Day Sails

I have to admit, that second day sail was a lot better than the first sail we had on the Sue. With the exception of the mouth of the Channel heading out into the Gulf of Mexico (which always seemed to be a conglomerate of confused seas and breaking waves due to the two rocky jetties on either side), it really was one of those kick back in the cockpit with the sun high and the music playing kind of sail.. 

    South Padre Island from the Gulf of Mexico

The sun was glorious on that second sail. On the first sail, we actually went out on a fairly cloudy and a little too much windy day. If I recall correctly, it wasn't so much the Sue dipping in all directions, but more of the rise and fall from bow to stern. I'm used to that motion now, but it was a bit disconcerting on my very first time out on a sailboat. Being the landlubber I was at the time, I stayed seated in the cockpit on that first sail. Every time I tried to stand, I'd lose my balance. Geez, what a wimp I was! Of course, now I can scurry around on deck in 1-3 foot swells, but not back when we first purchased the Sue.
Why do I always call her "the Sue"? Basically, for two reasons - that is her name now, and it is the name I will always associate to her; and, I just plain did not like the name Grey Bird. When we had talked about re-naming her, I was two hundred percent behind that idea!

The mouth of the channel, looking at the north jetty toward SPI

So, back to that second day sail. After Keith had completely changed out ALL the rigging (except the stays - they needed it, but I think that came later), it most definitely was a different experience taking her out. I can still see the grin (and the pleased expression) on Keith's face as he unfurled that genoa and raised the main, tacking throughout the afternoon - and giving me lessons at the same time. We made it a point thereafter to always practice our tacking when out on a day sail. I at the helm and Keith working the sails. I have to laugh as I think back on that one. It took a while for us to synchronize our actions for tacking. I would turn the wheel too quickly and set the sails in irons quite a number of times before we got it right. Keith would scramble to the helm to get the Sue back in position to catch that wind in her sails.
So, it took me a while on the artistry of tacking, but what Keith was impressed with was my ability to hold the Sue on the wind point. To this day, I don't quite yet understand the mechanics of it. It's just a feel I have for keeping the Sue's sails full.

One of the things I loved about Port Isabel was all of the old Shrimp Boats.

I thought it gave a unique look and feel to the marina but some

saw it as an eyesore. A few years later a wrecking barge came through and 

demolished a great many of them. 

Our day sails in Port Isabel were actually few and far between due to a number of things; our jobs, working on the boat, and day to day business that occasionally takes up a lot of home time. Looking back at that time now, I wish we had taken more time for those day sails. With the exception of a few minor mishaps, like losing helm control getting back into our slip (that's a story for another blog post down the line) or having the engine overheat, those sails were relaxing after a couple of months or so driving coast to coast. 
I intended to write this post on my memories of moving onto Moonlight Sue and the experience of living aboard a boat for a landlubber such as I was at the time. Keith's previous post of the second outing brought back some good memories though, so I will have to write about the move in the next post (unless something Keith writes brings back another flood of memories!).

The Laguna Madre from South Padre Island had the most 

beautiful sunsets I had ever seen in my life - up to that time

anyway.

   

Improving the Sail

I was truly amazed. I mean, our first sail a total disaster! Did I, in my reverie in buying a potentially great boat, get a lemon?  OK, Keith, get a grip. Get up there and analyze what the problem was then FIX IT! How the hell Paul, the previous owner, ever sailed like this was beyond me, but I wasn't ready for this. So,when we went back on the road I ordered 60 feet of 5/8" 12 braid rope to replace the 3/4" granny knotted genoa sheets.
We got back to Port Isabel about three weeks later. I went to the marina office and there was a box with my name on it. Wow!, A Christmas present! I opened the box and there it was - 120 feet of 5/8" 12 braid rope. After marveling the wonder of all this new rope for a few minutes, I took it all back to the boat and VERY carefully (and accurately) laid it out on the dock and cut it into 2 even pieces with a kitchen knife. Next, I CUT (yes, cut) the old sheets off the genoa, as trying to untie the granny knots proved futile. 
Now, being on the road for weeks at a time gives one a lot of time to read and  I was totally immersed in the sailing thing.  I was reading about everything from knots to navigation. Now it was time to tie my first "knautical  knot". Lets see, this end over that loop and then through the clew ring and then under the loop and around the back of this part of the rope then .. . look at the book again . . . no, this goes OVER this end and . . . this looks really easy in the book! ! The clew of the genoa flapping in the wind didn't help either. OK, so I was getting a little taste of how a minor repair (or upgrade) on a boat could turn into a major task. 
After about a hour of wrestling with the clew of this uncooperative sail, I got two pretty nice bowlins into the sail and reeved the two sheets through the blocks and back to the genoa sheet winches. 
With the exasperation of my task slowly turning into excitement, I announced to Carol that it was time for our second sail. I just had to know if my fix would really solve the problem. 
This time we took a different route out to open water, which proved to be a lot less stressful, but took a little longer than the other way. Less stress was becoming more appealing than low water. Once we were beyond the Santiago Pass jetties and approaching the inner buoys, came the moment of truth. This would prove whether I was a real sailor to Carol (and myself), or just a cluge making up excuses for my inability to sail.
I quickly uncleated the fors'l control line and pulled our new $140 sheets and watched as the sail took the wind. I set her on a close haul and as the wind was running about 12 to 14 knots, I let her run there a few minutes while I contemplated  a tack to starboard.
"Ready about". Ready! Hard a'lee" I snapped the helm over to starboard and at the same time yanked the port sheet out of the self tailing winch while I started pulling the starboard sheet in, at the same time maintaining control of the helm. As the genoa came across the deck, I quickly wound the starboard line on the winch, set it in the self  tailer and sheeted in until the sail was set the way I wanted. Grey Bird settled in to her new tack, and as I  set the helm on her new course, a whole new wave of awe overtook me. Although a bit rusty in tacking maneuvers, I did it. My suspicion about the granny knots in the genoa clew (and subsequent fix) worked. 
     We had a wonderful sail that afternoon, and I tacked several more times with no hang ups in the sail. I could see that I needed a lot more practice, but was confident I would improve each time I went out. The best part was that I was able to show Carol that I was not just boasting, but really did know how to sail. I think she was greatly relieved..

Calmer seas and company for our second day sail.

Grey Bird

The "original look" of the mast.

Even the cockpit will eventually get a makeover

The First Year and Resistance Really is Futile!

Keith will probably focus on the work he did on the Sue for the first year we owned her. 
For myself, the first year of our life with the Sue was really one of turmoil - literally, an emotional up and down roller coaster ride culminating with Dad's passing in November, 2006. 
Looking back on that first year - it's all kind of a blur for me. I do know that we were only at Anchor Marina for a short time. Keith finally got fed up with grounding the Sue on the couple three times we (or, sometimes, just him) took her out.  
I remember taking her out one time where we hit a shoal almost directly under the Queen Isabella Causeway (the bridge that connects Port Isabel with South Padre Island, a lot like the Coronado Bay bridge in San Diego).  I remember we radioed BoatUS for help, but ended up cancelling that request when Keith managed to "rock" the Sue loose. 
I have to digress here a minute, and do make mention that while we were at Anchor Marina, I do remember spending more time in a room at White Sands than I did on the Sue. One of my hobbies is internet genealogy, which I loved to do, and I could not get a wifi signal on the Sue at that time (eventually, I would get a Cingular wifi flashdrive, but I did not have it yet). When we got off the road for our days off, all I wanted to do was everything that I could not do while working. Oh, I could do it here and there with the little downtime that we had, but it was always interrupted with the work schedule. On our very limited days off, I could do my internet "work" without the interruption of that schedule. So, for a while, I went into the motel while Keith went to the Sue during the day and worked on her "little idiosyncrasies" to transform her into a better looking and more efficient vessel. For a while, Keith stayed at the motel and went to the Sue each morning, returning in the afternoon (or, at least, by dinner time). Eventually, though, he wanted to stay on the boat....and he did so, coming back the next morning to tell me how absolutely wonderful it was with the gentle rocking (I believe he even used the words "like a baby in a cradle").
I knew what all that was about - he wanted us out from under the cost of the motel and staying on the Sue each time we took time off in Port Isabel.
And, that's what it was, time off somewhere other than our work designated "home" base. See, as soon as the Sue was purchased, Keith called our work and changed his home status from "Henderson, Nevada" to "Port Isabel, Texas", while I left my home base in Henderson. So began the battle of "the move". 
He was ready to move - a new boat to work on, a new place to live - he was excited over it all. I understood that. I just wasn't ready to make that move. I loved living in Vegas. I loved the hotels, the restaurants, the nighlife (and, yes, the gambling). But, it was also the change itself, and the emotional roller coaster ride from that year. Things were moving fast - and, to me, it was like gaining speed on a downhill. I felt out of control of my own life - my own destiny.
So, during that year - we bought a boat, we moved the boat from one marina to another, we moved from one State to another (not to mention going from a "dry heat" State to a "humid heat" State. My God, it took several years for me to get acclimated to humidity), and at the end of that first year, Dad passed away. I can't say it was a bad year. I can't say it was a good year. It was just a roller coaster ride year.
So, we battled back and forth over my "move" to Port Isabel. Finally, he said he would be flying to Vegas on our next time off (we were now spending all of our time off from work in P.I.) and getting our car (we had been renting a vehicle during out time there) and he wanted to know if he needed to clear out my stuff from our storage unit and move it to Texas,  too. Ah, the moment of truth.....was I ready? 
After careful thought and consideration, I knew resistance was futile. While he jumped in 100% with the move to P.I. (and the boat), I hesitated. It was time now for me to jump in 100%, too. Even though I was still getting use to the Sue, I loved Port Isabel. My decision? I told him yes, pick up all of our belongings and let's make the move permanent. I can't quite remember why I didn't fly to Vegas with him. I seem to recall him telling me that it wasn't necessary. He was just flying in, renting a U-haul, closing up storage and getting back asap (he was back in 2 days). I also remember that someone needed to stay behind to fire up the truck to keep the batteries from getting too low (our batteries in the truck really sucked at that time, and we needed to idle the truck for about 1/2 hour every couple of days). 
So, now, we both pledged our loyalty to the Moonlight Sue. And, even though we had more personal battles between us, more hurdles to jump, more turmoil to sort through in our personal lives - this was one pledge we have never regretted.

So, back to everything about the Sue in that first year. Keith had really had enough after grounding on a shoal at the entrance to the fingers heading back to Anchor Marina. This time the grounding was set, and he had to call in BoatUS to be pulled out. He told them, "Get me over this shoal and I'll take care of the rest". They did and he sailed straight to South Point Marina (on the other side of P.I., near the Swing Bridge) and rented a slip. Problem solved.


After our move to South Point Marina. Click on the pic and you can probably see the tractor/trailer in the parking lot. The back of the Marina Office is the 2-story building on the left, just beyond the entrance to the lift area. Out of picture range to the left of that entrance is the boat barn and the boat yard. The building on the right housed Homeland Insecurity, the shower rooms and the storage lockers.

I remember some of my first impressions of South Point. It wasn't "state of the art", but it did have a boat yard, a yacht club (of which we are now members) and a huge parking area....and I mean huge. We could now park the tractor/trailer where we had the boat. Prior to this, we had to park it in an empty lot across from the motel or at Wal-Mart. Also, eventually, the marina owner would get upset with the truck there, but we were allowed to park it behind the boat yard.  Either way, we could now keep our eye on it without making a special trip every day to make sure the truck was safe and the batteries didn't die.
It was also during this first year that Keith painted the mast and boom with wrinkle black (changing it later on to just a smooth black), and my daughter and grandson came to visit from Colorado. This was our first visit from family (and my second paid vacation ever).
I drove to San Antonio to pick them up at the airport there. The plan was to spend a few days in San Antonio sight-seeing than head on back to P.I. But this was July and the humidity was so high that I would get soaked just standing outside. After a very "soggy" trip to Riverwalk and lunch at Landry's, we decided a nice cool air-conditioned environment was in order. But all we could come up with was a shopping mall. So, we chose the best one - a multi-level huge mall on the west side of San Antonio. We had a great time, too. We shopped, window-shopped, did lunch in the food court and laughed, joked and "played' around. I spent an obscene amount of money, but it was all worth it because we had a ball!


The Lighthouse in Port Isabel
We eventually packed up and made our way to P.I.  We got them a room at White Sands (actually, it was more than "a room", it was a bloody suite complete with a separate bedroom, living area and kitchen). I took them all over Port Isabel and South Padre Island (can you say "beach store"? There are eleventy-nine beach stores on the island!). We went to lunch at The Lost Galleon and dinner at Pirate's Landing. And, of course, a day sail on the Moonlight Sue. It was a wonderful visit. I had a great time (and, I think, they did, too). And, as I always do when I have to say goodbye to my children after visiting with them, I got teary-eyed and sad.

My daughter, grandson  at Pirate's Landing

After the visit with my daughter and grandson, I kept busy with genealogy. Keith and I also started talking about his plans to change the complete look of Moonlight Sue. When he told me what he was envisioning, I had to admit that it sounded beautiful. So began the year of "The Transformation of the Moonlight Sue".

My grandson doing his best pirate "argh" outside The Lost Galleon after lunch.

I'd Rather Be Sailing.....Really!

WORK!?!! Wuddya mean I gotta go back to work! Hey, in case ya didn't notice, we just bought a new YACHT! We're  gettin' ready to live the dream. Driving this truck pays the bills, I know, but does that mean our first sail has to wait? So, ok,  the boat was now side-tied at the end of the dock at Anchor Marina. three days on the road and we can come back for another week off. NOT!! So off we went on another "land journey" - but it only lasted 3 years....er.....I mean......three weeks (but it did seem like years). 
     Now driving sucks, but the one thing it does do is give one a lot of time to think and plan. Boy, did I have a lot of planning to do. All  I could think about was getting rid of that name, Grey Bird, changing her color, putting in new interior upholstery, and, of course, taking her out for our 1st big boat sail. Three weeks out would give us three days off and a good amount of time to begin to get a feel of the boat.
     Finally........ back home in Port I. We got there in the afternoon, so we just checked in to good ol' White Sands motel. The next morning we got up, had breakfast, and went over to the boat. Mark came out to greet us and let us know about the rental fees and such, so now I was paying my first slip rent on my own boat. Business done, I announced we would be taking it out for our first sail. 
     Did I mention Gray Bird was about 24 feet bigger than the last boat I had sailed? And that it was about 15 years ago when I did? Splashdance and Grey Bird had one thing in common  (if you don't count the fact that they both floated), and that was they both had a main sail and a genoa. I was familiar with this sail plan, so I felt confident I could sail her. 
While we're mentioning things, did I mention that this was also Carols' first sail EVER? 
Now, she and I had talked about taking a little introductory sail and had even talked to a captain in Port I about going out for an overnight sail with him, just to see if Carol was ok with sailing. As I talked with the guy, though, he seemed vague and really kind of disinterested, so I sidelined that plan/ Actually, I found out later that he only had a 28 foot Bristol and it wouldn't have been a very good experience for her. 
     So, anyway, we boarded the boat and I started the little Yanmar 2-cylinder engine (which only had 600 plus hours on it). While we let it warm up, we put things away and settled in. I untied the dock lines as Mark ,the dock master, looked on and pushed the bow away from the dock. We were tied between two other boats, so I felt a little uneasy, but as I ran back to put her in gear, we motored away from the dock nicely. I turned hard to port and we were off down the last finger of the channel, heading out to the Queen Isabella bridge. 

Christening the Sue.

    
 Now, I was not familiar with the local waters, and as we went under the bridge, little did I know we were heading into low water. First mistake - keeping my eyes glued to the depth sounder. I guess the water gods took pity on us "first time fools" and let us pass out to the seaward channel without grounding. And yes, that would be our only "free pass" through that area. 
With the end of the jetties in sight, it was time to show Carol that all that talk about "I really can sail a boat". "I know how to tack and jibe" and "I do know a genoa sheet from a halyard" was not just talk. So out rolled the genoa and we bore off to port. I hadn't felt this good since I first sailed Splashdance. 
With everything going so well, I looked at Carol. She was just smiling and enjoying the ride. For her first sail, she was taking it like an "old saltette" (Would that be the feminine version of "old salt"?). 
Looks like she's doing fine to port, so lets try a tack to starboard. It shouldn't be too hard. All the lines lead to the cockpit, so all I have to do is turn hard to starboard and change the genoa across to the starboard side, right? No problem. After all, isn't that what I did on Splashdance? So, turn to starboard, lock off the helm, uncleat the port gen sheet and pull the starboard sheet through to. . . I said "pull the starboard sheet"  what the hell is going on here!! The sheet would NOT pull beyond the starboard shroud, and with the sail flapping itself to death, I soon gave up and turned back to port and again tried to trim the sail, but now it just kept hanging op on the port shroud. I was getting more frustrated by the second and thought Carol must be thinking what a B S'er I was. ("Huh!! Can't even get out of the harbor jetties under sail, and with a good wind, too? Sailor? Yeah, right!"). And she would have been right, except that I had done this a thousand times in Splashdance and I knew it should have worked now. 

Just a short time at the helm....for a quick photo.
You know, when I looked over at Carol, she was just sitting there smiling like she was enjoying herself. I was amazed. She later told me that she thought it was quiet normal and was actually enjoying it. Well, I wasn't enjoying it at all, and was totally frustrated with this ridiculous display of inept seamanship!
     Beaten, I pulled the stubborn genoa in, started the little Yanmar, and motored back to the slip. Mark was there to help me get back on the side-tie, and after I shut everything down, I went forward to see what had defeated me. There it was - two of the BIGGEST, ugliest granny knots I had ever seen tied into the clew of the genoa! There was no way those could have crossed the shrouds; and how Paul (the previous owner) ever sailed her was beyond me. So, this is where a long list of changes and upgrades would begin. Oh, and my first of many calls to order from West Marine!

.

                                         For another photo shot

Happy at    the helm!

Surprise! She ours!

So, there I was, on my first ever two-week paid vacation.

We toured the hill country of Texas - checking out all the places that Keith's ancestor's had lived, visiting San Antonio's River Walk and the Alamo, driving down to Keith's hometown of Raymondville and finishing up our vacation in Port Isabel.

We originally decided to just charter so that I could get the experience of sailing. But there was no charters available at the time, and Keith was busy with broker Bill checking out the Mark IV and discussing other options. So, I hunkered down during that time, in the motel, on the computer and organizing all the info and pictures of my first genealogy "bug-hunting" excursion (that term came from a cousin who had done some amazing genealogy road trips of her own).

In between Keith's hunt for the right boat, we enjoyed visiting various places in Port Isabel and South Padre Island. We had dinner at Pirate's Landing in PI one night, and dinner at Blackbeard's in SPI on another night. We enjoyed an afternoon at the Wanna Wanna beach bar. It had a great view of the Gulf as it was right on the beach on the Gulf side of the island. We toured Sea Turtle, Inc on SPI, which began a love of turtles and their preservation for me.

Now, in all this, I really didn't even imagine we would be heading back to work as new owners of a 36' 1981 Cherubini Hunter. Keith told me when we arrived in Port Isabel that he would be looking for the "right" boat, but not buying until he was ready and the boat "felt" right. I guess the boat felt "right", because I get this call while at the motel that he wanted me to see this boat Bill had shown him. I could hear the excitement in his voice, so I said sure, come get me.

In all honesty, my reaction (which I kept to myself - reserving my opinions until I've taken the whole tour) upon seeing the Grey Bird's exterior was 'this is small....where are we going to put out our chairs on that deck? There's no room'. My reaction to the interior was, ' this is samll'.

But Keith was right, I did notice it was clean. The wood paneling needed some care, the cushions were tattered and ugly, but it had potential. 

Okay, so I was totally clueless and had no idea what kind of lifestyle I was getting myself into - and it took a long time to adjust to it. But I can honestly say now, that I can't imagine any other kind of lifestyle. I can't say every day has been a challenge to triumph over, but life is never mundane or average. I can't say that every day has been an adventure, but there have been more adventures than any we would have living on a ranch, or in an apartment in the city.

So, being the clueless person that I was at that time - and seeing how much Keith liked the boat, the gleam it put in his eye - I gave the Grey Bird a thumbs up. 

I was surprised at how quickly that boat was purchased and became ours. For some reason, I was thinking that it would take weeks - or even months, like a house, and we would own it after two or three more trips to Port Isabel. Imagine my surprise when Keith walked into our room at White Sands and told me we now owned the Grey Bird. A few written checks and signed paperwork and the deal was done. Whoa, that was quick - I blinked and we became boat owners.

Anchor Marina. 

I have always said that getting a boat was Keith's dream....and it was his dream. I never, in my wildest imagination, would have ever thought of it for myself.  It made him happy - which made me happy for him. Over time, I adopted that dream of his - a process of embracing it, pushing it away, embracing it - adjusting, adapting - until it sneaks into the soul and settles in (quite nicely, too).

After the purchase - and before leaving Port Isabel to get back to work - the Moonlight Sue had to be moved out of her private slip to a side-tie at Anchor Marina in the Fingers. 

We actually had the name change completed on the sale papers, as we had already made the decision to re-name the boat we would buy.

I came up with the name on one of our "truck talks" on the road. Sue was Keith's mothers' name. She had passed on a few years before we bought the Hunter. I knew that, if she was there, she would be excited about Keith fulfilling a dream of his - and we wanted her with us always. So, I tried out a few different "Sue" names in my head and came up with "Moonlight Sue".  Keith liked it and when the Grey Bird became ours - we christened her "Moonlight Sue".

 Keith on our last afternoon of our vacation. With no time left to take her out, Keith is                          goofing off his anxiousness to get out to sea. A classic picture - of which Keith disagrees.

We spent the last afternoon on the Sue at Anchor Marina. Keith was just chomping at the bit to take her out on a day sail, but we had run out of time. It would have to wait until our next time off. We spent the afternoon talking about plans for us, the boat, our lives. And we were excited. Everything was coming together.

Little did I know (since he never tells me anything until the last minute), that Keith had some very definite plans to personalize the Sue. And, quite frankly, between him and his son, Branden, had created one of the most beautiful boats I had ever seen in my life.

Wrong Boat, Right Purchase

So , ok. What's another broken dream? So what! The Mark IV was just exactly what I was looking for. I mean, I had it all figured out - center cockpit (so we stay nice and high - and dry), ketch - rigged, as I am a strong believer in redundancy (a second mast should one go down), forward and aft staterooms for a little privacy (and 2 heads are better than one) and 44' is a nice size. Yep, she was perfect and I could have fixed her problems; but $50,000 was just out of range. 
See, here's the problem; I'm just like my mother was - I want it and I want it NOW! Saving another $30,000 would have taken another 2 years, and that was just too long to wait to go sailing. So, we went back to our room at White Sands Motel to talk about what to do next.
We spent the next day shopping and sightseeing, and that afternoon we figured we'd check the internet and see what as there - nothing. Oh well, end of the line, I guess. 
Bill called later that evening and said he wanted to show me a boat that I might be interested in and could I meet him in the morning for coffee at Marchan's (the motel restaurant). 
The next morning, after coffee, Bill took me around the corner to an apartment building in "the fingers"- an area of the bay consisting of 4 or 5 parallel channels. and as we walked around to the back there was a slip in the channel. In the slip was tied "the wrong boat!". 
Grey Bird  was a 1981 36' Hunter......aft cockpit - wrong!........sloop rig - wrong!........forward v-berth - wrong! And she was not really as big as I wanted. She was every thing I DIDN'T want; but as I looked her over,  inside and out, I saw a lot of potential. What really got me was the cut of her bow and the overall lines of her decks - totally clean! There were no dorade vents, no protrusions on the decks - nothing but a clean aerodynamic shape. She was clean inside, too, although the upholstery was a bit ragged. Everything seemed to work okay, so I asked Bill what the selling price was, and he said $25,000.....but offer $19,000. Well, okay, lets see what happens.
 In the office at Anchor Marina, he phoned the owner of the boat and made the offer, of which the owner immediately refused  - so it was thanks and good bye. Bill and I talked for a short while and, during the course of the conversation, he revealed that the owner and his wife were going through a divorce and that was the reason he had to sell the boat. It was quite seaworthy - nothing to do with boat problems.  While we were talking, about 5 or 6 minutes later, the phone rang and it was the owner . . . accepting my offer!
I told Bill that before I submitted a formal offer, I'd better get Carol's approval. So, we drove back to the motel,  picked up Carol and went back to the boat. Now, Carol didn't know zip about sailboats, but she did know clean and good size so her review didn't take long.
I submitted the formal offer pending sea trials, which was to take place the next day - except Bill couldn't be there, but he did arrange for the marina owner, Mark, to go out with me. The next day was cloudy and a little rainy. Mark was complaining about the bad weather, but I insisted on the trials, so off we went.
We headed out the channel and east along the Queen Isabella bridge.  I wanted to raise the mainsail to check the rigging. This really upset Mark, so on this, I relented. Hey, the engine started and ran great, the steering felt tight and responsive, and the depth sounder worked well. Mark was pissin' and moanin' about the weather the whole time, so as we neared the end of the bridge, we turned back to the marina and called it a good sea trial. 
The wife of Grey Bird's owner signed the papers over the next day. so after that, I wrote out the checks to the soon-to-be former owner of the Grey Bird, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Bill's commission, and, of course, the sales tax.
Carol and I now owned a sailboat named Grey Bird !! (That name had to go!}

Mi Vida Loca and "The Bet"

Well.....Keith really took his blog post in a direction I didn't think it would go - welcome to "Mi Vida Loca".
As you can see, after 18 years together, we are still two different people, two different trains of thought, two different writing styles, and two different outlooks on life and events. Be prepared for a crazy ride with this blog!

So, while Keith had some experience in sailing and vessel construction, the most I can say for myself is that I've been on a cruise ship. That's the extent on any mariner experience in my background. 
While he loved hot weather, the desert, water and sky......I loved the mountains, even temperatures and huddling by campfires in the cold.
He liked drag racing (and has done it himself); I liked NASCAR (and loved to watch it!).
He likes to sing Karaoke. I am tone-deaf (Lucille Ball sang better on the "I Love Lucy" episodes than I sing). But to give myself a little credit here, I love music and I do know the lyrics to more songs than Keith does!
When we met in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, we both had just come out of broken marriages. We both had two children (he had two sons while I had a son and a daughter). I was staying with my parents and he was staying with his mother; and both of us were at a crossroad  - trying to find the right road to take that would give us some purpose in life.
Keith began driving long-haul - and living in the Sierra's became impossible for us. So, we moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. After the move, I got in the driver seat, too.
Our original plan was to make as much money as possible and buy a little ranch somewhere - complete with cows, chickens, horses, etc. Obviously, that didn't happen.
Our relationship was always in turmoil. We had disagreements, out and out arguments, and we let others influence and dictate our choices and decisions......and we spent a great deal of time separating and getting back together. 
The last split-up we lasted two months. We were so miserable. Keith contemplated just "ending it all", while I contemplated just walking into the forest (I was back up in the Sierra's at the time) and not stopping until I collapsed and died.
It really was morose. So, I called him with a "deal", of sorts. We would go back team driving as driving partners (not as a couple). I was sitting on a ton of bills and no job. I could pay them off, save some money and start again - somewhere and somehow. What surprised me was that he actually agreed.
Long story short - in a small space such as a truck, we talked out our problems and ended up together once again - but this time with a goal - and this is where our bet comes in.
We decided we needed a goal. We needed something we could work toward together, do together, accomplish together. The ranch thing wasn't feasible, and we had lost interest in it, anyway.
We kicked around different idea's and narrowed it down to two; and, naturally, one idea was his, and one was mine.
Keith wanted a sailboat. I wanted a motorhome. He wanted to sail to different islands, different countries. I wanted to drive the States (okay, I was thinking genealogy here - drive through each State, see the sights, and research). Now, this is where the bet comes in.
Since we couldn't decide on who's idea to incorporate, we decided to compromise - and made a bet. The bet was - the first one to save their money and get their respective "mode of travel" (ie, boat or motorhome), that's what we would do. Guess who won the bet?
Okay, so I am lousy at saving money - and I still had my debts to pay off (which I did); but, also, as time went by I realized just how miserable Keith would've been traveling around in a motorhome. 
After watching him for a few months eat nothing but soup and sandwiches in the truck so he could put aside every spare penny, I began using my income to supplement his savings. I bought all the essentials of living on the road while he saved for the boat. It just developed into a natural process of working together. I, also, think that because of that process, the five year saving plan was cut down to just a little under two years. 
So, on our first earned two-week paid vacation together, we bought the Moonlight Sue.

Contemplating Life.....And What to Do

Comes a time in a man's life when he begins to see a necessity to re-route his life; you know, the "what'll I do after work" life. So I began to think of all the things I've done in my time. 
I dismissed drag racing - too expensive and always on the road to different tracks. I thought of flying (almost got my private pilot license), but money and age would prevent that idea. I really liked competition desert racing -  but again, age was a factor, too.  Then, there was sailing; but that was for the rich - or was it? Could a sailboat be a possibility? Not as physically demanding as dirt racing, but it would keep me active; and,after all, I really did love to sail! 

Splashdance
My first introduction to sailing was with some friends of mine on an Erickson 36 and, after a couple of day cruises, I decided to build my own Glen Ellen-designed 12' day sail-er. I completed it with a rabbit cage wire mold, over which I laid Matt fiber and epoxy resin on both sides of the wire. Oh, and I lengthened the design by  2 feet. I made all her bright work out of Mahogany and the spares from Sitka Spruce. I even molded her dagger-board trunk and laid the fore deck with Mahogany plywood.  On the day of the test sail, complete with her new name, I pushed "Splashdance" into the waters of "diaper bay" (as it was known) and I almost yelled with joy. She floats.  SHE ACTUALLY FLOATS! 
I stepped her mast, attached her shrouds, and pushed her deeper into the bay, setting her rudder in the pintels and raised the main and jib. I lowered the dagger-board and we were off! 
Uh oh! Hey,  hold on a minute. I've never sailed a boat by myself! Oh, I've read about how to sail; but, here  I am - SAILING! 
It was a light wind, and as I began to remember (and put into practice) what I had read, it all seemed to come together. I tacked, reset the main and jib to close haul, and Splashdance came to life. As she picked up speed and heeled over, a feeling came over me which, until today, I CANNOT FORGET! I built my own boat, launched and sailed her, with no outside help.
This is what I was thinking about when we chose to sail. 

So, lets fast-forward to about 8 years ago. After seeing some of the prices on sailboats, I began to realize that maybe if  I saved long enough, say about 5 years, I could afford a boat that would get us to all those exotic islands I had been reading about in Latitudes & Attitudes magazine. Yes, I did have a specific style of boat in mind, and living in Vegas at the time, we decided to take part of our vacation in Port Isabel,Texas - which is where I had seen a Morgan Out Islander for sale for $50,000. This also happened to be where my Father's relatives once lived, and in fact, my Grandfather is buried in the local cemetery. It was also my childhood playground, as South Padre Island is just across the bay by way of Queen Isabella bridge. 
I am a very impatient person. I had only saved $23,000, but, maybe, the owner of the Morgan would take that as a down payment,  and I could finance the rest. I talked to Bill, our broker, and, when we arrived, he let us tour the boat. 
We boarded the boat. The first thing I saw was every square inch of gel coat was weather cracked. Below decks was the same story - a LOT of dry rot. Bill told me that the owner was firm on $50,000 cash and the bank was not willing to "float" a loan. I told Bill. "This boat will sink before I pay $50,000 for it." Ironically, about 8 months later, IT DID!  
My next blog post will be finding "the one".

Have you ever......?

Have you ever had a crazy idea, and without thinking about it, just did it?
Have you ever thrown away all your good sense, that inner voice screaming "no" at you, thrown caution to the wind, and forged ahead?
We're here to tell you right now - it's the only way to live life - like there will be no tomorrow!

Keith and I are really just a couple of average people who were looking for a way to make life as interesting as we can before we "kick the bucket". The first half of our lives - oh say, from 18 years old until about 12 years ago (you really didn't think I'd reveal my age did you?) - we did every possible thing that was expected of us.....from our parents, our respective ex-spouses, our kids, our employers....okay, so every one.

One day, we decided before the grim reaper comes to collect our bones, we were going to choose something together that we want to do.....a goal.....an adventure....a life so totally different from what we were living that we'd have to learn it as we go along. Our brainstorming gave us the Moonlight Sue.

Sue is a 1981 36' Hunter Sloop (that's a sailboat for any of you who may not know what that is - like me before Keith had me memorize it because I didn't know either). Keith scrimped and saved his paycheck as I paid for essentials with my paycheck - for almost two years. That's two years of driving long-haul team from one U.S. coast to the other U.S. coast. 

Our dream? Now don't laugh like I did when I really had to sit down and seriously think about this - to sail her wherever we decided was the coolest places to visit (by water, of course) and the best places to find that ultimate beautiful white sand and clear blue sea. I guess if one is going to follow a dream one might as well "shoot for the moon" with it.

We will talk about how we found Sue, bought her and customized her to fit the lifestyle we wanted on the water. Keith will talk about all the changes he's done to her, the work involved - the whats and whys and hows of making her our home. I'll post my pictures as we talk about where we've been and where we're going. 

So, grab your favorite sundowners and join us on this journey. It goes up. It goes down. It even goes sideways. We can't tell you whether you'll like it or not, but we can promise you that it will never be boring (at least for us!).

(Okay, so maybe we drove Peaches the dog a little crazy)