Home Port Projects

Well...I have to admit, it feels very odd to be land-based again! Having Equinox right in our marina condo complex is utterly lovely though, since we are able to take our time in doing all the unloading, cleaning and odd jobs that are desperately needed at the moment. If we weren’t so OCD about keeping Equinox looking and working her best, it would be easier on us! Oh well! :) Satisfaction in a job well done, at any rate!

Monday started a little later than usual, since after our long passage day Sunday, we needed to catch up on sleep. It felt totally decadent, let me tell you! The morning found us making many, many phone calls, from arranging for generator parts, compressor diagnostic information, boat detailing and waxing to gel coat work to take care of the scratches we inadvertently put on Equinox while Tingum was fendered on the hip during our cruising. (Many thanks again to the inconsiderate Sea Ray at Staniel Cay which created the nasty wake that rocked Tingum so violently she raked her rub rail screws into Equinox’s gel coat!) While Ron took care of tracking down info and arranging some of the boat work, I emptied out the flybridge freezer and refrigerator, defrosting and cleaning each one thoroughly. Since we’ll be here in Florida for the next few weeks, we’ll continue to use our provisions at the condo, to make sure we turn everything over. You can be sure we used the hot tub in the evening to relax and treat ourselves after all our work!

Hot tub ready and waiting

Tuesday we continued along the same theme, diligently working on some boat projects, but also getting doctor’s appointments out of the way. Being away from good medical care makes one appreciate it when it’s available! Both Ron and I had check-ups, to make sure all is well...after my accident, I certainly don’t take good health and fitness for granted! We then spent the afternoon running errands; Ron took some of his underwater photos in for framing, picked up our accumulated mail from our mail forwarding service and got new lines for Tingum; I did the more mundane items of laundry, paperwork and correspondence follow-up to the above-mentioned mail. 

Today was more focused on enjoying the moment and being in Florida. In the morning we took a great 10-mile bike ride along the St. Lucie River, north from our place in Jensen Beach, over to Hutchinson Island and down its length to the southern causeway and back. IT felt fabulous!! It was the first  “long” ride we’ve taken in months; most of the islands where we bicycled were so small that lengthy rides were hard to come by! We ran a few more errands (post office, bank, framing store, etc) before a great lunch at Mulligan’s to quell a mahi-mahi rueben craving! 

I spent the afternoon aboard Equinox cleaning and re-organizing her pantry. Things that we can use for the next couple weeks I took to the condo, then wiped down the shelves and bins, and rearranged things to prep for the provisioning run for the next passage. Ron visited a couple bike stores in the area, actively researching replacements for the folding bikes, now that we’re short one. He’s looking into more robust hybrid bikes that we can tuck into our Sunbrella bike bags and keep up top while underway, freeing up room in the lazarette. All fun things in the midst of the other more serious projects!