Christmas Day continued



Ta da!!




Pedicures anyone?




What a day!  Time for a nap.



Christmas Day

What a wonderful Christmas!! 



Big surprise from Mom and Dad!!  We thought this was for mom!!  Sneaky.




Thank you Connie and Donnie!  We miss you!




Jon's new KWYC fleece.  It fits!



Yummy breakfast.  Mimosas and pastries!

Christmas Eve Dinner

So yummy!  Mom and Dad contributed tons of delicious food that we prepared on Hope.  What a great evening of food, friends, and family.

Salon all decorated for dinner

Galley full of food!

Rob and Dad enjoying Elf on TV

The whole family in the galley

Traveling to Key West on Hope

Like any old boat, there was lots of work to be done.  I spent most of the 2 day trip here below decks cleaning.  Mostly cleaning the galley.  Yuck.  Apparently fried fish had been on the menu for YEARS.  The guys took turns doing basic maintenance and repairs.  Having Jon and Terry on board made for a worry free trip.  When the starboard engine's fuel got churned up in 6 ft. seas and choked, Jon and Terry switched filters and had her running again in minutes. 


Jon and Terry raising the antenna




Check out this amazing pic I caught with my iPhone!!  There was a pod playing in the wake.




Docked at Gilbert's.  We were ready for a night of fun!



Buying Hope...

After selling our beloved Reef Runner, the wonderful Mainship, we decided that a classsic yacht was the right move for us.  Hatteras built lovely hulls in the 1960s ranging up to 50 ft.  Hope is hull number 1 of the 50' motor yacht series.  She was constructed in 1964 with a solid fiberglass hull.  You have to enjoy the beauty of a classic yacht to love Hope.  We adore her.  Of the few 50 footers in this age range on the market, Hope stood out.  She's had only 1 owner since her purchase in 1964 and the same captain for 40 years.  The owner, or rather 5 owners' whose names have not been revealed to us, are a group of billionaires who wish to remain annonymous...or so we were told by the boat's manager.  Here are some pictures the manager took during our sea trial and then departure in Ft. Lauderdale.



Captain Tatum.... his last run of 40 years on Hope

The last picture with Captain Tatum nearly brings me to tears.  Hope was his home and career for 40 years.  He knew he was ready to retire, but he still shed a few tears when we left the fuel docks without him.  I can't imagine the feelings he had.  I hope we can care for Hope as well as he did for so long.