Lee and Peter Sailing Trip was for Four not Two Years. Now an Italian adventure

We are anchoring for several nights in Stuart Anchorage. It is well protected but speeding power boats are making a lot of wake. When that happens the boat is rocking for a while continuously. Meanwhile we bought a new crab trap, a spring opening affair, for all of $6 and tried catch some crab without any success in this Harbor.

We have been going to a nice Cafe in downtown Stuart, they have a range of single estate coffees. The single estate coffee is produced at one coffee plantation and not mixed with another region’s coffee. It is like wine from single vineyard.

This Cafe has a exhibition of paintings on the wall and comfortable sofas to sit on. We generally work in the morning separately so by the time we come to the city via a dinghy ride after lunch, we want to have a deep conversation with a coffee.

Peter has been busy with installation of one Solar Panel on top of the boat. It looks quite nice and works well. He is going to install another Panel tomorrow. We will have enough electric from the Solar Panel all the time. Well as long as the sun shines!

The way we plan a day now, is working perfectly for Peter and I. I sometimes wake up 7 AM and start to paint at 7:30 up to 12:30 PM. I wish to put more time for painting in a day but it is fine with me at the moment. I should remember to take breaks between paintings. If I don’t take a break, I get completely wiped out in the afternoon.

We thought by now we would be ready to receive guests for extended visits. However what with the work we are doing on the boat and my painting easel and large canvases we have little room! Both aft cabins are full of equipment and things waiting installation. The joys of doing things while under way but then that is better than staying in a boatyard at home. Still we are having a great time and feel productive. On the list is air conditioner, mainsail folding pack, more windows, sun shades, rain catcher, radar, rework back lockers to hold large propane tanks, engine overhaul, insect screens, sea water at the sink to save fresh water when getting the worst of the dishes when at sea, etc etc..

This morning, Peter went to the Nautical Flea Market alone since I needed to focus on the painting in the boat. I think he got separation anxiety. I guess that we go together everywhere so this is the first time for me to be in the boat alone.

He was afraid the Coast Guard may come and want to see the papers or the boat capsizes by itself. It was groundless worries.

The flea market was not that great, he came back with a light fishing rod for casting, a radar reflector, good, and some other bits and pieces. We were hoping for some stainless steel tube and some sails.