In Vero Beach

Since I will be here on my own in Vero Beach for a week or so, I thought that I’d write a couple smaller random posts about life on Second Wind. Firstly to keep me busy and secondly because I won’t have any updates on our travels for the week.

Random Post#1

Small Things That Have Made a Big Difference

Radio:

One of the many things our sailing guru Phil had given us before starting out on the trip. Yes, it’s a radio but we can also use it pick up weather reports. We usually just use it for the radio though. It’s perfect for us because it’s small, fits on the shelf when we don’t need it, but keeps us entertained with music and informed with the news. There was a bit of an accident last week when I pulled the antenna a little too hard and it came completely out but luckily for us it still works. Sal talks about installing a stereo system with outdoor speakers but I tell him that it’s completely ridiculous and out of the question on this boat. Maybe on our next boat though?

Handheld GPS:

One of the things we have relied on and actually don’t know how we’d do without is our handheld GPS. It’s no chart plotter but it’s got everything we need. It’s small (which is how we like everything on our boat so that it fits) and works on just 2 AA batteries. When doing a crossing or in rough weather we put it around our necks so we don’t lose it and can easily look down to check our location, course and speed (as well as tides, sun/moon rise and set and a whole bunch of other things).

Camp Stool:

Sal purchased this at Dollarama for $2.00 and we use it every single day. Since we don’t have standing headroom it gets a bit sore on the back to be bent over when inside. When cooking or doing the dishes we just pull out the stool and sit. When not in use it folds up nice and small. I’ve mastered cooking while sitting which something I guess I’m proud of...

Reading Lights:

This was a last minute purchase before leaving on the trip. We only have one 12 volt car battery for all our power needs (which aren't a lot, just our cabin lights, navigation lights, depth sounder, VHF radio and inverter to charge the laptop) so at night to save on some power we just use our individual lights to get the reading done. It’s nice also if one person wants to sleep (me) while the other wants to stay up later and read (Sal) and not be disturbed by a bright overhead light.

Lamp:

Not just for decoration, our oil lamp has earned its keep. Not currently mind you, but back a few months ago when traveling down the ICW it got it's share of use. Leaving September 15^th, we thought we had a bit of time before the cold weather came, and we just assumed that when it would start, we would be further enough south that we would miss it altogether. How wrong we were. We were cold almost all the way down INCLUDING Florida. It would go below freezing some nights and stay really really cold during the day. We would light the lamp in the evening and it would do just enough to keep the chill out of the air. We would wake up early in the morning and light the lamp just to make the cabin a little more pleasant. It was no heater mind you, but any little bit of warmth counted.

My Hat:

I am not a shoe person, but I do like hats. I think I have a total of 5 stuffed away in random places around the boat. This particular hat I got at the St. Jacobs Market specifically for this trip, not realizing that I had no place to store it. It ended up at the bottom of the hanging closet but it gets moved around and shoved into corners here and there. But it’s ok because I can just unwrinkle it and wear it. It’s been rescued from the water no less than three times. Though it will never look the same as when I got it, it’s still a great sun hat.