Winding Down

We reached Brunswick Landing Marina this afternoon. This is where we will leave our boat for the summer. We are nearing the end of our first journey and we're not quite sure how to feel.

We are definitely looking forward to returning to Indiana and seeing our family and friends. But at the same time we have experienced a new way of life that we don't want to give up.

This trip began in January near Savannah, Georgia. With almost no boating experience but lots of enthusiasm, we sailed from Savannah south along the Atlantic Coast, down through the Florida Keys, up the west coast of Florida to Naples, back through the Keys and back up the Atlantic Coast to Georgia.

Along the way, we have learned to:

--find good, safe places to anchor

-- set the anchor on the boat so it doesn't drag (almost never)

--read a marine chart and understand markers and what they mean

--communicate with bridge tenders, the Coast Guard, and other boaters via the VHF radio

--maintain and repair most of the systems on the boat when they fail

--sail (although you never really stop learning how to sail)

--predict the weather (you automatically double NOAA's estimate of wind speed and wave height and learn that whatever direction you will be traveling, the wind will usually be coming towards you)

--live happily without television, a car, a washer and dryer, hair dryer, make-up, and a hot shower every day.

--catch fish, clean them and cook them

--live nearly "off the grid." In other words, we can produce almost enough electricity through solar panels and a wind generator to cover our power needs. Eventually, we hope to live totally "off the grid."

In addition to getting the best tans we've ever had and lots of exercise and fresh air, we have also met too many new friends to count. Cruisers are the most interesting, caring, adventurous folks you can imagine.

Getting to know other cruisers is almost effortless. Everyone wants to socialize and parties and pot lucks happen at the drop of a hat. We all have so much in common and so much to talk about.

Some of the people we've met have sailed around the world. Many spend their winters in the Bahamas or the Keys, some have traveled all of the Great Lakes, explored the Chesapeake, traversed the Panama Canal. Others have sailed to South America, Asia, the Phillipines, Fiji Islands, Australia, and New Zealand.

Many have raised their children aboard their boats. The children of cruisers we have met are amazingly social, interesting and very knowledgeable about the world.

Our cruising friends have also helped us "learn the ropes." They have shared their knowledge and encouraged us from the beginning when this project was just a dream.

I don't think we could have accomplished this journey without the help of our cruising friends....Rich on Feral Cat, Bonnie and Roger on Kokomo, Sam and Gina on Lady of the Lake, Harold and Val on La Buena Vida, Pam and Richard on Tisha Baby, Lloyd and Caroline on Amelia Rose, Brian and Lynn on Midori, Rana and Mike on Raven, Rick and Mary on Tranquillity, Don and Diane on Fitzcat, Chris and Bruce on Sojourn, and Russ on Bay Breeze.

We have learned so much from all of them and many others. Cruisers are a breed apart.

So here we are. We'll fly home next week and resume our previous life for the summer. Sunshine will stay here in Brunswick.

We'll give you a report on our adjustment to life on land as well as our future plans.

Thanks for listening.

Phil and Margaret

500 Miles to Brunswick, Georgia

It was finally time to begin our journey north to Brunswick, Georgia, just across the northern border of Florida. We have made plans to leave our boat there for the summer while we return to Greenwood.

We vacated our mooring ball in Boot Key Harbor on Sunday, May 4th, and headed up the Keys in the company of two other boats, La Buena Vida (Harold and Val) and Bay Breeze (Russ).

The first day we made it to Rodriguez Key, just south of Key Largo. The second day we got to No Name Harbor, at the bottom of Key Biscayne, where we stayed for a couple of days to rest and enjoy the beautiful state park there.

We left No Name Harbor on Wednesday, May 7th, and turned north in Biscayne Bay, exiting through Miami's Government Cut out into the Atlantic. All three boats decided to go out into deeper water to see if the fishing was better.

We headed out about three miles and were soon in 600 feet of water, on the edge of the Gulf Stream. The water was a beautiful indigo blue. We could see for miles and the influence of the Gulf Stream gave us a fast ride north.

As we scanned the horizon to the east, we saw an island with high rise buildings and a large water tower. A quick check on the chart plotter indicated we were looking at Bimini, in the Bahamas! It was 42 miles east of Miami and clearly visible.

We both decided that being able to see Bimini from Miami made it seem close enough that we might actually be able to make that crossing next winter.

It was a great day of motor-sailing, but we did not catch any fish. We anchored that night in a quiet Ft. Lauderdale residential area called Middle River.

The next day's sail, to West Palm Beach, was not one of our better days. The weather forecast had called for five to eight knot winds and two to four foot seas. The wind began picking up late in the morning and we were soon dealing with winds gusting to 25 knots and 5-8 foot seas. It was a most uncomfortable ride and at the end of the day, we were pleased to have it behind us.

We rested and resupplied for a couple of days at North Lake Worth, then prepared to resume our journey on Saturday, May 10th. Our plans changed quickly when we discovered that Sunshine's port engine would not start.

The three captains conferred, tested, and conferred some more, finally deciding that our starter motor was the problem. After several phone calls and more conferring, they found a mechanic who was working on the weekend (it was Saturday) and who agreed to rebuild the starter. Phil quickly removed it and he and Harold dinghied to shore. They took a taxi to the shop and were back within a few hours, with a rebuilt starter motor.

That night, everyone came to our boat to celebrate with a steak dinner and strawberry shortcake. As we were preparing dinner, someone noticed that a boat that had anchored next to us, a catamaran named "Suitsus," was dragging its anchor. There was no one aboard.

Our three captains decided that immediate action was needed to keep the boat from colliding with pilings behind it. Quickly, they launched two dinghies, each carrying an extra anchor and plenty of line. The two additional anchors were soon secured to the wandering catamaran and it came to a stop, averting near certain disaster.

The boat's owner, his wife and son returned to their boat as we were finishing our dinner. They realized immediately that their boat was not where they left it, noticed the two additional anchors, and let us know how grateful they were for our help.

Sunday morning, we headed north again. The destination was Jensen Beach. Again, the weather forecast was incorrect and light winds turned into 30 knot winds by early afternoon. Fortunately, we had decided to travel on the IntraCoastal Waterway (ICW), which is an interior route. Even in the protection of the ICW, the winds were very strong.

As we were about to cross under a high-rise bridge, about five miles from Jensen Beach, we noticed that Bay Breeze was having problems. He was without power and was forced to throw out his anchor.

We turned around and came back to lend moral support. The winds were too strong to attempt any repairs, so Russ had called SeaTow for assistance. (SeaTow is AAA for boats.) Within a few minutes, SeaTow arrived.

At about the same time, Phil and I noticed that two young boys had overturned a kayak about 500 yards away. We watched as a boy on a jet ski rescued one of the boys, but a second was still waving his arms in distress. We alerted the SeaTow captain, who immediately went to aid the second boy.

After he took the boy to safety, the SeaTow captain returned and towed Bay Breeze to the anchorage. We followed behind.

As we pulled into the Jensen Beach anchorage, Phil and I noticed that Suitsus, the wandering catamaran from the night before, was also already there. We anchored beside him, not behind him.

With all three boats safely anchored, we all went ashore and had a great Mother's Day dinner at a waterfront restaurant called Conchy Joe's.

Today, Russ, a mechanic before he became a cruiser, was able to fix his boat. We are all getting together for dinner tonight and will likely resume our journey tomorrow morning.

The wind is still howling.

Key West Independence Celebration and Andy's Visit

There's no place else quite like Key West.

It's only about 50 miles from Marathon, which we could have sailed in one long day, but we decided to take our time and make it a two-day trip. We anchored in Newfound Harbor, a little more than half the way. The next day (Tuesday, April 22nd), we sailed into Key West about two in the afternoon.

There were a couple of places to anchor right across the busy main channel near the "Old Town" area, which were already quite full of boats. There was also a mooring field, but it was located a long dinghy-ride away from the festivities.

I suggested we try to find some space in one of the anchorages closest to the festivities. The wind and current were both strong from the north, and the anchorage didn't provide a lot of protection, but we managed to get the anchor set well. We seemed to be far enough from the other boats.

We dinghied into the main Key West harbor (called Key West Bight) and walked around the bustling waterfront. We had an early dinner at the Turtle Kraal Restaurant overlooking the harbor, then returned to the boat around 7:00 for an early bedtime.

A loud air horn awakened us from a sound sleep around midnight. We rushed to the cockpit and discovered another boat precariously bobbing barely three feet in front of our bow.

I started the engines while Phil went forward to discuss the situation with the captain of the other boat. The other captain was determined that he should not be required to move, even though our boat was still in the same relative position as when we anchored and he had moved closer to us.

Since we were the last to anchor, and further negotiations with the other captain seemed fruitless, we upped the anchor. It was very dark and the wind was howling. We tried to re-anchor a little farther away, but couldn't get the anchor to set.

After two or three more tries, we gingerly made our way in the dark across the channel to a second anchorage with fewer boats. The first couple of tries didn't hold, and we discussed the possibility of just cruising around for the rest of the night in the dark, but a third try was successful and the anchor seemed well set.

Our anchoring faith had been tested, however, and we shared "anchor watches" the rest of the night, with one sleeping and the other awake to be sure the anchor didn't drag.

Daylight found us groggy, but safely anchored in the same place. We quickly decided that moving to the mooring balls was the best choice for guaranteeing a good night's sleep, even though the mooring balls were farther away from the festivities.

We spent Wednesday and Thursday nights safely attached to the mooring balls. Wednesday we rested and did projects on board. Thursday, we agreed we deserved to have some fun.

We dinghied to the nearest dock, about a mile away, and walked about a mile to the downtown area. We met friends for an early dinner and then headed down Duvall Street for the Conch Republic Independence Parade.

It was a most unusual parade, to say the least. Thousands of tourists lined Duvall Street. The parade featured the Conch Republic Hair Force (Key West locals wearing inflatable airplanes around their waists and big Marge Simpson hairdos): the Conch Republic CIA (Cuties in Action) consisting of women in bright costumes on roller skates; various Conch Republic dignitaries, lots of costumed pirates throwing candy and necklaces, and other floats that simply defy description. Everyone had a great time.

It was a total spoof of every kind of parade you have ever seen. The police presence was almost nonexistent, unlike parades we are accustomed to. The motorcycle officers we did see were wearing necklaces and leighs.

On Friday, we left the mooring field and moved to a marina on Stock Island, just east of Key West, to await the arrival of our younger son, Andy, who was flying in from Seattle to spend a few days with us.

Andy's plane arrived in Ft. Lauderdale after midnight Friday. He rented a car and drove the three and a half hours to Key West, arriving at the marina about 4:30 a.m. Saturday.

We welcomed him aboard, talked for a while, then everyone retired to our staterooms to finish our night's sleep.

The next few days, we enjoyed more Conch Republic festivities, including watching a "bed race" up Duvall Street. We ate lots of seafood, took Andy on a day sail in some pretty bumpy seas, and saw the sights of Key West. We also enjoyed just spending time with our younger son.

The visit ended too quickly. Andy headed back to Ft. Lauderdale around noon on Tuesday. We topped off the fuel tanks and headed out soon after, destined for an anchorage at Bahia Honda Key.

We had a nice sail to Bahia Honda, catching a large Black Grouper as we pulled into the anchorage around 5:00 p.m. We anchored with friends that night and shared dinner.

The next day, the winds picked up dramatically. Although we only had about eight miles to get back to Boot Key Harbor at Marathon, it was a rough eight miles. The winds increased to about 24 knots and they were right on the nose. We pounded our way through the waves, motoring and sailing, into Boot Key around noon, glad to be safely in the comfort of a harbor and secure on a mooring ball.