New Stove

Well, there was much discussion over putting a stove back in Athena. She originally had an alcohol stove, which I heard are subject to quick bursts of nearly invisible flame if they're not operated just right...
However, after struggling with using the solar oven, I caved into getting a propane stove. It's difficult to use the solar oven. It's rather large in size, and thus takes up considerable storage room, and then there's the tracking of the sun... really one can only use this method when the boat is stationary, and even then, the only time the boat is really stationary is when at a dock. At anchor the boat is always swinging with the wind and tides making it difficult to truly track the sun with the oven, particularly when one is off exploring and not on the boat!
So, after waiting one and one half months (a special order...), the stove finally arrived.
I installed on January 21st.
I did need to make larger the original cutout for the previous alcohol stove.
Lucky for me, I have great friends with tools :)

Portraits of Sailorette (Mom's View) - by Mary

Being the proud mom of Sailorette, I took lots of photos of her adventures during our first sails together (Hope there are many more to come!).
Here she is reading. Here she is fixing the dock.
Here she is listening to Russell tell her about Athena’s wiring.
(Both Bev and I recognized him as a great teacher right away.) Sailorette is lucky to have him for a mentor.
Here is Sailorette with Patty (Yes, the now famous Patty that swam in the cove!).
Here is Sailorette getting ready to sail off in her dinghy (That was a bit scary because Bev and I were left on Athena alone.



We, of course, were thinking, “She’d better come back!”)




She did and not much after coming back on the dinghy, she decided to go for her first adventure on the kayak (Patty’s favorite hiding place on deck.).

Sailorette said she would be paddling around the island we anchored near but shortly after taking off she was back with a piece of driftwood for Lynn. I sure hope Lynn appreciates that piece of driftwood. If I could have put it in my luggage I would have tried to bargain it away from Sailorette.

Finally, after paddling around the island, Sailorette took pictures of the brown pelicans we were anchored near.

And then there was the surprise cell phone call. (My cell phone didn’t work out there but Sailorette’s did. )
But even though pictures can say a thousand words, I’d still like to try to give a portrait in words as well. Sailorette moves so boldly, shows strength but still has a soft touch for the kitties, chops fruit so adeptly she could be a sou (not sure about how that is spelled) chef. Sailorette can be funny and silly and serious within moments of each. She learns quickly. So quick you don’t need to say things twice. Sailorette is caring about people and the earth. Though I do think the earth has an edge over people at times. Probably a good thing though because the earth needs more caring people like Sailorette.

Part three tomorrow!

Navigation 101 - by Mary

Red-Right-Return...Port is Left (remember it by "port" has four letters and so does "left")...The best tack is when the wind comes perpendicular to the sail. Since we were heading mostly north or south that meant that the best winds were from the east. (Please see Sailorette's comments below. I need to take this part of the lesson over. Oh well, good excuse for another trip to Florida to go sailing again.) Lucky for us they were pretty much coming from the east for our two trips to Panther Key. It seemed like I would never quite understand all the ropes and rigging on Athena but as we continued to sail and I watched Sailorette tack and handle the boat, I came to understand some of the functions of the various ropes and sails. Sailorette made it look quite simple.
But soon it would be our turn to try to "sail the boat". Bev was eager and first to try. As you can see she looks like a natural as well.
On my try I tried to follow the instructions to "Keep the arrow between the two markers at the top of the mast." I tried to get the feel of it but found the wheel was so easy to turn compared to what one would expect for such a large "vehicle"! So, of course, I was over steering the boat and getting us into trouble. What made matters worse was that what I felt I needed to do instinctively to keep the "arrow in alignment" was just the opposite of what Sailorette was telling me to do. It took a few shouts and changes when I finally realized that the "arrow" I was looking at and reacting to was actually the tail of the arrow that I was supposed to be watching. That explains the effect of the opposite directions seeming appropriate. Once I could actually see the arrow things went a bit better but I was glad to give my steering chore back to Sailorette.
Up north when we go to the shore we are used to checking on the tides for high tide and low tide. High tide will not have much beach left so you will be blanket to blanket next to each other if high tide hits in the middle of the day. Low tide is what you wait for to go for long walks on the firm sand, search for stones and a few shells in the tidal pools and generally enjoy the cool wet sand underfoot. I much prefer the beach at low tide. But tides in the Mangroves are talked about rather differently and it seems the high tide is the tide to watch for because that makes it easier to get your boat out into the water. The first thing I learned is that there are "four tides" to consider: high-high tide, high-low tide, low-high tide and low-low tide. Not too mention the fact that the tides vary quite a bit from day to day in how fast they come and go and to what level they come and go. Instead of low tide being the thrill, the two high tides are what boaters look for. It is easier to get your boat out in deeper water because the draft of the boat is not scraping bottom. When the tide is out and low, many of the shores of the mangroves look like primordial mud flats, all sticky and goopy.
I certainly would not want to walk in that goop. But it does afford the shore birds fishing potential and they seem to enjoy the low tides as a time to fish in the primordial goop.
More to follow tomorrow!

The Marina: A New Lifestyle for Mom - by Mary

Athena and her Friends!

Going to have to separate my tales of living on the sailboat in Florida because there is so much to talk about and put up pictures for. First I am going to cover the Marina. Not being involved in boating at all when I was growing up (I once was on a row boat when I was twelve but that is the extent of my boating experience as a youngster!), I found the marina itself an interesting community and the setup of the marina fascinating with its built in “nature walks” every time you needed to use the facilities. In New England most of the salt water and even most of the fresh water marinas are very obvious to passersby from the roads nearby. The population is so dense near the waters that when traveling in New England along the coast one just expects to see all the boats along the shore and accepts that view as being the most natural one. At this Marina in Florida, one can’t see the land vehicle traffic from the slips. That was a big surprise for me.
On our first night arriving at the marina, some of the boats still had lights strung up for the holidays and it was late enough in the evening so it was very peaceful and quiet. We walked from the car with our baggage down the dock and the dock led through a passageway in the mangroves and then we came upon the slips. It was like walking into a private paradise right out of a storybook. The fish were jumping in the waters around the slips and in the little cove to the side of the boat slips, which residents have to pass to get to the boat slips. When you finally arrive at the boat slip it is as if you have walked out to the middle of the cove and in actuality you have. Besides the fish leaping out of the water frequently along the walkway, even at night there are treasured sightings of bird, fish and reptiles. So each walk along the long dock can have a special treat of a heron or a dolphin or a tree crab. Once you have been residing in the marina a few days you begin to notice the “regulars” including “that damn osprey”. Besides the wild nature regulars there are also interesting people who are also “regulars” and reside at the marina as well. Very quickly, one gets familiar with who belongs and to which boat slip they belong and also their dogs names since many have dogs living aboard as well. It all makes for a delightful, friendly community and a sense of neighborliness that one doesn’t get in the cold of a New England winter.
Left on our own (Bev and I) or on my own when Bev left during the day while Sailorette went to work, we explored the Marina Store where we could by coffee and coke and many other pieces of fishing necessities for which we had no necessity. But the woman behind the counter was friendly and we enjoyed our time on the “Veranda” of the Marina Store watching all the goings and comings of the fishermen, their boats and the dozen or so brown pelicans that come to feed from the fishermen’s leftovers as they clean their fish. Having nothing in particular to do but just watch the comings and goings of the birds and the fishermen had a remarkable healing effect on my overwrought and overtired mind. Giving up cell phone, TV, and computers essentially for the twelve days of my stay has left me remarkably refreshed and realizing how stressed I feel after a day of dealing with all this technology and all the people that can reach you through the technology. I must try to remember that “Disconnecting” has important benefits for me and for those around me in the long run.

The picture above shows the rows upon rows of boats in drydock that are hoisted out of their drydock each time an owner wants to go out.
I will continue tomorrow with more of my experience in this great life adventure of living on a sailboat (even if only for 12 days).

6th trip to Panther Key - Mom and I

Sailing upwind to Panther Key. First part of trip was beautiful, second part of trip, a wee bit more difficult as we headed towards Panther Key tacking into the heavier winds and wave action out of the east. Wished I had been less lazy and put up a reefed mainsail so i could have pointed into the wind better.

Much needed rest and relaxation once at Panther Key.

Another beautiful sunset.

Patty decided to take up Navigation and Fluff just hung out in the new very soft blanket from my brother.

A wonderfully enjoyable sail back to marina on Saturday, January 13th.

January 8th return from Panther Key

Found some more pictures from 5th trip to Panther Key. The return. The tide seemed to find itself going very slowly back in, and even 3 hours after low tide, we still got grounded coming into Coon Key Channel. Here we are grounded off the southern tip of Coon Key. I think the deeper channel is over there...

More detail of the stories are on my other blog, but here are a couple more pics.

Skip the boring stuff and go to dates January 6th to 8th.

http://athenacaptainslog.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html

Back on land - Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

One of my favorite on land spots in SWFL is the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.
A very beautiful place.
Saw many birds and a fawn up close to the boardwalk...
This cutie is a Pine Warbler.

January 7th, enjoying Panther Key

Another beautiful sunrise at Panther Key.

Took the sailing dinghy over to Panther Key in the morning to enjoy the mudflats at low tide.

Found really big bird prints...

Brown Pelicans were roosting at the point of the small island we were anchored near.

I took the kayak around the small island twice before sunset.

Beautiful Pelicans flying at sunset.