Riding the Wind

Vessel Name: Pa La O La
Vessel Make/Model: 1993 Prout Snowgoose Elite
Hailing Port: Shalimar, Florida
Crew: Gary & Barbara Stearns
24 September 2009 | Key West,FL
13 September 2009 | Boca Chica
28 August 2009 | Boca Chica
27 August 2009 | Boca Chica
18 July 2009 | Boca Chica
18 July 2009 | Boca Chica
18 July 2009 | Boca Chica
06 July 2009 | Boca Chica
17 June 2009 | Key West-Boca Chica
13 June 2009 | Boca Chica
12 June 2009 | North of Marco Island
11 June 2009 | North of Marco Island
11 June 2009 | North of Marco Island
11 June 2009 | North of Marco Island
11 June 2009 | Gordon Pass
09 June 2009 | St. James City FL
07 June 2009 | St. James City FL
07 June 2009 | St. James City FL
02 June 2009 | St. James City FL
02 June 2009 | Venice FL
Recent Blog Posts
24 September 2009 | Key West,FL

Going Green

Well folks, I hope everyone out there is doing well. We like the blog we just have been so laid back that it doesn't give us much to blog about. I mean how many time do you want to hear about how we are just kicking back and taking it easy. Yea every day is Saturday, I mean it's been great but how many [...]

13 September 2009 | Boca Chica

Fishin

Gary's been fishing a lot lately... though he can't bring anything in because the 4+ foot Barracuda, Willie, that has taken up residence under our boat gets to it before Gary gets it reeled in. Willie let Gary have this shark though, Gary caught him twice in one night, I got him in the net and handed him over to Gary so I could get the pic - shark fin soup anyone? Hope everyone is well! Barbara

28 August 2009 | Boca Chica

There be horses in the ocean

An interesting find in the sea water strainer for our boat air conditioner... Gary returned him to the sea unharmed.

27 August 2009 | Boca Chica

Hanging Out

Hey Everyone, nothing new or exciting here... we're just hanging out still trying to beat the heat. I did finally finish the reupholstering project - yeah! We are working on "facebook" now to be able to post lots of pictures at no cost. I'll include the link next post. Oh, and the little guy in the picture, Iggy, I caught him trying to get on the boat last week - those critters can really swim. Our most exciting news of late, our youngest son, Glenn, was selected for promotion to staff sergeant last week. Congrats Glenn, we are so proud of you. Best to all, Barbara

18 July 2009 | Boca Chica

Dinner

My kind of friends... dinner!

18 July 2009 | Boca Chica

Making Friends

Gary made friends with this little fella.

Going Green

24 September 2009 | Key West,FL
Gary
Well folks, I hope everyone out there is doing well. We like the blog we just have been so laid back that it doesn't give us much to blog about. I mean how many time do you want to hear about how we are just kicking back and taking it easy. Yea every day is Saturday, I mean it's been great but how many times should I rub that in. We have caught up on all our periodicals and we have worked our way into our paperback library. We have been regulars at the base gym. Barb has even got two classes on the same day she attends twice a week. We have been taking a dance class Monday and Friday nights that is being offered in conjunction with the Navy Ball. We don't intend to go to the Ball but we have been having fun in the class. I think my job is to make everyone else look better. I have been doing a great job of that.
I guess the big news is we got the boat away from the dock yesterday. Yep believe it or not it's true. There were more than a few people wondering just what the heck we were doing. What we were doing is letting Barbara practice driving the boat in a congested area. In other words where she had lots of stuff she could run into like other boats, docks, mooring balls, piers, going aground on a sand bar and let's not forget a rock wall two feet under the water. We just weaved all around the mooring field and marina. I was so proud of her, she did so well. We wanted to go out on a mooring ball so we could clean the bottom so we made it a three-fer. Practice driving, mooring, & work. It was the first time we ever picked up a mooring ball and Barbara did all the driving. I made a pass at it so she could watch once and then it was all her. If you don't tell anyone I'll admit she did a better job than I did. It was not a calm day either. When we finished and went back over to our spot on the wall, the wind was so strong we had to pull in headlong because the wind was too strong to get the stern over coming in the other direction. Now that we've got a feel for a mooring ball and we've got a practical tryout for the mooring pennant I made we are planning a trip out to the Sambos or Pelican shoals about seven miles south east of us. We have heard there is some great diving and snorkeling. I'm sure we won't make it out till after the kids come in nine days for James' wedding, but it is in our sights now. The weather is getting a bit cooler. You know like low 90's instead of high 90's.
Barbara is turning greener all the time. No she isn't getting sea sick. She bought a solar cooker. We have a wind generator and she bought solar panels for me to install, now she is cooking solar. It is a two pot cooker. Her first attempt was red beans and rice with corn bread. Oh yea, she can do that again any time. I mean she even did the corn bread in it. She boiled eggs in it the other day for tuna salad. That was great because she didn't heat up the boat doing it. Two nights ago it was rice and beef for stir fry. I just fired up the grill (on the stern deck) and put the griddle on and browned all the veggies and mixed it up. Another success story! She said you can bake cookies in it too! Not a hint there do ya think. I used to bake her cookies all the time. It's like an oven, you can bake bread and do roasts. You can use it like a crock pot and the best part is you can cook all you want and not heat up the inside of the boat. We put it out on the dock box next to the boat and we get a lot of question over it. A lot of "where can I get one!"
Well think I'll close for now I'll save my fishing stories for another day. One is why we can't clean the bottom at our slip or at least Barbara I won't get in the water there again anytime soon.

Gary

Fishin

13 September 2009 | Boca Chica
Barbara
Gary's been fishing a lot lately... though he can't bring anything in because the 4+ foot Barracuda, Willie, that has taken up residence under our boat gets to it before Gary gets it reeled in. Willie let Gary have this shark though, Gary caught him twice in one night, I got him in the net and handed him over to Gary so I could get the pic - shark fin soup anyone? Hope everyone is well! Barbara

There be horses in the ocean

28 August 2009 | Boca Chica
Barbara
An interesting find in the sea water strainer for our boat air conditioner... Gary returned him to the sea unharmed.

Hanging Out

27 August 2009 | Boca Chica
Barbara
Hey Everyone, nothing new or exciting here... we're just hanging out still trying to beat the heat. I did finally finish the reupholstering project - yeah! We are working on "facebook" now to be able to post lots of pictures at no cost. I'll include the link next post. Oh, and the little guy in the picture, Iggy, I caught him trying to get on the boat last week - those critters can really swim. Our most exciting news of late, our youngest son, Glenn, was selected for promotion to staff sergeant last week. Congrats Glenn, we are so proud of you. Best to all, Barbara

Dinner

18 July 2009 | Boca Chica
Barbara
My kind of friends... dinner!

Making Friends

18 July 2009 | Boca Chica
Barbara
Gary made friends with this little fella.

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