Well, I think it is time I updated this blog. So much good stuff has happened since the last update in December that I don't know where to start.
So here we are in travel order:
Dec 4/12 flew home to Ontario for the holidays & to spend some time in the office so that Stephen could have some much deserved time off. The month at home went by in a blurr with all the holiday activities. It was great & I diddn't even mind the cold temps.
January 4/13, flew back to Melborne, Florida & had a busy couple of days provisioning the boat & getting ready to continue our southward journey.
January 6/13, off the dock & it felt wonderful to be underway again. We took our time, stopping in Vero Beach ( wonderful facility & now understand why so many cruisers like the place). Logerhead Marina was a great stop as we were on the "Canadian Dock" & met cruisers from all over Ontario & one couple on a lovely big trawler from Digby Nova Scotia. Also in Vero Beach we connected with Frank & Lisa McGee who are renting there for the winter. We had a fun afternoon & a great evening before they dropped us back at the boat.
Our next stop was North Palm Beach & now the look of the ICW had changed completely. We were out of the wide & peaceful Indian River & into the concrete ditch, with unbelievable homes lining the waterway for miles & miles. Of course just to add some excitment to the new territory we had 15+knots of wind & lots of boat traffic. And, to really add to the challenge we had 15 bridges that we needed an opening for, plus another four that we were not sure about until we got close enough to the bridge to read the water board telling us how much clearance we had. A couple were pretty tight but we made it under with no bumps or scrapes. So, it was a day of keeping to a schedule as the bridges have different opening schedules, apparently to accommodate travel of six MPH. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it diddn't.!!
Soon the waterway began to look familiar as we neared Ft Lauderdale. We have been blessed to have toured the waterway there with Dave & Annie in their little Florida boat so even though it was busy & windy we were pretty comfortable coming in to dock at Ft Lauderdale Marina, just a stones throw away from Port Everglades with its mega yachts & cruise ships.
We spent four days on the dock there, enjoying all the sights & sounds of our amazing location. On the Saturday afternoon Frank looked out & said the waterway looked just like the Western Gap in Toronto after the Air Show. Boats of all sizes coming & going, private boats, tour boats & of course the mega yachts that Ft Lauderdale is famous for. All in all it was a wonderful stay & such a unique expereince to be docked in the "Cruising Capital of North America".
But, our destination was still 150 miles away so Sunday morning early we were off the dock again on our way to the Florida Keys, our winter destination. Dave & Annie joined us for the three day voyage so we again were blessed to have their experience to help us along the way. We passed by five cruise ships in port that day, ensuring that we stayed far enough away so as not to upset the security boat hovering along side.
Traveling thru Miami was a very unique experience, again we passed by three cruise ships loading on passengers & of course being Sunday afternoon the traffic level was pretty high, boats of all sizes coming & going.
Soon we were thru the city, entered under the Rickenbacker Causeway Bridge & were in Biscayne Bay, separated from the Atlantic Ocean by Key Biscayne, a narrow spit of land approximately 15 miles long. It was very windy but fortunately Key Biscayne offeres great protection so it was a bit bumpy but very bearable.
Our stop for the night was a city marina in the town of Black Point. To get in we had to travel about 3 1/2 miles west on the bay, in a very shallow channel, where more than once our depth sounder registered minus water. I wish I could say that the marina was worth the trip but suffice to say it was a dock. The choices in this area were very limited, some so shallow that we were not able to access them.
We had to time our departure with mid tide the next morning so did not get off the dock until after 9:00am, a very late start for us.
The scenery as we passed by Key Largo was amazing, one could close your eyes & imagine that you were in the Caribbean. The water color was spectacular & of course the dolphins added to the days enjoyment.
That nights dockage redemmed my reputation. :) Plantation Key Yacht Harbor was all we expected & more & the highlight of the evening was the appearance of a mother Manatee & her baby who swam right around our dock for 30 minutes or so. For all of us it was our first " up close" encounter with a Manatee & we were all amazed at the size of these gentle creatures. The dock attendant turned on the water hose & both mother & baby brought their noses right out of the water to get a drink. What an end to a spectacular day.
Again, bright & early the next morning we were off the dock making our way on the last 45+ miles to Marathon. The water seemed to get shallower & the crab pots more abundant by the mile, so very often behind us was a "sand trail" as we dodged the pots while still trying to keep 1-2 feet under the keel.
Pretty soon the Seven Mile Bridge came into view, we found our channel, passed under & headed back on the Atlantic side into Marathon Harbor, bringing an end to the 3rd leg of our journey from Lake Ontario which started July 30th, 2012.
So, here we sit Sombrero Resort & Marina in Boot Key Harbor, Marathon, mid way between Key Largo & Key West. Hard to believe that just a little over a year ago we drove here, checked it our & said "lets come here for the winter".
Our actual travel days were 42, during which we covered over 2100 statute miles. We were very fortunate with weather, even though it was so cold in November we only had to delay travel on two occasions because of weather conditions. We were delayed in Cape May New Jersey in August for two days due to high winds & t-storms & one day in Morehead City, waiting for the low pressure which followed Hurricane Sandy to pass us by. The other days we stopped were "rest & enjoy " days where we decided to stop & enjoy the area we were passing thru.
We were truly blessed to have had family & friends along with us, the trip is such a unique experience it is a shame not to share it when possible.
Our plans are to stay here on the dock here in Marathon until approx Feb 15th when we will make our way back to Ft Lauderdale again, dock the boat & fly home to Stoney Creek for a week or so.
When we return we will be off to the Bahamas for 3-4 weeks to satisfy the requirements of our US Cruising Permit. All foreign flagged vessels traveling in the USA must physically take the boat out of US waters for a minimum of 15 days per year, otherwise your cruising permit will not be renewed.
So, another new experience awaits us but in the meantime we will enjoy the sunshine & all the experiences the Keys have to offer.
I still have not figured out how to post multiple photos but will give it a try again. Pictures do not do justice to the wonderful sights & experiences but they do give a glimpse of our experiences.
To be continued......................
A few photos