Pelican Bay to PGI Paradise—April 27

Out away from the city lights a rising full moon becomes a huge focal point in the dark night.  Bright orange, sending a path of shining diamonds on the water, it rose about 20 degrees on the horizon and then vanished behind a cloud layer.  Our first night in Pelican Bay was our last night on the water, peaceful with temperatures conducive to sleeping comfortably.  

Three hours to home we were anxious to catch the steady easterly 10 knot wind which would give us our final sailing fix for a while.

If you don’t get to go on a trip you have planned for six months and must return instead to home, what better place than to Charlotte Harbor.  In fact, as we glided through its water, we asked ourselves, “Why did we want to leave this place at all?”  A place where the sailing is amazing, the beauty of the harbor unspoiled and unmatched, maintained canals edged with immaculate landscapes and vessels of all shapes and sizes docked amidst a quiet harbor of like-minded boaters. It was good to be home, to our chosen family of Mariners and friends, to this PGI paradise. 

Didn’t mean to make this sound like an advertisement, but gosh it’s great here!!!

Coming soon a follow up…reflections…wrap up of our three week non-Bahamian cruise.  

 

 

 

Useppa Island anchorage to Pelican Bay—April 26, 2013

Last night the full moon peeped first in one hatch opening and then another creating its own light show in our berth as Aurora swayed in the gentle breeze.    

In no haste to enter the Pelican Bay anchorage until tide was in our favor and knowing this would be the shortest travel day of the whole trip, made it our most relaxed morning of the three weeks.  We’d heard tales that the anchorage was tricky to get into and last night had heard a call for Seatow to assist someone aground.  Our own chartplotter indicated it was extremely shallow which added to our trepidation, but using the way points and depth meter to guide us we found our way in with plenty of water and avoided bumping Aurora's keel on the bottom. 

Easily anchored by ten, we donned our tennis shoes and lowered the dinghy, anxious after 3 days aboard to stretch our legs and explore Cayo Costa State Park.  There are kayaks and bikes to rent or a free tram to take you to the beach a mile away, but we needed a walk, so walk we did.  First, we headed west to the white sand beach looking out on the Gulf, then northward to the tip of the island which overlooks Boca Grande Pass.  Meandering along the way we saw many plants in bloom, shore birds and live sand dollars at the water’s edge.  The winding trail back took us through hardwood forests, mangrove swamps, past an old cemetery, and eventually to the Ranger’s station for a total of 5 beautiful miles roundtrip on this unspoiled barrier island. 

Over the last two years we had often talked of crossing Charlotte Harbor to explore this island, and just never made it.  Now we feel blessed, that ironically missing the Bahamas trip gave us this opportunity to come here to this amazing place.  That’s so the way it is when cruising, when one door unexpectedly closes, often another totally unplanned opens.  Just expect the unexpected.

Naples to Useppa Island anchorage—April 24

It was another beautiful, calm day of motor sailing putting us under the Sanibel Bridge in Ft. Myers by 11:30.  Winds were light, but traffic heavy on the ICW’s miserable mile.  Our thoughts were to possibly get into Pelican Bay only a mile farther north this afternoon, but with a falling tide and our first attempt into the tricky anchorage there, we stuck with our original plan to put down the hook just off Useppa Island east of the ICW and Cabbage Key to wait for rising tide to enter the shallow bay in the morning. 

Looking forward to our first visit to Cayo Costa Island, walking the beach and exploring the trails of the State Park, but for now content with a 5 knot breeze blowing through the hatches, Simon and Garfunkel “Sounds of Silence” playing and only one day away from PGI.

Little Shark to Naples City Marina—April 24

Captain has said we need a new anchor, but after the way it held us in place again last night in 17-22 knot winds, I am more in favor of saving the several hundred dollars it would cost to replace and letting this one, having earned our confidence, to adorn the bow for a while longer.

Our trek to Naples from Little Shark was quite pleasant without strong winds or waves to plough through.  Arriving around 4:30 we wanted to anchor with Dottie and Mark on “Toots Sea” in Port Royal so picked our way through the shallow channel to “21” where we thought they were only to realize they were at “7.”  Not sure we could get into their anchorage with our deeper draft and the tide continuing to drop decided the Naples City Marina Mooring field was as close as retracing our path back.  We hailed the harbor master to see it a ball was available, and it was, but they would be closing at 5:00p.m. a few minutes before we arrived.  “No problem,” we responded and continued on to the fuel dock where they instructed we would need to pump out before mooring.  Without a lot of wind, docking unaided was pretty easy.  While we were there we deposited our trash, filled the tanks with water, pumped out the holding tanks and washed salt-encrusted Aurora clean.  In the meantime, Fritz and I went ashore to do his business and with the binoculars spotted our mooring “A” ball in the harbor.  When we returned Dennis was ready to push off, leaving behind what had begun as a mistake turned into the very best deal of the whole trip, and for only $10.

Only eight blocks from downtown, we could have dinghyed in, walked to the bustling and popular 5^th Ave., but instead fixed dinner on the boat and watched the full moon rising above the beautiful Naples Harbor skyline.  

 

Marathon to Little Shark—April 23

 Saying good bye to Boot Key Harbor, rested and ready to move on, we dropped the mooring line from Aurora’ bow and slid under the Seven Mile Bridge as the sun was climbing above the horizon on Tuesday morning.  Northeast winds at 22knots made reefing the sails and continually adjusting necessary during the morning, then afternoon the winds slacked to 15 knots and made for a nice motor sail. 

Marking our way points for the anchorage just south of Little Shark the last time through made it easy to navigate right back to the same spot which had protected us from the strong easterly.  Other sail boats passed us and went closer to the river’s entrance and we wondered at the time why they wanted to be closer to the northern point of land.  A slight breeze, 5 knots or so around sunset kept the bugs at bay and made the cabin cool without running the generator and air conditioning.  This is going to be a great night’s sleep.   At about 10:00 p.m. it became obvious why it would have been great to be by a land mass blocking the northerly breeze.  First the winds came out of the south turning us completely around, then settled on a northerly direction at around 17 gusting to 20 knots, and our bumpy ride began.   And as always the question, “Will our anchor hold in these winds?”  Well it did in the 70mph winds in the storm of Atlantic City, so why not tonight.  Dennis was comfortable and confident enough to go on to bed, but I read, wrote and checked our location by ascending the steps from cabin to deck about 5 times to make sure the moon, anchor lights to the north and south were still in the same places and not slipping into different positions on the horizon.  Around midnight when the winds finally subsided I was able to climb into our berth for a shortened but very restful night’s sleep.

Last day in Marathon, Boot Key Harbor

Gamblers we’re not, and given our recent run in with lightning, we folded when it came to 75% chance of thunderstorms today in the Florida Bay, the first leg of our route from the Keys to PGI.  Instead we relaxed, did a little laundry and basically enjoyed having the time to do nothing.  Tomorrow Little Shark will be our anchorage and the next Marco Island.  For the next two days we lose our internet and phone capabilities, but will be back in touch by Wednesday evening.

Anybody have ideas on how to use up a month’s provisions so as not to have to tote them from the boat back into the house?  That’s a downside of not going to the Bahamas, but the good thing is we shouldn’t need to do much grocery shopping until June when we were scheduled to return home.  

In thinking about up and down sides to our shortened cruise we came up with a list.  

Downs—left over provisions, destroyed electronics, disappointment of not spending time with friends in the Bahamas, shortened vacation time.
Ups—no grocery shopping for a month, new electronics, more time with friends at home and cruises around Punta Gorda, savings in fuel and marinas.

Cruising is a lot like life, in every situation there’s a lot to be learned.

 

Rodriguez Key to Marathon  April 20-21

When at anchor a light at the top of the mast is required and essential to signal the position of your vessel to other boaters.  Without it you become an unseen hazard to approaching cruisers.  Of all the equipment at the top of Aurora’s mast, the lone survivor was that fragile electrical bulb which endured to shine brightly for us another night.  It’s not an LED which would use much less battery power and previously had been the center of discussion to be replaced, but now believe with its storm resilience it deserves to remain shining brightly atop the mast for the rest of its lumen lifetime.

Over the last few days after talking with other cruisers, reading about strikes in Florida, “Lightning Capital of the World,” and contemplating our misfortune, we've come to realize how extremely fortunate we were to have sustained so little damage.  Don’t want to even think or talk about the physical injuries that can result, but in discussions with just a few who have related their stories of devastating strikes, the range has been from fires engulfing the entire boat to total obliteration of every single instrument  aboard.  Then the time table for repairs has been anywhere from 6 months to a year.  I’m sure Aurora’s captain had no idea when he was struggling through those engineering classes years ago that it would be such a blessing for us today.  Along with those blessings have come a much greater empathy for those who say, “We were just struck by lightning,” and what they must endure before they can again confidently be back on the water.

Friday’s run from Rodriguez to Marathon was uneventful with light SW winds on the nose and a light chop on the aquamarine water.  “Toots Sea” who had anchored with us in both No Name Harbor and Rodriguez Key called to invite us to Porky’s Barbecue for dinner and after having cooked aboard for the last 6 days, gladly accepted.  Over good food, with much wine and beer, we got acquainted with Dottie and Mark from Burnt Store Isles.  Ironically we have mutual PGI friends and after talking realized they had also taken the same Bahama Bound class as us in January.  It was fun to hear stories from their month-long Exumas’ trip.  It may work out, after storms pass tomorrow and weather improves, for Aurora and Toots Sea to head north together on Tuesday.  Until then we will stay blessed and safely moored here in Boot Key Harbor with our 100+ neighborhood of cruisers.

 

No Name Harbor, Miami to Rodriguez Key

 Blustery winds did not deter us from our departure from No Name Harbor.  Last night “Toot Sea” had advised that there was plenty of water alongside the south end of the Key and to the channel so we ventured to where last year, novice to the area, we had been too skittish to go.  Rewarded with water deep enough for Aurora’s 5 ½ ft. draft, subtracting about 3 miles off our trip for the day, not to mention savings in fuel, it was well worth the venture into the unknown water.  Blustery is probably an understatement for the 15 to 20  knot winds from the southeast kicking up 6 ft. rollers as we navigated eastward in the channel into the Atlantic.  On the southward turn Aurora, head sail unfurled, rode the washboard sideways for a couple of hours until we neared the shelter of the reefs along the Keys.  After the rolling start of the morning, upon silencing the engine and reefing the sails, the rest of the crossing became a splendid sail into Rodriguez Key around 1:30.  By ending our time on the open ocean much earlier than usual we were able to anchor; close the hatches just before a brief passing shower and retire below for a luxurious nap.  Storms overnight and tomorrow are supposed to be scattered but frequent until early afternoon, which will delay our leaving here for Marathon.

We have been in communication with the group from the Abacos and they are all doing very well.  Our directive to them has been to have their fun, then have some more for us, stay safe and start thinking about next year’s trip to the Exumas.  Our list already includes about 5 cruisers who could not for one reason or the other make the trip with us this year.  Marlene and Bert who are there now asked us to head over from Rodriguez, but again with uncertainties in some of our equipment, left us no leave but to refuse the invitation.   While we love the shorter cruises in PGI, it has been nice to see more Mariners asking about longer cruises and are excited for the interest it has generated in both old and new members.  Anyway, again we say there is no place near or far like our PGI paradise and Mariner friends.  See you soon!   

   

Ft Lauderdale to No Name Harbor, Miami

 Can you believe it?  No trips to West Marine today!!!  Anxious to test out the newly installed equipment we slipped the dock lines around 9:00 this morning and took on fuel before clearing the 17^th Street Bridge once again.  On the south side of the bridge in the turning basin used by the gigantic cruise ships, with none in sight, we were able to make several slow circles, then zig zags and straight lines to recalibrate the new auto pilot components before heading out into the open water of the Atlantic.  It seems there are a few tweaks to be made, but overall all the new equipment performed well. 

Seas were 2-4ft with winds off the nose.  Fortunately we only had thirty miles to make to No Name Harbor, and taking the Government Cut, past the Miami skyline into Biscayne Bay to get into calmer water made the last few miles quite pleasant.  Upon arrival we dinghyed over to the shore and hiked the Bill Baggs State Park trail to the Cape Florida lighthouse built in 1825.  Along the trail we saw lizards, a 3 ft. snake and raccoon.  It was a nice change from the five days spent in the busy Ft. Lauderdale pace.

Later a Punta Gorda couple came by and as we chatted realized we have mutual friends, and had once met at a boating club function.  They have just today returned from the Exumas, also heading home to PG by way of Marathon, so we made plans to get together for dinner.  That’s one of the things we love about cruising, you travel miles away from home and wind up meeting your neighborsJ

Even with the many challenges…this cruising life is sweet!

Ft. Lauderdale, Las Olas Marina

West Marine sales reps now treat us as a friend, greeting us on a first name basis on our daily visits and automatically giving us the volume spending discount without being reminded.  Today was a two-trip WM day, the first was two miles on the trolley and then a mile on foot for both of us with stops at Publix, Total Wine and CVS along the way.  After returning to the marina Dennis ascended the mast in the bolsom’s chair sporting the new wind instrument, antennae and halyards tied on to the chair and safety harness.  Once at the top he worked for about 20 minutes and returned to the deck safely, the two projects successfully installed.  Now with fingers crossed the tests, the radio check was loud and clear, but the wind transducer still had no readout, necessitating another trip for Dennis to WM, biking 23 minutes each way, returning with a new one to install.  Last project on the list was a new oil pressure sensor, not critical, but with enough time to complete installation, why not.  I've often said Dennis does more work in a day than most do in a week, and this is proof, in just two and one half days and $7K later he has Aurora seaworthy again.

Tomorrow is the last good day for crossing to the Bahamas for the next week, and without being able to test all the systems to see if they are functioning properly after the lightening strike, we have decided it would not be prudent to try to cross to the Abacos this year.  So instead, we will head southward for “No Name Harbor” tomorrow in Biscayne Bay near Miami, putting Aurora to the test, then retracing the beginning of our trip, eventurally making our way homeward to PGI.

All in all, Ft. Lauderdale has been a good place to be stranded, close to the beach and world's largest West Marine.  Every morning Fritz and I have enjoyed a walk along the beach before returning to the boat to pass Dennis tools, pull halyards and be over all organizer of the stuff.  Remember the rule about small spaces, “A place for everything and everything in its place.”  It's the only way to sail sanely!  So we leave here, repaired, rested and ready again for cruising.  

Are we disappointed to not make the crossing, yes, but we so feel blessed to have been a part helping others achieve their dreams of cruising to the Bahamas, and know there will be a right time for us in the future.  

Ft. Lauderdale

Our mission to complete repairs on Aurora as quickly as possible involved us in projects today requiring the contortion of our bodies, stretching our limbs, yanking on gears, burning torches and craning our necks to look into the tiny spaces in the hull of the boat.  Where yesterday’s seemed to go quickly, each one today seemed more difficult and time consuming than the one before.   So as of 6:30 this evening, the autopilot is ready for calibration after tearing up our berth, drilling holes, putting in the new rotary drive and running cable for the compass.  Engine gauges are functioning except for oil pressure, which is not critical for operation.  The remote mic at the helm is in place after a couple of hours of trying to snake the new cable encountering different obstacles on each attempt.  Tomorrow we will pick up the wind meter before sending Dennis up in the air 65 ft, hopefully only once, to place it along with the new antennae at the top of the mast.  From there it will be check out all the equipment, both new and old, out on the water to see what is functioning properly and then decide what we feel comfortable about doing for the rest of our cruise.

If you have not had a chance to check out Michele Sharp’s blog of the Bahama trip, be sure you do.  She published her first book, Adventures of a Once Reluctant Sailor, just last year, and as a trained photographer documents her wonderful narration of their adventures with amazing photos.  I am so priveleged know this budding author and especially to be a part of she and Wayne's trip by following her blog:    http://lenabea.blogspot.com/    Fair winds Lena Bea!  

 

 

 

Ft Lauderdale-April 14-15

 Yesterday, Dennis spent making lists; Lists of what wasn’t working, lists of prices from West Marine, and lists of people to call and who had called him about insurance issues.  Progressive’s agent said if we began replacing the equipment before an adjuster came out on Monday that they would “consider” reimbursement.  That word caused a shift of thinking from “immediate action” mode to “be patient and wait.”  Wayne and Dennis did make a trip to WM to buy the antennae, check out prices and make sure they had everything he needed in stock to make the repairs.  Michele and I hopped the 50 cent trolley with them and rode around the city winding up at the Galleria Mall to do some walking and window shopping.  Later the other Mariners in the Bahama bound group caught the trolley over to have dinner and bid us farewell, knowing we might not see each other again until June.  They were optimistically encouraging that we would soon get our repairs completed and join them in a week or so when we have a weather window to make the crossing.  Before leaving home Dennis and I had decided that if we had to wait more than a week to cross we would not go, and we still feel that it is a realistic goal.  So that gives us 8 days to make repairs and let the window for crossing to open again.  Time will tell, and by this time next week we will either be Bahama bound once more, or headed for a new destination along the coast of Florida.

 As planned at 4:30 this morning five boats, four catamarans and one monohull sailboat, passed under the Ft. Lauderdale 17^th Street Bridge, through the Port Everglades Inlet headed east to find the rising sun, and West End, Abacos in the Bahamas.  All five arrived around 3:00 this afternoon with a little rough weather, but safe passage.  So happy they all made it safely.  Michele Sharp is also writing a blog while they are there and you can follow their adventures as we will at:   http://lenabea.blogspot.com/  

 We on the other hand, met with the insurance adjuster around 1:00, had a check in hand and were on the trolley to you know where by 2:30.  The agent had said that WM might give a volume discount, and to our delight the manager did.  With two shopping carts full and much of the check spent, we called a cab to get us back to the marina.  First on the fix-it list was the battery charger, it purred to life, lighting up the instrument panel and power throughout Aurora.  Second, the VHF marine radio, again, a first time installation success story, and planning tomorrow to snake the cable for the remote mic for it to the helm station.   By then it was dinner time so we called it a day with the thought of getting Aurora back to cruising order over the next few days, and maybe, just a few days late, be Bahama bound.           

Rodriguez Key to Ft. Lauderdale--April 13

Cruisers have only a few basic rules and one of the most basic is “Do not have a schedule,” forging ahead into situations on the water where you should not go. 

Predictable patterns of rains in FL have begun and this morning around 4:30 we were awaked to the daily downpour.  Well protected just north of Rodrigous Key nine monohulls were safely anchored through the two-hour thunderstorm without incident.  Glad that it passed earlier rather than later, we were again under sail by 7:15.  Our initial intent was a 30 mile short day to "No Name Harbor" in Biscayne Bay south of Miami, but when we began having difficulty with our autopilot, we opted instead for the 70 mile longer day to Ft. Lauderdale and the world’s largest West Marine, running the iron jenny around 7 knots. 

Even after seeing storms to the west moving northeast, we set our heading north, putting ourselves in the path of a red and yellow band of thunderstorms; a big mistake!  The problem was not the undulating waters nor the torrential downpour, but the frequent lightning strikes and duration of the storm.  The lashing began around 1:30 and subsided at 3:00.  When it was through, we were soaked, shivering…and without electronics.  But more important, very lucky for the captain to still be in command of our ship.  Each time we saw a flash, he would immediately pull his hands back from the wheel, and the last one, only one or two seconds away, hit the water closeby.  Immediately the instruments went blank.  Soooo not good!  But Captain perservered through the last vestiges of the storm until the clouds began to part and blue skies once again appeared.    

First Visual Assessment:

1.        Captain, First Mate and Fritz fully functional and without injury.

2.        Chart plotter rebooted, without radar

3.        Depth, wind, knot meters not functioning

4.        Engine and oil temperature gauges zeroed out

5.       No VHF Radio

6.       And you know that new antennae Dennis went up the mast several times to replace…nowhere in sight.

Checking down below I could smell a faint burned odor around the instrument panel, but no apparent fire. Our first attempt to revive the precious electronics was to flip the thrown breakers, resurrecting the depth and knot meters.  So we’re thinking maybe this isn’t so bad after all.  But there’s still no radio, wind meter or engine gauges and more assessment would just have to wait. 

Lena Bea and Aurora making the 17th Street Bridge at 5:30 was a cause for celebration after having to slow for an enormous Princess cruise ship departing the Port Everglades channel. Luckily, at Wayne’s suggestions before the storm hit we had made reservations at the Los Olas marina in Ft. Lauderdale for the next two nights, so we limped on in afraid even to make our planned stop for fuel, not wanting to turn off the engine.  Dennis went immediately down below to for a second assessment of the damage.

Second Assessment:
1.        No Electrical AC power because the battery charger is history

2.       Still no radio

3.       Outside visual assessment of the mast showed where there once had been antennae, now   only a black glob.

After this assessment Dennis commented, “This could be the end of our trip.”  Nodding I agreed.  With our group of 5 boats ready to depart on early Monday, there was no way we could follow.  Ironically we had decided to call about extending our insurance coverage to the Bahamas in the morning.  When the agent finally called again, we told her to call us back in another hour and that we might actually have a claim instead of needing the extra coverage.        

At 7:00 and with nothing to eat since early this morning, Michele called and asked if we wanted to go out to dinner, so with not much else Dennis could do we joined them at Bubba Gump’s.  After a margarita and gumbo, everything seemed a little better.

So here we are in Ft. Lauderdale, Los Olas Marina, definitely without that schedule mentioned earlier, and definitely not Bahama bound, but blessed again to be fully functional, and very lucky cruisers.  

Marathon, Boot Key Harbor to Rodriguez Key

Yesterday was R & R & R in Boot Key Harbor.  A different kind of rest; Showered in a real shower in the marina:  Time ashore off the boat.  Recreation; Yoga in the park for me: Dennis biked to West Marine, yes, guys, that’s 2 WMs visits in 3 ports:  Then later some dolphin entertainment off the bow of the boat.  Repairs; New brackets for the chart plotter:  Remounted the boat hook in a different location after it was yanked from its Velcro straps on the rails by the head sail spinnaker:  Replaced screws in the passageway hatch for the second time in a week. 

Noon rains washed the salt off Aurora lowering both humidity and temperatures, but when a hatch wasn’t closed all the way, that refreshing rain also left a wet spot on the bedding and pillows in our berth.  You know that free and cheap dryer we used to have…sun and wind…it still works pretty darn good.  This extra day in the harbor was a nice change of pace and as refreshing as the rains.  

As we turned into the Atlantic with the early morning sun on Hawk’s Channel around 7:30 a.m. today I reflected on how much easier this trip has been than last year’s east coast venture.  Where there was great apprehension, there’s great anticipation.  Instead of fear of the unknown there’s knowledge and confidence that we can handle the unexpected, which invariable will come.  Multiple times on the 2012 cruise I literally wanted to pack my bag and hop the next flight home to PGI.  Fear would have won out though, while tenacity, self-confidence and courage would have forever been my loss.  My advice if you think you want to try cruising, don’t let the overwhelming feeling of fear and unwillingness to venture into the unknown keep you home.  Instead let it build your courage, confidence and character.     

Another enjoyable aspect of this trip is we’re doing much more sailing and much less motoring.  Again today we were blessed with 8-10 knot SE winds, allowing us to average 5.5 knots with little motoring.  Cha-ching!  A mile sailed is a dollar saved.  Safely anchored at Rodriguez Key tonight and pushing on to Ft. Lauderdale in the morning.

 

Little Shark to Marathon (April 10-11, 2013)

Most of us get in our cars for a vacation trip and it’s not unusual to travel three hundred miles or more in a day which just doesn’t happen when traveling by boat.  So not only do you have to think of living in small spaces when cruising, you have to get used to thinking of traveling short distances in a day as good progress.  It’s not unusual for us to cover only 30 to 40 miles to get to the next port.  And where in a car you can average 70 miles an hour, on a boat it’s probably going to be only about 5 or 6 nautical miles in an hour, making a 40 mile day sometimes stretch into an 8 hour passage.  The nagging questions of “Are we there yet? or When will we arrive?”  do still come up, but are answered quite simply by our electronic road map, ie chart plotter showing a computer read out of our present location and distance to the next way point.  Captain has entered these points all along our journey to make sure we get to the correct destination and avoid any shallow or hazardous areas especially given Aurora’s 5 ½ ft draft.

Yesterday was an almost perfect sailing day, and every bit as good as our trip to Burnt Store last Friday.  Leaving Little Shark at 7:00 our heading was south with easterly sustained 15-18 knot winds, thus we traveled all day on a one-tack reach with no engine power.  Almost as soon as we left the anchorage at Little Shark though, crab pots littered the water by the hundreds and even with the engine off we kept a sharp lookout to avoid hitting and wrapping one around the prop.   From Little Shark three of the Bahama bound boats with shallower drafts (less than 4 ft) in our group, Chatty Cat, Broadwater II and Chat-eau took an easterly route heading for the ICW, the inside route up the east coast of FL to Miami, while the other three of us with deeper drafts, the Sharps on Lena Bea, Beers on Valhalla and us, needing the deeper water of the outside route cleared the Seven Mile Bridge about 1:00p.m and into Boot Key Harbor by 2:00 p.m.  And then the decision for the Bahama bound Sharps and us, do we stay here two nights, or only one and then head north in the morning?  With winds tomorrow predicted to be 20-25 knots we opted for a day of R, R, and R (that’s rest, relaxation, and as always, repairs) here in the safe harbor.  

Valhalla's plans all along were to accompany us just this far on their maiden gulf coast voyage and then stay to explore the Keys for a few days before returning home.  We cheered as they pulled into their final destination, Boot Key Harbor, picking up their mooring ball on the first try and with the high winds quite an accomplishment!  We have been blessed to get acquainted with these two amazing and tenacious sailors.  Last night during our sunset dinner at Burdines they leaned forward and gave each other a kiss, something they said they have done for the last 45 years:  a truly amazing couple.

Just imagine sailing for 6 hours covering 36 nautical miles with no engine, certainly a wonderful first for us, and making short distances a perfect way to travel.

Marco Island to Little Shark (4-9-13)

Smokehouse Bay at Marco turned out to be a delightful anchorage, with only a five minute ride to a wonderful dinghy dock at Winn Dixie, and West Marine a few blocks from there.  In the evening Sharps, Kidwells and, Beers gathered on Aurora with us for snacks and cocktails sharing how to disengage mooring ball lines from props and other amusing antidotes. 

With a long day ahead to cover the 52 miles to Little Shark we were up washing clay off the anchor by 7:15 as were several others.  When traveling with a group you see how many little things can go wrong to slow cruisers down and make a long day even longer.  One boat was pulling up anchor at the same time we were, but as we exited the channel were nowhere in sight.  Come to find out their wash down system wouldn’t work to clean off the anchor and they spent an hour working on it before finally hauling bucket after bucket of water to the front of the boat putting them an hour behind schedule.  Another had to stop drop a hook in the channel and work on his rudder making him also have a much later start than planned.  Still another waited 45 minutes at the fuel dock.  Once underway, we were all treated to several hours of sailing on a southerly heading with winds out of the east, but as it often goes once we set our heading more eastward, sails were dropped and engines again purred.  Arrivals at Little Shark were at varied hours, but thankfully everyone, after solving all the unexpected issues in the morning settled tired but comfortably into the anchorage.  One last boater had to pull a crab pot off the prop after he arrived, with luckily no damage done.  Even with brisk east winds, which kept the bugs at bay, holding was excellent and the starry sky was just brilliant at this place known as Little Shark, part of the Everglades National Forest.

(At Little Shark we had no phone or internet service but will get the blog up to date tomorrow as we have good service now that we arrived here in Marathon this afternoon.)

 

 

Ft. Myers Beach to Marco Island

Just before bedtime last night Dennis had to tighten up our mooring line and then the east winds gently rocked us to sleep.  In the morning we had no issues getting underway around 7:45, but later learned that two others in our group had mooring balls to catch under their boats causing them to take the plunge into the 78 degree water of the harbor to free their lines.  Burrrrrr…glad not to have that experience to describe. 

Easterly winds were around 10 knots making for another good sail, not completely engineless, but blessing us with more quiet sailing than noisy motoring.  We made the 40 mile passage to Marco from Ft. Myers Beach in around 6 hours with only a few pesky crab pots to avoid, pulling into Smokehouse Bay around 2:00p.m.  Amazingly, on our arrival Don Kidwell, a fellow Mariner who is not on the cruise with us, came to our rescue and dinghyed over to explain the best spot to set the hook.  If he hadn’t we might have been aground at low tide in the middle of the night.  Proving again that Mariners are just the best, coming to the aid of others!!! 

 

Tomorrow we will have a 56 mile trip to Little Shark and will not have any service while traveling for the next two days, so look for a long post on Wednesday evening. 

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We call it “living large in small spaces”…think of a living in a 300 square foot house for 2 months.  But you know what, it’s one of the best things about cruising, living efficiently.  So think again of everything you couldn’t live without, then ask yourself what purpose does it have, and could it be used for something else.  Dual purpose and fitting into small spaces helps narrow the choices.  All that being said we seldom have to leave behind the things that make life easier, albeit if it uses electrical power it might get quickly vetoed, as saving power is a top priority, especially when anchoring.   But back to living efficiently…how much “stuff” that fills our lives is really that necessary for a good life, and does taking care of the “stuff” sometimes keep us from having the time to do the things that really matter?  Cruising makes you slow down, treasure time with friends and family, and throw off the chains of the “stuff.”  Sorry about the rambling…and oh by the way, there’s lots of time for philosophizing in these small spaces.

Burnt Store Marina on Charlotte Harbor to Ft. Myer’s Beach

Clear skies, rising tide, easterly 10 knot winds creating following seas, and light chop on the water escorted us from Burnt Store Marina into Charlotte Harbor around 10:20a.m. this morning, finally Bahama bound. 

It’s been three days since we left home, but already the cruising routines have begun.  Before leaving in the mornings everything inside the cabin must be secured, routes must be charted and weather apps carefully studied to make sure conditions are good for travel.  Upon departure, all lines, hoses, electrical cords and fenders must be secured, with instruments turned on to make sure they’re functioning properly. 

Crossing Charlotte Harbor was easy and uneventful arriving on the ICW near Boca Grande around 12:00p.m.   At Useppa we were joined by another Mariner sailboat, Valhalla, with crew Louis and Sherry Beer on their maiden voyage to the Keys.  The Miserable Mile in Ft. Myers was enough to make even the seasoned sailor ill with large vessels kicking up wakes of all shapes and sizes.  Finally under the Sanibel Bridge we motored to Ft. Myers Beach picking up a mooring ball around 4:30p.m., covering the 43-mile day in about 6 hours.  Overall a good day, except for heavy Sunday afternoon boating traffic, we were all ready to relax.  Four of the seven boats gathered aboard Wayne and Michele Sharp’s  “Lena B,” for appetizers and cocktails, while the other three wandered ashore to explore the Ft. Myers Beach sand sculptures and have dinner at Nervous Nellies.  Gentle breezes should make for gentle dreams for the night, resting crews for tomorrow's destination, Marco Island.    

Being on the water means leaving the hectic pace of retirement life and slowing to a turtle’s pace, immersed in the wonder of nature.  Seeing everyday things in a new perspective, senses intensify and the beauty of God’s world is again brought sharply into focus.  Elements of wind and water now control our destination, and possibly destiny.  Venturing into the unknown to test self-reliance and strength of our faith, we feel both privileged and grateful for this awesome opportunity. 

Home to Burnt Store Marina

After months of preparation, anticipation, and occasional consternation, we cast off Aurora’s lines and departed our home port of Punta Gorda Isles yesterday at 10:00 a.m.   Unlike last year when we quietly slipped off the bowlines with little a due, our departure was noted by our neighbor’s hand-scripted “Bon Voyage” sign and as we motored about a half mile into the canals were surprised to be joined our friends Dave and Anna aboard their Catamaran  “Lion’s Paw.”  Another 15 minutes, a Hunter, “Southern Bell” with skipper Joe and first mate Lisa, pulled into the procession, then followed more Mariners, Jim and Dawn on their newly acquired Hunter vessel, “Tranquillo.”  

So you know Aurora’s Bahama Bound, and some of you know that 7 assorted vessels are also headed for the Abocos with us.  But none of the above mentioned sailing vessels are making the that crossing, instead we all set a course for Burnt Store Marina about 9 nautical miles south of Ponce Inlet.  Morning rains had freshened the winds and made for an amazing two-hour engineless sail across the harbor in 8-15 knot winds.  What a fun sail for everyone and what better way to start the first leg of our trip than accompanied by our sailing friends.  In our minds we’re thinking, “This could be the best sailing of the whole trip!”   Just a little before 1:00p.m. Captain Dennis guided “Aurora” into her slip, with the other sailors in the flotilla all safely harbored shortly thereafter.   

Greeting us as we docked were members of our PGI Mariners boating club who had also arrived for our annual Regatta, which includes but is not limited to a race for the sailboats, crazy games, fabulous food, entertainment, dancing, prizes…everything you can imagine for a fun-filled two-day event.  Last night was Hollywood night, with skits, surprise visits from Mariner/Hollywood stars, prime rib, with all the fixin’s, then DJ and dancing into the night.  Today was team games…more food…manatee sitings…scavenger hunt…crafts.  Tonight…more food…more dancing…more good fun with our boating friends.   It doesn’t sound really relaxing, but after a month of listing, purchasing, washing, packing, hauling,  cleaning house and boat for departure, it’s actually quite a nice change of pace, and quite enjoyable.  Plus it will be two days in the luxury of a marina before we are again “Bahama Bound.”   

To those of you who followed last year, welcome back, and for those just joining us welcome aboard…and hope you enjoy the journey with us.   We will be able to post almost every day till April 15, then only when we have access to Wifi, which may not be every day, so please be patient if you do not hear from us but every few days.  Just know we miss each of you that you are in our thoughts and prayers throughout our journey, and please keep us in yours.