Diann and I took our dinghy to Dockside for a Sunday evening Jam session. Happy hour pricing runs late afternoon until 6PM. So we made sure to get there in time to save a few dollars. Having settled into Dinner Key anchorage aboard our Gemini sailing catamaran, we were ready to visit one of the area’s famous entertainment venues. We …
Key West Quickie- March 9th 2015
Diann and I were almost 90 days into having been in Florida with Yacht A Fun, our Gemini sailing catamaran- and so I was concerned about the need to pay the Sojourner’s Permit / boat registration/tax to be legal to be in Florida beyond 90 days. The only tax office I could find that had a clue about their State’s …
Trip to Marathon- March 1st to 5th 2015
Diann and I topped off our 60 gallons of water for our Gemini catamaran sailboat and topped off the fuel as well. At 10AM on Monday, the 1st, we exited Dinner Key. For six hours we sailed without having to tack. (I love this coastal sailing.) But we did have to dodge crab pots! For three days of travel, we …
Arts Festival Coconut Grove- Feb 15th, 2015
The most significant benefit to being in Coconut Grove / Miami is the proximity to so many events and festivals to enjoy. From the Dinner Key Mooring field, it was a short dingy ride from our Gemini catamaran sailboat to the dock, which adjoined the festival event. Diann and I interrupted our boat show activities to “do the Arts Festival” …
Our Miami Boat Show visit- February 2015
Since the Media Center was located at the Convention Center, Diann and I began our Friday Feb. 13th day there. The building is some 1,000,000 square feet. On the four city blocks of convention center property were multiple huge outdoor tents, as well. To say there was a lot to see is an understatement. We …
Survival Rescue / ACR- Feb 11th 2014
On Wednesday, Feb 11th 2015 the National Safe Boating Council unveiled the “Saved By The Beacon” safety campaign. In conjunction with the campaign’s unveiling was a demonstration of Search and Rescue co-hosted by ACR Electronics, Inc., and facilitated by Sea Tow, and the US Coast Guard. Each year, more than 500 lives are lost during …
Miami Boat Show 2015
There is a scale, and flavor, of the Miami Boat Show that makes it the premiere boating event of every year. Over 5,000 boats and exhibitors will come together this year to provide displays of their latest offerings. The dates are February 12th thru 16th. The 12th is Premiere Day and generally less crowded than the other days, in part …
Sonesta & Peacock Garden Cafe
There are numerous great restaurants in Coconut Grove. So, if you plan to treat yourself to an upper end food and beverage experience- where should you start and where should you finish? For a late afternoon view of Biscayne Bay, from Coconut Grove, the poolside patio at the Sonesta Hotel is hard to beat. There are wicker lounging chairs as …
Using Shallow Water- Jan 30th 2014
Friday the 30th was as had been predicted, by NOAA weather. Biscayne Bay was calm. More so, the water near the marinas’ dredge island was even calmer. Conditions were perfect for working on the drive leg and scraping barnacles from the hull. For the first time, in a month, our Gemini catamaran was released from its mooring ball. We motored …
Spark Plug Change- January 27th 2014
Our West Marine / Avon dinghy with 15 hp Mercury four stroke has served us well since 2004. So far, I’ve only had to have it professionally serviced once. When the engine doesn’t want to crank easily, it has generally been dirty spark plugs. Fortunately the dinghy had consistently (but fitfully) cranked during our initial stay in Coconut Grove. Upon …