Well for Thanksgiving we went back to Texas for a visit with our daughter Michelle,James and the grand babies. While we were gone Wednesday night they had a small tornado, if you look close you can see the bottom of a Trimaran that flipped over on it's back. The other photo is of the bar and there is no canvas left anywhere. The stage for the entertainment is also gone. This happened at about 0330,it woke up many of the people on the dock and in the anchorage.Most of the boats in the anchorage had 2 knock downs, 1 on the front side and then when it passed. A few of the boats lost masts but I'm told nobody was injured. I guess Rob S. is right bad weather seems to follow us where ever we go.

I'm heading back to work tomorrow for 8 to 10 weeks so there probably won't be any post because Karen hasn't gotten into writing in this place. When I get back we will be heading to either Porto Rica or maybe to Guatemala, I don't think Karen has made up her mind, it doesn't make me any difference where we go as long as it's South. Here in Marathon it's 74 degrees and sunny so this ain't bad. Well talk to ya'll next time I have something to say.

Mike

This is one of our new friends on the dock. He She are what ever showed up and wanted some water. From now on we will have some cabbage on board and please don't tell the water Nazi's about us feeding the Manatees.

Mike & Karen

Sunday at Schooners Wharf

I know ya'll are thinking the only reason we left Texas was because there was not enough drinking going on,but I assure you that was not the only reason.Here we are at Schooners wharf with our friends that we know and a few that we just met. A good time was had by all.

The little fellow in front is Mike and like I said is one of our oldest friends,as a matter of fact we don't know anyone that's older than Mike. Just to let everyone know a little about him he is a published author and his book is Chasin' the Wind by Michael Haskins. If you are a mystery buff like me you will enjoy this one. He has a couple more written and 1 more to be published in Feb.2010,so look for it. You can check him out at http://www.michaelhaskins.net/ if you like. he finally broke down and gave me an autographed copy that now I guess I have to carry the thing around all over the Caribbean instead of trading it in at the 1/2 priced book store.

I put the photo of Karen, Bob and Mike in just to show ya'll that Karen goes out with me when I'm having fun. Well not much happened over the weekend so I will stop trying to think of something to lie about a talk to ya'll latter on down the road.

Mike

Party at Hog's Breath & some place to eat

Well this is Friday night and we just had to go to Key West. Our 2 oldest friends since we started our sailing life style, Bob he's the tall one and Birthday Boy Mike is the short one and I believe he's getting shorter but I wouldn't want him to know. All was just the way we left Hog's Breath 3 or 4 years ago,New faces but just as much fun and just as loud. After several sun downers and I mean several we went to Jack something or other,( by this time names were starting to blur) and had a good Grouper Sandwich. Mike opened his wallet and the dust flew but he made up for the pizza last time we came to visit. Went to the Green Parrot after that but I carried a pantie waist with me and did not get to stay for the blues band that was to play there. I guess that's enough bending your ear today. Lets see what today brings. OK Karen just got out of bed and the name of the restaurant was Jack Flat's

Yesterday was a slow day for Karen, she hurt here knee and it messed up her back so it was a day of rest. She fought like a wildcat for a car from Enterprise rental. It seems in the Keys they don't have cars until one is turned in. The main concern of the man that runs the office is weather or not you are going to bring the car back to Marathon or somewhere else. Most people take the car to Miami and they run short of cars, so Karen lied like a rug and got the only thing they had, a bright red Dodge truck. This is this guy's favorite truck and he has had it on the island for a year.Karen is really hoping he has something else to give her today. I think she thinks if she returns the truck to Miami he may put out a contract out on her.
Dockside Marina is my kind of marina, you put your BBQ pit on the dock,deck chairs, Umbrellas and tables. Then you just sit back and meet everybody that walks down the dock. For someone as shy as I am it's a good way to meet people. Our neighbor is a French Canadian a nice fellow. The first thing he did was to start sanding his teak. Well that enough for today will keep you informed.

For those of you who have never been under the Sunshine Skyway in Tampa Bay here is a couple of shot taken as Karen and I looked for fuel.Remember the only reason the sails were up was to make sure I was not mistaken for a power boat.

This is how boring it was crossing the Gulf from Slidell La. To Tampa nothing to do but read. No sailing because there was no wind.We motored all the way. The only reason I had the sails up was to show any passer byers that I wasn't a power boat.

OK here we go again. The saga of Mike& Karen will continue 11/13/09 at app. 0600hrs. All the minor problems have been repaired and we will try 1 more time. Stay tuned for the results of this little adventure. From here to Marathon should be about 7 or 8 days with everything going right.
Mike & Karen

OK we left on 10/31/09 at about 0500 hrs. A most disastrous start. I managed to find an unlit channel marker and bounce off it. Not much damage but a scratch on the Port side.That happened about 0600 hrs. So you can see it was all going well.
We finally made it out into the Gulf and was making good speed motor sailing,and then Murphy shows up. DIRTY FUEL. We continued under sail for 24 hrs and the wind that was suppose to be 10 to 15 NNM turned to NNE 15 to 20 and mostly 20. With building seas and not much sleep I decided to turn to the north and go to the dock closet to us. I ended up in Intracoastal City. But don't look for it on the map,too little of a city.Moved on to Morgan City La.(moron city) to look for a tank cleaner,well after a half day on the phone we called Glenn Kingham from League City TX.
After the young man took 12 hours to drive 6 we got started 10/4/09. Everything went well and we left Morgan City at 0500 hrs. 10/05/09 at 1700 hrs motor died . Rigged up with 5 gal.can and waited 2 hrs. to go through the first set of locks going to New Orleans. We managed to get on the other side of New Orleans at 23oo hrs so tired I just wanted to anchor somewhere. Running down the ICW the fuel pump went out so Karen pumped for 5 hrs. on a squeeze bulb to pump fuel to the engine and here we are in Slidell La. Will get a mechanic Monday and get started in the near future. MIKE

Just Starting

Well I'm setting this up so the few people who follow me and my wife's adventures will be able to continue. We have not been cruising for the last 5 years but as of 1/1/10 That will change. Will get back later with more.
Mike