Nov. 22 - Progress Continues

Indiantown Marina

“To accomplish great things we must first dream, then visualize, then plan...believe...act!” ―Alfred A. Montapert

We've had a busy week in the work yard. Seven months of dirt, slim and mildew have been washed off, the hull has been waxed and two coats of new bottom paint have been applied. These projects are hard work and they were even harder this week with the heat and humidity that is still around in south Florida. It's hard to believe it’s November...it feels more like August.

But it hasn't been all work this week; we've made time to catch up with old friends and enjoyed meeting new ones including blogger and Facebook friend Ellen from Cynical Sailor. Hopefully I'll have more time this coming week to visit with her. We're also enjoying events the marina is hosting this week as part of their Thanksgiving Rendezvous. Free meals, drinks, music, fun and fellowship as their way to say thank you to all the boaters that use their marina. We’re scheduled to be put in the water on Friday November 27…and I think we’ll be ready.

The Pearl in our temporary home

Waxing the hull 

Preparing the bottom for new paint 

 

 

We had a little helper come by...she wasn't much help 

First coat of paint going on 

Look how nice the bottom and running gear look...I wish it could stay that way. 

I love the new bottom paint...she is really looking pretty now 

Dinner in Stuart with our friends Charlotte and Magnus from Swede Dreams 

Meeting other boaters that are here doing work or waiting to move to on to the Bahamas

Entertainment last night at our get together 

Nov. 17 - The Work Begins

Indiantown Marina

“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.” ― Tom Bodett

There is a knot in my stomach as the lifting straps groan with the strain of The Pearl’s 20,000 pounds of bulk as she is hoisted into the air and moved. This time she isn’t being hoisted out of the water, but moved from the storage yard to the work yard. Our eyes are fixed on the boat as she is lifted high in the air and moved down the road, she looks like a toy boat and the travel lift operator is a little boy getting ready to play with his toys. Although we have had our boats hauled out many times, it’s still nerve wracking each time we have it done. The boat swings just a little from side to side as the lift moves down the road and I pray that nothing will happen…just in case there’s a mishap; I keep the video camera running.

Indaintown Marina is very busy this time of year. The travel lift is busy all day moving boats from the storage yard to the work yard and other boats from the work yard to the water. Everyone is preparing their boats for a winter of cruising in the Keys and Bahamas or places further south. We’ll spend the next week and a half painting the bottom, waxing the hull and doing a few miscellaneous projects that are easier to do when we're out of the water. As I said the yard is very busy, so you have to be on the schedule to get moved. We're scheduled to be splashed on Friday November 27…if the weather stays decent we should have plenty of time to get our work done.

On her way to the work yard

Getting set up in her new home

Lots of water, soap and scrubbing and The Pearl was looking more like her old self.

Leaves and seeds from the trees blew on faster than we could wash them off. Between that and the ash from the sugar cane fields they are burning are going to make it a challenge to keep the boat clean.

Our view for the next 10 days

Nov. 16 – Back to The Pearl

Indiantown, FL

“"How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?" —Dr. Seuss

It’s hard to believe it’s been 7 months since we left The Pearl on the hard at Indiantown Marina. Being home so long gave us a chance to see a large number of family members and catch up with old friends...some we hadn't seen in 10, 20, even 30 years. But the best part of being home for so long was getting to watch our grandchildren grow and change before our eyes. We welcomed our newest little wonder into the world in July and we feel truly blessed to have each one of them in our life. We also spent time doing projects on Texas Pearl, making her look better and feel more like home. Now it’s time to get busy getting The Pearl ready for some winter cruising.

Boats don’t do well when they are left alone…they need a little TLC regularly to keep them looking nice. This is the longest we’ve left the boat and it’s definitely in the worst shape we’ve ever seen her. Hopefully in a few weeks she’ll be back to her old beautiful self.

The hard work will begin tomorrow when the marina moves her to the work yard, but tonight we enjoyed one last evening of comfort. We are at the Seminole Inn. It’s an historic hotel that was built in 1926 by Davis Warfield who owned the Seaboard Airline Railroad. The Inn has been welcoming guests seeking “Old Florida” for almost 90 years. We’ve heard the restaurant has wonderful food, but they only serve dinner on Friday and Saturday night…I’m thinking we might have to come by for dinner next weekend after working on The Pearl.

The Seminole Inn

The lobby

The second floor parlor 

Our room

From a distance she doesn't look too bad, but up close you can see she is so dirty. Lots of dirt, mildew and slime. We were pleased that the teak work and the inside looks great.