Bittersweet

 A bittersweet departure. 

Today we set sail for the wild north but our departure from Boot Key Harbor marks the first time in 13 years that we have left any harbor without our little buddy, Morgan. 

Morgan passed away unexpectedly last week. We are utterly heartbroken over his loss. He was our constant companion for 13  years. We have never been aboard Queequeg without him and now the boat seems so empty and quiet. 

But life goes on and now we are considering adopting an older bird if we can find one that will have us.

We had planned to finish the Loop this year bit the loss of our little buddy delayed us enough that that goal is now in doubt. We plan to stop a few places along the way that might have a rescue bird for us to adopt. We might end up spending the summer in St. Augustine, who knows.

For know we are anchored in Matecumbe Bight and hope to make Thursday Cove tomorrow. Then No Name Harbor and a passage on the outside to Ft. Lauderdale the following day. 

Wish us luck. Both in our travels and in finding a new bird to love.

Check-in/OK message from SPOT Queequeg's SPOT

Device Name: Queequeg's SPOT
Latitude: 24.87134
Longitude: -80.72519
GPS location Date/Time: 05/11/2021 16:38:00 EDT

Message: This is Mike and Bev on Queequeg just letting you know that we're OK. Click to see where we are!

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/1UDaH8/24.87134N/80.72519W

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You have received this message because "Queequeg's SPOT" has added you to its SPOT contact list and attempted to contact you.

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RIP Morgan

 Our little traveling buddy, Morgan, our beloved Quaker Parrot, passed away last night.

Morgan had been our constant companion nearly as long as we've been together. We got him in August of 2008, nearly 13 years ago. He went everywhere with us. 

We were gearing up for our planned summer cruise and planned on starting out this past Monday, Over the weekend he stopped eating. We took him to the vet on Monday to find out what was wrong. While the doc was trying to get a blood sample he had a seizure and started bleeding from the nose. Without a proper blood sample the doc couldn't make a proper diagnosis so she asked to keep him overnight. She called us this morning to say that he had passed during the night.

Now all our plans are on hold while we make arrangements for Morgan, decide what to do with his cage, toys, etc, 

We also have to make a decision about getting another bird. Do we do it now? Or wait a few months?  How can we cruise without our little boat buddy? We have never been aboard Queequeg without him being with us. The boat seems empty and much too quiet. 

Final preparations

 We are finally getting ready to make another attempt at completing the Great Loop. Just a few last minute groceries, and a few maintenance checks and we are ready to cast off.

The plan, if you can call it that, is to set out first thing Tuesday morning. We will head up the Hawk Channel to Rodriguez Key and anchor for the night. On Wednesday we head for Key Biscayne. Then Port Everglades and Ft. Lauderdale. If weather holds, all those hops will be under sail.

The dinghy is nested on deck so we won't need to tow it. We should have fuel and water for at least two weeks so we won't need to go ashore for quite a while.

The plan is to run offshore as much as possible to save time on the trip north. Then we'll take our time coming back. With my health issue it might turn out that we just get too physically pooped to go all the way, so if we end up spending time in St. Augustine or Brunswick, that would be fine too. Who knows. When sailing you can have a destination or a timetable, never both.

Our one big concern is Morgan, our little parrot. Since yesterday, he seems off his feed. We're hoping he's just anxious about our trip, picking up on our vibes. Pray that there's nothing serious going on with the little guy. His veterinarian is no longer in the area and we wouldn't know who to take him too.

Watch this space for updates almost daily. Even if I don't get a chance to write, our SPOT messenger will post our position ever time we set anchor.

Some shots from our recent shakedown. 

 

Wow! I have really been neglecting my job.

 Sorry it's taken so long. We've been through a lot since this blog was updated regularly. 

In 2017, hurricane Irma hit us. The boat was spidered in the middle of the canal and we got out of town. Spent a few days in Hudson Florida with friends then two weeks in Kentucky with my sister.

The boat survived, but suffered some damage. It was only in March of last year that we got it all repaired. Then Covid hit. 

In 2019 I had eye surgery to repair a macular hole. In September of last year, I was diagnosed with Afib.

One thing after another kept us stuck in Marathon. Now, we are finally getting ready to attempt to finish the loop. We hope to head out by May 1.

During our long layup, we built a new Dodger, bimini and sail pack. We upgraded the wind turbine with the blue blades. We also painted the top sides. .

We have a new dinghy that separates into two halves and nests on the foredeck.

Check-in/OK message from SPOT Queequeg's SPOT

Device Name: Queequeg's SPOT
Latitude: 24.72233
Longitude: -81.32129
GPS location Date/Time: 03/17/2021 15:08:27 EDT

Message: This is Mike and Bev on Queequeg just letting you know that we're OK. Click to see where we are!

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/1SikW2/24.72233N/81.32129W

If the above link does not work, try this link:
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You have received this message because "Queequeg's SPOT" has added you to its SPOT contact list and attempted to contact you.

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