Day 33 - Key West

We made it! Kite arrived in Key West on Friday afternoon after a brisk downwind sail from Marathon in the Hawk Channel. Ringle was right on our tail as we entered Key West Bight harbor and tied up at the city marina there. The weather forecast predicted increasing winds as the day progressed and even stronger winds on Saturday, so we decided on an early start on Friday. Today, Saturday, we are being rocked at our dock by the stronger winds - glad we made the right decision to go yesterday.

As we sailed down the Hawk Channel toward Key West, we passed Bahia Honda which is reputed to have the best beach in the Keys. We were a mile or two offshore so it wasn't clear how wonderful the beach is, but it is clearly a beach, not a mangrove. Our cruising guide says that sailboats should anchor south of the eastern (right) side of the falling apart railroad bridge and row ashore to this best beach in the Keys. We were in a hurry to beat the strong winds of late afternoon, so we didn't stop.

Old railroad bridge, Bahia Honda on right

By the time we reached the Key West shipping channel (15:30) the winds were blowing 25 knots from the east. We turned north into the shipping channel and encountered a strong southerly current of 2 knots! Our progress north to the marina we had reserved was very slow against this current but we finally arrived at a little after 16:00. We  have a photo of Kite and Ringle docked one before the other at Key West Bight Marina, the city marina.

Kite and Ringle at Key West Bight Marina

After checking in and straightening up our boats, the crews of Kite and Ringle walked to the Schooner Wharf Café nearby and enjoyed adult beverages and seafood. It was dark by the time we finished our dinner, but we walked to Mallory Square anyway to see the view of the Gulf of Mexico from which so many sunsets have been photographed. Tired after an active day, we returned to Kite for showers and bed.

Rooster and hen freely roaming the streets 

In the morning we were awakened by one of the many roosters walking freely around the streets of Key West. We slept until 08:00 and dallied before having breakfast at 10:00. Did I mention that Kite is air conditioned, and the temperature in Key West varies from a low of 80° to a high of 86°F. We were happy to enjoy the 75° inside Kite for a while. Around noon, all five of us took a walking tour of the downtown area of Key West. Kevin and Lyn joked around in front of Irish Kevin's Bar. Vince and Kevin broke off to go to Capt. Tony's Saloon for a drink while Eveline, Lyn and Peter walked up Duval Street, which had been converted into a street market. On our return to the Saloon, we walked past a very large banyan tree on Whitehead Street.

Kevin and Lyn at Irish Kevin's Bar

Eveline and Lyn in front of Banyan tree

The day was hot, as usual, but there was a strong breeze blowing from the east. We decided to have lunch at Fogarty's on Duval Street, in the well shaded outdoor dining area. Here the breeze cooled us as we sat in the shade and enjoyed our lunches with some beverages. Vince wanted to go the the Shipwreck Museum, so we walked there after lunch. Apparently shipwreck salvaging was big business in Key West back in the 1850 - 1900 timeframe. The museum included a lookout tower about 65 feet high from which one could see into the Gulf of Mexico. Peter shot a couple of panoramic photos looking southwest and northwest from this vantage point.

Southwest view over Tank Island (right)

Northwest view over Wisteria Island (center) and Fleming Key (right)

Day 29 - Marathon

Ringle had decided to wait until yesterday, Monday, to leave Ft. Lauderdale and Kite had promised to wait in Marathon for Ringle to catch up. So on Sunday, Kite felt in no rush to leave Anchorage Marina for Marathon. The forecast for Sunday called for large ocean waves in the Hawk Channel south of the Keys and strong winds from the west. We decided to stay an extra day at the Anchorage Marina and helped many of our new friends from yesterday’s race with their lines as they left to return to Miami. There was a period of rain in early afternoon as we were eating lunch, and then Lyn and Peter enjoyed some time in the pool while Kevin explored the nearby surroundings on foot, and shot photos of them at the marina. Richard and Debbie aboard At Last had left Marathon on Sunday morning to return to Jacksonville, and reported to Lyn that they were experiencing uncomfortable large seas. Lyn suggested that they should take Channel Five to get into the protected waters of the ICW and anchor just outside of Anchorage Marina. They took her suggestion and were happy to be in calm seas for the remainder of their trip to Miami. They showed up at the anchorage late in the day but were unable to join us for dinner as we had hoped.

At Anchorage Marina, Key Largo, aboard Kite

Lyn and Peter at Anchorage Marina

Kite got an early 06:45 start towards Marathon on Monday, knowing she had a long way to go and would be fighting the waves and increasingly strong winds for the last 25 miles of the trip, in the Hawk Channel. She motored through the calm waters of the ICW at a decent pace of over 5 knots, and reached the Hawk Channel at 13:00. The wind was still a little northwest and the waves were under 2 feet, so we decided to sail towards Marathon even if it meant tacking a few times. The sailing was wonderful and we were averaging over 5.5 knots for about 3.5 hours. Then the wind shifted to southwest, the direction we wanted to go, and freshened as the accompanying waves got bigger and bigger. We furled the head sail and trimmed the mainsail in tight and motored directly into the increasing waves and wind, as our speed diminished to under 4 knots. It was frustrating to see the boat going so slowly and being unable to do anything to speed up.

Enjoying brisk sailing in Hawk Channel

On top of that, we saw some rain storms brewing on the horizon and sure enough, at 18:30 we were caught in a sudden downpour and increasing winds for about 5 minutes. We tried to furl our mainsail, but it jammed and we had to come up into the wind and let it flog in the wind until the storm passed five minutes later. Peter was then able to unjam the furling system and we furled the mainsail and motored on, pounding through the waves at under 4 knots for another hour until we, finally, got to our mooring in Boot Key Harbor, otherwise known as Marathon. We were soaked but happy to be in a safe harbor, and celebrated at dinner with glasses of red wine. Shortly after we arrived, at sunset, Lyn blew the traditional note on her conch shell, and it was returned from many boats in the crowded harbor.

Happy to be safely at mooring at Marathon

Today, after a delicious breakfast of sausage and pancakes, Kevin and Peter inflated and launched the dinghy, and we all took a dinghy ride to the City Marina to register for 3 nights on the mooring, including last night. We also walked a mile to Publix to shop for meat and fresh produce, (and more beer) and then took an Uber ride back to the marina with our groceries. Back aboard Kite we ate a late lunch and rigged her shade cloths against the hot afternoon sun. Kevin and Peter took the dinghy back to the marina to fill Kite’s spare propane tank and buy some ice cubes for evening drinks. When they returned, the entire crew enjoyed a swim in the warm, clear waters off Kite’s stern.

We are looking forward to the arrival of Ringle in Marathon tomorrow afternoon.

Day 26 – Key Largo

Friday morning, as planned, Peter motored Kite out the Fort Lauderdale inlet into the Atlantic at about 9:30. Our companion boat had decided to wait for better weather on Monday. The wind was still strong from the East, but the waves were a little less chaotic than they had been when we sailed there on the previous Monday. We were able to make great time sailing to Miami, and Lyn snapped a photo of the Chart Plotter showing our speed at 7.4 knots.

7.4 knots through the ocean!

Turning into the Government Cut inlet about 12:30 and escaping the waves, we headed up the channel toward Miami. An hour later, Kite entered Biscayne Bay and again hoisted her sails for a fast passage down to No Name Harbor to anchor for the night. It felt good leaving the big city behind for the last time (at least until we return). With such an early arrival time, Peter and Kevin decided to take a swim off the stern of Kite followed by a refreshing rinse using the boat’s stern shower. Lyn blew the conch at sunset and the sky colored up nicely.

Leaving Miami behind

Kevin swims in No Name Harbor

Sunset at No Name Harbor

Sunset at No Name Harbor

Sometimes a day does not go at all as planned, but still turns out fun and interesting. Our plan for Saturday was to go down the Hawk Channel to the Pilot House Marina on Key Largo. However the weather forecast was for continuous strong winds and big ocean waves in Hawk Channel, and we decided to take the Intracoastal Waterway on the bayside (north) of Key Largo. This turned out to be a good choice. The wind remained strong, but there were no waves. As we left No Name Harbor we saw dozens and dozens of sailboats sailing south on Biscayne Bay, apparently racing, and we fell right in behind them.  We no sooner got into the “race” when we heard a “person in the water” alert on the radio, and the position given was right near us.  We started scanning the area, a Coast Guard helicopter began circling overhead, but we saw nothing. Soon afterward, the announcement came over the radio that the person was back on board and all was well.

Post-race gathering of sailboats at Key Largo

With that excitement over, we started enjoying a beautiful sailing day, and even overtook several of the boats in the race. When we arrived at Anchorage Marina on Key Largo, where we had reserved a slip, we found all of the boats from the race tying up, or rafting together and anchoring all around us. We were glad we had reserved and there was a slip waiting for us. The race group was from the Miami Yacht Club. It was a 38 mile race from Miami to the bottom of Barnes Sound on the bayside of Key Largo, through beautiful open areas with only 3 short, narrow channels that were well marked which we all had to transit.  The Club members were all friendly to us and invited us to join them in their celebrations. The “rum dum” flowed freely. The day ended with much merriment.

Kite is now officially in the Keys!

Day 22 – Ft. Lauderdale

Kite arrived at Las Olas Marina in Ft. Lauderdale three days ago, Monday, bone tired and covered in salt after a difficult day on a rough ocean. She motored out Lake Worth Inlet around 08:30, into rolling three foot seas and 10 knots of easterly wind, and then about one mile offshore, turned south after hoisting her sails. Normally, such conditions are ideal for ocean sailing, but this day they were not. I guess the Gulf Stream was in close, as we seemed to be fighting about 1 knot of current. In addition the direction of the waves made for a much rougher ride than we had anticipated. The wind was on the beam, the fastest point of sail, but we could barely keep our boat speed over 5 knots. Frustrating! But we were sailing, at last, enjoying the silence, feeling the wet sting of occasional salt spray on our cheeks and listening to Kite’s hull breaking through each wave.

We were on a mission to get to Ft. Lauderdale this day to pick up Kevin, our deck monkey for the next two weeks; a fifty nautical mile trip. Kevin was flying into Miami Airport (from Alaska) and would land around 4:30 pm, and we had given him the address of Las Olas Marina in Ft. Lauderdale as the place where we could meet. Ringle was following Kite, and we noted that she was flying only her jib sail for about an hour, and then they furled it and were motoring only. The minutes passed into hours as both boats slogged their ways through the bumpy seas and the coastline inched by. Around noon the wind dropped to under 6 knots, and we started Kite’s engine. As Lyn went below to get our sandwiches for lunch, she noticed that some water was coming from the engine room. Investigating further, she discovered a plastic hose that was steadily leaking water. I shut down the engine and Lyn took over the helm as I investigated and saw that a vented line from our PSS dripless packing was letting in water as every wave passed over the stern. I found a tapered wooden plug that we keep for such emergencies, and plugged this line, stopping the leak. Then I bailed out the engine room sump. We were reluctant to restart the engine while still in rough seas for fear of dislodging the plug. As we neared the Port Everglades inlet to Ft. Lauderdale, Ringle speeded up and overtook Kite. They let us know that they were tired of this infernal sea and wanted to get into smoother waters. They also informed us that they had taken in their headsail because Vince noticed that the forestay looked very loose, and he did not want to risk losing the whole rig. As it turned out, Ringle wouldn’t sail and Kite wouldn’t motor while we were at sea, the slowest possible combination of our two boats.

At about 5:00 pm we got a text message from Kevin informing us that he had landed in Miami and was getting on the Tri-Rail to travel to Ft. Lauderdale. We were still pounding through the ocean at that time, approaching the Port Everglades inlet. We texted back that we would likely arrive by 6:00 pm and he should wait for us at the marina. Kevin replied that he thought that he would arrive a bit later than 6:00. Kite furled her sails upon reaching the inlet, and motored through the inlet and on to the marina. We did indeed arrive at Las Olas Marina a bit before 6:00 pm, and were secured in our slip before Ringle could pass through the drawbridge that separated our respective docks. Lyn and I helped Ringle back into her slip and tie up, and then Kevin showed up at the marina gate. It had all transpired as if it were planned that way, which was far from the truth. After introducing Kevin to Vince and Eveline, we all retired to our respective boats to rest and have dinner. Lyn and I ended up talking with Kevin until 11:00pm (we NEVER stay up that late). We had already decided that we were too tired to try to go further south on the next day, so that we would stay at least 2 nights at Las Olas Marina.

Yesterday, the sky was a bit hazy in the morning but no threat of rain. Lyn looked up toward the sun and noticed two rainbow rings (known as 22° halos) around the sun. I tried to photograph this, but the colors in the photo are not as vivid as they actually were.

22° halo around sun

I decided to go the Ace Hardware to get a permanent plug for the line that had leaked yesterday, and Kevin accompanied me there and then went on by himself to get a haircut and do some grocery shopping. I quickly found the plug I needed and returned to Kite and installed this permanent fix before noon. Lyn and I ate lunch before Kevin returned with the groceries. In the afternoon we got together with Ringle and all five of us walked 2 blocks to the beach at Ft. Lauderdale. Although the temperature was above 80°, the constant breeze from the sea cooled us and it felt comfortable.

Lyn, Peter and Eveline, Vince at Ft. Lauderdale

Lyn, Peter and Kevin at Ft. Lauderdale

We walked a couple of blocks down the beach to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and had adult beverages before returning to the marina. Lyn had invited everyone to Kite for hors d’oeuvres at 5:30 pm and we barely got back on time. While we were all together, we discussed the plan for going forward. The weather for today looked iffy, and the winds would remain 15-20 knots tomorrow, so Vince suggested we stay in Las Olas until Friday. We favored leaving today, but after reviewing the wind forecast decided to leave tomorrow, Thursday. We agreed that Ringle could catch up with Kite at Marathon or Key West. With that plan decided, we went to our respective boats for the rest of the evening. With Kevin, Lyn and I discussed what we could do today in Ft. Lauderdale. Somehow the subject of Starbuck’s coffee came up and we jokingly planned a walking coffee bar-hop to the various Starbucks nearby. But first we would stop at a French pastry shop that we had spotted near the marina for croissants and a beverage.

After a light breakfast this morning, Lyn, Kevin and I set out on our planned coffee bar hop. The Nanou French Bakery, operated by real French natives (from Provence), served pain chocolat that was marvelous with a nice espresso. We walked the ¾ mile to the first Starbucks, in the Westin Beach Club, and I enjoyed my first Starbucks café mocha since leaving Jacksonville three weeks ago. We sat on an open patio facing the beach for an hour and enjoyed the breezes and delightful weather as we sipped our coffees. Our next Starbucks destination was a mile south at the Marriott Hotel. Again, the hotel was on the beach with a choice of indoor or outdoor seating. We checked out the hotel and talked to the concierge about nearby shopping opportunities, and then decided to forego the coffee and begin our walk back to Kite, stopping at a convenient venue for lunch. It had started raining lightly, but was not enough for us to seek shelter. When we got to Nanou, Lyn remembered that they also served salads, and we stopped there for lunch, too. It was nutritious and tasty, as most French dishes are.

The rain today was not forecast, so we thought that maybe the weather pattern was changing and we had better check for changes in the forecast. It was a change for the worse, with stronger winds and higher waves tomorrow and tomorrow night. We had delayed one day to avoid the stronger winds at night, so now we were obliged to delay our departure one more day, until Friday. We will be moving on with Ringle after all.

Day 19 - West Palm Beach

Lyn and I were up at 06:30 this morning so that we could have breakfast and get off the dock at Hutchinson Island Marriott Resort and Marina before the strong east winds kicked up. The were supposed to start howling by 09:00, and we wanted to be out of the slip by 08:00. We quickly ate breakfast and Peter walked out to the the dock master office to settle our bill and get help with our dock lines as we departed. Kite was easing out of her slip at 07:45 in mild, 10 knot easterly winds. As she left the harbor entrance channel and joined the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) southbound, the easterly wind freshened and soon it was blowing 20 to 25 knots. (I love it when a plan comes together.)

Today being the Saturday before Easter, and this being south Florida, we soon started seeing ever increasing numbers of recreational power boats speeding through the narrow ICW channels. Weekenders are the most unconscious boaters ever, and most didn't even consider that they were throwing huge wakes as they sped by us with only 30 feet of separation. Another advantage of leaving early in the morning, is that we covered nearly half the distance to our destination before the "crazies"started showing up in large numbers. We made it to our destination, Soverel Marina, in West Palm Beach by 13:00 and tied up in a slip next to Ringle. This is a secure little marina about 5 miles north of the Lake Worth inlet. We hope to pass through this inlet when we leave so that we can sail, not motor, in the ocean to Fort Lauderdale where we will meet Kevin, our deck monkey from Alaska for our trip through the Florida Keys.

Lyn and I enjoyed yesterday, our last day with our family at Hutchinson Island. In the morning we all went to the beach where Jason dug a couple of foxholes next to each other, and the kids took them over. They were pretty high up on the beach, near the high tide line. On the other hand, the tide although high, was still coming in. After playing individually for quite a while, the kids got the idea to join the two holes with a tunnel. They each started digging from their respective sides hoping to join in the middle.

Digging tunnels to join foxholes

They eventually did join their tunnels, but as they enlarged them the sand bridge at the top caved in. Tiring of that activity and with hunger for lunch, we all went up to their suite. After lunch we spent the entire afternoon at the Marriott pool, which is sheltered from the chilly wind and consequently warm and inviting. Zack made great progress in his swimming abilities, traveling as far as he can on a gulp of air, then surfacing for another gulp and traveling on underwater. Sonja has already mastered this technique and swam the length of the pool and back in this manner.

After swimming, it was back to the suite to grill hot dogs and hamburgers and corn-on-the-cob for dinner. The food tasted wonderful after a day of activities in the sun. Just before sunset, we all went out to the beach for the last time to make a family picture.

Family photo at Plantation Beach Resort

Lyn and I stayed while the kids had a special bath - a bubble bath - thanks to the jacuzzi bathtubs that were standard features of this resort. Add a little bubble bath soap and you have the stuff of old Hollywood films!

Zack and Sonja enjoy a bubble bath before bed

Lyn and I said our goodbyes and returned to the marina, from where we would be leaving early in the morning.

Day 17 – Hutchinson Island Marriott Resort and Marina

Kite is still docked at Hutchinson Island Marriott Resort and Marina, as planned, visiting two of our daughters and grandchildren. It has been five days of beach and pool time, punctuated with a little fishing and a rainy day excursion to Cape Canaveral. The Plantation Beach Resort, where the “kids” have rented a two-bedroom apartment is right on the beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

The wind has been blowing 15 – 20 knots from the east every day, and the air temperature has been about 75°, and the combination of wind and air temperature makes it feel quite chilly at the beach, and also kicks up some large surf. We still enjoyed playing in it, but had to be very watchful of the grandkids. They got chilled easily too, so we alternated between the surf, the pool and the hot tub.

Walking a quarter mile down the beach, we discovered some rocky outcroppings which were apparently coral reefs a long time ago. And a short distance from the rocks was the barnacle-encrusted skeleton of a large sea turtle.

Yesterday it rained and we went to Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral. The grandchildren enjoyed seeing the rockets, and especially liked the space shuttle Atlantis building which housed the actual shuttle orbiter, and also had several simulators that allowed kids to experience launch/reentry conditions.

Today we decompressed after yesterday’s excitement. Lyn and I skipped our routine of preparing breakfast aboard Kite, and instead walked to the Marriott’s breakfast restaurant and had our breakfast prepared and served to us by others. Later we helped Ringle leave the dock, heading for West Palm Beach. Kite will catch up with Ringle there, on Saturday. In the afternoon, the kids came over to Kite to try fishing at the dock. They both ended up catching catfish that we threw back because we didn’t want to be bothered with cleaning them. The fun is in the catching.

Tomorrow will be our last day here with the family. It has been a fun filled week and we will miss them, but we have new adventures to explore as Kite continues southward towards the Keys.