Update: Sundowner In Miami

Saturday our friends Blair and Laurie on “Odissea XX” arrived and anchored in Sunset Lake. Sunday afternoon three more of our buddy boats came in from Ft. Lauderdale and dropped the hook near us here at Palm Island. Mike and Barb on “Goose Bumps”, Ray and Sandy on “Megerin” and Ann and Art on “Discretion”.  

Now we have the making for a good old fashioned beach party. So Monday after a couple of calls our Sundowner party was planned.

At 3:50 pm we shoved off from Wind Dust headed for Monument Island. As we approached the beach look, there’s a man doing a hand stand with his head in his dinghy. Yes, it must be Capt. Blair from “Odissea XX” doing his famous Sundowner dance or is he practicing for Parrothead day on Saturday (J. Buffett concert)? Nope just Blair, being Blair. We are still laughing.

Once everyone arrived, we had a total of 7 couples for our 1^st Monument Island Sundowner. As a bonus, we were treated to the departure of 5 Cruise Ships while we caught up on everyone’s sea stories. It was great to see our friends Carl and Laura from “Ekotopia” who we met last year in Stuart, Florida. Fun was had by all.

Before leaving Carl declared henceforth the island would be, Carl’s Island. Yes this is Carl not Moses.

Update: View from Our Backyard

Well we finally left Ft. Lauderdale and headed on down to one of our favorite places to hang out, Miami. The wind has been blowing fairly hard and it’s a little too chilly to do much other that hang out on the boat. The forecast is for warmer weather this week so we will see about hitting Lincoln St. for lunch and people watching one day and getting some food supplies from Publix.

Currently our backyard has a view of the Port of Miami, billed as the busiest Cruise Ship Port in the world transporting over 4 million passengers per year. The ships ease into port between 4:00 and 6:00 am and dock at the terminals to drop off some 4 and 5 thousand passengers per ship. Once the passengers are off, the ships are cleaned, fueled and restocked for the next 4 to 5 thousand passengers to board. Around 4:00 pm we hear the sound of the horns declaring their imminent departure. Like a parade, as many as 5 cruise ships depart one after another. As we watch their departure it comes to mind the enormous amount of preparation and organization to make it all happen in less than 12 hours. Mind boggling the amount of food, water and booze that must go onboard just one of these ships. Hell Ginny and I can barely provision “Wind Dust” in 12 hours so our hats are off to the men and woman who make it happen almost every day like clockwork.  

Since we have been here 4 ship came in a departed Friday, 5 on Saturday and another 4 on Sunday.

Here’s some of our pictures from Ft. Lauderdale. We are amazed at how many Art Galleries there are in the City (lol). Some even come with water art (yachts).

Now Miami and the Cruise Ships

Update: It’s a “Done Deal” at Playboy Marine Center

Well this Update may be somewhat out of character, but, I feel compelled to report on our very positive experience we had at Playboy Marine Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. (Actually Dania Beach, Florida)

It Was Time

          This is what we get after paying a Diver to replace the Zinc and Clean the Prop. No More  using certain Divers in Brunswick, Georgia. Fouled Prop and No Zinc. Not Good. I'm really pissed to see this.

Based on our past experiences when we think of boatyards, we think “incompetence, overpriced labor, poor quality and workmanship” and on and on. Our experience is not based on choosing “cheap” yards. No. We always chose the yards based on reputation and not price, but always seemed to manage to get the proverbial shaft. Well give this dog a bone. Our luck just changed.

Based on a referral from a cruising friend and review of published rates we scheduled “Wind Dust” for haul out and a bottom job at Playboy Marine Center in Dania Beach, Florida. Playboy Marine is billed as “South Florida’s Premier Do it yourself Yard”. If you need to hire technical expertise they have a list of “Prequalified Contractors” who meet all of the yard’s insurance and quality requirements. We contacted “Done Deal Yacht Services” and received a quote to provide labor for the bottom job. We scheduled the haul out for January 3^rd at 10:00 am. Hoping for the best but prepared for something less, off we went to the yard.

Please Paint Me.

Since “Wind Dust” is our home, it was important that we could stay on board, have power and have the use of land showers and a bathroom. No problem here. Not only is the yard paved, yes paved, they have 30 and 50 amp power and water at each work space. Ralph’s mobile Kitchen stops by at breakfast and lunch providing all sorts of options for the folks who want to keep their noses to the grindstone and out of the galley.

Feeling Better

Tuesday morning “Wind Dust” was hauled, power washed and blocked at her assigned work space. Our contractor “Done Deal” taped and began sanding the bottom and the running gear and was ready to begin painting Wednesday afternoon. All zinc’s were removed and ordered and I washed the freeboard portion of the hull down with On&Off to remove the stains accumulated in the ICW and marinas. If you haven’t used this product (On&Off) give it a try, It’s magic in a bottle.

Wednesday morning the last sanding was completed and in the afternoon the  1^st coat of Interlux Micron Extra was applied. The running gear and bowthruster props (plastic) were cleaned and treated and the jack stands moved. The bottom of “Wind Dust” has an epoxy barrier covered with 2 coats of Red Ablative paint and 2 coats of Green Ablative paint. The red coat acts as a sentinel color to let me know it’s time to paint when the red begins to show through.

Thursday all zincs were replaced and the second coat of paint applied. Friday morning “Wind Dust” was lifted off the blocks and stands and the final areas along the keel were painted. We paid both the yard and “Done Deal” and at 11:30 am “Wind Dust” was launched. If not for our friends we would have never considered having our bottom painted in Ft. Lauderdale. We assumed it would be cost prohibitive. I guess good old fashioned competition helps to keep pricing very reasonable.

Wind Dust by a Nose over "Denali" yes "Denali" Look her up.

"Wind Dust" Says - Thanks Mom and Dad - I Feel Better Now.

We would highly recommend this yard and their contractors to any of our friends. Remember you can also do your own work here. High marks for Playboy Marine and Done Deal.

Oh, did we mention Playboy Marine is cat friendly too?

Paul feeding the Kitties.

http://www.playboymarine.com/?gclid=CM_lhJfwz60CFQtZ7AodgmtZlw  

Update: Happy 2012 From Ft. Lauderdale

Life’s tough when on New Year’s Eve the temp is 78 degrees and you have a parade of million dollar yachts parading past your mooring within a stones throw and fireworks are going off all around. Somehow we managed to get through it all. What fun. 

Our friends Claudia and Peter on (s/v) “Now Or Never” came in from Ft. Pierce yesterday and invited us to come over for festivities. Ms. Claudia whipped up some of the best pizza I have had in a long time and we had a great time meeting Ellie and Jim on s/v “FinniRish” and Don and Betty on m/v “Ramsea”.

Tuesday we hit the Yard to have “Wind Dust” hauled and the bottom painted and hope to be on our way to Miami by the weeks end.

Happy New Years to all our family and friends. Our wish is for you all to have good fortune, good health, good friends and lots of fun in 2012. Now get with it.