1.24.12

Yesterday afternoon I was walking Raisin, and another woman was walking her dog. Both dogs are over 15 years old and losing their eyesight. Perhaps they sensed that in each other. Neither was intimidated by nose touching and sniffing, they got along rather well, which is unusual for Raisin. When another dog approaches her she will generally show her teeth to warn them off, and if they don’t leave then she yips and snaps at them.

During our conversation, I learned she lived aboard her sailboat and was single-handing. It made quit an impression on me. I’ve dreamed of living aboard.

This is her 33’ sailboat, Talespinner.

We were supposed to meet Larry and Diane at 9 am, this morning, for a trip to Sailor’s Exchange and breakfast. At 0730 they slid up in their dingy and said they were hungry. They walk a bit slower than Jim and I, so while they started out, we got dressed, walked Raisin on deck and closed up the boat.

It’s quite a hike to Sailor’s Exchange and the diner is on the way. We caught up with them a few blocks from it, had a good breakfast together then continued on to see if there was  anything we couldn’t live without at the Exchange.

Jim wanted a compressor for his air horns…I couldn’t find anything I needed. We had a few other stops to make on the way back, so Larry and Diane took a taxi back to their dingy.

Back at the boat, Jim hooked up the compressor and was very disappointed. It only blew one horn, not both. We took a short rest and headed back to Sailor’s Exchange to “exchange” the one Jim bought for a larger one. While there…I found 2 folding seats. They are about 4” thick and hinge in the middle so you can take them up on deck and have a soft seat with a back rest. They work great in the cockpit for reading and I was very comfortable driving with one on the captain’s seat. Normally I sit on my feet to get up high enough to see, and then have to stand after they go to sleep. Today was wonderful.

Because they had a bit of “history” as the salesman told me, we got them for $15 each. History is good!!!! A bit of upholstery cleaner and they’ll look like new.

I did some searching on the internet…and found them at www.sportaseat.com  for $114.95.    So the trip back was well worth it. Isn’t “history” great?

While out in our dingy today, I told Jim I would like to stop if the “single-handing” lady was aboard her boat and see if she keeps a website or blog that I could follow. I am very interested in her travels. As we cruised around Talespinner, we noticed she was aboard, stopped and hailed the boat.

When I asked her about a blog or website, she said she had both, gave me a card and told me she was a mystery writer.  Her web page is http://www.christinekling.com/   from there you can go to her blog. Be sure to check out the books she has written. They take place aboard boats, with strong female characters.

I am currently reading “Wreckers Key”. Since I’ve met the author, and know that she is living life aboard, I find the story that much more interesting. She has a nice sized boat, but it’s not huge or real fancy. She has a wind generator and a solar panel that keep the batteries up for about 2 days. She then has to run her engine for about an hour to charge them. Being a writer, her computer is on most of the time and that is a battery drain.

We’ve owned 2 sailboats, a 22’ Catalina and a 26’ MacGregor power sailer. Neither required the maintenance that Talespinner needs. The bigger the boat, the more work required to keep her in safe shape, and I have Jim doing all the motor or engine maintenance. Like I said, I really have a deep appreciation for her ability to sail and maintain her boat…alone. Except for Chip (her dog), of course.

Another beautiful sunset…the bridge at St Augustine, FL.

Again….as I swing the camera around to catch A Dollar More at her mooring….the color changes.

I’d like to say we had a peaceful night but that would be untrue. The first couple of hours after sundown there were a series of small boats roaring thru the channel and under the bridge. It’s amazing how big the wakes are from some small boats. We rocked and rolled for at least 2 hours before everyone was off the water and it settled down. I think the wakes were made even worse by the sea wall that we were moored near. The waves couldn’t dissipate, as they would  on shore….they just bounced back. We’ll find a new spot next time.

It’s funny…as bad as the bouncing was, it put me right to sleep. When I woke up at 1 am, with flat water, I was unable to get back to sleep…so I read a few more chapters of “Wreckers Key”.  I find myself looking for things in it that she’s taken from her life aboard…like taking the dog ashore in the dingy…hanging over an engine compartment fixing a leak or several days running, without crew.  Of course, being on a boat as you read, makes it even more special.

Thanks Christine, for taking the time to visit with us. I am looking forward to reading the rest of your books. Oh…by the way….that is where I am headed right now….back to “Wreckers Key”.