Sailing Last Mango

1-21-20       We departed Fort Myers Yacht Basin at 9 AM on 1/15 and arrived in Pelican Bay also known as Cayo Costa State Park 6 hours later. Since that time we’ve been wrestling with weather, more exactly strong winds. We moved Mango to a new more secure anchorage Saturday anticipating strong north winds and I’m glad we did as winds have since touched 30 knots. We had thought to move down to Fort Myers Beach however according to reports there is no room available due to the weather issue, so here we sit safe and secure. Mango has faired well in the new anchorage and so has her crew since there is considerably less swell.   Flag hasn't needed a change the last several days Beach crab ready for a rumble Yesterday the wind fell midday allowing the crews of Mango and Fracas to visit the beach for a walk. After exiting the dock which was crowded with departing Boy Scouts the beach was deserted due to cool temps and strong winds. It was nothing like las...

1-10-20   Sober January lasted only 10 days as it came crashing down on my body the following day. It all started off so innocently as Karen wanted to try a place called the Skybar which is an open air bar located atop a 5 story building in Fort Myers. The weather seemed to be cooperating and we mentioned that we were going there and our boat neighbors asked if we would mind their tagging along. They are a very interesting couple, Doug is from Colorado and Kayleen is from Guatemala. They apparently met down there when Doug was cruising and the rest is history. Doug spent 17 years cruising the Caribbean and Central America and since has sold his sailboat and currently living aboard a 45 foot Hatteras but misses the sailboat. I have been cooking with the solar oven made by GoSun My Baguette just out of the GoSun They have been quite tasty. Still perfecting the recipe Once the elevator delivered us to the rooftop there was a gro...

1-1-20     I want to wish a Happy New Year to everyone. Since splashing Last Mango back on December 11 Karen and I have had our good days as well as bad. Karen quickly learned to embrace what the boating gods give and accept it. When it comes to matters like this I tend to be stubborn or stupid, you make the call. There are times that I have recognized that certain issues are out of my control and I roll with it. I’ll give you an example. Our trip west on the Caloosahatchee was going perfect, white cotton ball clouds dotted the otherwise bright blue skies and depending on the winding of the river the breeze cooled the 84 degree temperature. Mango passed through Franklin Lock without any delays and the bridge tenders lifted the bridges with cheerful wishes for Christmas. Mango quietly slipped through the water towards our last bridge of the day and the happy tender squawked on the radio to make way near the bridge and he’d be ready for Mango to pass under the rai...

Great picture of Last Mango leaving Key West bound for Cayo Costa. Courtesy of Greg Wright S/V Fracas. Mango anchored at Cayo courtesy Greg Wright S/V Fracas 4-15-19 Today is Tax Day and also what Karen and I consider the beginning of the end of the cruising season. While doing any sort of manual labor you quickly learn that it is time to leave Florida, it’s getting hot and the sun will burn even well tanned skin. Each of the last several years we venture aboard Last Mango up the Caloosahatchee River stopping in little town of Labelle to strip Mango down to her summer hurricane wear. It’s no easy task as she gets a new coat of wax which this year actually started earlier in Alva Florida, meanwhile Karen washes and oils all teak down below and gets everything organized to store and unload for the trip north. We both work to remove and wash her sails, dismantle and remove the solar panels, wind generator, wash and stow the dinghy and remove all running rigging so ho...

1-5-19     Karen and I first want to wish everyone “Happy New Year”. Hard to believe next year will be 2020. I still remember Prince partying like it’s 1999. For as long as we’ve owned Last Mango Karen has been obsessed with the idea of getting bugs onboard, specifically roaches. We have rules, no cardboard stays onboard, most cardboard won’t even make it out to the boat, all books that come aboard are quarantined in zip lock bags for a few days and backpacks and bags are not set on the ground. Certainly everything is shaken out and picked through before it comes aboard. Needless to say many precautions are taken to prevent bugs coming aboard. This year we have been beset by bugs, the good news is that they are not roaches. Our little Yanmar motor, the Honda outboard for the dinghy and the water pump that supplies water to the faucets and shower have begun to give us problems. We think we have exterminated the bugs with a new fuel pump in Mango’s motor a new spa...

12/6/18     Leaving Illinois to spend our winter in Florida aboard Last Mango this year happened a bit later than normal. According to Karen we stayed up north way too long as it seemed that the cold weather came far too soon then followed by several days of snow the last one amounting to 14 inches in our little town of Kingston. Not missing this at all. When leaving our home Karen was overjoyed because the sun showed itself after almost a week of nothing but clouds. Approaching Bloomington the clouds returned and soon the sleet and snow started, by the time we reached Effingham it appeared we were in a winter wonderland with the ground and trees cover in white. It was very pretty but luckily the roads stayed clear and only wet. We had left later in the morning after attending a doctors appointment with my parents. Plans were to drive to southern Illinois or Kentucky and spend the night and get a good nights sleep. The little town of Metropolis did the...