Thursday, August 20, 2009

My 1st Florida Keys trip via sailboat


This doesn't make sense chronologically.. Blogger is setup to read like a diary so that the most recent entry shows 1st. For a story like this it reads best in the opposite order. They won't change it.
So please go to the archives on the left & then read from the bottom of the page up.
To get the full story it should all start back in January.
 & start reading there.
Then the whole story will be laid out chronologically.
Thanks
~Cap'nMike


Jan 12th, 2009
Hi, as some of you know I'll soon embark on a trip to the Florida Keys. How I'm getting there, however, is a bit out of the ordinary. I've never been one to do things in the conventional manner so for this trip to the Keys I'll be sailing there from Norfolk Virginia.... and can't wait!!

Ty, a good friend of mine, will be along for the trip. He has made this trip before so it will be safer and I'll have someone to BS with during the trip.

Several close phriends and family have asked me to document the trip so I'll be making at least one entry/day.
... so put on a life jacket, sit down & enjoy the trip =]

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Home home HOME

I saw Mikaela today, had lunch with her and Lisa.
"MO" is back on the boat!
I saw Ty last night & had burgers with him.
All's good now.
I hope you enjoyed the 2,400 mile trip.
This trip is done, stick a shrimp fork in it ;P

Friday, August 14, 2009

..a day or 2, lol more like 4 in Oriental

Well I finally left Oriental. I had to wait until the last of my funds transferred before I could restock. Now I am at the foot of the Albermarle Sound. It'll be a 20 mile crossing which I could have done today but I had already done 44 miles & weather set in. Out in the sound is not a good place to be in foul weather. So here I sit, on the edge of reception (I had none yesterday, last night nor this morning) waiting to do the final day. By tomorrow evening I will be in my home waters!
I sit 81 miles from Norfolk but tomorrow I'm stopping in Chesapeake to see my daughter, yay!
This morning was grueling. I was in a long boring canal. The only excitement was seeing a Bald Eagle & a black bear which swam across the canal in front of me.
I can't wait to get this part of the trip over with..

Friday, August 7, 2009

181.5 to go

I'm in Oriental, NC..
Not long to go now. I'll spend a day or 2 here to restock, work on the dinghy & recharge.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

North Carolina =] & feelin better..

Getting closer to my sweeetie Mikaela!! I can't wait-
310 miles to go. I'll really be glad when the trip is over, I've developed a leak at the prop shaft.. Actually it's supposed to leak a bit to cool it but this leak is more then a little, lol. No biggie, I just have to keep an extra eye on one more thing!!

edit: I'm sitting here looking at the full moon having a few vodka cranberries & watching the Southport, NC lighthouse go around as I'm listening to the Jimmy Buffett concert on www.RadioMargaritaville.com..
It hit me when Son of a Son of a Sailor came on how fortunate I am... this as the last few days have been rather "trying" at best..
By the way, I'm a Son of a Daughter of a Sailor *wink*
The song playing now, "What if the Hokey Pokey is all it's about?!" puts it all in perspective
LOL!!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Less than 500 miles to go

I made it to this anchorage just after dusk..
487 miles to go =]
Tomorrow I hope to see some friends in Charleston, I'm just South of there!

edit: I spent the night in Charleston Harbor. Yesterday was a short day- only 17 miles.
I had hoped to see phriends here but a terrifically terrible thunderstorm and a 3rd torrential downpour of the day ended those hopes. Today I have to continue on.
I hope to be in Myrtle Beach by Friday.

I'll have to start working on my "new" Avon hard bottomed dinghy.
It leaks air but, hey, I got it for a bottle of rum & a 12 pack of coke, lol.
Once I get to Myrtle beach I'll unload Scott's stuff which includes the kayaks so I'll need the dinghy operational by then.
470 miles to go =]
PS- HI! to any Chesapeake Sailers from the Yahoo group who may stop by to read about my trip & "what a long strange trip its been"

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Georgia Border!

Since my last post I left my parents house, they were preparing to go camping in St Augustine. My Mom sailed with me to St Aug; a day and a half sail. It was great to have her along for part of the journey! She really had fun =]

I pulled into the St Aug Municipal Marina (after waiting 3 hours for my Dad, lol) fueled up, got water and just missed the bridge opening... Mom jumped off, the dockmaster then shushed me off as a local fishing tournament was getting underway.
Finally I anchored in the same spot I did on the way down, after waiting for a powerboater to get a tow as he was anchored in my spot, lol!
PS I'm still unemployed, 'please' click on the ads on the LEFT to help defray costs, food, fuel..
I chilled the whole next day awaiting word from my brother, if he was going to fly in to meet me or not. Not yet.. So the next day I set sail alone heading North to our family reunion. I had a great day sailing but as I hit my mark for an anchorage I ran aground- at almost HIGH tide! I'll have to email the writer of my ICW Anchorage guide about that!! I was stuck good! There was a strong current & about a 5' difference from high to low tide! So I dropped the anchor where I was and prepared SunRunner to lay on her side. As the tide ran out I adjusted stuff before and after they fell as she leaned over 22°, a new personal record! LOL


Once she layed down I knew she was alright as the water was 1' below the rub rail.
By the way, the anchor was now on dry land. Well, when life hands you limes...
you make margaritas =D I scraped the entire starboard side free of barnacles AND changed the zinc anode on the propeller shaft since it was on the surface ;)
At 12:56AM it was high tide & she was upright again. I moved her a bit forward- a bit back, etc for over an hour. Finally I kayaked the anchor out at a 45° angle from the bow to help winch her around pointed towards deeper water. I had gotten her free but she got stuck again- lightly- as I was turning to get out of there.
The kayak/anchor trick worked. I winched in the chain & she turned & floated free =D
Today (Tuesday i think) I hit my mark, sailed most of the day, fueled up & went into town at Fernandina Beach, for a few groceries. Tonight all is good, I had chili w/ steak chunks and crackers, along with a few Cubra Libras ;P

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Recharging at Mom & Dad's

Since arriving at my parents with Dad and Peter I've had a nice time visiting, recharging & resupplying for the next leg of the trip.
I've been sleeping in a bed- with AC & cable TV!! It's quite different then what I'm used to, lol.
Saturday afternoon I'll continue on with my journey Northward towards Hilton Head Island for a family reunion. It will be great to see everyone, especially my little brother who recently got back - safely - from Iraq.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Miami to Daytona heading home

My Dad & Peter have sailed along with me from Miami. Our destination is their home, near Daytona. We'll be there tomorrow- on July 6th. Today we sailed, out in the Atlantic again, for roughly 70 miles. We trolled for Mahi Mahi (and had a strike but didn't catch any), saw several dolphin plus an unidentified sailfish dorsal, saw a Green sea turtle with barnacles on its' back, came back inside from the Atlantic at Cape Canaveral, entered a lock and was then slapped by a Manatee. I was only going about 1.5 knots when Peter yelled out (from the bow) Manatee! This was just as we entered the Canaveral Lock- so the Manatee was in the lock! LOL. There was a group of onlookers who all must have thought I hit it but Peter said it passed in front of us then dove & actually slapped SunRunner with its' tail!
I was really shook up until I learned I did Not hit it..
Finally we anchored at dusk & had dinner followed by a celebratory Mango Margarita.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Fort Lauderdale

That's where my Dad, his friend & I are.
We sailed out of Miami port to the ocean side & skipped a dozen bridges- my plan since hitting all of those bridges on the way down (38 in 2 days!).
I saw flying fish today and a stingray twice the size of a garbage can lid which jumped completely out of the water about 20 feet from the boat.
Tomorrow we will go back outside in the Atlantic & shoot for Fort Pierce.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

To Do List for Next time

Visit No Name Key (and pub) & learn more about alternative energy (key of 50'sh houses w/ no commercial power available!)
-Anchor in Key west
-visit dolphin and turtle centers
-Gilberts/ Largo
-African Queen charter
-Lorelies/ Islamorada
-Hurricane, Dockside tiki/ marathon
-Sombrero
-John Pennekamp park

Monday, June 29, 2009

Still slowly heading North..

I'm dragging my feet so to speak, so I can pick my Dad & his friend up in Miami...
Everybody has a cousin in Miami ;D (song reference again)
Here in Key Largo where I had planned on stopping for a few days anyway, I unloaded the scooter & went exploring.
I stumbled on the fact that THE African Queen's home is Key Largo. Sooo I HAD to see her & I did!! I also experienced a family of manatees close up & in the wild!
Today I left Gilbert's Marina. I'll surely miss the AC power and pool & tiki bar, etc...!
I didn't go far since bad nasty storms (like last weeks) are in the forecast for Biscayne Bay, which is about 15 miles North of here. I'm "holed up" in a river lined by Mangrove trees, an ole' trick since the water is deep right up to them and they act as a wind buffer & a soft bumper ;D
Finally I want to send a shout out to a pair of Brothers from Tampa who were in the resort which my boat was docked at; right in front of their room.
Hi Paul & Mike!!
What a cool pair of bro's; reminds me of my siblings :D
I truly enjoyed your company. I hope I didn't talk yur ear off!! lol
Peace out for now~

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Part TWO to day 1............

OK, so right after I posted that last post all hell broke loose!
A big storm whipped up, by big I'm talking 40 knot winds!
It was horrendous, I lost my fishing net and a kayak paddle.
The bimini top (over the cockpit) tore off (I saved it but it's ruined) and most everything else got soaked. SunRunner was tied to a mooring ball....
....but the line from it SNAPPED!!! 8^0
I had the motor running, as I do in any bad storm and I'm glad I did!
I thought the mooring anchor had dragged but at the worst point of the storm I was less then 50 feet from Shell Key!!!!!!! I turned HARD to Starboard and punched the throttle to get away from the key and also to put my nose into the waves so the boat wouldn't get swamped. From there I was in a very shallow area but had very little control.
Finally, after 30-40 minutes of this (wondering if my ship-my house was about to be lost) the winds started to abate but I was aground in mud. My depth gauge showed 0'
The next day, after trying all tricks in the book to get unstuck) I called Tow boat US & the same guy pulled me out again. Shell key is right around the corner from Islamorada where we saw the shark (when we were stuck,lol).
So yesterday was mostly a repair the boat and nerves kinda day but SunRunner still did about 25 miles & is now at Key Largo @ around Statute Mile 1138.

Thr trip home started at SM 1200 and will end at SM "0" ... Norfolk

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Day 1 of the Journey home

I left on the Spring equinox & now am returning just after the Summer Solstice.
Sunday I readied the boat, she's in better shape then when I started down.
Monday I had intended on leaving but a rookie mistake delayed me a day, I didn't check the tides. This is pretty important when you have to drive a 525 pound scooter onto the back of your boat ;D
Nonetheless, I stayed at Poncho's Fuel Dock. Cap't Jack, the proprietor, was very gracious. He filled SunRunner up with ice and water for free & let me stay tied to his dock overnight since a storm was rolling in. I showered after dark with his garden hose (he said too.. lol) went to dinner at a nice restaurant (Castaways) and slept in a cool boat mosquito free..
Today I casted off at 7:30AM and sailed at around 5.2 knots with no motor running.
Then at around 11:30 a storm kicked up with 3' waves & 25 mph winds, I dropped the sails, lit the fire in the engine & motored thru it. I stopped at "Shell Key" for the night- just South of Islamorada @ 3:53 after doing 40 miles.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Went Cruisin today

Some friends & I went for a cruise (no wind for sailin')
We had a GREAT time. Saw a turtle which, at 1st looked like a floating body but as we got closer was definitly a big spotted sea turtle. Tomorrow I plan on visiting the 'Turtle Hospital'. Anyway, we motored out to Sombrero Key/Light which is right on the edge of the reef. There were tons of boats as the fishing, diving and snorkeling is great there!
After that we motored back towards Sombrero Beach, stopped halfway, cooked cheeseburgers [in paradise]dove off the boat, snorkeled and scraped a bunch of barnacles of SunRunner's bottom and prop then sailed home as we wtched a cool sunset.
OH yeah!! Tis afternoon on the way to Sombrero Light we saw a water spout!!!!!
...gearing up for the journey North...

Monday, June 8, 2009

Incommunicato- I was..


My phone finally stopped charging so I finally called my carrier for a replacement (still under warranty = yay). So that's where I was, safe n sound but w/out a phone.
I've been exploring different keys (uninhabited ones) and have had some great times snorkeling under the boat, watching stingrays and tarpon & beachcombing.
Today "Brokefin" the dolphin was lazily chasing fish near my boat. He chased one right up to the boat, 2 feet from me! Then the fish (about 10" long) started trying to swim circles around the dolphin to escape. Brokefin was actually on his back (kind of like standing up) swimming in circles playing cat and mouse with the fish! All this happened so close to me it was amazing!
Tomorrow or the next day (depending on weather) I'll be going to another key for a few days, molasses key. I have to finish scraping the barnacles off the bottom and I need to clean the prop too..
Plus I still haven't found a conch shell..
Each night at Sunset you can hear conch shell horns being blown to celebrate the end of another day in paradise =]

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Day 25

No rescue/ search party has been sighted as of yet. I have an elaborate escape route planned in case they are sighted, lol! Send more limes.

I can't believe I've been here only 25 days, seems like much longer.
I woke up to the chirpings of an eagle who was perched atop my mast.
Pretty cool! Yesterday I saw a spotted stingray lazily swim by, I love the live nature show I've been treated to here.
I discovered a mission house yesterday where you can eat, fill up water tanks, shower and do laundry for free! ...Bonus!
Last night the wind was pretty still= a warm night. But luckily it was mosquito free due to a few improvements to my defenses.
Today's going to be busy, I'll need to make 2 trips to the grocery store to get 4 blocks of ice & some meats for grilling. TTFN

Monday, May 25, 2009

Peace Captain Tony


This graffiti on the bathroom wall at Captain Tony's almost gave me an anxiety attack!
I can hardly listen to the song now, lol

Happy Memorial Day!!!

This Memorial Day is extra special with My little Bro coming home from Iraq!
~~~~~!!!Welcome home!!!~~~~~

Brokefin was back in town yesterday! *Watch the video below* At second 29 you can see his broke fin. Then at around second 44 you can hear him blow air; a sound which has me trained to grab the camera & start looking around anymore =]
I saw him and 2 other dolphins feeding. It's wild to see a wake form and little fish jumping out of the water ahead of them as they chase them.
Once they catch a fish, of any size, the dolphins sometimes flip over to eat it, pretty cool.
I'm not sure if the upcoming job will pan out. If the guy decides to do it, I'm the one to do it he said but his wife wants to go to S. America so.. we'll see.
If he doesn't decide by the 1st week of June I'll have to pass on it & start heading North. I'm kinda itching to get going anyway.
I have yet to dive for any conch, but I made it to Hemingway's house, the Southern most point, Margaritaville, Sloppy Joe's, Captain Tony's, Duval, Caroline, Mallory Sq............
Fishing hasn't been great as I'm more experienced in freshwater fishing..
I miss y'all, I'll be home soon after my families reunion =]

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Southeast of Disorder

Last night I shook the hand of the Margaritaville Mango margarita mix man & I loved it, it goes very well with tequila! (Try saying that 5x)
Then later, around 2 AM, there was a micro-burst storm. The hatch was open & everything got soaked. It was VERY windy & my inflatable raft, which I spent the day repairing the floor on, blew away into the night :(
I doubt I'll find it..

upate: I found it! more later

Monday, May 18, 2009

Local Life

I've settled into a pattern of living where I have chores that need to get done.

Each day I kayak to shore, tie up under the bridge & then scooter into town to get ice. It's 'interesting' carrying a 20 pound bag of ice on a scooter, lol. I lay it down on the floorboard and secure it with my feet =] Today's trek lacked the fun of every preceding trip I've taken. Yesterday it rained (I'll get back to that in a second) Soooo today there were gnats all over the place (on land) which made riding a scooter, well, unpleasant! So yesterday morning I fired up the grill to scramble some eggs. As it was warming up it started to rain. It rained harder then a cow peeing on a flat rock! [Thanks Sista Connie for that one!] So there I was, "being me" , wondering what to do. I could see the steam rising off the lid of the grill. Finally it occurred to me that I hadn't had a shower for a little while so I marched on out there & cooked my eggs in the rain :P It did a wonderful job of cleaning the salty sandy grime- off the boat too! It hasn't looked this nice in awhile!
Anyway, where was I... oh, also, every morning, I turn on the solar panel to trickle charge my main batteries.
Then I swap out rechargeable batteries on interior lights which have dimmed the most.
Then I go explore locally or kayak over to Boot Key & explore there.
I haven't done any hard core snorkeling yet but plan to tomorrow. Underwater camera and all! After Memorial Day weekend I plan on either moving the boat to Big Pine Key or Bahia Honda for a few days.
I've met several locals who live on their boats. Just south of the bridge I'm near are dozens of live aboards who never move their boats. I think most are pretty much indigent. I've met Cherokee, a nice kid who's parents both ride scooters too, Wolfe- who actually howled at the Moon a few weeks ago when it was full, Nomad (who's an admitted alcoholic) and toothless Larry. ... ya can't make this stuff up, LOL!
Today, as I readied to board the kayak to go get ice, the line slipped away from me & off it went! As I tossed kayak #2 into the water to retrieve it a passing power-boater noticed the kayak floating in the middle of the channel & hollered over to me, "..is this yur kayak?". I said yes & he kept motoring. I would have towed it over had the roles been reversed but that's how it is in the land of power boaters vs sailboaters >:(
What I reallllyyy wanted to say was, "welp, it was but I just like to catch and release 'em" .....

Saturday, May 16, 2009

The days drift by

They don't have names
And none of the streets here look the same
And there are so many quiet places
And smilin' eyes match the smilin' faces.

Yes, I have found me a home

My old black scooter
Gets me around To the bars and the beaches of my town


I heard that song at a bar last night ;)
Anyway, this weekend is the Keys Offshore Grand Prix.
I'll be moving the boat out to the Atlantic side so I can watch them zoooom by.
The cigarette boats will be racing around Marathon & will actually race through/under the 7 mile bridge!
Aside from that I have been working on a new electronics panel..
Very little cost, just reorganizing some wiring so it's easier & out of the way.
Also, I made a table stand that screws into the floor- down below by the couches.

Have you seen the Boot Key Harbor cam to the right?!
It's pretty groovy :) I am off to the right near the always open draw bridge.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Power consumption

Since I'm not underway everyday my batteries aren't getting a full charge.
I can't afford solar or wind generators yet so I've become very mindful of my energy consumption. Each morning I connect my (very small) solar trickle charger to the batteries. I try to use my DC to AC inverter as little as possible & have stopped turning my anchor light on as well.
To get around the anchor light I did what most everyone around me has done..
I went to Home Depot & bought 2 solar garden lamps, one for the bow & one for the stern. I was pretty happy with that. Call it Karma or synchronicity but last night, as the lights flickered on, I was sitting in my lounge chair watching the harbor go dark (and enjoying the cool breeze). Low and behold the Coast Guard came through with their blue lights flashing, telling everyone who's anchor light wasn't on, to turn them on.
I must have had a grin on my face sitting there enjoying the free energy from the Sun.
Also, to solve my need for music, I picked up a small wind up radio/flashlight for like $12 bucks at KMart. These additions compliment my little LED lights which I solely depend on for light at night. Each little light, found in a Dollar store, has rechargeable AA batteries which are recharged by my little solar battery charger.
I've lowered my "Carbon Footprint" and am always looking to lower it even more :)
Here's a picture of the charger and my "toaster" lol

Once I find another bucket I'm going to try a water desalinization trick I learned.
You put salt water in one bucket, as it evaporates and is caught under a transparent lid you drain the condensation into another bucket... Then I can use it to rinse clothes and rinse down the deck :)
"Link"

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy mom's day to all you mothers... ;)

I just got back from a 5 hour kayak trip around Boot Key.
It was a ton of fun but I'm tired!!! I saw lots of little fish & 1 big one that snapped an 8" mullet in half right in front of me, yikes!
I also saw several stingrays in the shallows of a real small island which I explored.
There was 1 dead tree on it with a rope hanging from it; very "CAST AWAY"ish
Anyway, time for some spiced-rum soaked red grapes & a nappypoo :D
PS- the vascual bridge for Boot Key is permanently "up/open". No cars visit Boot Key anymore & after I explored it I discovered that locals must have been using it as a dump, what a shame.. This was such a let down.... after picking up little pieces of trash and glass on Boot Key's barrier island I described above.

PS- I had Swordfish steaks cook on the aftdeck bbq, OMG....
OMG was it GOOOOOOOD!!!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Brokefin was in the harbor today feeding

I got some video with my phone, not sure how it will look..

Thursday, May 7, 2009

A NEW Journey's on the horizon!!

Keep a weather eye on me blog mateys..
I'm in the process of negotiating a job which will take me, via a 36' Gulfstar sailboat, to Texas after Memorial Day with a return plane ticket to here.
Stay tuned >;D for another 1100 mile journey! (I just did the math, ouch- math sucks)
PS- keep the clicks on the advertisers up please :)
They help keep me afloat ;)
This new chapter will make "The Book" even better!
(did I say book?!)
Yes family, I did the math (ouch again) <- an inside parrothead joke..
I should be back, averaging 60 miles/day= 19 days, in time for the reunion.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Happy Cinco de Mayo

I saw a pod of dolphins swim by yesterday, one had a chunk out of his fin so I named him "Brokefin" .
I'll attempt to make contact with Brokefin to see if there is any intelligent life here. LOL
Today I'm unloading the scooter at a local dock then will head out exploring.

edit: OK, Scooter is unloaded, water is fixed & filled up, I'm back at anchor...
Time to go exploring!

PS- no repeat sighting of Brokefin yet..

Sunday, May 3, 2009

We're Here! May 2nd for those parrotheads who started a poll, lol


Last night at about 8:20 PM we dropped anchor at Marathon Key!
1200 miles & now we can rest a bit. We sailed under the 7 mile bridge at sunset, I took some great pictures.
Speaking of which I'll be uploading all of my pictures soon.
I should back up a bit to Friday.. Friday we stopped at Islamorada and met some of Scott's friends at an outdoor bar and restaurant where they had live music on the beach. We kayaked up to their attached marina, tied up & had a Corona =]
It was nice to see his friends. I had met them way back in South Carolina at their marina, Myrtle Beach Yacht Club.
The kayak ride, at closing time, was really nice. I felt like a native (in the movie King Kong) paddling an outrigger out to the boat, via moonlight, to kidnap the girl from the ship. lol
The next morning we were pretty happy that it was our last traveling day!
We pulled up anchor, started off & ran aground within 5 minutes!
We were stuck bad and you are not allowed to try to "motor" off due to the protected sea grass. We tried everything in the book until we realized that if we wasted any more time we would not make it the final 35 miles to Marathon... That's why we got here after dark last night. While waiting for a tug we saw a Comerant trying his hardest to eat a fish head, a big fish head. Finally he gave up and a shark stepped in! We first thought it was a Hammerhead but the tow boat dude said they are very rare in these parts so it was most likely a "Bonnetthead", similar to a Hammerhead.
"AFTER" seeing the shark Scott tried getting off the boat (into his kayak) and busted out a quote from JAWS, "sharks in the water, kayak goes in the water, Scott goes in the kayak?!!" So I started singing the next line from the movie (we're both movie buffs).. "farewell an' adieu my fair Spanish ladies...." PS- the shark was only about 3' ;)
We wound up sticking to the "Inside" route, although boats with a 4.5' draft or less are recommended. Mine is 4.8'. It was very shallow in many areas but we made it. It was either that or fight the Atlantic in a small craft advisory... no thank you! So, we are HERE!!!!! YAY!

Saturday, May 2, 2009

18 miles to go

I'll catch up my posts tonight..
'Sailing' past 7 Mile Bride now =]

Friday, May 1, 2009

Elliott Key- Friday

There's a cut to get out to "Hawks Channel" by Elliott Key, where we anchored.
We 'were' going to slip out to the outside channel, in the Atlantic, this morning. But-
there's a small craft advisory so we will sail South within the Keys for today.
Destination unknown, we'll just put along until we see a cool beach & call it a day.
Target mileage is roughly 25 miles today- highly dependent on conditions..
Yesterday we wnt on a long Kayak trip to explore Elliott Key. I found some neet driftwood, a coconut and some friendly hermit crabs whom I left alone on there little private beach. The rest of the Key had a ranger station, a dock (for them) a fire pit and picknick table & a nature trail.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

OK, we are IN the Keys!

"Key Brickell" was the 1st Key we saw today.
Then came Virginia Key & now we are anchored just outside of Hurricane harbor which is part of Key Biscayne. Our trip today was only 9 miles but we are exactly where we want to be, besides bad weather came & went (as it does in the tropics).
Earlier we stopped to top up our fuel & water, rinsed off the salty grime from the deck and emptied our garbage. Tomorrow morning I've planned a celebratory breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast & coffee! We normally just have a banana, water & a granola bar.
For the rest of today we are going to head over to some knee deep flats in the kayaks to snorkel around & then do some fishing, from the boat, this evening.
Mikaela, I didn't see any Miami CSI helicopters ;( sorry..
lol, maybe on the trip back ;)
ttfn~

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Miami then onward

We're still in Miami, a fuel filter malfunctioned & we had to kayak ashore in the middle of Miami Beach.
With my googlemaps phone I found an Auto Zone which, after several minutes of looking, found me a replacement.... for $3 bucks- Bonus! This in the land of nightclubs and Ferrari dealerships.
So, after spending Sunday night, Monday and today in the same place, we'll be able to continue on tomorrow.
We went into total energy conservation to preserve the batteries since the engine would not start - to charge them. I even left a solar trickle charger hooked to the batteries to boost them up. Tonight I finished repairs, bled the lines & the ole girl finally started up :)
Tomorrow we will only travel 14 miles- to get to Biscayne Bay and the Cape of Florida.
But, we will be out of Miami and at the "Jump Off" point for the 2 day grand finale' for this journey! From there we will be in position to sale "outside" in the Atlantic the following day. We are in very high sprits in anticipation for the final 95 miles where we we hit le grand target of Boot Key Harbor/ Marathon Key mooring field.
That's where the scooter is unloaded & part 2 of the trip starts!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

The Canyon

From Boca Raton, through Vero-Jupiter & Palm Beach to Miami is a stretch of waterway known as the canyon.
Narrow and tall concrete walls (condos) on both sides. Apparently this is why many sailors go "outside" (into the Atlantic) to avoid all this crap.
In 2 days we've gone through 34 bridges from Boca Raton to Miami.
This area is full of rich snobs for the most part (can you tell I'm tired, LOL).
We've seen mansions that could have easily been owned by Trump or Oprah & huge yachts owned by rich and famous..
Me, I felt like Jed Clampit dragging my old ugly floating station wagon through the fanciest of areas.. Just the right incentive to bring her back to her old glory prior to the trip back :)
On a happier note, today Scott pointed out a Manatee while we were doing circles waiting for a bridge to open (some only open every 30 mmin's on the hour & some only on the quarter after & quarter of). After the bridge opened I saw a young Manatee (about 3-4') swimming towards the other!!! Too Cool!!
PS- Mom, that tray of brownies was GREAT!
We are now at Mile 1088
If weather holds (it has been beautiful!) we should end this journey in 3 days.
I have a lot of photos to post a link to- once we get there.
Oh & yahoooooooo, the SOX swept the yanks!!

Friday, April 24, 2009

1000 Miles on the ICW!

Today we hit the 1000 mile mark of this trip.
I also learned from a dear friend that JIMMY will be at mile "0" on May 5th with the today show. We will be there!
OK, so I haven't posted since my visit with my parents.
It was too rushed, I wish I could have spent more time with them, they're great parents.
Mom cooked one of my favorite meals, they ran us around so we could re-provision and then sent us off with a goody bag and tray of brownies- waving from their dock as we hoisted sails and continued our journey.
Since then we have traveled the Indian River at length & I mean forever.
Last night, at our anchorage, we witnessed a sailboat anchor where they shouldn't have & slowly their mast tilted over as the tide went out. They had to be towed off the sandbar in the morning. Anchored next to them was a party boat I can't remember the name (I'll have to post pics later to jog my memory).
So we are anchored at mile 1000.2 & today we jumped into the water soon after anchoring, to celebrate :D
tonight we are cooking burgers on a sandbar in a fire pit!
Tomorrow we'll start our trip thru Miami.
Not far to go now :D

Monday, April 20, 2009

Daytona MM 847

Last night we anchored in the dark. We had no choice but to motor on to where we anchored for the night.
There were no anchorages for the last 20 miles so we had no choice but to drive on and hit our mark (in the dark).
We set anchor at 8:20PM so it wasn't like we motored on into the middle of the night.
We're not really pushing it, as some have thought. We get up when we wake up, lol.
Sometimes that's 8am, sometimes it's 10AM.
Yesterday there was a yahoo who sped through the opening under a bridge almost swamping a little boat & didn't slow down even as he passed us (under the bridge).
It would have done us no good to yell at him on the radio because yahoo's like that rarely even have their radios on... Maybe because everyone's always yelling at them for being a bonehead
Besides, the Coast Guard are pretty good at triangulating radio transmissions & busting people for inappropriate/improper radio use.
There was also a near miss as we left St Augustine.
Our anchorage there was 'just' North of a draw bridge.
We radiod the bridge for an opening & as we we just about under the bridge (committed- no turning capable at this point) a small sailboat with no radio (we heard the local marina radio the bridge too to explain a small boat w/out a radio was under the bridge) they turned right at us! They were newbies, covered in grease & out of control!!
I yelled in a voice I only break out once or twice a year & they were all apolojetic, etc.. but it was wayyyyy too close for comfort- AND under an open draw bridge to boot!
Anyway, We're real close to my Mom & Dad's place , so close we'll have lunch with them!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

!!FLORIDA!! ICW MM 777.8


< 3 Snow Bird sailboats heading North
<

Well, it's been a little hectic but we're in Florida finally =]
Not the Keys yet, but we are currently anchored in St Augustine.
On the gps chartplotter today I saw a nearby road. Some of you may have heard of it,
some of you know it well... "A1A" YAYYYYYYY!!!!
But the story for this post started a few days ago.
Let me backtrack a bit. Several days ago as we neared Jekyll Island, GA, the engine quit. We were in a sound where huge cargo ships were going back and forth.
The seas were rough, the tiny ship was tossed (Gilligan's Island reference-LOL).
What happened was with the rough waves & as we started getting low on fuel the filters got clogged from the junk on the bottom of the tanks. We went from 40 feet of depth to 14' very fast as the current and wind were driving us quickly towards shore... and a man-made concrete reef! yikes
So I immediately gave the order to drop anchor. Then commenced to diagnose what caused this. I cleaned fuel lines, checked fuel pumps (2) & changed filters (for 2 hours) to no avail. So as darkness was encroaching we made the call to BOATUS. We had them tow us to the marina we were heading for which was only 4 miles away.
The bill was $510 bucks! Thankfully Scotty (new crew member & new friend) and I both have unlimited towing insurance so it was free ;D
That night we stayed in the Jekyll Harbor Marina (niiice!) It had a luke-warm hot tub, a restaurant & most importantly.... SHOWERS! At this point in the game I hadn't taken one in over 2 weeks [ARRRG]
ANYway, the next day we met up with parrothead friends of mine & went to their house to visit. We anchored the boat in a little cove with other sailboats, kayaked to shore, loaded them onto their SUV & headed to their place. We had fun catching up, playing with their fun dogs & just relaxing.
I kinda had major reservations about leaving the boat anchored, locked & alone overnight. Well, the next morning (as a nor'easter type weather pattern built) we kayaked out to where we left the boat~ but it wasn't there 8^O
"DUDE, WHERE'S MY BOAT" Yes, I went there ;) another movie reference.

So as my life turned upside down my mouth went dry.
I scanned the horizon, nothing.
I kayaked back to the marina hoping it had maybe dragged anchor & someone towed her there. I scanned the marina back & forth for a pirate flag. No pirate flags were seen (I fly one off the stern).
So, as clamly as I could muster I asked the nice older lady at the desk (near the VHF radio in the marina office) "had anything exciting occurred overnight.... like, I don't know, maybe a boat which had dragged anchor- or anything like that?"
She said one had dragged off anchor in Florida. I retorted with "no, I mean like locally?". She then said oh yeah, one dragged out South into the sound about a mile away!
So she had a dock hand (who had seen it earlier) shuttle me out to it & there was SunRunner anchored way out there by herself a mile further South than I was!
I was happy as a pig in mud at that point, the world was right again & all's good.
From there "it was a dark and stormy night, a shot rang out, a ship appeared on the horizon" Actually (sorry for the Snoopy reference)from there it has been really smooth sailing. Today we did 61 miles saw more great scenery and dolphins & motored along with the Jib (front sale) up for most of the morning. I even sailed under a fixed bridge ( vs motoring under) for the 1st time ever. This afternoon contained a stretch about 10 miles long which was straight as an arrow, nicely narrow and very scenic. I had had my eyes on that stretch for several days. Each night we plan and map out the next days leg where we factor in weather, stops and unplanned issues. It's fun to look beyond & in one nights planning I had found that stretch. Finally today we got to it at Mile Marker 750.
I was ready to hoist the sails & enjoy the ride... Would you believe it, no wind!
ARRRRG! So I grabbed a Diet Mt Dew, a book and went up to the bow to read and sunbathe. It was so cool! I really enjoy seeing the houses along the ICW & their elaborate docks!
No Manatee or Alligator sightings yet but today, as I rode on the bow doing a Titanic moment on the very front, I saw a dolphin 2 feet below me swimming along. It was long enough for him/her to take 3 breaths then it dove & was gone.
Finally as we entered into this anchorage "Starey Larry" came peeping his head out of his sailboat like a groundhog as I was about to anchor near him. Then he yelled over, "DON'T anchor there, you'll run aground in the morning at high tide" ...WHAT?!! That's just crazy talk, LOL!!
Dinner tonight was ribs (thanks again Sam!) mac-n-chees and green beans :)
'nite y'all

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Jekyll Island, Georgia ICW MM 684

We stopped at a marina tonight (a very rare treat).
1st shower in 2 weeks! Plus there was a hot tub =]
We may not get to the Florida Border until Friday- even though we are around 20 miles from it. We're stopping in to see friends, phellow parrotheads, in St Mary's, Ga.
We have some re-provisioning, laundry, rest and that Nor-Easter to get done/ through before we head to Mom & Dad's hose.
Once we get going I'll post again (Fri or Saturday).
Leave some comments
miss y'all... especially Mikaela!!!!
TTFN

Monday, April 13, 2009

:)

All's good. Stopped @ 4pm today to let weather pass.
Ty, hope you are doing better.
Mikaela , miss u bunches xo
At MM 646, bad reception area...
Suz, will call in the morning.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Saturday Night Live

Coming to you from Hilton Head Island, South of "Paris Island" (Marines)..
Another fine day on the water. We covered 62 miles today, hitting our mark for the 3rd day in a row for a 3 day total of about 184 miles!
We stopped today at ICW Mile Marker 563.6 / where Norfolk, Virginia is Mile 1
Our coordinates are:
N 32* 10.8858'
W 80* 49.3281'
Highlights for today were great weather, numerous dolphin, seeing Paris Island and alot of great scenery.
We'll be in Georgia by lunch tomorrow.

Friday, April 10, 2009

South of Charleston

Nearing Paris Island..
Tomorrow we'll aim for Hilton Head Island.
We're closing in on our anchorage for the night after doing about 51 miles today.
51 miles (1 more then the average for sailboaters on the ICW) is awesome considering the conditions today.
It was very windy, we were heading into it all day, and we fought the tidal currents too.
At times we were doing 3 or 4 knots/hour!
1 small stretch (about the length of a football field) was called "Elliot's cut".
It was very narrow and we were fighting a 4 knot current!
In that stretch we were barely making headway at times, hovering at a forward net speed of about 2 Kts/hr!!!!! WHEW! I was white knuckling it for about 20 minutes!!
More pics tonight when we stop :)
PS, I've been told by several blog followers that they can't wait to login to see what's up.
I do the same each day to read the comments ;) hint
If there's anything you'd like us to report on differently or in more depth, whatever- just let us know by commenting.
There's no registration required any longer now :)






Thursday, April 9, 2009

Awesome day on the water!

We traveled 71 miles today & hit our predetermined anchorage.
Our current postion (listed below) sets us halfway between Georgetown, SC and Charleston.
MM 448 on the ICW.
N 32*54.036'
W079*40.109'
We're pretty happy with the days work.
Tomorrow we'll make a quick pitstop for fuel & water, head through Charleston & aim for Mile Marker '500' near Edisto Island.
:D

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Crew Change


Ty had some medical issues he needed to take care of so he went home.
I've been solo-ing for the past 3 days or so.
While awaiting that tornado watch to expire the other day I met a cool live-aboard couple who invited me to their boat for some great coffee & to watch the weather channel.
While there I met Scotty... My new crew!
He has kayaks and a chart plotter (plus ICW experience) to add to the adventure so I decided to welcome him in.
This will be a great relief since I have a bruised(?) rib from pulling up the anchor yesterday.
Once in the Keys he'll fly home..

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Slow, Steady & Safe

That's all to report for now.
Weather dipped into the 50's today!
Frost warning tonight then the rest of the week will be great.
Georgia is the goal by weeks end.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Dog Overboard found 4 months later!


SYDNEY (AFP) – A pet dog that fell overboard in rough seas off Australia has been reunited with its owners after surviving alone on an island for four months, reports said.

Sophie Tucker, apparently named after a late US entertainer, fell overboard as Jan Griffith and her family sailed through choppy waters off the northeast Queensland coast in November.

The dog was believed to have drowned and Griffith said the family was devastated.

But out of sight of the family, Sophie Tucker was swimming doggedly and finally made it to St Bees Island, five nautical miles away, and began the sort of life popularised by the TV reality show "Survivor."

She was returned to her family last week when Griffith contacted rangers who had captured a dog that had been living off feral goats on the largely uninhabited island, in the faint hope it might be their long-lost pet.

When the Griffiths met the rangers' boat bringing the dog to the mainland they found that it was indeed Sophie Tucker on board.

"We called the dog and she started whimpering and banging the cage and they let her out and she just about flattened us," Griffith told the national AAP news agency.

"She wriggled around like a mad thing."

Griffith said that when the dog was first spotted on the island she had been in poor condition.

"And then all of a sudden she started to look good and it was when the rangers had found baby goat carcasses so she'd started eating baby goats," she said.

Sophie Tucker, a member of the Australian cattle dog breed, had been quick to readjust to the comforts of home, complete with airconditioning, Griffiths said.

"She surprised us all. She was a house dog and look what she's done, she's swum over five nautical miles, she's managed to live off the land all on her own," Griffiths said.

"We wish she could talk, we truly do."


Sunday, April 5, 2009

Red Skies at night...

Sailors' delight or in Italian;
Rosa sta serra, buon tempo despera.

Funny story about how I learned that.
You have time for a story? Always polite to ask.. (line from a movie, lol)
While in the Army, in Italy, I was on patrol with my partner for the night, an Italian cop.
He spoke very little English, and at the time, I spoke very little Italian.
So we passed the evening teaching each other how to say the above sailor's quote :)

OK, down to business.
My current position is:
N 33*51.559'
W078* 38.055'
Today SunRunner did 60 miles and got me into South Carolina!
I was just holding on, she did the hard part ;)
Today was just a gorgeous day on the water!
I saw big casino boats, a dolphin and many awesome houses along the ICW.
SunRunner's anchored in a wide spot with a channel marker to the bow and a dock protecting my "6" (stern).
I threw an anchor off the stern so I wouldn't swing on the hook out into the channel ;)
That 2nd anchor was given to me by a friend of the family, Peter.
So here's a shout out to him!
Thanks Peter! :D


Friday, April 3, 2009

WINDY Friday

Well, we're still in a weather hold near Wrightsville Beach, NC.
It's very windy, 25-35 mph gusts.. but at least it's Sunny!
The wind will be ending tonight so we plan on an instant coffee/early start tomorrow!
It looks to be a beautiful weekend!!
No dolphins today but a wind surfer zoomed by a little while ago, lol.
I'm laying here in the aft/Captain's quarters rolling to the waves, listening to a local rock station swinging on the anchor line. Every once in awhile the boat will swing so my cabin is filled with vitamin D (sunshine) & I love it!
Each night Ty and I swap off cooking. We had sausage filled tortolinis with marinara sauce last night. During dinner we usually watch a couple episodes of the old WWII documentary; "Victory at Sea". I have the sries on DVD & love it.
I remember watching "The World At War" on PBS- as a kid with my Dad :)
Not much more.. Next update tomorrow afternoon.
Well, we're still in a weather hold near wrightsville beach
it's very windy, 25-35 mph gusts..
The wind will be ending tonight so we plan on an instant coffee/early start tomorrow!
It looks to be a beautiful weekend!!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Due to the weather, circumstances, etc..

We've decided to turn around and abandon our FOOLish endeavor...





you know what's next, right??

APRIL FOOLS!!
Onward South, in the rain.
Looking to get South of Wrightsville Beach today :)

Also, today I'd like to make mention of the Boat, "April Fool".

Hugo Vihlen was a $23,000-a-year pilot for Delta Air Lines when he decided a few years ago—for no reason he has adequately explained—to cross the Atlantic Ocean in the smallest boat ever used for such a purpose. His vessel, called April Fool and measuring precisely 5'11?" from stem to stern, was less than half the length of Robert Manry's Tinkerbelle, the previously smallest craft to make the crossing.

The voyage is described by Vihlen in a diary he kept and which is now published as a book, April Fool (Follett, $5.95). The book jacket suggests the reader may appreciate Vihlen's feat the more by imagining sailing the Atlantic in "your bathtub with a mast and a three horsepower outboard motor...." Certainly the photographs that accompany the story are no help; they make April Fool look as though she has been cleaved in half—or thirds, as if perhaps both bow and stern are missing.

Vihlen had not sailed for 18 years when he decided on his trip, and so when the plywood and fiber-glass boat was launched he kept making elementary mistakes—things like getting hit by the boom. When he asked people for advice or help, he was usually advised not to go. His first attempt was aborted when—after getting two months' leave from Delta and crating his vessel off to North Africa—he got hung up in official red tape, design deficiencies and by the African inshore winds. When he gave up, the Delta company magazine commented: "Rub a dub dub, Hugo's tub was a flub."

But Hugo Vihlen is nothing if not determined. He shipped his boat home to Florida, where he made extensive modifications, learned a good deal more about African coastal winds, and re-embarked from Casablanca the following March. This time he cleared the coast, caught the trade winds and—in spite of idiosyncrasies in his vessel like not being able to sail any closer to the wind than 90 degrees—made the 4,480-mile trip to Florida in 85 days.

The trip was predictably wretched. He was forced to sleep on his back with knees bent in his 5-foot cabin, and to set his alarm for two-hour intervals so he could keep adjusting his steering. It was also boring, but his health stayed good, his only complaint being a sore arm from steering.

When he finally reached the waters off Florida and was picked up by the Coast Guard, he was astonished to find himself a hero. The state appointed him a commodore, Astronaut Walt Cunningham sent his congratulations, and so did President Johnson. A whale was named after him.

And Delta Air Lines suspended him for being late getting back from vacation.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Stopped for the night

No real "news".
We put in around 40 miles today.
Far fewer than expected with the 4 hour delay..
Oh well. We're anchored in 'Mile Hammock Bay', mile marker 245 on the ICW.
Grid coordinates:
N 34* 33.024'
W77* 19.562'

Tuesday 1PM



Stopped near Camp Legune awaiting Military Traffic to pass a narrow channel before we can proceed. Hopefully we can make the Wrightsville Beach area by tonight.
Saw more Dolphins :D
I can hear explosions from the Marine base we are close to.

Edit: we were just informed that we will not be able to proceed on the ICW until approx 5PM..

Pictures from the trip so far:












Monday, March 30, 2009

Random Monday stuff

"So long & thanks for all the fish" was from the movie Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy.
When the dolphins left Earth that was what they said. I like to make obscure movie references.
Anyway, it's Monday. Clear skies, calm weather.
I'll update again tonight.
More pictures soon..

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Weather Delay


We are still in Oriental due to bad weather....

In the mean time we fixed several small issues &
are ready to set sail in mid-morning Monday, once the small craft warning lifts.
At that point we will take advantage of a 3 day break in the weather window & cruise sunup to sundown.
Projected next stop is Seagate Marina to meet up w/ a friend then on to our next stop Monday night (tentatively Beaufort, NC).

Saturday, March 28, 2009

So long & thanks for all the fish =)


Sorry for no update but we were out of cell service for awhile!
ALL is good (Knock on wood).
We are approaching Oriental, NC.
We will stop for provisions there then proceed towards Seagate Marina.
Check out http://www.towndock.net/harborcam to see their Harbor Cam!
You may see us! If so, please take a screen shot & post it in a comment here or email it to me =]


UPDATE: We threw a belt to the impeller so we had to stop in to Oriental free dock. Got a phone # to a local mechanic, called him & he had 2 belts left, we took them/ heck actually he delivered them to us at the free dock.
Bad storms are rolling in so we will stay here at the free dock for the night.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Exotic Sailing as per Ty

From the engine compartment I heard Ty exclaim this morning, "The definition of sailboat cruising is repairing your boat in exotic locations".

11:19AM Crossing the bottom of the Albermarl Sound by red buoy 22 Heading for the Alligator river portion on the ICW.
Overcast 53* light wind 2' seas
Cap'n Mike
ps- I miss Mikaela bunches!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Tuesday Update

Hi =] Got a bit of a late start today; hoisted anchor at 7:30.
We're at Green buoy 169 in the North River of the Intracoastal Waterway.
Chilly but should warm up nice.
Still going with the wind & waves at a near Southerly setting.
Also, we are out of drinking water. There's a drain/leak in the tanks we'll need to figure out later.
At least water is leaking out/ not in lol!

We're in the Albemarl Sound now.
Please feel free to post comments, questions, text, call..
I'll get to them :)

Monday, March 23, 2009

Making good time

We passed North Landing Bridge at 11:30 AM.
It's a bit chilly but not bad.
We have the propane heater going below & are taking turns at the helm.
Earlier we went through an area with many Falcons and hawks, it was very cool.
Then just a bit ago there were several military jets overhead.
TTFN

Night Lock

Locks can be tricky anytime. Last night was the 1st night lock I've done. It's pretty intense!
Last night was chilly but we were toasty with the propane heater going.
Today we will be in the Great Bridge section of the Intracoastal waterway.
We'll be in North Carolina before Noon.
Weather is perfect ;)

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Glitches

Well, you're bound to run into them (glitches)..
So far the 12v fridge quit working so we added ice.
Then, on the way in to a fuel dock just now, we lost power to the prop!
So we are waiting on a diver to clean the bottom and check for a rope or something ..
stay tuned~
oh, I'll post a pic of the dinghy-with-an-Aderondack chair
setup-LMAO!
listening to Radio Margaritaville...

Saturday, March 21, 2009

..and we're off

What a thrill it is to leave the turmoil of civilization behind ...

..if we get lost we'll stop for directions.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Haven't left yet..

We're just about ready to go but the weather has turned before we could finish.
Leaving on a Friday is bad luck so we may be held up until Saturday morning..
Stay tuned for an update tomorrow =]
..I can be reached live throughout the trip- via Windows Live messenger at:
capenmikel@live.com

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

ONE week 'till castoff!

We're "in" the weather forecast window & it looks like castoff day (the 18th) is calling for showers & 55*
I ran into a snag with the holding tank so I need to fix that prior to getting to Florida but that's no biggie...
We're starting to get really amp'd up for the trip, guess I should start packing..
LOL, forget that, I'll just bring the whole "house"!

Once we cast off I'll make at least one post/ day.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Update

I talked with my good friend Ty today & it looks like he'll be here next Friday.
I can't wait to see him, he's just about as excited to go as I am.
We just need to get some odds -n- ends, grocery shop & cast off!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Mobile blog update

Continuing to prepare..

..Traffic court tomorrow (on Groundhog day)
I have some paperwork to do (I have to title & register my dinghy),
I'll need to make a gangplank so I can get my scooter onboard (yup-taking it with me)
and a few other things & then it's just food shopping & cast off the lines!!!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Killing Birds

..That's a reference to the movie Wedding Crashers.
Anyway, I'm getting a lot done. Monday I'll get my Dad's old Sears outboard tuned up at a local shop. We'll need it for the trip down and once we anchor at Marathon Marina.
I've torn apart my wrecked Jeep & sold off many parts to fund the trip down.
Next week I need to renew my towing insurance, better safe than sorry!!
Oh yeah, I also have to make a floor for my 9' Zodiac inflatable out of marine plywood.
So, yeah, I've been killing birds but I'm really no closer to departure since it has been moved back a bit to the 1st week of March (for several reasons) but that's ok, I'm more psyched then ever & can't wait!!!!!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

I have found me a home

Wow, while browsing the web for a backup place to anchor (I've heard that Marathon Municipal Marina gets quite full in the Winter) I stumbled upon a 2 acre private estate on Islamorada, Gulf side, which has a few moorings available for month to month live-aboards! It's about twice what I'm looking to spend.. but it's private= OMG!

edit: ok, maybe Islamorada is a bit too North for me after looking around the Keys with Google Earth (I love that program!!)

Also today I applied for a job at 2 different places. It would be nice to have something setup before I get there.. but, if not, no biggie. I don't care if I'm washing dishes at Capt' Tony's (RIP Cap'n)

Honestly, another reason I'm writing this is to throw it out there so I don't back out of doing this. Trust me I want to go with all my heart but it's kinda scary too since it's a long trip & I'm plus, currently unemployed, yikes! lol