Sailing Winds' Pleasure

18/01/2025

Happy hour theme was "anything but a cup" and I think we chose wisely 😜

15/01/2025

Can you spot Thinghy? 👀

We had the best turn out for the January 13, 2025 full moon dinghy drift for Boot Key Harbor in Marathon. We broke the record for the most dinghies at 46. Th...

15/01/2025

Celebrated the Wolf Moon with 47 dinghies tied together for a dinghy drift! Happy to break out our pirate gear for the event, too! Dinghy, dinghy! 🍻

30/12/2024

Hello Tavinier (Key Largo)! Dropped the hook with enough sunlight to enjoy a nearby sandbar.
Vin swam around the boat once and wanted back in, then was terribly concerned about me being in the water.

We saw Portuguese Man O War all day and I was finally able to get a photo from the dinghy.

🤯Fun fact: Portuguese Man O War aren't jellyfish, they are siphonophore, a group of animals that are closely related to jellyfish. A siphonophore is unusual in that it is comprised of a colony of specialized, genetically identical individuals called zooids — clones — with various forms and functions, all working together as one.
(credit: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/portuguese-man-o-war.html)

Tomorrow we do our last planned hop to Marathon! Excited to be settled for a bit 😊

30/12/2024

Good morning from the Florida Keys 🌞

29/12/2024

Last stretch of Florida bridges today, including the Julia Tuttle, which is fixed at 56'. Was stressful to go under with a 54' air draft AND 20 knot gusts, but we made it!

Officially in the Florida Keys! Hoping to be on the move the next two days and be in Marathon for NYE.

Last stretch of Florida bridges today, including the Julia Tuttle, which is fixed at 56'. Was stressful to go under with a 54' air draft AND 20 knot gusts, but we made it! Officially in the Florida Keys! Hoping to be on the move the next two days and be in Marathon for NYE.

24/12/2024

Sunshine for Christmas 🎄

More bridges, more iguanas, and more party boats on the ICW today! Saw some great Christmas decorations and a pirate Santa!

Merry Christmas from North Miami!

More bridges, more iguanas, and more party boats on the ICW today! Saw some great Christmas decorations and a pirate Santa! Merry Christmas from North Miami!

21/12/2024

Felt like we were walking in to Bonnaroo last night! Cool light show, then found a barcade and discovered a speakeasy above a gelato shop. 🙌😍

20/12/2024

West Palm Beach afternoon fun! 😁

19/12/2024

Another outside passage for us! It wasn't too bad, especially since the wind was behind us and going downwind just isn't fun for us. We were able to sail for a bit.... Long enough for a dozen dolphins (including a BABY) to play in our wake!

Had a couple scary moments when we were trying to gybe gently and the wind grabbed the sail and slung it over. I was sure Chris was going to get hit, but he thankfully was expecting it and had already gotten out of the way. WHEW. 🫣

And then the coolest thing ever happened - a right whale jumped out of the water about 500 feet from us! It was SO COOL! Now we can check a whale sighting off the list 😍

We did some sports fisherman dodging through the inlet, went under a bridge and realized there was no room to anchor. Thankfully, a local heard us talking to our buddy boat, Morsan, and offered some local advice. Back under the bridge we went, then both found great spots with plenty of room. Love that local knowledge ❤️

Since it's our first time in West Palm Beach, if you have suggestions on what to see and where to go, let us know!

Another outside passage for us! It wasn't too bad, especially since the wind was behind us and going downwind just isn't fun for us. We were able to sail for a bit.... Long enough for a dozen dolphins (including a BABY) to play in our wake! Had a couple scary moments when we were trying to gybe gent...

06/12/2024

We left midday for a 24 hour passage from Daytona Beach to Fort Pierce and just hoped for a little bit of sailing. Headed out the Ponce Inlet, navigating very carefully to avoid the shoals. It seriously felt like we were surrounded by sandbars... Because we were! 🫣

Had no issues getting out to the Atlantic Ocean and, after an hour or two, the wind was blowing the right way and just enough to hoist the sails and turn off the engine. The sunset was absolutely beautiful and we were treated to a small pod of dolphins playing and rolling in our bow wake🐬

The wind stayed with us all night long, which was an amazing change from our last few overnights. 🌬️

The sunrise greeted us and more dolphins came to say hello! Oh, did I mention the WATER?!? Simply gorgeous turquoise... And I hear it just gets better the further south we get 💙

We were close enough to shore to hear the Vero Beach Cruiser Net over the radio, then, as we were listening, the fishing reel started whirling... for the first time, I got to yell, " FISH ON!" 🐟

Chris reeled it in and we quickly remembered we had no idea how to identify fish... Or exactly what to do once one is caught. Yeah, we aren't fishermen. 😂

After some texting more experienced boaters, we determined it was a Bonita... Which is edible, but most people throw them back. We weren't going to waste our first opportunity to filet and eat a fish we caught in the ocean, so we pulled out the filet knife and went to work. Gordon Ramsay would have called me a donut if he saw my knife skills, but we got the job done. 🍩 🔪

Once it was all cubed up in a bowl, we grabbed the chopsticks and took a bite. And guess what?????

It.
Was.
AWFUL.
🤢

BUT now we can say we ate a fish we caught! Even if it was only one bite each 😜

After the fish, we decided to extend our passage a couple hours more, and motored down the ICW to pick up a mooring ball in Jensen Beach so we could spend a few days with our "boat parents" on

To top it off, we're officially halfway to our first sparrow!

Tired from the long passage, but feeling so wonderfully accomplished today. Cheers! 🍻

04/12/2024

Vin the pirate pup says it's too cold in St Augustine! Heading to Daytona Beach and hoping for warmer weather!

03/12/2024

"What do you wanna do for your birthday?"
"I don't know. It's cold."
And that's how Chris decided to take apart the diesel heater so we can be warm. 😂 Happy birthday, my Captain! Thank you for this adventure ❤️

30/11/2024

Sunset views from a boat never gets old 💕