Stuart Great Trip

We had a great trip up the river arriving in Clewiston at 7pm. Ruth steered the last hour in the dark. she was a little nervous at first but got the hang of it. Stayed at Rolands Marina and headed across the lake in the morning ariving Stuart 4pm. Could not get a ball so had to anchor out for two nights even with the high winds only draged the anchor once and had it reset before dark.
Stuart is a nice the downtown is within my walking distance but major shopping Walmart, Publex is a distance and taxi service here is hard to get.

Two Days on the Water

Yes we have completed two days, weather has been great and seas calm. We are anchored outside the Westen hotel in Glover Bight and will be heading up the river to Clewiston in the morning. Well I lied the boat worked great but the injector pump that i had repaired the last two years has started leaking again. That will be another $1000.00 bill when we stop. But the sun is out and warm. Ruth walked the beach yesterday collecting shells and played with a dolphin for 20 minets this afternoon. Up and out early in the morning. The boat has been rebuilted repainted and spit and polished lets hope for a good year. so you want to be a live aboard watching the sunset tonight I still say yes

Back in Florida Nov. 2013

Well its been three weeks,and I am sorry for not keeping the blog updated but this is the first time that I have had a minute to write. Ruth and I have been very busy trying to get Esperanza ready for the season.
Lets just say that the boat will be plugged in next year, the mold was everywhere - it took Ruth two weeks of cleaning, while I was sanding and painting the bottom.
After two week of cleaning we launched the boat only to have a seazed alternator, we did find one the same day and replaced it and were under way to Riverside Dr. {Jims property} where we are still doing repairs and renovations. Well the aft head finally quit for good and a new one ordered, while waiting for the Aft toilet the forward head decided to quit as well so I took it out and rebuilt it again. So, the last two days have been shitty to say the least. The painting of the deck is proceeding well and looking great. We hope to be underway by Friday. Heading to the east coast where we will to meet Ruth's son and his girlfriend on Dec 18th. They will be joining us for Christmas!

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..

Esperanza won't give up

After all the recent repairs to the exhaust systems, both the engine and generator, she still will not release us from Marathon . Kendell repaired the drive shaft but discovered a fuel leak in the injector ( yes again) So we are hoping to have that problem fixed by monday, chris the diver will be here tomorrow and hope that goes well, in the mean time ruth and I are enjoying each other and our time together. Ruth rescued a carrier pigeon tonight that flue into our window and ruth decided that it would be a great adder to our chicken soup so she showed me how to clean it and placed into the soup.
Oh...he's in trouble and such a lier!!!! I made a lovely Homemade "Chicken" Soup to help Scott with his cold and as we were sharing the soup with our friends, a Carrier/ Homing Pigeon flew into their glass patio door. After rescuing it first from ferocious Taz, the Chiwawa, it went under the house. I called the Bird Rescue Society and a girl came and got it - from the tag on it's leg she could tell it came from Cuba and was 2 years old! It was tired and very thin. Rest assured I did NOT add it to the soup!!!!!
Despite problems still trying to keep a smile on our faces.
So you want to be a live aboard?
Yes we do!

 After not catching the crane and still needing meat for her chicken soup Ruth looked elsewere.....

                                                      How about an Iguana? Ha ha ha!