- We love Tuesdays, and every other day for that matter…especially now that we are *both* officially RETIRED! In case you haven’t heard the news… my very last and final day of work was this past Friday! That’s right, I am *finally* done with my full-time day job (although I still have a few photo sessions lined up for the next two weeks, but I really don’t even consider that work because I LOVE it so much). So now it’s officially “crunch time.” Only a few things to wrap up and we should be cruising in no time at all!
- Speaking of getting “prepared” to leave for good… a recent post from s/v Wild Card kindly reminded me of the hoarding situation that we currently call “life.” Our present living situation is a little out of control. And by “a little,” I mean a LOT. 😉 The other day, I literally caught Oliver cuddled up in a pile of dirty laundry on the floor because there wasn’t room anywhere else to lay (don’t worry, he was quite comfortable). I am SO beyond ready to scrap this tiny bedroom we are living in with piles and piles of stuff/boxes/etc. lying around. It’s clearly time to move onto the boat already!
- About once every 3 or 4 months, Jereme and I get into a somewhat heated Chipotle vs. Moe’s debate. Sad, but true. 😉 It happened again the other day. I can’t help but fight for what I know is right… Chipotle is BY FAR the better, fresher, tastier mexi/burrito option. Who couldn’t possibly love Chipotle’s barbacoa burrito bowl? Who’s with me?
- Boat project list update!!! All we have left to do is install our solar panels (which have FINALLY arrived. thank god!); haul the boat out this week to install a new transducer and fix our broken seacock; and send Jer back up the mast to replace our other spreader light and fix our wind vane. Holy moly, we’re ALMOST THERE!!!
- Have you guys seen the bazillion Buzzfeed quizzes circulating around on Facebook? You must’ve seen one or two by now, right? I typically find myself sucked into taking these silly quizzes because, really, why wouldn’t I want to know “what city I should live in” (London btw) or “what ‘Girls’ television show character I am” (Elijah. WTH!?). 😉 This time, I apparently needed to know what’s my hidden talent. Turns out, it’s science! Lololololololol! Um, I think not. The little profile at the end said I am “half perfectionist, half spaz.” Oh man, that’s accurate. It also said my combo of analytical thinking, creativity, and obsessiveness is a magical combination. And I might have to totally agree with that. 😉 Maybe I am a science geek at heart?
- Okay, I need a really good recommendation for a decent foulie. Jacket only. We’re not willing to spend big $$ on foul weather pants. I’m looking for something definitely 100% waterproof and decently heavy so that I’m not miserable the first time I have to sail in the rain. I’ve ordered (and subsequently returned) 3 different jackets – two Helly Hansens and a Patagonia. The HH sizes were awful! The Patagonia one fit fine, but was the thinnest lightweight joke I’ve ever seen. Help!
>>Thanks for visiting LAHOWIND sailing blog! We’d love for you to get to know us and follow our story as we attempt to navigate a whole new world of sailing, as we cruise the Bahamas and Caribbean.
…Learn more about us and our sailing and cruising adventures.
Oh boy, I’m already starting to fall behind on this year’s project life.
Not.a.good.sign.at.all. 🙁
But in an attempt to catch up, I am squeezing in two fun weeks of PL today! I’m also lumping weeks 5 + 6 together in hopes that week 6 will make up for a duddy semi-picture-less week 5. I’ll be the first to admit that week 5 is pretty crappy looking. It’s a nice reminder that I really need to work on taking more/better photos of our “everyday” life or I’ll have nothing to work with come layout time.
With that being said, let’s start with week 6 since it’s quite a bit prettier than week 5. 😉
WEEK 6 SPREAD:
WEEK 6 LEFT SIDE:
WEEK 6 RIGHT SIDE:
And, back to Week 5. I made due with my limited photo selection for the week, by using one main image for the right side layout.
WEEK 5 SPREAD:
WEEK 5 LEFT SIDE:
WEEK 5 RIGHT SIDE:
*products used: lots of ali edwards brushes (always); cut and paste from Amy Tangerine; a few things from the Coral digital PL kit, and the Dear Lizzy Polka Dot Party pack. (I get zero kickbacks from any of these links, just fyi.)
*project life is a memory-keeping system + lifestyle. In 2014, i’m creating a digital spread for every week of the year. You can view all of my project life posts here.
>>Thanks for visiting LAHOWIND sailing blog! We’d love for you to get to know us and follow our story as we attempt to navigate a whole new world of sailing and cruise the Bahamas + Caribbean.
…Learn more about us and our sailing + cruising adventures.
Aren’t we lucky? Because, seriously, look at how gorgeous it was the other day sailing here in beautiful Naples, Florida! The water in the Bahamas better be *crystal clear* to beat this kinda view. 😉
But in all seriousness, we couldn’t have asked for a much better day to take the boat out for a day sail (and use it as an excuse to test out our recent autopilot fix – which btw works like a charm now!). I was also thrilled for a good excuse to clean up our messy sailboat project/work site for the day so we could get Jer’s little sister Ashley (visiting from Canada) out for a cruise.
We headed out of Naples Bay and through Gordon’s Pass (our usual route), and sailed along the coast for a few hours.
^^no, we are not sitting at the dock…this is actually with sails up. pretty sad, eh?^^ The day started out with pretty crappy action in the wind department (hence our killer speed in the photo above), so we thought… what better time to bust out our new Adventurer 9’10” Inflatable SUP from Tower Paddle Boards and give it a spin?
Ashley volunteered to go first. But before letting her loose on the board out in the Gulf of Mexico, we decided it might not be such a bad idea to tie a safety line (aka “a leash”) to the board in case things got crazy (they didn’t, but better safe than sorry). There were a few initial falls off the board, but overall, Ashley’s first time SUPing went great! 🙂
^^Jer on leash duty.^^ Since Jereme wasn’t wearing a swimsuit, he opted to remain on leash duty. 😉 I, on the other hand, didn’t want to miss out on trying out our new board (swimsuit or not)!
So, paddle boarding looks pretty easy, right? Wrong. lol. Okay, it has been easy for me in the past when just SUPing right at the beach. But this time it was a little different since we were just hopping on the board right off the sailboat, several miles offshore. And, let me tell ya something, although the water looks super calm and wave-free, it’s not!!! Once you step foot on the board it feels like each tiny wave is a giant mountain. I found it pretty tough to find a comfortable balancing position which is why I opted for an initial kneeling style mode of attack. After gaining a bit more composure and balance, I finally made it to my feet (with no photos to prove it). And I am very happy to report that I did NOT fall in the water once. What what! Go me!
I CANNOT wait until we are anchored somewhere amazing in the Bahamas so we can really enjoy the board (Oliver too!).
After our quick SUP-ing escapade, the wind starting picking up, so we kicked back and enjoyed lunch on board while sailing at 5 knots or so.
We wrapped up the day with multiple dolphin encounters as we headed back in the Pass. I can’t imagine ever getting sick of seeing dolphin in the wild.
^^new fav photo of these two.^^
^^that face.^^
All in all it was another beautiful day in paradise. Love this little life of ours. xoxo. 🙂
>>Thanks for visiting LAHOWIND sailing blog! We’d love for you to get to know us and follow our story as we attempt to navigate a whole new world of sailing, as we cruise the Bahamas and Caribbean.
…Learn more about us and our sailing and cruising adventures.
Posted in Boat Life, Sailing Blog, Sailing LoveTags: Bahamas, Boat Dog, Cruising Caribbean, LahoWind, Naples Sailing, Sailboat, Sailing Blog, SUPing, Tower Paddle Board, Young Couple
Sorry. I couldn’t help myself. We literally just watched the Winter Olympics bobsled competition the other night, and cheered on the Jamaican bobseld team, because really, who doesn’t absolutely love the movie Cool Runnings?
For us though, it feels like we just won gold in the bob-“STAY” competition, having recently removed our bobstay to send it over to Miami for a little fixing/replacing.
^^so pretty, she should win something!^^ On our boat, there are eight stainless steel wires (stays and shrouds) that hold up the mast, and the bobstay is a portion of the one wire at the bow of the boat. Ours is a Navtec stainless steel rod bobstay. During our marine survey back in April, we had our mast and rigging inspected by SSMR, a Tampa Bay area yacht rigging company. It was recommended that we replace the cracked lower jaw fitting on the bobstay. The “crack” was literally the smallest, finest, hairline looking feature on the jaw fitting. Only someone who knows what these cracks look like would have noticed it. It took Jereme a good several minutes to even locate the crack when we began working on this project. But now that we know what to look for, we will be able to find any in the future.
Regardless of its size, we certainly understand the need to address even the smallest of issues like this, so this item made the project list early on since we knew we would need to get it fixed before setting sail for the long-term.
About two weeks ago, Jereme and I (mostly Jer) removed the bobstay. We lowered down our trusty dinghy, and sent Jer in to do the dirty work of fanagling that thing apart. I was present for primarily moral support and photo taking, while running below deck only a few times for a few extra tools.
The next day, I shipped our bobstay over to Sailing Services in Miami, who was able to order a replacement jaw fitting and switch out the old part for the new one. (FYI, it took Jereme about 10 calls/referrals to even find a place that could do this work.)
After we received the spruced up new bobstay back late last week, Jereme reattached it all by himself (while I was at work). How awesome is he? 🙂
^^that super shiny piece at the bottom is the new jaw fitting.^^
You know the drill, let’s cross another one off the project list! Ahhhhhhh SO super close. 🙂
>>Thanks for visiting LAHOWIND sailing blog! We’d love for you to get to know us and follow our story as we attempt to navigate a whole new world of sailing, as we cruise the Bahamas and Caribbean.
…Learn more about us and our sailing and cruising adventures.
Posted in Boat Projects, Sailing BlogTags: Bahamas, Boat Projects, Boat Work, bobstay, Caribbean, cracked jaw fitting, Cruising, Endeavour 37, LahoWind, replacing bobstay on sailboat, Sailboat, Sailing Blog
…Since we have all this great new fishing loot! 😉
Let me back up just a hair.
You see, Jereme and I LOVE to fish! What’s not to love really? Spending the day in the warm sunshine, relaxing on a boat, dropping a line in the water, and waiting for a bite? It’s even better when you actually get a bite and hook something on that line!
For a few years (pre-sailboat), we had a cute little 13-foot Boston Whaler that was perfect to take out in the backwaters of Naples. And we loved using the Boston Whaler to fish. We never had any “top secret fishing holes,” or GPS coordinates, or really knew exactly what the heck we were trying to catch. We just enjoyed the fun of it. Sometimes we would catch a mackerel or tiny snapper, and lots of other times we wouldn’t catch anything. But nonetheless, we still love it!
Once we start cruising, we most definitely want to try and increase our “fish catching” record. Preferrably, with tasty edible fish varieties. And none of the ciguatera ones.
So, a few weeks back, we met up with my cousin Robb and his wife Dante at Bass Pro Shops in Fort Myers for a fun little fishing gear shopping spree! (Robb had already given us his recommendations awhile back for the best rods and reels for our boat/cruise. So we had purchased those and have them patiently waiting in the wings. The combos we purchased were a Penn reel and a Star rod for trolling and bottom fishing – which can be used for large fish; and a Shimano rod and reel for lighter inshore type fishing.)
See, my cousin Robb is quite the avid fisherman (that whole side of the family is really)! Robb is also the owner/founder of young boats, the very best custom built fishing boats for the professional angler. Let’s just say, Robb knows his stuff when it comes to fishing. Lucky us!
^^how gorgeous are his boats? the young 24^^ Since Robb and his wife Dante were in town for the Fort Myers Boat Show, we arranged a quick trip to Bass Pro Shops with them so they could help us pick out everything we would need aboard s/v LAHO in order to hopefully catch a ton of fish while cruising the Bahamas and Caribbean.
Two hours and $350 later, we had an ample supply of lures, hooks, tackle, etc. With lots of insightful info and great tips on which type of gear to use for which type of fishing/location.
Here’s a quick rundown of our new gear (the accouterments if you will)…
- Hooks (lots of em!)
- Swivels
- Weights
- Leader line (both metal and mono filament)
- Sabiki rigs (for catching bait fish)
- Neutralizer club
- Fake shrimp
- Deep running hard plastic lure for trolling
- Filleting knife
- Filleting gloves
- Pliers
- Trolling baits
- Cobia specific lures
- Bottom fishing specific lures
- Pelagic fishing specific lures
- Spoons
- Jigs
- Hook remover
- And probably a few things I can’t remember right now.
Man, if we don’t catch something with all this awesome new loot, then we have a serious problem. I for one am planning on enjoying some tasty fish dinners in our very near future, so let’s hope we can get the job done.
>>Thanks for visiting LAHOWIND sailing blog! We’d love for you to get to know us and follow our story as we attempt to navigate a whole new world of sailing.
…Learn more about us and our sailing and cruising adventures.
Posted in Boat Life, Sailing BlogTags: Bahamas, Caribbean, Fish Gear, Fishing, LahoWind, Sailboat, Sailing, Sailing Blog, Young Boats, Young Couple
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On number 1 – Congrats!!!!!! – good for you!
On number 2 – Just walk away – only keep it if you can carry it.
On number 3 – Chipotle and Moe’s both sell crap food. Just about any non-chain locally old Mexican restaurant offers better food for about the same price. Sorry – just my 2 cents.
On number 4 – Glad to see you are making progress on the very long list with which you started.
On number 5 – I didn’t know London is now it’s own country.
On number 6 – Include motor cycle clothing in your search. It is wind and water proof and because it is not “marine” it is about one third of the price. It also is very comfortable to wear. It is available in bright reflective colors. Keep in mind you can layer as much as you need under the jacket and pants to stay warm. http://www.froggtoggsraingear.com/
Have fun,
Mark
Mark and Cindy
s/v Cream Puff
http://www.creampuff.us
Wow, what a lengthy comment Mark! 😉 And you are definitely right…London is not a country. lol. Guess that’s what happens when you type a whole blog post too quickly. And I respectfully disagree with your “crap food” comment. Chipotle is pretty awesome, chain or no-chain! And they actually source fairly “local” ingredients for each of their locations. Just sayin.
Look for foul weather gear at an ARMY/NAVY store – you might find something there! There are 2 in Ft Myers: Stanley’s on Palm Beach Blvd (239)334-4085 and Randy’s on 41 N. Ft Myers (239)599-8263. Call ahead to see if they have what you need and ask about other locations! Good luck!
Moes?!?! Oh come ON Jereme. As if!
Right Leigh?!! He’s crazy! 😉 Miss you! xoxo -Kim
I have to side with Jereme on the Moe’s debate. They are hands down better 😉
On the foulies front, do not overlook the importance of the pants! I ended up with a $50 pair from Helly Hanson that I got at a boat show, but they have been a LIFE SAVER. Just when you think you don’t need them you get a huge front of sideways rain. On the jacket front I have been using a Colombia rain jacket I got at TJ Maxx for $30. It hasn’t leaked at all and always keeps me warm. It’s light weight (we’re in the Caribbean) and pink (!). Jason has a really expensive heavy weight Helly Hanson jacket and it’s seams leak like crazy. We even sent it back and they replaced it. Still doesn’t beat my Colombia.
Good to know on the pants Kelley! I actually just saw a really nice looking jacket at Marshall’s the other day, and might go back to grab it. Unfortunately, I don’t think we have time to order pants. 🙁 Hopefully we don’t regret that decision too much. Hope you guys are enjoying your time in the Bahamas. Looks awesome! -Kim