Hitting the Road!

Almost everything is packed into the trailer and there are only a few items remaining to put in the vehicles. We are ready to head out in the morning. Our first stop will be Monroe, Louisiana to visit a friend over New Year's and from there... onward to Florida and our new life aboard the S/V Iron Jack!! There were a lot of times in the last 6 months that both of us had doubts this day would ever arrive... but now it's time to 'hitch up the horses' and head for our new home. Adventure beckons!

LAND SOLD----FLORIDA HERE WE COME

Finally the airstrip is sold and the last of the garage sales are done. Now the hangar is open to anyone who wants the left overs.
The new owners are excitedly making their plans to finish the hangar home to their needs and desires.
Jeanne is busily sorting and packing plastic containers with what we "think" we will need. A lot of memories have disappeared as things that we thought we would keep forever are now long gone. Lots of pictures, mementoes, trophies, books (LOTSA BOOKS), craft projects, man tools(BOO HOO) have left never to be seen again. Hopefully we have saved what we will need on the boat. Looking at the containers I KNOW it will not fit on the boat, but we'll have more to sell and give away before finally leaving Cocoa for points south, then east, then north to the Bradenton area for the spring and summer of next year.
Many changes and addition will be done this winter to make the boat more cruising friendly. Among the list is solar power, isolation transformer, new nav equipment, updated charts and safety equipment. The list grows as I sit here typing the lastest news to our, at present, one fan, Maratha Warner, who has inspired us to get with the program and get out there and enjoy the world through sailing. Zee has also been a great friend via the internet and a hoot to follow on her blogs and on Sailmonster.com.
Jeanne and I hope to arrive in Florida before the new year begins. Wish us luck and a safe trip..

Labor Day Weekend, 2011

It has been several months trying to get the property in Texas sold, so here we sit still in Texas biting our nails so we can get to Florida and get started on upgrading Iron Jack ready for winter cruising in the Gulf and islands to the south. Had one buyer make the mistake of crashing his Cessna 172 when trying to land for the first time. Luckily no one was hurt, but the airplane was a total. A really nice couple and it looked like the one to buy the property and complete it to their satisfaction. Iron Jack is not forgotten, as my brother, Fred is checking it regularly and keeping it clean and making sure the motor and transmission is warmed up and exercised at thhe dock. I have a diver to clean the bottom every 4 weeks to the growth down so that when we get ready to haul it will not look like a jungle. I did purchase an inflatible dinghy that is 8'6" long. Now I need a light weight 4hp outboard so Jeanne can load and unload the dinghy and motor if I am not around to help her. (Your crew should be able to handle everything, right?) Come on guys agree with me.

Time is getting short

Well, it is now June 6 and just a few days from another birthday. I think we have had the last of the hangar/barn sales. Considering I was crazy enough to plan one for the Memorial Day Weekend, we did fairly well in getting rid of a lot of stuff that will never be needed on a boat and I don't care what size boat you have. It is official, Jeanne has sold her vacation cabin and has a firm committment on her house. So it looks like I am the one holding us in Texas as I have not had an offer on the land and hangar/home. Good gracious where are all the pilots that want their own airstrip; I need to find you NOW! We have several offers on my old Ford tractor and loader. If I would have know how many want to be farmers and ranchers there were I would have been out collecting and repairing of tractors as a business. Next on our list is finding good homes to 4 kitty cats and one long in the tooth Lab. It is going to be rough letting them go, but life on a sailboat would be to hard on them and on us. Maybe the next several weeks will see us closer to our goal of getting to Florida in July.

Memorial Day Update

Well, just a little note to let you know what is going on with Iron Jack. It sits lonely in Cocoa, Fl while Jean and I continue to hold garage sales and pare down on life's accumulation of goods. We have had garage sales for the last 3 weekends and because we made the mistake of scheduling one on Memorial Day weekend we find it necessary to have another one. Everyone who might have been a buyer must have been at the lake, the ocean, the mountain or in their backyard with the BBQ grill going full blast. Hopefully NEXT weekend will see a lot less STUFF in the hangar.
Jeanne has sold her small cabin and has a sure thing on the sale of her home. Unfortunately my deal on my little airstrip has had a little fallout as the potiential buyer and his wife had a LITTLE trouble when they came and crash landed on the property to the north of mine. Really and totally destroyed the classic straight tail C-172. The good news is that for all the damage to the plane there were only very minor injuries, a large bruise on the wife's left forearm along with a small scratch, the husband was even luckier with 2 small scratches on his right hand. They are a nice couple and I do hope they continue flying. Now they have the excuse to get a little faster plane.
My brother, Fred is still checking on and keeping the boat clean and useable at the dock, while I keep making lists of equipment and plans to update the wiring and equipment. Following the weather on the laptop I see that Cocoa is at least 5 to 10 degrees cooler than Dallas. Hopefully we can get the airstrip sold and get to Florida by July. It's only May and Texas is in a heat wave--yuck. At least Cocoa will have a little onshore breeze to make it seem a little cooler. Enough to this for now, see ya later.

S/V Iron  Jack

This is the story of a Charles Wittholz designed 39' steel cutter sailboat based at the present in Cocoa, Florida.  Bill and Jeanne are the new owners and are at present adding, changing, modifying or doing it our way to get the boat ready for fall sailing in southern Florida and points south.  As with all boats everything needs to be checked and rechecked, spare parts ordered and stowed, systems checked and rechecked, changes made to electical and mechanical systems. It all takes time and hopefully not a great deal of money.  I have on previous boats maintained the KISS principal mainly because of the last letter of S (stupid).  I really should say ignorant as I DO learn, most of the times.  So feel free to follow our little adventure as we learn and do what many have done before and what many want to do NOW.