by Robin
Yes, my sweetie is another year old but like cheese or wine, he's getting finer with each year.
Love,
First Mate,
Robin
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
LIVE WEBCAM!!
by Robin
Look at what I found! The Plantation at Crystal River has a live web-cam on top of their restaurant!!!!
http://www.plantationoncrystalriver.com/live-web-cam.htm
I absolutely can't wait to get to vacation. Can you tell?
On another topic, we ate the last of our frozen vermillion snapper. It's time to go fishing again. Below is a picture taken from one of our spring fishing trips. Couldn't buy a mahi bite on the troll so we bottom dropped and picked up something for the freezer.
Must. get. more. fish! Of course, with these daily massive fronts moving through w/ lots of lightening, it makes me want to stay in my house.
Happy Fishing,
Robin
Look at what I found! The Plantation at Crystal River has a live web-cam on top of their restaurant!!!!http://www.plantationoncrystalriver.com/live-web-cam.htm
I absolutely can't wait to get to vacation. Can you tell?
On another topic, we ate the last of our frozen vermillion snapper. It's time to go fishing again. Below is a picture taken from one of our spring fishing trips. Couldn't buy a mahi bite on the troll so we bottom dropped and picked up something for the freezer.
Must. get. more. fish! Of course, with these daily massive fronts moving through w/ lots of lightening, it makes me want to stay in my house.
Happy Fishing,
Robin
Monday, July 22, 2013
6.4 MILES!!
by Robin
Jack and I did it! We walked 6.4 miles over the local bridge today. It is 1.6 miles each round trip and we did it 4x.
We began at 2:10 and finished at 4:10. We knew the afternoon storms were going to come early before we could do a night walk, so we planned to go early. It was awful when the sun was out fully. But, whenever I could take it any more, I prayed and asked God for a cloud. Really, it was joking but it felt more than coincidental that God continuously answered my prayer over and over again with shade.
We had water at the half-way mark but oh... it gave me some cramps to fight through. Almost wished I wasn't so thirsty.
Before we knew it, we were done. We got in the car to drive home and rain started dripping down. Jack laughed saying that it was like God was hearing my every prayer. (Should have prayed for a million bucks!)
We took a swim in the pool to loosen our muscles. It started sprinkling again. We decided to celebrate as a family with a little Mexican food. After our meal, we were driving home and a massive dark front began to cover our car. I couldn't wait to get to cover. It poured & lightening for a short while.
When we thought it had all cleared, our son went to take the dogs potty. He was telling us how beautiful & orange the sky was. Many of my friends posted it up on FB, including pics with rainbows. Gorgeous.
Here is my own photo of our orange-pink sky. It was on fire and yet we were still covered in clouds. This picture doesn't do it justice. It was like watching the world with orange-shaded sunglasses on.
What a magnificent day! I love Sundays! I love my walks with my hubby. I love feeling stronger and healthier.
On a separate note, only 20 more days until we go on our scalloping vacation. Can't wait!
Robin
Jack and I did it! We walked 6.4 miles over the local bridge today. It is 1.6 miles each round trip and we did it 4x.
We began at 2:10 and finished at 4:10. We knew the afternoon storms were going to come early before we could do a night walk, so we planned to go early. It was awful when the sun was out fully. But, whenever I could take it any more, I prayed and asked God for a cloud. Really, it was joking but it felt more than coincidental that God continuously answered my prayer over and over again with shade.
We had water at the half-way mark but oh... it gave me some cramps to fight through. Almost wished I wasn't so thirsty.
Before we knew it, we were done. We got in the car to drive home and rain started dripping down. Jack laughed saying that it was like God was hearing my every prayer. (Should have prayed for a million bucks!)
We took a swim in the pool to loosen our muscles. It started sprinkling again. We decided to celebrate as a family with a little Mexican food. After our meal, we were driving home and a massive dark front began to cover our car. I couldn't wait to get to cover. It poured & lightening for a short while.
When we thought it had all cleared, our son went to take the dogs potty. He was telling us how beautiful & orange the sky was. Many of my friends posted it up on FB, including pics with rainbows. Gorgeous.
Here is my own photo of our orange-pink sky. It was on fire and yet we were still covered in clouds. This picture doesn't do it justice. It was like watching the world with orange-shaded sunglasses on.
What a magnificent day! I love Sundays! I love my walks with my hubby. I love feeling stronger and healthier.
On a separate note, only 20 more days until we go on our scalloping vacation. Can't wait!
Robin
Saturday, July 20, 2013
5 Miles!!!
by Robin
We officially made it 3 times back and forth over the bridge completing 4.8 miles and then cooled down for a full 5 mile walk!!
Tonight, we were suppose to do it again but the evening thunderstorms have been ruining our walks (or cutting them short). Tomorrow, we are shooting for 5 miles again.
You know, you have to be very fit to scallop all week. I'm also working during the week with my upper body strengthening. Heaven knows that going in and out of the boat all week will certainly tire me out.
Happy Fishing if you can get offshore. I have heard of some cobia being caught in our area. And there are more talks of Red Snapper opening up for Aug 23-25th, but that is still being debated.
We officially made it 3 times back and forth over the bridge completing 4.8 miles and then cooled down for a full 5 mile walk!!
Tonight, we were suppose to do it again but the evening thunderstorms have been ruining our walks (or cutting them short). Tomorrow, we are shooting for 5 miles again.
You know, you have to be very fit to scallop all week. I'm also working during the week with my upper body strengthening. Heaven knows that going in and out of the boat all week will certainly tire me out.
Happy Fishing if you can get offshore. I have heard of some cobia being caught in our area. And there are more talks of Red Snapper opening up for Aug 23-25th, but that is still being debated.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
EXERCISING - FLORIDA STYLE
by Robin
Sometimes I just can't believe that I live in a state where people dream about vacationing. I am so blessed to be here EVERY day. I've lived in snow, in very hilly area and now Florida for 11 years.
Recently, Jack and I began exercising together. This is my route. Other than walking the beach, it doesn't get much prettier than this.
And the breeze is amazing even after a long hot day. Each direction is .8 miles and so we're committing to 1.6 miles every single time we go over. We have been walking it twice, but are very close to making 3 passes back-n-forth. The sunsets are amazing too.
The other day, we were parking for our walk and saw a handful of these guys doing stunts in front of their GoPro camera. I snagged a couple pictures.
I would love to try this once to see if I can do it (of course, staying on the water!). It looks like so much fun.
God bless & Happy Fishing.
Robin
Sometimes I just can't believe that I live in a state where people dream about vacationing. I am so blessed to be here EVERY day. I've lived in snow, in very hilly area and now Florida for 11 years.
Recently, Jack and I began exercising together. This is my route. Other than walking the beach, it doesn't get much prettier than this.
And the breeze is amazing even after a long hot day. Each direction is .8 miles and so we're committing to 1.6 miles every single time we go over. We have been walking it twice, but are very close to making 3 passes back-n-forth. The sunsets are amazing too.
The other day, we were parking for our walk and saw a handful of these guys doing stunts in front of their GoPro camera. I snagged a couple pictures.
I would love to try this once to see if I can do it (of course, staying on the water!). It looks like so much fun.
God bless & Happy Fishing.
Robin
Tuesday, July 09, 2013
WE'RE BOOKED!!!
by Robin
We found a new location to be our base while we scallop in August.
http://www.plantationoncrystalriver.com/
I think our room will be in the building to the top-right of the pool. We can park the boat right in front of our room. It's going to be a fantastic vacation.
And at night, we can relax our sore muscles in this gorgeous pool.
Well, that's a sneak preview of our upcoming trip. Also, we are invited some new friends with us. They will join us a couple of the days.
We are praying for good weather and NO HURRICANES!!!
Happy Fishing,
Robin
We found a new location to be our base while we scallop in August.
http://www.plantationoncrystalriver.com/
I think our room will be in the building to the top-right of the pool. We can park the boat right in front of our room. It's going to be a fantastic vacation.
And at night, we can relax our sore muscles in this gorgeous pool.
Well, that's a sneak preview of our upcoming trip. Also, we are invited some new friends with us. They will join us a couple of the days.
We are praying for good weather and NO HURRICANES!!!
Happy Fishing,
Robin
Monday, July 08, 2013
4th of JULY FOOD!
by Robin
We had some wonderful food around our house for 4th of July. I only spent $40 on seafood and fed the 4 of us two different meals that would have cost us well over $100 in a restaurant. For lunch, we fried up some oysters that were already shucked for $14.99/ pt container. There were 2 plates full and so we loaded up our sandwiches. The guys added cheese to theirs. We had tomatoes, onion, homemade dressing and ate like Kings (& 1 Queen).
Very filling lunch for us as we did a small list of honey-do's. Then, in the late afternoon, my youngest and I knocked out the other couple dishes for dinner.
We seared the outside of a small marinated (overnight) pork loin that had a dry rub on it all day. After it was seared, we added a little bit of Diet C*ke into a double-tin foil wrapping and put it into the oven at 225 for 2 hrs. It slowly cooked all by itself. We let it rest for maybe another hour before dinner was served. This was the end result. Very moist and tender.
These thinly sliced pieces made into more hoagies for those that were still hungry after the seafood. Oh... back to seafood. Right.
Boiled some already de-headed shrimp for a couple minutes. Seriously, shrimp do not take long so don't overcook them. We put them on ice immediately and into the frig they went. We prepared a homemade dipping sauce of ketchup, horseradish (hot) and lime juice. Yum! (If you're keeping up with the costs, I think these were $13.99/lb. I bought 1 lb. Normally, I can get a better deal on this, but the day before a holiday, it just didn't fall into place for me.)
Then, I steamed the clams until they opened up. Middle-necks are only $4.99 for a dozen and so I bought 2 dozen. Our local guys always give us a handful more in case some do not open up.
Never eat a clam that is open BEFORE you cook it (dead) or is CLOSE after you steam or grill it. Something is wrong with it.
We made a Smart Balance, hot sauce, lemon juice broth to drizzle over the clams. Yummy, but I don't eat much of this. The oils in the smart balance can sometimes gives me reflux issues... Oh, but it is so good.
Now, that is our meal. Of course, we top it off with good veggie sides and usually a pie. This year, I got slack and made the pie 5 days later. ha ha.
God bless & Happy Fishing. Our water was blown up again last week and THIS week, we get Tropical Storm Chantel to stir up the waters.
Robin
We had some wonderful food around our house for 4th of July. I only spent $40 on seafood and fed the 4 of us two different meals that would have cost us well over $100 in a restaurant. For lunch, we fried up some oysters that were already shucked for $14.99/ pt container. There were 2 plates full and so we loaded up our sandwiches. The guys added cheese to theirs. We had tomatoes, onion, homemade dressing and ate like Kings (& 1 Queen).
Very filling lunch for us as we did a small list of honey-do's. Then, in the late afternoon, my youngest and I knocked out the other couple dishes for dinner.
We seared the outside of a small marinated (overnight) pork loin that had a dry rub on it all day. After it was seared, we added a little bit of Diet C*ke into a double-tin foil wrapping and put it into the oven at 225 for 2 hrs. It slowly cooked all by itself. We let it rest for maybe another hour before dinner was served. This was the end result. Very moist and tender.
These thinly sliced pieces made into more hoagies for those that were still hungry after the seafood. Oh... back to seafood. Right.
Boiled some already de-headed shrimp for a couple minutes. Seriously, shrimp do not take long so don't overcook them. We put them on ice immediately and into the frig they went. We prepared a homemade dipping sauce of ketchup, horseradish (hot) and lime juice. Yum! (If you're keeping up with the costs, I think these were $13.99/lb. I bought 1 lb. Normally, I can get a better deal on this, but the day before a holiday, it just didn't fall into place for me.)
Then, I steamed the clams until they opened up. Middle-necks are only $4.99 for a dozen and so I bought 2 dozen. Our local guys always give us a handful more in case some do not open up.
Never eat a clam that is open BEFORE you cook it (dead) or is CLOSE after you steam or grill it. Something is wrong with it.
We made a Smart Balance, hot sauce, lemon juice broth to drizzle over the clams. Yummy, but I don't eat much of this. The oils in the smart balance can sometimes gives me reflux issues... Oh, but it is so good.
Now, that is our meal. Of course, we top it off with good veggie sides and usually a pie. This year, I got slack and made the pie 5 days later. ha ha.
God bless & Happy Fishing. Our water was blown up again last week and THIS week, we get Tropical Storm Chantel to stir up the waters.
Robin
Monday, July 01, 2013
STING RAYS
by Robin
One day, our family went offshore fishing for mahi and vermillion snapper. We trolled and trolled without success. We did come home with a bunch of "beeliners" as they are nicknamed. So much fun!
But, best treat of all was to come across this school of Sting Rays about mid-way home.
I have video of them from above and below the water. I am SO THANKFUL I actually remembered to take my underwater camera. I rarely do that.
Here they are.
ABOVE WATER
School of Sting Rays from Robins Reports on Vimeo.
UNDERWATER
(I was not swimming with them. I merely held the camera under the water at the back of the boat.)
Underwater view of sting rays from Robins Reports on Vimeo.
One day, our family went offshore fishing for mahi and vermillion snapper. We trolled and trolled without success. We did come home with a bunch of "beeliners" as they are nicknamed. So much fun!
But, best treat of all was to come across this school of Sting Rays about mid-way home.
I have video of them from above and below the water. I am SO THANKFUL I actually remembered to take my underwater camera. I rarely do that.
Here they are.
ABOVE WATER
School of Sting Rays from Robins Reports on Vimeo.
UNDERWATER
(I was not swimming with them. I merely held the camera under the water at the back of the boat.)
Underwater view of sting rays from Robins Reports on Vimeo.
BOOKED IT!!
by Robin
We booked our scalloping vacation.
We've gotten bigger. (taking friends)
We've gotten bolder. (booking a week)
We've gotten better. (going to the Plantation instead of Days Inn)
We are so EXCITED!!!!
We have not been fishing much. We went out a couple weeks ago but got skunked for tripletail. Saw many cool things like dolphin & sharks but not edible fish. I haven't blogged any of it, but maybe I should make that my goal.
For now, we wish you a wonderful 4th of July week.
We booked our scalloping vacation.
We've gotten bigger. (taking friends)
We've gotten bolder. (booking a week)
We've gotten better. (going to the Plantation instead of Days Inn)
We are so EXCITED!!!!
We have not been fishing much. We went out a couple weeks ago but got skunked for tripletail. Saw many cool things like dolphin & sharks but not edible fish. I haven't blogged any of it, but maybe I should make that my goal.
For now, we wish you a wonderful 4th of July week.
Monday, May 06, 2013
FISHING VACATION WEEK!!
by Robin
Yipee!! This is our 2nd try at having a fishing vacation. A couple weeks ago, Jack was off work and we thought we'd try the new engine while tripletail or cobia hunting.
As we came up to plane, a buzzer went off. We tried a couple different things but the best thing we did was take her over to Mullis Marine (Mercury repair center). Dana was able to diagnose our sensor issue and it was a cheap repair, thankfully.
So, this week, we'll be going offshore again to try the engine and hopefully catch some fish.
While we were on the last vacation, we also were very blessed to take care of some other business. Our beater Suburban was stressing over hauling the boat and so we traded 'Snowball' in for a new-to-us Silverado. LOVE IT!!
We are very excited to have this new addition for when we travel with the boat. And we'll be very excited when we haul the boat back over to Crystal River for scallops in late summer, too.
Happy Fishing!
Yipee!! This is our 2nd try at having a fishing vacation. A couple weeks ago, Jack was off work and we thought we'd try the new engine while tripletail or cobia hunting.
As we came up to plane, a buzzer went off. We tried a couple different things but the best thing we did was take her over to Mullis Marine (Mercury repair center). Dana was able to diagnose our sensor issue and it was a cheap repair, thankfully.
So, this week, we'll be going offshore again to try the engine and hopefully catch some fish.
While we were on the last vacation, we also were very blessed to take care of some other business. Our beater Suburban was stressing over hauling the boat and so we traded 'Snowball' in for a new-to-us Silverado. LOVE IT!!
We are very excited to have this new addition for when we travel with the boat. And we'll be very excited when we haul the boat back over to Crystal River for scallops in late summer, too.
Happy Fishing!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
ENGINE #3
by Robin
FYI - Jack and I did get offshore fishing FINALLY. We picked up some chocolate chip porgies and while working north on the ridge, our Opti-Max blew out the engine again. Something about that sweet #6 connecting rod / cylinder was all dried out & missing the needle bearings.
So, we bought a refurbished engine and Jack put it 95% on this past weekend. It would have been 100% but he had the wrong o-rings for something.
We'll be fishing again soon. The cobia have arrived to Port Canaveral, although, the cold weather has come back too.
God bless. Happy Easter. See you after the break.
Robin
FYI - Jack and I did get offshore fishing FINALLY. We picked up some chocolate chip porgies and while working north on the ridge, our Opti-Max blew out the engine again. Something about that sweet #6 connecting rod / cylinder was all dried out & missing the needle bearings.
So, we bought a refurbished engine and Jack put it 95% on this past weekend. It would have been 100% but he had the wrong o-rings for something.
We'll be fishing again soon. The cobia have arrived to Port Canaveral, although, the cold weather has come back too.
God bless. Happy Easter. See you after the break.
Robin
Monday, February 11, 2013
DEMAND SALAZAR STOPS THE BOMBING OF RIGS in the GULF
This should make you mad!!! - Robin
http://www.local15tv.com/content/RealityCheck/story/Rep-Jo-Bonner-Calls-for-Action-for-Gulf-Wildlife/4oMWynEsWEqeNLfgiyGe0Q.cspx?rss=217
MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) Congressman Jo Bonner demands Interior Secretary Salazar immediately halt federal policy destroying large numbers of gulf red snapper.
In a Local 15 investigation, we uncovered video, secretly taken aboard one of the vessels contracted to blow-up old gas wells in the gulf, killing millions of pounds of fish.
Marine scientist Dr. Bob Shipp says this is happening so often, a million and a half pounds of dead snapper is floating to the surface each year.
Now Congressman Bonner fired off a letter to Salazar demanding change.
In the letter Bonner says, "In an undercover video released today from a rig explosion in the northern gulf, we finally have visual evidence of the devastation caused by this directive."
He goes on to say, “At the same time one federal agency is restricting fishing for the preeminent target fish species in the gulf, another – yours – is literally killing thousands of pounds of fish and destroying the habitat on which they rely. Certainly, Mr. Secretary, you see the hypocrisy here. These fish are the economic life-blood for thousands of our constituents along the Gulf of Mexico, and this insanity must stop – immediately.”
The letter was also signed by Mississippi Gulf Coast Representative Steven Palazzo.
Friday, the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council voted to reduce the 2013 season from 40 days to just 27.
Anglers and charter boat captains were upset about last year's season only being 40 days. Now fishermen have less than a month to capitalize on one of the gulf's biggest assets.
Local 15's Greg Peterson sat down with members of the Coastal Conservation Association. Between the video we showed them and Friday's ruling, it was not a good day for fishermen.
Hunters and fishermen have a 1.9 billion dollar economic impact on the state of Alabama, a bigger impact than revenue from all crops in the state.
But with yet another reduction in the snapper season, that impact will shrink.
You can find Rep. Bonner's letter attached to this story
http://www.local15tv.com/content/RealityCheck/story/Rep-Jo-Bonner-Calls-for-Action-for-Gulf-Wildlife/4oMWynEsWEqeNLfgiyGe0Q.cspx?rss=217
MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) Congressman Jo Bonner demands Interior Secretary Salazar immediately halt federal policy destroying large numbers of gulf red snapper.
In a Local 15 investigation, we uncovered video, secretly taken aboard one of the vessels contracted to blow-up old gas wells in the gulf, killing millions of pounds of fish.
Marine scientist Dr. Bob Shipp says this is happening so often, a million and a half pounds of dead snapper is floating to the surface each year.
Now Congressman Bonner fired off a letter to Salazar demanding change.
In the letter Bonner says, "In an undercover video released today from a rig explosion in the northern gulf, we finally have visual evidence of the devastation caused by this directive."
He goes on to say, “At the same time one federal agency is restricting fishing for the preeminent target fish species in the gulf, another – yours – is literally killing thousands of pounds of fish and destroying the habitat on which they rely. Certainly, Mr. Secretary, you see the hypocrisy here. These fish are the economic life-blood for thousands of our constituents along the Gulf of Mexico, and this insanity must stop – immediately.”
The letter was also signed by Mississippi Gulf Coast Representative Steven Palazzo.
Friday, the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council voted to reduce the 2013 season from 40 days to just 27.
Anglers and charter boat captains were upset about last year's season only being 40 days. Now fishermen have less than a month to capitalize on one of the gulf's biggest assets.
Local 15's Greg Peterson sat down with members of the Coastal Conservation Association. Between the video we showed them and Friday's ruling, it was not a good day for fishermen.
Hunters and fishermen have a 1.9 billion dollar economic impact on the state of Alabama, a bigger impact than revenue from all crops in the state.
But with yet another reduction in the snapper season, that impact will shrink.
You can find Rep. Bonner's letter attached to this story
Saturday, February 09, 2013
Cannon Downrigger
by Robin
I mentioned the other day that Jack bought a Cannon Downrigger for First Choice. Here are the pics of it. He mounted it today to the transom.
Here it is slightly extended heading straight out the back. Love the rod holder on it!
With the boom fully extended and the degree of the angle changed. Awesome!! Jack is a happy camper.
This weekend, the wind picked up and so we opted to work out house chores. Jack worked on his car and then played with mounting this on our lovely Saturday.
For me, I ended up on the backside of the house with working for hours in my gardens. I know there is a blizzard somewhere in the United States, but for us, it was high 70's and I got some sun on my shoulders. Couldn't be nicer weather to work hard labor in. No sweating at all!! Not all Februarys are this beautiful, but I will take it!
Happy Fishing!
Robin
I mentioned the other day that Jack bought a Cannon Downrigger for First Choice. Here are the pics of it. He mounted it today to the transom.
Here it is slightly extended heading straight out the back. Love the rod holder on it!
With the boom fully extended and the degree of the angle changed. Awesome!! Jack is a happy camper.
This weekend, the wind picked up and so we opted to work out house chores. Jack worked on his car and then played with mounting this on our lovely Saturday.
For me, I ended up on the backside of the house with working for hours in my gardens. I know there is a blizzard somewhere in the United States, but for us, it was high 70's and I got some sun on my shoulders. Couldn't be nicer weather to work hard labor in. No sweating at all!! Not all Februarys are this beautiful, but I will take it!
Happy Fishing!
Robin
Thursday, February 07, 2013
It's almost fishing time!!
Dear friends,
I have been away from the ocean for far too long. I have fishing fever very badly. Jack has been spending many weekends working on vehicles and prepping the boat for the upcoming fishing season. Last week, he bought a new Cannon Downrigger. I have to say, it is very nice. We are hoping to increase our hook-up opportunities as the fishing weather gets warming and the pelagic species move from the top of the water to mid-column.
Anyhow, we were hoping to have a small window of opportunity to fish this weekend. Basically, it would be a trial run near shore to make sure all the new changes are working right and we can get home safely if they aren't.
I am so ready to be up at the crack of dawn and heading offshore, like this earlier picture represents. It's time to fish.
Also, I wanted to note that we bought the vacant lot next to us!! So, now we are expanding out there with a boat barn! At this point, we've only removed some small trees and palms to expand the 3rd parking space over about 3 ft. This is a long-term goal to put in the boat barn.
We'll be back out fishing soon.
Blessings,
Robin
I have been away from the ocean for far too long. I have fishing fever very badly. Jack has been spending many weekends working on vehicles and prepping the boat for the upcoming fishing season. Last week, he bought a new Cannon Downrigger. I have to say, it is very nice. We are hoping to increase our hook-up opportunities as the fishing weather gets warming and the pelagic species move from the top of the water to mid-column.
Anyhow, we were hoping to have a small window of opportunity to fish this weekend. Basically, it would be a trial run near shore to make sure all the new changes are working right and we can get home safely if they aren't.
I am so ready to be up at the crack of dawn and heading offshore, like this earlier picture represents. It's time to fish.
Also, I wanted to note that we bought the vacant lot next to us!! So, now we are expanding out there with a boat barn! At this point, we've only removed some small trees and palms to expand the 3rd parking space over about 3 ft. This is a long-term goal to put in the boat barn.
We'll be back out fishing soon.
Blessings,
Robin
Sunday, December 30, 2012
12/28/12 CANAL FISHING
by Robin
I don't really have much of a whopping fish story tonight. This little intracoastal area is not far from home and so Jack and I decided to have a little 'date' out fishing the other day. We were in no hurry to get there and in no hurry to get back home. Very relaxing. We put a little gas in the boat and motored a couple miles. We took with us egg salad sammies, chips & homemade granola bars. Nothing too complicated.
We fished on the east side of the canal for a couple hours and caught a lot of small fishing. No keepers. We moved back down the river to what we call the railroad bridge and fished that. The sun disappeared and we couldn't buy a bite. So, we moved back to the canal and the sun came back out. No lie.
We anchored up at this bridge. At first, the nose (bow) of the boat was closest and I had to make a nice cast to the signs and reel back in to the boat. Picked up a lot of small fish again. No keepers. But, it was relaxing.
This guy caught a few nice fish for his dinner. What a stunning subject to photograph.
Had to try a couple different photoshopping pics to see which I liked more.
Then, in perfect sequence, the tide changed and the butt of the boat swung around sitting about 6 ft from the signs. The sun disappeared, the bridge lights turned on and we were in the perfect position for fishing under the light. This was suppose to be the secret place where many reds & drum were to hide out. One young boy on the bank told us a tale the he caught a 41" red fish at this very spot this morning.
At first, many fish swam to the surface, likely looking for shrimp. Seemed like a properous place to land & keep fish and have many photo opportunities. Many shrimpers were anchored up with their green lights all around the canal. And hour later, we saw a full moon coming over the tree tops. It was a bit of a magical moment. I had a lot of fear about being in the dark again, on the water. (Granted, it's only 5:45 pm) But, it disappeared with all the soft & colorful glows and the moon showing brilliant in the sky. Occasionally, we'd hear the birds squawk like a chicken laying an egg and it would make us laugh.
We fished another hour as the moon was hid behind the bridge and then, later the clouds. We heard another fisherman answer a call from his wife. We could make out that there was a front coming our way but that it was breaking up. No fish. Potential rain. It was a no brainer to pack up at 7:15 and head to the barn.
About the time we made it through the canal and onto the open waterways, we were in a light rain. Navigational plotters help but I had to keep my post with the flood light beaming ahead to keep watch for unmarked posts. While we were never in danger, it was still somewhat stressful and we moved slowly through the water & rain. There were no surprises other than the time to move such a small distance. But, we loaded up in calm waters at the dock. I had to get wet up to my knees to latch the boat to the trailer which was somewhat uncomfortably cold but doable.
We got home only to be hit with more cold rain as we unloaded First Choice. A hot bath never felt so good. I'm sure Jack enjoyed his bowl of New England Clam Chowder. I sat down to watch a little tv with our boys and the lights went out for the night.
Like I said, not much of a fish story, but something to show & tell for the blog.
Happy Fishing.
Robin
I don't really have much of a whopping fish story tonight. This little intracoastal area is not far from home and so Jack and I decided to have a little 'date' out fishing the other day. We were in no hurry to get there and in no hurry to get back home. Very relaxing. We put a little gas in the boat and motored a couple miles. We took with us egg salad sammies, chips & homemade granola bars. Nothing too complicated.
We fished on the east side of the canal for a couple hours and caught a lot of small fishing. No keepers. We moved back down the river to what we call the railroad bridge and fished that. The sun disappeared and we couldn't buy a bite. So, we moved back to the canal and the sun came back out. No lie.
We anchored up at this bridge. At first, the nose (bow) of the boat was closest and I had to make a nice cast to the signs and reel back in to the boat. Picked up a lot of small fish again. No keepers. But, it was relaxing.
This guy caught a few nice fish for his dinner. What a stunning subject to photograph.
Had to try a couple different photoshopping pics to see which I liked more.
Then, in perfect sequence, the tide changed and the butt of the boat swung around sitting about 6 ft from the signs. The sun disappeared, the bridge lights turned on and we were in the perfect position for fishing under the light. This was suppose to be the secret place where many reds & drum were to hide out. One young boy on the bank told us a tale the he caught a 41" red fish at this very spot this morning.
At first, many fish swam to the surface, likely looking for shrimp. Seemed like a properous place to land & keep fish and have many photo opportunities. Many shrimpers were anchored up with their green lights all around the canal. And hour later, we saw a full moon coming over the tree tops. It was a bit of a magical moment. I had a lot of fear about being in the dark again, on the water. (Granted, it's only 5:45 pm) But, it disappeared with all the soft & colorful glows and the moon showing brilliant in the sky. Occasionally, we'd hear the birds squawk like a chicken laying an egg and it would make us laugh.
We fished another hour as the moon was hid behind the bridge and then, later the clouds. We heard another fisherman answer a call from his wife. We could make out that there was a front coming our way but that it was breaking up. No fish. Potential rain. It was a no brainer to pack up at 7:15 and head to the barn.
About the time we made it through the canal and onto the open waterways, we were in a light rain. Navigational plotters help but I had to keep my post with the flood light beaming ahead to keep watch for unmarked posts. While we were never in danger, it was still somewhat stressful and we moved slowly through the water & rain. There were no surprises other than the time to move such a small distance. But, we loaded up in calm waters at the dock. I had to get wet up to my knees to latch the boat to the trailer which was somewhat uncomfortably cold but doable.
We got home only to be hit with more cold rain as we unloaded First Choice. A hot bath never felt so good. I'm sure Jack enjoyed his bowl of New England Clam Chowder. I sat down to watch a little tv with our boys and the lights went out for the night.
Like I said, not much of a fish story, but something to show & tell for the blog.
Happy Fishing.
Robin
Thursday, December 27, 2012
3-STRAND ROPE SPLICE
by Robin
I have to say that I am rather proud of myself today. I self-taught myself how to do a 3-strand rope splice, thanks to this man's wonderful You Tube video. I actually had most of it right all by myself but I messed up on the left side of it and so I corrected it and then, we were done! The 'old' me would have simply gone to the store to buy more rope but Jack encouraged me that I could do it.
I don't know if anybody would remember this, but back when we were doing our best to make it through the disasterous night out in the Gulf of Mexico, it was always a real possibility that our frayed rope might give way and we could be adrift. I still get adrenalin rushes from that fact.
Well, it was time to do something about it, so we pulled the anchor (in the driveway) and worked on the rope. I didn't photograph the fray but it was definitely not much left hanging together and I am happy to say that the problem is SOLVED!!
And like I said, I'm pretty happy with myself for starting very young as a horse mane braider, turning self-hair braider and now into a rope braider. ha ha. Am I an official sailor now?? shipmate??
(Side note: We did not want any electrical tape to interfere with the splice so I simply took highlighter marker to each strand to help me keep them straight. It will eventually wear off in the saltwater and the splice will stay strong.)
Tomorrow, we will be heading to Haulover Canal to see if we can't pick up some black drum. We will test some minor adjustments we made to the ladder/ platform, the new voltage gauge and the anchor line. We are missing the offshore blue water, but this will have to do for now.
God bless & Happy Fishing,
Robin
PS: I got a new camera for Christmas and so I am stoked about using it this cobia & mahi season.
I have to say that I am rather proud of myself today. I self-taught myself how to do a 3-strand rope splice, thanks to this man's wonderful You Tube video. I actually had most of it right all by myself but I messed up on the left side of it and so I corrected it and then, we were done! The 'old' me would have simply gone to the store to buy more rope but Jack encouraged me that I could do it.
I don't know if anybody would remember this, but back when we were doing our best to make it through the disasterous night out in the Gulf of Mexico, it was always a real possibility that our frayed rope might give way and we could be adrift. I still get adrenalin rushes from that fact.
Well, it was time to do something about it, so we pulled the anchor (in the driveway) and worked on the rope. I didn't photograph the fray but it was definitely not much left hanging together and I am happy to say that the problem is SOLVED!!
And like I said, I'm pretty happy with myself for starting very young as a horse mane braider, turning self-hair braider and now into a rope braider. ha ha. Am I an official sailor now?? shipmate??
(Side note: We did not want any electrical tape to interfere with the splice so I simply took highlighter marker to each strand to help me keep them straight. It will eventually wear off in the saltwater and the splice will stay strong.)
Tomorrow, we will be heading to Haulover Canal to see if we can't pick up some black drum. We will test some minor adjustments we made to the ladder/ platform, the new voltage gauge and the anchor line. We are missing the offshore blue water, but this will have to do for now.
God bless & Happy Fishing,
Robin
PS: I got a new camera for Christmas and so I am stoked about using it this cobia & mahi season.
Sunday, December 02, 2012
RECOVERY MODE
I'm definitely in recovery. Recovery from too much schooling, too many doctors, too much physical therapy (Jack's behalf) and too long from blogging.
Jack took the Fall to have rotator cuff repair surgery and then stay in physical therapy for the next 8 wks. Now that he is healed, we have been addressing some issues with the boat. One of them was checking to see if the new boat ladder was interferring with the propellar. And it was. The other is to address & reconstruct a new platform. It's done. Now, we wait for good weather offshore and try fishing again. We did a river run and all the equipment worked well. It was good to get the cob webs out from even our lack of loading/ unloading the boat.
So, we wait. This weekend, we had a party, church work day, baby shower, which got missed, an SEC Championship game and I signed (interpreted) at church this morning. Next weekend, we may have Saturday open if the weather is good. We'll watch & see.
For now, here is a cool YouTube video I found for you. Seems to be very popular. I picked it because it involves a Right Whale which are near & dear to our hearts here in Florida. This was taken in the Auckland Islands.
This is very short, but it is amazing at how breathtaking these giant creatures are.
God bless. Hope to be back in blogging business again.
Jack took the Fall to have rotator cuff repair surgery and then stay in physical therapy for the next 8 wks. Now that he is healed, we have been addressing some issues with the boat. One of them was checking to see if the new boat ladder was interferring with the propellar. And it was. The other is to address & reconstruct a new platform. It's done. Now, we wait for good weather offshore and try fishing again. We did a river run and all the equipment worked well. It was good to get the cob webs out from even our lack of loading/ unloading the boat.
So, we wait. This weekend, we had a party, church work day, baby shower, which got missed, an SEC Championship game and I signed (interpreted) at church this morning. Next weekend, we may have Saturday open if the weather is good. We'll watch & see.
For now, here is a cool YouTube video I found for you. Seems to be very popular. I picked it because it involves a Right Whale which are near & dear to our hearts here in Florida. This was taken in the Auckland Islands.
This is very short, but it is amazing at how breathtaking these giant creatures are.
God bless. Hope to be back in blogging business again.
Friday, September 07, 2012
INTERLUDE
by Robin
I'm so sorry to have taken such a long break between parts of the story. We ended up going back to Crystal River a second time and having a wonderful time there.
Two days later, my son began dual-enrollment which was my focus. A week ago, Jack went in for shoulder surgery and needed some nursing care. I feel like I'm just now coming up for air!!
Please enjoy these few pictures of our trip to Crystal River (Part Deaux) while you're waiting for me to return. They're not really in any particular order. I'll try to make a few comments as I work out the spacing issues.
This is the beautiful grass in Crystal Bay. There is a variety of bottom cover but this is the best for finding the scallops.
Here is one of those delicious sweethearts laying in the grass.
And here is my sweetheart with that delicious sweetheart in his hand. ha ha.
Here we were at Three Sister Springs. My youngest with our little chihuahua who did not appreciate the 70 deg water.
Jack snorkeling around the boat that the springs entrance.
Me at Three Sister Springs. Rare photo.
My youngest on our first trip in.
Him diving down in the center spring, which is the deepest.
Youngest, again.
My 2nd trip back in, but with both boys. I wanted to photograph my eldest in the springs.
Here he is making the 20 ft+ dive down. I did the same dive, but he definitely stayed down longer & made it look easier.
Him casually swimming around down there. He even swam under a big log that hangs over the vent.
Mullet swimming by. You know how other ADD-loving folks say, "Squirrel"? I say, "Mullet." LOL.
Here is the entrance swimming into the springs. Feels like old Florida.
Last day of scallop hunting. We had a remora that kept following us around. I think he was more attracted to the big white boat, actually. I tried to take several pics of him but I couldn't get the underwater camera to focus on him. Sometimes fish will not hold still for pictures. Sheesh.
Here the guys are with their loot. I was out-hunted so I grabbed the camera to take a brag pic. What family fun!!
Ok, maybe next week I can finish up the other story.
God bless!!
I'm so sorry to have taken such a long break between parts of the story. We ended up going back to Crystal River a second time and having a wonderful time there.
Two days later, my son began dual-enrollment which was my focus. A week ago, Jack went in for shoulder surgery and needed some nursing care. I feel like I'm just now coming up for air!!
Please enjoy these few pictures of our trip to Crystal River (Part Deaux) while you're waiting for me to return. They're not really in any particular order. I'll try to make a few comments as I work out the spacing issues.
This is the beautiful grass in Crystal Bay. There is a variety of bottom cover but this is the best for finding the scallops.
Here is one of those delicious sweethearts laying in the grass.
And here is my sweetheart with that delicious sweetheart in his hand. ha ha.
Here we were at Three Sister Springs. My youngest with our little chihuahua who did not appreciate the 70 deg water.
Jack snorkeling around the boat that the springs entrance.
Me at Three Sister Springs. Rare photo.
My youngest on our first trip in.
Him diving down in the center spring, which is the deepest.
Youngest, again.
My 2nd trip back in, but with both boys. I wanted to photograph my eldest in the springs.
Here he is making the 20 ft+ dive down. I did the same dive, but he definitely stayed down longer & made it look easier.
Him casually swimming around down there. He even swam under a big log that hangs over the vent.
Mullet swimming by. You know how other ADD-loving folks say, "Squirrel"? I say, "Mullet." LOL.
Here is the entrance swimming into the springs. Feels like old Florida.
Last day of scallop hunting. We had a remora that kept following us around. I think he was more attracted to the big white boat, actually. I tried to take several pics of him but I couldn't get the underwater camera to focus on him. Sometimes fish will not hold still for pictures. Sheesh.
Here the guys are with their loot. I was out-hunted so I grabbed the camera to take a brag pic. What family fun!!
Ok, maybe next week I can finish up the other story.
God bless!!
Monday, August 06, 2012
DISASTER VACATION - Part 3 - SEA-SICKNESS & SUNRISE
by Robin
Part 1 - Scalloping http://robinsreports.blogspot.com/2012/07/disaster-vacation-scalloping-portion.html
Part 2 - The Storm http://robinsreports.blogspot.com/2012/07/disater-vacation-part-2-storm.html
Here it is... the long-awaited part 3. I think, subconsciously, I was avoiding reliving this segment of the night most all. Refreshing my mind on part 2 brought out feelings that were beginning to fade. The nausea. The fear of darkness. The fear of the sea itself. I'm back on the boat, rocking side to side. I can see glimpses of land and twinkling lights but I cannot rush there. The next six hours were a lesson of patience in suffering.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. - Romans 12: 12
We spent the next 30 minutes to hour with getting resettled. I think the 'Vomits' were done. I wish I had Jack's gift of never being sea or air sick. I guess he compliments me in this area, for I am very weak from the kryptonic rocking. He, on the other hand, is like a sweet baby being lulled to dreamland by a mother in her favorite, worn rocking chair.
The boys were in the cuddy with the fan. Jack had tried the cuddy but needed air and space, so he too opted for a bean bag positioned by the cuddy door yet in front of the chairs. I'm not sure if he was trying to escape the light of the glow sticks or merely chose not to be between the bait cooler on the left, the slushing ice in the food cooler to my right or near center where Captain finally peed after the storm passed.
By the way, Captain was praised for releasing urine on the deck when asked. I would have preferred it in the back by the drain, but hey, he did what we asked. My blessed Tiki-man, who had no problem with peeing on the deck earlier in the day, chose to hold it in. I grabbed my bean bag, thowing it down any-which-way and plopped on it. I laid there, head almost comfortably propped against the food cooler and looked up at the stars. I tried to think of other things but I was constantly reminded of the cool breeze. Through all of this, I had forgotten that I was wearing nothing but my bathing suit and a white tank top. I was so hot in the cuddy with my orange life jacket on, that now, it was noticeably cooler without it. And I was wet. It was a miracle that Jack was able to put his hands on my light fishing jacket the first few seconds he began to look for it. Really, don't take that lightly. It was a miracle as much as the lightening passing over us. LOL. Ladies, you know what I'm talking about here.
I offered to take the first shift of staying up all night so Jack could grab a couple hours of sleep. Tiki jumped in my lap and I put him under my jacket so we could stay warm together. I tried to find constellations. I tried to rewind our day and how it ended up until this point. I even tried to think about how I would sign (language) all this to my friend & mentor at Tuesday night sign class. I could see all the signs and non-manual markers being played out in my facial expressions. Earlier, we had seen a boat going by and I wanted desperately to follow it, thinking it may be our friends. Then, I was glad we didn't since it continued past the port entrance. From time to time, my thoughts were interrupted with short snorts of Jack fighting apnea. It was pretty easy to pass the first hour or so.
I began to fight sleep eventually. Part of me wanted desperately to sleep. I didn't trust anything like the winds and anchor holding. Silly how I could trust God so much hours earlier with my life, but I couldn't trust Him enough to sleep like Jesus did. I pulled my head up over the sides of the boat, checking north for the power station lights and south for the St. Pete/Tampa lights. I could barely hold myself up and the nausea would kick back in and I'd have to lay back down again. I flipped onto my right side, feeling snug in the bean bag. I was nauseated but I had small comforts like my dog and my hood to warm my head. At some point, Captain jumped down from Jack's lap and he came to check on me. I could see it in his eyes. He was as confused as I was. Why could he be on dry land? Where were his blankies? Please make it stop, Mama. Sometimes he would stand and sometimes he would prop up against my head and shoulders. He did his best to keep contact but the rocking made it hard for him to do so. I begged him to lay down but he wouldn't. You have to understand Captain. Since he was a baby, whenever he wanted Mama, he had to be right under my chin. It's like he survived only if he could look up and see Mama right there and feel my presence with my breath. He was terribly out of sorts and apprehensive, like me.
Other hours, I spent praying for all the people I knew. I would compartmentalize friends by association and then pray for them. My parents, especially Dad in his recent surgery. This church. That church. Homeschoolers. Immediate family. Extended family. Friends with health issues. Friends. with. health. issues. It gave me pause. Something else deep to ponder. God had allowed cancer to come back to a friend of mine. Sweet lady. She was facing her own storm. I never once weighed whether one storm of life was better than the other, but I could never figure out why God chose some to have cancer and why mine was to end up in the ocean, in the darkness, rocking back-n-forth. I don't remember how I ended this conversation with God. I am thankful for the mere moments that God gave me rest.
Other hours, I remember thinking that I would memorize where the stars were over each side of the boat. I had stars in triangular patterns to the south. They'd go up & down, left and right. But at any given moment, instead of popping my head up to see the lights over land, I could look up at the stars and know we were holding anchor. It worked most the time except the couple times the winds had shifted. In the end, the eastern winds would prevail, making the stars sit in the right positions. Sometimes, I could hear a wave break and roll right next to the boat. I could not see them, nor did I want to see how high they were but I could hear them. After hours of this, I was able to not even have a heart flutter over it. They seemed as natural as my own heart beating. The only thing that did not seem natural was that we had gone from small wind gusts to steady gales as we passed 3am.
The winds gave me other things to think about. I was thankful I had unwound all the hundreds of feet of rope. How handy it was to have it flow right out and give me a perfect scope for riding up and down with the waves and keep the anchor down. God has prepared us for that moment of need before we knew we had a need. How many times had He done that and I never recognized it? And as comforting that was, my mind would still take a detour and land me in a pit of adrenalin. What about that frayed spot in the rope right near the anchor chain? Oh no. Would it unravel before we would see daylight? Would God have an angel down there holding it together, under the sea? How could I be sure until we either set adrift or pulled it up at morning light.
We were probably rounding two o'clock when I thought I smelled fire. My heart raced, again. I sat up and looked at my land points. No fire. Looked at the back of the boat. No fire. Gee, the batteries weren't even on. I couldn't figure it out and eventually, I convinced myself it was the smell of thawed squid in the cooler next to me. As much as I wanted to be worried, exhaustion and nausea forced me back down. (The next day, I would find out that Jack had smelled it too, so it wasn't my imagination.)
My mind was surely playing tricks on me. Part of me hated the adrenlin rushes from fear, but part of me loved that it woke me back up. From time to time, the dogs would move and wake me up fully. At some point, my body hurt from laying in one position and I moved to the other side. I memorized those stars, which seemed to be have pairs of bright ones together. Oh, it felt good to change sides. When I changed sides, Tiki had to move. At one point, he began to gag. Poor little guy, he was sea sick too. This time, there was also enough room for Captain on the bean bag. I think that's was the first time he was able to sleep. Or was he having only mere moments of rest, like me?
I had prayed and thought of my kids. They did not complain through all this. They were so brave, except for that small moment of panic about dying. Who could blame him? We all thought it. He handled it with grace sufficient for any child. Being bold, brave and praying for all of us decision-makers. And my teenager, never a word came from him. Only obedience. I've always thought this child had the most amazing giftness of meekness. Strength under restraint. Always showing a smile and being completely unwavering in faith. Sometimes I think he teaches me more than I could ever teach him. And Jack. How he was my knight in shining armour the entire time. He would do anything for us. He always puts our safety first. Well, maybe second, because his love for us is incredible. I don't know what would happen to him if anything happened to the rest of us. His heart would crumble into a thousand pieces. Even though I hated staying there the whole night, I knew that his loving care for us was paramount. It influenced every part of his decision-making.
At some point, I noticed the stars moving through the sky. Everything was a little off. The bildge pump turned on and pumped out water. Wait. That's wrong. We're taking on water? I heard the waves breaking by the boat. I felt a splash come over the side. Talk about a wave of fear setting back in. I sat up instantly, checking our position. All that was good, but whoa....... a waved rolled up very close to the side of the boat. Ok, the panic was back. I woke the entire boat back up. My youngest, our time keeper, said it was 4:30 am. Yes, it was almost dawn. I was READY TO GO. I convinced Jack that we needed to go, now. He scrambled to his feet, putting his mental check list back in order and turned on the batteries. He cranked it up. I ran to the front and tried to pull anchor. Jack moved the boat forward so I could have an easier time of pulling in line but when it came to pulling the anchor, I could not do it. Jack came forward to help me, but the wet line slipped out of our hands. It was no use fighting the wind, and the darkness.
By then, the "Vomits" were back. One by one, the boys came out of the cuddy and took their turns. Even I did. Our youngest, Mr Bold, refused to go back below. He needed air inspite of hanging his head down. My eldest sat on his side of the boat and began singing hymns as Jack and I layed back down on our bean bags. I knew the entire line-up of music. We had rehearsed all of them at home. I'd sing and signwhile he played his guitar. While reality said we were still in the dark, I could close my eyes and feel like we were still in his room, with the lamp on, going through it, chord by chord. He sang every word, every line. He moved to the next one, knowing every word, every line. In the past, we have joked that he has such a hard time carrying a tune; but now, I heard it as God hears it. A perfect heart bringing a perfect melody as a sweet offering to the One who holds everything together. It was a desperate plea and praise in harmony together. At one point, I tried to join him as much as it hurt to sing through the nausea. I wanted so badly to praise my Savior but it seemed more enjoyable to hear him sing.
Jack said this would be the longest hour of our lives and it was. After we were done with songs, we made somewhat a competition out of guessing when the sun would rise on the west coast of Florida. It seemed so important at the time; but for the life of me, I cannot remember who was right or when it came up.
At one point, I noticed the stars were fading. Black turned to gray as a backdrop in the sky. I couldn't wait any longer. I didn't have panic any more, but renewed strength with every lighter shade of gray. Jack and I got to our feet. We started the engine, which never sounded more wonderful to me. I remember thanking God as I scurried to the front. The rope was retrieved, foot-by-foot. I felt like I was never going to get it all in. How many hundreds of feet did I let out? When we were finally dead-center over the anchor, Jack had me tie the line off on a clete. He pulled it out with the force of the engine pulling it. And when it was free, so were we. As I went to stow it all away in the anchor locker, my hand ran over the frayed spot. I had my answer. The angel had held it all night long without a single sign of wear.
It seemed like a blur that everything was secured and we were slowly cruising into the waves toward port. My renewed strength disappeared as I sat in my chair. I could not even pick my head up. I had both my arms grasping to rails & chairs to prop me up. The adrenalin, which had become my friend, was gone.
The closer we got to shore, the less ther waves were. The kids were on each side of the boat, each holding a dog. Jack kept trying to get me to lift my head. I could do it only long enough to see that the sun was already over the horizon. When did that happen? I waited all night to see it crest and when it happened, my head was down. Sometimes, I'd bobble to the right to see how many miles were left. It all that running in circles the night before, we were only 3.5 miles from our original fishing spot. We had 21 miles until we pass the party island. Sporatically, I called out the miles remaining to the kids, but truthfully, it was for my own self-encouragement. Jack would laugh at me to stop.
One by one, we flew between channel markers. We passed the power plant, which gave me light through the night. We rounded a couple corners and flew 25 knots to Pete's Landing. Jack had the boys and dogs walk with me to find the truck & trailer. Tiki finally peed after an amazing 14 hrs of holding it. Exhausted but alive, we found ourselves giddy about whether or not there would be a ticket for having parked there overnight. I imagined pulling out tears & telling our tale to any cop who dared to ticket me. Who could ticket this pitiful being?
The marina which had been so full of life the afternoon before, was now totally peaceful. No ripples in the water. People walked by silently. Parking spaces were open. Loading the boat was as routine as breathing. I don't remember it. While I was waiting for Jack to come out of the boat and drive us to breakfast, I remember looking down at myself, now properly clothed with shorts, and wondering..... Hmmm, my white tank had a tye-dye effect to it now. Pretty blues & greens, and brown. Funny, I don't remember that there before.
And then, it hit me. I could not contain my laughter. I probably looked like a mad (crazy, not angry) , frizzy-haired woman. How hysterical that I was wearing my own vomit that had been pushed back by the gusts and now decorated my shirt. How proud I was of myself the night before for keeping my vomit in until I could reach the sides of the boat ,and here I was still wearing it. I laughed more. The irony of it all. Was there any pride left in me? I don't think so. I was completely humble and broken.
I sat in the suburban, unsure if I was enjoying the air conditioning. It felt too cold. I thought to call the hotel we made reservations at for the upcoming night. It was only 8 am, but it was worth a try to see how early we could get checked-in. As I dialed the number, the kids were teasing me about pulling out the sob story....... and I did. They were at full-capacity that night, but the first person to check out of a "doggie" room, they'd have the maid clean it for us and call me.
So, we headed to Denny's for breakfast......
To be continued.... (part 4 will not be as exciting as the rest but should complete the story)
Part 1 - Scalloping http://robinsreports.blogspot.com/2012/07/disaster-vacation-scalloping-portion.html
Part 2 - The Storm http://robinsreports.blogspot.com/2012/07/disater-vacation-part-2-storm.html
Here it is... the long-awaited part 3. I think, subconsciously, I was avoiding reliving this segment of the night most all. Refreshing my mind on part 2 brought out feelings that were beginning to fade. The nausea. The fear of darkness. The fear of the sea itself. I'm back on the boat, rocking side to side. I can see glimpses of land and twinkling lights but I cannot rush there. The next six hours were a lesson of patience in suffering.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. - Romans 12: 12
We spent the next 30 minutes to hour with getting resettled. I think the 'Vomits' were done. I wish I had Jack's gift of never being sea or air sick. I guess he compliments me in this area, for I am very weak from the kryptonic rocking. He, on the other hand, is like a sweet baby being lulled to dreamland by a mother in her favorite, worn rocking chair.
The boys were in the cuddy with the fan. Jack had tried the cuddy but needed air and space, so he too opted for a bean bag positioned by the cuddy door yet in front of the chairs. I'm not sure if he was trying to escape the light of the glow sticks or merely chose not to be between the bait cooler on the left, the slushing ice in the food cooler to my right or near center where Captain finally peed after the storm passed.
By the way, Captain was praised for releasing urine on the deck when asked. I would have preferred it in the back by the drain, but hey, he did what we asked. My blessed Tiki-man, who had no problem with peeing on the deck earlier in the day, chose to hold it in. I grabbed my bean bag, thowing it down any-which-way and plopped on it. I laid there, head almost comfortably propped against the food cooler and looked up at the stars. I tried to think of other things but I was constantly reminded of the cool breeze. Through all of this, I had forgotten that I was wearing nothing but my bathing suit and a white tank top. I was so hot in the cuddy with my orange life jacket on, that now, it was noticeably cooler without it. And I was wet. It was a miracle that Jack was able to put his hands on my light fishing jacket the first few seconds he began to look for it. Really, don't take that lightly. It was a miracle as much as the lightening passing over us. LOL. Ladies, you know what I'm talking about here.
I offered to take the first shift of staying up all night so Jack could grab a couple hours of sleep. Tiki jumped in my lap and I put him under my jacket so we could stay warm together. I tried to find constellations. I tried to rewind our day and how it ended up until this point. I even tried to think about how I would sign (language) all this to my friend & mentor at Tuesday night sign class. I could see all the signs and non-manual markers being played out in my facial expressions. Earlier, we had seen a boat going by and I wanted desperately to follow it, thinking it may be our friends. Then, I was glad we didn't since it continued past the port entrance. From time to time, my thoughts were interrupted with short snorts of Jack fighting apnea. It was pretty easy to pass the first hour or so.
I began to fight sleep eventually. Part of me wanted desperately to sleep. I didn't trust anything like the winds and anchor holding. Silly how I could trust God so much hours earlier with my life, but I couldn't trust Him enough to sleep like Jesus did. I pulled my head up over the sides of the boat, checking north for the power station lights and south for the St. Pete/Tampa lights. I could barely hold myself up and the nausea would kick back in and I'd have to lay back down again. I flipped onto my right side, feeling snug in the bean bag. I was nauseated but I had small comforts like my dog and my hood to warm my head. At some point, Captain jumped down from Jack's lap and he came to check on me. I could see it in his eyes. He was as confused as I was. Why could he be on dry land? Where were his blankies? Please make it stop, Mama. Sometimes he would stand and sometimes he would prop up against my head and shoulders. He did his best to keep contact but the rocking made it hard for him to do so. I begged him to lay down but he wouldn't. You have to understand Captain. Since he was a baby, whenever he wanted Mama, he had to be right under my chin. It's like he survived only if he could look up and see Mama right there and feel my presence with my breath. He was terribly out of sorts and apprehensive, like me.
Other hours, I spent praying for all the people I knew. I would compartmentalize friends by association and then pray for them. My parents, especially Dad in his recent surgery. This church. That church. Homeschoolers. Immediate family. Extended family. Friends with health issues. Friends. with. health. issues. It gave me pause. Something else deep to ponder. God had allowed cancer to come back to a friend of mine. Sweet lady. She was facing her own storm. I never once weighed whether one storm of life was better than the other, but I could never figure out why God chose some to have cancer and why mine was to end up in the ocean, in the darkness, rocking back-n-forth. I don't remember how I ended this conversation with God. I am thankful for the mere moments that God gave me rest.
Other hours, I remember thinking that I would memorize where the stars were over each side of the boat. I had stars in triangular patterns to the south. They'd go up & down, left and right. But at any given moment, instead of popping my head up to see the lights over land, I could look up at the stars and know we were holding anchor. It worked most the time except the couple times the winds had shifted. In the end, the eastern winds would prevail, making the stars sit in the right positions. Sometimes, I could hear a wave break and roll right next to the boat. I could not see them, nor did I want to see how high they were but I could hear them. After hours of this, I was able to not even have a heart flutter over it. They seemed as natural as my own heart beating. The only thing that did not seem natural was that we had gone from small wind gusts to steady gales as we passed 3am.
The winds gave me other things to think about. I was thankful I had unwound all the hundreds of feet of rope. How handy it was to have it flow right out and give me a perfect scope for riding up and down with the waves and keep the anchor down. God has prepared us for that moment of need before we knew we had a need. How many times had He done that and I never recognized it? And as comforting that was, my mind would still take a detour and land me in a pit of adrenalin. What about that frayed spot in the rope right near the anchor chain? Oh no. Would it unravel before we would see daylight? Would God have an angel down there holding it together, under the sea? How could I be sure until we either set adrift or pulled it up at morning light.
We were probably rounding two o'clock when I thought I smelled fire. My heart raced, again. I sat up and looked at my land points. No fire. Looked at the back of the boat. No fire. Gee, the batteries weren't even on. I couldn't figure it out and eventually, I convinced myself it was the smell of thawed squid in the cooler next to me. As much as I wanted to be worried, exhaustion and nausea forced me back down. (The next day, I would find out that Jack had smelled it too, so it wasn't my imagination.)
My mind was surely playing tricks on me. Part of me hated the adrenlin rushes from fear, but part of me loved that it woke me back up. From time to time, the dogs would move and wake me up fully. At some point, my body hurt from laying in one position and I moved to the other side. I memorized those stars, which seemed to be have pairs of bright ones together. Oh, it felt good to change sides. When I changed sides, Tiki had to move. At one point, he began to gag. Poor little guy, he was sea sick too. This time, there was also enough room for Captain on the bean bag. I think that's was the first time he was able to sleep. Or was he having only mere moments of rest, like me?
I had prayed and thought of my kids. They did not complain through all this. They were so brave, except for that small moment of panic about dying. Who could blame him? We all thought it. He handled it with grace sufficient for any child. Being bold, brave and praying for all of us decision-makers. And my teenager, never a word came from him. Only obedience. I've always thought this child had the most amazing giftness of meekness. Strength under restraint. Always showing a smile and being completely unwavering in faith. Sometimes I think he teaches me more than I could ever teach him. And Jack. How he was my knight in shining armour the entire time. He would do anything for us. He always puts our safety first. Well, maybe second, because his love for us is incredible. I don't know what would happen to him if anything happened to the rest of us. His heart would crumble into a thousand pieces. Even though I hated staying there the whole night, I knew that his loving care for us was paramount. It influenced every part of his decision-making.
At some point, I noticed the stars moving through the sky. Everything was a little off. The bildge pump turned on and pumped out water. Wait. That's wrong. We're taking on water? I heard the waves breaking by the boat. I felt a splash come over the side. Talk about a wave of fear setting back in. I sat up instantly, checking our position. All that was good, but whoa....... a waved rolled up very close to the side of the boat. Ok, the panic was back. I woke the entire boat back up. My youngest, our time keeper, said it was 4:30 am. Yes, it was almost dawn. I was READY TO GO. I convinced Jack that we needed to go, now. He scrambled to his feet, putting his mental check list back in order and turned on the batteries. He cranked it up. I ran to the front and tried to pull anchor. Jack moved the boat forward so I could have an easier time of pulling in line but when it came to pulling the anchor, I could not do it. Jack came forward to help me, but the wet line slipped out of our hands. It was no use fighting the wind, and the darkness.
By then, the "Vomits" were back. One by one, the boys came out of the cuddy and took their turns. Even I did. Our youngest, Mr Bold, refused to go back below. He needed air inspite of hanging his head down. My eldest sat on his side of the boat and began singing hymns as Jack and I layed back down on our bean bags. I knew the entire line-up of music. We had rehearsed all of them at home. I'd sing and signwhile he played his guitar. While reality said we were still in the dark, I could close my eyes and feel like we were still in his room, with the lamp on, going through it, chord by chord. He sang every word, every line. He moved to the next one, knowing every word, every line. In the past, we have joked that he has such a hard time carrying a tune; but now, I heard it as God hears it. A perfect heart bringing a perfect melody as a sweet offering to the One who holds everything together. It was a desperate plea and praise in harmony together. At one point, I tried to join him as much as it hurt to sing through the nausea. I wanted so badly to praise my Savior but it seemed more enjoyable to hear him sing.
Jack said this would be the longest hour of our lives and it was. After we were done with songs, we made somewhat a competition out of guessing when the sun would rise on the west coast of Florida. It seemed so important at the time; but for the life of me, I cannot remember who was right or when it came up.
At one point, I noticed the stars were fading. Black turned to gray as a backdrop in the sky. I couldn't wait any longer. I didn't have panic any more, but renewed strength with every lighter shade of gray. Jack and I got to our feet. We started the engine, which never sounded more wonderful to me. I remember thanking God as I scurried to the front. The rope was retrieved, foot-by-foot. I felt like I was never going to get it all in. How many hundreds of feet did I let out? When we were finally dead-center over the anchor, Jack had me tie the line off on a clete. He pulled it out with the force of the engine pulling it. And when it was free, so were we. As I went to stow it all away in the anchor locker, my hand ran over the frayed spot. I had my answer. The angel had held it all night long without a single sign of wear.
It seemed like a blur that everything was secured and we were slowly cruising into the waves toward port. My renewed strength disappeared as I sat in my chair. I could not even pick my head up. I had both my arms grasping to rails & chairs to prop me up. The adrenalin, which had become my friend, was gone.
The closer we got to shore, the less ther waves were. The kids were on each side of the boat, each holding a dog. Jack kept trying to get me to lift my head. I could do it only long enough to see that the sun was already over the horizon. When did that happen? I waited all night to see it crest and when it happened, my head was down. Sometimes, I'd bobble to the right to see how many miles were left. It all that running in circles the night before, we were only 3.5 miles from our original fishing spot. We had 21 miles until we pass the party island. Sporatically, I called out the miles remaining to the kids, but truthfully, it was for my own self-encouragement. Jack would laugh at me to stop.
One by one, we flew between channel markers. We passed the power plant, which gave me light through the night. We rounded a couple corners and flew 25 knots to Pete's Landing. Jack had the boys and dogs walk with me to find the truck & trailer. Tiki finally peed after an amazing 14 hrs of holding it. Exhausted but alive, we found ourselves giddy about whether or not there would be a ticket for having parked there overnight. I imagined pulling out tears & telling our tale to any cop who dared to ticket me. Who could ticket this pitiful being?
The marina which had been so full of life the afternoon before, was now totally peaceful. No ripples in the water. People walked by silently. Parking spaces were open. Loading the boat was as routine as breathing. I don't remember it. While I was waiting for Jack to come out of the boat and drive us to breakfast, I remember looking down at myself, now properly clothed with shorts, and wondering..... Hmmm, my white tank had a tye-dye effect to it now. Pretty blues & greens, and brown. Funny, I don't remember that there before.
And then, it hit me. I could not contain my laughter. I probably looked like a mad (crazy, not angry) , frizzy-haired woman. How hysterical that I was wearing my own vomit that had been pushed back by the gusts and now decorated my shirt. How proud I was of myself the night before for keeping my vomit in until I could reach the sides of the boat ,and here I was still wearing it. I laughed more. The irony of it all. Was there any pride left in me? I don't think so. I was completely humble and broken.
I sat in the suburban, unsure if I was enjoying the air conditioning. It felt too cold. I thought to call the hotel we made reservations at for the upcoming night. It was only 8 am, but it was worth a try to see how early we could get checked-in. As I dialed the number, the kids were teasing me about pulling out the sob story....... and I did. They were at full-capacity that night, but the first person to check out of a "doggie" room, they'd have the maid clean it for us and call me.
So, we headed to Denny's for breakfast......
To be continued.... (part 4 will not be as exciting as the rest but should complete the story)
Friday, July 27, 2012
DISASTER VACATION - Part 2 - The Storm
by Robin
Where were we?? Link to Part 1, if you missed it.
Oh yes, we were done with sandwiches & ice pops at the marina and looking forward to a peaceful night fishing at the Crystal River Reef.
At this point, we're all still smiles.
We get past the no wake zone and head 25 knots east through the river to the port opening. Now, I did see all these clouds over land but had no reason to fear anything. As you can see, those thunderheads in the background were pointing south. Wind was going north to south. That was the plan.
As we head east, everyone passes the little party island to the south. Many people tie boats up there, hop out and cool off in the shallows for the hottest parts of the day. I'm sure many take grills and have the best memories of how they 'played' Survivor for a couple hours in the sand & sun.
Right after you pass the party island, look north and you will see the powerplant. It seems like such an ugly hunk of concrete. I had no idea at this time how its beautiful orange glow would give me comfort through the night. No idea. As long as its distant lights stayed in the same general area and the same approximate distance, I could put my head back down to suffer out the rocking-induced nausea another hour.
And then there was an amazing sunset to the West. The thunderhead clouds hovering over land were lacking over the water. The Gulf had upper-level whispy clouds, meaning no rain. At this point, we were finally 17 miles west of Crystal River port, over the Reef. I had plenty of time to anchor up, find the mound of rubble under water covered up in fish, according to our fish finder.
I was busy transforming the cuddy from storage unit into a bedroom suite for 3 (Jack had planned on sleeping on the deck (cockpit) on a bean bag.). As I played interior decorator with sheets, towels & pillows, Jack dropped a line over the side. He was instantly bowed over with something huge from the sea. Excitement filled the air as visions of sugar-plum fish danced in our heads. But, the excitement was short-lived and Jack's pole popped back straight. He reeled up and his hook was bit in half!! Wow, what was that? Jack thinks it was a shark.
It was about this time that I felt nausea set in. Our 2 ft waves or less felt more intense the longer I stayed in the cuddy, hence the name "Cuddy of Death." But, I convinced myself I could remedy it by fishing. I held a pole in my hand about 1.5 minutes before Jack noticed the rest of the crew looking green and took a vote of who wanted to go back in. Apparently, I wasn't the only one fighting a little nausea. The vote was 3 to one. So, we pulled anchor.
While pulling the anchor, we heard such awful news over the radio. It was a back-n-forth relay between the Coast Guard and some man who was thinking he was having a heart attack. Good golly!! Not ANOTHER heart-attack person. What are the odds that two people would have heart-attacks the same day, out of the same port? We did not hear how that concluded because we were soon underway and the drama that was unfolding was drowned out by the hum of our Mercury. Out attention was more focused now on what was building over land. Still no fear at this point because the wind was taking it South. Right? Right??
We started towards the Port for less than 1.5 miles and Jack stopped the boat. It was useless. There was frequent lightening right at the port entrance (left side of picture). In ten minutes time, we could see the south end of the front bowing outward and I think that was the first time I remembered panicking. It confirmed that the winds had shifted eastward and we were going to confront our biggest fears. A solid line of thunderstorms coming straight for us. There was also lightening in this section of clouds (below), too. It was less severe than the lightening to the north, though.
Pretty much, by this time, we were so confused and had run in most every direction. We couldn't go north, south, east or west. The sun would be gone in no time. The storm was coming at us at 25 knots NE. We called the Coast Guard and let them know of our location and asked them about the weather. They seemed a bit put-off that we asked for a weather report but hey, they're the ones with the radar screen and knew if there was any break in the storm cells. Afterall, pilots get navigational help from air traffic control when they hit bad weather. Here's a good lesson learned... the CG is not the ATC. The CG told us they could not suggest which direction we should go in. I could barely get that sunk in when my 12 yo screams out, "We're gonna die!!" Now that, I could not let sink in. There was no time to entertain that fear. Partly out of necessity and partly out of selfishness, we had him go down below and start praying. I am so glad that my Father in heaven did not treat his fears like I did. We asked him days later what he prayed forwhile he was down there and he cannot remember. I'm certain of one thing, it must have been that he wouldn't die and God answered that.
After speaking with the CG, I believe Jack radioed his coworker who was on his boat with his wife fishing deeper seas. They had some nice red groupers already in the box when they heard our call. For just a moment, I forgot our urgency and found comfort in knowing we were not in this alone. J and B were going to head west as fast as they could and then cut north into the port, through the storm, lightening & all. We were hoping to have contact with them later in the night. But, we never heard from them again.
As the sun disappeared over the horizon, it set the western skies were set aglow from the top of the storm to the heavens. It was magnificient. The only thing that kept coming to mind was the phrase, "Purple majesty". It was majestic. The entire sky, not 25-50-75%, but 100% was a canvas and it was captivating. Even mesmerizing. It came close to lulling me into a sense of peacefulness. But then, a lightening struck (never once captured on digital- sheesh) would snap me back into reality. I set this beautiful Scripture onto the last photo I would take of the clouds that night.
As I was closing my entry, Jack stops the boat and we discuss strategy again. A blast of very cold air hit us smack in the faces. We began running again. Jack could no longer see out any of his windows. I became his eyes as the sprinkles turned into sheets of rain. It was that sinking feeling that we could no longer outrun something so powerful & fast. The best we could hope for was that we were between the worst of lightening cells and the one still to come, headed our way, was the lesser of three evils.
The boys handed me my huge life-jacket and I went quickly about my business. An hour before, I was untangling a couple hundred feet of rope via Jack's request. He even said something about it being so important, it could save our lives one day, and now, every bit of that was going to be our lifeline. I dropped anchor.
And the anchor held.
Two dogs, two boys and one very wet mom stayed in the 'Cuddy of Death', rocking side-to-side, as Jack broke 4 glow sticks and shook them. He tied two to our bow and two to our nav light over the engine area before joining us down below.
Wait, I do remember one really cool thing before I went below. The glow sticks had attracted a bait school around the boat. I thought I may have seen a couple shimmers of bio-illuminescence. My nerdy science side was so fascinated with trying to see flashes that it spooked me then to see some fish sky-rocket out of the water and fly about 20 feet across the water. Ok. I'll mind my own business and head for the cuddy. Eventually, Jack joined us there.
We were sardines awaiting torment in our home away from home. Jack asked me to pray. I could hardly get a word out. My voice quivered. My thoughts were unable to connect words together coherently. I remember asking for a hedge of protection around our boat. I remembered that Jesus slept through the storm that came up over the Sea of Galilee. The disciples did not have faith, waking the Lord from His sleep. " 'Peace, be still.' he spoke." I repeated those three words a few times. His power was so incredible that three simple words made the winds and seas obey Him. I begged for that kind of faith. If ever there was a time in my life I needed to muster up the faith that created such power to make the weather behave, it was NOW. There was no doubt that I believed God to be Creator of this world and all that it held. There was no doubt that I believed He had that much power; afterall, He spoke everything into existance. I had to trust in that. That same power was inside of us when we trusted Him with our lives years ago. Now, He was asking me if I believed all that beyond being vocal in the church pew. Was I ready to trust in His power with my entire family's life, for real?
We did our best to lie still, moving the battery-powered fan from time to time. You could hear the rain pounding the boat. From time to time, we saw lightening flash the sky from our tiny window slats. I counted three times, but I am sure that was not accurate since I did my best to lie still, closing my eyes. The 'Cuddy of Death' rocked back and forth for some time.
And the anchor held.
I do not know how long it took for the storm to pass, but Jack was first out of the cuddy to have a look around. I'm sure it wasn't but minutes later and we had our first casualty of nausea. Our eldest ran out to vomit. He came back, drained but a much happier camper. Our youngest did his best to hold out but even he succumb to nausea and vomiting. I was very proud that he made it out to the ocean and not spilling it in the cuddy. A few weeks ago, he had a tummy virus and didn't make it to the bathroom.
For me, I did my best to ignore my surroundings. I was going to fight it with every ounce of my being. I tried deep breathing. Breathing through nostrils. Fight that nausea, Robin!! But, then Jack asked me a question. I do not remember what it was, but only that attempting to use my stomach muscles created some convulsion of stomach muscles that could not be stopped. I sat up and began heaving. I flew up two steps and heaved again. But, gross as this was, I did my duty and kept my mouth shut until I reached the gunnell and then released it overboard.
To be continued......
Where were we?? Link to Part 1, if you missed it.
Oh yes, we were done with sandwiches & ice pops at the marina and looking forward to a peaceful night fishing at the Crystal River Reef.
At this point, we're all still smiles.
We get past the no wake zone and head 25 knots east through the river to the port opening. Now, I did see all these clouds over land but had no reason to fear anything. As you can see, those thunderheads in the background were pointing south. Wind was going north to south. That was the plan.
As we head east, everyone passes the little party island to the south. Many people tie boats up there, hop out and cool off in the shallows for the hottest parts of the day. I'm sure many take grills and have the best memories of how they 'played' Survivor for a couple hours in the sand & sun.
Right after you pass the party island, look north and you will see the powerplant. It seems like such an ugly hunk of concrete. I had no idea at this time how its beautiful orange glow would give me comfort through the night. No idea. As long as its distant lights stayed in the same general area and the same approximate distance, I could put my head back down to suffer out the rocking-induced nausea another hour.
And then there was an amazing sunset to the West. The thunderhead clouds hovering over land were lacking over the water. The Gulf had upper-level whispy clouds, meaning no rain. At this point, we were finally 17 miles west of Crystal River port, over the Reef. I had plenty of time to anchor up, find the mound of rubble under water covered up in fish, according to our fish finder.
I was busy transforming the cuddy from storage unit into a bedroom suite for 3 (Jack had planned on sleeping on the deck (cockpit) on a bean bag.). As I played interior decorator with sheets, towels & pillows, Jack dropped a line over the side. He was instantly bowed over with something huge from the sea. Excitement filled the air as visions of sugar-plum fish danced in our heads. But, the excitement was short-lived and Jack's pole popped back straight. He reeled up and his hook was bit in half!! Wow, what was that? Jack thinks it was a shark.
It was about this time that I felt nausea set in. Our 2 ft waves or less felt more intense the longer I stayed in the cuddy, hence the name "Cuddy of Death." But, I convinced myself I could remedy it by fishing. I held a pole in my hand about 1.5 minutes before Jack noticed the rest of the crew looking green and took a vote of who wanted to go back in. Apparently, I wasn't the only one fighting a little nausea. The vote was 3 to one. So, we pulled anchor.
While pulling the anchor, we heard such awful news over the radio. It was a back-n-forth relay between the Coast Guard and some man who was thinking he was having a heart attack. Good golly!! Not ANOTHER heart-attack person. What are the odds that two people would have heart-attacks the same day, out of the same port? We did not hear how that concluded because we were soon underway and the drama that was unfolding was drowned out by the hum of our Mercury. Out attention was more focused now on what was building over land. Still no fear at this point because the wind was taking it South. Right? Right??
We started towards the Port for less than 1.5 miles and Jack stopped the boat. It was useless. There was frequent lightening right at the port entrance (left side of picture). In ten minutes time, we could see the south end of the front bowing outward and I think that was the first time I remembered panicking. It confirmed that the winds had shifted eastward and we were going to confront our biggest fears. A solid line of thunderstorms coming straight for us. There was also lightening in this section of clouds (below), too. It was less severe than the lightening to the north, though.
Pretty much, by this time, we were so confused and had run in most every direction. We couldn't go north, south, east or west. The sun would be gone in no time. The storm was coming at us at 25 knots NE. We called the Coast Guard and let them know of our location and asked them about the weather. They seemed a bit put-off that we asked for a weather report but hey, they're the ones with the radar screen and knew if there was any break in the storm cells. Afterall, pilots get navigational help from air traffic control when they hit bad weather. Here's a good lesson learned... the CG is not the ATC. The CG told us they could not suggest which direction we should go in. I could barely get that sunk in when my 12 yo screams out, "We're gonna die!!" Now that, I could not let sink in. There was no time to entertain that fear. Partly out of necessity and partly out of selfishness, we had him go down below and start praying. I am so glad that my Father in heaven did not treat his fears like I did. We asked him days later what he prayed forwhile he was down there and he cannot remember. I'm certain of one thing, it must have been that he wouldn't die and God answered that.
After speaking with the CG, I believe Jack radioed his coworker who was on his boat with his wife fishing deeper seas. They had some nice red groupers already in the box when they heard our call. For just a moment, I forgot our urgency and found comfort in knowing we were not in this alone. J and B were going to head west as fast as they could and then cut north into the port, through the storm, lightening & all. We were hoping to have contact with them later in the night. But, we never heard from them again.
As the sun disappeared over the horizon, it set the western skies were set aglow from the top of the storm to the heavens. It was magnificient. The only thing that kept coming to mind was the phrase, "Purple majesty". It was majestic. The entire sky, not 25-50-75%, but 100% was a canvas and it was captivating. Even mesmerizing. It came close to lulling me into a sense of peacefulness. But then, a lightening struck (never once captured on digital- sheesh) would snap me back into reality. I set this beautiful Scripture onto the last photo I would take of the clouds that night.
From that point on, we began running for what seemed like our lives. The kids were in the cuddy with the dogs. Lightening came closer and closer. I shot this video while we were running full speed. Forgive the annoying buzz of the engine competing with my shaky voice. When I viewed it on my bloggie & the tv, I could actually see lightening strikes twice on the left side, but I don't think the HD quality translated very well in the upload. The light you see in the back is our navigation light. Sometimes you can see those clouds to the south and at the end, you can see the last seconds of light with the sunset.
As I was closing my entry, Jack stops the boat and we discuss strategy again. A blast of very cold air hit us smack in the faces. We began running again. Jack could no longer see out any of his windows. I became his eyes as the sprinkles turned into sheets of rain. It was that sinking feeling that we could no longer outrun something so powerful & fast. The best we could hope for was that we were between the worst of lightening cells and the one still to come, headed our way, was the lesser of three evils.
The boys handed me my huge life-jacket and I went quickly about my business. An hour before, I was untangling a couple hundred feet of rope via Jack's request. He even said something about it being so important, it could save our lives one day, and now, every bit of that was going to be our lifeline. I dropped anchor.
And the anchor held.
Two dogs, two boys and one very wet mom stayed in the 'Cuddy of Death', rocking side-to-side, as Jack broke 4 glow sticks and shook them. He tied two to our bow and two to our nav light over the engine area before joining us down below.
Wait, I do remember one really cool thing before I went below. The glow sticks had attracted a bait school around the boat. I thought I may have seen a couple shimmers of bio-illuminescence. My nerdy science side was so fascinated with trying to see flashes that it spooked me then to see some fish sky-rocket out of the water and fly about 20 feet across the water. Ok. I'll mind my own business and head for the cuddy. Eventually, Jack joined us there.
We were sardines awaiting torment in our home away from home. Jack asked me to pray. I could hardly get a word out. My voice quivered. My thoughts were unable to connect words together coherently. I remember asking for a hedge of protection around our boat. I remembered that Jesus slept through the storm that came up over the Sea of Galilee. The disciples did not have faith, waking the Lord from His sleep. " 'Peace, be still.' he spoke." I repeated those three words a few times. His power was so incredible that three simple words made the winds and seas obey Him. I begged for that kind of faith. If ever there was a time in my life I needed to muster up the faith that created such power to make the weather behave, it was NOW. There was no doubt that I believed God to be Creator of this world and all that it held. There was no doubt that I believed He had that much power; afterall, He spoke everything into existance. I had to trust in that. That same power was inside of us when we trusted Him with our lives years ago. Now, He was asking me if I believed all that beyond being vocal in the church pew. Was I ready to trust in His power with my entire family's life, for real?
We did our best to lie still, moving the battery-powered fan from time to time. You could hear the rain pounding the boat. From time to time, we saw lightening flash the sky from our tiny window slats. I counted three times, but I am sure that was not accurate since I did my best to lie still, closing my eyes. The 'Cuddy of Death' rocked back and forth for some time.
And the anchor held.
I do not know how long it took for the storm to pass, but Jack was first out of the cuddy to have a look around. I'm sure it wasn't but minutes later and we had our first casualty of nausea. Our eldest ran out to vomit. He came back, drained but a much happier camper. Our youngest did his best to hold out but even he succumb to nausea and vomiting. I was very proud that he made it out to the ocean and not spilling it in the cuddy. A few weeks ago, he had a tummy virus and didn't make it to the bathroom.
For me, I did my best to ignore my surroundings. I was going to fight it with every ounce of my being. I tried deep breathing. Breathing through nostrils. Fight that nausea, Robin!! But, then Jack asked me a question. I do not remember what it was, but only that attempting to use my stomach muscles created some convulsion of stomach muscles that could not be stopped. I sat up and began heaving. I flew up two steps and heaved again. But, gross as this was, I did my duty and kept my mouth shut until I reached the gunnell and then released it overboard.
Oh my Lord, how much more can we take of this? I could not go back into the cuddy. I needed fresh air. I needed this rocking to stop. That's when it dawned on me that I had stars overhead. To the north and south, there was still lightening & thundering, but we... we were in the clear. God had answered prayer.
(I did not take this picture, but it was the closest thing to what we saw that night. I'd never seen so many stars in my life. And I saw hazey glow like this too. )
Lightening had stayed aloft in the clouds and never once struck to the ground. Being the tallest thing on the water, I was certain it spelled doom in my worst nightmares. But, God had put the hedge of protection around us. The lightening and clouds HAD obeyed Him.
We were free. Free! I was ready to head to the port and put all this behind me as I drifted off to sleep in ANY hotel room. Shoot, I would have been grateful to sleep in the passenger seat of my suburban for all I cared. Whatever. I didn't care. Who was I to be picky when I was feeling so grateful? We survived a front with lightening and now we could go home.
But, Jack was very opposed to all this excitement about navigated in the dark, in 2-3 ft wind waves and not having proper knowledge of the area. He insisted that we stay put until morning light. Oh noooo, my nauseated stomach could not agree with him. I had a moment of panic. I wanted to go. I wanted off this ride. If I could have, I would have walked right across the water until I reached dry land. It was 11:30 pm and waiting six hours of daylight was too much to ask for. The sea-sickness was like kryptonite to me. I couldn't pick my head up. My muscles turn to jello.
How was I going to make it six more hours? Was that the last of the storms?
To be continued......
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