It is almost back to normal around here. Little man is back at school and the grown up people are back to work. Kinda. The boat is tucked in to her cozy slip at the marina. Linens washed and stored , decks cleaned and tons of things we just can't live without all moved back to the house. What a lot of work it all is. Sometimes I wonder why we do it. Why?
I know that most of my friends and family see these trips of ours as vacations. "Oh Terrie and the boys are off on vacation again" I can here them saying this. Well let me tell you these trips are not ARE NOT a vacation. However, definitely an adventure! Cruising and sailing should be on the list for extreme sports or lifestyles or something. It is definitely not for the faint of heart or week minded. You just can't take your toys and go home when you don't want to play anymore. Your in your home, your off shore and if your not careful your toys can get blown overboard. Doesn't this all sound like a vacation. NOT. But you know I'm making it sound like I don't enjoy sailing. Well that's not the case. Maybe not as much as my guys do. There are parts I could do without. But overall it's growing on me. I'm always excited about seeing a new place and meeting new people.
As you know we made a trip to the Bahamas for Christmas. For all the bad weather and mishaps I relaxed more this trip than all the others. I read a great deal, watched movies and played games with the kid.
The trip started a few days before Christmas. 2 days later than planned. We made it to the keys by Christmas Eve to make the jump to Bimini. Well lets just say we all know what they say about the best laid plans. They Suck!
Just shy of half way across the gulf steam, in the middle of the night. The sea is was what my husband called a washing machine. The waves were all mixed up. We were getting our buts kicked. Full moon so we could at least see the confused waves. YEH The dingy that we were towing decides we need to do a man over board drill. NOW. The line broke. We tried and tried to catch her but we just couldn't get close enough. So my totally insane husband jumps off the boat in to the gulf stream and swims to the dingy. He did take a line with him. At least he didn't expect me to be able to come back and get him. I really don't know. Oh wait it gets better. I smell something burning. But there is nothing I can do about it right now. He swam to the dingy tied a line on and pulled it back to the boat. It had ripped the eye clean out of the bow of the dink. Honey I smell smoke. He got back on board. "I don't know what you were worried about I am at trained professional" Yah 17 years ago he was a Navy diver. Before having a broke back. Before he gained weight. BEFORE. Honey I smell smoke. He turned on the lights in the galley and it was full of smoke. No fire up front. The engine room was full of smoke. No flames. It all the Chaos a battery had come loose and grounded out on the throttle cable. And smoked A lot. Oh yah we had no throttle control at this point either. Doesn't this all sound like a Vacation. He managed to rig the throttle in one spot. We decided to turn around and go back. It was closer. He set in a new course. Changed his wet clothes and literally passed out from exhaustion. I fought the boat for 2 hours in what I was hoping was the best direction it really didn't feel like we were making any head way. The GPS wasn't showing any we were fighting the wind and the gulf stream I needed to increase the speed but couldn't and didn't have the heart to try to wake him. When he woke up he tried to explain to me that we were making headway that it just wasn't the course that was laid in. But that we were moving forward. He took over and headed to the nearest land which turned out to be Rock Harbor, Key Largo Fl. He dropped anchor just at dawn and we all slept like the dead. Merry Christmas. Of course these things don't slow down kids at all . My little guy was up and at it. Where are we? Did Santa come? Can I go swimming? Of course Santa came. I'm Super Mommy!! He was little bummed that we weren't in Bimini where we had told him we would be when he woke up but he got over it. We had an awesome Christmas dinner and me and the little pirate went exploring and let the Captain sleep. He deserved it. We'll try again tomorrow.
I will add more about our "vacation" next time. Enjoy some pics from me and Waddy.
We did make it to the Bahamas!
Christmas dinner.Yum
captain Rob
1 comment:
OK. I cannot hold this back, Cpt. Robert if you ever do a fool thing like that again, I will fly over there and talk to you. You are not worth a silly *ss dingy! What the heck would they have done if the dingy or boat had hit you on the head!
OK, I'll stop ranting, but Terrie, if he ever suggest something like that again, knock him out with a hammer and deal with the repercussions later.
OMG.
Glad it turned out well in the end.
Dying to hear more....
It isn't always fun is it.
Mostly it is though.
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