Three Days Off

Position: N 25 47.344   W 080 09.419

Location: Miami, FL

When you live aboard a boat and are anchored somewhere warm and beautiful like southern Florida, it can be difficult to arrange some time off.  Every once in a while we just have to take a break from the hectic cycle of reading, relaxing in the sun, walking and shopping ashore, doing the occasional boat job, and almost nightly happy hours with friends.  It's a tough life and we've found the only way we can make time for some R&R is by being both patient and persistent. 

 
On Monday, with the wind predicted to be easterly and relatively light, we decided it was time.  It's only about 4 miles to the top of Biscayne Bay, so we headed down there to go sailing for a few days.  The warm weather, clear blue skies, and 9 – 15 knots on the beam all conspired to give us a beautiful sail down the bay.  Several other cruising sailboats and the Rolex Miami OCR regatta gave us lots to look at. 

The Miami OCR has “529 sailors from 41 countries on 354 boats competing in 10 Olympic classes and 3 Paralympic classes”.  We had to tack around a couple of the race courses (there were a lot of them out there) giving us the opportunity for some real close-up views of the action.  Very exciting and really, really cool.  Here's a link to more info about the regatta: http://rmocr.ussailing.org/

By 3pm we had dropped the anchor 2/3 of a mile east of Elliot Key, part of the Biscayne National Park system.  The wind had died down to almost nothing so the anchorage was comfortable even though we were so far out.  The day ended with a refreshing swim in the clear water and a romantic dinner in the cockpit watching the glorious sun setting with the tall buildings of Miami just peeking up over the horizon.



Rachel's waaaay out there



The second day (Tuesday) we were up and at 'em fairly early, taking the dinghy ashore to Elliot Key.  We love parks as the trails we usually find are a great way for us to get some much needed exercise.  The Elliot Key trails took us out to the ocean side and a lovely boardwalk, then back through the forest to the Bay side in a big circle.  We were the only visitors on the island the entire time we were there and saw many zebra longwing butterflies, dragonflies, lizards and a tiny snake.   There was some trash along the trail so we volunteered to go around again and pick it up as we went along.  The rangers really seemed to appreciate our help.

We got back to the boat in time for lunch then hauled anchor for another perfect sail back up the Bay.  We took turns reading and driving the boat, having another relaxing, sunny, and engine-less day.

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park (wow that's a mouthful) is at the southern end of Key Biscayne.  There's a very protected basin named No Name Harbor where many sailors anchor while awaiting a weather window to the Bahamas.  We cruised slowly through the anchorage but decided it was a bit crowded for our taste.  So we dropped the hook just outside the harbor and enjoyed another perfect evening with a beautiful sunset.

We had a more leisurely morning on Wednesday, then dinghied ashore for more walking.  The state park has several trails and a big lighthouse so off we went exploring.  Unfortunately, the lighthouse was closed for tours but we wandered around the grounds and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  Apparently Key Biscayne was a major jumping off point for the Underground Railway during the civil war with escaped slaves making their way to the Bahamas.  We decided to come back again on a day when we CAN tour the lighthouse.

After lunch we sailed back up to Miami, once again dodging the races.  We got to see some close-up action with the 49er fleet.  These high performance boats have two crew, trapezes, lots of high-tech sail area, and are very exciting to watch.  Here's a link to a photo: http://www.sailing.org/images/galleries/10_MOCR_49er_Burling.jpg., better than any phote we would take!!  All that excitement made us even more glad that we were on vacation on Rachel, not racing, taking it easy, and letting them pass us. 

We're feeling rested and relaxed after our 3 days off, and are ready to dive back into laundry and boat jobs and more reading and …

Until next time...

Little Havana

 Position: N 25 47.344 W 080 09.419

Location: Miami, FL

A couple of days ago we purchased four day passes to the Miami transit system. Two for us and two for our friends Bob & Cheryl on “New Passage”. At $5 each, these passes are a bargain as they cover both transportation and entertainment in the form of bus and train rides around the area.

This morning we head over to Miami Beach and leave our dinghys locked to the wall of the canal. We get on a bus that takes us to the Omni Center. From there we hop the MetroMover (an elevated electric monorail train) to the Government Center. We then get another bus that takes us to Little Havana. We get off at 27^th Avenue and walk the 27 blocks down Calle Ocho (8^th Street) to 1^st Avenue.

Walking down Calle Ocho we are treated to the varied and wonderful smells of Cuban cooking and the rhythmic and melodic strains of Cuban music pouring out of the shops. Most of the signs are in Spanish, with the occasional English translation alongside. Electronics, grocery, and clothing stores, pawn shops, instant check cashing establishments, and myriad restaurants all conspire to remind us of our time in Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. Everyone speaks Spanish and some also speak English.

As we pass one shop, Julie notices some women's underpants with extra “bum padding” on display. We assume these are used the same way a padded bra is, except they make for a rounder, “perkier” bottom. Or perhaps they make long bus or train rides a bit more comfortable. Or perhaps they're for transvestites who desire a more “womanly” figure. Whatever their purpose, we are intrigued. Not intrigued enough to go inside and inquire or snap a photo, however, but intrigued, nonetheless. They become a topic of discussion for several blocks.

A short while later we find ourselves at the Maximo Gomez Park and Domino Club. The park consists of a covered pavilion containing many tables and chairs. Most tables are set up for dominos, but some are being used for chess, too. Lively games are taking place and there seem to be spectators at nearly every table. In retrospect, we wish we had asked if we could sit in on a game. Ah well there's always another day and another $5 bus ticket.

All the time we've been walking, we've been keeping an eye out for a reportedly fantastic restaurant we've heard about. We understand that it's inside a grocery store, is somewhere around 13^th Avenue, and one of the two or three words in the name starts with an “S”. Then we spot it right on the corner of Calle Ocho and 13^th Ave – “El Nuevo Siglo” (The New Century).

On entering, we find a comprehensive grocery store complete with butcher shop and bakery along the back wall, and a lunch counter with a few tables down one side. The smells coming from that side of the store are divine and we are inexorably drawn to the only empty table available. We look at the menu on the chalkboards and realize that, as the only gringos in here, we may be in over our heads. Then a very nice bilingual man appears with some menus in English and we get down to business. He describes each of the available dishes in delicious detail and we make agonizing decisions about which of these gems to try. He even brings over a sample of the “tasajo” for us all to test. Sublime. The orders are placed and we sit and chat amongst ourselves as our food is being prepared.

Julie and Mark split an order of “ternilla” ($7 - literally translated as “gristle”, but nothing like gristle in reality), a sort of beef pot roast w/ delicious gravy, and an order of “costilla puerco” ($6 - grilled pork ribs), also excellent. We also share yucca, fried plantains, bread, and black beans, and rice. These have got to be some of the best black beans we've ever had. Bob & Cheryl split an order of the “tasajo” ($10 – shredded marinated dried beef in a marvelous sauce) and an order of the “ternilla”. We all stuff ourselves full but not so full that we can't select a few awesome pastries to take home us from the bakery. As we roll out the door and continue our walk we all agree that this is some of the best Cuban food we've ever had.

Woohoo

We just heard from Julie's attorney that her citizenship application was approved.  We do not have any paperwork as yet but are thrilled and wanted to share.

Dancing with joy in Miami,

Chillin'

Position: N 27 09.212 W 080 11.715

Location: Manatee Pocket, FL

Hey! This waiting game is not as bad as we thought it might be! We've just spent 4 days anchored in Manatee Pocket, Port Salerno, near Stuart, Florida. There are a few other cruising boats here who we did not really know before. We've made new friends, had a dinghy raft-up happy hour, on New Years Eve, had friends over for dinner, and been to friends boats for dinner. We rigged Belle, our dinghy, to sail and spent 2 days sailing around the anchorage. There's an awesome little Mexican grocery, vegetable stand and restaurant close by..... and best of all we don't have to rush off to be anywhere.



Sailing our Trinka "Belle"



Julie's naturalization is still in limbo and we've resigned ourselves to be patient. We're still confident it will all work out fine, we just don't know when. That being the case, we've resigned ourselves to hanging around Florida for the time being. It's giving us the opportunity to explore places we usually rush by in our quest to get further South, and it's nice to not have a destination or an agenda. Sort of like being on island time w/o the islands....



The last cold front brought us temperatures in the low 40s and upper 30s – pretty darned cold for our thin blood! The story of our voyage south from the Chesapeake – hang out somewhere until it gets too cold, then move further South hoping to get warm again. We'll be heading out again as soon as it warms up enough to be out in the wind.

Chillin' and chilly

Merry Christmas

Location: Vero Beach, FL

For the last month we have been tootling around the north and central coast of Florida. We have enjoyed being more laid back and not feeling rushed. The weather for the most part has been great, shorts & T shirts, and sunny. This time of year lots of boats are heading south to the Bahamas and beyond and we've managed to catch up with many friends and get caught up on each others news. We've anchored in new places, Fort George, Fort Frederica, and some old places revisited, St. Augustine, the oldest city in the US, and Stuart. We've just generally dawdled, doing boat jobs and exploring along the way.

Julie applied for US citizenship back on June 1^st and we finally got her interview notification for December 22^nd in Fairfax, VA. This was what prompted the laid back dawdling. We wanted to leave the boat in Vero Beach and drive north for the interview, almost 1,000 miles each way. The good news was that we got to stop and visit family along the way.

Julie has been studying for the civics and history test and spent lots of time getting all the required paperwork together that she needed to take with her. Finally the day came she was all dressed up and ready. The interview lasted about an hour and a half and the fact that we were cruising on a boat didn't bode too well. The interviewer told Julie he would have to go over all the information she had given him and that she would be notified of the outcome by mail. No indication as to how long that would take. A bit frustrating but we're keeping a good attitude and thinking positive thoughts.

We're now back in Vero Beach for Christmas and deciding where to get next until we get 'the decision'

We hope you all have a great Christmas and New Year with family and loved ones. Today is our 10^th wedding anniversary, we couldn't ask for 10 better years than these.

Cumberland Revisited

Position: N 30 45.924 W 081 28.323

Location: Cumberland Island, GA

You may recall how we always have nice things to say about Cumberland Island. Ten days of R & R at one of our favorite places has really hit the spot giving us plenty of time to enjoy our stay.

We first anchored on the Brickhill River right in front of Plum Orchard, a mansion built by Lucy Carnegie for her son and his family. It was donated to the park service in the 70s, was recently renovated, and has been opened to the public. We had a great guide who really knew lots of interesting information about the house and it's inhabitants. Since it was just the two of us, we had the guide to ourselves and really got the royal treatment.

Wild horses

Live oaks intertwined

After a few more days of long hikes through the live oak forests and along the beaches, we moved down to the southern anchorage near the ruins of Dungeness. At this end of the island there are more trails, boardwalks, and mansions to wander around. What a great time! We saw lots of wild horses, wandered under the wild oak canopies draped with Spanish moss, hunted for (and found!!) shark's teeth on the Raccoon Flats, etc etc. We never tire of this place.

Beach walking with good friends old and new

Before we left the Chesapeake in September we arranged with friends from the Chesapeake to meet at Cumberland Island for Thanksgiving. Luckily they all made it, plus a few more. The weather was great and we enjoyed a big Thanksgiving day potluck at the picnic tables ashore. What fun!



Thanksgiving dinner



On this Thanksgiving we have a lot for which to be thankful. We notice how, over time, the differences between friends and loved ones become less apparent and for this we are immensely grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving

The Georgia Marshes

Position: N 31 30.880 W 081 17.976

Location: Ridge River Mouth, Front River, north of Sapelo Sound

We have avoided traveling the ICW through South Carolina and Georgia since our first year out. Feeling harassed by morning fog, morning high tides, skinny water, and first year jitters, we found this section of the ICW to be beautiful but stressful. It's been easy to talk ourselves into giving it a miss and going south on the outside since then - until this year when we decided to give it another chance.

We've still had morning high tides, which can make it difficult to transit the numerous shallow spots later in the day, and some fog, but we also have much more experience and none of it seems nearly as scary to us as it was four years ago. And the scenery is still as wonderful as we remembered. Miles of golden marsh grasses with very few houses and lots of wildlife.

Yesterday is a good example. We had anchored the previous night behind Daufuskie Island, one of Georgia's outer islands, only accessible by boat or the ferry from Hilton Head. We were up early and hauled anchor at 6:30, barely daylight with just a hint of fog. High tide was at 11am and we wanted to get through a couple of potential problem areas before the tide got too low in the afternoon.

By 7:30 we'd already watched a spectacularly colorful sunrise and had dolphins playing around the boat, leaping completely out of the water right next to us. The sun was up and already warming the cockpit, and we knew we were in for a splendid day. After we'd been weaving our way through the marshes for a while, enjoying the colors and the wildlife, a huge bald eagle soared across in front of the boat just off the bow sprit! It was magnificent!

A bit later we turned a corner and were spat out into the Savannah River. This is the major shipping lane from the ocean up to the city of Savannah, GA, one of the busiest ports on the eastern seaboard. It's only about a quarter of a mile wide where the ICW crosses. Luckily, with our trusty new AIS equipment we already knew that a humongous container ship would be right there when we entered the river. We had a brief chat with the ship and made arrangements to pass each other safely. It's probably the closest we've been to a big ship that was under way, but no worries. We turned to starboard and paralleled the shipping lane until it was past, then scooted across the river and continued along our way.

The day was idyllic – warm, sunny, and calm. We saw a sea otter and many more dolphins, miles of grasses and trees, and loads of birds. Egrets, herons, wood storks, hawks, and kingfishers, among others. And the leaves on the trees were just starting to change color. Finally we dropped the hook just before sunset in a narrow, deep tongue just off the waterway. It had been a 10 hour day but we didn't feel stressed, nervous, or tired - just happy and relaxed. Times change as do we. But we're sure Georgia is just as beautiful as it was before the Spanish and English came here 100s of years ago. Great to know that some things remain the same.



Like our first trip down we continue to be intrigued and entertained by the names of places we pass. Places like Buttermilk Sound, Rockdedundy River, Wally's Leg, Dog Hammock Spit, Calibogue Sound, Runaway Negro Creek, Cat Head Creek, Cubbage Creek, Skidaway Narrows, and Burnt Pot Island. These names and many others give us insight into the places we're passing through and enrich our days as we transit the Georgia marshes.

Relaxed and enjoying ourselves “on the inside”.

Headin' Further South

Position: N 34 02.974 W 077 53.330

Location: Brickyard Creek, north of Beaufort, SC

A lot has happened since we last wrote and we've made good, albeit slow, progress further south.

After running aground (see last Khronicle) we stopped for a couple of days at Great Bridge, VA to visit w/ friends, buy some groceries, and top up the fuel tank.

Then we continued south through the Currituck Sound, across the Albemarle Sound, up the Neuse River, and on to Beaufort (Bow-furt), North Carolina. On the way we tested our new whisker pole and absolutely love it. We now finally have some down wind mojo!!

Tiger Lily, our 8 year old granddaughter whom we did not get to see during our visit to VA this summer, joined us at Belhaven, NC for a week aboard. We had a wonderful time with her, despite some not so perfect weather and unfavorable seas. She was a great crew member and we enjoyed cooking together, wildlife watching from the bow, teaching her navigation, helmsmanship, knot tying, VHF radio etiquette, and generally 'connecting'. What a special time together. She traveled over 100 miles with us and was a great sport.



Tigerlily learning to play the conch horn at sunset



A couple of days in Beaufort waiting for favorable weather (that never appeared) were followed by a few more days “on the inside” to Little River, South Carolina. We picked up a friend who used to cruise and she accompanied us from Little River to Charleston, SC “on the outside”. Another great sail, also making good use of our new whisker pole. This has proven to be a great addition to our cruising equipment. Julie & Yvonne had a “slumber party”, yakking away their watch in the cockpit, great fun!!

Then after a couple of weeks on the dock visiting friends and doing various boat jobs including a couple of carpentry projects (thanks to the availability of a friend's table saw – thanks, Jim!!) we were ready to continue south. Once again we didn't see any favorable weather in the near future, so we set off “on the inside” and made our way down to Beaufort (Byew-furt), SC where we currently sit.

A big front with 30+ knot winds is scheduled to blow through here tonight followed by what sounds like a good opportunity to get down to Cumberland Island, one of our favorite places on the East Coast. Except for one thing – it's supposed to get down to 35 F (that's just under 2 C) tomorrow night. Brrr. We don't have the luxury of a full enclosure on our cockpit,. That means it's wooly jumpers, knit caps, mittens, foul weather gear, and blankets while we're on watch.

So we're sitting here trying to decide whether we want to brave near-freezing temperatures outside on the ocean overnight or continue on down the inside where we can anchor and snuggle up at night.

Trying to stay warm,

Headin' South

(Note: We're running about a month behind on our Khronicles. We'll try and get caught back up in the next couple of days.)

Position: N 36 45.350 W 076 18.544
Location: Deep Creek Anchorage

We're anchored off Jackson Creek in Deltaville, VA, our old stomping grounds. We decide not to go into Jackson Creek – the weather's supposed to be benign tonight and it will make leaving early in the morning easier if we don't have to negotiate the tight turns and unlit marks of the narrow entrance channel.
We go to bed early and both find ourselves awake at midnight. We toss and turn and try to get back to sleep. Yeah, right! "Trying" to get back to sleep" is a bit of an oxymoron, isn't it? It may have worked some, but we finally decide to get up and make coffee at around 04:00.
Since we're up anyway, and outside the creek, we decide to leave in the dark. We turn on the navigation lights, haul anchor, and and head out into the bay at 06:00. There's a nice breeze behind us, so we get out the big head sail, turn off the engine, and have the best sail we've had so far this fall. The current is with us and we fly down the bay. We don't start the engine and put away the sail until we're well down the Elizabeth River in Norfolk, VA on our way down the Intracoastal Waterway.
We arrive 45 minutes early at the only opening bridge we have to negotiate today. Time to start the "idle into the current to stay in one place" drill while we wait for the scheduled opening. It's our lucky day – right after we head into the current, a barge coming up river calls for a commercial opening (note: bridges that open on a schedule will also generally open at unscheduled times to allow commercial traffic to pass). We call the bridge tender and she lets us slip through on this opening after the barge clears the channel, saving us a big chunk of time.
Since we are ahead of schedule, we decide to do some exploring. We turn off the main ICW channel toward the Dismal Swamp and, about a mile in, enter a small, man-made basin. We've passed this basin every time we've taken the Dismal Swamp route, but we've never stopped here. We feel our way in, seeing nothing less than 9 feet at the entrance and are happy to find 18 feet in the middle. We drop the anchor, back down to set it, and have a peaceful evening all to ourselves.
Days like today are what it's all about – beautiful weather, great sailing, a big dose of good luck, and a quiet place to spend the night.
Note: Of course days like today have to be balanced out by days like tomorrow. We run aground coming out of this idyllic anchorage at 6am the next morning trying to hurry out to make another bridge opening. We are not quite in the middle of the channel. It turns out OK, though. Mark flings himself from one side of the boat to the other to get a pendulum motion going while Julie at the helm is gunning the engine in reverse. Finally he has such a good swing going that the keel comes off the bottom and away we go, just barely making the bridge opening. Sorry no pictures of this hilarious sight you will just have to use your imagination.

Another Close Encounter

Date: September 26, 2011
Position: N 38 W 076 17.0 (approximate)
Location: Mouth of the Potomac River, Chesapeake Bay, USA

We've been planning to visit friends in Deltaville and decide to do the trip in a single overnight leg, rather than in 3 day trips so we can spend more time with them. We haul anchor around 5pm just south of Annapolis for the 90 mile trip which should take around 16 hours. The low temperature is going to be in the mid 60s – not too cold - but it will be dark as pitch as there is no moon tonight.

We have just installed an AIS (Automatic Identification System) receiver, which we are thrilled to try out as we have been coveting this piece of equipment for 3 years. The AIS shows any big ships in the area, their name, what course they are on and the closest point of approach. When out in the ocean if a vessel looks like it will be passing very close to us we can hail them on the radio, make sure they know we are there and ask if we need to change course to avoid them. It is not essential equipment but it's VERY nice to have.

As we start to head down the bay there are several AIS targets and we pass the time looking them up and figuring out how this new equipment works, enjoying a new found sense of security from knowing how close they will come. We'll be paralleling the shipping lanes all night so we expect to be kept entertained. We're not too worried about an altercation as all the big ships will stay in the shipping lanes.

Around 11pm Julie goes below for a nap and around 2am we have a change of watch and Mark goes below. It's starting to get a little chilly now and we are approaching the mouth of the Potomac River. This river flows down from Washington DC and has quite a lot of current and more shipping traffic - it's always a bit of a problem area and we need to stay alert.

Julie notices an AIS target on it's way up the bay but it doesn't seem to be any problem. It's still pretty far away and the CPA (closest point of approach) is over ½ mile. She turns on the radar to track the vessel as it may start turning and heading up the Potomac. All the land masses and navigation aids show up on the radar making it difficult to ascertain which blip is the ship. Julie is pondering over the equipment when suddenly a flood light flashes on Rachel.

She jumps up and sees lots of lights closing in on her. Where the heck did that come from? She sees red AND green lights along with lots of white lights. Red and green at the same time is not good, it means the other vessel is coming right for you – head on!! And it was BIG!! Julie calls for Mark, jumps to the helm, and picks up the VHF. Mark is sound asleep, lulled by the steady throb of the engine – he doesn't hear her.

Julie: "Vessel at the mouth of the Potomac this is Rachel".
Other vessel: "This is <garbled>"
Julie: "Do I need to change my course to avoid you?"
Other vessel: "Yes - you need to head east."
Julie: "Roger That"

Quickly looking down at the compass realizes that she's heading SW. Feeling a little confused she gets back on the radio.

Julie: "I'm heading SW. Will you pass behind me?"
Other vessel: "No! I'm passing right in front of you and you need to head east NOW to avoid a collision!"
Julie: "OK."

She madly turns the wheel and slams the engine control to full throttle. The spotlight passes over Rachel again and the lights are REALLY close. Mark pops up from down below. Apparently the engine suddenly screaming at full RPM makes an effective alarm clock.

Mark: "What's going on?"
Julie: "I have no idea where we're heading!"
Mark: "Looks like north east."
Julie: "I know that! I mean I don't know if we're going to have a collision!"
Mark: "Looks like we're moving away – can we back off a few hundred RPM?"
Julie: "NO! Not until I know we are well away from this monster!"

Mark realizes that now would be a good time to just sit and be quiet for a few minutes. There's not much for him to do at this point, anyway, as we are obviously moving away from the other vessel and can only see the green starboard light indicating that the danger of collision is past.

Mark: "I'm going to throttle back a bit now. Are you okay?"
Julie: "Can you take the helm for a while? I'm pretty shaken up."
Mark: " Sure, Petal. What happened, anyway?"

Much discussion ensues about the nature of the other vessel, it's "sudden" appearance, it's lack of AIS transponder, the confusion w/ the radar and the lights, and what could have been done to avoid such a close call. This is interspersed with several comments from Julie similar to "Holy crap!", "I'm still shaking", "Wow! That was close!", and "He was just suddenly there!".

We still aren't sure what type of vessel it was (other than "big"). In retrospect, after referencing our light chart, Julie thinks the lights looked like a "trawler less than 50 meters". That sounds like a menhaden boat, but we're still not certain. Three things we are sure of are: we were having too much fun playing with the AIS; there was no AIS signal; and we totally misread the lights until the other vessel was way too close.

We decide we've been given the opportunity to relearn a lesson we've already learned well: instruments are incredibly helpful, but there is no substitute for an awake, alert, and active watch in busy waters.

AIS is cool, but not all vessels have a transponder. Radar is great, but it can be confusing to read in close quarters. A chart plotter is a big help in keeping track of your position but it can't tell you anything about other vessels in the area. We already know all this, but, once again, we are reminded of it with about as much subtlety as a frying pan upside the head. We decide to add a new ship's policy – from now on whenever we know or anticipate being in a "problem area" we will both be on watch. Four eyes are better than two, that's for sure.

Still a bit shaken,