Ten Days in Boot Key Harbor

 This has taken me a while to get another blog posted.  The lack of internet and only having DC 12 volt current onboard makes it hard to blog.  We can post from our phones, but typing out a blog on a 4 inch screen = not so fun.  Today we are in a marina and I'm getting some time off the boat enjoying air conditioning, tv and wifi...things we've lived virtually without for the past 52 days.  Yes, we have been onboard for 52 days.  Amazing huh... we should celebrate!

After leaving the Driftwood Boatyard where we began our journey and a lot of the much needed repairs on The Hoot, we moved on to our next stop - the Marathon City Marina - where we lived on a mooring ball "F-3" for ten days.  This move allowed us to: 

A) be free of the noseeums and skeeters 

B) be closer to DJ, the "Boat MacGyver" who has been helping us sort things out 

and C) begin to enjoy a little taste of the life onboard a sailboat.

Entering into Boot Key Harbor through the old bridge.

The bridge coming into Boot Key Harbor.

Every morning we would turn our VHF radio to 68 to listen to the "cruiser's net".  It was a morning meet and greet, daily activities announced and a daily opportunity for the inhabitants to offer their services and buy/sale/trade.  They also did daily trivia which we found entertaining.

The Hoot at Mooring F-3

Legend of the mooring fields.  We were on F-3...third row from the top on the right.

 This marina is in a massive harbor called Boot Key Harbor.  We quickly adjusted to life here, learning to use Ripple as our means of transportation to/from the dinghy dock and to nearby restaurants on the harbor.  We also became very adept at climbing in and out, tying up, loading and unloading Ripple.  Cap'n Jack gave me driving lessons so I can start her up and scoot around where ever we need to go!

Tiki Hut and markers from some of the vessels that have come through Boot Key Harbor.

Sailboats of every size on moorings as far as you can see. 

The city marina had nice facilities for "cruisers"... which made living conditions much easier than they were in the boatyard.  There was a large room for relaxing, watching tv, reading or if you were lucky, securing a spot at one of the tables with electricity and free wifi.  

Internet time!

The lending library in the marina lounge.

One of the outdoor patios.

Air show over the harbor.  Coast guard and Air Force participated in drills the first few days of our stay.

Doing little chores, not so bad when the view was so good!

Cap'n Jack with The Hoot in the background.

Enjoying a dinghy ride on Ripple to Dockside for Happy Hour.

 We came to look forward to sunsets every night.  The sky never failed to put on a show of incredible colors.  We would stand on the deck of the boat to watch the last kiss of the sun which would set off nightly rituals from nearby boats - the sounds of conch shells being blown, ship's bells being rung and even one sailor playing the bagpipes in full Scottish regalia.  Then we would see the darkening sky light up with hundreds of twinkling anchor lights atop the masts and felt blessed as we added our own "harbor star" to the display.

Sunsets were beautiful in Boot Key Harbor

Enjoying our evenings in the cockpit.  

Happy Hour...kick back, relax!

We were pretty amazed when 10 days went by like the blink of an eye.  We made some new friends - I got to meet a few ladies from my Facebook group "Women Who Sail" which was a treat.  It's nice to meet other women who enjoy this lifestyle and they and their spouses gave us encouragement and ideas on how to fix some of the ongoing maintenance issues on The Hoot.  

John and DJ shanking on the head sail that had some minor repairs.

We decided after 10 days it was time to leave.  We stopped on the way out at Burdine's for diesel and water which was a tricky maneuver under windy conditions but John handled it just fine.  On the other hand, I let a dock line slip through my hand and OUCH - rope burn sucks.

Burdine's Waterfront

We made our way out to just outside the mouth of the channel to anchor for the first time! We had a front row seat for another stellar sunset overlooking the Seven Mile Bridge while we contemplated the next legs of our trip onboard The Hoot.  

Beautiful sunset overlooking the Seven Mile Bridge.

On the move at last

Today the journey home starts!

Ten days at the marathon city marina leave me scratching my head; where did the time go. But then again, it's been 6 weeks since we left home to go get The Hoot and bring her home. Where did all that time go? Who knew? The most amazing thing about this trip so far is that there has not been one "predictable" day.  You plan, you work, you enjoy, you adapt, you learn.  We have learned so much since we arrived in Marathon.  

Pulling out of the marina for the last time yesterday afternoon was a great feeling.  Not that the marina was bad, actually the Marathon City Marina is pretty awesome.  And we came across the most interesting people. 

But no, this time leaving signaled the start of a new chapter. We're really on the water now.  

We fueled up the boat, added water and out the channel we went.  That all sounds so simple, but let me assure you, nothing is simple maneuvering a 20,000 + lb ship with less than 50 hp. in 15 kt wind.  Such is the reality of a sailboat.  The plan was to get out, get anchored, get settled and get a clean start this morning. So far so good. 

What an amazing sunset we were treated to as we checked the anchor, carefully watched landmarks, and for the first time, set up Chrissy's "Drag Queen" app that alarms when the boats position changes more than 100'. Every sense heightened by the sea; the simplicity of it all, and the continual feeling of the enormity and power of the water. Every sound magnified as the sunset turned to darkness.

So we settled in for the evening, light dinner and getting used to our "new" surroundings. No longer do we have the security of being attached to a dock, or to a mooring ball. We'll be at a dock again in a few days.

As we jostle around in the sea I am grateful for our friend and previously described "boat guru",  DJ.  He was emphatic and unrelenting about the need for the best chain (not that cheap Chinese stuff from Home Depot), the best non-chafing rode (in a previous world I called it rope) and finally, a bigger and better anchor, a 45# Rochna.  I knew ultimately I would heed his advice and recommendation. "You don't take chances with ground tackle" DJ would say, over and over.  Try as I may to convince him that we could get by with less, he never wavered.  So we did get great stuff from West Marine and now, it feels good to know our anchor isn't dragging despite 20 kn gusts.  Thanks DJ.  It was worth Chrissy having to taxi to the airport, rent a car for a day, drive to Key Largo, buy the anchor (not for the feint hearted), drive it back, unload it at the marina, load it into Ripple, motored it to the Hoot, connected it all up.  Yes, it was worth it and we at least got a few hours of sleep because of our  solid ground tackle.

We also worked on the bilge system.  DJ helped us add an extra pump, rewired all 3 of the bilge pumps and installed switches that make our bilge system really really solid now.  

He also replaced very very old switches on our lights--masthead, steaming and running lights.  That is very solid now.  These are critical for our visibility right now as we sit here anchored.  He also replaced / added a handful of 12v cigarette lighter plugs, mainly used for charging our electronics and running a small fan. After a "minor" short in one of the plugs, causing mug smoke, it was best to replace them all.  Along the way, he removed no less than 20 lbs and countless feet of wiring that went to absolutely nothing.  That's what happens in old boats.  Equipment comes and goes, but wiring rarely gets removed.  

DJ also wired up our high water alarm, should the bilges not work or not be able to keep up, we'll be the first to know. 

We rigged up a way to get our dingy (Ripple) up on the davits. Hope that holds.  Ripple is an old and tired dinghy that responded well to the repairs Chrissy and I made to her a few weeks ago. She is serving us well. Quite a change from earlier when we ran her aground. 

During our time in the City Marina, we also had repairs done to our headsail, reinstalling the leech cord and re-stitching the sun cover fabric. That is very solid now.  

We learned about new weather resources.  Passageweather.com is a great site giving you forecasted wind (speed and direction), precipitation and waves (height and direction). All critical information for sailors.  We learned about the iGrib iPhone/iPad app that is great as well. And we have the Garmin Blue Charts App for backup to our main GPS and paper charts.

Our knowledge grew daily as we enjoyed a few happy hours with DJ. He is a like a sailboat encyclopedia and he shared a lot with us on what to expect and how to be safe and survive.  Here's a long promised  photo of DJ and Chrissy.

So yes, we're ready and the Hoot is ready.  We've got a 45-mi sail planned for today taking us to the southern tip of the Florida mainland, to a spot in the Florida Everglades called the Shark River. No, don't think we'll be swimming there either. The area where we will be anchoring tonight does not have cell service so we'll be completely unplugged and off the grid. Guess I better download Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon for the evening playlist.  

We are very grateful for the support and encouragement from friends and family alike. It helps a lot. 

So as the sun rises on a new day, the 7-mile bridge awaits us.  

IVth Time Is A Charm

Now It's Feeling Like We Expected

Chrissy and I completed our 4th shakedown cruise on the Hoot on Tuesday.  Wow, another amazing day!!

A number of new firsts for us on Shakedown IV  and I couldn't be more proud of how far this boat has come since March 24th when we got to Marathon.  But first, I would be remiss if I didn't mention, thank, and again promise a (better) photo of our friend and boat guru, DJ.  Here's a glimpse of him in his rowboat dinghy.

You see, DJ is in his mid-30s and lives aboard his boat. He has lived aboard a boat for 25+ years, so yes, he was raised on a boat. He was home schooled in a floating "classroom" and he knows more about boats than anyone I know...every part of it.  He is a survivalist. There is nothing that he cannot fix on any boat system.  It's where he lives. He finds a way. He does not accept that it's broke and can't be fixed.  He has taught us that everything on a boat will break, but everything on a boat can be fixed. Prepare for it!   He has given us confidence in the Hoot, and in ourselves and for that we will always have a special place in our heart for DJ.

Tuesday started out like each day on the mooring ball has started; coffee on the propane stove in the aluminum percolator. It makes the best coffee!

And, it ended like most of our days, with a happy hour.  This time, a happy hour  of celebration, a bit of exhilaration and a healthy dose of thankfulness.  I'm so thankful that Chrissy is working through this dream with me.  I'm thankful that we are getting closer to being prepared for the journey. And I'm so thankful for all the support we have received from family and friends throughout this experience.  

Our Shakedown IV sail covered 25 miles and nothing broke!  Yes, re-read that. Nothing broke!  

We were awed by the nature we saw.  The animals, the sea, how amazing it all is.  The sea does have a way of making you feel like such a small part of something so very big, so grand.  

One of the firsts we had was tying our dinghy up to the mooring ball so we didn't have to pull it behind us.  That turned out to be a really good idea because of the conditions. Another first was Chrissy catching the mooring ball all by herself when we returned.  When we got here last Friday, one of our neighbors saw us slowly creeping in, and he handed us the mooring eye as a way to help. He had no way to know that it was our first time to put the Hoot on a mooring ball, yet there he was, making it so much easier for us.  Today, Chrissy hooked it, struggled with it, while I struggled to get the boat positioned right for her, but she did it!  Another first down!

As we carefully picked our way out of the crowded mooring field to the channel, the Hoot was flawless.  Once we got to the channel, a dolphin took us to the bridge, surfacing only sporadically as to defy being photographed.  Finally I stopped trying and just enjoyed its graceful elegance. 

We left near high tide so absolutely no issues there, plenty of water under our 4'6" keel. As we made our way out of the channel, we decided to make a run to Sombrero Key Lighthouse, several miles offshore and 5 miles or so from us.  We also planned on running the engine harder than the 1500 rpm's we ran it on Friday getting here. We also planned to drop an anchor for the first time.  

Chrissy enjoying the early part of out sail

We ran the engine at 1800 rpm's for almost 2 hours and it never overheated.  By then, Chrissy and I had unfurled the mainsail, and about 2 hours in, we decided to roll out the jib and kill the engine and see how the boat sailed. Along the way, we got another first.  First time to get doused by the splash of a wave, in the cockpit. That caught us both by surprise.

Along the way, we saw lots of large birds, and we saw another sea turtle.  He was huge.  But they are quite skittish and we have found almost impossible to photograph.  We saw him for 5 seconds and he was gone! Mother Nature gave us some treats today.

We definitely had more wind and seas today, and they gradually increased as we made our way further and further out towards the lighthouse.  We were sailing towards the wind on the way out and it took a few tacks to get us there. I decided to restart the engine and once it warmed up, brought it to 2100 rpm's and ran it there for half an hour. Still no temp issues, what a relief.  

We overtook a small catamaran on the way to the lighthouse. The boat handles better with both the main and the jib, and better yet when the engine is running. We learned a lot about the way she handles in various conditions.

The forecast was for SE winds, 10-20.  We enjoyed the 10 mph winds on the way out, not so much once they picked up as we neared the lighthouse. The seas became the largest that we have encountered in our 4 trips out.  Fortunately, our equipment was all working perfectly, so rather than leaving us rattled, we were just a bit uncomfortable for half an hour or so. And, as we made our way by the lighthouse, big swells rocking the boat, Chrissy said (sort of) urgently, let's head back now!  Unfortunately, the lighthouse was surrounded by shallow water and a steady row of crab traps. We slowly made our way past, and once we were clear, I was happy to turn back.  The large swells were a bit unnerving as we sped along at 6.5 kts, but we quickly made it closer to shore and the conditions eased.  

We decided since the wind had come up so strong that we would postpone anchoring practice.  Maybe tomorrow.  And, we need to top off our diesel tank so hopefully we can handle that tomorrow as well.  

We got here last Friday so it was our fifth day.  Things are starting to feel much better as we make a trip or two daily to the marina for showers, ice, carry out the garbage, internet and  laundry.  It's a bare bones lifestyle and very rewarding.

We are making the final preparations for the journey home, hoping to start in 2-3 days, weather permitting. Having a minor sail issue tended to.  Trying to upgrade our anchor as we contemplate that being a critical piece of equipment when we are at anchorages along the way home.  Replacing a couple of critical switches that have been working but not working perfectly.  And, this morning we learned our holding tanks are not functioning properly.  Another minor setback but we will knock that out soon.  

We've been relaxing, enjoying our time here at the City Marina. We even took our dinghy to Happy Hour one afternoon.  That was fun!  Ripple has become our only transportation since we returned our rental car early this week.  And, we've seen some really nice sunsets too.

Happy Hour at Dockside

Cloud free sunset

Just after sunset one night this week

Nighttime in the harbor

The night the law came to the marina.  They drove around for a while, ended up being 3 boats with flashing lights.  They went from one end of the marina to the other.  As it turns out, they were supposed to be in Key West, about 50 miles from here.  

Life is a work of art...

Life is a work of art.

In our case, it's a Watercolor!!

What a month we have had onboard The Hoot.  John and I closed up the house in Santa Rosa Beach, FL and boarded a Delta flight headed to Key West thinking, perhaps a bit optimistically and naively, that we would have 3-4 weeks of sailing her back home.  Well...hahaha, joke was on us.  We spent four weeks sweating in a broiling hot, windless boat yard "partying" with the no-seeums from hell.  

Boat projects, maintenance, shake-down cruises and the hunt for shower facilities became our daily chores.  Gone were the visions of sipping pina-coladas on the deck every night while we watched the sun set.  

Maybe by now, from reading some of the previous blog posts John and I have made, you may surmise that we would be ready to call it quits.  But, we are both pretty tenacious and found ways to make things in the boatyard as bearable as they could be all while knowing soon our day would come!

Well, yesterday...finally... we had our day.  And what a glorious day it was.  Finally!  We pulled away from the Driftwood Boatyard and headed out the now familiar canal on our way to the Atlanta Ocean.  We were going to make another attempt to make it to the Marathon City Marina where we would spend a week or so on a mooring ball.

Along the way, I've been playing with this cool iPhone app called Waterlogue.   While I brought my own watercolors along on the trip, I've yet to have an afternoon free to pull them out.   My creativity will have to be digital media for a bit longer but I think the "art" I've created is beautiful!  And, so is life on a mooring ball!

Ramble-on Rose, our boat plant likes her new spot next to the mizzen mast.

A rare moment of relaxation...  I love John's Texas pride!

Our manatee friends that loved coming for happy hour.  They got theirs out of a water hose while we had ours from a bottle.

Speaking of bottles... this bottle of Conch Republic rum looked intriguing.  If anyone has ever tried it let me know.  I'm thinking we may need a bottle of this before we cast off again!

My darling sailor looking relaxed and happy.  

 Watercoloring images makes the sweat and grime disappear!  

Our ship's compass.  

Although, if I need to know where my "true north" is,  I just look for John.

Taking a turn at the wheel.  

Unfortunately, Watercoloring images doesn't slenderize.

Sailing the Hoot... 

Sunsets here are almost as nice as home.

The view from our mooring ball.   F-3

The blue boat is called "Daydream" which of course made both of us smile.

Speaking of mooring ball F-3... 

The Hoot looks pretty good floating there!

John couldn't stop smiling all day yesterday.

It made my heart happy too!

Yes, life is art... life is an adventure... and if you are living it right you never stop learning!