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Bear nestled in her shade cloth

A view from the cockpit under the shade cloth

Today we climbed aboard Bear for the first time since September and began to make a dent in our lengthy list of repairs and delayed maintenance projects. While I worked on the list below, Jeff tackled a bunch of other jobs. Though we are both self-sufficient workers, it is always nice to have each other close by when you need a second opinion or a helping hand. I enjoy the time that we work through maintenance issues on the boat together. We both learn a lot and equally delight in conquering technical and mechanical problems.
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Sandhill Crane

We have spent the last week visiting with family in Florida. Tomorrow we will drive up to St. Mary’s, GA to spend the next few weeks working on SV Bear. She has been on the hard since early September and we are looking forward to seeing how she has hibernated.
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New monogrammed towels and cutting board – mom said we needed something classy!

This holiday season we have been reminded of how lucky we are to have parents who support our sailing adventures. Jeff’s parents in particular have helped us on multiple occasions to provision, clean, and even sail down the ICW last year. This Christmas, Jeff’s folks were again extraordinarily generous, putting a bunch of our wish list items under the tree!
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One of the first things we do when we visit Jeff’s parents in Florida is take a trip to Port Charlotte to visit Mariners Trading. This boating supply consignment shop has a wide variety of used gear as well as nautical decor. We usually leave with a half a dozen books, a new chart book or two, and something swanky for our nautical-themed bar room.

Mariners Trading 3622 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte, FL

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It has been a hectic few weeks for us, which, unfortunately has meant radio silence on the blog. While we are now relaxing in Florida, soaking in the warm sun and gentle gulf breezes, just a few days ago it seemed as though we would never escape the cold temps and blustery breeze of the Midwest. I spent the last few weeks of the semester frantically grading portfolios, hosting critiques, and preparing two new bodies of work, including images from the Female Mariners Project, for exhibitions that will go up in January while we are out of town.
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How many of you have woken up in a beautiful anchorage with a sore hip from your lousy, old v-berth cushions? Well, I am sick of it and have decided to do something about it – pronto. While Jeff could sleep on almost anything and not complain, I really want to be comfortable, especially since we plan to spend months, if not entire seasons, living aboard Bear.
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