Found THE boat!

Hellooooooo to our Baby! 

 Our 'Sun Baby'. Can you believe we move to Florida to find our boat and sail from there yet the best boat we could find was in San Diego?

The boat has passed all surveys to our satisfaction and we are closing soon! Here she is again! I never really thought this day would come..... I am all in now!

She will go into the yard for some maintenance followed by a shake down cruise to Catalina. Then we install some gear (new sail!) Final provisioning then off the Sea of Cortez with its sea life, quiet coves and lapping water against her hulls.

Larry found me the perfect boat. She has been well cared for by her owners and is very comfortable. He is adding a "go fast in light air" sail and I add the food and my projects (quilts, sewing, books). I am about to learn a whole heck of a lot about myself.  I expect to find that Peace Corp Volunteer down deep inside again. I never really thought I would have to....but it is the nice quiet life I long for and the ocean life Larry longs for.

Vamos a ver!

 

In our move to Florida we found that most boats in the tropics are pretty beat up and would need a few months of work to be ready to cruise or live on. Seeking guidance from our friends back in San Diego we found out they were considering selling their well maintained  catamaran. The boat resides in the slip next to our former slip on "I" dock at the club.

After looking at their boat from our boat as we went in and out, or just enjoyed our cockpit after racing, for the last few years....now we will be looking at the world from her decks!

So once again we embarked on a trip to cross this great country of Texas, er, I mean, USA. :-)

Rocky's preferred sleeping location en route is on my co-pilot seat with me, facing backwards on his head rest.

We stopped in Fairhope, AL to visit Aunt Dee, Dick and family. Renewing family ties enriches our lives and this visit did not disappoint! We delighted in tales of boating, spearfishing and family history along with meeting my cousin's beautiful young family.

Dinner at sundown--all the gulf seafood you can handle.

Drum roll please! We arrive to San Diego to survey the boat! Better photos to follow! Could Rocky's Ocean Adventure be upon us??? We even have a new sail on order!

2004 Lagoon Catamaran

All ready for cruising with solar panels, dinghy, water maker and more!

The original owners in Seattle cruised the boat with their small children. Her name is Sun Baby. The name might be going with the sellers...we are working on a name!

Home sweet home.

Stay tuned.....cruising within the month?? Can Beth find home at sea? Will she venture past the Sea of Cortez? Can she make it to Panama, the Caribbean and then to Florida? Will Larry go right instead of left, to the Marquesas? The suspense is unending....first, let's have breakfast....

Our North Port, FL rental

Our little rental home in North Port, Florida provides a central location from which to check out boats all over Florida. The place is interesting from a Californian's perspective. The housing tracks have all the infrastructure but are only 0% to 50% built out. The "vacant" lots are forest. Who would have thought forest, not swamp! There are lots of pine trees and sabal palms all supporting millions of squirrels (Squirrel!), rabbits, bald eagles, osprey, spiders and yes, we saw our first snake!

Across the street is a vacant lot, home to the Florida ecosystem.

Rocky watching squirrel.

Squirrel watching Rocky. Can you see him atop the dead palm frond?

Last night Larry and I took Rocky out back for his evening potty break at the old Inagua Street home in North Port. We stood right on the edge of the concrete in the patio spotlight. Larry and I spoke while we told Rocky to "go potty".  Fifteen seconds later Rocky spots a small rabbit not three feet from me on the grass. He chases the poor thing and it runs to my feet!  I yell "Woo, Woo!" and continue yelling "woo, woo" for what seemed like minutes. This eventually turned to "Run rabbit run!" as they went around the shed three or four times.  Finally, to give the rabbit a break I yelled "Rocky in the house!" before the rabbit was caught.
 
Lucky rabbit!

Larry just laughed and laughed at me. In hind sight, I think Rocky was pacing the poor thing.  He did not really know what to do with it. But the adrenaline was pumping!

Stay tuned...Rocky may be getting his boat soon!