Five Favorite: things about the "switch" we still love

Changing from sail to power is a popular topic on this blog. While the things we love about the switch may not be power boat specific they are specific to our boat and the changes we have made. I may not talk about it enough but the changes are always on my mind. Let me just jump head first into this post.

Felicity in her slip @Dinner Key Marina

*Never having to duck down! - I can't say enough about the fact that we don't have to climb into or duck down into any parts of the boat! We can walk in the upright position through every hallway, doorway and stairway. Getting into a sailboat depending on the location of the companionway and the steps can be a tricky maneuver.

*Always having enough room in bed!  - I'll admit it, I'm a bed hog. Give me a big bed and I'll hog it up just like I did the small bed. No, really in all seriousness folks, Pullman berths (where the bed is up against a wall and only the person on the outside can get up to pee without having to climb over the other) are a thing of the past for this pee-weasel! I can sleep soundly the whole night through and not even bump into GR. We each sleep with a body pillow and somehow we still manage to have plenty of room AND sleep like babies! Bonus!

*The Fridge! - When I tell people about our humble beginnings and how we spent 3 years aboard with no refrigeration they totally of get why I' m excited about having things like ice cream, frozen meats, yogurt and cheese readily available to me! Having the fridge has made my life soooo much easier. Prior to the fridge our menu was limited and our grocery trips were plentiful. Now, I can make one trip weekly to the market and stock up. Making busy weeknights with homework and lunch packing less hectic.

*Showering aboard!  No more shower bag for this girl! I get to keep all my shower goodies in the stall! I can wake up in the morning and jump in the shower! We could jump in the shower before bed! Hey, one could even shower twice in the same day! Hey, hey, hey now we are talking! I do not miss wearing shoes in public shower stalls or seeing other peoples hair clogging up the drain. Best part is - I never have to worry about someone else hogging all the hot water!

*The Couch - If you have been over, you have had a seat on our couch. Isn't it great? I know salon cushions are so convenient because they can lift up and have storage underneath but man is this thing is comfy! On days when I have sat on the couch for a movie it's been absolutely heavenly! Eventually, we think we might change up the salon area a bit to make it suit our style but the couch works for now. It's just funny to think that "yes, yes I do have a couch on my boat." LOL!

**It is not my intention to sound like I'm better than anyone or any other kind of boat. This was our change and it works for us. We love it and want to share why.

Human felicity is produced not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur every day. — Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

Our Five Favorite Lines from "Captain Ron"

Captain Ron is one of those movies that every boater should see and if possible even memorize lines from. When I first got into boating GR exposed me to Captain Ron saying I couldn't begin to understand what life on a boat was going to be like without this brief introduction. I never understood those lines he was quoting until I watched it either! After I'd seen Ron, Oh, maybe 300 times, I had my favorite lines picked out. These simple line can be applied to bigger areas of boating & life and still carry meaning. So, with no further adieu, I present our 5 favorite lines from Captain Ron.

"If anything is gonna happen, it's gonna happen out there."  - Seriously though, no amount of time spent sitting at the dock, reading, researching, buying, planning and dreaming of driving a boat, anchoring a boat, docking a boat and/or cruising in general can truly prepare you for the real deal! Once you "get out there" the boat is really being used. She's moving around all the fuel in the tank, stirring up junk. She's got a little resistance under the keel and the wind is on your face causing extreme periods of elation. All this combined with the fact that Mother Nature is a force to be reckoned with can make for some interesting bonfire stories! Which is in fact why we love to live this way, is it not? Just get out there and do it! Use the boat, use your judgement, practice makes for better because no one is perfect!

"Shit happens, cough it up." - At this point in the movie Ron and Ben are playing Monopoly for money and Ben says, "That's all the money I have!". As the saying goes with boats, it's just a hole in the water we dump money into. Doesn't it always seem to take the biggest chunk too? It seems like every time we turn around now, it's break out another thousand! B.O.A.T. But once again, that is life. We earn it to spend it! So why not spend it one your dream boat, or on your dream cruise or trip to the Caribbean? Don't complain, gripe and moan; shit does happen. Just ask Forrest Gump!

"It's just a little squall. They come on ya fast and they leave ya fast." - Generally speaking, squall lines roll in and roll out. You ride the storm and while you are clinging to the life lines or the tiller you are learning some great lessons on how to steer your ship. Isn't this a great metaphor for life? Life has a funny way of teaching us things sometimes. You can be in the midst of some terrible times but in the grand scheme of your life it's a very short time. Once the storm calms down and you are able to look back on the tumultuous time you persevered through, it seems a lifetime away. Take this advice from Captain Ron lightly if you wish but there is some depth to it; I promise!

"If we get lost, we'll just pull in somewhere and ask directions." - While this is a very funny line, it isn't that practical. You literally can't pull in somewhere and ask for directions in the middle of the deep, blue sea - but there are several electronic advancements around these days that can help in times of delusion or GPS Failure or feeling lost. One time, we had our GPS go out on us after a long night of slogging across the Gulf Stream. I mean we were being given at least a 5 gallon bucket wave every 20 minutes for 6 hours. UGH! Typically we would plot our course as a back up but in this weather it was impossible. We reached about 6 miles offshore of Bimini, Bahamas but weren't exactly sure of our location, SCARY! We hailed on the VHF and were helped in by some friends already there. Shortly after this incident we invested in a Single Side Band Radio, "just in case."

 "Let's kick the tires and light the fires" - This just sounds like FUN doesn't it? What better way to get the crew psyched up and ready to go then this? We use this lines just about every time we start the engine. But you could also use it before you start the car, the grill or your outboard! Every crew needs a little motivation now and then. Find a motivating phrase you like if this one doesn't suit - but don't deny it, you were ready to go!

All this talk about sailing and Captain Ron has got me ready to drink a beer, but "hey, you want a beer you get your own beer!" Ha ha!

Felicity's Five Favorite Items to Drool Over

"Good plans shape good decisions. That's why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true." - Lester Robert Bittel

To say that we look at West Marine or Lewis Marine catalogs very often would be an understatement. I venture to say we are not the only ones though. I mean who doesn't love scanning through the pages of all that fancy gear and dreaming of having it on their own boat? Why not dream big, right?

Since it's Miami Boat Show weekend, I see it only fitting to mention our five favorite items to drool over:


12' Livingston Dinghy w/ a 30 hp Yamaha - Yes, we will absolutely get another Livingston dinghy! We had so much fun with our last one we can't think of a reason not to! We are excited to go a size up because the 10' was great for the three of us or even another full size human, but if we had two extra adults along for a ride we weren't able to plane. Since we plan to have more guests along in our now bigger boat we plan to be able to get up on a plane and hit the beach in style!


Tecma Silence Plus Heads - Sure two heads are better than one, but we've got three and only one is operable. GR was exposed to these bad boys through the current yacht he works on and he is sold! The design is easy on the eyes with clean lines, keeping all the hose under wraps. They are affordably priced at under $1,000 and operate electronically so none of that hand operated pump action. Guests will feel right at home when they just push a button to quickly and silently flush. The system has programmable flush cycles that even prevent flushing when the tank is full.


Northern Lights 10KW Generator - The difference in the technology of models built in the 1960's and today is enough to want to replace the generator not to mention the difficulty in getting parts that dated. The Northern Lights 10KW weighs less than half of what our current generator does and would offer double the fuel efficiency. The goal of Project Motor Boat is to create a live aboard motor yacht that can be as efficient as a live aboard sailboat. We don't plan on staying at the dock forever and the sooner we get to self sufficiency the sooner we can get cruising!


Magnum MS4024 Inverter Charger - Basically we will need this unit to operate the reefer; something we have grown to depend on! Although, we currently have a household refrigerator I would love to eventually have an RV style counter depth unit that would be more efficient. Our boat is currently on a 32 volt operating system which makes this unit perfect for us to slowly make the switch to a 24 volt system.


Ocean LED Underwater Lighting - You've seen them, those boats that light up the night making their own personal anchorage aquarium show! WE WANT TO BE THAT GUY! I can't tell you how long we have pined over hauling out and installing these incredibly efficient LED lighting systems. To be precise
we need to 2010 HD flush mount model. These models are easily accessible from inside the hull for maintenance and even offer color changing abilities depending on the type of water you are in! It's so cool!

So, tomorrow I will finally get the chance to make my rounds at the 2012 Miami International Boat Show and hope to make stops at these booths for more information and more drooling! See you there!

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:)