All Aboard!!

Scott & I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary on October 3rd. Love you babe.

  After 6 long weeks apart the Schapker family is finally back together! :)  
I flew back to Florida on Tuesday & we are settling back into life together on Malaika.

Jib's back home on the beach!  All grown up too.

   Scott & Jib have already reacclimated to boat life since they have been here for awhile. I'm super happy to be on the boat...but I have been forgetting little things here & there. Like, turning off the propane when I'm done with the stove,  not running the faucet like there is a never ending supply of water, not considering the cloudy rainy skies we've had all week....

It is sooooo HUMID in Florida right now. UGH!

Which means our solar power is dampered slightly...ahhh!!!! It's finally starting to all come back to me.  Save power, save water.....
  Scott has completed so many projects on the boat. I can not believe what a carpenter/electrician he has become.

Scott doing some new wiring for our masthead lights. Basically, BRIGHT ligthts that shine on to the deck from the mast. 
 

Scott is all harnessed in & ready to climb our 52 foot mast

Going Up

Scott way up there...screwing in our new lights.

Scott's point of view. Yikes!!

The autopilot is complete...we just have to go out & test it! 

Ladies & gentlemen, I present you with our newly installed (by my hubby) autopilot. Scott also built that shelf out of wood & fiberglass...without drilling one single hole in the boat. That box has an arm that is connected to the rudder & will steer our boat based on instructions we give it from the cockpit. Wowza. Great job honey!

I'm so proud of all the projects Scott completed. I'll show some more tomorrow!!
  We've been having trouble with the internet at the marina since I've been home. It's working today so hopefully that will continue & I can do a blog at least every other day.
Love & Miss everybody!!!
XXXOOO
Love, Michelle, Scott & Jib

Viva Rocky Point, Mexico!!!

    Good Morning Rocky Point!  This is the view from our front door at our condo. Glorious! Just wanted to share some pics from one of my most favorite places on Earth.

Let's go shopping!

Mexico has AMAZING artists...enjoy some of the pottery, paintings, sculptures...it's endless...

Oooo..we need one of those parrots for Malaika....

This was one of my favorite pieces...unfortunately...no room on the boat for this..

Shrimping is a major industry here in Rocky Point...The locals pay their respects with this sculpture in the middle of the town square....

 

 

This is a little place we call "Shacks 5th Avenue"

 

Believe it or not...this is an iron sclupture...

 

Me & Dad eating some yummy tacos at one of our favorite places

 

One of my most favorite pieces of the day....

Not much narrative today. I think the pictures speak for themselves.
Love you Rocky Point.
 Love, Michelle
Miss You Scott & Jib...it's not the same without you.
XXXOOO

Desert...Is Served....

1st stop on the way to Mexico....Ajo, Arizona....need to pick up some Mexican insurance...just in case ;)

     Today I drove 4 hours south of Phoenix with my parents to Rocky Point, Mexico. Since it's Sunday, there was ZERO traffic & due to the plentiful monsoon season the desert is in full beautiful bloom!

It was such a pretty drive! I know so many people think the desert is a brown, dry, wasteland. I too thought that when I moved to Arizona from the most plush, abundant, alive, Alaska...but that is such a misunderstanding. The desert is beautiful & full of life! Just wanted to share some pics from our home away from Malaika.

If you look close you can see a gazillion saguaro cacti....Cowboys & Native Americans once rode past those....

 

  And then, we arrive to beautiful Rocky Point....More specifically...Playa Encanto. This is where Scott & I fell in love. It's also where we were married. I LOVE this place.

Playa Encanto has some of the most beautiful sunsets ever....
Going....
 

Going...

Gone.....
Love this place

XXXOOO
Michelle
Miss you so much Scott & Jib....wish you were here. Can't wait to see you....

Counting The Days....

   Just booked my ticket back to Florida & home to Scott & Jib & Malaika!!! This is my last week of work. I CAN NOT wait to see my husband & my Jibby. It's been over a month since I've seen them & we still have 2 weeks to go but the countdown begins!!!! The next 2 weeks will be very busy with  work, one more trip to Rocky Point, Mexico & saying good-bye to family & friends.
  The summer flew by...don't we always say that about a passage of time?! I'm starting to feel a bit overwhelmed about tying up loose ends & taking care of a million little details before I head back to the boat.
 This weekend I had the pleasure of reuniting with some old friends from the hospital that I spent the first ten years of my career. We hadn't seen each other in 8+ years. It was so AWESOME to see these wonderful women who are some of the best nurses/women I've ever known. Thanks for such an awesome evening ladies! It was so great to see all of you & hope we have reunion every year. Love you all.


I'll always love & cherish the 10 years I spent with these awesome ladies.

This wonderful lady..Sharon Murphy...was my preceptor way back in 1994. She taught me how to be a Labor & Delivery nurse & so much more.  She is by far one of the sweetest souls I have ever known.

My buddy Luke (the big white one..Scott's Mom's dog, who I'm baby sitting for a couple weeks) made a new friend today at my friend Janice's house. That's little Mr. Wiigo. He weighs 2 pounds. Luke weighs 100 pounds & yet...they were fast friends. :)

   It's been a busy weekend for me & for Scott as well. He is working so hard on the boat. Right now he installing a new shelf system in our largest lazerette (storage locker)...no easy task since you have to literally crawl into the hull of the boat & do carpentry. It's a hot, cramped space...he sounded so tired when I talk to him today.

This was last October when Scott was climbing into the big lazerette...Jib was just little then..always had to be into whatever Scott was doing.

 Love you honey. See you soon....
XXXOOO

In Memory

   

     Hey buddy. A year has passed since we had to say good-bye. We feel so lucky to have been the people in your life.  Letting you go was so hard. We miss you bubba.  Mr. Jesse James. Don't worry my good friend....you are in our hearts, in our minds, woven into the fabric of our lives. Your name comes up so often...

I love this picture because you can really see the love between these two...and also, I think Jesse is laughing at Scott's beard.

Best Friends...

 

 Jib has certainly helped to fill the hole in our hearts...You would love him Jesse. He is sweet & kind & he loves other dogs the best.  He wasn't a very good swimmer like you always were. We put your collar on him Christmas morning & after weeks of trying... THAT was the day he finally learned to swim.  He loves your blanket. We only gave it to him when he was a big boy & wouldn't chew it up. It was his comfort when he had his surgery. You are always with us Jesse.

              You kept your promise to be the best dog that you could be....and you were.

Our wedding. What a fabulous Best Man you were...

Peace be with you Jesse

   And we keep our promise...to never forget you.  Miss you every single day. Rest...my sweet friend.  You were so amazing.You taught us so much about love. See you in Heaven Mr. Jesse James.
                                                                      XXXOOO

B. O. A. T. Part 2

  
     Here we go again!  B.O.A.T. = Bust Out Another Thousand $$$ Scott is in full swing with our boat projects. Yesterday, after many hours/months of research, he purchased our new auto pilot system.  Cha CH$$$ng!!!   It is just mind blowing how much boat "stuff" costs. We've been full time live aboards for over a year now and made many upgrades to Malaika but I continue to suffer from sticker shock. These are not luxary items folks! These are things we really must have to get Malaika blue water ready. The auto pilot cost is pretty much the entire amount I've made working since mid-July but will be so worth it...and ultimately safer. Hand steering 18 hours across the Gulf Stream twice last year was awful. Scott & I take one hour shifts but because we are such new sailors, neither one of us is comfortable going down below to sleep. We stay in the cockpit together-- one drives, one rests, but it's not really sleeping so by the end of the journey we are soooo tired. It isn't just mindless "driving" over the ocean. You have to constantly watch the chart & compass to stay on course. It takes 100% focus.

   Plus, looking out for other boats, reefs, hazards, & it's not like driving on a smooth highway, there are waves of coarse!  Auto pilot will allow us to take our hands off the wheel, kick back and enjoy the ride once in awhile!

Pretty soon we'll be able to relax & enjoy the scenery even more...like Jib!

Once we program the coarse we want, auto pilot & Malaika will take over. So...good luck installing the auto pilot honey!   Wish I was there to help you but I'm working, making some more money to spend on Malaika! :)

It's sooo worth it!

Love & Miss you
XXXOOO

Boat Projects & Babies!

 

 

Scott & Jib are home

   So, I'm happy to report that Scott & Jib made it safely back to Malaika in St. Augustine, Fl.. They arrived yesterday to find Malaika safe & sound in our favorite Hidden Harbour Marina. Scott said he spent most of the day moving the air conditioner back into place & cooling off the boat. He & Jib have had a long hot road trip to Florida. The car we bought did get us to Phoenix & back to Florida as we'd hoped however, the a/c broke the 2nd day we were in Phoenix. The front windows of our trusty klunker do not roll down so it's a pretty miserable ride. The back windows do roll down so at least Jib is getting air...not so much up front.  It sucks. Scott & I have literally held our doors ajar WHILE DRIVING to get some air flow.

  Scott's new job title --- Malaika's Chief of Operations/Foreman/Mechanic/Electrician/Carpenter/and all around handy man. First job today was washing everything down on the inside. When you live in such a moist environment mold can be a problem. We left the A/C running 24/7 while we were gone to help prevent a mold takeover but somehow the power switch to our boat was turned off on the dock. Maybe Scott didn't want to upset me but, he said it was not bad at all. Whew.
  I'm still working full time at the hospital delivering lots & lots of babies. It has been sooo busy!!!  One thing that never seems to be affected by the economy is the baby business! I love working with all my girlfriends at Phoenix Baptist Hospital...I will miss them sooo much when it's time to go.


15 minutes of  down time between c-sections...time to check our messages! How did we ever live without cell phones?



Speaking of babies....our little guy recently celebrated his 1st birthday...hard to believe how little he once was!

 

Hope all is well with everyone!! XXXOOO

 

 

P.S.    The blog margins & settings have a mind of their own today...I've tried to correct them for an hour...I surrender!!! GRRRR!!!