Florida

We thought we were leaving late when we pulled out of the slip on November 15th, but here we are in Florida by December 1st. We left Maryland with three main goals in mind: get south, get warm, and avoid the intercoastal. We have done quite well. We followed the intercoastal down to Beaufort, NC (That is 'BOW-fort', not to be confused with 'BU-fort' which is in SouthCarolina ). Once there we looked for our weather window to jump out in the big pond and head to florida. Ideally, we would be able to go to sea for about five days and end in Florida. Life however is rarely ideal. We did however get a two day opportunity to go down the coast to Charleston, SC.

We had some great sailing for a while, but then the winds died off and we had to turn on the engine. We even had a chance to pull out the new fishing gear and give it a try. In no time at all we had an Atlantic Mackerel for dinner. According to IB it was around 18" when we caught it, but it's probably up to 30" by now depending on how many times he's told the story. It was a smooth, easy trip and after two nights at sea we arrived at our destination.

We were laid over in Charleston for a couple days, same old story, waiting on weather. While there we did get off the boat to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner out with our friends on Clear Day. We had been traveling with them since we left Norfolk, VA.

The Charleston anchorage is not one of those places that feels comfy and safe to hang out, especially with strong winds. The strong current, with strong winds sends the boats moving about every which way. The tide change is even less fun, causing even more confusion among the boats. After a particularly uncomfortable night at anchor, with slightly less than ideal weather conditions we headed back out to the pond to continue south. Just out of the inlet, everything seemed okay, moderate waves, and steady winds. It wasn't too long before the winds, that were forecast to be more north, were mostly all west, sailing sent us too far from the coast and into bigger waves. Down came the sails and on came the motor. Crashing into the waves trying to stay close to shore and still head south, my stomach sent us to the closest inlet, the North Edisto River. There we found a calm anchorage, peaceful evening and even better sleep. There's not much better in life than a calm anchorage on a nice evening. The following morning we headed back out to sea, thankful for a good nights rest and made an uneventful trip to St. Mary's Inlet on the Florida border.

Knowing that there was another front coming through the area we went up the river to St. Mary's and waited out the weather before traveling again. We listened to weather reports and studied our charts, trying to decide if we should go down the ditch or back out to the pond.

Due to the wait required for weather and a desire to stop by Sailor's Exchange in St Augustine, FL we opted to do the ditch for a day and wait out the next front there.

After our shopping was done and the weather cleared we pulled up the hook and headed for the inlet, another night at sea. Although we had 4 - 5 ft seas, there was a nice steady breeze and the sailing was great. At least it was great for everything but my stomach, the contents of which were left in the sea. Sometime soon my stomach and I need to have a serious conversation about this, or much better drugs.

We were not quite sure how the winds would shift in the morning, leaving us with the question to come in Cape Canaveral or be able to continue down to our intended destination of Ft. Pierce. With some nice cooperation of the winds and subsiding waves (happy tummy), we made Ft. Pierce. It's finally, really warm! About midway through the trip we slowly started peeling off layers: first the hat, then the foul weather jacket, the fleece, the extra pants and finally shorts! We'll now be taking a rest at Vero Beach for the next several weeks, getting some boat projects done and enjoying the weather before jumping down to Ft. Lauderdale, currently our last US destination.

Empty Slip

Finally the boat was loaded, our storage locker on land was cleaned out, the rental car was returned, and if we forgot it at this point it’s too bad. Although I’m sure it will take us quite a while to figure out if we actually forgot something or not, by then I doubt we’ll even care. We pulled out of the slip Saturday afternoon, taking the docklines with us, not planning to return. There is certainly something definitive about pulling the dock lines off the pilings. For the first time in weeks we breathed a sigh of relief, the preparations are over, they are either done or not, we are on our way. Our way on Saturday took us a whole half a mile to the Rhode River. Where we dropped our new Rockna anchor, it sure is big but it stopped us fast and held tight all night. Although we didn’t go far at least we got our tanks full of diesel and felt like we were on our way.

Our preparations of the past few weeks have certainly been paying off. The new upholstery makes for a very pleasant living environment, the new stove easily lights and makes cooking a joy, the new bimini is not torn and is a nice cheery white, but best of all is the diesel heater. No more cold nights at anchor!

We spent Sunday night at Solomon’s Island, MD and are now on our way to Deltaville. It’s a beautiful day, not much wind so there is no sailing, but at least the overcast, cold dreary, rainy weather has passed... For now. We hope to get to Norfolk, VA after the Great Bridge Lock has reopened and all the backed up boat traffic has had a chance to clear out and head on south.

Relaunched

Passport is wet again. Take a look at the new trailer used to do the job. Not your standard travel lift but it worked just fine. Got the new solar panels mounted while we were on the hard. They are not yet wired, but no longer on our berth. The higher priority is the Espar diesel heater. We should be ready to head south by the middle of next week after the next front.

Homeless

Last week we sold the car, packed up the house, locked the doors and walked away. While that may sound simple and easy it was a week of utter chaos. Last minute errands (while we still had a car), visiting with friends we'll not see for a long time, and the seemingly endless packing. We sent carloads of stuff home with friends, we put carloads in storage in several locations, we sealed some in storage at the house, and yet we arrived in Galesville with a car stuffed full.

The morning my parents showed up ready to load our stuff in the car and leave, we had about half the house emptied. My wonderful parents spent the next six hours helping us pack, sort, and clean before driving us to Maryland. Somehow my Dad managed to get everything we were taking in the car, I'm still not sure how he did it. Perhaps he has a magical bag that things disappeared into as he packed.

Although we managed to meet our deadline and get out of the house so the renters can move in, the boatyard is behind schedule, due to unforeseen circumstances and acts of nature (rain), our beloved Passport is still on land getting her bottom painted. While she is on land there is no heat, no toilet, no water and no drains. Not a very comfortable place to stay especially in Maryland in November. We are fortunate to have some very generous friends that are allowing us to stay on their boat until Passport gets back in the water (hopefully Tuesday).

We still have a few projects to get done before we untie the dock lines, a heater this year being a high priority. We hope to be on our way by the 15th at the latest if not before. And there is all that stuff we brought to sort thorough, put away and get rid of what is not needed. Although I got rid of garbage bags full of clothes I still have way too many. It's astounding how things accumulate!

That time of year again.

The temperature is getting cooler, the days are getting shorter, and the crisp smell of fall is in the air. It's time to wrap up life on land and head south with the birds. We have approximately six weeks before we set sail and an impossibly long list of what we'd like to get done between now and then. If we can managed to stay focused on priorities maybe we can get half of the list accomplished.

The Trudge North

 

We had really hoped to get some more good weather, jump out in the ocean and end at Beaufort, NC.  The good weather did not happen.  Plodding up the intercoastal waterway becomes our fate.  This morning we awoke with first light, to a balmy 48°.  I'm not sure about you, but after becoming accustomed to the 80° temperatures of the Bahamas this is just plain cold.  I would have preferred to stay in bed for another hour or two, hoping it would warm up a but, but in 30 miles we will reach the Atlantic Beach Bridge.  On our way down the intercoastal, we saw 62 ft clearance at this bridge and had to wait an entire day to go under during a low tide.  Hopefully we make it there today while the tide is still low enough to give us the 63 foot clearance we need.

The trip north is much different from our trip south. On the way south, everything was new to us, the boat, the intercoastal, bridges, and shallows.  Everyday I would spend hours reading several different guides and studying the charts to prepare for each days journey.  During the trip I stayed in the cockpit reading the charts, pointing out marks and navigating for IB.  The days were shorter and we weren't sure how far we could push the boat in a day, so we planned 30 mile days.  On this trip, I've left IB on his own.  I toss him the chartbook, pop my head out occasionally to offer him a hot beverage, food, or more warm clothes.  There are still shallows to contend with, we've run aground 3 times, but always motor right off.  Besides, we are in the protected inland waters, in event we can't get off a grounding we just call Tow Boat US and take advantage of their unlimited towing.  It now feels like quite a luxury knowing that we are not left to our own devices if we make a mistake.  Planning 60 mile days, we expect to hit Norfolk on Tuesday. 

I'd post a picture, but it's too cold to go out and take one.

Dolphins off the Bow

There is nothing quite so peaceful as being on a sailboat, in the middle of the ocean on a fair day with steady winds. We left Green Turtle Cay on Wednesday morning with RC's Dream, planning to stay overnight at Great Sale Cay. After listening to the days updated weather reports, our best chance of getting the farthest North was to just keep going. So we did. We left the Little Bahama bank somewhere around 9:00pm and headed North West

toward the Gulf Stream. The winds were predicted to shift south by morning. They didn't. By mid afternoon, we are still beating into the wind, heeled over to starboard with none of the crew feeling all too lively. Finally, when one more trip below decks feels like it will be too much, the winds subside. The light and variable winds are not quite the steady south we were planning on, but the boat is more or less level s

o we'll gladly accept it and start the engine for a while. The batteries could use the charge anyway after running the autopilot all night.

As I think about all the power the autopilot consumes, I glance back at the windvane. It is starting to look like a hunk of stainless attached to the back of the boat rather than something useful. Theoretically, it is very useful, steering the boat off the power of the wind, not sucking a single drop of power from our batteries. Since we bought the boat, there has not been a really good opportunity to set it up and try it out. This does indeed look like a really good opportunity, as I scan the horizon seeing water everywhere. But who has the energy. After twenty-four hours at sea, half of that time heeled over at a forty-five degree angle and beating into the wind, life has become very simple. Set sails, set course, keep watch for ships, eat, drink more water and take turns sleeping. There is a peace and energy indescribable that comes from this simplicity of life hundreds of miles from land. Until we have a chance to level out for a while, I can't imagine eating anything but crackers for the next two days.

Thursday night passes uneventfully. Sit in the dark, watch the horizon for lights and listen to the whoosh of water as we slice through it. Friday morning, I awake remarkably refreshed. I may be getting the hang of this dispersed napping schedule. What a nice day it turns out to be. The winds start off a bit light, but Chris Parker assures us they will pick up. And they do. By noon, we have a solid 15 kts from the south, the seas are only two feet. As the wind builds throughout the day, we have to stop and put a reef in the main sail. With both the main and jib reefed, along with a boost from the Gulf Stream we are heading North at 10kts. I didn't even know the boat could go that fast!

Now as evening approaches, the winds stay steady, the seas are building and I watch the line of fluffy white clouds, the front that is slowly rolling in. Still 70 miles to shore. The seas have gotten rougher by now, we've seen some 8 foot waves roll through. We become increasingly fond of our boat as she accepts what the sea throws at her and rolls right over it.

Suddenly we notice the dolphins have come up to our boat. We think we counted eight of them, but it was hard to tell they kept moving so quickly. They swam, jumped and played in our bow wake for a couple of hours. Staying with us till the sun went down. Strapped into the jacklines I staggered up to the bow to get a closer look and try to snap a few pictures. Holding onto the rail, with the

boat traveling about 9kts, and bucking as the 6-8 foot seas roll by, I lean over the edge to try and

snap some pictures. No time for framing here, it's point and click, or sometimes just click and hope it pointed right. It's amazing to watch such quick powerful creatures swim and play with our boat. Apparently, we were the most interesting thing around this even. Although, with a quick scan of the horizon, best I can tell we are the only thing around this evening. Unless you count the flying fish, which are often jumping from the water and flying like a flock of birds away from our boat.

Friday night turns a little less than pleasant. The winds continue to pick up, gusting 25-30kts. The seas are still 6 feet. It takes constant perseverance to keep the boat on course. We watch the lightning in the distance and hope we will miss the storm. We do mostly miss it, but get wet from some showers. As dawn emerges, we have arrived at our inlet. And very happy to see the large, well marked ship inlet. As we are heading in though the channel markers, bundled up in our foul weather gear, observing the brown water all around us, we have to ask, "Why did we leave the Bahamas?"

Family Visitation

 

My Mom and Brother managed to tear themselves away from their cold lives in WV to visit us on our boat.  We had hoped to have some nice calm days to do some snorkeling, but unfortunately we had high winds all week.  So we sailed instead.

It didn't take long for them to be relaxing with a cool refreshing rum punch in hand.

We made a pretty good circuit of the island along the sea of abaco.  Our first visit was to Great Guana Cay, where we walked over to the beach to be pelted with wind and look out over the breakers relentlessly crashing on the beach.  (Two days after they left, returned to Guana to see the beach completely calm)  With nothing but wind in the forcast, we opted for a sailing day and headed down to Treasure Cay.  Treasure Cay has a nice long white sand beach looking out over the sea of Abaco, however it was windy and the water was rough.  After a look and short walk, we headed to the pub to try the rum punch. 

The following day, once again windy right on the beach, we took a ferry ride over to Green Turtle Cay.  We rented a golf cart and explored all over the island. And of course, the last even before getting back on the ferry, try the rum punch.

Over all the trip was a success, maybe next time the weather will cooperate for snorkeling.

Hanging in the Abacos

 

Time passes slowly or quickly here I'm not sure which.  In all actuality time for us has simply become all about the weather.  If the weather forecast is good, we can relax, enjoy the beach, the town, or do a little snorkeling.  If the weather is going to turn cruddy we look for a safe harbor to hunker down in until the cold front passes.  Every morning, except Sunday, we start our day at 6:30am to listen to Chris Parker's weather forecast on the SSB Radio.  We plan our days and activities accordingly.  We just spent a couple days in Man O War harbor on a mooring as a significant cold front passed over us Sunday night bringing squalls.

From our stay at Spanish Cay, we headed south to Green Turtle Cay.  There we waited several days for weather.  The one place in the Abacos that can be highly weather dependent is Whale Cay Cut.  Whale Cay lies between Green Turtle Cay and Great Guana Cay.  Passing by Whale Cay requires going out of the protected water and being exposed to the ocean waves.  So we had to wait for favorable winds, which bring calm seas, so we had an uneventful and easy trip instead of worrying about waves breaking over our boat.  Once we navigated Whale Cay Cut, we were in the Sea of Abaco.  The Sea of Abaco is a protected body of water, with islands all around.  This is where we have been just hopping from one island to the next.  So far we have visited, Great Guana Cay, Man O War Cay, and Marsh harbor on Great Abaco Island.

Bahamas

 

Just after we made plans to leave Thursday night round about 1:00am, a couple stopped by our boat looking for people to cross with.  They happened to have an identical plan to ours with one small exception, they were leaving at 12:00am.  One hour earlier sounded like an easy change to our plan, so we agreed to go together.  After a few hours of sleep, we were up at 11:30pm, made radio contact with our buddy boats, Wind Dancer and Nido, pulled up the anchor and we were on our way.  Our trip across the gulf stream was calm and uneventful.  We would have preferred to sail the entire way but we didn't have any wind, so we were stuck with listening to the motor.  Once past the gulf stream, the wind picked up a little after sunrise and we had a few hours of nice sailing.  It was good to see those sails again! 

Our first night in the Bahamas we anchored at Great Sale Cay.  After anchoring, there was cocktail hour with our friends on Wind Dancer.  We relaxed in the cockpit, happy we all had a pleasant voyage, as we watched the sun set over the clear turquoise water.  The following day we woke up to look out on paradise.  Not a sound to be heard and beautiful water everywhere.  Saturday we headed over to Spanish Cay, so we could clear customs.  Customs was very painless and quick.  With a front moving in Monday we decided to stay until it passed.  Tied up at Spanish Cay Marina, we had access to the private island, the marina bar, restaurant, swimming pool and hot tub.  Our first night there, we had cocktails on the veranda with the other cruisers that came in that day, followed by dinner in the restaurant.  We made a lot of new friends, many of whom we recognized their boats from traveling down the intercoastal at the same time although we had never met. 

We took our bikes out one day and explored the island.  All 3 miles of it.  There were two little beaches, and we took our first swim in Bahamian waters.  We made good use the hot tub, spent a lot of time socializing, and IB surprised me with a proposal.  We are now engaged.

Gettin Ready to Go

    

The winds are beginning to turn around to the South, and it's nearly time to cross the Gulf Stream and go to the Bahamas.  For some time now we have been thinking about when we actually want to go to the Bahamas.  Part of the decision depended on if we have everything that we need (food, water, spare parts, working electronics), and the other half of the decision depends on weather.  We've been waiting for those nice southerly winds to cross the gulf stream.  With any winds from the North that are opposing the current of the gulf stream, the crossing can be difficult, the seas can be high and rough, and at times dangerous.  So we wait on weather.  According to our current forecast's we should have the weather we want at the end of this week, and we will be on our way. 

In the midst of our preparations we have loaded the boat with groceries.  Although food will be available in the Abacos, we have been warned that prices can be ridiculously high.  So we've bought as many non-perishables as we can.  We have flour, cornmeal, pasta, pasta sauce, dried beans, chips, soup mix, beer, rum and wine.  We plan to supplement our supply with some fresh vegetables (given we can find them). 

After a few days of work, IB re-grounded the SSB Radio and it is now working.  We have subscribed to Chris Parker weather, and have been checking in with him in planning our weather window.

After much debate about the performance of our dingy in the islands, we made the decision to upgrade.  Just to look at the new dingy, it's hard to tell that it was that much of an upgrade, but riding in it, the difference is obvious.  We bought an Achilles, with high pressure inflatable floor and inflatable keel.  It's about a foot longer than our old one, which makes hauling our bikes or friends much easier.  We also upgraded to an 8hp motor from our 2hp.  The motor makes all the difference in the world.  From barely moving to going somewhere.   We'll have much more confidence that we can go out to a reef to snorkel and make it back to the boat.

All that is left to do is pack the ditch bag, fill up the diesel tanks and wait on weather.

The Anatomy of a Sewing Project

   

To do any project on a boat requires a lot of patience, and a lot of taking things out / putting things away.  One day I found myself with some spare time, I already had the sewing machine out from a small project and thought it would be a good opportunity to make a new cover for the kayak box on deck.  So I gathered up all my materials, took measurements of  the box and was ready to start cutting when I realized I need to fold out and use the full table to cut the sunbrella fabric.  Since my 50lb sewing machine was already out (the instigation for starting this project) I first had to clean everything up.

 

There's the salon all cleaned up.

I was then able to lay out the table, lay out my fabric and get all my pieces cut out. 

The sunbrella laid out on the table.

Once everything was cut, it was time to put the table back up, (as you can see it's really hard to move around once the table is all the way out).  With the table up, I could use the empty surface to pin my fabric together, take it up on deck to make sure it fit the box, and then back down, ready to sew.  Of course sewing means I need to get that heavy machine back out!

All ready to sew.

After sewing the main seams and making sure it's the right size, it's time to fold up the hem, which I tape in place instead of pinning.  To do this I need a flat surface.  A flat surface would be an empty table.  An empty table means it's time to put the sewing machine away again.  So away it goes.  The hem gets taped and folded, and then it's time to sew.  Time to sew means getting the machine back out.  So out comes the machine, the last seam gets sewn, the elastic gets put in the hem, and I have a finished product.

A finished cover!

The Kindness of Strangers

 

Our trip to Fort Lauderdale took us through 12 bridges to land at an unexpected destination.  Just before pulling up anchor at Lake Boca Raton, we were met by my friend Rachel who was traveling with us for the day to Fort Lauderdale.  The trip that would take us from 10:00am to 2:00pm to complete only took about 20 minutes for her by car.  The weather was warm and sunny, which made for a very enjoyable day of travel.  Rachel's boyfriend had moved his boats to a neighbors dock just so we could tie up at his house for a few days.  Just past Las Olas, we turned into the New River and traveled up the narrow waterway for about 4 miles to arrive at Paul's house.  His house is three docks in, in a very narrow canal with boats lining both sides.  We arrived at low tide and made several attempts to enter the canal, but there simply wasn't enough water we hit the ground each time.  A little perplexed as to what to do next, we tied up at an empty dock right next to the canal planning to wait for high tide and go into the canal then.  The docks owners were not home at the time, so we wrote them a note explaining the situation and they were very understanding.  Later that evening when the tide was up, we released the lines and gave the canal another go.  Unfortunately there was no going in, we hit the ground hard on every attempt.  Returning to the dock we had left, we tied up again.  John (the owner of the dock) had come out and witnessed our failed attempt at the canal.  Very kindly he offered to let us stay at his dock as long as we'd like.  We thanked him, and stayed 10 days.  We had a great visit with Rachel and Paul, as well as our new friends John and Susan.

Boca Raton

 

Waking up early, we pulled up anchor to begin the 30 mile voyage through 13 bridges to reach Boca Raton.  Luck was on our side as we managed to arrive at most of the bridges so we didn't have to wait long for an opening that happens every 30 minutes.  Had we hit all the bridges wrong, we would have added hours to our travel time.  We made it through the last bridge at 12:00pm, which brought us to Lake Boca Raton.  Due to a 72 hour anchoring limit we will leave here on Tuesday.

Hogan Marina

 

Our initial plan to stay with our friends Cliff and Nancy Hogan just a couple of days turned into nearly a week.  We enjoyed some good meals, went for a nature walk, and even watched part of the presidential inauguration.  Between their fabulous hospitality and a cold front that came through.  Plugged into shore power, we enjoyed turning the heater on the nights the temperature dropped below 40. 

After the weather warmed and the winds calmed down, we said our goodbye's and pulled away from the dock to continue our voyage.  In one day, we traveled 20 miles, through 10 bridges, to spent the night anchored at Lake Worth.

Breaking Free

 

After several weeks of enjoying the comfort of our mooring, we said our goodbyes to our friends on Hawkeye, we tied everything down on the boat and dropped the mooring line ripping ourselves free to once again journey into the unknown.  Or about 50 miles downriver.  We suffered through a frigid day day of travel with wind gusting up to 30kts.  I'm sure everyone will sympathize with us traveling on this blustery cold day of a mere 60 degrees!

We are now tied up at Hobe Sound at the dock of a friends house.  We'll be staying till we leave.

Velcro Beach

 

For those of you who are wondering what has happened to us, we are still at Vero Beach.  Often referred to as Velcro Beach by cruisers who show up here for a short amount of time and get stuck.  So we stopped for a night a week and a half ago, and we are discussing the option of leaving.... really soon. 

The mooring is inexpensive, there are no worries of dragging anchors or other boats that can't anchor properly.  We are right next to the mangroves, there is a free bus system, most stores and the beach are easily accessible by bicycle.  We can kayak through the mangroves, our friends on Hawkeye are here right now, although most moorings have two or three boats on them we have been alone the whole time, it's warm, sunny, and we're not in a hurry to get anywhere. 

With the tough schedule of the day (wake up, drink tea, make food, eat food, a coat of varnish on the dorade boxes, go to a play, eat dinner, drink wine, go to bed, read in any spare time) I need to get going.