Wow. I wrote an update

                                           24 March 2021

Greetings loved ones, 

Can you believe it's only been 3 months since my last post and I'm actually writing again? No, neither can I. 

Things are progressing well on the big paint job. The bottom and hull sides are sanded and fairing is coming along. There was a hiccup in the process when, the temporary structure the outside contractor erected last weekend had some issues, so they will be taking it down and re-building it this weekend. It means a couple of extra days off for the crew, and a slightly delayed in productivity. But, overall, optimism is running high.

While this job is going on, I'm doing a few sewing jobs, doing the book keeping for the job, taking care of the day to day chores on Second Star and trying to keep Johne as comfortable as possible while he's working his bum off.

Last week we bought a new-to-us 2017 Mitsubishi, crew cab, 4 wheel drive, diesel, 5 speed, pickup truck. For the last few years we've been driving a little Mercedes square back, that was serving as collateral for a loan to a friend. He is now able to get it back, so we need other wheels. So far Mitzi is a great addition to the family. We're looking forward to some awesome road trips around Mexico and possibly the US also. 

Johne's daughter, Lisa Marie, is scheduled to come down to meet him/us April 10. This will be the second attempt for her to get here. She was on her way here on March 6th, but was turned away at TSA with a fever (covid test negative). So we've had an extra month to build anticipation. We're all very excited to have the chance to get to know each other. 

I'm looking forward to sharing the outcome of the job and the next chapter of getting to know Lisa. Until then...

Good bye 2020

                                   24 December 2020

Seasons Greetings loved ones, 

Well, here we are again, at the end of another year. And what a year it's been. 

Johne and I started 2020 in Progreso MX. We were in a boat yard in the middle of two big paint jobs. Johne did a top to bottom repaint on a 56 foot sail boat, while at the same time repainting Second Star's hull.

We wrapped all that up in May and headed to FL to get some things (including, and most importantly, our new lithium batteries) and to see some family and friends.  What we had expected to be a six week to two month trip ended up taking four months. With supply chains broken down do to covid, deliveries took way longer than usual. But we finally got everything loaded aboard and came back to Isla Mujeres. 

We spent October and November taking care of overdue projects on Second Star and trying to figure out what's next. We both like Campeche MX very much and have been talking about moving there but...there isn't a cruiser community there, and therefore not much, if any, work. 

At the end or October Johne received a message from the captain of an 86 foot moter yacht that needs a paint job. Back in the spring Johne had been approached by the son of the owner. He had admired the beautiful new paint on Ganymede and said that his dad's boat needed painting and he would recommend Johne. After a month and a half of putting together a bid and communication back and forth to make sure everyone is on the same page, Johne got the job and, on Monday, we're moving back to Progreso for at least the next six months. 

So, that brings us to our biggest news of the year. It's a girl. 

Two weeks ago Johne's daughter Jeni called. She told him that through one of the genealogy websites she'd found out she has a half sister two years older than her. After going over the timing and location of conception, and given the fact that they had a second DNA test through a separate site, Johne was hit (in a positive way) with the reality that he has a daughter he did not know existed. I can't begin to tell you what an amazing, emotional two weeks it's been. 

We have welcomed Lisa Marie and her two children (Ja'Neika and Moses) into our family with open arms. They are in the process of getting to know each other. After an extensive email exchange, we had the first phone call on Sunday. 

For Lisa this has been a 30 year search. She has not only found a father, but the tribe to which she belongs. For Johne it's a wonder from out of the blue. He said finding out about Lisa gave him the same rush of emotions that he experienced when Jeni and Aspen were born.  We are all looking forward to getting to know each other better and make up for lost time. Hopefully Lisa will be able to come for a visit in February. 

I will close with the wish that all of you stay safe and healthy and that 2021 is a more peaceful and tranquil year.

Another year's ending

                                                                       14 Dec 2019
Seasons Greetings loved ones, 

I'm going to skip the apologies for not posting more. I am who I am. So, on with the update. 

Second Star is currently out of the water in Progreso MX. We are doing a paint job on another boat (Ganymede) at the same time as doing Second Star's refit (repairing damage to the hull, servicing running gear, painting and new decking). There is a great deal of work to be done and I think we'll be here well into the New Year. 

In this past year: 
We renewed our temporary Mexican residents visas. These are good for three years. Then, if we want, we can get permanent residency. 
We made three trips to FL on Second Star. (February, May/June and end of August through early October). And I went to VA for family "beach week". 
Our visitors include Russ, Bob and Janet. 
We also got to meet the great-grands, Mason 4 and Bellamy 2, on the latest trip to FL.

When Russ was visiting, in April, we made a road trip to Campeche. It was our first time there and we loved it enough that we're working on moving there for a while. It's a beautiful, historic town. The old walled city is a World Heritage site. There is lots of culture and a great sense of community. On that trip we also went to Uxmal which is one of the bigger Mayan restoration sites south of Merida. It's a very impressive site and pyramid climbing is always good exercise.  

Our second trip to FL included my 50th birthday. Johne and our fabulous friends in Ft Myers put on a wonderful party and made me feel well celebrated. 

For Bob's visit at the end of June, we did another road trip. We drove down to lake Bacalar, a beautiful area near Chetumal. Then west through the Reserva de la Biósfera Calakmul. And back for a second visit to Campeche. We enjoyed it just as much as our first visit and were able to get more information on a possible dock for Second Star there. 

In mid July, our friend Janet, who had lived aboard Second Star for a while at the end of '14, came for an open ended stay following her fathers passing. Janet is a wonderful "wife", helping with cooking and cleaning and it was great having her bubbling personality back in our space. She stayed with us through the trip to FL at the end of August. She's good crew and it was fun having her aboard for the passage. After a bit more time with us in FL it was time for her to move on. She had other places to go, people to see and things to do. We'll look forward to the next time her life brings her to us.

My family time was a bit chaotic as usual, but it's always wonderful to spend time with my people. They are a part of me and I miss them.

While we were still in FL, Ganymede's owner got in touch with Johne and asked if he would do this paint job. Johne was hesitant to say yes because we were planning to do Second Star's refit and hadn't planned to take on other jobs. But...after much discussion, we decided to do it. As soon as Johne took that job several other things Ganymede needed got added (teak deck repairs, etc...) so when we got back to Isla Mujeres in October Johne hit the ground running. Getting her rigging squared away, making sure the engine was ready to go, wrapping up the interior work that had been ongoing. He got a hold of yards here in Progreso and found we could save a few thousand dollars doing the work here instead of in Isla.

So in mid November, with a great Capt and a couple of crew on Ganymede, and Johne and myself aboard Second Star, we moved both boats around to the north west side of the Yucatan peninsula. After a stressful afternoon trying to determine if Ganymede would clear under the high tension power lines above the channel into Progreso (see Captains log for more details)  on the 21st of November both boats were lifted and blocked in the yard. And here we will be until the work is completed. 

I hope all is well with everyone this reaches. 
Happy Holidays and keep living your dreams... 

Holiday post

                              7 Dec. 2018
Seasons Greetings loved ones, 

Once again, it's been way too long since my last post. It makes writing them challenging when I have too dig back so far to get caught up. 

I've just reread my last post and, as it turns out, I'm full of s**t. I told you I'd continue to report on Carson's progress, which I didn't, and said I'd keep you posted as I had news to report. Oh well, I'm sure I had the best of intentions. 

So, Carson was with us for a total of over seven months. I think the time here was good for him. He learned a lot (he doesn't like fiber glassing or working in tight spaces. He does like welding but not the fabrication that goes with it. He loves passage making, especially the night sky at sea...) but in my opinion, the most important thing he learned is that, he doesn't need to know what he's doing with the rest of his life, right now. 
He's currently in San Diego, planning to do EMT training, with aspirations to go to the fire academy. 

Part of what we did while we were in FL last March was leg work for our temporary mexican residents visas. We were able to complete that process when we got back here, so now we can work here and we don't have to leave every six months. 

Since the March trip, we've made two more runs to FL. Work abounds. I've started doing canvas work. So far I've made a dodger and bimini, a bosuns chair, a sail pack and recovered some cushions. I've been on a steep learning curve, but I think I'm making good progress. 
Capt Johne stays busy all the time. If he's not working on one of the many jobs he has going, he's working on Second Star. We've just replaced our aft head with a composting toilet. It uses no water and almost no electricity. We're very happy with the change. We'll probably change the other one next time we go to FL. 

We've had lots of company this year too. Jeni and Bill were here in the spring. Darrin, Danile and Larry were down for a dive trip in July. The Whitesmans passed through over Thanksgiving. Our friend Kate will be here next week and my dad and niece are coming for New Years. 

I hope a wonderful holiday season is had by all. I'm not going to close this with promises of more to come. Apparently, I'll post when I post. I'll maintain good intentions to update more often. We'll see. In the meantime, live your dreams... 

To FL and back

18 March 2018

Greetings loved ones, 
I'm writing this from the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. We're currently making the crossing back to Isla Mujeres after a couple of weeks in FL. So far the passage has been a calm and good one. We have extra crew aboard so our watch schedule is light. But I'll get back to that later. 

So far, this year has been busy, busy, busy. Lots to report. 
Shortly after the new year, the Bertrum got pulled back out of the water for the hull to be painted. With the extension Johne had just added it's a 65' hull. That's a lot of boat to prep and paint. The majority of January and half of February were all about getting the paint job done in time to surprise the owners wife when they came down in mid February. Even with weather delays and the inevitable problems with the yard, we almost made it. Alas, even with a couple of 11 hour days, the boat wasn't ready until the day after they arrived. While there was disappointment that the surprise didn't come off as planned, in the end, they were happy with the job. 

Simultaneously, Johne was able to supervise 2 other jobs. And knocked out one more, after the paint job, while we were getting ready to head to FL. 
At the same time all that was going on, our grandson, Carson, had decided that, with the injuries he had sustained playing football in high school and collage, in spite of the fact that it meant giving up a full ride scholarship, it was time to stop playing. This left him a little at-loose-ends. He emailed Grampa Johne asking if it might be possible for him to come to Second Star and learn about welding and boating and everything else his grandfather does. We told him we'd love to have him. So, on February 14th, (and 15th do to airline delays) he flew down to join us. 
Warning! Proud gramma bragging alert! 
Having him here has been wonderful. He says he is, and seems to be, very happy. And we're both really enjoying having him around. And he's taking to boat life like a fish to water. He's learning so fast, like an information sponge. He's polite and well disciplined and just a genuine, nice person. His stay with us is open ended. Rest assured that I will continue to report on his progress. 

We left for FL the day before Johne's visa expired, which is cutting it closer than we prefer, but that's when the weather decided to cooperate. The trip up wasn't bad. For Carson's first time off shore we had a mix of calm seas, beam seas and head seas. None too big, but enough for him to get the idea of what it's like in different conditions. 

The time in FL was as hectic as always. Lots of stuff to gather and load. Lots of people to see. We didn't get to see everyone and do everything we'd have liked to...but time only allowed so much.

Getting in and out of Whiskey Creek, where we dock in Ft Myers, was tricky this time due to Irma silting in the channel. When we arrived it was passed the afternoon high tide and too shallow for Second Star to pass. We decided to anchor in the river and try again on the next high tide at 0300 hrs. We were successful but still had to push our way through. Which meant that we couldn't get back out without a very high tide. Yet another factor to consider in planning our departure. 
With the weather looking like a Saturday departure was best, we'd thought we could leave the dock on the high tide Friday at 1600, go to the fuel dock at the beach, load fuel Friday eve and pull out first thing Saturday morning. But...the fuel dock closes at 1700 on Friday and isn't open on Saturday...and, as it turns out, we probably couldn't have gotten out on the afternoon tide which wasn't quite as high as the one at 0400...so, we decided to load fuel at the dock in Whiskey Creek, (adding weight and increasing draft) and leave on the 0400 high. When we pulled out and came to the hump in the channel, we grounded. Captain Johne backed her off and tried a slightly different approach. Grounded. Backed off. Another try. Got a bit farther. Grounded. Working it back and forth, with great skill and patience and not too much force, he pushed the hump, getting a bit farther each time. A great cheer went up from all on board as we got passed the shallow spot and motored into the river. 

We had dolphins with us for most of the trip down the river and have seen several pods out in the gulf.
Which brings us back to now. We're a crew of 5 for the return trip. Our friends, Xenia and Claudio, who have recently purchased a boat and are in the process of refitting it, have joined us for this trip to get more boating experience. Which means that I'm only on watch 3 of every 12 hours and have had time to write a whole updated. 
Now it's nap time before I have to make dinner. 

25 March 2018
We arrived in Isla on the evening of Monday the 19th.  Monday was not as calm calm as Saturday and Sunday had been. But, overall, it wasn't a bad trip. At this point, we're almost caught up on the extra chores from the trip and starting to get back into a regular routine. 
We're now in Marina Paraiso where Johne has a small storage/shop space which should make work easier.  It looks like we'll be in Isla for a while longer. 

I'll keep posting as I have news to report. Until then, live your dreams...

Happy New Year

                                  31 Dec 2017
Seasons Greetings loved ones, 
The end of this year has been busy with work on the big job I mentioned at the end of the previous post. The boat yard finally pulled the boat on October 20. Shortly thereafter Capt Johne discovered that the whole bottom of the boat had problems. It seems the previous bottom job had been badly botched. Blisters were ground out leaving gouges, only some of which had been patched with bondo which isn't good under water. Johne told the owner about the situation and asked if he wanted Johne to fix it while the boat was already out of the water, or if he wanted to wait and deal with it later. He decided to have Johne go ahead and take care of it, so the already big job got much bigger. The last two months have been focused around getting the work done as quickly as possible since every day in the yard is a big expense. 
I'm very happy to report that the bottom is now in fabulous condition. The extension looks like it came from the factory. The boat is back in the water. The owners arrived yesterday. And they're very happy with the work to this point. There is more to do. The storage box needs to be built on the extension. And some more sanding, fairing, and final paint. 

Because this work has grown and taken longer than expected, the trip we're planning to FL has been delayed. Hopefully by early to mid February we'll be able to head that way. 

In other news, Melissa was back with us for most of November and part of December. It was lovely to have her aboard again. 
We enjoyed going to a great party for Jordan and Desiree's wedding in mid November. 
We've gotten to spend a bit of time with other friends here and there. We've enjoyed some good music and the great weather we're having on the island. (Sorry, I don't mean to gloat. I know some of you are freezing your tails off.)

I hope that you all have joy and happiness in 2018. Prospero año nuevo. Happy New Year. 

Several more months

                                          14 Oct. 2017
Greetings loved ones, 
Since the end of may, when last I posted, we've continued to stay busy. With some work, some travel and some working travel. 

In March, a young couple, Jordan and Desiree, arrived in Isla Mujeres on their 30 foot sail boat, Atticus. Shortly after their arrival a "nortè" blew through and Atticus drug anchor. She ended up dragging into one of the marinas, doing a bit of damage to a couple of other boats. This is how we met them, as they were going around thanking everyone who had helped, with apologies and assurances that Jordan would repair the damage they caused. When Capt Johne found out Jordan has fibre glassing skills, he asked if Jordan would want to work with him on an up coming rudder job. Jordan was excited to have the work even after I told him that Capt Johne is a perfectionist and can be difficult to work for. Within a month they had moved to the dock here and have been our next door neighbours ever since. 

This past year has been the year of the rudder. Johne has built, or rebuilt, 5 rudders in the last 18 months. After we got back from Ft Myers, early in June, he and Jordan started on a huge rudder for a 55 foot sail boat that had run aground off of Cuba. 

At the same time, our friend Melissa, a Nova Scotian, who spends quite a bit of time here on Isla, came to stay aboard Second Star for a bit to learn more about boat life and whether it suits her.

June 6th I made a trip up to VA to help my family with huge, on going, project of clearing out the house my parents moved out of after 37 years of stuff collecting. When I got back on the 13th, the welding work was almost done and it was time to start foaming and fibre glassing. It took a couple more weeks to finish the rudder (I don't think Melissa is so sure about this part of boat life) at which point Bob arrived for a couple of weeks of "vacation". I don't think Bob has ever made a trip to Second Star that he hasn't done boat work and bled, and this was no exception. While the guys finished up the keel work Melissa and I started getting Second Star ready for sea. When the job was completed, both Second Star and Atticus headed down to Bahia Ascencion for some fishing, snorkeling and much needed relaxation. It had taken a full month (a little longer than expected) to completely rebuild the rudder, pull the boat out in the yard, fix the damage to the keel and re-launch. 

The trip down to Ascencion was pretty nice. Melissa hadn't done much if any boating and, while we had some rougher conditions in the evening, overall it wasn't a bad trip. She said she enjoyed the good parts enough to make up for the not-so-good parts.
We had a very pleasant week down there. Bob and Johne got to do some good bone fish stalking. Jordan went with them for one of those trips. Jordan, Desiree, Melissa and I got some good snorkeling in. There was reading time, dolphin watching, some napping and some good meals.

We headed back a couple of days before Bob was flying out so we could troll on the way and stop in Cozumel over night.  The weather was beautiful and the fishing wasn't bad. They were catching a bunch of frigate mackerel and a couple of false albacore. It was all catch and release, but I think they had fun.

When we got back in cell phone range, we received the very sad and shocking news that Johne's cousin Armida had passed away. As I mentioned in the last updated, we had just seen her on our trip to Indian Wells in March. It was very difficult to wrap around the idea of her being gone. 

When we arrived at the marina in Cozumel I boched a simple docking and damaged the starboard bulwark by putting too much pressure on the cleat. Trying to set all that aside, we went into town and had a pleasant dinner. And the next day we had more great weather to finish the trip back to Isla Mujeres. Bob headed home the next day and shortly after that Melissa went back to Canada for some family stuff. 

As soon as we got settled back in it was time to start the next rudder job. This one was a pair of small rudders for a 42 foot sailing catamaran. Johne made templates and got the "back bones" welded. Then Jordan made "foils" which hold the shape. After that comes foaming, sanding,  glassing, sanding, fairing, more sanding...and bottom paint.   

Before mid - August we'd finished that job and we were waiting for the next weather window to make another run to Ft Myers. Jordan and Desiree needed to take care of some stuff in FL also, so, while Desiree needed to be there by a set date, they decided Jordan could ride up with us. 
The weather was mostly great for the trip and Jordan was excited for the chance to fish on the way. The first day, less than 40 miles out, they caught some nice tuna. The second day we came across a big box of some kind floating in the middle-of-nowhere gulf of Mexico. We trolled passed it and right away they called "fish on". I brought the throttles back, put her in neutral, and watched a very excited Jordan bring in his first Mahi-mahi. We made a few more passes and they brought in several more Mahi before we moved on. All in all a successful trip up. 

The 2 weeks in Ft Myers was hectic. We had lots of stuff to gather up and get loaded aboard. A road trip to the east coast for supplies for the next big job. And trying to get in as much visiting friends time as possible. 

Desiree was able to join us for the trip back which made for a luxurious 3-on 9-off watch schedule. There was more successful fishing and we made the trip in record time for this direction. Capt Johne managed to use the gulf stream in our favour which is almost impossible coming this way. (For more detail on the trip back see the Captains log, posted in September).

We got back at the end of August and I had less than 2 weeks before I was flying up to VA again for my family "beach week ". There was a damper on this year's gathering because Darrin couldn't come due to some major issues his girlfriend is having. But the rest of us had a lovely time.  The weather was mostly beautiful in spite of the threat of hurricanes. We had beach walks, pool time, puzzles and games, Thai body work, stories, movies and lots of great meals. I'm very close to my family and it's wonderful to get to spend time with them. 

More sad news came while I was at the beach with my family. Our friend Kay, who had travelled with us through the Panama canal a few years ago, had a heart attack and passed away suddenly. Kay was very loved here on Isla, in TX, and, I'm sure, everywhere she touched. She is missed.

I got home from that trip on September 18th. Since then, most of the focus has been on the current big job, which is a wet deck extension, similar to the one on Second Star, for a 58 foot Bertram. The first part of the frame work is shaped and welded, and some preliminary fibre glass work is done. Now we're waiting for the boat yard to be ready to haul her out.

When this job is finished, we're planning another run to FL. After that there is talk of heading south again. Colombia, Panama...who knows? The adventure continues.  

The latest

May 26 2017

Greetings loved ones, 
Okay, an update every six months or so is better than nothing, right?

We've just gotten back to Isla Mujeres after a trip to FL with Second Star. We left April 22nd to head up there. Our friend Phil came down to ride back with us. So, with three of us to share the watches, it was a pretty easy trip.  It was a little rough the first day, but very nice the second. 
Our time in Ft Myers was very busy and productive. Picking up parts and things, seeing friends, getting things loaded aboard the boat...the almost three weeks we were there flew by. Thanks to Phil asking, we were able to dock at the same place we always have in spite of the fact that the Whitesmans sold the house. David and Denise, the new owners, are lovely people and we're looking forward to a beautiful new and on going friendship with them.
Aside from all the stuff we loaded aboard, we also towed a 23ft Sea Pro back for our friends from Monterrey. Going against the current, heavily loaded and with the tow, it took us almost four days to make the trip back. With just the two of us, 3 hours on watch, 3 hours off, we were pretty tired when we got back. We also had a stanchion and rail break from how the tow was tied and some rougher conditions than were predicted. Of course the failure happened at about 0300 hrs so I had to get the Capt up from his much needed sleep to get it re-secured. 
But the trip had lovely moments as well. Of the four days, Saturday was rougher than predicted but we had dolphin. Sunday calmed down a bunch and was pleasant. Monday was fabulous. Calm, flat, beautiful weather. Tuesday, coming in, we had some odd currents and it got a bit rolly, but overall it wasn't a bad day. 

Going back in time; in March we went up to Indian Wells CA for the big tennis event. This is our second year of enjoy Bob's hospitality but this time my brother Darrin was able to join us. We had a wonderful time both at the event and spending time with family. We got to see Johne's Aunt Hope and his cousins Dick and Armida Johnson, my sister Ellen, as well as Darrin and the Deller family.  And I got to see Roger Federer play live. Overall a really great trip. 

Before that, our friend Kate was aboard with us for a month. It hadn't been planned that way. She and James were planning to come and spend a couple of days with us. Then they were going to take a long road trip around the yucatan, returning to Second Star at the end for a few more days. But James lost his passport at the airport and couldn't get on the plane. Thinking he could get it straightened out quickly, Kate came on down expecting James to join her soon. But, as it turned out, it took too long to get his passport back so he didn't come and Kate stayed with us. 
During that period, Johne had to renew his mexican visa, so he flew up to Phoenix for a few days and spent time with Jeni and Carson. And Kate and I had good "girl time" while he was gone. 

Other than that, we've been doing daily life stuff. Work, boat maintenance, a little socialising...and, at least mostly, enjoy life. 

Year end summary

                                                            Dec 10 2016

Seasons Greetings loved ones, 

This year has had its ups and downs as, I guess, most years do. We're still on Isla Mujeres, and probably will be for a bit longer. We've looked at the possibility of making a more permanent base here but haven't had the right opportunity show up just yet. So we'll see what the new year brings and move on when the wind and waves call us.

We did some travelling away from Second Star this year and plan more for 2017. Our first big trip was to Indian Wells CA in March for the big tennis event. Bob has been telling us to come for years and now that we have it may be an annual event for us (as long as the invitation lasts). We had a great time and got see some family and friends while we were there.
For three months, Madison, Capt Johne's latest apprentice, was living abroad, working and learning about the boating life. In July, after we did a delivery job to FL, she moved on to other adventures. 
There were visits from friends and family including Danile and Larry coming to do some diving which resulted in my first night dive. That was very exciting and interesting and there were lots of turtles. And Carson's first solo visit to fish with Grampa Johne. 
There was also a trip with Bob to Bahia Ascencion in October for a week of great wild life spotting(my first wild flamingo and pilot whales, roseate ibis and roseate spoon-bills, bull sharks and lots of dolphin), a lot of bone fish stalking and a little catching. And a bit of just relaxing. 
In doing the delivery job to FL we also made new friends. Kate and James (Magic Badgers people) are kindred spirits and we're looking forward to seeing more of them in the near future. 

On the down side; in April, Eve, our cat, who had been with us for 17 years, past on. She was a wonderful part of our life and we miss her.
I also lost one of my best friends do to complications from heart surgery. Teresa Bryan-Burns was one of the brightest lights in the universe and, November 14 was a very dark day for those of us who love her. I'm trying very hard to celebrate and honor her life while I learn to deal with her absence from this plane of existence. 
Some of our family have also had some difficult things to deal with. We've tried to be as emotionally supportive as we can through some trying times. It's always tough when people you love have issues, and you can't make it all better.

Over all life is very good. We're happy to continue enjoying each day as it comes and see what the universe has in store for us tomorrow. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season and all things bright and beautiful in 2017.  

Work and play update

29 June 2016

Greetings loved ones,
I'm writing this entry from the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. We are delivering a boat from Isla Mujeres to Ft Myers. It's a Beneteau 38. It's my first long passage on comparatively small sail boat. We have perfect motor boat weather conditions. But little to no wind so we're motoring our way along.

Madison, who has been with us on Second Star for the last 3 months, is, right now, sitting her first solo watch. She has been with us learning about boating and, when we get to Ft Myers, will be leaving us to join the crew of another boat.

Kate, the owner of Magic Badger (the boat we're on), is also aboard. With Madison now able to stand her own watch, we're doing 2 hours on watch, 6 hours off, which is the easiest watch schedule I've ever had. 
It's been a beautiful trip so far. We've seen lots of dolphin, a fabulous sunset, lots of stars, and miles and miles of blues, calm water. And the next 2 days promise more of the same. I'll continue writing this when we get there...

Aug 7 2016
Oh well, so much for continuing writing when we got to FL. I get side tracked. 

So, when we did get there, there was lots of work to get Magic Badger ready to put on a truck so she could continue her trip to Canada and get settled into her new home. Kate, Madison and I were there for about a week helping with the preparations. We all left on the 8th of July (Kate up to Canada to get ready to receive the boat when it arrived. Madison to Curacao to start her new job, and I came back to Isla Mujeres to take care of things on Second Star) while Capt Johne stayed on in Ft Myers for another ten days finishing all the work involved in getting a sail boat ready to be demasted, lifted out of the water, and properly secured on the truck. 
I'm happy to report that Magic Badger is now re-masted in Canada where I'm sure she will do much happy sailing the rest of this season and in summers to come. 

When Capt Johne got back to Isla Mujeres he had some jobs waiting. As we've worked our way through those we've also started to work on "what next". Until we figure that out, we're taking a little time to have some fun. Like going with friends to anchor up at Isla Blanca, just north of here, for the weekend. It was lovely and relaxing. So nice to just get away. 

I would say I'll post more soon, but we all know that it will happen when it happens. So, until then... 

In mourning

                                                             April 19 2016
Greetings loved ones,

20 years ago Johne and I met. A couple of years later our little family grew when a wonderful little kitty cat, whom we called Eve, came to live with us. She travelled from Reno to Ft Myers with us when we got this crazy idea to rebuild a boat. Over 11 years ago we all moved aboard that boat and she has been aboard ever since. She has travelled around the Caribbean and enjoyed watching the birds in many different countries.

For several months Eve has been showing the signs of aging. At over 18 years old she was having some difficulty with her balance and problems with her back hips and legs. It had gotten to difficult for her to go up and down the stairs so we had blocked them to keep her from falling down them.

About a week ago she seemed to be getting worse so called the local vet.  He came and said that this type of neurological degeneration might be worsened by inflammation around the brain. He gave her a shot of corticosteroid and said if it was going to help we'd know in a couple of hours. It didn't help and she got worse quickly. Over the weekend she stopped being able to stand on her own. By Sunday I was hand feeding her.
Today, just before 1:00, Delfino, the local vet, came to Second Star to help Eve pass gently from this life. He was lovely in his manor with her and with us. She passed quickly and peacefully when he gave her the shot.
We feel fortunate to have had her in our lives for so long. She's been a wonderful part of our family and we will miss her.

Rest in peace beloved companion. 

New crew

                                                           March 25 2016
Greetings loved ones, 
What, another blog post, so soon! Yes, I know it's shocking. But we have more news on Second Star. 

During the long break in my blogging last year, back in June, Alexis, our crew/apprentice we'd taken on in the Dominican Republic, returned home.  It seemed his family needed more than he could provide from here and, while he'd learned a lot, he wasn't making enough progress on his English to be able to learn all he would need for getting his Captains license. He left us as a better, more experienced mariner than he was when he came aboard, and I believe that, overall, his time on Second Star improved his life.

So, coming back to the current news. We've just "adopted" a new crew/apprentice/project. Madison is a 22 year old, college graduate from Missouri, who decided that she wants to become a mariner. We met her parents here in Isla Mujeres last year, and when she started thinking about learning to be a boater, her father suggested that she get in touch with Capt Johne for advice on how best to proceed. She did, and the more they talked (exchanged emails) the more Capt Johne thought Second Star might be the place for her to get started. We agreed to have her come down for a week to see if she fit in our world and if we, and Second Star, would give her what she was looking for. She came aboard on March 16th and we started getting her accustomed to how things are done on a boat. On the 22nd, after lunch, the three of us discussed where we stood. None of us had any major hangups, so we committed to her being with us for the next few months. She will be learning navigation, boat handling, maintenance inside and out including cleaning, polishing, engine maintenance and repair. She's learning about the electrical systems, the plumbing systems and about how to read/predict the weather. She wants to learn to weld. I'll teach her how to splice lines. She's is a very excited and enthusiastic student. 

Indian Wells trip

                                                  March 18 2016

Greetings loved ones, 

We have arrived back in Isla Mujeres after a trip to Indian Wells CA to watch some tennis and visit some family and friends. It was a really fun trip. 

We left Second Star early on the morning of the 9th and it was a long travel day. We got to the Cancun airport plenty early, got checked in and had breakfast. The flight to Mexico City was uneventful. We thought the connection was going to be tight, but when we got to the gate we found the next flight was delayed. So we had time to grab a sandwich for the ride to Tijuana. With a good tail wind we made up some time in the air and only got in a little later than expected. At the rental car place they had our reservation but wouldn't take the voucher and prepaid insurance we'd gotten on line. It took quite some time to get things sorted out and get on the road. By the time we left there to cross the border it was almost 1700 hrs. The border crossing at Otay isn't very well marked if you don't know where you're going and we accidentally ended up in the line for people with passes who go back and forth a lot. We were very apologetic and asked how to get back where we supposed to be. We were told that we'd "passed the point of no return" and that at this point they would give us a warning and search the car. That was fine with us especially when the warning turned out to be "don't do it again" and the whole thing saved us at least an hour over doing it right. 

It was a long drive up to La Quinta and we needed to stop for food. When we got off the highway, and made sure we were heading the right way we'd passed all the fast food places but we saw a little Mexican restaurant on the side of the road. I told Capt Johne "we are in southern California; this will be good Mexican food." He thought it was funny to come from Mexico to eat Mexican food in California but agreed that it would probably be good, and it was there. We enjoyed the meal very much and got back on the road. 

We arrived in La Quinta about 17 hours after leaving the boat. After another hour or two of visiting with Bob and Karen it was definitely time for bed. 

The next day we had a lovely morning visiting over coffee, sitting out on the back patio, overlooking the mountains and the golf course. Bob had to be at work (the Plexipave booth in the tennis gardens) by 1030 hrs. He had gotten us tickets for every day we were going to be there, which were general admission to the whole event with reserved seating in stadium 1. We ran a couple of errands on the way in and, once Bob was in the booth working, we had the rest of the morning to explore the event, watching practice sessions and matches as we chose. My sister Ellen was driving down from Sunland to visit for the afternoon so we got back to Bob's booth before noon so Johne could have lunch with Bob, and I could hook up with Ellen. She and I had a wonderful afternoon visiting and taking care of more errands we both needed to do. 

Bob's daughter Lindy had arrived from Reno sometime in the afternoon and that evening we all got back together at the house, got cleaned up, and Bob took us out for a fabulous dinner at Arnold Palmer’s restaurant. There was lots of laughter and the food was outstanding. After that Ellen had to head home. The rest of us were pretty tired so we called it a night. 

Friday and Saturday brought more great days of visiting and watching tennis. It was very exciting getting to watch some of the big name players live in person. Sunday our friend Janet came up to see us and we also got to have lunch with Johnes Aunt Hope. Hope is the eldest living member of Johnes family. It had been several years since we had last seen her. She is doing great and it was wonderful to see her and have a chance to catch up. We had to leave very early (0430 hrs) the next day so that evening after dinner was for getting everything organized and packed. 

The drive back down to the boarder had some small stress with weather (a bit of fog and rain) and heavy (but not horrible) traffic. We got to the boarder before 0700 hrs and, after choosing the nothing-to-declare lane, we were waved on through without even stopping. I had a small freak out about being in Mexico without a visa. But Johne said we'd find immigration at the airport and get it straightened out. So after we'd return the car, we got to the terminal and the first thing you see is the immigration counter. The sign says, if you need a visa go there before checking in at the airline desk. Since you can walk or drive across there they just have it before the check in. But it would be very easy to be an illegal coming in there.

The flights were, once again, uneventful. So, after another very long travel day, we arrived back at Second Star, worn out, but in the best way. 

Live your dreams...

Holiday's

                                              Jan 22 2016
Greetings loved ones,

Here we are almost a month into the new year and life continues to be fun and busy. After the trip to Monterrey it was time to get ready for the holidays, our solstice party and the string of company we had coming. We had the party on Dec 21st and, as usual, it was a blast with lots of interesting friends, old and new. Ava and Mike  (friends from Ft. Myers) came down on the 22nd and Janet  (who lived and traveled with us for four months last year) arrived on the 23rd. Sharon joined us for Christmas eve and the six of us had a wonderful lobster dinner on the aft deck. 

Ava and Mike left Christmas day but we had the pleasure of Janet's company until the 5th. During that time we enjoyed several great meals, some fabulous music, catch-up visiting and fireworks on New Year's Eve.

Janet left on the 5th and Jeni and Bill arrived on the 6th. It was a brief but fun visit with a trip out on Second Star to see the turtles and for Jeni to catch what she is sure was a sail fish (although it got away before we could see it to know for sure). On the 9th Jeni and Bill left and Capt Johne went to AZ to visit the Nolans and meet his youngest grandson.

He returned on the 13th and now we're just getting back into "normal" (whatever that means) mode. The weather here has been rough for paradise. With one norther after another we've had high winds and/or stormy conditions for much of the last three weeks. But no complaints. Life is good.