Salty Podcast #77 ⛵ Sail Orange Beach to Bahamas | The Journey begins

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The docklines aren’t off yet, but the journey’s already begun. From a quiet slip in Orange Beach, we walk through the exact work it takes to ready a 1998 Island Packet 320 for a run down Florida’s Gulf Coast, across the Keys, and over to Georgetown in the Exumas—repairs, routing, weather calls, and the steady courage to go. We start at the masthead with a rigorous rigging inspection: a too‑long Genoa luff corrected with a new head Kringle, a migrating swivel brought back into spec, aging sheaves flagged, traveler cam cleats replaced with Harken 150s, and a fresh VHF cable run down the spar. It’s the kind of preventative detail that keeps a furler smooth and a solo sailor safe when the wind pipes up.

Belowdecks, a routine engine check turns serious: a leaking fuel pump leads to a cracked exhaust manifold diagnosis and a race to source the new part before departure. We talk through why manifolds matter, what a cleaned exhaust elbow buys you, and how to choose a no‑go line that honors both the calendar and the sea. On the electronics side, a Garmin Reactor 40 gets fully calibrated, chartplotter data and Auto Guidance charts are restored, and a remote finally brings the autopilot to the helm—a small shift that pays off across Florida’s Big Bend on a long night to Tarpon Springs.

Routes and weather get specific. We lay out a realistic hop plan—Destin, Panama City, Port St. Joe, Apalachicola—then the jump across, with alternatives based on 15–20 knots on the nose and bridge clearances too close to flirt with. In the Keys, Key Biscayne becomes both staging ground and vet stop for two boat‑curious cats with their Bahamas permit, lifeline netting, and tiny PFDs. Then it’s Bimini, Northwest Channel, and south through the Exumas, with community‑sourced tips like Norman’s Pond in a cream forecast and sensible cuts to reach Georgetown.

Threaded through the checklists is the reason for going. We talk openly about loss, faith, and choosing a busy anchorage over a lonely one; about how a rigging report, a diesel part, and a handful of spares can become a way to rebuild confidence; and about the generosity of the cruising network when you need it most. If you’ve been sketching your own passage to the Bahamas—or you just love the craft of making a boat ready—this is your map, your nudge, and your weather window.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a sailor who’s planning their crossing, and leave a review with your best Big Bend or Bimini tip—we’ll read our favorites on a future episode.

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SALTY ABANDON: Cap'n Tinsley, Orange Beach, AL:
Oct 2020 to Present - 1998 Island Packet 320;
Nov 2015-Oct 2020; 1988 Island Packet 27
Feb-Oct 2015 - 1982 Catalina 25

SALTY PODCAST is LIVE every Wed at 6pm Central and is all about the love of sailing!
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GEAR FEATURED IN MY UPCOMING VIDEOS:
🛟 Boat Fenders → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08S1PXKKR
⚓ Dock Lines → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS4BNYR9
🧽 Exterior Cleaning Kit → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BL533KR7

Episode Transcript

CapnTinsley (00:05):
Hello, good evening everybody.
This is Tinsley, CaptainTinsley, uh sailing vessel Salty
Abandon.
Uh this is uh Salty Podcastnumber 77.
Um and it's from the boat.
This is um I did the first twofrom the boat, so now I'm back

(00:25):
on Salty Abandon.
I'm spending the night tonight.
The cat is talking.
I got two cats on board.
Um I just thought I'd go oversome of the stuff that I did to
prep the boat to go to theBahamas.
There were a lot of repairs,and there were some mishaps.
Yep, that's Tuxie.

(00:46):
You're hearing they've neverbeen on a boat before, and here
they are.
So um there's so much that wasthat uh I had to do to prepare
the boat.
So let me just start off withum I just thought someone might
be interested to hear, you know,like pre-trip.

(01:07):
I got I always get when I'mgoing on a long trip, say I'm
going from Orange Beach,Alabama, to um the Keys, or even
to the west coast of Florida, Ialways get the rigging
inspected.
Um, I always tell them, I wantyou to inspect it as if your
daughter, your mother, yourgrandmother, your sister was
going across the Gulf byherself.

(01:28):
And so we have a great riggerhere in uh he's in Pensacola.
Uh I'm in Alabama, Pensacola isFlorida, and it's about an hour
away, and we pretty much haveone rigger around here.
And so when they come to OrangeBeach, I always say, I need
you, put me on your list forwhen you come to Orange Beach,
and they are great.

(01:48):
CERN rigging in Pensacola.
So I thought I'd just show you.
Well, let's see how I do this.
Some of these pictures that Igot.
Let me get back to thebeginning.
So when they send a when theysend a report, it looks
something like this.
And um it has it's kind of likewhen you get a when you get a

(02:15):
house inspected.
I'm a real estate agent.
So deck and rig hardware, mostitems pass with comments on
glass den for chain plates, ofcourse.
Bang, goose boom, goose maincell track, and tri-sail track,
and NA for spin pole track andlazy jacks.
I don't have lazy jacks, butanyway, here's some interesting

(02:35):
pictures.
Now, I think the the mostglaring issues have been fixed.
They already came out and fixedeverything.
The sail is a little bit longand allows this is for the front
sail, the howter swivel to beraised above the end of the
foils.
So here's some more pictures.

(02:55):
Swivel coming over top ofextrusions could cause problems
in the future.
So if you boat nerds out there,this is saying everything on
top of the mast looks good asfar as electronics and whatnot,
except for, and we'll we'reabout to get to that.
Good.
Consider replacing toppinglift, not necessary at this

(03:18):
time.
Sheath gone from VHF, keep handheld on board, is back up, and
that's this right here.
So that was one of the things Iwanted fixed because I felt
like that was important.
This pen should be larger tofit the hound.
Suspect sw I don't know how tosay this, someone might want to

(03:42):
correct me.
Swage, sway, shank, extensivecorrosion polish and monitor.
This pen is grossly undersizedfor the hound.
I never get to see this stuffup there, so uh good polish and
monitor.
So I think they said there waslike a little bit of rust up

(04:03):
there.
This is decent.
I got everything wrapped so itdoesn't get caught on my sail,
it doesn't tear the sail.
Advanced surface corrosion,polish and monitor, no suspected
cracks at this time.
Okay.

(04:26):
So I asked him, they alreadycame out and took the um the
main sail, no, I'm sorry, the uhfront sail, and they they
already shortened it, and theyalready came back out.
So we have a sailmaker inPensacola, and then we have the
riggers, and they work together.
So the riggers took my took mysail.

(04:48):
Let me get this.
Took it yesterday and alreadybrought it back today with it
cut.
So I asked him to send me.
I haven't gotten the um thebill yet.
Well, actually, I did.
I did pay that.
Okay, so this is Jeff Cern.
It's a family business.

(05:08):
So Rick Zern owns the joint andthen her his sons work for him.
Just saw your text.
The left on the Genoa was toolong and had allowed the head
swivel for the furling unit tomigrate above the furling
extrusion.
We removed the sail, ensuresales trimmed the top, and
installed a Kringle in the headto attach the swivel to.

(05:28):
And I don't even know all theseterms.
We reinstalled the Genoa andhoisted the sail to confirm the
left length was correct.
The top pin on your inner forceday was too small for the hole
in the tang on your in on yourmast.
We used stainless steel tubingto push the hole for the correct
interface.
A screw had worked out of oneof the joint connectors on the
inner force day furling unit.

(05:50):
We simply installed a new screwwith threadlock.
The cam cleats on your travelersystem, those were always so
hard to handle.
If there was any wind, it wastough to get the line loose.
Um, the cam cleats on yourtraveler system had reached the
end of their service life.
Those were replaced with Harkin150 cam cleats.

(06:10):
The fasteners were bedded with3M UV 4000.
So there you go.
So, and they also installed anew cable uh inside the mast for
the VHF.
So that issue's taken care of.
I wanted it to be, you know, Ididn't want it to be
questionable.
I got a long way to go.
The boat's probably gonna takea beating.

(06:32):
Um, so before I go into theother repairs, there was a new
one this morning.
So um I asked uh Charlie'sdiesel to come out and do just
kind of an inspection of my ofmy engine, and um they found
that the fuel pump was leaking.
So even though they're working,you know, two months out or

(06:54):
three months out, they fit mein, and um they had to go come
back another day with a fuelpump, and it didn't have the
threads or something that'sneeded, and so then the
manufacturer had to overnova themanufacturer's error, and so
they came back and I said,please check the coolant.
It's it seems to it, it keepsit's leaking somewhere.

(07:17):
I keep having to top it off.
And so this morning they calledme, the girl that works at
Charles Diesel and said, I gotbad news.
I was like, Oh, uh oh, um yourexhaust manifold is cracked, and
it's gonna be this much money.
She said, like $3,600.
So I'm like, can you get ithere?
And she said, Well, they'resold out in uh Florida.

(07:40):
Let me see what I can do.
So she started calling around.
I started calling around.
I found one that could beat hertomorrow.
She found one that could beather tomorrow.
So, guess what?
My goal of leaving Friday, I'mon the boat, it's Wednesday.
I wanted to give the thebabies, my kitties, a couple of
days.
They've never been on the boatbefore.
So I wanted to give them acouple days at the marina and

(08:00):
then um leave the dock early,early Friday and head to Destin.
And um, I may still be able todo that, it just depends on when
that part in my in this part ofthe world, Gulf Shores,
Alabama, Orange Beach, Alabama,UPS and uh FedEx only come once
a day.
Um, and it's like that in realestate too for closings.

(08:20):
Most of our closings are mailouts because a lot of Gulf front
condos, second homes,investment properties.
So, anyway, that's beside thepoint.
So it'll be here hopefullytomorrow, and they'll install
it.
And um, and that was I I'venever heard those words that I
have um a cracked exhaustmanifold.

(08:43):
So I had to look that up, andshe was right, it's not
something I should have left thedock with.
And uh, and if I'm going allthe way to Georgetown, I I don't
need that aggravation.
It said that uh it could stopall propulsion anywhere.
So um if I was just gonna bemaybe sailing around here, it
might be okay for a while, butnot for what I want to do.

(09:04):
So that is gonna be fixed.
So, and I had also gotten a newautopilot.
Let's see, it's the reactor 40mechanical Zagarmin.
It looks backwards, anyway.
So now that was installedalmost a year ago.

(09:27):
They text me, I think the dayafter Scott died, my husband,
and um they said, We're on yourway to your boat to install it.
And I was just like, Okay, Ididn't even tell them yet.
And I never, you know, I didn'tgo near the boat for a while
because I was on my boat when myhusband died, and I just it
just these feelings, it's stillI still got the feelings, but

(09:50):
um, I got these babies with me,so that helps.
But um, so I never took it outand tried it.
So months later, months, monthsmuch later, I finally tried it.
And um, the guy that I normallyworks there, he um he got hurt,
and so there were other peoplethat were working on my boat.

(10:10):
They cleared all my settings onmy Garmin chart plotter.
I couldn't get the um depthback, I couldn't get the wind
back, and that's problematic,obviously.
And um, and then you know, myauto guidance, you know, you
have to purchase either downloador purchase a C a an SD card

(10:31):
for auto guidance where it justdoesn't it the the Garmin
doesn't just go from point A topoint B over land and
everything.
The auto guidance is where itmakes a path for you
automatically for based on yourboat, and so um that got cleared
out.
Uh so there was a lot ofproblems.
I I had to pay somebody else tocome and help me calibrate

(10:53):
because I we couldn't get itdone.
Uh John was here, we couldn'tget it done.
So I paid another guy to comeand help me calibrate, and my
remote's all set up.
Um, I have a remote.
Um, for the first time, my Icould engage the autopilot from
the chart plotter.
I never had that luxury.
I would always, you know, justset it and make the changes on

(11:16):
the panel on the controller forthe autopilot.
It never did it for me, and soand that was fine.
I mean if that's all you know.
Um, but I'm gonna try uh that'sgonna be a new experience for
me for it to be um following theautopilot.
Um, I got plenty of time tolearn all this because I am I

(11:41):
got a long way to go.
So tomorrow I'm just gonna getsome more stuff done.
The boat's a mess becausethere's still some last minute
things being done, so I can'ttotally put everything away back
in the the rear berth uhbecause they have to get back
there to install.
They also took my uh elbow,they took that back to the shop

(12:02):
to make sure that's all cleanedout, and and uh so the elbow and
all that stuff also went totheir shop.
So I'm gonna have a new exhaustmanifold, and they're cleaning
out that the elbow, which is noteven that old, and the the
connecting parts.
Um, it's probably a coupleyears, but it I have uh in 2023

(12:23):
I did go all the way to the keysand back, so it probably could
use a little cleaning.
Um, so anyway, let's see whatelse did I have done.
I made a little list here.
Um I have three months of kittylitter on the boat.
I tried to use some other stuffthat it would only have to

(12:46):
change like every couple weeks.
That didn't work out.
I tested it at home and thecats totally rebelled, so I went
back to the clay litter andI've got four twenty one four
twenty bags, four twenty-poundbags, and one locker out there,
and and then five in the other.
Um, and I threw some otherstuff away.
Um I have these for the cats.

(13:10):
These are little life vests.
I've got a yellow one and apink one.
Um well the cat the pet I gotthe pet permit approved for the
Bahamas, which is actually morework than the cruising permit.
And I got that all done.
And um let's see what else.

(13:30):
Let me look at my list.
So Charlie's Charlie Diesel, Ihad them, you know, eyeball that
engine.
Uh you know, I could I couldchange the oil, but I wanted
their eyes to be in there.
I know what totally rebelledimplies.
You know what I'm talkingabout.

(13:53):
So I quickly gave up that planand went back to the so I have
to, you know, I've got a baginside, I got a stainless steel
litter box.
That's less smells.
I've got a big thick bag inthere, so all I have to do is
pour it in there, and when Ichange it, I just pull it out

(14:13):
and it's gonna go in the trash.
I might have to carry somelitter in a bag around uh for a
while until I can throw it away.
But um, every two days I'mgonna be doing that, they're
worth it.
Um, they've had they've got thethe Bahamas requires a bunch of
shots.
I didn't like doing that.
They're older, they're like 12and 16.
I didn't want to shoot them upwith all that stuff, but you

(14:34):
know, they seem to do okay.
Um exhaust elbow crack.
Okay, uh Garmin updated.
Oh, yeah, okay.
So I told you they somehow itcleared out my Brownsville to
Key Largo chart that had theauto guidance, and you got to
pay extra for that.
So um Garmin uh walked methrough downloading that again,

(14:59):
and I bought the um, and I thinkI used to have it, but the
Southeast Florida to Bahamas.
I got that one, so I'll putthat in when I get down to Key
Largo.
Um, also, I'm telling you aboutall these bad experiences.
I've I paid someone, I paid acompany who contracted a couple

(15:22):
of times to do my teak.
And if you know, you know thatisland packets have a lot of
teak, so I I don't have time todo all that, you know.
I don't have the will.
I used to try to do it, butthey're so much better at it, so
I'm just willing to pay for it.
Well, two times it was donewrong.
It was the last time it looked,it turned like milky, like

(15:44):
white, you know, it was weird,and also some of it just it was
almost like acid because all ofa sudden there was the wood was
showing through, and other partsit was really rough, like um,
almost like non-skid rough onthe teak.
That was unacceptable.
So they had to do that, theyhad to pay somebody else to come

(16:06):
and fix it, and then they madea mess on my teak.
There was drips everywhere, andthe guy who's who hired those
guys came and he was horrified.
And he's a he's a he's a gelcoat guy, so he came and he
cleaned that up, and I thinkhe's coming again tomorrow.
So, um, so I got someone comingtomorrow for um to install the

(16:28):
um exhaust manifold, and alsothe guys uh will be coming to
clean up my fiberglass a littlebit more after doing the teak.
So I like my boat to look good.
It's a 1998 Island Packet 320,and I want it to look good.
So I've got my chart plotterall done, autopilot, and I

(16:49):
really won't know until I pullout of here if everything's
working.
But I did uh last week take itout and did a little run with
the guy who's helping me with uhcalibration and all that.
Um when I first got on here, umthe cats were hiding and now
they're out.
They were a little horrified.

(17:09):
Let's see what else we got.
Oh, I got a I got is it Kato?
Kato Davit system.
I got that system, and they'reexpensive, you know, they're
stainless steel for your Davits,and I got it.
I had brought it over from myold boat before they took my
boat away.
I stole a bunch of stuff, uhnot really, but it was mine, I

(17:31):
paid for it.
Um, but I never had thatcrossbar cross, so I had it, I
had them tied off.
It's hard to explain.
But I finally bought this wasmonths ago, got a Kato Davitt
crossbar.
It's a little crooked butfunctional.
So that'll be much better foruh I hope your crossing is

(17:54):
sweet.
Thank you.
We'll be watching for updates.
Thank you.
Um so I'm staying here tonight.
I'm gonna take my car hometomorrow, put it nice and safe
in the garage.
I had to prepare the house.
Um, I had to prepare everythingfor my life to be gone for

(18:16):
three months.
Um tomorrow I go to nottomorrow, Friday, I go to
Destin, Harbor Walk Marina.
I've been there many, manytimes.
I'm probably gonna stay twonights because it's a 10-hour
trip from Orange Beach toDestin.
So I don't want to get up anddo eight hours after that, which
is to Panama City, and then umPort St.

(18:37):
Joe, and that's like five hoursor four or five hours, and then
four or five hours toApalachicola, and then I'll
cross from Apalachicola toTarpon Springs.
Now, when Scott was with me, wewould go Destin to Clearwater,
and it's almost two days, butthat's a little much for one.
Um I don't I would just ratherI need uh I usually just nap in

(19:03):
the in the uh cockpit.
Um, but I'm just gonna uh gofrom Apalachicola to Tarpon
Springs.
That's about 25 to 30 hoursdepending on conditions.
Um I've got QS John helping mewith the weather.
Looks like it's gonna be 25,I'm sorry, 15 to 20 in my face

(19:23):
till Monday.
So I'll go inside route fromOrange Beach to Pensacola Pass,
and then I'll have to go outsidebecause there's there's a
couple of 50-foot, I'm sorry, uhyeah, 50-foot bridges.
I got a 48-foot, can be roughas a cob and watch or duck.

(19:44):
I've been there many times.
Uh yeah.
Um, I used to in my island packat 27, I used to go, I could go
inside the whole way all theway to Apalachic Cola, but and I
had a 42-foot mast.
Now I have a 48-foot mast.
I that's too close for comfortfor me.
50-foot, two 50-foot bridges.

(20:04):
I'm not brave enough to dothat.
I know people do it.
Some people say, Oh, yeah.
So the the uh Destin's prettyeasy, really.
Um, because once you get aroundthat sandbar, you're you know,
there's a lot of traffic inthere.
There's a lot of commercialtraffic, all the boats coming in
and out.
Uh there's a pirate ship inevery port, including Destin,

(20:27):
including Orange Beach,including Clearwater, uh Key
West.
They all have those pirateships.
Uh, what else?
Oh, I'm gonna get publics todeliver tomorrow.
Um that's Tuxie.
So what else we got here?
Anybody have any questions?
For you boat nerds out there.

(20:51):
So here's the uh here's the ohoh yeah, just pulled up
predictive wind.
It's gonna be smashing from theeast.
Oh man.
So what does it say about thewaves?
I haven't checked.
Last time I checked, they wereflat.
I bet that's changed.
See if you can pull that up.

(21:14):
So here's the email from ZernRigging.
Thank you for your patiencewhile we finish noting the
findings of your rig inspection.
In summary, nothing was foundto be of immediate issue.
A few notable findings are thetraveler cam cleat starting to
fail, the jib furler how youardswivel is migrating above the
top foil, masthead sheaves arestarting to crack due to age,
IFS furler top fitting isundersized for mast hounds and

(21:37):
VHF wire sheath is disintegratedat masthead.
None of these problemsexpressly prevent you from
leaving, but should be addressedin the near future.
Let me know if you want aproposal to address the above.
Well, I emailed him right backand said, I want you to fix
whatever you can.
Uh you guys, boat people are soawesome, you know.

(22:01):
All these people, I I had toldmyself, I had told myself, you
know, this was a tough decisionwith so much emotion with me
being on this boat, and it'sbeen 11 months, but it's on it's
like almost like yesterday.
It's it's been a devastatingthing in my life, and um, I

(22:22):
really feel like I need to dothis.
I think it's really, reallywhat are the beads and the cross
on?
I'm sure there's a story.
Sailors always have a story.
Well, Scott brought these homea lot, and I'm not sure where he
got them.
And so I just um it's got alittle cross on there, and I've
also got Saint Christopher and across.

(22:47):
I figure I got everythingcovered.
Saint Christopher and a cross.
I got a little cross on my cellboat, it's so small you can
barely see it.
Only a couple people have evernoticed.
It's hanging from the mast.
Um and I I do uh I'm aspiritual person and I um I'm
just doing my best to trust Godthat you know a lot of times I

(23:10):
feel like my life is over, youknow.
And I I hate to say that.
I'm not trying, I'm not lookingfor sympathy.
I'm just telling you where Iam.
This is a tough, maybe it'llinspire somebody.
This is a tough trip.
I was at Fort McCrae once myhusband, the love of my life, my
biggest cheerleader was ailing,passed away.

(23:33):
So I gotta pass that.
I feel like if I get past that,it's about three or four hours
from here going east.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Goose.
Thank you.
Um, I appreciate that.
This is just a lot of emotions.
I almost I I said, I wonder ifI'm just gonna be so overwhelmed

(23:58):
with sadness.
I mean, that doesn't sound fun,but I'm sad at home too.
But I feel like if I just um ifI'm out there and I'm changing
scenery, I love being in thesun, I'll be chasing the sun.
Uh it's still warm here, butum, and it doesn't get really
cold here, but I I actually feelthings from that vitamin D.

(24:20):
I don't even keep my biminiover my boat because I like the
sun and I like to see the sails.
I don't like anything to blockme, and um so that's my story,
and so I've chose I here's thething Georgetown at one time
wouldn't appeal to me.
All those people, now itappeals to me.
I don't want to go to somelonely anchorage and just be

(24:45):
sad.
I'll be in some anchorages bymyself on the way down, but I
just don't want to be sad, and Ifigured there's a lot of
distractions, there's a lot ofpeople, a lot of activity.
Um, I could do some interviewsthere, there'd be all kinds of
sailors there.
I think that sounds fun.
That'll be interesting.
Um, I bought some netting toput around, you know, the
lifelines for the cats.

(25:06):
Um, I think they'll once theyget once they get past the
weirdness of being on a boat.
Um I think they'll enjoylooking at the water, you know,
and the boats going by.
There'll be lots to see.
So um let's see what else.
I got a little monitor Ihaven't set up yet.

(25:28):
It's a a monitor, so if I'maway from the boat in the
Bahamas, I can see thetemperature in the boat at the
anchorage from wherever I am.
I've got another Google Nestcamera I haven't set up, and I
and I I had said um that Iwanted to try to run the cameras
while I'm sailing, you know,because that's Starlink.

(25:49):
I haven't really set it up yet.
I will do that at some point.
I don't know if it's gonnahappen by Friday because um I
mean I've had so much to do, youknow.
Uh let's see what we got.
Heave to sailing says I boughtintegrity in 1998 27 IP in
Stuart, Florida after chattingwith you over Messenger.
That is, oh yes, yes.

(26:10):
It's at Mac Yacht now and we'llbe done soon.
I'll be heading to the Keys andthen on to the Bahamas this
season.
All right, are you going toGeorgetown?
Yes, I remember you.
I don't remember Heave 2Sailing.
Is that a new name of yourboat?
Um, but I remember you buyingfrom um Mac Yachts.
I'm thinking I might on the wayback.

(26:30):
Oh, yes, definitely.
We're gonna cross paths.
Let's make a point of it.
Um, I'd love to interview youabout your IP27.
That's what I had.
It's a great boat, it reallyis.
It's a it's a blue water boat.
Um, it's my blog site.
Okay, cool.
All right, I'm gonna I'm gonnastart following you.
I gotta follow, I gotta findyou.

(26:52):
Um I'm I'm even thinking aboutstopping at Mac Yacht sales on
the way back and leaving theboat to get um new rigging, and
then I will never have to do itagain, it'll last the rest of my
life.
But I'm uh I'm a 98 IP, whichmeans that was the year they
changed from the old stainlessto the new stainless, and it's

(27:14):
hard to tell.
I've not been able to get astraight answer if mine has the
new or the old.
Um, but it can at least have uhI don't know.
I I think it's just I just needto do it.
I mean, it it's it's a 1998.
What is that?
How many years is that?
Uh 20 somebody help me out.

(27:35):
1998 to uh 2018 is that's 20.
So another seven, so that's 27years probably time.
Yeah, so so and I I got mytattoo tattoo of the swallow.

(27:57):
And below that, I know youprobably can't see it.
It's the two little bunnies.
Scott called me bunny, and Icalled him bunny.
And uh, oh, I lost the love ofmy life 20 years ago.
Don't forget to ask yourselfthis one question.
What would be what would hewant me to do with my life now?
Approach the future with loveand faith.

(28:18):
Things will work out.
Oh, yes, he exactly.
That's another reason I'm doingit.
He definitely, you know, he's aman, he wanted me home, but he
never held me back.
He always missed me, he wasalways texting me, calling me.
He had access to the cameras inthe boat, nobody else did, and
he was always checking on me, hewas always bragging about me.

(28:41):
I miss that.
I really do.
It's hard to see the future,but I figure I really need to do
this.
Um, I don't know, just umwhatever.
And I think I started tellingyou, I figured if so much needed
to be done, I just figured ifit doesn't get done, then then

(29:01):
that maybe it's meant to bedelayed or not meant to go for
now.
And looks like everything'shappening, and so I'm just gonna
take that as I was taught thatI don't not do something out of
fear, and I was fear, I had alot of fear of the emotions, not
fear of sailing.
That's that's not it.

(29:22):
It's the fear I get out thereand I'm just sad.
That's what I'm afraid of.
But I have some great friends,the boating community has been
very encouraging, and I'm doingit.
So um, I'm meeting QS John.
John loves to go to uh uh umEverglades City.

(29:43):
Uh, if if you know where thatis, uh it's down below Marco,
it's in the 10,000 islands, it'syou know it's in the
Everglades, and I've been therea couple times on that last trip
in 2023 on the way down, on theway up.
It does shorten that trip fromMarco to Marathon, so it's nice
to I've I learned a back way toget from Marco into Goodland

(30:03):
from local knowledge.
Cut out about three or fourhours.
Okay, let me see.
I'm reminded of Lynn Party.
Yes, she just kept going afterLarry passed while pulling for
you, kid.
Wow, that's great.
I didn't know that story.
She kept on going.
She was sailing.
Is she still with us?

(30:25):
Maybe might want to interviewher.
She's still.
I hope she's still.
Is she gone?
Anyway.
Still is.
Oh, cool.
Will she be in the Bahamas?
Who else is going to theBahamas?
Anyone else?
I hope to see all of you.
I've interviewed so many greatpeople and learned and and I

(30:48):
have taken my IP27 as far asNassau.
And then I just kind of ran outof time.
She's still out there postingon Facebook.
I'm gonna look her up.
Boy, that would be cool.
Oh, that would be a greatinterview, especially because
she's she's a widow.
I'm a widow, widow with twocats.
And the uh the sad thing is 11months ago I had a husband and

(31:11):
four cats.
So after Scott died, one catand then another cat, I'm down
to two.
So it's all part of the the mixin the sadness, but um, you
know, just gotta get up and dosomething, and that's what I'm
doing.
And I appreciate all theencouragement.

(31:34):
And um, even my non-sailorfriends have really, really
encouraging me.
I got people, not many peoplewant to sail, they want to, but
they do want to fly to theBahamas and meet me there.
So um, so uh I got someinterviews coming up.

(31:54):
Who do I have?
Oh, if you watched last week, Iinterviewed Predict Wind.
That was awesome.
I learned so much, and theygifted me the $4.99 per year
package per year.
I gotta learn how to use it.
I usually usepassageweather.com, but I got
plenty of time to figure thatout.
The first time I really sawwhat it could do was sailing

(32:18):
with Phoenix, you know, the thelink he gave out was to predict
when I was I was like, you meanyou can use that to track?
And uh, and I learned about howto do that.
You have to send them yourtracking.
So I sent uh predict when my uhmy tracking, my in-reach link,
and they and now, and I haven'tfigured it out yet.

(32:40):
I got I got so many things todo.
Um, let's see.
I met her a few times, neversaw such an odd sight.
She's 4'11 and I'm 6'4, and sheis just a giant personality.
I'm 5'9.
Wow, 4'11.
That's amazing.
That is little, and she's stillsailing.

(33:06):
Is that is that what you'retelling me?
She's still sailing.
So oh, that's what I wastelling you.
Um, so the guy who if you watchmy the interview with
Predictwin, I didn't know thatthey're out of New Zealand.

(33:28):
I didn't know that they're allsailors.
The founder is an Olympiansailor, and I'm gonna interview
him.
That's gonna be interesting.
I want to get the person that Iinterviewed, um, Karen, uh,
last week, because she's beenaround the world, so I'd like to
get her back on here.
I told her I want to come herto come back on and tell her
sailing stories.
That's interesting.

(33:48):
And um, and if you guys arewatching, if anybody's watching
and you're going to the keys andyou're going to the uh if
you're going to the Bahamas, Idefinitely want to I'd like to
hook up and and meet up and allthat good stuff.
Dina Bryant Franklin, what areyou doing?
This is one of my real estateclients and and friend now.

(34:11):
What are you doing?
What you're doing is survivingthrough the pain.
Grief will remain, but healingcomes as you keep going even
when you don't want to.
Yeah.
So proud of you.
My prayers for your protection,your peace, and strength, and a
special gift of a vision ofScott as you travel.
You're gonna make me cry.
Thank you, Dina.

(34:32):
Um, Goose says, oh yes, on oh,that's your boat?
You're gonna be down there?
Wait, did you already tell methat?
Did you tell me that?
Are you where are you gonna be?

(34:54):
Goose! Tell me where are yougonna be?
Augustus is goose, by the way.
That's why I'm calling himthat.
Talk to me, goose.
Let's see what else is goingon.
Anyone else got anything?
So I'll be um if it's 15 to 20in my face when I leave Friday,

(35:17):
I'll probably stay on the insideuntil I get to Pensacola Pass,
then go out, and then uh thenI'll go on to Destin, and then
I'll just stay a couple days andjust hang out and maybe at that
time figure out predict when Igotta figure out my remote.
Uh sorry, Cap.
Uh Goose was talking about LynnP.

(35:39):
Oh.
Oh, okay, all right, all right.
Well, Goose, did you get yourboat yet?
I know you were on you were inrecovery mode.
Did you get a boat?
Okay, Lynn Party's boat isTally Son.

(36:00):
Tally son.
Thank you.
Sailing with JL Lo?
Where are you?
Did you happen to see if theabout those about the waves for

(36:23):
Friday?
I'm in Virginia.
So are you gonna be sailingthis winter?
You're not going to theBahamas, are you?
So he too sailing.
We're gonna see you.

(36:43):
So we're gonna probably I'mgonna meet up with QS John and
either Goodland or I know it'scrazy to think about taking a
sailboat in the in theEverglades, but we did it.
It has to be high tide, localknowledge, and um uh and then
we'll go we'll go down toMarathon, get on the outside, go

(37:04):
on up to maybe Key Largo, andprobably cross from Kivis Gane.
I have to get we'll okay.
Uh we'll be when I can, notgoing yet.
I have a kid in high school, soI'm a few years out before I
can roam.
Oh man.
You know, that kid would becool.

(37:26):
Oh, Mike Wax was a kid.
Would be cool if he was uh wentto finish high school on the
boat.
Mike Wax listening.
You are going on a greatadventure.
Mike is uh lives here in OrangeBeach, and he has a great um
Island Packet 31.
He's got it on the hard rightnow during hurricane season.
November 1st, he's bringing itdown.

(37:48):
So and I'm heading out.
It's still hurricane season,but we're on the downside now.
I think the the height ofhurricane season is September
10th.
So we're on the downside now,and I'm just gonna hope for the
best.
QS John's watching the weatherfor me.
QS John is a retired Southwestcaptain pilot and a lifetime

(38:10):
sailor.
So he's very into weather.
I like to get a consensus, youknow, before I do any kind of
crossing.
Um, that's right, Tuxie.
So I'm on the boat.
It's the first night I've spentthe night on my boat since
Scott passed.
So um I'm sure there's gonna belots of emotions, but uh I'm

(38:35):
here.
Oh, Goose says, My boy spent afew years in middle school on
the boat, best years of ourlife.
Oh man, I hear that.
I I've interviewed people thathave kids that were kicking and
screaming at first when theysaid we're going to live on a
boat.
I can't imagine feeling thatway.
I someone said that to me whenI was 14.

(38:56):
I was like, Let's go.
Uh J Lo.
Um JLO is a play on names.
First initial of my first name,first three of my last think J
Lo the singer, but my name camebefore she was born.
So is it is it just J Lo?
Is that how you say it?
I keep wanting to say the extraL.
Okay, um, marine forecast forSaturday and Sunday is bad.

(39:20):
Okay, well, I will be atDestin.
What do you mean, bad?
It's kind of broad.
Was there a hurricane coming?
Goose.
I have to share her with hermom.
I but I'd love to take her withme.

(39:41):
Ah, I see.
Well, the people that I'veinterviewed that have kids, and
like I said, they were kickingand screaming about not wanting
to go live on a boat, but nowthey they would can't imagine

(40:01):
going back to a regular school.
So I think that's the way Iwould feel if someone said to
me, 13, 14 years old, we'regoing to the Bahamas and live on
a boat.
Heck yeah! I would have beenall about that.
I think the kids seem to comeout a little more well adjusted
when they're not in the publicschool.

(40:23):
Just an opinion.
Um, so we got about 15 peopleor so watching.
So cool.
Hope you can find a way worththe effort, definitely.
Were you talking to me?
Were you talking with sailingwith JLo?

(40:43):
J L L O.
Um, so you just say the L once.
That's right.
So um, I guess that's it.
Look, he wants me to look.
I will look.
But if I can get okay, Lloyd.

(41:06):
J Lo J Lo.
Okay.
Um, so I'll if I get to HarborWalk Marina at Destin and just
need to hang out, I will.
Sure wish I could go on theinside.
There's a there's a bridge inFort Walton that's 50 feet.

(41:26):
The Destin Bridge is 50, andthere's even look at Wind
Finder.
I will look at passage weather.
I've had really good luck withthat one.
Uh bridges in Panama City, 50foot.
Once I'm past that, I'm good.
Um, but what I'll do since Igot the new boat, uh I just I'll

(41:48):
go to uh Port St.
Joe and then go the back way,you know, all the way to
Pensacola.
I mean uh Appalachic Cola, andthen I'll go out government cut,
go to Tarpon Springs.
I'm gonna try to do someanchoring on this trip, um, try
to save the money.
Um and then I'll go Clearwater.

(42:09):
I like to take short trips onthe west coast, and then I'll go
to Gulfport, Florida, and whatI do there, they got a nice
protected the municipal marina.
There is very well protected.
I've been to all these placesmany times, and their transient
dock is a floating side tiesituation, so that's a great

(42:30):
place for me to set up my tackycat dinghy and uh get some help
getting the motor off andputting it on.
And we are in caliber 33.
What is this?
A sister ship to your IP.
We will be coming from Marylandand heading to the keys in the
Bahamas for the season.
Maybe our paths will cross.
Yes, yes, Amy Egg.

(42:53):
We will be coming fromMaryland.
When are you leaving?
Oh, we definitely I need tointerview you.
Um, Goose says, used to lovethe raw oysters in Destin, I've
been up north too long.
Need an IV of shrimp and grits.
Well, you know, Apalachicola isthe home of the oysters, uh,
Boss Oysters, that restaurantthere that got bought out by a

(43:16):
developer after HurricaneMichael, and they also got the
old Apalachicola marina and thathotel that's right there.
It's a developer.
I don't know what it's gonnalook like.
I haven't been there in twoyears.
Um, but I know that they wereplanning on building like a huge
marina.
We leave in November, won'tcross until after Christmas.

(43:37):
So, okay, so where are yougonna you're where are you gonna
cross?
You're gonna uh the Gulf Streamafter Christmas.
Hope I don't miss you.
I um on my cruising permit, Iput Bahamas November 1st through
December 17th.
It'll probably be later thanthat.

(44:01):
Tim Lynn says, Indian Key andShark River and the Everglades
are good stops.
Yes, I spent the night at SharkRiver by myself.
You're supposed to take an easyonline course to get your
permit to visit the Everglades.
I never did that.
I even got stuck because I gotuh a little what's the word?
Um aggressive when I left, itwas still it wasn't it was low

(44:28):
tide, and so I pushed it.
There's one little spot on inthe channel where it gets
questionable, and I left tooearly.
I left everybody's city and Igot stuck, and uh they and a
hurricane that was going back upnorth and I had come south, and
then I was going back up north,and a hurricane had come
through.
I can't remember which one, Iraor something, not Irma, but uh

(44:52):
it's 2023, and it had changedthe the uh situation in the
channel, and I got stuck and Icalled I called Cito and they
said we have to get permissionfrom the park rangers to go in
there.
I was like, really?
And so yeah, they came and welove that Anchorage, very quiet

(45:14):
and great pelican and dolphinwatching, and lots of no sims.
Oh my goodness.
I came out at sunset, was justgonna take some nice pictures.
Man, I got a couple of shotsand then I had to dive in the
boat, and thankfully I have umgood screens on everything.
Man, they were fierce in there,so yeah.

(45:37):
I didn't see any dolphins,though.
That's awesome.
Okay, so you're gonna crossfrom the key somewhere.
Do you think you'll cross fromKivis Gain?
So when I get to Kivis Gane, Ihave to get the yes, Shark
River.
We love that.
Very quiet and oh, I alreadyread that.
Okay, um, I have to get acertificate certification, a

(46:00):
final thing for the cats, and ithas to be I get I have to go
visit uh a vet within 48 hoursof being in the Bahamas.
So I figured that'll be inKibis Gain.
I have to they have to do avisual inspection to make sure
there's no parasites andeverything.
So I figured that's a goodplace to do it uh from what I

(46:22):
hear in Kibis Gain.
And um Hayden and Rayen uh onIsland Spirit, they've given me
lots of good information aboutKibiscain.
I've been there, not on myboat.
Oh, I did I was there in myisland packet 27 years ago.
I stayed at Dinner Key before Icrossed the Gulf Stream.

(46:42):
Um, but this will be the firsttime I've been on this boat, and
uh, I'm looking forward to it.
And I started telling you aboutKey West John.
So Key West John's gonna meetme in Everglades City, then
we'll go down.
Marathon, I may have alreadysaid it, I can't remember what
I've said.
We'll go up and then cross.
So he's gonna buddy boat withme over there, and um so I'm not

(47:06):
a mechanic, and he likes he canfix stuff, so that's nice.
But I've also been veryintrigued with how generous
everybody is with their time,you know.
In uh Georgetown, you know,people you can call channel 68
the sail net, and if you need apart, or if you need someone
that knows how to do something,or um but everybody's very

(47:31):
helpful, and that's appealing tome right now.
I ain't gonna lie.
Very appealing.
Shark River.
Yeah, did you did you Amy?
Did you experience the uh noseums?
I got a great picture.
I'll post it's a FloridaNoceum, it'll make you laugh.
It's a close-up.

(47:53):
We will cry, we will likelycross from Angelfish Creek.
Oh, yeah.
We head past Bimini and checkin at Great Harbor in the
berries.
It's about 24 hours.
Overnight crossing the bank islovely.
Yes, I've done that.
Assuming the weather is doingwhat it's supposed to do, right?
We're gonna check in at SouthBimini.
I forgot the name of themarino.

(48:13):
It was one that Hayden gave me.
Um, that's what I put on thecruising permit.
Hang out there and then go onto anchor off of um the West
End.
Where's your favorite spot inthe Bahamas?
We will leave after an Applesboat show, planning to cross

(48:36):
into Florida after November 1st.
So cool! Ah, and planning tocross into Florida after okay,
so you're going to into FloridaNovember 1st, and then where?
Georgetown is where I'm headed.
I've never been there.
I've been to not the Exumas,but what's the other one?

(48:56):
Forgot that other island that'sa little wet uh east, that long
island.
Not the Exumas, but of courseI've been to Bimini, North
Bimini, South Bimini, Nassau.
I'm looking forward to it.

(49:17):
They have a uh Mooringfieldnow.
Eleutra.
Thank you.
Oh, look who it is.
The route Miami to South Biminidock check in to Northwest
Channel.
But what's the name of that?
What's the name of that?
Um, Marina you recommended,Hayden?

(49:40):
Um dock check in to NorthwestChannel to West Bay to Highborn
Key to Orderick Wells to StanStan Staniel Key to Black Point
to Lil Farmer out to Georgetown.
There you go, everybody.
There's the route.
How you doing, Hayden?

(50:00):
South Bimini, only one.
Oh, it's the only one.
I forgot the name of it.
That's what I put down on mycruising permit.
Whatever the name was.
So there's the route, y'all.
I've done some really goodepisodes with Hayden and

(50:22):
Raiding.
They um we did a provisioningfor the Bahamas.
If the weather's creamy, hideout at Norman's Pomp Pond just
south of Highborne.
Okay.
We love the berries and abacos,but want to get down south Long
Island or similar, then workour way north.

(50:44):
Huh.
Where is that?
Long Island.
I'm I assume you're talkingabout Long Island in the

(51:08):
Bahamas.
Gemini Cove Marina.
There we go.
Is it Long Island Bahamas or ohhere it is?
Long Island.

(51:52):
Okay.
Skip Long Island.
Long Island is south ofGeorgetown.
Oh Hayden, Hayden's not he'snot digging it.
Skip Long Island.
I see.
And what's what do you likeabout it there?
I'll be stopping at Georgetown,but what do you like about it?

(52:16):
It's gonna be fun.
It's gonna be interesting.
Uh, to get to Georgetown,you're gonna go out at Little

(52:48):
Farmers or uh out at Black PointGallant Cut.
I've done um several probablyabout five interviews with SV
Island Spirit.
Very helpful information.
I gotta go back and watch thatBahamas.
We did a couple of Bahamas uhepisodes, Route and whatnot.

(53:09):
Yes, it's after Georgetown.
I see that.
What do you not like about LongIsland?
I'm just going as far asChicken Harbor.
Georgetown.
Long Island is after and pastGeorgetown.

(53:32):
Yeah.
Already said that.
I got a long ways to go beforethat.
In the meantime, I know thewest coast of Florida and the
Keys, I would say pretty well.
I can tell you where all thebest marinas with the best
bathrooms and the best laundryare.

(53:53):
Oh, okay.
Alright, so Long Island is ourdecision point for going back
north or heading to Grenada.
Granada.
Grenada.
So what what what makes youdecide?
Get to Georgetown and basethere, Long Island Ice.

(54:16):
It's okay, but if you go pastGeorgetown, go to Conception or
Rum.
Hmm.
I'm just this trip, I'm hangingout in Georgetown.
Never know what is gonna what'sgonna happen the next year.
I may not even come back.

(54:36):
So what uh what that's aninteresting decision point for
going back north or heading toGranada.
Is that what you do every year?
Long Island next off is Turksand Cakos.

(55:07):
Let's see, I can make this showup show comments on the stage.

(55:29):
There we go.
So it's seven o'clock EastCentral.

(55:52):
It's dark.
Days are getting shorter.
Nice.
We we never know where we'regoing until we get there.
I love it.
We provision for a year, thensee how long we can go.
Do you really provision for ayear?

(56:14):
Oh, I did get a very good uhhealthy spare part, spare part
um items.
I got right out route out ofGrone is Turks, DR, Puerto Rico,

(56:36):
USVI, St.
Martin, and Tigo, Antigua, andthen many days south.
Yes.
So uh I got a fresh water pump,I got an air conditioning pump.
I probably don't need that.
I don't I don't know how muchI'm gonna be using it.
Um but I've got it.

(56:58):
I've got I can't remember whatI have.
I spent a oh, I even got analternator.
I bought a Balmar extraalternator.
Someone said get it, I got it.
We provision for three months ayear, no.

(57:19):
Be weighing the boat down.
Do you really?
Do you really do that?
You go for your you provisionfor a year?
I want to hear about that.
Yeah, I know that when we didthe provisioning for the Bahamas
with uh SP Island Spirit andHayden and Rating, that's one
thing they really talked aboutwas um you really need to take

(57:42):
what if you got some specialthings you like, food or
toothpaste or whatever, parts,you need to take it.
Extra regulator.
I don't have that.
You think I'll need that?

(58:06):
Oh maybe I can pick one upbefore I get when I before I get
to the keys.
So I was um get it in the keys.
So okay, so Hayden, I don'tknow if you're on here, but um I

(58:27):
was thinking about stoppingback at Mac Yacht sale uh Mac
Yacht and getting some newrigging there.
Taking the plunge.
What do you think about that?
I think you told me that it'ssomebody told me 1998 maybe have

(58:49):
the new stainless steel.
No need.
I was thinking about stoppingon the way back.
What do you think?
Leaving the boat there.
Okay, you think that's a goodidea?

(59:14):
Go ahead and spend thatnineteen thousand dollars.
Never have to do it again,right?
It'll last for the rest of mylife.
So I had to set up my littlepodcast desk.
I couldn't get the uhteleprompter on a good stand

(59:39):
that fit around this uh I justdid hope that's a good move.
You just got new oh you justgot oh of course your IP twenty
seven.
So Hayden heap to sailing justbought an IP twenty seven for

(01:00:00):
From uh Colin.
Yeah.
Just did the chain plates.
And he got him to do the chainplates.
And he's gonna be in theBahamas.
So Hayden used to have an IP27as well.
The dude knows IPs.

(01:00:22):
We have a spare for every pump,plus one.
Plus one?
You mean two?
Every major electroniccomponent, alternators,
regulators, shunts, valves,macerators, and three complete

(01:00:47):
engine tune-ups.
We're just two people on a46-footer.
Woo! Is that what is that whatyou mean by provision for a
year?
Or did you really do you take ayear's worth of food?
I might be a little light on myspares.

(01:01:08):
Oh and all the you know, forthe the stuff for the engine,
I've got all that, belts andwhatnot.
Oh too much.
Do you really do you have twoplus you got two of everything?
For every major electroniccomponent component?

(01:01:35):
Fuel.
Number one issue is fuel.
So yeah, it just never ends,does it?
I'm just gonna go.
I got that American Express.
You're gonna give me a diesel.

(01:02:00):
Hey, I really want you to giveme a diesel maintenance class.
I think you should teach one.
You could do it online.
Everybody be doing, you know,have their own engine there, and
we could do it online, and youcan say, okay, now do this.
Now do that.
What do you think?

(01:02:21):
Earn a little money.
Just take an extra tablet withNavionics.
Well, I got that.
I can, he says.
Okay.
Who would like a diesel lesson?
I would.
If Eodi's boat wears out,they'll just build a new one on

(01:02:44):
the fly.
We have about 2,000 pounds offood when we leave.
Everything is dated,categorized, and tracked in and
out.
Wow.
We should do a podcast.
Let's do let's do aprovisioning with them.

(01:03:04):
That would be interesting.
I want to sign up for thatclass.
I bet you're on a real tightbudget, Eyote.
Hope I'm saying that right.

(01:03:26):
I bet I mean I bet you stick toyour budget.
What do you think, Hayden?
Are you going around the world?
Well, they could.
Okay, let me see if I can getthis straight.

(01:03:52):
So sailing.
Okay, Eodi.
Are you you're not going toGeorgetown, is that right?
Haiti sailing is we stick to astrict budget.
Okay, I definitely gottainterview you.

(01:04:13):
Kitties look pretty relaxednow.
Well, I guess we've been onhere for a little over an hour.

(01:04:35):
But we got we got severalpeople watching.
We got about twelve peoplewatching.
That's cool.
Oh, I see you made a commentover on we'll see.
I uh Hayden, you made a commentover on Instagram.
No name harbor to South Biminito Northwest Channel.

(01:04:57):
Okay, that's what you wrote.
So you picked it up on did yousee my route?
Just seeing it now.
Sorry for being late.
Then you switched over toYouTube, maybe Georgetown.
We track every project in a canband board.
Oh cancer.

(01:05:21):
We'd be in the South Pacific,but cancer.
I'm sorry.
So much sadness in between somuch sailing.
Everybody's out here just doingthe best we can.
Where would you go in the SouthPacific?

(01:05:42):
Patty Pettit.
Ah, prayers for a wonderfulsale.
Be careful.
Thank you, Patty.
That's a um a sorti sister ofmine.
Carry on.
Yeah.

(01:06:04):
Okay, I'm making the note hereabout that route.
But I got a long ways to gobefore I get there.
So I'm in Orange Beach,Alabama.
My least favorite part of thetrip is crossing from

(01:06:28):
Apalachicola to Tarpon Springs.
It's in the uh Big Bend ofFlorida.
It can get rough out there.
And it's all night.
The nights are long now.
So I hope it's not rough forthe for the cats, especially.
That's my least favorite.

(01:06:48):
I love going across FloridaBay, especially when it's nice
and calm.
Not big waves.
But the journey down acrossPanhandle, Florida, and um west
coast of Florida is awesome.
I love all of that.

(01:07:08):
I love the keys, and I'mlooking forward to getting over
to the Bahamas.
So I got some people tointerview along the way.
So I guess that's it.
Unless y'all got some morewords of wisdom, I'm here to

(01:07:31):
listen.
I call it the Arms of Florida.
It's really cool.
I mean, it's it's like oldFlorida.
Apalachicola, Tarpon Springs,Carabel.
It's like stepping back intime.
Appalachia Cola is so cool.

(01:07:52):
And I heard that they they'vegot oysters again.
Uh the beds were damaged, Iguess, in Hurricane Michael,
which was when was that?
18, 19, 2018.
I guess they're just nowgetting healthy beds again.

(01:08:14):
Tim, where are you from?
I have a nice scar on my footfrom stepping on an oyster in
Tarpon Springs.
And that Tarpon Springs is thesponge capital of the world.

(01:08:37):
I always go and buy some littlesponges for my makeup, real
sponges.
And it's also that you couldwalk downtown.
I was there Christmas one timeand walking downtown, it was
just everybody was speaking, alot of people were speaking
Greek.
It's a Greek community.
You're going barefoot, huh?

(01:08:59):
Yeah, Tarpon Springs,Clearwater.
Oh, you're in Orange Beach?
Ah, me too.
What where do you keep yourboat?
Fort Howard Beach.
Well, I don't know where thatis.

(01:09:23):
Who handles your real estatewhile you're gallivanting the
globe?
Uh I'm a realtor too.
Well, because it's uh secondhomes and investment properties,
um, I've got a lot of listings,uh, golf condos, and um I can
do most everything from whereverI am, unless someone comes and

(01:09:43):
shows property.
In that case, I I usually haveone of the team members handle
it.
But I have a great assistant,and um I asked her after Scott
passed, I asked her to take abigger role.
Uh she's great.
And um Walker Key, I knowexactly.
I've sold something there.

(01:10:03):
Oh, Fort Howard Beach.
Okay, is where I've stepped onthat.
Okay, you were anchored out.
Yeah, Walker Key.
I've sold a condo there before.
Um, she's gonna be taking abigger, she's taking a bigger
role, so I'm giving her more ofmy commission to help me um
really stay on top of things.
I mean, I'm the closer, I'm thenegotiator, I'm the one that,

(01:10:27):
you know, has I've been in thebusiness for down here for since
2003.
Um, was working in Clearwaterand was there over the weekend
once.
Okay.
I love Clearwater.
It's gotten a little crowdedthere though.
But I'll put my tack a cattogether in Gulfport.

(01:10:50):
That's what I usually do.
That's so funny.
We'll just build a new one.
Are you still in Clearwater?

(01:11:12):
Wait, where did you say youwere?
I'm getting confused.
We got some real quality peopleon here tonight commenting.
Virginia, but you were inClearwater.

(01:11:36):
Okay.
West Coast of Florida's prettycool.
The armpit.
So I'll be going from here tohere to here to Port St.

(01:12:04):
Joe.
Then I'll go the back way overhere to Alphalchic Cola.
Then it'll come out governmentcut.
This button always available tome.
Local knowledge says don't doit, but it's been uh can you

(01:12:29):
help me with that?
Number one skill need to takeapart your fuel system, put it
back together, then start theengine.
So this is government cut isnice and uh cleared out now.
So I'll go from here to TarponSprings.
There it is.

(01:12:54):
Howard Beach, there it is.
Who here can do that?
Take apart your fuel system andput it back together, then

(01:13:15):
start the engine.
Who can do that?
So Friday, I'm going to leaveit first light.
Got somebody I'm gonna take allthe lines with me.

(01:13:40):
So I got someone coming to justkind of hold the boat while I
take all the lines off all thepilings.
So sailing with J Lo, J Lloyd.
No, sailing with sailing SVEOD.
Island Spirit, you're right.
My sons have a Hans Christian48 and have had fuel system

(01:14:03):
apart multiple times.
I'm sure I can take mine apart.
We'll see about the rest.
Not tonight, though.

(01:14:26):
I can't even crank it rightnow.
So everything's all a messbecause I can't store everything
in my rear berth because theyneed to get back there tomorrow.
So everything's a littledisarray.
But my friend Dana is really Ihave a really I have some funny

(01:14:55):
friends, and I would say, Ican't go to the boat, it's too
sad.
She goes, it's not the boat'sfault.
I had some other people say, Idon't want to get too spiritual,
even though Island Spirit,that's a very spiritual name.

(01:15:18):
Um that I'm just gonna say it.
Um, they said those feelingsare not of God.
So I had a couple people, acouple friends on two different
occasions come and pray on theat the boat with me.
Just want to remove all thenegative feelings and take it

(01:15:39):
back, you know what I mean.
I've got some serious sailorson here tonight I'm gonna have

(01:16:01):
to write 'em all down.
See who's gonna be who's gonnabe the Bahamas.
Hayden, I wish you were gonnabe there.
Wish you and Raiden were gonnabe there.
That would be cool.
Anybody else got anything?

(01:16:30):
I love reading your comments.
Let's see what else can I tellthink I've told it all.
Uh who said they were arealtor?
So I've always been able tocontinue with my business

(01:16:59):
sailing because so much of it isover the phone now.
And um, I mean, I've I get I'vewritten I've sold condos while
I'm on the boat.
I've I remember writing up acontract on the reef in Key
West.
One of my clients wanted to gosee something when I was out of
town, so I called the listingagent and said, Hey, I got some

(01:17:21):
repeat clients who want to comesee.
Oh, I'll be glad to show it tothem.
They called me back, said writeit up, and I was sitting on the
on my boat, the first saltyabandon.
Um, a lot of that's it seemslike when I go out of town, I
sell something, it's a littleslow right now.
Yeah.

(01:17:42):
But that's okay, that'll giveme time to focus on this.
But it's always with the earand the phone, and always, you
know, gotta always stay.
That's why the the um theStarlink is so handy.
Just like someone was talkingabout somebody was talking about

(01:18:04):
Shark River.
Oh that's great.
I mean not great about thoseproblems, but that you keep
going.
Thank you.
I needed to hear that.
Just keep on going.
I love it.
God bless you.

(01:18:26):
MS diagnosis What was I saying?
I don't remember.
Um, thanks for sharing thosestories with me.
Anyway, what was I saying?

(01:19:02):
I can't remember.
Just gonna do it.
That's all there is to it.
How um I wanna ask how oldy'all are, sp EOD.

(01:19:24):
I hope I'm saying that right.
May not want to tell your age.
I'm sixty.
Age check.

(01:19:44):
Now sorry.
Fifty nine sixty one.
Ah, and fifty-nine.
Fifty one we got age checks.
Everybody's coming in on itnow.

(01:20:06):
Sweet.
Hard to believe.
Hey, two sailing.
Bet you didn't know you'd bethe baby in here.
Fifty-one sounds so young now.

(01:20:32):
What?
Ha! Fifty-one year old baby.
Anyway, well, I can't think ofanother thing to say, but I'm

(01:20:53):
always love reading yourcomments, so if y'all keep
talking, I'm gonna keeplistening.
So I stopped the mail for 30days.
What do you do about that, youguys?

(01:21:14):
Um, you could only stop it for30 days, and then there's gotta
be a three-day intermissionbefore you can do another 30
days.
Not very convenient, but I dohave somebody that's gonna pick
up my mail and then come back in30 days.
Gonna take it from my mailboxto the inside.

(01:21:35):
What do y'all do?
Hayden, what do you do?
You're gone six months at atime.
Do you have somebody pick upyour mail?
Hayden.
What does the odie do?

(01:21:56):
What does J Lo do?
Tim Lynn.
Tim's like right down thestreet from me.
Just don't pay the bills.
We don't have a house.

(01:22:18):
Everything goes to St.
Brendan's Isle.
Gotcha.
Emily Burke, 10.
I'm praying that your trip isexactly what you need.
This is my stepsister.
Well, you need that your heartfeels Scott's presence as you
sail, praying for you as you go.
Very, very sweet.
That's exactly what I needed tohear.

(01:22:38):
Thank you so much, Emily.
And Tim says our neighborschecked our mail and notified us
if anything looked important.
Yeah.
And well, you know, you canlook online.
You get those emails, you canactually see what the mail is.
Thanks, Emily.
That's a very sweet message.

(01:23:00):
I didn't know you werewatching.
I love following along.
I didn't know that.
Are you in Montana or are youhere?
Emily's also a realtor.
Thanks for watching, Emily.

(01:23:25):
It's a tough one.
I still miss them so much.
And I know you knew them.
I miss uh that he was a bigcheerleader.
Go uh Wyoming.
Okay, Gulf Shore, Wyoming maybe in the fall.
Okay.

(01:23:45):
Well this it's the fall.
Maybe.
I know you want to ultimatelybe out there.
It's a long ways away.
I don't think they have waterthere, do they?
Oh they don't have salt water.
But you've been here your wholelife.
I'm at um Bear Point.

(01:24:05):
So I'm going all the way toGeorgetown, Emily.
My friends just startedsailing.

(01:24:28):
I told them to follow you.
Thank you.
Dan and Val Pompel.
Are they here?
Very cool.
They just started sailing.
They get a boat.
I love these stories.
Oh, Cindy McGregor, um, you arean inspiration and you have a

(01:25:03):
huge cheering and prey warriorssupporting you.
Hope to hug you before youleave.
Thank you, Cindy.
I appreciate you coming outthat day.
You really cheered me up.
We rescued a bird, didn't we?
I'll send you their page.
Thank you, Emily.
Cindy was here on my boat, andwe saw a pelican get caught in a
rigger uh outrigger on afishing boat, and he was just

(01:25:26):
hanging there.
Like the line went around andhe was just hanging there.
It was horrible.
We ran over there, and and thena bunch of other people came
between all of us.
We bent the guy's outrigger toget it down so someone could put
a towel over the beak, and thenCindy cut the line that was

(01:25:49):
around the wing, but he wasokay.
And then the um wildlife peoplecame, but everybody felt like
just let him see if he flew awayand he he kind of floated
around for a while, but then heflew when the wildlife guy tried
to catch him.
Wanted to check for I do havethe footage.
Cindy got got the footage, andI haven't put I thought I'd put

(01:26:13):
that together.
Sorry, I haven't had time,Cindy.
So are you guys comingtomorrow?
I know you got calls.
Yeah, Emily, send me theirpage.

(01:26:36):
I'd like to follow them.
Do they have a boat?
Oh, California.
Oxnard, California.
I want to go over there too.
I would like to go.
I want to probably have towork.
Okay.
Um, I want to go go through thePanama Canal.

(01:27:02):
I don't I don't know that I'dwant to go across the Pacific
just because I'm not a mechanic,but I do want to do that coast
over there, you know, like uhMexico and all that.
Oh, here it is.
Anybody else wanna Instagramrigging together?
Rigging it together.

(01:27:23):
Is that the name?
That's cool.
What a great name.
Rigging it together.
Very creative.
So I've I got a guy that'sgonna help me out Friday.
Tomorrow I'm gonna just uh Igot some real thick lines on
this boat.
I'm gonna take them with me incase I get have to tie up really

(01:27:47):
good for a hurricane.
Um, my first time sailing?
Yes, it was so fun.
My first time sailing was ontheirs, it was incredible.
Their boat is old and they'relearning as they go.
They are so much fun.
What kind of boat do they have?
Well look.
But I'll have lots of lineswith me in case a hurricane

(01:28:12):
comes.
Try to find a hidey hole.
Why haven't you been sailingwith me?
I haven't been in the bestplace this past year.

(01:28:33):
I mean, this year I've onlytaken the boat out like three
times.
I made people go with me.
I'm a solo sailor.
That's how messed up I've been.
I got this one friend, he'd go,he calls me T Bird.
T Bird, you taking that boatout?

(01:28:55):
Let's go tomorrow.
Great friends.
I'm here for the comments.
I'm not gonna sign off untily'all quit commenting.

(01:29:16):
So please comment.
Emily, you'll have to fly downto the Bahamas when I get there.
I guess you know my route.
Nineteen seventy-eight Hudson'sSeawolf.
Do you know its size?

(01:29:37):
You probably know what kind ofboat that is.
Forty four foot Wow.

(01:30:13):
Well, I don't know that I'mwhat's coming up is forty-four
foot and that looks cool.
I don't know if it's a Here'sone for sale in Tacoma,
Washington.

(01:30:33):
It looks cool.
A lot of wood.
So I guess I don't really havemuch to say, and people are

(01:30:58):
starting to drop off.
Forty-four.
All right.
Always leave them wanting more,right?
Don't overstay your welcome.
I probably should sign off.
And I will.
I wanted to go live because Ididn't want to have to edit.

(01:31:22):
So this is so much easier.
But I'll try to do some umupdates like old salty quickies,
like I used to.
I will update on tomorrow whenI get the cracked manifold
exhaust manifold fix when theyput the new one in.

(01:31:44):
All right.
Oh, have a great night.
Looking forward to yourupdates.
Thanks, Emily.
I really appreciate yourcomments.
I really do about Scott andeverything.
He wanted me to do this.
He was always so he was proudof me.

(01:32:04):
Did they get yes?
They got the stains out.
He was horrified when when thethe guy who hired the guys that
were here, the guy the gel coatwhen he came, he was like, Oh my
god.
And what had happened was theywere dripping and it doesn't
show up.
This is what he said.
It doesn't show up until itdries, and then realize he was

(01:32:27):
supposed to put some plasticdown.
But yeah, it looks a lotbetter.
They left their stuff here, sothey're gonna be back probably
tomorrow.
You see all their chemicals andeverything they were using,
acetone and all that.
It looks a lot better than whenyou saw it.
Okay, thank y'all forcommenting and all that and

(01:32:49):
visiting for a while.
I really enjoyed it.
Uh, I always learn a lot, Ialways get a lot of um
encouragement from people.
Thank you till next time.
I can't wait to see your boat.
It's gonna be a great feelingto have all new rigging.
I know Colin will do a greatjob.
Um DM me and let me know yourschedule.

(01:33:13):
Heave two sailing.
Is that the name of your boat?
Have you named it?
Have you already told me that?
Did you name it?
Is it heave two saline?
Nope.

(01:33:38):
I keep it I kept it integrity.
Okay, that's a good name.
Integrity.
That's a good thing, integrity.
Alright, guys, thank you somuch.
Thanks for visiting with me.
There'll be more.
I need it.
Thank you.
Salty Bannon.