"...Honey, are you feeling ok?"

Picture this... you're out on your boat, in the beatuiful, secluded blue waters of the Bahamas, and your husband or wife start having chest pains... No 911 dispatcher to send help.  What do you do??  Did you know that men and women can have different symptoms when having a heart attack??  The best advise I can give you, is go to your local fire department, hospital, or community center and ask about taking a first aid class BEFORE you leave the dock!  The classes are usually only one day long, and it may save your loved ones life or a fellow boater!  Most classes cover more than just CPR.  You'll learn more than you can imigine!!  So get out there, take a class, become a volunteer, maybe even set up your own class on the beach! 

Sea Beans...

Every day Marrs the Wonder Dog and I head out for the beach on the hunt for sea beans.  He enjoys running in the sand while I dig around for 'the beans'.  Some days I find zero, other days I find a handful!  It's all very exciting for the easily entertained!!


Here's some info about Sea-Beans I found on line!  Happy hunting!!

Sea-beans (also known as drift seeds) are seeds and fruits that are carried to the ocean, often by freshwater streams and rivers, then drift with the ocean currents and (hopefully!) wash ashore.

These sea-beans don't initially come from the sea and while some are indeed beans, many are not technically beans at all! Some "sea-beans" are technically fruits that contain seeds. Nonetheless, if they drift to and into the oceans and wash ashore, we collectively refer to them as "sea-beans".

These sea-beans come from trees and vines that grow along tropical shores and rain forests all over the world. The seeds or fruits fall from their parent plant into waterways, such as the Amazon River, then drift through inlets to reach the ocean. They travel with ocean currents until they wash up on a beach somewhere, perhaps thousands of miles from their origin. Sea-beans are quite hard and buoyant, which helps them survive their long-distance voyage.

Getting Along...

You spend ALL DAY LONG with your partner...??  Yes.  Sometimes it's fine, but other times you think of ways to throw them over the side of the boat!  I love my hubby very much, but we have our days...  We have a few 'Rules' that seem to help, or at least keep things from escalating...



1.  Say THANK YOU... not a huge big deal, but those two little words mean a lot!!

2.  BE NICE!!  Really, ask yourself, "...how hard is it, just to BE NICE...?"

3.  If your spouse/partner is mad, i.e. working on the engine, fixing something, sweating like fat Elvis, don't ask, "...is there something wrong?"  This WILL NOT help...

4.  I also read once that one couple had a 'special hat', if one person was wearing 'The Hat', the other was not allowed to speak to them.  We haven't tried it, but it sounds like a good idea to me.

5.  Take a minute everyday to be grateful for what you have.  You may want MORE, but today, just for a minute, look around and enjoy your life, where ever you live!

6.  Talk to each other, ( don't forget to BE NICE! )  if you have a problem, say something.  I don't know about you, but my husband is not a mind reader...

7.  The 24 Hour Rule... if you don't say something about 'what's wrong' within 24 hours, it now becomes YOUR problem!

8.  The woman is always right...  ( and SHE can read your mind! )

Doing laundry...

The old dreaded job... LAUNDRY!  I use to complain about it when we had a house, and now, well, now I REALLY have something to complain about!!  One of the many good things about living in the tropics, is that you don't wear a lot clothes.  Bathing suits, thin t-shirts, shorts, flip-flops... summer attire all the time!!  But things begin to, hmmm how can I say this nicely... STINK in no time at all!  So, here comes the chore!  Since we're currently at a slip in a marina, I drag the STINKY clothes down once a week and wash them.  I usually do 1 load of whites, with bleach, and another load of whatever.  And then a good HOT dryer! It's important to make sure your things are nice and dry, otherwise they well turn to mold in no time!!  A load of laundry here at Ocean World Marina is $3.00 ( US dollars ) each wash and each dry.  Now, if you don't want to spend the money and the afternoon at the laundry mat, then you have a couple of other options... I do have a WonderWasher, and it works very well.  The trick is getting all the water out of clothes.  It's small and takes up hardly any space.  I would still rather have a plug in washer & dryer, but for now, it's fine!  The sink or a bucket can also do the duty.  If you're underway, the WonderWasher keeps every thing contained! So, you don't have to worry about water all over the floor.  But when it comes right down to it; it's still laundry, and no one likes to do it EVER!!

On the Hook versus Marina's...

Okay, 'on the hook' means at an anchorage, just in case there's a few of you that don't know what that means...



The first year we were on the boat we stayed, for the most part, on the hook.  It's nice to get up and find yourself all alone, no other boats near by, and enjoy...  Crank the music up, have a coffee, exercise, lay in the sun, what ever tickles your fancy!!  It does have a few disadvantages... you have to take the dinghy to shore to get supplies, such as grocery's, beer, and other necessities!  Which on a rough day, can be kind of a pain.  Also, for us, we must run the generator every other day for about 3 hours to charge the batteries and make water with our watermaker.  Our little portable Honda gen works great and sips gasoline!!

We've now been parked at a marina since March.  And there seems to me that things are much easier!  Endless power, water ( without the noise of the gen ) showers, washer & dryer, easy access on and off the boat... Lots of good stuff!!  However it's not near as private as being on the hook.  People are walking by, workers doing their thing...  LIFE goes on!! 

Two songs that come to mind...

While On the Hook-  Frank Sinatra singing "It's the Good Life"

At the Marina-  Otis Redding doing "Sittin' By the Dock of the Bay"

Either way you go, there will be a smiling face and a cold drink at the end of the journey!!

Merry Christmas to all...

As I sit this morning, drinking coffee, the Sinatra channel playing Christmas tunes, I'm reminded of how much I miss my family who is about 5000+ miles away.  My daughter spending her first Christmas as a married woman, my son partying with his buds, my sister having a white Christmas in Idaho, and of course my mom & dad.  How lucky I am to still have them here with me.  Thinking of years past, thumbing through old pictures makes me wonder, "...where has the time gone?"  Long before the gray hair, winkles, and "WHERE DID THIS ROLL ON MY TUMMY COME FROM!" 

The Christmas I received 'Sammy the Seal' 1976!!  Sammy lives on the boat with us. 

But as I long for my family and the Christmas rush, I'm also looking forward to spending the afternoon on the beach with new found friends!  We hear that Santa will be coming to the North Coast of the Dominican Republic at 13:00 hours local time!  We also hear that he might be on 'Island Time'...

Merry Christmas to all!!

"...so what's it like living on a boat??"

Well, it's certainly NOT the Jackie Onassis lifestyle I thought it was going to be!  We have no crew to cook, clean, or fix things; just us.  It's a small space.  There's no room for STUFF!  I only took the things that I truly loved with us.  Tools seem to take up more space than anything!  So, what's it like...??  It's WONDERFUL!  You must be organized and creative.  Storage can come in all shapes and sizes.  And you'll use every single bit of them!  And to top it off, when your husband asks you where something is, you can reply that it's on the top shelf,  left hand side! 



We also have the advantage of changing our view whenever we want to!  Weather permitting, of course!  We've met wonderful people, made lifetime friends, and found beaches that would take any ones breath away!  You just can't get that living in a neighborhood with a mortgage for 30 years!  Maybe someday we'll have a house again, but for now, we're just going to enjoy life on the water!

Cheers!

"Squirrel"...

As the holidays near, we think of those who are no longer with us.  We lost our dog "Squirrel" on November 10th of this year.  I still miss him and think of him everyday.  He was a mutt that showed up one day to play with Marrs.  We had just lost 2 of our older dogs and I just wasn't ready to have anymore pets quite yet!  But the men in my life had other ideas!  Within a week "Squirrel" had his spot on the sofa near the fireplace, then a spot in our hearts.  He was the type of dog that even people who didn't like dogs, liked him!  He always greeted us with a warm tail wag, and a smile!  So, as the holidays come closer, take a minute and think of those who are no longer here to share those special moments with you... Man or beast!  RIP my precious boy... Gone but not forgotten!

Exercise...

No matter where I live; land, sea, or rv, I'm always trying to lose those last 10 pounds!!  Maybe it's a girl thing, I'm not sure.  I do feel it's important to be fit and strong where ever you live.  However, living on a boat offers some challenges.  There's no gym to take off to, strange trails and roads you're not familiar with, bad weather, tons of excuses!!  I'm a huge yoga fan.  ANYONE can do it, and reap the benefits from it.  But one does have to get creative when you're in such a small space.  Buy a dvd on doing yoga and see if it's for you.  The other day I was on-line and found a workout that I think will be PERFECT for me!

Now this may not be the workout for you, but find something YOU like and won't get too bored with.  Take care of your body, and your body will take care of you!!  Be sure to check with your doctor before starting ANY exercise routine!!  If you're in the tropics like us, be sure to drink plenty of water.  Example, if you weigh 100 pounds, you should drink 50 oz of water daily.  We also have another advantage, Marrs the Wonder Dog!  He NEEDS to be walked AT LEAST 2 miles a day.  He'll go up to about 5, after that he poops out!!  So, there it is folks.  Stay fit, eat right, drink lots of water and enjoy the sea life!!

Born Sailor...

Well, no!  Not at all... I get car-sick, airplane-sick, if it moves, I'll throw up!  So, in the past few years I've learned some important lessons about what to do and what NOT to do...

NOT TO DO...

No cocktails 24 hours before setting off.  That includes beer and wine folks!  Sorry...
No lemons, not really sure why, something to do with the acid.  Tip from my doc!
No going down below, unless to use the head of course, and that's really only for us ladies!
No reading!  Get familiar with your charts so you don't have to stare at them for long periods of time!
No greasy, heavy, spicy, deep fried ANYTHING foods, you'll taste them for much longer than you want to!!



TO DO's...

Get everything ready so you don't have to go below.  Food, charts, water bottles, binoculars, etc...
Get fresh air, even if it's raining.  If you're really sea-sick you won't care if you get wet!
Drink lots of water.  But sip, not gulp!
Stare at the horizon.  This of course won't work during a night time passage, but it will during the day!
Have a wet washcloth handy, it's very refreshing to wipe your hands and face.
Nibble on things like apples, soda crackers ( the boring kind ) easy on the tummy foods.  Key word NIBBLE!!
Double, and triple check your weather, if it's rough, wait... What's another day??



There's also a ton of different kinds of medications out there.  I've tried several.  This is what "I" think, keep in mind I am NOT a doctor or nurse.  My old job was that of a 911 dispatcher, so I only HEARD sick people on the phone, not up close and personal!  What works for me, might not work for you...

My personal favorite is the Transderm Scop patch.  I put it on the night before, they last for 3 days.  They don't make me sleepy, which I feel is very important.  Lots of cruiser's choose Stugeron, it works, but made me too tired to help in the cockpit.  Same goes with Dramamine.  Now, if you are not responsible for a watch, then go ahead and sleep away!  When you get to port, you'll feel rested and be ready for that frozen cocktail!  Check with your doctor before you leave to sail off into the sunset, he or she will give you what you need to REALLY enjoy being out at sea!  It's a magic that I don't think anyone should miss! 

Safe Sailing!


PS The picture above was taken during a trip through the Panama Canal... We'd been out having a "good time" the night before... I was in poor shape to say the least!!

Music...

I cannot live without music. It really is a lifeline for me.  I like almost everything, but mostly 70's rock.  My kids laugh at me and crack all kinds of jokes... They never seem to get bored with the endless comments!!  So, last year we subscribed to XM/Sirius Radio on the boat.  It works AWESOME!!  And there's something for everyone!  To turn on the radio, let the sails out, and shut the engine down is truly PRICELESS!!  Something else I couldn't leave behind was my Bose cd player... It's perfect for just listening inside the salon; and the sound from that little box is unbelievable!!   So, when you hear Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young playing 'Southern Cross', just imagine the feeling between music and sailing...  You just can't BUY that...

Food...

I SO LOVE TO EAT!!  But I hate to cook... it's hot, it's messy, and I'm not very good at it!  Frankly, I'm really bad at it.  I'm doing my best to be a vegetarian.  I do eat fish, eggs, and cheese.  So, I'm not a vegan.  I must have more than fruits, veggies, and beans!  Eating a diet like this can be rather costly in the States, but in the tropics, fresh stuff is a given and it's CHEAP!  Which makes Pete a happy guy...

So, here's something that even "I" can cook...


CHEESE BAKED ZUCCHINI

4 medium zucchini
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 oz/115g mozzarella cheese ( sliced kinda' thin )
2 large tomatoes ( diced and de-seeded )
2 tsp chopped fresh basil or oregano

1.  Slice zucchini ends off and cut in half, lengthwise
     brush with olive oil and put on a baking sheet skin side down

2.  Bake zucchini in a preheated oven at 400F for 10 minutes
     ( don't let them get too floppy! )

3.  Remove from oven and place the cheese, tomatoes, and basil on the zucchini

4.  Put back in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts

5.  Then enjoy!

This is EASY and doesn't require a great deal of talent or create a ton of dishes!!


PS  Every oven on a boat is a little different, so you may have to adjust yours to fit the needs of your ZUCCHINI!!

NO CAR??!!!

Yes, no car... When I sold my little Audi TT, I was sure a piece of my heart went with it... Then we sold the RV we traveled across the United States in... And after that we FINALLY found Marionette.  My heart wasn't broken after all!  There was varnish to take care of, bilges to keep dry, and 'creative' ways to fix stuff!!  Thou shall NOT forget the Duct Tape!!

 We do 'cheat' however, we have a motorcycle we get around in.  Not so great in the tropical rain storms we get here in the Dominican Republic, but it's fun to zip around in!  Not the SAFEST thing, but what the heck, you only live once, right???

Coffee Snobs...

What can I say??  I'm from Seattle!  You must LOVE coffee if you live within 500 miles of downtown Seattle... It's just how it rolls there...  I've had tons of peeps ask me about what kind of coffee we drink... Silly?  Yea, probably... We even had a "Coffee-Off" with Capt'n Jay from Windancer!!  He swore that a PERK was the only way to go ( on the stove perk, like camping ), my thought was a "French Press".  He, Jay, being a coffee man, started first... however in the end, he said that the only reason MY coffee tasted better was because it was "high end" coffee... I think living on a boat, a stainless steel french press is the way to go.  If you buy plastic or glass, your husband is sure to break them... sorry Pete!  I still love my 15 cup perk that my mother gave me YEARS ago for a Christmas gift, and it's currently traveling with us!  But it uses a bit too much power when we're out on the hook... So, in my opinion 'Thee French Press' ROCKS!!  Add a bit of Bailey's for special occasions, and it's even better!  Cheers...   


Oh, and yes, we stock up on Starbucks when we're in Seattle to cart back with us... where ever we are!!

Marrs the Wonder Dog!

Traveling with us is our dog, Marrs.  He's a black lab/chow mix, or maybe part sneeky neighbor dog... He just turned 6 in October.  We love him VERY much!  Sailing with a dog can be quite a challenge at times.  Good points and bad.  I suppose like some peeps out and about with kids.  It just takes a little extra effort, but usually well worth it!  We have a ritual of daily brushing and hosing off with FRESH water after a swim, which he loves!  He lost his brother 'Squirrel' last month after a long battle with cancer and congestive heart disease.  We still miss him, but we know he's in a better place.  When we are at anchor, we trained the dogs to jump from the boat into the dinghy.  Everyone seemed to find this highly entertaining!  We have a PORT-a-BOTE as a dinhy, which if you're familiar with it, is hard plastic.  Very dog friendly and robust!  I have no doubt that Marrs has kept thieves from coming on board.  He's better than any security system you could have!  All 98 pounds of him...

Please note the tan lines on my hubby's feet!!!

Our Boat...

Marsh Harbour Bahamas

Spanish Wells Bahamas

Tampa Bay

There are several different kinds of boats.  Some for day sailing, fishing, cruising, blue water, etc... The list goes on and on!!  Our boat, slash home is a 1980 CSY 44.  She is 41.1 feet long with a beam of 14 feet and has a draft of 5 feet, or 4.8 after I ran it aground in the Bahamas.  We purchased her after she was basically totally redone.  We think she's a beautiful vessel, even if her varnish needs another coat... We have what you call a 'walk-over' model.  Which means that the entire aft is the captain's quaters, complete with a full head.  Two bathrooms are a must for us.  I grew up in a house with only ONE bathroom, all I can say is "NEVER AGAIN"... Our engine is the original Perkins that my husband 'Pete' did an over haul on last year... He's not a mechainc by trade, but he learned quick! We also sport a water-maker, solar panels, and a noisy wind generator!!  There's always something to repair/fix when living on a boat.  Someone once told me "B.O.A.T." means "Break Out Another Thousand" or three!!  But when the day is all said and done, there really is no place like home...

Marrs & Squirrel say, " C'mon down!!"