My Salty Suitcase

Hey ya’ll! Happy 2018! It’s almost the end of January, but it feels like New Year’s was only last week; this month has been such a whirlwind of new experiences!  Literally sailed into the sunset leaving Dry Tortugas Two days after Christmas, we sailed Jasamine away from the Dry Tortugas (a little southwest of Key West), setting out for Isla Mujerés, México. The three day trip across the Gulf was pretty miserable. Jasamine rolled and sails flapped as the light, changing zephyr of a wind teased us this way and that. I did a few watches, but to be entirely honest I stayed below whenever I could and slept as much as is humanly possible, waiting for the trip to be over. The dogs didn’t fare much better. Banjo and Sam had to be leashed in the cockpit to ensure they wouldn’t get lost overboard. Banjo especially was a challenge; going from two walks a day and lots of playtime to being put in a three-day time out didn’t really agree with him. However, we took both dogs for short wa...

Hey there readers! This post comes terribly late but you can chalk that up to lack of sea legs and internet connection. After staying on land for the past year, I’ve found it’s taken some time to grow accustomed to the motion of the ocean enough to write while underway. More than my writing skills have been affected by our long stay ashore: captain, crew, vessel, and of course dogs all needed to be eased back into life at sea. Keeping in mind we were only a few degrees better than a bunch of land lubbers, we decided to take it easy down the Florida Intracoastal Waterway.  Vero Beach: Home of Mosquitos Banjo playing at the dog park. Vero Beach was a wonderful place to prep Jasamine (and us!) for the voyage. To any boaters out there who might be reading this, I can’t recommend Vero Beach City Marina, Florida, enough! It boasts a well-protected anchorage, numerous moorings and slips, a fuel and water dock, laundromat, internet lounge, free bus service, and general welcoming...