Polite Compromise

Compromise is tied to a mooring ball in Boot Key Harbor. It’s pretty windy tonight so we are rocking and rolling along with all of our new neighbors. The trip south down the western side of Florida included stops in Pensacola, Port St. Joe, Tarpon Springs/Clearwater, and Naples before we sailed into the Keys. While we were in Pensacola, we were anchored next to s/v Krakato - we had recognized the boat from our morning walks at Waterford Harbor so we dinghy-ed over to say hi! And while we were in Naples, we visited with Steve and Donna, s/v Moondance. It was so great to see them and catch up!

Our roughest passage was on an overnight sail from Pensacola to Port St. Joe. We typically check the weather forecast using at least three separate sources before we ever leave port. And even then you can sometimes be surprised! Night sails are still not my favorite, but I’m getting somewhat accustomed to them and we have a pretty good routine - three hours on and three hours off. Music on the stereo, lots of snacks, CRAP, and a thermos full of hot coffee. I had made a quiche ahead of time so we could have an easy dinner in the cockpit while we sailed. Ron likes SPAM (weird, I know) so I added some the quiche instead of bacon - I’m nice like that! The night started out okay, but got progressively worse. The weather was still cold and wet so we were using our foul weather gear including life vests and jack-line tethers. My watch from midnight to 3am was pretty stressful with wind in the mid-20kts and 6 foot waves. I wasn't feeling very well, regretting eating the SPAM… and counting the minutes until I could wake Ron up to hand off the watch. He always takes the 3am to 6am shift since that seems to be the hardest one. I crawled into the bunk and tried to catch a little sleep (while being tossed around in the dark) when Ron came to wake me up. He wanted me to hurry - get dressed and up on deck “just in case”! The winds had kicked up to 35+ knots and seas were easily 8 feet or higher. Ron was worried about a possible knock down. I helped him pull the sails down and secure everything - although some of the cabinets down in the boat had bounced open and we could hear pots/pans/bottles/cans rolling around. We gave up trying to navigate altogether and just tried to keep our nose in the wind. The SPAM that had been such a good idea earlier was now seriously barking at the back of my throat. It all seemed to last for hours, but the wind finally died down around sunrise. I looked at what was recorded on the chart plotter afterwards, and our sailing track looked like a tangle of string! We suffered no damage, except to our nerves - and my stomach! We joke about it now, but I don’t ever want to see SPAM on my plate again.

Somewhere between Naples and the Keys, our chart plotter decided to quit. Since it’s still under warranty, Ron boxed it up and sent it back to the manufacturer for repairs. The whole process has taken a couple of weeks so we’ve been resting up and enjoying ourselves in Marathon - meeting new people, learning how to play Mexican Train dominos, taking yoga classes, riding bikes - and getting ready for the next trip. We’re going south, to Cuba!

I’ll be posting photos later!
Karen.