To the Stream!

Weather: After some morning clouds, it was a brilliantly sunny day; temp range 73 – 85 degrees; Wind S@10 knots; 1-2’ seas

Comment: “Alright gang, lets be flexible,” said the Captain. Our original plan, to sail to Newfound Harbor, was up for discussion because the weather forecast for Friday, the day we’d be heading back to Boot Key Harbor, was dicey. Plan B, as offered by the Captain, was to “stick our beaks" out to the Gulf Stream, reportedly only 8 miles off the coast of Marathon. We’d sail in the stream for a bit, and then head back to the harbor.

We put up with the tapping of an in-the-mast halyard last night caused by the “lumpy” anchorage. The crew was up at 0700. After breakfast, we pulled up the anchor at about 0845. We motored through the old railroad bridge and bid farewell to Paradise. Anna Marie and I said a silent prayer for our friend Richard who passed away suddenly a few months ago. He and wife Judy were to be camping at Bahia Honda this January and we were going to sail over to meet them. Sadly, it wasn’t to be.

In Hawk Channel, we navigated the 2’ chop making between 5.5 and 7.0 mph. We were on a starboard tack for all but about five minutes. We estimate that we reached the edge of the stream at around 1255 hours. In Hawk Channel, inside the reef, we sailed in about 40 feet of water. The water was turquoise and very clear. As we approached the reef, we could clearly see the bottom. We crossed the reef in 25’ and once on the other side, the depth dropped off dramatically. We passed the 100’ contour, then the 200, 300 and 400’ contours in quick succession. We turned around at the 526’ mark. The water temperature reached 79.6 degrees. The water was still clear, but it was now more of an indigo color. As we entered the deep water, there was a significant odor. It was at once smoky and sweet. “Ganja?” queried the Captain! No, not possible! How about burning sugar cane? The wind is coming from the general direction of Cuba (about 115 miles away). Could it be?

While sailing, Gary and Jim set up the Cuban hand line and dragged a lure. By day’s end, all we had to show for their efforts were two lost lures (probably stuck of some fisherman’s stone crab trap lines).

After making the turn to head back to Boot Key Harbor, Gary and Jim raised the red, white and blue spinnaker. This is the first time it’s been up since we purchased the boat. We flew it for about two hours. It seems small as spinnakers go, but it’s a very light material the stays full in light wind better than the jib.

As we approached Sisters Creek, we doused the sails and motored back to our mooring. Gary took the dinghy ashore for a shower and a quick glance at the newspaper and Jim went to get his kayak. He paddled through the harbor, down some lagoons and out the Sombrero Beach before returning.
Jim and Gary made a huge salad for dinner. After clean up, Gary booked his flight home and we planned a trip to Key West on Sunday and perhaps kayaking tomorrow.

Bahia Honda Bound!

Weather: South wind@ 18knots; mostly sunny, temp range 73 to 85 degrees; seas 2–4 feet

Comment: We are heading out on a mini cruise today. We slipped our mooring ball at 1250 hours after preparing the boat for travel. Jim and Gary took care of some shore side business that included shopping for beer. Anna Marie and I stayed aboard to await the pumpout boat.

After slipping our lines, we motored out Sisters Creek and were greeted by 18 knots wind, white caps and lumpy seas. After an hour of bouncing around, the Captain assured the Admiral that we would only circumnavigate Boot Key and head back in. Before making the turn for the approach to the western end of Boot key, conditions moderated some and, after consulting the crew, the Captain decided to stay the course and head for our original destination, the anchorage at Bahia Honda State Park. For those of you not familiar with Bahia Honda, it can best be described as Paradise!

Moderation in the weather did not materialize so it was a lumpy two hours under jib sail alone. The engines were off, the main remained in its cover, yet we were making over 7 mph. At 1555, the anchor was down and the motors, used to pass through the old railroad bridge, we silenced. We were rolling in the swells, but glad to be in out of the 2-4 foot seas. Jim and Gary immediately donned wetsuits and went off snorkeling. Anna Marie and I just lay back, drinking in the beauty of the anchorage and park.

Jim made delicious Quesadas for dinner. We all pigged out! Following dinner, we sat around the campfire (actually a battery operated candle) and shared stories about adventures past. We eventually hit the sack with visions of tomorrow’s adventure swirling in our heads.

SPLASH!!

Weather: Sunny, temp range mid 70’s to mid 80’s; wind E @ 12 knots

Comment: It’s launch day! Before we got up, George (the Jamaican bottom painter) stopped by to paint the transom areas that Bobby Hardy was working on. Our appointed time, 0930 – 1000 for splashing, was delayed until 1300 hours. We found other things on which to busy ourselves. Anna Marie and I took the bikes to the city marina. Jim and Gary ran some last minute errands.

Al (marina worker) came by at 1245 to tell us to unhook the electric, move the car and make ready for splashing. The travel lift arrived at 1330. At the launch area, George painted the spots made inaccessible by the jack stand pads. After “SUNSHINE” was splashed, Al reconnected the backstays and the topping lift. They had been disconnected to allow the travel lift to lift the boat when we arrived last week..

It was difficult to start the starboard engine and a might tedious to get out of the harbor using only the port engine. Once out, I checked the engine to find that Eric, after replacing the plugs, did not put a wire back on one of the plugs. Once the spark plug wire was connected, we started the engine and it ran strong. Engine vibration seems to be reduced, perhaps because we tightened mounting bolts.

It was a windy downwind run to Moser Channel. We unrolled the jib and hit 7.8 mph. We rolled up the sail at the seven mile bridge, went through under power and were greeted by a lumpy Atlantic Ocean. We continued to motor into boot Key Harbor where we sallied, nice as you please, up to our mooring ball.

We enjoyed a great mesquite rubbed pork loin and corn-on-the-cob dinner. After dinner, we planned a three day trip to Bahia Honda (anchorage) then on the Newfound Harbor and back to Boot Key Harbor on Friday.

Final Boat Projects

Weather: Sunny, temp range 74 – 90 degrees, wind E @ 10 – 12 knots

Comment: Wake up! It’s another workday!! Bobby Hardy (the fiberglass guy arrived at 0900 to glass in the transoms (below the waterline). We had to drain some water that was in the hulls first. Gary and Jim devised a two man system for pumping the bilges. They pumped several gallons out of the starboard hull.

Waxing was our next task, but the results were unimpressive, so I called off that work detail. Bobby Hardy showed us how to do it and what materials to use. He thinks we’ll be able to bring the luster back. That’ll be our job when we get home.

We enjoyed great sandwiches for lunch. They were followed by naps all around (except for Jim who used the time to finish waxing his kayak). It should be noted that the nap time not only interfered with our planned kayaking, it effectively canceled it!

In the afternoon, Bobby Hardy was working on a boat (not ours). He had a board perched on two saw horses about 6 feet in the air. The board broke and Bobby came tumbling down, hitting his right rib cage on a jack stand. He was in considerable pain when he drove by to tell us he wasn’t able to finish sanding the boat today. Gary, Jim and I pitched in and sanded the fresh glass on the transom.

We settled our account with the marina, Bobby stopped by with his bill, saying that he’ll finish first thing in the morning. We are to be launched between 0930 and 1000 hours. To say we’re ready to be floating is an understatement!

After completing our tasks, we freshened up for a road trip to “Sparky’s.” Recall that we heard about Sparky’s from the bartender at the Hammocks Tiki Bar. She advised us that Sparky’s served 25 cent wings and shrimp each Monday from 1600 to 1800 hours. Since this establishment is not within walking distance, we piled into Jim’s car. Sparky’s is about 5 miles away. The four of us packed away five dozen shrimp and three dozen wings. Combine that with $1.00 drafts and sodas, and we spent around $38.00 including the tip. Gary picked up the tab. Thanks, Gary!

Super Bowl Sunday & Welcome Jim!

Weather: Mostly sunny, temp range 72 – 82 degrees, E winds 5 – 10 knots.

Comment: It’s Super Bowl Sunday, but boat chores were the order of the day! The lock down mechanisms were lubricated, worked and re-lubricated. When we were finished, both port and starboard lockdown mechanisms were working flawlessly.

While working on the lockdowns, I noticed that several of the motor mounting bolts were loose. Gary and I tightened them up in short order. Anna Marie washed the topsides. Gary hoofed it to the West Marine to buy a couple of boat parts which we installed when he returned.

Jim Merritt arrived in the afternoon, just in time for a cold one and some down time before the Super Bowl. Jim drove us to Castaways where we had a Super Bowl dinner. We watched the first half and cheered the commercials. The food was average at best, and pricey compared to our standards. Jim picked up the tab… Thanks, Jim!

When we returned to the boat, we listened to the second half of the game while conducting a meeting of the planning committee. We may go kayaking after completing our chores.

The only boat project left is waxing. We’ll decide if we want to do that tomorrow.

Another Saturday, Another Open Mic Night

Weather: Mostly sunny, temp range 73 – 82 degrees, Wind E @ 10 -12 knots

Comment: We listened to the cruiser’s net this morning for the first time in a few days. Anna Marie was the first to be recognized for the Overseas Trivia question, “What is a young goat called?” After “buzzing in,” she quickly said, : a young goat is a kid.” Whoop De Doo, we won a free lunch at the Overseas. (She had the Ruben, Gary and I each had the “Big Ass Fish Sandwich (BAFS).” Anna Marie really liked the Ruben. The BAFS (frozen Haddock deep fried to a crispy brown) was big, but I would all it average at best.

The fiberglass guy (Bobby Hardy) was back at it this afternoon. While he was doing his thing, our task involved adding another layer of fiberglass and resin to the port lazarette. This will allow me to put the engine lifting cleat back where it belongs. While I did that, Gary filled in some chips and gouges on the hull with Marine Tex. We took turns wet sanding with 400 grit paper to make a nice smooth finish. I used the Marine Tex to fill in a few voids in the cockpit near where I laid the glass. After they were dry, those areas were sanded too.

Ever since Ed joined our crew, the water pump would “burp” on occasion. Even though Ed broke a few things during his visit (not bones… boat parts), I’m not suggesting that he had anything to do with causing the “burps” (it is however interesting to note that nothing has broken since he left). I’m sure the burps were just coincidental to his visit. Over the past week or so, Anna Marie and I have looked for leaks and tightened up the clamps (there are dozens) on all the fresh water hoses. After each, we hoped the “burping” would stop, but no, it continued. This afternoon, Anna Marie noticed a leak at one of the fittings for the hot water heater. I tightened the clamp, but the water continued to leak. I then removed the fitting to find that the Teflon tape was bunched around the first thread of the pipe. “This could be the culprit,” I thought. I removed the old Teflon tape and covered the threads with a new layer of tape. I reinstalled the fitting, retightened the hose clamp; no more leak! We haven’t heard a “burp” since!

Bobby Hardy completed his work, but he did not glass in the transoms below the waterline. He was under the impression that I wanted the correct the cosmetic issues with the transoms. Not so, I want them to be permanently water tight. I don’t want to worry about a mid-stream failure of the calk that prevents the sea water from entering the hull. He’ll return Monday to finish the job. This means we won’t be splashed until at least Tuesday.

The big story of the day… it’s “Open Mic Night (OMN).” We arrived about 2055 hours. OMN Host John K. had just finished setting up and was about to play his first number. There wasn’t much of a crowd (only seven people at the tables and maybe ten at the bar). Most of the usual suspects were there with two glaring exceptions! Broiler Pan Man and Conga Drum Guy (CDG)were missing. Anna Marie and I thought (in unison), “We might as well go home now!” About fifteen minutes later, BPM showed up looking rather … sober! SOBER? Indeed!

He ordered a couple of drinks, talked to some of the other “musicians,” and waited until he was called up to the stage. He began to pound away at the broiler pan rack; Gary had a look of incredulity on his face, Could this guy be serious? BPM can keep the beat and he hits the broiler pan rack with some flair. As the night wore on, it became clear to Gary that these guys seem to live for Saturday night and Open Mic Night! We can only imagine that it is the highlight of their week.

We learned an interesting tidbit tonight… BPM's stage name is “Hurricane Dave.”

Following this revelation, we made the short walk back to the boat and turned in for the night.

A Work Day

Weather: Light wind < 10 knots; mostly sunny, temp range 73 to 81 degrees

Comment: We’re still on the hard! We were scheduled to be splashed yesterday, but Bobby Hardy, the fiberglass guy still has some work to do. We’re hoping for a splash on Monday.

Today was a significant workday. Here’s the list of tasks that were accomplished:

• Laundry
• Provisioning
• Change oil in Nissan
• Replace gear oil in Nissan
• Clean generator air filters
• Change oil in generator
• Remove brown stains from hulls
• Wash hulls
• Clean and lubricate steering quadrants
• Clean hydraulic box and hose fittings, evaluate leakage
• Return rental car

Gary was up first, but Bobby Hardy, the fiberglass guy, was already at work. Gary, in need of a news fix, walked to US 1 and found a box from which he purchased the Miami Herald. Along the way, he found an unopened bottle of Beck’s Beer. He cleaned it up and put it in the cooler. It will make a nice treat later in the day.

Before attending to the chores listed above, we breakfasted at the Keys Fisheries. It was a delightful morning and the breakfast sandwiches were very good.

We attended to our chores in an orderly fashion, and by about 1800 hours, all of our tasks were completed. We are only waiting on the fiberglass guy to finish. If there is a hydraulic leak it is very minor. After cleaning the fittings, the leak did not resurface, or if it did, it wasn’t visible yet. We’ll keep an eye on it tomorrow.

Gary is working pretty hard to convince Anna Marie to sail to the Bahamas. She is still very reluctant. I believe she was determined to go until we took Jeffrey sailing on that blustery day a couple of weeks ago. She got spooked. We’ll keep talking about it, but I’m certainly not going to force her to go!

We had wings at the Overseas for dinner. The Hoochie Koochie Man was setting up (see earlier reports) but we were bushed. We headed back for the boat and called it an early night.