18. November 2, 2018: Our First Days On Our Boat in Pensacola, EPIRB/MMSI numbers and more!

November 2, 2018:

Here we are as we leave Chuck and Donna's. We are motoring our boat for the very first time!

As you can see from this video, we started off without our life jackets, but soon put them on. We left the canal near Chuck and Donna’s home (east of the nature preserve), and turned west. The bridge was in the distance, and we already knew that we easily fit under it. Suddenly over the radio we hear “Sailboat approaching the I-98 bridge! We are a barge coming through on the other side! Please give way!” We tried to see a barge on the other side, but couldn’t. The man came on the radio again, and repeated his message more urgently1 John went to hail him on the radio, and our radio died! John pointed south and told me, “Go that way!” as he ran downstairs to the instrument panel to fix the radio. It’s a very wide body of water, but soon I noticed our depth gauge….10….8…6…5…”I’m turning around!” I yelled to John as we scrunched through some mud with our four and a half foot keel. John came upstairs and grabbed the mike again…and hit the “on” button which he had previously bumped to “off”. The radio came to life, and we heard a woman say, “This is the sailboat near the I-98 bridge. Come on through!” Big sigh of relief! It was a different sailboat by a different bridge! After that, we made our way under the bridge and to Palafox Marina with no more emergencies!

I quickly learned that I do NOT like the chart plotter on this boat. It is the original “Classic” 1996 Ray Marine, and too small for my liking. We found our way into Pensacola Bay, and docked surprisingly well at Palafox Marina's fuel dock, where we put 46 gallons into a 50 gallon tank. (We also have a 40 gallon fuel bladder, which was full). We were told to go to slip D-7, and we went in fine. So Credo is safe and snug here at the marina!

I said, "Give me that boat owners smile, Captain!" And he did!

Maybe they couldn't afford a mermaid for their bow?

Then we used an Uber driver for the first time to get back to Chuck and Donna's for our truck. Very convenient! We went home to our trailer, and collapsed!

November 3, 2018:

After a walk, we took a load of stuff to the boat. There was a three foot alligator gar in the marina!

We ate at Chick-fil-A: they are definitely a restaurant that knows how to do fast food right!

One thing we want to change is Credo's name. It's pronounced Cree-doe, and it means I Believe, but to us it looks like Cred-O, something you'd find in the bottom of a kitchen sink. We've decided to name her As You Wish, a line from the movie The Princess Bride (great movie, btw!). I searched online for vinyl lettering, and found a font I liked at Signs Specialist. For $63, they're sending me three signs for our boat. I can't wait to change the name!

November 4, 2018:

After a lovely fellowship meeting in Pace, Florida, some of us went out for all-you-can-eat sushi. Sushi Masa in Pensacola is the bomb! $16.95 covers everything, even your drinks. Everything was delicious, and I can't wait until we can go back.

Afterwards, David, Aaron, Desiree, Reagan and Hartlyn visited our boat. They liked it! We unloaded more stuff, went back to the trailer, and packed some more. We saw this cool old car on the way back!

We've finished walking all the trails here at Historic Blakeley State Park, so I guess it's time to move on. We'll definitely be back!

Monday, November 5, 2018:

We winterized our Escape Pod (the trailer), and moved it to the RV Storage on Stagecoach Road here in Spanish Fort. We stopped for lunch at Arby's: we love their Mediterranean Gyros!

Then we moved onto our boat!

As we walked the docks, one of the power boats in the marina sank! It must have had a slow leak, and the bilge pump went out. Bummer of a day for the owner. I hope he or she had good insurance!

We had yummy flatbread pizzas from Jaco's, the marina restaurant, to celebrate our new home for the next six months or so. Here's us, Nikki, Teddy and Penelope tonight!

November 6, 2018:

We went to West Marine, O'Reilly's and Walmart for supplies, then spent more time arranging our stuff on the boat. Everything has to have a place. In even moderately rough seas, you don't want stuff flying all over. It really is amazing how much storage there is in this boat.

We've heard that food in the Bahamas is really expensive (a 100% duty is added to everything), so we've stashed away about six months worth of canned and dried food. Note: We were told never to bring cardboard or can labels onboard, as they can house cockroach eggs. We remove all can labels after writing on them with a permanent marker, and put stuff like spaghetti noodles in locking plastic bags. We did get a chuckle when we saw this large display in the grocery store: cornbread, ham hocks and collard greens! Yes, we are in the South!

I am NOT a fan of iCloud. I uploaded my pictures there, but then realized I couldn't access them without going through lots of download data. The WiFi is really good here at Palafox Pier Yacht Harbor Marina, so I was finally able to get all my pictures back.

We went for a walk and found the nearby Vince J. Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park with a workout area. So cool! They also have a huge bandstand in the area, the Hunter Amphitheater.

November 8, 2018:

Yesterday I fed a flock of pigeons; fun!

This little girl was so thrilled to feed the birds, but they can be intimidating!

Then I took Penelope for a walk on the docks, which wasn't a success (too many people), but we saw big Red Drums! I like the way the photos turned out resembling chalk art!

We met Sam and Erin from SeaHorse. They are ex-ranchers, and Teddy reminds him of his former dog, Tack. They now own Wally, an Australian Shepherd.

More errands today: we did get an iPad and a case for it. This will be our backup navigation system, but since the screen is so much bigger than our 1996 Ray Marine, it will more likely be our primary.

I'm working on changing our EPIRB information (Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon). One came with our boat, but it has all of Chuck's information. Luckily this can be done online. The EPIRB is the yellow thing in the lower right of this picture:

If there was ever an emergency at sea, we would flip the switch on it, and it would alert the search and rescue authorities and show them how to find us. (You can use this for land and air travel also). It is portable, so we can even take it with us in our dinghy if the boat sinks: a necessity! EPIRB registration is done through NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce). And registration is free.

Another thing we need is an MMSI number. This is a Maritime Mobile Service Identity number, (a unique 9-digit number for your vessel) and you need it if you're going into international waters outside the United States. You can obtain this number online through the FCC, the Federal Communications Commission. Note: If you are NOT required by law to have a radio onboard, AND you are NOT leaving the United States, BoatUS is authorized to assign MMSI numbers: FREE to members and $25 for non-members. (Since we are sailing internationally, our fee is over $200, so this is a great deal!) Also, an FRN is simply an FCC Registration Number, a 10-digit number assigned to a business or individual registering with the FCC. You will need to get an FRN from the FCC before you're able to get an MMSI. (You can not imagine how long it has taken me to figure this all out!)

I also went online and bought my Florida State Fishing License: yay! My birthday gifts from John were a new rod and reel, plus lures! At least I didn't put the last lure in the photos on my wish list :).

The Tuna Toast is an excellent lure, as you will soon see.

November 9, 2018:

John installed two more solar panels above the bimini for a total of 535 watts. One thing that sold John on this boat was how sturdy this bimini is: it can hold his weight and more.

It's fun when you just happen upon a banana tree--with bananas!--downtown! And I absolutely loved this public art project, as it can be moved and reused.

November 10, 2018:

John worked on our water maker again. Since he wants to install it in the lazarette of the boat, he needs some more parts. We ordered the least expensive Seawater Pro water maker on their website, somewhere around $1500. (As of 2022 it is still working fine!)

Our friend Greg brought some of his family over to see the boat (and feed pigeons), so that was fun. It's been really cold here for Florida, so we've been running our ceramic space heater. I'm so glad John brought it along! I used to use it in my classroom at Central Middle School.

November 13, 2018:

It's cold and raining again. If I had paid for a Florida vacation this week, I'd be so mad! Jim and Ronda came to see the boat, and then we walked downtown to Skopelos Restaurant. I was going to rave about it, but I see that it too is permanently closed (curse you again, Covid!). We left the pets shut in the cabin, as we were only gone for an hour. When we got back, we saw that Nikki had CHEWED ON THE EXPENSIVE TEAK RAILING to get to about five pounds of dog treats, which she inhaled. I haven't even posted this until now, as I know Chuck and Donna would be sick, as they had kept this 22 year-old boat in PRISTINE condition. I'M NOT HAPPY. (We have since repaired it, and it's barely noticeable unless you know where to look. Whew.)

We went to Southern Cross Ships Chandlery: it's where you get new and used boat parts and nautical stuff! It was a great place to poke around, and we found a jack line at about 1/4 the cost of a new one. John was finally able to install our Seawater Pro water maker. Here he is in the lazarette:

We found an engine impeller on eBay far cheaper than what the store wants, so that's a bonus. Oh, and our vinyl lettering arrived for As You Wish!

November 15, 2018:

It is 33 degrees here this morning, and it is 42 degrees in MONTANA. This is so wrong!

John is still out in this weather, installing our Rutland 1000 wind generator, which is 400 watts. (2022: This has been one of our best purchases!)

West Marine had a hand-held Garmin inReach, so we bought it. We wanted to have something that would send messages to our family if our cell phones didn't work. I signed in, got my IMEI number, and even an authorization code. I thought I was done. (I wasn't. More about this on November 27, 2018).

We met Mike and Mary Kelly on the trawler Forever Friday. They love our boat, as they used to have Island Time, an Island Packet 40. They invited us over to their boat this evening. They were so helpful, and Mary kept telling us, "Get a Rocna (anchor)!" (She said it so many times that we took it as a sign!) They also told us about Active Captain, which is part of Garmin. AquaMaps also buys Active Captain from Garmin. Since AquaMaps uses the Explorer Charts (well-known for being trustworthy in the Bahamas), we're going to get AquaMaps with Active Captain! (And a Rocna :)) Mike showed us how Active Captain lets people comment on marinas and anchorages and anything else in an area. For example, if you touch the green anchor symbol in front of Black Point Settlement on Great Guana Cay in the Bahamas, and then on the blue "i" for information, you will see 70+ comments from cruisers. One post says, "Go to the pink house behind Lorraine's Cafe and ask for Mama. She makes the best Coconut Bread around!" (Later, we found this to be absolutely true!)

November 17, 2018:

It's warm again, so John removed Credo's lettering using a razor blade and heat gun, then cleaned the surface with soap and water so I could attach our new lettering. Signs Specialist did a great job with our vinyl lettering, and their website was easy for me to design the lettering myself. (Yes, I forgot to get “Weston, Oregon” to go below the name on the transom. We add that later.)

Now, many boaters believe in having a Naming Ceremony, with wine offerings to Neptune and a scripted speech. We decided to skip that, so maybe that's why we are on our way for quite the "adventure" in the Gulf of Mexico!

John made sure to check seals and batteries:

We drove to Orange Beach, Alabama for some hard-to-find parts, and I loved the town! It's what I envision southern Florida to look like. We made several stops, and one was at Walmart. They had pies on sale for Thanksgiving. One was half pecan and half pumpkin, so we bought it. We each had a tiny sliver of both, but we plan to save the rest for Thanksgiving.

November 18, 2018 (Sunday):

Busy day! John stayed on the boat and packed, cleaned and vacuumed (it’s a Riobi!). I drove the truck to Jim and Ronda's for the fellowship meeting, and we all went to Shanghai Cottage in Fairhope. Excellent food! Greg and Caroline followed me to the RV, and I left the truck with it. Then we made several stops for things that we both needed, one of which was a Rocna anchor at West Marine. They brought me back to As You Wish, and the four of us went out to dinner at The Fish House. Fun! I didn't write in my journal what we ordered, but I remember the food being incredibly good!

When we got back to the boat, we found that Nikki had eaten the whole pie! Teddy may have gotten in a few licks, but I doubt it. She really has a food problem!