Category: Sailing

Observation

Something I have noticed on this trip…
When we arrive at a port we have no car so we use the bus or a taxi. I am amazed at how people on the street are treated. Even yelled at out windows for moving too slow in a crosswalk. My first thought is how does the person in the car know they don’t have a disability?

My second thought as I watched a young couple with two kids and a stroller, obliviously a loving family get on the bus, wow!
My third thought is …What will the young do if we keep going this way? Something must be done this Economy isn’t just it, I think many just don’t care, did our parents raise so many to think “awe this wont effect me” too many me’s is what I think.
The kids are having to pool together just to be able to live alone from their parents. This seem to be the norm for the ones that want to show their independence.

Just some things I noticed, I walked that mile in there shoes… I didn’t like it.

Wolfbernz

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Tags Streets, Travel

New post Sailing

Appreciation

If I have learned nothing else on this trip at least I have learned to appreciate what I have. Not material things, life itself, a wonderful wife, great kids, even a grandson and my bloggy friends. I have learned to simplify my life and I am learning more and more that less is best.

I am not saying I am going to get rid of everything I have but to enjoy what I have. My first thought use to be I want it all and I want it now! Am I just getting older or am I just getting it? I use to strive to have the best of everything, the biggest.

Things have changed I don’t need these things to be happy. I am content with what I have and who I am. Acceptance is a tough word but a good one its followed by peace and it is followed by love, love for others and everything around us all.

My second thought is it only took three years of cruising to figure this out! Sometimes I think we all take so much for granite, we all have so much and we have much to give and share, to be there for someone in need. I have no idea where this new mind set is leading me but as I have done all my life I will just follow the path laid out before me.

I was asked once ” How could you just get on your boat and just go with no real plan or destination?

I replied “Blind Faith, it all works out and becomes an amazing adventure.”
So here we are back in Vero Beach swinging on a mooring ball, the dinghy has become our car to shore again. It’s time to go walk around and see what’s here and explore.

Tags Life, Sailing

Sailing

Circumnavigating the keys and into the Gulf of Mexico

Post author By Wolfbernz
Post date January 29, 2013
6 Comments on Circumnavigating the keys and into the Gulf of Mexico

We sailed down to the Florida Keys, what a good time. The water was supper nice., One could see the big fish in the water it was so clear! Key West is one big party tow for sure.
We checked out the whole place, watched the sailboat races for a while.
Of course we had to go to Jimmy Buffett’s Margheritaville and have one 🙂
We returned to the boat and hung out for the next five days or so going to the beach and checking out he sites. It was time to provision again. I said we could do with out some things until we get back to the mainland, a box of Ritz crackers for five bucks. I’ll pass.
We began to talk about what to do next… I wasn’t tired an Trina was so she hit the sack, I stayed up and charted the difference between going back the same way ( boring) or Circumnavigating the Keys and crossing the gulf to Fort Myers to the St. Lucie River and across the Okeechobee lake back to the East coast.
My first thought was this would be new and Adventurous! It has been the crossing was a bit rough, scary and fun all at the same time. Any time you make a crossing overnight an have to stay up for what seem a lifetime is dangerous but is a rush all at the same time, Especially when you have never been there.
My second thought when we arrived at our first anchorage entrance in the early morning hours was… Holy crap it’s dark and we are going up a river in the Everglades, what the hell was I thinking! The current was so strong it pulled the boat up into the river at six to seven knots at idle speed. Trina to.d me to back it down, I replied I can’t the current has grabbed the boat.
Using what we have learned while cruising and how to read the water, the charts as a guide we charged up the river full speed ahead found the spot we wanted and dropped anchor.
We were so tiered, we slept in the next day and just appreciated where we were and all the Magnificent wildlife around us. Trina said I should go swimming, I told her… You know they have Crocodiles in this water? I know she replied with a chuckle then she said just kidding I need my captain…
Everything has gone well and we have made it to Fort Myers, now we will make the journey across to the East Coast. It was a long run but worth the ride, check out this shot of the moon while crossing the Gulf of Mexico.

Have a great Tuesday
Wolfbernz

Tags Cruising, Sailboat, Sailing, Travel

Atlantic ICW New post Sailing Top Sites Tuesday

I “was” getting a little homesick!

Post author By Wolfbernz
Post date January 22, 2013
3 Comments on I “was” getting a little homesick!

So we are down in to Florida Keys, it’s been a long trip for some reason this year. Maybe because we have traveled so far.
I was missing the kids and Jacob the Grandson, then the phone wrang!
My first thought when the phone rings from the farm is ” ther must be a problem” of course there was but a simple one the refrigerator went on the fritz and stopped working. Not to bad we just got them a new one, problem solved 🙂
Then the guy who takes care of the farm while we are gone told me it was 14 degrees and snowing its ass off!!! I told Kenny sorry to here that the low tonight is 67 the high tomorrow is around 80.
He laughed and said I will be right down… So much for being homesick, at this point I don’t think I could take the cold so I will hang in there until spring.

We were going to leave here, Vaca key and head fourty or so miles across the Gulf of Mexico to Pennecamp State park. Free mooring ball to tie up to for a week. There are no provisions there, no gas, etc… It’s a bring it in and take it out park.

My first thought when Trina told me about it was, I want to snorkel the 16th century wreck 🙂 how fun this would be… It still has the old cannons and all. They also have a nice coral reef to explore and a big aquarium too.

We were going to leave this Wednesday but of course we have to wait for weather so we will leave this Friday.

Have a great Tuesday
Wolfbernz.

Atlantic ICW New post Sailing Top Sites Tuesday

It Makes Me Wonder

My first thought as we sailed into the Florida Keys is God has created such beautiful places.
It makes me wonder about home on the Chesapeake Bay… Did it look like this at one time before all the pollution? The bay at home does have times when it gets flushed out it turns sort of clear but nothing like this. It has been a long sail to get here, stopping for a rest last month was a good idea, I feel as though we have sailed to the end of the Earth, well worth it though. Check out the photo of the water when we anchored up a couple days ago.

water and winch

It was spooky, scary and exciting all at the same time. There is no depth perception when the water is so clean, one just has to trust in the instruments that you are in the right place. This was taken in uncharted water we had to feel our way in so to speak so not to run aground.

My second thought is as we have sailed the last few years I have realized how important it is to take care of our environment. We need to stop wasting money on things that are unnecessary, I won’t start listing what I think they are… That’s another blog post for sure, but I will say if I have to take a drug test to earn the money so they can hand it out, then the recipients should have to take one to get assistance. I never gave it so much thought before, maybe I was just caught up in the rat race. But they have been saying this for years and now I know why.

We are taking another break for a bit here in Boot Key Harbor… Maybe a little fishing, some beach time under the coconut tree, than it will be time to follow the wind again.

CIMG4023

CIMG4024

CIMG4022

CIMG4025

Have a great Tuesday
Wolfbernz

Tags Sailing, Traveling

Atlantic ICW New post Sailing Top Sites Tuesday

Server work while sailing

We have changed our servers, hopefully they will make the sites run faster. The hardest part is being in the middle of nowhere while trying to do this. We really wanted to get it done before we left but ran out of time.

Trina will not be able to participate because some sites are being worked on still. I got a message this morning that the comments were not working on BD – my first thought was omg here we go with issues, it was all working fine, luckily it was an easy fix.

So here it is the new year 2013 can you believe it’s here already?

I didn’t think I would be here in the Matanzas River anchored in front of the old Matanzas Fort!

Happy Tuesday Everyone!
Wolf

New post Sailing

The Land Of The Living

As I look out my port hole here in Dark Shadows…

I had to write that lol

Really though this is like night and day – coming from the farm and landing in Florida where there are people everywhere including boats on the water.

It’s almost like culture shock… We left the farm that is in the middle of nowhere and a thirty minute drive to do anything and landed in the middle of the land of the living. There are cars, barking dogs, boats going by, people strolling by and an occasional big bird that sounds like some one is on the boat! It is weird to wake up to music playing and it’s not yours to control, maybe it’s the not having neighbors on the farm that makes it feel that way. Just a short walk and there is whatever you need, it is so convenient.

So my first thought when we arrived was to ask – is that a restaurant that serves beer, a fish basket and fries!!?

“Why yes sir”, was the reply

My second thought was, well than… Get the hell outta the way!

It was nice to have a dinner out and a good one too. It is supposed to be in the high seventies all week and a comfortable mid-fifties at night. So today we get to walk and check the town out as we pick up some parts and make a few repairs before we head out again and go south. It looks like we will be here a month.

This makes the memories of the hard parts of the trip ( Coming around Maw Point – 35 knot, NE winds with Quartering large seas, water over the boat) seam not so big a deal now.

Tags Florida, Sailing, Traveling