Merry Christmas

Ho-Ho-Ho From Esperanza and Cable Marine boatyard. We are making the best of our stay here, Getting work done sanding paints all the little things that just keep being put off. Just getting back from the smallest hardware store in North America but they had everything that a Canadian Tire would have and better prices then most chain stores.Then back to the Raw Bar for soft shell crabs and oboy shrimp. god what a meal.
On my birthday  morning the boat all done up with birthday balloons and banners.
Eggs and montreal smoked meat from MOES in Montreal. Ruth had brough it down with her. She has become quite the first mate.

 Ruth took me out for birthday dinner what a feed.

 Esperanza all lite up

Another Boat Yard

On Tuesday we were towed by my cheapest and best investment: Tow Boat US to Cable Marine in Fort Lauderadale. The after cooler started to leak - well, spray, not leak after I broke a bolt the day before leaving for the Bahamas.

The after cooler was removed and taken to the shop for disassemble where the damage was worse then I had expected. The price of a new one $5000.00 so I called my good friends at home and we started a search for a rebuilt or used one. Nothing available so we discussed locktite, liquid metal and other products. No doubt they would work but if the internal o ring failed and the seat for the tubes was not perfect, the raw water could get into the engine and then I would have even bigger problems.
So its been decided to bite the bullet and buy a new one. With the Holidays and businesses shutting down, the part will not arrive until 2013!!!Meanwhile, we are living in a boat yard again at Cable Marine - all the comforts of home, just can't go anywhere. Well, they say it never rains but it pours and I am trying to get the leak in my Dingy fixed so we at least have that transportation. As Jim calls me: "Duck Tape Scott"....duck tape just doesn't work on the dingy ....last resort Locktight 5200. That Dingy will be fixed!!
When all is fixed and after seriouse "Sea Trials", we will make the decision whether to head to the Bahamas or not in the New Year.

Ruth and I are enjoying each others company and have the boat all decorated for Christmas and we are planning a nice dinner on board!

So you want to be a live aboard

Perfect day Tomorrow for everyone else

Well, we all planned to leave tomorrow under perfect conditions, but Esperanza just does not want to make the trip. After securing everything, loading the dingy on the front deck for the crossing and repairs (another long story), I decided to have one last check in the engine room, and noticed the salt crystalization on the heat exchanger was back so I tried to see if the bolts were loose. With less than a quarter turn the first bolt broke off - now I have water spraying all over the engine room. I turned off the engine and then called my new best friends at Tow Boat US.!! They will be towing us into a new Boat Yard: Cable Marine (we are doing a market study of all local Boat Yards) at 9:00 AM tomorrow!

So, for the last two days we have been on Esperanza, anchored in Lake Sylvia, Fort Lauderdale, with no dingy, no engine, but still smiling and floating. Thank God for Ruth's sense of humor - I would be crying now but she keeps me smiling and laughing despite all the adversities.

Visiting our Buddy Boat: Time & Tide Sunday night. Gary & Christella are from Trenton, Ontario. Gary was kind enough to come get us in his dingy/water taxi. :)

This was what we passed coming down the waterway on Saturday - thank God our steering and bow thruster were working. If you look to right in picture, you can see the port side of another yacht that was tied to dock - very narrow passage!!

Some Christmas pictures

They go all out decorating here in Fort Lauderdale!

Even decorate barges for Winterfest as a friendly Alligator! :)

Our Christmas tree aboard the Esperanza!

Sea Trials

Ruth cast the lines { she is getting very good with the boat work and learning fast} off we went down the river, steering and expensive bow thruster working great. It is winter fest here and i will let My Honey describe that to you. We are in Lake Sylvia still waiting for that weather window.

We tried to download pictures but this $1.00/day Internet does not seem to allow any extras...kind of like Dollarama!! Well, there definitely is money in the U.S. and we think it is all in Florida (probably thanks, in part, to innocent boaters from up North - lol). Hopefully, we will get pics on later, meanwhile I have to tell you my jaw dropped at the expenditure and opulence so many times I had to close it so I wouldn't catch too many flies! Fake snow, lavishly decorated houses and boats, Santa's swinging from Palm Trees, tables set out along the river dressed in Christmas finery waiting for Guests to arrive to watch the Winter fest Parade of boats down the waterway this evening. One of the barges was well done - it looked like an Alligator! They really go all out here and no snow and it's warm!!! All good!

so you want to be a live aboard?
I say yes 
and Ruth too
have to love it!

When it rains in Florida

Yes sometimes it rains in Florida heavy rain off and on for most of the day. But mine started at 9am when Ed Ruff arrived with my bow thruster motor. I was in the engine room looking at another potential problem when Ruth yelled to me. Crawling out i was presented with a bill for 1057.00 my face dropped to the engine room floor. The motor was completely rebuilt but my god what a price.
At 3PM we went up to the office to pay for three days at the yard and one hour of service total $500.00 now I am just waiting for my generator pump  to arrive and we can leave tomorrow. We decide to go and get some more supplies before leaving. When we returned my pump was waiting - you won't believe this $288.00 for a pump that you can hold in a child's hand.
So when I say it rains in Florida it pours!!!
On the bright side the bow thruster and steering are all working.

Day 2 - Living In a Boat Yard

Life isn't so bad living in a boat yard. Everyone can find you - especially at $1.50/ Ft. - not a bad rate for Fort Lauderdale. In a boat yard you do not have the amenities of a Marina, so we still have to shower on board and today we took our laundry to local Laundromat...the Skipper did a wonderful job of doing laundry while Ruth shopped - got awesome new sandals!!! :) Also found a few Christmas decorations and made a wreathe for the Esperanza tonight!

After a lovely supper out last night at O'Connor's Irish Pub, it  was a quiet night and 8:30 AM today, Ed arrived from Rough Marine to inspect the Bow Thruster ....out the motor comes once again to be rebuilt and hopefully we'll have it back tomorrow. Fellow came and fixed the Hydraulic Steering - all a go on that end! Ordered a new Water Pump for the Generator - 3rd one in 3 years - and hopefully it will arrive tomorrow. The weather window does not look good until Wednesday of next week so cross your fingers that we can cross to the Bahamas then. Meanwhile, life in the boat yard is fairly peaceful and people are friendly! After dragging anchor Tuesday night and having an interrupted supper, I asked Ruth to make the same supper tonight - curried stir fry shrimp with egg noodles - God it was good (Editor's note: Can you tell he is spoiled???) Update tomorrow! Goodnight! :)