Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Sea Eagle Troubles and Tampa RV Show with Friends

Wednesday January 14 and Thursday January 15, 2015
Oscar Scherer State Park
Osprey, Florida

 

 

WEDNESDAY

It was another one of those cloudy damp days.  I feel like I’m in Ohio except for the temperature which tops out at 68.  Seemed like a day to do some cleaning, so we did.  And a grocery store run, so we did.  And then since we had found a buyer for our Sea Eagle we got it out to make sure it was still in good shape but Oh what we found.

Everything works perfectly but middle of the hull of the boat was covered with stains from what we guess must be mold and mildew although some of them a rusty in color.  We haven’t had it out for a year and apparently it has suffered greatly from the seriously rainy and humid conditions we’ve been  for much of the past 10 months.  And I do mean rainy in the spring South East, all through the Summer Great Lakes and then again all through the South East and now in Florida.   Definitely no drought happening East of the Mississippi.   Word to the wise, don’t leave your Sea Eagle unchecked in its bag for extended periods of time like we did.

 

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In any case we tried everything we could think of but we didn’t have much luck.  We haven’t given up but we did cancel selling it at least for now.  We called Tim at Boats4Less where we bought the Sea Eagle and he wasn’t very encouraging.  We then called Sea Eagle and they suggested soft scrub which we tried and Tilex which we haven’t tried yet.  If any one else has any other good ideas for the heavy boat fabric, Please let us know.

 

In the middle of this, our friends Nancy and Bill arrived and were so happy to escape the South Carolina cold they didn’t even mind the dreary skies.  Bill whom we affectionately call Mr. Clean, also tried his various tricks on the Sea Eagle stains but no luck.  Thanks for the efforts you two.

They had done two 300 mile days of driving to get here and away from the cold so we invited them for dinner.  But they are pretty demanding dinner guests.   LOL

Since these are our fellow vegan friends we didn’t have to worry about how they would feel about meatless spaghetti and a huge salad.   Once the food was on the table it was all smiles. 

 

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David’s medicine did come today and so he’s back on the cancer treatment track.   This is the group pills he took at bedtime.  Amazing isn’t it?   But way better than the alternative for sure.

 

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THURSDAY

It is another gray chilly day so biking or beaching doesn’t sound like the thing.  Instead, we leave at 8:30 to drive up to the Tampa RV Show in Bill and Nancy’s brand new F-150 truck.  I can’t believe I didn’t get a picture of this shiny new truck with a tall cab cover.  I have serious truck envy.

 

We arrive safely with Bill at the wheel, get our tickets and hit the first vendor building.  I should have taken a picture of the crowds at 10am and then again at about 2pm.  BIG difference.  By 2:00 you could hardly walk through the place.  The only thing Nancy and I could find that we needed with a great map of the Ultimate trip to Alaska which we would both love to do.

 

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We see a number of people we know before I think to take out my camera and get some pictures.  I’m too busy laughing at some of the stuff for sale and the comments of my companions.

Outside the skies are still gray and the crowds are relatively thin but it’s early in the day.  

 

 

I am amazed when someone calls my name and there is Page who comments on my blog and her husband Bob.  They have ordered their Air Stream and hope to be on the road by June.  I liked this close up picture of them but they also wanted one of them in front of the freightliner chassis.  They tell me that’s their truck.   They are pretty excited about getting on the road with the perfect rig and truck for them.  It is always wonderful to meet people who comment on my blog.   So glad you stopped to chat Page!

 

 

The entertainment around the “grounds” is quite interesting.  Lots of “musical acts”.   I wish I’d gotten a picture of the guy rolling around in the gondola singing “Oh Sol A Mio”.

 

 

This guy was playing trombone.  Muted when he was inside.  His partner is propelling the ship down the street.

 

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I love the little retro trailers.  I didn’t get a chance to go inside but IF we go back tomorrow that will be top on my list.   The Tampa RV show tickets are $9 each with the $1 off coupon from the web.  They are good for two days.  Smart move on their part so rig buyers can come look, go home and think about it and come back the next day to buy without having to pay again.

 

 

 

We stop briefly by the “Vintage RV section.   David is walking away from this one that I think is just the right size for Bill and Nancy to tow to Alaska with their new truck and leave Baby behind for a rest.

 

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He is headed over to the new rig Nancy is thinking they really need.  I mean it has fishing poles already right outside the door so they would be all set.  She’s knocking on the door to see if the owner is ready to sell.   As you can see, Bill isn’t getting anywhere near that thing.

 

 

 

 

We are headed over to Heartland to meet some friends of Nancy and Bill’s.   Sharon and Dave show us around the Heartland 5th wheel we “think” they may have signed a deal on after we left.  Don’t they look happy.  It was wonderful meeting them and sharing their excitement as they begin this great adventure.   They are starting out at the age I wish we had so we think they are doing everything right and wish them all the luck in the world.  Hope to see them down the road.

 

 

 

 

Then it’s time for lunch.  Here’s the scenic spot Nancy chose for us.  What do you think??

 

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We wander around though the other vendor building looking at this and that.  They get info from Blue Ox, we get info from Demco.  Three of us try on new sunglasses.  Only two of us buy any.   After about 5 hours we’ve had it and decide to head out.  But on the way we stop by this interesting trailer.  Doesn’t this look like a great tent in the sky for them to pull to Alaska?

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It was a seriously fun day with great friends.  But that’s all folks!

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26 comments:

  1. We talked about going today but we are going to skip it this year.

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  2. We've never been to is, but it's on our bucket list.

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  3. I have heard good things about this big RV show in Tampa and it looked like you had a good time checking out the goodies and meeting new friends.

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  4. I knew Page was going to the show and that they had finally decided to get their Airstream. We looked for them, but never saw them. Glad you got a chance to see them. It looks like today might be a better day to go...I see some blue skies peeking through!

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  5. Great post about a FUN day!!! Yes, David and Sharon sure look HAPPY!!! Dinner was fantastic and we are thrilled that David has drugs again:o))) That sure sounds strange to say... I'm seeing the sun at our campsite. It has been a long time coming!!!!

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  6. What a great day!we would like to go to the Tampa show some of these years

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  7. What is going on with the cloudy skies in so many places? Our girls have talked about the "dreary" days in Texas...which is known for its sunshine! Of course, we are used to it where we live. Love that you enjoyed the camping show... probably lots of innovative ideas to make life even easier. Happiest, though, to see the success in getting David on his meds. I see he has a colorful, bountiful collection. Hoping for days filled with sunshine in Florida from this point forward. We are leaving on a sun-chasing adventure tomorrow and returning in time to celebrate my brother's 80th birthday.

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  8. Looks like a good place to go on a gray day. I love to wander through the RVs critiquing along the way. Some are way cool, some I just have to wonder about the design. But it's always fun to dream, and meet friends along the way. I want to do Alaska too but it will have to wait until I'm retired so I can go in summer. Glad David's meds arrived.

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  9. How fun that you ran in Sharon & Dave. Bill & Nancy were at that rally too. We haven't seen them since the rally in April, but keep up on fb. What a beautiful rig if they choose it. Always fun to run into other "Rodie" friends and fellow bloggers. Many of our Class of 2014 is at that show. Sorry David has to take all those pills, but glad they help! Did you try hydrogen peroxide and/or baking soda? Sounds like a permanent stain, bummer.

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  10. Told Dave "I can't believe that" when I saw that you had gone to the RV show. . .doesn't really seem like your thing at all. Glad you had a great day with friend though.

    Thankful that your David got his med situation straightened out, and can get back on track. . .wishing you guys all the best on that front!

    Hopefully, the sunshine will reappear soon. . .

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  11. I really enjoy visiting the RV shows and see all the various rigs out there. I am thrilled that I leave thinking I didn't see anything I like better than what we have ( at least to this point).

    Thanks for sharing your problem when you opened your Sea Eagle. We have one, also, and haven't had it opened for awhile. I think we will open today and check it out.

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  12. So glad David is back on his regimen! Looks like you 4 had a great time at the show! We've never been...don't want to be tempted :)

    I sure wish I could offer some help on the Sea Eagle issue. We didn't have a problem with that. I have read for tough stains to make a paste of peroxide and baking soda and apply and leave on for a couple hours, then scrub. Repeat if necessary. If it's mold/mildew, the peroxide might bleach them out. Good luck!

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  13. Oh, the Sea Eagle. As you probably read some years ago, ours got stained in the flood. The river mud seeped into the bag and sat there. We too called Tim and Sea Eagle and nothing worked. We tried Soft Scrub, Magic Eraser, Comet, bleach, and nothing helped. It still floats, but it's ugly :) Looks like you had a good time at the show. We know a bunch of RVers that are there.

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  14. We have some stains on our Sea Eagle from the red Georgia clay around Thurmond Lake. Nothing take them out, not even Awesome cleaner, which is the strongest thing out there. I just chalk it up to the coast of boating.

    Nice that Nancy and Bill have come to visit, they are so much fun to be with. I can just imagine going to Alaska with them, it would be a hoot the whole way up and back.

    Thank goodness David has his meds, what a relief. I can't believe how many pills he has to take, does he use a couple of gallons of water to wash them all down?

    One of these days we'll get to the Tampa RV show, we've been to Quartzsite a couple of times but never have made the much closer show in Florida. We have to change that.

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  15. My daughter swears by Mr. Clean Magic Erasers for any and all stains she encounters. I haven't had as much luck with them, but I don't have to patience to stay with it. They aren't expensive and you might just try one - you can always use it on something else if it doesn't work on your Sea Eagle.

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  16. Hi Sherry,

    It was so fun meeting you and David at the Tampa RV show. I have been peeking in on your blog occasionally, but will be reading more now!!!! You and David radiate the passion you have for this lifestyle, what an inspiration to "Miss Newbie" me. We occasionally have these run ins with Bill and Nancy too, since meeting them last Spring. It just adds to the fun of this nomadic lifestyle. Thanks so much for the time and effort you put into your blog , it is fun reading, awesome pics, and a wealth of information. Safe travels and hope our paths cross again sometime soon.
    Michele

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  17. It might hard to get deep stains out of the Sea Eagle without damaging the fabric:(

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  18. That's a lot of pills.

    And a road trip to Alaska would require a lot of advance homework!

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  19. Love the cinderblock chairs. My father would have been proud to see that picture.

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  20. No way do I want to look at RV's after finally deciding on our new rig a few weeks ago. But it sure sounds like you had a great time with good friends! :-)

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  21. What fun you have with Bill and Nancy! Such interesting entertainment at the show. It truly is a lifestyle to RV and neat to see and meet friends along the way! I have no Sea Eagle advice (I'm no good with stains) ;) I hope all goes well with that lot of meds. So many pills-I hope Dad will continue to feel himself. xoxo

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  22. Fun thing to do on a non beach day. We've been to several RV shows and always enjoy them. That's a lot of pills - how does David leave room for dinner? Well we're off to our winter reprieve in a few minutes.

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  23. You know that stain is not coming out, so get some waterproof fabric paint and "customize" it with a manatee - and charge extra! We're not vegan but if someone else cooks for us we enjoy every meatless bite :-) Wish our RV show had such fun strolling entertainment - love that. We had fun looking at some of the vintage trailers at the Pomona show, but it was still so hot in October that we didn't see them all. I love the staging they do with all the antique textiles and camping gear. When we do Alaska we want to get a small camper for the trip - love that little trailer :-)

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  24. Must've been fun to see all the different RV's! Glad you got to spend time with your friends
    xxxooo

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  25. It was great to finally meet you, David, as well as Nancy and Bill. We were there Friday as well. Guess it was just serendipity that we ran into to you when we did. We managed to eat vegan - Sweet Tomatoes is our go to dining when we are at the show.

    Came home yesterday. Ready to get rid of more stuff!

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  26. Thanks for all the tips on the Sea Eagle stains. I will continue treating in a series of tests once we get a sunny site and some sun for a couple of days - not today though. Of course we will let you know if anything works or at least what works best. I always enjoy the Tampa RV show - the new ideas, the friends and all the rigs we are glad we don't own.

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