The Good & the Bad

Sat Feb 28, 2015
Plantation Key
Islamorada, FL

I wrote last nights log too soon. Our calm night took a turn for the wild side. The wind picked up rather quickly to the high teens and from a direction that we did not have a lot of protection from. It was after dark and we heard some thumping and banging on deck. Lee went out and took an inventory of the things on deck that might be responsible. He noticed our solar shower was not there. It could not have gone far because it was tied to a halyard (rope for you nonsailboaters) . He looked up and saw it flying around out behind the boat, still tied to the halyard. He called out to me and we caught it but not before it managed to get tangled up in the wind generator somehow.  The wind generator made a loud sound and vibrated excessively. We paid a lot of money for that generator and getting to the bottom of what exactly is the problem won't be easy. It may have to be sent back to the factory. We will have to wait until Monday to reach someone where we bought it to find out more. After a few hours of wild winds things calmed down and it was a quiet night.

Sat. we slept in and got up at 7;30. We looked at our wind generator in the day light and can see it is not acting right but not what is causing the problem. We ran the motor in neutral for 45 min to get hot water to  shower. We gathered up the laundry and went to Bill's house in the dinghy and met his special friend, Sunshine. They seemed to be enjoying their time together. He talked so much about her I felt like I already knew her. They were in Bill's garden. We went inside and I looked out and saw a manatee, big one, right off his dock. Everyone went out and Lee put our hose over the edge of the dock and he/she grabbed it like a straw and started sucking. It drank what seemed like forever. Until it passed gas several times. It did not seem at all concerned we were all hanging over the dock watching it.

We went back inside and visited, snacked on key lime muffins, delicious, and visited some more. Us getting to know Sunshine and she getting to know us. Easy to see why Bill likes her so much.  We played a game called Crimes Against Humanity that we had gotten for Xmas. We stayed til after dark and could not get the red/green running lights to work and before we made it out of the canals Lee lost the white light over the back of the dinghy. We sure seem to lose a lot of stuff in the water. We made it back in the dark and have plans to meet for lunch tomorrow. We will probably head north to the Biscayne Bay area Mon. as soon as I pick up the CD and report from the hospital, with the hopes of heading to the Bahamas Wed or Thur. Of course that depends on the weather.

Double Delight

Fri Feb 27, 2015
Plantation Key
Islamorada, FL

I spent a several hours last night up sick instead of sleeping so when morning came and I was mostly better I took a nap. Pretty much slept away the morning. Early afternoon we took a dinghy ride to Bill's house. As we made our way slowly through the canals of houses we came up on 2 big manatees. They were close enough to touch. They did not seem afraid or in a rush to get away from us. They seem such gentle animals. That was the highlight of our day.

 I swept up some leaves the blow yesterday scattered around and we moved a pkg he had gotten to a less conspicuous place, and collected his mail. Then we filled up our 2 5gal water jugs and went to get propane since we were not sure we would have enough to get back to the boat. We got the gas tank on the truck filled up while we were at it. We thought Bill  might be coming back to the Keys today but did not see him nor have we heard anything from him today. We also stopped at the ATM and got money for entry into the Bahamas. We are not sure if we need to have cash for that.

We returned to the boat and Lee did some cleaning on the water line again. Think it is a never ending task. Most of the water behind the door has dried up and some of the moisture under the freezer is drying to. The drawer still won't go in without sticking tight though. We sprayed soapy water on the connections and tank valve and did not get any bubbles so we think that it is not leaking. Maybe Lee just didn't get it shut tight and it was leaking off. We will continue to watch it. Today was fairly calm and warm and partly sunny. Is this sounding repetitive? Kind of like cold and snowy for the mid and north Atlantic states. Not gloating just making an observation.

Trouble Comes in 3s

Thur Feb 26, 2015
Plantation Key
Islamorada, FL

Today was a problem solving day. We had brisk winds last night in the teens and for the first time since we anchored here we got rocked to sleep. Did not bother me, felt good, but think it disturbed Lee a little. It was brisk all day until almost sunset then it calmed to 4kts. We are expecting some light rain tonight and tomorrow. Still low 70s to 80 for our temperature range, but humidity has picked up.

I decided to see if I could tell why my one big drawer in the galley was sticking so hard I could not always get it open. When I took it out I saw the wood above and beside the drawer was very wet. It appeared to be coming from our freezer. We emptied the freezer and saw no cracks or any where water could have gotten out except the drain which should not be a problem. We ran the drain and not much happened. Replaced all the frozen food, we could eat for 3 month. Then Lee decided he wanted to see the wall behind the freezer which meant looking behind the master suite door. When he moved the door back the wall, mirror, and floor were all wet. It would appear this is a major condensation problem. I have insulated the bottom and top of the freezer with additional insulation but do not think that should have caused any issues. We are leaving the drawer out and the door away from the wall and going to see if it gets better or worse.

The bilge pump has an automatic setting and a manual setting. It does not cut off when it is on auto so we have been running it manually everyday. Lee talked to the folk at Water Witch, which made the electronic bilge switch. They say that the switch that is installed is not sufficient for the pump that it is running.  They think that the contacts welded together and that is why it will not shut the pump off when on auto.  A call to Island Packet got the usual voice mail menu without an option to talk to a person.  We left a message requesting a call back but they close at 3 on Thursday and are closed on Friday, so I guess it will be Monday before we hear anything from them, if then.

There is still the mystery of what is happening to the propane. It was so bouncy and windy we did not try to hunt the leak, will tomorrow if it is calm enough. We will try the old soapy water makes bubbles where there is a leak routine. In the meantime you never know if you will have enough fuel to get to where you are going and back in the dinghy.

We never left the boat today. It would have been a wet trip the way the waves were kicking up.

Another Waiting Day

Wed. Feb 25, 2015
Plantation Key
Islamorada, FL


This was kind of a nothing day. Lee did a little cleaning on the exterior stuff on the boat. I did a little cleaning inside. We read and napped and laid in the sunroom. We took solar showers in the afternoon when the water was good and warm.  One 4 gal bag does 2 brief showers.  Then we took the dinghy over to Bill's house to refill our jerry cans. Once there we decided to go eat at Chads  A place we went with Bill last week.  Lee had tonight's special, meatloaf and said it was the best restaurant meatloaf he ever had, the portions were huge too. We headed back to the boat just before sunset  The wind had started to kick up a bit.  It has been glassy calm ever since we anchored so to feel a little sway and hear the wind sounds odd.

We are starting to study the charts and guide books for the Bahamas. Looks like we will have plenty of time to do it before that elusive "weather window" arrives. We seem to be losing propane. This time the tank was turned off. We need to investigate that tomorrow and figure out the problem.

Rude Awakening

Tues Feb 24,2015
Anchored off Plantation Key
Islamorada FL

Today started early. With a thud and violent rocking at 5:30 am. It was pitch black. It was more than someones wake by far. We both woke up, Lee went up on top and looked all around. The water was as still as a farm pond, no boats insight, no ripples in the water. We both thought we had been hit by another boat. There is a lot of traffic in the day time near where we anchored, but none after dark. The only thing we can figure is a manatee hit us. If we had been off shore in deep water we would have expected a whale. Whatever happened we neither got back to sleep.

At 6;30 am Lee listened to the weather guru Chris Parker again. Today he seemed to think it could be 2nd week in March before a good weather window for crossing to the Bahamas came. Getting impatient but will not cross Gulf Stream at a bad time so we wait...

I got a cold shower (sun showers take about 3 hrs of daylight to warm up) and left at 9am for the local hospital. Now that it is over I can say about the 2nd week of this boat trip I found a lump in my breast. This is the first chance I have had to get to a walk in clinic. There do not seem to be Doctors Care and Urgent Care like we have at home.  I got in to a dr and he saw me and ordered a mammo and ultrasound which I had done this morning. The doctor called at 4:30 to let me know it was fine. Just a fibrous mass. I was sure it was not cancer but it made sense to have it checked just in case.

We made a few stops while we were on land for miscellaneous odds and ends and came back to the boat. Lee realized while we were in the dinghy that he forgot to turn the propane tank off yesterday after we used the dinghy and about 8 of the 10 pounds it held had leaked off. Tomorrow we will have to go get it filled again. He has a bad habit of not turning off, or closing up things when he uses them. This one could cause him to have a long row when he is where propane or transportation to replenish it are hard to come by. We have Bill Sears generosity to thank for having transportation to get propane, groceries, to the hospital or we would be hiring a taxi after we dinghy to shore.

Comedy of Errors

Monday Feb. 23, 2015
Tavernier Key
Tavernier, FL

Still anchored in 5ft of water off Tavernier Key. Temps about 70 for low, 80 for high, sunny. Hard to believe it is February. We decided to put out the sun shower. We had one many years ago but no idea what happened to it. We recently purchased one for this trip because when you do not have shore power you only have hot water when you run your motor on idle for an hour. We did not notice when we bought it that it did not have an on/off lever. Our old one years ago had a spout you turned on and off. So we went out to lay it on the deck , fill it , and lower the hose thru the bathroom hatch so you could stand in the shower to shower. First we got our 5 gal jerry jug and started to pour water into the shower bag. Then we remembered there was no way to shut it off and it was probably running out the end in the shower below us. In the rush to get the clamps we had brought on deck to shut the hose off Lee knocked the lid to the jerry jug over board  He frantically said, quick we need that, get something. We do not have a net on board and you could never have caught it with a boat hook. He yelled it is still floating, think of something. I said, Swim, He took off his shirt and shorts , and underwear and   jumped in the water naked and captured the lid. Then he said it is cold, quick get me out. He couldn't come up the swim platform because the dinghy was still on it. I had to move several things to fish the ladder out of a storage area in the cockpit and put it over the side for him to climb.All the while he was acting like it was boiling water instead of cold water. Up he climbed white butt a shining. Do not know if the people in the nearby boat noticed or the people in the houses on shore. I wish I had a camera.

We decided to dinghy over to Bill's and  get water and time how long it took so we would not be late for an appointment I have tomorrow. We got there and the spigot was so low to the ground we could not get the jerry can under it. We had not brought our potable water hose so decided we would use a hose not approved and use the water for showering, not drinking. I swept up some leaves etc and we came back to the boat. When we got back Lee decided he wanted to clean the water line on the boat and asked me to go get the scrubber stick. Since the companionway was closed and locked I had to get the key lanyard to get in. Unbeknownst to me he had put the motor lock on the lanyard along with the keys and when I took them off the jerry can the lock fell in the water. Neither us went swimming for it, it did not float. We also lost a kneeling pad but it did float and we retrieved it in the dinghy.Three things in one day!! Think we need to have a net on board.

Haven't tried the solar shower yet. Thought I would wait til bedtime. Almost afraid to cook dinner might blow up the boat or something. This is a lovely place to be, pretty scenery, clear water, protected from the winds. Looks like we might be here a while cause Chris Parker, weather guru, said this morning that this weekend was not going to be a Gulf Stream crossing time.  We will keep listening and see if he changes his mind.  We can get fuel at the marina fuel dock close by, water at Bill's, access to a vehicle if we need. Sounds better than Dinner Key to us.

Goodbye Plantation Yacht Harbor Resort

Sunday Feb 22, 2015
Anchored off Tavenier Key
FL

Today we bid good bye to the marina.  We hung around until 2:30 before we left.  We cleaned the boat inside and out while we still had water from the dock. Filled up our water tank. Returned some books to the book exchange. Got a pump out. Our vent stopped up as usual so we only got half emptied. This has been a long standing problem. Lee hunted the entry documents on line we need to have for Bahamas entry. Apparently the hard copy Judy gave him he left at the condo. We got our 3 Bahamas guide books out and will delve into them this week. We certainly will miss the wifi and abundant water while at anchor.

We motored a short distance and dropped anchor near a channel that leads to our friend Bill Sears house. We will go there for water refills and to borrow his truck when we need transportation. I will have to make one more trip to the grocery store. I realized the other day I left my new full laundry detergent bottle where we did laundry last and the one I have was almost empty when I finished laundry yesterday.

We went from cold to hot. Today was at least 80. We won't need the heat or extra blankets this week.
If it still looks good to go across the Gulf Stream next weekend we will head north on Thurs with the intention to meet Handleys on Fri evening for the crossing. We will watch that situation closely.Almost bedtime and the temp has cooled to comfortable and the wind has quit and the water is calm as a pond. Look forward to a nice night.

Nautical Yard Sale and More

Sat. Feb 21, 2015
Plantation Yacht Harbor Resort
Islamorada, FL

Today was the annual Nautical Yard Sale. We walked out to the see what they had late morning.  We were not really looking for anything but an anchor for a friend but it was fun to see what was here.  Lots of the stuff was nautical whatnots for decorating your boat or home, lots of nautical clothes and beachy clothes and jewelry, but some of it really was like used yard sale stuff. Unfortunately we didn't find an anchor for our friend. Lee got clip on sunglasses, I got a sharp kitchen knife for the boat, an expanding sponge, and we got a one hand adjustment system for fenders. It stores the fenders on the lifeline and instantly shortens or lengthens the fender as needed with the grasp of one hand. When you never know whether or not you are going to need fenders and lines on starboard or port coming into a strange marina it is nice to have a quick way to get what you need where you need it.  We paid over 60 bucks for 2 sets, so I hope it works as well as the demo the sales person did.

Lee did some routine maintenance stuff, checked oil, fuel filter,etc. I did 4 loads of clothes for $16 in quarters. For that kind of money they should do it for you and fold them too. Some teenager maybe 15-16 came in right after I had everything in the dryers. He was autistic or something, He kept messing in my stuff, tried to take my clothes out of the dryer, stood too close til he was touching me. He was really making me uncomfortable so I texted Lee to come. He walked in and acted like he didn't know me and looked over the exchange books. The kid calmed down a little but was still behaving weird.

Ever since the big squall out silent wind generator has not been so silent. Lee looked at it and saw some white stuff on the blades. He assumed salt from the spray during the storm. Today while we had no wind he went out to clean the salt off and get his "silent" back.  It was not salt.  It was something waxy and sticky the pattern looked like it was slung out of the generator. We can't figure out what that is about.  The generator seems to be working when the solar cells need an assist. Any ideas anybody?

It is looking like we MIGHT get to head to the Bahamas next weekend. But weather forecasts can change a lot in a week.

Two Land Based Days

Thur and Friday Feb 19 & 20
Plantation Yacht Harbor Resort
Plantation Key
Islamorada, FL

Thur
Today our friend Bill Sears offered his services as chauffeur. He took us to the grocery store, drug store, liquior store, Family Dollar and a restaurant..He also helped us get some stuff run off on his computer to return to the home inspector and closing attorney on the condo we are hoping to buy.
It is great when you travel in a boat to have a friend with a car and time to fool with you.
Thurs night was cold but Fri is supposed to be colder. What is with this FL Keys being so cold??
We continue to have winds in the 20s.

Fri
 Went to the drugstore again, since they didn't have what they needed to fill my Rx yesterday.  Then we went back to Bill's house to help him straighten up and put the outdoor furniture back outside.  We figured that was a fair trade for all the time and gas he used to haul us around yesterday and today. He had a truck that was at the repair shop so we went there in his car and Lee drove the truck back to Bill's house while Bill drove his car home.  He will probably go to central FL to his ranch a few days but back here in the Keys next week before we head to the Bahamas. We understand weather in the Exumas has been nasty just like the eastern US. We figure we will only get one shot at this and hope it is a fun trip.  Tomorrow is the big nautical yard sale here. May have to hide the credit card. My big plans are doing laundry.

Plantation Yacht Harbor Marina

Wed Feb 18,2015
Islamorade, Plantation Key FL

We had rain over night and brisk wind but were comfortable and dry.  The rain continued until after noon.  We were called by the marina at 1 and told the slip we were promised was available  We got the last slip they had. It was a tight slip in a narrow alley way. We did alright until the big wide array of solar panels bumped on the big post at the far end of the slip. Lee left the helm to fend off the panel from the post just when I needed him to go into reverse so he didn't hit the dock. Talk about a scary moment.  Luckily a couple of dock people grabbed our line and averted disaster. Well crisis over and we have water and electricity, which means microwave works and heat without the propane heater and all the water we want. Tomorrow or next day will do laundry and go to the grocery store.

Mark and Judy are now planning to go to Ft Lauderdale or somewhere else next Tues thru Thurs or Fri so we no longer are in a rush to go to Coconut Beach by Tues evening since they won't be there. We will be there by Friday of next week  probably.  We are reworking our plans. Weather and schedules are not playing nice together.

We hit it lucky by pure chance. The area is having a nautical yard sale on the grounds of this marina Sat and Sunday. It is supposed to be pretty big. Hope we don't need to buy anything but looking can't hurt. May find a real treasure we didn't even know we needed.

Short and Sweet

Tues. Feb 17, 2015
Plantation Key,
Islamorada, FL


We made a late departure from Matecumbe Bight  and headed up the waterway to Islamorada.  We were in a forest of crab pot buoys and in shallow water, less than 10 ft, all day. It was warm and sunny and seas gentle so no complaining even though current was against us and wind at our stern,
It took us about 3 hrs to get to our destination. Unfortunately we had to anchor out tonight but expect to find a slip available tomorrow.  We are expecting rain after midnight but should be stopping around noon tomorrow. The marina is expensive by our standards $3 a ft. but has a resort like air about it. Pool, beach, tiki huts, amphitheater. We look forward to a little luxury as a change but prefer anchoring out in general.

We got some good news today. The deal we have been working on to get a larger condo with a garage has come through. So when we return in the spring Lee will be able to get his tools out of the storage unit and fill up the garage. It will never see a car. We will also have a guest room and an office area. The bonus is it isn't half a mile from the marina where our boat lives.

We stayed here before and had no bug problems, but tonight we have been fighting the mosquitoes again. We have a battery zapper and fried a couple but will bet money on a few getting even with me.
Who expects to fight mosquitoes in Feb? There was supposed to be wind but we are not seeing it. Think that would help the bug problems.

Everglades to Keys

Monday Feb 16,2015
Matecumbe Bight
Flordia Keys


We left Shark River in the Everglades after a calm night and headed out in the Gulf to a sheltered anchorage called Matecumbe Bight.  We had winds 8 to 20 varied throughout the day.  Early on we had a beam wind and could sail a little but the winds were low, as the wind increased it also started moving to our stern.  We have not seemed to have many days with good winds for sailing  We motored most of the day with some side to side wallowing, which is never fun. It was a very shallow day for sure but we did get cell signal and therefore internet in the afternoon. Being with out cell or internet for almost 2 days is isolating.

We came into our anchorage around 4 and there were some other sail boats but plenty of room for everyone. Wind was around 15kts but we had good shelter and were comfortable all evening and night. We are going to sleep in since Tues will be a short day and have a big breakfast then not eat again til evening.

 We called ahead to Plantation Yacht Harbor Resort where we are headed Tues and they do not have any slips available til Wed afternoon so we will be on the hook when we get there anyway. I look forward to having all the water I want for a few day.  We will stay there in Tavenier Plantation Key from Tues til Sun morning when we will head to Dinner Key at Coconut Beach to join Handleys.  At least that is the plan for now.  Things have a way of changing. Wed is calling for high wind and rain, Thur-Fri-Sat cloudy and high wind so it is a good time to be tucked into a marina   .We also hope to spend some time visiting with our friend Bill Sears who has a house on Tavenier Key while we are in his neighborhood.

Lynda 4 Mosquitoes 8

Sunday Feb 15, 2015
Little Shark River, FL
Everglades

We left our rolly polly anchorage off Marco Island before 7. Nobody was sleeping so why not look for smoother water. Unfortunately we had winds in the wrong direction AGAIN and had to motor sail almost all day. We had a rolly polly journey. Comfortable temps and sunny day.

As we approached Shark River a pair of dolphins came to greet us. They showed us the way in and changed direction when we needed to.  There were some other sail boats in there so guess they are used to guiding ships in. As soon as we stopped to drop anchor they took off to Handleys boat to help them. It looked primeval. It was around 4:30 or 5 when we anchored. Calm as could be. Should be very still to tonight to sleep.

Judy and Mark got the dinghy out and they picked up Lee and all went exploring.  They saw a manatee very close and lots of birds and but no sharks or gators.  I stayed on Sea Turtle as I had promised to fix dinner for all of us and needed time to cook. It had been cold for so long I planned chili. This evening it was almost warm, until bed time when it did get cold again.

After dinner we planned the next few days. Mark and Judy will be taking a different path from us for almost a week. We are heading to Matecumbe Bight tomorrow then to Tavernier the next day and sit out some bad weather a few days there.  They were going to pull an overnighter and go to Dinner Key/Coconut Beach and stay there, meet up with some friends and hang out til time for Marks treatment next week, or maybe go to Ft Lauderdale. To be decided later. At any rate before we go off to the Bahamas at the end of the month we will join back up.

The mosquitoes came with the dusk and I am on the dessert menu. I don't have much reaction to bee stings or wasp stings but mosquitoes really get me. I get bitten on the finger my whole finger swells, I get big knots that hurt for days even weeks sometimes. I only had my hands and head exposed but I got 8 bites but only killed 4 mosquitoes. Hate those buggers.

Rolling Along

Sat. Feb 14, 2015
Off Shore near Marco, FL


Today was a sunny but cool day. Winds were from the north and even though the seas were not high the ride was rolly polly. The sails were up most of the day but we also had the motor on most of the day. We are at anchor now off shore and relatively unprotected.  It is a bouncy evening. The kind that makes people prone to sea sickness sick. Glad I am not one of them.


Hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day. We submitted an offer on a condo via email.  Will let you know more if it is accepted. We wanted a garage and something a little bigger than we are in now but didn't like the upkeep of a house which is why we sold it.  This looks like the best compromise.

We saw a turtle today We rarely see one. Also a lone dolphin, which is odd since they are usually in groups. That was about the extent of anything of interest.

Hope we can get some sleep with the boat bouncing like a bucking bronco. Also hope the anchor holds.

Last Night in Ft Myers

Fri Feb 13,2015
Matanza Marina mooring field
Ft Myers, FL


Today we did our laundry preparing to head out tomorrow. We did a few more odd jobs, filled some holes, glued some things that were coming apart, nothing exciting. It was sunny but another cold day. Think we should have gone south of the equator.

Didn't make it to the farmers market but took the dinghy up a nearby channel to a grocery store for the necessary fruits &  veggies. Mark and Judy came back to Windbird in the late afternoon after visiting with some sailing friends of theirs. They came over to Sea Turtle and gave us the rundown on the next few days. The short term goal is Coconut Beach. The weather is not too cooperative but what's new. We may lay over a day here and there waiting for better conditions. We will head out at 8 tomorrow morning hoping to get as far as Marco before we drop anchor.

Super Library

Thurs. Feb. 12, 2015
Matanza's Marina mooring field
Ft. Myers, FL

Today was cool, sunny and windy.  We headed to the library first thing. What a wonderful library.  It had a used book store and coffee shop with great sandwiches and wifi and a view to die for of the Gulf of Mexico. And that was just the 3rd floor. When we stepped off the elevator on the 3rd floor we saw the most adorable sand sculptures.  I will try to post a picture of it. We each picked out several used books to take on the boat with us, paid and ate at their coffee shop. We also availed ourselves of the free wifi to do some internet updates etc.

We left the library and gassed up the rental car and ran by the hardware for one last item then turned in the car. We would have had to wait about an hour for the shuttle back to the dinghy dock but nobody else was scheduled to come over the bridge to Ft Myers Beach so they brought us back immediately. We were back on the boat before 3.

We got the swivel light we bought yesterday installed today. The new LED bulb for the red/green bow light bulb we had ordered had arrived and we got it installed.  Got a cover put on the solar panel wires. Got the 2nd large propane tank on the boat and generally tied up some loose ends. Tomorrow we will finish those and be ready to take off Sat. morning.

My freezer is stuffed full. I am sure we won't starve while we are cruising, but my fresh water is about 3/4 empty.  We have a difference of opinion on what to do about that. Will let you know who wins that discussion.

Two for the Money

Tues Feb 10 and Wed Feb 11, 2015
Matanza Marina Mooring field
Ft Myers, FL


Tues. Feb 10
It was cold and windy. It was so windy we felt if we tried to dinghy any where we would end up wet. It is about 3/4 mi to the dinghy dock and takes about 15 min. and salt water just does not dry out in clothes. We did not need to do anything ashore so we stayed on the boat and did very little. Finished a couple of books.



Wed. Feb 11
Well we made up for yesterdays laziness by working early to late today.  We got up and took the dinghy to shore to meet the enterprise shuttle to get a car for today. They asked us to be there between 9;30-9;40 but it was 10;10 when they showed up. We got to the office about 10;30 and there was a mob of people trying to get cars signed out. It was 11 by the time we got a car. They offered us an up grade for the delay but we talked them out of extra time instead. They run a shuttle at 9 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon to return you to your place other wise you take a taxi back to your motel, airport, dinghy dock or where ever. Returning the car at 11 would have made us wait 4 hr for the shuttle or pay a taxi back to the marina. We return the car  3 tomorrow. Sure was nice to have wheels again.

We got a 20# propane gas tank and filled it. Got a replacement light for one of the faulty ones, extension tube for the solar shower, and lots of odds and ends of things from several different places. I got pretty well provisioned for the Bahamas. There is a farmers market here on Fri morning so hope to finish off with the fresh stuff them. One place we didn't go was West Marine, but Mark did while they were gone and got the one thing we needed there so we should be set now. I will do last minute laundry tomorrow probably. Exactly where we will be on any given day will depend on the seas and the weather but D Day is getting closer.

About 6;30 we finally got back to the boat with half the days booty and Mark and Judy called and were almost ready to be picked up and go back to their boat.  We had not taken time for lunch and were too tired to cook tonight so we went to the dinghy dock yet again and went to the marina's restaurant about 6;45. We had just ordered our food when Mark and Judy walked in and sat with us.  They had eaten but joined us for drinks and appetizers. They talked about some of there adventures with Marks family and finally after we had finished for a while the waitress gave us a dirty look. It was pretty busy tonight. Anyway we got up loaded Handley's stuff and all 4 of us in the dinghy and came back to our boats. Think tomorrow will be Judy's day for provision shopping. We are tired but feel better set to start the next phase of our big adventure.

Monday Blues

Monday Feb 9, 2015
Matanzas Marina Mooring field
Ft Myers FL

Woke up to the sound of rain. It was dreary most of the day, rainy off and on and just not too cheery, We started by searching for the part number and somewhere to get replacements for the 3 of the 9 swivel halogen lights that are not working. The manufacturer told us they no longer make them. We looked for similar ones and they ranged from $80 to $200 a piece. We got two of the 3 that would not work to work but the other 1 is dead. Not sure what we are going to do but they have a hole in the wall that needs filled and we really would like functioning lights.

That was about what we accomplished today. We neither felt great. The weather really affects my mood and Lee was in the dumps too. Hopefully tomorrow will be better all around. We both finished books and we found a used book store we think we can get to by trolley maybe we can look into that tomorrow.

The nearest thing to excitement was an emergency boat with blue light flashing pulling up to the catamaran next to us for an apparent medical emergency.

The mooring ball we are tied to is about 18 inches in diameter.  As the boat swings with the current, wind and tide the ball bangs against the side of the boat and sound like it is doing tremendous damage to the boat.  Hope not!

Supplement

Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015

Fort Mayers Beach

Supplemental Posting

Mostly to see if we can manage photos on the log. 

Things you see in Fort Myers Beach.

The Great Dinghy Escape

Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015
Mantanza Marina's Mooring Field
Ft Myers, FL


Mark forgot somethings he needed on the boat for his 5 or 6 days away. He asked Lee to meet him at a grocery store that was dinghy accessible and bring him back to the boat at 9 this morning, then return him when he retrieved his things. So Lee was preparing to dinghy off to the grocery store when the dinghy floated away. There was a current carrying it quickly. Fortunately for us a neighboring boats occupant was returning to his boat in his dinghy and Lee yelled for him to help. He saw the problem and went and captured it and returned it to us. We had met the people at the laundry the other day. They had 2 adorable dachshunds. Anybody with 2 dogs can't be too bad, right?

Lee went to meet Mark and his brother Steve who had driven him as far as the grocery store. It was low tide and land access was not great. He went aground and a homeless guy pulled him up to the shore, mud bank. Mark and Steve went to Windbird and when they were finished Lee took them back to the grocery store to get the car. Hatchling (the dinghy) came home all muddy inside. Served her right for trying to float away. But now I have to clean the mud mess.

Our friend Bill Sears who is spending a lot of time in central FL at his ranch drove over this afternoon, We met him on shore and since neither he nor Lee had eaten lunch we picked up some at Nervous Nellie's. Bills reuben  looked big enough for 2 people and I ordered carrot cake that could have fed 4 people. Not a cheap restaurant but the portions were huge. After eating we brought Bill back to the boat for a visit.  Unfortunately he didn't have long to stay as he was going to his nieces who lives in Ft Myers after seeing us.

We have really been burning up the propane since our dinghy motor runs on it and we have done a lot of traveling in the dinghy. Lee got our 20 lb tank from Marks boat but it would not run the dinghy  motor. So we figured it was empty or about. We took our 2 10# tanks and the 20# one all to a place about a mile and a half away to be filled. Bill was kind enough to take Lee to do that and drop him back at the dinghy dock for the marina. That is a big worry off our minds.

It was a bright sunny day and comfortable temps but going to be another 50 something night. Lee ate the rest of my cake for dinner and leftovers form his lunch I think. Enjoyed our friends visit and our meal out,and the sun, but not the dinghy jail break. Not sure if we will rent a car tomorrow or not since one of the reasons we wanted it was to get propane. We shall see what tomorrow brings, 60% chance of rain is forecast.

Family & Friends Time

'Sat Feb 7, 2015
Matanza Marina Mooring field
Ft Myers Beach, FL


Early this morning the exodus began. There were suddenly many mooring balls available. Handleys came about 8 from outside the mooring area and picked up a mooring beside us.  They came over to our boat and we talked about the schedule for the next few days.  Mark and Judy are going to spend the next few days at either his sisters or his brothers. Wed he has another treatment and his brother will take him to Ft Lauderdale for that. We were welcome to join in but have friends and relatives too we would like to see and a few boat jobs to do.

We replaced one light fixture and looked for the source of the water in the bed.  We didn't make a clear determination on that problem but still plan to try to fill the space around the solar panel wiring. We have to figure out what to do that with and how to get it with no wheels. We also worked on our running lights and Lee has ordered a replacement that we hope will arrive before we leave the marina. We have several lights that do not work reliably. It is one thing about this boat we aren't impressed with. The Handleys had a bent stantion so they are having repairs done while they do the family thing. Always something to work on on a boat.

Our friend Bill Sears who lives in the Keys and has a ranch in central FL is going to come some time while Handleys are off their boat and visit.  We all lived in Monroe Co WV at the same time years ago. We also are leaving something we do not want to take to the Bahamas with us with Bill for safe keeping. We may rent a car and go get the things we need for repairs and make a quick trip to see my aunt in Sarasota. We haven't decided if we can manage that in one day and we do not want to be away from the boat over night since we are watching both Handleys boat and ours.

About 4 we decided to go to the dinghy dock and check out the water situation. You can get water but must carry it back to your boat in your dinghy in heavy jerry cans. Not what I wanted to hear. We walked a few block up to the beach front and through the touristy area. Lots of restaurants, bars, stores etc. Also lots of music. Music we actually liked. We hung around a while and ate at an outdoor restaurant. Then walked back to the dinghy dock and returned to the boat a little after 6.

Starting to get chilly at 8;30 probably another morning for Bonnie's propane Lil Buddy heater.  

Fighting for Space

Fri Feb 6, 2015
Matanza Marina
Ft Myers Beach, FL


Yesterday just disappeared. We came in from the storm mid morning and ate and went to bed. I woke up at 3:45 and Lee got up a little before me. We spent the evening trying to dry things out as we were pretty damp from the wild ride earlier in the morning.

Mark and Judy went to Mark's sisters house and ate and did laundry while we napped. Before dark Lee noticed Marks boat was leaning, Usually a sign that a boat is on the bottom. He called Mark and told him. They really could not do anything but wait for tide to rise but Mark wanted to be with the boat so they came back to the boat. Guess they were on the bottom a while. When we got up this morning we saw mud everywhere around us. Mud that was under water when we had come in the day before. Mark had already up anchored and gone in to hunt a mooring ball.

We called the marina office and they said there were some empty mooring balls and we could go look. They mentioned 3 numbers in particular that had a little deeper water.  We looked around but only saw one empty ball but it was one of the numbers they gave us. We hooked to it. Mark had gone aground lightly twice hunting for a ball but did not find one. Lee went to the marina office to pay for the mooring and while he was gone someone came over in a little john boat and told me the mooring we were on was taken and the person it was reserved for was aground. I told him the marina specifically gave us that ball number and if he was with the marina they needed to get it straight.  He admitted he was not with the marina he was just trying to do a friend a favor by holding it.
I called Lee to tell him what happened and he happened to be in the marina office at the time. They said don't pay any attention to the man we could stay and we were the paying customers.

Shortly after that I saw Mark come to a mooring ball and the man came over and tried the same thing with them. They obliged him and left the only mooring ball empty and went back where they anchored last night and were aground. I called them and told them he did the same to me and he was full of crap but they said they were not going to argue with the guy. Guess I am just not a nice guy.

I discovered water under my mattress. We think it may have come thru the stern where there were holes drilled in the deck for the solar panel wiring. We will check it out more tomorrow. Our red/green running light quit working during the storm and when we checked the bulb wire seemed to be broken on one end. We called West Marine but it would take a week and is a special order item. Hope some other boating supply place in town will have it. Check on that tomorrow too.

I went to the marina laundry this afternoon. First time I have had to dinghy clothes to and from the boat.  (pain in the ass) There were only 3 washers and 3 dryers and 5 people waiting to do laundry. It took 50 min to get all 3 loads started washing and all in all it was a 2 1/2 hr ordeal. This thing of needing to have clean clothes everyday is a hassle.  I am considering being a nudist! A couple from Nova Scotia waiting to do laundry said they were leaving tomorrow and 3 or 4 boats around them were too so we hope that will let Handleys get Windbird in here and moored.

Supposed to be 49 degrees tonight here, What the heck is that???

Boring or Exciting

Wed Morning Feb 4 to Thurs Morning Feb 5, 2015
Starting from Marathon Ending at Ft. Myers Beach FL


We left the anchorage in Marathon and went under 7 Mile Bridge and put up the sails. It was a little wishy washy because we were taking waves on our side but still a pretty decent sailing day. Sunny, good wind speed and to be honest it was a tad boring. We did not see land most of the day and I lost cell phone reception. I know we were at least 13 miles off shore so guess that was the problem. We soon were in a forest of crab pot buoys. We gave up dodging them and just kept on sailing.

About dusk we were joined by 7 or 8 dolphin. They stayed close beside the boat weaving back and forth under the bowsprit. They were squeaking and snorting and jumping. They stayed even when Lee stood on the bowsprit. He finally froze out and got back in the cockpit. Where is a camcorder when  you want one?

We finally lost wind speed, some time after dark.  It went down to 5 and we were doing 2.5 kts so we finally turned on the motor. We knew rain was expected sometime between midnight and dawn so were not surprised when it started raining around 4 am. What we didn't expect was what followed around 5 am. The wind came at us on our bow at 30 kts. Lightning flashed everywhere. Rain poured as if the sky opened up. Waves crashed over the life lines throwing us up and down like a bathtub toy. This lasted a couple of hours. Motoring at 4.5 -5 knots before the winds the wind blew so hard at our bow at times we were making 00.0 kts. We looked at our track on the computer this morning and it looks like at times it was actually counteracting the motor enough to push us backwards.  I worried the lightning would knock out our instruments as we have had lightning damage twice with the boat just sitting in our slip. We lost sleep and got wet but neither of us got panicky, just unhappy. Guess boat and humans passed that test.  That will teach me to say that sailing on an easy sunny day is getting boring. I sure was not bored at 5;30 this morning.

We finally arrived at Ft Myer Beach where we were going to pick up a mooring ball about 9;30 or 10 this morning and all the moorings were taken. There was a shallow anchorage for maybe 2 or 3 boats and we dropped anchor in 5.7 ft of water. Mark and Judy were a couple of hours behind us and they found a bit deeper spot near us, too. I plan to nap most of the day as no one got much sleep last night.

Smooth Sailing

Tues Feb 3, 2015
Boot Key,
Marathon, FL

We left Long Key at 8am with sunny skies after a peaceful night. We sailed off shore today.  We put up the sails first thing and after a short time with winds to our stern it shifted to our rear quarter and then to a beam reach.  We had 9-14 kt winds most of the day and were getting 5 to almost 7 knots of speed most of the time. The seas were almost flat and we set the sails and the autopilot and relaxed. We has no to moderate heeling.  It was a wonderful day but eventually the winds died to 4 or 5 kts and we were doing 2.5 and had to start the motor. We only had to motor the last 90 min.  All in all we had a nice sailing day.

We arrived at 7 Mile Bridge at Marathon on Boot Key in the early afternoon, happy and content. Anchored outside the harbor since Boat US told us the anchorage was crowded and mooring balls had a wait list. There are 6 or 8 other boats anchored just outside with us but still protected from the prevailing wind by land and trees. We sat in our sunroom (aka enclosed cockpit) with pillows, good books and read, and snuggled,.

While we were reading the Handleys were exploring the land.  They went to a museum and grocery store and don't know where else. They picked up some milk and bread for us. It was a 2 mile dinghy ride to shore and getting our dinghy down and heavy motor mounted and all that undone after you return makes dinghy rides a hassle. Unless there is something really special on shore or some compelling need to go ashore we usually pass.  We hope we can come up with some system that is less of a hassle when this trip ends.

Current plans are to leave in the morning for Ft. Myers and sail all day and all night arriving Thurs. morning in Ft. Myers. It is calling for rain to start during the night Wed. What's a little water to a sailboat? Mark has a brother and 2 sisters in the Ft Myers area who he will visit with a few days. And one of them will drive him to Ft Lauderdale for a treatment while he is there. May take in the Miami boat show. Last one we went to was where we saw our boat. You can get carried away at a boat show if you aren't careful. Makes a trip to West Marine look like small potatoes.

Intracoastal Waterway day 2

Tues. Feb 2, 2015
Long Key, FL


Today we started off by going to the marina we anchored near, Plantation Yacht Harbor Marina to get diesel and water and get rid of a couple of bags of trash. Then off we went. We crossed 3 sounds, huge areas that look like big bays but are very shallow and have a narrow ditch you had better stay in if you do not want to go aground. We saw lots of 5 and 6 foot depths in the track and less than one ft if you strayed off to the side.

 The day was sunny and warm, upper 70s, with winds around 10-12 because we were protected.  Handleys were off shore with winds in excess of 20 and were sailing reefed while we motored inside. We only traveled 3 1/2 hrs today to an anchorage at Long Key. It has an access from both the ocean and the ICW and both Windbird and Sea Turtle are anchored here tonight.  We will both go offshore tomorrow and expect to have good conditions for a pleasant day of sailing. We hope to make Marathon tomorrow.

We still had the alternator light coming off and on. None of you offered any good suggestions. Come on! We read and watched the depth finder.  It got down to 4.7 under us at low tide. We draw 4. Fortunately we will be leaving near high tide in the morning. Judy and Mark had to anchor further out because of their draft but went exploring in their dinghy looking for somewhere to walk. Unfortunately they could not find anywhere to dock the dinghy. They stopped by on their way back to Windbird for a quick visit.

That is about it. Pretty uneventful day, which is a good thing.

Steaks on the Barby

Sunday Feb 1, 2015
Islamorada, Tavernier Key,
FL


We took off on our own today on a route that was too shallow for Windbird.  We had winds around 12 and partly sunny skies, moderate temps. We saw as little as 5'2" but mostly 7-10 ft. depths.We did watch our depth gauge closely but it was not as tense as I thought it would be.  We got to our anchorage for tonight at a little before 2 so took naps and later grilled our steaks.

We are right in front of a 4 star marina run by the town of Islamorada. Olympic size pool & all kinds of facilities. If we were staying more than over night would take a slip but we will be moving on in the morning. Expect to be at Long Key tomorrow night and perhaps hook back up with Handleys.

The alternator light kept coming on and off.  We can not figure out why. It usually never comes on so it lighting up must mean something is amiss.  Lee is hoping it just means that between the solar and wind power which is keeping the batteries fully charged that we do not need the alternator to do its thing and it is turning itself off. We will try to get a hold of the place we got the solar panels tomorrow and see if they have any ideas.If any one has an idea there is a place for comments

Day at Anchor

Sat. Jan 31,2015

Ceasars Creek 

Elliot Key, FL

After a twisty somewhat sleepless night we woke to moderate temps and a sunny sky. We were up because between the wind and the current and an uncertain bottom we thought we might be moving during the night a bit too much. We certainly did shift in every direction possible.  Mark and Lee were both up half the night checking the boats location. Both thought in the morning they were farther from the mangroves that when they anchored. Our instruments draw a pic of where we were during the night and the pattern looked like a pile of yarn a kitten played with. No pattern at all. We also seemed to be almost between a red and green lateral channel marker which did not make us too happy. A boat or two flew by very close and honked as much as to say "get out of the middle of things".

We put the dinghy down and got the motor mounted and took a little excursion but there was not much to see really. But between deflated tubing and inoperable motor we had not had the luxury of our own transportation to shore.When we put the dinghy back on the boat in the afternoon I saw another hole starting to wear through where the tubing rests on the metal on the cradle. I am very concerned we will have another hole soon. Lee does not seem to be as concerned. Could he have forgotten how hard it was to get someone to fix the first hole this soon??

We did some planning for our two days on the ICW which is twisting and shallow. Lee decided he wanted to see the Keys from the other side but since Handleys could not do it with a 6'2" draft we would be planning that part on our own.  There are a couple of spots marked 3.9'and we are 4 so will have to hope we do not go aground.  Will watch the depth finder like a hawk the next 2 days. We will probably go back outside and meet up with Windbird again Tue morning or Wed. 

Judy invited us for dinner last night and since Lee subscribes to the theory you never turn down free food we accepted.  It was 2 of his favorite things. Meatloaf and mac & cheese. Maybe tonight we will grill the steaks I had thawed. 

Judy's sister is sick and in the hospital and we are all worried about her. If they decide on surgery
Judy may go back to Calabash to be with her. We will see where that goes. Thinking positive thoughts for her, Patsy has had a tough few years health wise. We found out our close friend Terri who is taking care of our mail now needs taken care of herself. A fall on concrete resulted in 2 broken elbows, broken right wrist and banged up artificial knee, broken glasses and scraped up face too. She has tons of friends willing to pitch in and help her out thank goodness, but she had just gotten released from the drs care for shoulder surgery a few days before. Maybe she can get bulk rate prices at the orthopedic clinic. I hate I can not be there to help her out but know she will have people who will. What goes around comes around and she is there for everybody else all the time. Good energy for her to heal quickly.