Catching up on Things

     After taking a nice walk with Bailey around the 2^nd nine of the golf course, I made some calls to the local physical therapists for my neck.  The first appointment I could schedule is in March!  I guess I will have to check out Key West, but it is a 60-75 minute drive from here.  Something to think about.

     As I prepared to work on photos the rest of the day, Pete had a better Idea.  Since he had a light day, we went up to pick up the VW from Riviera Beach Marina.  Yes, we have both cars here in Florida.  Since we are part of the legal settlement against VW, we started the process of turning in the vehicle last October.  Everything has been hurry up and wait. We submit the required paperwork, then wait 3-4 weeks before they tell us the next step.  Every time we think we are at the last step, there is another hurtle to jump. Since we had to get papers notarized at the end of the year, we figured that we would be turning it in within the month. Hence his flight to Baltimore and solo drive to Florida 2 weeks ago. Yesterday, we finally received the turn in date: Mid-March! Amazing!!!  We did not want to leave it at Riviera for that long without being in the area. So, both cars are here in Marathon and both will have to go back north in March, along with the boat.

     It was a beautiful day for a drive, we left around 11 and due to traffic, especially in the Miami area, we didn’t get back until after 7. Pete found a great pizzeria her in Marathon called The Upper Crust. Clean restaurant, good menu, great thin crust pizza, reasonable prices. Yum!

     No photos again today.  Now that I am all caught up with the blog, I will have to make time to go explore.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~ ~ K & P

Chores . . .

     After breakfast, I gathered and did laundry.  The machines are fairly new, work great, and are $2 per load.  Unfortunately, this is when I miss having a house with my own washer and dryer. It is so convenient not to hunt for quarters, do laundry whenever you wish, have the machines “tell” you when it’s done WHILE doing other thing around the house at the same time. On the plus side, I met a new neighbor, Linda, (2 slip down on a smaller power boat from Buffalo), managed to get in some walking in between the loads, and finished polishing the stainless.

Sunset on the mooring field

Looking East from our bow

     Once laundry was put away and lunch consumed, I researched physical therapists here in Marathon. I have to make an appointment for help with a neck problems. I had hope it would rectify on its own, but after 2 months, my doctor wrote a prescription for therapy. Now that we are in place again for a while, I will make a series appointments. Worked on the blog, just need to finish the photos and post.

     Now, time to start dinner.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  K & P

What a difference a day makes!

     We woke about 2 AM for bathroom breaks. It was cloudy outside and the winds had decreased.  Not a good sign as they within 45 minutes they changed direction and intensity, building out of the WNW.  By 3, the lightning was visible with some rumbles from far in the distance.  By 3:45, the winds howled, the boat healed, the rain dumped from the clouds, and the light show and thunder were non-stop. Around 4:30, I heard the loud sound of water dumping into the cockpit when the boat healed.  This is not unusual as water usually collects on the Bimini, but it was worth checking. I got up as I stepped on the rug at the bottom of the stairs, my foot got wet. Pulled up the rug, tossed it outside and accused Bailey of making the mess.  Once the lights were on and we started to clean up the floor, I noticed that there was water on the counter, where Bailey could not reach. Water was also on walls, lots of water.  That is when I realized, the intense rain and wind forced a lot of water under the dodger and onto to hatch cover.  When we healed, it spilled into the cabin. It was frustrating: Each time Pete woke, he was able to fall back to sleep, while I remained awake for hours listening to the storm and wind.

     On the news, we learned later that an F-1 Tornado was on the ground for about 4 miles in Palm Beach Gardens, not far from the Riviera Marina we were for the past 2 months.  Thankfully, no one was hurt.

     The Cruiser’s Net this morning added a Lost and Found for all that went missing. So far, 2 smaller sailboats were wedged under the bridge and among the missing were a dinghy, 2 kayaks, 3 fenders, 2 paddles, a mooring ball and a motorcycle cover. A few have been found, but everyone has been asked to keep a look out for the rest. Today’s wind had canceled or postponed a number of happenings, including yoga, pump outs in the harbor and inspections of the moorings.

      For most of the day, the rigging vibrated, the boat healed hard to starboard and rocked over the waves as the water could be heard as it passed the hull. NO, we were not sailing; we were in the dock! The skies were clear most of the day, but a number of shower bands made their way east, while the winds remained steady at about 25 mph.

     Pete settled up with the dock master and discussed the possibility of staying in the slip for a while.  We are good to the end of January, but will have to check back to see if he can accommodate us for longer. I will go over to the City Marina office and place our name on the list for a mooring just in case.

     I laid down after breakfast trying to break a headache and catch up on some sleep. After lunch, I worked on catching up with the blog and the photos.  Hopefully, I will have everything done and be able to post everything in a day or two.

     By dinner time, the winds had decreased to15-20 mph and the showers moved on to the east. We were able to open the hatches a crack and have the breezes flow though the boat. Pete crashed and burned after dinner, but I managed to stay awake until 10 (what’s wrong with this picture?!).  Hopefully, with the fresh air and gentle rocking, sleep tonight won’t be a problem.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  K & P

Calm, and Party, Before the Storm!

     After a great breakfast of home-made French toast. Pete was up in the cockpit reading while I did some chores down below.  We are invited to a Pock luck dock party at 4 later today. Since Pete wants to explore areas where he can start practicing with his new drown, we will also make a stop at Publix for something to bring to the pot luck.

    We headed south, checking Pete app to see where the green areas appear for him to fly the drown. All of Marathon is either yellow (requires making calls to get OK to fly) or Red (no fly zones). Our search took us across 7 Mile Bridge onto Bahia Honda Key, where we found as small waterside park and Bahia Honda State park. Hopefully, he will have a chance to start practicing soon.  We then returned over the bridge and drove Marathon from bottom to top checking things out.  Stopped in at West Marine for a dinghy light replacement. The old stern light apparently had water migrate into the housing and short circuited the connections. I had hoped to find a Tilly hat that fit, but was unsuccessful. Instead, I found a Stetson that still provided protection as well as looking cool!

     Since Pete had to work for a couple of hours and I did the shopping at a well-stocked Pubix’s.  It was great to park the car and carry the bags a whole 15 feet onto the boat! Once everything was put away, I made a large pot of sausage and peppers (putting away enough for a dinner later this week!)

An unexpected guest to the Pot Luck Dinner
Hanging on for another drink!

    We met couples from about 12 different boats, They came from all over; Vancouver, Buffalo, Long Island, Mississippi, Minnesota, Pittsburg and Tennessee to name a few, and a mechanic, who hails from Kent Island!. Lots of great foods including fresh, fried red snapper, Hungarian goulash, another sausage and pepper, scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, macaroni salad, Greek salad, cold slaw, brownies and cupcakes. A good time was had by all.

     Even though updates were given for the Green Bay / Atlanta playoffs, Pete really wanted to see the Pittsburg / New England evening game so we said our thank you’s and good-by’s as the gathering began to break up.  Unfortunately, Patriots dominated.  I don’t think Falcons will be able to really challenge the Patriots’ machine for the Super Bowl.

     Before heading to bed, we checked all our lines and the forecast again. The winds are still out of the S/SE at 15-20. The massive cold front that has spawned deadly tornados across the south has a strong line of thunderstorms heading our way!  A tornado watch had been implemented for all of Florida. Around 3 AM, things should get real interesting.  Hopefully, we will get some sleep tonight.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  K & P

Time to Explore Marathon

     Pete and Bailey walked the 2.5 miles to the airport to retrieve the car. Bailey started out very excited to have new smells to investigate. By the time they arrived at the airport, she was thrilled to get into the car.

Relaxing after
scrubbing the boat

     Dave stopped by, dropped off key for showers, told us that pump outs are usually done on Thursdays, but he is also here on Mondays, if we need, and verified that we are to check in on Monday with Roy. Pete checked the monthly rates for Sombrero, and we will try to see if we can extend our dockage.  It is slightly more than the mooring ball, but when you factor in free parking, (instead of the $35/week at the city marina, electricity instead of running the generator, no dinghy ride to walk the dog, 3 washers and 3 driers for marina guests only (about and air conditioning when needed…well, it definitely looks like a great deal!

    With all the salt that is caked over everything, we power washed, then scrubbed the boat and polished the chrome. Boy, did it make a difference.  After showering, we read for a while, then hopped in the car and explored the island to get our bearings. Drove around to see what is local and then went to Lazydays Restaurant, located on the southern-most side road, for dinner and a beautiful sunset view. Pete had a delicious yellow tail stuffed with crab with a mild lime hollandaise sauce. I ordered the grouper with tomatoes, artichoke hearts, capers, asparagus and melted mozzarella. (It needed the capers that accidentally forgotten.) We topped it off with a great carrot cake. We will definitely return for another meal in the future.

Sunset from LAZYDAYS Restaurant

     Once back, we continued reading and called it a day.

    

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  K & P

Key Largo to Marathon

After walking Bailey, Pete returned to the dinghy and captured this magnificent sunrise!

Pulling up anchor

     There were 4 sailboats and a large power cruiser anchored in the lea of Rodriguez Key. We had a beautiful breeze through the boat last night that made for great sleeping.   Those folks probably had very little breeze and plenty of bugs from the island. We were up early, dog walked and anchor as the skies lightened.  Another beautiful start of our day on the water. 

The dreaded Man-O-War

. . . and the equally dreaded crab floats!

      Yesterday, we commented on the sporadic crab floats.  We seem to remember lots more last time we traveled the Florida Straits. Well, we were just off by a day.  Being closed hauled, every time we had to dodge a crab float, we lost some of speed. There were more Man-o-wars today. During our crossing to the Bahamas in 2011, we must have seen a couple of hundred large sails on the Man-O-Wars.  Today, their sail size ranged from 2-3 inches up to a few 6-8 inch, but most on the smaller end.

Backed up against
the bulkhead & close
to parking & the road

      We picked up fuel as we entered Marathon. The marinas in this area are pretty open from the south-east to the west. I hope the forecasted winds won’t cause trouble for them. The mooring field is always impressive.  Including the anchored boats, there are probably 300+ boats. We had to pass the mooring field to get to Sombrero Marina. We came in just before 4, never realizing Dave, the dock had only works until 4. After securing lines and plugging in, he told us to settle up with Roy, the dock master, on Monday.  He gave us some suggestions for restaurants, which will have to check out.

     This is a great little marina, with all 57 slips backing up to the bulkhead, and parking1 0 feet away on street. There are 3 washers and driers onsite.  The restaurant is closed at present. It is about a ¾ mile walk to the Publix, Win-Dixie, Home Depot, and Bank of America.  West Marine is about 2 miles south of the Publix. Across the street, there is a nice-looking golf course with warnings posted to be aware of alligators! 

North end of the mooring field

     We are so fortunate to be here for this weekend.  The latest forecast for Sunday night has changed with winds increasing to 35 mph by about 2 am Monday and remaining that intense for most of the day. 

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  K & P

Miami to Key Largo

Such a beautiful sunrise!

      Slept a little later, and was underway by 7:30. Weather is essentially the same as yesterday. Mid 70’s with light winds from the SSE. (I’m not complaining!)

Stiltsville

     Stiltsville still has the 7 remaining homes like the last time we passed.  This time I decided to check the internet.  The first structure was built in the 1920 or 30’s by “Crawfish Eddie” Walker who sold beer, bait and chowder from his fishing shack.  Others joined him, from boating and fishing clubs to bars and gentlemen’s clubs, which had gambling and liquor beyond the mile enforcement limit. “Well-connected Miamians and celebrities came to drink, relax and kick back.” By the early 1960, there were 27 structures dotting Biscayne Bay. Miami extended its jurisdiction to include these structures. Hurricanes destroyed many of the structures and the lease for the land under the structures at present cannot be renewed. Stiltsville is located in Biscayne Bay National Park. A trust has been set up to hopefully restore some of the structures for access within the park. At present, nothing has been done, but it has possible potential.

     Pete had a very busy day, work wise, but before we exited Key Biscayne Bay, he was able to confirm Dock space Friday through Tuesday with Sombrero Marina, YEA! Unfortunately, shortly there after he found that the area east and south of Biscayne Bay has no cell service.  He had to miss a phone conference and made numerous calls to his partner that were dropped or unable to connect. I guess when we traveled this way before, he didn’t use the phone in this area.  Thankfully, everything worked out. He continued to work off line and by 11, had full service and continued with another series of projects and conference calls.

Not all pleasure crafts,
 watermen work on the water

Water Hazard (even posted on the charts!):
in the middle of Hawk Channel sits a metal piling!

YANKEE heading north

     We passed a couple of dolphins, a few Man-O-War jelly fish, and a number of crab floats. We used the sail to add another 2/10 of a mile to our speed. By 2:30 we were working our way towards land, between Rodriguez Key and Key Largo. We dropped anchor about a mile and a half from Monterrey's Grill, which had an area to land the dinghy and walk Bailey. There are quite a few anchored boats, in sorry need of some TLC, dotting the water between us and the mainland. As we read up in the cockpit, Pete spotted a gentleman on a paddle board, who was completely naked and totally unaffected by curious eyes.

Clothing must have been optional!

     Pete spoke with his brother agreed that we will meet the family in Key West the first weekend in February. We have a safe harbor for the coming storm, plans for a great weekend with family, along with a beautiful sunset, we enjoyed the clear, star-studded sky.  Things don’t get much better!

View to the east at Sunset

Sunset to the west

 ~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~   K & P

Boca to Miami: The Goddess of Bridges Smiled Upon Us!!!

Sunrise on Boca Raton Lake 

     Pete had Bailey in to shore before the sky lightened.  As we pulled anchor, the skies brightened and the sun began its assent. We only waited 5 minutes for our first bridge of the day.

Decorative boat onshore

Length: 300+ ft, Height: 75+ ft, side loading skiff,
10 steps up the aft sugar spoon,  Not for our pay grade!

     Not only have the size of the home increased substantially in size, but so too have the mega yachts and their numbers!  It is a bit intimidating to see these 300+ foot yachts, with 4 levels above the water line and the knowledge that their runabouts are larger than my boat and they are taller than our mast!

Owner has appreciation for art & function!

Futuristic home

Side canal off the ICW

    We made all 7 bridges without long waits and two bridge tenders delayed closing so we could squeak though!   The only bridge that closed before we were able to clear was SE 17^th Street Bridge, just north of the Port Everglades Inlet. This is 55 high without opening.  We slid under with a bit to spare. This time Pete was more confident while I was the one with butterflies in my belly!

One person with so many toys!!!

     As we approached, a tanker ship was in the cut. It was interesting to see a tow line extending from its aft to the aft of a tug.  Apparently, this is the most efficient way for the ship to turn into the southern canal, where the Cruise Terminal is also located.

Deep and busy inlet.
Tug is really in forward, assisting in
turning the ship.

Marked anchorage south of
Port Everglades Inlet

     Breezes were light and once again on the nose.  Who could complain when the shore is 2-3 miles to our west and the seas are a magnificent shade of turquoise and green. Add to that a couple of dolphins and a large turtle.

Modern Lighthouse?

Waterfront living, Miami style

     The Miami cut was just as busy as Port Everglades, but the boats were much smaller, head and pleasure boats. We passed Greg’s former USCG Station, which appears to be undergoing some major renovations. His former boar, the Dolphin, happened to be in port today.  There were many ferries moving construction workers and their vehicles from Fisher Island, while another was bringing a school bus to the Island.

Sailing lessons

Colorful end of day

      We continued pass the bridge to anchor just south of the Rickenbacker Causeway. There were a couple of colorful rental sailing catamarans making way; some successfully and others in leaning mode. There is an area Pete was able to use for walking the dog. We even had some time for reading before dinner.

Another way to enjoy the sunset

     

     Looking at the forecast, we are very concerned about a severe cold front that will bring winds in excess of 30 mph on Sunday. Pete called all the marinas in Key Largo and Marathon.  Everyone is full.  The mooring field in Marathon has been full since Thanksgiving and the wait list is 35 boats long. Sombrero Marina, in Marathon might have a dock. We are on the list and need to call tomorrow. Pete reached out to a couple of friends who are experienced cruisers for additional suggestions. Keeping our fingers crossed.

Biscayne Bay Sunset

Twilight over Miami

      

    We had another wonderful sunset and enjoyed some TV. The satellite unit is working perfectly, even at anchor!

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  K & P

What’s that Saying, “The Best Made Plans….?”

      We were up at 5:45 to make sure the dog was walked and the last-minute things secured so we could leave at Nautical Twilight, 6:15am. 

Sunrise over the West Palm Beach Inlet

     Ummm, Nautical Twilight didn’t appear until 6:30! As we were entering the inlet cut, we could see the cruise ship, Grand Celebration, waiting for the harbor pilot.  It was a beautiful sunrise. Unfortunately, those predicted winds from the ESE had shifted to the SSE, creating rollers that were tossing us around, slowing our forward speed to less than 5 mph, and no possibility of raising the sails to help. Within a half hour we made the decision to turn about and travel the ICW.

Large estate with outdoor chandeliers

     Our first bridge south of the inlet is undergoing construction.  The Flagler Bridge, which should open a quarter after each hour, omits the 8:15 AM and the 5:15PM opening. As a result, we dropped anchor for the hour and a half as we waited for 9:15. Apparently, this caught 8 other boats off guard as well.

Holiday decorations

          Since our last foray through this part of the ICW (2011), there are a lot less homes on the water for sale, but also a lot of new home construction.  Many of the homes are in the 5-6,000 square foot range, while others take up 3 lots and must be close to10-12,000 square feet! Who could possibly use all that space?!?

One of today's many bridge openings

     Some of the bridge openings were timed just right while we had to wait for others. Spanish River Bridge was missed by 3 minutes and there was another 25-minute dance in the current.  We were the first of the 3 sail boats we spent the day traveling with to break off to anchor.  We knew that there was a place to walk Bailey here in Boca Raton, so we stopped around 2:30 after only 30 miles (and 14 bridges!) Pete was able to make his two conference calls after we anchored and I chilled out before dinner.

     Pete is planning for tomorrow. If we continue the ICW, we have 21 of the 35 bridges ahead; 2 of which are fixed at 55 feet. We should be ok with our mast height at 52 feet, but it’s also another 45 miles! So, should we venture out from Port Everglades and do the last 21 miles on the ocean with the winds 4-7 from the SE or hope we find a pack of sailboats that can clear the 55 foot bridges on the ICW. Traveling in a pack helps with bridge openings (the accordion effect.)

    We’ll let you know tomorrow how it goes!

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  K & P

WOW! What a Month!

Frost on the Windshield

Happy Riley

     The saying, “Time passes when you are having fun,” has never been more true. My dress for the wedding was ready when promised and looks fabulous! We packed for 2 weeks in the cooler, and possibly snowy, north; wrapped the presents, emptied the refrigerator, and did the last-minute cleaning and laundry, before headed north on December 20^th.  While Pete finished up some work projects, I had a couple of medical appointments to keep before Christmas.

      

    We stayed with Chris, Kel and the girls. Hadi’s excitement was wonderful to watch, especially while her Elf on the Shelf, “Bubbles,” kept a watchful eye. She even had a number of encounters with Santa (on the fire truck, at school and at a breakfast.) Her biggest concern was that she might have omitted a few items, but Bubbles knew to report back to Santa.

    Riley continues to grow in leaps and bounds. Her happy personality survives even when she is sick, which was most of the time we were with them.

Little ladies in their Tutus

     Christmas Eve, we took Pete’s mom to dinner and stayed the night. The 3 of us headed north to Chris and Kel’s for Christmas breakfast.  Heather and Kel’s family rounded out the gathering. Needless to say, a great time was had by all!

Hadi examining Nana

     Well, almost all…Pete came down with an intestinal bug Christmas night that laid him flat for the next two days. I took Mom back home on Monday, completed some errands for her, then returned to keep tabs on Pete. Oh yea, remember Riley’s cold? Well, guess who she shared it with!

Kids with wrapped up leftovers

    Friday before the wedding, was busy. We had to drop Bailey for boarding, continue south to Seaford to pick up Mom, drive to the hotel in NJ (6 hours of driving since leaving the house in Pa), and host the rehearsal dinner at Rats, a fabulous restaurant located on the grounds of The Sculpture Garden outside Princeton.

We gather for the Rehearsal Dinner

     

      The wedding was memorable in every way.  Greg, in his dress uniform, and Jenn, in a magnificent, embellished floral, mermaid dress and tiara with a vail of red, white and blue were married by a celebrant who shared their love story and play to the crowd!  Their love of all things nautical was the theme throughout the venue: her rings, the tables of foods for cocktail hour and the tables for dinner. Before dinner, Greg changed into his suit (more comfortable and Jenn's dress loss her mermaid's flounce. The food was yummy and the dancing non-stop (great DJ!) Guests held sparklers out on the patio creating a roadway for the newlyweds and everyone donned hats and created noise as we danced in the New Year.

First Dance

Bobbi Jo celebrates Jenn & Greg

Chris' Toasts his brother and his wife

Chris & K

Jenn and her "Babes"

Steiner Side getting Craz

The Bruzik Ladies welcome 2017 

Hadi, our dancing Machine!

Love Sparkles!

   














     New Year’s Day, we were able to spend time catching up with family and friends before everyone headed home.  Ann, Howie, Carolyn, Mom and we said our good-byes after a great dinner and stayed the extra night.

      Monday, we drove Mom back home and continued on to Florida. Unfortunately, Tuesday, she was admitted to the hospital for the next ten days. As of this writing she is doing better; out of the hospital and improving in in rehab.

      Since returning to Riviera City Marina, time has flown. Pete has been busy with work. We were able to visit a bit more, as well as catch a few movies and dinners with Ann and Howie. Over the last couple of days, I did some heavy-duty cruise prep: For 5 hours, Rug Doctor and I cleaned all the upholstery, shades and rugs. After defrosting the freezer and fridge, there was a trip to BJs, along with dividing, then vacuum sealing all the meats. A couple of loads of laundry were done, which meant a number of trips, as I also washed all the bedding. (The marina only has two, somewhat decent dryers and I had 4 loads of laundry!) Then, taking inventory of the fridge and dry goods, replenished was needed.  I did steal away for a few hours by myself at Butterfly World, south of Delray. Had a great time and managed a few good photos!  Now, I just need time to process the wedding photos as well as my butterflies and birds.

Rainbow Lorikeet

Common Sailor Butterfiles

   

Amazon Parrot's Tail Feathers

Painted Birdwing Butterfly

     Sunday, we dropped the car off in Marathon. We left early enough (7am) so that we missed all the traffic that occurs later in the day.  We were back at the marina by 3. We joined Ann and Howie for a great Italian dinner and said our temporary good-byes. I’m sure we will see them on the return trip or may be while we are in the Keys.

     Monday, fuel and water tanks were topped off and holding tank emptied, paperwork completed with the marina and did the last of the laundry. As I was returning to the boat, I noticed the catamaran behind us had a yellow line in the water. I knew that the owner was away, to I climbed aboard, found a paddle to retrieve the line and began pulling the line from the water. I wound up pulling up the diver, whose yellow air line was attached to a hookah and was cleaning the bottom of the boat!

     Just before closing, we moved to the fuel dock to top off the tanks, and stayed for easy departure for tomorrow’s nautical dawn. Tomorrow, we hope to do an outside jump from here to Miami and avoid the 35 bridges!  It will mean a long day to cover the 80.5 miles.  As we head to bed the forecast is for winds 10-15 from the ESE with seas 4-6 feet.  Hopefully, we will be able to sail.

     Well, it’s time for our beauty rest, so we wish you all good night!

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  K & P