Did I Just Do That? - Side Effects of Cruising

Symptom #1) New Habits Die Hard

Some people do fist pumps.
I do foot pumps.

At my Grandmother's gleaming white, kitchen sink I pumped my leg up and down searching for the pedal.

That wouldn't have been such a big deal if I had actually been on a boat, where foot pumps are the norm at the galley sink. Noticing her collection of roosters staring at me I swept the dishrag over the counter, oops...that rooster was asking for it.

True story. 

For me, this return to terra firma kept proving just how much I'd changed.  Once recovered from the rooster attack I smiled, I couldn't remember how to act in a land based home. Leaving what I knew and starting anew brought on many emotions. Changes took place in me while I was away that may made me more sensitive, alert, happy and courteous.


Symptom 2)  Slow is the new fast.

Earlier in the day, I was told I could drive the car. (Gram's southern.)

Gram: Jessica.
Me: Yes?
Gram: Honey, you got to drive the speed limit child!
Me: I feel like I'm going so fast!

Yes. Walking can be faster than sailing, did you know that? Our most recent trip we'd done 4 knots all the way to Jamaica. Aboard Felicity, I joke that my cheeks flap at 10 knots!! Seriously though, driving in cars going high speeds wig me out. I rode a bike for 4 years!


Symptom 3) Budget, Budget, Budget

Running an economic cruising boat is something you learn as you go. Budget talk makes me cringe but GR is the money man. Thankfully, for us (me) he enjoys this task. He is constantly figuring costs when planning our next anchorage or our monthly projects all in order to keep our dream alive. When we are cruising we have learned to live more simply and work together as a team as each dollar is viewed as a fuel for our adventures! That being said, life on land becomes this constant negotiation of dollars and cents. Are we spending money that is supporting "the dream" is a question we often ask ourselves.




If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms like these or others, you may need to seek a local happy hour or cruiser's potluck and start sharing stories and laughter!!

I'm sure I've missed a few other symptoms, have any to add?

The Year for Yamaha!

Yamaha EF2000iS

Meet our "Get By" generator (today) and our "Back Up" (later)! This was yet another impulse buy made by the Captain while he was "escorting" our friend Sandy to purchase her new 6hp "Yammy"! He just couldn't help himself! Bob Hewes Boats, in North Miami, has been incredible to deal with. Their sales and personnel have answered all our questions and their prices are better than competitors! After seeing them online and comparing them to the more popular HondaEU 2000i  he decided, since he's been on a Yamaha kick lately, why not give 'er a go!

Yamaha Zuma

 Our first Yamaha purchase started off with this little baby! She'll fit perfectly on our top deck, next to our tender (dinghy & outboard setup) and gets 132 miles to the gallon allowing for us to scoot around town for parts and groceries!

Yamaha 20hp 4Stroke

AND last but certainly not least our *water wheels*! We've certainly got many, many more hours to put on this motor perhaps towing Gia & friends on a tube or knee board!? Can you say...Yamahappiness?!

Felicity & her crew are certainly happier with all this new gear. For years, we have heard cruisers sing Yamaha's praise for the outboard. We are going to go ahead and test them for the scooter and the generator while we are at it! It certainly is panning out to be The Year for Yamaha!


*We were not compensated by Bob Hewes Boats or Yamaha in anyway for this post.

Impulse Buys

Image origin.

It seems like we are prepping the boat completely out of order. It's like we are just grabbing at opportunities as they pop up. We have a long, laundry list of items to purchase and when we see a good deal we jump thus leading to an accumulation of goodies on-board that are just sitting around collecting dust until their turn rolls around.

After researching the differences between our Ideal vertical windlass and the Lofrans horizontal  we had confirmed our choice. GR experience with the  Lofrans Tigres on his old, 48' Soveral (sister ship), he already knew he wanted to get one for Felicity. Since it costs just as much to modify the current windlass as it does to purchase our preferred model windlass, brand new we decided to go with our preferred design.

A friend was at Sailorman and called saying they had one brand new for a great price, cheapest we'd seen $$ and GR said, I'll take it. It's the first time I ever saw him buy something over the phone sight unseen. I was somewhat shocked. Alas, we just aren't ready to tackle that project as we still have yet to remove the generator!

We know it will all happen, one day. But for now we are doing a lot of impulse buying!! Are we alone? Do you find yourself getting ahead of schedule and purchasing products for the boat that you know you'll use but just aren't ready to start working on??

Two Yachtie Tips You Can Use!

Those "mega" yachts sure are pretty and man, do they spend a lot of money to play with them! BUT I will say this, they still keep to the" basics" when it comes to cleaning! I work on a classic Burger here in Fort Lauderdale and find I use these two products more than any other cleaning supply. They are cheap and safe to use for anyone, anywhere!

There are a number of reasons why using natural cleaning products in your home (floating or not) is a great idea! We could start with the fact that these chemicals are absorbed by your body, end up in our waterways AND can cause lasting damaging effects on both human and animal life! Just because your turning over a "green" leaf doesn't mean you'll need to spend a bunch of "green" either, let's just consider going back to the basics!

1. Vinegar -A simple mix of white vinegar and water will work wonders on windows, ports, hatches and any other clear or glass surface! No more blue dyes or streaks baby, this is it! Designate a small spray bottle for this use specifically and keep it full and handy wherever you will use it most. Don't like the "salad dressing" smell? Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil like calming lavender!
2. Alcohol - Yup! Straight up rubbing alcohol. Just put it in a spray bottle and use it on just about any hard surface. It's not a deep cleaner but it will cut your workload in half when you use it everyday to clean lightly. Showers, stainless, mirrors, toilets even floors can benefit from the germ killing powers in plain, old, inexpensive rubbing alcohol!

Now, I'm off to work, Happy Friday!!

Forward and Reverse

So I know I've been blabbing about how awesome it is that we don't have a car and haven't for three years (2009). How we love the exercise and how we never live too far from anything...well, that has all ended. In Miami public transportation was a breeze but in Fort Lauderdale things aren't so easy.

On one hand, I really wanted a car, like in the way a little girl really wants anything! I wanted it because I felt I was "too old" to be riding my bike 20 miles a day and arriving any/everywhere looking like a sweaty, disheveled mess. I wanted to be able to bring our daughter to play dates and help out the other Moms who so graciously traveled both ways in order to make up for our lack of transportation. I wanted to be able to sneak down to Miami and visit GR when his boat moved from one marina to another to await the arrival of owners. I wanted to be able to drive up to Daytona Beach for the holidays and see my Grama and other friends we miss so much! I wanted to hop in the car and drive to work when it was raining and/or cold, not bundle up into a bunch of layers and then shove all the extra clothes in my backpack because by afternoon it's back up to 80 degrees here!

On the other hand, I hated the idea of spending money on said car, a very temporary item, at least for us. In our bigger view of our future we do not have a need for a car. We will have the scooter, 3 bicycles and our dinghy (soon to come) but definitely -  NO CAR! I hated the fact that most of the reasons for getting the car were "wants" not "needs". Mostly, I hated that I was putting money towards something that wasn't going to accelerate our cruising "shove off" date. Yet, I made the decision anyway.

Here she is ... I'm calling her *Mellow* mostly because she looks like a marshmallow and slightly because I need to be reminded to just - be - mellow. I know this decision will turn out to be beneficial (Christmas tree hauling by bicycle would look quite funny) and there's always the fact that we will sell her before we do take off, because we will. Eventually.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying expressing gratitude for the ability to work hard and get the things we want and experience the freedom of a longer range of motion that "Mellow" provides in forward and in reverse!! ;)

Give a Little Bit

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With the holiday season *rapidly* approaching many people are in search of the perfect gift. What better than a gift that gives back?! Our favorite non profit, Casa Guatemala, just released their new 2013 Wall Calendar now available for purchase on Ebay! Check it out! If your into photos, travel, smiling children or Guatemala this calendar will bring a smile to your face AND theirs! The calendar is priced right and benefits the beautiful children you see pictured throughout the pages.

Along with their everyday needs, our contact Heather let me know that the Casa needs a new (to them) VHF radio. The VHF radio is used to communicate to over 800+ boats along the Rio Dulce and without one they are unable to promote themselves. Announcements like the Especial De Dia from Hotel Backpackers Restaurant (Casa Guatemala's main financial support) and  also letting cruisers know when the delivery boat will be passing by selling fresh, baked breads and the fresh meats and cheeses that Casa Guatemala makes! If you are able to help in some way to provide Casa Guatemala with a new VHF radio, please be in touch! You see, although Casa Guatemala seeks support from people like you and me they also support themselves from within by growing fresh fruits and vegetables, teaching farming techniques and running the Hotel Backpackers Hotel & Restaurant!

If you are able to contribute in some way or are preparing a trip to Guatemala's Rio Dulce please consider practicing some "Karma Yoga" and give a little bit of yourself to them. You won't regret it!

Travelers with a Boating Problem.

The question is Sailor? or Traveler?

• Sailing - The fine art of getting wet and becoming ill, while going nowhere slowly at great expense.

• Travelling - To go from one place to another, a journey. 

The answer is ....

I have always been a gypsy soul; prone to wandering and unable to stay in one place for a long period of time.  Sailing only came into my life in the last 10 years, when I met my soul mate. (awwwww!) When we met I really had no idea how to sail or how the change of lifestyle would affect me.  He told me his dream of sailing through the Caribbean and living on a boat. We spent countless hours on Yachtworld.com looking for the perfect boat. (We are still looking by the way.) Well, that sounded right up my alley! Little did I know I would dry heave for an entire 8 hours while we slogged along at a painstakingly slow 6 knots on our first Bahamas shakedown sail. (I now know that 6 knots is actually a great speed, as long as your not ill.) Once the sun rose and that unmistakable cerulean blue water illuminated the sea before my eyes I knew my yakking was not in vain. As the dolphins breached and danced in our bow wake I thought to myself, “This is so worth the pain and embarrassment of seasickness.” Over the past 7 years of cruising we have been to over 15 different countries and seen too many cultures and landmarks to count. That my friend is living! 

Sailing is fun, but I could just as easily hop on a plane, train or in an automobile if my goal is simply getting there.  Not to mention sailing is still the most inexpensive way to travel considering the cost of fuel these days. I’m not sure I would sail around a lake or just go sailing every weekend just to “get out there”. I mean I didn’t do it before and living aboard doesn’t allow for very many “leisure sails”. To me, traveling is what boats were meant to do. I have often asked, “Why would anyone want to live on a boat that doesn’t travel?”  The cramped quarters, the lack of shower, refrigerator or air condition are all things that personally I have only gone without only as a compromise to the simple fact that I was living in paradise; even if it was temporary.

In our case this lifestyle is truly about the journey, learning and fixing and growing along the way. Ghosting along under a full moon with all the wind Gods shinning down on you can be magical.  And pulling into a new harbor with excited eyes that just soak up everything the island has to offer is what keeps me cruising. However, you can’t be in a hurry and you have to be ready to expect the unexpected.

Originally, sailing felt like vacation.  We sailed through the Eastern Caribbean stopping at every different island experiencing their cultures, food and landscapes. Yet in the back of our minds there was still a home to go back to; a King sized bed to long for, a walk in closet, a garage, a yard. So when the sun beat us down, when the leaks came through the cabin, when the bugs ate us alive we had something to dream about. Going home. But then, being home left us restless, we knew that we could never be content in one place for the rest of our lives. The search began for another boat. We sold the house and the cars and moved aboard full time. With nothing to look back at we were able to come to terms with our new home and our new lifestyle with wild abandon. We learned to adapt to the changes that come with leaving your homeland and entering  strange new countries with different values, foreign languages and unique foods.

Sailing, like we see in the movies rarely happens. When it does, yes, it is magical and perhaps that is why we all keep going out there. Over my experience there are some things I have learned about myself. What I do and don’t like. I do not like the jerking motion associated with rough seas. I am a fair weather sailor. Generally speaking that means we leave with light winds because heavier winds mean bigger seas. Lighter winds mean we run the engine. We have never ever felt bad about the fact that we are motor sailors, let those other wind junkies go slogging out there in 6 foot seas, not me, not me. I do not enjoy spending days on a constant heel. I do not enjoy taking spray over the bow without the comfort of a dodger to hide behind or inside steering station. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt!!

Hence the fact that we now live on a power boat. Yes, we gave up our deep keel and white sheets for Detroit Diesels. We still want to travel, we don’t want to commit to a house on land, nothing could keep us away from boating. Having our experiences and our choices we also now want comfort, space and speed. Felicity affords us all of that. For us, we have lived on the sailor’s side, we loved it and we learned many things. For now, we are on a different path but we are still traveling and we will never stop.

Travelers? Yes. 

Travelers with a boating problem? Definitely!

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Did I tell you I'm into DIY?

So it's not news that I'm into Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Projects. I come from a long line of yard sale shoppers, trash pickers, crafters and do it yourself lovers. Living on a boat has also taught me how to scrimp and save money while reusing items that in another life I may have just thrown away. During my DIY hunt online for an alternative to those chemically enhanced plastic Glade Air Fresheners I stumbled upon Smashed Peas & Carrots. This awesome "Mommy Blog" offers up a clever alternative idea that I just had to try.

We used:

Mason Jar
Baking Soda
Essential Oil
Scissors
Safety Pin

If you already have some of these items around it makes it that much cheaper! I purchased three 8 oz. mason jars from Shell Lumber for .99 cents each.  I already had lavender oil & baking soda on hand so, my initial investment (ha ha ha) was very small.

Fill the jar half way with baking soda, add about 10 drops of essential oil. Cut the paper to fit the inside of the lid, fit onto the top of the jar and place lid over the paper tightening down on the jar. Then poke holes in the paper with a sewing needle or safety pin. Gently shake it up and allow the sweet scent to fill the rooms! We put one in each head but the scent filled the whole boat, making it feel calm and clean.

This project is truly one that will last a long time, whenever you want to release more of the scent just give the jar a little shake. You can also add a few drops of oil to prolong use.

If you give this a try, please let me know what you think!

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

Sign Says

Sign reads: Welcome! My shop is nicely priced and you will find cool stuff! Warning, I do not have change so bring the right amount! Love, Gia

Fuel for the Fire

Backcountry.com Best Price @ 89.95 no shipping

Here she is, take a look! Fiberglass propane tanks are the coolest new invention! We have been dreaming of getting fiberglass tanks since the day we first saw them on the stern railing of another boat. The idea is that you can see the level of propane and never have to guess again! Believe me those propane gauges never work anyway so just save yourself the time and money and buy these! They are actually cheaper than stainless tanks. Since having a propane stove is all I have know for the past few boats I'm a bit spoiled. When it comes to cooking with propane the benefits are seemingly endless. The only downside would be Sunday morning pancakes interrupted by having to switch tanks or worse, lug the only tank you have into town for a refill. Not anymore!

Time Saver - Cooking with gas ranges allow you to begin cooking right away as there is not waiting for burners to heat up like with electric units.

Safety -  Propane burners cool just as quickly as they heat. Turning off the propane from the tank also saves fuel and keeps from gas leaking into your living space.

Consistency - Propane allows for even heat distribution across the bottom of the pots and pans, so forget about hot spots!

Precision - Temperature control like quickly changing from boil to simmer allows even the newest chef to look like a seasoned professional!

Propane is a great resource supplying 3 to 4 percent of our nation's total energy needs. Almost 11 billion gallons of propane are consumed by 60 million Americans every year to heat, cool, cook and light up their homes! Propane is universal and is also used in countries around the world so when you need a refill in Bahamas or Jamaica it can be simple. For us, living outside the box and relying more on self preservation to live leaves us seeking out new technologies and methods to spend more time at sea and less time at the dock and with our new galley set up we can do just that!

How will you get set up to stay longer out at sea? Are you relying to much on America's electricity? Cut the cord and seek out our renewable energy alternatives, you just may find a new hobby!

Until next time...;)

*We got our tanks (2, 20 lb. vertical) from Backcountry.com, they were available in a variety of colors including red, blue and green. We chose white;)

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...

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!

Being Resourceful

Resourceful: adj.

Able to act effectively or imaginatively, especially in difficult situations.

Able to use the means at one's disposal to meet situations effectively.

Ingenious, inventive, creative, no matter what word you use to describe it there are times when you just have to think outside the box! When we moved from one boat to another we didn't have the convenience of taking our belongings by car from one marina to another. We sold our boat in Central America and moved to Eastern US by plane. With the cost of baggage these days we felt it unnecessary to pay for things twice. Books, art supplies, tools, cruising charts and games can be heavy and really add weight to your 50 pound limit. We figured we could probably just buy those things again, in good time.

Fast forward 3 months( my how time flies) and my how we are accumulating things left and right! Some friends donated a ton of paint brushes to Gia and me. We were so thankful that they also donated a huge coffee tin, bread ties and a sprouting tupperware (for growing sprouts)! When we put our needs "out there" (into the cosmic universe by prayer or meditation) I knew that the universe would provide for us.

Since we are on a budget, as many people are, I took matters into my own hands when the new year came around. I felt we really needed a calendar, what with all of Gia's school functions, my work schedule and our now various bills to pay. (ick) But instead of going out and spending almost $15 on a wall calendar I decided to be resourceful! Using one of our old shopping bags I created 4 months worth of calendars using the front and back sides of a brown paper bag.

If you have a collection of things around the house or boat, think about new ways to use them! We now save all our bread ties and use them in the school garden to help hold up those delicious tomatoes and green pepper stalks. We use binder clips and rubber bands to close cereal and chip bags. Part of what makes cruising fun is the ability to leave "land life" behind and sometimes that means there is not a Target or a Wal*Mart nearby. Learning to do without can have tons of benefits, just one of the many is being resourceful!

In what ways have you become more resourceful? We'd love to hear your comments!

Boat Show Gear!

The 2012 Progressive Insurance® Miami International Boat Show and Strictly Sail is happening! This week begins the move-in of thousands of boats to the Miami Beach Convention Center and Sea Isle Marina & Yachting Center. Some boats are still shrink wrapped and are brought in by crane, while still others like the one GR is on will be driven in and parked into tight spaces where they will show off their goods for the next week to dreamers and buyers from around the world!

GR brought home our first bit of boat show gear last night!

I'm so stoked to rock this hat! IAG Yachts are the manufacturer of the current yacht GR is working with. EARLY this morning, I drove G up to  Ft. Lauderdale so he could get on the brand new 127' model and bring it down to South Beach to get prepared for the show. If you get a chance to check out the Mega-Yachts at Sea Isle and look for him! Tell him you heard about it on Project Motor Boat!

Casa Guatemala

Many of us have never known hunger, poverty or disease. Many of the children that come to Casa Guatemala know nothing else. Please take a minute to envision how much your little effort could offer to a precious, innocent child.

If you have been following us for any length of time you know full well that our hearts belong to Guatemala. When we will return we do not know, but while we are here we have some fundraising to do! During our stay in Guatemala's Rio Dulce (05-11/10-11) I had the opportunity to perform selfless service or "karma yoga" with an organization known as Casa Guatemala. Casa Guatemala is an orphanage, that provides a loving, nurturing atmosphere for impoverished children to receive education, health care, nutrition and life skills.

It all started through the Cruiser's Net, I heard a call for someone to host yoga classes.Then I saw the  opportunity to raise money for the organization by holding yoga classes. It was then that I met Heather, she is the Director of Communications & Fund Development. Now HERE is a woman that has dedicated her life to the beautiful children that call Casa Guatemala home. After becoming friends with Heather, I learned more about the needs of the organization and felt more compelled than ever to help.

When we left Guatemala we had to give away many of our personal belongings. Even Gia had to say goodbye to her toys, stuffed animals, clothes books and movies. She was a good sport because she knew these items would bring joy to the kids of CG. Casa Guatemala donated to us two empty large suitcases in exchange for two FULL large suitcases to be returned to them. Full of what, you may ask. They need items like shampoo, toothpaste, soap, swimming equipment, books in English or Spanish and many other things. Click here to see the list of the items needed!

You know how to get in touch with us. Starting today we will be accepting donations through our blog, email and through our home address. If you would like to help us fill these suitcases up with supplies, please send us a short email and let us know how you'd like to help.

To make a monetary DONATION direct to Casa Guatemala Click HERE.

 

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