Category: Travel

December 20^th,2010

Hello from Tarpon Basin, Key Largo.  Mike and I are hunkered down here in the Basin.  We are waiting out a cold front that is coming through and it has gotten down into the 50’s at night.  We are in long pants and wearing our woolie slippers that our friend Jackie made for us and feeling very grateful that we brought them with us after all.  We spent a couple of eventful days in Sunset cove off of Key Largo. Our first day here we put our dingy in the water and spent a delightful day taking a nice 3 mile walk up the Grocery Store and back,  we stopped at the Tower of Pizza and enjoyed one of our last Pizza’s before leaving for parts unknown.  We have been able to catch a bit of TV on occasion (Thanks to Mike’s little TV antennae that he hauls up the mast)  We saw that there was an approaching storm and felt we were in a good place to ride it out.    The next day brought winds in the 25 – 45 kts range and heavy rain squalls.    Our windgen was really got a workout and we eventually had to tie it off.   I put up our Christmas tree during the storm as a way of feeling somewhat normal during the ordeal(Oh I meant adventure).   During the brunt of the storm the winds came up from the south west but as the rain passed stonger winds clocked around to come from the N/NW.  Dancing Dolphin had a rough night hobby horsing around her anchor.   We moved her over into Tarpon Basin yesterday morning.   We are encircled by Mangroves here and have better protection here than Sunset Cove.   So now Mike and I are hunkered down here in the Basin.  DD is doing well at keeping us safe and dry and likes the calmer water.   We took our Dingy, Mighty Mouse, on a windy, wild ride over into Blackwater Sound and walked over to a local flea Market and a bookstore yesterday.     It is still blowing and cold today.  We will probably move the boat tomorrow or Tuesday and re-fuel prior to crossing the gulf stream to the Bahamas on Wed or Thursday.  So hopefully we will be there by Christmas.    Today is a day for Telephone calls to those friends we had not touched base with for a while to gather last minute contact information and say our farewells until such time as we can enjoy their company again.   We hope that some will seriously consider meeting up with us during our travels and we look forward to meeting and making many new friends along the way.    It is noon here and the sun just broke through the cloud cover for the first time today making the water sparkle. There are a couple of mooching gulls that have been hanging around the boat waiting on any scraps.  They always show up around mealtimes.   Smart Birds.   If we hang around here much longer I’m sure I’ll end up naming them too.

Hello everyone my Name is Lexi,  Mike and Crystal named me after Vince and Lore’s dog as it is the only other animal that poops as much as I did in my short time staying on their boat.   I’m cute though just like Lexi the Dog so I can get away with it.

December 16, 2009

Well, we cast off our dock lines at 10:30 Dec 13, and said a bittersweet farewell to our home for the last 3 months.  We can’t thank Mikes Mom Lore and Stepdad Vince enough for the wonderful hospitality and support they have given us.   We will miss cocktail hour and the wonderful meals always at the ready at the end of a long work day on the boat.    We will miss the antics of Miss Lexi Ann their Bijon/Poodle mix.   (Ok, except for her habit of eating Crystal’s Sunglasses).    Vince said a fond farewell for both he and Lore as Mom had to fly to Colorado to be at the bedside of Mike’s Sister Kathy who has suddenly taken ill.  Our prayers are with her daily and we are keeping up to date via our boat e-mail address.   As I write this we have traveled around the south end of FL and are anchored off of Upper Matacumbe Key in the FK keys.   After we left Punta Gorda, we traveled across Charlotte Harbor and through the GICW down to just south of Pine Island.  We were treated to many pods of dolphin dancing around the boat as a send off as well as a baby that was playing slip and slid over the backs of the adults.   There has been little wind and we have had to motor or motor sail for much of our time.    The bird life between Gordon Pass and Marco Island was phenomenal.  We were treated to the aerial acrobatics of frigates and pelicans, what amazing flyers.  We anchored next to Coconut Island which was more of a sand spit than an Island but the bay was calm and we had a restful night sleep.   We are still continuing to learn about the boats systems and consider this our shakedown.   Our table took a hard bump from the wake of a passing boat and we had to repair it as the wood attached to the floor split.   We stayed at Little Shark River and even though it is December the bugs were still voracious even ¼ mile offshore.  (Just like Mike remembered)  Again we were greeted and sent off by the Dolphins.   They have been welcome company and always bring a smile.  Mike has worked out some glitches in the Windgen system and Crystal continues to battle a couple of software/hardware compatibility issues to keep us in communication with you all.   A bit of good news,   Mike tested the Watermaker today and it appears to be working, if not up to capacity, at least at 6 gal per hour.   It is a welcome addition to our cruising lifestyle.   It has taken quite a bit of work to get here but it has been worth it.   We think of our friends and family daily and hope you are all blessed with good health and happiness this holiday season and throughout the coming year.   Our cell phone will work for the next week or so and then we will be accessible via e-mail only.  We have a new e-mail that we can access from the boat daily and also a WiFi booster for when we get close enough to shore to access the internet.  The boat e-mail is somewhat limited as it downloads to our computer at the rate of dialup but if you would like to have it please drop us a line at our gmail addresses and we will send it to you.    Well,  there are storm clouds on the horizon and so I had better wrap this up for now…….more to come!    Meanwhile here are some photos from the last few days!

December 6, 2009

I know, I know, you probably thought, “They’ve sailed off over the horizon and haven’t even bothered to let anyone know” Well, almost but not quite.  We have been spending the last few weeks getting to know Dancing Dolphin, our 35ft Victory Catamaran that will be our home for the next couple of years.   We have been busy making lists and outfitting her for our extended cruise throughout the Caribbean.   Parts have proved a challenge to come by.  We had to send to England for a new propeller.  Mike has immersed himself in the boats many systems from engine to electronics and has been spending his time changing fluids and stocking up on spare parts as well as learning the many systems of our new home.   Crystal has been studying the HAM operators’ manual and ACED both her Technician and General Operator tests so that she now holds a FCC license to use our SSB Radio for E-Mail as well as weather fax operations.   After replacing the propeller, Mike’s mom and stepdad, Lore & Vince, and Mike and I took Dancing Dolphin across Charlotte Harbor to the Charlotte Harbor Boat Storage, a wonderful family owned boatyard that allows people to live aboard their boats while working on various projects.  We first learned about this boatyard when we were shopping for a boat a couple of years ago.  We had visited and found the yard to be really accommodating to cruisers and others on a tight budget.  To get to the boatyard we had to take D.D. through a narrow self operated lock and then through a nature reserve and fresh water canals to the yard.  It took us about 4 hours to cross and we saw many Stingrays in large groups as we motored our way on a windless day across smooth water under blue skies.  We also were privileged to get to see wild boar, rosy spoonbills as well as a couple of flamingos.    We made arrangements to spend at least a week in the yard to clean and repaint the bottom of Dancing Dolphin and clean and upgrade her sonic outdrive as well as give her a good polish before her trip to the Bahamas.    The boatyard has a wonderful screened central meeting room with cooking facilities, bathrooms and showers, as well as a sewing area.   When we arrived and pulled  alongside the dock, we immediately had at least 4 hands running down from the meeting room to hand off lines to and help us tie up to the dock.   Within minutes we were on a first name basis with many of the people staying in the boatyard and were welcomed with open arms, like I said a real family atmosphere.   We spent eight days working on D.D. and giving her a new coat of bottom paint that we hope will last for the next couple of years.  Mike also spent quite a bit of time working on the Sonic Drive and making it look like new again.   Crystal spent her time painting, scrubbing, polishing, and of course tracking down parts.   We were told we were setting a bad example as we would arrive in the morning and work until sunset when the general work day in the yard did not usually extend beyond about 4 hours. They were forgiving of us though and we were invited to our first cruisers potluck and Dolly Parton look-alike contest.  We had a wonderful time and enjoyed the hilarious antics of the Yard Dog Acting Company, made up entirely of cruisers past and present staying in the yard.  We finally completed many of our repairs and brought D.D. back to Punta Gorda to complete our provisioning for our trip to the Bahamas. The parts for the auto helm just arrived today.  We are waiting for a couple of additional parts and are stocking the boat with the final provisions.  We are finally coming down to the wire and can see us actually sailing over that horizon in the next week or so,  weather pending, as many of our future adventures will be.   We are now on a time line and will be meeting Crystal’s parents in Georgetown at the end of January and entertaining Carl Pitts at the end of February.  We are looking forward to their visits as well as our own explorations of the Bahamas.   I will try not to let so much time go by till my next entry as this one could easily have become a novelette.  Here are some Pics of the last few weeks.

Oct 28 – Nov 1

We both fell asleep for about an hour, me in the cockpit and Mike below, waiting for enough light to see the unlit channel markers to the ICW.   I woke to the sounds of 4 large power boats approaching.   I woke Mike and we hauled anchor and made our way through the channel to the ICW and on up to Charlotte Harbor.   We entered the Harbor along with another Sailboat and put out our headsail to Motor-sail the rest of the way across the Harbor.  Up ahead of us Sailing was another Catamaran.   Mike got out his Binoculars and said “Crystal, that catamaran in front of us is a Victory like ours.”  What are the odds?     A few minutes later the other Victory called DUET hailed us on the VHF and we had a great conversation with Bob and Sherry.   Bob just retired 4 weeks ago and so they have been enjoying many new excursions on their Victory which they love.   We exchanged contact information and planned to meet up with them in the coming weeks to see if we can plan a get together.   There were numerous Dolphin around us as we crossed the Harbor and because Bob and Sherry were not running there engine, they had a great encounter with the dolphins coming up to their boat and swimming between their hulls.   I am looking forward to getting closer myself, but for now I was just happy to be on the final leg of our 28 hour passage back to Mike’s Folks house.    As we entered the canals near the house,  Mike talked me through the Docking procedure.   I thought I understood but when it came down to getting the boat next to the dock and tying her off, I got his directions backwards and was unable to jump from the boat down to the dock.  (me and my poor depth perception)  The boat drifted just past the dock and ended up kissing the seawall with the starboard hull before Mike was able to jump to the rescue and tie her off properly.   I was in tears and told him “I feel horrible about scratching his Pride and Joy.   He just held me and told me that “I was his Pride and Joy”.  Can someone tell me what I was thinking marrying this guy!  So our Maiden Voyage has come to its conclusion and now it is time to make over Dancing Dolphin into our home.   We have been scrubbing furiously and making upgrades to bring her up to our standards.   We have to send to England for a new prop and attachments so we will be ordering a 2^nd set as well as additional parts for our sonic outdrive in the event of breakdown in the middle of nowhere again.    Mike found a beautiful Teak Folding Table for the Salon that he refinished and placed into our new home   We are slowly checking off our ToDo List and preparing for our extended cruising.

Oct 26 -27

We took Mighty Mouse back into the Marina.  Plan for the day, Mike will meet up with the Ranger Maintenance Crew and the Tour Boat Crew to Scrounge Parts and Crystal will Ride with Capn’ Carl’s Boss, Capn’ Frank into Homestead with the Old Spare Prop to hopefully find pieces to attach it or a New Prop and Hardware.    It felt strange to have my feet on solid ground again for an extended period of time.   I was still moving.   Capn’ Frank and I had a nice conversation on our way to Homestead but unfortunately none of the Marine Parts Stores could help us with parts to attach the prop or a new prop and they all wanted me to leave the old prop to have someone else look at it to determine if they could find a replacement.   I told them I couldn’t leave it as it was the only prop we had and If Mike could locate parts to attach it, I dare not return without it.  I stopped by the bank and picked up some groceries while in Homestead.   Capn’ Frank and I returned to Flamingo with hopes that Mike was able to find something that would work.   Mike came back into the Marina to pick me up and told me he thought he almost had enough parts to attach the old prop.  He just needed some washers for spacers that he thought he might be able to get from the rangers maintenance dept. in the morning.    I’m sure glad I went with my gut on not leaving the prop behind at any of the parts shops.   On Tuesday morning we rode back to the Marina early and walked through Mosquito Alley a 1/4 mile walk through the mangroves over to the Ranger Maintenance building.   They were able to provide Mike with some washers but he had to modify them by drilling out the center hole to make it larger.  Thank goodness he brought his tools.  Mechanic Mike attached the prop with the bits and pieces he had gathered and we left Flamingo about 11:00am.  Mike asked me if I was up for an overnighter to make up lost time.  I told him I was barring any more unforeseen problems.  The wind this day was directly on our tail, also not Dancing Dolphins favorite point of sail.   We attempted to raise the Main Sail with our electric winch and blew a breaker.   For a time we were without any of our Navigation or Instrumentation.  Needless to say at this point I was near tears again but not with joy.    Electrician Mike was able to get us back up and running once again.   We continued throughout the day and into the night.   We discovered that the chip that is in our Garmin does not have detail for the West Coast of Florida and so we had to navigate with our charts and some basic Waypoints.     We took turns piloting the boat and sleeping and arrived just south of Ft Myers Beach at about 4:00am.   We began to take the outside route west of Sanibel Island but with the change in route the 4 ft waves began to hit us broadside again and the ride was getting a bit rough.  We opted to head on into the bay and follow the lit markers to the ICW and on up to Charlotte Harbor.  We followed the lit markers as far as we could.  It was still early and when we ran out of lit markers we anchored and waited for it to get a bit lighter before continuing on our journey home.

Oct 24 – 25th

After our not so restful night we pressed on toward the western coast of south Florida.  The winds were still not in our favor and we ended up motoring with the wind directly on our nose for the entire day.   We anchored just south of Middle Cape in the Everglades National Park.  Michael turned in early and I stayed awake long enough to watch the sunset and beautiful rainbow that came down off the stern of the boat.   The winds and waves were calming and we enjoyed a restful night sleep.   The phrase “the calm before the storm” comes to mind.  In the morning we started the engine an attempted to put the boat in gear to pull up the anchor.  The boat didn’t budge.  We tried reverse, still nothing.  We pulled up our Sonic Drive and Michael leaned over the back to take a look at it.   !@#$%^&*!   There was no propeller.   The only thing we could figure is it had come off when we backed down on the anchor the night before.    We hadn’t moved, other than a slight change in position due to swing on the anchor rode.    We both got into our snorkel gear and spent the better part of the next hour diving in 8 feet of water trying to find the prop and nuts to hold it on but to no avail.  The Everglades as you know is the end point for the marshlands and the place where all the water comes out into the ocean along with plenty of silt and other debris.  It was like diving in pea soup.  We couldn’t see but about a foot in front of us and as soon as you touched bottom a cloud of silt would surround you.   We found a really old spare prop that was left on the boat but we had nothing to attach it with.    Plan B.  We looked on our charts and the closest civilization was behind us at a place called Flamingo.  Leave it to us to get stuck in one of the most remote locations on the west coast of Florida.  We decided the best course of action would be to lower our dingy off of the davits and strap her to the side of Dancing Dolphin and use her as a tug to push us the 14 miles to Flamingo.  Our Dingy and her 25 HP Tohatsu motor did a great job and pushed us back to Flamingo.  Enroute we looked up to see wood storks flying in a long straight line of 95 birds,  an amazing sight.    On the way I suggested we name our dingy “Mighty Mouse” as I sang “Here I come to Save the Daaaaaay!”  as she pushed us along at about 3 mph on a sea of glass with absolutely no wind.    Now we have a Cat and a Mouse.  We anchored at the entrance to the channel, not knowing what sort of amenities the marina offered, and took Mighty Mouse into the Small Marina.    We went to the Ranger Station in Flamingo and began to plead our case looking for any help they may be able to provide.    Unfortunately it was Sunday and their Maintenance personnel were not due in until the next day.   We began walking over to the small Marina Store.  On our way I spotted a couple of what appeared to be some “Ole Salts”.   We walked up and introduced ourselves to Capn’ Carl.  He is currently running the tour boats for the tourists that come to Flamingo.   He had traveled to Flamingo in his Trawler, Red Red Wine, with his Cat Baryshnikov , a beautiful long haired Siamese and a rescued bird.    We told him of our predicament and he told us that when they returned from their last tour of the day they would look to see if they had any spare parts that might work to attach our old spare prop.  If they couldn’t find what we needed that his boss would be traveling to Homestead the next day,  48 miles away to get parts for the tour boats.   We could possibly catch a ride with him.   We rode back to the boat and settled in for the evening, thankful we had our home intact and the possibility of a plan to resolve our situation.    The evening was quiet and the beauty of the Everglades surrounded us.   Watching the Roseate Spoonbills, Wood storks, & Osprey’s, and looking out on another incredible sunset,  we couldn’t help but think that if one must be stuck, why not be stuck in such a beautiful place.

Oct 23rd

We enjoyed a restful night on calm waters at Pumpkin Key and I woke early and made the coffee and sat up on our forward deck to enjoy the sunrise.    It was another beautiful day and I thought to myself ,”the only thing that could make this any more perfect  would be for a pod of dolphin to swim by.”  As if on queue, there they were.  Backlit by the morning sunrise, I was close to tears of joy for the second time in as many days.    We hauled anchor and proceeded on our journey south.   We had good wind and sailed for much of the day and then wove our way through mangroves.  The boat continued to perform beautifully.   We pulled around to what would normally be the lee side of Legnumvitae Key part of the Florida parks system.  It is a botanical Park.  There were complimentary Mooring Balls and Mike was able to grab one of them with our gaff as we did not have a boat hook on board.    I refer to the mooring as normally being on the lee side of the island but as there were still winds coming from the North east.  There was quite a bit wave action where there would normally be calm.  We spent a not so quiet night as the boat drifted broadside to the waves causing them to slam into the hull where we were trying to sleep.   I didn’t realize boats could be so loud.   The previous owner told us about rigging the boat with a bridle so that it won’t swing on anchor or mooring.  We will have to figure out how to do that.   While on the mooring, Mike donned his snorkel gear and checked on the strength of our mooring and then got his first personal look at the underside of the hulls.    We will probably be having her hauled and bottom painted before we leave for the Bahamas.     The water temp was great and we enjoyed a dip and a sun shower off the back transom before dinner.

Oct 20 – 22

We arrived back at Mike’s folks home and began the task of packing for what Mike had estimated as a 3 day trip.  Our plan was to drive to Ft. Lauderdale to Pick Up Dancing Dolphin and to take her the southern route through the keys and around to Punta Gorda where we will outfit and provision her for our extended cruising lifestyle.    We arrived on Tuesday Oct 20^th and spent the day driving around Ft Lauderdale picking up spares for a host of normal problems that can occur when traveling by boat as well as some last minute grocery items.  We were hoping to leave on Wed and be back in Punta Gorda by Saturday at the latest.   God Just Laughed!  A northeast wind was blowing pretty hard and rough seas were expected to continue throughout the day.  We decided to wait until Thursday, so we spent Wed checking over the boat systems and familiarizing ourselves with its details as well as picking up a few more spare parts.  Not an easy task as we are finding that many of the parts for the systems on the boat are not readily kept in stock.   We also picked up cleaning supplies as she needs a good scrubbing inside and out.  I figured I could work on this a little as we traveled back to Punta Gorda.   Thursday morning we turned on our VHF Radio and listened to the weather report for the day.  The winds had subsided to a more reasonable level and the seas were beginning to calm a bit.   Mike debated  whether or not to take us down the ICW (Inter-Coastal Waterway) or take us out on the ocean for the first leg of our journey.   He opted initially for the open ocean.   “I’m takin ya out to the Big Blue” he said. “Are ya ready?”   “As I’ll ever be, I guess” I said.   We said goodbye to Ray (who’s house the boat was docked at) and  took our picture right before we left and told us bon voyage.  We will leave the car in Ray’s Driveway and drive over again to pick it up when we get back.  Mike took us out of the channel and headed for open water.   We watched as some other bigger boats were heading back into the ICW from the Big Blue.   It was a pretty good indicator that conditions were not as favorable out there as we had hoped.    Still we pressed on and soon we were met with 4-6 ft  waves  and High winds again.   I think it was the pensive look on my face along with still more boats returning to the ICW that helped convince Mike that maybe a trip through the ditch was a better option.  “I don’t want to beat us or the boat up on our first day out” he said.   I replied “Thank You”.   We returned to the light chop and mild conditions of the ICW and motored our way along the ditch timing our way through the many bridges that had to be raised for our passage.  Most operate on the hour and ½ hour or on a 15/45 schedule.   There were beautiful homes along the ICW along with huge highrise buildings and giant Mega Yachts.   After the last bridge we raised sails and made our way across Biscayne Bay.   We ran into a little difficulty when we realized we did not have a manual for our GPS.  It took me a little while but I was able to figure out the software and how to enter waypoints in order to navigate to our desired locations. That as well as the charts we brought along kept us on course.  Our Autopilot also quit on us and so we will have to steer the boat ourselves for the rest of the journey.  Well It’s good practice anyway.   Mike said welcome to cruising.    We anchored off of Pumpkin Key for the evening and enjoyed a lovely sunset, the first of many more to come.

Oct 15-19th

Hello All,  For the past couple of weeks, Mike and I have been busy handling the details of the Purchase, Documentation, and Insuring of our 35 ft Catamaran, Dancing Dolphin. We had hoped we would be able to close the sale and move her back to Mike’s Folks Dock before we left to see our youngest son Sage Graduate from Military Basic Training for the Air Force this last weekend  but as is so often the case, it was not meant to be.   We closed on the boat on October 14^th, the day before we were to fly out to San Antonio, TX.   Upon arrival in San Antonio and procuring our rental car we made contact with My Parents and Sage’s Dad.   We drove straight from the Airport bypassing checking into the hotel and directly to Lackland Air Force Base to meet up with Sage, his Grandparents Pat & Martin Sperry, and his Dad Don Coughlin.  They had arrived the day before from Prescott, AZ and Pagosa Springs, CO and had been spending the first part of Thursday watching the Airman’s Run and the Airman’s Coin Presentation.   We met up with Sage and the rest of the family at the café in the Bowling Alley on the Base.   Sage looked great in his uniform and was walking tall and proud after the challenges he faced over the past 8 weeks.    The maturity and confidence he has gained is evident in his demeanor and mannerism.   I said goodbye to a boy 8 weeks ago and hello to a man this weekend.    It was a happy tearful (at least on my part) reunion and we enjoyed hearing in greater detail many of the stories of the adventures (funny and not so funny) of the last few weeks.   Sage has kept that great smile and wonderful sense of humor.    Sage only had Base liberty the first day together so after lunch, since it was Payday, Sage stopped at the bank and then we all went over to the BX – base department store – where Sage purchased a Play Station Portable.   It was nice to see that some things still haven’t changed.   Friday morning we were met with cold winds as we were bused out to the Parade grounds surrounded by Military Aircraft and waited to watch Sage and the other 789 young men and women Graduate from Basic Military Training.   The ceremonies were very impressive complete with a Marching Band High Ranking Military Guests.  The individual Flights and entire Squadron were all presenting us with their best efforts.    Sage’s Flight was sporting 2 additional ribbons on their Flag for Top Honors in Academics and Beast Week.   The entire Squadron had won top honors for the Quarter.   We enjoyed the rest of the day together off base.  We took Sage over to the RV Park where his Grandparents and Father were staying along with Sage’s Dog Dusty and Cat Archie.  It was a great reunion and the animals were delighted to see him again.   We all had a great dinner at the Red Lobster and then Sage, Mike, Don & I took in a Spurs vs. Cavaliers basketball game.    Saturday we all spent the day with the pets in the morning and exploring downtown San Antonio and the Alamo where Sage’s ancestor Davey Crockett met his demise.   We took a boat ride around the Riverwalk area and Sage enjoyed the eye candy provided by all the pretty civilian girls.   Mike and I said our goodbyes to Sage Saturday night as we had to fly out Sunday morning.    It was a tearful goodbye for all of us (Sage Included)  but he is excited to begin his training in Air Traffic Control at Keesler AFB outside of Buloxi, Miss.  He ships out at 00:01 on Monday morning,  He has a bright future ahead of him and we are very proud of his accomplishments.   We are now back in Florida. We will be traveling to Ft Lauderdale tomorrow to Pick Up Dancing Dolphin and bring her around to Punta Gorda, FL. where we will spruce her up and provision her for our winter in the Bahamas.   Stay Tuned for more adventures to come.