The three day weekend created by the Juneteenth federal holiday was a perfect fro boating weekend. On Saturday we took the Key West with our two year old granddaughter aboard to visit friends in the creek who had there own grand-kids visiting and had an inflatable pool set up in the yard.
On Sunday I got a little one on one time with the granddaughter rowing the inflatable (she tried to help).
On Monday we used the Key West to deliver some borrowed grand-kid toys to another friend.
Century Club: mike pitchford
Saturday, June 17, 2023 to Monday, June 19, 2023
Number of days:
3 days
all the toys ready to use
Tuesday, June 13, 2023 to Thursday, June 15, 2023
Number of days:
3 days
Our little Key West came in hands this week. Late Tuesday evening I learned a friend was sailing his classic racing sailboat back from the South River alone. He ran into rigging trouble (it was fresh from winter work). He had called for a tow from Boat US bit I headed out just in case. With Thomas Point in sight I called and learned that BoatUS has indeed showed up and had him almost back to his departure marina.
Armed with that news I turned around and headed home. It was getting dark and it was also a bit sporty (one to two foot waves in the open Bay). It would have been a long tow at six knots in rough waters.
The next day i took the Key West down the creek to help a friend with his boat. His SureShade was racked and we attempted to fix it. Besides being racked it seems to have a bad motor so our efforts were to no avail.
The very next day I got the chance to tow my friend and his classic boat home from the South River in much calmer waters.
Monday, June 12, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
My "go to" morning exercise is fast walking. In the summer I alternate with rowing my little cold molded rowboat.
The spring like weather continued later than usual around Annapolis this year. While mornings in late May and early June are usually warm enough to row, they were not so this year. Finally on Monday I got out on the rowboat. It was windy and my path was shorter, but it was great! My shoulders are sore to prove it.
Friday, June 9, 2023 to Sunday, June 11, 2023
Number of days:
3 days
Early June can be hard to predict, weather wise. Sometimes it is full on summer and sometimes nice. The Canadian wildfire smoke added complexity to our planned club cruise to Harness Creek.
As it turned out we had a great weekend! the bad air from the wildfires lifted after a particularly bad Thursday. The overnight temps stayed in the 60s, making for nice AC free sleeping. The cruise leader, Koralina McKenna applied her creative "teacher" skills to a three stop rotational happy hour and dinner among three boats. As they say: "a good time was had by all".
Friday, June 2, 2023 to Sunday, June 4, 2023
Number of days:
3 days
AYC oats in Chestertown
Nice weekend cruise to Chestertown with AYC. 19 boats and almost 50 folks enjoyed happy hours, tours, a wine tasting, ice cream and meals of course in this well preserved historic town.
Sunday, May 21, 2023 to Sunday, May 28, 2023
Number of days:
8 days
Blue Angels visit to Annapolis, never gets old
Just back from the ICW north trip, we had our house rented during USNA Commissioning Week. We have done this for years and, as ususal, we had a plan to stay aboard the boat in downtown Annapolis. It is a great week to be in Annapolis. There are lots of people and lots going on, including the Blue Angels practive day and performance day. It never gets old!
Monday, May 8, 2023 to Saturday, May 20, 2023
Number of days:
13 days
Winsome Winn at rest in Georgetown SC
Over the last two weeks, the crew of Winsome Winn has covered 1200 miles of ICW, beginning in Stuart FL and ending in Annapolis and home.
Our trips up and down the ICW follow a simple formula: drive the boat, click off some miles, stop in the late afternoon at a marina and head ashore for dinner. You will understand it this way: “happy crew = happy captain”.
In pursuit of our trip formula, the crew of Winsome Winn may stop at almost any marina that also has a restaurant. However, the preferred stops are towns and small cities with multiple walking distance restaurant choices, other shopping options (maybe grocery, pharmacy, etc.). Ice cream shops are a very important consideration, of course!
You can read more about our favorite small town stops in the July issue of PropTalk.
Monday, March 20, 2023 to Friday, April 14, 2023
Number of days:
26 days
Sue ironing in the galley
Sue working aboard winter 23
It has been warming up in south Florida. In January and February there are occasional winter days when we "snowbirds" may put on a long sleeve t-shirt. They are the same days that the locals sport sweatshirt hoodies. Those days are fewer in March and essentially gone by April.
Also gone or going in April are some of our fellow live aboard snowbirds. The marina is less full as the month progresses. Some have found a window and headed to the Bahamas. Some have started a leisurely trip north. Some have put their winter home up for the summer in local yards and headed to their northern home, many with another cruising boat!
We are leaving our boat in town but flying home. In early May we will return to begin a projected 12 day trip up the ICW to the Bay.
Living aboard this winter has been great fun. Living in a small space is a challenge, for sure. I wrote about some of these challenged in the May issue of PropTalk. We will do it again (and keep working to improve our storage, etc to meet the small boat living challenges).
Monday, March 13, 2023 to Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Number of days:
2 days
back from our mid winter cruise up the ICW and home, on the boat, for just a couple days before flying to Annapolis for a week of meetings, etc.
Wednesday, March 8, 2023 to Sunday, March 12, 2023
Number of days:
5 days
On Wednesday, after stops in Ft Pierce and Vero Beach, we headed to Cocoa. The runs were short on our itinerary and so we arrived before noon. We waited for a launch at the Cape which was delayed, so we headed to a local BBQ place, Cryderman's, for lunch. It was amazing though not inexpensive.
Thursday was a lay day. We were rewarded with an afternoon launch that went of exactly on time.
Friday we headed to Melbourne. There is a Cuban restaurant there, El Ambia Cubano that is always a favorite stop. It did not disappoint.
Saturday was a return visit to Vero for the local and very impressive art show.
Sunday meant it was time to head back to Stuart. Without our friends initiative we would have just hung around the marina and missed some great memories. Moral of the story: use your boat!