Garrison Bight

Friday, January 30, 2015
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Graeme arrived about 8 AM, about 1/2 an hour early. We had him on board and were underway a bit before 9 AM. We were a bit lucky with the weather - yesterday was a 'small craft advisory" day and Saturday was expected to be the same. The wind was 15 to 20 MPH but northerly so off-shore and our path was in the lee. The trip was about 49 miles and we arrived just before 4 PM. Graeme seemed to enjoy the ride.

As we arrived in the channel a large cruise ship decided to leave and required that we got out of their way.

We were a couple of day early for our marina reservation so we took a ball in Garrison Bight. In anticipation of Saturdays weather we sought and found a ball as far into the bight as possible, where we would get some protection from the Salt Pond Keys. It was a nice sunny day out of the wind and we celebrated with a beer on the boat deck.

At 5 we headed into town to see the sunset and have dinner. Key West is such a fun place. The wind was still up when we headed back to Tide Hiker in the dink. The waves were very choppy and the route back was very dark and we were thoroughly soaked when we arrived back at the boat. I could see that Deidre was a bit stressed but Graeme was having fun. (I think!)

Graeme at the wheel

Arriving Key Wesy

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Pancakes for breakfast - I love having visitors.

Back into town in the dink. Two cruise ships had arrived overnight. The wind was behind us and we arrived dry. Wandered around town looking at the sights and visited "the little white house" and the Mel Fisher treasure museum. Lunch at Hog's Breath.

Graeme caught the 3 PM bus back to Marathon where he will pick up his car and drive back to Miami and begin his long trip back to Perth.

Deidre and I wandered through the crowds and arrived "home" wet through, once again. The marina had called and were expecting us between 12 Noon and 2 PM tomorrow. I am a bit nervous, it will be windy again.

Graeme at the dinghy dock 

Deidre and banyan tree. The foliage in Key West is a treat

Feeding time. I thought that feeding the wild life was illegal!

Boot Key Harbor Mooring Field (Marathon)

Thursday January 22, 2015
24 42 348 N
81 05 854 W

So far we have been managing rather well without the small gen, and have only used the big gen a couple of times. Our plan has been to cruise (some people use the word "steam" when they are under way, but that seems a bit precocious to me.) every day for at least a couple of hours and thereby charge the batteries using the big alternator of the port engine.

If Deidre needs to do any cooking she will do it underway. When we arrive at the anchorage we want to show at least 95% SOC on the batteries. We are very economical with electrical use for the rest of the day and the solar panels maintain the SOC till dusk. Deidre does no cooking (except maybe a quick warm up on the microwave and we can watch TV or read until the SOC is down to 80%. Then we go to bed.

Because the weather has been a bit cooler the refrig & freezer are not drawing as much current, and so when we wake up the SOC is at 60% plus, which is where we want to be. No coffee or toast till we get underway and repeat the cycle.

But for the next 10 days we will be on a mooring ball so will have to rely on the solar panels and the big gen. When using the big gen the challenge is to "load it up" so that the engine reaches proper operating temperature. It has a 15KW (aka 15,000 watts) capacity and I have been told I should create at least a 50 amp load (50 by 110V is about 5,500 watts). So this morning we planned to have the battery chargers, the washing machine, the coffee maker, the toaster, the water heater and one element on the stove running for 45 minutes. When we were done, the SOC was at 75% and the solar panels are now maintaining that level.

The forecast for the next few days does not look so good, with rain and wind up to 25 kts. I was just starting to think about contingency plans when we got the call at about 11:30 AM. We immediately upped the anchor and motored into the harbor and secured to ball W3. The boats are all very close and we had friends watching us approach so we were a bit self conscious. But all went smooth as silk.

We got the call at about 11 AM and immediately upped the anchor and headed into the harbor once again. We grabbed the ball first try, just as well as friends Shay and Elizabeth on "Escape" were watching and right "next door". We settled in and Shay and Elizabeth came over in their dinghy and stayed till 4 PM. During the afternoon Magnus and Charlotte ("Swede Dreams") found us and invited us over for hamburgers. Busy day.

Friday January 23rd, 2015

Easy day, catching up with friends and doing a bit of shopping. Deidre and I enjoyed late lunch at "Dockside". Nice and sunny with wind building a bit. I installed a solar garden light on a pvc pole on the dinghy so conform to local regulations.

Ran the gen in the AM and before bed, load provided by the washer and dryer. Now that everything is washed and dried, what will I use tomorrow?

"The boys" The fellow in the life jacket is 90!

Saturday January 24th, 2015

Last night the wind woke me up. This morning a cold front rolled thru and the temp fell into the high 60's and the wind blew a steady 20-25 MPH. I did not get out of my pajamas until after 1 PM. Crew from Moreofme (Randy and Beth) came over for a cup of coffee and a chat.

The holding in the harbor is not great and there is not a lot of space to anchor. This boat has dragged in the wind and gone aground.


Sunday January 25, 2015

Nice and sunny all day. Sunny enough that we did not have to start the generator this morning. Shay Glass took us grocery shopping in his car. Deidre had a sleep. I visited a couple of boats for a chat. the dinghy motor is running well. Not much going on. Beautiful sunset.

Amazing sunset

Monday January 26, 2015

Another cool windy day. Not much going on. Few jobs around the boat. Last night we met friends over at the Dock Side restaurant for dinner. Very entertaining "one man band" performed and had the crowd in stitches. Good night. Tomorrows weather looks better. Graeme Gleeson arrives Friday and we head for Key West,

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Nice day, not much going on. Took the dinghy thru Sisters Creek to the beach. The solar panels did a good job. Out to dinner with friends "Taco Tuesdays" at Hurricanes.

The parking lot at the beach

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Another sunny day. Not particularly warm, but sunny. I started to work on taxes. Went with 8 other cruisers to an early dinner.

Early dinner at Sparky's

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Busy day saying goodbye to friends and preparing the boat for our visitor.

Boot Key Anchorage (Marathon)

Wednesday, January 21, 2015
24 41.690 N
81 07.129 W

We were a bit surprised how little water we had under the keel this morning, but all we need is an inch and we had 15 so all was well. Another sunny and perfectly calm day for our 40 mile run over Florida Bay to Marathon. The only hassle was millions of crab pots that we dodged for most of the day.

Amazingly calm day. Looking at our wake.

Arrived at Boot Key Harbor (AKA Marathon) at about 2 PM and headed in to get some fresh water and put our name down on the accursed "Mooring Ball Waiting List". There are 229 mooring balls (and 12 marinas) in Boot Key Harbor. For some weird reason it is the most popular place in the Keys for cruisers and we understand that at this time of year there are usually 25 to 50 boats waiting for a ball. Crazy. It reminds me of a refugee camp for old boaters. Why anchor out in the wilderness surrounded by natural beauty when you can share a couple of square miles of water with 500 other boats?

But obviously we suffer the same herd mentality and we really wanted a ball for a week or so, and we were rewarded for our attention to detail (pre-registration, appearance in person, payment in advance etc etc) and were awarded a prize ball and we expect to take possession tomorrow!

In the meantime we have to wait, so we are anchored in a much more pleasant spot outside the harbor at the other end of the island.

Boot Key Mooring Field

Admiral at the wheel - leaving the Boot Key Harbor

Little Shark River

Tuesday January 20, 2015
25 18.462 N
81 09.579 W

Another perfect day in paradise.

We arrived the Little Shark at about 3 PM and poked our nose in the river. There were a few boats anchored in the river already. We nosed around (reminds me of a dog settling on his bed) looking at depths and just about ran aground twice. That spooked me so we decided that we would anchor outside. The wind was mild and out of the east so we expected a comfortable night.

By 6 o'clock there were another 10 boats anchored with us. Talk about a crowd. Everybody is going south.

That night we were far enough from civilization to have zero access to the internet but fantastic stars.

The crowd in the river

Mangrove Coast - our anchorage

Indian Key Pass

Monday January 19, 2015
25 49 987 N
87 26 516 W

We waited until 1:45 PM to depart because I wanted every inch of tide under our keel as we made the channel. All went well, it was almost exactly slack and the current was minimal. We seemed to have plenty of depth all the way. But because we left so late we decided to anchor at Indian Key Pass again and head for the Little Shark River tomorrow. It was a perfect afternoon, calm and sunny.

Another boat came out with us with the same plan, so we have invited them over for drinks and snacks at about 4 PM. Four guys in a power cat.

Beautiful night, this is a great anchorage.

Rod and Gun Club - Everglades City

Sunday January 18, 2015
25 51 505 N
81 23 259 W

We waited until 11 00 AM so we would have at least 1/2 tide under our keel as we made our way thru the many islands and up the Baron River to the Rod & Gun Club docks. It was a bit of a stressful trip as the flood current was pushing us pretty hard and on a few occasions the depth finder showed ZERO under the keel. But according to Active Captain the bottom was "soft mud" and so Tide Hiker just seemed to plow a furrow.

As we approached we called the R&GC several times on the radio and the telephone to no effect. Fortunately a cruising  boat had arrived shortly before us and we happy to grab and secure our lines, and we docked right in front of the Club. This is a nostalgic visit for us because 20 years ago we sought refuge at the R&GC when we were circumnavigating South Florida in the Bayliner.

The R&GC is a real "blast from the past". The building dates back to the late 1800s and the Club back to the 1920s when it became a destination for the rich and famous. Wallace Simpson and Prince Edward vacationed here. As did President Nixon and Al Capone. When Deidre, Kylie and I had dinner here in 1994 we felt like we were back in Burma in the '40s.

R & GC from the aft deck

View down the river

Passing air boat

Taking a break

We went to dinner at the R&GC. We were the only people in the dining room. I asked for a "Blue Moon" (common brand of beer) but the waitress explained they only had Bud Lite and Corona. We
decided on Coronas. They were a while coming, and the waitress explained that she had sent someone down to the 711 to get the beers!

Deidre ordered shrimp with a baked potato and I ordered the "steak special" - $19.99. Five minutes later "Sorry, we have no sour cream" We said OK. The beers arrived, they were room temperature. OK. Deidre said her dinner was OK. My steak was like leather, the veges had been boiling all day, the fries were cold. Oh well.

We received the bill - my steak was now $29.99. I brought this error to the girl's attention. There was an argument in the kitchen. She had given me the "Lunch Special" price instead o the dinner price. OK. They could only take "Check or Cash" so I began to write a check: "Who shall I make it out too?" Another argument in the kitchen produced the answer:"Leave that blank till we agree who will get the check!". I decided to pay in cash.

The price of nostalgia.

Indian Key Pass

Saturday January 17, 2014
25 49 971 N
81 26 497 W

Marco Island seemed all condos and hotels so we decided to move on to the "10,000 Islands" region in the Everglades. Everything that we needed started and so the anchor was up at about 10:30 AM. It was a cool (in the 50's) but sunny morning - the first for a while. Breeze was out of the North and East. Rickshaw had departed much earlier.

Today we needed to pass around "Cape Romano". Its not a cape like Cape Shank or Cape Horn, its really a very large and moving sand bank that protrudes from the southern tip of Marco Island into the Gulf, with some very shallow water. This is our third time around "the cape" and this time I wanted to cut off some miles by taking one of the deep passages thru the sand.

As the day progressed the wind dwindled away until there was none - and the water went flat and glassy and the temp rose into the 80's - nice! Out target for the day was Indian Key Pass, a reasonably deep passage that winds its way thru the mangrove islands for about 10 miles and ends up as the Barron River.

We arrived about 3:00 PM and wended our way up the pass to our "isolated" anchorage, only to find a monster Nordhavn right in our spot. So we moved a bit further up stream and dropped the hook.

It was so calm...............

White pelicans 

Mangrove shore

Marco Island

Friday January 16, 2015
25 57 856 N
81 43 436 W

Looking for a solution to our "white smoke" problem" we changed the raw water impeller this morning. It is a relatively simple exercise except that in the case of the stb engine the raw water pump is located pretty hard against the stb hull, and there is not much room for an old fat guy to work.  But after a fair bit of grunting and groaning the impellor was changed. The old one was quite severly worn - my error, I need to check more often.

We prepared to get under way. The port engine fired up OK, the starboard fired, ran for 20 seconds and stopped. I bled the fuel line, although it did not seem to need it. I tried the engine again and it started and kept running. Who knows?

The anchor was up by 10:30 AM. The anchor was as "buried" in the sand as I had ever experienced. The windlass did not want to pull it out. I let the boat sit with the chain dead vertical over the anchor and let the bouncing of the bow dislodge it. It was another gray old day with a 10-15 mph northerly.

We had planned to head south to Naples, about 30 miles. But that morning had an email exchange with friends on "Rickshaw" and they were only 5 miles away heading for Marco Island. Marco is only an extra 6 or 7 miles so we decided to join them there. When we arrived about 4:30 PM they had their dink in the water and came over to collect us.

The entrance - looking back

Tide Hiker in Factory Bay, Marco Island

Pine Island/St. James City

Thursday January 15, 2015
26 29 210 N
82 04 837 W

We will now need to use the big gen (15 KW) to charge the batteries. This is a bit akin to using a sledge hammer to drive a 1" finishing nail. And it is not good practice to run a diesel generator without a solid load (50%?)

We avoided running the big gen last night, went to bed with 79% SOC and woke up this AM at 59%. Fired up the gen and had the toaster, the coffee maker, the hot water tank, the bow thruster charger all running as well as the two battery chargers. When breakfast was over (there are only so many toasted bagels I can eat) I turned on the electric heat. Shut the gen down at 70% SOC

Another cool and overcast day. The solar panels are only producing a miserable 150 watts. So we have decided to move on and let the main engines charge the batteries.

Talked with a couple of people about the white smoke. First attempted fix is to change the raw water impeller.

Arrived the anchorage about 2:20 PM. We really botched anchoring the boat. Two tries, lots of messing around. The batteries are about 97% SOG. Conditions are very calm so we are going to take the dink ashore for dinner.

Pelican Bay

Wednesday January 14, 2015

Pelican Bay Anchorage

26 41 302 N

82 14 566 W

Celebratory breakfast prior to dropping off the rental car. Healthy argument over the bill at the rental agency that I sorta won - $50 is $50! Drop lines at about 10:30 PM and head over to the marina for a pump out. Out of the entrance by about 11:30 AM. We are not going far.

Tide Hiker seems to be running OK but we both notice that the starboard engine is exhausting some steam or white smoke. I look that up on the internet - not encouraging. I decide to run the stb engine a bit harder to heat it up a bit - seems to help.

We have anchored in Pelican bay before. It is a nice spot. On a warm day one can dinghy over to a landing and walk over to a Gulf beach. We are early - its only about 2:00 PM - but cool and overcast. I busy myself installing the new TV antenna. By dark the job is stalled. I hate being so bloody ignorant.

The weather forecast has deteriorated a bit. The forecast of 10/15 MPH has moved to 15/20 MPH. No big deal, and in fact I want to try out the new anemometer. It never happened - maxed out at 10 MPH and I now know that for a fact!