Bobby, Jenny, and her parents 
We spent the 11 days at Holiday Harbor Marina at Perdido Key, Florida before heading across the Gulf of Mexico on a 50 hour passage.
Jenny's dad gave all of us a thorough tour of the Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola. He has flown over half the planes (multi-engine, prop and jets) in the museum, and landed/took-off from straight-deck and angled-deck carriers during his career. Just his luck of being in the Navy after WWII through the Vietnam War. Lots of information we never would have gotten from the museum tour guide. Thanks Dad!
Alan Syme of M/V Kaos came over from Mobile, Alabama to dine with all of us (a Watergate reunion) our last night at Peridido Key. He and Susann finished doing the Great Circle, and are ready to explore Florida.
Anyway, back to crossing the Gulf...the passage was mild with very little wind to sail. We pulled watches, enjoyed sunrises and sunsets, evaded fishing boats, and the "Magic Reunion caught bonita and mahi mahi. Burt (the cat) kept us company in the cockpit through the night watches curled up in our laps (secretly sucking the body heat from our bodies). Halfway across, we let Buddy's ashes go; he was a wonderful dog and companion for 14 years.
Bobby spent Saturday putting layers of Life Chaulk over leaks around the manual bilge backing plate at the stern thru-hull. No, he did not save our lives by keeping the "Star" from sinking, but he did wrestle the full-size Temperpedic mattress in the aft cabin to get to the leak. The auto bilge pump handled the seeping water from each wave. We will have to do a day haul-out to correctly mend the defect.
We arrived this morning to Regatta Pointe Marina up the Manatee River at Palmetto, Florida with Robin and Sandy greeting us at the fuel dock. Tom and Sandy (S/V Magic Reunion) will stay here at least a year with plans to explore the Tampa Bay area. Robin and Chris are waiting for their new catamaran (S/V Toucan Dream) to be completed in Sarasota. We will be here 3 weeks to a month to recertify our liferaft and do small chores and maintenance, as usual.
Jenny's dad gave all of us a thorough tour of the Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola. He has flown over half the planes (multi-engine, prop and jets) in the museum, and landed/took-off from straight-deck and angled-deck carriers during his career. Just his luck of being in the Navy after WWII through the Vietnam War. Lots of information we never would have gotten from the museum tour guide. Thanks Dad!
Alan Syme of M/V Kaos came over from Mobile, Alabama to dine with all of us (a Watergate reunion) our last night at Peridido Key. He and Susann finished doing the Great Circle, and are ready to explore Florida.
Anyway, back to crossing the Gulf...the passage was mild with very little wind to sail. We pulled watches, enjoyed sunrises and sunsets, evaded fishing boats, and the "Magic Reunion caught bonita and mahi mahi. Burt (the cat) kept us company in the cockpit through the night watches curled up in our laps (secretly sucking the body heat from our bodies). Halfway across, we let Buddy's ashes go; he was a wonderful dog and companion for 14 years.
Bobby spent Saturday putting layers of Life Chaulk over leaks around the manual bilge backing plate at the stern thru-hull. No, he did not save our lives by keeping the "Star" from sinking, but he did wrestle the full-size Temperpedic mattress in the aft cabin to get to the leak. The auto bilge pump handled the seeping water from each wave. We will have to do a day haul-out to correctly mend the defect.
We arrived this morning to Regatta Pointe Marina up the Manatee River at Palmetto, Florida with Robin and Sandy greeting us at the fuel dock. Tom and Sandy (S/V Magic Reunion) will stay here at least a year with plans to explore the Tampa Bay area. Robin and Chris are waiting for their new catamaran (S/V Toucan Dream) to be completed in Sarasota. We will be here 3 weeks to a month to recertify our liferaft and do small chores and maintenance, as usual.
