The picture above is of Lisa running in the Dirty Girls mud run. It was in our area on September 10th. She was part of a team of 18 called the DIRTY HABITS (in case you were wondering she has not become a nun). It was a great time. Check out godirtygirls.com. We sailed Siyasinana down from Beaufort to Hilton Head and hauled out on an old rail style ramp. Had to reconfigure the cradle from shrimp boat to catamaran but in the end, it was a great way to haul her wide ass out for an inspection and paint. Will fly down in October for a week of working on some electrical fixes. Hoping to cast off in November.

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St. Augustine is a great stop. You can still anchor in a few spots but the primary anchorage is now a municipal mooring field 20$/nite, includes dingy dock and hot showers. With watermaker down, the hot long showers beat the limited-water style we employ when in water conservation mode as we are now. Friends up north should be happy to know we lived in snowmobile suits for almost a week. The run south to West Palm (Lake Worth) was on the inside, not our preferred route, but tolerable while we sort out the wind direction/speed indicator the seems to have developed a fever. Works, then doesnt. Give it a rest, works then doesnt. All wires tested at correct voltage, did repeated calibrations and finally yanked it out and mailed it to Raymarine for warranty repair.So, without knowing wind speed and direction, the freezing cold Atlantic Ocean with breaking seas at the inlet did not look too inviting despite the fact we were ready to endure. A quick uturn and down the ditch we came. Two days ago we removed the water maker from its sick location which requires a 2 man Twister team combined with mirrors and flashlight to see around corners to find the many hose and electrical connections. Lisa, being a dental hygentist is remarkably proficient working backwards and upside down while looking into a 3 inch mirror. Wont bore u with the details but suffice to say the 6 hr. job to replace all the O-rings and seals in the watermaker, reassemble, then reinstall unit back to said sick location, then reconnect all wires and hoses upside down and backwards using said mirror went flawlessly except for one small detail. Unit does not now work at all. Seems a pinhole leak in the tiny little 1/4 hose that has to hold up to 900 lb. psi may be the culprit. We cant find its name in the manual so to us it is the "magic tube". So tomorrow we take the bikes and look for that little part and retest. Day in the life....but all good cuz we're here, anchored, settled, have bikes and dingy dock priviledges at the West Palm Beach Sailing Club. Friends Marty and Cal on Carpe Vita are here and yesterday took us out for a great sail. Walked down to the Saturday morning "farmers market" in West Palm and I must say I have never seen such an upscale market anywhere. The route from St. Augustine was long and cold but uneventful with overnite stops in Rockhouse Creek, Ponce DeLeon, Melborne and Ft. Pierce. the highlites were that it warmed up to 50 by 2pm and we saw a rocket launch as we passed Cape Canaveral. The mission for today is take bikes to shore, find a sports bar within 20 miles to catch some of the Bills game, Go Bills, then meet up with Dad and Arlene who live about 15 miles north of our location. Cold front tonite with take us back to freezing morning temps. by Tuesday. Snow suites and down blanket at the ready. I thought it was warm in Florida. Will get fishing license and report on the Snook. Lisa sez hi.

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Nov. 18, I woke up, got outta bed and dragged a comb across my head. Made the plane is seconds flat and arrived to lovely Lisa at the Charleston airport. Stepped onboard to see the new and improved Siyasinana for cruising season 2010/2011. With a jig saw, cordless and sewing machine, the "Fixie Chick" had managed to build an entire mahagony pot rack and a kick ass new helm seat that is so comfy I can finally sleep at the helm. Fixed a stuck starter, changed the oils, provisioned, and good to go. We departed Beaufort in record time on Sunday the 21st, 9am bound for St. Mary's Ga which we made in 24 hours. The boogy man was unable to board during the night due to glorious full moon the lit the offshore path, about 140 miles. Had to motor. Light wind and almost flat seas. Perfect. We did hear several monohulls complaining about severe rolly polly syndrome. Lucky for us the catamaran stays flat and the coffee pot never has to leave the counter (that included china that stayed put on the counter over 8100 miles from CT South Africa).
Currently sitting on the hook in beautiful St. Mary's River, Georgia. Slack high tide in an hour or so makes for fun when all the anchored boats swing kitty whumpus until the tide flips and everyone slowly begins to hang as desired. Heavy fog just lifting reveals the 80 degress and sunny day promised for this wonderful Thanksgiving day which we are preparing to share with 150 fellow cruisers at the local hotel that is graciously cooking and donating all the turkeys, tables, and more. With 100 fancy dishes-to-pass, it should be a feast to remember.
Boy George, the dog, got his sea legs in no time. He's quite the boat dog. Very neat with the "poop deck". As I write, I am simultaneously reviewing multiple outfits that Lisa is modeling looking for the perfect combination for the big onshore event. And now that she's lost 40 lbs, I no longer have to say which outfit makes her butt look smaller. She's got a growing health coach business now with 50 happy clients loosing lotsa weight. (www.simpleslimmer.com ).
Since we have absolutely no plan, we have absolutely no idea where we will be next. I hope it's Cumberland Island, the jewel of the Golden Isles of Georgia. Later gator.

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