First Time First Mate

Leaving the Tampa Bay area our next goal is to get to Marathon and Boot Key Harbor where we will get some boat chores done, reprovision groceries and collect our Amazon orders.  Boot Key will be our "layover" as we await another good weather window before heading to the east coast and our staging area for the next big crossing which could be Rodriquez Key or Angle Fish Creek depending on how long we can run that day.  From there we will cross the Gulf Stream and anchor at Gun Key or possibly farther.....depending.....You can make a plan but everyday when you get up and check the forecast,  Plan B is always on the table. Our first day out of Egmont Key provided me with a glimpse of tropical weather.  Ever since we left Bay St. Louis on the 14th it has been COLD!  Some mornings waking up to 20 degrees, wearing sweat pants and jackets somehow didn't seem right since I am on a cruise to the Bahamas.  Well, you have to get there first I guess.  And l...

  So, I am sure you've used the word 'crossing' in many ways....crossing the street, cross my heart, crossing an intersection....etc. Now, for me, that word has a whole new connotation. It now means, 34 hours of nonstop running across a body of water with only 2 hour intervals of rest. YEP, that's what we did after we pulled up  anchor in Pearl Bayou near Panama City, FL. until we finally anchored (for the second time-more on that in a bit) at Egmont Key which is the Pilot Boat station for Tampa Bay.  It was not a rough crossing (Except for a few hours of beam seas in the afternoon) so that was definitely a good thing and even better was that there were no other boats on our radar during the overnight hours.  That means that while the captain was resting down in the stateroom I did not have to dodge any targets on radar.  As a 'first time first mate' I can't tell you how happy that made me!  I was able to keep an eye on the radar and gauges and just let th...

Something I realized after 4 days of cruising....I no longer have a “nine to five” day or any other set time frame.   Well, that’s not actually true as my days have now become structured by the ‘Engine Room Check’ (heretofore referred to as the ERC).   So that means that every 2 hours while we are underway I must man the helm while Ken goes down into the bowels of the ship to transfer fuel and do his “captain thing”.   When that is done I have 2 hours until the next one and must take advantage of that time to get my first mate chores done as well as incorporate some ME time. The morning time off (and I use that phrase loosely) is usually taken up with breakfast preparation and galley cleaning as my Spotify play list provides inspiration.   I REALLY like my galley to be neat and tidy.... After that, my 2 hour intervals involve, among other things, giving our pups some attention and working on “boat potty training” my little dog, Allie.   Ken’s lab...

So....the good news is.....we are still on course for the Bahamas, we survived an arctic blast and are still speaking to each other!!! The bad news:    Now here you have to understand that this is coming from a “newby” cruiser....a so called ‘wanna be’ sailor.    I am in a serious learning curve about all things ‘nautical and live aboard’.     But my captain, God bless his little heart is saying, “Sheree, you are doing so great, I am so proud of you” when I am (in my mind) constantly messing things up.    OK, I get a lot of things right mind you, but this first mate thing is a real challenge if you’ve never done it.    Let me explain......there are 2 very important concerns about living aboard a boat:   Power conservation (and shouldn’t we all be concerned about that?)   Water conservation (ditto) I feel that I am doing pretty well with #1...I only use my blow dryer or curling iron while underway when the eng...