Life Is ALWAYS An Adventure!!

When I began writing these inputs, it was merely to keep a running account of where we were going and what we were doing.  I have been reticent in the past few months about writing what has been occurring for several reasons.  First an foremost is because we have not been able to accomplish what we had originally expected in this time frame.  Because of that, I have been a bit embarrassed as it appears as though all manner of mishaps have occurred.  My concern has been how we appeared to those of you who have kept us with us all of this time and that it might appear as though we are less than capable or the boat is less than prepared to make these journeys. 

In this past year, many things have happened for which, ultimately, we are thankful to have happened here in the United States.  Renne' has been in and out of surgery twice; the engine has had to be replaced and due to improper installation, repaired a second time; Renne's daughter has been seriously ill, and we believe is finally, after a decade, on her way to recovery; and we have been able to make repairs to the sails and other boat parts.

I have discovered this week, as boaters are leaving Key West and heading back north, we are not the lone rangers.  Reflecting back, we bought JonNe' used.  We didn't acquire her for a song and dance, we acquired her for the first verse of the song and the first three notes of the dance intro.  We have invested a very significant amount in our home, and it is quite natural for things to need replacement, repair, and inspection.  In the same avenue, Renne' and I aren't in our 20's and 30's any longer, and our bodies aren't quite what they used to be either.  As frustrating as getting older is, we have discovered that our bodies, as JonNe' was, have been ignored or misdiagnosed for years.  Perhaps today, we are finally getting on the right track.  We are fortunate to be in the States, while we refine our bodies and our boat for the adventures we are coming up on. What did my English teacher say, "Never end a sentence with a preposition!"  Oh well, at least I recognize my error!

 Our friends who have left in the past two weeks have experienced many of the same challenges we have experienced recently.  Six boats are sitting in Miami waiting to make the crossing to the Bahamas and two are in the Bahamas, but all are waiting out the weather.  Some made it without difficulty, some have experienced blown-out headsails and mainsails, some have experienced oil leaks and water pump failures, some have experienced halyard failures, and one today, kissed the reef leaving the marina this morning and is back on a mooring ball to inspect the damage and rebuild their confidence.

We have realized: 1) This adventure is ours.  We love having you with us vicariously and digitally.  We wouldn't trade your friendship for anything; 2) Life happens.  JonNe' is our home.  We can't imagine being anywhere else at this time in our lives.  3) Everything we do is an adventure.  Not all of it is what we would like to come across, but we both realize how lucky we are to have each other as we meet these events.  Neither of us would have it any other way.  So as our life transitions, we invite you along, but we will tell it as it happens and not worry about what others think of it.

So Now:

On April 20th, Renne' and I took the opportunity to reflect on the last 10 years as we celebrated our first decade married to each other.  Neither of us can believe how much fun we've had and what an incredible number of places we've been and how many wonderful friends we have and have made.

Friday, the 20th dawned radiantly!  Renne' and I ran down to the store on Thursday to find something to wear for the ceremony, and in normal fashion, Renne' found a beautiful dress

that reflected the beautiful water we are cruising in!  I on the other hand found a dark green shirt to match and wore white shorts.  I, of course, was barefoot in the sand.  Same as the first time!  LOL!  Thought I would share some of the pics with you!

We thank our friend, Maury Thompson, for conducting the ceremony in an exceptional manner.

On the 26th, Renne' and I set out for the Bahamas, planning on a straight shot at Cat Cay or Bimini to check in.  We departed with our friends, Mick and Jois, buddy boating.  We were out four hours and 25 miles when we blew out our mainsail and discovered the VHF radio wasn't working properly.  We ended up turning around, and they blew out their main halyard.  So we returned to Key West to get either a new sail or repair the old one, and Mick and Jois chose to head for Marathon to resolve their issue.  I headed up the mast and found the antenna connection to the antenna had come unscrewed (a simple fix) and we spent two days at a local sail loft with another retired Navy Pilot learning how to repair sails and getting ours done.  As it turns out, we will head out again this Friday with a newly sewn mainsail, and they are sitting in Key Biscayne getting cabin fever with bad weather for the past few days.  We are glad we came back here where we had a great support team.

I going to end this dissertation now, and go get some wash done with Renne'.  So we will meet again this evening on the docks for Sundowners.  We can't wait to see you.  Thanks for bearing with us.

JonNe'