Log 109; Day 299; Mar. 16th, 2009; Anchorage Marina in Key Largo

This is a typical shot of the ICW on the Gulf side of the Keys...even in the picture you can almost see the bottom

The ICW winds between lots of mangroves

It has narrow channels...followed by wide open spaces

And crab pots are EVERYWHERE

Our destination today was Anchorage Marina...that bridge is Route 1 that goes to Key West

Just across from Anchorage is Gilbert's Marina...where we could hear a great band playing

Just to the north...the Shuttle Launch at 7:43 pm last night

Log 109
Day 299
Monday, March 16, 2009

7:00 AM EST
Location: Anchorage Resort and Marina, Key Largo, FL.
Weather: 73 with light winds...going to 85 today.

It only got down to 73 last night, and for the 5th night in a row, we had to run the A/C in the bedroom. This morning on the back deck, it is very humid, and you can tell it will be a hot and humid day.

Yesterday...after 28 days at Sombrero Resort in Marathon, we untied the lines and headed out about 9 am. Even in the harbor you could tell it was windy, and we had made a good decision to go the ICW on the Bay side of the Keys. When we got to the 7 mile bridge, we certainly confirmed it. The several days of constant winds (even though not that great) had developed a hard chop to the waves, and we were really rolling side to side, as we made our way under the large span of the bridge to enter the Gulf side. Once through the bridge though, it was not bad, with only a moderate chop on our starboard bow. Winds out of the ESE...we were heading E. We joined the ICW at MM1200 (which means it is 1200 miles from there to Norfolk, where the numbers start again as they head North) and were heading for MM1135 at Anchorage Marina, North of Key Largo. The first 30 miles or so of the ICW in that area range between 1/2 mile, to 2 miles off the Keys. You are in very open water, and it is very shallow...ranging from 5 to 8 feet. Most of the time you can see bottom, which makes it very nerve racking for us to travel in. About 2 hours into the day, all of a sudden, we heard a loud bang on the boat, like we had hit something. I was right in the middle of the channel, so I knew I was ok there, but as we looked behind us we could see, what looked like, 2 or 3 crab pot balls broken up. After hearing the noise, I had immediately put it into neutral, and when I put it back in gear, we had a vibration on the starboard side. Not knowing what was wrong...I assumed somehow I had hit a crab pot. That’s bad news, because we were in the middle of nowhere. The good news was, last winter I had installed line cutters, that are designed to cut crab pot lines. If they were working...then I might just have the crab pot line wrapped around my shaft (not caught between the strut and the propeller which would be bad), which was causing the vibration...and by putting the engines in reverse, and backing down on the throttles it might (should) unwrap the line and we’d be ok. That’s exactly what happened. When I put the transmissions back in forward...no vibration. Crisis averted.

The further we went, the better the cruising, and the better the scenery. The ICW would get close to shore in some places, and wind through mangroves in others. It was also a sunny, beautiful Sunday, so there was lots of big center consol boats running up and down the water. A couple of times we’d be in the mangroves, coming around a blind corner, and be met by a very fast (25 to 40 foot) boat loaded with folks flying past us, going the other way. It was very cool. We finally got to Anchorage Marina (MM1135) at 5:15 pm. It was hot and sunny, and the boat was loaded with salt, so the first order of business was to wash it off. This was also when I made a stupid mistake and decided to jump from the dock to the swim platform, and slipped and got my feet tangled in the dock line. To catch myself, my left arm reached out for the dingy. The good news was I caught it...the bad news was it extended my arm WAY beyond where it had been extended before. It hurt bad, and I knew it would hurt worse later...so I immediately applied Ibuprofen and alcohol (the kind you drink) and kept on working. (it was hard sleeping last night, and it hurts like hell this morning...more Ibuprofen today). The cool thing was, that just across the harbor at Gilbert’s Resort, was one of the best sounding bands that I have heard in a long time. Normally I am not a big fan of loud music, disrupting what would otherwise be a nice peaceful afternoon...but this was an exception. They were great. Great songs, great voices, and they played the songs EXACTLY as the originals. Songs from everyone like, Janice Joplin to the Four Tops to Bobby Darin to the Rolling Stones...and lots more in between. Each song better than the last...Deb and I were loving it. More good news...they quit at 7 pm...so we could enjoy our dinner (awesome pasta) and a movie (Ocean’s 13...again). Perfect. Also...during dinner we looked up and saw the trail of bright orange exhaust trail from the launch of the Space Shuttle. Very Cool.

Today we are headed to Miami. Our trip will take us east this morning, and then a turn to the north as we enter Biscayne Bay, which are the waters on the southern side of Miami. We don’t have a reservation anywhere yet, but there are lots of options. The last time we did the Loop in 2000 we spent time in this area, so the waters will be much more familiar now. The weather is supposed to be sunny, with a high of 85 and winds out of the ESE at 5 to 10. Again. Perfect.


I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 108; Day 298; Mar. 15, 2009; Marathon, Fl.

Deb at Sister Creek beach (that's the Atlantic in the backround)...I always wonder who she gets to take these pictures of her when I'm not around?

That's me, at the mouth of Sister Creek, (in the Atlantic) trying to catch some fish

On the way back from the beach, we helped some kayakers by towing them against the tidal current

They did not know where to go, so I towed them back to my favorite fishing spot back in the mangroves

At one point the mangroves open to a small interior lake...that is where we dropped them off

This guy on the shore has a tarpon on his line...but he didn't catch it.

One last shot of the mooring field in Boot Key Harbor...a couple hundred sail boaters spend their winters here.

Log 108
Day 298
Sunday, March 15, 2009

7:00 AM EST
Location: Sombrero Resort and Marina, Marathon, FL.
Weather: 72 with gusty winds out of the ESE...the forecast is for 83 today with moderate winds

Saturday...spent most of the morning doing chores to get the boat ready for cruising again. After lunch we decided to head to the beach at Sister Creek, where we would drop off Deb, and I would go fishing in Sister Creek for a couple of hours. Deb really enjoyed the beach, but the fishing was not that great. I caught about 6 fish, but all were fairly small. On the way back to the boat 2 cool things happened. First, I saw a couple of kayakers who were trying to fish from their kayak, but were having trouble paddling up against the current (from the outgoing tide) so I asked them if they wanted me to pull them way up in the mangroves and they could fish as the tide brought them back out. YEA...was the response, so that’s what we did. It was fun to see how excited they were.

After dropping them off, we went back out to the main channel, and were heading back, when I saw a big splash off the point ahead. Normally when you see that, it’s a big pelican, or other large bird diving for fish, and I was waiting to see what it was, when out of the water jumped a large tarpon (which is what I saw the first time, but didn’t know it). Deb was facing the wrong way to see the fish, so I was telling her how big the tarpon was, and I was going to throw a lure in the water as we passed the area where I saw the tarpon jump. Just as we were getting to the spot a guy on shore yelled at us to stay back...because he had a large tarpon on his line (ok...now we know where the tarpon came from). The problem was the guy did not know what he was doing, and did not keep the line tight. At one point he yelled to us that his line was “stuck on the bottom” (as he was yanking his line like he was trying to free a snag). I told Deb...”I think he still has that fish on”. Then all of a sudden the guy yells “no...I still have him” and starts to reel like crazy, and just then the fish jumped straight out of the water...right beside the dinghy. If I would have stretched way out, I could have grabbed the fish. And as quick as it started...it was over. The guy let slack in the line, and the tarpon got away. But for a couple of minutes it was exciting. Sorry...no pictures. Back at the boat, we had a very relaxing afternoon and evening. For dinner, we had pork chops on the grill, rice and sweet corn. The movie was We Are Marshall...great.

Today...we plan to head north. The winds are much greater than forecast, with gusts of 17 out of the South Southeast. That being the case...instead of heading out in the Atlantic and up Hawks Channel where the waves are going to be 2 to 3 feet, we are going under the 7 Mile bridge and on the Gulf side, and work our way to Miami that way. It’s a lot shallower, and harder to navigate...but also much calmer, and we won’t be bounced around. It also means we won’t be going to Key Largo tonight, because you can’t get to the Key Largo marina from the Gulf, so we will need to come up with another plan. I have a couple of options in mind...we’ll just have to see how far we get. You know me...always flexible. Right.


I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 107; Day 297; Mar. 14, 2009; Marathon, FL.

Our friends Don and Carrie at Burdines. Donnie agreed...great cheeseburger.

Here is the beach just at the mouth of Sister Creek, seems like a nice spot. Deb and I plan to go there today to check it out.

Not sure who this guy is...but we just loved the look of the dog in the dinghy. They were having a great time together.

We keep talking about Deb going to Publix...here she is with her basket on her bike.

If you look in the bottom part of this picture you will see a Iguana, that was blocking the way for Deb to get back on the boat. She said she was freaked out, and had to get the neighbor to come out and move it.

Just in case you did not think it was very big...no wonder she waited until it moved on.

Log 107
Day 297
Saturday, March 14, 2009

7:30 AM EST
Location: Sombrero Resort and Marina, Marathon, FL.
Weather: 73 with light winds out of the ESE...the forecast is for 80 today with light winds

I slept in till 7 this morning...for some reason it just felt good to go back to sleep a few times. Woke to a beautiful morning, again. Deb and I have talked often how we can’t remember the last time it rained. We’ve had a little sprinkle here and there, but no real rain. And, nothing is really forecasted for the next 10 days.

On Wednesday, Don and Carrie stopped by on their way to Key West. They are a great young couple and we loved spending time with them. Of course, the thing to do was take them to one of our cheeseburger places, and we chose Burdines. We took the long way getting there (through the mooring fields) and the long way back (through Sister Creek to see all the beautiful homes on the mangrove canals). It was a little windy, but not bad, and with 4 of us in the dinghy, we did get a few splashes of water on us when we were heading back. They left for Key West about 4 pm...where they will spend the next 4 days.

Thursday we did some mini-projects. I washed the boat, and also had a diver go down and check the bottom of the boat to make sure it was clean. It turned out that there was a lot of Ribbon Worms starting to attach themselves to the bottom, so it was a good thing I got it cleaned. Deb did several loads of laundry, and made a couple trips to the store to take advantage of the nearby Publix. Based on how much stuff we already have on the boat, I didn’t think we needed anything, but I guess (based on the several bags we brought on board) I was wrong.

Friday...is the start of our weekend (now that we’re retired we only work 4 “6 hour days”), so I packed the dinghy and headed off to go fishing. After a quick stop at Burdines, for some gas and 2 dozen live shrimp, I was off to check out 7 mile bridge and see how big the fish were going to be. But getting there I had a few issues. First of all, the current was very swift, and I had a hard time getting the anchor to set. Secondly, the waves were kicking up and it was rough trying to fish from the dinghy. And most importantly...the fish were not biting. So, after not too long, I pulled anchor and headed back to Sister Creek, where I have had so much luck, and I knew I would catch some fish. Wrong. Not sure why, I tried several places, but only caught a few small Jacks. Oh well...there’s always tomorrow. Deb ended up spending a lot of time reading a new book she got from Carrie (Eclipse...some kind of Vampire book???) and jumping on the bike to run some errands. Dinner was (I know you won’t believe this) cheeseburgers on the grill, which, by the way, were fantastic. The movie was Tom Hanks, in Terminal. Great movie.

Today (Saturday)...probably our last day in Marathon. I have been looking at the weather for some time now, looking for a 3 day window to get us up to Ft. Lauderdale, and I think tomorrow will be the start of that window. The winds will be ESE at about 13, which is greater than they said they would be a couple of days ago, but should be fine. Those winds mean that Hawk Channel will be a little bumpy, and we’ll probably end up having to go a little faster for a smoother ride, but, while it may not be a lot of fun, it will not be uncomfortable. So today will be about getting the boat back into cruising condition (instead of living condition). Which means things like, packing the bikes, and putting them in the engine room; filling the water tanks; putting down all the thing on the shelves that you leave out when your not cruising, and in general, making sure all things are ship shape. We don’t need to by another new TV, because we forgot to take it down. With all of this, hopefully, there will be some time to fishing one more time.

Well, it’s a little after 9 am now, and time to get going. Deb is buried in her vampire book, so she is very content for a while. After sending this log along, I will start to get organized, and get some chores done. I can also see a bloody mary, and a dingy ride, not too long in our future.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 106; Day 294; Mar. 11, 2009; Marathon, FL.

This is the boat key bridge, that now will be permanently open as of today.

We were not sure how much we would use our bikes on this trip, but they certainly have come in handy here in Marathon. When we travel they fold up and go in the engine room.

This is the boat Full Circle I have talked about

This is Jan and Tim...owners of Full Circle. We picked them up yesterday for a margarita and a dingy ride.

Not sure if you can tell...but this is me...trying to get to the air cleaner...wedged between the engine and the fuel tank. I would never make it as a full time mechanic.

Log 106
Day 294
Wednesday, March 11, 2009

6:30 AM EST
Location: Sombrero Resort and Marina, Marathon, FL.
Weather: 70 with light winds out of the East...the forecast is for 80 today with light winds

Monday...Beautiful day, with light winds and about 82 degrees. Deb and I putzed around the boat early in the morning, developing our to do list we wanted to get done before we head North. I also made reservations at 3 marinas, between here, and Ft. Lauderdale. After lunch, I jumped on the bike, and went to Boaters World to get a few things, including new set of “water ears” which I use to flush out the dinghy engine. It seems the ones I had previously did not float, and are located somewhere on the bottom of the harbor, because I dropped them on Sunday. I also picked up some new fishing line for my pole...the new braided line, that is supposed to be the “next big thing”. Deb also jumped on the bike, and went to Publix, and Kmart for supplies, and presents for the grand kids for their birthdays coming up. In the mid-afternoon, things were a little slow, so I decided to go fishing for a while. Nice day, but very slow fishing...only caught 1 little one. For dinner, Deb made some great fish cakes, and the movie was 2 pre-recorded episodes of Trust Me...not the best show.

Tuesday...woke up at 4 am, and finally got up about 4:30. When I first came up to the back deck, the moon was so bright, I thought it was starting to get light out. Beautiful morning. One of the things I have not really mentioned, is that each day, at 9 am, they have what they call a Cruiser’s Net on the VHF radio, channel 68. They have a moderator, and all cruisers in the Marathon waters are welcome to participate, or just listen (which is what I do). They always cover...1)introducing new cruisers who have just arrived the area; 2)say good bye to those leaving the area; 3)comments, questions, or anyone needing help;4) buy, sell, trade, give-a-way; 5)trivia question of the day; and 6)final business. One cool part of this is when something good is happening, you can give applause, (like for a birthday, or someone that did something great) by clicking your mike on your radio, which (when your listening) sounds like a combination of static, and a “clap track” on TV. A little corny...but cool. The net lasts anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes, and is very helpful to anyone visiting. I have also mentioned the bridge tender on the Boot Key Harbor Bridge, who is always so happy. He welcomes new arrivals, and to those leaving he normally says...”We’ve really enjoyed having you in our harbor, Captain, and we look forward to your safe and speedy return...fair winds, and following seas”. It is so different from any other bridge I have ever listened to. Well, yesterday, the bridge was officially “opened” for the final time. They no longer plan to use that bridge for traffic, so it will be locked in the open position. On one hand, this is a good thing, because boats over 25 feet won’t have to have the bridge opened, but on the other it is sad, because the bridge tenders warm and friendly voice will not be heard in the harbor anymore. Many, if not most, folks in the harbor keep their radios on (it’s the way they communicate with one another) and you would always hear the bridge tender talk about where someone was from...or headed. It is a cool part of this harbor...and it will certainly be missed. Anyway...during this Cruiser’s Net yesterday, the bridge tender (Wayne) got on the net to announce this was the final opening, but he was so broken up, he could not get the words out. Deb was listening, and started to cry with him. The applause (clicking on the radio) went on...and on. I’m sure you had to be here to appreciate this...and I’m glad we were.

Yesterday’s chores consisted of Deb really cleaning the inside of the boat. I’m not sure if it has ever been this clean. She was wiping down everything...at one point I even saw her wiping down the stapler (I’m serious). Anyway...the inside of the boat looks great. Me? Well I have been putting off installing new air filters on the engines, because I knew the starboard one would be a bear to get at, and I would probably have to crawl between the engine and the fuel take to get at it. I’m sorry to say I was right. It took a long time to wiggle myself back there...and I was seriously concerned about getting out, without hurting myself. After getting back there, I knew I only had one shot at getting this done, so Deb came in the engine room to help me. I’m not sure you can see by the picture how tight the space is, but I’m certainly glad to have this behind me. Late in the afternoon, we called Tim and Jan on Full Circle to see if they wanted to go down for $3 margarita’s at Dockside, and we picked them up in our dingy. Nothing much better than a margarita, and a dinghy ride, on a beautiful day. Dinner was great steaks on the grill, and the movie was a recorded episode of 24. Another great day.

Today...our friends Donnie and Carrie will stop by on their way from Miami to Key West. Perfect weather, so our plan is to take a long dingy ride to show them the harbor, and find a place for lunch on the water. Speaking of plans...I did a fair amount of looking at the weather this morning, and it looks like either Sunday or Monday would be a better day to leave than Friday. The winds will be very light, and make the trip even better. We’ll see how this unfolds.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 105; Day 292; Mar. 9, 2009; Marathon, FL.

I spent most of the weekend fishing.

The next 3 pictures are all on Sister creek

Lots of beautiful homes on Sister Creek

One more Sister creek shot...this is NOT where I go fishing

This critter was perched on the piling next to us. The locals say they climb up here, and then walk the ropes to the boat, so they can get to shore. It makes you think about keeping all the hatches closed!

Log 105
Day 292
Monday, March 09, 2009

7:30 AM EST
Location: Sombrero Resort and Marina, Marathon, FL.
Weather: 68 with light winds out of the East...the forecast is for 80 today with light winds

Sunrise today is 7:39 am, and just as it was starting to get light, there were several boats leaving their slips (and moorings) and heading out. This is the first day in some time that the winds are light, so many boats are taking advantage of that. You can tell it’s that time of year when boats that have been here for the winter are heading north. More are leaving each day.

The last couple of days have been all about relaxing. Deb and I are in to a routine that we work Monday through Thursday, and then take a 3 day weekend to do whatever we want. I know that may seem a little crazy (because we are retired and live on a boat), but this seems to work for us. We plan to do boat chores during the week, and then we don’t feel the least bit guilt about playing on the weekends. Anytime we talk about needing to do something on the boat, we say “we’ll do that during the ‘work’ week”. Hey...works for us.

Fishing...I have had a blast for the last 3 days catching fish. Friday I went out to Burdines and got 2 dozen live shrimp and tried to go out to the 7 mile bridge, but it was too rough, so I came back into sister creek and went back into one of the mangrove creeks. I fished for 4 hours and caught 10 fish. Nothing huge...but all nice sized and fun to catch. I caught a couple Pinfish; a couple Red Drum; a Grunt; a Jack Cravelle; a Lookdown (very cool fish...incredibly flat, and bigger than my hand); a couple of Spotted Sea Trout; and the last thing I caught was a Barracuda. Saturday was more of the same, only I caught about 15 fish in the same area. One quick, cool, story from Saturday. I was about out of shrimp on Saturday afternoon, so I looked in my tackle box to see what artificial bait I would use, and saw my biggest lure, which is a J-plug I use for salmon fishing on Lake Michigan. It’s a big green lure, with a silver belly. Anyway...I put the lure on; made my first cast; yanked on the lure to give it a little “life” in the water; and BAM...a huge fish nailed it. It turned out to be a big (I’d say 2’ long and about 5 or 6 lbs) Spotted Sea Trout, and for the next few minutes it was a lot of fun. On Sunday, I had run out of shrimp, so I decided to head out and try just artificial lures. I caught about 6 fish...mostly Ladyfish, and nothing large, but lots of fun, none the less. Fishing in salt water is great. You never know what you’ll catch, and each time you cast it’s a different experience. I love it.

While all this fishing was going, on Deb seemed to be enjoying herself as well. On Friday and Saturday, when I came back from fishing, she was sitting in a chair on the back swim platform, reading her book. Both times, I had called her to say I was coming back, and she said “don’t hurry back on my account...I’m doing just fine”. Everyone has there own way of relaxing. Thank God.

This week...Deb and I both have our to do lists to work on. Nothing huge, but just a list of things we want to get done before we leave Marathon. On Wednesday, we will have some company. When we lived in Delaware (1984-1988) our Daughters best friend (Carrie) was also our neighbor. Through the years, we have all stayed in touch, and she, and her husband (Donnie), will be heading to Key West and stopping by the boat. They are both great folks...and we look forward to seeing them. I can see a dinghy ride down to Burdines for a great cheeseburger in our future.

Our plan to leave...at this point is on Friday. The weather forecast looks good for a few days, and the highest winds predicted are 12 mph...and not until next Sunday. Our plan is to stop for one night in Islamorada, and then to head to Miami for a couple of nights. Then on to Ft. Lauderdale, where we plan to spend at least 2 weeks...maybe longer. We love Marathon...but we can’t wait to go cruising again.


I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 104; Day 289; March 6, 2009; Marathon, FL.

Hard to believe but Deb only has one picture to post this morning. This spot is where we ate lunch, and dinner on Wednesday. When hurricane Wilma came through here in 2005, the only thing left of this place was the roof. Everything else was under water...and they have about 50 pictures that captures the whole event.

Log 104
Day 289
Friday, March 06, 2009

6:00 AM EST
Location: Sombrero Resort and Marina, Marathon, FL.
Weather: 68 with East winds about 15 mph...the forecast is for 77 today

The winds are starting to lie down a little now. Everyone is complaining down here that this is such a tough winter. I just look at them and smile. It only got down to 68 last night, and will be in the upper 70’s for the next 10 days. Yea...tough winter.

We took the car back to Enterprise...after having it a week. You don’t understand what it’s like without a car...until you don’t have one. And when you get one, you want to run out and do a bunch of stuff in it. But after a couple of days with one, you realize you don’t need it anymore (at least for a while). When I am planning the marinas we will be stopping in I always look for 3 things. Close to a grocery store; close to laundry facilities; close to West Marine. If we can find all three...we in. But I will say, although it can be a hassle, using the bikes to run errands, can be fun and a challenge. Many people plan their day around taking a bike ride to get supplies. Life on a boat is just different. Good different.

We continue to really enjoy Marathon. It has everything you need. Warm weather. Good marinas. Lots of places to dinghy. Good lunch spots...that can be reached by the dinghy. Easy to get supplies. And...good fishing. At this point we plan to be here for at least another week. About now, I start to look at the 10 day forecast and formulate a plan for our departure and the next stop. As we speak, the weather looks good, with winds out of the east at about 10 mph, for the next several days. The only issue I see is on the 15th (which is when our month at Marathon runs out) the winds are forecasted to switch to the NNW, and I’m not sure if that means another cold front, or not. For us a cold front does not necessarily mean colder temperature...it means stronger winds out of the North, which is not good for cruising. We have had those strong winds for several days now, and there are many boats in the harbor waiting for the front to pass, so they can leave. It looks like this will happen late Sunday or Monday...then the winds look great for almost a week...just when we would plan to leave. If there is another cold front coming through...we will wait until it passes to head North.

The last couple of days has been about boat chores. I changed the oil in the transmissions; cleaned all the water strainers; washed the boat; and put 2 coats of wax on the hardtop (a job I hate...but it looks soooo good now). Deb helped me with washing the boat, and did a thorough job of inside cleaning. Last week I waxed the top sides of the boat, and the stern. We are looking good. I still have some engine room chores to complete before we head north (installing new air filters I had sent to me) and a few minor things...but we are almost set. Also...on Wednesday evening, we had dinner with Tim and Jan, on Full Circle. We first met them at Joe Wheeler State Park in Tennessee, at the Looper get together. They are a retired couple from Two Rivers, Wisconsin, and on the loop...without a destination, or an end date. Great couple...great time. We plan to get together again before we leave Marathon.

This weekend Deb and I plan to relax a little (I’m not sure if I mentioned that we have a 4 day work week...which starts on Monday and ends on Thursday...and our weekend begins late Thursday afternoon). For me, that means lots of dinghy rides, and some fishing. For Deb, it’s dinghy rides and lots of reading, while I’m out fishing. She told me yesterday she is really happy when I go fishing...because she can enjoy a good book, without feeling guilty she should be doing something. There is a very nice beach on the Atlantic side, that we can dinghy to, that Deb has said I could drop her off, and go fishing, and pick her up when I’m done. Sounds like a plan. As they say here...another day in Paradise.

Well it’s time to get the day started. As I have been writing this, I have been listening to the VHF radio, and the traffic leaving the harbor. The boot key bridge tender doesn’t start until 7, so normally the traffic is ready to head out when he starts. This morning is no different. About 7 sail boats have already left the harbor. Three of them heading up the Atlantic, one as far north as Boston. The other 4 are heading up the Gulf, towards Fort Myers. Interestingly enough...they did not know one another, but via the VHF they found out they are all heading for the same anchorage spot (on the Little Shark River) so they decided to sail together. It’s cool...it happens like that more than you think.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 103; Day 287; Mar. 4, 2009; Marathon, FL.

This is the crew in Cape Coral. Les and Annie (Deb's sister and Brother in Law); Donna & Darrell (great friends) and Deb and Me. This saloon is not much, but has the best pizza you can imagine.

Here are the girls drinking their Cosmo's at the pool

And the guys...just being guys

This is the home they rented this year

And the back of the home

And the inclosed pool area...not bad?

Back to work...this is how I spent most of the morning yesterday...in the engine room

Log 103
Day 287
Wednesday, March 04, 2009

7:30 AM EST
Location: Sombrero Resort and Marina, Marathon, FL.
Weather: 59 with East winds about 15 mph...the forecast is for 70 and a little windy today.

I’m listening to the VHF radio this morning, and someone is just leaving the Harbor...heading for Hondouras. The captain told the bridge tender, it was a long weeks sail. Talk about an adventure...I dont' even know where it's at?

It’s nice to see it getting lighter earlier now...sunrise is 6:45 am, but not looking forward to “springing ahead” this weekend, and having the sun rise at 7:45. Who came up with that idea? It’s been a little cool for Marathon...average this time of year is 77 during the day, and it’s only been about 70 for the last few days, with strong NNE winds. Starting this weekend it is supposed to get to 80 for a few days.

We left last Thursday for Cape Coral to see Les and Annie (Deb’s sister and brother in law) and our friends Darrell and Donna, who rent a place in Cape Coral for 2 months every year. The 3 couples have spent a lot of vacations together over the years, and always have a great time. This time was no exception. Our normal routine is to just relax in the early morning, and then between 10 and 11 head out in their boat and cruise the area. Normally we are back at their house by 3 or so, and then relax in/by the pool for the afternoon. Almost all evening meals are cooked at the house. We are the kind of friends that really don’t have to be doing anything to have a good time...it’s just fun to be together.

After 4 nights at Cape Coral we left on Monday morning to head back. We had rented a car for a week, and wanted a couple days back at the boat (with the car) to get all those things that are hard to get by bike. Yesterday I went to Napa; West Marine; and Home Depot...all, to get supplies for the boat. I also spent most of the morning, and early afternoon, in the engine room changing the oil in the transmissions (the manual calls for once a year or 1000 hours, whichever comes first). When we spend more than a few days in one harbor it’s great to get any preventive maintainance done, that way it leaves more time for relaxing when you are cruising.

The next couple of days...I’ve got a few more projects to get done before we leave Marathon. Mainly waxing some additional areas, so the boat is fully protected before we head North for the summer. Deb has been working on the boat inventory, and planning a trip to the store, before we have to return the car tomorrow. Right now, our plans call for being in Marathon until the 15th or so, and then off to Key Largo, and Miami, before spending some extended time in Ft. Lauderdale. We may have to change that a day or so on either side, depending on the weather patterns. We’re still in fairly open waters in the Keys, and so winds can make a big difference in when we decide to head out, and without any schedule we just wait for nice days to travel (if possible).

As I mentioned, it’s been windy the last few days, and the forecast calls for the wind to lie down this weekend, so hopefully I can find a day or two to go fishing again out at the 7 mile bridge. I still have a smile on my face from the last time, so I am looking forward to doing that again. Also...Deb and I need a nice day for a long dinghy ride.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 102; Day 279; Feb. 24, 2009; Marathon, FL.

While we were cleaning the boat yesterday, this manatee came to drink the fresh water

She hung around the boat for a long time

This is the outside of Frosty's at Marathon Marina

This is the dockway at Sombrero Marina and Dockside lounge...about 5 minutes from our boat

At Sombrero Marina, this is one of the floating houses that they have in their slips

Again this is Sombrero Marina, and how some of the permanent slip holders have fixed up the dock.

This is the inside of Dockside Lounge at the pig roast and some of the new friends we made that day...all boaters from different parts of the US.

Log 102
Day 279
Tuesday, February 24, 2009

6:30 AM EST
Location: Sombrero Resort and Marina, Marathon, FL.
Weather: 64 with NE winds about 15 mph...the forecast is for 74 and and a little windy today.

Sunday...my plan was to go out to the 7 mile bridge and go fishing...and that’s exactly what I did. The forecast called for light NE winds and that made it possible for me to go out (in the dinghy) further than I would normally go. On the way out of the harbor, I stopped at Burdines to get 2 dozen live shrimp, and everything was going great, until I realized I forgot my life jacket. I was not worried about needing it to survive (maybe I should have been?) but I was worried about being pulled over and having to pay a fine. I made a decision I was too far out to turn around and go 30 minutes back to the boat to get the life jacket, and it turned out to not be a problem, but without the jacket, I decided not to go all the way to where they say the big fish run through. What I did was look at my chart plotter for a spot I thought the fish would gather to feed. It turned out to be a good decision because as soon as I dropped anchor, and put my lines in the water I started catching fish. Nothing huge...but lots of fun. Things were so active, that I had to only fish with one pole, because I could not keep up fishing with 2. Great problem to have, but then all of a sudden they stopped biting. It was like someone flipped a switch. What I figured out was that the tide has stopped flowing (it was flowing from the Atlantic side of the bridge to the Gulf side) and the fish must have stopped feeding. I moved the boat, and tried a couple other spots...no luck. Finally it seemed like the tide was changing, and it was flowing back from the Gulf to the Atlantic, so I moved the boat to the Gulf side of the bridge and dropped an anchor so that the boat would drift almost under the bridge. I put out one pole, and just got the other one in the water, when something hit the line and took off like crazy. It was so strong, I thought I had a shark (it turned out to be a big Jack Cravelle). I kept increasing the drag on the pole, until I had it cranked all the way, and the fish still could take out the line when he wanted to. Finally after about 15 minutes of hard work I got the fish to the boat, but it would not fit in my net (my net was too small), so more chaos, and then I decided to just get the head in, and lay the fish on side of the boat, so I could see about getting the hook out and releasing it...which is exactly what I did. I was exhausted...but laughing out loud. During the time I was fighting the fish, 3 different couples (who were walking by) had stopped on the bridge to watch me, and when I finally got it in the boat, they all gave me a round of applause. Funny. All in all...I caught about 12 fish, and had a great morning.

Back at the boat, Deb and I decided to walk down to Dockside Lounge. They have a pig roast the last Sunday of each month, and they say it’s a big deal. We didn’t try the pork, but it was very crowded, and we met some great people, who (like us) were cruising on their boats. Again...they come from everywhere imaginable...and all have a different story of where they came from...and where they are headed. This area is like a migration point for lots of boats...especially sail boats. People come from all over the world to this harbor, and many of them have done it for years. There is a draw bridge that must open (if you are over 25 feet high) to get in the harbor, and the bridge master always asks the boats where their home port is...or where they are headed...depending on if they are entering or leaving the harbor. I monitor this channel most of the day (especially in the morning) and it is amazing to hear where some of these boats are from (one came in from Germany yesterday) and where they are going (a group got together yesterday to plan their trip to Honduras). Very cool. Back at the boat, I spent the rest of the evening watching the NASCAR race from California (that was our/my movie) and for dinner we had steak on the grill.

Monday...with the weekend over it was back to work, so Deb and I cleaned the outside of the boat. It has been a while since I got up on top of the hard top and did a thorough job of cleaning, so I did that, and then kept on working my way down the boat. It was a nice day, and felt good to be cleaning the boat (check out the picture of the manatee who was all around the boat while we were cleaning it). Before we leave Marathon I have several things on my boat to do list...one of them is waxing the hard top again. Not my favorite thing to do...but certainly necessary to keep the boat in tip top shape. In the afternoon I worked on a couple of little projects, while Deb rode here bike to the store. When she came back I was reading a book (something I have not done, in the afternoon, since we got on the boat) and I actually think she was worried about me, because she kept trying to think of something we could do. So we dropped the dinghy in the water and took a late afternoon cruise...ending up stopping at Dockside lounge for a happy hour margarita. Back at the boat, we had chicken enchiladas for dinner, and no movie. Both of us just read for a while, before calling it a day.

Today...a few more boat chores...I think I will wax the bonnet on the boat, and Deb mentioned doing some laundry today. Our friends, Jerry and Lynn on Sea La Vie, (who we were parked next to in Key West) will be coming to the marina today, and parking next to us for a couple of days, so that will be great to see them again. On Thursday, Deb and I will be renting a car and driving to 250 miles to Cape Coral, to spend a few days with Les and Annie, and Darrell and Donna. It will be a lot of fun to spend time with them, and also have the use of a car for a few days.

I may not do a log until we get back next week, but I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 101; Day 277; Feb. 22, 2009; Marathon, FL.

This is Dockside Lounge...just down from where our boat is parked

Here is a shot from insie of Dockside Lounge...great spot, but not much personality for a place like this.

This is Frosty's...where we had lunch on Saturday. The view behind us is looking due west. The 7 mile bridge is just to the right and behind the island you see.

BK heading out to fish

This is the 7 mile bridge where I'm heading out to fish this morning.

Log 101
Day 277
Sunday, February 22, 2009

7:30 AM EST
Location: Sombrero Resort and Marina, Marathon, FL.
Weather: 66 with light NE winds...heading for 76 today.

Here’s what’s been happening the last few days.

Thursday...another beautiful day. Light winds and bright sun. Because it was so nice I decided to jump on the bike and ride to West Marine...which I assumed to be a 2 to 3 mile ride. Turns out I was right, but the ride did not seem so bad. It was one of the worst kept West Marines I have seen. Just the opposite of Key West’s store, which was immaculate. I have been looking at the cost of batteries for the boat. Since the boat was new I have only replaced the 2 house batteries, and I have been going back and forth on whether to replace the other ones (5 more), so we don’t have a problem. On one hand, there is no better time to do it, then when I have the time, and we are in a place where they are readily accessible. On the other...they are expensive, and at this point everything is running great, so why replace them? So far I have done a lot of thinking, and looking, but no buying.

After a long ride, and then back at the boat, Deb and I decided to walk down to the marina just south of us (Sombrero Marina) and try to have lunch again at Dockside. You may remember we tried to do this, on the dinghy, a few days ago, but ended up walking out. Well this time I said we would eat what ever they have, and then give it a rating. Turns out it was great. Deb had fish fingers...I had a hot dog with fries...excellent. As much as we love dockside type restaurants...this one still has not sold us. It really has no atmosphere. Deb said “it’s like eating in a tent”...and she’s right.

Back at the boat, I jumped on the bike and headed to home depot to get something for a project I was working on, and Deb jumped on her bike to do some exploring. On the way back from home depot, I stopped in where they were working on the dinghy, to see how things were going. The mechanic was just getting ready to fire up the engine and set the carburetors (it has 3 of them). He attached a vacuum gauge to each one, to set them exactly perfect, and it ran great. It turned out that I had two issues. First of all there was a lot of dirt in the carburetors, so he cleaned them, and secondly they were not adjusted just right. So after 4 hours of labor (at $110 each) it now runs just fine again. So, I took my folding bike and put in the front of the dinghy, they put it in the water, and I headed back to the boat. While doing so I called Deb to see if she wanted to take a dinghy ride to test it out...I knew she would...so we took a couple hour ride, and ended up finding a great margarita and pina colata at Frosty’s at Marathon Marina...we’ll be back there. Back at the boat Deb made a great salad for dinner, and we watch 2 episodes of American Idol for the movie. Another great day.

Friday...bright and sunny, but windy. In the morning Deb read for a while and then cleaned the inside of the boat. I took the dinghy and went out to Burdines and got 2 dozen live shrimp, and a shrimp bucket (to keep them alive) and went back in sister creek to go fishing. I left about 8:30, so I told Deb I’d be back for lunch, but I was enjoying myself so much I didn’t make it back to the boat until almost 1, and if I had packed a lunch I certainly would have stayed longer. Using the live shrimp the fishing certainly was better. Way back in the coves I was getting a lot of bites, but could not hook up on anything. I was watching several big fish sort of “roll over” on the surface, so I knew the big ones were there. But after an hour or so of small bites I went further out of the cove and set the anchor to try again. This time I put a shrimp on one line, and put a jig on another and started casting across the water. 2nd cast I had a huge hit, and it took at least 5 minutes (seemed like 20) to bring in a big fish (I think it was a Jack Cravelle). It was a great fighter, and I was laughing the entire time. I also caught a couple of snapper on the live shrimp. Very cool. In the afternoon, Deb took the bike to the store (she loves that she can load up the basket) and I worked on a project to install new water filters, and a better “set up” for arranging the filters on the dock. Dinner was egg rolls and fried rice...the movie was a recorded episode of Lie to Me, and Trust Me.

Saturday...the days are getting longer...sunrise is now 6:54 and sunset is almost 7. Deb and I decided to take a dinghy ride and find some lunch, but before that I went fishing for an hour...caught a couple of snapper. It was a little windy, but the dingy ride was dry, and we headed all the way out of Boot Key to Frosty’s, which is located at Marathon Marina. The menu says “the best cheeseburgers in the Key’s”...not as far as we were concerned. Good flavor, but way over cooked. Maybe the chef was having a bad day? After lunch, we kept going west out of the harbor towards the 7 mile bridge. I wanted to see what a wind like we were having would do to the waves, so I would have a reference for fishing. It was great going out...but coming back we had to go very slow to keep from getting wet. I’ll keep that in mind when I head out next time. From the entrance of the harbor to our boat is about a 30 minute dinghy ride...and we enjoyed every minute of it...getting back about 2 pm. Deb had planned to do some laundry, but saw her book sitting there (she’s reading Chesapeake) and decided that would be a better way to spend the afternoon. I watched some of the NASCAR racing from California, and did a lot of nothing. For dinner we had beef spare ribs that Deb had been cooking in the crock pot all day (awesome) and we actually watched a real movie. It was Bee Season with Richard Gere...Deb found the DVD in the bargain bin for $4...if you haven’t seen it...you’re better off.

Today...Sunday...after I finish this log, and have some breakfast, I’m heading out to the 7 mile bridge (about a 40 minute run in the dinghy) and try to catch some fish. They say that is were the big fish are...as they wait for the tides to come through from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean...and back. We’ll see.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob