Big Run Up The Chesapeake, Home Tomorrow!!

We left Norfolk/Portsmouth at about 7:30 for the 2 hour run down the Elizabeth River into the Chesapeake Bay. This is very interesting since about half the US Navy is tied up along this stretch, along with commercial shipping and other maritime activity. The photo shows "Warship 51", which is how they refer to themselves on the radio, being towed out of her mooring prior to departure for sea. We did not know quite what to do in terms of just passing, or getting on the radio and requesting a pass. Figuring that if you asked, you would probably be put through some kind of drill or asked to shut down until they got under way, we just blasted past. This is an old oil business trick- always ask for forgiveness rather than ask for permission.

Of course the minute we passed, we regretted the decision, since they ignored us as if we were a mere fly on the wall, or in this case, the edge of the ship channel. This immediately sent the discussion into how the radio banter could have gone. Warship 51, Warship 51, this is sailing vessel Potemkin of fun-loving People's Republic of Kazakhstan asking you to move over, ...over....maybe then enjoying a full military investigation? Naw, just quietly pass by. Experience dictates that structured organizations such as the military and most of my prior employers have no sense of humor in these matters, which is disappointing. Would have been a great joke, provided they held their fire.

We had a good run up the Chesapeake motor sailing with a nice breeze behind us. When we reached our target of Deltaville, it was too early to stop, so we continued on to Reedville and are currently in a beautiful anchorage watching a spectacular sunset and enjoying a glass of Prosecco. Life is good. The extra mileage today means a short run tomorrow into Solomons, ETA early afternoon.

Awesome trip, awesome experience, and we will reflect further in some final blogs once we have completed our journey and have had time to reflect.

Rob

Hello Norfolk, Chesapeake Bay Tomorrow!!

We had a very quiet and peaceful night at anchor in Broad Creek and rose at first light to be greeted by fog (and mosquitoes). The photo is of the eerie sunrise over still water through fog. It was actually much thicker than the photo depicts, and caused a bit of concern navigating out of the creek and back into the ICW. Only touched bottom once, no biggie.

The trip to Norfolk involved straight runs up the river, then meandering following the upper creeks, finally giving way to a canal across to the Elizabeth River. Oh yes, and smashing mosquitoes that had managed to get into our enclosure, and now could not find their way out. Once in the canal, there were 5 opening bridges and one lock to contend with. Luckily, by leaving early, we were able to get to the final bridge about 10 minutes before it closed for 2 hours for rush hour. Great planning. Sure, I'd actually planned to be there an hour before we did, so luck (or the lack thereof) had a lot to do with it. This put us into Norfolk at 4:30 in the afternoon.

We elected to select a marina in Portsmouth, which is across the river from Norfolk, on the grounds that we had never been there before, so it was worth a look. The marina was right next to the Portsmouth historic district, which is very nicely restored, and we were told that it was our lucky day, since it was restaurant week, and there should be specials galore. So, map in hand, we walked into town. Like I said, nice place, but not much open after 5 except the bars and restaurants, which were all fairly basic. However, we had a very nice dinner, and walked back, concluding from the number of street people and number of police cruisers, that Portsmouth was a fairly rough town that was trying to clean up its act. Still, there were some nautical antique shops that had awesome window displays of maritime memorabilia- everything from brass portholes to full sized binnacles and ships running lights. If you need this stuff, check it out here.

Off tomorrow for Deltaville and some Chesapeake Bay sailing. Finally!!

Rob

Across the Albermarle We Go

Great run out of Belhaven today. The original plan was to find an anchorage at the mouth of the Alligator River, then a long day to Norfolk the following day.
We departed about 8am with a brisk northery wind and sailed where we could until the canal turned north. In the sheltered canal, and with no tidal currents we made great time. Once we popped out into the Alligator River, it was much too early to anchor, so we elected to continue on and cross the Albermarle Sound and anchor in the North River on the other side. This allows us to make a much shorter run into Norfolk tomorrow and signals the last long day of the voyage home: we did 75 miles today. This means 60 miles to Norfolk tomorrow, then about 50 to Deltaville and another 50 or so to home. Yeeha.
We are currently anchored in Broad Creek off the southern end of the North River. It is a very protected anchorage in a narrow creek so the wind will not bother us at all, and there are no currents to worry about. The sun set in beautiful fashion, and then there was that golden moment. For those not familiar with the term "golden moment", it is a term that comes from Australia. The golden moment is that small passage of time between when the flies stop buzzing and the mosquitos descend.
The plan was to fire up the barbee on the stern rail and grill some sausages. When I got out there, the greeting committee from Phylum Insecta Macrobita was waiting. Luckily we had put up the screens on our enclosure, so after sounding the retreat and once inside, it was ok. Sausages pan fried on the stove worked.
Forecasts are for some rain for the next few days, but winds moderate from the south at 10-15, so we should be able to hoist sails out of Norfolk and enjoy our Chesapeake Bay and give the motor a rest.

Rob

Flying Through North Carolina: Wrightsviulle Beach to Morehead City and then on to Belhaven

As we get into this trip, the miles per day has steadily crept up as we get used to the routine of getting up at dawn, casting off, and going like bats out of hell until dusk. The run north from Wrightsville Beach started with a tricky de-docking which we worried about since we were on the the inside of a dock and had to back into a stiff current running against us. The actuality was a relatively easy departure, which was a relief.

The trip north is a misnomer in this case since the Carolina coast here runs almost east-west, and the ICW is relatively straight in the lagoon behind the barrier islands. Tides ebb and flow through the various inlets, so you are alternately battling against the tide, then you go over the top, and it is with you again. Once again, there were some interesting sights. The photo shows a dude in his dinghy high and dry as the tide went out and left him stranded. Perhaps the dry part is redundant? Or perhaps I do not understand people who fish. Yes, I think he still has his rod and bait, but the fish need water to live in, my boy. To catch fish, just follow the water, you will find them eventually. Or perhaps just sitting in the boat is the real objective? Somewhere in a parallel universe, paint is drying. Does that mean someone is watching? Or does anyone really care?

As the day progressed, the wind built to over 20 knots, and was either directly behind us or off our quarter. We set the jib which added over a knot to our speed. It was really exhilarating in the last 10 or so miles down Bogue Sound into Morehead City to have the wind and tide with us, and see the GPS record speed over ground at a steady 8.5 knots. We were flying, and a big power boat that we have been travelling with since Florida radioed to ask what we were on. Warp drive Scotty!!

Due to the strong currents, we selected Morehead City Yacht Basin as a place to stay, which advertised little or no current. Since this would be our last night in high current areas (there are no tides in the Pamlico, only wind driven water level changes), we did not want to tempt fate. I should have figured it out when we came in, that yes, Wanda, the current is running and running with some vigor. Not one of our better docking exercises, but as they say, nobody perished, and no new scratches on our boat, and more importantly, on nobody else's.

After a nice dinner out, we retired early for another early start, only to be awakened in the wee hours by howling winds, and what felt like tsunamis moving the floating docks around. Bump, grind, splish, splash, repeat. Enjoy not included in that. Bleary-eyed, we arose at dawn and surveyed a stiff current running and a supporting stiff wind, both of which were on our beam. We were moored in a slip with 45 to 50 ft yachts on either side ($$$, do not hit), and the objective was to not hit them. After much consultation, we devised a plan to short tie the boat, I would hit max reverse and bowthruster to crab the boat around into the wind, and hopefully we would be clear before the tide and wind smashed us into the next boat. Once again, the good Lord looks after drunks and fools. We powered out of there looking like we knew what we were doing. Over caffination is a virtue in such situations. High fives all around, and off we go for the Pamlico Sound.

Now we were making great progress north. The ICW winds through creeks and canals, then emerges into the Neuse River and then into the Sound, before ducking back into creeks again on its way to Belhaven. The wind was on the nose down the Neuse, making for a nasty chop and big-time pitching action. Once we rounded, the wind moderated, and the seas were smoother. By the time we got to Belhaven, it was light air and a beautiful sunset. We walked the town and admired the waterfront homes. Being Sunday, everything was closed, and it was like stepping back in time. As with other towns that we explored on our journey back, many of the family owned shops were closed, shut down or abandoned due to the recession. The one high light was the marina we are staying in which is run by a couple, and is extremely nice, even if we are the only transient this evening. The marina is obviously dated, but everything is immaculately kept, spotlessly clean, and nicely decorated. A credit to the family business concept.

We are off tomorrow to anchor out in the Alligator River, then the final run home through Norfolk, and Deltaville. Four more days to be back in Solomons. Phew. Quite a journey. The boat has held up well, and we have our fingers crossed that it stays that way. We have a weather window open until Thursday, since on Friday the forecast is for everything to hit the fan. Zoom, zoom, zoom.

Rob

North Carolina

The run out of Georgetown for Myrtle Beach was relatively easy: the weather has been fantastic with crisp mornings and warm afternoons. The wind has been cool and out of the north so the humidity is down making for pleasant days and having to pile on the blankets at night. Now that the meandering part of the trip is over, we had hoped to hoist sails and at least motor sail to boost our speed against adverse tides and currents. Alas, the direction has been right on the nose so we motor on.

We arrived in Myrtle Beach around 6:30 and tied up at their fuel dock [see photo of Great Escape at dawn just before we left for Wrightsville Beach]. Great marina and we saw several of our fellow north-bounds already in slips and well into happy hour. We left at 7:30 am for Wrightsville Beach and a 62 mile run. All went well until we got to Cape Fear and turned north into the Cape Fear River. The current was running about 3 knots against us, and the wind was blowing 20 kts from behind which made for some serious sea conditions. Great Escape was surfing down the waves but making only about 4 kts forward progress speed over ground. The autopilot got completely confused by all of this, meaning manual steering required, and then you add ships coming up and down the channel. After about 2 and a half hours of slogging through this, we entered Snow's Cut, and were back in the usual sheltered ICW conditions.

The tides at the moment are fairly extreme, and we hear frequent calls to the Tow Boat from yachts aground. The second photo shows a low tide situation where the end of some dude's dock is high and dry, and so are his boats.

We docked at a restaurant [since the bona fide marinas were full] and are enjoying listening to the boozers carry on. Actually, we had a very nice dinner there, and met up with a friend from Marathon which was special.

Tomorrow we leave at first light for Moorhead City, a 75 mile run, that will put us at less than 350 miles from home. We are really looking forward to completing the voyage and getting on to all the stuff that has been put off for the three months that we have been away. Sticking to the theme that the voyage is the destination, viva la voyage!!!

Rob

South Carolina: The Low Country

Our progress north continues at a fairly fast clip. Since last post we made Beaufort where we stayed 2 nights, then on to Charleston, and tonight, Georgetown, with daily runs of 80, 69 and 67 miles. To accomplish these distances against tides and currents and bridges, it is a dawn to dusk exercise. Much of the travel consists of winding around the maze of channels through the marshes, often making more distance east-west than north: the low country is indeed that.

After anchoring out two nights in a row, we made Beaufort (pronounced Beu-firt, not Bow-fort), and elected to take a day of getting the boat clean, doing laundry, re-provisioning and sightseeing the historic district. The Port Royal Marina had a courtesy car that allowed us to go shopping and see the lay of the land. We then returned in the afternoon and walked the town, had a great dinner at a waterside restaurant, and checked out some of the shops, galleries and historical monuments. Nice diversion from the passage routine. Reminds one to stop and smell the roses (or in this case the azaleas), and take in the antebellum homes and and laid back culture of the area.

On our arrival, the tide was at it's highest, so docking on the inside floating pier was no problem. However, the next morning we had to cast off at first light to make a bridge opening at 7am (the bridge closed for rush hour from 7-9 am). At cast off, we had a 3 knot current running, and had to back out into this, spin the boat 180 degrees while not hitting anybody in a relatively narrow channel. Hmmm. Amazingly, the plan went like clockwork, and we tore out with motor at max rpm, probably waking up a few people. The yee-ha's may have also helped.

The trip to Charleston was interesting, and involved crossing several large ocean inlets, where the currents would reverse and the swells and chop made for a lumpy ride. All along the way, we could hear the radio banter as the powerboats rocked the living daylights out of the sail boats as they passed. We have a number of sail boats that we travel with, and have known since Florida. We exchange information on shallow spots and incoming kamikaze power boats, and of course rendezvous again at evening destinations. It is fun to wave to each other as we pass or are passed. The only bummer going into Charleston was missing a bridge opening and having to wait 2 hours until rush hour was over to pass through.

We stayed at the Charleston City marina, also known as the Mega Dock. It consists of a very long floating dock (must be about a 3/4ths of a mile long), and you tie up on both sides of it. The Mega Dock lives up to its name, with some amazing mega yachts tied up there. The photos show a 125 ft Perini Navi yacht coming in at dusk and then docked the next morning.

When we arrived near dusk, there was a pretty strong current running on the incoming tide. We radioed asking where they wanted us, and they said go inside (running the gauntlet of already docked boats), turn in the turning basin, and then come back and slip in between two rather expensive power boats. Of course I said, no problem, while thinking, you've got to be out of your cotton picking mind. So, we enter the channel behind the dock with the current, rocketing past the guys on the dock sent there to help us tie up, manage to find the turning basin, do a really tight 180 with the assistance of the bow thruster to avoid smashing into several boats, the power back against the current. As our spot appears, it starts looking smaller and smaller, so, coming in hot, we slide in, hit full reverse, Fisul hands the line to the dock guys, and the people on the boat in front (who were bracing for impact), give us a round of applause. Like I've always said, being lucky is much better than being good. The footnote to all this was a large poster near the marina office offering the services of a marine attorney.

We left Charleston at 7:45 to make the first post-rush hour opening of the Ben Sawyer Bridge at 9. The trip from here on has a lot more north to it, with straighter runs rather than all the meandering around. There is minimal civilization in this area, and the only signs of human activity are the ubiquitous dredging crews and the occasional fisherman. And the max-wake power boaters passing.

We are now in Georgetown, and anticipating a short run to Myrtle Beach tomorrow, where we will try and catch up with some people we met in Marathon. Until then, we will spend a few hours in the morning exploring Georgetown and having a nice hot breakfast- yum!! One downside of going north: the weather is getting cooler, to the extent that the shorts and t-shirts have now been replaced by long pants and a fleece. Boo hiss.

Rob

Georgia: Mud, 7 foot tides, An Alligator, and Banjo Music

The Georgia ICW twists and winds through river/creeks/cuts, and boasts tides up to 7 feet. And lots and lots of very muddy water. Also, there is very little civilization in between the main population centers, so if you hear banjo music, you paddle like hell.

This is our second night anchored out, and the first where our air card can pick up any signal at all to give us Internet access. We have been pushing fairly hard to put this section of the trip behind us, making almost 80 miles a day. The high tidal range means that you are either battling up hill against a 2 to 3 knot current, or flying down with that behind you. The flip occurs between the main river inlets into the Atlantic. We got caught in the Little Mud River at low tide today, and bumped along in 4 and 5 ft of water. Other boats with fixed keels simply went aground and stayed that way until the tide changed. Did see our first alligator however. Having accomplished that feat, we prefer dolphins.

Photos are of a Sunset where we are anchored tonight near St Catherine's Island, and a picture of some body's dream boat, snapped while bridge waiting in St Augustine.

Tomorrow we make a big push to Beaufort, South Carolina, where, we can assure you, there is also banjo music to worry about.

Rob

Trek On North Continues

We left Ponce de Leon Inlet at 8 am this morning after a relatively sleepless night courtesy of the restaurant music not shutting down until 11 pm, then the clean up crew carousing until midnight, then the shrimpers walking the docks all night and chatting, and then the tide changing and the current making the boat move around in strange ways and tugging at the floating dock and making weird noises. Oh yes, and then the shrimp clicking away picking bits off the bottom of the hull, sounding like someone walking on broken glass. I guess after the lightning strike, we had lost our confidence in the integrity of the boat and its systems, so every noise kept us awake.

We started north just as the tide turned, so we had a 1 to 2 knot current against us, which limited our progress. Once the wind started to fill in, we hoisted sail and motored sailed, adding about a knot. There were several bridges, but these sequenced nicely, and we passed through some very scenic waterfront communities around Palm Shores. Then the radio failed. Hmmm. Actually, the radio on the nav station in the cabin was working normally, but the command mike at the helm would transmit, but not receive. This became evident when hailing for a bridge opening but not receiving any reply. The annoying part was that the fault was intermittent.

By early afternoon, Rob was drooping badly so he headed below for a nap and Fisul took command for the next few hours. Not only did she live up to her title as "The Chosen One" by commanding the tides to change and pick us up from 5.5 to 7 kts SOG, she also dismantled the command mike connection, and put it back together, restoring our radio communications. Ain't it great to be both smart and pretty?

By 5pm we had made it to St Augustine with one last bridge opening to negotiate. This was the Bridge of Lions, which has been under repair since last fall, and has a reputation for closing down all together and stranding people on either side for indeterminate periods of time. We were assured that it was operating now, and listened as a fellow cruiser on a sailboat named Nightingale (who we had been travelling with for the past 2 days), missed the opening by a minute, forcing them to hold station for a half hour to await the next opening. In that period we caught up, and joined the circling awaiting the next opening.

The bridge keeper had a heavy accent which we picked as Chinese, or at least generic oriental. The big clue came when we radioed asking why the bridge was not opening on time, and received the reply, "sprans struck crosed". Oh boy. More circling. At this point, Great Escape and Nightingale had struck up some radio banter that increasingly involved planning a happy hour rendezvous. Finally, after about 45 minutes wait, the sprans miraculously became unstruck, we passed through, docked and proceeded to a very nice happy hour including meeting another boater from our home port of Solomons. Amazing how a few struck sprans can improve your rattitude.

Georgia tomorrow, and under 700 miles left to go to get to Norfolk!!!!!

Rob

We're Back and Sailing North

We arrived back in Melbourne, Florida, yesterday after an Easter break visiting granny in Ohio. During our absence we arranged for a marine electrician to give Great Escape a thorough check over to determine the effects of the lightning strike. He spent a day going through the entire boat and testing every circuit and each through hull. Evidently when lightning enters a boat, it usually grounds at the water line, which in the worst case blows holes in the hull at a very inconvenient point, or grounds through metal through-hulls, with similar consequences.

Luckily for us, and, by the way, we pride ourselves on being really lucky people (that way you can bypass having to be smart all the time), the GPS was restored, and the only real damage was the fans which are now permanently fused in the full on position. It could have been drastically worse. We took the boat out and motored it around and tested everything, and, with everything apparently working, made preparations to cast off and high-tail it north this morning.

We left at 7am and headed up the ICW with a nice SE breeze starting at 10kts and building through the day. Our first education was the Eau Gaille bridge, which, we found, rejoiced in the local pronunciation of "Oh Golly Bridge". I'm not making this up. This section involves the Cape Canaveral area, and we blasted through motor sailing, and hitting over 7 kts as the breeze filled in. There was a small convoy of sailboats heading north, punctuated by the occasional obnoxious power boat with the big wake to destroy the basically flat seas of the ICW. It was a great run north, making 79 miles to past Ponce de Leon Inlet by 6pm. We tied up at Inlet Harbor Marina on the floating dock in front of their restaurant. The live music was really......loud. Butchery of the oldies classics seems to be a feature of one-man-bands supported by a karaoke machine. For anyone to have the arrogance to think that they can cover Mick Jagger, John Lennon, the Beach Boys and Neil Young, is an amazing tribute to small time ego. Actually, some of it was ok....NOT. Nonetheless, a very pleasant spot and nice sunset.

Tomorrow, the forecast is for more wind, so we will stay inside and target St Augustine.

Despite all the travails, it is great to be back on the boat and heading back home.

Rob

Lightning Strike Alert!!!!

OK, if a freak accident and emergency room visit was not enough, we are packing up to leave early tomorrow for our trip home, and a big thunderstorm moves through the area. This one was a doozie. We buttoned up the boat, when the THWACK-BOOM came at the same time and strange things happened.

First, we got a bit tingly, then the fans that I had recently installed, all came on at full speed. Weird we think? Then we tried to turn the fans off, and they would not, they remained stuck on high speed. Then it dawned on us that we had been hit by lightning, or at least were in an induction zone around the strike. Holy schmidt, Wanda!!

I then did a survey of our electrical systems: motor, fine, started and ran, tick, radio, fine, tick, instruments, fine, tick, GPS, dead as a door nail. Double doo doo. So, it looks like we will need to enlist an electronics guy when we return to fix the GPS so that our chart plotter will work. Oh boy, more unexpected expenses!! As far as the fans are concerned, oh well, maybe just turn them on and off using the side circuits for the port and starboard reading lights until I get around to replacing them.

More fun and games.

Rob

Change of Plans

This will be the last blog for 10 days, since we have elected to fly back home to attend to various items including pressing ahead the design of our new house so final permits can be issued and a long overdue visit to 94-year old granny in Ohio, plus clearing out accumulated mail and bills (whee!!).

We will return to Melbourne on April 6th, and will cast off the next day to continue the push north.

Rob

Medical Day Off

After a pleasant anchor out at Palm Beach, we continued north on the ICW rather than heading outside. This due to high wind forecasts. The trip from Palm Beach to Fort Pierce was slow due to about 14 bridges with scheduled openings, and missing one by only a few minutes resulted in getting out of phase, and losing over an hour waiting for next openings. Frustrating. Nevertheless, the lavish homes that line the ICW made for good scenery.

We pulled into Fort Pierce late and tied up at the fuel dock of a marina for the night. The tidal range here was larger than advertised and resulted in having to get up and readjust lines during the night. We pulled out of Fort Pierce at 7:30am aiming for a big run north in overcast conditions and light rain. The ICW from here goes down a wide lagoon called Indian River, and the bridges are either 65 ft clearance or are low bridges that open on demand, so it was a breeze compared to the day before. Strong winds and rain were forecast, but by 10am, the skies cleared, the wind was 10-15 on the beam, so we hoisted sails and motor sailed along at 6-7 kts. Pretty soon a convoy of sailboats heading north became apparent, as we listened as they called in for bridge openings ahead and behind us. Seems quite a few people are joining us in heading home.

By about 2pm, we were in Melbourne and progressing nicely, when Phyllis prepared a snack of hummus and flat bread. She went back down the companionway, slipped and fell, banging her head and elbow on the stainless steel grab bar. This was a freak accident, since it was completely calm conditions. I kind of panicked since she looked very pale, had a nasty knock on the head and couldn't move her arm so I feared a break and concussion. We immediately radioed the nearest marina requesting a slip and docked, and got a taxi to the nearest hospital to check her out at the emergency room.

You know how hospitals are. You wait and wait and wait. Amazingly we were processed by a guy who fast tracked us when he heard we were boaters (note to self, always refer to one's self as boaters, not boat people). Bottom line, after CT scan and x-rays, no serious damage or breaks, but she will be sore, so they said for her to lay low for a day before continuing the journey. So, we had a day off today doing a walking tour of historic Melbourne, an excellent lunch at Matt's Casbah (we give it 4 stars), and a rather too long trek to Walmart for more provisions.

The zinger was the 3 hour visit to the emergency room resulted in a bill for $8,000. If you want to know what is out of control with our medical system, that is it, no cost controls. When I asked for an itemized accounting, and for the results of the CT and x-rays, they could not provide either but still wanted to be paid, and gave a number to call to request these items. Of course the insurance will pay and will reduce the bill, but it is ridiculous that through the whole process of 90% waiting, 5% testing, 4% billing and admission and paperwork, that the time of actual diagnosis was 1%, and that was seeing the doctor's assistant (we never actually saw the doctor). Needless to say, I will be going on the rampage over this. What fun.

Tomorrow we head north to Titusville, then New Smyrna Beach, where we may have to wait for the weather. The Bridge of Lions at St Augustine is closed for repair, which means we need to go outside from Ponce de Leon Inlet up to St Augustine, about 56 miles outside, and current forecasts when we get there are for strong northerlies, which is not good news. Still the forecasts have been predictably inaccurate lately, so we journey north in hope. Once to St Augustine, we are just about out of Florida!!!

Rob

Great Escape Escapes North

Hey, sailing is no problem, but the prep and planning makes the vision into the reality. We found that out today. You see, on the way down when we trailed Pete, he had been there, done that, and did all the planning. Now that we are on our own heading back, the reality of knowing where to go, and particularly where to go when it deviates from the inverse of our trip down, suddenly amplifys the great value of having a Pete in you life when you do this sort of thing. Hey Pete- we miss our mentor!! Dude!!!!

To elaborate- we cast off from Coconut Grove at 7:30 this morning and planned a run to Lake Worth, some 60 odd miles, no biggie. When we realized it took 1.5 hours to make it through the Miami harbor and out to the turning point north at the end of Government Cut, it dawned that full cycle planning had not occurred. Add that 1.5 hours to the 10 planned, and there was no way to make it before dark. Of cource realization and gung ho optimism are not necessarily the brothers of rational thought, so....go for it.

We unfurled sails and blasted north off Miami beach and were making a good 6+ kts but a southerly current bopped a knot off of us. By the time we made it to Fort Lauderdale, and even though we got a boost on the tide change, it was obvious that Lake Worth as a target was dodgy as a prospect before dark. Memo to self: Robo does not see in the dark worth schmidt. Get in before that. So, we ducked in at Hillsboro inlet and did about 10 bridges to get us into north Palm Beach and a nice anchorage adjacent to the ICW. Great dinner on board of Tilapia and caesar salad sloshed down with a cold bottle of Prosecco. The life of a mariner is rough. Arrrgh.

Side note- The Florida bridge keepers can be power freaks. Some open their bridges on the hour and half hour, some every fifteen minutes, others on demand, and every permutation of that sequence. If you miss a scheduled opening, you simply have to wait the 15, 30 or even 60 minutes until the next opening. This is why you go like warp speed between bridges to try to not miss a scheduled opening.

The trick you develop is to try to con the bridge keeper into to holding the spans open that extra few minutes that will allow our over-heating diesel to propel us through the bridge. We figured out the best way to do this is to enlist a female voice over the radio. Ok, you say, no fair with the sex thing. Well, if it saves you half an hour of having to hold station in a 3 knot current that is trying to force you into a rock abutment, then, well, so be it.

Of course Phyllis was up to this task, mastering the VHF radio protocol and managing to place amazing charm into the sugar-sweet southern accent thing. The charm of this was getting spans held open way beyond where a male voice would be able to do. Now you know how we can knock off 14 bridges in less than half a day.

Yoo hoo!!

Tomorow, try to make Fort Pierce, inside or out side or whatever. The weather forecast will dictate.

Cheers, Rob

Basking in the Sun in Miami

We are in Miami for two days to visit our daughter Jennifer. One item forgotten in our last blog was our first celebrity sighting. As we reached Key Largo, a powerboat named Three Rings came whizzing by, with that unmistakable silver hairdo of Jimmy Johnson at the helm, and a bunch of dudes slurping down Heineken on board. I saw him coming, waved, and he actually waved back. I have a way with celebrities. Saw Jimmy once before at the Dallas airport, and he nodded at me. Recognition!! Eat your hearts out Redskins fans!!! The three rings are two Super Bowls coaching the Dallas Cowboys, and one national championship with the Miami Hurricanes.

Prior to arriving yesterday, we spent the night at Sunset Cove on Key Largo. The forecast called for southerly winds clocking around to the west during the evening with the possibility of late thunderstorms. We picked a nice cosy spot that was sheltered from both the south and west, dropped anchor and tucked in for the night.

At about 11pm, the wind picked up to 20 plus and was whistling through the rigging, the rain poured down and the sky lit up with a lightning show that was at first breathtaking and then became down right frightening. With the simultaneous crack-booms all around us, the wind shifted to the northeast, and our anchor tried to reset, and tried, and tried. There were several other boats at anchor, and everyone was starting to move and drag. By midnight the wind moderated, the rain stopped and the storm had passed, but we were still just holding at anchor. So not much sleep. Then at 3am, more wind and we start to drag again. The weed there makes for poor holding, and you have to wait for a sandy spot for the anchor to grab. So, we sat anchor watch until practically dawn. Not much sleep that night.

The morning was cloudy and rain predicted but a nice northeaster at 15 kts. We left for Miami at about 8am, and after clearing the keys into Barnes Sound, we hoisted sails, turned off the engine and romped along nicely at around 6 kts in on a tight reach up Card Sound and into Biscayne Bay. Nice to have the boat moving so well. The wind dropped to 10kt and then started fading as we got to Miami. We booked into Dinner Key Marina in Coconut Grove which is very nice, has a massive docking facility and you can walk along the shoreline which is dotted with restaurants and bars and lots of boats to look at.

We cast off tomorrow morning with the plan of heading outside to avoid all the bridges on the ICW, and are targeting coming back inside tomorrow night at Lake Worth. Hopefully the wind will cooperate and be a bit stronger than forecast so we can sail that leg. Otherwise we will need to motor to make it before dark.

Got a message from Pete today- they made it home to Kitty Hawk with lots of adventures to tell. I hope he can get them all on the blog as soon as he rests up and recovers!!

Rob

We Are Underway!!!!

Dateline Marathon Marina, 7:30am, the sun is just over the horizon and we have cast off for the trek back home. Great Escape, with her fine growth of Florida Keys flora and fauna clinging to her bottom and rudders, clears the channel entrance into 3 ft seas and a 20-25 kt southeaster.

Due to the forecast, we elected to take the inside route in Florida Bay rather than the Hawk Channel outside route. The forecast was for 15-25 kt SE gradually moderating and clocking back to the S then SW by evening. By backtracking a bit and going inside, we would have the shelter of the Keys and avoid the short chop and uncomfortable ride outside. This would allow us to make better time. The plan worked out well. Once under the bridge, we turned east and found our selves tacking into some heavy air, but the seas were calm compared to the trip outside. We unfurled the jib, and the boat started at 5 kts, and built to 6.5 kts over the next 2 hours, largely as a result of the sea action washing all the critters off the bottom. As the day went on, we continued through some fairly shallow waters, +/- 5ft, and touched a few times, but eventually anchored in Sunset Cove for the night off Key Largo. Great sheltered spot, since the forecast was now for thunderstorms after midnight developing to rain in the morning.

We will hoist anchor at first light and have a rainy and dreary run up to Miami, where we plan to spend 2 days in Coconut Grove marina, and see daughter Jennifer.

Last word from Pete and John is that they were making great time north and yesterday were in Morehead City/Beaufort, NC, after several overnights at sea, but without much wind. Pete said they had the night shift thing worked out and the routine down. No more bridges for them!! Our plans will not be as ambitious.

The departure from Marathon was as expected, bittersweet. We went to dinner with new cruising friends, and vowed to meet again soon. Still, each ending ushers in a new beginning, which is why the photos are of a sunrise at Marathon, and a sunset at Key Largo, the first stop on a 1,300+ mile trip home.

Rob

Lady I in Georgia/Great Escape on Liftoff Countdown

Just talked to Pete, they were passing Jekyll Island heading for an anchorage in Teakettle Creek. Winds have not been cooperative outside so they are in the ICW, and making good time north.

Life at Marathon Marina continues on. Big party tomorrow night to christen the new exercise room. Great idea to have a party, I mean free beer and hot dogs work for me, but an exercise room? Most of the people around here gave up exercising 20 years ago, and look like they subscribe to the giant sloth physical fitness program. My kind of folks. Hey Fred, you look as fat as a manatee, ha, ha. So what, I have a sizeable investment in this beer gut. Ah, banter!!

Good news on the home front, daughter Kathlene got her visa and is off to her new job in England this weekend, which means I get my wife/little buddy crew member back. We should be off by Sunday I'm hoping. The weather is steadily improving so I'm hoping to have the sails up whenever possible, and will will try to day trip it outside to avoid all the Florida bridges. Let's home the weather continues to improve.

Rob

The Lady I Blog / This quik update is from my Iphone at sea. We arrived Miami on Fri AM . Left Sat AM and are outside passing Vero hdg for Canaveral.

The Trek Home Begins!!!!

Ok folks, in response to your emails, no we have not been abducted by aliens, yes, we have both taken trips home to take care of business and/or respond to current events, and yes, the journey north is now the next priority.

I arrived this afternoon, about a day behind Pete and his new crewmember, John. The weather in Marathon has been cool, windy and yuckie while we were gone, and turned nice yesterday. As a result, Pete and John elected leave this afternoon and see how far they could go on the outside, with Charleston being the initial target, about a 5 day ride. They left about 3 pm with 2-3 ft seas, the wind 15-25 out of the SE and a hard beat out to the Gulf Stream ahead of them. Once there, the wind should moderate and swing south, which should sling-shot them around Key Largo, and continue to push them north on a broad reach and then beam reach as the wind clocks to the west ahead of the next weather system.

Since my child bride is still attending to matters on the home front, I will be the lone Florida Keys intrepid reporter until she returns and we select our weather window to depart. Watch this space for more riviting news of life in Marathon marina. Actually, the manatee was back today along with it's baby- or probably teenager- these suckers look like they have spent up big at MacDonald's and obviously do not spend much time working out. I look at them floating at the surface, hardly moving, and only raising their heads up to take a breath of air about once a minute, and I think, gee, what a life, I could do that!! The wonders of nature are such an inspiration.

Rob

We have been silent for a few days because we have been very busy. When we last blogged, we were heading for Cudjoe Channel and Tarpon Belly Key. We had birds land on us, fish jump off the hook just as they were coming aboard, and lots of wind and rain. On Monday afternoon, in our approach to Tarpon Belly we realized that there would be no shelter from the wind in any anchorage around that key. So we moved on farther down Kemp Channel that happens to be behind the Naval Station Key West Blimp base. We found a very shallow spot to anchor that was tucked up close to land that was almost calm while the top of the masts saw over 30 miles per hour winds. Anchored and rafted together, we made preparations for dinner. Upon completion of dinner, we fired up a movie (STAR TREK).

We awoke to NO wind and No clouds and glorious sun. The water was so clear it looked like a window. Rob and Pete went for a swim and cleaned sides and inspected all underwater gear. After lunch we got underway and Rob broke out his new Spinnaker. With mild winds he demonstrated the operation of his Cruising Spinnaker. Pictures show the product. By hauling down on the tack, the luff can be tightened sufficiently to go to windward, and by easing off, the sail will reach or run---cool. By late afternoon we anchored close to Big Pine Key that was less than 3 hours from our marina in Marathon. Having kept our slips in Marathon, we had the option of running for cover when the weather turned. And Turn it Did.

We awoke on Wednesday morning and with nearly calm winds we motored into the marina. No sooner had we tied up in the slip, the rain and winds started. This storm was to be a 24-36 hour blow of over 35 knots. The whole night was a ride, even at the pier. I cannot imagine what those souls still in the anchorage must have gone through.

This ends our Shallow Water Florida Keys training phase. When we started, last Sunday, we picked our way through 7 and 8 foot depths with concern for sudden changes. However after our education on navigation in the keys and understanding of how to deal with 3 and 4 foot bottoms, we were making short cuts and charting new places to explore. On our exit from Cudjoe Channel, we learned that the Tarpon Belly Key had a glorious beach and would have been a wonderful visit in warmer weather. However, this has been the coldest winter in the keys in 40 years (according to some expert here). We all will depart today for home and when we return, we shall be making plans for our return North.

Stay tuned for the next adventure!

Pete

The Keys - Sailing and Thin Water

I returned to Marathon on Friday evening. Driving to the Keys on a Friday at rush hour is an experience I care not to repeat. I drive too slowly (9 mph above the speed limit) and do not weave between cars (without blinkers) or race other cars. In Miami, everyone else does this.

Saturday was a preparation day. We performed some repair tasks. I went up both masts to do light repairs on Rob's and antenna inspection on my own. Later Saturday evening we attended the going-away party for a couple heading for the Bahamas.

On Sunday, we awoke early to move the boats off the wall slips to honest to God slips (lines on both sides of the boat). Two boats had left on Saturday and we exercised our "first come, first serve" rights. Picture of the boats in their slip shown. Nick DeMai also arrived after a hectic plane and car ride from Kitty Hawk, via Tampa. After loading his gear, a quick lunch, we departed for some sailing and a destination anchorage off Little Spanish Key. Sailing shots pertain to the afternoon. Rob won each race but has offered remedial race training to Pete.

Our sail and navigating to the anchorage was a bit longer than planned and we ended up rafting together in near dark. However, the dinner was excellent.

We had not expected the small rain shower that arrived near our destination to last long. We were wrong. In the Keys, they actually grow storms here. So what was a small squall became a 24 hour rain and wind event.

Monday we left Little Spanish Key and navigated a track through some very thin water reefs to arrive at Cudjoe Key. With 30 knots of wind and rain squalls, we anchored to await the forthcoming clearing to see the reef in sunlight tomorrow. While we were motoring across the top of the reef, Nick caught a fish, or so we thought. After we reeled him closer we saw that it was a Comerant that liked Nick's bait and lure. Nick cut him loose.

Next, we were boarded by a herron who had miscalculated the winds speed off shore and needed a rest. After four and five minutes, he took off to resume his flight to land. Picture provided.

So we await the sun on Tuesday to take in the beauty and consider a full day's sail around Key West.

A Boater's Work Is Never Done

After you hang out at a marina for a while, and are having trouble remembering how long "a while" is, things start to happen that require attention. In our case, and in the words of the three witches in the immortal bard's epic tragedy, MacBeth, "Bubble, bubble, toilet trouble".

Yup, time to run back to WestMarine for the jiffy little Jabsco spare parts kit ($65, or $5,263.99/pound), then gut it up to take the little blighter apart and replace the bits that routinely fail. The normal recommended way to do this is to don a radiation suit with full respirator (quite unlike donning gay apparel at Christmas time, but that's another story, and I'm told I'm not allowed to pursue that line, despite the potential segue into great material for a ribald stand-up comedy routine). Anyway, if you do not have a radiation suit and respirator, and of course I don't, then you get to play the game called "how long can you hold your breath while fumbling around in a cramped space and not dropping the minute parts into some bottomless hole". The answer is 47 seconds unless you drop something, in which case there is a containment breach associated with the utterance of appropriate expletives, and you then turn purple. After you've done this a few times you learn not to pass out.

I'm sure no body wanted to hear about all that, so zipping straight into the breaking news, Pete is on his way back and should be here this evening. We are eagerly awaiting the return of our fearless leader, and all the adventures that he has been plotting. We have been quietly making friends with the cruisers around here, and plan to introduce Pete at a party scheduled for this Saturday in honour of some Bahama-bound cruisers who had planned to leave on Sunday, but now it looks like maybe Tuesday- I think you get the picture. Whatever. If we have to do another party, no problem.

The guy who is the marina manager is a South African named Willem, and the photos are of his set up next to his boat (where he lives aboard). Willem's World has a hot tub complete with rubber duckies, BBQ, tables and chairs, coolers, and party lights on all the tress and some of the mangroves. It is the gather spot for evening parties.

The plan for next week is to head out to Key West and then points north and explore some of the shallow anchorages, do a bit of swimming and dinghy exploration and then return by next Friday for a trip back home to take care of business. We should be returning early March for more exploration, and then start the trip back home once it has warmed up a bit. It is still a tad chilly.

Another Pedestrian Day in Paradise

OK, so being really laid back now, and finding that reading a book is basically unblogworthy, finally something of note has happened. Phyllis rented a car to go to Miami to see Jennifer, get new glasses and go bonkers buying stuff, while I stayed on the boat for the weekend. This suited me fine (since I find shopping as enjoyable as being tortured with boiling oil and rats), and was basically a good move since a big storm blew through with 35 kt winds, which required some adjustments to the moorings of both boats until things calmed down. Everything and everybody survived just fine, although I was cold and wet for a while.

We had to return the car to the Marathon Airport by 12:30, which we did, and then the big blogworthy moment: we said, hey, let's walk back to the marina!! OK, you say, what is the big deal? Well, the walk back is about 6 miles. No biggie, we thought, we will take it easy and browse our way back, checking out all the shops and other establishments of interest (that is politically correct lingo for Tiki Bars). Hey, why not, it's 5 o'clock somewhere, to coin a completely original phrase???

The first thing to note is that Marathon is a really long island and very narrow, so everything is located on the highway that joins Key West to the mainland. By walking down this road, you get to see everything. Lots of old private motels, several of which advertise "the cleanest rooms in paradise", which is probably a clue to the major issue of staying there. Lots of old, non-chain restaurants. We stopped for lunch at Stout's, excellent BLT of 4 bucks. Lots of boarded up ex-businesses. Hard to tell if they'd been that way due to the recession, the last hurricane, or the one before.

After lunch we passed Luanne's Wine and Cheese Bar. Ah, temptation. Remembering that without temptation, there is no virtue, we lingered at the door, smelling the roses so to speak- and virtue was triumphant!! Keep walking, one mile down and 5 to go. After several shop stops, totally unmemorable, more boiling oil and rats, we passed the Brass Monkey. More bloody virtue. I'm beginning to think, if I keep this up, I can probably run for public office, take a bunch of bribes and kickbacks, and retire to the Keys- such are the rewards of virtue. Deja Vu, what is going on here, we are stopping at Barnacle Barney's Tiki Bar on the bay side for a libation.

Now the hard reality sets in. Wearing flip-flops and Crocs (respectively), we had not exactly feathered our walking nest. Once settled into that nice comfy bar stool, cold adult beverage of choice in hand, we realized that the feet were not exactly in shape for the Olympics. Also we realized that despite our advancing years, we were the youngest people there. The Tiki Bar was next to the pool, and the acres of wrinkled flesh and bloated abdomens was a sight that should make the front page of some medical journal on geriatrics. There are a lot of really old people in Florida. They should change the motto from "The Sunshine State", to "The State of Wrinklies: where the young serve the old". One drink, and we are gone.

Luckily Porky's Tiki Bar was just down the road. Hard a-starboard into this delightful step back in time. With the wafting aroma of various pork products being gloriously smoked, we sat down again to sip yet another adult beverage and contemplate how to navigate the last half mile back to the marina. Two problems: 1) the feet did not want to move, and 2) we had to cross the highway to get back to the marina. One and two did not represent a symbiotic relationship, particularly considering that we had about four bags of purchased loot that we were carrying, and several drinks under the belt.

While #1 was not life threatening, #2 definitely was. It was now after 5pm and the traffic was pretty much non-stop going both ways, and of course, there is not a single protected cross walk for miles: you just pick your moment and run like heck hoping to outpace Detroit's finest in threading the needle. Under normal circumstances this would be a stressful event. But after a few key West Lagers, piece of cake. While we actively debated whether it was better to look-and-run, or, not-look-and-run, a very nice gap appeared allowing us to stroll across. Like I said, piece of cake. The good Lord looks after fools and drunks, so I guess we must qualify somewhere in that continuum.

One last note- the weather is still chilly, 50s and 60s, but at least the wind has abated today and it is nice to not be rocking around and getting rained on. Paradise has it's moments. Life has it moments. Great if you can connect the dots.

Dinghy Day

Finally!!! A break in the wind. After days of it blowing, the wind dropped in the wee hours of this morning giving us a respite from being awakened continually during the night to strange sounds. Of course, being semi-comatose, we slept in. Yeah team!!

Even though it was a bit chilly for these parts, everyone emerged and went into busy bee mode, especially all the cruisers readying for the run to the Bahamas tomorrow. This gave us the bright idea of blowing up the dinghy, attaching the outboard, and checking out Boot Key Harbor where about 100 cruisers are located on mooring balls in front of the Marathon City Marina. Putt-putting through the moored fleet is quite an interesting experience. The boats fall into two fairly distinct categories: neat and cluttered. The neat boats are tidy, everything in its place and without an abundance of "stuff" on deck. The cluttered are the antithetis: just about everything you could ever want is piled and lashed on the decks. It starts with multiple 5-gallon jerry cans of fuel, then bicycles (compulsory to qualify in category), a blown up dinghy on the foredeck, and (for extra points) washing pinned to the life lines to dry. We even saw one that appeared to have a canvas out-house cantilevered out over the transom. On closer examination, it appeared to be an enclosure housing a large pet bird. Having a keen observational skill set, it is noted that the really cool old wooden schooners, the boats of unique or custom origin, and the sailboats of less than 30 ft length floating abnormally low to their intended lines invariably qualify as in the cluttered category.

We did find two fairly large dinghy docking areas where one could tie up and go up to the shops and stores. This was good to know in that will save a 2 mile walk each way. On returning from our dinghy adventure, we opined that where we are staying at Marathon marina is probably as nice or nicer than its competition, and from the looks of the competing waterside establishments, we probably have the nicest restaurant on site. So to celebrate, we dined out and captured a really spectacular Keys sunset to cap off a very nice day. Oh yes, and by tomorrow night the wind will be back and many of our cruiser friends will be pulling into the Bahamas.

Wind, Wind and more Wind

Greetings from your idle to semi-comotose intrepid cruisers at Marathon Marina. Life here has been very relaxing except for the wind. Correction: the very strong wind. It has been blowing now for two days, whistling in the rigging, healing the boat under bare poles and grinding the fender boards against the dock pilings. Both boats are tied up along side a sea wall with wooden pilings at regular intervals and are oriented basically north-south. The wind last night was gusting over 35 kts out of the west, and after several sleepless hours and journeys on deck to check the boats, it mercifully rounded to the north so that the battering against the pilings was finally relieved.

With the dawn, the wind did not abate and with the evening actually started backing to the west again, so back to the grinding again. The one interesting note was that the people here who are waiting for their weather window to make the crossing to the Bahamas are getting excited. The idea is that once this storm blows through, they will have their long awaited weather window to make the crossing. The normally quiet docks thus transformed into people on a mission. Provisioning, trips to Costco for frozen stuff, canvas work and all the stuff that had been blown off now becomes a priority. Hey!!! What happened to that rule about it being illegal to be in a hurry when you are in the Keys????

The lift off window will be this Friday, so it will be very interesting to patrol the docks and see who goes and who stays. The Passage Weather website predicts a very narrow corridor between the current storm, and the one that follows. Still, these people have been here for a while (2 months), and it seems to be getting personal. More on the drama as it unfolds.

Pete is off on a family vacation skiing in the Rockies, although going to Maryland could be a similar experience. We had planned to head back around this time to close on the property we are trying to purchase, but the record snow falls have made it impossible for all the inspections to be completed, so we are delayed, and remain here in the wind and relative warmth. Normally the Keys at this time of year enjoy temperatures around 75. At the moment it is in the 50's and 60's, so, like I say, it is all relative.

Lazy Weekend and Road Trip

We spiffed up the boat in preparation for our daughter Jennifer and her boyfriend Bruno (who live and work in Miami) to come and spend the weekend with us. From the marina it is hard to know what Marathon actually looks like, so we took their car and did a tour. Actually, Marathon looks quite historic, which is a politically correct way of saying that its kind of run down and in need of paint, polish and general repair. There are several tiki bars and stores, but life along the main street looks considerably inferior to the waterfront at the many marinas. Still very laid back, so that is a consistency. Our "laid-back" meter transitioned from low to idle sometime yesterday, indicating that this place does have an effect on you. I am wondering when comatose starts?

Since it was fairly cold (50's and 60's) and very windy, with 4-6 ft seas outside due to a front passing through the night before, we cancelled sailing plans in favor of land exploration. On Sunday we headed off to Key West, about 45 miles, to stroll Duval Street which is the main attraction there. Key West is also home to the most southerly point in the US, a thriving cigar industry, more bars than you can count, lots of touristy shops with risque T-shirts, and a modern cruise ship dock area. The place was bustling and we enjoyed a nice lunch in one of the many cafes that compete for space with the bars (losing battle).

Marina Life in Marathon- Friday February 5th

Pete left early this morning to check out the rain and snow that is hammering the northeast at the moment. Rob and Phyllis completed their first day flying solo by logging some serious leisure time, catching up on emails, reading and generally goofing off.

The marina is populated with about 100 boats with many as transient cruisers like us. They all stop to chat and exchange boat stories, where they are from, and how (like us) they stopped here for an overnight and elected to stay a while. One guy has been here two years!!! That is not the norm however, most stay about 3 months. Everyone is very friendly and the cruisers all connect via VHF Channel 68 at 9am each morning to announce activities, organize parties, and swap stories.

So far we have been told in no uncertain terms that it is illegal in the Keys to be in a hurry. I was walking down to the shower and it took about an hour to get there due to all the stops for random conversation. Sunday is the Super Bowl, and everyone has been invited to Banana Bay to hang out and have a watching party.

Sundown is a ritual occasion. Several very gnarly dudes (they all look like retired members of the Grateful Dead) congregate at the end of the dock and blow conch trumpets as the golden orb descends and extinguishes in a green flash. The rest of us sit in the open air bar and toast the occasion with Key West lagers- very like the local Yeungling we enjoy in Maryland.

Saying this place is laid back does not do it justice- if time stopped these people would never know it. Our remark was, "so this is what retirement is all about!!" As they say, the problem with doing nothing is figuring out when you are done.

Moored Marathon, FL

After a quiet night at the Marina in Marathon, we took stock of our plans. Considering the time we had available, the costs of docking in Key West, and the relative idillic conditions here in Marathon, we have decided to moor the boat here for our home trips.

We met the Marina owner. He is a retired Coast Guard Officer who has just purchased the place and is renovating as fast as he can.

So we will make our homeleave trips and this will be our point of origin for our trip up the west coast of Florida when Jan comes back with me on the 19th of Feb.

I close for now and Rob will start recounting about life in the Keys living in and operating out of a marina.

The pictures above are of the Manatee who lives in the marina, our boats, and the Sunset View of the Marina Restaurant.

Miami to Key Largo

We now can see the bottom. We have left the brown water and mirk for clear salt water.

Today's cruise from Miami to Key Largo was great. Wind was light and the Biscayne Bay was glass. We stopped at what was going to be our overnight, but decided to move on down the road as it was in need of a bit of repair. We settled on an anchorage in "Sunset Cove" off Key Largo.

It was very nice. This is photo of sunset from Sunset Cove.

During the night a cold front moved on thru and we found ourselves in a bouncy condition at daybreak. But underway the conditions got much better and by noon the wind had moderated to about 10 knots.

Today is the day we cross into the Atlantic to make the run to Marathon. This four hour run was punctuated by hundreds of crab pots. We thought that after the Albermarle we were done with crabpots. But, not to be.

We arrived in Marathon in early afternoon and began to clean off the boat in preparation for the last run Key West.

But we had to admit, this was a very nice stop....

Miami to the Florida Keys

It's Tuesday morning and the weather is wonderful. Water temp and air temp are 72 degrees.

At 7:07 we got underway into Biscane Bay and are enroute to Jewfish Creek for our first stop heading for Key West. Everything is spectacular, but we could use some wind. Maybe tomorrow.