$#!* Happens Storm Damage In Tarpon Springs

After a long day of flying, we returned to the Anclote Harbor Marina in Tarpon Springs where Mystic is docked. It was so good to be back, we opened the hatch and let out the hot stale air that had been trapped for 30 days, opened all the windows and turned on the fans. We'd stored the folding bikes in our main cabin before we left so we moved them back to their resting spot on the stern, then took a look around. One of our dock neighbors mentioned that there had been a big storm while we were away. We'd heard about the 50 mph winds but not the super tide that raised the water over the top of the docks.

Photo from Farmer's Almanac
When you add wind to this, the effect is greater!

We were starving so we decided to grab something to eat. Tarpon Springs is very busy during the Memorial Day weekend so we headed west, away from town, toward Miss Vickie's Restaurant at Anclote Village Marina. Miss Vickie's was busy with folks enjoying a band playing classic rock songs on a colorful stage. The bartender told us we had 10 minutes to get our food order in. Dave ordered a blue crab sandwich and I had a blackened shrimp wrap. The beer was cold and cheap at $3.50 a glass. We met a couple who told us they were "Naturists". I thought it meant they liked the outdoors...turns out it's a nice way to say they are NUDISTS! 

It's really hot here! The daytime temps are in the 90's and it's difficult to move around without becoming drenched in sweat. There is a breeze that cools us a bit but doesn't quite make it inside the cabin so sleeping is a challenge. It is not uncommon for us to drink several bottles of water overnight! Just before the lights go out, Dave positions the fans directly on us and we try to lay still. In the middle of the night I woke to the sensation of something crawling in the bed. I yell "BUG"., waking Dave. I jumped to turn on the light and Dave saw a "Palmetto" bug scurry away. He was able to capture the little bugger but there is no way I will be able to sleep. Usually, these pests bring all their relatives when they come to visit. Turns out, it is common for one single bug to stop by in search of a new place to call home. In the morning we checked all our hatches and were pleased to see that we do not have an infestation!

Photo by Turner Pest
Palmetto (AKA Cockroach)

I'm not really sure how we first discovered the damage that Mystic sustained from the storm that visited while we were away but I think the tide was high, putting the hull at eye level. Dave was first to notice the chaffed "ding" on the starboard side, next to the Mediterranean dock. After inspecting the location and looking for the cause he noticed that the steps nailed to the dock also had damage. It appears that the tide raised Mystic above the dock and the wind slammed her into those steps. Disheartened, we start planning the repair. Dave has most of the supplies he will need but is missing epoxy to fill the ding. After some cosmetic work and some elbow grease we'll have the worst of the damage covered and buffed out. Had we been aboard Mystic during the storm we would have been able to adjust our lines and avoid the damage. But we have been fully indoctrinated in the imperfections of how life unfolds! $#!* happens...

Mystic's latest "Ding" closeup

Mystic next to dock with steps our fenders on steps

Toe rail teak damage

Damaged steps

Mediterranean dock with steps attached

Our AGLCA burgee has seen better days as well. Torn and tattered, I need to stitch her up and reinforce her tips. We'll have her flying before we leave here but will be mindful of lowering her each day from now on!

Our shredded burgee - She's seen a few storms!

When we complete our journey, Mystic will get a new coat of paint and some serious TLC. It's hard to see her beat up but we know battle scars are part of being on this awesome journey! We'd rather deal with dings than never venture away from the dock. Tomorrow we leave Tarpon Springs on our final push of the season, a run to Lake Okeechobee! We plan to spend the summer in Minnesota. It's the best time of year to be in the Midwest!

Balancing Interests

We are on the adventure of a lifetime, cruising aboard our Alberg 35, S/V Mystic! We left Lake Superior in September of 2016, making our way across the Great Lakes and down through the Inland Waterway to the Gulf of Mexico, crossing the Gulf in April. Along the way, we've had a few long layovers and a few "detours" but mostly, we've been living life on the boat, visiting new places, meeting new people and enjoying new experiences.

Each time we stop and stay in one place for a while there is an adjustment. The cruising life is very different from our life on land. There are so many things that we enjoy off the boat that are not available to us while cruising. One of these things is running!

Since 2009, we have run 13 marathons, and many, many half marathons and 5k races. Training for a marathon is grueling work and takes a ton of time! When we are cruising, we are obviously not able to run very much. This makes it nearly impossible to train for a marathon!

Beth, Dave and Yolanda Moody at Wineglass marathon
Corning, NY. October 2015

We spent most of winter 2016-17 in Mobile, Alabama where we were able to run consistently. When we set off to cross the Gulf of Mexico, we were forced to stop running. Our journey kept us on the water with short layovers (overnight) and no time or energy to devote to running. It's discouraging how quickly we lose our base training and how long it takes to get that base back when we begin again. That base is what allows us to run with ease, increase our speed and build stamina.

Dave and Beth at Dog Watch Cafe
Tuesday Night Fun Run

We are currently on a detour that includes Minnesota and New York City with a side trip to my hometown, Mystic, Connecticut. When we arrived in Minnesota it had been a month since our last run. I signed up for the Mystic 10k race in Connecticut and desperately needed to work on base. I was able to get a few five milers in along one of my favorite courses, McKusick Lake in Stillwater, Minnesota.

McKusick Lake ~ No alligators here!

The Mystic Half Marathon and 10K Road Race has a gorgeous course that starts at Mystic Village, passes Mystic Seaport on the way to downtown, then follows along the popular River Road. There is a half marathon course as well. By the time I turned the corner at Coogan Boulevard at mile six, I was really thankful that I was not running the longer half marathon distance!

Mystic Train Station

Mystic River Bridge

Dave Kayaking along River Road

Mystic Seaport View from River Road

Mystic Seaport Day Sailors

The Eddie Maxwell at Mystic Seaport

Many of my friends are also running the Mystic 10k and Half Marathon. I found Bill Jones who has run several Ragnar Florida Keys Relays with us on Team Boner! Bill ran the Mystic Half Marathon, completing it with a PB (Personal Best) time. Congratulations to Bill!!!

Beth and Bill Jones at Mystic Half Marathon & 10K Finish

Team Boner at the finish line Key West, FL
Dave, Beth & Bill Jones on Right

We enjoy long bike rides too. We have road bikes at home and have ridden most of the trails in Minnesota and Wisconsin. We brought folding bikes aboard Mystic and we ride when we are in port. Often, biking is our only transportation for provisioning. We have found some really cool bike trails along the way!

The adjustment we go through each time we leave the boat and then return is not a bad thing. It is, however, a balancing act; a transition from slow to hectic, or hectic to slow. It's a passage from one extreme to another. Everything in life, just like running, moves slower and takes more effort until we make the adjustment. It's a balance that keeps us on our toes.

The City That Never Sleeps

We are in New York City; the Big Apple, or more specifically Manhattan. Dave is here for the ICFF trade show (International Contemporary Furniture Fair). It's May, but the temps are reaching into the 90's. Being in an asphalt jungle, makes it feel even hotter. I went for a run in Central Park, leaving early to beat the heat of the day. It caught up with me around 10:00 am though.

After lunch, I went for a walk on the Highline. It was more of a meander because there were so many other folks who decided it would be a good thing to do on this hot May day. There is a lot of artwork along the route. Each time we visit, the art changes, and this time there is a bonus; blooming gardens. I ended up covering 13 miles today. I don't know what I was thinking!

New York City is a unique place. It is popular with people from all over the world. As a national center for the arts, entertainment, finance and politics, it is known as the city that never sleeps. It is also, quite dangerous! While I was roaming around I saw a young woman who stepped out into a bike lane and was taken out by a cyclist. She would be ok but suffered a head injury. Later in the day, a young man, struggling with mental illness, drove through Times Square hitting over 20 pedestrians before crashing into retaining bollards. A tourist from Michigan was killed. A disturbed man, frequenting the subway, was approaching women to grope them before running away. There are shootings, stabbings and attacks every day! You have to be aware of your surroundings at all times; it's disconcerting!

Statistics show that the crime rate in New York City has actually dropped since the 1990's. Police are present and available just about everywhere, however the reality is, life is random. Things happen to us every day that could have been avoided had we made one single different choice within the day. Sometimes it's just about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We each have to live within our comfort zone. Dave and I choose to live large, with reasonable safety in place, rather than live our life in fear of what could happen. We are careful while also attentive and engaged. If we lived our lives in fear we could never be having this cruising adventure.

The NYC High Line

University of Wisconsin Madison Arboretum

It's time to leave Mystic for our next detour. She will be safe at Anclote Harbor Marina in Tarpon Springs. We are driving back to Minnesota in a rental car. As luck would have it, we will go right through Madison, Wisconsin where our daughter, Brielle, lives. We haven't seen her since January so we are very excited. The plan is to get settled at our hotel then meet Brie at the University of Wisconsin, Madison Arboretum. Brie tells us that the trees are at peak bloom. We find that she's got that right!!!

Variations of apple, crabapple, cherry and lilac trees are bursting with color and perfume. If only we could capture the scent on film! There are many people walking through the beautiful grounds with us. We come across a flock of wild turkeys. They are feeding on treats they find in the grass; focused on gorging themselves rather than the humans nearby.

Like our daughter, we never tire of visiting the University of Wisconsin Arboretum. There is a serenity here amongst the natural beauty and wildlife. It is a respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Kind of like sailing!