Marathon

Had a very stressful day today because the water was only 4-5 ft. deep in certain areas. We were so happy when we had 6-7 ft. Had to go slow because it was so shallow. We were so uncomfortable with the depth that we thought about turning back, but felt like we had come too far to turn back now. Not only was it shallow, but there were thousands of crab pots all over.

We were going slow & really staring at the depth gauge when something bizarre happened. I call it "the dinghy incident". We're not sure what or how it happened & it doesn't really seem possible. We were towing the dinghy like we frequently do, when it felt like the dinghy was forcefully pulled backward & then released to slam into the swim platform. It was a weird feeling & sound. We're lucky that there wasn't too much damage to the swim platform. Al just has another spot where he can practice his gel coat skills when we get home. Now we'll keep the dinghy up on the davits.

Pulled into Marathon Marina & Boatyard. The marina & harbor is very busy, but has a comfortable feel. Many of the boaters around us either live here or spend the entire winter in this marina. Many people are getting ready to head north before it gets too hot in the Keys.

We plan to head to Key West next.

Key Largo

Headed south again today to Key Largo. It's very cool in the A.M., but sunny & gets warm in the afternoon. The wind keeps blowing hard from the northwest. All the boaters down here keep talking about how they've never seen the wind blow so hard & for so long. Usually by this time of year it's very warm with minimal wind. We went through some really narrow channels & some channels go right through a cut in the mangroves.

We pulled into Tarpon Basin to anchor. Had trouble getting the anchor to hold as the bottom is very grassy, but eventually we found a sandy spot & the anchor dug in. This is a nice, but shallow anchorage, only 4-5 ft., with a good dinghy dock at the community center. There is an old cell tower still standing. Once again the main road looks too busy to ride our bikes anywhere comfortably.

Soon after we anchored a precocious 9 yr. old from the next boat over paid us a visit by dinghy. He was so happy to have new people to talk with. He had made us a picture of our boat on his computer & wanted us to have it. He has been living here on his boat with his family every winter since he was 4. Their boat hit the reef on the way in & the motor hasn't worked since. They live in Washington State in the summer because it gets too hot here. He told us everything about himself, his family, his boat, the neighbors & the local area. He asked to see our boat & really liked it. Al gave him a Matchbox car that he had found washed up on a beach in the Bahamas. His name was Johnson Hitchcock. I think he was originally from South Africa.

We saw a beautiful sunset in the evening, but it got buggy once the sun was down.

Key Biscayne

We woke up this morning & were surprised how cold it was. There was a heat wave over the weekend & it hit 90 & now it's 50 degrees, what a change.

We started the day by getting 207 gallons of diesel fuel. We then headed south . There are so many low bridges in south Florida, it can really slow progress waiting for them to open. We lowered the radar mast & VHF antenna so we could fit under the bridges & not have to wait for them to open. It was fun seeing the City of Miami. We haven't seen that many buildings since New York City.

We pulled into Crandon Park Marina on Key Biscayne. Initially they told us over the phone that no slips were available, but we pulled in anyway because we needed water. We saw empty slips, so I went into the office. Now that I was there in person, they were magically able to find a slip for us. It's a nice marina, but no restaurant on site. We thought about riding our bikes, but the road right outside the marina is extremely busy, so we stayed put & had dinner on the boat with Hooper.

Tomorrow we head for Key Largo.

Fort Lauderdale

We had a great time on Singer Island, but we felt like it was time to be on the move again. We left on Monday, March 25, to head further south. As we were headed south all the boats from The Palm Beach Boat Show were headed north to go out the inlet. It was a great free boat show, but made a lot of traffic in a narrow waterway & gridlock at the bridge. It got a little scary when the captains headed north wouldn't listen to the bridge operator & wouldn't let us through the bridge when it was our turn. Al doesn't like to be intimidated or back down, so he almost put our anchor through the side windows of a brand new 65ft. sport fishing boat. Thank goodness Al can control our boat perfectly, even when mad, so we came really close, but didn't hit. We went through the bridge & continued our journey.

South of Palm Beach the channel really narrows with concrete bulkheads on both sides. When boat wakes hit the bulkhead they bounce off & make for a really rough ride. I can't believe the speed limit is 30 mph through this area. I wouldn't want to boat in this area on a regular basis.

We pulled into the Las Olas Marina in Fort Lauderdale. "Whoo-hoo" we made it to Lauderdale for spring break! We headed over to the beach & it was packed with people. It's not like spring break in the past, but it was still busy & fun to see.

Tomorrow we need to fill the boat with fuel.

Back in the USA

We came back to Florida on Tuesday, March 5. We had to wait in West End for several days for the wind to die down so we could safely cross the Gulf Stream back to Florida. Our weather guru, Chris Parker, said Tuesday would be the only day to make the crossing & he was right. If we didn't go on March 5, we would have to wait at least another weak, or more, for a good weather window. It's amazing how the wind "clocks" in the Bahamas. It had been blowing 20-30 mph from the northwest for days & the ocean had huge waves. Then the wind starts to shift NW>N>NE>E>SE. Once it's out of the southeast, the wind & ocean almost immediately calms down to nothing. That's exactly what happened Monday into Tuesday. We left at first light on Tuesday with almost no wind from the southeast & the ocean was dead calm. For the first couple of hours we were the only boat out there. We felt a little more secure once we saw a few other boats also making the crossing. Once we got into the Gulf Stream the waves got pretty big, probably 10 ft., but they were widely spaced & rolling. We rolled side to side pretty good, but we weren't pounding. It was a good feeling when we started to see some buildings on the Florida coast. We went into the Lake Worth Inlet & pulled into the Sailfish Marina. Later that day the wind & waves picked up again. We were so glad to be safely tied up by then.


We had a great time in the Bahamas. We met some great people, stayed in some really nice marinas & anchorages & saw some amazing scenery & wildlife. At times we were thrilled, at times we were overwhelmed & sometimes just scared, but it was an amazing experience. Next time we'll go back in the spring, when we hear you don't have to worry about the weather so much, because the wind is always calm. Next time we want to go to Bimini, Nassau & the Exumas.

We plan to stay put for awhile, but who knows how long?

West End

We've been sitting at West End in Old Bahama Bay Marina since Friday, March 1. We have a good Internet connection (which is very rare in the Bahamas) & have been diligently watching the weather forecast. The weather has been cold, cloudy & exceptionally windy, at least 20-30 knots from the northwest for days. It would be depressing, but it's better than being in New York. We take daily walks on the beach & go exploring by bike. The marina is pretty empty, so we rarely have Hooper on a leash, he loves being free to run the whole beach. The little beach bar & grill here is pretty good. I enjoyed coconut french toast this morning. The only bummer is we had our MasterCard number stolen & we're running out of cash. Very few places in the Bahamas take Discover Card or American Express ( that's what we have left to use). It's not easy finding an ATM in the Bahamas.

The forecast shows the wind & waves greatly decreasing on Tuesday, March 5. That is when we plan to cross back to Florida. Sure hope the forecast is right! If we can't leave Tuesday, the forecast doesn't look good for another week to make a crossing. Now that we made the decision to leave the Bahamas, I can't wait to get back to Florida.

Hopefully we are able to pull into the Sailfish Marina on Singer Island Tuesday afternoon. That's where the next blog will come from.

Spanish Cay

The day started out hot, humid & cloudy with wind from the southwest. We were making a short trip to Spanish Cay. While we were running a cold front came through. The clouds got real dark, it got much cooler, it started raining & the wind switched out of the northwest. We ran downstairs to get out of the rain.

We pulled into Spanish Cay Marina. It's a big marina & resort, with an airstrip. It looks like at one time this was a really nice tropical resort, but not anymore. We were told that it was hit really hard by Hurricane Sandy & hasn't recovered. Most everything is closed & deserted. The restaurant isn't open, there's no more beach bar & the tennis courts are covered with sand. Parts of the airstrip are broken up or covered with sand. At least we can stay the night secure in the marina & continue our journey tomorrow if the weather cooperates.