02/12/2012

I've spoken about the challenges and complexity of anchoring previously in my blog; suffice it to say that safe, secure anchoring is part art, geometry, physics and a lot of luck. We find what looks like a nice little hole among several boats including two which we know from cruising. We drop the hook and back down on it to set it. The holding is very good and we are well set and seemingly in a decent spot. As the boats settle down, we soon realize that we are quite close to friend on a lovely Monk trawler so they having been there first, it is incumbent on us to move further away from them.

With Judy at the helm and me retrieving and relaunching the anchor, we move within the same general area but further from our neighbours and reset the anchor. Judy does a great job manoeuvring the boat and applies reverse to back down on the anchor, which would normally cause it to dig in an bring the boat to a halt. Unfortunately the boat keeps backing down getting increasingly closer to our aforementioned neighbours' new-to-them trawler. I can't understand it but we need to bring the anchor back up and try again. Using the powerful electric windlass, I retrieve the 60 feet or so of chain we have deployed and just as I would expect the anchor to emerge from the green but murky waters, instead, we hoist up a barnacle encrusted BICYCLE, firmly attached to our trusty anchor. I was yelling directional orders to Judy but she could not hear me and had no idea what we had hooked. Our various neighbours got a great kick out of our slight misfortune but, true to form, various offered to help. Karl, a congenial Swede who with his partner Laura, cruise on a well equipped Morgan Out Island 41 comes to our aid and snags the offending bicycle and drags it to shore. We continue our anchoring effort, and, in the absence of the additional junk, we quickly set our anchor and settle in to spend some time in Marathon.

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02/12/2012

We've finally moved on from Miami. Having spent a fun and relaxing three weeks spread between Miami Beach and Key Biscayne, the time came to leave. We left Crandon Park Marina to spend the night at No Name Harbour, further down on Key Biscayne and closer to the short route which meanders from Biscayne Bay into the Florida Straits. We have decided to head down the Keys to Marathon and see what we'll do from there.

Long time blog followers will recall that two winters ago we went to Marathon and spent several weeks here. On that trip down we took for the most part the ICW (Intracoastal Water Way) route or inside route. There are, in fact, three routes from Miami to Marathon and Key West; the aforementioned "inside route being one, the others are the Hawk Channel Route and the Florida Straits (Ocean) Route.

The inside route takes you south and then west, between the keys and Florida mainland. This is the skinny route as there are parts where the controlling depth is less than 5 feet and when we did this route two years ago we brushed bottom several times. You really have to play the tides, even though the tidal range is about a foot and a half. This route takes you through several sounds, mangrove creeks and eventually, Florida Bay. We really enjoyed this route even though you certainly need to be on the qui vive otherwise you'll be making a call to Tow Boat US.

The Ocean route takes you out into the Atlantic/Florida Straits and in addition to the normal challenges of offshore sailing, you have to contend with the Gulf Stream, the challenges of which I've spoken about numerous times in the past.

The Hawk Channel route is probably the most popular route for deep draft boats. While it would appear to be in the Atlantic, in fact, it is a narrow route between the mainland Keys and the chain of barrier reefs which essentially parallel the Keys. It has lots of water and offers some protection from the larger seas of the Florida Straits, particularly if there is or has been east winds.

So, we opt for the Hawk Channel this year, particularly because we are travelling in the company of Blair and Laurie on their Morgan 462, Odissea XX which draws six and a half feet rendering the inside route impossible for them.

It's about 100 miles from Miami to Marathon and, obviously cannot be completed in the daylight hours of one day. There are numerous crab and lobster pots along the route; nothing like in Maine, but makes travelling at night somewhat perilous. Fortunately, about half way there is a fair weather anchorage near Key Largo, in the lee of Rodriguez Key.

We leave No Name Harbour at the crack of dawn and motor and sail the 50 or so mile to Rodriguez Key under grey skies and threatening showers and make it comfortably to our selected anchorage early in the afternoon. We are the only two boats in this particular aspect of the anchorage although there are several other cruisers elsewhere in the general vicinity.

We enjoy a peaceful night and leave at 6:30 am the next day to complete our journey to Marathon. There are numerous very heavy showers along our route and while they are not squally, we go through several very hard downpours. Great way to wash the salt off of the deck!

We arrive in the Marathon/Boot Key Harbour area just after 2:00 p.m. I contact the City Marina who maintains the extensive mooring field but am told that they are all taken and we'll have to anchor. Not normally an issue but the anchorage area is also quite congested and there is a strong cold front with associated heavy winds coming the next day. So we and Odissea XX enter the congested and complicated harbour, picking our way through the multitudinous fleet of boats to find a safe place to anchor.

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02/04/2012

You've surely heard the old saw, "Any publicity is good publicity"? Well Judy espouses a variation on this theme, "Any attention is good attention". Judy is a natural actress and loves the spotlight; she was brought up on the stage and loves the spotlight. She'll take it any way she gets it. And guess what is her favorite day of the year? Yeah, you've got it, her birthday. So loves to be pampered and the focus of the day.

I on the other hand find birthdays most disconcerting. They mark another notch in the "Three score years and ten" countdown. Judy can't understand my, at best, indifference to birthdays and in particular, the discomfort in the recognition of mine. We came to an understanding a few years ago when I told her, "Judy think about how much you love your birthday? That's how much I detest mine! So we've come to an easy understanding of each other's desires to recognize our natal day.

So from this point on I will ask Judy to recount her "special day" here at Key Biscayne, Florida.....

6 a.m. February 1st.Normally not a morning person I wake up with a smile on my face not only to celebrate my birthday but had a wonderful dream, "Frolicking in the snow in a beautiful pink snow suit with my soon to be born great niece Jaida Jesso. Her mother, my loving niece Colleen who I adore, asked me recently, "Are you going to spoil my baby as much you did me?" Well of course and more. I am over the moon to welcome this child into our world!

6:30 a.m. As the sun rises over Crandon park Marina, on Key Biscayne, I read my beautiful birthday card from my loving parents. You wonder how did I get mail living on a sailboat? My brother Jerry from New Jersey delivered it in person last week when he joined us for an adventurous three days aboard Sea Sharp.

7:30 a.m. back to bed for a while with my tea and a great read, the last days of JFK junior & Caroline "Fairy Tale Interrupted" Once Mike is up & about I love to curl up and have the aft cabin to my self.

9 ish. Head to shore with Chopin for his morning walk. Not many cruisers in this Marina so all is quiet on the Western front, just the way Chopin likes it. He has now adjusted going to shore in the dinghy in his bed as he really does not like traveling in the kennel. But we have to be careful as we approach the dinghy dock. He's ready to jump too early. I call Mom (86) & Dad (87) in New Jersey as I have unlimited international on my iPhone How blest am I to still have them in my life!! Their annual tradition; they sing H.B in harmony to me. Had a wonderful chat, many laughs, and with one more tradition we sing together "HOW DO YOU LIKE TO GO UP IN A SWING" I debuted on stage in Gander Nfld elementary school on an actual swing as I sang. I also competed in the Kiwanis music Festival at the age of 8, winning 1st place I might add and performed it later on CBC Radio. You wonder why does my friend Carolyn refer to me as "The Diva" And so my family on each birthday exclaim, "Little Miss Judy Wakeham" from Gander Nfld turns 59, not true!!

Noon: Mike & I hike to Crandon Park beach for a picnic on the beach (wraps, Pringles & cold beer) and bask in the afternoon sun for a couple of hours. Since I retired of my goals is to swim on my birthday as up until 2008 I always celebrated in the coldest month of the year. So swim I did and also enjoyed a solo walk on the beach while Mike guarded our belongings. He was happy reading his kindle! During my walk I encountered with many species of birds along the way thinking what a care free life they have as I share the love the water/sandy beach with them. I see a sand bar ahead as my turn around, stroll out a ways over the ripples, and ponder even though I don't like the certain ring to 59. How fortunate am I to be here, with a healing happy heart, living our dream to sail into the sunset. I miss home family/friends of course so suffice to say was thrilled as each phone call, e-mail, face book birthday wishes appeared on my iPhone all day long. Once again thank you all so much.

3:30 head back to Sea Sharp for my afternoon nap. Mike always comments, "Judy looks forward to her naps like a hobby!!! LOL I certainly do!

5 p.m. Not wanting to look like a haggard sailor, I doll up for 6 pm. sunset cocktails on Carolyn Gambles favorite stern chair and reservations at "The Rusty Pelican" 2 miles from Marina (We take a short bus ride over the Rickenbacher bridge towards Miami but still on Key Biscayne. A gorgeous evening, we were seated outside to a fireside pit overlooking the spectacular view of Miami skyline. As the waiter serves our drinks/calamari appetizers, I am once again thrilled with 2 simultaneous phone calls from my sister Tricia, NJ and brother Bob, Nfld. Then we move to a white table cloth covered candlelight table & dined on Sea Bass and Stuffed salmon. At $11 a glass of wine I limit myself to two but the ambiance was certainly worth it. And Michael said to me once the bill arrived, "You are worth if Judy". That's a keeper!!

I call my "girl" friend Carolyn Gamble from Fredericton and ask "what is the name of this restaurant which she treated Mike & I last year during their visit to Sea Sharp?" of course she knew. Our conversation was the next best thing to having her there with me. While on the phone I was surprised with a cheescake delight & HAPPY BIRTHDYA JUDY written in chocolate on the plate pre planned by my loving husband. Scrumptious! What an evening!

8:45 we catch the bus back to Marina, while walking to bus depot I thank Mike for a wonderful evening, but comment, "I will definitely want some fanfare for my 60th next year". Already looking forward to that occasion. As I'm writing this entry for the blog, Mike asks "What are doing, writing a novel?. Well he asked me to do this entry!!! I enjoy a coconut rum liqueur upon arrival on Sea Sharp still reading more face book wishes. I head to bed 10ish, (a wee bit later than usual) reminiscing the day's events with of course a smile on my face.

Feb. 2nd. I wake up a little later than yesterday, my first comment to Mike: "Can we celebrate all over again?"

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02/03/2012

The day after the Jimmy Buffett concert, we leave Sunset Lake to head over to Key Biscayne, a scant but complicated 10 miles away. We really enjoyed Sunset Lake and in particular the company of our cruising buddies Blair and Laurie. But we need to move on and want to get hunkered down before the impending front hits. And we like Crandon Park Marina on Key Biscayne.

We've been here several times before and, in fact, spent a couple of days here the week before where we met Judy's brother Jerry.

Anyway, we take the complicated but short trek back along the "lozenge islands" under the Venetian Causeway bascule bridge (which on weekends normally opens on demand but because the Miami Marathon was underway opened precisely at 9:58 am) four additional fixed bridges, various channel changes and finally on to the beginning of Key Biscayne. We are assigned a mooring and settle in for a while.

And here we are almost a week later still in the same place. What have we done? Not much but plenty. The weather was a bit unsettled so the winds were brisk from the north and east so we were glad to be in a sheltered spot. Our days have vanished, mostly spent walking, running, reading, doing boat chores, walking Chopin but, if measured in my previous "performance appraisal" mode, we would certainly not have merited a bonus for extra effort.

Key Biscayne is a few miles from Miami, connected by the elegant Rickenbacker Bridge and Causeway. We can take a convenient bus either to Miami or Key Biscayne Village. We are a mile and half walk from the fantastic Crandon Park Beach, considered to be one of the best in the word.

We are on a mooring and probably the only "live aboard" here so its as if we have the place to ourselves. While we have places to explore, it seems like we have succumbed to the inertia which so easily afflicts long time cruisers.

But, move on we will and while we don't know where we'll go from here, we are starting to feel the need to change scenery.

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02/03/2012

There has been a semi-proven concept kicking around for some time that any person on terra firma is connected to anyone else by no more than six intermediaries. Simply put, you would connect to any other person on the globe by drilling past five other people. There have been various attempts to "prove" this concept but it really is a function of the phenomenon of doubling of pennies. Yeah, you know the old teaser, "would you rather work for me for a month if I paid you a million dollars cash or if I paid you on cent the first day and doubled it each day for the month?" Well, you know the response......The latter engagement would return the lucky and shrewd employee more than $11 million dollars in comparison to the paltry $1 million from the sure thing.

So I believe that the same power of numbers applies to the commonly held notion that there are only six connections between you and the Sherpa from Tibet. Assume that you likely know at least 1,000 people and that each of them knows 1,000 others, do the math on 1,000 to the power of six. Yeah, that's a trillion people, way more than the world's population of about 7 billion souls.

There have been additional "studies" conducted most recently by the good folks at Facebook who now claim that the ratio has been reduced to 4.74. My only question is " do you really know all of your so-called "friends" on Facebook".

Anyway, a long way to my own, unproven but easily acceptable theory that among cruisers in North America there are only two degrees of separation! Consider this: the profile of the typical cruiser is between 50 and 75, likely middle class, ecologically sensitive, self reliant, in relatively good health, adventuresome, etc. and you immediately narrow the catchment group to a fraction of the total population of North America; say around 2 million souls. OK, so, say I know 2,000 people and each of them knows 2,000 people, but considering that there will be overlap in our familiarity and we only consider that they know 1,000 unique individuals, do the math! 2,000 times 1,000 equals, you guessed it 2 million people.

Well, the point of all this is that there is a kinship and familiarity among cruisers that is really uncanny. A couple of examples: Good friends Blair and Laurie on Odissea XX from Ontario were recently in Vero Beach when a boat rafts up to them. Guess who? Brian and Maxime from Fredericton, long time friends of ours.

How about this one,..... Three years ago we meet a great couple from Gust O Wind from Ontario and have dinner with them. Marlene, upon finding our that Judy was born in Newfoundland somewhat meekly asks if Judy happens to know a lady by the name of Judy Judge. Well, happens to be my Judy's first cousin.

How about our having met Steve and Jean from Trader (now Island Trader) a number of years ago in Douglas Harbour, only to having crossed their paths at least five times in the interim. These coincidences and fascinating vicissitudes happen all the time on the waterways and make this life much more than "messing around in boats".

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02/03/2012

In case you don't recognize this phrase, it is the title of a Jimmy Buffett song and as I stated in an earlier post, we had purchased tickets on line for his tour kick-off concert in Miami. Fitting it is as not only is this the first of his "FinLand" tour 2012 venues, Jimmy lived her for some time in his developing years, and we just happen to be cruising around here.

If you followed our earlier post, you'll realize we had an interesting adventure taking a Taxi home from the concert. But now for a quick overview of the concert itself.

I'm a big, big, Jimmy Buffett fan and I love the coarseness but poignancy of his lyrics. I also relate to the fact that Jimmy, as I, endeavours to be ageless. So off to the concert we go with Blair and Laurie. The concert is at the American Airlines Arena, the home of the Miami Heat. WE get to the venue by bus early and it's obvious who's going to the concert. The typical "parrot head" may be anywhere from 10 to 80 but the distinguishing characteristic is that they're bedecked in outrageously gaudy flower shirts, shorts and of course some sort of outrageous head wear ranging from my Margaretville Ball cap to Parrots, Sharks and many other really weird costumes. The party's on! What joins everyone in this revelry is the desire to live the vicarious lifestyle Jimmy has written so many songs about and, guess what; we're doing just that.

So there is a "tailgate party outside of the arena with a really good Jimmy Buffett/ Coral Reefers Band sound alike. We have a few dances and a beer while we wait for the arena to open. Finally the gates open and we search out our seats. We have little trouble finding the section but start the Himalayanesque climb to our assigned row. And, guess what? We're on the very last (read top) row and this ain't a small arena. We are somewhat disappointed but we spy seats some ways down which are not occupied and just before the show begins, we skulk our way down, hoping that the rightful seat purchasers do not evict us unceremoniously.

We're still quite high in the bowl and off to the side so our vantage point is anything but ideal. And, the sound is not great from here. We cannot hear Jimmy's gregarious banter. However, Jimmy's the real deal and a great entertainer and I thoroughly enjoy all of his standards.

We leave the concert , tired and anxious to get back to our boats hopefully safely ensconced in Sunset Lake. We doubt that if there are problems in our absence, the neighbours will be likely to help out.

The rest of the story has been chronicled in an early post, Mike McKendy PI!

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