Feb. 28 – Ontario to Mexico

Posted on February 25, 2010 by Bigguy

Sunday we will leave by car for Mexico in what we plan to be a 2 month adventure of exploration in some of the really great places south of south of the border.  Some of the high points include Guadalajara, Morelia, Mariposa, Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido and Huatulco. Marg has been studying the Lonely Planet guide and coming up with an itinerary which includes festivals, live music, historical sites and the monarch butterfly migration. There  will be some awesome beaches in there as well and a month of relaxation and possibly some writing.  I intend to continue to publish this blog with lots of pictures and even more interesting stories of our “off-the-beaten-track” adventures in Mexico. We hope you will  join us…….Blessings, Paul & Marg

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Toronto, Feb. 20th – Tyler and Maria's Wedding

Posted on February 21, 2010 by Bigguy

A perfect day – a perfect couple…..Tye and Maria start their lives together as husband and wife.

I am not in any  of these because as usual, I took the pictures.

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New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada

Posted on February 13, 2010 by Bigguy

We arrived in Toronto safely and on time. The weather hasn’t  been too bad although a lot colder than Cuba and the Bahamas – we are adjusting. We have already had some time with our family and friends and hope to connect with more of you in the next 10 days.

The Adventure we started on October 31/09 has had 2 distinct chapters (Sabbatical 2 and Sea Saw) and like any good story, there are usually 3 acts. Our plan is to resume our adventure after the wedding. The location is yet to be determined but it will be exciting and beautiful and……you are invited to join us!

We appreciate the many comments and emails over the last months that have encouraged us to keep this blog going (in spite of the work and poor Internet) so others can enjoy the beauty and wonder we are experiencing. It has been a labour of love.

We plan to restart the adventure around the Feb. 25th. Stay tuned……

Paul and Marg

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Cuba, Feb. 11

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Bigguy

Today we leave for Canada to celebrate Tyler and Maria’s wedding on Feb 20th – we never imagined when we left in October that we would be going home for a wedding but we couldn’t be more pleased! We are very excited for them and can’t wait to see our family. We have spent 104 days on a boat and have enjoyed a beautiful, exciting  adventure. We have met some very interesting and inspiring people, many of them in the last few weeks here in Cuba. We spent the morning saying goodbye to our new friends with hopes of crossing their paths again. We have been enriched by their  experiences and love of life – (IMHO sailors are the most interesting people in the world!!)

Marg and I plan to continue the adventure shortly after the wedding. We are considering Mexico and/or Panama and Costa Rica but we try not to make decisions until we have to. We’re working on living in the moment. That means not making thing happen by letting things come together on their own – when we do, good things happen!

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Cuba, Feb. 10

Posted on February 10, 2010 by Bigguy

Drove back home along the sea coast – beautiful!!!

After talking to some locals, we found out that Fidel lives just outside the Hemmingway Marina in Jeminita which is on the western outskirts of Havana. If we had more time, would have walked by his house…..lots to do to prepare for our trip to Canada…..hope to see many of you while we are there.

Out to dinner one more time with Aussieman Steve before we leave for Canada

Out to dinner one more time with Aussieman Steve before we leave for Canada

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Cuba, Feb. 9

Posted on February 9, 2010 by Bigguy

This morning we visited caves that run under the mountains you see in this valley. They proved to be quite amazing. They had been formed by water flowing through the inside of the mountain. The result was very beautiful!

One of the promoted “sights” in this area is a painting which was done on the side of the mountain. I didn’t know it was relatively recent until I saw it in person. I thought it looked like it had been painted in the 60’s – sure enough one of Castro’s “friends” painted it in about 1966 on “prehistoric” rock. The whole thing seemed a bit hokey but then they served the free pina coladas and I remembered why we came.

From there we decided to head down to the sea to a small village. There were no tourists around not even a restaurant in the whole village. When a foreigner comes into a small town, the locals will offer cigars, rum, and usually lobster – so we had some (not the cigars).  We had this awesome lobster dinner washed down with mojitos and cerveza at a local woman’s home for 35.00 for the 3 of us. We headed back to Vinales for the night  and stayed in a casa particulaire with Julian (owner) and her son Marco. We also went out to a new music show.

Today is my mother’s birthday. She would have been 97 years old – we miss you mom!

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Cuba, Feb. 8

Posted on February 8, 2010 by Bigguy

Today we rented a car and headed for Vinales, a beautiful part of Cuba west of Havana. We stayed overnight there and enjoyed the mountains and farmland. I am sorry we can’t post pictures at present because the Internet is the equivalent to “dial-up” (not high-speed), however, I have the pictures ready to post when we get back to Canada on the 11th…..they are beautiful – stay tuned!!!

The drive through the country was awesome. We saw a part of Cuba many travelers don’t see. We arrived in Vinales and found a “Casa Particulaire” ( B&B ) then went out to enjoy a lively music show (cover charge of $1).

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Cuba, Feb. 7

Posted on February 7, 2010 by Bigguy

I mentioned a few days ago about the interesting people we are meeting at this marina. Unlike in the USA, this marina has a much broader group of mariners. Numerous Aussies, Kiwis, Irish, Dutch, Swedes, and a good contingent of Canadians and a few Americans make socializing very, very interesting. Some of the people have been sailing continuously for 5 or 6 years – seeing the world. Many of them have done the most amazing things, both in their work career and in the personal lives. The Blues Nose Captain writes music and has had his songs recorded by Nashville artists. Captain Bob visited the San Blas Islands and purchased many traditional costumes of the native people and put on an exhibit in New York City – (not a common sideline of a  construction project manager who worked on the World Trade Center) – he is 77 years old and is still out doing life like he is 50.  We have spent a lot of time getting to know some of these interesting people.

Later in the day we went to Havana for dinner at the Hanoi Restaurant on Brasilia Street (recommended to us) then went for “desserto” at the Inglaterra Hotel before heading back to Jeminita (Hemmingway Marina)….it was an inspiring day.

Today is my God-mother’s birthday – Auntie Hilda. She would have been 104 years old today. We miss you!!

Happy Birthday to Brenda Dean who is in Bradenton, Florida celebrating with Jamie and the doggies!!

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Cuba, Feb. 5, 6

Posted on February 6, 2010 by Bigguy

More Pictures from Havana…

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Cuba, Feb. 4

Posted on February 4, 2010 by Bigguy

This morning I said to another boater, “I’ve  got a busy day today”. When I got thinking about it, I realized I had to go to the bank and then send 5 emails – granted in Cuba that could take 3 hours. I realized that life has slowed down a lot and I am quite happy about that.  The rest of the day we spent enjoying the weather and talking with other cruisers about everything and anything. (Pictures are from the trip to Havana – there were so many)

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Cuba, Feb. 3

Posted on February 3, 2010 by Bigguy

We took a “cab” into Havana today and viewed the sights of the city. It is amazing how Havana WAS so developed as a city with beautiful architecture and a vibrant arts community for hundreds of years. It was a very progressive city up until about 50 years ago. It has not progressed much since but they are in the process of rebuilding it to its former grandeur –  it could take another 50 years. The culture and ideal of Castro Cuba will take a long time to come to grips with the things that are working and those things that are not working in their society – change is always slow to come.   Havana could be a world-class city with a strong cultural and arts community.

There are 62 shots in this series in Havana which I have spread over 3 days.

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Cuba, Feb. 2

Posted on February 2, 2010 by Bigguy

Our boat has become a place to hang out for some of the cruisers in our end of the marina. We have met some really interesting people here and everybody has a story to tell. One of the guys next to us, Don Barr, and his daughter are publishing a sailor’s guide to Cuba called: “Cruising in Cuba” due out this spring. Don is not only a long time Cuba sailor but also a former Bluenose Captain (for 20 years!) – nickname: “ The 10 cent Captain”. There are a lot of characters here….!!!!

Today is “Ground Hog Day” in Canada……I still don’t understand how it works!

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Cuba, Feb. 1

Posted on February 1, 2010 by Bigguy

Finally ran out of gas. We have been burning “it” up for the last 3 days (little more than one day of sleep in 3). Coming from Key West, we first stayed at Marathon and the next night anchored out and were up in the night on anchor watch and then sailed 14 hours to Lauderdale. The next day, we helped Tom clean and unload the boat (a lot of heavy lifting). In the morning, we said our good-byes and thanks to Tom for a wonderful 3 month journey on Sabbatical 2!!  Thanks for everything, Tom!! We then drove back to Key West and left with Steve on Sea Saw at 5 pm for Havana (an all night sail). When we got settled in Hemmingway Marina, Havana, we went out dancing until 1 am. Today we spent catching up on some rest although we met many of the local sailors and went out for supper. Tomorrow we will be making arrangements for touring Havana and maybe the island.

I can not post pictures from here because the Internet is “dial up quality”, but I am taking many great pictures which I will post as soon as I get back to Canada…around Feb 12.


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Key West, Jan 30 – Cuba, Jan 31

Posted on January 31, 2010 by Bigguy

Today is the end of a chapter of our sailing adventure. It has been exactly 3 months.  It would be a lot harder to say good bye to Tom if it wouldn’t be for the full day we have ahead of us. We have been working up to this for several days. I know it is emotional for Tom and Marg and me. The trip has been a dream for Tom and a dream for us….it was great to share it on Sabbatical.

We have been looking forward to the drive to Key West. We haven’t been in a car in more than 3 weeks. We don’t know if we will be sailing tonight or not so there is a lot to do to prepare for leaving for Cuba. Everything went perfectly. The drive was awesome! We stopped in Marathon at our favourite restaurant (Lazy Days) and got into K.W. by 2pm…..by 5 we had cleared the harbour for Cuba.

We sailed overnight the 90 miles to La Habana. It is critical to arrive at a new harbour during daylight. It was a full moon and a beautiful night out on the sea. We were a little tired doing our watch (12-4am) but the adrenalin and excitement kept us awake. We arrived at Hemmingway Marina about 15 miles from Havana (downtown area) around 1 pm and then went through the 2.5 hour check in….. We are really excited to finally be in Cuba. We have talked about coming here for a few years and now that time has come – YEAH!!!!.

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Fort Lauderdale, Jan 29

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Bigguy

We are still trying to confirm with Steve our arrival in Fort Lauderdale and plans for connecting in Key West. Miami is the site of the Super Bowl (in 2 weeks ) and this weekend it’s the Pro Bowl. Lauderdale is full of people and we are having trouble renting a car. Lots of hurdles to making this connection with Aussie Man Steve….and going to Cuba. We spent most of our time with plans (including buying a ticket from Havana to Toronto), packing up our personal stuff and the stuff from the boat which Tom will take back to Chicago…..turned out to be a van load. About 4:30 we got a car….just in time…..AMAZING how everything has worked out in spite of all the potential glitches. Tomorrow we will drive to Key West and then sometime soon after sail to Cuba.

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Key Largo, Jan. 28

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Bigguy

Today is day 90 of this trip and it started at dawn with a beautiful sunrise. We anchored near an island out of the wind and we each took turns checking the anchor during the night. We had a long journey today to make Lauderdale and we got up before dawn to get started. We arrived right at sunset, got docked, had our shower, picada and then went out for a great dinner at Coconuts. We talked about the things we really enjoyed about the trip. One of my favourite moments was the dolphin jumping out the water just when I was ready to take a picture. There were lots of others but that one stands out because I had seen dolphins but didn’t have a good picture – then he jumps 3ft in the air not once but 3 times. One of Marg’s favourite moments was anchoring in Allan’s Cay where the waters were florescent greens , blues, and turquoises – crystal clear down to a white sand bottom – BEAUTIFUL!

We all were thinking about the trip and that TODAY was really the last day of a 90 day adventure……..tomorrow we start chapter 2  as we prepare to return to Key West by car and sail from there to CUBA!!!!!

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Marathon, Jan. 27

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Bigguy

The sea was a bit rougher this morning but settled down by about noon into just a really nice trip up the Keys. It was sunny and warm but because of the wind we bundled up in jackets. Today is the second last day of our trip with Tom on sailing vessel “Sabbatical” – it has been almost 3 months since we started and we are feeling kind of melancholy.  Marg and I talked about the trip and the many, many wonderful moments we shared. We have really grown to appreciate Tom as a friend. We have both been living our dream in this trip. Our nightly picada was an opportunity to remember and share our plans for the future. IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL TRIP and a big part of that has been how, where and with whom we did it. Thank You, Tom Melena!!!

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Key West, Jan. 26

Posted on January 26, 2010 by Bigguy

She was blowing 20knts this morning but the weatherman said it would lighten up by noon which didn’t really happen. The wind and the waves were right on the nose so we had to “beat” our way the 50 miles up to Marathon – a bit cool. We had lots of company out there with the fishermen and the other sailors. Seems small, but when you’ve been out in the wind for 8 hours you think about the harbour you’re heading for and the Marathon Marina has the best restaurant in Florida (Lazy Days). Great!!!

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Key West, Jan. 25

Posted on January 25, 2010 by Bigguy

We had planned to leave for Lauderdale this morning but a cold front blew through and we had 30knt winds and high seas. Everyone stayed in port including the huge ferry cat that takes people out to Fort Jefferson (Dry Tortuga).  I went to the shower and came out 20 minutes later and the temperature had dropped 10 degrees and the wind went from 12 to 25 knots and it started to rain…..glad we decided to sit this one out and stay in Key West one more day – a quiet day reading and relaxing…..

A couple hours of overcast skies and rain then the sun came out and except for some wind everything goes back to “NORMAL”.

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Key West, Jan. 24

Posted on January 24, 2010 by Bigguy

We had our rental bikes until 1:30 so we decided to ride some of the back streets and explore the “real” Key West. The homes are amazing. Almost every home is very old and completely renovated and nicely appointed with trees and vegetation – beautiful!!

We are planning to leave tomorrow so we are doing last minute things….and since there is football fever in the air we will watch some of the two games that are on today.

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Key West, Jan 23

Posted on January 24, 2010 by Bigguy

We rented bicycles today and drove to the breach. It was one of those perfect days – warm with a nice cooling breeze. When we were at the bike rental place we saw Aussie-man Steve on the street whom we met in Lauderdale. We knew he was coming to Key West but the odds of connecting randomly were very high. We invited him for dinner on the boat and had a great time hanging out until midnight.

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Key West, Jan. 22

Posted on January 23, 2010 by Bigguy

Today we worked on the boat cleaning it and polishing it. It was nice to have a slow day of just casual cleaning and hanging out. The weather has been hot (84 F) and sunny so it doesn’t take much to make for a great day. We have been “out” for almost 3 months now and there was a bathtub ring around the boat’s waterline which I took the dinghy and a deck brush to. Marg and Tom worked on refinishing the helm station and cockpit teak – it looks great!!! Later after a nice meal in the cockpit as the sun set we went to the famous Green Parrot to hear a blues band from Miami. So much for another day in paradise……

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Key West, Jan. 21

Posted on January 22, 2010 by Bigguy

Marg and I are still exploring the city and poking around in some of the well known and less known areas. We have been walking some of the back streets and looking at the old homes. We had a cheeseburger at Jimmy Buffett’s (famous for the hit songs Margaritaville and Cheeseburger in Paradise) and checked out the Cuban area. When we got back to the boat a huge 65 ft cruiser was docked next to us. We talked to the 2 couples on board and the captain who told us the boat burns 100 gallons of diesel fuel per hour……coming from Miami would cost $4500 for fuel not to mention the docking fees (250.00/day) and of course the crew. A week down here in Key West would run about $20,000 (all in) – shocking. I don’t understand it since we have the same weather and are sharing the same view of the ocean/sunsets and that’s the stuff that really matters. Still, it is a nice boat – what do you think?.

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Key West, Jan. 20

Posted on January 21, 2010 by Bigguy

A beautiful day of exploring and meeting people. Marg and I were “pied” at the Key West Lime shoppe as part of a stunt the owner does when the trolley comes by. We later got talking to Kermit (owner) and his student exchange Lee from Brazil……(we talked a lot about Brazil and how Kermit ended up starting his business in Key West). Nice to meet people and connect. We also shopped a little (we both don’t like it but sometimes you have to) and then went out to a very cool jazz bar called “La Ti Da”.

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Key West, Jan. 19

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Bigguy

Marg and I needed a quiet time together so we hung out and enjoyed each other all day. We went for a walk and got WIFI (got our email). Made a grouper brunch and just poked around the harbour. The harbour is really quite quiet even with all the sailors around. The weather today was cooler and a bit overcast and that keeps people indoors. We walked by Sloppy Joes at 1:30 and it was full of people eating and drinking. (Key West is a party town). We saw the ferry that runs to Ft. Meyers which is just over on the next dock and it reminded me of Melissa and Brian’s trip down here a few years ago.  We miss our family!! After the sunset we went to Sloppy Joes for Nachos and listened to a neat band where the drummer was playing a Cajon (similar to the one I play)….later a band from PA came on (see the picture).

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Key West, Jan. 18

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Bigguy

We sailed down to Key West from Marathon in beautiful weather. It was so nice we didn’t bother to put any sunscreen on and Marg and I got over exposed a bit. There were so many lobster traps out it was a mine field of buoys. It is race week in Key West which means the place is hopping with racers……(see the picture I took on the way in to the Harbour). We wanted to eat our Grouper we bought in Marathon but the pull to go out and explore was too great. Tom had spent a few weeks here last spring and had a lot of places he want to show us. There are a lot of restaurants and bars with live music – some of them quite good. Needless to say we got home late.

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Marathon, Jan. 17

Posted on January 17, 2010 by Bigguy

Today we worked on cleaning up the boat and that meant a trip to Home Depot, so we rented two bikes. Getting there was great but it rained on the way back. I so enjoyed the bicycle ride I didn’t mind getting wet in the warm rain. Later Marg and I rode along the west side of the key and stopped for ice cream and to listen to some live music at a seafood restaurant (learned how to barbie a whole lobster – this is the season). Tomorrow we will leave for Key West.

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Marathon, Jan. 16

Posted on January 16, 2010 by Bigguy

Today there was suppose to be very strong winds but where we were (in the mangroves next to the Marina) there was little wind and the sun was very hot. We slept late, hung out on the boat and went to the marina restaurant for the best shrimp anyone could ask for.

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Marathon, Jan. 15

Posted on January 15, 2010 by Bigguy

The weather has improved the last few days. It was blowing fairly strong today and it is suppose to increase so we went to Marathon Marina. We were in jackets and when we got out of the wind I had to take my shirt off it was so hot.  It is suppose to be 80F (27C) tomorrow but we may get rain. The Keys are really different from the mainland – they have more character and characters. Should be fun……

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Brian!!!!!

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Key Largo, Jan. 14

Posted on January 14, 2010 by Bigguy

We left Lauderdale this morning for Key Largo on our way to Key West. It sure was good to be on the move again and in particular on the Ocean. We love the fresh air and being out in nature. You just never know what to expect. Case in point: we have seen dolphins on numerous occasions but I never could really get a good picture. That was when a whole pod of them came to check us out. Still no luck getting the shot and I was wondering if I would ever get a picture of a dolphin. About a half an hour later they came back………I got the best shot and it was all them. (so cool)  I love when that happens…..

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Special Edition – Toronto, Jan. 13th

Posted on January 13, 2010 by Bigguy
Tyler and Maria

Tyler and Maria

Our most exciting news yet!!!

Ty and Maria will be married on Saturday, February 20 at 3:30 in Toronto!!! We are all very happy for them and looking forward to celebrating their special day! Ty met Maria December 2008 when she was in Canada studying English. She has just graduated as a psychologist in her home city of Bogota, Colombia (one more destination to travel to!!!) and now they can get the immigration process going. We will be flying home for about a week and then will be off again for Part II of our adventure…

Maria is a warm,  joyful, intelligent young woman and we are blessed to have her join our family! Congratulations, Tyler and Maria!!

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Ft. Lauderdale, Jan. 13

Posted on January 13, 2010 by Bigguy

The Ft. Lauderdale to Key West sailing races started here today.  Arnie and Ronnie invited us and Steve (aussie man) to sail out for the start in  their Farrier 31 ( a racing boat ). It was good to get out on the water and to see the beautiful boats.

Tonite Tom returns from Chicago and tomorrow we will sail to Key Largo…..we are ready to GO!!! Only sorry to leave some good friends behind.

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Ft. Lauderdale, Jan. 12

Posted on January 13, 2010 by Bigguy

Rented a car today and ran errands and just enjoyed driving a car…it has been so long. Nice going faster than walking speed. We have been hanging out with Arnie and Ronnie Gould. He is a retired chemical engineer who developed the balloon angioplasty system. She is a sculptor who works almost exclusively with animals…….

more at: www.ronniegould.com

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Ft. Lauderdale, Jan. 11

Posted on January 11, 2010 by Bigguy

It was warm enough to take our daily walk along the beach and on the way home we stopped by the (probably the World) Swimming Hall of Fame which was on our way. They were having a college swimmers’ training session and since we saw a Canadian team (Ottawa) was practicing we decided to watch and I took some pictures…..

Later we invited Ronnie and Arnie (Boston) and Steve (Aussieland) to join us in our “picada ritual” (Every evening around sunset we have snacks and a little “sit-down”) . Nice to meet people and hear their stories…..and share some as well. The end of another wonderful day together.

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Ft. Lauderdale, Jan. 10

Posted on January 10, 2010 by Bigguy

I have been looking at boats for a long time trying to figure out the one I like the best. This is one I have grown to really like…it is a Manta 42 catamaran…..SWEET!!

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Ft. Lauderdale, Jan. 8

Posted on January 8, 2010 by Bigguy

Another warm day and everyone was at the beach. We chatted with 3 young girls on vacation from Brazil (our favourite place in the world). They have the most beautiful beaches in the world but they came here to Florida to Disney World…..(how does that compare???). It was a very relaxing and beautiful day……

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Ft. Lauderdale, Jan. 7

Posted on January 8, 2010 by Bigguy

Ahhhhh, the weather is warming up. Marg and I spent the day on the beach even if it was cool and the sun was soooo warm. Nice to have a change.  We had planned to see the Avatar 3D movie at the Imax theatre but we postponed the trip till the weekend when they are predicting the next cold front to break all records. Oh well, we decided to have a pot luck with some of the people in the marina who are waiting for the weather. Looks like it could be the middle of next week before we can leave for Key West…….

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Ft. Lauderdale, Jan. 6

Posted on January 8, 2010 by Bigguy

Another cool day…and more waiting for the cold front to clear out. Tom may have to make a trip to Chicago before we can leave here for the Keys……we are learning to enjoy what we have and live in the moment…..I keep reminding myself that being “stuck” in Ft. Lauderdale is comparably really not so bad, even if I have itchy feet.

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Ft. Lauderdale, Jan. 5

Posted on January 8, 2010 by Bigguy

The weather has been cold here as well as at home. A front blew through and brought the temp down and the wind up. There are tons of people in town for the Orange Bowl (Iowa, and Georgia Tech) and only the most daring are on the beach. We still get out for a walk even if it is only 55F (12C) and have been going out to hear live music at Mangos in the evening. We also had picada (snacks and drinks) with the other sailors in the marina who are all waiting to get out of here when the weather turns. We have met people from all over the world…..some every interesting people. Our internet connection at this marina is a problem because we can’t get the wireless in the boat meaning we have to be outside in the cockpit or up at the marina (outside) to access it. With the cold weather we have been cutting our internet time to the bare minimum.

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Ft. Lauderdale, Jan. 2

Posted on January 2, 2010 by Bigguy

The Ft. Lauderdale Arts fair was on today and we decided to partake. Las Olas Blvd. is a pretty up-scale area and the art galleries sponsored a large art fair which exhibited some really great art. Later we saw something no sailor every wants to see. Looks like their mast came down when they where sailing…….

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Ft. Lauderdale, Jan. 1

Posted on January 2, 2010 by Bigguy

New Year day is traditionally a day of reflection and we gave the day its due. Our adventure has coloured our perception of how to “live” the future. The adventure has been best lived day-to-day and so we have fought any inclination to worry about the future or to even think about anything other than living in the moment. It has been a great experiment and an experience which we do not want to end – no matter what we are doing. So, that is our new year’s resolution – to keep living in the moment as best we can – our M.O. for 2010.

A friend wrote this response to this post. I liked it so much I wanted us all to see it…..Thanks Brad!!!!

“There is only the moment….the rest is an illusion of control and ego…

If we could truly live in the moment (truly) we would see through Gods eyes…the infinite which is pure appreciation and love…” BradskiBeat

One day at a time and lovin it!!!!

One day at a time and lovin it!!!!

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Ft. Lauderdale Dec. 31

Posted on January 1, 2010 by Bigguy

Happy New Year to all our friends and family!!! We enjoyed the beautiful weather and our friends here and at home (via Skype). We had a cockpit party here on Sabbatical docked on the Inter-coastal Waterway then walked over to the beach for midnight to celebrate with all the other “lunies” (it was full moon). It was a “little” too crazy over there for us so we came back to the boat and enjoyed the rest of the evening here. We wish all our friends and family a great 2010 – may it be the best year of your life!!!!!  P&M

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Ft. Lauderdale, Dec. 30

Posted on December 30, 2009 by Bigguy

Most of our days are filled with “living” as my brother-in-law Peter puts it. We go for groceries and haircuts and to buy a few things we need and the day is almost gone. We like to make sure we walk on the beach at least once a day so as to “remember” where we are. Today we saw the new “Oasis of the Seas” cruise ship (largest in the world) and some other interesting things when we were on our beach walk……

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Ft Lauderdale, Dec. 29

Posted on December 30, 2009 by Bigguy

Happy birthday to our very special grand daughter Kayli who is celebrating her 4th birthday today.

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Ft. Lauderdale, Dec. 28

Posted on December 29, 2009 by Bigguy

We have been so busy socializing the last few days we had a full list of things to do today. We washed the boat then went to the mall to get some new sandals for Marg and while we were there we looked at some new camera gear for me…..got the sandals and will order the new lens online.  Hope to have a restful day tomorrow although it is suppose to be a bit cool (high of 68F – 20C).

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Ft. Lauderdale, Dec. 27

Posted on December 29, 2009 by Bigguy

Today was busy with socializing. I enjoyed sunning on the foredeck then at 1:30 we meet Peter and Brenda, Valerie and Brian (Margaret’ sister and niece) for lunch at Coconuts. Got home just in time for a break then Captain Jimmy and his wife Yvette picked us up for dinner at Carlos and Pepe’s (Mexican restaurant). We need a break from eating as much as we can every day. We got home about 10 pm and went dancing a Mango’s until about late……I think we are getting into the swing of things in South Florida.

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Fort Lauderdale, Dec. 25

Posted on December 25, 2009 by Bigguy

I am getting used to sleeping in – the best way to start Christmas Day. When we finally got going Marg and I went for a walk down on the beach (2 blocks away). There were a lot of people on the beach – (it was a really nice day 80F and sunny with no wind). We are planning a Christmas dinner with the people in the next slip from Indiana. A nice way to celebrate with a really good meal (steak, turkey, stuffing, caesar salad, bean salad, and baked potato). Christmas 2009.

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Fort Lauderdale, Dec. 24

Posted on December 25, 2009 by Bigguy

We got some very exciting news today. Tyler and Maria are planning to be married. We talked by SKYPE and Tye told us how he planned the whole “proposal”. Limos and girlfriends and room mates and steak dinners all worked together to make a memory which will last a life time. Congratulations Tyler and Maria…..

Marg and I are still moving slowly and getting up around 9 am. Our friend Jimmy dropped by on his way to the Mall to do his Christmas shopping so we went along. Marg and I aren’t shoppers but we wanted to get a present for Tom and one for Jimmy as well. We found a Cross pen for Tom and lighter (for Cigars) for Jimmy. Shockingly, there weren’t many people in the mall – good for us, bad for them. We didn’t wait for a special moment to exchange presents. We just got it out there. Tom gave us “Sabbatical” ball caps in a Christmas stocking and a tree ornament which commemorated our trip (see the pictures)

Later we came back and had drinks and nibbles with the couple next to us in the Marina….very nice people from Indianna. Around 10 pm we walked along the beach to the “Church by the Sea” a non-denominational church with a candle light service…….we loved it!!! Got home at 12:30 and had pie and ice cream. The best way to end a very nice day!!!

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Fort Lauderdale Dec. 23

Posted on December 24, 2009 by Bigguy

Today I get to do whatever I want so we slept in until 9 am and then Marg made me a special breakfast. Our friend Jimmy who travelled with us in the Bahamas came by to take us for lunch at a really great restaurant on the Inter-coastal Water way near the Los Olas Marina called “Coconuts”.

I spent and hour listening to a great speaker (Bill Johnson) and some wonderful jazz and laying in the sun…….(the best way to spend a Dec. Birthday)

We were so full from the lunch we have had to skip the steak dinner we were planning and go straight to party mode. We love live music and make it a part of our lives when we are at home (it inspires) but it hasn’t been easy to find music in the Bahamas so we have an itch we haven’t been scratching……..”tonite we will cover the waterfront.”

We went to a place we have been to on another trip here called “Mangos”. The music was great and it was fun to dance again…..I love it!!!

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Straits of Florida, Dec. 22

Posted on December 22, 2009 by Bigguy

We crossed the Straits of Florida and the Gulf Stream today. They say you should never cross with a north wind (it was NE wind with an 8ft swell) but we found it quite pleasant and not at all a difficult passage.  It is 48 nautical miles to Lauderdale from Bimini and rarely do you see another vessel until you get close to the harbour, but today we actually would have collided with a freighter had we not changed course – when you have a lot of time on your hands you start to wonder “what are the odds of that??”

Looking at the sea and its power makes me feel very alive and it also makes me wonder where all the water came from – there is a lot of land but there is twice as much sea? I also wonder where did all the salt come from to make the sea 4% saline – it takes a lot of salt to make that much water that salty. Now that’s something to think about when you can’t sleep or you’re feeling melancholy.

We went grocery shopping after we went to customs and immigration. We are planning to celebrate my birthday tomorrow with a steak dinner on the boat (my choice) and then go to a jazz club and hear some music. It’s great to be back…..now we are beginning to entertain ideas on how to continue the adventure.

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