Tiki Archaeology: Moon Islander, South Titusville, Florida - General Tiki

T TikiTomD Grand Member (6 years) Flagler Beach, FL Joined: Sep 20, 2009 Posts: 700	T TikiTomD Posted posted on Thu, Apr 7, 2011 9:02 AM Sven, thank you for the image enhancements of the Tapiti Nui crew. Pat, my wife, remains heartbroken at the loss of her friend. Several days before the start of the ill-fated voyage, An came to see her, intending to leave her pet guinea pig, but Pat had no place for a domestic rodent. I recall Pat’s Dad trying to persuade Kim Powell to carry a marine radio in case they needed to call for help en route, but Kim was a minimalist and supremely confident in his ability to deal with any situation. After all, he had as a young man constructed his own catamaran and, accompanied by his young children, sailed it from Tahiti back to the States. Nice photo, Tim, of Kern’s mom. Sure looking forward to the June rendezvous at the Mai Kai. Back on topic... Wanting to know more about that approximate 50-acre farm in the vicinity of Titusville used to supply the Moon Islander with fresh vegetables, I called Carol, the former Moon Islander bartender, to see if she knew about it. Indeed she did, indicating that it was on Barna Avenue south of Knox-McRae Drive. It took only minutes using the online Brevard County Property Appraiser’s web site to locate the likely site of Moon’s old farm on two adjacent 24.75-acre parcels at 4400 South Barna Avenue. Digging through quick claim deeds in the official record book confirmed it. The records show that the property remained in the family until sold in 1994 by Ella May Lueg, Moon’s wife. Recall that Moon himself passed away in 1984 at 76 years of age. Ella May lived into 2000, passing away at 90 years of age. After a short drive yesterday afternoon, I found the old farm site, overgrown and still undeveloped nearly 30 years from the time of the Moon Islander. An old farm outbuilding was intact but showing neglect. I didn’t venture into the property, as “No Trespassing” signs were prominently posted and it’s on a busy road with homes on the opposite side – I must have driven by it thousands of times in the past without a clue… Carol also stated that cows grazed the land there. Hmmm, could that have been the source of some of the Moon Islander steaks (see “we don’t guarantee the meat” in Chewed-out Diner... post)? -Tom

Sven, thank you for the image enhancements of the Tapiti Nui crew. Pat, my wife, remains heartbroken at the loss of her friend. Several days before the start of the ill-fated voyage, An came to see her, intending to leave her pet guinea pig, but Pat had no place for a domestic rodent. I recall Pat’s Dad trying to persuade Kim Powell to carry a marine radio in case they needed to call for help en route, but Kim was a minimalist and supremely confident in his ability to deal with any situation. After all, he had as a young man constructed his own catamaran and, accompanied by his young children, sailed it from Tahiti back to the States.

Nice photo, Tim, of Kern’s mom. Sure looking forward to the June rendezvous at the Mai Kai.

Back on topic...

Wanting to know more about that approximate 50-acre farm in the vicinity of Titusville used to supply the Moon Islander with fresh vegetables, I called Carol, the former Moon Islander bartender, to see if she knew about it. Indeed she did, indicating that it was on Barna Avenue south of Knox-McRae Drive. It took only minutes using the online Brevard County Property Appraiser’s web site to locate the likely site of Moon’s old farm on two adjacent 24.75-acre parcels at 4400 South Barna Avenue. Digging through quick claim deeds in the official record book confirmed it. The records show that the property remained in the family until sold in 1994 by Ella May Lueg, Moon’s wife. Recall that Moon himself passed away in 1984 at 76 years of age. Ella May lived into 2000, passing away at 90 years of age.

After a short drive yesterday afternoon, I found the old farm site, overgrown and still undeveloped nearly 30 years from the time of the Moon Islander. An old farm outbuilding was intact but showing neglect. I didn’t venture into the property, as “No Trespassing” signs were prominently posted and it’s on a busy road with homes on the opposite side – I must have driven by it thousands of times in the past without a clue…

Carol also stated that cows grazed the land there. Hmmm, could that have been the source of some of the Moon Islander steaks (see “we don’t guarantee the meat” in Chewed-out Diner... post)?

-Tom

Post #583789 by TikiTomD on Thu, Apr 7, 2011 9:02 AM