Jacksonville Air Show

What an fantastic afternoon aboard the Morningstar.

Rich and Rick

Blue Angels over flying over the Saint John's River

Seth and Jeremy

Vande and Lucky

Be Blessed!

 

The Lord is the Ankor of my soul

Today in the Jesus Calling devotional I got a visual picture of my life viewed from a boater's perspective. The Lord wants me to come to Him continually because He wants to be in the center of my consciousness or the anchor of my soul. My mind wanders from Him but the question is just how far I will let my mind wander.
An anchor on a short rope lets a boat drift only slightly before the taunt line tugs the boat back towards the center. Similarly as I drift away from the loving awareness of the Lord's presence the Lord's Holy Spirit gives me a tug, prompting me to return to Him. As I desire to become more and more increasingly aware and attuned to His presence, the length of the rope on my soul's Anchor is shortened, and I will wander only a short distance before feeling His inner tug telling me to return to my true center in Him. Wow, I love the lessons the Holy Spirit is teaching me.

This blog is just a reflecting of what is going on in my heart and what I chose to share with others. Only the Lord knows what He has planned for me so I will enjoy each moment and share important lessons as I feel inspired.
Today Rich is working on the generator and I am going to the Ortega Landing Marina to go swimming in there beautiful pool and have lunch in the club house with my friend Debbie. It is a beautiful marina and even though I will only be a visitor I will be able to enjoy the pool and have a relaxing afternoon.
Rich needs me out of the boat so he can tear up the floor boards so I gladly offered to leave. Have a nice day everyone and Be Blessed!

 

A dinghy named Spirit

We have been back at the marina for two weeks and despite the hot humid weather we are delighted to be back on the water. There will always be  more projects for Rich to do but now that the Morningstar's bottom job is completed, we are looking forward  to  taking  short trips. So his weekend we are planning on getting Lucky use to traveling, We also need to teach Lucky how to get into the dinghy from the boat.  They say you can not teach an old dog new tricks but we plan to prove that wrong. Lucky will learn quickly. Because he will want to be with us. 

We bought a new dinghy from West Marine. This one is much lighter than the AB hard bottom one, so it will be easier for Rich and I to handle it. It is another rib dinghy but only weights 110 pounds  without the motor. Our old dinghy weighted 160 pounds. We are having our 15HP outboard repaired and are going to use that one. Rich has been building the dingy davids and making the lift system, and it  is just about completed. 

We decided to name our dinghy Spirit! 

To honor the Holy Spirit!

 

 Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

 
Here are some pictures of the lift system that Rich designed and built. 

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Be Blessed!

The Morningstar is going to be launched tomorrow morning

Rich has been working at Hutckins for the last four day.  He is repairing the blisters that were on the port and starboard sides of the boat. Many of the blisters were under the painted blue strip just above the bottom paint line. He took the swinplatform off to repair the fiberglass and Seth (0urgrandson) helped Rich repair the platform.

Right now Rich needs Rick’s help to put the swim platform back on, it is very heavy for Rich to try to move himself. So Rick, Vande, Seth, and Jeremy are on their way to help Rich now. This will also give them a chance to see the Morningstar with her new bottom job.  They haven’t seen the boat since it was out of the water.

 Once they leave Rich, they are headed for the beach to have some fun The boys are going fishing and Rick and Vande are going to be pattle boarding.  Pattle boarding is the new sport they are enjoying on their family outing. They seem to love it.

I am sitting at the dinette in the motor home writing on my new surface tablet.  I am still learning how to use it. But I love it! Rich bought it for me. I have been wanting a tablet that ran windows so I have been looking for a while. I found a used Surface Pro with the keyboard, case and screen protector on Craig’s List and it also came with a breakage warranty and 22 months of free individual lesson from the Microsoft store. I have been going to the Microsoft Store for my individual lessons. So far, I learned how to use Windows 8.1 and the One Note program.

To me this quiet moment is the calm before the storm. That place between a new adventures. This is my quiet alone time and I can spend time with the Holy Spirit.  I need to ask for His help in directing our lives and writing my blog. I have always felt closest to the Holy Spirit when I am writing and by asking Him for His help I will write a blog that will give readers a moment of enjoyment. And I know our adventure stories may touch a life.  I am going to share and hope my readers are enjoying my blog.

I have learned to live in the present moment and enjoy each day because no one is promised tomorrow. Everything can change in the twinkle of the eye

Rich and I have been married for 47 years and are determined to live out our senior years follow after our dream of traveling the waterways of the United States. I look at our lives as adventures and each new thing needs to be embraced not feared.

The Bible says, “God’s perfect love will cast out all fear”! He has given us a taste of His perfect love and is driving out our fears one by one, and little by little. He is replacing it with His love, Acceptance. Joy, Wisdom, Council, and Purposes.

We spent four months living in the motor home. The first week we were parked in the Ortega Yacht Club parking lot. Then we found out the boat would need to be out of the water for two months. Two months turned into four. Then we went to, Hanna Park for five weeks in between staying in Rick’s back yard.  It was a new adventure. Life is filled with adventures if you look at it correctly. We want to get back aboard the Morningstar.  Wake up and have a cup of coffee overlooking the water. Life is good!

 In faith we are believing we will be traveling the waterways spreading the Love of Jesus and sharing the Good News Message to anyone who wants to be listening. We want to be an encourager to a very sad lonely America.  Oh America what is happen to you?

We were invited to Rick’s neighbors (Rex and Lisa's) 4^th of July party, Rick and I sang the National Anthem while I waved a small American Flag.  When we were done singing, Sherri told me I had a nice voice.  It must have been Rick’s voice she heard.  However it was a treasured memory with my son Rick.

 

In Briceville Florida, homemade moonshine brighten up a 4^th of July party.  I always have to take at least a slip or two of homemade moonshine if it is offered to me at a 4^th of July celebration.

 So far I have tried two different kinds of moonshine, homemade watermelon, and homemade cinnamon candy.

 Last time at the 4^th of July Party, I only took a sip of the watermelon moonshine because it was offered to me as we were leaving the party. This time it was cinnamon candy and its taste was amazing. I had a really fun evening, Thank you Lisa and Rex.   

Well it is time to end this post and hopefully get some pictures of the Morningstar in dry-dock at Hutckins Yacht Yard. Can’t wait to see it and take pictures!

Be Blessed!

 

 

Happy 4th of July

 

Hooray and Praise the Lord! The bottom job on the Morningstar is completed and she will be launched on Monday! It has been four long months since she was taken out of the water. I have said many times that the Lord’s timing is not our timing and for some reason He has chosen for us to remain in Jacksonville instead of traveling north this summer.

Rich is at the marina today trying to finish up the work he needs to do on the Morningstar and hopefully he will be back in time to enjoying the holiday. The Lord protected the Florida coast and Tropical Storm Arthur, it just brushed our coast with strong riptides and we didn’t ever get any rain from it.  At least not at Rick’s house in Briceville.

We left Hanna Park Wednesday morning and brought our motor home back to Rick’s house. We are parked in the front yard because the pool company is busy working on their ingrown pool.

 On Monday after the Morningstar is launched and safely back in our slip we will come back and park the motorhome in the back yard. One of the main reason we bought the motorhome was so our kids could use it while we were living on the boat.  We had to replace the two air conditioners on the motor home but now they are working fantastic.  Now that July is here the temperatures are rising along with the humidity. Every day in July has been in the upper nineties. Ugh!

While we were in Hanna Park I was able to enjoy their shaded campsites for three beautiful weeks camped under nature’s canopy. The campground has acres of is untouched wilderness preserving the memories of Florida’s original beauty. Each day I was able to walk along the lake or go to the ocean and even got to ride my bike along the quiet roadways. Yes life is good in Jacksonville!

I will do a blog once we get back to the marina. Then I will go into more detail of the work done on the Morningstar and provide some pictures.  For now have a blessed 4^th of July and remember to be thankful for the many blessings in your life.

 

Be Blessed!

Hanna Park

                          

                         June 12, 2014

Here we go on a new adventure.  I know I haven’t blogged for a little while but nothing new has been going on since my last post.  The Morningstar is still on the hard at Hutckins Marina waiting for the bottom to dry out.  We even had a second peal on the bottom done to help it dry quicker, but every week when we check on her it seems nothing new has been done. Rich put a fan in the bildge to help it dry but the readings are still saying too much moisture.

We have been living in our motor home for over three months now. Most of that time was spent in our son’s backyard. Today we moved our motor home to Hanna Park for a few weeks, because our son is having an in ground pool installed. We are hoping and praying the Morningstar will be ready to go back in the water before the pool is completed.

The drying time delay has caused us to miss out on going north for the summer and traveling the waterway with our dear friends Doug and Leslie. Even though we are very sad and disappointed that we are not traveling with them, we know the Lord has a reason for the delay.  His timing is always perfect.

So today we start another adventure at beauty of Hanna Parka and hopefully very soon I will be able to post pics of the Morningstar’s bottom job completed.  Be Blessed!

 

 

(March 16 through 23) Living in our motor home in Rick’s back yard!

 

If you need to have any type of work done on your boat, I would highly recommend Hutckins Yacht Corporation on Lakeshore Blvd in Jacksonville.   They have excellent customer service and provide you with a written estimate.   Debbie provides excellent customer service and keeps dog treats in her desk for four legged customers. 

This week,  Hutckins completed their part of the work on the MorningStar.  The contractor doing the bottom said we must wait two months for the moisture in the fiberglass to dry out completely.   The blisters were caused from locked in moisture that could not get out of the fiberglass.  Once the bottom dries out and is moisture meter tested, he will begin apply the bottom resins and paint to finish it. Brian the owner of “  Yachtbottoms” is doing the contracted work through Hutckins.

Debbie told us she received an email from yachtbottoms and Brian said the bottom work will be completed sometime in Mid May.  Then, Rich, Lucky and I will be free and ready to go wherever the Lord chooses to lead us. Rich and I are excited and ready to go exploring the many coastal waters. We will be living our dream one day at a time as the Lord leads us.  Jesus is the Bright MorningStar!  The light that leads our way!

 Rich and I really miss living on the water and I believe Lucky does too.  Lucky gets excited when we go back and walk on the docks of the Ortega Yacht Club Marina. We have been away for a month and it has been our home for the past four years.  Lucky knows when we enter the gates of the marina.  He gets happy.   

When the Morningstar is ready to go back into the water, she will have a completely restored bottom.  All of her many blisters have been peeled off and she no longer looks like she has a bad case of the measles.  Those ugly, bumpy, watery, blisters are now removed.   

Blisters can be a bad word in the boating community.  When people bring up boating topics and start to talk about blisters everyone has their own opinion.  New buyers often panic, and look at other boats because they know having blisters removed correctly can be very costly. Others see the value in the boat and understand the work needed and are willing to do the work, and they offer a fair price.   Men like my husband Rich.  Rich is the smartest man alive and if you do not believe me, just asks anyone who knows him.  Rich truly has been blessed with Godly wisdom.  It is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

When we decided to buy the 36’ Senator Sundeck Trawler,  Rich knew it might have blisters on the bottom. We were ready to overcome whatever problems lie ahead.  When the Senator was hauled out of the water, and hanging in the straps, Rich knew the extend of work ahead.

Boat repair is all part of the boating experience unless you buy a brand new boat and our Morningstar is truly almost one of a kind.  We have not been able to find another one like her anywhere on the internet.  So with the Lord’s guidance, the MorningStar will be ready to travel when the time was right.

Jim and Shirley, the former owners had the  bottom done but it did not stay out of the water long enough for the bottom to complete dry.  Blisters formed on the bottom and even a few formed above the water line.  The blisters that are above the water line, Rich will have to fix.  There are quite a few under the swim platform.  He hopes to take the swim platform off this week.

Jim and Shirley sold us the boat they loved because they knew it was going to a good home. They were not advertising their boat for sale, yet I found an old ad they posted years ago on a blog page.  One day I was on line searching for sundeck trawlers when suddenly their boat for sale popped up.  I was searching 36’ Sundeck trawlers for sale.”  Jim and Shirley are a beautiful Christian couple.

 When the Morningstar is completed, Rich and I hope to take a trip up the Saint Johns River and show them the completed boat before we leave on our travelers.  Rich, Lucky and I, love MorningStar and are excited that we are now able to fix her up and will soon be living our dream.

Rich said the MorningStar is going to drive better now that it won’t lose horsepower.  It lost horsepower because the cutlass bearings that were locked in position are no longer locked onto the shafts.  It was causing the shafts not to turn.  There was a very small space to work on the shafts in the bilge.  Most of Hutckins part of the bill was for labor costs.

Hutckins had to put new bearings in the shaft struts and have the props rebuilt.  All new hoses were put on the shaft tubes.  The couplers had to be cut off, because they couldn’t pull them off. They were frozen and did not want to move.  The bearings have be on their since the boat was built in 1987. 

Rich checked the bilge to see what needed to be done next.  He wants to put air cleaners on the turbo chargers and change the oil and fuel filters on both 250 horse 8.2 Detroit Diesel engines.  He also has to change the filters on our generator, and change the oil in the transmissions.

Rich said he needs to clean the bilge and replace the water hose that goes to the sea strainers. Then he wants to put a new light in the bilge.  The bilge had a light, but when we had the electrical fire those wires burned too.   At that time, He replaced all the electrical wiring for the generator and inside of the boat but hadn’t got to the wiring for that light.

 To get into the bilge of the MorningStar, the rug and all of the furniture in the salon need to be moved and stored. The floor boards must be taken up and then you climb down into the engine room.  When we are living aboard her that does not happen without planning. Lucky and I must be gone for most of the day.  I am sure that having a light in the bilge would be very helpful when working down in that hole.  We are so Blessed!  

Precious Lord, Please help the MorningStar‘s bottom dry out correctly.  Please don’t let us put her back into the water too early.  I really never want to have blisters on her bottom again.  I know summer is approaching and I get impatient waiting on Your timing Lord.   I know you are teaching me to wait and   You have taught me so many things during the years Rich and I waited for our house to sell.   I held onto Your Promise . You promised those who wait upon You would rise up with wings as the eagle.  They would walk or Run and not get grow weary.  Lord what a fantastic promise! I would love to rise up with eagle wings, and I know I will one day.  I will  fly up to meet You.  I will fly up to meet you in the heavens.  Lord, I love you.  You know the desire of my heart.  You see I am really trying to work on Your timing in our lives.  I want to one day hear you say to me, “Well Done My daughter,” go enter into the joy of the Lord.”

And I will walk proudly into heaven with a royal crown placed upon my head.  I will be taken by angels to my heavenly mansion where all my love ones and pets will be waiting for me.    What a home coming party that will be!  Oh what a glorious day when I see you face to face! I love you Jesus! You are the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and may your named be glorified forever!   

Be Blessed!