All Socks Accounted For

Hanging here and waiting for the next check requires housekeeping such as laundry. I explain here.

Here are some pictures from a sunny day at the beach.

Not much else to say.

Dr Brad Standing by on 16

Spring Break, Fall Back

3/11/2014

Still hanging at Mandalay channel. I left the piece of peanut on my mustache just to irritate  you. No retakes this time all out takes.

Here are some pictures of Winter and Stumpy

Here’s a Seahawk or you know it’s real name on the way during my two trips up and down the bay. She’s on the nest here and he’s about one marker away. They use some really big sticks to make their nests

Be in touch.

Peace and justice

I was 17 Years Old

Today is my birthday.

In 1967 Sir Francis Chichester returned from a circumnavigation of the globe after making two stops. Remember no GPS, no Computers, no solar power, no modern space satellite images, no smart phones just a compass and and a sextant and a barometer.

He said on his return that that the only challenge left in sailing was for a single handed sailor to sail the globe without a stop.

No help, no fuel, no water, no nothing. Remember how technical your world was in 1968 if you were even born.

Knox – Johnston left on the race at the age of 29 and lost any communication for the last four and a half months of the journey. He ended up with a sextant, some charts and a barometer he borrowed from a pub before he left.

The Challenge is best remembered by the story of Donald Crowhurst  which you can research.

He arrived in Plymouth in 1969 eleven and one half months after leaving.

People sail and boat around the globe now on regular basis. But once it’s done once it’s done.

He did it on a boat like this an early model he used.

I complain when it takes me an hour to load a post. I complain when the wind blows and I can’t make coffee……

I am doing nothing nothing new or special.

The people that do things new and special are those folks who spend every waking hour not watching the compass on a boat but watching the compass to steer a good course for their children. Watching their supplies to get to the next step up in life. The people that conserve their physical and material resources to overcome an illness.

The first timers are everybody who has tread on new ground whether raising children, grandchildren, facing illness, climbing out of poverty, being the first in family to go to school; the list is endless the list of the real record setters.

Dr Brad standing by on 16, or as long as I can after a few birthday drinks.

The Forgotten Coast Forgotten.

I am sitting in Mandalay Channel waiting on some severe thunderstorms to hit. I hope I have enough Anchor rode out.

Well I have completed the Big Bend around Florida.

2/17 Tyson Harbor anchored

2/18 St. Marks anchored

2/19 Stienhatchee Sea Hag Marina

2/23 Anchored at sea outside Suwanee River

2/24 Crystal River anchored

3/2 Anclote Key  anchored

3/3 Mandalay Channel Anchoring now

356 Statute Miles mostly on open water but here I am in what people call the real Florida.Here are some pictures of the “ real Florida”

Real Florida at night

I have noticed the noise of cars, airplanes, jet skis and lack of birds, critters in the water and I already miss the quiet.

The Trip was awesome. To get here I spent one day at the wheel for 10.5 hours and traveled 70 miles over fairly rough water for half the time.

Crystal River was nice. Manatees and clean clear fresh water  flowing from springs at a  constant 72 degrees. Thousands of people come from all over the world to see and swim with the manatees. They were around my boat all the time and getting out of the dinghy one day one came up behind me and snorted on the back of my head. Scared the hell out of me.

With all these people searching for manatees I put together a clip . I took a song and started taking photos until the song ended and put them together.

Here it is:

Here are some snaps from the trip

Mam with dog

Osprey on boat nextdoor

Night Herron at Stienhatchee rare sighting for me

Storm coming right for me on the open gulf

And Now the Bad News

I stopped and changes my oil and refueled at Mark One Marina. I noticed my batteries were not holding a charge and I fear my alternator may be out and it killed the batteries. I am Keeping them charged with the Honda.

Thank God I am off the open water. Beside the Real Florida this the real expensive Florida.

I am watching the storm come in and collating a solution. Money is tight but remember I have gotten this far on a wish and a prayer. My motto “ Don’t waste poverty.”

I will keep updating.

Dr. Brad standing by on 16