Spring is HERE!

It has been a couple of months since we last posted, mainly because the weater has been less than fun.  It has been very busy otherwise, trips back to Arkansas, new grandchild, and work for BOTH of us.  Yes that is a big deal with Carol being off for over 6 months while she had her surgeries.  The Retirement Wake is back on course!  

Boat Projects have included just routine maintenance to installing new achor chain and new anchor.   Imagine came with a 35# CQR which is a very popular anchor with a resonable good history of success. On a trip to Red Fish Island hit held in the Galveston Bay mud in 30 mph winds with Gust to 40 mph with only 3/4" 3 strand twist and 3 ft of chain.  (it is what came with the boat) From the beginning I new I wanted a new anchor based on the fact that the 35# CQR was on the bottom end for size in a storm of any size.   I wanted as my primary something that should get us up to a low grade Hurricane.  The choice needed to include one that will hold in changing material for holding.  Reading many articles, listening to several blogs on personal oppion I choose the Mantus.  I then did more research and found all of there promo videos and test.  Then I found several done by indepepnt people doing the same test and it always set faster and better than any other anchor they put it up against.   The Mantus Anchor will hold us to 70-80 mph winds, and I placed 200 ft of new G4 galvanized chain with 150 ft of 3/4" 3 strand twist and spliced it to the chain.  I will keep the CQR as a backup, and to use for a 2nd anchor if needed.  I also have a fortress as I will use as a stern anchor or keep away anchor for dragging boats that threaten me.  I then made a new snubber with 3/4" 3 strand twist, that has firehouse chaffe protection at all chaffe points.  This has the Mantus hook to attach it to the chain also.


The rest of life is going great, Carol loves her new job.  It is a National Company and just found out they are opeining 60 offices in South Flordia....can you say Relocate?  



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Going to the Circus City! Sarasota Flordia

Image
We finally got away from the Gulfport FL/St. Pete area and headed to Sarasota FL. **** We cannot say thank you enough to Bob and Ellen in Gulfport who helped us so much, and provided such great hospitality. They even introduced us to some other boat folks too. ****  We ended up at the Sarasota Mooring Field that is managed by  Marina Jacks.   We opted for a mooring ball at $25.00 per day vs $2.75 per foot.  That for us would be $104.50 per day!  It is a short ride in via dinghy to the marina.  For the $25.00 I get the same amenities, showers, shuttle service, restaurants etc.  The bathrooms are nice, each have an individual private bathroom with shower.  I am glad some of those mega yachts can afford to pay for all this for us to enjoy. The only down side is there are numerous dinghys at the dinghy dock that have been left there by the mooring field peeps.  Some it would appear for a long time by the growth on them.  They really need to manage this better. The marina is right in the mi
Read more

Last week in Tarpon Springs.

Image
Tarpon Springs was such a fun place to have stayed during our adventure.  Our extended stay was caused by a Low Pressure system that was coming from East to West across Florida. Causing winds or suppose to cause winds up to 40 mph.  We were in such a protected place, and with the TS forming in Mexico that turned into Hurricane Nate we decided to stay put for a while. The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was amazing with all the stained glass, paintings on the ceiling and the Icons around the church.  There was a staff member there that answered questions for us about the church and services.  I found it interesting they still use the same service since the 4th century.  They also sing the entire service.  We also leanred that St. Nicholas also being Santa Claus is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker, and the Patron Saint of Sailors.  It was time to venture out further and see more local attractions so we jumped aboard the Clearwater   Jolly Trolley which runs from Tar
Read more

The Lines have been Cut! #Cruisinglife

Image
Imagine has actually cut the lines!  We have made the jump! Living the Life! #Cruisinglife, #liveaboard, #USVI and all the other hashtags and catch phrases there is. Carol and I have worked hard to get to this next adventure in our life. The friends we have made in Texas are friendships that will last a lifetime.  We will truly miss their company, but the friendship will live on while we share our adventures with them.   Imagine found a weather window between Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma to move to Florida. There are some alternate routes built into if ole Irma decides to change paths and mess things up.  We take weather seriously, but you have to move on so you plan for what you know, and what you do not know.  Guess what?  We used one of our plans to stop to wait out upcoming weather.  The wind switched more E to NE  which is the way we were going.  The wind picked up to 23 kts max with sustained in the high teens.  The waves were 4-6 ft with a few that would get a bit bi
Read more