USA - Miami, Maintenance, Repairs and Stocking Up

We are hanging around Key Biscayne, Miami, either just off Crandon Marina or No Name Harbor for ease of access to get ashore. Nicholas is Very busy every day with issues of Meshugga which require attention.

Just before we arrived, our Davit to lift the dinghy stopped working, and he’s had to source, buy and replace the Hydraulic system. Job done.

We had a great view of the Starlink Launch from Cape Canaveral, my first sighting of a Spaceship/Rocket launch! From our Anchorage inside No Name Harbor.

Both our Furlers for the Genoa and StaSail have stopped working. Motors are old and burnt out. Unfortunately, Lagoon Catamarans are built in France and we’ve had to import the motors as they’re not available in USA. And as he was taking the Furlers apart to fit new Motors, he’s doing a Major Service and Replacement of all Bearing, O-rings etc so we should once done get another 10 years of good service out of the Furlers.

Just to add to our problems, our Starboard engine stopped working with the Alarms going wild. Having got a Volvo Service Technician out with his Diagnostic Computer, we were lucky to find we only required a new Battery, and new Outlet Muffler box and flange. Job Done, and Engine working again!

Slowly we are making headway in getting Meshugga ready to make the trip from Miami to Guatemala.

We have a few more urgent packages arriving with much needed spares, and we await our Liferaft from the Servicing agent.

Meshugga is now 10 years old, (we have had her for 7 years), and there have been quite a few major Repairs and Replacements needed, and best we stock up now in USA with Spares as to do so in Guatemala is more expensive, plus Courier Fees, Import Duty and Sales Tax!

I have kept busy with either helping Nicholas (as his sidekick) with fetching tools, and with the my daily cycle into Key Biscayne Village to collect packages, and necessary Victualing required, either online or at the local excellent Winn Dixie Supermarket.

My E-bike with Cart fully laden with packages! I look like an Arriving Refugee.

Nicholas opening one of our many packages

Sometimes I have to return packages and on occasion it’s to FedEx, which is located in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel here in Key Biscayne. Beautiful gardens and buildings, and I was really impressed with this Vending Machine in the Corridor.

Definitely My sort of place!

Kieran, Katie and Arden also joined us for a few days whist Connor was here, so it was great to have both our Sons together with us for the first time in a year.

Ardens Life jacket

With Arden, Katie and Kieran

With Connor, Arden and Kieran

Arden of course is too cute for words at almost 2 years old, and this was her first visit to Meshugga.

I think her highlight was driving Meshugga.

Fun with her magnetic building blocks, providing many hours of entertainment.

After they all left, we went for Another Covid Booster. Our 6th Shot! Hopefully it’ll give us some immunity as we continue to countries where Medical Care is not so easy to 

My latest project is to make/sew a new Boom cover for the Main Sail, as ours is beginning to disintegrate in the Sun as the Sunbrella Canvas is 10 years old.

The start of the new Boom Cover, sewing the Bolt Rope and Zipper.

USA - Florida, MAIMI, No Name Harbor, We’re back in the US of A…..

We arrived in Miami, checked-in with Customs and Immigration, and received our additional Lithium Batteries at Crandon Marina.

It was interesting to see the In Water Kite Boarding Lesson. 

We’ve done that, not my Cup of Tea….

In Black Point, our Hydraulic Motor for our Dinghy Davit stopped working. We have been able to put the dinghy down, but we cannot lift it. So at night we tie the dinghy in the water to Meshugga with Rope and Chain. 

Safety First, I took an Uber to Lifeline Liferaft Servicing in North Miami to have our Liferaft serviced, for our trip to Guatemala onwards.

We’re back in No Name Harbor Key Biscayne and love the walks on the well maintained paths

One of the many Lizards/Iguanas sunning themselves, and scurrying out of my way

Happy Birthday Nicholas

Busy No Name Harbor

My phone rang, and it was Leslie of Now and Zen calling. Once I answered, she said, “Look outside, I’m waving at you”.

How wonderful, we’ve not see Leslie and Ralph this or last year, as both have had medical issues keeping them in their home port Jacksonville, Florida.

We popped over for Sundowners and to say Hi.

Ralph on Now and Zen

Leslie’s son David Jones and Nicholas

Leslie and me

Bon Voyage to Now and Zen, they left early next morning, are on their way to Bahamas for a visit for the rest of the season.

So nice to have fresh Flowers aboard again

Wild life on the shore, Blue Crane and Green Iguana

My e-bike and cart ashore for trips to Winn Dixie and collecting packages

Grey Sunday, with awful weather, High winds and Rain Squalls

And we’re all having a lazy day

Connor reading

Sargasso weed flooding into No Name Harbor with the Westerly winds

USA, Florida, Miami, Our Sons come to Visit and Nicholas’ Surgery

We returned to Miami as Nicholas’ shoulder did not heal and he needed surgery.

Both our boys, Kieran and Connor came to visit and it was wonderful to all be together again.

We did some sightseeing downtown in Miami

And then it was off to The Mercy Hospital 

Nicholas, Connor, Kieran and me

We visited the Coconut Grove Sailing Club who’d kindly given us Reciprocity and had a great meal with live band tunes

Two months of Post-op appointments and Physical Therapy, and the Physician was happy with Nicholas’ shoulder repair progress so we could return to the Bahamas, and continue cruising aboard Meshugga.

Just a random photo of two blue Iguanas mating