........ WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
On final shot of Ben, Jemma and Marc. Marc and I taveled (ICW term- buddy boat) from Savannah, MM 585, to Coconut Grove, MM 1095, or 510 sm. Jemma joined us from Vero Beach to Ft Lauderdale, 120 sm of the 510. We had a great time so I'll close with an update.
Jemma Packett is traveling southern GA and FL in an RV before retruning to Brighton, Enland. She is a unique photographer. See www.realstreets.info/cityrunning
Marc Pilon is in the Bahamas. In the past 30 yrs Marc created and sold three companies and still found time to cruise fulltime for 15 years. He is remarkable.
Ben arrived Marathon 2/15 and will retrun to the Chesapeake mid June.
A final photo of Marc and Ma Muse, his Bristol Channel Cutter 28, as he motored to an anchorage in order to get an early start crossing the stream to the Bahamas.
Photo from Marc. Cut between Bimini and South Bimini he crossed. I have not seen water like this in the Keys.
Photo from Marc. Bimini Bay Resort and Marina. Quote from Marc' email "this is one of the marina's pools, the other one is heated, no kidding. $1.20 per ft, per wk. I will be here one week!"
Damn, wished I'd have gone...
Back to reality and the Keys.
Leaving No Name Harbor, Key Biscayne in route to Dinner Key Marina, only five sm to the West.
MM 1095. Crossing Biscayne Bay, looking North at Miami.
From mooring in Dinner Key Marina. Photo of US Customs and Border Protection boat.
Another photo. If you double click and enlarge, you can see the Four, 225 hp engines.
Friday 2/12/10, from LOON in Dinner Key Marina mooring field. My log reads:
Friends, Dave and Britta from England climbing aboard their Tayana 37 and James, red windbreaker in water taxi. Typical cruisers' day. Jumping from the taxi after shopping- see all of the bags on the sidedeck.
A little local history. Stilt houses (total of seven) in Biscayne Bay just west of Key Biscayne. They are abandon and I think owned by state or federal government.
Another shot.
MM 1095. 2/14/10, 0650, after dropping my mooring in Dinner Key I motored sailed across Biscayne Bay, through Cape FL Channel into Hawk Channel. Hawk Channel runs between the Keys and Florida Reef. (Per cruising guide FL Reef is really a series of reefs streaching the length of the Keys between the Atlantic and the Keys.) My log shows I sailed for three hours. The next few photos show the pretty waters of Hawk Channel.
Clean water at last.
On autohelm, as it should be...
Hawk Channel is a little like the Chesapeake. It is shallow and has some, but not anywhere as many crab pots as the Chesapeake.
Another large motor yacht heading from Key West to Miami or Lauderdale.
Molasses Reef Light off Rodriguez Key. You will see many of these lights marking the individual reefs of Florida Reef to the east of Hawk Channel.
Same light.
Mororing.
Sailing.
MM 1175. From Hawk Channel, looking NW, at Long Key Viaduct. Approximately 2 miles long.
MM 1195. Looking, from Hawk Channel, almost due North at the entrance to Boot Key Harbor (BKH).
Still approaching Boot Key Harbor (BKH) entrance. Lazy Days Rest. (low building to left of center).
Frist building on left is Pancho's Fuel Dock. The second build, with the straw roof, is Burdines Waterfront Marina and Rest. Burdines has one of the best harbor views, from its second deck, and the best french fries ($5 a basket) in Marathon. More about my weight gain in final post.
Winding my way through anchored boats in the harbor. In addition to the anchored boats, the City of Marathon has approximatley 250 moorings--everyone you talk to gives a different number.
Part of the BKH mooring field.
Boot Key Bascule Bridge. Around 2009 it was permantely opened.
BKH mooring field.
LOON approaching Sombrero Dockside Marina. (On my cell phone talking with the dockmaster, re slip assignment. Because VHF traffic on the ICW is very heavy-nonstop chatter, I found it much eaisier to talk with marinas on the cell.) Have one month reservation beginning 2/15. Monthly rate $19.50 ft plus electric, PLUS 7% tax.
LOON approaching slip B4. What does the photo tell you about this particular docking?
Back to reality and the Keys.
Leaving No Name Harbor, Key Biscayne in route to Dinner Key Marina, only five sm to the West.
MM 1095. Crossing Biscayne Bay, looking North at Miami.
From mooring in Dinner Key Marina. Photo of US Customs and Border Protection boat.
Another photo. If you double click and enlarge, you can see the Four, 225 hp engines.
Friday 2/12/10, from LOON in Dinner Key Marina mooring field. My log reads: 1835 strong wind hit from approximatel 200 degrees +/-.
1900 saw a 32' sport fish (later identified as Hardball) dragging anchor across the south channel west of mooring #41 (LOON is on #41)
1915 noticed James (assistand Marina Mgr) on scene in marina water taxi (24' flat bottom, center console with twin 75hp). James tied water taxi to dragging sport fish and stopped it from hitting a sailboat on a mooring. That boat was only one mooring from LOON. A slight wind shift and it would have hit LOON.
I guessed the wind to be 40, the rain stung my face. Next morning talk around the marina estimated winds from 40 to 60 kts, who knows, but for 15-20 minutes it was ugly.
Photo shows running lights on marina water taxi. When James arrived winds were 20-25 with rain.
Lesson: Just because you are in a mooring field, you are not safe. Especially, when there are "anchored" boats to windward.
Friends, Dave and Britta from England climbing aboard their Tayana 37 and James, red windbreaker in water taxi. Typical cruisers' day. Jumping from the taxi after shopping- see all of the bags on the sidedeck.
A little local history. Stilt houses (total of seven) in Biscayne Bay just west of Key Biscayne. They are abandon and I think owned by state or federal government.
Another shot.
MM 1095. 2/14/10, 0650, after dropping my mooring in Dinner Key I motored sailed across Biscayne Bay, through Cape FL Channel into Hawk Channel. Hawk Channel runs between the Keys and Florida Reef. (Per cruising guide FL Reef is really a series of reefs streaching the length of the Keys between the Atlantic and the Keys.) My log shows I sailed for three hours. The next few photos show the pretty waters of Hawk Channel.
Clean water at last.
On autohelm, as it should be...
Hawk Channel is a little like the Chesapeake. It is shallow and has some, but not anywhere as many crab pots as the Chesapeake.
Another large motor yacht heading from Key West to Miami or Lauderdale.
Molasses Reef Light off Rodriguez Key. You will see many of these lights marking the individual reefs of Florida Reef to the east of Hawk Channel.
Same light.
Mororing.
Sailing.
MM 1175. From Hawk Channel, looking NW, at Long Key Viaduct. Approximately 2 miles long.
MM 1195. Looking, from Hawk Channel, almost due North at the entrance to Boot Key Harbor (BKH).
Still approaching Boot Key Harbor (BKH) entrance. Lazy Days Rest. (low building to left of center).
Frist building on left is Pancho's Fuel Dock. The second build, with the straw roof, is Burdines Waterfront Marina and Rest. Burdines has one of the best harbor views, from its second deck, and the best french fries ($5 a basket) in Marathon. More about my weight gain in final post.
Winding my way through anchored boats in the harbor. In addition to the anchored boats, the City of Marathon has approximatley 250 moorings--everyone you talk to gives a different number.
Part of the BKH mooring field.
Boot Key Bascule Bridge. Around 2009 it was permantely opened.
BKH mooring field.
LOON approaching Sombrero Dockside Marina. (On my cell phone talking with the dockmaster, re slip assignment. Because VHF traffic on the ICW is very heavy-nonstop chatter, I found it much eaisier to talk with marinas on the cell.) Have one month reservation beginning 2/15. Monthly rate $19.50 ft plus electric, PLUS 7% tax.
LOON approaching slip B4. What does the photo tell you about this particular docking?Ans., NO wind. For the singlehander, approaching a new slip, no wind or current is a gift.
Brain dead... Just docked in a new slip following 113 sm in two days. Thinking are the docklines, electric cord, fenders etc. ok?
Good friends Walt and Mary stop by to celebrates LOON's arrival. 123 days and 1/1330 miles.
Brain dead... Just docked in a new slip following 113 sm in two days. Thinking are the docklines, electric cord, fenders etc. ok?
Good friends Walt and Mary stop by to celebrates LOON's arrival. 123 days and 1/1330 miles. 1/ I did not differentiate between nautical and statute miles.
Next post. More photos of Boot Key Harbor, friends and trip statistics. Also 30 days in a slip and restaurants with resulting weight gain.
