October 25, 2011

Wow, it is almost the end of October and we are just a few days away from launching the Morning Star.  Living in northern Florida in October, the weather is delightful, but the evening are starting to get cooler. Some nights have been cold. The lows are dropping into the upper forties lower fifties. October days are delightful and with very low humidity.

This is the start of the sixth week Rich and I have been staying aboard our boat. Our plans are to have the Morning Star put into the water tomorrow and stay at the dock until the canvases are done. We are supposed to get storms at the end of the week and I do not want to take the boat home to the Ortega Yacht Club Marina in any storms. I want the day we take our boat home to be sunny and beautiful. I prayed for beautiful weather the day we head to OYCM and God's Angles to watch over us. Perhaps I will see a Dolphin. This is Halloween week and I know for a fact many more demons roam freely.  I asked Jesus for His Devine protection on our journey. I asked Him for no wind unless the afternoon sun gets too hot.

It has been six years since I was a first mate. We are hoping to see an alligator in Black Creek. We may stop there for a night. The trip is only 50 nautical miles. For me it would be like crossing Oneida Lake and coming straight back. I want to get use to the Morningstar and gain my confidence back. Of course in the evenings I would love a gentle breeze to come inside the Morningstar.  I am looking forward for the opportunity to open up my port windows and feel the clean night air blowing around my head.  It helps me sleep. I love those windows and even though I was not looking for a boat with them the Lord read my heart and I am so happy about my nautical port opening windows.  This boat has five opening port windows with screens.  Three are in our guest stateroom, two in our gaily (kitchen), and one in the main bathroom.

Rich took the rest of this week off because the dock master is leaving Wednesday night for a wedding and he will not be back until Monday. Although it has been fun living here three days a week for the past six weeks, Rich and I want to get back to our home and family at the OYCM. We are not able to bring Lucky with us here in dry-dock. We can't lift him into our boat. Lucky is so sad when we leave the house. He starts getting nervous when he sees us bring out bags to the Durango. I am thankful that Rich and Vande are keeping him for us now. We are looking forward to getting our life back to normal and bring Lucky aboard.

Rick asked Tom the dock master if we could stay at the dock until the canvas man finishes our boat.  Tom said “yes”. So here we are waiting for the canvas to get done.  When we stopped at the shop Adam was working on them. He said he has been working all weekend and is trying to get the work done. Adam works slowly but his work is beautiful.  He gives you just what you asked him for. Adam is also making me a dark blue carpet to fit the upper bridge. I also asked him to make a hatch cover for the hatch in the front of the boat.

I think Adam plans to install the piece he made for the large windshield curtains later this afternoon. Right now I have curtains Shirley made for the inside windows and they have been working very well for us. Without them on the front of the boat Rich and I would have been living in a glass bowl. I guess it is time for me to vacuum the boat. We will be moving into the water tomorrow afternoon.

Our new view

Be Blessed!

What an enjoyable weekend.

Who would believe staying at a dry dock could be so much fun.  Our friends Penny and Alan came to visit us on Saturday and brought us some delicious Italian Biscotti Biscuits. It was making us home sick to be back at the OYCM. I forgot to get a picture of them.
After weeks of waiting we finally  have some new canvas on the Morning Star. The bimni top is completed and also one curtains for the sundeck. Adam only left the side curtain on the sundeck because I was so impatient and asked him everytime he came if he was leaving the pieces or just measuring. The canvas work is going along slowly but Adam is doing a beautiful job.  He said he would be done this week.

On Saturday morning the artist who was going to do the boat lettering arrived and painted the name on our boat.  It is exactually what I wanted and I am very happy with it.

Be Blessed!

I’m writing this aboard the “Morningstar”

Today is going to be exciting. Despite being disappointed for the last two week, the canvas man is coming this morning to install the bridge canopy.  He took the old one off two weeks ago. The boat lettering person is also coming today at four pm today.  This man is an artist and will do the lettering and star free hand. I know it will cost us a lot more than vinal letters but I really want the name to be special. I found the font I want to use and a picture of the Morning Star.  The font is going to be difficult to cut out because it is an Old English type of writing. I went to two different sign places in Palatka and got ideas but I did not feel comfortable ordering.  I knew the right person would show up. The man who is coming today does free hand lettering as well as computer cut.  So I am so excited. This is the star and font.

Morning Star   

There is a chance we could be leaving Gibson Dry Dock next weekend if the canvases are done.  The Morningstar needed immediate repairs on the bottom and on her engines. We don’t’ want to bring the “Morningstar” to her home port at the (OYCM) Ortega Yacht Club Marina in Jacksonville Florida without her name reflecting proudly the beauty of her design.  Rich took off the old name “Mutual Fun”. That name was special and brought special love and memories to Jim and Shirley but the Morning Star is our boat now and we know the Lord has plans for us.

The canvas man just came but only to be sure the measurement are right for the bridge. I was able to get a few pictures. 

He took off the sundeck cutrains to work on them this week.

Rich got the back of the boat prepared for her new name

Rich and I chose the name “Morningstar” because we wanted to honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We wanted a name that would honor God and still not turn people away because they think we are “crazy” Christians.  I found a scripture while reading my Bible one day and knew it was the perfect name for our boat.   (Rev. 22:16) “I Jesus have sent my angel to testify to you these things for the churches.  I am the root and the decedent of David, the bright Morning Star.  I am not into the gods of the sea.  How could anyone be when Psalm 93 vs. 4 says The Lord on high is mightier and more glorious than the noise of many waters.  Yes, than the mighty breakers and the waves on the sea.  What an honor to name the Morningstar after my Jesus

Lucky has been staying with Rick and Vande while Rich and I are away working on the Morningstar. We head to Palaka on Thrusday morning and come back to Rick's on Sunday night. I bought a life vest for Lucky in size extra large.  It was too big for him and he doesn't like it to much. I had to take it back to get a size large

 We won't be heading to Jacksonville this weekend but hopefully next weekend. Be blessed!

Enjoying Dry Dock time aboard the Morningstar.

I love fall and pumpkin faces.  Pumpkins always remind me of my earthly Father. My father’s birthday was October 28^th so he always loved the month of October. This adorable little pumpkin brought warm and love into my heart when I first glanced into his cute little face. So I wanted it, but I talked myself out of getting it. When I got back to the boat I was sorry I didn't buy him. I said “Oh Lord,” I loved that little pumpkin.  I'm sorry now I didn't buy it. If you want me to have it than let Rich have to make a trip back to Lowe’s sometime this weekend.  A few hours later, Rich discovered he needed something from Lowe's so I told Rich about the little pumpkin. When we got to Lowe’s I ran over to the pumpkin display.  All the small pumpkins were gone. I was shocked. I looked all around the area and spotted a small pumpkin all by itself upside down.  I grabbed it and said to myself,” I am so glad I have you.”  The pumpkin replied back to my heart, “I have been waited for you to come back all afternoon. I had to slide myself over to get out of the box to wait for you to come back for me.”  I picked it up my little pumpkin and held it proudly in my hands. Thank you Lord for letting me get this pumpkin and having your angles guard it until I could return to Lowe's to buy it.   

Rich and I have been spending the last two weekends aboard the Morningstar. We went on a sea trial with Jim and Shirley on September 23rd and decided to buy the 36’ Sundeck Senator Trawler.  Shirley drove the trawler to Gibson Dry Docks in San Mateo, Florida and we had the boat hauled out.

.  We haven't been able to get Lucky aboard the Morningstar. The only way into the boat now that it is in dry dock is up two flight of steps.  

 

So now the Morningstar is out of the water awaiting her new transformation.  Rich   found a way to get enough electric to our boat to run our small carry on air conditioner. He also managed to get the hot water heater working so we could take showers. We are having new canvas made for the sundeck and upper bridge, Rich removed all the windows in the main bedroom.  That was a job that took him most of the weekend to do.  Rich brought the windows back home and cleaned and fix them. He used a repacking seal to replace the old method and the windows will not leak anymore. This past weekend Rich reinstalled all four windows, and then moved on to his next project the engine room.

 Side window

 We hired a private contractor named Kevin to sand and paint the bottom of the boat and repair some fiberglass. This past week Kevin finished the bottom and He is still working on the fiberglass repairs. The canvas man said he will be working on the canvases this week.

Rich and I are so happy right now and feel so blessed. We are living with our son and daughter-in-law in Bryceville Florida. Rick and Vande have been wonderful hosts and we feel very loved and welcomed. We just need our own nest and so for the past two weekends Rich and I have been living aboard the boat in dry dock. My amazing husband was able to get the hot water heater working and the tanks filled with water so we could take a shower aboard. I can’t cook aboard nor will I try until Rich has a change to go over the propane cooking stove area. I would prefer electric cooking but propane is the right thing to use when you plan to spend a lot of time on the hook. For you non boaters that means the anchor.

 Our dock master from the OYCM said he might stop by Gibson's Dry Dock on Saturday to see our boat. He is very excited for us. Paul came while I was out shopping so I missed seeing him and I was very disappointed. I wanted to see the look on Paul’s face when he saw our beautiful boat.

The Morningstar is in need of a lot of hard work to get her beautiful again, but if she was not in the shape she is in, we would never have been able to buy her.

Morningstar on the hard

I asked Kevin if he knew of anyone who did boat lettering and he gave me the name of an artist who does free hand boat lettering. I want to have the name “Bright Morningstar” and a picture of the morning star on the back and sides of the boat.

The guide book says the trip along the Saint John’s River from Palatka (San Mateo)Florida to Jacksonville is supposed to be 50 nautical miles. Fifty nautical miles along the river will give us a chance to learn how to handle the boat. We plan to stay anchored out on Black Creek for one night. That will be a fun trip back home to our OYCM family.

Rich and I will be back working on the  boat this weekend. We hope to leave tomorrow afternoon and return Sunday night. To all my family, friends, and three followers, Have a beautiful fall season.  Enjoy the beautiful colors of the changing leaves. I sure miss that beauty being down here in Florida but soon Rich, Lucky and I will be living our dream.  Be blessed!