Cockpit Table

29 June 2012

This is our new teak cockpit table, oiled and mounted!  We got a great deal on the table at Marine Connection Liquidators in Fort Pierce, Florida on our way back up from Miami.  It is a great fit, and we have enjoyed meals from it every chance we have had in the past week.  The cup and binoculars holder shelf is really handy too.

~C

I think I'm Gonna Hurl...

28 June 2012

We finally woke up to beautiful weather, just as we were promised by the weather forecasters.  This is AWESOME news because we were able to get a lot done around the boat today.  Unfortunately there was an unexpected side job that had to be tackled first thing after breakfast.  I heard our bilge pump start pumping water out as I was washing dishes, and quickly realized that the sump pump was not kicking on, and therefore overflowing dirty dish water down to the bilge.  Keeping in mind that Murphy (our gremlin) has been known to flip the switch for the sump pump in the past, I immediately checked the panel.  The panel light for the sump was still on, so I eliminated that possibility.  I pulled up the floor board over the pump to investigate the situation further, and much to my dismay our sump pump was completely disgusting.  To say "filthy" simply does not cut it.  The layer of black and snot-colored slime all through the filter and the entire pump box was honestly... well, completely disgusting.  Hmm... I guess I found the problem.

I think I'm gonna HURL

I nearly lost my cookies at the mere sight of it, and I hadn't even gotten down in there to start cleaning it yet.  To be really honest, I'm almost embarrassed to even show the condition that I found it in.  How does this even happen??  Ahh... the joys of being a boat owner...

I never figured out what in the world managed to get into that little box and create such havoc, but I hope to never see it again.  

More regular cleanings are definitely in order, because I NEVER, EVER want to see, smell, or touch this stuff again.  

I will spare you the gruesome details on what all it took to get it clean again, or how the mystery black slime splashed up in my face, or how the smell made me gag the entire time; all I will tell is that a couple of hours later we had a spic n' span sump pump!

The good news is that we did get a lot done today, but I will save that for the Captain's post that is soon to come.  Stay tuned...


~ C

Going Nuts!

27 June 2012

Looks like Tropical Storm Debbie is finally going to give us a break.  Tonight the rain has stopped and the wind has calmed down after several days of horrible weather, and we are looking forward to some good weather for the rest of the week so we can FINALLY get some boat work done. 

Because the weather has been so nasty for the past few weeks, I'm writing about food (my second favorite topic) instead of boat progress. I've been on a big Turmeric kick over the past few months after doing some research and learning about its amazing benefits (go HERE for a little more info on these benefits).  I have been trying to incorporate it into my cooking as much as possible, so a few nights ago I made an almond crusted salmon dish, starring my two favorite ingredients, ginger and turmeric, that was both delicious and healthy.  I know a few of our readers are health nuts, so I'm going to share this awesome, very simple recipe.

Nutty Salmon with steamed broccoli and brown rice

Nutty Salmon

Ingredients:

• 2 Salmon filets
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• 3/4 cup crushed up almonds

Getting the ingredients together

Ready to throw in the oven

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add in the fresh ginger and all of the dry spices.  Cook for a minute or two and cut off the heat.
3. Season the salmon with salt and pepper.  
4. Dip the fish into the spiced oil, and coat both sides of the fish well.
5. On a big plate, roll the fish into the almonds.
6. Oil a baking sheet, and place salmon filets on the sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness of fish.  

Try it and let me know what you think!  

~ C

Discovery Hotel, St. Lucia

24 June 2012

Our wedding ceremony and reception dinner were held at DISCOVERY HOTEL at Marigot Bay, St. Lucia.  Trudy helped plan and put the whole thing together for me.  The whole resort was breath taking.

G and I each had our own room to spend the day in to get ready and/or relax.  Mom, Sis, and my handsome little nephew came with me to help me get ready.

G and my brother spent the day drinking beer at the bar while Sis and I spent the day primping.

This is Trudy, to whom I owe many thanks for all of her help in making our wedding a beautiful day.  She made the bouquet in the picture for me to perfectly match my dress.

The Vows & "I do's"

After the ceremony the family enjoyed a five-course dinner to celebrate. 

"You and Me" by Dave Matthews Band

The next morning we received our first "Mr. & Mrs." on paper, accompanied by a breakfast spread and champagne delivered to our room.

Thanks to our family who came and helped to make this week so special for us.  We appreciate all of your support and all that you do for us.  We love you very much!

~ C

Nose to the Grind

23 June 2012


This morning we finally tweaked the teak table enough to be able to fit it into the cockpit.  As you can see someone has already found more than one use for it as a shade.  We promptly oiled it and enjoyed lunch on it later.

Johnny snoozing.

One of the projects that we are gearing up for this week is the deck nonskid.  We have a few places that get slippery as whale sh*#  when it gets wet. Our concern is safety.  We have learned how to move from one place to another, but in reality we have been boating long enough to know that we need to fix it.

The product that we have decided to go with is KiWiGrip.  I have seen this stuff in action and have no doubts about it.  Does anyone have any tribal knowledge on applying it?  I have watched the video, read the nomenclature and spoke with the rep.  Some first hand advice would be appreciated!

KiWi Grip

Moving on to the LP Box.  I plan on putting at least another coat of paint on the box and lid.  The inside is good to go.  This box will hold our two 20 lbs propane bottles, regulator, gauge, solenoid, a wrench and a couple rolls of yellow teflon tape.  I have affectionately named this box Mark 1.  It will be mounted outboard of our Aft rail on the port side.  The grand unveiling will be on Wednesday, but for now here is a teaser of what it will look like.

-G

Whistle While We Work

23 June 2012

Okay everyone, it's time to get this blog geared back toward the boat.  You may be wondering if we are ever going to get back to working on our boat again, but we actually have been almost every waking minute that we have been back from vacation; I've just been a little slack about posting about it due to my excitement over the wedding week.

So what boat work HAVE we been doing?  We have got our hands in a bunch of projects at the moment.  We have been building a double propane bottle box for both of our fiberglass propane tanks, installing our dinghy/motor lifts, painting the dinghy's bottom with anti-fouling paint, mounting our new teak cockpit table, mounting the fuel tank, and re-installing the raw water pump, cooling water line, exhaust, and fuel lines.  As we finish up each project we will write more on each topic individually throughout the upcoming week!


~ C

The Resort & Family

21 June 2012


Upon our arrival at Smuggler's Cove Resort in Saint Lucia, we were offered a cool wet towel scented with eucalyptus oil, along with our choice of either Rum Punch or Fruit Punch. The resort was absolutely amazing, and to say that the staff was "friendly" would be a huge understatement.  Every single person working there bent over backwards to ensure that our stay there was perfect.

The first thing we did after unpacking, showering, and getting settled into our rooms was find food and a bar that offered fruity island drinks.  Smuggler's Cove is all inclusive (food and beverages), and we over-indulged in both just about every night of the week.

The pool, jacuzzi, and beach is where we spent most of the day-light hours (sorry... I photo-shop blurred your bird out, Bro).

The last night before the wedding we all had dinner and a few drinks together to celebrate my last night as a "Miss."

~ C

Bienvenidos a Miami

20 June 2012

Our wedding vacation began with driving down to Miami to fly out.  We decided to drive down the night before our flight so we could spend the evening playing in Miami and sleep in a few extra hours the morning of our flight.

We had our first set of cocktails with our dinner at Tradewinds at Bayside right on the water.  They make an awesome Mango Mojito, and the beer is good and cold.

There was a beach/reggae band playing during the afternoon while we ate, drank, and shopped around Bayside.

We indulged in a few more cocktails; he in Rum Runners and I in the made-from-scratch Pina Coladas.

We fell in love with the main band, Poko-Loco... so we had a few more cocktails and listened to a little electronic funk for a couple more hours.  

 We called it a night once we ran out of cash, and hit the hotel room for a good night sleep before the start of our adventure the next day.  Tuesday morning bright and early we drove to the airport and met up with my side of the family.  As you can see, G does not take lightly the phrase "Say CHEEEEEZE!"

Captain Morgan for breakfast... The BEST way to shake off last night's cocktails, right? 

After the round of shots, we jumped on our St. Lucia bound plane and hit the Caribbean for a week.

...to be continued!

~ C