After spending the winter in Marathon, gloating over the reports of miserable weather in northern parts, it was time to think about heading north for the summer. However, we were determined to get in one last warm-water adventure, and so headed for the Dry Tortugas. These tiny islands lie about one long day's sail to the west of Key West. We stopped overnight in both directions at Key West. Outbound, we made the obligatory pub crawl down Duvall Street, before a pre-dawn start for Fort Jefferson. It was an uneventful passage, although the harbor was quite crowded by the time we arrived. The fort provides an interesting historic backdrop to this remote anchorage. We toured the fort, snorkeled from the beach, and watched the sunset for a couple of days. We would have loved to stay longer, but were determined to take advantage of winds that were from anywhere-but-east to begin the long journey east and north. On the passage from Dry Tortugas back to Key West, we spotted a large hammerhead shark cruising at the surface - an amazing creature. Sea turtles were common, and always a welcome sight.
After a final fuel-up, stock-up stop back in Marathon, we headed up Hawk Channel through sloppy weather to Miami. From there we took the ICW all the way up to Savannah (Lion's Paw's mast DOES clear the Julia Tuttle bridge in Miami - at least at low tide.) Savannah was a special treat. It's upriver an hour or two from the ICW, with lots of large ship traffic, but otherwise straightforward. We stayed for the weekend at the free dock right at the downtown waterfront. There was an arts festival in progress, so in addition to strolling through the old downtown, we were treated to live music and art displays. The best seat in the house was Lion's Paw's cockpit.
While there, Nancy got marching orders for yet another work trip to Utah, and we decided to pour on the coals for home port. We had a window of particularly calm weather, so we headed offshore for a 2- ½ day "motorboat ride" to Beaufort, NC. Although it was sad not to be able to make headway under sail, the calm conditions at sea made it a great trip to relax, watch thousands of jelly fish drift by, and play with the dolphins.
From Beaufort it was an easy run inside back to Hampton. (Well, we did get kicked around by Albemarle Sound going this way, too, with a bumpy night at anchor behind Pine Island.) It felt good to be "home" after a successful, safe, and warm winter (with no "bad adventures"). We even gave ourselves a few days rest before compiling the list of summer boat work to be done...........
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Lion's Paw arrived safely in Boot Key Harbor on December 8 after an overnight run from Fort Lauderdale. We had initially planned for stops in Miami and one of the Keys along the way, but we had a weather window that encouraged us to just go for it and get there. It was indeed a pleasant motor-sail, with the wind clocking and strengthening to push us along as we rounded the curve at the bottom of Florida. However, the 50-mile run down Hawk Channel was chock full of trap floats - a challenge to dodge after the moon set and they became nearly invisible.
We had hoped to run outside pretty much all the way from Vero Beach - day runs, ducking in the various inlets at night. However, a 30 knot squall that hit right as we were about to haul anchor in the pre-dawn at Fort Pierce made a leisurely breakfast sound like a better idea. One act of "wussy-ness" led to another, and so we just ended up motoring down the ICW through the Palm Beaches and Lauderdale. We spent two pleasant days on a stopover and nostalgia trip in Fort Lauderdale, tied up on one of the City's mooring balls behind the Las Olas Avenue Bridge, in the heart of mega-yacht and mega-house territory. It was fun to sit in the cockpit and watch the boats cruise by down the ICW. Unfortunately, the old home town is not very accommodating to less-than-mega-yachts or mega-bucks.
So now Lion's Paw is tied up at Key Marathon, at least for a while. There are many interesting short trips to contemplate in the area, but first there are all those boat chores/repairs that have been blown off for the past month while we were in transit. But at least shoveling snow is not on the list...........
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Well, we can see palm trees, but the breeze is not that balmy yet. A cold snap has followed us most of the way from Hampton VA to Vero Beach FL, where we are on a mooring amongst others of our kind (cruising boats headed south for the winter) for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Lion's Paw departed Hampton on November 7. Most of the trip has been slogging down the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), with plenty of company. However, we did get in two nice offshore runs; from Beaufort NC to Georgetown SC, and Beaufort SC to Fernandina Beach FL. This saved some time and fuel, and let Lion's Paw strut her offshore stuff (if not exactly deep ocean, at least out of sight of land). These were good runs, in spite of the crew having miserable colds (can't sleep anyway, may as well be up all night dodging ships). With some of the blustery winds lately, we have even gotten in some nice downwind jib sailing on the ICW.
Lion's Paw was looking forward to passing through the historic Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine. Unfortunately, the bridge is under re-construction, and thus not very photogenic. It made for one of the more anxious moments of the trip so far, as we had to hold station in the channel waiting for the bridge opening, and 3-knot currents were dragging us down on the bridge, likely exacerbated by the constriction in the channel by the temporary bridge structures. Alas, Lion's Paw backs in reverse like the proverbial drunken elephant in the best of circumstances, and was having none of it in a 3 knot current. But we cleared through without mishap, and contemplated a different strategy (that does not include being under control in reverse) for next time.
Other than the usual sorts of adventures with dragging anchors, thick morning fog in the Carolina Low Country (worth it for the beauty), and "parallel parking" at fuel docks in high winds, the trip has been relaxing and enjoyable so far. (We have yet to have the inevitable adventure of running aground in the ICW.) There have been many pleasant anchorages along the way, and it's been fun to watch the climate change as we move south. The best places are the unusual surprises, like Jone's Fruit Dock - a local orchard owner who lets folks use his dock overnight (for a mere 10 bucks, $13 if you want to plug in an extension cord). Free coconut included.
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