We headed south the day after Christmas and after stopping for fuel, etc., we went right on past Miami and out into the open water ( we decided to try the "inside path" as our draft is just over 5-feet.  We anchored in a variety of spots, mostly partially protected but never 100%.  Bumped bottom a few times, nothing serious yet. Oh, nearly forgot,  a few days past, in passing the West Palm Beach channel, there was a giant ship coming into the harbor.  We tired of waiting for the tugboats to move the boat, so we went around the boat.  As luck would have it, the chartplotter stopped working (too much radar signal from the giant liners, etc.) so we had no immediate use of chart to show the water depths.  When we tried to get back to the channel we hit bottom and spent a half-hour getting out.  Fun and games.  Down the channel a few miles the chartplotter came back to life again, and imagine this, it even worked even right through Miami Harbor!

The Keys are diffferent, lots of little islands with mangroves, etc., hanging everywhere.  Shallow water, nice colors, mud stirred up by the larger power boats, etc.  We had a great trip down what is known as "the inside", meaning the bay side of the Keys, with stops in Big Pine Key, Islamorada, Marathon (Boot Key Harbor), and Key West for New Year's Eve (no ball dropping, but they did drop a "pirate wench" from the mast of a large schooner at midnight!).  Huge cruise ships anchored in the harbor, lots of vendors and entertainment at sunset (each night), music, food, active but commercial boardwalk.

Yesterday, January 2nd, we sailed outside from Key West back up to Marathon again for library access (this update) and to pickup mail.  Thanks to all who sent cards, etc., which we've not yet seen (later today!).  The outboard engine quit one morning on the way to shore so we rowed the rest of the way.  Funny!  As we came into a small marina, rowing, the only person working saw us and came over.  He said, "Using the stealth approach?"  It was funny but the real work now begins with rowing, finding a replacement, or repairing the original one (1976 Johnson, 9.8 hp).  We think one of the gears has either loosened (moved out of meshing position) or broken, as the motor runs, the gears feel okay when turning the prop, and seems to be freewheeling when in neutral, so teardown is the next option.

We're headed back to Ft. Lauderdale for a couple weeks, with family coming to visit.  After that it's off to the Bahamas!  Can't wait, although as with everything in life, "It's the journey, not the destination."  And, we do enjoy ourselves everyday and thank the Lord for our many blessings (and safe trips!).

Mail in Marathon took longer than we thought (it did provide time to find another used outboard, a 6 hp Yamaha, approximately 1997 vintage, for $600).and so naturally we left there and hurried toward Ft. Lauderdale.  We used the 155% genny and full main sail from Marathon to Key Largo.  After hearing the weather forecast for the next day (Jan. 6th), we changed the genny to a 100% working jib and reduced the mainsail to a double-reefed condition.  We're glad we did as winds were typically 20-30 miles per hour, gusting higher, and we put in to an anchorage on the ocean side of Key Biscayne, with the wind from the northwest and the waves from the east (rock and roll!).  The following morning the wind was about 30 degrees off the port bow as we headed north, and forecast to be only 10-15 (Ha ha!), so we motored and sailed trying to get to Fort Lauderdale to meet our daughter and family.  By moving the main sheet traveler all the way to port and "tricking" (tightening the port sheet and adjusting the starboard sheet, allowing the genny form to be more upwind than normal) the partial genny, we were able to make good headway, despite stronger winds than forecast.

We made Port Everglades (the Fort Lauderdale entry port from the Atlantic) in good time, then went through the 5 bridges back up to Lettuce Lake (a small wide spot in the ICW, where we've anchored before.  Good anchorage, except for rough wakes from the many passing boats).  Here, it's only a few hundred yards over to Indian Mound Park, in Pompano Beach, and easy access to stores, and most importantly only 3 blocks to the Fairfield resort, where the family is staying for the week.  Great fun with the grandchildren on the ocean beach, swimming pools, arts and crafts, 50's and 60's bepop (guess who one of the winners of the twist contest was?), good food, etc., etc.  Yep, "the crazy grandpa on the boat" tied two ladies as winners in the contest!

Next week, more family members are coming from another direction, so we'll likely stay at our current anchorage for at least another week. Then, it's on to the Bahamas. 

Well, we're still in south Florida (2/4/2006).  Family has come and gone and we've provisioned for the Bahamas trip, changed anchorages a few times, etc.  We moved down to the Miami area and as it turned out, should have gone back down into the Keys again (it's a better direction and better starting point for a run over to the Bahamas).

We left Miami on Wednesday and headed south, hoping to intercept our rhumbline, which was established as being from the Key Largo area to the Gun Cay/Cat Cay (pronouced "key") area in the Bahamas.  After a few miles, when we were just a couple miles east of Fowey Rocks, we noticed a rapid change in several things as follows: Water color changed to dark blue, temperature of the water increased by about 2.7 degrees F., wave height increased to about 8 feet (we were looking up at the tops of the waves), and when we changed direction to go along with the gulf stream, our speed over ground (SOG) showed 9 to 10.8 knots, despite the transducer paddle wheel knotmeter still showing less than 5.  Yes, we intersected the gulf stream sooner than expected and we elected to turn back and try again later (with a better weather window), as we have no definite time schedule.

Next time we will actually leave from the Key Largo area, despite the fact that good anchorages are scarce.  We will wind up anchoring just inside the Hawk CHannel, which in reality means you're anchoring in the Atlantic Ocean, just in the shallower areas close to shore.  Thanks to all who write and let us know you're following our escapades.  Later...

The sea conditions were what we classify as benign, meaning very smooth and little in the way of waves, and the most we saw all the way across was perhaps 3 feet.  After the earlier trials this was smooth and easy motor-sailing.  We arrived at Gun Cay and rounded Gun Cay to allow access down into Cay Cay, just to the south.  We anchored and decided to try to clear Customs and Immigration in the morning.  That means that we have to fly a yellow quarantine flag on our flag halyard until Customs and Immigration has cleared your boat and passengers.

The next morning we called the dockmaster at Cat Cay Club to ask permission to bring our dinghy to their docks for clearing Customs and Immigration.  He said, "Bring the big boat, and the charge to use our dock will be $100.00."  We quickly told him, "Never mind, we'll clear elsewhere."  So, we immediately lifted the anchor and headed for Chub Cay, which is a good trip across the Great Bahamas Bank.  We anchored one night out in the middle of the banks (rocking and rolling!).  The next afternoon as we were entering the waters near Chub Cay another sailboat hailed us on the VHF radio and asked if we knew the Chub Cay Marina was closed for renovations.  We answered that no, we did not know that. 

The next best place to clear Customs and Immigration appeared to be at Nassau, again another long sail across the banks.  So, on we go.  Once we arrived at Nassau, entering the large harbor here was interesting.  There is a harbor control system whereby you must check-in with the harbormaster and gain permission to enter or leave the harbor, providing last port of call, registration (Documentation Number) number, where you are headed, etc.  After doing that, and waiting for a cruise ship, we entered the harbor and tied up along the quay (turned out to be the wrong place, but it eventually worked out well).  We were supposed to have gone around the large cruise ships and docked on the backside of Prince George Wharf, rather than the long dock along the wharf.  Roland walked to the Customs office and took all the necessary copies of crew list, boat documentation, passports, etc., and once the lady from Customs was finished she said, "You're supposed to tie-up back here so we can check out your boat.  Next time, please do that."  His response was, "Yes, ma'am, no problem.

In the next few days we're headed for the Exumas, with the first stop at Allen's Cay, where the large 2-3 foot iguanas come out like pets to be fed.  Nice beaches and good fishing, etc., supposed to be there and at some the Cays just to the south.  We're about to add some new pictures for those who follow that side of the website. 

We listen faithfully to Chris Parker provide a detailed weather forecast each morning and recently he and others provided info about two catamarans which were lost near Mayaguana in the southern Bahamas.  Seems they were trying to leave in the middle of the night when the winds changed and they were forced agains a lee shore.  One boat tried to tow the other and danaged a rudder.  Later they also struck a reef and pumps couldn't keep up.  Both boats were lost. They were believed to be uninsured, but all passengers saved, thanks to a large group of volunteeers!