Getting Settled...

This will be a short update. Not too much has been happening; as with most arrival stories, we’ve arrived and are slowly settling into a routine, getting back to work, and wrapping up the more urgent post voyage boat projects and repairs.

Key Colony Harbor entrance, looking out to Hawk Channel and the Atlantic Ocean; though we say we're in Marathon, we are technically in Key Colony Beach

One of the bigger projects we were saving to do until we were here in the Keys was the fitting of our sun awning. The awning keeps the sun off of the boat and on warm and sunny days while at anchor, it can keep the cabin a good bit cooler than it otherwise might be. We can roll up or lower flaps to adjust for the angle of the sun, and in a light shower, we can leave hatches open to keep ventilation flowing. The benefits of it at the dock are somewhat reduced, as the breezes typical in an anchorage are reduced by the protection of a sheltered marina. Still it was an essential task.

This particular awning has something of a history. When we began our refit, we had specified a full sun awning to be built. During the bid process, we came across an opportunity to purchase this particular awning. The catch however, was that it was not built for our boat, but for the 37’ model also built by Pacific Seacraft. The awning had been built for the owners of a brand new 37, but because of the awning’s size and weight, they decided not to accept it. Instead, they left it with Pacific Seacraft and instructions to sell it to someone who’d give it a good home.

That someone turned out to be us, and the owners of the awning made us an offer which we couldn’t pass up. Still, it was a puzzle of sorts, especially since it had not been made for JO BETH. Though the 37’ and 34’ models of our boat are quite similar, there are enough differences to make things a little confusing.

JO BETH, sporting her 'new' sun awning

 

Within a few hours, we had the awning up and secured. We also had help from a couple of passing fisherman vacationing here from Michigan. They seemed quite taken with the novelty of our lifestyle, and joined us under the shelter of the awning in the cockpit for a beer and conversation.

The awning from astern - please forgive the 'cell phone zoom effect'

We’re also exploring the islands and getting reacquainted with the Keys. When we lived in Miami, we kept our first little sailboat in Marathon for a few months, behind a friend’s canal house at their private dock. After a year or so there, we moved it to another private slip in Islamorada, in the upper Keys. That was 20+ years ago, and the changes which have swept through the Keys in our absence are quite astounding.

More to follow!

Marathon!

It was when Lisa and I were dating that I introduced her to the idea of sailing the world aboard a small sailing yacht. At the time, Lisa’s primary sailing experience had been aboard tall ships – specifically, the R/V WESTWARD, a part of the Sea Education Association. The WESTWARD was a topsail-schooner – at 100’ in length, she was a far cry from JO BETH. Nonetheless, I persisted, peddling off books for her to read written by the legends of world cruising of the time; Eric and Susan Hiscock and their multiple trips around the world in their wooden yacht WANDERER and their subsequent wood and steel boats of the ‘Wanderer’ name; Hal and Margret Roth aboard their 36’ yacht WHISPER, and Larry and Lin Pardey, aboard their wooden and engineless 24’ cutter, SERAFFYN. 

Leaving Ft. Pierce, Florida

On one of our weekend trips to the Georgia coast to sail in our first little sailboat, SEA SCHELL, Lisa said as we began the drive from Atlanta, “all these people do is struggle to get somewhere, then fix everything that broke when they get there.” I looked at her for a long moment. “Yeah,” I finally said, “that’s true. But it’s better than life in a cubicle, right?”

It is an unfortunate fact that on our first full day in Marathon, my time was spent replacing the shower sump pump, repairing a cracked fitting in the waste holding tank vent line, and trying to puzzle out why the aft water tank refuses to fill to capacity. By the end of the day, I was tired, hot, stiff, and very tired of banging my head and scraping my knuckles.

We left Ft. Pierce on a brilliant and warm Wednesday afternoon, motoring out the inlet channel, and pointing the bow south into the blue Atlantic, we set the sails. The winds were light and no sooner than not, we were motor-sailing so as to hold our course and direction. As the sun dropped below the western horizon, we changed into warmer clothes, and once past the St. Lucie Inlet, we settled into the night routine of an offshore coastal passage. Shortly before 9pm, we rolled in the headsail as the winds had shifted a bit more to the east and south, making it difficult to keep the sail filled. A persistent two knot current against us also made things a tad frustrating. 

Atlantic Blue Water!

The night passed quietly with both of us keeping watch until midnight. Then Lisa went below for a two-hour sleep as we continued south. At 2am, I woke her and we changed the watch. She cheated a little and didn’t wake me at 4am, but I awoke at about 4:45. I went on deck as we were approaching Ft. Lauderdale and a traffic jam. There was a container ship about 8 miles east of us going south; our AIS system identified her as the WASHINGTON EXPRESS, and reported she was going to the Port of Houston, Texas. Three cruise ships were in-bound to Ft. Lauderdale, and our courses were going to cross. However, the big wrench in all of this was the U. S. Navy. They were conducting ‘surface operations’ in the channel entrance to Ft. Lauderdale. We’re not 100% sure as to what was going on, but essentially, there was a Navy submarine, on the surface, running a prescribed course. It was interesting to hear the Navy and cruise ship captains discuss right of way issues over the radio. We drew little attention and only had to talk to one cruise ship to clarify our intentions as to where we were going in relation to where they were going.

Sunrise off of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

By 11am the following morning, we passed through the Port of Miami and soon we turned south into the broad and shallow waters of Biscayne Bay. After refueling at a local marina on the mainland side of the bay, we headed east across the bay to anchor for the night in a protected cove behind Key Biscayne. In many ways, this was something of a homecoming for us.  Lisa and I lived in Miami for many years.

Our plans had been to take the Biscayne Channel out of the bay and into Hawk Channel and then continue south to the area of Plantation Key in the upper portion of the Keys island chain. We couldn’t make the run from Miami to Marathon in one day in Hawk Channel; the distance is too great and with the proliferation of coral reefs surrounding the channel, running at night is ill advised. Going on the offshore side of the reef wasn’t an option either, as the western edge of the powerful Gulf Stream current, which flows northward at close to 4mph or more, was very close to the reef. (The exact location of the Gulf Stream changes frequently. It's like a river flowing within the ocean.)

Anchored in Key Biscayne Bight with a few other vessels

A listen to the weather forecast was discouraging. Winds were forecast to fill in from the north, then become northeast then east, and approach 20 knots. Anchorages in Hawk Channel are few and far between, and this weather forecast essentially made each and every one of them dangerous. If we had trouble getting our anchor to set and hold, we would risk being driven onto the rocks and hard packed sand flats of the upper Keys.

We re-evaluated our plans and decided to take the inside route to near Islamorada in the upper-middle Keys, then cross over to the ocean side and Hawk Channel via Channel #5, a deep and well marked channel. The first day went well enough, passing through many shallow areas, but with no problems, aside from discourteous fisherman passing us far too fast and too close at times in the shallow waters of Florida Bay. By sunset, we settled into Cowpens Anchorage behind Plantation Key as the forecast filled in and the wind blew hard from the northeast and east. After a dinner of black bean and quinoa salad, it was lights out for us.

We woke early the next morning to discover a crack had formed in the vent line fitting of the waste holding tank. This was a repair that had to wait until we were at our new slip, but it did mandate some changes in the use of the head aboard. Soon we were underway in a strong easterly breeze of about 18 knots. Getting in to Cowpens was easier than getting out, as we bumped bottom several times. Once out of the anchorage and back into the channel, things got worse.

Sunset in Cowpens Anchorage, Plantation Key, Florida

The water in this part of Florida Bay is extremely shallow. We grounded hard in mid-channel, twice, and it was here that the strong breeze became our benefactor. The force of the wind on JO BETH pushed us over far enough so that the keel slid off of the bottom. Going aground is a helpless feeling, but soon enough we were underway, and within an hour we were back in Florida Bay’s ‘deep’ waters of seven and eight feet. I was very happy to pass through Channel #5 and back into Hawk Channel’s relatively deeper waters of 20 and 25 feet.

By this time the breeze had lightened and shifted north. We rolled out the headsail as we pushed west through the blue-green Atlantic waters toward Marathon. Shortly before 2pm we made our approach to the Coco Plum Harbor entrance channel and into Bonefish Marina, our new home. By 2:30pm, we were secured in our slip with help from our new neighbors Ron and Fran aboard the 37’ yacht QUESTERIA. The marina here is lovely. It’s very quiet and laid-back, with showers and laundry facilities, an outdoor bar/lounge area, a small workshop and facilities to dispose of oil and other pollutants. The water in the basin is tested regularly to make sure that no boats illegally discharge sewage overboard and the marina requires all boats to have their waste holding tanks pumped twice per week. There’s a small beach within a mile’s walk and we can take our dinghy to two or three waterfront bars and grills. The town of Marathon is a short bike ride away.

JO BETH secured in her new home base, Bonefish Marina, Marathon, Florida

We showered and went into town with a very expensive Uber ride for a dinner of fried conch fritters. It turns out that our Uber driver also drives for a local cab company and that calling him through the cab service is much cheaper.

Welcome to the Keys!

Marathon sunrise