We did a ton of work over the summer to get Freebird more livable. So this episode is about fixing a bunch of systems to make living easier or upgrades to the interior. Jody and the girls came to help a ton. A good friend of mine, Heath, not only showed up to help, but did something extremely crazy in most people’s eyes in this episode.

Over the next several months we will focus more and more on improvements to the standing rigging (stationary lines, cables, etc) running rigging (lines that run and trim the sails) propulsion and anything that helps to make long ocean passages better like a water maker. The next episode will hopefully have some actual sailing on it!

This project here isn’t going so well. We have had a lot of victories fixing things up, but without a VHF radio we will be stuck at the dock for a while. It was broken and I knew just enough to make it worse in this case.

Got in late last night. Ran around all day today gathering supplies and food. Now a little down time dockside after some dinner. I had some requests to do more about the boat and since I will be here doing maintenance for a month I will do just that.

Going to hit it hard tomorrow to get things a little more livable for the girls when they get here in a week. With the freshwater pump burned out as of last night and shore power not working good enough to fire up the microwave or air conditioning, I have my work cut out for me.

This episode was about getting to Freebird’s new home in Beaufort South Carolina. This was plan B. With so many countries in various states with the pandemic, we would have to put off our plans to Panama for one year.

Yes, I was planning on doing an update every few days during the trip from Key Largo up to South Carolina and video episode 2 is coming, but not before tales of woe. The next stage began in Miami when Stephen had to go home and I was waiting for Dave to arrive in Miami to help me with the open ocean stage of the operation. If you have haven’t read about him on this site yet, Dave built Freebird and sailed her around the world for 10 years with Judy. So here is what happened while I was anchored in a nice little protected spot in Miami.

On the day Dave was arriving I started to drag anchor in some pretty strong winds and that set into motion an unfortunate chain of events. Once you start creeping towards other boats, bad things can happen and its time to do something. Naturally I was by myself at this stage and had never anchored Freebird alone before. She is big at 42 feet long (45 with the bow sprit) and 23 feet wide. So at first I just tried to hoist in the windlass (fancy nautical term for anchor system) and reset it. It took me over an hour of trying to maneuver among the other vessels at safe distance. I gave up, left my cozy and sheltered little spot and headed out into the exposed bay at the end of all the other boats. There was two reasons for moving into rougher waters. One, I would be less inclined to hit anything if I drug anchor again. Two, my ego would have less people laughing at it as I struggled to figure this out – oh and the struggles were just beginning…

The bay was a little deeper and definitely gave me more room to operate from other boats (it was also rougher and more windy). Now if only I knew what I was doing. It is common knowledge to let out more rode (fancy word for anchor chain) for a more solid anchoring. So I maneuvered into position and pushed the button to let out rode… and let out more rode… and let out more rode. I continued to do this until I heard a funny spinning sound of the windlass, almost as if the chain was no longer being controlled by the windlass. What I soon found out is the chain was no longer being controlled by the windlass. Fortunately there was only the last bit of rope attached to the boat and the chain and I could not bring in the chain or stop the rapidly lengthening rode except by hand. So the boat is drifting once again towards the other boats and I am flying around on the deck to the entertainment of fewer people, but with a more extravagant level of entertainment.

Crisis averted. At least that crisis. Now I was behind schedule to go get supplies for the upcoming multi-day journey on the open sea. Dave was arriving late that night in Miami and I would have to get him using the little Dinghy. I was nervously pacing on the deck trying to determine if I should even leave the boat. It was pretty windy and rough and I only had the dinghy to go get supplies. Was the anchor holding? It seemed to be. Wait, the wind shifted. Is the anchor still holding? Am I in a different spot compared to the other boats? I think I am good. Did the anchor just start to slip again? This went on for hours until daylight started to fade and I finally made the command decision to indecisively leave the boat at dusk to get supplies before Dave landed late that night.

Now I am really rushing. A little tired. Probably sloppy. My hair was on fire. I am grabbing everything I need to go get last minute food, ice and fill our large water jugs. I make the rough ride in and walk briskly to the nearest market all while imagining Freebird drifting across the bay or out to the middle of the Atlantic. Carrying ice and supplies I was a hot mess when my backpack strap pulled loose, but it was ok because the other one had not pulled loose and I could fix it later. These little sports packs were great little gifts from a soccer trip we were on in the Virgin Islands once. I load the food, full water jugs at 6 gallons each, life vest on for the rough water, light on for the dark of night. Off I go. Unloading was awful in the waves and wind. But I got all the supplies onboard and just needed to call Dave, with my phone that was in the partially broken back pack. The phone that also contains my credit cards, drivers licence and military ID. Yep, I could have used a different sports pack that had two good straps. I can reflect back on that now as a small thing turned big.

And that my friends is why I could not post anything, nor had the time until now. It is also why it was tough to get someone to let me use their phone while I went back in and ran around the marina in my crazy camouflaged boonie hat to try and get a message to Dave about pickup. It is also why Jody had to email my passport to South Carolina so I could come home. I did have a video camera on the boat and will be posting some video of the next leg of the trip soon in Episode 2. Stay tuned.

Yesterday we were anchored in Rodriguez Key with some other boats and working on getting things ready for the bigger voyage. Fixed the Autopilot Display and our Voltage indicator plus a few little things. Tested the backup cooling system because the port motor had been having troubles. Might need a new water pump. Need a bigger port with marine parts stores to do much. Maybe as we head north through Miami.

The anchorage was nice. Cool breeze, no bugs, but we were exhausted.

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Stephen is a Chef!!! He made the best rib eye steak and seared veggies. After a tough day of work it hit the spot.