The Inside of Joy@Sea

...well almost. I can show the engine room later.

Top is the galley area. Below that is the Captain and First Mate's quarters, better known as the aft cabin. Further below is the saloon area looking forward, and last is the saloon area looking aft. The forward cabin and utility room are up forward. I'll try to get that soon. Marlene did a great job of decorating the interior She chose the red colors which blend very well with all the teak flooring and furniture.

More Technical Stuff about the boat

Following is a Q&A from my good friend Loren Jones from Prior Lake about the boat. Thought you might want to know the answers as well.

Loren says: "I keep thinking about your boat, which leads to a few questions.........

You mentioned it has twin diesel V8s. I assume it's a twin screw, too? Yes. Each prop has 4 blades and is 28" in diameter

Do you always have to run both engines, or can you cruise along slowly on one? I could run on one, but there is little difference in economy. Also, the transmission on the idled engine could be damaged if the shaft turns without being lubricated by engine pumped water circulation. For example, if I lost one engine and had to go several miles, I'd need to lock the shaft to keep it from turning.

What is your typical cruising speed? Between 8 and 9.5 knots. Again, for economy, this boat runs best at "hull speed" The formula is the square root of the length of the boat at the water line times 1.33. In my case that is about 8.5 knots.

What's a typical fuel flow rate for your typical cruising speeds? Not sure yet. The tanks hold 600 gallons so I haven't refueled yet. My hope is to get between 1.5 and 2 MPG.

Global Warming?

This was the snow bunny Lisa made in our back yard just before we left for the trip (the day after Easter). Sounds like more snow is on the way in Minnesota for tomorrow!

Miami Beach

We're back to big time civilization docked at a marina in Miami Beach. We left Key Largo for the Hawk Channel, crossing over to the Intracoastal Waterway at Angelcreek pass. Then we spent last night at a small harbor south of here on the hook (another way of saying we anchored out).

Marlene and I took a stroll down the famous South Beach area, including Lincoln Mall and the historic hotel district, including a few spashes on the beach itself. Lots of interesting people here.

Keeping in Touch

Marlene on the top deck of Joy @ Sea, anchored in Boot Key Harbor in Marathon, Fla. She likes her USA Today. I got this one by taking the dink (short for dinghy) about 2 miles to a convenience store.

Key Largo

Cruised up the Hawk Channel about 50 miles with ease to Key Largo on the outside of the Keys, mostly very smooth for a change. Upon arriving we determined the tide was so low we decided to anchor in the bay for the night instead of the marina. Since this is on the Alantic side of the Keys but protected by a reef, we were apprehensive about the winds and waves at an overnight anchorage. But it was tolerable and we made it fine, although somewhat bumpy in the night.

I Need a Geek! (Key West Journey)

I'm trying to send pictures to this blog but not successful so far. The new camera is taking some getting used to. But they will come, I promise!

Yesterday in Key West was spectacular! We began with Church at Glad Tidings Assembly of God, met the pastor, and was referred to a gentleman whom I interviewed for my research. It was one of those God things for sure. It was hard to keep my composure while interviewing him, knowing how this desparate man went from a drug infested life and then to prison about 7 years ago. Then, through the kind and persistent visits to him in prison, a guy at the church lead him to the Lord. His life was turned around like only God can do from people who are open. Currently he is in charge of hospitality for the church. If you want to know more about these interviews, I'm starting another blog devoted just to this research. So that way, what I have gleaned from my time will be saved on Google's harddrive and not mine. The new blog will be called First Generation.

The afternoon and evening in Key West was spent mostly on and around the famous Duval Street, a string of restaurants, stores, and museums that runs for about about a mile in Old Town Key West. Marlene got her fix of shopping, we ate great food, and I spent much of my time at the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum. Mel Fisher is the guy who headed the expedition that found about $350 million worth of gold and silver treasure in a ship that sunk in 1622 about 35 miles West of Key West.

So far the weather has been marginal for this area. Very warm and humid with a huge downpour last night. We're actually looking forward to getting further North.

Key Largo area next.....