Merry Christmas from the crew of Lucky Jack

Merry Christmas from all of us on Lucky Jack.  May 2012 be a very good year.

See you on the big blue watery road, Theresa, Mark and Sailor

Sneak Peek in the Renovated Master Bath of Lucky Jack

For all of you who are constantly asking what the new and improved Lucky Jack is going to look like...This one is for you.

A sneak peek in the Master Suite Bath.  Instead of a wet head we will have an enclosed private head.  Double vanity, using white carrara marble sinks and counter.  A separate shower with dual shower heads.  I really love the nautical mirrors and lighting.  As for the other improvements being made to Lucky Jack you will just have to wait a little longer.  I promise the wait will be worth it.

See you on the big blue watery road,

Theresa, Mark and Sailor

Georgia Peaches are in Season

Georgia Peaches in Season

Try out Peach Salsa

4 fresh peaches cut into 1/4" cubes

Juice of one lemon

2 tbsp of red wine vinegar

3 tbsp of sugar (optional, I like it without when using fresh Georgia peaches)

1/2 tsp sea salt

pinch of red pepper flakes or to taste

3 tbsp of fresh cilantro, or basil, or mint or a combination of all

if adding a combination use 2 tbsp of each herb

Combine peaches, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, 2 tbsp each of fresh herbs.

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.  Sample and adjust salt and sugar to taste.  I personally like to add a little more lemon juice.  Serve with grilled meat and veggies.  I love fresh summer fruits.  Bon appetit'

See you on the big blue watery road,

Theresa, Mark and Sailor

New AB Dingy is delivered!!!

It looks like this is how we will spend time on the water until our refit is finished.  We are really looking forward to enjoying our new dingy as our old one was a royal pain.  Mark is very happy with the new dingy.

The guys at Gulfcoast Inflatables customized the dingy for Mark, Sailor and I.  I can't wait to take it out in Tampa Bay for a spin and maybe some fishing.

One of the things we are doing in our refit is adding Mastcoat Sound Control to the hulls, followed by Rockwell Thermafiber for superior insulation.  This should reduce the amount of hull slap that we experience when sailing.

This is our Master Suite with the Mastcoat applied and waiting on the Thermafiber to be installed next.  Soon it will be home sweet home again.

We took some time off over the weekend to see the historical landmark Sunken Gardens in St. Pete.  It is a six acre botanical paradise in the midst of a busy city.   As you can see Sailor really enjoyed his day.  He always dreams of fishing.

You feel transported by all the beauty.

We really enjoy St. Petersburg, FL.  There is always something to do here.  We look forward to sailing again aboard the new and improved Lucky Jack.  Home is where the boat is.

Hope to see you on the big blue watery road soon,

Theresa, Sailor and Mark

LUCKY JACK REFIT UPDATE.

Hello everyone.  The refit is moving along in a very positive manner.  I am so excited about the end result, as I am sure you are too. 

The galley is designed and built.  All galley appliances are in.  This will be a dream galley for anyone who loves to cook on the high seas.  Granite is picked out and ready for sink, faucet and such.  The ceiling in the main salon is going to be a work of art.  The main salon and console are designed and ready to be built. 

The master suite is designed and ready to be built.  It will include a King Size Temperpedic bed.  The master bath is going to allow Mark to move around without skinned elbows and such.  Sailboats are tough on Big Tall Guys. 

For all the guys out there, we are adding extra fuel tanks and added water tanks for the long voyage to the South Pacific.  Rebuilt the engines, adding better ventilation in the engine rooms, better sound dampening and insulation in the entire boat.  We are adding an enclosure to the fly bridge to make those passages in rough weather a little more comfortable.  In the past we were quite exposed to the elements good and bad. 

A lot of thought and planning has gone into our redesign.  We lived aboard over a year and over 4600 nautical miles, so we could make better decisions on the changes we would make to Lucky Jack.  I know a lot of you keep asking for pictures and I will add some soon.  I have been following another blog of world cruisers and they have inspired me to up my blog game.  Check them out at http://sailingaroundtheglobe.blogspot.com

Just want to say hello to our Mother's and to all our friends who we miss terribly.  It will be a few short months before we are back on the water.  Be sure and check back soon for some sneak peeks of Lucky Jack's new look.

Hope to see you all soon on the big blue watery road,
Theresa, Mark and Sailor

Refit is moving forward

Sometimes it gets worse before it gets better.  We really are making progress.

This is the foam mock up of the new Galley.  The Fridge is on the wall by the door, the under mount Franke sink is relocated to under the window, the Miele speed oven and steam oven are stacked in the corner.  The blacked out window will be removed for more light.  Against the window wall, under the window will be storage cabinets with pull out trays for easy access.  We chose an induction cook top and Granite counter tops.  One of my favorite parts is the huge uninterrupted work space that doubles for a space to layout the large navigation charts.

I am very excited to have the sink located under the window.  I have chosen a fabulous gourmet faucet .

This spacious corner will be our future dining area.

This corner will be our Salon and Mark's much wanted comfortable sofa.

You can't tell right now but this will be our spacious Master Suite.

Forward is our very spacious luxury shower.  To the left is our double vanity with vessel bowl sinks.  If you have ever wondered what is behind the walls of the boat, here it is.  We are installing a sound dampening material to reduce the wave slap sounds on the hull, then a layer of insulation for better thermal protection.  It is a very interesting and educational process to see the boat in the bare bones state.

Hope to see you on the big blue watery road soon,

Theresa, Mark and Sailor

Miami Boat Show 2011

Mega Yachts galore, but we spent our time shopping for items and products for Lucky Jack.

Mark was so happy to get the Cruising World calendar girl's autograph on the February and March issues.  Sailor's picture made it into both issues. 

Service dogs that live on boats.

The boat show has more than just boats...The World's first Turbo Diesel Motorcycle.

Mercy, another service dog that lives aboard a sailboat.

Mark loves the show Deadliest Catch, so I couldn't resist getting my picture with Russell Newberry.

After days of looking at boats, shopping for products and talking about nothing but boat stuff it was time for some Miami Beach therapy.

We always love our time in Miami but all good things must come to an end.  What a beautiful goodbye.  Back to St. Petersburg and back to the refit of Lucky Jack.

Lucky Jack refit underway

Our Beautiful Lucky Jack's refit has begun.  The demolition is in full swing.  The galley, ceiling, dining table, coffee table, forward stateroom and all heads on the starboard side have been removed.

This is where our old galley was.  The plans for the new galley are to open up the space and have a chef's dream galley.  My lovely new Franke sink will be a dream.  It will be a pleasure to cook aboard Lucky Jack when this is complete.  More details to come soon.

This was the forward stateroom on the starboard side.  It will be the home of our new large luxury shower with steam and a nice bench.  A double vanity with vessel sinks and lots of needed storage for linens, towels, etc.  Mid ship will be our enclosed head and room for a washer and dryer, a real luxury on board.  The master stateroom will have a king size Temperpedic mattress and maximize storage with drawers and built in wardrobes.

It is easy to see that we have a nice amount of space for the new layout.  In the next few days we will do a mock up in the space to get a feel for the new and improved layout.

Out with the old and in with the new.  Old appliances and cabinets have been removed.  We are looking at Miele appliances for the galley.  An induction cook top, a microwave/speed convection oven, dishwasher, trash compactor, disposal, new fridge with freezer drawers and a steam convection oven. 

We removed our beautiful outdoor table to protect it during the construction.  It will get a new coat of varnish and look brand new when reinstalled.

Our Yanmar engines have been removed.  They are also getting a facelift of sorts (Clean and tuneup).  The most important reason for their removal is to remove all the old green foam and replace with hush cloth for soundproofing and making for a much cleaner look to the engine rooms.  Our ventilation system is also being improved.  The new system will improve airflow and make sure no saltwater can enter the engine rooms.  Currently in heavy following seas we get a substantial amount of salt water in the engine rooms.   Not good for an engine room.

This is the fly bridge and the old seat is going away and making room for a new Captain's chair.  We are removing the table and storing it while we have a Bimini top with enclosure made.

This is just the beginning.  We have loved our first year living aboard and with the improvements we are making our Lucky Jack will truly be Home Sweet Home.

Ta ta for now and I can't wait to see you on the big blue watery road, Theresa, Mark and Sailor

Grenada, West Indies

Mary and Michelle the night before returning to Dallas.  We had a blast and look forward to your next visit.



Mark is in heaven, a snow cone vendor.



Golf lessons at LaSource.

Salty sailor look.

After our golf lessons we spend the day pool side at LaSource.  It is a fabulous resort with many amenities.



This cool looking boat is a rehab program for troubled Dutch teenage boys.  They live aboard, learn to sail, maintain the boat and learn about teamwork.  



It was really cool to have trick-or-treats in Grenada.  Carley is my favorite little girl.  She come to visit often and loves playing with sailor.

Where the sun is warm and the times are fun - Grenada

Mary and I in Grenada.

The beautiful Concordia falls in Grenada.

Mark's going to jump...

Mary, Michelle and Mark in the tropical forest surrounding the falls.

The Mark's.  Home of the special Mark's Spicy Rum Punch.  It has a secret ingredient that is rumored to help your love life...

Our friends Susan and Andy on Maggie May.

Nibbles and drinks with Jill, Andrew and Henry.  These guys have been around the globe on their sailboat.  Now they live in Grenada while Henry finishes high school.

We really enjoyed our time in Grenada and met many fine people.  Hope to see you all again next hurricane season.

See you on the big blue watery road,

Theresa, Mark and Sailor