Jos And we thought our months here during the height of Covid were interesting… It’s been an even wilder ride this time around during our stay in Florida. We arrived in the dark on Thanksgiving 2021 (after motoring straight through from Jacksonville because the Cement Plant anchorage is no longer public), anchored in the Halifax River, and enjoyed time with friends. David even got to help some friends deliver their boat to Miami (Cuban sandwich from Versailles! Awww yeah!).
Uh oh…
Then, on the 20th of December, David woke up with a bit of jaw pain and decided he needed to get to a hospital (telling me I should not cancel my Monday morning client meeting, of course). So, he pull-started the generator (I need my Mr. Coffee) before climbing down into the dinghy; then, pull-started our recalcitrant outboard and made his way to shore. I do not know how all the pull starting while in the midst of a cardiac episode(?) did not kill him. He got to the car and started driving to the VA center in Orlando (an hour away). However, upon further reflection (and a bit more jaw pain), he decided that discretion is the better part of valor. He chose to go 10 minutes to Halifax Hospital in Daytona instead of the hour to Orlando. It was a good call. He had a heart cath that sent him to surgery for a double bypass (So now he’s a CABG Patch Kid. Har har har).
Well, he’s not dead yet… (cue Monty Python)
Operation Save Tocino…
We rented our friend Steve’s house for the recovery. Of course, it would happen that, while David was recovering, our Tocino fouled her anchor and ran aground. Happy fucking New Year! David had just gotten out of the hospital a few days before and had to watch ‘Operation Save Tocino’ through binoculars from the shore. I, our friend, Ernst, and a bevy of volunteers had to get her floated again. Great success! Then, with the help of Ernst, his wife, Melinda, and David showing off his scars, we got a slip in the Halifax Harbor Marina.
Now, after two months recovering at Steve’s house, we are getting Tocino ready to sail again. (Cleaning and laundry for DAYS!!!). We are planning and plotting an offshore route north back up the coast to New England. We’ll see how it goes.
We wanted to update you guys since it had been a while since we had posted any news about our travels (or lack thereof). One of these years, we may actually make it to the islands…
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