Titusville, Florida, USA, thursday January 18. 2007
Many people dream of having a sailboat and be free as a bird, and yes I couldn't be more happy.
Not many people realize, including myself, how much work it involves. Goos and I have been working
on the boat for nearly two weeks straight, fixing alot of things. At one point we would fix one little
thing and in the process finding another thing that needed attention. It's really fun but it is a lot of
work having your own boat.
We're are at the point where only minor things needs to be fixed, so we could sail off tomorrow but,
and there is a big "but". The registration papers has to come from Denmark before we can leave.
Zack, the autopilot man called this morning. With my lungs not moving I carefully listen to him explain
that the 3500 dollars autopilot, had been fixed and was up and running, best news I heard in a while.
Last friday we moved away from The Three Oaks Motel and onto Solitude. Waking up the next morning
was with one of the best feelings I have had, I got my own sailboat.
There are still times where I break into a smile, It is hard to believe I made a dream come true.
This feels like my home.
As it is now, we should be leaving Titusville around the 27. of January but it is the paperwork we are
waiting for now.....
Titusville, Florida, USA, Sunday February 4. 2007
With everything ready on the boat and food for two weeks, we were more than ready to set sail
for the high seas. But thanks to FedEx and US Customs the infamous papers has not come yet but
should be here tomorrow.
At one point we were very close to quit everything and just go without the registration for the boat.
If the registration papers arrive Monday we are going to sail south, following the Florida coast to an
inlet called Lake Worth. From there we are heading to Bahamas and south to Puerto Plata
in the Dominican Republic. The trip to Puerto Plata should take around two weeks but it all
depends on the wind and weather.
At the moment it is around 15 degrees celcius and a lot of wind here in Titusville. It has been
cloudy for a few days now and we can?t wait to get to warmer weather and more sun.
If I don?t update my website for the next two weeks, it will be a good sign. Then we will be under
our way. On the way to Puerto Plata, it will be very limited with internet access and cellular
phone connection.
If nothing happens on the site, I?m on the ocean.
Until next time, don't forget to live!
Titusville, Florida, USA, tuesday January 23. 2007
We pretty much fixed everything onboard now, so the pressure is off. And with the pressure of, we
got much more time to do other things. Yesterday I was skateboarding in a little skatepark right next
to the marina, something I haven't had time for in a while.
A couple of days ago we even had the chance to take Solitude for a sail. Adrenalin was pumping through
the veins as we untied and left the marina. We motored for 20 minutes down the Indian River, through
a bridge to a bigger area with deeper water. On the way there, a dolphin surfaced for some air and went
under again. One minute later the dolphin was surfing the wake of Solitude, an amazing sight.
The episode only lasted for a couple of seconds but it was such a great experience, I laughed out
loud and really felt alive.
In the deeper water we put up the Yankee sail and turned off the engine. In silence we sail towards
Cape Canaveral, the moonport. Goos and I looked at each other and smiled, we were sailing!
The anchor was put out and we had lunch with another dolphin wishing us good luck.
The next day we woke up with a slight hangover and just hang out on the boat, without doing
any particular things. Goos couldn't help it, so he started work on the outboard engine with
manatees cruising around Solitude. I was sitting in the navigation station working on my computer,
when Goos all of a sudden yelled. I jumped on deck with my camera, a dolphin was inside the marina.
In silence we just stood and watched our own little zoo, manatees to the right, pelicans and
other birds all around and now a new feature straight ahead, a dolphin, amazing with the
nature so close to you, and we were enjoying every second of it.
Life on board Solitude is really good. We wake up, usually in the morning J but sometimes
around 10 am, make coffee and eat breakfast, while checking e-mails. During the day, we are
doing different things, but at night, if we feel like it, we cook food on my new stove, drink some beers,
maybe smoke a cigar, watch DVDs or play cards. I taught Goos a cardgame called Casino,
which my mom taught me when we traveled around Europe in a mobile home.
Thank you mom, it?s the best card game I know :-)
The papers from Denmark are still in progress and we can?t leave without them. Therefore we
have to wait to set sail to warmer weather, white sand beaches and more experiences with wildlife.
