The month of October will be spent getting ready to head out in November. Both of us need to see our doc, get eyes examined and take care of yearly medical junk. Neither of us are looking forward to that and will be happy to have it behind us.
Once we got settled into the condo we took a trip up to Indiantown to check on Light Reach. She was and is utterly filthy! Neither of us could believe the dirt. The teak that we had so meticulously cleaned and oiled was covered with black spots. The decks were covered with the remains of the blue tarp that we had covered the dingy with a major YUCK! We had chosen this supposedly wonderful tarp that had a soft lining to cover the dingy. Unbeknown to us this lining had ZERO UV resistance, REALLY???? It’s a tarp isn’t it supposed to be used outside?!? The lining had melted all over the decks creating a G__ Awful mess. There is no water or electricity in the storage yard so this mess will have to wait until we can get her in the water and to a dock. Scott found out from one of the other boaters that the black which is also all over the deck and cockpit, comes from ash that is created when they burn the sugar cane fields that surround Lake Okachobee. If you are a Floridian you know about the controversy over the sugar cane, algae blooms and the mess that is that poor lake. It is effing unbelievable. Looks like I will be scrubbing and oiling teak again this fall. I hope to be able to make some covers for the teak over the winter that we can use next summer. We really like the marina and had we any idea about the sugar cane burning we’d have covered the teak this summer. Live and learn.

Over the month we’ve made an additional three trips up to the marina. We schlepped all the stuff we’d taken off last spring back to the boat and loaded it back on. We’ve got a launch date set for November 7 with a two day reservation at Indiantown’s dock. That will give us time to make sure she’s sea worthy, provision, and hopefully get some of the grime off Light Reach’s decks. It’s been hot and humid the past month so it won’t be comfortable work. We’ll get as much done as possible before leaving the dock with its plentiful water and electricity.
The plan is to move her to Stuart and pick up a mooring at Sunset Bay for a week or two. We need to make sure all systems are go and bend on the sails before we get too far from shore. We also need to close up the condo and put the car in storage. Right now it looks as if we are heading to Marathon for the winter. All plans subject to change.
The picture is of the campsite in North Carolina, the boat was too depressing to photograph.