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.