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.