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.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
The good life in Miami
Just a quick note about this blog - We have been having internet problems so have not been able to update it that often. Also, we are unable to download (upload?!) any photos to it. But we hope to get the problem fixed soon!
We sailed the outside route to Miami a week ago and anchored just to the north of Governor's Cut off the Miami Yacht Club. It was Super Bowl day so we dinghied in to the club for a casual supper. (We actually didn't stay for the game!!)
The next day Doug and Marnie, RCYC friends who have brought their trawler south for the winter, came aboard for dinner. It was a lovely warm evening, if a bit blustery. A boat moored near us broke its' anchor rope and drifted happily by, until caught by some energetic locals. That morning we had explored the canals that run behind South Beach in our dinghy, and discovered some peaceful achorages for the future.
The next day we pulled anchor and headed for lovely Biscayne Bay. It was a clear and warm day with good sailing wind, so we spent the day sailing in the bay before heading to a dock at Dinner Key Marina. We have been here ever since!
Dinner Key is in Coconut Grove, which is an area which reminds us a little of the Beaches in Toronto. We met up with Marnie and Doug again on Friday to drink the free 'Ladies Night' champagne at 'Green Street Restaurant', and have dinner at 'Jaguar'.
Tonight we will meet Sue, a school friend from the Isle of Wight, for dinner. Next week will be the Miami Boat Show and then the Coconut Grove Arts Festival at the end of the week. We will probably move from our dock tomorrow (Valentine's Day!) and either take a mooring or find a nearby anchorageso we can take in all the 'action'!
The past two days have been very cool with some rain! So yesterday we resorted to going to the movies. We saw 'The King's Speech'. A wonderful film - highly recommended.
We sailed the outside route to Miami a week ago and anchored just to the north of Governor's Cut off the Miami Yacht Club. It was Super Bowl day so we dinghied in to the club for a casual supper. (We actually didn't stay for the game!!)
The next day Doug and Marnie, RCYC friends who have brought their trawler south for the winter, came aboard for dinner. It was a lovely warm evening, if a bit blustery. A boat moored near us broke its' anchor rope and drifted happily by, until caught by some energetic locals. That morning we had explored the canals that run behind South Beach in our dinghy, and discovered some peaceful achorages for the future.
The next day we pulled anchor and headed for lovely Biscayne Bay. It was a clear and warm day with good sailing wind, so we spent the day sailing in the bay before heading to a dock at Dinner Key Marina. We have been here ever since!
Dinner Key is in Coconut Grove, which is an area which reminds us a little of the Beaches in Toronto. We met up with Marnie and Doug again on Friday to drink the free 'Ladies Night' champagne at 'Green Street Restaurant', and have dinner at 'Jaguar'.
Tonight we will meet Sue, a school friend from the Isle of Wight, for dinner. Next week will be the Miami Boat Show and then the Coconut Grove Arts Festival at the end of the week. We will probably move from our dock tomorrow (Valentine's Day!) and either take a mooring or find a nearby anchorageso we can take in all the 'action'!
The past two days have been very cool with some rain! So yesterday we resorted to going to the movies. We saw 'The King's Speech'. A wonderful film - highly recommended.
Friday, February 4, 2011
SETTING OFF
It's sometimes hard to leave a dock, not for any mechanical reasons, but simply because it feels a little like leaving home. We spent nine days re-commissioning Southern Vectis at Fort Pierce and, during that time, got to know some very friendly fellow boaters. When we finally cast off on a chilly but brilliantly blue day (27 January) we were sorry to say goodbye to all our friendly and helpful neighbours: Doug and Marlene from Nova Scotia, Jay from South Carolina, Al and Maggie from Vero Beach and Keith and Helen who were living on their boat high and dry in the marine yard awaiting repairs.
For our first sail in sunny southern Florida we dressed in layers of warm fleece sweaters, topped off with foul weather coats, not to forget the thick socks. We would have worn gloves, but couldn't find them! But is was a lovely day and we were pleased to be able to test our newly remodelled sail as we made our leisurely passage south to our first night's anchorage at Peck Lake, an inlet off the ICW just south of Stuart. Maybe it was because of the chilly temperatures, but the only other boats we saw were from Canada: Toronto, Penetanguishene, and Kingston. They waved GLOVED hands and we were envious!
Peck lake is a peaceful anchorage, and we celebrated the first night of our 2011 adventure with a steak barbecue and a nice bottle of wine. We even managed to get finished and below decks before the pesky 'no-seeums' - biting sand fleas - came out in force!
The next day we made it to the north anchorage at Lake Worth where we spent a couple of nights. The weather had warmed up, and we re-visited a favourite haunt - The Rum Bar - just beside the ICW at the PGA bridge, and spent a profitable morning shopping in Steinmart - profitable for Steinmart, that is! (Steinmart is Winners slightly more upmarket 'older sister')
We decided that we couldn't face the challenge of getting through the 18 bridges on the ICW between Lake Worth and Fort Lauderdale, so motor-sailed down the coast. It was a lovely warm day and we timed it just right, entering the Lauderdale inlet just before a group of six giant cruise ships got up steam and headed out into the Atlantic! We spent that night at a favourite anchorage - Lake Sylvia. The next day we moved a little way north to see if there were any free moorings at Las Olas Marina - usually they are hard to find. But this time we were lucky - there were six free because there had been a mass exodus to catch the 'weather windows' to the Bahamas over the past few days. We grabbed one and have been here ever since. We can use all the facilities of the marina, and the beach and shops are a two minute walk away. The weather has been lovely - no cold fronts for almost two weeks, which means very calm southerly breezes. In previous years we've sat out gales here. Each day we walk on the icing-sugar beach, have a cappucino at 'H2O' or a happy hour drink at 'Casablanca'. Air temperature 27C; water temperature 27C. We hear Toronto has had a lot of snow!
For our first sail in sunny southern Florida we dressed in layers of warm fleece sweaters, topped off with foul weather coats, not to forget the thick socks. We would have worn gloves, but couldn't find them! But is was a lovely day and we were pleased to be able to test our newly remodelled sail as we made our leisurely passage south to our first night's anchorage at Peck Lake, an inlet off the ICW just south of Stuart. Maybe it was because of the chilly temperatures, but the only other boats we saw were from Canada: Toronto, Penetanguishene, and Kingston. They waved GLOVED hands and we were envious!
Peck lake is a peaceful anchorage, and we celebrated the first night of our 2011 adventure with a steak barbecue and a nice bottle of wine. We even managed to get finished and below decks before the pesky 'no-seeums' - biting sand fleas - came out in force!
The next day we made it to the north anchorage at Lake Worth where we spent a couple of nights. The weather had warmed up, and we re-visited a favourite haunt - The Rum Bar - just beside the ICW at the PGA bridge, and spent a profitable morning shopping in Steinmart - profitable for Steinmart, that is! (Steinmart is Winners slightly more upmarket 'older sister')
We decided that we couldn't face the challenge of getting through the 18 bridges on the ICW between Lake Worth and Fort Lauderdale, so motor-sailed down the coast. It was a lovely warm day and we timed it just right, entering the Lauderdale inlet just before a group of six giant cruise ships got up steam and headed out into the Atlantic! We spent that night at a favourite anchorage - Lake Sylvia. The next day we moved a little way north to see if there were any free moorings at Las Olas Marina - usually they are hard to find. But this time we were lucky - there were six free because there had been a mass exodus to catch the 'weather windows' to the Bahamas over the past few days. We grabbed one and have been here ever since. We can use all the facilities of the marina, and the beach and shops are a two minute walk away. The weather has been lovely - no cold fronts for almost two weeks, which means very calm southerly breezes. In previous years we've sat out gales here. Each day we walk on the icing-sugar beach, have a cappucino at 'H2O' or a happy hour drink at 'Casablanca'. Air temperature 27C; water temperature 27C. We hear Toronto has had a lot of snow!
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