Back in South Gulf Cove

We arrived back in SGC 10 days ago. After a nice trip across central Florida.
It takes as long closing the boat as it does launching the boat in the fall.
We decided to haul the boat this year. The bottom was not as bad as I expected but I still would like to have it totally redone next fall and have the suffing box repacked before relaunch.
We been having a great time with Rae, and Jim ( my cousins } Their hospitally is just great!! We've enjoyed meals out with friends and at one restaurant Ruth was thrilled to see Alligators in the pond off the deck!!

Back in Stuart

Yes we made it back to the Town of Stuart on Wed.evening  Where Ruth's adventures all started. She has learned alot about boating over the time she has been on board. Donald and Susan arrived last night and we spent a great evening together talking about the Bahamas and Esperanza adventures or should I say the lack of adventures, other than repairs and our cruise down the ICW and thru the Keys.
I ended up trading my two spare outboards to Kendel for labour on the boat and wouldn't you know it, the mercury started giving me problems this morning. We are tring to cut new gaskets for the carburator. So my four days of everthing running great has ended. I must say that the new dingy worked wonderfully.
Leaving here tomorrow to cruise across Lake Okeechobee. Ruth is looking forward to seeing Gators - lol!
Cheers!

                                          Dolphins riding our wake on way into Miami

                                         Going from tranquility of Keys waterways to......

...seeing the huge city of Miami looming before us!!!

On the move again

Yes belive it or not Esperanza in on the move again. She seems to be working better then ever. Running cooler and faster easy 8 kts at 2000 rpm. We drove her hard the last two days arriving Bota Raton this evening a long two days from Marathon. The generator is running better then ever with the new mixing valve and Kendel's reworking the coolant side. Had to perchase a new tender the day before we left Marathon because while taking of the motor off, prepairing to leave the dingy must have come in contact with the deadly mussels on one of the pilings and cut another hole in her. no time to fix {and she had enough glue for two space shuttles already} so we decided to get a new one. It has not been in the water yet but looking forward to trying her out when we meet Donald and Susan tomorrow..