Mandolin-at-Large
| Vessel Name: | Mandolin |
| Vessel Make/Model: | Bayfield |
| Hailing Port: | Rock Creek, MD |
| Crew: | Tod and Anne Herrick |
| About: | Retired from human service occupations now living a human exisistance! |
08 April 2018 | Florida Keys
Paradise, aka: the Florida Keys
It's been a really long time since I posted a blog. I know, I should be more disciplined! But I have made numerous Facebook entries. That counts, doesn't it? I prefer Facebook when I have a bunch of photos to post. I can only post one on this site. So any readers who are not on my friends list at Facebook, [...]
28 February 2018 | Boot Key Harbor, Marathon
Boot Key Harbor: A Pleasant Community on the Water
We have enjoyed our stay in Boot Key Harbor in Marathon. There is a nice community of boaters here. It's protected from winds during bad weather and the city makes it a welcoming place.
15 February 2018 | Lower Keys
Welcome to the Keys!
We left Lake Worth at 7:30a thinking we were only going to Fort Lauderdale. The admiral didn't like the waves and seas we had yesterday so she was reluctant to put in a long day again. I can't say I blame her. However, today's conditions were delightful! She put off the task of seeking a marina for the [...]
14 February 2018 | Off Boynton Beach
The Lazy Fisherman
We woke early and got underway from our pleasant Anchorage in Lake Worth around 7:30 to catch slack current in the inlet. It was a bit bumpy with the east winds but not terrible. Once out we set sail and motor sailed under full sail and mild winds for about 3 hours. Our original destination was Fort [...]
13 February 2018 | West Palm Beach
Moving south
After pulling ourselves away from Velcro Beach we traveled south along the waterway to Ft. Pierce. We had our friend aboard as extra crew as needed but more as pleasant company. We enjoyed Vero Beach and will likely be back. We had a good time walking to the beach and getting caught by the security guard [...]
11 February 2018 | Vero Beach
Shorts, sandals, and sunny skies
We have been enjoying our stay at "Velcro Beach" and understand why people have named it thus. Life is pleasant here and you have access to the town via the free bus. It's not a fast way to get around but it is convenient!
But Mommy you said it was going to be warm!
The night before last the strong winds broke our dinghy's painter and she was off, gone. Woke up to find her missing and felt heartsick. I called the coast guard to report a missing dinghy so they wouldn't be concerned about finding a boat with our a sailor in it. They advised me to contact the local sheriff's office which I did. It seems that they have found my runaway dinghy several miles down the river! I arranged for Towboat/US to pick it up under our towing policy and it was brought back to our marina, no charge to us! We had to wait until today to pick it up as it was too rough yesterday for the marinas shuttle to operate. However, today, Anne and I along with a couple we befriended, went to shore in the icy rain to launch the dinghy into the river and tie her up at the dinghy dock. The dinghy was in perfect shape and nothing was missing. I gave the dinghy a Stern talking to about going off on her own! She promised never to do that again.
We took nice hot showers ashore which was heavenly! After chatting with some cruisers in the boaters lounge a group of us decided to go out to eat. The city was much more subdued today but there were still people out. We went to a pizza place and had a nice time!
Then it was a dinghy ride back to mandolin, at the far side of the mooring field. She went up in the davits, we weren't going to take a chance of her running away again! Besides, we plan on leaving for Daytona Beach tomorrow. Temps will get down below freezing tonight and be colder on Friday. We will take a slip in Daytona where we can plug in to electric. Then we can run our heater. Right now, we have a propane heater which shouldn't be kept on at night.
So, good night all and keep warm!
