We are in the mood to be leavin'

We are now waiting on a weather window to head up-coast to Jacksonville!  The weather is great here right now, but just offshore on the weather side of the reef, the seas are building at 4-6' and winds for the next week will be off our nose at 15-20.  Individually, those are not a problem, but together, they make for a wet and wooly ride.  So at this moment, and taking into consideration the up-north-coast, from Georgia to Maine, has had bad weather this past week, it looks like we will hold tight here in Boca Chica for another week.  We keep looking at the extended forecast and it is not improving.

Recent Picture of Renne'

While driving cross country heading East, Renne' and I enjoy stopping by Perdido Beach, Florida to see our friends Loretta Revis and Charlie Baucom.  Charlie is involved with the Frank Brown Songwriter's Festival every year, bringing in 200 or so nationally-ranked and local songwriters from around the country to share their latest and greatest songs either available for recording or recorded by country artists.  Two of those songwriters, Alan Rhody and CW Colt, were at Cowboy Bill's on Duvall street last night.  Renne' had met Alan in Perdido Beach a few months ago while out with Charlie and Loretta at Silver Moon Cafe' across from the Florabama on the Florida/Alabama border.  Alan's songs have been recorded by:  The Oakridge Boys (their first #1 hit of their career was Alan Rhody's, I'll Be True To You), Tanya Tucker, Lorrie Morgan, Billie "Crash" Craddick, Ricky Van Shelton (his first #1 hit and also the name of his first album were Alan's song) and a host of others out there.  CW is a local KW'er who has his own following here and has some incredible songs of his own.  We thoroughly enjoyed the intimate environment last night with only 20-30 people attending the Gunslinger Songwriter's festival here.  It is new this year and I am sure will begin to draw a large number of songwriters soon.

Alan Rhody at Cowboy Bill's

Today, Memorial Day, we have been lazin' around the boat.  I finished putting in the rough coordinates for the trip up-coast.  Jacksonville is our first destination, then heading for North Carolina and the Beaufort Inlet.  Co-incidentally, the Queen Anne's Revenge, Blackbeards ship that sunk in the main channel and was only just recently discovered, sits within yards of where we will pass entering the channel.  Ya'll might have seen the articles lately of raising her anchor.  Pretty exciting history from a wannabe Pirate's point of view. In a few minutes we will head over to the Key West Harbor Yacht Club for a couple of hours in the pool, then off to our favorite sand bar for sundowners, Cowboy Bill's this evening for Alan and CW again, then over to watch the sun set at a secluded bar with our friends, Rebecca and Lou (Lou is captain aboard the Glass Bottom Boat of Key West.

We stay pretty busy, but we are antsy to be leaving.  You might check out the following internet sites:

Alan Rhody - www.alanrhody.com
Frank Brown Songwriter's Festival at the Florabama - www.florabama.com
CW Colt - www.piratetreasures.com
Lorrie Morgan/Alan Rhodys Trainwreck of Emotion - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2wrfU3xj2o

All for now, see you at Cowboy Bill's tonite for sundowners,

JonNe'

This Morning

I was just reviewing the weather links and the links of other boaters out there.  I added an additional weather site for the Atlantic Coast.  I also removed the link for m/v Summertime with Ron and Karen Parsons.  They sold their yacht while they sat in Stuart, Florida, and they are back in Kemah/Houston looking at what events will shape their lives now. 

I also have caught up on the circumnavigation of Mark and Judy Handley aboard s/v Windbird at www.handleysail.com.  This is a six-year jaunt around the globe about which Judy has kept the world informed on a daily basis.  They have just returned to North Carolina, before leaving for Wood's Hole, Mass for home.  Their trip has been a real inspiration for me.  They are aboard a Tayana 42 very close in design as ours, and it was communication with them that convinced me the Yanmar 54hp engine was the engine to put in this boat. Their arrival back in the U.S. was both exciting to read and sad to realize the end of a wonderful journey I have been following is finally coming to an end.  Mark and Judy, you are an inspiration.  Thank you!

www.handleysail.com

Ya'll come on down to the docks for sundowners!

JonNe'

We are back in Boca

This afternoon when we pulled into the slip at NAS Boca Chica, we both took a deep breath, threw the last line over the cleats, put the steps on the dock at the bow, and felt like we were back in familiar territory.  We have a lot to do in the coming days to bring JonNe' back to fit condition.  We have been in a disarray for so long, we can't remember where we normally put things.  But we are getting back to normal slowly.

Had dinner with friends here on the dock, Maury and Ginger.  They are intimately familiar with the trip up north, and we began looking at great places to stay.  I am beginning to look at the weather patterns for this time of year and we will begin our trek in the next week or so to Jacksonville and above.

So thanks to those of you who are still following us.  We have found that life onboard isn't always Rum Runners and sunshine - although we have had an unbelievable amount of both of those!

We will see you for sundowners at the dock tonite!!

JonNe'

We are heading back to Boca - AT LAST!

Yes Sports Fans, s/v JonNe' is feeling her oats and moving out very sprightly!  All we can say is:  WOW! WOW! WOW! Right at this moment, we are heading due west on the south side of the Florida Keys, enroute from Marathon back to NAS Boca Chica. Total distance is about 45nm.  We are flying.  Folks with the other engine, 4.5 was pretty much what we got!  We have been running about 6.2nmph and feel like we are liberated!  Was it worth $23,000, I have no idea, but as we HAD to do it, we feel great about what we are getting!

We spent Saturday and Sunday with Bill Berg and Lizette Schindler.  Picked them up at the airport on Saturday afternoon, took them for happy hour and sunset at Mallory Square.  Then drove back to Marathon.  Had a wonderful evening and both were excited about being on board the boat.  Sunday, we went snorkeling with Looe Key Dive Center.  Poor Lizzie was feeling a bit under the weather while we were offshore, but perked right up when we got back to shore.  Drinks and outdoor pool when we got back at the Looe Key Tiki Bar, then drinks, dinner, music and outdoor pool at the Sunset Bar and Grill in Marathon, then drinks, appetizers and music at Sparky's Tiki Bar down from the Boat Yard!  We had a GREAT evening there!

Yesterday, Monday, I spent on the boat with the yard mechanics.  Renne' ran to KW with Bill and Lizzie.  I met up with them for sunset at Mallory Square again, more drinks and dinner, and spent the night in there hotel room.  We were out this morning before the got up to get back to Marathon with our friend Rebecca, who graciously drove us back up to Marathon on her way to work.

So here we are, already planning our summer and fall schedule.  We will probably leave Boca on Thursday, next week, then on up to NAS Jacksonville, Florida.  We will be there about two weeks, then up to New River North Carolina, before heading up the Great Dismal Swamp to the Chesapeake.  We will head back down in October, to be in Jacksonville by December to see Renne's son, Erik and his family for his 30th birthday.

That's all folks, we will see you for sundowners this evening at Boca Chica!

JonNe

We Have Friends Coming Today

We are excited to have our friend, Bill Berg, coming to visit KW for a week.  He is bringing a long-time friend with him, whom we don't get to see very often.  The challenge is, we are still here in Marathon, tied to the bulkhead while we finish straightening things out on the engine.  More about that later when we finally get everything completed!  Just had a bit of a time getting the engine started on Thursday and hopefully we will figure it out by Monday!!  In the meantime, we will finish cleaning up the boat today and go pick up Bill and his friend from the airport this afternoon!

The New Engine Is IN and we are making our NEW travel plans

I can't believe it has been 3 days shy of a month since my last entry.  To be honest, unless it is for the cruise, I tend to consider most of our life on land to be rather mundane.  But here it goes.

Renne' and I left immediately while they were pulling the engine out of the boat.  I realized it was going to get awfully crowded and the smell of diesel is not Renne's favorite aroma.  We had a week to blow off while we were waiting to get Renne's '55 Chevy Belair over to the Concours De Elegance' Keels and Wheels Car and Boat Show at Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, Texas.  Our lovely friend, Karen Tisdel took pity on our plight and allowed us to stay with her while we were in Houston.  What a wonderful time!  Thanks Karen, you are a jewel.

While Renne' and Karen were able to really get to know each other again, I spent the best part of that week getting the two storage units, the '55 Chevy, and the Chevy's trailer moved from one side of Kemah to the other.  While we have been gone, our friend Mike Womack closed in half of the carport area under the house for a garage and storage area so we could move out of the units and save that $350 per month!

With that finally done, we spent the weekend showing the car. As Renne' is still sleeping as I write this, I will either try to get the pictures loaded in the next blog entry or get them up on facebook later.  We didn't win this year.  We were very disappointed, but such is life.  The frame-off  (complete nut and screw reconstruction of the car) on the Chevy was done in 1994.  The car that won was completed in 2011.  So Renne' made the decision to not sell the car, but to keep it and drive it while we are in the Clear Lake area from here on in.  I will try my darndest NOT to been there when it is HOT or COLD!  There is no air conditioning and the heater has not been used in 2 decades!!  LOL!

After leaving Houston, we headed for Columbia, SC to see Shannon and Renne's Mom and Brother and his family.  We were able to mooch (stay with) my friend Keith Davis (award winning violin maker, famous author, Professional bag piper, and all around nice guy) and his lovely wife, Diane at their home in Hammond, Louisianna.

Got back to Key West a week ago, when our friend Yvonne Guy, arrived.  Now we are in the Gateway Inn at NAS Boca Chica, Florida Keys while the boat is completed.  Today is Thursday. The engine was virtually completed on Tuesday, but we discovered that the throttle cable on the old engine and the throttle cable on the new engine require opposite approaches.  Again, for the uninitiated, now, when you push the throttle forward from the normal idle position, the engine goes from full speed to idle - not idle to full speed.  So yesterday and this morning we are waiting on a mounting plate, either to arrive or be fabricated today.  I will be leaving shortly to go back to Marathon (which I have done each day) to finish cleaning up the boat.  We hope we will have a test run today.  After that we hope to leave for Boca Chica and bring the boat back.  We have more guests coming in this weekend!!

We are also beginning to research our plans for June through November, and it looks like we will be leaving early in June for the Chesapeake.  So perhaps you can catch up with us there!!  We will be giving up our slip here at Boca Chica and will reapply for a slip for two years from now.

www.keels-wheels.com/

We will meet you out on the docks for sundowners

Jon and Renne'