Back at it

After our little wind delay we were frothing at the mouth to get back on the water. Three days and over sixty miles later we are in Islamorada and the east wind is once again showing us who’s boss. So here we will sit until the wind shift happens. Knock on wood (I’m sitting at a picnic table) that will be tonight. Tomorrow we are hoping for key largo and to be one day closer to home.

I the past couple days we have been graced by the presence of dolphins or porpoises (I’m not a doctor) and sea turtles and little baby sharks and beautiful birds, truly some amazing wild life. I just wish I could get the camera out quick enough!

All of our gear is working amazing. The board Joe Bark has built has proved to be exactly what we need. When it’s all loaded the waterline barely moves and it still performs as well as when it isn’t loaded. Maybe even better. The fin system provided by Larry Allison Race Fins has made the board even more high performance allowing us to stay tracking in tough conditions and drive forward with each stroke. Then of course there is our paddle. We are using the Werner Fuse. It’s a new design by Werner and it performs. The power phase of the stroke is completely different and we felt like we are getting more out of every paddle stroke which is so important with all the extra weight.

All of our electronics were provided by Jamestown Distributors of Bristol, RI. They have become an essential part of our daily lives. The keys are not the easiest to navigate and the Garmin GPS has made that task so much easier. Not only in giving us the general lay of the land but also putting labels on places, distances between points, tracking speeds, distance travelled, and just about anything else someone in the middle if nowhere could ask for. To charge that and the other devices our Powerfilm Solar panel has been working great when the sun is shining and we aren’t on the water. I’m waiting for a calm day to try to rig it up while I paddle. Don’t worry we will get a picture. And of course our SPOT trackers are keeping our parents at ease and letting all of you know where we are. Thanks for following us!! We did have one malfunction with that the day before yesterday when mike’s began sending off the distress signal. They are designed so that you have to remove a tab to set it off. Mike didn’t remove that tab. So after a few phone calls to some supervisors we got it taken care of. Hopefully.

All is well. Thank you all for your words of encouragement. One day at a time.