That night Rachel set the oven on fire.

So, we sail across Choctawhatchee Bay (near Ft. Walton) and all is going well. We find a nice spot to anchor for the night and I decide to bake muffins, because I'm convinced that even on the sea I can be a domestic goddess. I spend an hour getting the oven up the right temperature (it heats by a single alcohol flame), then half an hour trying to keep the oven at the right temperature while they bake. It was a struggle. And the muffins were amazing.

The oven's temperature nob before

A few minutes later Mom yells "Mike! It's...On fire!" and we all turn around to see the oven burning. Dad whips the oven door open and this foot-tall blaze shoots out. We realize that the alcohol fuel must have spilled and was burning now, so we decide to just let it burn out. So we all sit around in the middle of the bay warming our hands around this towering inferno of flames inside of our boat while we watch episodes of Lost on the laptop. All in all, a good night.

The same nob after

We're in Port St. Joe now getting ready to jump across the Gulf of Mexico to Tarpon Springs within the next few days.

The jump

This entails an overnight sail with no electricity really. No heat. It's been below freezing the past couple of nights. I live in a ski jacket, thermal leggings, a thermal top, a sweatshirt, a t-shirt, wool socks, a scarf, gloves, and a hat at all times. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed for more dolphin encounters. Two played just off of our bow for a few minutes today, almost close enough to be able to touch them. That made everything worth it. Even almost burning the boat down.


Things I have learned so far:

No matter how much you Febreeze and disinfect a boat, it will smell like a boat.

No matter how much you Febreeze and disinfect yourself, you will smell like a sailor.

Any non-fatal catastrophe will eventually be funny.

If the weather calls for a strong north wind, there will be a weak south wind. Or moderate west wind. Or no wind.

Cheese and crackers are good for every meal.

Doodles from the sea: