Coastal Cruising: Bay Breeze & Aquavit

We’re bringing Bay Breeze home Like what is happening with most people, our plans were changed by the Covid-19 pandemic. We had hoped to resume cruising  Bay Breeze  to the Florida Keys and perhaps even The Bahamas this year. But then, with the stay-at-home rules and common sense, we punted on cruising this spring. Gasparilla Marina near Boca Grande After self-isolating until Florida’s governor lifted the travel restrictions, we headed to Gasparilla Marina in Placida to bring Bay Breeze on a slow cruise back to our home dock. When we’re on the boat, we have very limited contact with others. As is the norm, the wind was from the direction we wanted to go, so instead of sailing, the Yanmar diesel propelled us up to Sarasota where we stayed two nights at Marina Jack’s, taking advantage of a two-for-one special they had going. Then we motored across Tampa Bay to anchor overnight in Boca Ciega Bay. We enjoyed a supermoon, a full moon when the moon i...

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 dinne...

Back to Bay Breeze After too long a hiatus from sailing on Bay Breeze, we are thrilled to resume our cruising adventures. With some excellent upgrades and maintenance by Sailor's Wharf Boat Yard in St. Pete, our Shannon Shoalsailer is ready to go. A new bow thruster has proven to be a worthwhile investment to reduce the anxiety of maneuvering and docking in tight marinas. We had many excellent experiences on AQUAVIT and she served us well for our trips up the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, all the way to Eastport, Maine and Campabello Island, Canada. We enjoyed visiting ports and friends along the way and met many interesting people. Our travels are chronicled in our previous blogs. But now AQUAVIT is placed with a broker in Naples awaiting new captains. She's an excellent powerboat, but our hearts ride on the wind. Disembarking at Cape Horm from the Stella Outsells Now we have been to both ends of the Pan Am Highway - from Deadhorse, Ala...

Maybe 1,000 boats on moorings in the Marion, Massachusetts cove. From a stay on a mooring in Marion Massachusetts at Burr Brothers Boats to get a repair, or at least a diagnosis, on our port engine tachometer, we only got a diagnosis. The engine synchronizer cable, called a glendinning, leading from our port engine is broken and will take too long and be too involved to repair. That means that we will be using our ear to match the rpm of our engines. We will be deferring fixing it until there is a better timeframe. In 2017, just after purchasing Aquavit, we had this same issue repaired by replacing the tachometer sending unit on both engines. Burr Brothers Boats was very nice and helpful, even though we were leaving without a repair. (The invoice for diagnosis was a little pricey, but worth the knowledge that we could continue our trip.) From a blustery day for the trip from Provincetown to Marion, the next morning was calm and still at the mooring and across Buzzards B...