberry pancakes (mmm), then I was off to work while GR hit up the grocery store. That afternoon we were whisked off to go sailing. (Sooo Nice!) After an incredible couple of hours on the water all I wanted to do was have a margarita. Once all the ingredients were set out, I noticed the blender was not sealing properly. Boooo! I tested the pitcher by filling it with water first, (wouldn't want to waste any of that precious tequila) to my disappointment the pitcher leaked like a sieve. Needless to say our first order of business on Sunday was to get a new blender!

Seeing as how we don't have a vehicle and we we use Miami's incredibly easy public transportation we planned our timing just right to be ready and waiting at Bed, Bath & Beyond as the doors opened.We price shopped a few other stores before deciding on the perfect blender under $30. (Ahh, the wonders of electricity never cease to amaze me!)

Making the most of our time and money we took the opportunity to browse several of the stores and picked up some Valentine's crafts for Gia. Once we got home I was not in the mood for margaritas but smoothies sounded so much better! So the first drink we made in our new blender was a healthy virgin! Everyone had a smoothie and got right into craft mode!

Hopefully, this weekend after some careful planning we will get a boat project done AND have margaritas!

The little things

2012-02-07T06:30:00.000-05:00

Yes, why yes I did take a photo of the pour spout on our syrup container. "Good Morning, Hungry Jack!" I'm a sucker for the little things and have always bee amazed by attention to detail. So when I saw this on a typical blueberry pancake Saturday morning all I could do was smile. Then later I researched...

Skip the Drip is what Hungry Jack is calling this ingenious little idea of a No Drip Cap happy face pour spout. I have always loved this brand of syrup because the small containers are the perfect fit in boat sized cabinets. I have to admit, if I bought an industrial sized syrup in the madness that is provisioning for a big trip it was only so that I could refill this little guy!

So kudos to the person who came up with this idea! In fact I'm going to post this post on their Facebook page and show them will see how much we appreciate it!

Yes it is simple but I guess I'm a simple girl!

Something about sailing...

2012-02-05T08:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday as I was walking home from a short day at work, I called GR to see where he was and what he is up to. He told me to meet him at another pier, that we were going sailing! I hurried over to the dock and as soon as I stepped on deck we untied the lines and were whisked off!

Everyone was along for the ride, all the girls! Gia, Alex, Isabella, Marianne and me. And the gentleman, GR and James. We motored down the channel and out into the Bay. All the while the girls are running around on deck squealing with excitement.

Being in the Bay and having no particular place to go we were able to sail on every point and we weren't the only boat out having fun. There were at least 10 other sailboats frolicking in the wind. With a steady 15 with gusts higher we were making a steady clip of 6 + knots and heeling over maybe 15 degrees. It quite nice to be out on someone else's boat for a change and a sailboat at that! To be completely honest when we tack and all the things down below fly from one side to another I just look out beyond the horizon and smile because it's not my stuff flying around down there! Seriously, though just being able to turn the engine off and sail was really nice, it's so romantic and freeing. Just because we are on a power boat now, doesn't mean we are done with sailing!

Sea Venture has a special place in our hearts because we delivered this 37 Jeanneau from Tortola, BVI to Miami July 2011. She is a solid little boat that loves to go downwind! (Don't they all) We even got the spinnaker out and that brought back memories since our on 12 day delivery she flew the whole time! All in all it was a great day out on the beautiful Biscayne Bay!

Casa Guatemala

2012-02-04T08:30:00.000-05:00

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”

Kahlil Gibran

Many of us have never known hunger, poverty or disease. Many of the children that come to Casa Guatemala know nothing else. Please take a minute to envision how much your little effort could offer to a precious, innocent child.

If you have been following us for any length of time you know full well that our hearts belong to Guatemala. When we will return we do not know, but while we are here we have some fundraising to do! During our stay in Guatemala's Rio Dulce (05-11/10-11) I had the opportunity to perform selfless service or "karma yoga" with an organization known as Casa Guatemala. Casa Guatemala is an orphanage, that provides a loving, nurturing atmosphere for impoverished children to receive education, health care, nutrition and life skills Basically, I heard of an opportunity to raise money for the organization by holding yoga classes. It was then that I met Heather, she is the Director of Communications & Fund Development. Now HERE is a woman that has dedicated her life to the beautiful children that call Casa Guatemala home. After becoming friends with Heather, I learned more about the needs of the organization and felt more compelled than ever to help.

When we left Guatemala we had to give away many of our personal belongings. Even Gia had to say goodbye to her toys, stuffed animals, clothes books and movies. She was a good sport because she knew these items would bring joy to the kids of CG. Casa Guatemala donated to us two empty large suitcases in exchange for two FULL large suitcases to be returned to them. Full of what, you may ask. They need items like shampoo, toothpaste, soap, swimming equipment, books in English or Spanish and many other things. Click here to see the list of the items needed!

You know how to get in touch with us. Starting today we will be accepting donations through our blog, email and through our home address at Dinner Key Marina. If you would like to help us fill these suitcases up with supplies, please send us a short email and let us know how you'd like to help.

To make a monetary DONATION direct to Casa Guatemala Click HERE.

GR's Five Favorite Products

2012-02-03T08:30:00.000-05:00

Fridays are fun days right? Everyone is excited about the weekend, including us. I decided that on the blog Fridays will be Favorite Days! We will talk about some of our favorite things like anchorages, products, companies, and foods.

In my opinion, GR is a "Mr. Fix It" like no other I have ever seen before. He really takes pride in every job he does and that shows. There are a few products he uses on a regular basis that help tremendously and we wouldn't consider leaving the dock without them on board. I just LOVE telling everyone about the little tricks we have learned about certain products. So without further delay, here we go! While most of my posts are pretty basic this one gets down right technical! (Well, for me anyway!)

Super Lube - It's a great multipurpose grease and can be used as a dialectric grease for electrical connections. When applied to rubber gaskets it can keep them from dry rotting. It performs well in high temperature areas. The secret ingredient, Syncolon® (PTFE) a replacement for Teflon. It creates a better barrier between moving parts.

PB Blaster - Penitrating oil can that break free many rusty things including Master-Locks, screws, bolts and any other fastener you may need to break loose. You can spray it on bike parts after the evil rust monkeys get to it.

Ultra Tef Gel - Creates a barrier between two dissimilar metals. Every screw, nut, bolt and rivet get a bit of Tef Gel.

Sea Foam - GR adds this to fuel, diesel, gasoline and oil. When added to oil at oil changes it keeps the valves clean and working freely. GR has also been known to soak carburetors in it to clean out all the junk that builds up. Cleans injection systems and engine parts.

Sno Bowl* - Sno Bowl is the best at getting that brown brow off the hull that every boat gets from the ride down the ICW. It works in the head getting all that calcification off the bowl.

Have you used these products? Do you have any other uses for them? Please share them with us in the comments section. Today being Friday, I'm sure GR has a list of projects for us to do this weekend. I'll be sure upload anything good we get done!!

*This stuff is seriously bad for the environment and contains Hydrochloric Acid. So handling this should be done very carefully and sparingly.

February = Miami Boat Show, baby!

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Some girls fantasize about Valentine's Day when they see February 1st hit; me, I fantasize about the

Miami International Boat Show!

We missed it last year because we were off sailing, but this year we are not only attending, we will be working the show as well.(more on that in another post) Another bonus, I don't have to pay for a hotel room this year! There are 3 parts to the show the Power boats, the Sail boats, and the Convention Center. When I first began boating I only wanted to go to the Strictly Sail side, there I made several contacts and in some instances became good friends with a few of the vendors and authors. I'm looking forward to connecting with Kim of Yoga Onboard, New Found Metals, Andy of Filter Boss, Ella of Ella Vickers Recycled Sailcloth Collection and our friends at Coconut Grove Sailing Club!

We had some extra time one year and went into the Convention Center. Wow, was that place jam packed full of awesome accessories and goodies to outfit the boat with. I was taken aback at just how much stuff they could fit in there. I'm talking full size boats, dinghies, flooring, anchors and refrigeration, Oh my! We felt like we should have begun in the Convention Center and at least spent 1 day dedicated solely to the inside shopping mecca it showed it could be!

Not only is the Boat Show a great way to see the latest in boat gear, it's like a rally of people with the same common hobby (obsession) of boating getting together to get psyched up for the best year ever out on the water! That's why the whole show wraps up with the Latitude's & Attitude's Magazine Cruiser's Bash with the one and only, Eric Stone Band LIVE concert!

This year the show has significant meaning. Since we are power boaters now, and have an old boat that needs a ton of new gear we will not only be shopping for equipment but the coolest companies that will become our new sponsors!

Will we see YOU there??

We ARE family!

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

Meet Marianne, my littlest sister. Last year my middle sister Roxanne joined us aboard S/V San San, on our trip to Central America. We had specific cruising plans at that time but right now we are pretty content just hanging out. Marianne, my youngest sister, is 21 years old. She has been here almost 2 weeks now and so far she's checked off a couple of boxes on her list of "firsts" including 1st Dinghy Ride and 1st Boat Ride! Marianne is a budding traveler eager to get more stamps in her passport. Her first trip was to Ireland with some girlfriends in November 2010.

Being the fair skinned, red head that she is, it's taking her some time to soak up the sun. I've warned her to take it easy because in this Florida sun one can be fried in a matter of minutes. There is nothing worse than seeing the European tourists walking around like lobsters, sporting odd splotches of red on their thighs and/or backs. Generally speaking she's here for a vacation but in about a month she's going to look for some work around town.

Gia is really enjoying having her Aunt around and I am so anxious to get her to the beautiful Bahama waters to show her what cruising is ALL about! I know how lucky I am to have been able to have this kind of sister time, not once but twice! Slowly but surely it is my goal to corrupt my WHOLE family until they are all "hooked" on boating!

(Commence Evil Laughter) Mwah ha ha ha ha!

Yoga Firsts

2012-01-27T10:45:00.002-05:00

"Reach for the Sky!" - Woody, Toy Story

Today was a day of firsts on 2 counts. Today was Curtis's first day of yoga and Felicity's first true yoga session aboard.Curtis, was a great student and left feeling, " Oh so Zen!" Like many of my first timer's Curtis was a little tight so we took it slow, showing him that yoga is not supposed to hurt, it's supposed to help. Shawn, his wife was eager to get Curtis to relax, slow down his blood pressure and improve his posture and general health. Shawn, an excellent student took like a fish to water and with enthusiasm like hers I'm sure we will practice lots more together!

Being our first true session aboard I was so excited to see we could fit 3 full size humans on the front deck! One of the many reasons I fell in love Felicity was the fact that I could practice anywhere on the boat! I'm really looking forward to many more sessions aboard especially the ones in exotic locations, but for now, Coconut Grove is darn good!

Yoga should be fun, relaxing and safe. A day starting out with yoga is a day with endless possibilities!

Feeling Zen

Priorities in Place!

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Marianne, Jess & Shawn

Here we are! THIS is what 3 out of 4 weekends have looked like for us since the new year. New year, new you, that's what they say right? Having Felicity has really brought us to a place of contentment. Finally knowing that we can settle in at our leisure has been quite a relief. It seemed like with San San we were always in a rush. We wanted to cruise soo badly but we had so much work to do. With Felicity, we have lots of work, believe me, but it's nothing pressing. We are able to live aboard in comfort while we slowly tackle each project after we've researched the products we want to use.(We'll talk about our long list later!)

This may look like serious fun but believe me, it's a sea trial. (te he he he) Everything checked out alright! Lately, what with the all the "real" jobs and everything we are just happy to come home every night and sleep in a comfy, spacious bed (there's room for 2 but I still hog it up!) with a/c and take a hot shower. Sometimes we get time to sit on the couch and watch a movie, but it all boils down to this. THIS moment where we can call up some friends and say, " Hey, let's go for a boat ride!"

Felicity has a had several guests come aboard already and everyone has really loved it. Be on the look out for our Guest Book page where our guests can sign in and leave a little memory of the day.

While our future is still written in sand, one thing is for sure, our priority is BOATING!!

In The World but OUT of the Stream

2011-12-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

The view from our world...

Once again it's been a long time since I've published anything. In fact, it's been a long time since I've actually sat down for more than 20 minutes other than dinner time. Dinner time at our home aka - the floating palace, is a special time where we come together and share what went on in our lives while we were apart. Last week, I noticed I was going through some sort of withdrawal from my lovies! I missed spending time with them and felt that school and work were taking there toll on us.

Having been separated from North America for the past 10 months I see not much has changed. I notice it in my customers' actions. They come into The Bookstore in a rush practically shoving their credit card in my hand or rushing their children to "hurry up and select a book" because they are double parked. It pains me to see. Recently, a product came in called, "Today I..." It's a game of conversation starters for families so that they can get a dialogue going about their day. When I saw this my gut reaction was, "Really?" I am so thankful our family doesn't need a game to tell us how to talk to each other. In fact, I heard someone say they were trying to have at least one family meal together each week and I thought, "Wow, is that enough?" What could be so important that people don't have enough time to sit down each night and have dinner?

Cruising/ Living on board has afforded us tons of quality time, time to cook together, talk about our days events and just bond. GR and I both agree that as children our families spent every night eating dinner together until we moved away from home. Even with all the after school sports and activities our families felt compelled to create an environment where talking, sharing and spending meal time together was imperative. It's not about the food it's about the gathering. Studies show that kids from families that spend meal time together are less likely to smoke, drink underage, swear, consider suicide and are more likely to have table manners, use better vocabulary and do well in school.

Now, we are living on the boat but we are citizens in the "real" world. I hold onto the sanctuary that we have created aboard Felicity. As we dinghy out to the boat I slowly feel the chains of land life lift off my shoulders. As we approach the stern of the boat, I feel the excitement and relief that comes with any homecoming. We throw all our backpacks and bags down and congregate in the galley. We make dinner, do home work and share the load of daily stresses.Our little "island" in the Bay offers the most incredible view of the "land of plenty" with out all the taxes, anchors and commitments. If we really wanted to we could throw off the lines and take off to any other place but here! We are secluded and separate in more ways than one. In that way, I love being a cruiser/live aboard in the world but out of the stream.

With Peace & Love for You Today.

Thankfulness brings Happiness

2011-11-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

This is my first post in about a week and I feel terrible for leaving you all by the wayside. I really had NO IDEA that I would find myself completely wrapped up in the "real" world again. Today I am writing this post from work at The Bookstore in The Grove. Things just sort of fell into place and it looks like we will be staying here in Coconut Grove for a little while to do some repairs to the boat. We are still happy with Felicity and with this situation.

Today I am thankful for this job, for all of you, for my family and friends.

This being said, posts may be sporadic, as we are currently living on a mooring ball and I am working 6 days a week with the Holiday Season upon us!

Today I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

Love, Jessica

Making Mom's Meatballs

2011-11-17T05:00:00.000-05:00


Sharing this recipe could get me in BIG trouble!

Cooking on board for me is one of the biggest pleasures of boating. Now I have a full fridge and a freezer. I can prepare meals in advance and freeze them just like I used to at home. I'm pretty happy about that. So when we got to Daytona I was pretty excited to make Mom's Meatballs for everyone so that when they stopped by I could force them to sit eat and enjoy just like Mom used to do!

I'm pretty sure I'm releasing one of the recipes that has been handed down for the longest amount of time in my Italian family but I'm okay with that as long as you promise to keep it between us! HA! Seriously, Mom's meatballs (Mom, being my Great Grandmother's Mom) have been present at every family function including wedding and birthday parties since before my Mom was even a twinkle in Pop-Pop's eye. These meatballs are so good they will put to shame every store bought meatball you every put in your mouth. There is an art to this and I can't give away any big secrets but I can give you the basics! Believe me, you''ll thank me later!

Meatballs (makes 15 meatballs)

1 pkg of Ground Veal, Pork & Beef or just plain ground beef
1 egg
1 cup breadcrumbs or bust up some chunks of day old crusty bread, soak them in a little milk and add your own Italian spices
1/2 onion Parmesan Cheese
Jar of Pasta Sauce *

You can already see my recipes are very lazy, a little of this a little of that, it works. A Chef is an artist, pay attention to your masterpiece and it will turn out fine!

Throw the meat and the egg together and use your hands to mix, mash and squeeze ingredients together. Wash you hands then do the bread or breadcrumbs, I suggest the day old bread method. Rip off some chunks of bread into bite size tidbits and throw in a small bowl with a little milk & spices (garlic powder, pepper, oregano, etc). Put just enough milk to moisten, if you put too much just drain it off later. Mix that with meat and add Parmesan cheese until your meat is not too sticky. I use about half as much cheese as breadcrumbs (or bread).

Now saute up a little onion & garlic and brown each meatball just enough to cook the out side. Place meatballs in the Crock Pot* and keep on Low Heat setting for at least 5 hours. These meatballs will melt in your mouth and your sauce will be the most delicious Italian gravy you have ever had. Trust me!

*If you don't have a Crock Pot you can use the stove with a big pot but you must constantly stir and tend to it. You can also use whatever kind of pasta sauce you want, I use Tuttorusso's Crushed Tomatoes.

Buon Appetito!