Ocean Breeze hit the water for the 2014 season on May 22nd. We had just returned from Cape Coral four days earlier. In that time, we had met with a contractor to assess repairs that would need to be made on our home in Findlay, we met with our realtor to discuss the two offers on our home, and I listed all our furniture on Craigslist. We took the four days over Memorial Day to catch our breath on Ocean Breeze and get her ready for us to move aboard in the weeks ahead.
Who knew our furniture would be gone by the end of the next week?
 |
| Sleeping on a blow up bed |
 |
| Eating on a card table borrowed from our neighbors |
 |
| Using our patio set in the Great Room |
Who knew we'd close on the sale of our house 10 days later? Who knew we'd be heading back to Cape Coral with the Corvette and the SRX hauling a UHaul trailer less than two weeks after closing?
 |
| Familiar places with friends in the Cape helped ease the stress. |
 |
| A few nights sitting on our dock in the Cape helped too. |
AND who knew Ocean Breeze would have us back aboard with a few possessions from our 44 years of marriage less than a week later?
 |
| Todd still keeps up with daily life on the computer. |
 |
| This is my galley (kitchen) |
When we came aboard from the Cape, I had stowed 8 bags of groceries and kitchen stuff from home in that space. I couldn't get through there!
 |
| We could get to our bed in the Master Stateroom |
We were able to sleep in our bed when we got back, however we had to step over two suitcases and three duffle bags.
 |
| This is usually a couch but transforms to a closet |
I had hung so much on this travel rod in our rush to leave for the Cape, I feared I'd see it on the floor when I got back. Oh yeah, for those who remember our last Loop, there's Charlies bed.
 |
| The wash has to be done |
Thank God I have a washing machine!
 |
| Charlie always finds his place |
He's so much happier. He was a nervous wreck for a while.
 |
| This is the Guest Stateroom |
Anyone who has stayed in our Guest Stateroom knows what it's supposed to look like. We are listing a bit to port these days. I think we will be taking some more stuff to the storage locker.
 |
| We do have facilities |
This is our Master Head. We were able to access it, however....
 |
| Yes, it's a two bathroom boat |
....my head (which is the Guest head), was stacked with three bags of towels and linens.
It took me the first week to compress everything into the stowage I used during the last Loop. What didn't make it into stowage was organized into the guest stateroom. I did manage to take three more bags of stuff to Good Will.
Next up is the laundry list that went to our crew that maintains everything mechanical on Ocean Breeze. That work will start this coming week. So in the meantime, we enjoyed the 4th of July holiday at our home port...Bay Point.
 |
| One of may beaches at Bay Point. This one is closest to Ocean Breeze. |
We sipped a few cold ones on the deck near the beach.
 |
| This is our channel leading to Lake Erie. |
That's Lake Erie out there. Unfortunately we're too tall to go under the bridge we were standing on when I took this picture. We have to go through the Sandusky Bay to get to Lake Erie.
 |
| Looking west toward Ocean Breeze. |
This was taken from the same bridge but looking west toward 1/3 of the marina. We go to the Tiki Hut by the swimming pool (left side of the picture above) for a cool one once in a while too.
 |
| The pool...the Tiki Hut is hidden behind the bathrooms on the right. |
Ocean Breeze is below the arrow on the right side of the picture.
We had a nice breather this weekend. Tomorrow we continue to prepare for the trip ahead. Our current date for departure is July 31st. Stay tuned...
*For those of you new to the blog, you can click on each picture to get a better view. To come back to the blog without losing your place, click the white X in the upper right corner.
