No Name Harbour, Key Biscayne

This can be an excellent anchorage almost in all wind conditions.  When we arrived there were maybe a handful of boats. There were a few cabin cruisers and a few sailboats.  The harbor filled up quickly over the next few days and it was party central on the weekend.  There is a high end fish restaurant here, a laundry area and lots of picnic areas.  This anchorage is part of the Cape Florida State Park and has one of the last lighthouses on the mainland of the USA.

Chris and I did a lot of walking here as our bicycles were still mounted on our Deck.

There are a lot of interesting greenery as you walk through the State Park.  This is one old knarly tree and probably survived a lot of bad weather!

This lovely boat is called "Irock" it can be chartered out at a cool $25,000.00 US per week.  Note this includes crew and a captain.  It came twice while we were anchored here. The renters were Italian and had lots of wine, and meals served on deck.  Just Google Irock and check out the interior. Sweet!

The sunset just before the night we left

This is our "Pet"!  We received him for Christmas.  He is clean, no poop, no taking the dinghy to shore 5 times a day in any weather.  No barking, nor kitty litter. He hangs out and only lives on batteries!  His only problem, he has a really foul mouth.....Like Polly wants a F****ing Cracker!  Stuff like that.  But what is a sailboat, without a Captains Parrot.  Good thing Chris does not wear a patch, and has a peg leg!!!

Leaving Miami

After the cold front passed and being tossed around the harbor on the weekend, we decided to head to No Name Harbor to await out the next front.  There were no cruise boats in Government Cut and the Railway Bridge was closed for repairs, we had to go the long way around.

South Beach, Florida

Earlier in February!

We are anchored just off of Belle Island in South Beach.  There is a canal system here that allows you to go by dinghy to the grocery store and or a place to tie it up and go for a good exploring walk.  Chris and I have been to South Beach many times and there is lot’s to see here.

Sunset over downtown Miami

The anchorages both here and in Miami are starting to get full of abandoned boats.  Some places it is hard to get around them when the tide is low.

We only spent a few days here hiding behind a tall apartment building to get out of those wonderful cold fronts from the north.  We walked the Lincoln Mall, visited the Apple Store and proceeded to Ocean Avenue to walk the beaches. The Old Miami Beach has the most interesting Hotels and Restaurants.  A lot of these old hotels are in the process of being renovated.  The streets were full!  If you have that urge to go shopping, well this is the place.

Always a Selection of Find Food to Choose From

Fancy Drinks as well

Shop til You Drop, Depends if your pocket book can pay

Pick a Hotel!!! Lots of Fancy Places

Ft. Lauderdale

We were up early, listened to our weather forecasts and headed south via the ICW. Ft. Lauderdale is the city of boats, canals and mansions.  It’s nice to see and makes you wonder – Who lives there and what do they do for a living?  We arrived at the Sunny Isle Bridge around 2:15pm and anchored in the little bay just north of this bridge.  This will give us the protection we need from the north wind. Along the shores of Ft. Lauderdale there is lots of construction and tear downs of mansions.  After a great evening and a great sleep, we decided that we had enough of doing the bridges.  So, we did the last 3 bridges and headed out to the Atlantic Ocean and our next stop would be the Port of Miami.

We had a great sail! As we turned into the Port, there are rules here too.  If there are more than 2 cruise ships tied up you cannot use Government Cut and therefore you must go around the long way.  This was our trip in.

Passing the Huge Ocean Going Freighters

A Freighter being Unloaded

The Miami Skyline

The Hard Rock Cafe

South Beach off Yonder

Cruise Ship Alley

Rock Climbing Wall on that Cruise Ship

How We Get Weather Information

If you are wondering how we get our weather information without having access to the internet on the boat nor a TV news cast, we have our handy dandy VHF Radio (yes, it now works after sending it back and having it repaired).  NOAA updates the weather forecast and broadcasts this information on specific channels for specific areas, plus we have an SSB (Single Side Band Radio).  Every morning at approximately 6:45 am, we listen to the “Weather God”….Chris Parker.  He gives current weather conditions, synopsis and what to look forward to.  We can only listen to him.  Other sailors and or boater’s, subscribe to his services and he then will give out a “personal weather report” for where you are located.  This can help you very much because sometimes, that sailor right beside you gets his report and you are heading the same way!  He specializes in forecasts for the east coast of Florida and what the Gulf Stream conditions are and what the weather will be in the North, Middle and South Bahamas.  This also tells us where some of sailor friends are located and where they are heading. But if you have access to the internet, there are many weather web sites to check to see what the wind, wave and sea conditions are and what the weather will be doing for a week ahead.  Good planning, makes a great sail memorable.

Time To Go!

After spending a few months here at the Marina getting all our To Do’s done and spending quality time with friends and family, it was time to go!  Our Plan this year was to head to the Florida Keys instead of the Bahamas.  No Keys had to get a new prop shaft installed this summer and this new shaft needs to be tested before heading out into the Gulf Stream and away from accessible help if required.

We delayed a few days because a nasty cold front was coming.  This front deposited a lot of snow at home in our drive way but caused a lot of mess all over the United States and even a few funnel clouds off shore (tornadoes on the water). We wanted to have better weather so it was best to wait.  That is one thing about sailing, you must have patience and pick your best opportunity to have a safe and comfortable trip.  Our first leg of the trip was from Nettles Island to Lake Worth (just before West Palm Beach). We anchored just off the ICW and enjoyed our first night out on the water since putting No Keys in the water in November.  There are a lot of large yachts to be seen on the ICW. It is hard to believe when you see this for miles that the USA is in a recession. Beautiful Boats non the less.

While traveling down the ICW, there are many bridges that need to be opened for you but there are the newer 65 ft bridges too.  Our mast is 55 ft tall.  The trick here is making up the time between each bridge and it’s scheduled time opening.  Not always easy for a sailboat.  The tide coming in and out of the various outlets to the ocean can either push you further or pull you back.  We tried a few times with our Jib Up but the wind was on our nose, so we have to motor along.

Our second stop was south of West Palm Beach, almost in Boca Raton.  We anchored in the bay and headed in via dinghy to The Key Lime House.  There you can check your email and enjoy great food.  We had a wonderful dinner with Chris’s Cousin, his wife and their kids.  Wow, they are all grown up now.  Where does the time fly?  During the night, we had quite a few visitors!  They landed on the deck, did their business and flew away once we scared them off.  The last cormorant to visit scared me more as I was not expecting him to be in the cockpit at 5:45 am.  So now you know why they call it the “poop deck”. Time to take care of “The Business” and pull up anchor.

Next stop……..Ft. Lauderdale via the ICW.  Another cold front is on it’s way and we need to be tucked in somewhere.

Nettles Island, Jensen Beach, Florida

This is a great place for us. We have family and friends in the area and we have access to our car to get around.  So, in between boat chores, To Do’s and checking out our Wish List for No Keys, one must have fun!  At Nettles Marina, one becomes a member of the “Cranky Conch Boat Club” aka “The Tiki Hut Club”.  There were birthday parties, football playoffs, Super Bowl and also fair well parties.  The food, what can I say “Awesome”.  When everyone brings “A Dish”, the variety of food was great and made an incredible buffet.  There are many people that have been coming to this marina for years from New York, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Georgia and now us from Canada.  There are trawlers, catamarans, cabin cruisers and sailboats of all sizes and off course a few mega yachts 85ft and upward.

We signed up to participate in the “Annual Not So Annual – Blind Dinghy Race”.  The object of this was like a Poker Run but with a twist, the driver must wear a blind fold. Each dinghy has to have 3 people, a navigator, the blind driver (captain) and a helper. Each dinghy was given a package that contained, The Rules, The Map and The Blind Fold.

We all gathered out in the water to create a start line. Of course everyone just happened to have a super soaker on board!  Salt water was flying and you got to participate in a wet T shirt contest without even trying!  Once the air horn blasted it was time to go! 

Open your package, have the captain put on his blind fold, read the instructions and look at the course.  It weaved from one dock to another, around boats, in between boats and back again.  The navigator and helper had to give directions on which way to go and what to avoid. It was hilarious, dinghy bumper cars and off course, the super soakers.  Your goal, get all your little tags from each station.  

Half ways through the course, the captain and the navigator had to change places.  Driving a dinghy blind folded was hard to do!  Chris did the first half of the course with moi doing the last half.  Getting your “port” and “starboards” correct and remember which way the tiller goes and how many degrees.  A lot of pylons were hit and missed. But wet fun was had and our team worked it out.  We came in last place but won the “Booby Prize”!!  After the race, there was celebration, drinks and a DJ to top off the evening.  What fun!

Life on a Sailboat

What is it like to live in a small space with your first mate? First off, it's cozy!  Plus, you have to avoid the "ogee that would be great" but where do you put it and how often will I use it. Chris and I are pretty lucky this season, living in a marina is totally different than being out on the water.  Nettles Island is a wonderful place.  We have a home here but we rent it out for the Winter Season and this allows us to stay on our boat and go places. But this year, we have lots of repairs to do.  Some were small and others, well it takes time and patience. But we are almost done taking care of them and getting ready to go.  Because of the time restraints in getting repairs done, we decided to stay in Florida and do The Florida Keys.  We visited Homeland Security as our Cruising Permit expires on Jan 31, 2013. We told them what was happening (re repairs) and we were lucky that our boat was made in the USA.  This helped out alot.  So they extended our Permit to the end of May. At that time, we must surrender it and reapply next fall.  Hopefully the Rules will not have changed again.......just have to wait and see.

Here is a picture of a beautiful sunset on the ICW, calm and still.

Our Small Space

This is the galley.  I have a 2 burner Propane Stove....it hidden there in the corner.  The counter top slides right over, thus more counter space.  Is that not what every women wants!  Over the years, Chris and I have made lots of improvements. The old fridge and freezer were taken out of commission and we replaced it with a smaller super efficient fridge freezer.  The only thing about that is the freezer portion is tiny and one must learn to live without ice cubes.  We usually have this filled up with chicken.  I have a 2 stainless steel sinks and a water purifier.  We drink from our tanks (we carry 125 gallons) so no water wasting.  But you can always fill your tanks for a price at a marina.  Back in the far left corner is our bunk.  It is under the cockpit so space is limited and watch your head.  We do have a queen size bed and it is a lot of work just get those fitted sheets attached without bumping your head.  Like I said cozy.

This is part of the Salon or Living Room.  Yes, we have a TV!  It is a Smart One but we do not have Cable or Satellite.  Armed with a Hard Drive of Movies (thanks Luke and Terry) I place them on a Flash Stick and insert into back of TV.  Sit back and enjoy the show.  Comfort is always necessary. So, earlier this season, out I went Thrifting......lots of pillows were added for just a couple of dollars.  New blinds needed to be made as the sun ate away the others.  Baskets are always needed to hold bread, fruit and other small bits and pieces.  We built our book shelves many years ago and they have been such a plus.  Never can you have enough story books on hand, but everyone has an ipad or a kindle to read.  We like the good old fashioned hold the book and read kind.  Across from here we have our table and a round couch, more shelves and pillows.

This is the end of our couch and looking at our Navigation Centre and the Head.  We have an EPBIRB handy just in case we have to ditch, satellite sirrius radio, the control systems for our Solar Panels, Batteries, VHF Radio, SSB Radio, etc.  There are places for charts, big huge flashlights and manuals for everything on the boat.  The Head is a small space but very efficient.  We changed out the shower head to better model to ensure that one does not get scalded.  We do not always have hot water (only if we are plugged in at a marina or the engine has been running). Always nice to have a quick shower after a long day out on the water or your mate smells like macaroni.

The V-Berth or Better Known as "The Garage".  No, it is not the "Man Cave" as I have stuff in here as well.  In our first years of sailing, this is where we slept. There is a Closet or Hanging Locker just around the corner to the left. And behind the door is another storage cabinet.  This is our dresser.  Under the mattress is all kinds of storage spaces.  So long term planning is needed as you then must haul everything out to get underneath.  Chris stashes his beer here and those extra rolls of TP, Paper Towel and those extra spare parts. Cans of lube, electrical bits and pieces and Starboard.  We store our ditch bag here but with our life raft under the kitchen table. Extra Life Jackets, Cockpit cushions and of course, tools.  Lots of thought and organization.  Under that bed is our main water tank too!

Heading up into the Cockpit.  Our Beneteau has lots of room here.  Tables swing out. Our Cockpit is wide open to the air but our Bimini is starting to look it age.  Lots of sun and salt.  Our wish list a new dodger, bimini with an enclosure.......got one estimate.......ouch!  So with a couple cans of waterproofing and keep looking for a better quote.

Well that was a quick tour of our floating home.  When we are on a tilt, all things must be battened down.  Can't have spillage.......lost a coffee pot that way and Chris does like to put the rail close to the water......oh that racer.

Life is Grand!  Well it's off to the Village Grocer to see if that VHF Radio has arrived! Until Next Time.

2012-2013 Sailing Season

We have now been here in Florida for a couple of months. No Keys is sitting in a marina.  We had a long list of "To Do's" but also "The Wish List".  No Keys is getting older and the sun and the salt do take it's toll.

No Keys weathered well in Indiantown, despite the hot and very wet summer.  Mold, mildew and black slim was what had to be washed, scrubbed and disinfected.  We were lucky, some boats held all the rain water and had flooded areas.

We enjoyed American Thanksgiving @ Indiantown. It was a week of lots of activities from dingy races, grape stomping, great music and catching up on acquaintances from past years.  We motored No Keys down the St. Lucie River, through the locks.  The weather was cool and crisp and the inter-coastal choppy, we stayed on a mooring ball for the night.  Early next morning, with long johns on, mitts, we set out to take No Keys to Nettles Island.

New 65 foot bridges crossing the St. Lucie River

There has been a lot of cold fronts sweeping through the US and Florida but there also has been some great days.  Albeit staying in a marina allows you to Explore.  So, besides boat chores, visiting friends and sailors, time is quickly passing.  It is always amazes me who you may meet today.  Nettles Island is full of interesting people, some are just day transients and other have been coming to this area for years.

The beach here on Hutchinson island is wonderful.  If you like shelling this is the place! I have not taken my camera out and about yet!

We are waiting for a few boat parts to come in, such as our marine VHF radio.  We think it got hit by lightening.  We checked wires from the top of the mast, and then had the radio tested.......off to the manufactures to be repaired.  Next good challenge, our engine panel.  We have no way of knowing if your oil temperature is too hot, no alarms and the tachometer decided to pack it in.  So after hunting around, we found a place and purchased the upgraded model for our Westerbeke.  More problems, this is suppose to be a plug and play but......as all good ships age, technology grows.  So now we need a new regulator and double check all the wiring that was done 10 years ago... Bring on the Experts!!  Have to wait though.......huge boat show and everyone is very busy.  But we have a date to get our repair and installations done.

Well the experts came and went. We did get a new regulator and learned a few things about our house and starter batteries and tidied up the wiring again.  As for the the New Engine Panel, well it had to go back.  Money refunded and we reinstalled the old panel.  Plus sign, some of the gauges that we wanted were cheap and easy to find at the Marine Liquidators in Fort Pierce.

Another problem cropped up, the hot water heater.  This is a system that is a treat.  We usually only get hot water when the engine is running.  I have my handy dandy whistling kettle.  It helps to get that greasy food stuffs off your dishes and when you want to wash your face.  We did the troubleshooting, found the faulty parts and voila, they arrived today, so need to install the new parts and see if she works.

On Monday, Jan 28, 2013 we have the annual but not so annual - Blind Dinghy Race!  We put the dinghy down and moi did a couple of practice runs, but not blindfolded.  We will practice again tomorrow.  The trick is giving good instructions to the captain of the dinghy at the time. Yes, we have to switch and Chris has way too much confidence. Once the challenge is over, we have a DJ to play us some tunes and of course awesome finger food!!!

We are busy doing our last minute checks and chores.......VHF arrives on Tuesday!!!! Finally!!!  Once that has been installed and tested, it will be time to go on Thursday.

Our Plan........head down the "ditch" - the Intercostal, and head to West Palm Beach.  We have family there and it is always a treat to catch up.  After that Miami and finally The Keys.

With so many delays, that is the Best Place to Be for the remainder of our sailing days this season.

I'm a Ray!  Got to see and Awesome Aquarium!

The Fish that Got Away!!

Well as we travel South, having the internet will also be a challenge. But Leaving It All Behind is a great thing!! Destress! Laugh and Love.