Is it work, or is it play?

Ahoy mateys!
Our friends Mindy and John invited us to sail on "Striker" yesterday.  I took motion meds.... then I took a nap when we got back and slept all NIGHT!

Trace must have been steering because it looks like we weren't.  We had a swell time and there were many swells also.  Time to remember how to tack.  "Sunny Ray" has a self-tacking jib.  Striker is a racing boat.  Dolphins greeted us inside the jetties on the way back.

Thanks Mindy and John, you have been awesome neighbors!


Mindy's granddaughter Gabby is a good friend of Dale's.  They really enjoy each other.

And now, the pictures you've been waiting for.....

Surfer kids

Ray gets up his first try!

Dale is ready to go again!

Gabby's Dad, Phillip, has graciously brought a board and is helping the kids get started.

Mindy and her daughter, the beautiful English.

So today (after my all evening/night nap!), another pressurized water leak was discovered.  Dan fixed it up as well as installed a volt meter for our motor batteries, installed a foot pump for water and more, and made ME breakfast and dinner!  All I did was laundry and unloaded most of the stuff from our cockpit.  You can dance in it now!  They don't call me Lounge Jean for nothing.

Lounge Jean

The kids had so much fun at the beach.  I really love these pictures....

The birds are coming, the birds are coming!

Hope you are also working and playing AND NAPPING as hard as you can!

Lounge Jean

Hot water rocks!

Ahoy there again!
Mr. Fixit has done it.  

No, that's not what he installed, Silly!  This is the old non-working crazy propane line right next to a diesel generator messed up rusty water heater.  Dan installed a groovy electric and /or generator exhaust heated (idea compliments of Ken), and sometime in the future solar heated (idea compliments of Drew) stainless steel water heater! I call it Lavender Jane because it is lavender and it loves me.  We get to take hot showers on the back steps! (But not in the shower yet as it still has items in it.)

Don't have a picture of Lavender Jane but here's one of the cute guy who installed it.
Hot water...... it's awesome.
Thanks everyone who has worked on our boat.  Soon Sunny Ray will be ready to sail with the energy of all who have spent time on it.

Dave installed the radar in February when he met Dan here.  Yes, he is a scaffold rigger!

He worked on Olivia too.
Olivia is doing pretty good right now.  Check it out.

Bond siblings in February, Dave, Pam & Dan.  So cool that they were able to come down.
We are looking forward to seeing Sue, Jilly and Jilly's boyfriend in a few days.
Aunt Pam and Uncle Bob along with Sara entertained Dale and Ray last weekend and are doing so this weekend also.  They rode roller coasters at 6 Flags.  Dale said she could see the red part of her eyes!  They will get to play with Sue and Jilly first.  Lucky ducks.  We got lots of work done last weekend.


Hope everyone is having as much fun as we are.  Our boat neighbors in the slip next to us took the kids and I to the beach yesterday.  And... one of the family brought their surfboard to let the kids try.  Ray got up on the first try!  Do you think it has something to do with his big feet!?  Dale looked like a natural.  She is really enjoying her new friend, too.  She is 5 and very smart.

Dan had the chance to sail on this ketch last week with a friend who lives on this dock.  He's a lucky guy.  He also got to sail on our boat neighbor's racing boat.  Hopefully, we can go with them tomorrow.  I've kind of forgotten what it was like to sail on a monohull!  I'll have to remember to take some motion meds just in case.

Here is the rigging that busted.  With the help of Rip and a local rigger that our neighbors turned us onto, we should have the rigging made and installed within a couple of weeks.  It will be nice to know that all of it will be new and strong to take us wherever we want to go.

This was Dan's project this morning.  Last night our shoe locker had water in it and our floor squished with some water, so...... Dan found that the pressurized water had a broken fitting.  Sound familiar, Teri, Oleg, Jim & Brenwyn?  Fortunately, there was no big damage and we turned off the water pressure right away so no big flood either.  Look, Drew, there was easier access than you two knew about! Dan also discovered that the stove was being held in by only one screw.  He took care of that!


Dale's former classmates wrote her letters which her teacher bundled up and sent.  What a happy girl!  She loved hearing from you!


Write to us!  Stay well!
Marty