Pat and I attended the boat show in Annapolis, Maryland for a few days in early October. We were prepared to spend money on supplies and new equipment for the boat but were disappointed that a few vendors chose not to attend for various reasons (one being the impending hurricane). We made the most of the situation and were able to obtain quotes for a code “0” sail and compared various furlers that would work with the code “0”. While there, I reached out to one of Pat’s peers Jennifer Turvold and her husband Tyler, who worked with him when we were living in Dallas. It worked out that we could meet for dinner at a lovely venue with outside seating and a view of the Naval Academy. I’m so glad we could connect and catch up on details of our lives, children and careers or lack thereof in retirement.

Upon arriving back to Burnt Store Marina in Florida, Pat and I sailed the boat down the coast to Diversified Yacht Services in Fort Myers for haul out (or “on the hard” for us yachties) and minor refit and repairs. Pat found a lovely condo on the beach in Ft. Myers with a view of the ocean sunsets. Each morning after breakfast we began our training for a ½ marathon to be held in Las Vegas on November 12-13th. This is a first for us and a fun experience because they close the strip down at sunset for the marathon. I have always been a daily walker but this was an opportunity to get Pat back into shape. The second week of our haul out we moved to a resort on Sanibel Island where we checked out the beaches and hiking trails. When it appeared that we were going to be delayed into a third week, we moved to a nice condo overlooking the Intercoastal waterways near Fort Myers. While it was fun to visit all the areas, we really missed being on the boat.

What was supposed to be a 7 day haul out, turned into a three week project overall. Pat wanted the thru hulls changed out to marelon brand because they don’t corrode or erode while in the water. It took longer than expected to receive all the correct parts. CH2 also got a new coat of bottom paint, props and sail drives serviced, new scoops and zincs. With the boat service completed, we are ready to spend a season in the Bahamas beginning in January.
Now, we are happily back into the water and will sail up the coast to Venice beach where we will play for the next week. Our good friends, Katie and Bill Morris are arriving tomorrow and we will meet them in Venice to explore the beaches and waterways.

One thing I know for sure is that I love the beach, water and sunshine on a regular basis.