Second Wind on the Great Loop and Beyond

Thursday, February 25.
Weather has been a dominent conversation topic all over the U.S., and the Keys are no exception. This winter has been a record-breaker for sustained cold in Florida, punctuated by those occasional blue-sky days that we live for. Monday was rainy, gloomy, and cold -- perfect for getting work done on the boat. With help and coaching from Larry, Bob replaced the starboard dripless shaft seal, and in the process discovered that the bilge pump had pooped out. He replaced that too. This job involved Bob folding himself up like a pretzel to fit into the engine area. (See the first photo.)Both of these repairs were routine, considering the number of hours we’ve spent on Second Wind. We are still thrilled with how few repairs have been necessary. Meanwhile I caught up on mail and served as a go-fer.

Tuesday was the perfect reminder of why we are down here. The sky was blue, and the temps were in the high 70s, so everyone jumped into dinghys for another joy ride. The next photos show the Staggs, Wades (with guests Reba and Jim), and Creeches having a blast scooting around the harbor and exploring Sister Creek again. This worked up an appetite, so we all headed to Bodines for a Reuben lunch. By the time we returned back to our boats, I sported a sunburn --imagine that! Taking full advantage of a gorgeous day, we had a One Palm Court grill-out that evening. There were two dozen Loopers joining us. Ahhhh, this day is what it’s all about.

Then came Wednesday—another cold, dreary, rainy day. Bob and Larry replaced the dripless shaft seal on the port side, while I did laundry. Meanwhile the wind built and built. By afternoon, while I was out getting a haircut, rain began pouring down. By nightfall winds of 30+ miles an hour were a-blowin', and we started rocking and rolling. Then around 10 p.m. we heard and felt a big bump. Lo and behold, a smallish sailboat had dragged anchor and blown into our bow. Bob went out to help secure the boat and offer assistance. I’m sure the man and wife had a long night, but they were ok. (In daylight we learned that these sailors are planning to cruise on this little boat to South America! More power to them.) The last photo shows their boat, looking down from Second Wind's flybridge this morning. Today the winds are still howling and it’s cold, but the sun is shining. We remind ourselves that the Northeast is getting two feet of snow today. Though the weather here is fickle, the temperatures are again in the low 60s. We have no complaints; that is, unless it stays cold and windy when daughter Susan is here this weekend.