Anchorage Years
A Brief History of the Anchorage Years:
Sharman and I moved out into the anchorage (Coconut Grove, FL) into our 17'
cuddy-cabin sailboat
when Winn was 5 1/2 months old. We later traded that boat for a larger,
wooden 40' Chris Craft boat that had been used as a drug-running boat,
and had gunshot holes all through the hull (but we could finally move around!).
So it involved constant maintenance.
We often came home from a day shore-side to find the cabin had
a foot of water in it because the pumps had been somehow compromised.
We would bale with 5-gallon buckets for hours.
Later, after a move to shore when Jam was born, and a few mixed-up wild times,
I bought the 67' solid ferro-cement, steel cable re-enforced houseboat,
which I lived on until hurricane Andrew finally slew her in '92.
After that, I did buy a few other boats (a double-cabin sailboat,
and then a 50' pontoon houseboat which was always on a lean) in quick succession,
and then moved with Donnie to North Florida to the Suwannee River area.
First, pics from the 40' Chris Craft, and some from later.. |
 This might have been taken on the first boat we lived on. Cute Winn |
 Christmas aboard the 40 footer. |
 Winn testing out the new horn. |
 And Winn finding it more fun to play with the wrappings than the toys... |
 I still remember his laughing while playing in all the paper.. |
 Here, taking his stubborn "Yeah, I know I was naughty, but what are you going to do about it?" stance after getting into his baby powder. Notice the tightly clenched fists and stubborn expression. |
Then there was the parties on the islands there in the anchorage, and all the swimming... 
|
 |
 |
 We raised the boys without embarrassment of their bodies, and they were often found naked running wild.. |
|
|
 |
 Aren't we all so cute? |
Then moving on to my 67' houseboat... At this point Sharman had his own boat about a 10 min. row away, and we shared the boys care back and forth. |
 Winn and friend practicing their rowing. (They were still tied to the dock behind the boat.) |
 One of my favorite places was the roof, with the wonderful view.. |
 Inside my houseboat.. Winn at the guitar. |
|
 Me on the bow. |
 Winn fishing, Jam foreground. |
 I think this is Winn and I swimming, but it could be Jam. |
|
 You can see the spiral stair out the stern of the boat which leads to the roof. There is the piano just behind me which belonged to another lady in the anchorage. She eventually got a big enough boat of her own, and there was quite a party in the anchorage the day it floated down to her boat on my large dingy-dock which was tied behind my boat, while she played away at the piano. My boat also housed the anchorage library. |
|
 |
 Sharman and boys |
 |
 |
Then on the 50 foot houseboat, and my double-cabin sailboat after Andrew... |
|
 Jam at Christmas... |
 Jam |
 Jam playing with his beloved legos.. |
 and Jam some more! |
 |
|
.