Our Week
I promised I’d post something today, so here goes.
It has been a very eventful week. We have been checking items off the survey list every day. We are getting closer to being able to start our Great Loop journey. Yay!
I was able to invite my Auntie Sharon who lives here in Apollo Beach over to visit and see the boat. It is comforting to know I have a family member close by. Auntie Sharon has always lived far from me. The last time I saw her was when my mom and dad died over 12 years ago. She was so helpful to me and my sister during that time in our life. I wanted to treat her to a special lunch, so we endulged in this Charcuterie Board I whipped up. It was so good and she and Jim enjoyed it. I hope to see her again soon.
Speaking of food, Jim and I both love to cook. We have found the mother lode of fish markets and have cooked some very lovely meals. We don’t have a barbecue, so we grill on the George Foreman.
WE COOK ON A BOAT
This week we also have been obtaining stuff. Remember, we sold most of our stuff before we left California, and we did not bring one stick of furniture. The boat is very well appointed. Usually, when you sell a boat, you leave it decorated and nice for the new owner to move on to. We did that when we sold the Mei Wen Ti. We didn’t take much off her and left all the furnishings to the new owner.
Some off the “stuff” the gentleman left, we did not want. I didn’t want his sheets and towels, and silverware, and the lamps had to go. We did keep his TV sets and stereo system. I brought things from California that I really needed to have in my new home. I got rid of his decorations and put up ours. This boat really feels like our home. I bought new bedding and sheets and towels, and silverware. We bought Corelle plates because they are sturdy. We have purchased a pretty rug to put in the salon.
We bought some recliner swivel chairs to put up on our sun deck. This was a must! We will spend so much time up there! Watching the world go by, wherever we are.
Comfy Cozy
Remember the list I talked about? The one with 54 things that need to be addressed? Well let me tell you, we have been hard at it this week. Every time Jim and I complete a task he puts a ✔️ by the numbered item. As you can see, we are making fabulous progress.
Here are some pictures of the work done this week.
Another thing we bought is something we like to call “Marriage Savers”. I had heard of these from other husband and wife teams who boat.
When you are boating, there is a Captain (Jim) and there is a First Mate, (Kim). In the past, on the Mei Wen Ti, if Captain Jim needed First Mate Kim to do something, Captain Jim YELLED!
When you boat, sometimes things get pretty intense. From docking, and handling lines, to looking out ahead to make sure you aren’t going to hit something or someone requires good communication between the Captain and the First Mate. “Marriage Savers” are wireless Bluetooth headsets. And, they are AMAZING! Jim and I can communicate very nicely to one another without having to yell. I am going to love this product. I literally can be up to a half of a mile away and we can talk. I can be on the swim step of the boat while he is backing into a slip, or docking at a marina and tell him he’s doing a great job, or he needs to adjust and I can do that, without yelling!
Marriage Savers
Am I boring you yet? Because wait, there’s more!
Jim and I started planning this Great Loop Adventure many years ago. The dream was to buy a boat. We decided that we would name our boat “ Happy Destiny”. You might not know this about Jim and I, but we once owned a boat we called Happy Destiny. We had this boat before we bought the Mei Wen Ti. We couldn’t rename the Mei Wen Ti. It would not have been right. We both love the name Happy Destiny for a boat, so it was fitting that we continue our boating journey on the Happy Destiny.
Our new boat had the name Blue Aspen.
We worked together on style, had the vinyl lettering made at an online company and did it ourselves. Probably saved a boat load of money. I am a DIY queen! Jim had to razor blade the name off and put some elbow grease into gettin the old adhesive off, but the result is this. Our boat, has her name.
Removing the old name and adding the new
Our Happy Destiny
Today is Sunday. We have lived on our boat for 15 days. We have worked hard and it is certainly paying off. I say to Jim all day long, “we live on a boat” and he replies, “we sure do”. We are both having the time of our life. This is life on life’s terms with a sunset. We are living our dream. ❤️
We went for a joyride yesterday to kick off her dirt. I hadn’t been out on the water on her yet. It was my maiden voyage. When Jim brought the boat to this marina, I had to drive the car. So needless to say, I’m in love.
From our home to yours, Cheers!
❤️
