Saturday March 31, 2012

We have hoisted anchor and are on our way to our next anchorage Lake Sylvie in Fort Lauderdale once out Government cut past the real lumpy STUFF (that you can get at inlets) we made our way in choppy seas to Ft. Lauderdale and into that lumpy inlet and on into Lake Sylvie as we were arriving at lake Sylvie it started to pour rain (go figure) so here I am in the rain trying to anchor (wait I'm not made of sugar) in a already packed anchorage and not good holding after the 4th try,and now that the rain has stopped we gave up and continued to head north to our next anchorage spot Boca Raton about half way there it started to rain again only this time worse then before just then the throttle cable gave out again and we have no power only idle speed so no power and it is pouring just then an emergency broadcast comes over the VHF radio with a weather warning yep you got it a tornado so as the captain quickly checks his charts he sees there is a place we can anchor in a mile ahead of us called Lettuce Lake, so as we try to beat this storm /tornado that is chasing us and we are only doing 3 knots at 1000 rpm and were loosing so we get to the anchorage and only have one chance as we do not have enough power to make our way through the wind that has accompanied the rain, now we can't see the bow of the boat and you got it I have to go out and get wet again. I'm not outside 15 seconds and I'm drenched and I can't even see the bow of the boat as I'm walking towards it and the thunder and lightening is so intense. I find the windlass and get the anchor dropped hoping everything goes as planned as we have no power to set the anchor and have to depend on the wind to pull us back and set it, and it did now soaked, cold and can't see I find my way back to the boat and stand in the cockpit feeling sorry for myself but happy that the anchor has set and I don't have to go back out in the rain. The rain lasted for another couple minutes and stopped the sun came out I had a drink and the captain found the break in the throttle cable and used his McGuyver skills and used a dowel (wood) and two hose clamps and put it back together. We then sat in the cockpit and enjoyed our surroundings and realized that everything happens for a reason. This is still the life. We reflected on what it would have been like if we had stayed in lake Sylvie with poor holding, a crowded anchorage and strong storm winds; it would have been like bumper cars.