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.