Tag Archives: boat

Youth Day at the Lake Makes For Fun Photos

June 29, 2008 – 4:29 am

I have been a little off on my postings for the week this past week because my schedule has been so crazy. On Wednesday (18th) I spent some of the day at the Youth Day at the Lake event where, obviously, our youth spend most of the day at the lake.

Nothing can totally prepare a 40ish body for the amount of energy it takes to spend the day with the youth. I met them out at Lake Martin where I thought I would take a few shots of everyone hanging out at the lake. I arrive to find two ski boats and a wave-runner (sea-doo) and several inter-tubes.

Youth Day at the Lake

Youth Day at the Lake

I was able to get some shots of all the activities (see complete shoot here) and they all had a great time (how could you not). I was completely exhausted and wondering where the energy I had to do these things went. Although I did get a little burned, even with SPF 75 on, I thoroughly enjoyed doing the photography for and of the youth that day.

Thanks for a great afternoon everyone.

By Scott Fillmer | Posted in Journal, Photography | Also tagged church, images, ski, youth | Comments (0)

1979 Morgan Out Island 33 Sailboat in Orange Beach // For Sale

June 3, 2008 – 6:44 am

Morgan Out Island 33 For Sale

This is probably the saddest post I could make on this blog but we have come to the decision that we can not keep up with our house here and the boat we love down at the coast.

I will be posted more photos and information as time goes on but you can look through this blog and all the posts and history of the boat to know what we are selling. It is a 1979 Morgan Out Island 33 in great shape. We had put a lot of hard work into her since we purchase her in Tampa in 2006. The only issue she has at all is the 50hp Perkins motor needs a new head gasket. The Perkins has been serviced, a new heat exchanger installed, filters changed, and she runs GREAT. Starts right up every time, but she does need the header gasket replaced.

Comes with all sails and equipment needed to take an off-shore cruise to the keys or Bahamas. I will post the latest survey soon. We did not have one done as we did not continue the coast guard registration process. Along with all the normals for a boat this size, it also has a GREAT marine a/c and heater unit. We used this all summer last year and this winter and it works great. It is a very roomy cabin, perfect for a live-a-board with the headroom and sleeps at least 5 comfortably. The interior is very clean and in very nice condition. Floors and wood work on the inside are in great shape. Two water holding tanks that hold about 50 gallons of water, a 35 gallon diesel tank, working head and fresh water shower.

To see the history of the vessel please visit the history page, you can also see the most recent survey as well. We had not completed the name change so it is still technically called the s/v LAUGHALOT. The boat is located at the Bear Point Marina in Orange Beach Alabama. You are more than welcome to visit the marina to see the boat. The current asking price is $19,500. The current NADA price is about $23,000 but we have discounted the header gasket work that needs to be done, which should only be about $1500 or so. The marina is VERY nice and the slip is very reasonable at $350 per month, which includes electric, water, phone, and cable.

Any questions at all please let us know through the contact page above and I will be happy to return your email. You can also ask your questions through the comment box below and I will post answers there publicly.

Here are some recent photos.

Morgan Out Island 33 For Sale

Morgan Out Island 33 For Sale

Inside the Cabin

Click to continue reading “1979 Morgan Out Island 33 Sailboat in Orange Beach // For Sale”

By sailing | Posted in Coastal, Journal | Also tagged ebay, morgan, sailboat, sale, Travel | Comments (2)

Moving Sailing Blogs Together and Moving On

January 1, 2008 – 5:22 am

This blog is a continuation of a blog started on the different sailboats we have had but the focus will now be on the S/V Island Zephyr, a Morgan Out Island 33, which we plan to take coastal cruising in and around Alabama, the Florida Keys, into the southern islands and perhaps up the East Coast by the end of hurricane season 2010-2011. Previous entries will be related to other sailboats and when we purchased, what was at the time, LAUGHALOT.

Entries past this point will be on the preparation and maintenance of the [soon to be] s/v Island Zephyr to ready her for cruising.

[update 06-01-2008] Well, admitting defeat is not always a bad thing, we can’t get the repairs going and do not have time to be able to spend restoring the boat to what it needs for a long water crossing.  We will spend some time camping and hopefully someone else will take the boat on and sail it like we wanted to ourselves.

By sailing | Posted in Coastal | Also tagged preparation, sailboat | Comments (0)

On a Sea Plane, Snorkeling, Dining, and Shopping Key West Style

July 15, 2006 – 6:40 pm

This was one of the most special trips that Deborah and I have ever taken in our life.  Not because of the destination, but because we made the whole trip a special time of recommitment to each other, and we did it together, in a place we both love very much.  I will never forget this trip, it was one of those special moments in life that you know is special when you are there, but is impossible to re-create again later.

Being able to just focus on each other was a great gift and we both had a fabulous time together.

The trip to Dry Tortugas National Park

Scott and I love to snorkel and there is a wonderful place to do this in the Keys called Dry Tortugas National Park . Our day began early with a half day trip out to the park for some snorkeling and sun. The last time we went out to the park we took the Fast Cat boat.  This time we decided to take the Seaplane through Seaplanes of Key West. This turned out to be a great decision. We were treated to an aerial view of Key West and other keys as well. On the way to Dry Tortugas and back we spotted sharks, sea turtles, shipwrecks and even passed a biplane with rider. If you ever have the chance to go the seaplane is our recommended mode of transportation to get there.

Fast Cat

Our plane on the right. (yes, the little one)

Aerial view of Key West

Dry Tortugas National Park

The outermost wall that surrounds the moat is where most of the snorkeling is done. You are allowed to snorkel outside this wall about 200 ft out into the ocean. There is no snorkeling within the moat, but there are some very happy, super large fish that live there.  When you are at the fort you can also take a tour of the fort itself. We have taken the tour before so this time the trip was all about the water.

We have come out here several times before and have pretty much snorkeled around the entire fort.  You can see from the image above how beautiful the water is around the moat wall, this time we just stayed in one area that we enjoy out away from the rest of the tourists and boat traffic.

Aren’t we cute?

Me

Fish

Sea Turtle

Sea Turtle close up (Yes, we were that close and he was that BIG!

Scott, having a discussion with a Grouper

Tony & Maria Valles (our seaplane companions)

Here we are, sunburned and smiling.

Dry Tortugas Lighthouse

Cuban “boat”

Cuban Refugees from the Plane as We Signaled Down to Them

As we took off from the park to head back to Key West our pilot informed us that there was enough time for us to do a fly by of the light house which is out on a separate island. When we flew by the pilot noticed a boat (if you can call it that) on the shore that he hadn’t seen the day before. We circled around again and the pilot told us all to be on the look out for any people waving from the island.

We were able to see several men waving shirts at us and after a few more passes we were able to count at least 6 Cuban refugees. Since this island is located so close to Cuba many refugees end up on this uninhabited little island and have to be picked up by the US government. The pilot made one last pass over the island after calling in the situation on the radio to the proper authorities, waggled the wings of the plane back and forth as if to wave at the men and then we were off headed back to Key West.  The pilot was signaling to them that he had called the Coast Guard and someone would be there soon.

This experience especially touched Scott and I because we once again realized how amazing it is that we live in the country that we do and how privileged a life we actually live here.

Shipwreck

Biplane with rider

We arrived back at the hotel for some quick showers and a little rest then it was off to Duval street for some food and fun. Our dining experience for the evening was at a place called the Tree Top Cafe. The food was fabulous and the restaurant is indeed upstairs and nestled among the tree tops of Duval street. We ate a rather early dinner and had the entire place to ourselves.

Shopping was next on the agenda and so we were off to walk the length of Duval street going in and out of shops, not looking to buy anything in particular, but mostly just taking in the different characters we met along the way (and there were many). Our evening was topped off by sharing a piece of Key Lime pie at Margaritaville , Jimmy’s place.

By Scott Fillmer | Posted in Travel | Also tagged deborah, florida, keys, marriage, plane, scott, snorkeling | Comments (0)