Anchored off Plantation Harbor Marina, Islamorada. FL
Day 44. Jan 30. 2017
We were aground over night. The wind calmed during the night and the day dawned calm and sunny. At 12noon Tow Boat US came back, about 22 hours after we went aground and pulled us off easily. The man said it was a lot easier when he was not fighting 30kt winds. We motored about a mile to just outside a marina and dropped anchor in 6 ft. It sure felt good not to be stuck on a sand bar. The afternoon stayed fairly calm but after dark the wind kicked up again, only in the teens not 30+. Our snubber was not rigged just right and we got a lot of jerking. Just recently got a new rig that is very different from what we usually used. The freezer condenser seems happy again and is keeping the temp down where it belongs. I think being keel cooled having the keel in the sand caused the problem, but that is just a guess based on what was going on when it seemed to give out on us. Between the sun and the wind the batteries have stayed charged nicely so all is working fine.
Day 45. Jan 31 2017 Plantation Harbor Marina. at anchor
Last night was a little bouncy but nothing too bad. Sunny but chilly even under the canvas sunroom until afternoon when it got comfortable. I had on sweat pants and Lee wore jeans so you know it was cool. We did next to nothing except a little more detail planning on crossing the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas Banks. We are hoping to be able to go across in the next week to 10 days. It is never cold in the Exumas. We talked to our house sitters today and she got bitten by a friends dog. It was bad enough to need stitches. Can not imagine that, she loves dogs and could not have done anything to justify a dog doing that. It was a German Shepard, maybe it is just bred into them to be vicious. I know lots of people say that is bullcrap but I would never want a doberman or pit bull or any dog known for aggression. Think we will leave here soon to get our last minute provisions buttoned down and get set to take off when everything weather wise is a GO.
Voyages of Sea Turtle
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Day 42 & 43. Jan 28 & 29, 2017. Sat & Sun
Anchored off Keys, FL
Jan 28, 2017. Saturday
We did not do much today. It was a mostly sunny easy day but after dark the wind picked up. It was a really bouncy night. We checked around and found where we could get our propane tanks for cooking and the dinghy motor refilled. It was far enough away we will have to rent a car to get refills. There is a yachting club that will accept transients, Upper Keys Sailing Club. We can get water there too.
Jan. 29, 2017. Sunday
Lots of rain, serious wind and cool weather today. We decided to move from where we anchored last night and when we came up top we saw we were not where we anchored. Our anchor had drug. When we pulled it up a crab pot float was embedded in the grass and sand in the anchor. That is the first time that has happened to us. We started our engine and motored to a place that had a sand bar that slowed the waves down a bit. The wind was over 30kts and it was really tough going. After a few hours Lee decided that an anchorage called Cow Pens off Islamorada would be better and more protected. We headed that way and before we reached our intended anchorage we went aground. We do not have much tide but hoped there would be enough to float us off. We hung around for few hours and could not get off so finally called Tow Boat US around 4:30. They came but could not pull our full keel heavy sail boat off. We tried again about 9pm and still could not budge the boat. We will try again tomorrow in the day light. Pretty sure we won't drift away. Between the wind, the weather and the going aground this has not been a fun day! The wind kept the batteries charged to 94%. The only upside of this weather.
The freezer had been staying cold much better until today and it started rising about 1/10 of a degree every 10 or 15 minutes once we ran aground. It went from 21 last night to 36 tonight. It is full of 3 months worth of meat. Would hate to lose it all. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.
Jan 28, 2017. Saturday
We did not do much today. It was a mostly sunny easy day but after dark the wind picked up. It was a really bouncy night. We checked around and found where we could get our propane tanks for cooking and the dinghy motor refilled. It was far enough away we will have to rent a car to get refills. There is a yachting club that will accept transients, Upper Keys Sailing Club. We can get water there too.
Jan. 29, 2017. Sunday
Lots of rain, serious wind and cool weather today. We decided to move from where we anchored last night and when we came up top we saw we were not where we anchored. Our anchor had drug. When we pulled it up a crab pot float was embedded in the grass and sand in the anchor. That is the first time that has happened to us. We started our engine and motored to a place that had a sand bar that slowed the waves down a bit. The wind was over 30kts and it was really tough going. After a few hours Lee decided that an anchorage called Cow Pens off Islamorada would be better and more protected. We headed that way and before we reached our intended anchorage we went aground. We do not have much tide but hoped there would be enough to float us off. We hung around for few hours and could not get off so finally called Tow Boat US around 4:30. They came but could not pull our full keel heavy sail boat off. We tried again about 9pm and still could not budge the boat. We will try again tomorrow in the day light. Pretty sure we won't drift away. Between the wind, the weather and the going aground this has not been a fun day! The wind kept the batteries charged to 94%. The only upside of this weather.
The freezer had been staying cold much better until today and it started rising about 1/10 of a degree every 10 or 15 minutes once we ran aground. It went from 21 last night to 36 tonight. It is full of 3 months worth of meat. Would hate to lose it all. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.
Friday, January 27, 2017
Day 41. Jan. 27, 2017. Friday
Anchored off Tavernier Key, FL
Today we decided to go sail. We started off in the late morning and sailed until about 3:30-4:00. There was not much wind. Varied from 5 to 9 kts. The up side is we could go in what ever direction we had the best wind position, well within reason. This area is on the west side of the keys and most people would think it is the Gulf of Mexico but, it is called the Florida Bay. It is dotted with mangrove islands and shallow spots so you can't just go anywhere the wind blows or you will go aground or run into a mangrove tree. We had some broad reach sailing which is the most fun, some close haul and stern which is not as good and something we never did before in this boat, wing and wing. Our club footed boom on our jib makes sailing wing and wing tricky but we did it for a while with a stern wind. It was a nice relaxing afternoon. Sitting at anchor can get boring.
I route planned all night in my sleep, or not sleep, going across the Gulf Stream and Lee had had enough of that too so it was a day off so to speak. We know Sun. is going to be nasty and no chance before Tues of getting out of here. Although Here is a pretty place to be, all things considered.
Today we decided to go sail. We started off in the late morning and sailed until about 3:30-4:00. There was not much wind. Varied from 5 to 9 kts. The up side is we could go in what ever direction we had the best wind position, well within reason. This area is on the west side of the keys and most people would think it is the Gulf of Mexico but, it is called the Florida Bay. It is dotted with mangrove islands and shallow spots so you can't just go anywhere the wind blows or you will go aground or run into a mangrove tree. We had some broad reach sailing which is the most fun, some close haul and stern which is not as good and something we never did before in this boat, wing and wing. Our club footed boom on our jib makes sailing wing and wing tricky but we did it for a while with a stern wind. It was a nice relaxing afternoon. Sitting at anchor can get boring.
I route planned all night in my sleep, or not sleep, going across the Gulf Stream and Lee had had enough of that too so it was a day off so to speak. We know Sun. is going to be nasty and no chance before Tues of getting out of here. Although Here is a pretty place to be, all things considered.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Day 40. Jan 26, 2017. Thursday
Anchored off Tavernier Key. FL
Today was another day of enjoying the lovely weather and beautiful aquamarine water. Lee got industrious and cleaned all the stainless steel on the deck. I intended to clean the cabin but did not get around to it. We spent some time looking at options for jumping off spots to go the Bahamas and landing places to clear customs. We still have not decided but have narrowed it down.
We tried to listen to weather guru Chris Parker but the transmission on SSB radio had so much static we could not hear but about half what he said. We gathered he did not think it was a great time to cross the Gulf Stream. We need to fill our diesel jerry cans, our water cans and pick up some bread & milk and paper towels and I think we will be ready to jump when the weather is a GO. We plan to go to some of the places we enjoyed before and explore some new places too. Maybe stay 6 weeks or more.
Looks like we are going to have a rainy cool day this weekend. First one of those in a long time. We have been very lucky with the weather except for the bad winds earlier this week. Just another day in paradise. Retirement is great.
Today was another day of enjoying the lovely weather and beautiful aquamarine water. Lee got industrious and cleaned all the stainless steel on the deck. I intended to clean the cabin but did not get around to it. We spent some time looking at options for jumping off spots to go the Bahamas and landing places to clear customs. We still have not decided but have narrowed it down.
We tried to listen to weather guru Chris Parker but the transmission on SSB radio had so much static we could not hear but about half what he said. We gathered he did not think it was a great time to cross the Gulf Stream. We need to fill our diesel jerry cans, our water cans and pick up some bread & milk and paper towels and I think we will be ready to jump when the weather is a GO. We plan to go to some of the places we enjoyed before and explore some new places too. Maybe stay 6 weeks or more.
Looks like we are going to have a rainy cool day this weekend. First one of those in a long time. We have been very lucky with the weather except for the bad winds earlier this week. Just another day in paradise. Retirement is great.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Day 39. Jan 25, 2017. Wednesday
Anchored off Tavernier Key, FL
We had a calm and lovely night. We awoke to a sea as smooth as glass and a slight breeze. Was as totally opposite from the 2 days in the marina as it could have been. We just enjoyed the calm and sunshine and perfect temps. We did a little studying on getting to the Bahamas and where we would check in. The location we went through customs last time is no longer open due to hurricane damage from Matthew. Napped and enjoyed the NOW. Boring to our readers but great for us.
We had a calm and lovely night. We awoke to a sea as smooth as glass and a slight breeze. Was as totally opposite from the 2 days in the marina as it could have been. We just enjoyed the calm and sunshine and perfect temps. We did a little studying on getting to the Bahamas and where we would check in. The location we went through customs last time is no longer open due to hurricane damage from Matthew. Napped and enjoyed the NOW. Boring to our readers but great for us.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Day 38. Jan 24,2017. Tuesday
Anchored off Tavernier Key. FL
The wind finally died down in the middle of the night. This morning we got up and filled our water tank, disposed of our trash and headed south. Glad to be out of the marina. We did not go far. Only a few miles to an anchorage on the FL bay side near Tavernier Creek. It is mostly 8-10 foot deep and has quite a few crab pots.
It has water the color of the gem stone aqua marine. I had never really thought of it before but that is a perfect description of the stone. Color of sea water. In the Bahamas the water is more the color of blue topaz, more turquoise. The bottom is grass and sand and a bit murky right now because of the high winds recently. For the next several days the day time temps are 70s and night time 60s. Which is really nice when we are on the hook because we do not have AC if we do not have shore power,
It finally feels like we made it. We are in beautiful water, anchored off islands, soaking up sun and relaxing. We will enjoy this time until we can cross to the Bahamas, where it only gets even better.
The wind finally died down in the middle of the night. This morning we got up and filled our water tank, disposed of our trash and headed south. Glad to be out of the marina. We did not go far. Only a few miles to an anchorage on the FL bay side near Tavernier Creek. It is mostly 8-10 foot deep and has quite a few crab pots.
It has water the color of the gem stone aqua marine. I had never really thought of it before but that is a perfect description of the stone. Color of sea water. In the Bahamas the water is more the color of blue topaz, more turquoise. The bottom is grass and sand and a bit murky right now because of the high winds recently. For the next several days the day time temps are 70s and night time 60s. Which is really nice when we are on the hook because we do not have AC if we do not have shore power,
It finally feels like we made it. We are in beautiful water, anchored off islands, soaking up sun and relaxing. We will enjoy this time until we can cross to the Bahamas, where it only gets even better.
Monday, January 23, 2017
Day 37. Jan. 23, 2017. Monday
Mangrove Marina Plantation Key, FL.
Well last night it hit the fan. At 4 in the morning the wind came with a vengeance and rain too. We got a tornado warning just before that for here. We rocked and rolled and in spite of everything we did rubbed and beat our solar panels against the post at the stern of the boat. There just was not enough room to stop the contact. Thank goodness it was covered with wood and not bare concrete.
We have continued to have winds about 40mph all day. Can't get out of the slip because of the wind or we would have anchored out today but since we can't leave we are paying for another day to beat up our boat. If we had been smart, we would have left the marina last night before the wind got so strong and gone about 5 miles to a good anchorage. Hind sight is 20-20. At least we did not get hit by a tornado.
We finally got the freezer emptied and some frost scraped off and reloaded and added a 10pound bag of ice added to the top it off. The temperature has dropped 8 degrees. Had to thaw 2 big beef roasts and some other things to make room in the freezer for the ice. Also added about an inch of styrofoam insulation to the bottom of the freezer.
Lee has been doing some planning on our route to the Bahamas. But we still have to wait for the weather window. We walked over a mile to get to a CVS and a grocery store to get some medicine for Lee and few groceries. When you have to carry it back you keep it to the minimum. On the walk back from CVS it started to drizzle and our main hatch was wide open. Fortunately it did not turn into a downpour but quit. We made it back without being too wet. We got back to the boat just as it got dark.
Hopefully we will get out of the marina tomorrow and be anchored off Plantation Key. Our friends who have a home there have left for his ranch in central FL. But it was nice to have some time with them.
Well last night it hit the fan. At 4 in the morning the wind came with a vengeance and rain too. We got a tornado warning just before that for here. We rocked and rolled and in spite of everything we did rubbed and beat our solar panels against the post at the stern of the boat. There just was not enough room to stop the contact. Thank goodness it was covered with wood and not bare concrete.
We have continued to have winds about 40mph all day. Can't get out of the slip because of the wind or we would have anchored out today but since we can't leave we are paying for another day to beat up our boat. If we had been smart, we would have left the marina last night before the wind got so strong and gone about 5 miles to a good anchorage. Hind sight is 20-20. At least we did not get hit by a tornado.
We finally got the freezer emptied and some frost scraped off and reloaded and added a 10pound bag of ice added to the top it off. The temperature has dropped 8 degrees. Had to thaw 2 big beef roasts and some other things to make room in the freezer for the ice. Also added about an inch of styrofoam insulation to the bottom of the freezer.
Lee has been doing some planning on our route to the Bahamas. But we still have to wait for the weather window. We walked over a mile to get to a CVS and a grocery store to get some medicine for Lee and few groceries. When you have to carry it back you keep it to the minimum. On the walk back from CVS it started to drizzle and our main hatch was wide open. Fortunately it did not turn into a downpour but quit. We made it back without being too wet. We got back to the boat just as it got dark.
Hopefully we will get out of the marina tomorrow and be anchored off Plantation Key. Our friends who have a home there have left for his ranch in central FL. But it was nice to have some time with them.
Sunday, January 22, 2017
DAYS 34, 35, 36. Jan 20, 21, 22, 2017. Fri. Sat. & Sunday
Jan 20 Fri Anchored at Elliot Key
Nice sunny day for boating. We went outside off shore from Ft Lauderdale. The sea conditions were good, but We did not have the greatest wind direction but were able to sail a few hours. We stayed off shore about 6 hrs and came back in about 1/2 way down Biscayne Bay. We made a long day hoping to get to Tavenier Key by Sat. night so we could connect to our friends Bill and Jane.
Jan 21 Sat at Mangrove Marina in Plantation Key
We left Elliot Key after a restful night at anchor and headed south. We wanted in a marina because the weather was supposed to be windy and rainy for the weekend and the dinghy ride from the boat to our friends house would have been a wet and unpleasant. Or so the weather report said. We first tried the one very close to him and it was booked up. So we tried calling another one 5 miles north of him. They had a slip but there depth was 4 ft at high tide, not that there is really much tide at that location. We have 4 ft draft so that was touchy. We checked on when high tide was and came in at the peak of high tide. We had 4.1 depth and barely fit in the slip. Another 6" and we would have been too wide. We got in and tied up to posts ;( only one cleat, and the docks were not floating. The dock person pointed to the slip and left. Could not believe she did not stay to catch a line. Between trying to tie up with no cleats but 1 and having such little space to work with it took quite a while to situate the boat so we felt it was safe. Our solar cells are as wide as the back of the boat and they fell right where the 2 posts were. The solar cells would touch the posts when the wind blew us a little. Not our favorite marina. As it turned out the weather Sat was sunny and nice and we could have anchored out and dinghy in to our friends dock and been fine.
We got together and all went to a pizza place. The pizza was really good and we were hungry. We came back to the boat and stayed up till midnight catching up on everything.
Jan 22. Sunday. Mangrove Marina in Plantation Key
We slept in a little and our friends came by around 11 and we all went to brunch at a place called Snappers. It has live music, mimosas, and really good brunch. Lee had Eggs Neptune and I had Eggs Blackrock. We were stuffed and enjoyed the music a lot. You can also dance if you can do it in a small space between tables. It was quite windy but sunny and warm. After brunch we came back to the boat and took naps and our friends went home to do some projects. We rejoined around 5:30 for Cuban food. It was delicious. More talking and listening. We returned to the boat around 9:30. I am using our new Mac Book Pro for this log then hope to get some sleep. We think the threatened ba d wind & rain may come tonight . The phone alarmed that this area is under tornado watch and we can feel the wind pushing us around. 70% chance of rain tonight. Tomorrow I hope to get the freezer defrosted and get the temp down. It is saying 33 degrees on the led display.
Nice sunny day for boating. We went outside off shore from Ft Lauderdale. The sea conditions were good, but We did not have the greatest wind direction but were able to sail a few hours. We stayed off shore about 6 hrs and came back in about 1/2 way down Biscayne Bay. We made a long day hoping to get to Tavenier Key by Sat. night so we could connect to our friends Bill and Jane.
Jan 21 Sat at Mangrove Marina in Plantation Key
We left Elliot Key after a restful night at anchor and headed south. We wanted in a marina because the weather was supposed to be windy and rainy for the weekend and the dinghy ride from the boat to our friends house would have been a wet and unpleasant. Or so the weather report said. We first tried the one very close to him and it was booked up. So we tried calling another one 5 miles north of him. They had a slip but there depth was 4 ft at high tide, not that there is really much tide at that location. We have 4 ft draft so that was touchy. We checked on when high tide was and came in at the peak of high tide. We had 4.1 depth and barely fit in the slip. Another 6" and we would have been too wide. We got in and tied up to posts ;( only one cleat, and the docks were not floating. The dock person pointed to the slip and left. Could not believe she did not stay to catch a line. Between trying to tie up with no cleats but 1 and having such little space to work with it took quite a while to situate the boat so we felt it was safe. Our solar cells are as wide as the back of the boat and they fell right where the 2 posts were. The solar cells would touch the posts when the wind blew us a little. Not our favorite marina. As it turned out the weather Sat was sunny and nice and we could have anchored out and dinghy in to our friends dock and been fine.
We got together and all went to a pizza place. The pizza was really good and we were hungry. We came back to the boat and stayed up till midnight catching up on everything.
Jan 22. Sunday. Mangrove Marina in Plantation Key
We slept in a little and our friends came by around 11 and we all went to brunch at a place called Snappers. It has live music, mimosas, and really good brunch. Lee had Eggs Neptune and I had Eggs Blackrock. We were stuffed and enjoyed the music a lot. You can also dance if you can do it in a small space between tables. It was quite windy but sunny and warm. After brunch we came back to the boat and took naps and our friends went home to do some projects. We rejoined around 5:30 for Cuban food. It was delicious. More talking and listening. We returned to the boat around 9:30. I am using our new Mac Book Pro for this log then hope to get some sleep. We think the threatened ba d wind & rain may come tonight . The phone alarmed that this area is under tornado watch and we can feel the wind pushing us around. 70% chance of rain tonight. Tomorrow I hope to get the freezer defrosted and get the temp down. It is saying 33 degrees on the led display.
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Day 33 Jan 19, 2017 Thursday
Hall of Fame Marina Ft Lauderdale , FL
Today we got up and went to the mall to the Apple Store to look at replacement computers. There was a long line of people waiting for the Apple store to open as nothing in the mall opens until 10. When they finally opened the store the 20 or so waiting people applauded. We ended up buying an Apple Mac Book Pro. We will use it both for the boat and at home.
We also made a quick trip to the grocery store and returned the rental car before 12 as required. I said yesterday it was due back Fri but it was Thursday.
We got the repaired outboard back on its mount with the help of some boaters who had just pulled in the slip beside us. Boaters are great people to pitch in when you need an extra hand. That done Lee proceeded to introduce himself to his new toy. We need it to read DOS in order to handle our navigation software but for everything else we will be doing apple stuff. He thinks they will play nice together but he is still learning the ins and outs of the new Apple. We have Apple phones, tablets, and TV already. Our desk computer is an older I Mac that is no longer supported.
At bed time last night I realized I did not get my sheets back from the laundromat. I had an odd number of loads and with 2 each of washers and dryers I had left a load in a washer that never got put in the dryer. Today I went back to the laundromat and my wet sheets etc were laying on top of a dryer. I gathered them up and brought them back to the boat and hung stuff here and there. We looked a little like the Beverly HillBillies. Am I dating myself??
Well at least tonight I will have a sheet instead of sleeping on my quilt.
We are ready to get fuel at 7:30 am and head off shore. We hope to make it past Miami tomorrow. Weather and waves look ok for Friday but the week end not so great. We are headed for Tavernier Key to hang out there a while. Hope we can catch some friends who live there part of the time.
Today we got up and went to the mall to the Apple Store to look at replacement computers. There was a long line of people waiting for the Apple store to open as nothing in the mall opens until 10. When they finally opened the store the 20 or so waiting people applauded. We ended up buying an Apple Mac Book Pro. We will use it both for the boat and at home.
We also made a quick trip to the grocery store and returned the rental car before 12 as required. I said yesterday it was due back Fri but it was Thursday.
We got the repaired outboard back on its mount with the help of some boaters who had just pulled in the slip beside us. Boaters are great people to pitch in when you need an extra hand. That done Lee proceeded to introduce himself to his new toy. We need it to read DOS in order to handle our navigation software but for everything else we will be doing apple stuff. He thinks they will play nice together but he is still learning the ins and outs of the new Apple. We have Apple phones, tablets, and TV already. Our desk computer is an older I Mac that is no longer supported.
At bed time last night I realized I did not get my sheets back from the laundromat. I had an odd number of loads and with 2 each of washers and dryers I had left a load in a washer that never got put in the dryer. Today I went back to the laundromat and my wet sheets etc were laying on top of a dryer. I gathered them up and brought them back to the boat and hung stuff here and there. We looked a little like the Beverly HillBillies. Am I dating myself??
Well at least tonight I will have a sheet instead of sleeping on my quilt.
We are ready to get fuel at 7:30 am and head off shore. We hope to make it past Miami tomorrow. Weather and waves look ok for Friday but the week end not so great. We are headed for Tavernier Key to hang out there a while. Hope we can catch some friends who live there part of the time.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Days 31 & 32 Jan 17 &18, 2017 Tues & Wed
Hall of Fame Marina Ft Lauderdale, FL Tues Jan 17, 2017
Day 31
We had another nice day to boat. We arrived in Ft Lauderdale shortly after noon after 7 bridges. We picked up a slip at the Swimming Hall of Fame Marina and plan to get the outboard for the dinghy worked on here. A deck had said he lived near where the boat mechanic was so he took it to the repair shop for a fee. It should only take a few hours so we should have it back by Wed. afternoon. The cost of a couple of hundred bucks plus what it costs to get it to the mechanic and back is the fly in the ointment. Wrestling the motor off the back of the boat when the finger dock is shorter than the boat was a hassle but with 3 men it got done.
We walked over to Coconuts for dinner. We like the food and it was close. Met some nice folks from Texas who are in the slip adjacent to ours.
Hall of Fame Marina Fort Lauderdale, FL Jan. 18, 2017 Wed
We started the day with Lee washing the boat and me washing the clothes. With 5 loads and only 2 washers and 2 dryers I spent nearly all morning in the laundry. It was so tiny there was hardly room to open the dryer door and nowhere to sit. I sat on the floor of the porch outside the laundry room, without a book, boring!
Lee arranged for a rental car to be delivered after 12 and it came about the time I finished laundry. We started by picking up the outboard, then we took our propane tank we use for cooking and got it filled. I have cooked so much I already had emptied a 10 pound tank. Then headed to West Marine, where Lee got some parts for the head, a stainless steel catch for the snubber, and some other odds and ends. We left something to be made for us and we went to a diner called Lester's (Lee's dads name). Ate ourselves silly and went back to West Marine to pick up our stuff. We then went to Blue Water Books. Which had a much better selection of chart materials than West Marine. We replaced our damaged Near Bahamas chart book for a cool $75.
It was an expensive day for us, $15 for laundry, $200 for outboard, rental car $65, $75 for chart book, $225 at W Marine and Raritan for miscellaneous parts. We decided to stay Thur night too (another $100) to give us time to get the outboard remounted on the stern, check out an Apple Air Bk to replace our lap top that is giving Lee an ulcer, and grab a few groceries before returning the rental car around noon Friday.
Day 31
We had another nice day to boat. We arrived in Ft Lauderdale shortly after noon after 7 bridges. We picked up a slip at the Swimming Hall of Fame Marina and plan to get the outboard for the dinghy worked on here. A deck had said he lived near where the boat mechanic was so he took it to the repair shop for a fee. It should only take a few hours so we should have it back by Wed. afternoon. The cost of a couple of hundred bucks plus what it costs to get it to the mechanic and back is the fly in the ointment. Wrestling the motor off the back of the boat when the finger dock is shorter than the boat was a hassle but with 3 men it got done.
We walked over to Coconuts for dinner. We like the food and it was close. Met some nice folks from Texas who are in the slip adjacent to ours.
Hall of Fame Marina Fort Lauderdale, FL Jan. 18, 2017 Wed
We started the day with Lee washing the boat and me washing the clothes. With 5 loads and only 2 washers and 2 dryers I spent nearly all morning in the laundry. It was so tiny there was hardly room to open the dryer door and nowhere to sit. I sat on the floor of the porch outside the laundry room, without a book, boring!
Lee arranged for a rental car to be delivered after 12 and it came about the time I finished laundry. We started by picking up the outboard, then we took our propane tank we use for cooking and got it filled. I have cooked so much I already had emptied a 10 pound tank. Then headed to West Marine, where Lee got some parts for the head, a stainless steel catch for the snubber, and some other odds and ends. We left something to be made for us and we went to a diner called Lester's (Lee's dads name). Ate ourselves silly and went back to West Marine to pick up our stuff. We then went to Blue Water Books. Which had a much better selection of chart materials than West Marine. We replaced our damaged Near Bahamas chart book for a cool $75.
It was an expensive day for us, $15 for laundry, $200 for outboard, rental car $65, $75 for chart book, $225 at W Marine and Raritan for miscellaneous parts. We decided to stay Thur night too (another $100) to give us time to get the outboard remounted on the stern, check out an Apple Air Bk to replace our lap top that is giving Lee an ulcer, and grab a few groceries before returning the rental car around noon Friday.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Day 30 Jan 16, 2017 Monday
Boca Raton, FL ICW at anchor
We left West Palm Beach, finally, around 8. We have traversed 11 bridges. As one might expect, we played ring around the waterway killing time waiting for openings. Most opened on the hour and half hour. George Bush Memorial Bridge had a mechanical problem and they could not open until a part was brought and installed. By the time that was done there was a long line of boats waiting to pass. Fortunately the next bridge opened for the long line of boats when it was not scheduled to open. Everyone got through but us and a power boat, we had to wait 30 min. Can not win them all. We still made it to our anchorage by 3 so it was not that big a deal.
It was overcast but warm all day. We had rain a time or two , but the really hard rain did not come until we were anchored. Looks like it will be sunny and 80s for the next 5 days.
Our water got so low we had to use our jerry cans of water. Can not wait to have all the water I want to clean up the boat inside and out and me and my laundry too.
Hope we get our outboard fixed quickly as we will have to rent a truck to deliver it and pick it up from the repair man. Be nice if that could be done in the same 24 hrs but not taking bets on it. Just adds to the expense. Also hope our bow roller has arrived at the marina. Ft Lauderdale here we come.
We left West Palm Beach, finally, around 8. We have traversed 11 bridges. As one might expect, we played ring around the waterway killing time waiting for openings. Most opened on the hour and half hour. George Bush Memorial Bridge had a mechanical problem and they could not open until a part was brought and installed. By the time that was done there was a long line of boats waiting to pass. Fortunately the next bridge opened for the long line of boats when it was not scheduled to open. Everyone got through but us and a power boat, we had to wait 30 min. Can not win them all. We still made it to our anchorage by 3 so it was not that big a deal.
It was overcast but warm all day. We had rain a time or two , but the really hard rain did not come until we were anchored. Looks like it will be sunny and 80s for the next 5 days.
Our water got so low we had to use our jerry cans of water. Can not wait to have all the water I want to clean up the boat inside and out and me and my laundry too.
Hope we get our outboard fixed quickly as we will have to rent a truck to deliver it and pick it up from the repair man. Be nice if that could be done in the same 24 hrs but not taking bets on it. Just adds to the expense. Also hope our bow roller has arrived at the marina. Ft Lauderdale here we come.
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Day 29 Jan 15,2017 Sunday
West Palm Beach, FL anchored
Another lovely warm weather day. There was a really big car show on shore just feet away from us. Been to them before but nothing this big. There was a fortune in cars. Cute stuff like a bat man car and weird stuff like someone on LSD painted it and a Lamborghini that was all chrome with purple metallic accents. Now that was an impressive car and cars do not usually impress me. Lots of Lamborghinis but that one was the most spectacular. Music too, if you can call it that. Loud noise anyway. Last night the noise went on until 2 or 3 in the morning but it seems to have quit tonight before 8.
A few food vendors were around. When a guy says do you want the small or large donut what do you say? Big right? Well what you get is a dozen about the size of a silver dollar, cake donuts. Not what I expected. Maybe next time I will ask what small & large mean.
We are heading out tomorrow morning and hoping to anchor at Boca Raton. We put an old bow roller on that was broken but not as badly as the one that split in two a few days ago. We will see how it does in the morning.
Another lovely warm weather day. There was a really big car show on shore just feet away from us. Been to them before but nothing this big. There was a fortune in cars. Cute stuff like a bat man car and weird stuff like someone on LSD painted it and a Lamborghini that was all chrome with purple metallic accents. Now that was an impressive car and cars do not usually impress me. Lots of Lamborghinis but that one was the most spectacular. Music too, if you can call it that. Loud noise anyway. Last night the noise went on until 2 or 3 in the morning but it seems to have quit tonight before 8.
A few food vendors were around. When a guy says do you want the small or large donut what do you say? Big right? Well what you get is a dozen about the size of a silver dollar, cake donuts. Not what I expected. Maybe next time I will ask what small & large mean.
We are heading out tomorrow morning and hoping to anchor at Boca Raton. We put an old bow roller on that was broken but not as badly as the one that split in two a few days ago. We will see how it does in the morning.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Day 28 Jan 14, 2017 Saturday
West Palm Beach, FL at anchor
Today was another lovely weather day. We made another trip to the grocery store on the trolley and went to a restaurant in City Place for a mid afternoon meal.
It occurred to me today that Monday is a holiday and that will effect the package delivery and return. It also will have an impact on the boat traffic. Lee did not want to travel Sat or Sun because of the weekend boat traffic and the many bridges we need to get through. Monday will be like a weekend since it is also a holiday. We will go on Monday anyway as that is the way we had reservations planned for Ft Lauderdale. We will need water, fuel and a laundromat all by the time Tuesday comes. It will take a day and a half to get there from here.
Today was another lovely weather day. We made another trip to the grocery store on the trolley and went to a restaurant in City Place for a mid afternoon meal.
It occurred to me today that Monday is a holiday and that will effect the package delivery and return. It also will have an impact on the boat traffic. Lee did not want to travel Sat or Sun because of the weekend boat traffic and the many bridges we need to get through. Monday will be like a weekend since it is also a holiday. We will go on Monday anyway as that is the way we had reservations planned for Ft Lauderdale. We will need water, fuel and a laundromat all by the time Tuesday comes. It will take a day and a half to get there from here.
Friday, January 13, 2017
Day 27 Jan 13, 2017 Friday
Anchored West Palm Beach FL Friday the 13th
Beautiful weather. We called Las Olas Marina in Ft Lauderdale this morning to confirm our reservations and make them aware a package would be arriving for us probably before we got there. They informed us they had nothing for a boat our size and they would not accept a package unless we were in the marina the day it arrived. Earlier this week when we talked to them they said sure no problem let them know when we knew our exact arrival date.
We called the place shipping the bow roller and it had already gone out to Las Olas who is going to refuse it. Now what? We called Hall of Fame marina and they made a reservation for us for Tues and Wed next week. We are hoping to get another bow roller shipped there before our time there is up. It is pretty pricey and we do not want to stay there longer than necessary. If we did not know it was Friday the 13th before we did after our phone calls.
I vetoed going ashore thinking we might get run over by a car or the boat would sink. Safer to stay aboard.
We hunted for the rebuild kit for our toilet but it seems to have evaporated into thin air. We are having problems that need to be fixed before long.We both took afternoon naps and Lee tried again to fix my online book problem. Still not solved. Not sure it can be. I buy an ebook and it comes to his tablet and phone but not to mine. He always has his tablet so I can not read a book on his stuff.
Our solar cells which kept the batteries charged up so well last yr do not seem to be doing such a great job this yr. Can not figure out what is up with that. We are running the motor now to charge things up and get some hot water for showers and dishwashing. Sure will be glad when it is the 14th of Jan.
Beautiful weather. We called Las Olas Marina in Ft Lauderdale this morning to confirm our reservations and make them aware a package would be arriving for us probably before we got there. They informed us they had nothing for a boat our size and they would not accept a package unless we were in the marina the day it arrived. Earlier this week when we talked to them they said sure no problem let them know when we knew our exact arrival date.
We called the place shipping the bow roller and it had already gone out to Las Olas who is going to refuse it. Now what? We called Hall of Fame marina and they made a reservation for us for Tues and Wed next week. We are hoping to get another bow roller shipped there before our time there is up. It is pretty pricey and we do not want to stay there longer than necessary. If we did not know it was Friday the 13th before we did after our phone calls.
I vetoed going ashore thinking we might get run over by a car or the boat would sink. Safer to stay aboard.
We hunted for the rebuild kit for our toilet but it seems to have evaporated into thin air. We are having problems that need to be fixed before long.We both took afternoon naps and Lee tried again to fix my online book problem. Still not solved. Not sure it can be. I buy an ebook and it comes to his tablet and phone but not to mine. He always has his tablet so I can not read a book on his stuff.
Our solar cells which kept the batteries charged up so well last yr do not seem to be doing such a great job this yr. Can not figure out what is up with that. We are running the motor now to charge things up and get some hot water for showers and dishwashing. Sure will be glad when it is the 14th of Jan.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Day 26 Jan 12, 2017 Thursday
City Anchorage West Palm Beach, FL
Today we took the dinghy off the swim platform and to shore. We caught the trolley nearby and made a quick trip to the grocery store. We returned to the boat and lounged around in the sun. It was upper 70s sunny and a lovely day to hang out. No biting bugs of any kind.
Later in the day we went back to shore and ate at a restaurant called Grease. No kidding. They had lots of unhealthy food. I had the standard hamburger but it was so big I could hardly get my mouth open big enough to bite it. We both had milk shakes, real ones not that soft serve junk. Then Lee also ordered a beer. Milkshake and beer ??!! To each his own. We left full. They had 6 layer carrot cake but I was too full to consider it.
We returned to the boat after dark. We are anchored just out from the city centennial park where they were setting up to start a concert as we passed through to the dinghy dock. The fountains were on and lit up in multicolor light and it looked really pretty.
Tomorrow we hope to get to the Manatee Discovery Center. It is free but off the free trolley route and a VERY long walk . We may break down and do Uber. If you have never seen a manatee up close they are really cute. They have toenails on their flippers and the most expressive human looking eyes.
Today we took the dinghy off the swim platform and to shore. We caught the trolley nearby and made a quick trip to the grocery store. We returned to the boat and lounged around in the sun. It was upper 70s sunny and a lovely day to hang out. No biting bugs of any kind.
Later in the day we went back to shore and ate at a restaurant called Grease. No kidding. They had lots of unhealthy food. I had the standard hamburger but it was so big I could hardly get my mouth open big enough to bite it. We both had milk shakes, real ones not that soft serve junk. Then Lee also ordered a beer. Milkshake and beer ??!! To each his own. We left full. They had 6 layer carrot cake but I was too full to consider it.
We returned to the boat after dark. We are anchored just out from the city centennial park where they were setting up to start a concert as we passed through to the dinghy dock. The fountains were on and lit up in multicolor light and it looked really pretty.
Tomorrow we hope to get to the Manatee Discovery Center. It is free but off the free trolley route and a VERY long walk . We may break down and do Uber. If you have never seen a manatee up close they are really cute. They have toenails on their flippers and the most expressive human looking eyes.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Day 25 Jan 11, 2017 Wednesday
City anchorage West Palm Beach , FL
I did nothing today. I did not feel good and slept a lot of the day. Lee read, talked to Lehr about a problem with the propane outboard motor, ordered a replacement bow roller for the anchor, upgraded our verizon data plan since we are now dependent on that since we don't have wifi.
Weather has been nice. Hi 60s at night, mid 70s in the day. We will probably go to shore and dink around tomorrow.
I did nothing today. I did not feel good and slept a lot of the day. Lee read, talked to Lehr about a problem with the propane outboard motor, ordered a replacement bow roller for the anchor, upgraded our verizon data plan since we are now dependent on that since we don't have wifi.
Weather has been nice. Hi 60s at night, mid 70s in the day. We will probably go to shore and dink around tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Days 23 & 24 Jan 9 & 10, 2017 Monday & Tuesday
West Palm Beach, FL at anchor
Day 23
We stayed anchored at North Palm Monday. The wind slowed down a little in the late afternoon. We did a little housekeeping cleaning filters etc.
Day 24
We decided to go on in to West Palm Beach town anchorage. It was about 1 1/2 hour trip motoring. It was a mostly overcast sky but wind was not as bad as the last few days. We found the anchorage moderately full but found a spot we think is ok. Our bow roller broke in two parts. I noticed it was cracked a few days ago so not surprised it broke. It was not as large as the one that was on the boat when we got it and it also broke. We called around and had not found what we wanted and the 2 places that said they would call back did not. We found some on Amazon we may try to order. That is a decision for tomorrow. Getting the anchor up with no bow roller is going to be a nasty job.
Tomorrow we will take the trolley to the grocery store and probably eat at one of the local restaurants. But first we need to get the dinghy down. We will stay here 3 or 4 days then head on S. to Ft. Lauderdale.
Day 23
We stayed anchored at North Palm Monday. The wind slowed down a little in the late afternoon. We did a little housekeeping cleaning filters etc.
Day 24
We decided to go on in to West Palm Beach town anchorage. It was about 1 1/2 hour trip motoring. It was a mostly overcast sky but wind was not as bad as the last few days. We found the anchorage moderately full but found a spot we think is ok. Our bow roller broke in two parts. I noticed it was cracked a few days ago so not surprised it broke. It was not as large as the one that was on the boat when we got it and it also broke. We called around and had not found what we wanted and the 2 places that said they would call back did not. We found some on Amazon we may try to order. That is a decision for tomorrow. Getting the anchor up with no bow roller is going to be a nasty job.
Tomorrow we will take the trolley to the grocery store and probably eat at one of the local restaurants. But first we need to get the dinghy down. We will stay here 3 or 4 days then head on S. to Ft. Lauderdale.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Day 22 Jan. 8, 2017 Sunday
Anchored in Lake Worth North Palm Beach, FL
We have had constant winds from the N or NW all day. It has topped 33mph. We had a bouncy night because of the winds too. It got quite cold and at 8 this morning it was 58 in the boat. By noon the sun had warmed the cockpit up to a comfortable temperature and we spent the afternoon up top. It was sunny and with the cockpit enclosure we were protected from the strong wind so it was nice if bouncy. Tomorrow is supposed to be about the same as today. The only thing out of the ordinary that happened was a loud ping, that sounded like someones dinghy bumped us. It was our snubber coming off and our chain making noise. Lee fixed it and all was well again.
We haven't decided if we will stay here tomorrow or go on into West Palm. We will not have as much room there and with wind like this a slipped anchor could do you some harm pretty quick. We had a bad experience last year with a boat that slipped its anchor and rammed into us in the middle of the night in West Palm. Not the best holding or some people just do not know how to set their anchor. We have seen a lot of anchors we thought were on the light side for the boats they were on. That is about it, pretty boring day.
We have had constant winds from the N or NW all day. It has topped 33mph. We had a bouncy night because of the winds too. It got quite cold and at 8 this morning it was 58 in the boat. By noon the sun had warmed the cockpit up to a comfortable temperature and we spent the afternoon up top. It was sunny and with the cockpit enclosure we were protected from the strong wind so it was nice if bouncy. Tomorrow is supposed to be about the same as today. The only thing out of the ordinary that happened was a loud ping, that sounded like someones dinghy bumped us. It was our snubber coming off and our chain making noise. Lee fixed it and all was well again.
We haven't decided if we will stay here tomorrow or go on into West Palm. We will not have as much room there and with wind like this a slipped anchor could do you some harm pretty quick. We had a bad experience last year with a boat that slipped its anchor and rammed into us in the middle of the night in West Palm. Not the best holding or some people just do not know how to set their anchor. We have seen a lot of anchors we thought were on the light side for the boats they were on. That is about it, pretty boring day.
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Day 21 Jan 7, 2017 Saturday
Lake Worth Just north of West Palm Beach FL
We made it through our umpteen bridges. Got to wait on some of them which is always a pain in the neck. It was overcast and threatening rain off and on all morning, with periodic sprinkles. Just as we were approaching West Palm the radar showed a heavy shower was coming any minute so we decided to anchor just short of downtown West Palm rather than try to do the anchoring in a strong wind and pouring rain. We did set anchor in the rain but the hardest hit after I got back in the cockpit and under the canvas. Lots of boats anchored here today. Bet the downtown anchorage is really crowded, a weekend is always busier.
The coast guard gave a warning on the vhf radio that trying to cross the gulf stream this week end was not a good idea. As the front moves across they expect 18ft waves and high winds from the north. No way we would do that. Looks like we won't go further than 40 or so miles further south for 5 to 7 days. We have to go off shore because of a low fixed bridge between Ft Lauderdale and Miami and the conditions are going to be too bad for several day.
West Palm can be a nice place to spend a few days killing time except for no access to fresh water or laundromat. (unless you pay for a long taxi ride to the laundromat, been there done that)
Last night the no see ums ate me up. I scratched half the night and a lot of today. Even Lee who usually is not too tasty to bugs had several bites. Mosquitoes and no see ums are the bane of warm weather cruising. I take allergy meds which I think helps just a little bit with the itching but who knows.
Stay tuned for the next chapter......
We made it through our umpteen bridges. Got to wait on some of them which is always a pain in the neck. It was overcast and threatening rain off and on all morning, with periodic sprinkles. Just as we were approaching West Palm the radar showed a heavy shower was coming any minute so we decided to anchor just short of downtown West Palm rather than try to do the anchoring in a strong wind and pouring rain. We did set anchor in the rain but the hardest hit after I got back in the cockpit and under the canvas. Lots of boats anchored here today. Bet the downtown anchorage is really crowded, a weekend is always busier.
The coast guard gave a warning on the vhf radio that trying to cross the gulf stream this week end was not a good idea. As the front moves across they expect 18ft waves and high winds from the north. No way we would do that. Looks like we won't go further than 40 or so miles further south for 5 to 7 days. We have to go off shore because of a low fixed bridge between Ft Lauderdale and Miami and the conditions are going to be too bad for several day.
West Palm can be a nice place to spend a few days killing time except for no access to fresh water or laundromat. (unless you pay for a long taxi ride to the laundromat, been there done that)
Last night the no see ums ate me up. I scratched half the night and a lot of today. Even Lee who usually is not too tasty to bugs had several bites. Mosquitoes and no see ums are the bane of warm weather cruising. I take allergy meds which I think helps just a little bit with the itching but who knows.
Stay tuned for the next chapter......
Friday, January 6, 2017
Day 20 Jan 6, 2017 Friday
ICW heading South mm992
We left Vero Beach Muni Marina at 8. It was a beautiful warm sunny morning with water as smooth as glass. We had an uneventful day except for a very loud screeching sound around noon. It sounded like it was coming from the motor. Maybe a belt slipping. When Lee slowed down it quit but when he tried to speed up it started again. He went slower for a while then sped up gradually and it did not start making sounds again. He checked out the motor when we anchored for the evening and all looked OK. We don't know what happened but hope it will not happen again. This is a popular anchorage, Peck Lake, and we are sharing it with several other boats. We saw a lot of dolphin today.
We have many bridges to engage tomorrow before reaching West Palm Beach. We may be there several days but it too is popular and it can get impossibly crowded there. Guess we will see when we get there.
We left Vero Beach Muni Marina at 8. It was a beautiful warm sunny morning with water as smooth as glass. We had an uneventful day except for a very loud screeching sound around noon. It sounded like it was coming from the motor. Maybe a belt slipping. When Lee slowed down it quit but when he tried to speed up it started again. He went slower for a while then sped up gradually and it did not start making sounds again. He checked out the motor when we anchored for the evening and all looked OK. We don't know what happened but hope it will not happen again. This is a popular anchorage, Peck Lake, and we are sharing it with several other boats. We saw a lot of dolphin today.
We have many bridges to engage tomorrow before reaching West Palm Beach. We may be there several days but it too is popular and it can get impossibly crowded there. Guess we will see when we get there.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Day 19 Jan 5, 2017 Thursday
Vero Beach Municipal Marina FL
We had a nice cool night and a sunny beautiful day. We took the dinghy in to the dock and bus stop. We did not know the bus schedule but thought we could pick one up in the office or there would be one posted in the boaters lounge. Just as we walked from the dock we saw the bus leaving. Never did get a schedule at the marina but got one from the bus driver later. Our perfect timing meant we got to wait an hour for the next bus to the shopping center that had the West Marine and the Publix. We finally got on the bus and rode into town. We got some guide and chart books of the Keys and the Bahamas at West Marine and a few basics at Publix then went out to Two Jays for lunch. They have a great menu and lots of food. We decided we could skip dinner if we ate lunch there. I found a beauty shop that could take a walk in pronto so got my hair cut.
We went to the bus stop and while we waited we chatted with some other sailboaters who were moored at the marina too. They too are headed for the Keys and the Bahamas.We may run into them again.
We had a mess to clean up today. We took out some charts we bought 2 yrs ago of the Exumas only to find they were ruined by something sticky. The pages had stiffened and stuck together. We started searching for the source of the problem and found it. The cabinet under the sink in the head had various cleaning items, laundry soap, clorox, water conditioner etc. Last yr one of the bottles of laundry soap got a hole in the bottom. Lee thought he had plugged it up but apparently it did not stay plugged. It had leaked all over the vanity cabinet and gone under the back wall of the vanity and leaked into the chart cabinet. A $70 chart book ruined. We took everything out, cleaned up the mess, discarded extras of things and put stuff back together. We had hoped if we soaked the chart book that it would soften the soap and the pages could be separated so we placed it in the shower and stopped up the drain holes and soaked it for an hour or 2 but it did not help. Don't have a clue what else to try.
We have the dinghy up and ready to take off at 8 in the morning when we can go by the office and pay our way out and get a little more water. We hope to make West Palm Beach by Sat afternoon.
We had a nice cool night and a sunny beautiful day. We took the dinghy in to the dock and bus stop. We did not know the bus schedule but thought we could pick one up in the office or there would be one posted in the boaters lounge. Just as we walked from the dock we saw the bus leaving. Never did get a schedule at the marina but got one from the bus driver later. Our perfect timing meant we got to wait an hour for the next bus to the shopping center that had the West Marine and the Publix. We finally got on the bus and rode into town. We got some guide and chart books of the Keys and the Bahamas at West Marine and a few basics at Publix then went out to Two Jays for lunch. They have a great menu and lots of food. We decided we could skip dinner if we ate lunch there. I found a beauty shop that could take a walk in pronto so got my hair cut.
We went to the bus stop and while we waited we chatted with some other sailboaters who were moored at the marina too. They too are headed for the Keys and the Bahamas.We may run into them again.
We had a mess to clean up today. We took out some charts we bought 2 yrs ago of the Exumas only to find they were ruined by something sticky. The pages had stiffened and stuck together. We started searching for the source of the problem and found it. The cabinet under the sink in the head had various cleaning items, laundry soap, clorox, water conditioner etc. Last yr one of the bottles of laundry soap got a hole in the bottom. Lee thought he had plugged it up but apparently it did not stay plugged. It had leaked all over the vanity cabinet and gone under the back wall of the vanity and leaked into the chart cabinet. A $70 chart book ruined. We took everything out, cleaned up the mess, discarded extras of things and put stuff back together. We had hoped if we soaked the chart book that it would soften the soap and the pages could be separated so we placed it in the shower and stopped up the drain holes and soaked it for an hour or 2 but it did not help. Don't have a clue what else to try.
We have the dinghy up and ready to take off at 8 in the morning when we can go by the office and pay our way out and get a little more water. We hope to make West Palm Beach by Sat afternoon.
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Day 18 Jan 4, 2017 Wednesday
ICW heading South Vero Beach Municipal Marina
Well we had a warm night. No blanket, just a sheet was enough. We had a short day as we were making over 6 kts most all day and going to Vero Beach to grab a mooring ball. We arrived about 1 in the afternoon. I steered the boat up to the ball and Lee hooked us up. We were lucky to get one to ourselves since here you frequently have to raft up with another boat. It had looked all day like it would rain anytime but was mostly sunny when we arrived at Vero.
We put the dinghy down for the first time since we started. Getting the motor on was not a hard as I remembered. Could I be getting stronger? Once the motor was on the trouble began. Our outboard is a propane motor and we had two tanks we felt were nearly full but we could not get the outboard to run. Lee needed a drill to enlarge a hole and of course the battery for the drill was not charged. After changing hoses from tank to outboard and taking off the motor cover and generally tinkering it finally ran. It was quite a jaunt to the office and no one was into rowing that far.
While Lee went to take care of checking in I tidied up the cockpit. It started to rain a few slow drops which I thought was nothing so I did not close anything up. Then after 5 min of little drips and drops the sky opened up and rained really hard for 5 or 10 min then it was over and the sun was out again. Unfortunately Lee was in the dinghy coming back to the boat when the downpour started and he was soaked. I had stacked the chart book and the notebook he kept notes in on the companionway but not put them below. They also got soaked as well as the ipad and cell phone. It may be spring before his jeans dry out.
Hope that was our share of incidents for today. Tomorrow we plan a bus trip to town. The no see ums are bad so I do not think we will stay more than tomorrow night before we head on south.
Well we had a warm night. No blanket, just a sheet was enough. We had a short day as we were making over 6 kts most all day and going to Vero Beach to grab a mooring ball. We arrived about 1 in the afternoon. I steered the boat up to the ball and Lee hooked us up. We were lucky to get one to ourselves since here you frequently have to raft up with another boat. It had looked all day like it would rain anytime but was mostly sunny when we arrived at Vero.
We put the dinghy down for the first time since we started. Getting the motor on was not a hard as I remembered. Could I be getting stronger? Once the motor was on the trouble began. Our outboard is a propane motor and we had two tanks we felt were nearly full but we could not get the outboard to run. Lee needed a drill to enlarge a hole and of course the battery for the drill was not charged. After changing hoses from tank to outboard and taking off the motor cover and generally tinkering it finally ran. It was quite a jaunt to the office and no one was into rowing that far.
While Lee went to take care of checking in I tidied up the cockpit. It started to rain a few slow drops which I thought was nothing so I did not close anything up. Then after 5 min of little drips and drops the sky opened up and rained really hard for 5 or 10 min then it was over and the sun was out again. Unfortunately Lee was in the dinghy coming back to the boat when the downpour started and he was soaked. I had stacked the chart book and the notebook he kept notes in on the companionway but not put them below. They also got soaked as well as the ipad and cell phone. It may be spring before his jeans dry out.
Hope that was our share of incidents for today. Tomorrow we plan a bus trip to town. The no see ums are bad so I do not think we will stay more than tomorrow night before we head on south.
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Day 17 Jan 3, 2017 Tues
ICW heading South Melbourne, FL mm919
Today was the warmest day yet, 80s. It started out dreary and overcast but became sunny and hot before noon. We had everything opened up and I changed into my summer clothes. Both of us were barefoot all day. We had wind off our beam at 13-21 kts most of the afternoon and were in areas deep enough to put up sails. We were glad to get them up and it felt good for the boat to heel a bit. That used to scare me.
We had a beautiful sunset this evening. Pink and golden yellow. Lee went out as the sun touched the water and blew on our conch shell. We are anchored out in the open off the waterway but not getting any wind or waves.
We are eating like kings but both of us think we are losing a little weight. Not much room for junk food on board and no place to get it. I have really used my pressure cooker a lot. Probably 1/2 the time I cook I use it. It cuts down on cooking time and also helps keep the boat cool. Cooking a long meal on a hot day heats up the boat, done the regular way.
We hope to get to Vero Beach tomorrow and probably stay there 2 or 3 days. They have a free bus that runs right by a grocery store, west marine and several other useful places. Think I will try to get a hair cut while we are there. Know we will make a grocery run as we are almost out of shelf milk. (the kind that does not need refrigerated)
Today was the warmest day yet, 80s. It started out dreary and overcast but became sunny and hot before noon. We had everything opened up and I changed into my summer clothes. Both of us were barefoot all day. We had wind off our beam at 13-21 kts most of the afternoon and were in areas deep enough to put up sails. We were glad to get them up and it felt good for the boat to heel a bit. That used to scare me.
We had a beautiful sunset this evening. Pink and golden yellow. Lee went out as the sun touched the water and blew on our conch shell. We are anchored out in the open off the waterway but not getting any wind or waves.
We are eating like kings but both of us think we are losing a little weight. Not much room for junk food on board and no place to get it. I have really used my pressure cooker a lot. Probably 1/2 the time I cook I use it. It cuts down on cooking time and also helps keep the boat cool. Cooking a long meal on a hot day heats up the boat, done the regular way.
We hope to get to Vero Beach tomorrow and probably stay there 2 or 3 days. They have a free bus that runs right by a grocery store, west marine and several other useful places. Think I will try to get a hair cut while we are there. Know we will make a grocery run as we are almost out of shelf milk. (the kind that does not need refrigerated)
Monday, January 2, 2017
Day 16 Jan 2, 2017 Monday
ICW Heading South near Titusville Cape Canaveral
We got an early start and went to Halifax Harbor Marina for diesel.
It was another sunny warm day. The first half of the day had lots of boat traffic. Lots of fishing camps along the shore and lots of small boats. They had no qualms about dropping their anchor and a fishing line right in the middle of the waterway. Right on the magenta line. I went around one small boat with a man and 2 boys maybe 8 & 10 and he yelled at me to move over. I wanted to explain to him when you park in the middle of the road you should expect to get run over.
The hurricane damage here is very apparent. It looks like Godzilla stomped through crashing docks and boat houses and grabbing boats and flinging them on the shore. Such a sad mess. Can not imagine how scary it must have been to be here witnessing the destruction.
Things got more rural and quiet as the afternoon wore on. We dropped anchor just north of Titusville for the night.
We got an early start and went to Halifax Harbor Marina for diesel.
It was another sunny warm day. The first half of the day had lots of boat traffic. Lots of fishing camps along the shore and lots of small boats. They had no qualms about dropping their anchor and a fishing line right in the middle of the waterway. Right on the magenta line. I went around one small boat with a man and 2 boys maybe 8 & 10 and he yelled at me to move over. I wanted to explain to him when you park in the middle of the road you should expect to get run over.
The hurricane damage here is very apparent. It looks like Godzilla stomped through crashing docks and boat houses and grabbing boats and flinging them on the shore. Such a sad mess. Can not imagine how scary it must have been to be here witnessing the destruction.
Things got more rural and quiet as the afternoon wore on. We dropped anchor just north of Titusville for the night.
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Day 15 Jan. 1, 2017 Sunday
ICW Heading S. Daytona Beach, FL
We are anchored out in Daytona Beach. Last Jan. we stopped in Dayton heading south too. We were wearing gloves and hats inside the cockpit enclosure and still freezing. What a difference a year makes. Today we had most of the canvas open and Lee was in a short sleeved tshirt and we were both barefoot. Tomorrow is supposed to be 80. We have been so lucky only 3 cold days and almost no rain at all. Lots of bridges today, which is to be expected but only one that was a hassle the rest opened pretty quickly. Everything is going smoothly.
We are anchored out in Daytona Beach. Last Jan. we stopped in Dayton heading south too. We were wearing gloves and hats inside the cockpit enclosure and still freezing. What a difference a year makes. Today we had most of the canvas open and Lee was in a short sleeved tshirt and we were both barefoot. Tomorrow is supposed to be 80. We have been so lucky only 3 cold days and almost no rain at all. Lots of bridges today, which is to be expected but only one that was a hassle the rest opened pretty quickly. Everything is going smoothly.
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