Family Time

April 25-May 4, 2010

Woohoo...We've been away for a while to spend time with family. Did not sail on Orion but took a plane to Miami, Florida. Our friends Jim and Pat took our cat "Whiskers" in their home in Ponce; their cat "Malcolm" was looking forward to her company...at least that is what Jim told us! We thank all three of them for making it possible for us to enjoy being away without having to worry about "Whiskers", our 18 year old sailor cat :o) You guys are the best!

Graduation Julia

On April 27, 2010 our daughter Julia graduated from Florida International University (FIU) with a Bachelor of Arts...Minor in English Literature...Magna Cum Laude...Member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society! We are incredibly proud of Julia and her accomplishments. 

We still cannot believe how grown up our daughter is...Wasn't it just yesterday that we saw her sitting in front of Miami Dade College with her new Mac Computer? Four years have passed since then...unbelievable! Well, Julia's hard work and dedication have paid off and she is well on her way to her next adventures. As her parents we could not be prouder of her!

We all, especially Julia, were so thankful that her Grandfather, Rick's 90 year old father Harvey, traveled all the way from North Carolina to come and see her graduate. Way to go Grandpa! We know that Julia's  paternal Grandmother Betty and her maternal Grandparents Susanne and Hermann are very proud of Julia also and I am sure the heavens were singing mighty songs that day!

Abigail's First Birthday

We also celebrated the first birthday of sweet Abigail, Rick's first Grandchild together with Abigail's parents Mike and Michelle Goostree and a whole bunch of other people. Her actual birthday was on April 30, 2010, but there were several days of fun activities to accommodate everybody in the extended family. Michelle and her sister Jeanette are my step-daughters. Jeanette came all the way from Melbourne, Florida to join the fun :o) She also attended Julia's graduation ceremony. Jeanette and Michelle, together with our children Jessica, Julia, and Michael make up the most important part of our blended family and we are very proud of all of them. It was great to be together again in one spot, since the kids all live in Florida now and of course we are freshly baked "boat people" in Puerto Rico! We missed "the Tedster", Jeanette's husband. Ah well, reason enough for another get together in the not too distant future...we might even sail there!

Rick's 60th Birthday

Yap...just after the Grandkid turned one year young, Rick joined the Club of Sixty!! May 3, 2010 was the actual big day. The kids gave him a surprise birthday party a few days earlier with his favorite: an ice cream cake :o) They presented him with a gift card for Barnes and Nobles for some big amount, knowing that he will put it to good use for reading material or DVDs on the boat...Way to go guys! This was very thoughtful of all of you and totally unexpected, since we don't usually exchange presents for the grown-ups anymore...Guess sixty is a milestone again! Way to go Rick!

There's so much more stuff to report, which I will do in another post on this blog soon. I am still in awe that I had my three kids in one spot for a change...love you Jessica, Julia, and Michael! And of course...love you Michelle, Mike, and Abby!...And ...love you Jeanette and Ted! And...love you Harvey! God bless all of you! 

Sailing, Sorting, Simplifying...

April 2010
We have been full time live-aboards since we sold the house in March. Despite the immense change in actual living space, we have had no problems adjusting to life on Orion. Things are working out great and we are as happy as can be! With Rick still working I have the day to sort out stuff and arrange things the way I want them...all of which is so much easier now that we are here 24/7. There is no more rush at the beginning and the end of the weekend to put food and clothes on the boat and off the boat...Orion is our house now and we take her with us...how kewl is that? Little by little we are getting things sorted out. Life seems so much simpler now. Just the way we had envisioned it! Our new community in Salinas is wonderful and diverse. Nothing is ever boring here...from the locals to the live-aboards to the cruisers...everybody has a story to tell. We have adjusted to living with nature more and usually go to bed after the sun goes down. The facilities at Marina de Salinas are very nice, the staff is extremely friendly, and there is an atmosphere of peace around the place.

Our 18 year old cat Whiskers is a regular boat cat now...Whiskers the Sailor Cat is what we call her. I guess you can teach an old cat new tricks after all...grin. She sleeps most of the day curled up in the salon, just being happy and content with her new life on board. She is starting to explore on her own once in a while...getting up on deck, roaming around and getting into the dinghy to drink the rain water that pools in one corner...we are very proud of her for not being a "fraidy cat"!

Back to living on Orion: There are a million things to sort out and re-arrange and make new, but it is so much fun to do it when you know that this is it...this is your dream and it is coming true! Everything in a boat needs its place and it has to be a secure place, because stuff tends to tumble and fall when the sea gets rough. A Morgan 41 Out Island has a ton of storage spaces...quite unbelievable actually...and I am finding out quickly. 

First we needed to sort out the tools, because that would free space in the closet. We had two huge tool boxes that came with the boat when we bought it. They were incredibly heavy and smack in the middle of the best storage space for clothes! Needless to say that this is a man's err Captain's job...tools and tool boxes are not for the faint of heart. So Rick set to work one day, because he didn't want to listen anymore to my bickering telling him nicely to please sort out the tools. It took a rainy and stormy Saturday...and he got it done! I helped purchase some  small canvas tool bags and some zipper pouches and then left him the heck alone. We work as a team...I let him do his stuff and he let's me do my stuff. I am happy to report that all the tools are now stowed away in said canvas tool bags and zipper pouches, which makes them easy to store and easy to carry...Best of all, they are out of the closet :o)

Having this chore out of the way we went sailing the next weekend...to Coffin Island, as you might have guessed. Spent a nice Saturday and Sunday there and returned refreshed for the upcoming week. I made omelets filled with vegetables and cheese. Even the Sailor Cat enjoyed the trip, curled up, and fell fast asleep on the sail back to Salinas. Too cute! 

Back in Salinas, the next day we observed a Marsh Hen balancing on the dock lines. Whiskers got interested, but decided to let the bird be a bird. Good decision by our Sailor Cat :o) That beak looked awfully long...

Our First Mini Vacation on Orion

April 1-April 4, 2010 Sailing Salinas-Coffin Island-Salinas

With our main sail repaired it was anchors away on Thursday morning...destination Coffin Island. Although we put up the sails, there was hardly any wind to speak of, so we motor-sailed most of the way. Funny how the weather pattern has been these past few weeks. During the week it blows and blows with almost constant 20 knot winds during the day, but when the weekend arrives the winds die down! No complaints from these sailors though...we enjoy our journeys on Orion even if we have to crank up the Diesel once in a while. Coffin Island is so worth it anyways...our own little paradise just a few hours away :o)

When we arrived at Coffin Island our friends Richard and Mercedes were there already, having arrived the day before on Andariego together with their dog Copper. As usual we had a great time together at the beach. The weather was perfect, the sun, the sea and the sand outstanding, and the company priceless...so we all decided to stay at Coffin Island for Easter and not sail on to Guanica as we had originally planned. I mean...why spoil a good thing? So we had sundowners on Orion with Richard and Mercedes and promised to join them for sundowners on Andariego the next day. Life at its best! 

          

We spent Friday at the beach. Rick and I went for a long walk along a new trail which goes all the way to the public beach and the Ferry Dock on the west side of the island. We brought our sneakers for the occasion, because there are many thorns along the trail...something we painfully found out previously when we were wearing crocs.  In the afternoon we dinghied over to Andariego for a sundowner and Richard and Mercedes invited us to stay for dinner...salmon and vegetables wrapped in alu foil and grilled on the BBQ. Yummie. Whilst enjoying crackers and cheese with the sundowners we saw two sail boats approaching...our good friends Bob and Joan on Kiss Me Goodbye and Nacho and Elvira on Zorimar. How fun! They joined us on Andariego, bringing more appetizers and sundowners. We all shared Richard and Mercedes wonderful salmon dinner and had a great time together until late. In the meantime the sea had become a little bit wild and choppy and waves were building up, tossing our boats here and there within the confinement of their anchor chains. The wind came from the west...quite unusual for Coffin Island. We managed to get back to Orion, dropping off Bob and Joan at Kiss Me Goodbye along the way. Everybody settled for the night on their own boat...and it was a turbulent night indeed! The wind was howling from the west at 20-25 knots...a night to remember. As usual, the Captain and I fell asleep without problems, feeling quite secure and snuggly on Orion, our new home.

As quickly as the winds came up at night they ceased in the morning. Not a trace of wind to be felt during the day...the sea was as flat as a mirror, as clear as glass, and as blue as an emerald...go figure!!! We all met at the beach that Saturday morning and afternoon for more relaxation and fun. The evening displayed the same story as the night before...winds suddenly started blowing from the west and the north, leaving the sea choppy and turbulent. Nevertheless we spent another enjoyable night being rocked to sleep on Orion.

On Sunday morning the sea was calm and flat again as if nothing ever happened during the night! Nacho and Elvira departed for Ponce on Zorimar. Richard, Mercedes, their dog Copper, Bob, Joan, Rick and I met at the beach...walking shoes in hand. We changed and started our trek along the trail. We got a lot of exercise this weekend for sure! Copper, being a puppy still, was all over the place with excitement...he never got tired and is such a good sport! Way to go Copper!

Our 18 year old cat Whiskers is also a good sport and needs special mentioning here. She enjoys her new life on Orion and is very happy to be with us. She never complains and we can leave her on board when we go swimming or walking, knowing that she will curl up and go to sleep on some sunny spot on Orion.

After walking we spent time relaxing on the beach and in the water. Later in the afternoon we all departed. Andariego and Kiss me Goodbye for Ponce and Orion for Salinas. Our first mini vacation! We didn't sail to distant shores, but we surely enjoyed spending time with our dear friends in the relaxing and comforting surroundings of Coffin Island, our treasured little paradise.