Hardest Part is Leaving the Dock

Cruising Year #3 begins at Palmetto, Florida…..

We have said this many times before, but the hardest part of ANY voyage is actually leaving the dock. This sounds crazy, but it is so true. With a car and the comforts of the dock and the safety of shore, leaving is never easy, and we have done this for over 10 years! It is still hard to do. Then, once you leave and get underway, you are relieved at the peace and comfort of being “away.” No more driving a car, no more frantic shopping and consuming, no more noise, dust and dirt. Just simple living on a sailboat, off 12 volt power and your own supplies. Once out and away from the docks, the cruising life slowly presents the beauty of the dream. Dolphins swam with us at Longboat Key and looked up at our boat as if to say…About Time You Get Out Here….seagulls and pelicans soared by taking notice as we motored on Tampa Bay. What a beautiful world it is out here and these are some of the reasons we worked so hard getting our boat refit, was so we could return to this cruising lifestyle. No, we really did not “need to” do the refit, but as with all boating upgrades, it was fun and exciting to work out. So we did it and we are glad we did. This 20 year old boat is running better than ever and feels like new to us. Great job, Island Packet Yachts!

Valve Adjustment 2 hours before departure….why not?

The days leading up to departure are always crazy. Shopping for items you think you need. Shopping for items you think you will need for the next month or two. Imagine shopping for a month. What would YOU buy? Prep the boat: Remove the water hose, electric cords, sun shade, extra dock lines, fenders and gear. Stow all items bought and brought on board. Change the fuel filters, check the sea strainer, check the bilges, engine fluids, etc. Find the life jackets, safety harness, EPIRB, radios, and safety gear. Update your float plans, and emergency contacts and SPOT transmitter. Check the 12 volt network and all antennas and communications. On and on and on until you finally say, that is enough….WE ARE LEAVING ….on…..Monday at noon. Then when noon Monday rolled around we were still frantically working, and we simply said, let’t go. We parked the car, stowed the keys, fired up the diesel and tossed off the dock lines. 25 NM later and filled up with fuel, we dropped the anchor in Sarasota Bay.

Okeechobee Challenge #2, get under the 49.3′ bridge

Our Okeechobee Challenge #2 begins now. We will return back across the center of Florida and we will lean our 49’8″ mast under the 49′ 4″ Port Mayaca Railroad Bridge, allowing us to make Stuart, Florida in 5-6 days. We plan to has Colin Mack of www.MackSails.com do some final rigging for us to complete our refit.

So, let year #3 of cruising begin. Our goals are to return to the Bahamas and to get back to Block Island, RI, for the summer. That is the big plan for 2013-2014. Thanks for sailing along.

Here are some photos…..

Champagne on anchor, as good as it gets

A beautiful shell on new teak varnish

Good friends Debbie and Craig ‘s FUN dog HOLLY

New rigging and new varnish look beautiful

WILD and BRIGHT yellow dinghy straps. This looks sooooo cool ?

Changing fuel filters 2 hours before departure

Erase last years log record: 2,346 NM…. at 5-6 MPH, imagine that

Year #3 begins: 0.0 Nautical Mile log
The Cortez Bridge at Bradenton, FL, and Anna Maria Island

Radeen at the helm, living the dream

So, off we go heading to Lake Okeechobee for the challenge of sqeezing under that darn 49.3′ bridge. Let’s hope we can lean over enough to make it through again. Stuart, Florida, here we come!

Yacht Refit Completed

Custom Step Plates at the gate…

On December 24, 2013 after nearly two months of re-building, we connected the last wire and then installed the custom Island Spirit step plates, completing the refit of our 20 year old yacht. What a job. Back in May, we pulled into Snead Island Boat Works, in Palmetto, Fl, and took our boat apart. We hauled it out and truckled it to the Island Packet Yachts factory where she was built in 1993. From May to November, she was inside the factory and the skilled employees at IPY rebuilt systems back to new conditions. Then on November 4, we trucked the boat back to Snead Island Boat Works where we re-launched and then began the re-assembly of all systems we removed for trucking. I must say that the rebuilding of systems took far more effort then the tearing down of  those systems. It actually took us nearly two months to rebuild, but only about 2 weeks to tear it all down.

Radeen is proud of the finished work

While the boat was at the Island Packet Yachts factory, we focused on seaworthiness items and making the yacht better. We looked at any system that could sink the yacht and had that system taken apart and rebuilt. Now we are feeling as if we have a brand new yacht and we know exactly what was rebuilt and who rebuilt it. The work by Island Packet was excellent and I highly recommend them for any and all refit work on their yachts. I am convinced there is no better team.

I am a list person, so please allow me to progress through the order of work to explain the extent of this task. Simple as 1, 2 3 !

#1. Tear Down the Boat, Prep for Trucking May 2013

  • Remove 3 sails
  • Remove all canvas: Bimini, Dodger and full enclosure
  • Remove 4 solar panels
  • Remove all stainless steel canvas bows and frames for canvas
  • Empty sail locker
  • Empty Galley: plates, glasses, silverware, pots and pans
  • Empty Tool Locker, Spare Parts Locker, Safety Locker
  • Remove all food and drinks
  • Empty bow lockers, bilge locker, hanging lockers, etc.
  • Empty and pack all clothing lockers
  • Empty the boat! Box it all up, move it all to a storage facility via rental car!
  • Pull the Mast and Boom
  • Prep for trucking, tape all lids, lockers, etc
  • Move to haul out slip, haul out directly to the truck (May 2013)
  • Truck to Island Packet Yachts Factory, from Palmetto, Fl to Largo Florida

    #2. Island Packet Yachts Refit Program inside the Factory, May-Nov

    • Remove all saltwater hoses
    • Rebuild the sewer system with a new fiberglass holding tank, new lines, valves and new macerator pump
    • Pull the stern tube, inspect, replace cutlass bearing, re-install
    • Re-align the diesel engine
    • Remove the exhaust muffler and hoses, replace with new
    • Install new hot water heater
    • Repair any and all grounding wires
    • Build a new laptop teak and almond desk
    • THE BIG job: Remove the entire center interior of the yacht to remove the chain plates and install new larger ones (Chain plates are the stainless steel welded structures that are fiberglassed into the hull, behind all the cabinets. The mast rigging attaches to these 8 points. They are a key structure to the yacht)
    • Rebuild the sump pumps and add new hoses and new anti-siphons.
    • Strip and sand the exterior teak 
    • Install gas struts on the cockpit locker lids
    • Re-powder coat the deck mast step
    • Add a saltwater foot pump at the galley sink
    • Compound and wax the hull
    • Prep for trucking
    • Truck boat back to Snead Island Boat Works, Palmetto Florida (Nov 4, 2013)

       #3. Back at Snead Island Boat Works, Palmetto FL (Nov 4 – Dec 24, 2013)

      • Launch from truck to water, no yard storage planned
      • Sand all exterior teak for varnish work
      • Varnish all exterior teak, 5 coats of Epifanes Varnish
      • Re-install stainless steel rub rails via dinghy
      • Install stainless steel bows: bimini, dodger, and solar frames
      • Re-install and rewire 4 solar panels 
      • Re-install 5 antennas: AIS, Satellite Radio, GPS, WiFi and Bullet2hp
      • Re-install bimini, dodger and full enclosure canvas
      • Woody wax the diamond decks
      • Install new stereo, replacing the one that died during this process
      • Install new stereo speakers and new Blu Ray player
      • Install a new Balmar 614 regulator, replacing the one that quit
      • Re-wire the solar controller due to the new regulator
      • Replace all standing rigging on the mast with OEM Seco South rigging
      • Replace digital TV antenna and run new cable with new fittings in the 50 foot mast
      • Replace VHF antenna and fittings and run new cable in the mast
      • Replace Mast Head light
      • Replace the mast sheaves
      • Wash the mast and polish the radar dome mounts with Spotless Stainless
      • Test all wiring in the mast, prep mast for crane
      • Snead Island Boat Works was hired to cut and rebuild the new OEM forestays and install as specified by Harken
      • Mast re-installed with crane
      • Tune Rigging to factory specs and re-pin the mast
      • Install sails: Jib, Staysail, Mainsail, Run sheets
      • Install Doyle Stack Pack for main sail
      • Re-rig 2 Flag Halyards
      • Rewire and improve mast base wiring connections
      • Reconnect mast junction for Radar and B&G Wind Anemometer
      • Connect the Alternator Stator wire to the battery combiner switch for charging two banks
      • Test all systems: Radar, AIS, GPS, NMEA bus, VHF, TV, Running Lights, Mast Lights, Navigation Computer with AIS feed and Satellite Radio feed.
      • Re-install the Island Spirit Step Plates
      The cockpit combing boards with varnish

      …and That’s a wrap!

      We are relieved to have the boat put back together at last. With a single list like this, it does not look that bad, but believe me, this was a ton of work, time and expense. Some days we were selling the boat, then other days we were incredibly happy. Sometimes, it was a real challenge to stay motivated.

      So, let our third year of cruising officially begin now. We can start to provision and load up for our third trip to the Bahamas. We will need to sail from Tampa Bay down and around  the Florida Keys and up to Biscayne Bay, Miami, or challenge the Okeechobee Waterway once again and that 49 foot railroad bridge.

      We want to spend January in Biscayne Bay and some of February, too. Then as weather allows, we will head out for the Bahamas for three months. Thank you for sailing along with us!

      And this was the sunset Christmas Night, what a beautiful sight

      My New Christmas T-Shirt, thank you Lee and Judi
      CAPTAIN: The Man…The Myth….The Legend
      From now on, this will be our car, the AB 10 foot tender

      Almost Christmas Almost Shake Down

      Radeen the Cookie Baker….

      The mast went in but the next day the crane returned and we removed the staysail rig and had it taken apart to re-cut. It was too long and provided zero adjustment when the new rig stretches. So, they cut 1 1/4″ off the inner stay, making it better. This required me to pull the cotter pins and loosen the rig and remove the sail once again. After the inner stay was re-installed, I re-tuned the rig to factory specs and re-installed the sail.

      Radeen the Christmas Elf has been busy making cookies and Christmas Fudge. I am busy finishing up the single side band radio re-install and improving the mast base wiring. Overall the rebuilding has been a long process and I am not sure why, but it just has been a very long drawn out process. Everyday there has been something to re-install, re-wire, re-connect, test, fix, or improve. It has been far more work than we expected, but how often do you tear apart a perfectly working cruising yacht and then rebuild it. Not very often, and now we know why!

      Here are some random photos of the “scene”…..Merry Christmas…..

      The crane returns….removed and re-cuts the inner forestay

      The local Heron says….WHAT? That crane was just there?

      All new gear on top of the mast with new rigging

      Date Night, yes, we love to go out on dates…..get off the boat

      Years ago, I designed this idea. A laptop desk. It slides into a bracket

      Laptop desk teak side, we had the IPY Factory make a new one.

      Laptop desk almond Formica side, flip it over

      Room for a book or notebook to the side. Lower the lid and the table drops over top

      Debbie and Craig stopped by for a visit and brought their cute dog, HOLLY

      The decks look brand new after we used Woody Wax

      Ahhhhhh, the MOET is chilling in the frig for celebration

      The old rigging wire will go home to PA for a deck canopy roof structure
      Notice the provisions are loading up also….beer….wine….we are ready to go 🙂

      Re-serviced the liferaft. This is a loan/gift from good friends Greg, Kate and the Doodles

      My New Car….Merry Christmas to US…its only money!

      What the boat looks like when you are rewiring the mast lights

      So, HO HO HO and Merry Christmas! Good friends ANITA and RANDY reminded us about the Jimmy Buffet Song lyrics…..A SAILOR SPENDS CHRISTMAS IN A HARBOR ON A HOOK…..and so we are and sailors soon we will be

      Mast Goes IN

      Seven weeks after re-launching, we have finally re-installed the mast as Island Spirit progresses through her refit. Our good friend, Carey, gave us a Silver Sand Dollar that belonged to his wife, Bobbi. We placed it under our mast along with a good luck penny from the Bahamas. With these two treasures under our mast, we are sure Island Spirit will enjoy many more years of ocean sailing and happy adventures. Thank you Carey for providing us with such a treasure to secure under our mast. You are a dear friend!
      Installing a mast requires a crane operator to lift the 50 foot mast and all the rigging off the parking lot and out over the boat. With skill and experience, along with several people on the deck and down below, the crane operator lowers the mast into the deck and down into the keel. Below deck, with the mast a few feet off the keel, wires need to be pulled out of the bottom of the mast and fed through a small hole in the side of the mast. These wires are for radar, wind instrument, lights, etc. and need to be reconnected into the ship’s wiring. Once the wires are led, the crane operator can then lower the mast down onto the mast base which fits over a matched raised base fitting. It is under here that our special tokens were placed and will remain as we enjoy the next decade of sailing. Stepping a mast is a big deal in the life of boat ownership. It is always exciting.
      Once the mast in installed, the crane is removed and the new standing rigging wires are connected to the chain plates at the sides, the bow and the stern. These wires are tightened using turnbuckles as the rig is tuned to proper design loads. After the rig is tuned, the sails can be installed and the wiring at the base of the mast re-connected. This is the first time our rig has been removed since we first commissioned this boat in 2002. 
      Now it is time to shake down and test out all systems onboard. Soon, very soon, we should be ready to begin cruising again. 
      Here are some photos…. 
      Carey and Hayden on the river to test the motor…running great!

      Lucky Bahamian Penny

       Norseman fitting attaches the stay sail

      The boat is a wreck with tools everywhere

      Wiring at the base of the mast for the B&G wind instrument which steers the boat.

      Old and new standard sheaves. The halyards run through these to raise the sails.

      The boat is moved out of the shed ready for the crane and a mast

      Our good luck items, Bobbi’s Silver Sand Dollar and a Bahamian penny.

      This is the mast base where the good luck tokens are placed

      The large crane truck at Snead 

      The new mast boot being installed

      YAHOO….the Radar came back to life after wiring

      Radar wiring under the floor at the base of the mast

      Two Sails installed, one more to go!

      Hot, Sunny Florida, 75 degrees, NICE!

      If all goes will, we may be able to get out for a sail very soon….thanks for following along…..Merry Christmas everyone

      December in the Boat Yard

      Our 50 foot mast in the boat yard….

      We are enjoying our time here at Snead Island Boatworks as we continue to upgrade and rebuild our 20 year old Island Packet 35. The Palemtto, Bradenton, Sarasota Florida area is fantastic and we are in no hurry to move out of here. So, we simply are enjoying the peaceful rebuild and visiting with good friends Craig and Debbie who live in Bradenton. They have returned from their USA tour , last week, and we have been visiting with them and sharing meals together and watching movies.

      Craig mounted a 60″ TV on the wall and we are being spoiled by the comfort of a beautiful Flordia Condo. With our mast in the yard, we have no TV antenna, no satellite radio reception (in the barn), no AM/FM antenna, zippo. So our only comms are Interenet via our cell phones and network. Imagine, no TV, radio for two months. Try it, you will NOT miss it!

       IP37 Optimystique in the boat parade

      We enjoyed watching the Bradenton Yacht Club lighted boat parade where our Island Packet Friends, William and Judy and their family entered their IP37 Optimystique into the parade. What a great time with many boats fully decorated and well lit. Each boat paraded by the yacht club, one at a time, with the crowd cheering them on in the 20 knot winds! After the parade there was a cocktail party and buffet followed by fireworks. What a great yacht club. One more reason to enjoy this area.

      Radeen may be turning into a dog lover as she has really enjoyed HOLLY, the pet of Debbie and Craig. This dachshund is a spunkie lively happy crazy funny dog, and we are always greeted with excitement when we arrive. We have never seen a dog jump and fly like HOLLY can. What a fun dog. Look, here is Radeen holding Holly! WOW, now that is FUN.

      Note to “Our Dogs”
      Hey LUCY and GRACIE….pay no attention to this picture. Aunt Radeen and Uncle Hayden love you two also, but you had to run off to the AZ dessert and leave us behind, so we befriended HOLLY.

      Thank you JUDI for your great cookies

      It is ALWAYS CHRISTMAS when our WASHINGTON family sends in the cookies. Judi always finds us no matter where we are and she always sends us the BEST homemade Christmas cookies. Judi is amazing,and Radeen has the fondest childhood memories of the arrival of Judi’s cookies for the Christmas Season. THANK YOU JUDI.

      Thank you Rhonda, Mike, Tammy and Mark

      Then we also were surprised by a beautiful Harry and David basket and wonderful Oregon Wine from our Arizona Family, Rhonda and Mike and Tammy and Mark. We will savor these treats all Christmas week long. We miss you all, and will get together soon.

      Thank you

      MORE PHOTOS
      Here are some more random photos of the week…..

      Fantastic sunsets

      Woody Wax really works great on the decks

      Family Christmas Treats arrive UPS

      Installing a NEW Balmar 614 Regulator

      Here is the restored alternator, once again

      Rewiring the regulator and the solar controller

      Yes, the stereo died, so we installed a new one

      WOW, that is WHITE…..West Marine had NO Black units

      Cold Front arrived….Brrr it is cold, 65 degrees! Break out the fleece

      We have a CHRISTMAS SQUIRREL! He jumps onto the deck, runs around lookign for treats.
      This squirrel is so tame and friendly. I bet I could hand feed him, but have not.

      So, that is what we are doing here as we look forward to a mast being installed today, if all goes well. If not, oh well, who is in a rush? Not us. We were planning on departing here December 4, one month after launch, but hey, here we are. We have no plans but NOW. The time is NOW and that is how we are living…..

      Merry Christmas and Happy SNOW to our friends up NORTH….brrrrrr

      Friends BoatShows Work

      We are still re-building in the shed at Snead Island….
      Broken B&G arrow
      weighted tip

      We have been having a great time with local boating friends, Island Packet Dealers, touring the local area, and working on the rebuilding. We are still going through the 650 photos taken at the wedding in Mexico and we will blog about that soon. Right now we are still in the middle of rebuilding this yacht and all the systems we tore apart for trucking. Soon, very soon, we will get the mast installed now that all the rigging is finished. Our B&G Wind Machine is broken and we are waiting for parts on that. If they do not arrive soon, we will raise the mast and climb up later to install the newly repaired wind instrument. We should have removed it from the boat for transport, bad idea to leave it inside the cabin.

      We had both alternators rebuilt. 125 amp on left
      50 amp orig 1993 on the right

      Engine work is nearly completed with oil change and new filters and a rebuilt alternator. We are now working on a wiring glitch to the regulator, but that should be an easy fix. All the stainless steel rub rails are back on and so is the canvas and enclosure. The solar array has been rewired along with the various antennas. The sails are still below deck and are constantly in the way. The life raft has been repacked and needs to be picked up in St. Pete along with one boat buck$ for the service! The onboard network needs rebuilt and installed and we need to reset up the WiFi Bullet2hp rig. The stereo / DVD player died during trucking and needs to be replaced. We are shopping for a similar unit that will play DVDs, iPod, CDs, and Aux in for Satellite Radio. If you have any ideas, please comment and help out.

      Radeen, Ed Whiteaker and Hayden
      Ed and Debbie Whiteaker, owners of
      www.WhiteakerYachtSales.com

      We had a great time at the St. Pete BoatShow as we were invited to be guests of the new Island Packet Yachts Legacy Dealer here in the area. Whiteaker Yacht Sales has been named the new Island Packet Dealer for all of Florida and up to the Carolinas and more! Radeen and I were invited to spend a day with them at their booth and talk to IP owners and guests about sailing and cruising. WOW, that was really fun and we met several new IP owners. What a fun time and a gracious gesture by Ed and Debbie Whiteaker. We toured the show on Thursday and then we were with them all day Saturday. Thank you, we loved it!

      Looking ahead this week, we are still hoping to get the mast installed, and then get some sails on and finish the wiring to the mast.




      Willam, Ed, and Hayden
      William is a Yacht Broker with Whiteaker Yacht Sales and owner of IP 37 Optimystique


      Here are some great photos of the week.

      Ed, Bob and Hayden visit at the Whiteaker Yacht Sales Booth
      Bob is a good friend and IP Owner of IP380 Judith III
      Eric Stone playing at the St. Pete Boat Show

      Bob Bitchin, owner of www.CruisingOutpost.com,
      hosted the Saturday Pizza and Beer party at the Boat Show

      A visit to Burnt Store Marina to see good friends
      Alan and Kathy of IP 420 Flatlander. Here are the girls in the beautiful kitchen.

      Alan and Kathy’s new home and pool deck

      Bird of Paradise flowers around the pool deck at Alan and Kathy’s place

      Sunset at the boat on Sunday during a SNOW STORM in the Northeast

      The final screws re-installing the stainless steel….in the dark

      Radeen at the St. Pete Boat Show

      Old Jib Sheet blocks….NEW Garhauer Blocks MADE IN USA

      Our alternators rebuilt by B & E Electronics in Palmetto. Great job!
      Now my spare will be onboard and not home in the garage!

      8 loads of laundry, plus luggage from Mexico Wedding trip
      What do we do with this on a sailboat? Toss it overboard?

      Oil Change….done

      Cooking eggs in motor oil…..NOT

      Radeen, ocean sailor Girl…..if we ever get a mast installed.
      I need to get the work done and motor out of this barn!

      So there we are. Still working on da boat. Still rebuilding. The great aspect is that, as we said before, we have no schedule, no place to be but here, and no plans except whatever we do today. This is a great way to live, and we are loving it….

      Thanks for following, please leave us comments, we enjoy hearing from our readers.

      Greg Wins 100,000

      Image of the 100,000th pageview….

      We have a winner of the 100,000th Pageview Contest! Congrats to the proud former owner of IP-350 Eileen, #1 Golden Doodle Master, RV Road Warrior, and very good friend, Greg, who captured the exact moment of the 100,000th pageview of this blog. Thank you to Greg for participating in and winning this world wide contest :-). Your calendar or T-shirt will be in the mail shortly.

      As for Island Spirit, she is progressing slowly. Some of this slowness was due to diverting to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, where Radeen and I enjoyed the beautiful wedding of Julia and Brain. Julia is the daughter of Anita and Mark, our good college friends of nearly 40 years. We were so happy to be included in this very special event. The Azul Fives resort was gorgeous and we enjoyed five days there, celebrating with their family and friends. More details to follow!

      So, now we are back aboard and working on the mast rigging and cleaning and stowing every thing. Someday soon, we will be back to where we started, that being with a fully working perfect IP 35, just like we had in May when we ripped it all apart and trucked it to the factory!

      The Current jobs are:

      1. Install the mast
      2. Install 3 sails
      3. Install Bimini and Dodger and full enclosure
      4. Wire up all antennas
      5. Re-install SSB antenna and AT140 tuner
      6. Wire up mast base connections for Radar, VHF, TV, B&G wind, lights
      7. Change engine oil, clean engine room
      8. Re-build alternator again with new parts improperly installed in Bahamas
      9. Test radar and navigation system and GPS and AIS systems
      10. Shake down and test drive train and all systems

      Then, maybe then, we can move on and get cruising! Overall, we do not yet see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are simply working one day at a time, with no real schedule and no real place to be but here. Such is life on a cruising sailboat.

      100K Pageview Contest

      Aug 2002, Radeen christens Island Spirit…

      Team Island Spirit 100,000 Pageview Contest opens today. Who can capture the 100,000th page view?

      How will this work? You need to take a PRINT SCREEN of our blog web page on the day the page view count is exactly at 100,000. This could happen in the next 3-5 days!

      Email this print screen to IslandSpirit35 at gmail dot com.

      The FIRST person to do this will be given a FREE 2014 Island Packet Sailing Calendar or an IPYOA t-shirt, your choice!

      Let the games begin….

      Reloading Week and more

      Boxes of tools, gear, and safety items….

      This week has been the reloading week where we have been moving car loads of boxes and gear out of out 5′ W x 4′ D x 8′ H storage rental and back onto the boat. It is a amazing how much storage there is on these Island Packet Yachts. We have a locker of tools, one for spare parts, one for safety, one for wine, another for gallons of oil, and another for hurricane dock lines! These all go into spaces that are not mainly used. Then we have tons more space for food and paper products. All of this was removed and boxed and stored for shipping the boat to and from the Island Packet Yachts factory for our refit.

      Condo #3, Anna Maria Island

      As we do these jobs, we have been lucky to use time share condos and sleep away from the boat, after a full day of working on the boat. We also have made sure that we get to the condo pool at the end of the day, and also get to the beach for the beautiful west coast Florida sunsets. We are really enjoying the West Coast of Florida from Tampa Bay to Bradenton Beach, to Sarasota Bay. The beaches of Siesta Key, as well as Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island, are very beautiful. We are taking time to enjoy the beach every day around 5:30 pm which is sunset time. After that, we walk back to our condo and enjoy a relaxing dinner at “home.”

      Here are some photos showing the diversity of this time…

      Condo #2 Siesta Key, 1 bedroom, kitchen, dining & 2 full baths
      Our walk to the beach on Siesta Key
      A wedding on Siesta Key, how romantic
      Teak varnish coat #5, waiting to apply final coat #6
      Radeen painted the lockers and also her HAIR as she was upside down in the bilge
      Radeen is a Pisces,and love to SWIM….yes, we can go to the pool again!
      Radeen with a post-swim Mohawk on the beach for sunset, FUN
      IPY Friends, Kathy and Alan, IP-420 FLATLANDER, stopped by for a visit, very fun
      Rebuilding the solar array with 4 panels, a junction box and wiring
      Post sunset skies are most interesting to me
      The storage locker nearly emptied, just pillows, blankets and seats, plus a 15hp Yamaha
      How to make your own motor bracket support via Home Depot stuff
      Plywood, paint, an aluminum kick plate for a door and snips
      This will hold the Yamaha 15hp

      New Motor Mount ready for our Yamaha 15 HP
      Make your own outboard motor hoist at Home Depot with a conduit bender. Thank you!

      So….we have been busy! It isa ton of work, but it has somehow been fun at the same time. Sure it is frustrating not having my shop or knowing the local area. Yes, I question rebuilding systems that were just fine like my solar array, but it still was worth it. We did under estimate the time and work of tear down and rebuild, but now Island Spirit is like a BRAND NEW boat, and that is really wonderful. More reloading and soon the MAST will go in….