The " Working Man's Price"!

Just because you have a boat doesn't mean you're not on a budget!

Yachting is Fort Lauderdale's biggest money maker! These mega-yacht owners spare no expense when it comes to their boat. The salaries for a couple full time crew alone can cost up to a million per year, not to mention yacht maintenance and slip fees! Fort Lauderdale is also known as the Venice of Florida because of the hundreds of canals that litter the landscape. One can't go far without seeing boats tied up behind every building and some spectacular million dollar homes. Being here is all part of our "master plan", which is of course, Project Motor Boat. We will be getting Felicity upgraded with some serious cruising equipment like wind generators, solar panels and a generator. Being here gets us much closer to all the connections we have made over the past 4 years with some of the best contractors in the industry!

But today, I bring you a little insider knowledge. Fort Lauderdale is often called the "Yachting Capital of The World" because it is home to thousands of marine businesses that cater to an international community of pleasure craft. What better place to begin to refit your boat, right? If you are a haggler, then yes! Let me let you in on a little insider's secret. These marine vendors are making a killing on the mega yachts! So when you need to rely on a woodworker or canvas shop, remember to ask for the "working man's price"!  Many friends of ours have bad mouthed the area because of high costs and I can relate; sticker shock gets us all. I admit, having a licensed captain and engineer on board sure helps out so we do our own work. BUT Then there are times when we have more money than time or just don't have the professional skill/tools for the job. In that case we still pull the "working man's price" card because everyone has a budget! Most of the businesses we have worked with will negotiate, especially in this economy. Give it a shot, what can it hurt?

Fort Lauderdale seems to go by many names, for us, we are calling her home. Now we can only look ahead to the exciting projects to come.

For now, though, it's back to work!

My "other" job - Sale Rack

My momma always told me, "Idol hands are the Devil's workshop." Hence the fact that I can't stand to be without a project! When my friend Ali, owner of Sale Rack, an awesome Buy*Sell*Trade Recycled Clothing Boutique in Coconut Grove(my 'hood) told me she had an opening I jumped at the chance to work alongside her. The "Rack" is a collection of unique pieces including clothing, shoes, hats, bags, & other accessories that run the gamut from vintage threads to designer duds.

I find that when I am passionate about something I will go above and beyond in order to make my cause known. Since I first became a customer I have been telling everyone about this place! Working with Sale Rack has not only given me a better wardrobe but it has given me some real fashion knowledge. When we sold San San in Guatemala I gave up almost all of my clothes. Living in Miami, if you are working in the "real" world you have got to keep up the pace. Sale Rack has been key in helping me stick to me budget while still sticking to my style, "hobo boater chic."

 GO THERE & TELL THEM Jessica SENT YOU!!

Not only that I have made some true friends, I love the girls I work with! I'm going to miss them sooo much! I decided to write this blog to give them an opportunity to shine on this platform because I know a few of my girlfriends that live on boats still love to shop for clothes and occasionally have to part with some as well. If this is the case, stop by and make an appointment to meet with Ali. She will inspect the clean, gently used clothing you have and give you cold hard cash or store credit for them! Sounds too good to be true right? Well it's not! Sale Rack has become a go to store for unique patterns, colors and trends for women of all ages!

Sale Rack

3444 Main Hwy., Suite 20
Coconut Grove, Florida 33133
(305) 537-6078

Do you know your level?

One of the things both power boaters and sail boaters can agree on is that the price of diesel these days is getting outrageous! Alas,every year during the Spring and Summer we see prices climb. It seems to happen just as we are about to start having some fun on our vacations! Knowing just how much fuel in your tank can mean extra money in your pocket for all those cold drinks! When we purchased Felicity we knew we would need to replace our fuel tank sensors and gauges. Coming down to Miami from North Carolina we would just fill her up every chance we got and monitored the tanks the old fashioned way, with a dowel. But not anymore...

Recently, we partnered up with WEMA USA Inc. We saw this company at The Miami International Boat Show and contacted them to begin the selection of products we would need. Their website explains in great detail just how to decide the right fit for you tanks, see here.  Dealing with the company was a breeze, we called and they answered the phone, big plus these days when most phone numbers are answered by a voice recording!

GR was able to do the entire job in about an hour! He removed the old gauge from our control panel and the two senders from the forward and aft tanks. The new WEMA reed type senders were the same bolt pattern so all he had to do was line them up. Reed type senders were a nice choice for our tanks because we have a lot of baffles (walls that keep the fuel from sloshing around too much) where the gauge is installed.

Overall we can say WEMA USA Inc. has exceeded our expectations by:

• Being just a phone call away. Knowing we could speak to a real, knowledgeable person.
• Having quality product. They were finished well, stainless steel welds all look nice.
• Giving us options. The gauge had an option for red or yellow light. (It's the little things!)
• Ease of operation, installation took all of an hour!

SPECIAL DEAL FOR YOU!!!

Because we love our readers so much, we are passing the savings on to YOU! When you place you order with WEMA, you will receive 20% off your online purchase! If you have been looking around and are ready to make the change your fuel tanks have been waiting for, now could be the best time!

Crunch Time?

I'm so glad I have you all following along so that I have someone to share this crazy thing we call life with! We got the stove Monday night after we were supposed to have received it Friday night. No harm, no foul right? We were just as happy as clams to get it period. The anticipation was killing us. So we opened the box.

Hmm, something just didn't look right. So we took a closer look. One of the knobs popped off and rolled to the floor.

So, yes, we are in talks with the company and the shipping company to see what we are to do next. Hopefully, they will make it right and we will be up and running in a short time.  The saga of Project Galley continues..

Stove Options

When we bought Felicity one of the exciting things for us was the ability to turn a boat that was originally set up to stay put, at a dock, into a boat that could thrive "unplugged". Today, as we ordered our brand new 20" gas range we made a big step in that direction! This will be the first of many Project Motor Boat PROJECTS. It wasn't easy making the final decision and there were a couple of hangups along the way. Here is a short list of the things we were confronted with in making our choice. 

1. Ordering - Once we found the model we liked we looked up dealers in our area. The dealer would not take our credit card over the phone and wanted us to mail a check or deliver one personally to his showroom. Well that was totally inconvenient, so the online ordering began.While I haven't minded buying parts or books online I had a few reservations about buying such a big ticket item through a company that I didn't know and wasn't sure I could trust. I made sure to shop around looking carefully at each website for secure looking features. I even called each website that was a possibility just to hear their customer service and policy information.

2. Shipping Costs - I thought shipping a stove that weighs 110 lbs would be astronomical but I was wrong. Thankfully, the cost was about 18% of the cost of the unit. One company estimated just $26 for shipping and a red flag flew up for me with them, I figured the end result would not be good. Reasonable rates for shipping portray some semblance of legitimacy, for me anyway.

3. Style - Basically, there are 3 colors black, white or stainless and I feel strongly about each. In our galley we already have a white fridge so if we were to go stainless the fridge would feel a bit out of place. Black is dark and would totally not match with our cabinetry, our wooden walls or our small open space. So that left white and simple.


After I felt confident with our choice we pulled the trigger and expect delivery by March 25th. The two main brands we were interested in were Danby and Avanti. We went with the Danby DR2099WGLP as seen above! Before we put in the new stove we need to also install some 20 lb propane tanks as well as sand and varnish the floor! Hip, hip hooray for projects! Projects inevitably lead to more blog posts!

Until next time...

Felicity's Five Favorite Marinas

We have never been a fan of docks. They can take a huge bite out of the cruising kitty; but let's face it marinas can be a necessary evil. Choosing a marina to stay in for one or more nights can be a daunting task. Having up to date information and/or good cruising guides can really make the search easier. Sometimes we would just take a stab in the dark by calling random marinas that were close to where we'd be stopping and ask a few key questions. 

No matter the amenities, price is the biggest factor. Many marinas will have some but not all the amenities included in the price of dockage. That is where you compare the amount of time you are staying on the dock to the cost of the slip. Are you getting your money's worth?

In keeping with the theme of "Sailors gone Power" I must say that in the sailboat, dockage was almost never beneficial for us because we were completely electricity free. There was no reason to plug in, no refrigeration, no air condition and any of our power draws were handled by our wind generator. However, on Felicity, we "need" the dock. We have a generator that doesn't run (yet) and an electric stove, fridge, heat and air conditioning AND 32 volt lighting! Needless, to say when we began our cruise down the inter-coastal we stopped (almost) every night at a marina in order to cook and heat the boat. (North Carolina in November, need I say more?)

Since we stayed in so many marinas, I decided to give the ones that were worth our while a little love by recommending them to all of you! If you find yourself in this neck of the woods you won't be disappointed and I'll tell you why not...

Ocean Isle Marina 

North Carolina just 2 miles east of mile mark 335.5

Ocean Isle Marina will always have a special place in our hearts because it was there where first laid eyes on our new girl, Felicity. OCM has all the benefits a traveling cruiser needs, internet, shower and laundry facilities, fuel, and water. There were hardware stores, grocery, eateries as well as thrift stores nearby and car rental was easy! They specialize in winter storage due to their location in North Carolina and their ease of access out the inlet attracts many center consoles and sport fishing vessels. They have dock space for up to 30 vessels but could also accommodate larger vessels as they have a few long spaces. OCM gave a us a very warm welcome into our new venture of power boating. The staff was friendly and helpful in helping us get off the dock and underway. Gia made friends with the resident dog, Toby, a Labra-doodle and even got us a walk on the beach with Toby's pet, Tim.

Osprey Marina

MM373 Myrtle Beach SC

Osprey Marina is by far the least expensive, $1 a foot! Seriously! When we called they weren't sure they had room for us, so we waited for a call back. Sherry, Osprey Marina manager called back to let us know they had "made" room for us. We were a bit curious but found out after we arrived a marina employee who lived aboard moved his boat just so we could have that slip. Talk about accommodation! We were instructed to go to the office and get our "welcome gift". The office shares a space with a well stocked mini market and a cafe/grill. Sherry, the sweetest lady invited us to free crackers with all the jams, jellies and butter we'd like to try! After we settled up she handed us a gift bag filled with goodies! They also offered, free internet that was easy to access from inside the boat.

*Recently, we even received a call from Osprey Marina, to thank us for staying with them.

Port Royal Landing Marina

Beaufort/Port Royal SC MM 539

This marina dazzled us with their excellent customer service. They had internet service, cable, and water. There was a charge for electricity but it was minimal. We called in and were given easy instructions to pull up to the face dock. The same person who spoke to me on the phone tied up our lines and when we were tied off he reached to shake GR's hand and said, "Welcome to Port Royal!" That right there, that small but powerful, southern hospitality struck a chord with us. We have told everyone about the place ever since! It didn't end there. We have always joked about finding a marina with a courtesy car. Well, yup, they had one. Although, we didn't need it, we did giggle knowing we had finally hit one of those marinas!

*Port Royal Landing Marina did not hesitate adding us to their e-mailing list and we even received a post card thanking us for our patronage!

Fernandina Harbor Marina

On the Florida/Georgia Border @ MM716

What a great welcome into Florida. Stopping at Fernandina was a great way for our friends from Georgia to come over and see us! Staying in Fernandina was a fabulous treat! I love the vibe of that old time Florida town. There are many shops nearby house in those old brick buildings that transport you to times gone by. Fernandina Harbor Marina has one of the largest face docks offer 1,000 ft of space and it gets filled pretty quickly. They offer fuel, laundry and internet access as well as cable and water.

Dinner Key Marina

25.43.9 N  80.14.3 W  Mile 1095

We are now able to call Dinner Key our home. Officially, we are tied up to the dock on Pier 7 and we are content. We are so busy with work that we haven't had too much time to dig in to many boat projects but being at the dock allows easy access to shore for work and school. Dinner Key has a friendly staff and water & electricity are included in the dockage. However steep the price, we know that we have it good living on the water. The homes on shore rent for far more than we pay so we feel we are better off since our home can carry us wherever we please in good time! Coconut Grove is an awesome location allowing for us to feel the city vibe of Miami but still be in a small village where everybody knows our name.


Wherever you are, remember that you can always change your attitude even if you can't change your scenery:)

Marina Hopping

Felicity in South Carolina

After the second marina we stopped hat handed us a killer goodie bag we had this conversation;

Daughter: "I love being a power boater, we get all this stuff!"

Mom: "Honey, we would get the same treatment if we were on a sailboat honey, we just never stay in marinas!"

It was not our choice to stay in marinas along the way it just sort of had to happen. Currently, the boat has an electric stove,  an electric refrigerator,  an electric hot water heater, electric heaters and no inverter and the generator is not functioning.  Basically, the boat works real well at a dock and monthly that might not be too shabby but as a transient; dockage is pricey! I'm sure we could have just ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and slept like 3 pigs in a blanket all cuddled up to try to keep warm but that just doesn't sound like much fun. The whole process of buying this boat was about having a little bit more of the comforts! We do not like cold weather and in North & South Carolina, Georgia and even into Florida temperatures were in the 40's a night so we were eager to plug in the heaters. The seller of Felicity has his mechanic coming by to fix the generator.(Fingers crossed) Then we won't have to marina hop anymore!

Our plan is to add in inverter, replace to stove with a propane powered one, as well as replace the water heater for a heat exchanger/120VAC. Then after we've run the engine all day the batteries will be fully charged, the inverter can run the fridge and because the engine ran the water heater is full of hot water and the stove will run on propane. We will be much more self sufficient and can anchor out and not have to spend soo much money on marinas! We can save it for solar panels & diesel fuel!

Not to say we have hated the marina experience, but we are not really into spending $100 a night just plug in. There is no way we can use $100 worth of electricity in one night. Now that we have stayed at a handful of marinas this trip we have experience all types of customer service experiences. Some marinas have a dock hand that will catch the bow line and hook up the electric cord and then shake your hand to say, " Welcome to ..." That feels good! Again we also love the little goodie bags and maps of the area and we have been joking for years that we wanted to find a marina with a courtesy car. Well, we found one, even though we didn't use it, it really felt good to get to the back country communities that trust people enough to let them drive a car!

Boating has it perks but we really gotta get back to making money instead of spending it! That's why they say:
B - Break
O - Out
A - Another
T - Thousand!

Ouch!

Southern Hospitality!

It sure didn't take me long to pick up on that sweet southern drawl! Years ago, I lived in Pinehurst, NC and simply adored it. Coming back to North Carolina was almost like coming home. Although we haven't actually seen our families yet, we sure feel like we have! We started off at Ocean Isle Marina & Yacht Club. This is where we got a real taste of the Southern Hospitality that the Carolinas' pride themselves on! Ocean Isle set the bar high but I've got to say it just keeps on getting better!

When we left Ocean Isle, NC it was mid day. We didn't get too far but we really just wanted to begin the journey. We stopped at Myrtle Beach Yacht Club because their fuel price was the best we'd seen. We spent the night plugged in and Gia watched cable TV on the boat! Something she has never done! GR and I took advantage of the laundry facilities @ $1.25 per load!  AND in the morning, we were graciously given a key chain, three koozies and a couple a postcards! For me this is BIG, I just love souvenirs and gear.

In the morning we set off for a 3 mile walk to West Marine. It was a bitter and blistery 40 degrees and 3 miles seemed much further when we were walking. We picked up a gas grill and some other goodies before we fueled up and set out down the ICW.

We had a new first today like, our first bow wake that we rode out like a tank I might add. The view going down the river has been incredible. I do not remember the last time I saw fall colors. As we drive down the waterway there really isn't much else to do but admire all the big, beautiful houses along the way. Although, we are totally happy with what we have now, we can't help but dream about the day when we might have a plot of land out in Tennessee where we can build a kit Log Cabin place!

We traveled about 30 miles today and ended up at Osprey Marina. A fantastic little marina tucked up in off the river that offers transient dockage for $1 per foot for up to 3 nights! They have great wireless service and hand out a goodie bag that is sure to knock your socks off!

I can't help but feel like I'm in the twilight zone. Where are all these syrupy sweet people coming from? They are coming from North Carolina & South Carolina, don't miss out, stop by and say hello!

Postcard, Honey Bun, Crackers, Block Cheese etc.
Mama always said you catch more flies with honey!