A Sobering Reality

Dinghy and grandchildren

The “Can Do Girl” has single handedly moved refrigerators down stairs, burned out hardened holly stumps, removed heavy air conditioners from windows, hung drywall and plumbed in new sinks.  If truth were known these events weren’t without incident.  Neither was the latest adventure.  I supposed my brain was on hold the day I jumped overboard to save the dinghy

Moving the grey rubber boat from the back of Imagine to the ladder for a trip into town, husband Ed dropped, not one but both of, the lines used to secure the dinghy.  By the time he extended the boat hook and reached for the towline, it was too late.  The dinghy had bobbed beyond reach.

Watching the action from the side deck, I knew I could save it!  I’m the “Can Do Girl.” All I had to do was to make a long dive, swim out about 20 feet, grab the line and swim back.  No problem! Wrong! A few calculations were overlooked in the excitement.  First, the wind was blowing 15 knots creating a two-foot swell in the secluded anchorage.  Second, I would have to swim into the chop against a two-knot current.  Finally, I’m pushing 57 and not in the same shape that I was 20 plus years ago. Not by a long shot!

Since I’m the “Can Do Girl,” I ignore Ed's “Don’t you even think of it!”  Before he can say more, I kick off my shoes,drop  my sunglasses on the cabin top and dive after the dinghy.  I envision a streamlined dive that would cut the distance I would have to swim.  After hitting my leg on the lifeline stanchion, the finely executed dive turns into a plop next to Imagine.

I surface quickly, spit out a mouth full of salty water, and swim after the dinghy.  It only took about 25 feet of struggling attempt before I realize the small boat was moving faster than I could swim.  Let me assure you, leisurely snorkeling and swimming in calm water at slack tide does not prepare one for a dinghy rescue adventure.

Swimming back into the wind towards Imagine challenges one’s cardiovascular fitness.  As I grab the swim ladder, the kayak splashes next to me.  Ed has thrown it from the deck into the water.  He hands me the paddle and says, “Go get it hero.”  I climb into the kayak, gagging from salt water swallowed on the way back.  Paddling steadily I soon catch up with the dinghy now a quarter of a mile away.  Why didn’t I think of the kayak before jumping in?

After nearly falling out of the kayak while trying to board the dinghy, I decide to tow the wayward vessel back.  The dinghy jerks back each time a wave hits.  Paddling in place doesn’t work.  Tactics have to change.

I make a valiant leap into the dinghy from the kayak, rolling over the tube and into the bottom of the boat. I tie the kayak to the dinghy. Okay!  Now I have to lower the engine start it.  Choke, throttle, pull and the engine starts!  Prayers are answered.  Suddenly, a wave turns the kayak upside down.  It floats so I decide to tow it that way.  I put the engine in forward and the dinghy turns in circles.  I straighten out the tiller and head straight.  I turn the tiller to turn towards Imagine and get stuck making circles again. The routine repeats several times. Tears of frustration form before the light bulb goes off!  The upside down kayak alongside the dinghy is acting as a rudder.  

With the engine in neutral, I lean over and fight the kayak right side up. Letting the kayak drift on a towline about 10 feet behind the dinghy does the trick.  With a bit of confidence I move slowly forward against the swell and chop towards home. Ed waits with the boat hook as I approach Imagine. It must have been adrenalin that made me push the control past neutral and into reverse as I pulled up to the boat.  

Oh crap! The kayak bumps into the back of the dinghy and the towline wraps around the prop.  Immediately, I pull the kill switch.  The dinghy, kayak and “Can Do Girl” drift away as Ed watches shaking his head.  As I drift, I lift the heavy engine, unwrap the line from the prop and pray that the outboard will start again.  It does. Shivering and sober, I pull up to Imagine realizing that the “Can Do Girl’s” perception of her abilities don't match reality.

Ed helps me aboard.  He says that I scared him.  “That was crazy,” he scolds.  “I wouldn’t do it.  Do you know the paperwork I would have if something happened to you?   Do you think you’re Esther Williams?  It’s a sober realization that I am the swimmer I envisioned. After changing into dry clothes, we board the runaway dinghy to make the two-mile trip into town to use the Internet.  

Later I decide it was a day to have a drink.  I drink rum and coke… and then a second rum and coke… and then take a nap.   What did I do right?  I took off my sunglasses and shoes before I jumped. While I’m no Esther Williams, I am a tough woman who can do many things. Swimming after rubber boats is not one of them.  

Baker Baker Bake Me Some Bread

Dyad bread cooling on Imagine

It began this winter.  I decided to try baking bread using a yeast-based starter when we ran out of bread on Imagine.    In theory, adding basic ingredients every few days would keep the starter alive and always ready to make bread.  This bread is sometimes called Amish Friendship Bread because starter is shared with friends.  The first few loaves were hit and miss.  The day the starter spilled over in the refrigerator, I decided my bread making days were over.

The husband had other ideas.  Ed loves fresh baked bread.  After a conversation with fellow cruisers Dave and Kathi, the bread baking experiement began again.  The couple, who sail with doggie mate, Danfort, live abaord a large aluminum catamaran named Dyad.  Kathi assured me that they had the perfect recipe for an easy fail safe, quick rising bread.  The recipie could be found on their website BigDumBoat.com.  What the heck?  It was worth a try.

As promised, the recipe was quick and easy.   It requires no milk or eggs… a plus for cruising cooks.   I first made Dyad bread in January and have been baking our own bread every since.   Each week I make two loaves, one for sandwiches and one for dessert or French toast.   Every other week I make extra for pizza, stromboli, or pepperoni bread.   Ed says that I can never buy store bought bread again.  The verdict is out on that.

Some people buy wheat bread. Some people buy rye bread.  On Imagine we make Dyad bread.   If I start the yeasty mixture by 8:00 a.m., the bread will be baked and out of the oven by 10 a.m.  In addition to being easy to make, it is versatile.  It can easily become raison bread, coconut bread, cranberry orange bread, wheat bread, multi-grain bread or plain old white bread.

The recipe is simple.  I double it from the original Dyad recipe. To make one loaf, loaf, use one package of yeast; add three tablespoons of warm water and two teaspoons of sugar.   Set aside and wait until yeast mixture becomes foamy doubles itself.  While waiting for the yeast to rise, mix three cups of flour into a large bowl along with two teaspoons of salt.   In a separate bowl mix one cup of warm water (not hot) and three tablespoons of olive oil.   When yeast mix is ready, use a wooden spoon and mix all ingredients together in the large bowl.  When mixed, cover and set aside for 45 minutes.   Knead mixture for about 10 minutes using just enough flour to keep hands from sticking to the dough. 

When finished, shape a loaf and place into slightly greased loaf pan.  I use a burst of quick non-stick spray.  Let the bread rise until dough reaches top of loaf pan (about 30 minutes).  Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.  On Imagine, the oven runs hot so I can only bake it for 25 minutes or the bottom gets over brown.   To ensure a soft crust, brush warm bread lightly with olive oil or butter after removing bread from pans. Don’t over do it!

After smelling the delicious aroma of bread baking on the boat, it’s hard to wait until the bread is cool enough to taste a slice.  Ed has dubbed himself the quality control technician and has to taste each loaf while still warm.  Most times, he eats it plain.  Other times he adds butter or honey.    Everywhere he goes, Ed tells people about Dyad Bread.  One would think he was making it himself.

The favorite bread on Imagine utilizes a multi grain flour mix, which produces nutty textured bread.  For dessert breads, I spread dough into a rectangle and add raisons, coconut, cinnamon and other fruits and spices.   The rectangle is rolled up and ends pinched together before adding to the pan.   One can even roll hotdogs and bake until lightly brown.  The hotdog wrap is one of Ed’s favorite lunch specials.

The utilization of the basic Dyad recipe can result in endless varieties of bread.  We’ve heard of cruisers who have made conch bread, jalapeño bread, and corn bread.  Others have made muffins and cinnamon rolls.  Yummy!  For those who haven’t made bread recently, now might be the time to stop and smell the aroma of fresh baked bread.  I can guarantee that your friends and family will appreciate it.  The only thing I haven’t been able to do is cut out the calories.   Every good thing has a flip side.

On the next rainy day, bring out the sunshine.  Try the Dyad recipe.  I would love to know what you’ve come up with.  Baker, baker, bake me some bread… please.

Dancing to Nature's Beat

Yes, Ed and I have it down, the Noseeum dance. Slap, slap; scratch, scratch, and slap again. I bat the minuscule flying bugs. Not much larger than a dust mote they hit and run quicker than I feel them.  As night falls, the wind dies and the little buggers have a field day on my legs and even my scalp. Screens don’t stop them. Neither does citronella. I surrender when I smear myself with insect spray complete with moisturizers, aloe and DEET. I sit in the dark trying to read with a tiny LED book light. Noseeums love the light. What I wouldn't give for a 20-knot breeze about now.  

Sandhill Cranes Visit Mall

Imagine remains tethered to a mooring ball in Vero Beach. Barnacles grow on the dinghy. We've explored the area for nearly three weeks. When one begins looking at real estate brochures and checking the area job market, its time to sail on. 

Vero Beach makes a great stop for cruising boats. There is free public transportation to the grocery stores, the mall, medical center, post office and the beach. At quarter past the hour the bus heads for downtown and the main hub. At the hub one can transfer to  a different bus bound for the mall or the outlets.  A quarter before the hour bus takes passengers to the beaches and boardwalk.

Because of the amenities, including Internet, laundry and a lending library that allows cruisers to easily explore the area, some visiting here make it a permanent home.  Vero Beach has been called  ‘Velcro Beach.’  Ed and I imagine staying here.  Two major drawbacks to this line of thinking; it is too far away from family and we wouldn't have the sailing options that we have on the Chesapeake Bay.  In Florida one can’t sail very well or far on the narrow InterCoastal Waterway.  From Vero Beach it becomes a 12 mile sojourn to Fort Pierce Inlet and out to the fickle Atlantic Ocean.  When one adds hurricanes into the mix, the Velcro factor loosens its hold a bit. 

Pelican Resting on Nearby Boat

Most boats at the Vero Beach City Marina attach to mooring balls. As the mooring field fills a second and even a third boat will share the ball. They call this rafting.  We had the opportunity to raft with seasoned sailors from Alberta Canada on the S/V Pioneer.  Judy and Ron sail a 38-foot Cabo Rico and were heading south to Cuba where they have spent time before.

Cuba is a favorite cruising ground for the Canadian boaters.   It remains off limits citizens of the United States, who can only legally visit if they can procure a humanitarian or journalistic visa from the government.  Hopefully the United States will begin to allow citizens to travel to Cuba in the near future.   It is so close to the United States. Many U.S. based cruisers would welcome the open door policy.

Pioneer made their escape and headed south to Marathon and then to Cuba.   We remain in limbo as to our next destination.  I ride the buses with cruisers, senior citizens, mothers with small children and workers heading to their jobs along the route.  The Indian River Mall run is usually they most interesting.   The bus fills with teenagers with cell phones that ring with funky music.  I wonder why they are not in school.

Go Line Bus Stop Near Publix

During the last trip, I walked around the back of the mall and across the parking lot. I was gifted to see two tall, stately, grey birds walking slowly ahead of me.  The feathered stopped at a grassy area near a tree and gracefully pecked the ground, munching on tiny lizards. At two feet away I stopped and began taking pictures with my cell phone.  The two sand hill cranes with their red heads began to draw a crowd of people.  Disregarding the gawking Humans, the two birds made their way down the parking lot, stopping traffic and then moving on.

Our stay in the Vero Beach area has been accompanied by wildlife.  At sunup and sundown, two dolphins swim around the mooring field, fishing the tides.  Twice a manatee poked up a lethargic head before disappearing below the surface.  Pelicans hover near the fishing pier looking for a free handout.  Ospreys rest in the mangroves and small lizards scramble on trees, sidewalks and buildings.   

Fair Winds Pioneer

Ron and Judy pulled in their fenders and removed the tethers that kept Pioneer connected to Imagine's hip for the past week. We shared a mooring ball and tales. The seasoned cruising couple are heading to Cuba, an opportunity available to Canadian cruisers. Their enthusiasm is enticing.


Ron and Judy hail from The northwest Canadian province of Alberta. We would love the opportunity to visit Cuba, but it isn't permitted by the U.S.  Fair winds pioneer.


After Ron and Judy sailed south, Ed and I dinghied into the dock and caught the bus to town. Milk, eggs and stuff were found at Publix. A short walk to find an ice cream treat for Ed turned out to be longer than we estimated.  We got back to the bus stop just in time for a ride back to the marina.


The weather is cool and expected to go to 59 degrees tonight.


Received a call that daughter Christina was in the hospital again. She will follow up with her doctor on Thursday. They sent her home, but suspect that it might be appendicitis. This was her third attack this year. It's hard to prepare to leave when there are unanswered questions about her health. For me Christmas is the hardest part of living aboard Imagine. Yes, I do get homesick for family.