Waiting out hurricane Erin and headed to town to enjoy the day!

Was so lucky to be right by Cape Canaveral last night at the perfect time to see a launch 🚀 Chris was going crazy knowing we were technically in the debris zone.... but we made it out unscathed and fascinated!!! We are here and unsure how long we will be here, kinda all depends on what TS Erin decides she wants to do! 🌀

We are tucked away here waiting out the rain that is supposed to start and then we will head to St Augustine Enjoying the clear water one last time for the season! 🏖️

Made it to Key Largo! What a day sail! 6 foot nasty waves and wind right on the nose. It was uncomfortable but we did it! Do not know how long we will be here, but next stop is St Augustine... First we must tackle the no smell filter in the master bedroom that smells like a ripe lift station at the moment 🤢 had to remove the hanging clothes before they rot lol! When you open the closet door the septic smell knocks you down

Will park here for the night Nice beach access 🏖️ and we are all alone out here on ⚓️

We decided to reset our backs, bodies, and minds and take a break for the day installing the victron and batteries 🔋 Instead, we opted for some light work and installed some vinyl. And since Chris vectored it himself and we cut it at the Creator Space, it has only cost us the month membership of $40 to get it all done! We still have the logos to put up, but we will do those on anchor ⚓️ in Key West in a few weeks! Plan for tomorrow, back to the hard labor! But now we rest and drink an IPA 🍺 before hitting the pool!!!

Pardon the stick figures but couldn't get any live-action photos since all hands were on deck! Took three of us in the smallest of space to get the Victron Quattro up. So stick figures are provided to show the maneuver! It is hot, we are tired and drenched in sweat, but still working! Next up, is finishing the connection from the MPPT controllers to the new panels and tomorrow, maybe, getting the AC working fingers crossed 🤞

After spending 2 plus weeks building the solar arch with 316L stainless steel, and installing it onto the boat we ran into 2 major issues. Number 1, we cleaned the weld marks with a steel wire brush and impregnated iron oxide into the stainless...and rust set in 48 hours later. A lot of rust. Number 2, there was no way to connect to the hard top with the location of the boom and traveler. The sheer amount of weight needed to support the arch was insane, and even after chem washes and grinding, rust would forever be the nemesis. So yesterday, we cut it off the boat. It was all in all (with the welder, steel and supplies) a $10,000 mistake. All scrapped for $81. But that is what boat life is! Getting kicked down, bruised, and gutted, only to get back up and devise a new plan to continue the dream! Last night we installed new panels on the old arch. The trip is drawn because we will not make it to Maine, as it is officially hurricane season, but dammit we will make it to the statue of Liberty! 🗽 and hopefully can leave the Texas Heat after the finish our Victron and Lithium install before July. To those out there, hold your heads high, it is just a bump in the road, and bluer waters are on the horizon! 🌊

Here is our 2025 Refit so far! January/Guadeloupe: bought the boat after half-ass survey. Was stuck dealing with Chase Bank (to release the funds and realize it was not fraudulent). Replaced: the navigation lights, jib furler, main halyard, traveler bearing, fuel fittings on tank and engine to dinghy and 3 hatches. Cleaned the boat inside and out. Tried to hire English speaking captain but realized that we were going to have to figure out sailing by just doing it, unless we wanted to be there another month or more Montserrat: only stayed the night on anchor St. Kitts and Nevis: bought jerry cans, found crack in water accumulation tank (got a free one from SV Unleashed thanks to this app!) St Croix: tried to temporarily fix water accumulation tank with JB Weld. Only there a couple of days...did some wreck diving Puerto Rico : replaced water accumulation tank, bought more jerry cans, attempted to replace the fuel sending units but couldn't find correct size (for years the previous owners had nonworking gauges. Replaced dayhead light fixture. Key west/ Dry Tortugas: finally installed new and working radar, new VHF. Neither of these things worked until then. Rerigged and replaced lazy jacks (broke on way from PR) Gulf Crossing: lost both engines, one to fuel contamination and one had an "electrical issue" which we were able to bypass via emergency start, so that SeaTow membership came in handy coming into Galveston! Early March to Current Kemah, TX: got inside/outside upholstery done, SeaDek installed, and replaced/repaired: turbos on both engines, fuel sending units and gauges (cleaned tanks), both fridge and freezer were repaired, installed freshwater toilets throughout, built and abandoned solar arch, upgraded solar on existing arch, still currently working on Victron and epoch batteries, repaired dinghy, new prop and fuel tank for dinghy, installed new Raycores for both engines, new fuel lines, oil changes, fixed water exhaust crack, serviced water maker, new water maker filters, bought dive tanks, repaired glass over helm, had all four sails repaired, glued headliner, 3-D printed pulleys for dinghy divot, printed vinyl, serviced winches, installed backsplash in galley, replaced faucet in galley, bought much needed appliances for 230 VAC system, installed washer dryer combo, installed two bodega fridge/freezers by wiring them into existing electrical system, removed old AC, replaced AC and saltwater pump, serviced AC in front cabins, replaced starter batteries, installed wireless sensors for fridge and freezers, installed SUP holder, installed new stereo speakers outside, currently waiting on one hatch to come in so we can replace it, and 1000 other small jobs such as all electrical repair, water leakage, and so many other things. Also deep cleaned interior of the boat! Bought decor and invested in Rest cooling linens for both front rooms (those were pricey but worth it)... Still hoping to leave here in 2 weeks. We are working night and day to get the batteries in and are running new wire, which honestly is a nightmare. But if you have the knowledge then you do it yourself and save as much money as you can! And maybe this time next year, we will be doing the track posted here! In the meantime....Bust Out Another Thousand 🚤 💴 🤪

Windy and wet but otherwise a good sail! And the engines sounded beautiful 🤩

Since we are tired and it is foggy we may just stop here for the night

Made it to Dry Tortugas and sooooo many birds. We were going to start our trip home but weather decided to delay that idea.

Last little stop before we head home

We made it and are anchored next to the Frederiksted Pier. Another “darn we should have brought the scuba stuff” moment. Should be here for 2 days or so, then off to Puerto Rico, Florida and the gulf crossing. Haven’t taken pics much yet…but got some cool clouds over Saba yesterday. I