I woke up really early this morning (5 a.m.) to raise anchor and head back the marina. I flipped on the light switch - nothing. Seems like my "no worries" attitude on the batteries was not a good idea after all :-) The house battery died sometime during the night. I was surprised as I thought an alarm was supposed to go off and warn me of a low battery - but nothing like that happened. At least I had a good night's sleep and it was a full moon - so the boat was visible. And thankfully the starting battery worked so I was able to get underway. Still - lesson learned I have to be a little more diligent about charging the battery going forward. My little 1/2 hour a day plan was obviously not enough.
Our last day at Smack Bayou was delightful. After a very quiet work/school day Coleen and I spent some time on the bow with our binoculars getting in a little bird watching. We decided to take the dinghy to shore and try to get in a little walk on the tiny shoreline. Just as we were about ready to leave our neighbor, DJ came over in his kayak. He invited us to take it for a spin. We dinghied over to his boat and he helped us get in the kayak. It's been many years since the last time I kayaked so I was a little nervous, plus having a wiggly seven year old on my lap added to the worry. It only took a few minutes to realize the kayak was very stable, easy to paddle and Coleen could manage to sit very still. We had so much fun. We headed over to a shore where another kayaker was stopped to say hello. Turns out he was watching hundreds of fiddler crabs come to the shore for their dinner. That was so cool! We paddled around for a long time thoroughly exploring the bayou. I've decided I really have to get myself a kayak - if I can just figure out how to stow it.
After returning the kayak, we visited for a few minutes with DJ. Turns out he's lived on the boat since he was 11! He bought the boat from his parents a few years back. Talk about experience! Very charming, nice young man.
I grilled ham steaks for dinner. We were out of ice but I figured the ham probably wouldn't kill us - plus it was still a little cold. We also learned that when you've got nothing else, lemonade made from cold tap water with a slice of lemon can be refreshing :-) I had enough forethought to put the rest of the milk in a thermos while it was still cold - so that worked ok.
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We decided to spend one more night at Smack Bayou. We rowed the dinghy all the way to the back of the bayou to explore. Coleen wanted to see the sunken boat. Turns out it's not a catamaran after all - hard to tell what kind of boat it was - but it was big. It was nice to get off our boat for a while and get some exercise. This morning we are swinging quietly in the most peaceful and beautiful anchorage -- Smack Bayou. It is noted in my guidebook as the perfect hurricane hole and was only a couple of miles from our anchorage at Shell Island. I chickened out and didn't make it all they way into the bayou as it was so narrow. I anchored near two other sailboats - but not too close. After our dinghy ride I dug out the sewing machine and gave Coleen her first lesson. We made this little dress - and she's making a matching one for her doll. I'm making her hand stitch the hem - so it could be a while before the doll dress is completed. We had a late dinner - sandwiches from the left over pork tenderloin and fruit. I invited Coleen to sit with me in the cockpit to eat and she said no she wanted to stay inside. The view is beautiful - one side has the lights of Panama City and the other the bayou with it's forest and white sand beaches. When I peeked inside I found out what she was up to. That child loves to read and she just started on the Boxcar Children series. We're still at our Shell Island anchorage this morning and are planning to stay until our ice runs out. It's really quiet as there are only 3 sailboats left and the wind has settled down a bit. |
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January 2019
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