Tropical Nuthouse

HUGE UPDATE On Building in the Bahamas AND the BOAT!

2011-07-13T09:32:00.003-04:00

Dear Friends,

It's been FOREVAH! I haven't kept this blog up because I've been spending all of my energy on creating a couple of businesses. You can have it all, but you can't DO it all, you know?

So, here's the deal folks...

We are still aboard Puff, loving her as much as always, and yet... big changes are afoot. Puff is for SALE, and we plan to take a few years off of the cruising life.

We've been sailing into adventure since 2001, and now we're going to focus on getting that house built in the Bahamas and investigating land life for a couple of years so that we can rebuild our financial savings.

In our opinion, boats are only good when you're using them: sailing, cruising, exploring. We've put cruising on hold for now.

We've decided we need to get a bigger boat anyway, we're in our mid-thirties and it might be baby making time. We're planners, so we'd like to be ready for that, if and when it happens. So, here's the PLAN:

Sell Puff (the best boat in the world)
Complete our house in Long Island, Bahamas
Live in a (gulp) house for a couple of years, to stabilize our finances
Get another boat and go cruising all over again (the sea is a great place to raise a family)

If you've been following this blog and you wish you could live like us, now you can. You can stay tuned to this blog, I'm not abandoning it entirely.

I plan to publish a book on cruising before you retire, building in the Bahamas, and island life very soon - I'll let you know when that happens.

Wishing you all the best and loving life,
Jeannette and Brian

Finally... Latest Bahamas House Pics

2010-07-18T17:45:00.010-04:00

Sorry this is sooooooo late in coming. We have been busy, busy, busy! We sailed back to the States from the Bahamas back in June. We arrived in Ft. Pierce, Florida the first week in June. Brian's dad, Pete, met us there and he jumped aboard Puff for the remainder offshore leg of the voyage to North Carolina. I took the cat and the dog with me, and we drove Pete's car straight through to Harker's Island to Brian's parents house. Brian's mom Dede was waiting for me, and we spent three days hanging out and doing some shopping before Brian and Pete surprised us by arriving a day sooner than we thought they would! They had a fast ride up the Gulf stream and caught some fantastic tuna and mahi mahi on the way! We were able to finish drying in our house in the Bahamas before we left. We didn't cut out any of the windows because it made more sense to keep it all closed up until we get back in December to finish it all out. Here are the final pics of our lovely Bahamas cottage.
Measuring the front door opening...

Random front door shot...

These are the only power tool Brian used. Such a purist! A jigsaw, cordless drill, and circular saw. A level and a hammer were the only other tools he needed to build this house all by himself! I am so proud of him!!!

Last view of the truck before we sold it...
The roof is almost finished here...

Painting the plywood roof with elastomeric paint.

This is how the windows look from the inside. They won't be cut out till next time...

Our driveway, with Charlie guarding the entrance...Our beach at the end of the road...

Brian enjoying the victory of constructing this house in less than 40 days for less than $10,000 all on his own!

Celebrating completion of the first phase of the Bahamas house project with a champagne toast! We will be back on Long Island in December to finish up!!!

Random Fun Times

2010-05-29T14:27:00.012-04:00

Do you ever wonder what we do for fun here on Long Island (Bahamas), when we are not busy building our house? Here are some pics of island life and fun with all the great people we've met here. The photo above shows a rainbow after a thunderstorm. We took the pic from our boat in Thompson Bay anchorage.
There are wild chickens, roosters, and goats on the beach in our anchorage. Every morning at 4AM, we are serenaded by dueling roosters, surround sound crowing...
This is the beautiful church on the hill overlooking our favorite anchorage.
A daily scene for the last month. This excavator is working on expanding the government dock in the settlement of Salt Pond.
A space shuttle launch in April created this phenomenal cloud to the West of the island.
Our cat, Jack ,lounging under the solar panel back on the boat...
Pretty sunset, our ocean view from the boat.
Drinking games seem to be an international past time. This one included Bahamians, Mexicans, Kiwis, Americans, and Italians.

Awwwwww, we're color coordinated and everything!

The Italian free divers made us dinner, and it was so good!
Enjoying the sunshine and eating oranges with Brittany at the Vertical Blue 2010 Free Diving Competition.

Brian and Arthur gearing up for a spearing mission.
Charlie wants to go too.
Cleaning fish after a successful hunting/spearing trip.
At Midway for Happy Hour on Friday night, enjoying drinks with friends.
Yes, we know, we're matching again, pretty cheesy isn't it?
Kitty on the roof of a palapa...
Boys skipping rocks at sunset.
Kitties on the beach, watching the sunset.
Dogs taking a sunset swim...

Cinco de Mayo party!It was a costume party, here some folks are tearing into the pinata.
I have no idea why I look like this, no recollection at all. We look shocked!
Jeanie still hasn't gotten over the shocking scene before us... Most of this crew are our neighbors!
Yummy! I made the Mexican Mac 'n Cheese!
Festive dresses for all!
A Mayan queen and her king!

Zorro and Zorro-ette?
The host and hostess... he's a tasty margarita (that's a salt rim headband) and she's a lovely burrito!
More happy, festive ladies...
I think these guys are feeling the tequila jello shooters.
Nachos!
Ok, shifting gears to the shark feeding dive that Brian went on to safety dive for our mermaid friend, Linden Wolbert of Mermaids In Motion. They were shooting footage for a 20/20 segment called "Superhumans" that will be airing on June 1st. That is a bite taken out of the bucket!
Nice grey reef sharks!
Nice mermaid!

That's it for this blog post! Catcha later!

House Pics!

2010-05-29T11:49:00.010-04:00

Hi, this is us underneath our house in Long Island, Bahamas, which we finished work on for the season about two days ago. It is completed up to the point where, when we return, we will cut out the windows and doors, paint the exterior, and finish the interior. That will be next December. I can't wait! It's going to be so cute! These pics are out of order, but it was all I could do to get them online at all. We're really busy with the house and now getting things sorted so that we can sail back to the States in the next few days.
Brian used a tree limb for a sledgehammer handle. I thought it looked cool!
These are the rafters and a vent...
Plywood roof boards painted white. Plywood roofs are pretty popular in Florida and the islands. They are painted with a rubberized, white paint for waterproofing and heat reflective purposes.

These are the porch rafters...
Painting roof boards, under the house...
Our baby mango tree, an oyster plant, and a wild orchid in our yard...
I'm sanding rafters for Brian to put up...
Sitting under the porch rafters...
That would be the bathroom window...

Ooops, a little out of order, the house before the rafters...
The beach is just past those other rooftops, a 10 minute walk...

Half a roof is here!
First roof board goes up! Again, sorry they are out of order!

Baby coco...

The house that Brian built... and I helped!
No fancy lunches toward the end of our working days... simple tuna sandwiches.

Monkey man!

More roof... to be continued... We have pics of the completed house, but I have not downloaded them yet. I will get them up asap, I promise!!! In the meantime... have fun!

Four Walls Already!

2010-04-19T08:40:00.009-04:00

We received our materials on March 23, and began work on the house on March 25th! Brian is a building genius! We now have the foundation, floor, four walls, porch poles, and he's working on the roof! Yay!!!!

Bahamian lunch on the job site, canned beans and fresh snapper!
The floor is done!
Check out the headroom under the house. Great for storing a cistern, kayaks, a boat, or a car.
Fresh 'maters from a neighbor/friend's garden! YUMMY!

First wall...

First wall goes up with the help of neighbors and friends!
MMMMM... Bahamian fish gumbo, another on site lunch.
Our neighbor, Ms. Frieda, talks to B. She always carries her cutlass!
First wall is up!
Second wall goes up...
Woo Hoo! Charlie is lying down in the kitchen area...
Brian has rigged a block and tackle to move the wall inward...
Three walls are up!
Leveling the wall! That is the front door B is standing in!
Saffron Scented Plantain Soup!
Voila! All four walls are standing within 2 weeks! My husband is amazing!

Time Really Fugits When You're Having Fun ~ Robin Williams in Club Paradise

2010-04-06T14:15:00.051-04:00

Happy Easter! It is Easter Day as I am writing this, although I don't know when I'll be able to get online to post it, hopefully soon.

Puff anchored off Salt Pond, Long Island... photo taken from the pool deck of the Long Island Breeze.

It's beautiful here in Long Island, Bahamas. The sun is shining, the sea is calm and sparkling. There is a cool, steady breeze.

Chimney Rock Beach, near Deadman's Cay, Long Island

The harbour is full of cruising boats and the island's churches are packed for Easter Sunday services. We had coffee on the boat and now we are on our property where will spend the day building our new home.
Name and address on the lumber when it arrived on the mail boat on March 24th.

There are Easter cook outs all over the island later today, maybe we will knock off early and attend the festivities. The Bahamians are getting ready for the mini-regatta tomorrow when they will race their beautiful handmade, sailing boats in the sound where we have Puff anchored.
What a time we've had this year in the Bahamas. We sailed down from North Carolina at the end of November, spent Christmas in the Abacos, arrived in Long Island (home sweet home) before my birthday (January 21st), spent February hosting family and friends for fun visits, and March until now has been all about building our first house ever!
Brian's family, Mom(Dede), Dad(Pete), and brother (Pete Jr.) visited for 10 days in February. Here they are at Dean's Blue Hole.
Pete getting ready to jump off a cliff into the hole.
Brian's mom and dad watch Pete swimming near the blue hole, he's that tiny dot out there.
The Pucella clan at the cape, near the Columbus monument on the North end of the island.
Max's Conch Bar for fresh conch salad and Kaliks!
Fire on the beach, we had some cool days in February... it must have been at least 70 degrees!
Brian and his Dad having sundowners with Puff in the background.

Pete checking out an island original.
The Pucella boys on the beach.
One of our favorite meals on the island, cracked conch at Rowdy Boys.
The secret and beautiful shrimp grotto.
Myself with Brian's parents on yet another gorgeous beach, at Lochabar on the South end on Long.

Spelunking!

Pete and Dede found their favorite beach at Turnbull, in the South Central region of Long Island.
Pete and Dede starting their last day in the Bahamas with a pina colada!

We had a fun time with Brian's family and we look forward to more visits from all of our family and friends. This is a super fun island to play tour guide on, so come on down!

The House...

Well, we've lived aboard Puff for nearly ten years now. We love boat life, the sea, and island life! We found our Long Island, Bahamas property in 2006. Now, we are building the home we dreamed into existence on it. We designed the house ourselves, following the same mantra that we have with cruising all these years, "go small, go now."

Brian finishing the girder on our house!

Instead of waiting until we could afford the larger two bedroom with an apartment underneath that we initially decided on, we redesigned and redrew our plans. We figured the larger home would take us three to four years to complete.

The new design will be almost complete in two months for a lot less money. By June, we will have the house dried in, that means foundation to roof, including floors and walls, completely built. Then, we need to go back to the States and work for the summer.

Next Fall, we'll install doors and windows, build interior walls and loft, do plumbing and wiring, build the screened porch/deck, and finish it off with appliances and furniture.
First things first, we cleared the lot, cut trails through the brush, and planted some landscaping... then Brian drilled holes for the pilings with a jackhammer. Under the dirt is solid limestone rock.
The jackhammer also came in handy for planting coconuts. Our new home will have a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. It will also have a loft over the kit and bath. And we will have an 8 foot covered, screened porch. The house is only 20 x 20, but I think when it is finished, we will all be amazed at just how efficient, comfortable, and roomy such a "small" home can be.

Charlie in our driveway.

The 40 foot trailer that our materials arrived on. We ordered our materials from a lumber company in Florida. They delivered the materials to the shipping house in Florida, which put them on a boat to Nassau, where they were unloaded and stored in a warehouse until the next mail boat got ready to leave for Long Island.

The truck in our driveway.

All of our building supplies off the trailer and on the property, organized and sorted by Brian into the order that we will use them.

The workspace on our lot.

Brian's custom made tool box.

The fridge we borrowed from friends is very nice!
Getting pallets to keep all of our nice lumber off the ground.
These are the holes for the pilings that will be our foundation. Brian used the jackhammer to dig them into solid rock about four feet deep.
Here are the pilings in the holes before we cemented them in. There are nine altogether for the house and there will be three more for the porch.
Cement mixer we borrowed from friends.
We used buckets of rock, sand, water, and concrete powder to mix our cement.
We braced the poles and then poured the cement in with a wheelbarrow.
My job was to fill the buckets.
Brian poured the buckets into the mixer.
All the poles solidly standing in finished concrete and limestone rock.
Charlie takes a water break. He drinks out of dried coconuts, as do the birds, they share.
Charlie gets so worn out from all this hard work, but he's okay as long he has his monkey.
Brian wrote our initials and the date in the concrete at the base of the center pole and we put our hand prints in it.
We had some fill delivered and spread it underneath the house, it looks like snow! It's just fine limestone, eventually it will get packed down. We have sand in our drive, maybe we'll do more of that.
And the girder goes up, by the time of this writing, only 2 days after Easter, (yes, it takes me days to write a blog post), the floor joists are already done and the plywood sheathing for the floor is down. We have built a ladder and can climb up and walk around on our "floor." We will draw all the furniture on it, so I can play house in my mind and make sure the windows and doors are in the right places!
We pass this baseball field on the way to the property every day. Notice there is a herd of goats cutting the grass!

A unique island sight, to be sure.

These baby coconut sprouts were waiting for us when we arrived one morning. We still don't know who left them for us, but the gift was much appreciated. We planted them on either side of the driveway entrance.
Who says you can't get fresh veggies in the islands? Long has it all, and also fresh fish that Brian speared!
So, that's the house. And there is so much daily progress, I can hardly keep you current!

We are so lucky that Brian knows exactly what he's doing. All those years doing construction are certainly paying off. He drew up the plans, ordered the materials (right down to the last nail), and now he is doing most of the work on the house. I'm just the helper. I do what I'm told. I carry, shovel, hold, run errands, and encourage. It's been just the two of us so far, except for the unloading of the materials, when all of our fantastic neighbors joined in to help.
Some of our neighbors: Sara, Heather, and Dan

Our closest neighbors, Dan and Sara, have been life savers. They've given us plants, water from their cistern, showers, meals, hot tub soaks, and more. Our friends, Kris and Jean, who live down the road have been enormously helpful as well. This would be so much more difficult without all of them. We are so very grateful for the support we've received from the community down here. The community was one of the reasons we chose this island. Everyone we've met so far has been friendly, knowledgeable, interesting, positive, supportive, and fun. It just can't get any better than that.
Sara's sushi is to die for, and the presentation's not bad either...
Getting together with more friend's and neighbors at Frank's house. Frank also lives in our "neighborhood."

Some of the other reasons we chose this island are: close proximity to the US, close proximity to so many other awesome islands for exploration, and modern comforts like some of the best grocery and hardware stores in the Bahamas. They have good water from an reverse osmosis plant. There are wonderful farms for fresh produce and some really excellent restaurants. The fishing and diving are superb. And, this is possibly the most uniquely beautiful island we have ever seen, in all of our travels.
Friends: Charlie, Georgina, and Arthur before dawn on a spearfishing expedition.

Gotta make time to have fun, and catch dinner!

There is always something to do. There are plenty of events and social functions. Today, there are some Easter grill outs, tomorrow the mini-regatta, next weekend is a beach clean up and party, and the next weekend is the Vertical Blue Freediving Competition.

Chillin' on a secluded beach with Charlie.

Snorkeling around the cays.

The water clarity here is really unbelievable. On this day, when we went snorkeling, we were with a couple on vacation who had recently been to Tahiti, and they said Long Island was, and I quote, "soooo much better." When I asked them why, they said the water was more beautiful and the people were a lot friendlier.
Friends, Joyce and Diane with little Troy looking at seashells they found.
I love kayaking around here. The water is so clear, you can see sharks and other fish right below you!

Brian wearing his kayaking turban.

Or kitty, Jack Dreadbelly, likes kayaking, too!
He is quite the navigator...
Jack is 5 years old, he is part Maine Coon and has lived on a boat all of this life.

All of our friends are animal lovers. Our Aussie friend, Tim, and his Aussie shepherd, Zuma, take a swim together.

Whats Next For Us...

Our plan is to live on Long Island roughly nine months out of the year and spend the remaining months visiting with family and friends. We have been living half the year in the States and half in the islands for awhile now, so that's nothing new. We left the rat race a long time ago. We're figuring out how to make it work as we go. Each year we get everything a little more dialed in. We wanted to sail though the islands without a care in the world, and we did that, for several years. Then, we wanted something else. A little more stability.

We wanted a home somewhere. A house and some land to call our own. We didn't know how it would happen, but it has. We want to have a family next. It may come as a surprise to most people, but you don't have to have a 9 - 5 job and access to a Wal-Mart to survive.

You don't have to have a mortgage or a car payment. You don't have to do anything illegal or irresponsible to live such an independent life. You can still vote and pay your taxes and give to charities. You can raise intelligent, responsible, and healthy children. You can enjoy good health and good relationships. You can have everything you need and more. Our quality of life is amazingly high compared to most people we know, and we don't have any more money than they do.

We live outside the mainstream of society, but we are not hermits or recluses. We participate in the local community wherever we are. When we are in the States, we make the most of our time. We visit busy, metropolitan cities at least twice a year, where we can sightsee, go to museums, shop, enjoy eclectic dining and live music. Our lifestyle ensures that we do not take such things for granted. But as we move about in the world, because of our lifestyle, we are also so much more conscious of the impact that our actions and decisions have on ourselves, others, and our environment.

On the sailboat and in our islands, there is no 911. There is no 24 hour emergency room, there is no repairman to call, there is no fast food, there is no quick replacement if something breaks, there is no running out to the corner store for a loaf of bread. There is no ignoring your trash and where it ends up ultimately, when you see it covering the beaches and lodged in coral reefs around you.

We don't let things go to waste, we are take good care of our bodies, we reuse and recycle everything we can, we fix what breaks instead of tossing it out. We keep cheap plastic items to a minimum. We catch, kill, and grow much of our own food. We live with care.

I am loving this journey that we're on and it makes me happy to share it with you. If you are asking the question that everyone else does, "how do make money?", then check this out.

Peace and Love to All! Until next time, in*joy your life!

It's Been A Long Time...

2010-03-04T11:44:00.012-05:00

Hello Everybody! Sorry it's been so long. On January 31st, I spilled a glass of water on my beloved Macbook. I am using Brian's now. I have been preoccupied with unsuccessful computer repairs, building my web business, house stuff, crazy weather, and entertaining company here on Long Island. But now, I have found some breathing room and time to share our continuing adventure of island life.

Guess what this is? Lots of sand, silver thatch palms, limestone, and sea air... AND... the driveway to what will be our first land based home!

You can't tell much from these photos and I promise to post more soon, but this is our property here on Long Island (Bahamas). The driveway is sandy and the rest is a lot of limestone rock and dirt. There are lots of great trees, bromiliads, and wild orchids. We've planted coconut palms, sapodilly trees, papaya, avacado, and all kinds of other stuff. Brian has built some great rock walls and we've got all of our beach combing treasures scattered all over the place: driftwood, sea fans, floats, sponges, and shells.
The building supplies should arrive around 3/16. Brian has been working like mad getting the site ready for construction. We're building a small one bedroom island-y sort of cottage, and we're building it ourselves! It will be really cute and cozy with a wrap around porch for lots of outdoor living. Our dog and cat are super-excited to have a home that doesn't bob up and down. More on the house and property soon...
In February, our friends Atil and April and their son, Troy visited the island. They had a couple days of unbelievably beautiful weather. The photo above shows April and Troy frolicking in the amazing Bahamian waters. I know the weather has been rough everywhere this year, and Long Island is no exception. Today, as I write this, I am wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt. I know, I know... but, usually the anchorages on this island are protected by the prevailing winds and the weather is much, much warmer. This year, we've been getting our butts kicked in the anchorage on a regular basis. The fronts are bringing more frequent and stronger West winds than ever before. I'm not complaining though, it is excellent weather for getting work done and that's the theme of our stay on Long Island this year. When we leave the island to head back to the States, we plan to be in the money with my website and have the house dried in completely. Dried in means the exterior structure will be finished.
Dean's Blue Hole is beautiful as always. That white platform is what world record holder William Trubridge uses for his freedive training and competitions. Brian has trained there with him and has a personal best of 160 on a single breath of air. It's a beautiful and fascinating sport.

Atil is also a freediving enthusiast. Brian met him through the Mid-Atlantic Longfins Club out of Virginia Beach. They are a freediving club that goes out off of Hatteras in the Outer Banks in the summertime. Brian was actually diving with them when he speared his world-record Spade fish.

Our friend Joyce made us Bahamian style fish foil packs for the grill at a Dean's Blue Hole picnic. They had hog fish, snapper, cassava, boniato, pepper, tomato, onion, pinapple, and fresh sea salt raked from the ponds here by Joyce herself. They were soooooo good!

The water was incredibly clear that day, perfect for swimming and diving!

William prepares to dive.

The platform is an awesome place to get a tan, too!

William goes down, down, down... he can dive to 288 feet without the use of fins, rope, weight or any other form of assistance, REALLY.

Some pretty bougainvillea at the Constantakis Car Rental.

Those are sponges drying out at the Greek community.

More pretty sponges. They are shipped all over the world and retail at a pretty high cost. These are some of the highest quality sponges in the world.

Puff at anchor in Thompson Bay, on a good day! The end of February was spent spending time with Brian's family. They came to visit for 10 days... and they saw pretty much everything there is to see here on Long Island! I think we all had a really good time. More to come on that when I download the photos... Take Care!

Hopetown, Abaco, Bahamas

2010-01-29T10:26:00.012-05:00

Continuing the adventure in Hope Town in Abaco, Bahamas. These pics were all taken during early January. It was a bit cool, like in the 70's, hence the pants and light sweaters. That was kind of nice though. Now, that we're further South in Long Island, it's a lot warmer.
This is the junior Junkanoo in Hope Town. There was a parade and all the children dressed up in Junkanoo costumes and the Junkanoo band played while they walked through town. Everyone followed along including all the town dogs. It was really fun!

That night there were fireworks right over the harbour. You can see the lighthouse all lit up with Christmas lights in the background here, and our cat Jack watching from on top of the bimini.

The Hope Town lighthouse looked so pretty decorated for the holidays!
Can you believe how beautiful and bright the moonlight was this night! ? It was like the sun!

Yes, all moonlight... no flash!

Charlie is doing his part for Hope Town tourism.
The adorable Hope Town waterfront.
The Hope Town lighthouse is absolutely charming!
Bingo night at Capt'n Jacks in the harbour. $2/card and the pot was around $300. Of course, our friend Brad won by using his Jedi mind powers!
Charlie loves exploring the villages~
Home sweet home~

Hope Town Beach~

One night we went to watch the light keeper light the light house. It is one of the only kerosene powered lighthouses still in operation.
The light keeper was very stoic as he lit the flame. Back in 2001, a different light keeper let me light the mantle after he demonstrated there was nothing to fear by pouring alcohol over his hand and lighting it on fire! That was an interesting night!
This is Little Harbour, a sweet little place on the island of Great Abaco. Pete's Pub is a fun beachfront bar and you never know who you'll see there. The last time I was there, the Miami Dolphins sea plane landed in the harbour and some of the team hopped out to have a drink. It was a sight to see that plane weaving in and out among the anchored boats.

The sculptor Randolph Johnston and his family settled here years ago and Pete Johnston follows his father's footsteps as he creates bronze and gold art right here at the foundry. Everything is displayed and many pieces are for sale in the gallery. It's all really amazing~

Isn't Charlie cute peeking out from behind me?
And of course, my blue water hunter provided sustenance from the sea once again!
Check out all that gorgeous reef!

This is a fabulous lobster tortilla pie I made with fresh tomatoes on top, YUMMY!And the sunset over Little Harbour illuminated mackeral skies which means that it would rain within 48 hours... good to know if you're a sailor.
To be continued...

Green Turtle Cay

2010-01-28T16:42:00.003-05:00

Sorry, it's been awhile since I posted a blog. Busy, busy, busy enjoying life...
We left off at Christmas on Manjack Cay and hanging out with friends on Green Turtle Cay, so I'll resume there and work my way to our current position in Long Island, Bahamas.
This is a Christmas Boar's Head at Nipper's on Guana Cay, kind of a famous party place. It was quiet the day we were there, but we didn't mind that at all.

We hung out with our good buddy, Tony M. while we were at Green Turtle Cay. We've known Tony since our first year cruising the Bahamas, back in 2001. We are also neighbors in Ocracoke, NC. We miss you T! Come to Long Island!These are our furry friends that live aboard Puff with us, Charlie and Jack. They are always waiting anxiously for us to get home if we have stayed out after dark, a rare occurrence!
This was cool. You can't see the birds, but there were little bananaquits (tiny brown birds with yellow chests) on our friends porch and they would eat out of your hand. We plan to tame the birds on our Long Island property the same way!

Okay, I have to continue posting tomorrow, because Brian just showed up to pick me up for a beach BBQ at a friend's home! See ya!

Green Turtle Cay

2009-12-29T12:39:00.009-05:00

Brian getting coconuts, one of the world's most perfect foods! We drink the juice, then eat some of the meat and dry the rest for eating with muesli or trail mix.
Charlie loves getting as salty and sandy as possible!
Jack looks over the treasures from land that I've brought to him. Coconut, passion fruit, fresh green grass, and a seashell.
Green Turtle Cay ("cay" is pronounced "key") is always fun. We always see old friends there, like Tony on Papillion. We saw Byron from Ocracoke and Bad Betty, whom we met a couple of years ago briefly. We met new folks too, like Josh from Wrightsville Beach and Carlos, a Green Turtle native.
I'm wearing my Christmas colors here. The town is built on the water and it is so cute.
This is one of the last conch houses on Green Turtle Cay. Homes built by the early English settlers of the Bahamas. Most of the conch houses were disassembled plank by plank and transported by ship to the Florida keys when their owners found the Bahamas to be too inhospitable for growing plantations. Most of the old conch houses in the Keys have been restored. This conch house is now a marine preservation museum.

I thought it was funny to see a rooster hanging out at the Rooster's Rest, a bar where the Bahamas' most famous band in the nation, The Gully Roosters, plays.
Okay, what was this strange little bunny doing sitting on this bench. I don't know, but now that he's been tagged on my blog, he's famous.

Charlie is obviously unaware that there is an attack chicken in the vicinity.

I thought my mom would adore this Episcopal church on the beach.
We are always tickled when we read the bank hours. These are the normal hours, year round, nothing to do with the holidays. Seriously. We love this. They really have their priorities straight here. Having fun takes precedence over all else, including, and perhaps, especially... business.
Brian having a Kalik at the Wrecking Tree. The very old tree behind him is called the wrecking tree for the practice of "wrecking" that was at one time a viable economy in the Bahamas. Wrecking is the practice of looting ships that have run aground or wrecked on the reefs near shore.
This is our Christmas orchid. We took this orchid from our land on Long Island, Bahamas in 2007. It was the last time we were there. Now we are returning to build and we are bringing our orchid home. I decorated it for Christmas and placed gifts underneath. It was very cheerful and helped to put us in the holiday spirit.
A load of Queen trigger, hogfish, and lobster. Beautiful and tasty! Thanks, B.

I always enjoy cooking up a fresh catch.
Another sunset to remember. The weather is beautiful, wish you were here!

Scenes From The Abacos

2009-12-29T12:14:00.006-05:00

This is the ocean on a flat day! Gorgeous!!!
A small cove perfect for dogs or children to play in. The water was only a couple feet deep here.
Charlie and I exploring trails that led to beautiful beaches.
Kayaking around the coral limestone islands is always relaxing and fascinating. You can see all the fish,rays, and coral easily from the kayak.
Charlie likes to go too.
Charlie and I look like we're in the jungle somewhere.
I was out there for hours, so I put on a white shirt and huge hat for sun protection. Charlie actually decided to lie down and take a nap right on the kayak. When I got back, Brian and I had Caribbean spiny lobster for lunch. They call them crawfish here, and they are sooooooo good!

Brian is a really good spear fisherman.

Caribbean crawfish stir fry....

Another amazing sunset in paradise.

Bahamas Crossing and the Abacos!

2009-12-29T11:29:00.009-05:00

We crossed from West Palm, FL on Sunday the 13th. It was a good crossing, we left Florida at 8 AM with clear skies and light South winds. We were headed almost due East with a push North from the Gulf Stream, which we hit about 12 miles off the coast of Florida.

The South winds help smooth the Stream out, whereas North winds make it unbearable... that's why we chose South winds. We (Brian) caught one fish, a blackfin tuna. We ate it immediately. Brian cooked it on the stove while the wind vane steered the boat, and I languished in seasickness on the settee. The above pic was taken about 45 minutes before I succumbed to total debilitating nausea. I had taken Dramamine, which helped me simply feel bad instead of actually wanting to die, which is what happens when I don't take anything at all. I was just happy that I didn't throw up the pineapple I'd eaten for breakfast.
This is Charlie's seasick face. He looks kind of drunk, doesn't he? The crossing took a mere 18 hours and we all got over it quickly. It is all worth it to make it here, to the lovely islands of the Bahamas.
Still fishing as the sun sets. The seas were not bad at all once we arrived on the Bahama Banks, a very, large, shallow sand bank that we sail over for a long time before reaching any islands.

We arrived at an uninhabited island called Mangrove Cay at 1:30 AM during a brilliant meteor shower, easily a dozen or more shooting stars per minute! It was beautiful.

We had our morning cup of coffee in the dingy taking Charlie to shore on the tiny Mangrove Cay to do his business. Mangrove Cay is all Mangrove, so there was no dry land to walk him on. He had to go on the debris of a wrecked barge.

We got a good night's sleep and put in another full day of sailing Monday to get to our next anchorage, near another uninhabited island called Crab Cay. We (I) caught a lovely yellowtail snapper which we again ate immediately, and I cooked it this time.

Charlie and Jack love it when we catch a fish! They both know the sound the reel makes when the drag is spinning with a fish on.

Spent our second night in the Bahamas anchored in light winds and a hellacious current that spun the boat around in rapid 360's for 6 full hours. It took us about 2 and half minutes to complete a 360 spin in that current, so that is about 24 rotations an hour. Brian slept like a baby, and I was up all night, timing the rotations. I'm glad our anchor held.

The next day, Tuesday (today), we sailed for 7 hours and arrived at sparsely inhabited Manjack Cay, which is next door to the more populated Green Turtle Cay.

The harbour is beautiful. We anchored in 9 feet of crystal clear turquoise water. The air temp is in the 80's and the water temp in the 70's.
I immediately climbed the mast and took pictures. There were five or six other boats already anchored here.

Brian couldn't resist joining up there. About 3 days later, we were told about a guy that was standing on his spreader and it broke off. Glad that didn't happen to us. Puff has strong spreaders on her mast, but we probably won't do that again.
Can you believe how crystal clear the water is? Charlie was the first one in.

Taking the dingy to the nearest beach!

We finally got to use the underwater camera in the Bahamian Sea!
This was our sunset that day. Pretty sweet.

Our Voyage From North Carolina to Florida

2009-12-17T12:43:00.011-05:00

I'm just going to let the photos tell most of the story here...

Leaving Harkers Island, North Carolina On A Pretty Cold Day In November

My cozy nest inside the cabin of Puff keeps the chill away.

Brian enjoys a good book in the warm cabin after a long day on the water.

An idyllic harbor for our first night on the ICW.

Enjoying Thanksgiving dinner at Poogan's Porch in Charleston, SC.
Notice it's not too cold to eat outside.

Brian rows Charlie to shore for a bathroom break in the ICW.A clear cold morning finds us in Beaufort, SC.

The beautiful waterfront streets of Beaufort are lined with huge oaks dripping with Spanish moss and unbelievable historic, southern mansions.

A shady ally between the downtown, shoreside shops of Beaufort.

Puff's Christmas lights begin to shine in Hilton Head, SC. It's December!

Green Turtle Tavern in Fernandina Beach, FL serves warm bowls of chili and draft beer on a pretty day.

My friend Jen and I eating lunch at Caribou Cafe in Fernandina. We got cold and they offered us Snuggies to wear!

Brian had to get in on the Snuggie action, too.

Taking a break in a park near the St. Augustine, FL lighthouse.

Charlie up a tree chasing squirrels at the park.

St Augustine, Florida lighthouse pic Brian snapped as we sailed by.

Dingy landing in Lake Worth, West Palm, Florida.

Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine, Brian shot as we passed through.

Townfront, St. Augustine,

Another bathroom break!

So, that pretty much sums up our two and half weeks of 10 hour days motoring down the Intracoastal Waterway, better known as the ditch. The days are somewhat tedious, but we get to see a lot of pretty East Coast sites on the way.

The next post will be our continued cruising adventures in the Bahamas!!!!

End of Summer 2009 Tropical Lifestyle Update

2009-08-28T14:59:00.004-04:00

Well, we've almost got Puff's engine installed. We are in the process of having custom mounts welded by Pete, Brian's brother. We then have to install a new exhaust system and probably get a new prop blade. I can't wait to hear this boat's heartbeat again. We have made progress on our house plans for Long Island, Bahamas. For anyone that doesn't know already, we purchased a lot on Long Island, Bahamas in 2006 on our way back from our epic Caribbean Sailing Trip.

We plan to begin building on that lot this winter. We have had plans drawn up by an architect here on Ocracoke. It looks really good. Next step is to get a materials list together. In November, we will sail down to the Bahamas. We will have a container full of building materials shipped to LI in December and get to work. That's it for the update. After 2 seasons of not sailing to the Bahamas, I can't wait to go back!!!

August Adventures End With A Hurricane Swell!

2009-08-28T14:34:00.005-04:00

So, I usually save the most exciting stuff for last. Why is it that the most exciting stuff is always something fun that my husband's gotten into? Probably because he's a lot more daring than I am. While I was in New Orleans taking a continuing education class for massage therapy, (here's me with my cousins, mom, and sister in NO)

he was surfing the waves kicked up as Hurricane Bill passed offshore of the Outer Banks. Looks pretty fun!

Of course, Scooter and Amanda's place has the best break out front. And lucky for Brian, Amanda is such a caregiver. She gave Charlie a bath and fed Brian dinner before they came back to Ocracoke. Thanks Amanda, you're the best!

August Adventures Part Deux

2009-08-28T14:14:00.007-04:00

Our friends, Scooter and Amanda, came to Ocracoke to celebrate their one year wedding anniversary on August 16th. We all had a fun day at the beach and then went out to dinner at Cafe Atlantic with friends: Chuck, Farris, Chrissy, and baby Daisy.

Our next visitor's were a surprise! My dad's cousin Bobby and his wife just appeared on our dock one day! I was soooo happy to see them. We had dinner and shared stories about loved ones. We got to know each other better, since I haven't seen them since I was a little girl. I had such a good time, I think I might just have to spring a visit on them in the near future! We're all from South Louisiana, and family is very important down there. First, second, third or fourth cousins... it doesn't matter, it seems like we stay close no matter how long we've been out of touch.

Brian and Charlie the Dawg had a good time, too. I'm really glad they were able to meet Bobby and Nancy, as well... family meeting family...

We also had the Craver clan visit Ocracoke in August and we didn't get a single photo! Which is ridiculous!!! Craig and Carrie Craver are some of Brian's oldest friends from college. Carrie, if you read this and you have pics, please email me a couple! Thanks!

August Adventures

2009-08-28T13:59:00.004-04:00

Soooo, in August we have mostly been working, trying to bring in money while we can. We did have a few interesting projects going on though. One of them was when Brian's brother, Pete, came up from from Wilmington, NC to build a shade top for the parasail boat that Brian captain's.

Pete specializes in marine welding applications and has a portable welder. He built this top in one day!
Lenny didn't want his picture taken, oops... so now it's also on the internet... oh well!
Eric and Farris O'Neal, Lenny, and Brian. What else is there to do but hang out and watch Pete work?
Good Job, Pete! They put a canvas top on the aluminum structure Pete built and now B has shade when he puts in those long hours on the water!

Brian's July Spearfishing in Hatteras

2009-07-27T15:22:00.003-04:00

Okay, so here's Brian's passion: spearfishing and freediving. We did it in the Bahamas for years, but last summer was the first time it occurred to us that we should give the NC coast a try. So worth it. I haven't gone yet, but these pics show that it is clear, gorgeous, and there are plenty of fish. We eat fish all summer lonfg now, and we never have to buy it or worry about catching it with a hook and line.
This fish B has here is an African Pompano, is actually not related to the smaller pompano that we catch off the beach here, but is in the jack family. Many jacks are not good to eat, but this one is. We really enjoy it, and so do the sharks. Brian always sees sharks when he dives off the NC coast. In the Bahamas, we usually see nurse sharks and occasionally blacktip or gray reef sharks. Here, there are sand tigers around the wrecks, duskys, bulls, sandbar sharks, blacktip, and our friend just south of us saw his first Tiger shark a couple of weeks ago. A few years ago, a fishing boat out of Oregon Inlet videotaped a great white. So, we get all kinds of sharks here, which makes for some exciting dives. Maybe that's why I haven't joined him yet!

Yeah, a shark got it. This is not unusual at all. They're out there. They really just want to eat fish, but I wouldn't get in their way.
The boat belongs to Atil, who Brian met through the Virginia Beach Mid-Atlantic Longfins Club, a freediving club.

Bunch of African Pompano, coupla Cobia, and an Amberjack head.
Lovin' his Pelagic camo boardshorts and his custom speargun.

The group that went out that day. Atil has a camo wetsuit. I grew up in Louisiana with my dad wearing mossy oak camo and hunter orange and disappearing every weekend during duck and deer hunting season. Back then I never knew people hunted underwater too. Now, my husband wears black, green, and blue camo and hunts aquatic game 50 to 70 feet below the surface. Kinda crazy, but pretty cool!
Another day, at our home, a receding funnel cloud that had formed an awesome water spout!

Clamming on Ocracoke

2009-07-27T14:48:00.007-04:00

This summer has been flying by for us so far. I've been enjoying my job doing massage and Brian has been working looooong days as the parasail boat captain. He's loving it, but I miss him a little. This beautiful sunset is on a typical Ocracoke evening from the Jolly Roger Restaurant where Brian docks the parasail boat.
Our little one pot herb garden is doing well. Our sweet friend, Tom, leaves goodies from his garden in it from time to time. I love coming home and finding fresh, ripe tomatoes and surprises like the butternut squash you see above! Thanks, Tom!
Okay, I had to snap a picture of this isle in the grocery store. Does anyone else think it's totally screwed up to put the school supplies in the junk food isle!? Jeez! This summer I've been focusing on eating as pure as possible - no processed food or factory farmed animal products, mostly fruits and vegetables - so, I really think it's sad that kids, (and their parents), get extra pressure to feed themselves disease causing, sugar and chemical laden food when they go to pick up school supplies.
On my way back from the grocery store, the ferry ride was sooooo beautiful!!! The water looked like the Caribbean!
Ahhhhhh, a lovely and relaxing day of clamming near Portsmouth Island. Brian and Scott are checking out this spot for us, while the dogs play on the land.

The weather was perfect, as you can see...

Tony's squeeze, Martha, cleverly avoiding the sun.
Cool photo, I had water on the lens... I like it.
These four little clams turned into almost 200 by the end of the day!
Playing with the underwater camera...

Yeah, I had a nice sunburn by the time it was all over. I knew I should've covered up, but the sunshine felt so good!

The dogs swam around like this for hours! So easily entertained! I think they were hunting fish.
Scott and Martha pulling the boats around to a better spot.
Ru-roh!

This was just half the story. That night we shucked every one of those clams and made clams casino. They were delicious!

Time Is Flying...

2009-06-25T10:38:00.005-04:00

Okay, I'm not really sure that I could be more boring right now. June has been work, work, work and more work. For me, that means working on my Online Bahamas Travel Guide, which is still not ready to be released, and my exciting action/adventure/mystery novel, Bahamas Blue Death, which is still only in original draft form and just 1/3 of the way done. Since my eyes have been glued to the laptop screen working on these two major projects, which I hope to create nice streams of income through by the time we toss the bowlines and sail away to the islands this winter, I have not done much to blog about. Brian has been putting 9 - 11 hour days on the parasail boat. His goal is make and save enough money to begin building our house on in the Bahamas in January 2010. I think it's going to happen. I did manage to buy a new swimsuit, lose 10 pounds on my new pescatarian/vegan/raw foodist combo lifestyle, and become a redhead this month. You can see all of these changes in the lovely photo above. As you can tell by my pasty, white skin, I have not managed to get out and enjoy this lovely, summer weather very much at all. I have had a bit of a night life though. I get out about once a week and have nice dinner with Brian, or drinks with friends, or something more unusual like this past Tuesday when I attended the first ever Women's Arm Wresting Match at Smax. The ladies were in costume and had names like "Carm the Arm," "Boris", and "Tiny Dancer." They wore tutu's, capes, and sometimes mustaches. It was a fundraiser for the local radio station and it was a hoot! And you can shoot me now, because I didn't bring my camera! My friend Lyn got some photos and I will post them if I can get them from her. Below is a pic of a Coast Guard helicopter and boat performing a manuever behind my boat. It was fairly entertaining and impressive to watch this guy drop into the water from the whirly bird and then climba ladder back up again.
This is my poor, fat cat doing what he does best. When we go cruising again, he'll be able to shed those pounds by frolicking on the deck, climbing the rigging, and eating fresh sashimi.
Jack again, getting sick of picture taking.
Told you I was boring. I'll try to liven up the next post a bit by getting out and about more! By the way, we have also been doing extensive boat work by cutting and reshaping our engine bed to fit the new Beta Marine diesel. This just happened 2 days ago and I am still recovering from cleaning fiberglass dust out of every nook and cranny of our living space for 7 1/2 hours. I just can't talk about it yet. When the project is completely done, I'll post pics and details. It's really actually quite disturbing right now because it's not done yet and we are hoping for the best, but have no idea how it will all turn out! Yikessssss!

Beach Day

2009-06-05T08:54:00.004-04:00

We have been pretty busy lately. Both of us have been adjusting to new jobs and work schedules. Brian is no longer doing remodeling construction and I am not at the realty anymore. I think I wrote an earlier post about Brian's summer job, driving the parasail boat. Good money and good fun.

I am practicing massage again. I'm working with a very knowledgeable and talented massage therapist at her place of business here on Ocracoke, Stillwater Spa. I am enjoying it very much.

Last weekend was the first time I got into a swimsuit this year and went to the beach for some R & R. We spent the week hanging out with our friend Scooter and some cruising friends were also in town for one really fun night.

I've been working on my soon to be web based business, more about that later. I will say that I believe we'll be able to at least make a living from it while we're cruising - YAY! I've also been working on some fiction novels, since I have 3 or 4 in my head. I am making an effort to work on one at a time. I also have a nice screenplay in the works. Focus!!!

Okay, so I've also been working on another blog called Sea Change In Your Life. I have a lot going on right now, so it's slow going. The content is a bit richer, it is a self development blog. My obsession for many years has been self development and I have seen such amazing results in my life that I just want to share what I've learned.

Aside from that, we've been eating all the fresh fish we want because Brian got so much on his spearfishing trip and he works with a couple commercial fishermen so they are always giving us all kinds of fish. I had a butterfish this week. I've never had one before, actually I've never heard of them, but it was delicious!

I'll be going on a 7 day raw food based detox in a couple of days and I will write about it on my other blog if you want to know how it goes. There are two links to Sea Change... in this post and one under the sidebar to the left where it lists my favorite blogs. Okay, y'all have a nice day now.

First Spearfishing Trip of 2009!

2009-05-24T14:01:00.004-04:00

May 23, B went on the first spearing trip of the season in Hatteras with the Mid-Atlantic Long Fins Freediving Club. The MALF Club was actually holding a spearfishing tournament . Brian speared this huge spade fish, which he got a citation for and may turn out to be a world record.
Beautiful, and good eating too!

Also, he got a cobia and an African Pompano.
A friend with a huge cobia.

Atil with another large cobia.
Nice jobs, guys!
Lovely dinner afterwards. Thanks to the cooks!

Bezo's Visit

2009-05-24T13:42:00.004-04:00

My Dad, Bezo, drove up from Baton Rouge, Louisiana to visit this May. It was his first time to Ocracoke, of course he loved it.

Dad and Shannon walking to Smax.

I think he's having a good time. Live music, fried fish and cold beers on the water, he's in heaven!

Talking on his cell phone while on a bike, at least he pulled over!
Strike a pose, B!
Cheesy self portrait.
Random, peaceful cat.

Lorie and Gisette chillin with us watchin a storm roll in.

Wicked clouds.

Still Life on Ocracoke Island

2009-05-24T13:31:00.003-04:00

Two of Six of our wild otter friends and neighbors.
So adorable...
Except sometimes they eat baby ducklings, what are you gonna do, it's nature...

Bucket 'o blue crabs...

In my pj's, eating crabs on the dock at 10 0' clock at night, Bezo would be proud.Attractive...
Charlie using the potted plants in the cockpit as a head rest.

I thought these plants looked cool through the screen...

Can I Get A What-What?

2009-05-08T22:19:00.003-04:00

Check it out! Brian is a guest blogger on Jean-Michel Cousteau's (Jacques Cousteau's Son) blog!!! Yay B!

http://www.notesfromtheroad.com/guana.htm#sailboat

Scenes From My Life...

2009-05-06T15:52:00.011-04:00

Soooo, here are a few pics of Ocracoke Island in North Carolina, where we live. I've also included some photos of our boat so those of you who have no idea of what it is like to live on a smallish sailboat can imagine it. (It's great, by the way!)My kitty, Jack-rat aka Jack Dreadbelly aka Jack-cat, whatever. He's on his harness. I don't let him run free because he is a tamed feral cat and he is still a bit wild. So, when I let him come and go as he pleases, he becomes more and more wild, and much less tame, and generally hell to live with.

He is totally fine with this harness. He wears it here in the cockpit next to a bag of laundry. He has had to wear it offshore on ocean passages, since he was a kitten. He can get out of it only if it gets hung up on something. For that reason, he needs to be supervised when he is wearing it.
As you can see here, he is still wearing his harness and is quite comfortable!
Sleeping all propped up on books. I love him so much, I take tons of photos of him. It drives Brian crazy. He doesn't find Jack as cute and irresistible as I do!

Me drinking a Natty Lite. Any kind of beer tastes better on a boat.
Brian with a couple of childhood friends that were camping in Frisco, which is a 45 minute ferry ride and 30 minute drive away, on Hatteras Island.
This sweet mama duck comes by the boat a lot with her 10 babies to eat bread and cracker crumbs.

Papa duck stops by once in awhile too.
Our garden... an orchid that we took from our lot in Long Island, Bahamas; A pot of cat grass for Jack, a struggling croton, and two other plants that I don't know the names of without looking them up. One is some kind of succulent.
Jack's indoor grass for snacking, (it's very zenlike).
Baby Basil, Dill, Cilantro, and Chives.
The Silver Lake Harbour entrance leading out into the Pamlico Sound. The Ocracoke Inlet is visible once you get out of the Harbour. Offshore is some of the best fishing and wreck diving on the US East Coast.
Puff, our home, and TTP (tender to Puff), our "car"... when we are cruising. While we are landlubbers, we have real cars. This is something I get asked about a lot. We keep our vehicles in storage while we are cruising. Then just go and get them when we get ready to live "land life" again.
The street we live on and the main "highway" on Ocracoke. Highway 12. Pretty quiet at 6:30 PM on a Tuesday in May. Can't even tell it's Cinco de Mayo!
Saying hi to our friends who sailed in on this Beneteau that they chartered out of Oriental, NC.
The view of our dock from another dock. Our boat is the farthest on the left. You can barely make out the blue on her hull and my bright yellow kayak.
The Ocracoke Lighthouse across the Harbour...
Charlie drinking out of this cool seashell fountain at the Silver Lake Motel. No Holiday Inns here! In fact, no chain establishments of any kind.
This is typical of the little shops here, very cute.
This shop, Mermaid's Folly, is across the street from us. They sell super cute island-y clothes.

The pirate ship, Windfall, sailing out of the harbour.
Brian giving me a big cheesy grin.
My reflection in a sportfish yacht's window.
This is our kitchen, in a boat, it is called a galley. We have a 2 burner propane stove with an oven. I can bake pies and everything! You can also see cabinets and a stainless steel sink with both fresh and saltwater foot pumps (saves electricity and water!), and pressurized fresh water, which we hardly ever use.
This is what it looks like from the bow, where our bed is. You are looking at the companionway (the front door) in the stern. There is tin foil wrapped around the beautiful teak wood in the galley, because it is the only the only thing that keeps Jack from ruining it with his claws.
My work space. Known as a settee in boat language. Miss Crafty (Not!-aka me) made the curtains on my very own sewing machine. Living and traveling on a boat makes you want to be a little crafty. I have tried watercolors, sewing, jewelry making... Also, notice the sisal rope wrapped around the mast for Jack to climb. Oh yeah, my work space settee is also Charlie the dog's bed at night. Everything on a boat must serve several purposes.
The view inside from the front door/companionway, (at the back/stern of the boat). Notice the mounted wall vase that can't tip over, the fridge in the middle of the floor where Jack is lying on it, and the bed/V-Berth in the back of our living space and the front/bow of the boat. Dizzy yet? Welcome to my world.
The head/bathroom/toilet. Note the miniature size and all the hoses and pumps everywhere. This is a very clean, functional head for a boat. On the left is a shower curtain drawn to the side and a removable shower head mounted on the wall. To take a shower, you just shut the door, pull the curtain so water doesn't get out of the cracks around the door, and enjoy. We usually take showers in an outdoor shower because it has more room, less to clean up, and better water pressure.
This is the view from sitting on the toilet. Haha. It really is though. The cabinets in front of you are the only place to keep our clothes. You can't have a lot of clothes, hence why we like warmer climates, less clothes! Again, the tin foil is to keep Jack's claws out of the wood.
Or bed aka the V-Berth. It is in the bow and when we sleep, our feet must rest side by side in the small V at the base of the bed. This is also where the anchor locker is. You can see a gear hammock over my side, where I pile as many clothes as possible. And the laundry basket under the bed, like most items on a boat, was purchased especially for that space. There is a giant, scary African tribal mask at the foot of the bed, but you can't really see him. He has no significance except to keep us company.
This is the back porch/cockpit. The table is folded down, but you can put it up for al fresco dining. Above the table are drinkholders, for when we are sailing at a 45 degree angle. The BBQ grill is mounted on a rail (on your left) and sports a cover made by yours truly. Well, that's it! Hope you enjoyed the tour. Do you think you would or could live on a boat like ours?

Not So Lazy Sunday at the Beach

2009-04-27T16:18:00.002-04:00

Sunday is our day off together. It was so beautiful, we decided a bike ride to the beach was in order. We took this really cool dirt road through the saltmarsh to get there.
You can't really see it, but the light house is in the distance on the right.
Charlie, cooling off when we got there. Why isn't Brian barefoot? Because, we had agreed to work out a little bit and do some running on the beach before we began lazing about.
Good luck getting him to do any beach jog after that bike ride!
Well, we made ourselves do somewhere around 200 crunches and push ups until we couldn't do anymore... that's called "set to exhaustion." Then we did my "Couch to 5k" program, which was a walk/run combination for 20 minutes. It sure doesn't sound like much here, but it felt like a lot to me. I'm quite sore today, and of course I have a weird splotchy sunburn. I should have worn more sunscreen. I underestimated my white-ness.

It felt really good actually. I am desperate to get back into good shape by June.
Look at this darling duck mama and her babies. We passed them riding home.
After all that exercise, we relaxed on the harbour front at the Jolly Roger where we had delicious Jamaican Jerk Grouper sandwiches and a couple of beers. That's not very fit eating, I know. It sure tasted great though! The weather was so perfect, warm sunshine and cool breezes. We're always happiest on the water, but next to it is pretty damn good, too.

Gone Fishin'!

2009-04-27T16:09:00.003-04:00

Brian went out on the Drumstick last weekend, lucky boy! The Drumstick is our friend, Ferris,' sportfish. It is based right here in Ocracoke.
Looks like it was a beautiful day to be fishing in blue water! Brian took all of these photos, many of them from the bridge, so you won't see him in any. It sure looks like fun though.
Captain Ferris at the helm and on the radio.

Lenny, he was the mate.

Good Times!

Baltimore, Maryland

2009-04-27T15:43:00.004-04:00

Our little island is about seven hours of drive time away from Baltimore, Maryland. Brian had some Coast Guard business to take care of there, so we made it into a fun little adventure. B, Charlie, and I piled into the Camry and arrived in the city of Baltimore after a harrowing highway ride. We have become quite used to living on small islands and we hardly drive at all. We usually ride a bike. So, the highway traffic was pretty stressful. We do love road trips though. I especially love them. I really do not like to fly if I can help it. Just don't like being packed in a commercial plane like a sardine. Cities quickly overwhelm us, but we get comfortable pretty easily and love playing tourist. I'd been to Baltimore before as a child, but B had never been there. We made no prior arrangements, hoping to get a better rate at a hotel as a "walk-in." That worked out even better than we expected.

We found a cute hotel catty-corner to the waterfront in the "Fell's Point" area called "The Admiral Fell Inn." Ha, ha, ha... Clever. Anyway, we ended up securing a $189/night room for $130 and got out of the pet fee completely, pretty nice.

I was honest about the dog! It's pretty hard to hide a 72 lb furry black dog anyway, especially when we had to walk right past the front desk every time we went anywhere. But they were cool with it.

It was really a great place. Brian hit the goody store around the corner and returned to the room with rum, wine, and mixer. Charlie was a little wigged out, first ride in an elevator and all. We went that night to an Irish pub and just enjoyed being somewhere new. The next morning we had a kick-ass breakfast at the Blue Moon.

On the way back to Ocracoke, we decided to forego the highway hell and take a beautiful scenic bypass, which we enjoyed all the way. Hey, we might not be sailing in tropical latitudes right now, but it's all about appreciating the moment right? And we definitely do.

The Horse You Came In On Saloon, where Edgar Allen Poe reportedly bought his last drink :-(

Charlie really wanted to go have a pint.

Beau is my brother's name. I thought this was kinda funny.

New Job!

2009-04-12T12:14:00.007-04:00

Last Sunday was beautiful so we went out on the parasail boat so Brian could train for his new summer job!

Ferris (owner) at the wheel, Brian and Eric .

Shannon has volunteered to go up. He was a bit nervous so he and I put down a couple Smirnoff Lights, wine coolers, beforehand to help him relax.

Shannon... going up...

Isn't that parachute so pretty!

I've never done this myself, but I'm sure I will before the summer is over. Just waiting for it to get warmer.

Shannon and Ferris chillin.

B's big turn at the wheel. He's actually flying a big bucket of water.

Myself, looking like a dork.

We went to Smax after for a beer and a fish sandwich. This is a great outdoor bar and grill on the dock where the sportfishing boats are.

Ahhhh, relief for Chrissy, Ferris's wife. She had to get off her feet! she is sitting on a bucket of fishing nets! Her little girl is due to come into this world in June. Fun stuff, summertime is around the corner!

Spring Move

2009-04-12T11:59:00.004-04:00

April finds us back aboard Puff, bye-bye Angelsong... such a sweet little cottage,

Home, sweet, home... you can't beat that view with a stick.

Our backyard....

So beautiful.

Our neighbors...

Jack has made himself right at home back on the boat.

The Community Store is right next door. It is one of two of the small grocery stores on the island. Inside the Community Store on a Friday night, the local musicians gather for a little indoor porch pickin'. Village folk gather by the wood stove to enjoy the music. I'm in there buying some soymilk for Brian's breakfast cereal, they carry great vegetarian/vegan items.

The local talent sounds great. Some of Ocracoke's local musicians were featured in the movie, Nights in Rodanthe. Rodanthe is a ferry ride away on Hatteras Island. Brian and I got married there on the beach in October of 2005. I love this.

Windowsill Kitty

2009-04-12T11:55:00.002-04:00

Nothing special, just thought my cat Jack in the window looked so peaceful and beautiful.

Warm sunshine...

Cool Breeze...

Meditation...

Twister Party!

2009-04-12T11:23:00.003-04:00

This was actually late February or early March, I don't remember. It was such fun! Our friend, Riggs, had a dinner party and she busted out the game of Twister. Her idea of how to play was the best. Girls spin while the guys were on the Twister mat and vice versa. It was a hoot!

Isn't this the coolest bathroom!

Riggsie grinning

The guys trying to be cool about all this.

Scott falling on his ass

Brian, Jack, and Tony in a very compromising position.

Girls Turn! Riggs and I in a choreographed move.

Whoever had the camera liked the butt-shots.

It appears that Dee is falling on her head!

Jack and Riggs wrap up the night with a piano performance.

New Diesel Install!

2009-03-23T10:32:00.006-04:00

Hey Y'all!

Puff got a new engine on Sunday, March 22nd! Her old engine was a Yanmar 3GM30F. Her new engine is a Beta Marine 25. Betas are made by Kubota, the same guys who make tractor engines. We researched long and hard and are very sure of our purchase. Brian and I woke up early Friday morning and took a 2 hour ferry off the island, drove an hour, took another ferry and picked up the engine in Arapahoe, NC. We made it back to Ocracoke by 7 o'clock that evening. On Sunday, our buddy Tony, borrowed the island's only tractor and all of our friends gathered to help us put the Beta onto Puff. Brian's parents even came over from the mainland to help.

Brian and Charlie in the truck going to get our new ticket to freedom! Do you think he's excited?

Lovely sunset that we caught on our fourth and last ferry ride of the day... back to the island of Ocracoke.

Puff with her dodger down to make room for the incoming iron jib.

Our brand spanking new Beta in the bed of B's truck.

The engine "room" in Puff all painted with soundproofing paint and ready for it's new occupant.

Little Red being lifted out of the truck.

Our new engine hanging over the water... Yowsers!

Brian, welcoming Red Rosie home.

Our buddy Jack and Brian making sure Red does not crash to the cockpit floor.

More cockpit maneuvering...

This was and interesting shot..."Don't get that thing tangled in the shrouds, Tony!"

The proud parents of the proud owner of a Beta.

As I said, it was quite an event... folks came from all around...

So we got the engine inside and realized, whoops! The transmission and the prop shaft don't really line up and are off by quite a bit. But, don't worry. One of the things that sets Beta Marine apart is the knowledgeable, helpful, and available staff. I have put in a call to headquarters. Very soon I shall receive helpful answers from a patient and kind British gentleman. (They are out of the UK, but based in North Carolina.) I suspect we will need custom mounts. We'll let you know the rest of the story soon...

Sunday Afternoon on Ocracoke

2009-03-11T15:25:00.004-04:00

This past Sunday, Brian and I worked all day.
At 5:30 we called it a day and spent some
time with our animals, Jack and Charlie.
Jack was looking very bored...

Charlie wanted to go to the beach...

So, we went...

Charlie was puzzled for some unknown reason...

We went for a walk through the coastal woods and had a picnic,
on the platform looking out over the salt marsh and sound.

And we go to see this gorgeous sunset.
Happyness...

WOW! An Award? For Moi? I'd like to thank...

2009-03-11T13:50:00.004-04:00

Casey, my dear friend from back in my LSU days has given me the Kreativ Blogger award, thanks Case! I'm new to blogging and I'm enjoying it very much as a way to let friends and family peer into our little life and also to speak to my fellow cruisers and soon to be cruisers who have been following our website, www.yachtpuff.com. Casey is the one who got me started doing this blog. She also taught me how to be creative with my blog. THANK YOU SUPERMOM!

The Rules:
List 7 things that you love and then pass the award on to 7 people...tagging them and letting them know they won! You can copy the picture of the award and put it on your sideboard letting the whole wide world know you are.

1. the ocean: it represents life and energy and limitless possibility to me

2. my family: in my ideal world, I have my entire family all living within a 5 mile radius of me

3. my animals: i couldn't live without pets, they provide entertainment and so much love

4. South Louisiana: I'm with Casey on this one... the food, the music, the culture, the history, the steamy weather, plus my own heritage goes back for hundreds of years there... my family

5. my husband: partner, friend, inspiration... he challenges me to be a better person every day and i trust him more than anyone else i've ever known... life is so unbelievably good with him at my side

6. sunshine: I could totally deal with sunshine every day, same goes for warm weather

7. traveling... I love, love, love to travel. I have made traveling my life and I don't ever want to stop moving!

I can't believe I only get 7, I could go on and on...

I'd like to award ( I guess you can't award someone right back, but Casey really is the most creative bloggstress that I know)...

Force Ten Hurricane has the blog called S/V Wahoo... She's been working so hard on her sailboat for a couple of years now. She is in North Louisiana and doing a great job with all her boat projects. She's going to be an awesome cruiser someday very soon!

Travis and Maggie at blog, Me Voy... Crazy enough to be cruisers, they have 2 boats that are works in progress. It takes a lot to rehab an old boat. These guys are doing 2! And they are both artists, so I'm sure they are not only doing quality work, they're probably taking the time to make it look really good too! They definitely have the patience to be blow boaters.

Brian Pucella at the Oceanprowler.com blog... yes, he's my husband, but I really do love his blog and it is very creative!

Scott, of A Food Journey With Scott... Love this blog, she's such a great cook, shopper, hostess. I learn something from every single post!

OKAY! So I admit it! I need to read more of the great blogs out there! I don't really have seven that I have read more than once. I resolve to do better! Of course, there's Nie who I read, but I'm sure she's gotten dozens of awards. I'm going to get into this a bit more I hope. Thanks Again Casey!

Let's Talk About Boats!

2009-03-06T08:12:00.004-05:00

This is what we have to look forward to!

The cruising life is always so exciting! Even if you're not cruising, you're preparing to go again. Nothing can be more thrilling than planning your next adventure except actually taking off! We're in the preparation stage right now. We rented a house for the winter, because we wanted to do some major work on Puff. We have ordered a new diesel engine and Brian is working days to build the cruising kitty and working on the boat at night. Right now he is doing interior varnish work. We're also planning on installing a hot water heater, re-doing the non-skid on deck, sewing a new dodger and bimini, and at some point... a new mattress, a new stove, LED lighting, a new stereo system, cockpit cushions, and interior cushions. We're also going to haul her out before we go and scrub and paint her bottom, get a new prop and driveshaft, and a remote oil filter for the engine.

Boats are a lot of work, but there is something cool about working on your own boat. It's a great feeling. I'm grinding the ax at a day job, as well. At night, I am working on creating a source of passive income for us, so we can get paid while we're cruising. Sounds great, doesn't it? It's basically a web based income that requires a lot of work initially and minimal maintenence to keep up. Perfect for cruisers.! We need to find another way to make money besides trading hours for dollars, that cuts into actually living this wonderful life. I've seen good results for others, but I'm doing my own test. If it works out, I'll write about it and let everyone know. The unveiling should be at the end of the month, if I make my own deadline.

March holds much excitement for us, new engine... boat repairs and upgrades... moving out of the house and back onto the boat... launching a web biz... I'm starting a new job, doing massage for a friend's spa... lots of new things! That's what Spring is all about, right? New beginnings, leave a comment and tell me about the new beginnings in your life this Spring. By the way, March 20th is the official first day of Spring!!! Yes! Bring on the sunshine and warmer weather!

Ahhhhh... the Bahamas!

I Really Love My Life...

2009-02-25T18:46:00.003-05:00

I must be doing something right if I can say that. I guess everybody has these days though. Sometimes I feel... euphoric, just thinking about the really cool story that is my life. Especially, when a page is really good like today. When everything that happens resonates like poetry. It's mostly about the feeling I get when I step back at look in at my life from an outside point of view. Today was nothing special, nothing special, believe me. In fact, I even went to work at my job where my entrepreneurial soul has some conflict with being just a boring cog in boring corporate wheel. Really, it wasn't what a I'd call a great day or anything. Just one of those days when I feel my heart overflowing with gratitude for my strange and singular way of life. Living on an island always does that to me. When we are cruising on our sailboat, I feel this daily. Today, the feeling was triggered by a couple of white hens, (as in chickens) crossing the road in front of my car on my lunch break. It reminded me of the goats and chickens that stop traffic on all of my beloved Caribbean islands. I felt so lucky to live in a place where chickens, (and ducks in the summer), can stop traffic. Not to mention, I was alone on the road, which is also normal here on Ocracoke. No other cars or people, just me and the chickens. How much I love that, I cannot tell you...

The Importance of Setting Goals

2009-02-22T15:18:00.010-05:00

Most of my posts are inspired by conversations I've had with people. This one is no exception. The other day, I asked my younger brother if he kept a written list of his goals. I actually asked him only as a preface to my next statement, assuming he was going to say yes. I had planned to advise him to use that list of his goals as a compass to guide him through the decision making process regarding some choices he was facing at the time. Instead of saying "yes, of course I have a list of goals," he said, "I think I've written them down at some point in time, but I don't know where they are..." I was actually pretty amazed. I don't know how anyone can live their life with any sense of direction without the proper map, a written list of goals they want to make happen in their life. I guess some people keep their goals in their head, but this is so abstract and leaves room for confusion.

I like to write down my yearly goals at the beginning of the New Year. I prioritize those goals so that I know which ones are the most important to me to accomplish, because we often cannot do it all, especially in one year. Next to each goal I write the actions I will have to take to make the goal happen. Then, I look at that list every evening, and I make an even smaller daily action list so that I am constantly working toward the first three goals most of the time and occasionally I throw in required actions to work on the other important, but not as important, items. Other things on my action list are regular "to-do" items like laundry and paying bills. Looking at that daily to do list is how I start my day. It keeps me on track. I use that day's action list when I make the next day's because often things don't get done and have to be carried over to the next day.

It also forces me to look at how much I got done that day in the way of my important goals. If I have to carry the list over to the next day and the only thing I got done was cleaning the house and grocery shopping, that means I basically ran in the hamster wheel that day. I didn't write 200 words for my book, I didn't work on my web business, and I didn't workout. This means I that while I might have a full refrigerator and a clean house, I have made no progress on the larger goals whose results could impact my entire life. And next week I will have to do the same chores again, making me feel like that hamster in the wheel, just keeping the status quo, but never growing or changing my life for the better.

My top three goals right now are to complete my fiction manuscript so I may give it a shot at being published, to build and establish a commercial website that brings in at least $2000 per month, and to create the habit of running and working out 5 days/week. I'm doing okay, but I'd never be able to say that without a clearly written list of goals, prioritized in order of importance, with a timeline, and chunked down into manageable daily activities.

The way I prioritize my goals is not according to what is the most important to me on a personal level, (the number one priority for me is family), but rather which of my yearly goals would make the biggest positive change in my life if I were able to accomplish it. I love my family, and I do make it a priority to spend as much time as possible with them. However, I always keep in mind that as long as I am living my best life then I am serving my husband, my family, and the world the very best way I can. This is the reason I challenge myself with goals that I believe will help me to live the healthiest and most productive life I can. This quote by Nelson Mandela illustrates this point for me,

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

This is why I set goals so that I can keep moving forward in this life in becoming the brilliant force I believe we were all meant to be. For the past few years, my top three goals actually centered on spending a certain amount of time on my family relationships. It worked out well for me, and I came to realize last year it was time for a shift in those goals. I had neglected the financial area of my life as far as growth is concerned for awhile, so that is where my goals have landed this year. I also realized that I was ready to increase my level of fitness to a place where I was several years ago, but haven't been in some time.

How you decide your top three goals will depend on where you want to see the most change in your life this year. Whether you accomplish them will largely depend on your desire to, as well as your plan of attack. Writing down your goals and using that list as a guide for your daily activities and decisions is key. If you attempt to better your life in some big ways this year, chances are you'll have to sacrifice some of the things that fill your time without enriching your life, like TV, negative or counterproductive relationships, and too much mindless web surfing. Your life will be the better for it in all sorts of ways. It is nearing the end of February, but it's never too late to start living your best life now.

Cruising With Pets Aboard

2009-02-16T12:13:00.010-05:00

Charlie enjoys a good sail.

Jack, at ease in the cockpit

My new friend Beverly asked about how we deal with pets aboard our 32' Bayfield, Puff, when we're out cruising. The answer for me is "with pleasure." I love, love, love animals and my life would be a little empty without my cat Jack and my dog Charlie. Brian's answer would be, "I love them, but they can be a pain in the ass on the boat." Everyone is different. I can tell you how we handle it and the issues we run into with pets aboard and you can judge for yourselves.

We take Charlie everywhere with us.

Charlie is a 52 lb. Spaniel/Retriever/Border Collie mix. He needs the type of exercise he can't get on the boat. We have to be fairly active people to deal with this, and we are. Charlie does not love living on a smallish sailboat. He likes big rooms to spread out in and play with his toys. He likes a dog bed and a yard to go out in whenever he pleases.

But he loves us and he has lived aboard Puff since he was 6 months old. We walk him several times daily and if we're landlocked for awhile, we try to bring him to work if possible. Brian is in construction and until this year, Charlie went to work with him at every job he was on. His current job doesn't provide a good place for Charlie, so he stays home during the day. Good thing for Charlie that we are renting a house for a few winter months, but next month it's back to the boat.

Charlie buried in the sand

When we are living aboard, Charlie likes to stay outside up on deck when weather permits or he may laze about on the dock when we are home on the boat. He loves the water, seabirds, dolphin, otters, fish and other creatures that visit our boat. When we are underway, he hunkers down in the cockpit or down below. Sometimes the motion of the boat is uncomfortable to him, and to us, but we all bear it and do the best we can. It usually doesn't last long.

Sometimes we try to secure Charlie in a tight spot so he's not sliding and bouncing around. We try to keep him comfortable and unafraid. We are trying to teach him a new command... "TACK!" At the sound of this word, we want him to switch sides of the cockpit like we do, so he can sit on the "downside" because he slides off the seat if we are sailing on a heel and he is on the "upside."

Charlie loves the beach

Long passages are a problem. Many dogs will relieve themselves on the boat. Ours will not. They say any dog can be trained to do it, so far... Charlie just will not. This is our biggest problem. We cannot really go for more than 12 hours without stopping at a port for him to walk. This seriously cramps our sailing style and longer passages are out, meaning it takes even longer to get anywhere. A lot longer. And it's hard to find good places to stop every 12 hours. You get the picture.

I will try again this year to train him to go on board. Many people have a fake grass mat or a piece of carpet or litter box for their dog to go in. They usually put it on the deck up at the bow. If it is a carpet or mat, they put a hole or grommet in it and run a rope through so they can put it overboard and wash it in the sea. We had a couple of friends with a larger boat and their 2 dogs just went up on the deck and they had to thoroughly clean and disinfect it every day!

He loves to swim, too

Also, if the bow is where they're supposed to go potty when you're underway and the boat is pitching and rolling... they probably won't be able to keep their balance up there and it's not safe either. So, i'm still searching for the best solution. When you are underway, especially offshore, you and your pets need to be wearing a harness and be tethered to the boat.

Harnesses are important for everybody

The harness is an important, life-saving advice. And pets are in danger of choking themselves on a harness, so you have to supervise them at all times if they're on one, especially cats. A way around this is to lock pets below during offshore passages. We thought this was mean and a pain to keep removing our hatchboards to go in and out. We usually put Charlie in the cockpit on a nonskid mat or towel and teach him to stay there, (except for tacking.)

Jack the cat is allowed the run of the boat during the day, we only put his harness on him if it gets rough or he gets crazy and starts leaping around and risking his life. Usually, he's pretty calm. Every night that we are underway, he gets harnessed and whoever is on watch, watches him too. This is without exception. Cats like to wander at night, and we know the harness is why he is still with us today.

Jack in the dingy with a conch

Back to the potty issue, Jack goes to the bathroom in a litter box that is secured in an upright position tightly under the nav station. Trust me, you do not want this spilling over. We don't use litter because it is not available to buy in most of our destinations and we don't want to waste valuable storage space. We use two plastic dishpans from Wal-Mart instead of a litter box. Smaller and cheaper. You take one and drill 1/4 inch holes in it all over the bottom. Then you drill two holes in each of the short sides, near the top of the pan and about two inches apart, this is where you want the handles to be. Then you put a long enough piece of rope through the two holes, and secure it by tying a non-slip knot.

Do this on each side and you've got your handles. You're going to dip this into the sea by these handles so make sure they are long enough where you don't have to risk your life by leaning way down near the ocean. You fill this top pan (the one with all the holes in it) with rocks that are non-porous (no limestone) and big enough not to fall through the holes in the bottom, but small enough that kitty can scratch them around a bit. You simply then place the pan with the holes and rocks in it into the identical one you bought and voila! you have your ocean going cat litter solution.

Jack in his harness watching B filet a fish

You can train kitty by replacing his old box with this one and gradually replacing litter with rocks. Rocks are not oder absorbant, so it will smell if you do not clean it right away. We did not find this to be a problem. Jack would go, I would take the box to the deck and lift the top pan out of the bottom one and rinse it in the sea over the side. The poop would float off the top and the rocks were heavy enough to stay in the box. The pee would be rinsed off. The bottom pan would be full of pee, so you either need rope handles on this one too, or just rinse it out with a bucket.

I got this idea from Australian single hander Jill Knight aboard Cooee. She had an article on it in one of the cruising mags. It really works great.

Jack in the salon helping B with a fishing reel

Jack has a sisal rope wound around the deck stepped mast that runs through the salon for a scratching post. He loves life aboard. He loves fishing and sushi. He kills bugs and moths for fun. He finds offshore passages very exciting and often leans into the wind and salt spray, shaking it off and leaning into it again for another wave to spray him. He collects flying fish from the deck for his breakfast and he and Brian split them up, so Brian can have some to use for bait.

Jack get salty dreadlocks in his long belly fur from running around on the salt encrusted deck, that's how he got his pirate name, Jack Dreadbelly! Best of all, Jack loves navigating. When Brian sits down at the nav station to program the GPS or chart a course, Jack begins purring very loudly and sits on the nav station attentively.

Jack with a flying fish tail sticking out of his mouth

Charlie the dog and I don't usually feel so well at sea, so we are probably lying down together somewhere as much as possible when we're offshore. Charlie and I eat a little less during passages, but Brian and Jack eat regularly. It depends on you and your animal's personality how well the boating life will work for you both. One more thing I almost forgot, Jack can swim and he has fallen overboard numerous times while at anchor. We keep a knotted rope hanging off either side of the boat for him to use as a ladder to climb out.

Charlie can swim, and sometimes chooses to jump off the boat or dingy for fun, but we have to help him back on board, not all that easy. There is alot of lifting involved with Charlie and living aboard. Some people use a harness and outboard engine lift or the mainsheet to lift their large dogs onto their boats. If you're at a dock, a ramp is also an option.

Jack lounging, always finding a comfy place aboard

Charlie on the dingy, going for W-A-L-K

Dogs on boats do discourage theft, but they must also be well behaved as it is really rude to have dog barking loudly and repeatedly in a nice, quiet anchorage you are sharing with other boaters. One last thing, some countries do not allow animals ashore even with their medical records up to date.

Check Jimmy Cornell's site www.noonsite.com before you go. We usually go to the Bahamas where we are required to pay a seperate fee for the pets upon entry and show proof of immunizations to the customs and immigration people when we clear in.

Charlie and Brian with a new friend in Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas

I love cruising with pets! But that's just me. I'll try to find pics of the cool sea-going litter box. Any questions?

Are You Experiencing Life Digitally or Physically? Is It Time To Disconnect?

2009-02-09T11:47:00.004-05:00

I thought this would be an interesting post. When you're done reading, post a comment to let me know what you think. Computers and cell phones have given us fast and easy access to the world. I have two websites, a blog, several email accounts, and I'm on Facebook. Where do I get the time to update and read all of these wonderful digital outlets? Just like you, I make the time. That means other things go by the wayside. They must. Time, at least for the purpose of your years on this earth this time around, is finite.

Just two years ago, I spent 8 months traveling the Atlantic and Caribbean on a small sailboat with my husband, cat, and dog. Our cell phone didn't work at all. We only got internet when we were lucky enough to pull into a port that had it. Often, the connection wasn't great or we had to pay for it, so our time online was short and prioritized. We used the internet as a tool for keeping in touch with our families mostly. We definitely did not use the internet as a form of recreation, which is what I find myself doing a lot these days. Youtube, Hulu, news, rss feeds, other blogs and websites... It's all so interesting. But is it enriching me as a person or just turning me into a glob on my chair, sitting still most of the time?

I think some of it definitely enriches me as a person. I read a lot of thought provoking, mind expanding material. I am intellectually and sometimes socially fulfilled from my internet meanderings. But there are aspects of my life that suffer if I don't limit my time online. Emotionally, the internet is no replacement for face to face communication and relationships. Also, physically, the internet will cause the body to stagnate and deteriorate. Our bodies are amazing machines, but they must move to stay healthy. I guess television has a similar effect, but I must be immune to the boob tube. It just does not hold my attention for longer than a couple of hours a week, and I'm totally fine without it all together. The internet is another story. I have to set limits and rules for myself.

I prioritize by checking email twice a day only. That has been pretty hard, but it does free up my time not to constantly check. Same with Facebook. I check once a day, usually in the morning. I have to limit my time on Facebook to 30 minutes. It's enough. I don't spend any time on the website I started 5 years ago, www.yachtpuff.com , because now I use this blog for updates. My other website is a work in progress and I consider it a second job because I hope to earn a living from it someday. I work on it as much as possible.

As for this blog, I try to update once or twice a week, more if I have something important to say. Since I've given myself license to be online at all times possible to work on my new website, I have to commit to exercising for 30 minutes (at least) a day and make myself do it. This is harder than it sounds. As a writer, once I get into the groove and the content is flowing from my brain through my hands on the keyboard and into the the computer... well, I don't want to interrupt that flow. I could lose my train of thought, my focus.

It is for this reason that I don't get off my ass and keep my commitment to exercise daily. I'm still working on this. Another thing is that I have to be conscious of not letting my personal relationships slide and even my housekeeping! When you work online, it's easy to get sidetracked. In any case, we all need balance. And I think many of us are spending more time online than ever before. I think we can all benefit from the wealth of knowledge and easy communication that is at our fingertips, but I hope we're devoting enough time for our "real" life too. Sometimes we need to be reminded of that. I was reminded this morning when I noticed one of my friends had disappeared from Facebook. I emailed him to see what happened and he explained that he was voluntarily disconnecting, (perhaps temporarily or maybe permanently), from many of his online social outlets for various reasons. And that was the impetus for this post... thanks, ML.

Boat and Island Updates

2009-02-02T20:27:00.003-05:00

So, here's the deal. If you've been to www.yachtpuff.com, especially if you've been following our adventures at sea for years, you're wondering what the hell we're doing right now.

Here's what's going on. Brian and I cruised the Bahamas and Caribbean December through May for several years. From May through October, we worked in the Outer Banks tourism industry and saved money to cruise when the Fall came aound. November was a time to prepare the boat and see family. It was great, and we we were able to sustain a wonderful and fun lifestyle with no debt ever! Yes, thank you... (I just took a bow)...

Anyway, this was all good and stuff, but what if we wanted children or a house or a bigger boat... not in the picture, unless we changed our financial situation. Enter the grand idea of NOT sailing south one winter and savng up for a whole year!!!!

This is what we attempted in the Summer of 2007. We made a plan. This was the plan... We chose a town where we believed we could make a year round income because in the Outer Banks, seasonal jobs just stop.

Brian had been doing construction lately and we believed he could do that anywhere. Me? Waitress, bartender, (licensed) massage therapist, writer... I've also painted houses and sewn boat canvas. Whatever. Anyway, we chose Wilmington, NC based on our criteria to be near the sea, near a boatyard or marina for Puff (the boat), year round population and jobs, and near family (Brian's brother lives there).

It all went horribly wrong. Here's how...

1) There was nowhere to live on our boat, only one marina allowed it and we couldn't get in... waiting list...
2) So we rented a house in nice little suburban neighborhood in July.
3) We both cried when we hauled the boat out and prepared her for months on the hard, we also swore we would be back for her after no more than 1 year
4) I got a job as a massage therapist at a local spa that paid really well until October... then business stopped... I was told this was normal, turns out that in Wilmington massage therapy is seasonal too. I guess we were too close to the beach to escape that.
5) Brian tried and tried to get jobs in the building sector, to say it was difficult is a gross understatement. Wilmington had a moratorium on new construction. He worked for different people here and there.

By October, we realized we were miserable in the house. It was a nice house. We just missed the boat. On a whim, I called the marina with the waitlist. I don't know what happened, all I know is suddenly, we were in! About that time, I got my first article published in a sailing magazine with the promise of more to follow. We were able to re-rent the house and move back onto Puff. Things seemed to be looking up. Except, the whole job/income thing wasn't getting better.

By December, I put out an SOS email to friends in other places asking about work. Our friends Dan in Sara in the Keys answered back with some promising news. There was work in the Keys and the living was cheap, easy, and warm.

In February, we cut our losses and hightailed it out of Wilmington, NC. Sailing down to the Keys reminded us that the boating life is definitely where we belong. We began work at a restaurant called Cabana Breezes in Marathon, (actually Key Colony Beach), the week we arrived. We took a mooring in Boot Key Harbor. There was a gorgeous reef to dive on only a dingy ride away, a park to walk Charlie in, public library, grocery store, etc. all within walking distance.

This was good because we only brought our bikes. We left our cars in storage. The best thing is that it was 80 degrees and beautiful! We rode out bikes 12 miles every day to and from work. We learned that we no longer enjoyed restaurant work, but we had a lot of fun. We would take the $2 bus down to Key West on our days off. It was a crazy year. One thing we knew for sure, we didn't want to be in the Keys when hurricane season came around and we didn't want to be in Wilmington.

So, in April, we headed back up the coast. We had a great ride, except poor Puff's diesel began to break down. The whole diesel thing is another story.... Suffice it to say, we needed a new one and we were true sailors from Florida back to North Carolina. No engine! I think we learned so much that year from June 2007 to June 2008, about what we truly wanted in life and about what it takes to get there. One thing we didn't have after a whole year of bouncing around was extra money, or should I say... any money.

We decided to go back to the Outer Banks, we'd always made money there before. That was our simple logic. In June 2008, Puff limped into Ocracoke's Silver Lake Harbor. We were welcomed with open arms by old friends and new. Within days, we had several job offers. There was so much love, caring, and warmth. There was even a slip for Puff. We stayed.

And though we worked hard, we didn't make enough by the Fall to get a new engine and cruise out of here and we still wanted to have the financial freedom to have a family, get a bigger boat, and build on our Bahamas property. So October came and went and we stayed. It was to be our second winter in NC aboard Puff.

Cold, blustery weather aboard our boat just isn't fun. Once again, an Ocracoke friend extended a gracious offer to rent her waterside cottage from December through March, the coldest months. So, here we are. We see this as an opportunity to put away some money, buy Puff a new engine and find a solution somewhere in our creative minds to our financial situation.

We are working on a mobile, web-based income solution. We also work on inventions and creative works that might give us residual income. These will be the stepping stones to our freedom from conventional living so we can ultimately split our time between a home in the Bahamas and a larger boat. This freedom will also allow us to visit our families for extended periods of time and have a family of our own as well.

So, that's the deal. We haven't gone soft. We're still sailors, adventurers, explorers at heart. We just really screwed up one year and this year we had to re-group. We're getting back aboard the boat at the end of March, she'll have an engine and we'll spend hurricane season here again, in Ocracoke. This is the most fun place to be in the summer anyway. Then, in October... we'll know and you'll know if it was all worth it!

Mardi Gras Party

2009-02-02T20:02:00.004-05:00

Saturday night, January 31st, Brian and I had a little Mardi Gras dinner at our rental home, Angelsong. Brian's parents and brother were on the island and staying with us. We invited several of our friends and I think everybody had a really nice time. I made hurricane punch and jambalaya among other things. Brian's brother, Pete, brought a bushel of oysters from Wilmington and they were sooooo good! My mom and Nancy sent boxes of Mardi Gras decorations and Liz sent jambalya stuff, thanks to them the party had real Louisiana flavor!

What's On My Mind... An Experiment of Sorts

2009-01-29T23:41:00.004-05:00

Thinking about lately...

Mardi Gras, and how to celebrate it here in NC... so far, I'm putting together a small get together at my place...but, it's still no second line...

Reality shows...I haven't had a television since 1999. I have one in this house I began renting on December 1st. What do I think about having TV for almost 2 months now? Well, I just can't get into reality shows, they just don't seem like reality to me... What I'd like to see more of... well made history, travel, and nature documentaries.. I don't know, that's just me...

Office jobs... I have one now, and I had one in 2000. In between, I waitressed, bartended, cleaned boats, sewed boat canvas, painted houses, and became a practicing licensed massage therapist... all those jobs get old, but as crazy as it sounds, they had personality... a soul, and they were creative... an office job, especially when you are but a cog in the wheel of a large company does not feel very good to me...

Honesty... I was someone who would hide my true feelings, just to keep everything moving along smoothly day by day. However, I just figured out that holding back is not helping anything to move along, but instead causes everything to just stagnate and decay... being open and honest about the way you feel after holding it in after some time is like lancing an infected wound... it allows healing to begin and flow is restored... yes, I know that was disgusting... sorry...

Love... requires mindfulness and purposeful direction of thought, word, and deed... sometimes it takes more effort than you expected... not just relationship love, but a loving attitude applied to all areas of your life... but, in the end, it feels really good and you know it was worth it...

Dogs... why does mine run away and then come back home covered in stinky mystery poo....

Bahamas... the water feels so good this time of year...

Alcohol and Caffine... I noticed that sometimes I say things I regret later not only when I have too much to drink, but also when I am jacked up on too much coffee... which is not the case now...

I'm actually getting ready to go to bed and just had no idea what to write so I'm just letting whatever comes to mind flow...hmmmm... we'll see if I do this again...

My Birthday

2009-01-23T08:26:00.008-05:00

Okay, this is going to seem a little morbid, but these pics are from my birthday, 1/21. I turned 34, wow! And our little island was covered with snow so we went for a walk. There are cemeteries all over the place, we walked through this one and took some pics of interesting statues and headstones. The one above looks like the grave of a pirate. I don't doubt it, Ocracoke is quite famous for its pirate history. I thought these cherubs were precious. I'm a yard-art kind of girl. I think I get it from my Grandma Ella.

This is Charlie at my morning coffee b-day bash. He loves to open presents!
Brian always makes my birthdays feel special.
Snow, a novelty to me.

Sailboats and snow just don't go together in my mind.

The ferry that takes us off the island.
A shrimp boat, isn't she beautiful.
One of the many unpaved roads on the island.

Kayak rental, anyone?
Ah, the Ocracoke lighthouse.
I guess these are the ones who didn't fly South.

I'm not looking too happy, but I warmed up to the cold temps eventually, though I am a tropical nut at heart.

Life on a Small East Coast Island

2009-01-16T18:38:00.009-05:00

So, life on a small island on the coast of North Carolina is charming and different. Especially in the winter. It's a simpler life. There is silence all the time. In the morning, I hear birds, wind, and occasionally the soft putt of a fisherman's outboard. I drive to work, obeying the 25 mph speed limit, and I see people on foot and on bicycles - no matter how cold it is. I might see three other cars during my 1 and 1/2 mile commute, and the other drivers always lift their hand in friendly greeting, whether or not we know each other. I live in a village, not a town or a city. Many of the children walk to school and there are usually around 4 to 6 kids in each grade.

I work in a realty office. Sometimes, co-workers bring their dogs or their children to work. Everyone takes turns holding the babies and feeding the cats that live on the front porch of the office.

There is one restaurant open on the island right now. They have great pizza, seafood, and draft beer. Every week I go to the post office, the bank, and grocery shopping. Each stop is only a short walk away. There are two places to buy groceries. At the Variety Store, you can find magazines, books, greeting cards, clothing, and kitchen supplies in addition to food items. Conveniently, the hardware and liquor stores are next door.

The Community Store has a great organic and health food selection to choose from, but I would go there just for the atmosphere of the nearly 100 year old building that has been so beautifully restored. I feel like I've stepped back in time when I enter and feel the warmth from the fire in the antique iron stove. The wood floors and hand-made wooden shelves and produce bins make it feel so quaint and homey.

Brian rides his bike to work everyday. We walk our dog without a leash. We hear the church bells ring every day at nine, noon, three, and six. On our days off, we go to the beach, walk the nature trails, work on projects at home or on the boat, or go fishing. No street lights on the island mean that at night, the sky is as beautiful as it is when we're out sailing in the middle of the ocean. I feel more free on this little island that I cannot drive or walk away from than I have anywhere else I have ever lived.

Brian took the ferry to the mainland today for a Doctor's appointment and some shopping. The ferry ride took a little over two hours.

So, I have the house to myself tonight. The temperatures are in the 20's, so I have the faucets dripping so the pipes don't freeze. No worries, 'cause this cute little cottage by the water is warm and toasty!

Thanks Casey!

2009-01-12T17:32:00.002-05:00

I just have to say thank you to my friend Casey for all her wonderful help getting me started on my first cute blog! She has a really adorable and entertaining blog about her family. I loved her blog so much, I had to have one of my own. She was my blogging muse! And she is really helping me figure it all out. THANKS Casey!

Is it Really January?

2009-01-11T15:10:00.016-05:00

We had beautiful weather yesterday, here on Ocracoke. That's us on our skydeck under a gorgeous full moon that was actually way bigger than it looks in this photo.

Last night was warm and humid. Lovely. Brian grilled babyback ribs and I sat on the porch steps drinking a beer and taking pics of this brilliant, moonlit night. I have to say here that I went vegetarian about two weeks ago and I did not eat any of these ribs. Brian went Vegetarian too, but not completely. He has had meat every now and then. These ribs were in our freezer and he couldn't bear to give them away. So, this was kind of his last supper. Interestingly enough, Brian has noticed the side effects from eating meat as a part-time veggie. He noticed when he eats meat he feels more bloated, heavy, slow, gassy, and just generally yucky all around. So, that's kind of a cool experiment.

The island that we are lucky enough to live on has very little tourism in the winter and a year round population of about 800 - 1,000. We live in a neighborhood called Oyster Creek.

Most of the houses around ours are rental homes, so they are vacant in the winter. It's nice and quiet. Our dog, Charlie, loves to sit by the canal and watch for the otters that live,play, and hunt here.

Isn't that full moon incredible!? It was a good night. We even slept with the heat off and the windows open. It felt wonderful.

All of the houses in Oyster Creek are built on little canals that lead out into the Pamlico sound. It's a really fun place to live. We are working on some boat projects on Puff, our Bayfield sailboat, while we are living in this house for the winter. We have until March to really make some progress on Puff's upgrades. We will put in a new diesel engine, sew new canvas, polish stainless, apply new non-skid paint to the deck, varnish the teak, and Brian already made new propane tank storage boxes.

Some of our other goals for the next three months include making daily work-outs a habit, eating vegetarian, creating a commercial travel website, making significant progress on my novel, and for Brian to complete plans, materials, and cost lists for our house in the Bahamas. Some background info on this is that we purchased a lot on Long Island, Bahamas in 2006. We have been saving money to be able to build ever since. We should be able to begin construction of our tropical island home in Fall of 2009!

Thanks for stopping by!