Sometimes You Just Need To Stay Put To Get Things Done!

Our comfortable spot in Vero Beach to get a few jobs done.

Sometimes you need to stay put somewhere to get things done. I know for some it comes as a surprise that our job list is so long considering the time we have just spent in a boatyard. But that time was dedicated to the hull and all that that entails.  We all know how Sim is a belt and braces kinda guy who likes to tinker and fix things.  I use to join him on this continuous maintenance mission that he is always on, but over the years and for the sake of both of our sanities I have happily learned to just let him get on with it while I potter  and tinker with my own interest and projects. And that keeps us in a happy place, so its a win –win!  
 A ‘bad’ clevis pin got changed. Since then I have lifted Sim up the mast 7 times changing the rest of them, just in case.

The dye test shows that this clevis pin definitely needed changing - see the purple stress line near the top of the pin.

Sim has thoroughly inspected all the rigging and changed all the clevis pins at the top of the mast for the shrouds and the backstays and both the T bolts from the lower cap shrouds at the bottom. He has cleaned it all and conducted a three part dye test on any suspect pieces that show any fractures or corrosion.  So far all seems good and we are glad we have had this time in Vero Beach to do this, as had we left for the Bahamas it would have been delayed and delayed and a constant worry.

Our wheels for a couple of days....there was no losing this car in the parking lot!

But it’s not all work. We hired a car for a couple of days while it was still cheap and convenient and got a surprise message from Jennifer who was here in Florida on vacation with mum and dad, Jim and Linda – our old cruising buddies from Opus.  They were 150 miles away somewhere near St Augustine so we agreed to meet halfway in Titusville – a spot we are both familiar with. We had a delicious lunch and catch up at the Dixie Crossroads, renowned for their various seafood selection and Rock Shrimp.

Linda, Jennifer and Jim from Opus at Dixie Crossroads

We walked around the marina where we had both previously hung out over the years.  This area is a good place to spot manatees and sure enough we got to glimpse a few.  They love fresh water – one manatee was feeding from a boats’ cooling system and another couple from a running hose. Despite their funny looks, I think these docile creatures are very cute. 

The marina, like the rest of the US east coast had its fair share of resident Osprey.

We bought an ice lolly and were sitting eating them together with our friends, watching the boats come and go when we recognised two familiar faces. It couldn’t be  ‘Wind Whisperer’ with Terry and Barbara who we had all sailed loosely together with six years ago along the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico? It was. How uncanny!  Sometimes it really is a small world and no more so than when they tied up beside us two days later in Vero Beach.

 'Wind Wisperer' leaving early one morning after rafting to us for the night.