It's been a long time since there were any blog updates. Part of the reason has been we've just been too damn busy and the other is the loss of our dear friend Sarah McLeod who passed away up in Canada at the end of January. Here are Sarah and her husband Richard Hayward when they visited us down in the Florida Keys just a year ago.


Friday 13th December to Monday 25th January
A blur of days spent working on the RV, then once the boat was moved to the work yard it was pretty much non-stop to get everything done to get it re-surveyed and launched.

One of the bigger jobs was fixing the rudder which I cut open and cleaned out before it was refilled with foam and epoxy.


There was still some time to take a few pictures. This little fellow was one of several living on and around the tarp next to the RV.


Carol did some photography around the marina where the owners are making successful attempts to make the place more attractive.




Buddy got a serious haircut to prepare him for the hot weather that so far has not transpired.


Sometimes the weather was warm with dramatic sunsets.


And there were many sightings of the resident alligator - half-tail as he is known by the guys who work in the marina. He's at least six feet long even without the end of his tail.


Tuesday 26th January
It's finally launch day and the boat is back in its element and it doesn't sink.

Wednesday 27th January
The people who have replaced our rigging are supposed to have the mast put back up today and I'm down at the dock in the sunshine when Richard calls to tell me Sarah died that morning. It doesn't seem quite real.

The crane is stuck on some job miles away and the mast does not get stepped.

Thursday 28th January
Finally the rigging guys and the crane guy get it together and the mast goes back up.


Friday 29th January
The sails go back up. Incognita starts to look like a sailboat again.

Saturday 30th January to Friday 5th February
Day after day spent moving stuff from RV to boat. Putting the RV away until we return.


Saturday 6th February
Soon after the dawn breaks we finally leave the marina and head out down the canal to the Intracoastal.

We're travelling with John and Rejeanne (aboard Bilbo) who have a couple of groundings (with their 6' keel) as we head through the St. Lucie River area.

We anchor for the night in Peck Lake where we spent a couple of days last year. It's then we find our outboard dinghy motor is not working. Fortunately John ferries me and Buddy ashore.

Sunday 7th February
We head off again after we've given John a tow off a sandbar and we head down to North Lake Worth and anchor for the night.

Monday 8th February
We put Bilbo's outboard on our dinghy so we can all go ashore together and make a trip to Publix and West Marine. For me the West Marine stop is to buy some fluid for fixing the carburetor in our outboard. The only mechanic in the area is too busy to look at our outboard but he did give some advice.

Tuesday 9th February
After squirting this stuff into the carb and leaving it overnight there is still no joy so I go and buy another can. This time it looks like it might be working.

Wednesday 10th February
The outboard now sort of works. It won't idle but it does go at medium to high speed. Good enough for now and with the use of another product it maybe will fix itself.

Thursday 11th February
An early start and off we go through the endless opening bridges past West Palm Beach, Boca Raton to Lake Santa Barbara to anchor for two nights as a strong front is promised.

Friday 12th February
A day spent sorting things out on the boat and fixing a few things.

The promised front arrives and we get a thunderstorm and very high winds. Both our anchors hold and we survive.

Saturday 13th February
We were going to anchor in North Miami but we get there at low tide and Bilbo does not want to risk the tricky entrance.

So we head on further to Sunset Lake which we stayed in three times last year. Unlike when we were here before, it is quite full but we find a couple of spots.