After getting Shelby strapped into place we left Boca Ciega Bay and Gulfport City Marina and cruised into Tampa Bay heading up to the Endeavour boatyard for a few days to get a window leak fixed and a few other items looked at from the manufacturer of our powercat.

As always cruising along and watching dolphins is a favorite.  Check out our video above to see a mother and baby together which was the highlight of our morning.

Soon we could see the Tampa skyline and Harley enjoyed soaking up the sun while the engines were running.  She is such a sucker for an engine running and the warm sun shining down on her black coat.  We were able to get tied up and docked before sunset and enjoyed the evening tied to the dock excited about getting some work done and having some new areas to explore.
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We spent the next five days at the boatyard.  Along with the work that was done we were able to explore the areas back in the mangroves, where we saw pink flamingos and enjoyed the local wildlife.  Much of that was the comings and goings at the Getaway Bar next door.  The weekend was packed and we just sat on the deck and watched.  Finally, we ventured over one week night to enjoy happy hour and get some great photos of Journey at the dock.

Valentine’s Day we headed back out into Tampa Bay and then under the Skyway Bridge,  Harley once again was in her happy place and we were finally free from the dock and looking for some white sand.  

We anchored out along Egmont Key just before the sun went down and the next day we enjoyed some warm beach time!  Harley was happy to run along the beach and explore.  We tucked in the Manatee River for the night in order to catch up with Allie’s parents the next day before heading further south.
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After lunch with Allie’s parents in Palmetto at the Riverside Cafe, (the link actually takes you to same area but a favorite restaurant of ours in Palmetto) we picked up some supplies they had brought and headed back out to Journey.  Trying to get a jump start south we pulled anchored and headed down to Longboat Key just outside of the Mar Vista restaurant.  We didn’t get a chance to eat there but have heard it is the best!  We had a nice evening and were able to get out again early so we could get in early to Sarasota and secure our first mooring ball for the night. 

The wind was picking up as we headed into the Sarasota Mooring field and Allie soon learned that she was not the one to pick up a mooring ball.  After finally securing ourselves to the mooring ball we were able drop Shelby and ready ourselves to head in to check in with Marina Jacks.   Next order of business was for Harley to enjoy some time off the boat.  She enjoyed the Bayfront park and stretching her legs and her ears enjoyed the wind.  The winds were up while in Sarasota and Journey did some swinging but the evening skyline around Sarasota was spectacular.  With all the winds we chose a window and left the mooring ball after a few days to head further south tucking in for the night around Siesta Key.  Dee has just finished replacing the shower pump in the guest head and was ready to use it for the first time when the generator cut off by itself.  We spent the evening figuring that one out.  Impeller was shot and would need to be replaced.  Thankfully we had that part on board.  ​

The next day we headed down toward Venice with Dee tucked into the garage changing the impeller.  Other than have to work while we moved he was able to make the change and the generator was happy again.  We headed around Venice and into Port Charlotte.  Finding a little hurricane hole in Caya Costa for the night.  This was a quiet no rocking spot and we enjoyed exploring Caya Costa and sleeping well.  ​

After securing their Uber and waving by to Eddie and Joan as they headed back to NC.  We set out down toward Marco Island with our first experience out in the Gulf since crossing in January.  Now we were south and warmer and looking forward to enjoying some time in Naples with friends.  

We tucked into Gordon Pass for the night in among some very expensive homes and anchored with 3 other boats near by.  The next morning we headed down toward Marco Island and the gulf was beautiful.  We had been looking for an affordable marina in the area and stumbled across the Port of the Islands.  We didn’t know then that this would become a safe haven for Journey during the coming Hurricane season.  
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Before heading in to Port of the Islands which takes about an hour something we did not really know at the time.  We spend a night along Panther Key.   Panther Key is among the Ten Thousand Islands area in the Everglades.  This was a place totally different from anywhere we had been and the quiet and lack of light pollution at night made the stars reach down and almost touch you.  We enjoyed the evening here and a beautiful sunset. 

We loved Christmas in New Orleans and exploring all the Creole traditions together.  The hotels were beautifully decorated as they competed in a decorating contest. Apparently, this year a Gingerbread house contest was also added to the decorating contest among the hotels.  We enjoyed walking through the French Quarter and exploring the riverbanks. 

After Christmas we headed over to see Journey in Mobile Bay and check out her new bottom paint.  This would be Jesse’s second time on the boat.  The first time it was Hot!  This time it is Cold!  One day she will get to really enjoying cruising with us.  We did explore Dauphin Island, Alabama and saw some of the damage left by Gordon.  We enjoyed the beach and watching Harley run.  After the new year we will be heading out for our first 3 months living alone, cruising, and learning all about Journey and how to work together.  

We brought in 2019 over in Pensacola with friends and are excited about what 2019 will bring our family and our friends.  It is time to begin so stay tuned…….

Now, It is January 7, 2019 early in the morning, We arrive at the Concord airport for our flight to Journey to begin living on our boat full time.  This will be our trial run as live aboard for 3 months and Harley’s first real experience of being a boat dog.  Coffee to get us started and a screwdriver to celebrate on the flight.  This is about to get real!

We arrived in Mobile Bay and made our final prep on Journey in order  to pull our early the morning of January 9th.  Lots of work has been done on her over the passed 6 months here in Mobile. Dee has worked to update parts and create a beginning point from which we will be able to work. The bottom has been painted, cushions covered, and so much more. Oh and the splurge of some underwater lighting which will take some time for us to get to enjoy. WE never expected the cold weather we were about to endure. As we cruised under the Dog River Bridge and out into the Bay on the morning of the 9th, we were both anxious as a new chapter in our lives was beginning.  It was cold that morning and the breeze was up but we safely crossed the bay and into the InterCoastal Waterway for our cruise up to the Pensacola area.

​We pushed hard that first day and arrived just before sunset which in January is around 5 pm because the days are short this time of year which will take some getting used to during long cold nights on the Journey. We anchored in a spot just under the Navarre bridge in Navarre, Florida.  The evening was beautiful and we enjoyed the sunset at the end of our first day as live a boards.  

The next morning we cruised out the Destin Pass into the gulf waters heading to Port St. Joe.  The gulf waters were calm and allowed us to by pass the ICW which probably saved us a days travel.  We were planning the to take the ICW all the way since the winds had been up the previous day, but the winds were on our side this morning. Harley once again enjoyed the sun and we soon would learn that with engines running and the sun shining she would be most content on Journey.  Just before pulling into Port St. Joe we pass along the coast line of Mexico beach where the eye of Michael crossed a few months before.  We could see the tattered coastline and partial structures that were still standing.  This is such a reminder of how we must respect Mother Nature and why Dee and I always check and double check the weather.

We saw the sunrise early in Port St. Joe as we began our pass through the bridge at Port St. Joe into the intercoastal to Apalachacola.  We arrived early afternoon into Aplachacola and had our first “incident”.  We had decided to stop for fuel and get off the boat.  This would be our first time off since we left Mobile Bay, and we knew Harley needed a chance to get to shore.  Turning off the channel, we took a little short cut and set Journey down on the shallow bottom.  Dee worked hard to wiggle her off and we did not have to make that phone call to Sea Tow, but we did get some silt sucked up into the engine compartment. We spent more time working on the engines to get everything cleaned out before having time off the boat, but Harley still appreciated the stop even though it was shorter then expected as we needed to find a good anchorage for the night closer up toward Carrabelle.

We chose a quiet spot in the St. George Sound for the night with a beautiful beach area.  Harley and I enjoyed the watching the sunset after an exciting day. We were tired and glad to make a stop to rest up while waiting for a window to cross the Gulf over to Steinhatchee, Florida.  

The next day we took Harley to the beach to explore and she enjoyed stretching her legs and running free along the beach.  We were able to take some new shots of Journey on the water after having so much work done in Mobile, Alabama. We were super excited to have this opportunity while out in Shelby to get some new updated pictures and videos of our Journey.  She is looking nice and sleek in the water. 

After some down time from cruising and allowing a front to pass through early one morning we jumped out into the Gulf to begin our crossing leaving Carrabelle and the Dog Island anchorage behind.    Just before the sunset we arrived in Steinhatchee  and docked for the night at the Sea Hag Marina.  This was our first night at a dock since pulling out of Mobile Bay.  We were glad to be tied to the dock for the night after such a long day and were able to grab a beer and watch the sun go down from their top deck.  After a great meal at Roys, who gladly drove over and picked us up and brought us back to the Sea Hag.  What service!  We enjoyed a peaceful night before starting down towards Cedar Key.  

We made a quick overnight stop in Cedar key before heading into Crystal River where we planned to spend a few days enjoying the Manatees. The trip up Crystal River was even better than we thought even with the weather turning colder and colder.  We anchored in King’s bay for the first time with neighbors anchored around us.  The sunsets and sunrises were just perfect here.  Our first adventure out was to do laundry.  We were in walking distance of a laundry mat that yes had wifi so Dee was able to get some work done and I was able to work on various projects.  After this down day, we were ready for some manatee adventures.

So we planned our adventure into the springs to see the manatees.   The next day we bundled up and set out to find the hot springs and the manatees.  The warm clear waters made it easy to spot them and they were sometimes very curious about us and one moved in really close to check us out.  Maybe Harley was what they were curious about.  We enjoyed our stay here but the cold weather was pushing us further south, so we watched our last sunset in Kings Bay and prepared to move down to Tarpon Springs.  

As we cruised down to Tarpon Springs and into the mouth of the Anclote River, we working to find another place to dock for the a few days as a very bad front was headed our way and the winds were going to be up.  We needed to get inland to close on our home in NC and meet up with friends in the area and wanted to secure Journey at a dock for a few days.  Finally, we were able to secure a spot at the Anclote Village Marina where I believe the dock master just took pity on me because I could find no other dock space, so  They made room for us.  We were just in front of Miss Vicki’s restaurant and it was a perfect spot for a few days.  We enjoyed beautiful sunsets and Harley enjoyed the front deck as we listened to music and watch the pelicans enjoy the fish cleaning station at Miss Vicki’s .   

A short ride up the river in Shelby would dump us into Tarpon Springs where we signed our closing papers, overnighted the paperwork off and celebrated with 2 for 1 Margaritas at Yianni’s.  We definitely recommend their Margaritas.  Sit at the bar and tell them SolMates sent you.   The sale was final on our NC home.  Now we really are officially live a boards!  

While on the Anclote River we were able to catch up with some of our Florida Friends we have met while RVing.  We hosted them on Journey for the day and enjoyed catching up and discovering new drinks.  The next day Our Endeavor boat friends took us off Journey  and around Tarpon Springs and shared the infamous Anclote River Boat Club with us.  This is an iconic establishment like nothing we had ever seen.  We had a wonderful time exploring this place with them and listening to some good music.  Many thanks to Mary who provided us with some homemade chili to keep us warm.  The front passed but not without our second “incident”. We left Shelby tied to the dock and attached to one of the davits.  In the middle of the night we were awaken by a loud noise and found Shelby sideways in the water.  New motor partially submerged.  Thanks to the davit she was saved from sinking, but the new motor would need a little love to recover.  Our new hard and fast rule is we never ever leave Shelby down. The next morning we found that it really was as shallow as everyone told us around the Anclote Village Marina.  Wow!  The tide came back and the waters returned and we headed south to continue to seek warmer weather.  

As we headed on down the ICW toward the Tampa Bay Area with an overnight stop at Reddington Shores Beach to try and work on Shelby’s new motor.  We drained the oil, replaced the oil, still no luck.  After several phone calls Thankfully, Curtis at Northeast Marine came to our rescue.  He picked up Shelby and Dee and brought her back to his shop, replaced the oil pressure sensor which thankfully was all that was wrong with our new motor and returned them safely back to the boat launch near Journey.  Now that All is well we headed down into Gulfport, Florida and the Boga Ciega Bay where we would spend a week before heading back to North Carolina.

​Our week in Gulfport was cold and windy, but the sunsets were perfect.  We got some boat work done, explored Gulfport, Found the Getaway at Maximo and a Happy Hour you should not miss after catching up with our broker Lou!  We began preparing Journey to be left at the Gulfport City Marina.  We are on our way home only to return in a week to begin Month 2 on Journey.  Oh and I forgot a new Shelby on the way to Journey.

​Three Weeks after taking possession and plenty of mental prep, we decided to take a day trip out of the St. Pete marina.  We headed out of Tampa Bay along Egmont Key.  We even discussed a possible overnight if everything continued to look smooth with the weather.  As we were planning our trip down, the weather for the weekend was looking wet and we were unsure of making it out for the day.

Saturday morning we woke to blue skies and bright sunshine with possible afternoon storms, so we prepared for departure and left the dock around 10:30 am.  We were super excited as we completed our first leg under the Skyway Bridge.

The wind was strong and waves were hitting our starboard side when we turned toward St. Pete with one wave even crashing over the bow on the starboard side.  The best part was the dolphins that were cruising and jumping off our bow.  The violent waves prevented me from taking photos so I could share this awesome first time dolphin experience on our boat!
The final challenge was docking back at St. Petersburg Municipal Marina.  Our dock is located on Pier 5 along the outside where there is little protection from the wind. Our boat is a little small for the slip so we have some extra poles to maneuver through that are for bigger boats. These poles make docking a challenge along with the fact we have not docked before.  Now, throw in some wind. We actually lost count after 5 attempts were made to dock before we successfully got her unharmed into the slip.

July 4th – Happy Independence Day
The morning of July 4th we headed up the inter-coastal to Pensacola.  The day before we were able to secure a marina slip in downtown Pensacola for the July 4th night.  We are happy to know we will not be anchored for the crazy 4th and a bed awaits at Chris and Michele’s Pensacola home.  After a smooth ride we arrived early into the Pensacola Bay and were docked before lunch.  The afternoon became even better after a shower, sandwich, and a few margaritas  and some needed down time after two hard days.  We were almost done!

That evening were enjoyed watching some fireworks with friends from our boat even though the storms worked hard to win.  Oh, I can not forget the delicious char-grilled hamburgers provided by Chris and Michele for dinner before the fireworks.  What a perfect July 4th.  Last Leg Coming!