Bayside Marina - Alligator Reef
9:54 AM Underway
11:20 PM Moored Alligator Reef
12:06 PM Underway
1:18 PM Docked Bayside Marina, Islamorada, FL
3.5 engine hours 17 miles

Gail, Ken, Eric, Jonathan, Susan and I THOUGHT it might be a good day to head out to the reef for some snorkeling. Wind not the best direction, out of the east. Still under 10 knots it should be not ideal, but ok out there.
The trip though the mangroves was easy enough except it was at low tide and there just is not much water in some of the unmarked channels. We didn’t run aground. But, it certainly was low in many of the directions I was picking from the charts. The NOAA charts are wrong in lots of places down here. Talking to and watching where some of the other boats run is a good way to really get around.

The Atlantic was a bit rolling and I knew it was not going to be calm 5 miles out, where the reef is either. But, we proceeded to the mooring ball anyway, and I figured we could put up with the rolling. No one was getting seasick. I didn't feel so great, but not sick anyway.
Then one of the dogs got seasick. I wasn’t counting on the dogs getting sick. Poor Sheriff threw up multiple times. Let’s hurry up and get the swim in before it gets worse. Ken jumped in with his snorkel and Jonathan followed a few minutes later. Everyone else just stayed aboard until Jonathan and Ken had their swim. The water was not very warm and was bouncy. Ken and Jonathan didn’t stay in too long either, BUT saw many beautiful, colorful fish.
We dropped off the mooring and set the autopilot for the Lignumvitae Channel entrance markers and held on while the autopilot turned us around and headed back in. This direction was with the following sea and was surprisingly gentle.

After exiting the marked channel I found even better water depths by varying a bit from my other safe but nail biting paths through the mangroves to the marina.

I had a terrible time getting the boat to turn at the dock. I know Liquid Therapy’s characteristics and pretty much can handle the boat in close quarters docking. However, I have not figured out the ineffectiveness of the rudder in very shallow water. My guess is there is too little water to move and makes the rudder not respond well. The room for docking at our slip here in the marina couldn’t be easier. I have only to get in between two boats and lay along side the dock. This requires a 180° turn to starboard ( turning to the right ) Gunning the engine in forward usually makes the boat turn with the rudder hard over, not in shallow water, though. I’m going to try taking a much wider arc to get turned around next time. Maybe that will help.

Today’s picture is the famous Bloody Mary at Robbie’s. A slim Jim straw, bacon, a big shrimp, celery, blue cheese stuffed olive, baby Gherkin stuffed olive, spicy pickled green bean, lemon and lime. http://www.robbies.com. A very fun place for food, kayaking and boating.