Lauderdale Yacht Club – Exhale on the Water

Raindrops keep falling on my head

Can you name that artist, without the help of Mr. Google? Here’s a few of the familiar lyrics:

So I just did me some talking to the sun
And I said I didn’t like the way he got things done
Sleeping on the job
Those raindrops are falling on my head, they keep fallin’

Actually, we need more rain. Lake O is so low, we can’t cross it, forcing us to take the long way around. And Canada is on fire, again. So bring on the rain!

Buttercup hates the sound of thunder. Recently she figured out how to climb onto the bed. Game over.

We waved goodbye to Tonto’s Reward at the Lauderdale Yacht club. They are heading north via the east coast of Florida, while we are heading back to Fort Myers via the west coast of FL.

There is a BIG bridge in Fort Lauderdale, when it is open it appears the architect/engineer wanted to signal it’s all okay!

Coral Reef Yacht Club, Miami

Exhale returned to Coral Reef Yacht Club, which was closed on Monday.

Security – I mean cat – Guards kept an eye out.

Here’s a fun boat name, look at that transom, it’s the image of a devilish sting ray spearing a hogfish – for Tom and Faye Turke!

Key Largo

Departing Coral Reef before sunrise we were headed to Pilot House marina, Key Largo, roughly 50 nautical miles (nm), that’s a 7-hour run at roughly 7 knots.

the sun peaks through

6:01 AM, just a hint of light in the clouds

Yes, Capt Rick is amazing, and yes, it helps to have reliable Garmin instruments.

Capt Rick, navigating before sunrise, 6:05 AM

Buttercup was not interested in the early start – If she could talk I think she would say, “sleeping is what should be happening right now.”

A little Lighthouse for Caryl

Marathon, Florida

Departing before sunrise, again. The run from Pilot House to Faro Blanco in Marathon was 56 nm. It’s still dark out at 6:06 AM

Good planning Capt Rick, as the sun rose we could see the water conditions were smooth, so far. Oh yes, here comes the sun!

Naples City Dock

Another run in the rain, we left Faro Blanco at 6:00 AM, headed to Naples City Dock for a 94 nm run. That’s 12.5 hours for us. UGH!

Smooth waters, for now, Dave Lubs. While I was running the boat Capt Rick took a nap, Buttercup decided to share his pillow. Let there be no doubt who that dog loves the most. Sorry Pamela.

Final leg – Naples to Fort Myers

Ready to be back on Wittman – looking forward to seeing Libby! We pulled off the dock at 7:45 am. The final run was 37 nm.

Yes, there was more rain! About that 1969 song, Written by Burt Bacharach, BJ Thomas recorded Raindrops are Falling on My Head. Click here to listen to this moldy oldy!

Fort Myers, FL

Happy to be back, we tied up Exhale at our home dock on Saturday, July 18.

What’s Next? We have a few Air and Land Trips planned to see family in Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Alaska – where cooler weather awaits!

Celebrating Milestones

Birthdays: July 22, Ray Houle, Julie Hildebrand; July 26, Barry Hildebrand; July 28, Diana Giraldo; August 3, Carly and Andrea; August 4, Weston Straley; August 6, Tanja Elliott is 45; August 19, Julia Goral and Alisha Silverstein.

Anniversary: July 22, Matt and Michele; July 26, Larry and Laura; August 19, Danielle and Sandra celebrate 10 years.

August 2, Celebration of Life for Mike Gillespie

For the Love of a Cat

We begin with a special message from Patches, “this is where it all began.”

Patches was a community cat – that means it was a bit of a nomad, wandering from house to house to eat the finest food, and to sleep in the best of accommodations. By definition, a community cat does not have an “owner” and, it is an outdoor cat – so a kitty litter box was not a requirement.

Patches played a key role in the courtship of Tony and my daughter Alisha (they know why), so it is deemed a “cool cat” in my book.

Cool Cat

This is a good time to share a Queen Original from 1982, “Cool Cat”, yes, that falsetto voice is the great Freddie Mercury, singing about his favorite cat! Click on the song, it’s great.

Anniversary

For the love of Patches, Tony and Alisha, are now celebrating their first anniversary! We hope you are having a fabulous trip in Alaska. Saying hello to our family and friends!

Time has passed so quickly! Thanks again to David, Gail, Craig and Maureen for joining us at the phenomenal California wedding one year ago.

July 12, 2025; Alisha and Tony got married!

Key Biscayne

Back to the boating adventures – when the heat in Florida is Opressive the sunsets can be IMpressive!

It was another magnificent sunset for Tonto’s Reward (on the left) and Exhale (on the right).

Buttercup

July 7 marked a special anniversary, as Exhale celebrated four years with Admiral Buttercup on board. Thanks Buttercup, you fill us up with love.

Adieu, sweet friend.

It is very hard to say goodbye to another special friend, the beautiful Paula Rocque. In the words of her husband, PC Greg Rocque “Paula was the best wife, partner, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend anyone could ask for. She had a gift for making people feel loved, and just about everyone who knew her loved her in return.”

For me, she was a GREAT friend, she always knew exactly what to say, to give comfort, and to generate laughter. She had a fabulous sense of humor and she NEVER complained.

You may not know that she fought and WON her battle with lung cancer. She recently rang the bell many of us know too well! She was so brave and strong willed, a beacon of light.

So, her sudden death from a stroke is simply horrible. Horrible. The unexpected loss is cavernous to her family and to all of the St. Charles community. Words cannot express the grief. We are thankful she is at peace now. Sending big hugs of support to the Rocque family.

Dr. Joe

We are also sending warm hugs to Dr. Joe, and his family, wishing you a well deserved rest.

There has been a lot of sobbing on Exhale as of late. It’s time for some good news, cheering for Craig and MO! And of course we are rooting for England, Argentina, Columbia and Mexico. Hey Pamela – “Ole! Ole! Ole!”

Here’s a little cochinita pibil, Miami style, for Ryan – congrats on the new real estate!

Celebrating Milestones

Birthdays: July 10, Jamie Hendry; July 12, Eric S; July 14, Gabe.

Anniversary: July 7, Buttercup; July 12, Tony and Alisha.

Up Next: We are at Lauderdale Yacht Club (LYC) with Tonto’s Reward for three days. Here’s a little flashback photo: Zach Silverstein, Alisha Silverstein, Holly Pilato, dinner on Exhale at Lauderdale Yacht Club, May 2025. Te Amo.

Our next stop has not been decided.

Your comments and “likes” are encouraged. Travel Safe!!!

The Key Largo Queen

A truly iconic steamboat, the original African Queen is docked in the Marina Del Mar Marina in Key Largo, FL, which is part of the Holiday Inn Complex at mile marker 100. Yes, she could use a coat of paint!

No, the classic movie was NOT filmed in Hollywood or in Florida, it was in fact filmed in the Belgian Congo also known as German East Africa. The boat was transported to Key Largo in 1982. A few years ago we blogged about spotting her on the waters, in the distance. This time, we were able to get up close to take a proper photo.

RANDOM HISTORY LESSON: Curious about the boat? The Congo African Queen was a 30-foot steam boat built of riveted sheet iron in 1912 in the United Kingdom for service in Africa on the Victoria Nile and Lake Albert – where the African Queen was filmed in 1950/51. Originally named Livingstone, she was built for the British East Africa Railway and was actively used from 1912 to 1968.

In 1951, the classic movie won 4 oscars [a special year for more than one subscriber], and, the film left an indelible print in the minds of many. We are curious, what’s your recollection? Do you smile with approval at the feisty courage of Kate, or do you recoil from the thought of leech infested waters? I relish in the memory of watching the movie with a special someone. Comments are encouraged!!

If you have not seen it yet, it’s well worth streaming (try Amazon Prime or YouTube). Here’s the IMDB description of African Queen, loosely based on actual events: In WWI East Africa, a gin-swilling Canadian riverboat captain {Humphrey Bogart} is persuaded by a strait-laced English missionary {Katherine Hepburn} to undertake a trip up a treacherous river and use his boat to attack a German gunship.

Key Largo American Legion

Post #333 is roughly 500 yards from the PilotHouse Marina. Open to the public, we stopped in for a very inexpensive delightfully cold beer. On the wall were post plaques from every state, including Alaska. Stepping inside the old post was a nostalgic moment for me because my dad, a WWII vet, belonged to American Legion Post #5 in Seward Alaska. It was easy walking (or stumbling) distance from our house. Do you remember, little sister Finny?

While drinking a cold beer I wondered, was it a good time to learn the NATO phonetic or Pilot’s alphabet? If you are a pilot, like Craig Adford, or a SeaBee, like Sideways, using the pilot’s alphabet is standard radio chatter. For others it’s a way to sound cool. Let’s be cool together.

A heartfelt thank you to all of our Vets for their service, and for their sacrifice.

Kentucky Derby Time

On Saturday, the Run for the Roses reminded us of our Kentucky based friends. This year the race was a mud-filled track, what a mess! Congrats to Jockey Junior Alvarado and Sovereignty for your first win!

A Blast from past Derbys, hello Gail Bernstein, Dale Morgan and Ann Hughes

F-1 Races in Miami

Do you favor the racing team of Red Bull? McClaren? Mercedes? Whoever your prefer, the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix was projected to have around 284,000 attendees, a record high. We often follow the races on F1-TV, typically cheering for a certain team – that did not fare well in this race.

Why did we really care?? because of the massive influx of boaters for the three-day event – think LOTS of mega yachts – the Miami marinas were booked well in advance and well after the May 2-May 4 event. That means we had to skip staying at Miami for now. Tip for boaters – research the local events – to either join in or avoid.

Key Biscayne

We spent one night in Key Biscayne, where the sunsets are spectacular. This is for Finny.

Miami Skyline

AFTER the crowd cleared from the Miami F-1 race, we slowly traversed to Lauderdale, enjoying the familiar city skyline.

Lauderdale – exquisite family time!!

Buttercup was eagerly awaiting dinner guests at the Lauderdale Yacht Club!

Special guests included the insanely talented Alisha Silverstein and her highly-skilled genius brother Zach Silverstein (this blogger’s A to Z), who are working on a new tv show based in Miami. The exquisite Holly Pilato-Scharnweber, loyal Buffalo Bills fan, and former Commodore’s Ball escort, is also on the crew.

We were very excited to host dinner on board: grilled steak (perfectly rare), Alaskan smoked salmon, roasted potatoes, fresh veggies, and a yummy salad.

Zach Silverstein, Alisha Silverstein, Holly Pilato; dinner on Exhale

MORE family stuff, just in time for Mother’s Day. Proud momma plug: In December of 2024 Alisha, Holly and Zach wrapped an incredible movie – filmed in Morocco. Last year, this blogger witnessed the phenomenal setting first hand. Final Production efforts are now underway by Angel Studios. In Theaters beginning Dec 19, 2025, let’s go see Zero A.D.!! Here’s the trailer. https://youtu.be/vWVQYdAUvb8?feature=shared. Before kings and empires feared Him, a tyrant sought to erase Him. Click here for a Special Cinema Moment, introducing Zero A.D.

Thank you to all three for making the drive to visit us in Lauderdale! Buttercup said, “Come Back again soon”.

North Palm Beach Safe Harbor – If you travel inside on the Intracoastal Waterway, “ICW”, there are 21 bridges between Lauderdale and North Palm Beach. No surprise, Captain Rick efficiently analyzed the opening times and the distance between each bridge. With a 25-foot air draft, we needed 18 openings.

Note, if there is a tug with a commercial barge the bridge tender will open on demand, off schedule. Thanks to the calcs from Capt Rick, we only had to wait for one bridge. Was it a lazy operator, or was it because of a tug – we don’t know.

Boaters Tip: listen up on VHF Channel 9!

If you opt to stay “outside”, aka along the ocean shore, you are subject to wind and waves – but there are NO bridges. You might already know, Tonto’s Reward greatly prefers to rock ‘n roll on the wild side.

Stuart – Manatee Pocket aka Mariners Cay

We have stopped here, many times, to visit Meanders. Delightful friends, easy stop, worth the trip.

MILESTONES: Birthdays – May 8, Danielle Ginsburg; May 11, Michele May Jackson; Anniversay – May 7, Ray and Caryl celebrated 21 years!

Congrats to Pope Leo. Cool name (same as our oldest grandson!)

Happy Mother’s Day!!