A Weather Forecast That Came True

The winds finally settled enough on Monday for us to get ashore. We took Maddie with us, since she really needed to get some exercise as much as we did. We left the boat in the morning and stopped at several places while we looked for the local Post Office. These days it appears to be increasingly difficult to find even a mailbox to send an old-fashioned letter. By the time we'd walked perhaps a mile and a half to get to the Post Office, we were hungry and happened onto a French bakery/restaurant and enjoyed the best mushroom quiche followed by a great strawberry/banana/chocolate crepe. What a treat! Then it was back to the boat after a bit more walking. Maddie was exhausted and immediately took a nap. We got reorganized before heading out on our own for another couple of stops which included getting some really fresh fish at a local market.

Upon returning and checking the weather for the next several days, we determined that we'd leave tomorrow (Tuesday). Our original plan called for staying a few more days, but the forecast suggested that we'd have to leave tomorrow or wait till next Monday. We kept an eye on the weather forecasts for any changes. It was supposed to offer light winds and flat seas for the next two days. Sounded appealing after our bumpy ride leaving Marathon with Maddie getting seasick.

But we awoke this morning with the boat rocking and the wind blowing. The forecast called for the winds to die down by early afternoon, but we'd heard that line before many times when nothing changed. We weren't sure what to do. We debated a bit before deciding to take the chance and leave with the rising tide at about 11 AM. That timing would get us back out through the two shallow channels without running aground.

We gave Maddie part of a Bonine to help with her seasickness issues and pulled up the anchor as the wind continued to blow. By the time we got out of Florida Bay and into Hawk Channel where the winds would cause more of a problem, they had settled some and continued to do so. It was amazing that the forecast actually turned out to be accurate when we needed it to be. We don't usually get that lucky. Maddie was fine, and we enjoyed a sail up the Channel to our anchorage off Key Largo. What a beautiful afternoon. The water was clear, and Sandra even saw a sea turtle swimming under the boat. I saw a dolphin dive under the boat as well. We got to our anchorage in time for a swim before supper. I managed to use the time to clean the boat bottom some more. It's getting better but not done yet.

While we sat in the cockpit with dinner, I saw a manta ray leap up about 3 feet out of the water. So between the dolphin, the sea turtle and the ray, it appeared as though some of the local residents were bidding us good-by for another year. We'll miss them and the clear, warm water we've enjoyed this year.

And can you believe it...we missed watching the sunset! We'll try again tomorrow evening.

The forecast for tomorrow still looks good, Who knows, perhaps we'll have two days in a row with an accurate forecast. We'll keep our fingers crossed. We'll head out regardless, since the wind will pick up tomorrow night. This anchorage works for tonight, but as the wind changes tomorrow evening, it will be no longer pleasant. So we'll hope for another pleasant sail tomorrow. We're headed up to Key Biscayne just south of Miami – back to what some might call civilization. But that's a subject for another blog.

Till the next addition...

Captain Bob

Traveling Is More Complicated than Staying Put

We have now officially begun our travel once again. As we were dealing with weather issues and concerned about our anchor's holding ability, it occurred to me that perhaps this would be a good time to go into more detail about what's involved with cruising on a sailboat. I was looking over the list of those who receive our emails and are likely read at least some of these posts. Most of you have never cruised like this and may therefore have a sense of what's involved based on reading this or stories about those who do. I often wonder if most people think of the cruising life as sitting in the cockpit watching the sun go down as he or she sips a rum drink and some tasty snacks. There's a bit more to it, and that is why I've decided to produce a more regular blog for a couple of weeks to provide something close to a daily view of life on our boat as we travel.

So with that to serve as an intro, here goes. I'll begin at the beginning – that is, the day we left Marathon. We had planned to leave with another couple and go out into Florida Bay for a night and then head up the Keys to Islamorada on the Bay side. Well, some issues developed which would prevent the other couple from joining us, so we had to decide whether to stay and spend time with them in Marathon or head out. A complicating issue was a weather front coming through over the weekend. If we stayed, we'd likely be in Marathon another five or six days because of that front. If we left on that day (last Thursday) we could make it up to Islamorada in good weather and get settled on our anchor before the foul weather arrived.

After a good deal of discussion during which we decided to stay, then go, then stay, we ended up leaving. The weather was pleasant, but it was a bit choppy in Hawk Channel. We followed Hawk Channel for about three hours before sailing under a bridge and into the quieter Florida Bay. During that time, Maddie managed to get sick three times on different cockpit cushions. We really needed to contact a vet to see if we could give her some seasick medicine. This was not the first time a rocking boat has gotten her sick. (We ended up calling our Marathon vet and getting the OK to give her a half Bonine tablet. )

So we entered the Bay in the early afternoon and sailed to our anchorage. It was early enough for us to get all the way to Islamorada, but to do so we'd have to sail through two shallow channels at low tide. We were pretty sure we'd run aground, so we opted to anchor here for the night and go the final distance including the shallow channels in the morning at high tide. Getting in early allowed us the time to clean the cockpit cushions and Maddie. I had been planning to change the zinc on our prop, so I took this opportunity to do so. This procedure requires that I put my mask and fins on to dive under the boat to perform the replacement. We got that all done while cooling off in the water before a quiet view of the sunset – yes, we do enjoy those sunsets.

The next morning we left our anchorage in time to get through both channels by high tide. We proceeded slowly, but didn't see any depth less than 6.5 feet. We had more than a foot to spare. In many places this would have been much too risky, but in the Keys, the water depth changes very gradually, so we weren't too alarmed by this depth.

A "flats" boat - the pole is used where it's too shallow
to move with the outboard to get to good fishing spots

Once to our anchorage, we were sure to let out an extra amount of chain, since we knew that bad weather would be arriving within a day or so. Since the travel wasn't long, we arrived by noon and had the rest of the day to explore the area and get into the water. I used some of my in water time to scrub the bottom of the boat. Even though we painted with anti-fouling paint, regular cleaning is required during times when we move little. I didn't get it all done – can only stay under water for a short time, so many trips down are required to get a portion completed.

This shark was looking for a snack

Our time ashore was really nice. We had lunch at a nice bakery and listened to some island music, watched tarpon swimming around the docks at one of the waterfront restaurants and watched a shark investigate the scraps thrown over by a fisherman cleaning his catch. We also went to the library to pick up a few movies for entertainment during the bad weather and got Maddie ashore for some exercise.

A sunshine tree at the resort.

Thunder and lightning woke us in the middle of the night. We had to shut hatches and make sure we weren't dragging the anchor. A couple of hatches didn't get closed tightly, resulting in rain getting in and several items getting wet. By morning I had to get the dinghy emptied of water. It was at least half full. We kept an eye on the incoming weather and did our best to stay dry as the rain poured down most of the day. It wasn't all bad, since Sandra took advantage of the confinement to do some cooking, so I ate well. The rest of the time was spent reading and watching a movie.

Today (Sunday) the sun is out, but the wind is blowing at 25 mph with higher gusts. We'll stay aboard again today rather than getting soaked trying to dinghy ashore. Tomorrow will be better. We look forward to enjoying the location more than we've been able to so far. We're also watching the weather to determine when will be the best time to move on up the Keys. We'll know more about that in a day or so. The key is to remain flexible. Cruising can't stick to a firm schedule without risking too much. The weather is all important to our travel planning.

More to come.

By the way, thanks to fellow blogger Dick Mills, photos are now included.

Captain Bob

We Approach the End of a Season

We're now into our last days in Boot Key Harbor in Marathon for this winter. As I began thinking about this entry, a neighbor was dressed in a kilt and playing bagpipes as the sun sets for another day. What an interesting and unusual place this is. We've thoroughly enjoyed our time here once again, but also look forward to stops we've planned for the trip north.

Even Maddie has enjoyed the boating here.

Our daughter Jennifer came down to visit for several days following Samantha's visit. We thoroughly enjoyed her time here, but we were frustrated by not being able to get her out to the reef. The winds were up which prevented us from trying it. We did get her out into Florida Bay for a night – even managed to include a rip-roaring thunderstorm for a little excitement. We also got to the Dolphin Research Center. It was great to get there again and watch the dolphins people watch. (Note photo in previous blog entry.)

As we get to the middle of April, we continue to notice the changes in the harbor and town. Far fewer boats are here, although we still see regular traffic. Most of the boaters arriving now appear to be on their way back north from somewhere else or Florida boaters out for a week or two of cruising. Most of the snowbirds have already departed.

The coral is 20 ft. below the surface.

One aspect of our time here has been our contact with the creatures that call this area home. Our several trips to Big Pine Key have afforded us many meetings with the Key Deer, a small variety of deer that are unique to that island. From our boat we've seen dolphins playing with fish before eating, a spotted eagle ray swimming around our dinghy and manatees swimming here and there around the harbor. Our neighbors include pelicans, gulls, frigate birds, cormorants, osprey and terns on the water along with a variety from iguanas to ibises on land. Having finally made it out to the reef for a bit of snorkeling, (after Jenn left) we've come up close and personal with lots of fish from parrot fish to barracudas as well as blue tangs, Bermuda chubs, angelfish and yellow tail snappers among others. The coral was beautiful to see as well. It seems that the water clears up in the spring to allow for great visibility out there. Of all the places we've visited, this is probably the one allowing contact with the greatest variety of creatures with whom we share the planet. And this contact reminds us of our important relationships with other life here.

One of our neighbors

We've now determined our travel plan for the first part of the trip at least. We'll head up the Keys to Islamorada on the Bay side. After checking the charts, it appears the water will be deep enough to make that trek. We'll pass through two cuts at or near high tide, but otherwise we should be fine. This area we'll visit will offer plenty of swimming, a bit of island music and just relaxation. Then it will be north in Hawk Channel up to Miami and north. Our exact route beyond Miami will be determined by weather. We'll report on how this goes and future travel plans as we go.

Until then...Carpe Diem!

Captain Bob

Grandchildren in Paradise

Sam with Ryan at the beach

Another month has gone by, and we're still here in the Keys enjoying life. A highlight of our winter was the arrival of our daughter Samantha and her family which included three boys – Nathan 5 years old, Christopher 2 and a half and Ryan who is now 8 months. They rented a place on one of the canals in Key Colony Beach that provided access for our boat. We were able to tie up to the dock in front of their house. What a great week! The boys went fishing and caught several fish; they all spent time at the beach in the water and building sand castles, in a pool and enjoying one of the local parks. We took them to the Dolphin Research Center to see the dolphins at play. It's one of the best places we know of to get up close to dolphins and look them in the eye while they look back at you. The two older boys especially enjoyed sleeping on the boat each night. Times like this remind us how great it is to be on a permanent sabbatical ( in simple terms – retired) so that we can be here to share this paradise with our children and grandchildren.

People Watchers

They stayed a full week, so we had lots of good times with them and have since taken a couple of days to recover. Now we are preparing for our other daughter Jennifer to come down. .

Now that we're into spring officially, a number of the boaters who spent the winter here have left already. Many are heading east to the Bahamas while others are heading up the coast of Florida to where ever they call home during the summer months. We'll be here another three weeks before heading out. Our exact route is still under discussion, but I'll report on that as the plans become firm.

As an added note, a bit of a crisis has delayed a few boats from leaving. A communications wire crosses the harbor entrance at about 68 feet above the water. Apparently a boat with a 75 foot mast tried to go through causing damage to the boat and also resulting in the wire dropping down more than 10 feet. This happened a few days ago and is finally getting repaired today. A few boats had planned to leave but must wait for the repair, since their mast height is in the 65 foot range. Such things one only worries about when on a sailboat.

Life in Paradise

We've now been moored in Boot Key Harbor for more than two months. On the whole, the weather has been terrific. Today, for example, it was sunny with a nice breeze and a high temperature in the low 80s. Tomorrow is forecast for more of the same. As many of us snowbird boaters say, “just another day in paradise.” We've been quite busy here getting involved in some group activities like line dancing and contra dancing. We've started involvement with Tai Chi as well. We've also done a little bit of volunteer work. Of course all this is in addition to time at the beach, a trip to Key West and a little kayaking. As I write this, we're out in a lonely spot in Florida Bay to enjoy a peaceful few days before getting ourselves involved once again.

As a result of this activity, we've gotten to meet a few more of the local residents and learned a bit more of what goes on in “paradise” when people aren't merely enjoying the setting. It's liking waking up to the reality of life here, and it's not all paradise. Traffic keeps building each year. The locals yearn for the summer months when it's relatively quiet. From what we hear, that quiet time is getting shorter each year, as more people head down this way.

The city has increased the rates on moorings and slips and especially the fee charged for those who anchor and just use the dinghy dock and shore-side facilities. This has caused an uproar among many boaters. To make matters worse, there is a proposal in city council to eliminate the majority of anchorage areas in the harbor, which will create a real problem for many of those who live on their boats all year and work here in Marathon. To save money, many have chosen to anchor instead of paying for a mooring or a slip. Some can't afford the higher priced accommodations. This is a complicated matter that I won't attempt to fully explain here, but it does have an impact on life in Marathon for boaters and probably others who benefit from the boaters.

Does the fact that we learned this “paradise” isn't perfect ruined our impression or dampened our interest in staying here? Not at all. Where ever people gather, there are bound to be issues to address and different opinions about how to deal with these issues. There will be challenges to face. The longer one stays in one place, the more likely it is that one learns about the local issues and challenges.

We've found the people here to be friendly and helpful, and that includes both locals and snowbirds. I've already said enough about the weather to assure all that this is a great place to spend the winter. Since we've had our car down here the last two winters, we've had a chance to broaden our activities, and this has merely strengthened our positive view of the Keys in general and the Marathon area in particular. Of course we've had to deal with the traffic issues on Route #1, but they are small compared to what we find as we drive north and hit real traffic and population on the mainland.

So as I sit here on deck in this peaceful, beautiful setting looking out at the islands of Florida Bay miles from the “busy” Route #1 and see little evidence of any civilization, I just feel bad for the many people who come to the Keys and never get to experience what we boaters can enjoy while we're here. If they could, they'd really understand what we mean by “Paradise.”

Carpe Diem

Captain Bob

Why Marathon?

Now that we've been back in Boot Key Harbor for nearly a month, it's probably past due time to provide an update of how life on the mooring ball has been for us. I must begin with a brief report on the weather here this winter. (I use that term loosely.) The typical day has included high temps around 78-80 and lows near 70. The sun has been shining most of the time, although we've had a few clouds and a shower or two. It's been breezy more than not, a fact that's kept us in the harbor so far. But we've been to the beach and done a bit of biking. (Maddie likes riding in the front basket.) I was out in the kayak once also with Maddie.

Now you might jump to the conclusion that being stuck here in the harbor has been a bit boring. Nothing could be further from the truth. We've met up with friends from earlier years; we've met other cruisers for the first time. We've taken up line dancing classes and tai chi. To that Sandra has added a few tap dancing classes and has helped others learn to make pine needle baskets. She and her friends Libby and Sharon have been meeting weekly with other cruisers to help them. I've been to some classes at the marina offered by local experts on boating issues. Additionally we've volunteered to help the local theater group during their performances. So far we've been asked to help once running the concession stand. We also got to see the play they performed. Every day seems to be filled with boat chores and other activities like those mentioned above. So we've kept busy most days.

Life with a dog is different than life before Maddie. We try to get her to shore at least once each day for a good walk/run in the park. When we go places on the bike or walking, we often take her. She loves to ride in the bike basket, but such trips take a bit of planning. If we stop for lunch somewhere, it must be an outdoor restaurant. Of course, that's pretty easy to accommodate here in Marathon, since many of the restaurants have an outdoor section if not all outdoors. Most stores welcome her, but we don't take her into grocery stores. That means one of us stays outside while the other does the shopping. Of course taking the dog slows us down in another way. Most everyone we pass wants to greet her and learn what breed she is. They all say she's the cutest dog they've ever seen and eat up her enthusiasm for meeting new people.

As I've mentioned earlier in a blog or two, many of the boaters we meet while traveling south are headed to the Bahamas. For some, it's their yearly destination, while for others, it's a first-time trip. Here in Marathon, we find that a number of the boaters are using this harbor as a place to prepare for the crossing to the Bahamas rather than a destination itself. The attraction is a strong one – a group of islands across the Gulf Stream, a foreign country with clear waters and warm weather. What's not to like? And why are we headed there too?

Well every spot has its pluses and minuses. We enjoyed our visit to the Bahamas two years ago and may go again before too long for another visit. The water is as clear as a swimming pool in many areas, making the swimming and snorkeling a real treat. The people there are pleasant and friendly as they are in most places we've visited. They do speak English – a plus, since our command of Spanish is pretty poor. However, aside from Nassau and perhaps Marsh Harbor in the Abacos and Georgetown in the Exumas, supplies and support are both limited. Most of the islands are sparsely populated and rather desert-like. We don't have a watermaker, so we generally must buy the water we need. While the price isn't too bad, one may have to travel to the right place to get it. Healthcare is an issue. We've heard of at least two people who had either just returned or whose trip was delayed, so they never went. In both cases, they would have died if they'd gone to the Bahamas, because of the lack of nearby healthcare facilities. While we're both pretty healthy, it's difficult to predict an appendicitis or heart attack.

We love to travel to see new places. Since our last visit to the Bahamas, we've determined that there's more to see there, making another trip attractive. But that said, we find most of what is offered there right here in the Florida Keys. While the people do speak English here, there are times when it appears that Spanish is the most commonly used language. Those who live in the Keys don't think they live in Florida. The Keys is a different place...the Conch Republic as some have called it. In Marathon we find most of what we need within a mile or two of our mooring. And yet we can head out into the Florida Bay for warm water and lots of places with no other people. There are great snorkeling spots within a few miles of the harbor. Perhaps as important as anything is the fact that we connect with people here, and that connection is as important as other attractions. From a few of the cruisers we've talked to who go to the Bahamas every year, it's the connections with people there that keeps them going.

But it's not as though most of the cruisers go to the Bahamas each winter. Marathon becomes a gathering spot for cruisers as well in the winter with systems set up to bring them together. There are the sorts of activities as we've already mentioned as well as others. The participants in these activities are a mixture of locals and snowbirds, which provides an interesting flavor to gatherings. There are 225 mooring balls in the harbor as well as five marinas to accommodate people like us. The mooring balls have been full with a waiting list since early last month. Some are first-time visitors; others have come each winter for several years, and a few came down for a week or two and just never left.

What brings cruisers here initially may be the fact that it's really the best protected harbor in the Keys. Most all boating services are available as well. Some would like to go all the way to Key West, but the accommodations just don't measure up like they do here. For those like us who like to visit Key West, a bus will get you there for as little as $3 round-trip. And Key West is as different from Marathon as Marathon is from the Florida mainland. But that's a topic for another blog.

Until that next Blog, this is Captain Bob...

Carpe Diem

The Marathon Cruising Community

Happy New Year to all. The end of one year and the beginning of the next proved to be an enjoyable time for us, as we visited with family and friends over the holidays. Our travel included stops as far north as New Hampshire with our daughter Samantha and family and other points in New England with other family members combined with two visits with our other daughter Jennifer, her husband and their four cats in Virginia. Then it was a trip south in our car that included stops to say “Hi” to friends. Maddie was the hit at most of these stops, but I think they enjoyed seeing us too.

Now that we're back on the boat in Marathon, we're appreciating the warm weather here. We've had enough of the colder stuff. It took only a short time to reconnect with friends here. Sandra was called upon to employ her nursing skills for one cruiser and arranged to help another who is interested in making pine needle baskets – all within the first fifteen minutes of our return. Marathon is a busy place for all the cruisers during this season you northerners call “winter.” We find that this lifestyle, together with the concentration of cruisers, makes it easier for people to connect with others than do other more traditional lifestyles. It reminds me of life in a small town where everyone greets each other in passing on the street and are always willing to assist in times of need.

That isn't to say that cruisers are all alike. Far from it. They come from all sections of the country, and other countries are well represented as well. Canadians are by far the most numerous of foreigners here as one might expect. We've met others from Europe and from Australia as well. Some choose to live quite simply on very small boats with minimum of life's necessities. Others enjoy most of the comforts of home, like a large trawler parked here that has a piano on board as well as a treadmill with large screen TV in front of it, to identify a few of the extras. Most are of retirement age, but there are young families here as well as those who've chosen to take some time off from the work world for a bit of travel.

In at least one respect, we're among the minority here. We have our car with us, having driven it down after the holidays. Most cruisers use a bicycle or walk to destinations around town. This turns out not to be a big deal, since most necessities are within a mile or two of the marina. The beach is a short dinghy ride away. In this respect, cruisers get a bit more exercise than most people do. If they don't get enough exercise biking or walking, they can join the yoga class or the line dancing. Others use the local tennis courts or join in weekly softball games. It's worth adding here that we don't use the car much, but walk or bike most places. The car is helpful for runs to the grocery store, and we've been able to assist others when a car is needed.

Perhaps this short blog provides an insight to our setting down here – a place we'll call home for the next three months. It's time to wrap this up though, because the daily radio net is about to start, and I'll want to hear what's happening today and be ready to help those who might need a bit of help with some project. All this and lots more is shared each morning on the net, a unique service provided by a group of volunteers in Marathon for the past several years.

So until the next blog is written, stay warm.

Captain Bob
Carpe Diem