PLANES, WATER TAXIS, AND AUTOMOBILES

Last Friday we buttoned up our beloved FF III and took one last look over our shoulder at her as we boarded the water taxi to South Bimini to head to the airport.  Yes, a first.....we were leaving her behind in a foreign country and heading north :(  The water taxi ride was fairly uneventful.  We hopped in a land taxi that had a sign on the inside of the door that said "Door latch is broken. Can only open from outside."  But.....we had a sun roof!  Now mind you...it was indeed a sun roof but a PERMANENT one!   Thankfully it was a sunny day so we only had to imagine what passengers do on a rainy day :)  Now...I am not sure if there are any Bahamian Nascar drivers but I am pretty sure that our taxi driver was training to be one!  We both breathed a huge sigh of relief when the tiny airport finally came into view.  Not knowing the process at the Bimini International Airport (I/They use this term loosely!) we decided to arrive early.  Once we saw we were there in plenty of time we decided to seek out something to eat since we knew this day would be a long one.  Around the corner there was a picnic table of Bahamians enjoying lunch.  We asked if there was food for sale and the polite young lady took us inside of what appeared to be a storage room with a couple of crock pots hooked up.  She announced proudly that she could offer us "oxtails or lamb stew."  O.K.....not only no but H--L NO I thought!  We politely declined and moved on around the corner and found what appeared to be a regulation restaurant.  When we entered the place was empty but soon out shuffled a young American girl with dredlocks in her pajamas and socks.....no shoes.  I am not kidding.....she looked like she just got out of bed!!!!  We decided on one last order of cracked conch (yes, Larry, that is #10).  Actually it was DELISH!  After polishing off lunch we made our way back over to the United Airlines counter to check in.  They wrote our names on a list and told us their printer was broken down so they would not be able to print any boarding passes.....first sign the day was not going to go well.  :(  Let me just say....if you were a terrorist you could easily enter the country via Bimini.  We just walked through security (again I use this term loosely) and got on the plane.  We were twenty precious minutes late departing Bimini.  Once we landed in Fort Lauderdale we were herded like a bunch of cattle to check into U. S. Customs and Border Protection.  Before it was over, we were lectured by one of the agents about how "now this is a two-step process" and yada yada yada.  I held my tongue in an effort to avoid being strip searched :)  Knowing we were on a short fuse we both just smiled and nodded and soon we were on our way.  Well....once you clear Customs in the U.S.  they dump you out on the street and the whole process of checking in, going through security, etc. begins all over again!  We were nervously looking at our watches by now :(  Remember when I said the printer was broken down in Bimini?  We ran to the United ticket counter to get boarding passes for the next two flights.  Once we swiped our credit card to identify us we got a message that we were too close to departure to get boarding passes.  We were moved to the front of the line and now with boarding passes in hand ran to security.  We were now about ten minutes from departure.  There must have been 200 people in line for security.  In a panic we asked to be moved to the front.  Once they saw how close we were to departure they honored our request.  One problem.....CTM was pulled aside for something they saw when his bag went through the scanner.  Well....that something was a giant fish hook he was taking home to try to match up to take back!  This caused a little stir at the TSA but the agent must have been a fisherman because he told CTM to put it back in his bag and NOT take it out on the plane!  I honestly can't imagine hijacking a plane with a fish hook but obviously it was not something that was allowed in a carry on!  O.K....we knew we were close but we thought we could make it!  Once we arrived at the gate we watched the jet way being pulled from the door of the plane :(  This is where the scene from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles flashed in front of me....the gate agent began punching and punching and punching on that keyboard and looked up and announced to us she could get us to Springfield (where our car was) "sometime tomorrow!"   We finally settled on being rerouted to Memphis via Houston, Tx :(  Once we arrived in Memphis we procured a one-way car rental to Springfield.  Let me just say this about that......they are VERY proud of those one-way car rentals!  If it had not been 11:00 p.m. we could have gone out and bought a small car and had a very SUBSTANTIAL down payment!!!!  At least we were now only 4 1/2 hours from home :)  We headed north with the intentions of driving all of the way home but made it as far as Jonesboro and decided to grab a hotel for a few hours sleep.  By this time of the night we got the LAST "smoking room" in town!  As we were checking in the young fellow made us sign a form that said we would pay $250 if we smoked in a non-smoking room.  What the freak difference did that make???????  We were NOT in a non-smoking room!!!  He then went over the spiel about the 24/7 exercise facility.  O.K.....that is enough!  I am thinking, " LOOK AT ME!!!!!  DO I LOOK LIKE SOMEONE WHO CARES ABOUT THE EXERCISE FACILITY OR WOULD USE ONE IF I WERE STAYING HERE FOR 5 MONTHS LET ALONE 5 HOURS?????"   There was no reason to go into all of this with him as we were more interested in what floor our room was on so we could go to bed.  Five hours later we were on the last leg of our trip and would soon be home!  We arrived in Pontiac at about 9:00 a.m. just in time for the Blessing of the Fleet festivities.  That big hug from LB and peek at a sleeping FH and being licked all over by Ossie made the last 24 hours all worth while! 

Catch you on the flip flop.....

CJM  

HEMISPHERE DANCER????

Now, this would be the way to get here!  We watched this seaplane try to land several times before he was successful.  Seaplanes are at the very bottom of the pecking order when it comes to right of way on the water.  That being said....he had to yield several times to boat traffic before he was able to land :(  

Last night was our final Jim Morris concert.  It was his new CD release party appropriately named "The Man Who Offered The Moon."    When we came outside CTM wanted to capture the full moon.  There were actually two  full moons......one BEAUTIFUL full moon and one JUST full moon!!!!  (I will be checking into Jenny Craig and Betty Ford as soon as I return!) 

This morning we are packing up to head north and leaving FF III behind :(  This will be a first for us and we are a little nervous about flying off and leaving her in a foreign country.  However, we are leaving her in the good hands of J.R., the dockmaster, and Freddie, our longtime friend so as they say in the Bahamas......NO PROBLEM!!!!!

Catch you on the flip flop.....

CJM

ELEVEN MEANS FORTY!!!

I was just looking at the temps at home this morning so I will know if I need to wear jeans, socks, and shoes, or shorts and flip flops on the flight home.  Here is my observation..... .  The latitude of Pontiac is 36 degrees and it is 36 degrees this morning :(  The latitude of Bimini is 25 degrees and it is 76 degrees this morning :)  an 11 degree change in latitude means a 40 degree change in temp!  I  guess it will be jeans, socks, and shoes.  I would gladly wear a snow suit on the plane if it meant getting to see Lola, Finn Henry, and Ossie  Oh and I guess I need to include Jabet, Matt, Caldwell, and Kate :)

Just been hanging out the last couple of days as the wind has been blowing.  Tuesday we biked up to Stuarts AGAIN for conch salad and lobster salad.  A sidenote....we have shared many many conch salads at Stuarts with our cruising partners John and Lori of the sailing vessel Nanita.  They are not with us this year so this ones for you, John & Lori!!!!

We muddled our way over to South Bimini and to Mackey's Sand Bar for Happy Hour before the Jim Morris concert on Tuesday evening..... Obviously their Happy Hour is a well kept secret :)

The concert was outside at the Square Grouper and the wind was blowing about 30 knots :(  Obviously John Patti had more hair gel on that I did :)  (This one's for you, LHP!!!) 

 Catch you on the flip flop.....

CJM

AFTERNOON DELIGHT :) AND THE TRIP FROM HELL :(

Monday morning we said "goodbye" to Lunas and Shields and CTM crawled back into the "basement" to continue working on our engine issue.  To make a long story short....we have not been able to open up the port engine since our crossing.  We decided to just limp through with our guests and then work on the issue once they departed.  The big fear was if we broke something we would be totally down and as it was we could troll all day....just not go fast.  The first test a few days ago was to determine if the problem was in the engine or the fuel supply.  We did determine it was in the fuel pickup.  So....that being said, since the generator and port engine run off of the same tank we decided to switch the fuel lines.  Our only concern was....would the generator line be large enough to fuel the engine?  We were planning to check out of Bimini Sands and move to North Bimini where we had secured a monthly rate.  So....once the switch was made we decided to take FF III on a test run on our way back over to North Bimini .  It ran like a top! :)  Once we got out the seas were so calm we decided to celebrate CTM'S success by throwing out a couple of Billy Baits and trolling for about an hour.  Didn't catch anything but did enjoy the beautiful sunshine and calm seas. 

I am sure you are wondering about my post title.....AFTERNOON DELIGHT AND THE TRIP FROM HELL...... On our way back in we spotted these two giant Loggerhead Turtles engaging in a little "afternoon delight!" 

I think he has a smile on his face :)

 









And....thanks to the politics being played out  in Washington the Lunas and Shields had the "trip from hell" back home on Monday.  They were to arrive in Springfield at 9:30 p.m. Monday evening and didn't arrive back until mid-morning on Tuesday.  They all had to be at work Tuesday so as soon as their plane landed in Springfield they jumped in their cars and headed to work :(   My opinion on that is....I don't care how painful the Dems and Prez are trying to make the sequester.....DON'T GIVE IN!!!!!  Well, I will say that today but will let you know how our flight back home on Friday goes :) 

 

Catch you on the flip flop.....

 

CJM

SATURDAY & SUNDAY FISHING AND SUCH

Saturday was a slow start after the 3rd First Night In Town Syndrome:)  Fishing was kinda slow as well but we caught dinner.

The big one got away....

Enjoyed a "cook your catch" at the Bimini Sands Beach Club.....DELISH!!!!

Sunday we vowed to go out early and do it all....troll, fish the reef, and snorkel for conch.  The wind forecast was good so we headed out early.  Did I say it was a good wind forecast.....NOT!!!! Somebody missed that one really bad :(   We did manage to troll for a short while and tried anchoring down by Gun Cay to no avail :(  Finally found a protected reef spot slightly north of the entrance to Bimini and managed a nice reef catch.

Sunday evening the Lunas and Shields took their catch to Bimini Big Game Club for their last night in town while CTM and I went to the Bimini Beach Club for the first night of Jim Morris's Magic On The Water....secretly the REAL reason we are here :) 

Catch you on the flip flop....

CJM

A THIRD "FIRST NIGHT IN TOWN SYNDROME"

Once we got word on Friday morning that Tom and Molly were enroute we began to prep for their first night in town.  Mind you, CTM and I had celebrated ours, LL1 & LL2's and now it would be Tom and Molly's :)  LL1 & LL2 rode the bikes to the Petite Conch for lunch....they needed foundation!

CTM and I headed on over to North Bimini to grab a golf cart and soon they arrived on the ferry boat.....

A stopover at Stuart's Conch Salad stand....

And the End of the World Sand Bar......Where is that pot of gold?

Of course we had a stopover at Sherry's and ended up at Big John's to see Stevie S....yep he was finally released from prison :) 

Now that we got that out of the way....TIME TO GO FISHING!!!!  Catch you on the flip flop.....

CJM

THURSDAY FISHING....

After celebrating Larry and Laurie's first night in town and in anticipation of Tom and Molly's arrival on Thursday we decided to take a short day and troll to the north.  Larry cut his finger on the outrigger and insisted I photograph it....obviously a slow day fishing :)

We did manage to bag this Mahi and since we have become tuna snobs threw back two Bonitos :)

We took our fish to Mackey's Sand Bar.....it was incredible!!!!

We got word that Tom and Molly's flight had been cancelled with no way to get here on Thursday :(  They were now scheduled to arrive Friday :) Catch you on the flip flop.....

CJM

BP DEJA VU :(

Early on Wednesday CTM crawled in the basement and made a modification to the fuel system as a test to isolate our engine issues.  We were soon on our way offshore with Freddie on board to fish :)  Soon after getting all of our lines set CTM and I looked at each other and said, "I smell diesel!"  After crawling into the basement again CTM announced, "WE HAVE A PROBLEM!"  I was looking around for the lifeboat as the sense of urgency in his voice was a cause for concern.  I could envision diesel fuel pouring into the engine room!  After discovering that there was diesel fuel pouring out the overflow (could this be a BP deja vu)  we shut the port engine down which quickly stopped the fuel leak.  We were able to limp our way into Bimini Sands Marina on the starboard engine.  CTM made a quick modification to the fuel system AGAIN and we were soon on our way to the fishing waters!

Our catch.....

  

Just as we were heading in we saw Larry and Laurie's plane heading in for a landing.  They arrived at the condo around 4 ish.  We of course had happy hour and prepared fresh grouper for their first meal in Bimini.  It was delish!

Catch you on the flip flop.....

CJM 

WHAT A DIFFERENCE CROSSING THE GULFSTREAM MAKES :)

Catch you on the flip flop......

CJM

MONDAY FISHING AND MORE EQUIPMENT FAILURES :(

We headed out mid morning on Monday....caught one skinny little barracuda.  Tuesday we took the day off to address the engine issues.  I got out our Bahamas cell phone and guess what....IT DOESN'T WORK!!!!  It just kept saying it was searching for the network.  I pulled out my bike and rode up to the Batelco office where they announced....IT SHOT CRAPS!  So....that being said, I asked about options.  The girls at Batelco informed me they had no "affordable" options there but I could pick up a phone for about $50 at "Mal-Mart."  I headed to "Mal-Mart" and this is what I found.....

This is their "Mal-Mart" and it was locked up tight :(  Still trying to catch someone there to purchase a new phone.  In the meantime, CTM borrowed Freddie's phone to call Lewis Garcia, our Yanmar mechanic in Marathon.   After a discussion with Lewis CTM had a plan to try to isolate the problem.  Stay tuned for that report!!!! 

Catch you on the flip flop....

CJM

SANTA AND HIS TOYS......

After the nerve wrecking crossing on Saturday we decided to take Sunday off and do some boat chores and relax.  CTM had taken his new toy he bought off of Ebay to Worldwide Sportsman before we left to have them service it.  They never got around to it so he picked it up just before our departure and decided to tear it apart and service it himself.   Santa in his "workshop!"

I think CTM now knows why the guys at the Worldwide Sportsman kept putting off servicing his new toy....6 hours later it was done done and done!  We decided it was time to check out some of our old watering holes......

Time for a walk on the beach because you know how I love the beach :)

And....sunset at Sherry's....

 

Going fishing (finally) on Monday......  Catch you on the flip flop.....

CJM

IS THIS 21ST CROSSING OUR LAST?????

We woke early on Saturday, finished packing our last gear, and boarded Feeding Frenzy III for our 21st Gulfstream crossing.  Even though this was to be our 21st crossing you never quite get used to the idea of motoring through the Bermuda Triangle :)  We had waited and watched ALL week and THIS DAY looked like the ONLY day for a period of time that would be suitable for a somewhat comfortable crossing.  Well, "somewhat" it ended up being.  When I checked early on Saturday, the wind Gods had changed their minds and the conditions were not going to be "ideal." :(  And...to top it off there were storms all around :(  We looked at each other and said, "Let's go anyway!"  We were on our way shortly after 7:00.  We idled out of the canal and put the pedal to the metal.  We were not even out of our basin when the RPM's on the port engine dropped but came right back up.  We looked at each other with a "what the hell was that?" look but didn't say anything.  Probably just a fluke....NOT!!!!  This continued off and on for the next hour or so.  CTM decided to change one of the fuel filters.  He crawled into the basement and 30 minutes later we were on our way.  That kinda sorta seemed to fix the problem....wishful thinking on our part I guess :(  We decided to take the intercoastal  waterway to Biscayne Bay and if the problem persisted we would stop over in Miami and seek help.  Well, I think we just wanted to be in Bimini so bad that we ignored a couple of minor drops in the RPM's and attributed it to maybe air in the lines after changing the fuel filter.  So...that being said, once we got to Biscayne Bay we made the turn east and headed across the Gulfstream.  About 10 miles off the coast the engine acted up majorly again.  To make a long story short.....it continued to misbehave the entire crossing and got worse as we approached Bimini.  Needless to say we were thankful when our beloved Bimini came into view....

So when I say, "Is this 21st crossing our last????"  I might not be kidding.  We are in Bimini with engine issues so we may be permanent residents.  The engines are fine as long as we don't try to go full throttle.  We were even able to go fishing yesterday and trolled for grouper, mahi, and wahoo.  We caught a barracuda and had a few grouper bites. We can troll all day long....just not go fast.  We are taking the day off today so CTM can make a few phone calls to the U.S. and pull out the Yanmar manuals.  It appears to be some sort of fuel issue....it will run all day at 10 knots but when we try to open it up it bogs down.  I am not panicked yet......I keep going back to that Mother's Day five years ago when CTM crawled into the basement and figured out why our holding tank wouldn't pump out so I didn't have to be a girl scout the rest of the trip!  CTM is my hero!  As my good friends Leann and Jeannie would say....."I'm not skert yet!" 

Catch you on the flip flop....

CJM

BOAT, CTM....ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

After the debacle with the dinghy we thought surely nothing else could go wrong.....NOT!!!!  I had made one last run to the grocery store for provisions and when I returned I asked CTM how his afternoon went.  I could tell from the look on his face his answer was not going to be what I wanted to hear.  He had discovered the sea cock on the starboard engine was not shutting off and the sea strainer was cracked so the boat was going to have to be hauled out of the water ONE MORE TIME!  Parts were being overnighted AGAIN :(  You all know the acronym BOAT....  Well, I exclaimed, "BOAT, CTM....ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"    Now, mind you, by this time it was Thursday and Saturday looked like our ONLY crossing day in a two week period so we were working like mad dogs to get everything done so we could head out.  We felt this to be a HUGE setback but doable.  So....early Friday morning CTM once again headed up to Coral Bay with the ole FFIII for one final fix.  Phew....all went smooth and he was back with her in the slip by 2:00.  We scrubbed the grease off of the back deck ONE MORE TIME and finished loading her and by 7:00 could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We looked at each other with a sign of relief and declared...."WE ARE HEADING TO BIMINI IN THE MORNING!!!!!!"  Well, stay tuned for THAT story!!!

Catch you on the flip flop.....

CJM

"A HOLE IN A BOAT YOU POUR MONEY INTO"

I know you all have heard the saying, "A boat is a hole in the water you pour money into."  Well, on Thursday, CTM dragged our dinghy/lifeboat out of our shed to air up and put on the bow of the boat.  Here is what he found......."A hole in a boat you pour money into!" 

As you can see....something made it's home in our dinghy and out of our dinghy :(   We immediately went on the hunt for another one and were able to procure this little number from a retired military guy, Jim, in a shrewd business deal :) 

It is 25 years old but we like to think of it as our little "classic!"  Thank you, Jim, for taking such good care of our newest addition to our "holes in the water you pour money into!"  Catch you on the flip flop.....

CJM

BUI

In order to avoid a DUI a bike ride to the Dead Animal Bar was in order.  Here was the result :) 

I am not going to say who got this huge bruise, but let me just say it was 10 days old when I arrived :)  I am thinking a BUI might have needed to be issued :)  Catch you on the flip flop....

CJM

SHE'S WET AGAIN

Status update....the new wires fixed the trim tabs, the sea strainer parts arrived, and the all day scattered thunder storms paused just long enough for me to get FF III home. The wind seemed really calm at Coral Bay but when I got out on the Intercoastal Waterway it seemed a little brisk. No problem until you try to tie her up by yourself. The wind was blowing from the southwest which was blocked almost entirely by our building....that was a good thing. I had it pretty much made when one of our neighbors saw me and threw me the stern lines. It felt really good to get tied up and the power hooked up. I caught a ride back to the boat yard with Dara, our condo manager, and after a quick shower I headed up to Hog Heaven for Happy Hour where I REALLY enjoyed a cold one!




Here she is all nestled in her slip.

Of course while buttoning up everything at the boat yard Danny, their mechanic, pointed out a couple things for me to consider. The drain on our starboard fish box had a tiny leak and the drain hose for the rear storage box looked really bad and I should change it as soon as I had a chance. So tell me, how does an exhaust type hose, used just to drain a storage box, above the water line, absorb enough salt water to rust through to the outside?





A 5 year old hose.

My plumbing is similar to my caulking. Usually after I try to fix a plumbing leak it leaks worse afterwards.This time it worked. Both problems were solved. I also got the rear mechanical room cleaned up and the gear stowed away. I even made sure the salt water washdown was working good as we always use it in the Bahamas. Things are looking up and the wind looks like it will be tolerable to cross the Gulfstream next Saturday.

CTM



IT GOES ON AND ON :(

OK so we got the boat pulled out for a bottom job and for a few other minor things............so we thought, including replacing the trim tabs, a leaking sea cock, and a look at the oil coolers. You saw that surprise we got after pressure washing in my last post.  All of those voids have been filled and a lot of primer on bare spots has been applied and the paint is drying.

In the mean time I have been working on replacing some failing caulking. I'm not sure who decided that using caulking is the best solution to seal some exterior parts of an offshore boat exposed to saltwater, but since they did, I'm fixing it. By the way, if I catch anyone inspecting my caulking job, they better be a good swimmer :) Now.....I tried to apply all the correct techniques but you know the old saying, "The more you stir it, the more it stinks."  Well, let's just say I did my best.




The stairway all ready for new caulk.

The bridge also ready.

I had also purchased a new set of trim tabs (third set now) to put on the boat. You know the problem, the one you need to go up won't and the one you need to stay down, won't. Well, so far I have not gotten the new ones to work either. After a lot of climbing in and out of the boat to see if they were up or down and a little help from one of the Coral Bay guys, we THINK the wiring harness from the tabs to the controller is bad. So, a new set is being overnighted. One way or another the boat needs to be splashed tomorrow.




Old set of trim tabs. The one on the right won't go up, the one on the left won't go down.

The simplest job (or so I thought) was to replace a 2" sea cock (valve) that would not close all the way.  It is not a good thing when you can't close a 2" hole in the side of your boat that has a hose hooked to it that could blow off or fail anytime. Well, the sea strainer reservoir that is hooked to the valve was cracked, so one of those is being overnighted to us as well.

My good friend, Don Julio, must have been getting some vibes from me because I was happy to see he had a chopper standing by just in case I had a stroke. This one was slowly moving along US 1 to the east stopping every few feet. Have not figured out what it was doing yet, but I'm sure Looper had something to do with it :)

I have not been brave enough to take the Whaler out yet. One boat in the repair yard is enough. Maybe if I get the FF home tomorrow I will take it out on Saturday.

More later....

CTM

HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN???

I arrived in Islamorada on Saturday just in time for "Happy Hour". It was a little slow going on Sunday, but I did get the boat started and got my plan ready for the next morning's trip to the boat yard. I was up and at'em before daylight Monday morning. I loaded my bicycle for the ride home, threw off the lines, and by 7:30 was headed out the canal toward the bay. The trip went almost without a hitch. I had a couple times one engine dropped a few rpm's but then took right off. When we got it pulled out we found an old lobster trap line wrapped up in the port propeller. I'm sure I did not run over a trap but there must have been an abandoned line floating in my path. I'm hoping that was the reason for the glitch in operation on the way up. By the way, the entrance into Coral Bay Marina is tight. It makes the space between the 500 and 800 docks at home look like open water. I'm not sure a 50 footer could turn around in there.




Here she is on blocks ready for a new bottom job.

Now how does this happen? After pulling the boat and pressure washing it, we found several spots where the gel coat had popped off. There is no way they could have been caused by hitting anything. Of course this will take a little extra preparation before the bottom can be painted. Break out another thousand. Here are some close ups.









The bicycle ride back to the condo was an eye opener. I think it is the only real bike ride since the century ride. Only about 10 miles, but it seemed like a lot more and the bridges were not fun.

I spent the afternoon stripping old caulking around the stairs and bridge. I will be heading up to the boat yard soon to take up where I left off. I think I'm going to take the Whaler today, so there will likely be another story coming.

CTM

"WHAT THAT NOISE GIGI?"

I always thought the port engine made more noise than the starboard when shifting in and out of gear, but while sailfishing in January the last couple days it seemed even louder. I thought that maybe it just seemed louder because we were going very slow and we were doing a lot of shifting. I called Louis Garcia with Marathon Diesel and he said if it is making noise, something is wrong. So, rather than wait until April when we were planning to service the boat for the Bahamas cruise, we made an appointment to have it checked out while we were in the Keys for CJM's 60th. After about a one minute diagnosis, the mechanic said it was either the damper plate (kind of like a clutch) or the transmission. He checked the fluid and with no signs of metal chips or shavings he thought most likely it was the damper plate. Of course in order to check or change it, you have to pull the transmission. And, in order to pull the transmission, you have to unbolt the motor from it's mounts and raise it up a little to get the tranny loose. Well believe it or not, after only two hours on the boat, they had diagnosed the problem and pulled the tranny and sure enough the damper plate was bad. These guys are good!




Here is what the transmission looks like where it is not supposed to be. 

It naturally took longer to put it back together, but with only 5 hours labor and a $650 damper plate later, we were back in business. It purrs like a kitten now. We did not have time to take it on a test run, but will do that on April 1st when I run the boat up to Coral Bay Marina for a fresh bottom job and a little more service before we head to the Bahamas. Boy it takes a lot of time and money just to have a little fun. By the way, "What that noise Gigi?" is what Lola always said when she would hear a new sound. She would have noticed the problem long before Gigi and Pop did! Jabet, get that kid a passport!!!! CTM

BAHAMAS BAIT

We spent New Year's Eve on the boat at the World Wide Sportsman. We partied on the dock with Captain Billy Chapman of the Captain Cadillac and his friends. The Captain Cadillac is the sister to Feeding Frenzy III. It was the first 35 Luhrs off the assembly line and FF III was the eighth. We had a birds eye view of the fireworks from the bow of our boat and the next morning we had a bird's eye view of this pelican.

From 2013-01-19

After a couple days off, one to party and one to recuperate, it was time to go fishing again. We hooked up with another of Kenny Spalding's mates, Tim Johnson. Tim did not drive as he had lost his license to a DWI. Fishing does kind of drive you to drink :) We picked Tim up at the Islamorada Tackle Center, our new favorite place to shop for tackle and bait, right next to Lorelei. We were going to do some reef fishing for Yellowtail snapper this morning and also try to catch some more Ballyhoo's for Sailfish. We picked up a few small yellow jig heads to use with frozen shrimp for bait for the YT's and we were off. Tim's favorite spot to anchor up was just south of the Tennessee Lighthouse in 47 feet of water. Of course when we got there that spot was taken so his second choice was just outside the fishing preserve just east of the lighthouse. We anchored up in about 30 feet of water and set our chum out so the slick would drift along the edges of the preserve and lure the fish out, and boy did it work. We immediately had lots of bait fish behind the boat and soon after, the YT showed up. We caught 21 keeper YT's flatlining bits of frozen shrimp and pieces of squid. We had dinner and then some. We also caught 3 Grouper bottom fishing that measured about 18 inches, which we released. But the coolest thing was the Ballyhoo. They were thick. We took a break from Snapper fishing and Tim threw the cast net a few times. We loaded up! After we had all the YT's and Hoos we wanted we pulled up anchor and made a couple runs at the Sails. They still weren't cooperating so we headed in. I'm not sure if we were schooled on Sailfishing or if the Sailfish took us to school. We learned a lot about how to fish for them, we didn't learn much about how to catch them, but we will try again. Here is what 200 Hoos look like on ice.

From 2013-01-19

Thank you, Don & Jeannie, for working diligently to package up all of those Ballyhoos for our Bahamas trip coming up :)

From 2013-01-19

From 2013-01-19

CTM