We Made it.....Finally

Yes folks, we finally broke free from the hold that Mother Nature had on us in Fort Lauderdale and took the small weather window we found yesterday to get across. I think we had both gown tired of living on a mooring ball, especially when the weather has not been that great and most days were spent downstairs out of the wind and cold. Last of the provisioning had been done, laundry washed, water topped off, and deck secured. It was time to go....We slipped off the mooring ball yesterday morning at 4 am to make the 17th street bridge opening at 4:30 then headed out to open ocean. So many lights in the distance and so the task at hand was to determine which direction they were headed and what they were. Anyone who has been on the ocean at night knows how disoriented you can get with the lights. We finally determined one set of lights which were attached to a very large cruise ship was moving towards us on our starboard side as a large cargo ship was coming at us on our port side. Throw in the extra small fishing vessels and various other boats and it made for a nail biting exit. What time was sunrise again?.....Things are so much easier when you can see. As we entered the Gulf Stream we knew right away as our speed increased a bit but not what we were expecting. We had the sails up and settled into the day. The winds were anywhere from 5 to 20 knots and the seas weren’t bad. All through the Gulf Stream there were just swells and perhaps 3 to 4 foot waves. Don’t quote me as I am a horrible judge of that. Once we exited the stream on the other side the winds and seas were beginning to pick up as forecasted but soon we were able to spot the water tower on west end and knew that soon we would be there. Our estimation was that we would make it by 4 or 4:30 still enough time to make it to customs to check in before they closed at 5pm. About that time we get a call from FinnIrish, our buddy boat stating that their engine had died and they were going to try and fix the problem which they believed to be a fuel filter. Dirk and I changed our course back to them and it was soon apparent that it wasn’t going to start so we slowed a bit as they followed under sail power alone. Knowing they could not get into the marina without power they arranged for a tow to meet them outside the channel. Dangit, we weren’t going to make customs today. Oh well, I hoisted the quarantine flag up and got lines ready as we circled Ellie and Jim waiting with them till the tow boat arrived. Soon they were hooked up and we followed them into the channel and then to the marina. Once they were secure and we were docked we found that indeed customs had stayed open. I don’t know if it was for us or because there were several other boats coming in behind us, we didn’t care. So Dirk scurried off the boat and headed to customs, passports, documentation and cash in hand. After that and checking us into the marina he headed back to the boat and we did a quick change of clothes and set out to find food. We were starving and grumpy and tired from the day so food was consumed and we retired back to the boat for a very early evening. So today is day one in the Bahamas, the wind is howling and its cloudy but we made it here. I’m ready to go grab a shower and get off this boat to take a look see around a bit. Depending on weather we may not get out of here till Friday. The winds are forecast to be strong for several days as yet another cold front passes. Our next destination is Great Sale Cay (pronounced Key) so before we leave here I will give a heads up and now since we are in the Bahamas internet will be where I can get it. The photo with this post is of our buddy boat at sunrise.

Super Bowl Sunday

Here we are, and yes as much as I hate to say it, still in Fort Lauderdale. We are not believing this weather. It seems we put our sights on leaving a certain day and then the next day or two days later that day is yanked away. Frustration has set in and Dirk & I try not to let it get us down but it is so very hard, especially when we read other blogs and find out that people have left and made it over with little problem. On the other hand we met a gentleman the other day that came back from there and had the ride of his life in 12 foot seas that he wished he hadnt taken. We have learned from this experience that next cruising season we will be leaving before December or after February. Sitting here in Fort Lauderdale has become expensive and thats money I would rather be giving to the Bahamas then a city that seems to have more money then it needs. So I guess we sit along with a lot of other folks waiting for the elusive weather window to open. So tonight we will get together with Jim & Ellie from our buddy boat FinniRish to watch the super bowl in the marina lounge. Throw some steaks on the grill, grab a couple cold ones and cuddle up cause its gonna be a cold one at 48 degrees tonight. Maybe it's just hell freezing over cause the Saints made it to the super bowl. The Saints is the team I will be rooting for and I will be the minority in my group as everyone else is a colts fan. But its something to do, a reason to put on some real clothes and brush the hair. GEAUX SAINTS !!!!!!

Still in Fort Lauderdale

As much as I hate to say it we are still here in Fort Lauderdale sitting on a mooring ball waiting on mother nature to cooperate a little with us. We did change moorings after two days as the second day the winds shifted and we found probably the only shallow spot under our boat. It was late in the evening and sitting below I felt a bump, then another. We thought maybe it might be manatees as I have read that they will use the hull of your boat to scratch themselves, and we have seen them on a daily basis here. We kept feeling the bumps and decided to go up top and check it out. Once we got up top we are searching the waters and then we look around and notice that everyone is facing a different direction then us. Dirk looked at me and said " I think we are sitting on the bottom" How could we be sitting on the bottom, we are in a mooring field, paying to be here, shouldn't we have enough water under us? We climbed into the dinghy and tried to swing the boat off the high spot we were apparently sitting on. Tybee was not budging but good for us the tide was on the rise again. About 30 minutes later we were up top and suddenly we started swinging back into our place in line. We were floating once again. There are only about 7 mooring balls here and they are snatched up quickly as they are vacated. So we wait until someone leaves which lucky for us was the next afternoon. Dirk then called the marina office and suggested that they might want to put out that the ball we were on should be for shallow draft boats.

Anyway here we sit, and sit, and sit. West End Bahamas just a mere 70ish miles away calling for us yet we cant get there due to the winds and waves that separate us. Days tick by and we try to fend off the frustration that wants to set in. What can we do but wait and sit, and wait.

As far North as we shall go, waiting out weather

I know I said I would update and let everyone know when we were planning on leaving Marathon, but sometimes things happen fast and I don't have the time to update the blog. So after staying less then a full week in Marathon we headed out to Rodriguez Key on the 19th of January. While in Marathon we met several cruisers, two of which we have been following for quiet some time now. They also have an O'day 40 and it was nice to see what they had done to theirs and I made a couple mental notes of things I would like to do to ours. The couple was John & Mary from s/v Marylee whose blog you will see posted under the blogs I follow. We also met Bruce & Dawn from s/v Lady Hawk who were moored next to us. They have done the Bahamas several times and actually gave us a good bit of information they have put together and printed up. Looks like some really good pointers and they introduced us to another couple that have since become our buddy boat. Jim & Ellie have s/v FinniRish, a 36 Catalina that have done the Bahamas before and were going the same route again this year.

Getting to Rodriguez Key was an easy days sail with winds on the nose so we motor sailed the whole way. The anchor was set shortly before sunset and it was early to bed as we would take off first thing the next morning for No Name Harbor in Miami. The plan was for Dirk & I to take off about 30 minutes before FinniRish as they are faster then us and would catch up to us in no time, and they did. They would go ahead and check out No Name for us to see how much room there was. They called back and stated that there was room for only one boat so we both elected to go around the corner and just anchor up inside the bay. The winds werent suppose to do much so we felt we would be fine. Anchor went down and we dinghed over to FinniRish for sundowners and chat before we called it another early evening. Dirk took this photo when we got back to the boat with the Miami skyline behind us. Notice how calm the water was.

The next day was calling for a rough day of sailing so we elected to stay put and relax a bit which we did. On Friday we took off for Fort Lauderdale a mere 25ish miles to travel. The winds were calling it to be 15 knts with seas 2 feet or less. We traveled Biscayne Bay under Rickenbacker Causeway following the intracoastal waterway then took the Lummus Island Cut between the Port of Miami and Fisher Island to the Atlantic.

PG" border=0> Here is FinniRish under the Rickenbacker Causeway

Port of Miami with the large container ships and tiny FinniRish on the right

Once we made our turn to head north we realized we would have stronger winds then predicted but they were still doable. Our main was already up and with an east wind we pulled out the jib. We were having gust that soon made the auto pilot tired I guess, as she would not hold her course and would round up into the wind when it got too strong. Soon we decided to hand steer which made me really appreciate the auto pilot. Man, can that take it out of you. We finally decided after trying to reef the jib that the winds were just too much so we just rolled it in and pushed the main out starboard as we had the wind on our port side. As we got closer to the entrance to Fort Lauderdale the winds were blowing a steady 30 knts which made for a tiring day. As we turned into the Bar Cut Channel we dropped the main and readied ourselves to navigate the tight waterway of fast moving mega yachts and water taxies. We had reserved a night at the Las Olas Marina along with FinniRish who had gotten there a bit before we did and they were there to help take our lines and get us in without too much drama. At the prices they were charging we felt like we had made it to the Bahamas already without the reward of it. After hosing the boat off of all the salt we set out to have a hot shower. The first of which I have had since leaving Key West over a week ago. Now,now, eeeewwwwww you say. I said hot shower, not shower. I did have regular showers in Marathon just non that were hot. The kind of shower that you know you have to wash your hair yet you dont want to have to stand under the water to do it, so you hop in and out as fast as possible. It got done but what I craved was a hot shower which I got finally here. I could actually turn the knob so the water was too hot to handle but as my skin turned red I soaked in every bit that I could and then some. We then all walked down the street and rewarded ourselves with food that someone else had cooked besides us. Las Olas does have a few mooring balls but only had one the day we came in. After looking at the weather it was determined that we wouldnt be going anywhere for perhaps a week and Dirk and I decided we just werent ready to part with that much money to this marina. The next morning Dirk awoke early and him and Jim rode out to the mooring field and we claimed a spot since they wont reserve you one by locking our dinghy to it till we had to check out. So now we are just across the way with all the marina luxuries for a whole lot cheaper price. It's still a lot to pay for a mooring ball but there isnt too many options around these parts.

Here is a photo taken from the cockpit on the mooring ball. The marina is on the other side of the bridge and to the right.

Tonight we will head back to the restaurant to watch the Saints and Vikings play. Since I'm from Louisiana I have to root for the Saints, although neither Dirk nor I are huge football fans but it is reason to get off the boat tonight. After looking at the weather it looks as if we may be stuck here about a week unless by some miracle there is a break in the weather. Not only do we want and need nice winds out of the right direction to get to West End, we also need a couple days once we are there in order to get across the banks so we don't get stuck paying for a marina we cant leave over there. Perhaps this will be the last post before we make the jump to West End or maybe I will get a wild hair once we get the heads up that its good to go and let you know we are on our way.

Made it to Marathon

Just a quick update to let you all know we made it to Marathon yesterday afternoon. We pulled away from the dock at 7:30 am with a few people willing to brave the early morning cold to see us off. With conchs blowing we slipped off the dock lines and eased away. Tears were flowing on my part as Dirk and I had gotten into a comfortable routine with family and friends while in Boca Chica. We will be back.....It was a cold eight hours up to Marathon with almost a head wind the whole way. Oh, and about a zillion crab pots. In some places I was wondering if in deed we would be able to weave through them as they were so close together. We used the new smart controller remote and have to report we are very happy with it. We could stand on the bow of the boat and with a push of a button steer the boat. Sad part of yesterday was seeing all of the fish dead or dying due to the cold water temps. We were getting a reading of 56 F. which of course for these parts is cold. While in Key West we set the record low and unfortunately I think a lot of the wildlife lost the battle with mother nature. So we sit here and wait for another front to pass so that we can do a few more hops up the coast to get to our jump off point. Hoping that warm weather will once again find us as I'm tired of the cold, damp days and nights. For cruisers, we are spending a huge amount of time huddled down below right now when we would much rather be spending the time topside enjoying the great outdoors. Once we get an idea of when we will leave here I will let everyone know. Till then, keep warm.......

Still Waiting, but until then....

We are still sitting waiting on weather. Dirk has been watching it closely and we just keep having to push the days back till we see a good enough window to get us up to Marathon. We aren't the only ones as the marina has several boaters wanting to make it to the Bahamas and beyond, but Mother Nature has different plans right now so we must adapt and try to stay as warm as possible till she gives us a pass. Right now we are looking at a possible window on Wednesday or Thursday all subject to change of course. In the mean time we ready the boat for take off, still doing lots of organizing and making space to do the last big provision run. This past Friday we actually had some decent temps and the air was calm so Dirk took the chance to do a little lobstering. The water was incredibly clear and he had no problem seeing the sea life and other critters all around including the 7 foot nurse shark that startled him. I know nurse sharks aren't aggressive but anytime you stumble across something that big it tends to get the adrenaline pumping. I stayed back on the boat taking advantage of the warmer weather to clean some rugs and hose off the boat a bit and piddle which I am learning to do very well. I heard Dirk drive up in the dinghy and he told me to get the camera he had dinner. So I grab the camera and head upstairs to see what he had and yes, he did have dinner.

He had gotten lucky enough to get 3 lobsters, as you can see 2 smaller ones whose tails measured about 6 inches a piece and big papa who measured 8. Now that might not be too impressive to some, but for us it made the great white hunter very happy.

The last lobster was cooked on the grill but we wanted to try something different and just boiled them and served them with melted butter. I have to say we liked this method much better as you could really taste the lobster itself. Perhaps the next post you see will be from a mooring ball in Marathon where we will do last minute items to move on. Fingers crossed....

Waiting for weather

When baby new year stepped into our lives he decided to bring old man winter with him this year. Wow being here in the Keys I didn’t expect that I would be pulling out the sweats and pants that were put away once we had gotten here. Highs of mid 60’s and lows in the 50’s just isn’t my idea of fun weather. I know at this point and time the rest of the country is wishing they had our temps and I say they can have them if they promise to bring back the normal temps here. So here we sit and wait for some of this Arctic air to pass before we make the trek up to Marathon to sit on a mooring ball and freeze. Here at least we have heat, but without shore power we will flounder in the cold. Guess it will be time to learn to bake bread. I hear that's what a lot of boaters do to keep the cabin warm. Anyone have any good recipes that are fairly easy, please pass them my way.

I trust everyone had as good of a New Years as we did. We decided to rent a room at the Navel Annex about four blocks from Duval Street where all the action was. We had taken our bikes down the day before to my Aunts house and picked them up to ride down and check into our room. We had to check in on one side of town to get our key for the other side as there is no office at the Annex. The computers were down so we would have to kill time before checking in. We then drove downtown to meet up with some friends from the marina at the Green Parrot
and then from there to the Bull & Whistle. We then decided to try checking in again so it was back on the bikes to head back across town where in fact we were able to get our key. Then back to the other side of town to our room where I had the longest hot shower I have had in a very long time. When you live on a boat you take advantage of free flowing hot water whenever you can. We then decided to walk downtown and get something to eat as it was after 3pm and we had not had anything to eat to speak of all day. Dinner, then many laps around Key West looking for friends and then it was off to see which item we would like to see dropped. There was the wench at the Wharf, the conch at Sloppy Joe's Bar, and Sushi dropping down to earth on a giant red stiletto at the 801 Bar further down the street. What to do, what to do.... still walking around a bit more we found ourselves back in front of the Bull & Whistle again where Dirk enjoyed the scenery that was very reminiscent of any part of the street in front of a balcony on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. It involves cheap plastic beads, girls with a little too much alcohol in them, and a balcony full of people doing some coaxing. I take it you get the idea. About 11pm we decided that the Conch dropping in front of Sloppy Joe’s Bar was where we were going to be. There wasn’t much of a crowd when we arrived but within about 15 minutes there was no going anywhere as the crowd was getting closer and closer for the midnight countdown. We were tired from the day but the beat of the music & the general vibe of the crowd got us back in the groove and with the conch dropped and the roar of the crowd we welcomed in the New Year. Below is the video I took of midnight....

We finally managed to weave through the crowd and finally came to an opening where we could breath once again. We then decided that at 1am we should be getting back to our room so we took off and walked the few blocks back only to discover that we had lost the only room key we had. It was in the same pocket as the ID's were in but lucky for us they were still there. We checked and rechecked pockets but to no avail, and if you remember me saying at the beginning, we had to check in across town. So the plan was launched, since Dirk is faster then me on the bike and I would only slow him down he would do the deed and bike back over across town for another key while I waited outside the room. At about 2:30 we finally were able to access the room and crawl into bed. Note to self....next time when they ask how many room keys we need, get an extra. All in all it was a great New Years and I'm sure we will be here to do it again one day.

Since then we have been spending our time with some new projects and organization on the boat. Let's see if I can remember everything. We decided to purchase two new propane tanks for the boat. One is connected directly to our rail grill and the other is run to the stove below. We had one 10 lb horizontal aluminium tank in the propane locker, but with the two new ones, we now carry 40 lbs in two 20 lb composite tanks mounted at the back of the cockpit. Now I doubt we will run out of propane for a while and we have the empty locker to fill with other stuffs. Here is a photo of one of the new tanks lashed into place. It will be anchored to the rail much better, but till then this works.

In the last post I had told you about us re insulating the refrigerator and it has worked out well, but we still found the fridge to run a lot more then we would like. Dirk did some research and found a little gizmo from the maker of our fridge that will slow down the compressor speed and thus it does not pull as many amps. It dropped our amp hours from about 5 per hour to less then 2. On top of that it seems the amount of ice that builds up on the cold plate is minimal which will mean less times I must defrost and clean. I'm all about less work.....If you have any questions regarding this please e-mail us and Dirk will be happy to write you about it.

One more goodie ordered for the boat is something I wish we had on the way down here as it would have made life a bit easier for both of us.

Its the Ray Marine Smart Controller that connects into seatalk and allows us to remotely steer the boat. It also is a repeater station for your instruments for say your course, your depth, and your winds. Basically it will allow one or both of us to be on the bow (front) of the boat and steer the boat using the remote. It would have come in very handy when we had so many crab pots to deal with on the way down here and I think it will be nice to have in the Bahamas as we have to keep an eye out for coral heads. Plus just having the ability not to have to sit behind the wheel is nice, we can both sit out in the sun and enjoy life as it rolls by.

With Dirk taking the time for all the maintenance and upgrades I have busied myself with trying to organize and find room to store the provisions we have been acquiring. If you are contemplating a stock to buy I think that the makers of Ziploc bags would be a good one as I can’t count the number I have gone through. For those of you wondering why, basically any food stuffs you buy in cardboard need to come out of the original packaging they were purchased in. A few reasons being that the boxes take up way too much space and they also horde eggs and bugs which you do not want infecting all of your other foods. Another good use is just to keep moisture out, as moisture on the boat gets into and on everything. I pulled some of the floor boards up to see what kind of space I have for storage and found that I could actually fit quite a few can goods and extras of things. So it will be off to the grocery store soon as I would rather fit as much as I can now rather than pay the high Bahamas prices I have heard so much about.This area is at the foot of the companionway where I was able to fit 14 lbs of coffee with room for more plus some extra garbage bags and cleaning supplies. It's amazing how much one can fit into a 40 foot boat when you put your mind to it.

The last thing I will cover with this post is the results of the new solar panels we installed. If you remember we had one, but after we started cruising we realized that we would need more panels unless we wanted to run our engine and generator a couple hours a day to keep up with the demand. We now have three 135 watt panels which produce around 21 amps per hour in full sunlight. Our average is about 5 amps per hour as it use to be 7 plus before the fridge panel was installed. Between the solar panels and the wind generator we are now self sustaining without the use of the engine or generator. Dirk figured it up and the solar panels will pay for themselves in about a half a year as that will be gas and diesel that we aren't using plus maintenance and wear and tear on the engines.

So here we sit waiting for weather. While the rest of the country complains of blanketing snow and freezing temps I complain that it was below 65 and windy. I'm sure the temps in the northern Bahamas is not much different then here so why rush over there to pay a lot of money to sit below trying to keep warm. We do have to be in Marsh Harbor or Treasure Cay by the end of February as Dirk's mom is flying in from Germany for a visit. I will keep you posted and let you all know when we make the jump from here to Marathon. That is of course as soon as Key West lets go of us. I can see why people come here and never leave again. She holds tight....Till then, we wait.