Weather forecast for January 26, 2017:
Turner Marine, Dog River, Mobile, Alabama
Partly Cloudy, low 49 high 68.
Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming Northwest 15 to 20 knots.
Small craft should exercise caution late tonight.
Captain’s Log: January 6 – January 25, 2017 (entry by Executive Officer Shirley)
Well, I guess it is my turn to write the blog post (I had no idea that Jim had no intention of writing the next post until he told me that the next one was my responsibility). I love to write, but it is difficult for me to write upon demand (LOL), so the pressure is on.
Needless to say, a few weeks have passed since our last update, so here I go . . . .
Yes, we live on our boat but, due to circumstances, we remain on the hard. In the beginning none of the inconveniences of life on the hard mattered because we had finally transitioned to actually ‘living’ on the boat. Now, even after being high and dry for two months, our cozy state room, comfortable mattress and beautiful view of Mobile Bay provide a daily dose of encouragement and make us all the more anxious to set sail. We are growing very impatient for our next transition to the water!
Much has happened since Jim’s last post. We discovered that we love to drive along the coast when not working on the boat. Therefore, when not going to the Dauphin Island beach on the weekend, we usually drive along the coast from Alabama to Mississippi.
On our first excursion west we took the scenic route to the back bay of Biloxi and were surprised and saddened to see the devastation that still remains from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. We were shocked to see devastation that yet remained. We drove through blocks and blocks of abandoned, empty lots where neighborhoods once thrived; it definitely gave us an eerie feeling.
After viewing Katrina’s handy work we took a needed break and stopped at the IP Casino to do a little gaming. Little did we know it would be our lucky day!! Neither of us are big gamblers but we thought ‘what the heck’. A slot machine that felt good was selected, opened my wallet, pulled out some cash and started pulling the handle (actually, pressing the button). Wow!!! After a short while, when the big wheel stopped spinning, we found ourselves 600% ahead; time to cash out! With our winnings in hand and smiles on our faces we headed west along the coast, reloaded and ready for our next venture.
When it comes to watching TV or movies Jim and I have absolutely nothing in common, but one passion that we do share is our love of boats. So, when we came across the Gulfport Municipal Marina, we quickly pulled in, parked the Jeep and headed for the docks.
Almost immediately Jim pointed toward the Gulf of Mexico with a HUGE smile!!! I looked in the direction that he was pointing and immediately saw what he was excited about. Low and behold he had spotted another Vagabond 47, s/v Trinity, home port of Bay St. Louis. We picked up the pace and made a bee-line to her. Finding s/v Trinity was more than timely for us because her bow and stern pulpits and davits are constructed in a very attractive way and, as fate would have it, Wigfield Marine was scheduled to begin building our pulpits and davits the next morning. As Jim always says “plagiarize and customize!”. He took several pictures that he later printed out and gave to Wigfield to be used as the specifications for our configuration. We gazed at s/v Trinity, sitting so pretty in the water; she was beautiful, but nowhere close to s/v Perfect Love. It was time to move on.
Jim and I are always searching for the place that locals like to eat and, with a bit of Google research, we found a Mexican restaurant that boasted a 5-star ratings online. We walked in and immediately turned around and walked out; the place was absolutely filthy. Half eaten meals were scattered across tables, chairs and floor; the place looked like it had not been cleaned in weeks.
Back in the Jeep and heading east along the coast we found Shaggy’s on Biloxi Beach. The building was bright red and looked interesting in a funky way so we decided to try it. I ordered the shrimp basket and Jim got the Shaggy’s stacker - fried green tomatoes & crab cakes topped with Cajun sauce. Our meals were incredible!! More about Shaggy’s later.
Our next weekend destination was Pass Christian, Mississippi, a small waterfront town on the Gulf coast. On our way to “The Pass” we happened upon Slap Ya Momma’s Barbecue Restaurant. With a name like that we had to try it; we walked in and sat at the bar. We shared the Ultimate Piggy Nachos - chips layered with barbecue sauce, baked beans, nacho cheese, pulled pork, more baked beans, topped off with cheese and coleslaw. AMAZING!! After the nachos we also shared The Ultimate Pork Sandwich. I guess that you could say that we “pigged out”. Seriously, we did!
As we were chowing down the bartender was carrying on a conversation with us and our fellow bar patrons. She eventually asked all of us where we were from. There was one young guy from Marysville, Ohio, off all places! Jim exclaimed that his daughter Erica and her husband Shawn live in Marysville and asked if the guy knew where Boord Road was. He did, and he couldn’t believe that anybody had even heard of Marysville. Small world! On to Pass Christian.
“The Pass”, as it is called by the locals, is home to one of the most beautiful harbors on the Gulf of Mexico and boasts one of the Gulf’s largest shrimp boat fleets. Hurricane Katrina damaged or destroyed all but 500 of the 8,000 homes in Pass Christian.
Now, back to Shaggy’s: We learned that the current Shaggy’s owes its persona to the original Shaggy’s Tavern that thrived in Pass Christian, Mississippi, back in the 1940s. Shaggy’s Tavern had a colorful history that remains a notable part of Pass Christian’s lore. The owner/founder of the new Shaggy’s thought it would be a good marketing move to bring back the name in another ‘colorful’ establishment.
Many folk feel that the little red joint on the harbor helped to breath life back into Pass Christian during a time of great need after the devastation of the hurricane. Many have stated that Shaggy’s helped to usher people through the healing process; it was/is a place for all to get together, laugh, cry, eat great food, and enjoy a cold one. Shaggy’s has since grown from its original Pass Christian location to Biloxi Beach (where we ate the previous weekend), Pensacola Beach and Gulfport Beach.
Jim visited Pass Christian years before the hurricane and all but the name was unrecognizable to him. The storm surge that hit “The Pass” was estimated at 27.5 feet, which is the US record high, and leveled Pass Christian up to half a mile inland from the shore. Even though major rebuilding has occurred, a large number of empty, deserted lots remained for years after the storm with many residents still living in FEMA trailers. Today you can still see remnants of the devastation but you can also see how the city is coming back to life in an astonishing way!
We left Pass Christian on a high note, stopping at the Cat Island Coffeehouse. This has to be the best little bookstore/coffee shop on the coast. My latte was incredible and the view of the coast was incredible. We browsed through the fine collection of books from local and national authors and were surprised to see a few signed editions as well.
Life back at Turner Marine is becoming a bit more interesting. A 22-year-old young man named TJ works as a yard hand at Turner. TJ is an interesting character; a bit rough around the edges but a real good kid. He has taken a shine to us and looks out for us and our boat; we like him a lot. Anyhow, TJ lives on a 25 foot sloop that he bought cheap. The boat took on water during a storm and sank at its dock. TJ repaired the boat enough to move aboard and recently relaunched her. Almost every day after work he will take his little boat out for an evening sail on the Bay and, one day last week, he asked us to join him. We were on the Bay for a few hours and had a great sail while watching the sun set. It was our first time sailing since we arrived in Mobile and it was wonderful. Back at the dock we invited him to join us for dinner and I rewarded him with a delicious meal of grilled chicken, pasta and all the extras.
We have also become good friends with Roger and Christy Turner, the owners of the marina, and Cory and Chaundra, the yard manager and the office assistant. Christy and I have really connected and we kid around quite a bit, pulling little pranks on each other and getting a good laugh at the other’s expense. We have been invited to the Turner’s home, which is located on the water just past the last finger of docks at the yard, several times for drinks (apparently too many drinks for me one particular evening according to Jim). We always have a good time with this group and we were recently invited to join Roger, Christy, Cory and his date at the Mobile Mystics Mardi Gras Ball on February 18th. I will be wearing a gown (who has one I can borrow since I got rid of all of mine?) and Jim will be in a ‘Costume de Rigueur’ (a tux and tails specific to the Mobile Mardi Gras). We will arrive and depart via a large, black limousine. It should be a great time!
Back in the real world, Monday always comes fast and furious for me; I am usually in for a very busy and hectic day of work. Jim, on the other hand, typically has his day planned with a list of goals to be accomplished. I have learned that while I am busy, he is also working hard, trying to focus on his task list. What I didn’t realize is that much of his day is spent babysitting ‘the help’. I know, I know, he has better things to do than babysit (after all, these guys are supposed to be paid professionals, right???). So, Jim should be able to complete his daily task list and just let the help handle the jobs assigned to them. Right???
Wrong. Our experience has taught us that we can’t leave our boat when work is going on. One can’t expect the hired help to read Jim’s mind and to know exactly what he wants, and he is demanding when it comes to the boat (as we all know too well). My observations have taught me that Jim can change his mind on a moment’s notice. The davits may require an extension, or the cockpit floor a different hole pattern, or the deck boxes a different trim material, etc., etc. So, needless to say, Jim’s daily task list often spills over to the next day (another reason we are still on the hard). Yes, we are still on the hard!!!
All of that being said, we have FINALLY established ‘the date’ for splashing and I am so excited that I can’t contain myself!!! WooHoo!!!
But wait!!!! During a subsequent conversation with Jerry of Wigfield Marine, I learn that it will be significantly more expensive to have the davits and stern pulpit built with the boat in the water versus on the hard. I look at Jim, angry, perplexed and heart broken. The launch date had been set for this Friday! Jim leaves the decision to me. The coward!! The trickster!! He knows that I am very frugal (remember I am the one looking to borrow a dress and he has rented the finest of all tuxedos). He calmly lounges while I inform Wigfield Jerry that we will delay the launch until their work is complete. So, we will miss our target date and YES, Jim claims that it is my fault!
On a positive note, we have made great progress these past few weeks.
Jim completed all of the plumbing and pressurized the fresh water system; I now have running water at all 3 faucets. I have learned never to take running water for granted!!
The deck boxes have been installed which allowed Jim to get the propane tanks in place; I now have an AWESOME, BEAUTIFUL, FUNCTIONAL Alpes Italian stove in my galley and I have retired the George Forman.
All of the finish work in the forward cabin has been completed, including the trim work and the cabin door installation (complete with door latches).
The dinghy davits and stern pulpit are almost completed.
The cockpit hardtop has been purchased and delivered.
We are very happy with the progress and could launch her at the end of this coming week. However, my grandson will be undergoing a heart catheterization on February 2nd so we will be heading north and we do not want to launch the boat and then immediately leave her for an extended period. So, she will remain on the hard until we return.
Finally, I have to share some information on a different, but related, subject.
Jim’s second daughter, Jamie, recently traveled to Lisbon, Portugal, on business. When Jamie told her father that she would be going to Lisbon Jim immediately suggested that she should meet a Facebook friend and fellow Vagabond owner, Angelo Olivero, while in town. Angelo lives on his Vagabond and makes his living as a charter captain, taking people sailing along the Portuguese cost. Jim made the online introductions and Jamie and Angelo then arranged the meeting.
Jamie extended her stay for two days and went sailing with Angelo and his girlfriend. They also took her to the most interesting spots in Lisbon, took her out to dinner and to a disco. Angelo treated her like royalty and, needless to say, she had a wonderful time. Jamie can also boast more sailing time on a Vagabond 47 than her father – hah!!!
OH!!! One more clarification! Remember our 600% gambling profit? Well, truth be told, we only bet $1.00; we walked away with $6.00, enough to buy two chocolate shakes at Sonic.
As Jim would end……………… . May your tomorrow bring fair winds and following seas!
