STANDING BY.

-
Change of Plans

NOTE: A video of the Smithsonian Journey travel tour of Patagonia we enjoyed in February is posted at the end of the blog. If it doesn't play thru the email link - go to www.shoalsailer32.blogspot.com and select "STANDING BY"

Sunset in the wake of Pat's George Luzier built boat on Pine Island Sound



The short cruise in March to Useppa Island and meet-up with friends was wonderful. With a transient slip at the private Useppa Island Club dock, we had a great week on Bay Breeze just before the world came to a stop.


Zydeco  - Shoalsailer 35, Bay Breeze's bigger sistership

Pat and Judy made wonderful arrangements and Linda and Mike made wonderful blueberry pancakes. Touring around Pine Island Sound on Pat's classic wood cruiser, Julia B, we explored out- of-the-way islands and communities. We picked up Linda and Michael, of Zydeco, who were anchored in Pelican Bay at Cayo Costa State Park to join us for dinner at the Tarpon Lodge in Pineland. 

A fine time with fine friends and fine food and wine!














Now, with the rapid distribution of the COVID-19 flu through the world, we stand by, wait and isolate.

Being self-quarantined at the coast, we're missing our boats. AQUAVIT is in Naples with a broker in a dead-quiet boat sales market, and Bay Breeze is berthed in Placida. If our plans had not been altered by the pandemic and erratic protocols, we would be well on our way to the Florida Keys or beyond, perhaps sailing along Linda and Michael's Zydeco. 

But circumstances change. The coast is clear. The spring weather has been delightful and deferred home and garden chores are being checked off;  looking on the internet at Pearson Ensign daysailers.


It's a time to reflect and appreciate friends, family, and simpler pleasures. We will see what lessons are learned and stick as the future unfolds.  Stay safe - stay healthy! 

UPDATE: A video of the Smithsonian Journey travel tour of Patagonia we enjoyed in February is posted at the end of the blog. If it doesn't play thru the email link - go to www.shoalsailer32.blogspot.com and select the "STANDING BY" post.

04.05.2020

EXPLORING PATAGONIA




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

12 Years and still venturing south.

-
Image
Year 12 sailing south to the Keys in spring and back to our dock for hurricane season. This year we have not published a blog until now. We have visited a lot of the same venues and our adventures are similar to those we've experienced in the past. Mostly, we have delayed publishing because we are looking for a new blog host. We have seen in our statistics that most of our traffic is coming from China, Hong Kong, and Singapore. We are not believing there is that much interest in us, the Florida Keys and Maine in those places. It makes us nervous about security and hackers and our present host will not allow blocking country IP addresses. So here's a summary of our twelfth year cruising down to the Keys for a little over a month this spring.  We were delayed by weather from our planned departure in early April. Our original plan was to leave home with plenty of time to get to Dunedin, stay a couple days, and make a presentation to the Dunedin Boat Club thoughtfully arranged by o...
Read more

THANKSGIVING - 35 years on and we're still sailing!

-
Image
  Tropicbird This is the 35th anniversary of a Thanksgiving that we hold very special.  It was November 21-23, 1988. In our 37-year career, it was rare that we took a dedicated vacation. Running a small mom-and-pop company limited the time we could be away from our business. We might take an extra day tagged onto a work trip or a long weekend to visit family in South Florida. But, that really wasn't recreation time. Besides, we traveled so much to so many wonderful places, we never felt the need to take time off to change the scenery. But, we did long for more time to cruise on our sailboat. Our  Tropicbird,  a 1960 Pearson Triton, was a well-found sailboat. We became her caretaker in 1979. The fabled classic Triton was a Carl Alberg designed, heavy displacement craft, full keel with a four foot draft. We worked to refit and upgrade  Tropicbird  and invested much sweat equity and funds. In 1985 we repowered with a Westerbeke diesel. A few years of neglect b...
Read more

Wicked wet and fog he-aah this summah!

-
Image
  Wicked Wet and Fog He-aah This summah !   This is an unusual summer for the folks here in Maine. From Rockland, where we stored and launched, Downeast to Southwest Harbor on Mt. Desert Island, the weather has been unusually foggy and rainy. With only brief days of clear skies and sunshine, their tourist-based economy has slumped. Most Mainers are giving up on July and hoping for better prospects in August. A schooner that broke away from its mooring in a storm, winding up on the rocks, near Dysart's Great Harbor Marina. For us, it's been pleasant, if only a little disappointing that we are mostly stuck in our slip at the marina. We are so happy to have landed at Dysart's Great Harbor Marina (https://www.dysartsmarina.com). At least it's cooler than at home in Florida. We miss the friendly dock crew at Safe Harbor, but Miccah and Jane here at Dysart's are wonderful dock masters. And, a bonus is the interesting stories of boats and their owners who are regulars here...
Read more