The Second Half Of The Journey

After our two night, three day marathon motor sail from Dataw to Fort Pierce, we packed in a good night's sleep at the Harbortown Marina, and left early the next day for the anchorage at Lake Worth. From there we left at dawn for No Name Harbor south of Miami on Key Biscayne.  We had filled our tanks with diesel at Fort Pierce, but had minimal need for fuel. For two days, the winds were erratic. They swooped up to 29 and dropped to 6, veered back and forth  from west to north, but mostly they blew us south to the Miami cut where we entered, through the city of Miami, and into the Biscayne Bay.

No Name Harbor, part of the Florida State Park system, is one of our favorite spots. Since we were expecting a big blow and steep waves, we decided to hide out there. We spent a nice sunny day. Rick decided to check out the outboard engine for the dinghy. After trying to start it 27 times, changing the fuel filter and the spark plug, he decided it could wait until we reached Key West and we rowed  ashore.

We also spent time watching the wildlife there.



Including bold raccoons which frequented The Lighthouse Restaurant





And manatees in the harbor.....



And, we watched another lovely sunset

The winds, which were predicted, had not materialized during the day, nor did they appear by sunrise  the next morning, so we made the quick 8 am decision to proceed south or actually west, since the keys form a string going WSW from Miami, separating the Atlantic from the Gulf of Mexico. And the winds? Which way were they blowing? Well, from the ENE, of course. We were once again forced to jib sail for three days, wind directly behind us all the way to Key West. Still, we were sailing and used only 14 gallons of fuel on the last 400 miles of our journey. The Hawk Channel, with its protective reef, kept the waves down to a manageable, but lumpy size and we found ourselves dodging the crab pots the entire way from Upper Matacumbe to Boca Chica. The crab pots seem to multiply every year and are laid out, not just in long rows, but in criss-crossing grids, which cover the channel. Guess if we all want crab and lobster on the menu, we just have to take it in stride.

Here we are again at our winter watery home and happy to have our first conch blowing of the season.

A Cold Departure and a Warm Wecome

As we prepared to leave for Key West, two events occured. Our Buddy Boat Sand Castle, discovered engine problems which would delay their departure for 5 days. We waited one day to see if the mechanic could do a quick repair, but, fearing to lose our weather window, we left on a Saturday, after the mechanic said he was temporarily stumped and would return Monday to work on the boat. The second event was a change in the weather. A cold front followed Hurricaine Sandy through the area. Rick and Cookie bundled up in quilted vest and  foul weather gear, and ate hot soup along the way to keep warm.

Our first night at sea, we were treated to something we've been missing on our time off the boat......sunsets at sea. Nothing is more spectacular.

And, even nicer, upon our daylight return to warm Florida waters, a team of dolphins, entertained us with a magnificent welcome. Wish I had the camera out earlier to catch the enter performance.

Our first 48 hours took us down to Fort Pierce, bumpy ride by engine through unpredicted winds in our face. But all worth it for the warm welcome provided by the dolphins.

Racing at Dataw

While waiting to depart from North Carolina we entered a race. Gail and Kia joined us for the CAptain's party andf dinner at the Dataw Marina. Due to Hurricaine Sandy, the race was delayed for a day.

But, on a nice windy Sunday of mostly 15-20 knot winds, we raced in the Dataw Marina Cup Race. It is a 22 mile race up the Coosaw River to St. Helena Sound and back down the Morgan Creek to the Dataw Marina. We had friends Kia and Gail crew with us and also new friend, Scott, who owns a Hylas 54 and has raced many times.  What a wonderful day! The start was a little scarey since there were 22 boats milling around in the middle of the intercoastal waterway, with cruisers trying to get past. We had a problem raising our mainsail, which took a lot of time and a lot of yanking, but finally rose to the occasion. The race itself was wonderful fun and Wind Dancer made herself proud as the second boat to cross the finish line.  Our overall finish was handicapped as a fifth place, but we are sure it is because our PRPH was incorrect. What? You've heard that story before? Well, we were given a 129 even though the boat ia loaded down as a cruiser with a furling main and bow thruster, airconditioning system, etc. We did get a nice silver dish out of the race and sliding across the line in second place has its own thrill.





See all those boats? They are behind us.