There are faster ways to drive from Colorado to Florida. There are more direct ways to drive from Colorado to Florida. But for pure “friends per square mile” value, you gotta drive to Florida by way of New York, Vermont, Virginia, and South Carolina. And you gotta drive some of it in a gigantic moving van, towing a car. We literally chose our hotels by looking at Google Earth pictures of hotel parking lots, to make sure we’d have enough room to turn around.
We spent a fantastic month visiting family and friends all along the east coast on our last bit of vacation before settling down and focusing on boat projects. Thank you to every one of you who welcomed us, fed us, showed us around your home towns, and generally caught up on each other’s lives after months, years, or even decades apart.
Mike’s high school friends Tricia, Michelle, and Bill from Holland, NY (population 3,401)
Excellent ciders and gourmet burgers in Rochester, NY with Jenn’s brother Jeff
Fantastic fall weekend in Underhill, VT apple picking and beer tasting with the Thompson’s and with many of Mike’s AXP fraternity brothers.
Trying out the surprisingly wonderful restaurants in Oswego, NY with Jenn’s parents.
Proving that old friends are best friends by spending several days in northern Virginia visiting the Werbels, Wolfs, and Tebbes.
Starting to really get the itch to be on the water with a very relaxing visit with Matt and Sarah Kline in Annapolis.
And making friends with the pet chickens staying with Rachel and Paul in North Carolina.
Visiting Jenn’s Aunt Mary Ann and Mike’s very first Lockheed Martin boss, Jerry Calvert in Greenville, SC.
Our final big stop before Florida was to visit Jock Covey, the previous owner of our sailboat! We had the privilege to meet his new love Sophie, meet fellow sailors and explorers in the St Mary’s, GA boat yard, and to really get excited about our next steps.
At long last, we made it to our first temporary lodging in St Petersburg, FL where we could finally explode the poor, exhausted Volkswagen, and realized we still have way more possessions than can fit on a boat! Hooray for a successful road trip!
What Floats Our Boat 
Hi, My name is Hayward Hornsby. I own the sister ship to Jock’s (now yours) 37’ PSC. Did Jock also sell you his two-piece dingy? I was hoping to hear from Jock about how that dingy worked out, as ship to shore logistics/ deck space is a challenge on these PSC 37s.
Thanks
Hayward
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Hi Hayward, nice to hear from you! Jock’s a great guy – we still hear from him once in a while. No, when we bought our boat in 2017 we also had to buy a dingy. We went with an Achilles 2.4m RIB. When we sail, we hoist it up on the deck where it just barely fits between the staysail and the mast pulpit. We also have lifter tabs that attach to the stern of the dinghy and allow it to act as though it’s a bit longer and moves a bit faster with our small 5hp motor. We’re considering upgrading to an 8hp two-stroke motor one of these days, if we can find a good used one. Good luck with your search for the perfect dinghy!
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Thanks for the response. I really try to not reinvent the wheel by capitalizing on boat-specific systems that work. Yes, Jock is a fantastic guy. He is incredibly smart, and pays great attention to detail. I suspect you took delivery of a boat in good working order. What wind vane did you inherit, and do you like it? I’m looking to purchase an Aries. My boat is “Old Crow”…hope to see you out there one day. Thanks again. Stay safe.
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To be honest, we haven’t had much opportunity to use the windvane from Florida to Antigua we’ve mainly been heading east into the wind, and we’ve relief in the electronic auto pilot if we head back to Florida in a long downwind passage, we plan to experiment with it more extensively. Everything’s up in the air right now with COVID-19 lockdowns. Check out my latest posts about curfew and border closures if you’re interested ⛵
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