Home is Where Your Boat is...

So, I eluded to something on my Facebook page over Labor Day weekend about finding a new place.

About a week earlier, I opened up a fortune cookie that read...

The irony of receiving this "fortune" was it was absolutely not telling me something  I didn't already know. Unbeknownst to anyone else, GR and I were toying with the idea of renting a house with a dock. See, you wouldn't think in "the Venice of Florida" it would be very difficult to find a slip however, I beg to differ. We've used a variety of ways to search for dockage including but not limited to:

• Craigslist.com
• Docksearch.com
• ActiveCaptain.com

These resources are ones that I rattle off almost daily to those seeking aquatic accommodations. To be more specific check out "bridge height clearance" and use the term "live aboard" in your search to weed out the gorgeous yet, unattainable.

In order to understand our decision a little better there are a few things you should know. If you have been following along please forgive the recap. We have lived in Fort Lauderdale for about a year and a half; in that time we have "parked" in three vastly different settings.

• "The House of the Sun"* - This was a small two story, short term rental building that mainly catered to vacationers. Located literally a stone's throw from the ICW just North of the Sunrise bridge it had space for 5 boats. Live aboard was okay and they provided a laundry room, a shore side restroom with shower, a pool and BBQ area as well as a parking space. This place was super convenient and was essentially empty most of the time.

• "The Pier"* - Staying at the  "The Pier" made life at the dock seem like a vacation with ample parking and ALL the amenities one could ask for including, Pool, Spa, Hot Tub, Laundry Facility, Taxi Stand, Gym, and three Restaurants.

• "The Dirty South"* - The yard, located just off the infamous State Road 84, offered us a safe haven during hurricane season to complete the work we were knee deep into on Felicity. Although, we lived aboard at the yard, we actually only lived aboard while she was floating, once we hauled out we escaped to a nearby hotel. The yard was a Do-It-Yourself, services were reasonably priced and several craftsmen conveniently offered services on-site. As much as we grimaced as we trudged through barnacles bits to reach our floating oasis, the people there made our stay that much more enjoyable.

We live on a boat. Isn't that proof enough that we LOVE change?  After our "release" into the "wild" we decided to seek out something unlike our past situations. Each one of our previous docks had wonderful and less than attractive qualities that we wanted to both emulate and eliminate. Now we were armed the perfect list in which to find our new "home".

• A dedicated parking space
• A side tie
• A wide berth (we are 15' 6")
• A space for storage.
• Room for the cats to roam
• Privacy 
• A common area, to host guests

Why wouldn't we have the best of both worlds? I mean it's not easy living on a boat. I mean the day to day living, the get up and go to work daily grind. Isn't the only reason people put up with life on a boat is that someday they plan on really living? Throwing off the proverbial chains that tie and sailing off into the sunset? Our lives aboard are misunderstood and oftentimes scrutinized. Trying to find the "perfect" dock was proving difficult. This is how our search  for a "House for Rent with a Dock" began. We've pretty much covered every square inch of this town in search of new restaurants, hardware stores, specialty shops, kid play dates and random bike rides. We'd meander through neighborhoods and dream of the homes, scoffing at the ones that didn't have didn't have dockage. "It'd be perfect if..."

We looked at several places before deciding on the one. We have several things planned for the next several months and we will be sharing, of course! For now, we have officially moved out of Felicity and although, it feels quite strange (yes, I was land sick for a few hours) Felicity is still our main goal and focus.

BUT, no matter where we are, home truly is wherever our boat is.

* - The REAL names of these places have been changed.

A Long Awaited Ride

Can you believe it's been over a year since we took a ride on our old Livingston dinghy in Guatemala!! We can't either. When we brought Felicity from Ocean Isle Marina in North Carolina back in November of 2011 we were tender-less all the way until Fort Lauderdale 2013! How did we survive? Ugh, well we've been dock-dwellers. We have learned to get used to living the dock life but we haven't lost sight of our goal to make Felicity a modern day, energy efficient, cruising machine! Even if it was an impulse buy getting our dinghy set up was a major step in leaving dock life in our wake.

Although, we aren't quite ready to trade in our dock lines for anchor or mooring line, we are able to move forward with our next phase of life. We will soon have a new location complete with new scenery and better access to many of the contractors who work on boats including a woodworkers, fabricators and general labor to help us with removal of the old generator, installation of new batteries, installation of our new windlass, varnishing the double doors in the main salon etc.

This weekend was THE perfect weather for a long, lazy ride down the ICW and up the New River. Check out some pictures from our adventures.

Gia & Savannah - Boat Kids

Captain & Me and our 12T with 20 Hp Yamaha

Our friend, Sandy with her 8' Livingston, even her small outboard gets her on plane!

Day of purchase, delivering the boats down New River - GR, Adam & Sandy following.

Boating Stigmas

Image found here.

After two sailboats and two distinctly different cruises through the Eastern & Western Caribbean we purchased a power boat. (Begin SCOFF) Felicity, a 1968 50' Hatteras was (in our minds) the end-all-be all. The. Perfect. Boat. (for us) Honestly,we were a little anxious to reveal this monstrous boat that lacked a mast, sail and a deep draft. Why? Well because for centuries sailors and power boaters have not seen eye to eye. It seems your either one or the other NOT BOTH! You  can't straddle the proverbial line between laid back sailor and stuffy, wake throwing power boater! Yet, here we are. Decidedly in love with both types of boats and the lifestyles that accompany them. We are able to talk from both sides of the coin thanks to experience and quite frankly, we may "someday" become sailboat owners' again.

So what's it like to be a rag-bagger and a stink-potter? A blow-boater and a WAFI (wind assisted F****** idiot)? Well, really it feels no different. I don't mind being both. But I do mind the fact that while we haven't changed peoples' reaction to us sure have. I've met losers and real winners from both camps. It doesn't matter the type of boat, AT ALL!

I don't like the stigmas. To each his own. Yet, from the fly-bridge I sure do see things differently. I see that regardless of the boat we surround ourselves with we are one and your actions speak louder than words. That being said I have advice for both sides,

Please wave "Hello!" to all vessels that pass.
Please know & follow the "rules of the road!"
Please use your VHF, communicate with traffic.
Please use common sense and compassion.
Please practice patience, for your own good and the good of others.
Please be aware of your wake and know that you ARE responsible for any damage left by that wake.
Please be aware of your vessel at all times and keep annoying sounds to a minimum (halyards, noisy generators).

I merely write this post to remind us all that when stripped of our sails and engines we are all just brothers and sisters with a passion for adventure on the water!

"Winterfest" 2012 Boat Parade

Jungle Queen, pic courtesy of MondoVacilando

This year was our first Fort Lauderdale Christmas Boat Parade and man did we have great seats!! Without even having to leave the comfort of our home because our canal, just off the ICW is where all the boats go by! We had drinks, music and good friends aboard as we sat back and enjoyed the show for a good two hours! It was fun to look out for friends of ours, who also live aboard, that were lucky enough to be in the parade aboard 160' motor yacht, "Caprice", that was fully decorated, sponsored by the Galleria Mall. Overall, we learned it's not the size of the ship that counts but just how many lights you had and how good your sound system was that counted the most!!

Kids4Sail - Where Cruising Kids Come First!

Site is actually now, Kids4Sail.ning.com

Raising kids on a boat is something I had absolutely no idea about until I had to do it! Even now, that I have done it, I consider myself no expert!
Plenty of people email and ask me questions like:

How did I plan?
What was it like homeschooling?
How did the kids respond to cruising?

My answer is this; with all the rum punches in between the whirlwind of cruising over 13 different countries, 3 different boats, 2 adopted cats and 4 school grades I don't know how it went but she turned out awesome so... I'd say it went pretty dang well!! My blogging has morphed quite a bit since we began this journey and unfortunately I have no old blogs to refer to our child rearing experiences aboard; only my memory holds the little tricks I learned along the way.

BUT if you are planning to raise your kids aboard someday have I got the website for YOU!! Kids4Sail is an incredible way to meet other cruising families. The website is a host for blogs, read their blog, photos, videos and even has a forum for kid related topics such as homeschooling and activities aboard! I "met" Erika Lelievre, the administrator/organizer of this site online through a mutual friend, a cruising mom, and joined the site as a way to keep in touch with the many children we've met while cruising. The best tool we've found is the "Member Map", it's been great for planning to arrive in an anchorage with some kids and scheduling play dates or home school dates! For you, it can be a veritable gold mine of information to help push you into (or out of) a pending decision.

Our little site has grown in leaps and bounds and we are hoping to gain at least 100 MORE cruising kids to our list so please, please, PLEASE JOIN or PASS the website onto a cruising family you know! Be sure to check out their Facebook page too!

**Seriously, though if you have specific questions about raising kids aboard or any topics for that matter, feel free to ask. I'll do my best to dust off the cobwebs from my memory!;)

Travel Day

So some friends of ours call up last night and say, "Hey, you want to have a bonfire?" My immediate thought is, "Heck yes!" But then I remember, we are leaving in the morning! There are so many little things we need to do to be prepared and the last thing we want to do is stay up too late, drink too much and forget all those important little things in the mayhem!

The weather is not exactly perfect and we have no other choice but to go today. It wouldn't be the first time we went out without a favorable weather report. Seriously though, it's not a problem. What's a little rain from inside the cushy pilothouse with the windshield wipers going back and forth? What's a little wind when I'm completely closed off and protected in our own little haven? One of my favorite benfits of a day like today and the difference between a sailboat and a powerboat is that we will arrive in less than half the time it would have taken us to go on the inside, even with all the bridges. NOAA calls for 1-2 ft seas building to 5 and winds 10 - 15 gusting to 23mph, so we've decided to go up the ditch (intra-coastal waterway). This means we will have to go slower but it also means no getting tossed around.

As if the weather wasn't enough of an issue we have the Lauderdale Air Show to compete with! I'd like to joke and say I planned it this way so we'd have a grand entrance to our new home, sadly though I did not. The "traffic" on the water should be crazy so our leaving as soon as possible is imperative. Check out the link to the show I imagine it's going to be incredible with Choppers, Blue Angels, and a mix of military and civilian performers we will be entertained! Should make for some great photos!

Thanks for following along, here we go!

South Florida Boater Profile

Last month I emailed the Editor of Waterfront Times a local boating paper in response the their call for local boaters to answer a few questions for a feature in the upcoming edition. We corresponded and I sort of forgot about it. Until yesterday, when we were told we had been spotted! Waterfront Times is a great free local paper that has quality articles as well as a useful classifieds section. I'm psyched about our first press as Project Motor Boat and hope you'll check out the article here.

If you are a local boater and would like your profile printed in the pages of Waterfront Times, check out their Facebook page or website and email the Editor. We'd love to see our friends show up here next month!

Speaking of Facebook, have you "liked" Project Motor Boat yet?

Happy Saturday!

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:)

GR's Five Favorite Products

Fridays are fun days right? Everyone is excited about the weekend, including us. I decided that on the blog Fridays will be Favorite Days! We will talk about some of our favorite things like anchorages, products, companies, and foods.

In my opinion, GR is a "Mr. Fix It" like no other I have ever seen before. He really takes pride in every job he does and that shows. There are a few products he uses on a regular basis that help tremendously and we wouldn't consider leaving the dock without them on board. I just LOVE telling everyone about the little tricks we have learned about certain products. So without further delay, here we go! While most of my posts are pretty basic this one gets down right technical! (Well, for me anyway!)


Super Lube - It's a great multipurpose grease and can be used as a dialectric grease for electrical connections. When applied to rubber gaskets it can keep them from dry rotting. It performs well in high temperature areas. The secret ingredient, Syncolon® (PTFE) a replacement for Teflon. It creates a better barrier between moving parts.


PB Blaster -  Penitrating oil can that break free many rusty things including Master-Locks, screws, bolts and any other fastener you may need to break loose. You can spray it on bike parts after the evil rust monkeys get to it.

Ultra Tef Gel - Creates a barrier between two dissimilar metals. Every screw, nut, bolt and rivet get a bit of Tef Gel.

Sea Foam - GR adds this to fuel, diesel, gasoline and oil. When added to oil at oil changes it keeps the valves clean and working freely. GR has also been known to soak carburetors in it to clean out all the junk that builds up. Cleans injection systems and engine parts.

Sno Bowl* - Sno Bowl is the best at getting that brown brow off the hull that every boat gets from the ride down the ICW. It works in the head getting all that calcification off the bowl.

Have you used these products? Do you have any other uses for them? Please share them with us in the comments section. Today being Friday, I'm sure GR has a list of projects for us to do this weekend. I'll be sure upload anything good we get done!!

*This stuff is seriously bad for the environment and contains Hydrochloric Acid. So handling this should be done very carefully and sparingly.

Our First Peeve

Shielding his eyes from the sun, he asks "Can you see the name on that boat, Babe?" I run to get my glasses on, " Um, I think it says Scandia?"

It never really bothered us before, but now it seems that the names on the back of some boats are WAY too small! Or there is a dinghy covering it up. Some names aren't even on the stern. We've seen more boats this week with the name on the side of the hull than ever before.

Why is it so important to see the name of the boat in front of us? In Inland Waterways, everyone is supposed to agree on a side to pass so we are all on the same page. We are cruising at a cool 10 knots and need to pass a boat; we need to call them to see which side they are comfortable with us passing on. We also ask if they have a preference? It's just a courtesy, a small gesture that make the difference in everyone's opinion of "the powerboater". AND we don't want to make a bad impression, considering we only just started being powerboaters!  We would like to let them know we will give them a nice slow pass and thank them and wish them a happy day!

BUT if we can't see the name, it sounds something like this, "Sailing Vessel, uh...(insert massacred name here)"

We are really trying hard to not be that guy. The rude, stink potter. Being former sail boaters we know both sides now. Getting an unexpected wake really sucks!

Boating courtesies work both ways, so think about this if you have a small, hard to see or hard to pronounce boat name. Maybe give the boat behind you a call, good communication will help everyone's day go more smoothly!