Saturday, May 7, 2011
The end of a perfect winter
We spent two weeks at our dock in Ft. Pierce just enjoying the lovely weather, having our daily swim, walking the beaches and getting to know the other boaters at Harbortown Marina. We knew we had to arrange a haul-out day for Southern Vectis, but dragged our feet a bit! But the big day caught up with us eventually. On May 2 'Southern Vectis' was lifted gently out of the water, and we gave her bow a final pat as we said au-revoir for this season.
So now the next and final part of our winter trip has begun. We are driving up the east coast visiting lovely historic towns, like St. Augustine, Savannah and Charleston while we wait for the weather to warm up back in Toronto!
So now the next and final part of our winter trip has begun. We are driving up the east coast visiting lovely historic towns, like St. Augustine, Savannah and Charleston while we wait for the weather to warm up back in Toronto!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Back at 'home base' - Ft. Pierce
We are now back at our dock in Ft. Pierce. It's calm here at the marina, but the Atlantic seas outside the Ft. Pierce inlet are far from calm. This is surfing country and, on our beach walk yesterday, we watched with envy as lines of surfers waited for that perfect wave to carry them triumphantly into the beach. Bill and I enjoyed surfing many years ago in Cape Town. Could we get back into 'the scene'? Maybe not!
Since I last wrote we've spent almost a week at a mooring in Ft. Lauderdale. We bought ourselves some beach chairs and would walk over to the beach late each afternoon and swim in the silky, warm ocean. We caught the bus into the town, and also took the water-taxi excursion to 'Hollywood'- just six miles south of Ft. Pierce.
We had heard that Hollywood was very different from the busy metropolis of Lauderdale. With very few high rise buildings, and millions spent on a spectacular, miles long 'Broadwalk' along the beach, it was rated as being definitely worth a look. Well, one look was enough for us! Yes, there is a spectacular and very busy beach fringed by a beautiful brick pathway and restaurants, but it doesn't quite make it! So we had a good lunch at 'Georgios' restaurant on the ICW, and were very pleased we did our Hollywood research by water taxi, rather than bringing 'Southern Vectis' down to find a dock there.
The weather had become unsettled and thundery by the time we decided to move north to Lake Worth and Palm Beach, so we decided to brave the 18 bridges on the ICW rather than getting caught in a storm going outside. It's a long trip - about 10 hours of trying to catch, and sometimes missing, 18 bridge-opening times. We made it finally to our usual anchorage in Old Palm Cove at the north end of the Lake Worth. We had planned to shop for food the next day, but this was not to be. The forecast was for 6-10 knot winds. That day we had 30 - 32 knot winds which whipped up the water so much that, unless you wanted to get soaked, going ashore on the dinghy was not an option. So we, and the other boats at anchor, waited it out until the following day, when the weather forecast for a calm day came true!
After three days at anchor, we made the decision to move straight on to Ft. Pierce and our 'home base' of Harbortown Marina. We looked forward to being tied up snugly to a dock, to enjoying the swimming pool, our car and, of course, the 'Harbor Cove' waterfront Tiki Bar. So here we are. We have met up with Mike, our musical friend from the Bahamas and Key West, and also with Al and Maggie, who were also here in January. Each day more boats are coming in, either on their way north, or to be hauled out for the summer. We've driven north to Vero Beach, and plan to drive south to the lovely town of Stuart. There's lots to do and see. This morning we went to the downtown Farmer's Market, and this evening there is a Boaters' Pot Luck Supper. We'll have an evening out with Fruji and John, joint grandparents of Leo, Orson and Simon, on Tuesday. We are not sure when we'll set off to drive home up the east coast. At the moment we are happy to be enjoying life in the sun.
Monday, April 11, 2011
'Au revoir' Margaritaville
We sailed away from Boot Key Harbour on Saturday 2nd April. It was the day of the 'end of season' BBQ, but we couldn't linger. We had two long days with 100 miles of Atlantic waters to cover before the next storm was due, and if you don't have a definite plan of action in the Keys you could end up staying forever!
The seas were fairly smooth, and a calm night at our half-way point anchorage was forecast. As usual on this trip, the wind was on our nose. Nine hours of motor-sailing later we reached Rodriguez Key along with others making the same trek back to civilization. We anchored in the same spot as on our trip down and had a lovely evening swimming off the boat and barbecuing our favourite dinner of lamb chops. As we came in to anchor we had seen large rays jumping out of the water, turtles sunning themselves and dolphins swimming along beside us. While we were swimming a large ray launched itself out of the water quite close by and had us scurrying to get back on board!
Another day, another 9 hours of motor-sailing and we arrived at Dinner Key Marina,Coconut Grove, Miami. En route, some friends took their boat outside the Hawk Channel reefs and snagged a huge fish - only to have a shark snatch it from the line as they were hauling it in! They ate what was left on the line!
As usual we enjoyed our stay in Miami. We did a mixture of staying at a dock, mooring and anchoring. It was, and is, very hot. So much hotter than last year. On what must have been a 30F day with high humidity, we decided to take what we had been told was a short walk to a lovely estate called 'Viscaya', on the bay 'close' to the marina. Well, 23 blocks later we made it...just. But it was well worth
it.
The Italianate mansion had been built by a leader of commerce, James Deering, as a winter home in the early part of the last century. The owner's shopping sprees in Europe had resulted in an eclectic and rather excessive (for modern tastes) collection of baroque furniture and decorative items dating from the 16th to the 19th century. The gardens were formal and dotted with brides having their photographs taken. Strangely enough, we didn't spot any grooms!! Were they all hiding inside Viscaya's dark and air-conditioned halls?
While in Coconut Grove we also went for dinner with our friends', Fraser and Edi's, daughter, Sune. It was good to catch up with the soon-to-be graduate of Miami University.
The next night we went to an outdoor concert at the 'Barnacle Park', also in Coconut Grove. We bought two collapsible beach chairs earlier in the day, and armed with these and a picnic packed in our cooler, we struggled through the heat of the early evening, with only a short stop to take advantage of the 'Ladies Night' free champagne at our favourite 'Greenstreet' watering hole. It was a perfect evening in the grounds of the oldest house in Coconut Grove, on the shores of the bay. The music was a mix of folk, blues and blue-grass, and the audience was a mix of all ages. All the children had so much fun running beside the bay as the moon came out and their parents grew mellow.
Yesterday - April 10 - we motor-sailed yet again up to Fort Lauderdale. It was so hot that we decided to pick up one of the mooring balls conveniently placed just off Fort Lauderdale harbour, and spent the afternoon swimming. As the sun set we came through the bridge and were lucky enough to find an empty mooring ball at Los Olas.
We'll be here for a few days to take advantage of the lovely beach. Must finish now as we are off for a swim!
The seas were fairly smooth, and a calm night at our half-way point anchorage was forecast. As usual on this trip, the wind was on our nose. Nine hours of motor-sailing later we reached Rodriguez Key along with others making the same trek back to civilization. We anchored in the same spot as on our trip down and had a lovely evening swimming off the boat and barbecuing our favourite dinner of lamb chops. As we came in to anchor we had seen large rays jumping out of the water, turtles sunning themselves and dolphins swimming along beside us. While we were swimming a large ray launched itself out of the water quite close by and had us scurrying to get back on board!
Another day, another 9 hours of motor-sailing and we arrived at Dinner Key Marina,Coconut Grove, Miami. En route, some friends took their boat outside the Hawk Channel reefs and snagged a huge fish - only to have a shark snatch it from the line as they were hauling it in! They ate what was left on the line!
As usual we enjoyed our stay in Miami. We did a mixture of staying at a dock, mooring and anchoring. It was, and is, very hot. So much hotter than last year. On what must have been a 30F day with high humidity, we decided to take what we had been told was a short walk to a lovely estate called 'Viscaya', on the bay 'close' to the marina. Well, 23 blocks later we made it...just. But it was well worth
it.
The Italianate mansion had been built by a leader of commerce, James Deering, as a winter home in the early part of the last century. The owner's shopping sprees in Europe had resulted in an eclectic and rather excessive (for modern tastes) collection of baroque furniture and decorative items dating from the 16th to the 19th century. The gardens were formal and dotted with brides having their photographs taken. Strangely enough, we didn't spot any grooms!! Were they all hiding inside Viscaya's dark and air-conditioned halls?
While in Coconut Grove we also went for dinner with our friends', Fraser and Edi's, daughter, Sune. It was good to catch up with the soon-to-be graduate of Miami University.
The next night we went to an outdoor concert at the 'Barnacle Park', also in Coconut Grove. We bought two collapsible beach chairs earlier in the day, and armed with these and a picnic packed in our cooler, we struggled through the heat of the early evening, with only a short stop to take advantage of the 'Ladies Night' free champagne at our favourite 'Greenstreet' watering hole. It was a perfect evening in the grounds of the oldest house in Coconut Grove, on the shores of the bay. The music was a mix of folk, blues and blue-grass, and the audience was a mix of all ages. All the children had so much fun running beside the bay as the moon came out and their parents grew mellow.
Yesterday - April 10 - we motor-sailed yet again up to Fort Lauderdale. It was so hot that we decided to pick up one of the mooring balls conveniently placed just off Fort Lauderdale harbour, and spent the afternoon swimming. As the sun set we came through the bridge and were lucky enough to find an empty mooring ball at Los Olas.
We'll be here for a few days to take advantage of the lovely beach. Must finish now as we are off for a swim!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Blue days and 'Parrotdise' in Newfound Harbour
Leaving Key West - blue skies - light breeze - the strains of the 'Star Spangled Banner' floating in the air, plus the aromas of coffee and cigars. It's always best to leave with good memories intact, and to look forward to the next visit.
We motor-sailed out into the Hawk Channel for our 30 mile trip to Newfound Harbour. We'd spent one night there on our outbound journey and, as the weather forecast was for calm, warm days into the foreseeable future, we decided to treat ourselves to an experience that would be the exact opposite of Key West. There was one other boat on the horizon as we slowly and carefully navigated through the shallows. It was 'Jumasi', our neighbour from Key West with Martin & Sigida from Ontario.
Newfound Harbour is large and enclosed by Big Pine Key, Little Torch Key and Ramrod Key among many others. Upon our arrival Martin & Sigida told us about the two local 'watering holes' - 'Parrotdise' and a Tiki Bar. We made an arrangement to dinghy together to find the Tiki Bar, and then chugged around the bay to explore. Of course, we couldn't resist taking a look at 'Parrotdise'. It didn't look at all exciting viewed from the end of the long and rather rickety pier where we tied up. But we were out to explore, and so made our way towards the salmon pink/parrot pink barn-like structure. Imagine our surprise when, upon stepping inside, we were greeted by cries of, "Here comes Lake Ontario", by the large crowd at the bar. We were so stunned by this reception, and mistakenly thought these must be boaters we had met somewhere en route (Remembering names and faces is not one of our srengths!). As we chatted to this animated bunch we realised two things - that $1 Happy Hour beers had been flowing for a couple of hours, and secondly that Bill's T-shirt had had a large map of Lake Ontario prominently displayed on the front of it! With promises to return the next day...and the next and the next...we dinghied back to Southern Vectis before setting off on our trip to the local Tiki Bar with Martin & Sigida.
Our voyage of discovery took us right across the bay - about two miles - and in through an extremely narrow channel bordered by razor sharp rocks just waiting to test their edges on tender dinghies like ours. As we entered the channel a boat full of young people (polite description) came screaming outbound on a power boat, and almost hit Martin & Sigida's dinghy. Undaunted, (or maybe slightly daunted) we carried on, and soon found ourselves in a long, dank, and seemingly endless canal to nowhere. At this point, Bill remembered we had forgotten to bring our lights for the return after sunset! To cut a long story short, we found the Tiki Bar - it was right beside the busy highway - and had a nice meal eaten fairly quickly due to the fading light. We may have broken a few speeding rules on our way back down the canal in the encroaching darkness, but we all breathed a sigh of relief when we got out into the open harbour and could just about make out Jumasi and Southern Vectis in the last glow of the day.
The weather for the next two days was perfect - 30C each day with clear blue skies. We swam and explored, and didn't miss a single Happy Hour at 'Parrotdise'. Then, on another clear blue day, we set off for Boot Key Harbour with a lunchtime anchorage at Bahia Honda State Park. The depth at the Bahia Honda anchorage is fine, but the holding and the proximity of two huge bridges - there's a gap in the old rail bridge to allow for boat traffic - does not make for a comfortable overnight anchorage. Later that day we arrived back in Boot Key Harbour to find there was no longer a waiting list for mooring balls, and that Jumasi was bobbing on a mooring close by.
So now we have been here for the past week. We've had two major storms during that time, and it has been extremely hot and humid - at least 7F above the normal high temperature of 80F. Last year at this time the low was 58F, setting a low temperature record, and necessitating a production run of T-shirts with "I survived the winter of 2010 in Boot Key Harbour"! Maybe they'll do the same for this year with the record high temeperature of 91F and winds of 44 knots!
Many of the boats that were here when we left are still here, so it was rather like coming home - with the Monday night dinghy drift, the Wednesday get-together under the Tiki Hut, the Thursday afternoon game of 'Mexican Train' dominoes. We've enjoyed them all. We dinghied up to 'Castaways' and had a good evening out with Martin & Sigida. We've also had a few outings to the 'Dockside' bar. Tonight will be our last outing with our bikes. We sold them this morning on the Cruisers' Net, but can use them for one more night to cycle down to our favourite bar 'Salty's', for a sunset dinner and farewell to Martin & Sigida. We think we have a two day weather window to get us up to Miami before the next unsettled weather comes in. The cruisers' weather guru, Chris Parker, had both his radio antennas knocked out by a tornado last night, and today's weather, though warm and sunny, has a very unstable feel about it! We can always change our mind about going - and there's a great BBQ featuring the 'Barnacles' music group, at the Marina's Tiki Hut tomorrow!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
KEY WEST - Our Kind of Town!
Key West is definitely the end of the rainbow. Even the Atlantic changes colour from a deep and serious blue, to a bright and playful turquoise, as you near the island. Here you can stand at the southernmost point of the continental United States and gaze out across 90 miles of ocean in the direction of Cuba. Key West, often referred to as the 'Conch Republic' by the locals because of its' declaration of independence from the United States in 1982, is filled with history, charm ....and people! The latter mainly because we happened to pick March Break Week for our visit!
We took two days to travel the 50 miles here from Boot Key, Marathon. We anchored overnight in Newfound Harbour, a large and sheltered inlet about 20 miles west along the island chain from Marathon. To get into the anchorage we passed the luxurious Palm Island Resort, gazed at the pristine private beach, and noted the bikini clad figures draped languidly over the occasional beach lounger and 80 foot luxury motor yacht. We had to be very careful with the depth in the harbour. It varied from 22 feet to 3 1/2 feet - or so our depth sounder told us! (We draw 5 feet.) We still haven't had to resort to the services of 'Tow Boat U.S.', but it is comforting to know that they are out there! By the time the evening came more boats had came in to join us.
The next morning we left early and hoped we could have a good sail. Unfortunately a combination of 18 knot easterlies on our stern, and rolling 4 foot swells, made it more of a motoring day! We had booked a slip at Conch Harbour Marina, in Key West Bight. There is a large anchorage off the Bight, but we had heard so many horror stories about boats dragging anchor in this very exposed area, that we decided to splurge on a spot at a dock. As it happened it was the wrong dock, and after two nights of loud music from the monolithic motor yachts that surrounded and dwarfed us, we moved just a couple of piers along to the Key West Bight Marina. It's a city owned marina and is much more sailboat friendly! It is also in the 'Historic Seaport', an area with a boardwalk, and every kind of restaurant and bar you could wish for.
So here we are and loving every minute of it. Our perfectly blue day begins with a stirring rendition of the 'Star Spangled Banner' from the nearby Coast Guard Station, and continues with boat and people watching, strolling the shady streets, and even doing some more cycling. Then it's time to decide where we are going to watch the sunset - a big ceremony around here.
We rented bikes to take part in yet another house and garden tour - such a good way to get to know the town, see some lovely houses, and meet some locals at the same time. We were invited to a private view at a local gallery last night - art and music play an important part in the life of Key West.
During our cycling tour we visited Key West Yacht Club, chatted with some members, and had a delicious lunch. The club is tucked away in a corner of Garrison Bight, and is not a practical docking option for us due to its' 55 foot overhead wires at the entrance to the channel. (Our mast is 60 foot tall)
We have also met up with an old friend - Mike Miller. He is now living on his Hunter 380, 'Norma Fay' at a nearby marina, and kindly gave us a copy of his latest CD, 'My Life Ain't For Beginners'. Mike entertained a group of sailors taking refuge in Orchid Bay Marina, in the Abacos, with his great music a couple of years' ago. He is a single-handed sailor most of the time, and leads a very adventurous life. (Makes our adventures sound tame!)
One of the wharfs here is named Schooner Wharf and is home to a fleet of beautifully restored old schooners - the largest and most majestic of which is the 130 foot 'Western Union'. These lovely boats take would-be sailors on sunset or moonlight cruises (the full moon seems to be a permanent fixture in the clear night sky around here!) We love to watch the returning mast lights floating serenely towards the harbour as the pink sky changes to indigo and the stars and moon come out.
We have decided that this will be our furthest port of call on this trip, and that we'll start retracing our steps...slowly....once we leave here. Each stop along the way has been good, and we'll probably add some new ones on the way back up to Fort Pierce.
Just as an aside....we listen each day to BBC World News on our satellite radio and feel that we, and all our fellow boaters floating around in paradise, are so lucky.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
The Social Network - Boot Key style!
We're still here on our mooring ball in Boot Key Harbour thinking we may leave tomorrow....but then again, maybe the day after.
We have been busy with all the activities going on at the marina and in the town. Last weekend we cycled eight miles on the Marathon Garden Club's House and Garden tour. We visited a palm-fringed private island, and some beautiful homes, plus the gardens of a church. Afterwards we ducked into 'The Island Seafood Restaurant' to recover from our exertions.
We had fun diving into the warm waves at the nearby Sombrero Beach (three mile bike ride!) We also whiled away a huge storm playing a game of Mexican Train dominoes. The storm clouds, which had only just appeared on the horizon, turned into a full blown, 50 mile and hour rain, wind and thunder storm within the time it took Bill and I to have a shower at the marina! Luckily the boat was all closed up! We had an enjoyeable afternoon playing 'Mexican Train' with fellow stranded cruisers, and found our boat in one piece once the storm had blown away!
This weekend is the Marathon Seafood Festival. Yesterday we ate our fill of stone crab claws (they grow back, so we are told!), lobsters, oysters, conch and shrimps, wandered through the art and craft stalls, and listened to some good music in the warm sunshine.
Later that evening we dinghied to 'Dockside', a recently re-opened harbourside bar, and met up with Wayne and Patti, who we'd met in Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Wayne is from Port Credit and his boat, 'Mirthin', is a Nonsuch 30.
Last but not least, I should tell the story of the 'Dinghy Drift' that took place in the harbour last Monday - a perfect evening. This is a new form of sport - maybe it could be considered for the Olympics one day! The aim is to get a group of dinghies strung together and filled with cruisers, snacks and beverages, and to just drift as the sun sets and the stars come out. We all had fun, and managed to keep out of the chanel and not drift into too many moored boats. One 'drifter' put a video of the event on YouTube.
Next news update from Key West....we hope!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Paradise on hold
We're still in Boot Key Harbour, Marathon, sitting out a few days of what our weather guru, Chris Parker, describes as "ridiculous" winds! Not sure if it's a cold front or a huge high pressure system - (I really must read my Christmas present from Bill - "The Coastal and Offshore Weather Essential Handbook")- but whatever it is has made for some wet dinghy rides across the harbour! Luckily it's still warm and the sun still shines!
Looking out at all the boats this morning as a 28 knot gust shrieks through the rigging is rather like watching the beginning of a yacht race with all the contenders jockeying for position. Hopefully none of them actually starts!
There are so many reefs that run along the Keys on both the Atlantic and Florida Bay side and that means lots of snorkelling and diving opportunities. On Tuesday Bill and I went on a snorkelling trip out to the Sombrero Key Light, about six miles off Marathon. We had a wonderful afternoon - saw lots of brilliantly coloured fish and coral.
We'll probably move on towards Key West some time next week, weather permitting, if we don't get too comfortable here!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Another sunny day with palm trees
The sun rises at around 6:45 a.m. in this part of the world, and you can't miss it. The pale night sky changes gradually through purple and pink to the deepest blue, and that's it for the day. So, when the last to get out of bed asks, "What kind of day is it?", the answer is invariably, "Just another sunny day with palm trees". This is how the day begins aboard 'Southern Vectis' in the Keys.
But to backtrack a little, we enjoyed our stay at Dinner Key in Biscayne Bay. After six days at a dock we moved out to a mooring in the the large mooring area which stretches out into the bay from the marina's barrier islets. It is very exposed if the wind is blowing from the north and east, and this can mean a very wet dinghy ride to and from the boat. This year we were lucky with the weather!
We also spent an anxious morning at Rickenbacker Marina nearby, watching nervously as our electrician was hauled up the mast, not once, but twice. This was not to install any particularly critical piece of equipment, but to change our TV receiver to a digital one! Bill thinks this was critical and I am reserving my judgement, particularly as, at our present location half way down the Keys, we can find only two channels! (So sad, as I was desperate to see Oscar Night - or to be truthful - to see Colin Firth receive his awards for 'The King's Speech'!)
While in Miami we also met up with our RCYC friends, Bob & Carole, who were now in Miami. We had two good days together, firstly taking in the action at South Beach, where they were staying in a most interesting loft, and secondly experiencing the delights of Biscayne Bay from the land and the water.
RCYC has reciprocal provileges at Key Biscayne Yacht Club, so we met Carole and Bob there for the most delicious brunch I've had for years! (Or maybe it just tasted delicious after days of 'boat cooking'!) Then we dinghied out to 'Southern Vectis', which we'd brought over to the nearby anchorage, and had a good sail on the turquoise waters of the bay. It was a perfect day and lovely to get together with them.
That weekend we also took in the 'Coconut Grove Art Festival' - very busy!
We set off from Miami for the two day run south to the Keys on Tuesday 22 February. From before dawn the purring of engines and half whispers and shouts of crews could be heard as the exodus occasioned by a 'weather window' got going. Most boats were heading for the Bahamas, and we spoke on the radio to Marnie and Doug as they set off for Bimini.
We had 50 miles to travel each day to reach our destination of Marathon. Our overnight, after nine hours mostly motoring, was spent in the lee of Rodriguez Key with other boats going or coming from the Keys. It was a perfectly still night and, because the stars had no competition, the sky looked like a pin cushion of dark velvet studded with gold.
The next day we arrived in Boot Harbour, Marathon, the halfway point between Key Largo and Key West. We had hoped to get a mooring in the 250 boat mooring area run by the Boot Harbour City Marina but we were out of luck, so spent the first two nights tied up to the wall at the Marina. This had advantages and disadvantages: we did get to meet a lot people as they wandered by, or at the two parties that took place the first two days - a 'Welcome Party' and a 'Wine Knot' party. The disadvantage was that it was as busy as Union Station at rush hour, and that we were docked behind the pump-out boats! Anyway, now we are happily on our mooring. It's hard to believe that boats leave so infrequently that, although we were second on the waiting list, we were lucky only to wait two days! Most cruisers we have spoken to have been here since Christmas!
We have bought ourselves two ancient bikes and are fast turning ourselves into 'Boot Harbour Bums'. The weather is perfectly perfect, and there is a musical evening at the dockside Tiki Hut tonight. So all is well in paradise.
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