3.30.10
We went to the Turtle Rehab Hospital today in Marathon - it is the only licensed vet hospital in the world that works only on sea turtles. Seems like they are doing a bang-up job there! Awesome to see the loggerheads as big as me! Sad to know that there are so many boat-related injuries that a hospital like this is required. SLOW DOWN SPEED BOATERS!!!
Then we walked down to the 7-mile bridge; to one side is a pier that walks out to a little island. It is said that on a clear day, you can see sharks and turtles gallore out there. It was really windy today and we had Koa, so we didn't make it all the way there. But we have big aspirations to make it there later in the week!
After a great day, we were sitting down to dinner (Pizza Hut delivers everywhere, thank god!!) when we heard a loud horn. We figured it was a boat coming in or leaving the marina, as they are sometimes apt to blowing a warning horn. The sound continued and then there were multiple horns blowing at once. Upon investigation, we discovered a group of people that had pilfered conch shells from the marina office and were blowing them on the dock opposite us! Although the sounds were less than harmonious, it was so cool to hear all the different horns together! Now we are intent on finding some conch horns of our own so that if another spontaneous conch horn band forms, we will be ready!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Vaca Key
3.27.10
Friday morning we set out for another day of sailing. This day, unfortunately, is what everyone has told us was more along the lines of a "normal" sailing day. The wind was slim to none, averaging out at about 4knots, with the occasional 8knot gust. The only thing more depressing than that was that the wind was directly off our stern. Not good news for a sailor.
We set the sails for a run and settled in for a long, hot day. When the wind is coming from behind you, there is no breeze and with the wind being as nonexistent as it was there was no correct positioning for the sails. All day long we were adjusting and readjusting the sails, attempting to eek out as much forward movement as possible. It ended up taking us 7hours to go 20 miles- two days before it had taken us that long to go 40miles!!
It was a long and grueling, but we finally made it to Vaca Key (aka Marathon) by abou 5pm. We got right into a slip and called it a day.
We have since been putting around Vaca Key, trying to get our boat up to snuff. We finally have a dinghy motor - tomorrow we will be attempting to putter around the waterways in that (although neither of us have a clue how to work one!!) We rented bikes and rode 3miles to the closest Home Depot and Publix to restock as needed - that was a cruel reminder as to how small bike seats are. We are certainly paying for that decision today!
Today was rainy and windy, which brought the temperatures down and forced us indoors - hence the catchup on the blog!
We will be hunkering down here for about a week and then slowly make our way over to Key West. It has been an exciting journey so far and the best is yet to come!! Early Retirement is awesome!
Friday morning we set out for another day of sailing. This day, unfortunately, is what everyone has told us was more along the lines of a "normal" sailing day. The wind was slim to none, averaging out at about 4knots, with the occasional 8knot gust. The only thing more depressing than that was that the wind was directly off our stern. Not good news for a sailor.
We set the sails for a run and settled in for a long, hot day. When the wind is coming from behind you, there is no breeze and with the wind being as nonexistent as it was there was no correct positioning for the sails. All day long we were adjusting and readjusting the sails, attempting to eek out as much forward movement as possible. It ended up taking us 7hours to go 20 miles- two days before it had taken us that long to go 40miles!!
It was a long and grueling, but we finally made it to Vaca Key (aka Marathon) by abou 5pm. We got right into a slip and called it a day.
We have since been putting around Vaca Key, trying to get our boat up to snuff. We finally have a dinghy motor - tomorrow we will be attempting to putter around the waterways in that (although neither of us have a clue how to work one!!) We rented bikes and rode 3miles to the closest Home Depot and Publix to restock as needed - that was a cruel reminder as to how small bike seats are. We are certainly paying for that decision today!
Today was rainy and windy, which brought the temperatures down and forced us indoors - hence the catchup on the blog!
We will be hunkering down here for about a week and then slowly make our way over to Key West. It has been an exciting journey so far and the best is yet to come!! Early Retirement is awesome!
Our first Swim
3.26.10
After the long 50mile haul we did yesterday, we took today off to enjoy the area. We were still dinghy-less, so we were confined to the boat. We were both badly in need of showers and Koa was in need of some exercise so we decided to go swimming!
The water was still a bit chilly when we first got in, but we quickly became numb - I mean got used to it. :)
Koa was sitting at the back of the boat barking and wagging his tail, eager to join us. We got out, strapped him into his life jacket and got his favorite ocean floaty toy and threw it off the back of the boat. He was so excited!! But...way too chicken to take the plunge right off the boat. With a little push, I mean nudge from Brad he jumped in and paddled right out to get his toy. He was in doggy heaven. Until he got back to the boat and realized that he couldn't get out, so he had nowhere to drop his toy and shake off the water before going back for another round of fetch. Bless his little heart, he clung to the ladder and looked at me like "what the hell mom?!"
We threw his toy again and he reluctantly went to get it, but then panic mode set in. He started paddling desperately around in circles, panting and wide-eyed until Brad reached down and hoisted him up by the life jacket and pulled him on board.
Although, not a complete success, we have learned with Koa that it is all about the baby steps. We will try again in some warmer water and perhaps closer to a beach so he can swim ashore if needed. Then we will attempt to torture Moo....mwahahaha!!
After the long 50mile haul we did yesterday, we took today off to enjoy the area. We were still dinghy-less, so we were confined to the boat. We were both badly in need of showers and Koa was in need of some exercise so we decided to go swimming!
The water was still a bit chilly when we first got in, but we quickly became numb - I mean got used to it. :)
Koa was sitting at the back of the boat barking and wagging his tail, eager to join us. We got out, strapped him into his life jacket and got his favorite ocean floaty toy and threw it off the back of the boat. He was so excited!! But...way too chicken to take the plunge right off the boat. With a little push, I mean nudge from Brad he jumped in and paddled right out to get his toy. He was in doggy heaven. Until he got back to the boat and realized that he couldn't get out, so he had nowhere to drop his toy and shake off the water before going back for another round of fetch. Bless his little heart, he clung to the ladder and looked at me like "what the hell mom?!"
We threw his toy again and he reluctantly went to get it, but then panic mode set in. He started paddling desperately around in circles, panting and wide-eyed until Brad reached down and hoisted him up by the life jacket and pulled him on board.
Although, not a complete success, we have learned with Koa that it is all about the baby steps. We will try again in some warmer water and perhaps closer to a beach so he can swim ashore if needed. Then we will attempt to torture Moo....mwahahaha!!
Ocean Trek
3.25.10
We left first light Thursday morning and headed out the narrow inlet of Angelfish Creek. We made it through without complications and headed out into the Atlantic. It was a rough trip - the wind and the waves were off our bow and it took us an hour just to make it 4miles out past the reef. Once we were out there, the wind suddenly picked up and we were in 18knots of wind with full sails up - something that is not recommended, esp for novice sailors like ourselves! Although we were cruising right along at 7 or 8 knots, before we knew it, we were heeling over much farther than anticipated. Let's just say that I was sitting on one bench in the cockpit with my feet propped up against the opposite one and when the boat heeled over, I was practically standing straight up - not something I was entirely comfortable with at the time. After 10minutes of us dragging our rail through the ocean, we decided we should probably reef the main.
Once that was done and the hysteria had boiled down to a minimum, the remainder of the day went fairly smoothly. We stayed on a beam reach for most of the day and were able to make great time - there had been some worry we wouldn't make it to our next anchorage by sunset, but we were crossing our fingers!
We had a great sea animal day - we encountered a pod of about 10 dolphins that ran with us for a good 10minutes, jumping around the boat and swimming along at the bow. The water was so clear so you could see exactly where they were. Brad was steering, which allowed me to run up to the bow or the boat and look down into the water at them. I was so close I could have reached over and touched them! As many dolphins as we have seen on the trip, we never get tired of seeing them.
After that, Brad noticed a patch of seaweed directly in our path and turned the boat to avoid running into it. As we neared it however, we realized it was actually a sea turtle! This was our first turtle sighting and we both nearly fell out of the boat looking over the side we were so excited!
Moments like that justify our whole reasoning for this trip. To take the time to sit back and relax and enjoy the beauty of things around you - it's something I have not previously taken much time to do.
We did, in deed, make it to our anchorage - a beautiful spot on the bay side of Long Key. We had officially made it to the Florida Keys!!
We left first light Thursday morning and headed out the narrow inlet of Angelfish Creek. We made it through without complications and headed out into the Atlantic. It was a rough trip - the wind and the waves were off our bow and it took us an hour just to make it 4miles out past the reef. Once we were out there, the wind suddenly picked up and we were in 18knots of wind with full sails up - something that is not recommended, esp for novice sailors like ourselves! Although we were cruising right along at 7 or 8 knots, before we knew it, we were heeling over much farther than anticipated. Let's just say that I was sitting on one bench in the cockpit with my feet propped up against the opposite one and when the boat heeled over, I was practically standing straight up - not something I was entirely comfortable with at the time. After 10minutes of us dragging our rail through the ocean, we decided we should probably reef the main.
Once that was done and the hysteria had boiled down to a minimum, the remainder of the day went fairly smoothly. We stayed on a beam reach for most of the day and were able to make great time - there had been some worry we wouldn't make it to our next anchorage by sunset, but we were crossing our fingers!
We had a great sea animal day - we encountered a pod of about 10 dolphins that ran with us for a good 10minutes, jumping around the boat and swimming along at the bow. The water was so clear so you could see exactly where they were. Brad was steering, which allowed me to run up to the bow or the boat and look down into the water at them. I was so close I could have reached over and touched them! As many dolphins as we have seen on the trip, we never get tired of seeing them.
After that, Brad noticed a patch of seaweed directly in our path and turned the boat to avoid running into it. As we neared it however, we realized it was actually a sea turtle! This was our first turtle sighting and we both nearly fell out of the boat looking over the side we were so excited!
Moments like that justify our whole reasoning for this trip. To take the time to sit back and relax and enjoy the beauty of things around you - it's something I have not previously taken much time to do.
We did, in deed, make it to our anchorage - a beautiful spot on the bay side of Long Key. We had officially made it to the Florida Keys!!
Key-Bound
3.27.10
While in Miami, we met up with our great friend Bill and caught a Miami heat game. We tested out the Miami public transportation system (not as bad as it sounds!) and gawked at the other large yachts in our marina. We were kept awake...I mean rock to sleep...every night by the ginormous speakers at the nearby outdoor mall; which, conveniently for us, started up at 7 in the morning and didn't turn off until 3am. Stupendous.
We finally left Miami on Tuesday, the 23rd and sailed all day south on the Biscayne Bay. It was a perfect day - crystal clear water, easterly wind and not a cloud in the sky. We hoisted the sails and enjoyed a beam reach easy sailing kind of day. We made it to Pumpkin Key, at the south end of Biscayne Bay and anchored for the night - just in time to enjoy a gorgeous south Florida sunset.
The plan was to set out the following day around noon to make the most of a high tide that we needed to get through a narrow channel out to the ocean. We studied the charts early Wednesday morning, and quickly realized there was nowhere to anchor between where we were and Long Key - 50miles away. There was no way we were going to be able to leave in the afternoon and make it to our next anchorage before dark. So, we chalked Wednesday up as a novice mistake and spent the day sunbathing on the boat instead. :)
While in Miami, we met up with our great friend Bill and caught a Miami heat game. We tested out the Miami public transportation system (not as bad as it sounds!) and gawked at the other large yachts in our marina. We were kept awake...I mean rock to sleep...every night by the ginormous speakers at the nearby outdoor mall; which, conveniently for us, started up at 7 in the morning and didn't turn off until 3am. Stupendous.
We finally left Miami on Tuesday, the 23rd and sailed all day south on the Biscayne Bay. It was a perfect day - crystal clear water, easterly wind and not a cloud in the sky. We hoisted the sails and enjoyed a beam reach easy sailing kind of day. We made it to Pumpkin Key, at the south end of Biscayne Bay and anchored for the night - just in time to enjoy a gorgeous south Florida sunset.
The plan was to set out the following day around noon to make the most of a high tide that we needed to get through a narrow channel out to the ocean. We studied the charts early Wednesday morning, and quickly realized there was nowhere to anchor between where we were and Long Key - 50miles away. There was no way we were going to be able to leave in the afternoon and make it to our next anchorage before dark. So, we chalked Wednesday up as a novice mistake and spent the day sunbathing on the boat instead. :)
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Miami Life
3.20.10
It has been quite the whirlwind since we arrived in Miami. We anchored here on Wednesday night, out in the Biscayne Bay, and the winds, which topped out around 25knots that night, whipped us and rocked us around all night long.....
By Thursday, we were just ready to pull into a marina and relax. So we chose Miamarina, which is right in the middle of downtown Miami - tons of restaurants, shops and the American Airlines Arena all within walking distance. We met up with our friend Bill, who has been chauffeuring us around since we arrived.
Although we weren't personally driving, it has been quite the experience to be on the road in Miami - all ye who travel here, BE WARNED!! We have been to Mexico multiple times and there they just ignore road signs and lanes as if they don't exist. Here, they seem to do the exact opposite of whatever is called for. And then they get pissed off and honk their horns and yell Spanish expletives out the window at each other. Although quite entertaining, it is a matter of life or death when traveling the streets of Miami!
Today is boat maintenance day, we are giving our girl a much needed scrub down and then just some general upkeep (as boats always seem to need this!!) And tonight, a Miami Heat game! Tomorrow will be restocking to prepare for our big Keys adventure and then an afternoon Tiki drunk boat ride with Bill. It's shaping up to be an awesome weekend!!
We plan to start our trek down to the Keys in a few days, but have yet to plan our route - being spontaneous is so awesome! Although, I must admit, we aren't as spontaneous as we appear. Although we will probably set sail without knowing where we are headed, we only travel at 3knots/hour and will be sailing for at least 8 hours - so in reality, we have plenty of time to plan our travels!!!
Love Peace and Chicken Grease!
It has been quite the whirlwind since we arrived in Miami. We anchored here on Wednesday night, out in the Biscayne Bay, and the winds, which topped out around 25knots that night, whipped us and rocked us around all night long.....
By Thursday, we were just ready to pull into a marina and relax. So we chose Miamarina, which is right in the middle of downtown Miami - tons of restaurants, shops and the American Airlines Arena all within walking distance. We met up with our friend Bill, who has been chauffeuring us around since we arrived.
Although we weren't personally driving, it has been quite the experience to be on the road in Miami - all ye who travel here, BE WARNED!! We have been to Mexico multiple times and there they just ignore road signs and lanes as if they don't exist. Here, they seem to do the exact opposite of whatever is called for. And then they get pissed off and honk their horns and yell Spanish expletives out the window at each other. Although quite entertaining, it is a matter of life or death when traveling the streets of Miami!
Today is boat maintenance day, we are giving our girl a much needed scrub down and then just some general upkeep (as boats always seem to need this!!) And tonight, a Miami Heat game! Tomorrow will be restocking to prepare for our big Keys adventure and then an afternoon Tiki drunk boat ride with Bill. It's shaping up to be an awesome weekend!!
We plan to start our trek down to the Keys in a few days, but have yet to plan our route - being spontaneous is so awesome! Although, I must admit, we aren't as spontaneous as we appear. Although we will probably set sail without knowing where we are headed, we only travel at 3knots/hour and will be sailing for at least 8 hours - so in reality, we have plenty of time to plan our travels!!!
Love Peace and Chicken Grease!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Life of the Carless
3.15.10
We have been in West Palm Beach for 1 night now. We got here last night and decided, to relieve the stress of the day, we would go to a bar and have a few drinks. When we asked the marina office where the nearest bar was, she said about 1.5miles away. Come to find out - everything was 1.5miles away. We made the trek to the sportsbar and relaxed for a couple hours with some ginormous pints (Happy Hour Rocks!!). Amazingly, the walk home seemed much shorter than the walk there. ;)
The next day, we realized we needed to restock our fridge - the closest grocery store was, of course, right beside the bar we had visited the previous evening. But the weather here is beautiful and the wind gusts that had been kicking us around while motoring down the ICW were now a refreshing welcome during the walk. Although not having a car is an inconvenience, it definitely forces you to stop and smell the roses so to speak. You take more time to enjoy the city and the new sights around you. You meet more people and adapt to a slower, more relaxed pace of life. You become more inventive (and sometimes adventurous - stay tuned for our first bus ride experience, ugh) when having to come up with modes of transportation to get you to your intended destination - whether that be on foot, bus, bike, taxi or hitching a ride.
I'm sure in the near future we will be cursing our lack of transportation, but for now we are enjoying the new-found peace and relaxation that it brings.
We have been in West Palm Beach for 1 night now. We got here last night and decided, to relieve the stress of the day, we would go to a bar and have a few drinks. When we asked the marina office where the nearest bar was, she said about 1.5miles away. Come to find out - everything was 1.5miles away. We made the trek to the sportsbar and relaxed for a couple hours with some ginormous pints (Happy Hour Rocks!!). Amazingly, the walk home seemed much shorter than the walk there. ;)
The next day, we realized we needed to restock our fridge - the closest grocery store was, of course, right beside the bar we had visited the previous evening. But the weather here is beautiful and the wind gusts that had been kicking us around while motoring down the ICW were now a refreshing welcome during the walk. Although not having a car is an inconvenience, it definitely forces you to stop and smell the roses so to speak. You take more time to enjoy the city and the new sights around you. You meet more people and adapt to a slower, more relaxed pace of life. You become more inventive (and sometimes adventurous - stay tuned for our first bus ride experience, ugh) when having to come up with modes of transportation to get you to your intended destination - whether that be on foot, bus, bike, taxi or hitching a ride.
I'm sure in the near future we will be cursing our lack of transportation, but for now we are enjoying the new-found peace and relaxation that it brings.
Lesson to New Sailors
3.12.10
Having refueled and restocked in Melbourne, by Friday we were ready to head on to our next location. The few days before Friday had been very bad weather days - lots of rain, thunderstorms and tornado sightings in the Melbourne area. We checked the weather and although it said there would be some residual rain, otherwise the weather was all clear. We decided that we wouldn't melt in the rain, so we would press on for a short day on Friday and just anchor somewhere along the way.
We made it about 2hours south and finally anchored just off the channel, amid hundreds of crab pots - not an easy task, let me assure you! And although it had rained the whole day the weather was otherwise uneventful. Except for one important factor - the wind. Wind gusts had unexpectedly gotten up to 30knots as the afternoon wore on. By the time we anchored, the ICW (normally little to no chop) was reaching swells of 2-3ft. That is tough when you are trying to anchor - but even tougher when you have to go belowdecks for the evenings. We were up and down and up and down for the first two hours of our anchorage. Let me just tell you - that is not easy on the stomach!! Luckily, before we were praying to the porcelain god the wind calmed down and the rest of the evening went much smoother.
The next night, with winds expected to be similar in strength, we wisened up and anchored in a cove for a more subdued night's sleep.
Having refueled and restocked in Melbourne, by Friday we were ready to head on to our next location. The few days before Friday had been very bad weather days - lots of rain, thunderstorms and tornado sightings in the Melbourne area. We checked the weather and although it said there would be some residual rain, otherwise the weather was all clear. We decided that we wouldn't melt in the rain, so we would press on for a short day on Friday and just anchor somewhere along the way.
We made it about 2hours south and finally anchored just off the channel, amid hundreds of crab pots - not an easy task, let me assure you! And although it had rained the whole day the weather was otherwise uneventful. Except for one important factor - the wind. Wind gusts had unexpectedly gotten up to 30knots as the afternoon wore on. By the time we anchored, the ICW (normally little to no chop) was reaching swells of 2-3ft. That is tough when you are trying to anchor - but even tougher when you have to go belowdecks for the evenings. We were up and down and up and down for the first two hours of our anchorage. Let me just tell you - that is not easy on the stomach!! Luckily, before we were praying to the porcelain god the wind calmed down and the rest of the evening went much smoother.
The next night, with winds expected to be similar in strength, we wisened up and anchored in a cove for a more subdued night's sleep.
Koa Blunder
So I know recently that we discussed the ins and outs of Koa peeing on the boat. We had an unforeseen mishap today. Brad was up top with Koa and I was down below when Koa walked along the port side of the boat. He decided that he had to pee and he was going to help himself - which is what we have been hoping he would start doing.
The mishap was that it was a gorgeous day out and so we had the portholes (windows) open. I'm sure you can already tell where this is going - Koa decided to lift his leg to pee....right on top of our open porthole. I'm standing below and suddenly see a stream of liquid pouring in through the porthole!!
Needless to say, we make sure the portholes are closed when we see Koa start to sniff out his next pee spot.
The mishap was that it was a gorgeous day out and so we had the portholes (windows) open. I'm sure you can already tell where this is going - Koa decided to lift his leg to pee....right on top of our open porthole. I'm standing below and suddenly see a stream of liquid pouring in through the porthole!!
Needless to say, we make sure the portholes are closed when we see Koa start to sniff out his next pee spot.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Melbourne
3.10.10
We finally made it to Melbourne, where we are docking for a short bit - long enough to say hi to Brad's family, get a home-cooked meal, restock on supplies and do some laundry! (many thanks to Fred and Carol for their ever-generous hospitality!!) The marina we are staying in is quaint and filled with sailboats (usually there are nothing but powerboats). This has been wonderful for us because older, more seasoned sailors love to talk about their travels. And each one is eager to tell you the best way to go, the best place to anchor and the things you need to make sure you have before you go. We are learning so much and are even more eager to get started on our Caribbean adventure.
From here, it is south to Miami to meet up with a friend and hopefully catch a Miami Heat game!
We finally made it to Melbourne, where we are docking for a short bit - long enough to say hi to Brad's family, get a home-cooked meal, restock on supplies and do some laundry! (many thanks to Fred and Carol for their ever-generous hospitality!!) The marina we are staying in is quaint and filled with sailboats (usually there are nothing but powerboats). This has been wonderful for us because older, more seasoned sailors love to talk about their travels. And each one is eager to tell you the best way to go, the best place to anchor and the things you need to make sure you have before you go. We are learning so much and are even more eager to get started on our Caribbean adventure.
From here, it is south to Miami to meet up with a friend and hopefully catch a Miami Heat game!
Koa's big news
3.8.10
Last night we anchored off of New Smyrna Beach and left this morning at 6am in hopes of making a long day-trip down to Melbourne. We were making great progress (with me at the helm of course!) We were 3 hours into our trip when we reached a swing bridge that required us to radio ahead to have it opened for us - a routine procedure when traveling the ICW. However, when we called, we were told that the bridge was under construction and was getting a new motor and would not be opening until 1-2pm. It was 10 in the morning!!!
So we had to set anchor and then began making repairs on the boat while we waited. SO FRUSTRATING!!
Nothing exciting about this post, except for some new Koa developments! We built a ramp for his to go up and down the steps leading to belowdeck; they are steep and he didn't seem interested in navigating them by himself. He used the ramp reasonably well, but recently he has completely mastered going up, and more astonishingly, down the stairs all by himself - without the use of the ramp!! He is progressing much more quickly than we had ever dared to hope!
He has mostly been staying confined to the cockpit and not feeling the need to adventure out on the rest of the boat. While we were anchored that morning, he followed Moo around to the bow of the boat! Once he was out there, he freaked out and came scurrying back. Then he looked at us, started wagging his tail and that was all she wrote - he has owned this boat ever since.
Our biggest concern was that he was having trouble peeing and pooping on the boat, but with this new development he goes up front, takes care of business and comes back to the cockpit. We were so excited!! (I know it sounds crazy, but it's the little things for us sailors).
So, Koa has transformed into a real boat dog now. He goes wherever he wants, barks at the speedboats when they go too fast and tries to eat the seagulls that dare come too close to our boat. And although we couldn't be happier that he is adjusting so well, we now realize that we have created a monster...
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
How much do you love me?!
3.7.10
We left at the crack of dawn this morning, despite the fact that I was running on little to no sleep. We motored further down the ICW and made it as far as the Matanzas Inlet (if you have no idea where this is and you are an avid follower of our adventures, you should now go out and invest in a FL map so that you can follow along!) At this point, all of our books and charts say "BE AWARE OF SHOALS!!" so we were carefully navigating along this very narrow inlet. We saw some dolphins beside us and were avidly watching them off our portside when suddenly we hit a shoal. We checked our location on the chart and compared it with our physical location in the inlet and realized we had traveled only a few feet outside the channel. Realizing our mistake, we navigated off the shoal and back into the channel. Not more than 10feet later, we hit another shoal - while still being completely in the channel!! This time, we were stuck good. We tried and tried and tried to get off that shoal, but it was just not in the cards. About the time we were ready to give up, a large power boat came flying into the inlet. We quickly regrouped hoping that his wake would dislodge our boat. No such luck - as he slowed down to make his way around us he suddenly got stuck too! He backed our pretty easily and tried going around our other side but got stuck again. We radioed over to him and found out that it was dead low tide and there was no way either of us (both drafting 6ft) were going to make it through this channel at that time.
Brad and I decided to call for a tow. Unfortunately a tow cost $800 - the towboat told us to hang in there until high tide. Bummer.
I pulled out my book and Brad went down to take a nap - we were in it for the long haul. 30minutes later, Brad came back up and looked at me with a lopsided smile. He said, "How much do you love me?" His bright idea - to have me shimmy out to the end of the boom and hang there while he swung the boom out 90degrees over the water. Hopefully this would make the boat heel over enough that we would lift the keel somewhat out of the sand and be able to get off the shoal.
Although I was hesitant, I was ready to do whatever it took to get out of this inlet. So up I went. He swung me out over the water and the only thing I could think was "it sure will be cold if I fall in!!" It worked enough that we were able to maneuver off the shoal!!! Finally!!! The power boaters looked on in awe as we passed them and then laughed when I looked up and waved.
Having successfully navigated that, the rest of the day seemed bland and straightforward - although that was completely alright with us!!!
We motored down to Daytona and stayed there for the evening for some much needed peaceful rest and a trip to West Marine to replace our batteries!!!
We left at the crack of dawn this morning, despite the fact that I was running on little to no sleep. We motored further down the ICW and made it as far as the Matanzas Inlet (if you have no idea where this is and you are an avid follower of our adventures, you should now go out and invest in a FL map so that you can follow along!) At this point, all of our books and charts say "BE AWARE OF SHOALS!!" so we were carefully navigating along this very narrow inlet. We saw some dolphins beside us and were avidly watching them off our portside when suddenly we hit a shoal. We checked our location on the chart and compared it with our physical location in the inlet and realized we had traveled only a few feet outside the channel. Realizing our mistake, we navigated off the shoal and back into the channel. Not more than 10feet later, we hit another shoal - while still being completely in the channel!! This time, we were stuck good. We tried and tried and tried to get off that shoal, but it was just not in the cards. About the time we were ready to give up, a large power boat came flying into the inlet. We quickly regrouped hoping that his wake would dislodge our boat. No such luck - as he slowed down to make his way around us he suddenly got stuck too! He backed our pretty easily and tried going around our other side but got stuck again. We radioed over to him and found out that it was dead low tide and there was no way either of us (both drafting 6ft) were going to make it through this channel at that time.
Brad and I decided to call for a tow. Unfortunately a tow cost $800 - the towboat told us to hang in there until high tide. Bummer.
I pulled out my book and Brad went down to take a nap - we were in it for the long haul. 30minutes later, Brad came back up and looked at me with a lopsided smile. He said, "How much do you love me?" His bright idea - to have me shimmy out to the end of the boom and hang there while he swung the boom out 90degrees over the water. Hopefully this would make the boat heel over enough that we would lift the keel somewhat out of the sand and be able to get off the shoal.
Although I was hesitant, I was ready to do whatever it took to get out of this inlet. So up I went. He swung me out over the water and the only thing I could think was "it sure will be cold if I fall in!!" It worked enough that we were able to maneuver off the shoal!!! Finally!!! The power boaters looked on in awe as we passed them and then laughed when I looked up and waved.
Having successfully navigated that, the rest of the day seemed bland and straightforward - although that was completely alright with us!!!
We motored down to Daytona and stayed there for the evening for some much needed peaceful rest and a trip to West Marine to replace our batteries!!!
And we're off!
3.6.10
We left bright and early this morning amid the fog and the frost, bundled up to the nines since it was only 40 degrees. We had decided to motor down the ICW until we got to Melbourne, hoping that we would be able to spot any issues with our boat and learn to navigate before hitting the open ocean. It was smooth "sailing" until St. Augustine where my trusty navigator (brad!) lead me straight into a shoal (sandbar)! It was our first encounter with being stuck, but we successfully maneuvered out within a few minutes and got back on course. No worries, a few miles down the ICW, I also directed Brad into a shoal which we had to maneuver off. Obviously we were off to a great start with our expert navigation skills....!!
After traveling for 7 hours, we decided we should attempt to anchor for the evening - leaving plenty of daylight in case we couldn't anchor successfully. After 3 tries and 1 hour, we were anchored in a somewhat precarious spot. We had a delicious dinner of steak and potatoes, cooked our new grill (compliments of my wonderful parents!) but decided that since we were unsure about how well our anchor was in, one of us should get up every few hours to check and make sure we were in the right spot. Well, I drew the short straw....
Everything was going well until about 10pm. I took Koa out for his evening pee and noticed a large ferry heading our way. I wasn't too concerned since we were outside the channel, but as I watched I realized he was on a straight collision course with our boat and showing no sign of stopping!! I glanced up at the top of our mast to make sure our anchor light was on so that he could see us - and it had gone out!! I started furiously flashing my flashlight towards him and he swerved at the last minute, barely missing our stern. He turned his floodlight on us for a full minute (probably a boater's way of saying screw you!!).
I figured out that our batteries had died a bit before that, so I had to jerry-rig a flashlight to shine up our mast so that other boaters would know we were there.
Thank goodness the rest of the evening was uneventful, except for my lack of sleep as I imagined other boats on a similar collision course with our little boat!
We left bright and early this morning amid the fog and the frost, bundled up to the nines since it was only 40 degrees. We had decided to motor down the ICW until we got to Melbourne, hoping that we would be able to spot any issues with our boat and learn to navigate before hitting the open ocean. It was smooth "sailing" until St. Augustine where my trusty navigator (brad!) lead me straight into a shoal (sandbar)! It was our first encounter with being stuck, but we successfully maneuvered out within a few minutes and got back on course. No worries, a few miles down the ICW, I also directed Brad into a shoal which we had to maneuver off. Obviously we were off to a great start with our expert navigation skills....!!
After traveling for 7 hours, we decided we should attempt to anchor for the evening - leaving plenty of daylight in case we couldn't anchor successfully. After 3 tries and 1 hour, we were anchored in a somewhat precarious spot. We had a delicious dinner of steak and potatoes, cooked our new grill (compliments of my wonderful parents!) but decided that since we were unsure about how well our anchor was in, one of us should get up every few hours to check and make sure we were in the right spot. Well, I drew the short straw....
Everything was going well until about 10pm. I took Koa out for his evening pee and noticed a large ferry heading our way. I wasn't too concerned since we were outside the channel, but as I watched I realized he was on a straight collision course with our boat and showing no sign of stopping!! I glanced up at the top of our mast to make sure our anchor light was on so that he could see us - and it had gone out!! I started furiously flashing my flashlight towards him and he swerved at the last minute, barely missing our stern. He turned his floodlight on us for a full minute (probably a boater's way of saying screw you!!).
I figured out that our batteries had died a bit before that, so I had to jerry-rig a flashlight to shine up our mast so that other boaters would know we were there.
Thank goodness the rest of the evening was uneventful, except for my lack of sleep as I imagined other boats on a similar collision course with our little boat!
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