06/14/2009, Key Biscayne, Florida (United States)
Total Distance: 40 Miles Under Sail: 30
Average Speed: 4.44 kts
Conditions: Partly Cloudy, 85-90 F, Wind Southeast at 5-10 kts, Seas 1-2 ft
Day on the water - Angela called me up after she left George's party to tell me she left her sunglasses on Gills boat. I told her I would sail to her marina in the morning and bring them to her. After getting up at the crack of dawn ( still cannot sleep in), coffee made, I lift up the anchor motored over to her marina. There is zero wind this morning and stayed that way until noon. Angela moved her boat (Hatteras) to Dinner Key Marina last March. It was a sad day when she left my marina for this one. Once I figured out how to enter the buoys to get inside the marina it was an easy motor over to her boat. I back Rhapsody into her stern end of her boat, handed her glasses to her and left. Easy pease! Never touched her boat!
After leaving her marina I headed south towards Elliot Key. It was a motor sail for the next 2 hours due to no wind. There was no real destination in mind, just want to be on the water, relaxing, enjoying the morning with coffee in hand. The afternoon thunderstorms start to build by now, so I turned the boat around and head back north. This time I raise the big Asymmetrical sail (A-sail). With around 5 knots of wind I was able to get around 3 knots boat speed. I was impressed. As the afternoon thermals started to kick in, the wind speed increased to around 12 knots. Being brave, crazy and sometimes stupid, I decided to see if I can gybe this sail alone. Something I have never done. Having seen a few video clips on how to do this, I had the lines all set-up. First the mainsail was sheet in. Than I starting turning the boat downwind . With the working sheet in one hand and the lazy sheet in the other, I slowing let out the working sheet as the boat went dead downwind. The A-sail flew straight out as the video clips shown. As the boat continued around to the new heading I pulled like a crazy woman on the lazy sheet and low and behold the sail gybe over. I than let the mainsail back out. That was too easy. Beginners luck I said. So I did it again to perfection. I must of did this 6 times. I couldn't believe how easy it was. This sail is beginning to be my favorite.
I went back over to Nixon's place to see who was still around. George was still on the hook. I stop by to say Hi! A perfect heave-too along side his boat. We chatted a few minutes before sailing the next 3 hours on the bay having the time of my life enjoying wind, sun and water. It only ended due to a thunderstorm rolling in over downtown Miami!
Docking story! I haven't really had any up to now. As I was backing down Rhapsody in Blue down the fairway, a STUPID DUMBASS POWERBOATER pulled out the slip across from me. He did not give way to me. I was pissed to say the least. I had to reverse course to let his boat out. With the wind blowing due the thunderstorm over Miami I wasn't about to take any chances of arguing with him while my boat crashes off the boats dock. I did have a few choice words when he passed me. I really hate powerboaters. One day I am going to go postal on them.
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06/13/2009, Key Biscayne, Florida (United States)
Total Distance: 12 Miles Under Sail: 12
Average Speed: 4.8 kts
Conditions: Partly Cloudy, 75-80 F, Wind Southeast at 5-10 kts, Seas 1-2 ft
Georges Going Away Party- Finally, I am here on a weekend and going to be able to attend a going away for one of our long time dockmates George. He is going to sail to Europe the coming week after rebuilding his Vagabond 47. He is the last dockmate to leave us.
I launched out with Gill on Alden 50. Winds were great in the 12 knot range. It was a nice beat down to ex-president Nixon's summer house on Key Biscayne. The water front houses here are those mega rich and famous houses. It is also where the famous Sandbar is located, where all the local power boaters (stink-pot) come to play in the water. There can be up to 100's of boat's here during the weekend. The sandbar is less than 2 feet deep. With any kind of wind blowing the stink pot, drunk, and don't know how to drive the boats nor anchor always get into trouble. Tow Boat US and Seatow always have a boat here to get these folks out of trouble when the drag anchor into the sandbar. What is even more funny, their fellow boaters don't help them out. They all just sit and watch the show.
After dropping my anchor next to Gills boat it was time for a little bit of work before play. So I donned my scuba gear to clean the bottom of Rhapsody. It took me over an hour to scrape the bottom clean. It was a lot of work. I noticed that I have white showing and lost one of my zincs. This means I will have to haul out the boat soon to put a new bottom on her.
Now that the works was done, George, Jay, Angela and few other of George's friends showed up in their boats for the party to begin. George picked me up in his dinghy where we went over to Gill's boat for the going away party. It was a nice party.
After the party I spent the night on the hook.
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06/12/2009, Key Biscayne, Florida (United States)
Total Distance: 40 Miles Under Sail: 10
Average Speed: 3.33 kts
Conditions: Clear, 90-95 F, Wind Southeast at 0-5 kts, Seas 1-2 ft
Here fishy fishy - The forecast for wind was zero for most of the day. So I figured it would be a good day to try out my new fishing gear I got last week. So Rhapsody in Blue and I headed out for the Gulf Stream (GS) before the sun came up to see if the fish wanted breakfast!. It was a motor the whole day. The GS was flat as a pancake. Nice. Be a good day to cross to the Bahamas for which I thought about since the boat was provisioned for the 5 days.
I let the line out about 100 yards behind the boat, set the motor and autopilot for 2.5 knots to troll for dinner. Now for the funny part!. First of all I haven't fished since I was 19. Lets just say that was more than a few decades ago. Furthermore, I have only fished once in the ocean and that was with my Dad on one of the fishing boats where the deck hands do everything for you. So, here I was trying to figure out what all those buttons do on the reel, when I get a bite! When I tried to reel in the line, NOTHING. The handle just went round and round! UT OH!. So I placed an emergency call to my good friend Doug who is an avid fisherman. He was kind enough to go over the reel with me. The drag star thing-a-mabober was stuck in the full loose position. It took me beating on it with a pair of pliers to unjam it. Once I did that the reel worked fine. I caught nothing for the next 6 hours. Neither did any of the big boys out there with me so I didn't feel to bad. My thoughts were what if I caught a fish! I wouldn't know how to bring it in the boat nor clean it! What a crazy woman I am. I need to go out the my Cuban buddies next me on the dock to figure this whole fishing business out.
After tiring of fishing I decided to go scuba diving on one of the many reefs in Hawk Channel. Since I haven't dove the Florida coast yet, I didn't know the good dive sites. When I got over Starr Reef, I jumped in the water with just my snorkel gear first to check it out. It wasn't as exciting as the reefs I am used to. It is here I found a new trick. With the current carrying the boat about 1.5knots, if I hang onto the boarding ladder I can snorkel behind the boat. Very cool watching the bottom go by. To my surprise, there were three small sharks that were decapitated cleanly. Very spooky! No idea how that happened. I did this drift snorkel again just past Fowley Rock Light Beacon. There were small hammerhead sharks skirting the bottom. Not being a fan of these sharks I did a Jesus on the water getting back into the boat!
Overall it was a good day on the water even though it was a motor most of the day.
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