April 2007

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April 3rd, 2007, Fort Lauderdale, Fl

We went to the Dania Market in Miami at the end of last month. It's a huge marine flea market. Justin actually read about it a few years ago and had been dreaming to go to it. It only happens once a year and it's a 4 day event. The deals are so good that some people pitch up in U-haul trucks and trailers to carry away their goods. There were probably 2 acres of vendors selling new & used at dirt cheap prices. West Marine had t-shirts for sale for $0.96! We stocked up on t-shirts! We also found some things for the boat - like a refrigerator, freezer, hot water heater, 2 pumps, vhf, air con units etc.  All stuff that we will be installing over the next few months.  Justin was like a kid in a candy shop. The kids were supposed to be great for us as it was a "mommy & daddy day" - and the day prior I had taken them to a museum for 7 hours for an "Abi & Aaron" day! The flea market was not air-conditioned however and I think this played a large part in the way the day went for the kids. Not to mention the food and drinks weren't sold at reduced prices, in fact they were inflated ($5 hotdog, $4 soda), so we waited and had a late lunch which really pleased the kiddos.  Drinks we couldn't not allow however as we'd have all dehydrated.  $16 later... - I think next year I need to be a vendor and sell food and drinks for half the other vendors' prices and still make a wad of cash.  Aaron fell a couple of times so he was a bit sore but at least it wasn't a very bloody fiasco.  Plus, the kids had to walk which is something they've gotten out of the habit of since the Azores really.  They both got to try out a porter potty for the first time - it was quite a day.

We are moving to Palatka, Fl. I found a marina/boatyard that can handle our beam of 24 ft, accepts live aboards, allows us to do our own work on our boat and lets us buy outside materials without paying a percentage to the yard! No easy task I can tell you. Sure it's in the back woods on the intercoastal, but hey, at least we'll be left alone to work on the boat.  They don't even charge the moon to stay there. I don't think Palatka is in any way aware of the general Florida marine market much to our benefit. Or, perhaps, they are just nice folks over there who are fair? Whatever the case, I can only hope it will be a nice place to stay for a while. That would be a welcomed change. We have been told to move on from Ft Lauderdale by the local police and the DEP (Department of Environmental Protection). The former said the boat could be here but we could not be on it - something about no live aboards, which the marina told us was hogwash. The latter told us our boat protruded too far into the river?? This is all coming coincidentally so the general consensus of the marina is that the condo people are complaining to the authorities. I guess they are disgusted with us. We are trashy live aboard people with no morals or class you know and we play loud obnoxious rap music till the wee hours of the morning. So, we can understand their reasoning. The more likely reason is to simply irritate the marina/yard here. They want them gone and harass them for every little thing. We, unfortunately, are the latest little thing!

We discovered a crab living in our bilges shortly after we arrived on the boat in Feb.  He is quite a big one which has  no way of escape.  Justin has not managed to catch him yet.  Recently the kids came screaming out of the port aft cabin yelling "crab!"  Justin wasn't here so I went to investigate.  It was a little baby crab so apparently our crab isn't a he but a she and a mother at that!  I tried to catch him to release him to his natural environment to no avail.  He scuttled back into the bilges.  So, now the question is, how many are there and how do we get them out of our boat?  We've dealt with mice before and cockroaches too, but crabs?  This is a new one!

Much to do to ready for the trip up the intercoastal.  Had to purchase life jackets, charts and other stuff we already own which we left in a box somewhere - could have organized our packing more I guess.  Still need nav lights, anchor lights, an anchor for that matter, gauges, etc, etc, etc.  I've renewed our membership with Sea Tow just to be safe!

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