Log Book: February 9th

Conditions: 80 degrees

Location: Key West

We woke up early this morning, went under the seven mile bridge, over the sand flats of Florida Bay, and into Blackfin Marina. At one point traveling over the flats the bottom was a mere four inches below the keel. You might think that it was risky for us to even try to sail in Florida Bay but just yesterday a sailor told us he was taking his boat down to Key West inside and that his draft is four feet but the average depth of the bay is five so quote on quote "no worries." The marina was a tight fit as well. We were forced to K-turn into the slip because the canal was so narrow. Dad took the wheel at that point, it's nothing like driving a car just so you know. Once we were situated it wasn't a bad spot at all. An hour later we were on a two dollar bus ride down route 1, bound for Key West. Route 1 in the Keys was previously an old railway, built by Henry Flagler when the only access to the keys was by boat. Route 1 is the closest thing to a highway around here. It splits almost every Key in half leaving a trail of strip malls and sprawl in its wake. It is essentially the only road that goes anywhere here and it's a shame that it wasn't kept as a railway. Key West was a different story. The scenery here was not unlike Newport or Block Island, plenty of sandals on the sidewalks. If there are no young people in the Upper Keys it's because they all moved down here. Dad and I bar hopped during the day and then caught the show at sunset. On the pier in Malory Square a number of street performers set up their acts just before sunset. We saw a man eat fire, a Rastafarian who played the steel drum, a pair of acrobats, a kissing parrot, and a juggler with his dancing pig. We had been told by more than a few people that Key West had tons of these 'characters' because it was an 'end of the world' kind of place. I think you might describe them as people who don't feel at home in our mundane society so they go on a nomadic search for a place with people more like themselves. They get further away from the office, then further away from the city, then further away from the suburbs, and the very bravest of them go further away from everything until they reach the end of the world. Key West is a common final destination, many compare it to Provincetown, I would compare it to Oz.
Dad and I got confused by the bus schedule and almost missed the last one out of town. We had a great time but we were definitely ready for some sleep. Unfortunately the bus ride back was a different route that took much longer to get out of town. Luckily for us we had a ortraveling band abroad to pass the time. A group of five teenagers got on the bus after us with their skateboards and one guitar. They were about fifteen but knew all the words to 'What I Got' by Sublime. It was the perfect way to pass the time. We got back to the dock in Marathon safe and sound feeling that our next time in Key West we'll have to join a band.

What we ate: 50 cent oysters

Log Book: February 8th

Conditions: 10 knot ESE wind

Location: Marathon

We left Rodriguez Key early this morning for Marathon. I don't know if it was that we are now unaccustomed to being under way, or that we didn't sleep well, or that the sun was beating down on us all day but the trip was exhausting. Dad and I both agreed that it seemed like we had been sailing for days. On the way we saw mile after mile of untamed mangrove islands. There aren't many beaches in the keys because the shores are over taken with the trees. They're gorgeous but after a while we got sick of them. We also saw more than a few Portuguese man o' war and a baby sea turtle that shot off like a bullet away from the boat. I fell asleep on deck and got a sunburn while Dad relaxed behind the wheel with a beer. When we got to the Seven Mile Bridge in Marathon the mooring field we expected to find was no where in sight. Somewhere around here there is about a hundred moorings hidden, we just couldn't see them. We dropped the hook out by a few other sailboats and called up the city marina to see if they had any space available for us. Unfortunately Dad and I had no set plan so we didn't call a marina ahead for a reservation in Marathon, big mistake. Every place we called said that we could get on their 'waiting list'. Finally we got a bite with a marina on the Florida Bay side of Marathon. The marina was only a two hour sail but were so exhausted and already quiet settled that we told them we would get there in the early morning. We plan to take and early afternoon bus into Key West tomorrow and see what all the fuss is about. Dad and I went for a swim to cure the slight seasickness we were feeling and called it a night.

What we ate: leftovers 

Log Book: February 7th

Conditions: 80 & sunny

Location: Rodriguez Key

We left the dock at Key Largo pretty late in the day today so we decided that we wouldn't go far. Dad and I dropped the hook just at Rodriguez, just mile away from the marina. The sun was still high in the sky and it was hot. There was just enough breeze to take out the windsurfer, even Dad took a turn. The water here in mid winter is warmer than the water in New England in August, but the locals still think that 70 degrees is cold. Dad and I had a great time and both concluded that today was a very good day. We made dinner and were treated to an absolutely beautiful sunset.

What we ate: chicken salad

Log Book: January 11th-February 7th

Conditions: perfect

Location: Key Largo

The crossing from Key Biscayne to Key Largo was uneventful. All we saw was the clear blue water and Elliot Key in the distance. We took Hawk Channel down inside the reefs, protections from the ocean swells, but it was still a lumpy ride. When we turned in for Key Largo channel the breeze died away. The narrow channel was surrounded by buildings, creating an uncomfortably hot barrier against the ocean breeze. Within minutes Dad and I were sweating. The canal wasn't too long and after navigating a tricky spot affectionately named "crash corner" we spotted Marina Del Mar, our home for the next month, pool included. A month of no sailing wasn't as difficult as you might think. We met up with friends from home who had brought their boats down and made plenty of new friends too. As it turns out Canadians love Florida, or maybe it's unbearably cold for them in Canada. Regardless of how they all came to be in Key Largo (some flew down, some brought their boats down, some flew down and then bought boats) we had to wonder if the Canadians were planning a secret invasion on two fronts. It was great to hear other peoples stories and adventures from racing to Cuba, because Canadians are allowed to do that, or sailing "the loop" (circumnavigation of eastern North America). The experiences of others helps you appreciate your own, and to strive for a new adventure - at least it has in our case.

After being trapped inside the boat at Key Biscayne Dad and I were both eager to get in some much needed exercise. We biked everywhere, there are excellent bike paths throughout the keys and we learned that it is extremely popular for people to fly into Miami and bike from hotel to hotel down to Key West. We even met a couple who were biking from Los Angeles to Key West, they only had one hundred miles to go! I forgot to ask them how it took them but I think something like that might be my next adventure.

The first few days in Key Largo were very nice but I was a little out of my league in the company we kept. The fifty-five and over crowd ate breakfast at 7am, took dinner at 5pm and complained about Obama and social security checks. This recently graduated college liberal bit her tongue and sat in silence, I heard they band together when threatened. So I started looking for a younger crowd to maybe stay up a little later with and show me the good spots. It was harder than you think. Everyone seemed to be either too young or too old. Around the corner from the marina is a large park with every playing field imaginable; basketball courts, roller hockey, skateboard ramps, beach volleyball, tennis courts, a baseball field, a swimming pool, and most importantly a soccer field. For days I staked out the field hoping to find young players there and asking anyone in sight if they knew about pickup games. Finally I got a good tip and on Monday night when I came to the field there were a dozen players scrimmaging. I jumped right in and met Kendra. Kendra had been living and working on Key Largo since she graduated college. She knew her way around Key Largo and took me to all the best spots. I knew they were the best because I had attempted to goat it alone and stumbled upon some pretty lame bars with Dad. Kendra and I went to a Full Moon Party in Islamorada, a ladies night in Key Largo aka free drinks for ladies from 530-7, a rodeo in Homestead, and much more. I had never been to a rodeo before, and everyone could tell. I was probably the only person in the arena that didn't have cowboy boots, a cowboy hat or a flannel on. Kendra also took Dad and I on our first snorkel trip in Key Largo with her dad, Steve. We got up close to the mangroves and swam through schools of baby fish, sending them scattering. There were a number of small barracuda and other medium sized fish using the mangroves as shelter. We saw a cluster of Caribbean lobster and a spotted ray. The trip was a blast and i could see that Dad was getting the itch for more underwater adventures.
The next time Dad and I went out snorkeling we went to a place called Grecian Rocks. The reef was mostly made up of soft coral. Large sea fans swayed to and fro in the current. They were shades of dark purple, green, and brown. Guarding the edges of the reef were giant barracudas, these things were monsters that drifted eerily all around us. They weren't in schools but it was clear that they were no strangers to divers on the reef and were unafraid of us. I swam, uneasily looking over my shoulder at all times, keeping my eyes on them. They were the biggest things out here, they were wider than my thigh, longer than my leg, I was more than a little wary of them, that is until I saw something bigger. I saw his profile as he lazily swished his tail back and forth, a ten foot bull shark was swimming at the edge of the reef less than fifty feet away. Oddly enough I wasn't scared the entire time I watched the shark swim. They really are mesmerizing to watch. The shark swam away from us at an angle and disappeared down the reef edge. Once it was gone the creepy feeling I had felt when looking over my shoulder for the barracuda doubled. I motioned to Dad for us to swim for the boat, he looked like he wanted to stay in the water for longer.

We did a ton of other cool stuff in Key Largo. We went to art shows, a blue grass festival, different parks, fishing, new restaurants, weird food, and all that jazz. On our last day in Key Largo we went to the Everglades with a group of people from our Yacht Club who also had boats in the keys. The park was truly amazing and I would love to go back and explore the trails more. The Everglades was actually nothing like i imagined. I pictured the park to be a vast swamp land, with pontoon boats that whizzed you around the alligators. In actuality the park was one long road with access to several different types of environments that made up an ecosystem that exists no where else in the world. The biggest attraction was, as expected, the crocodiles and alligators. We left Key Largo with the feeling that we had as much fun as possible during our stay.

Log Book: January 7th-10th

Conditions: 60s and rainy

Location: Key Biscayne

It was an easy trip this morning from Marine Stadium to No Name Harbor. Dad and I went for a swim as soon as we arrived. The water was aqua, no other word for it. It was as if someone had put food coloring in the water, it was gorgeous. No Name happened to be a basin in a state park. When we anchored in the morning there were four other boats in the harbor, by sunset there were fifteen. The harbor was at its limits, clearly we all had the same idea to hang here to wait out the storm. Dad and I explored the park and found bike paths, hiking trails, and a lighthouse museum. The park also supported two restaurants and a public beach. The town of Key Biscayne was only a short bike ride away. It seemed that the harbor was in the perfect spot. Except it rained, and rained, and rained. Dad and I saw more rain in Key Biscayne than we saw the entire trip. No exaggeration. Dad and I tried to keep busy. We went to the library, went for bike rides in the rain, went up the lighthouse, visited a nature conservatory, and for the last day of our stay biked the ten miles to and from Miami. After three days at Key Biscayne we were finally ready to make the sail for Key Largo.

Log Book: January 6th

Conditions: 76 degrees 
Location: Marine Stadium, Miami

Today we made our way to Miami, leap frogging the rain clouds as we went. It was, according to Dad, typical Florida weather. I exchanged my bathing suit for my raincoat and vice versa every half hour. At this point Dad and I are both sick of canals. Thankfully Miami marks an end to the intercostal waterway, for us anyway. Many sailors travel through the Florida Bay down to the keys from Miami, but Dad and I plan to go outside through the Florida Channel to Key Largo as soon as we get a weather window. The city of Miami was deceptively beautiful as we entered Marine Stadium. The Stadium is a large circular basin filled with anchored boats. It is hard to imagine it now but the Stadium gets its name for being just that, an old sporting arena. At some point in its history boaters raced power boats around in the waterlogged stadium where bleachers lined the shores and spectators had a clear view of Miami for a background. Today, no indication of Marine Stadium's high speed past. It is now popular with transient boaters because of its 270 degrees of protection from north, south, and east winds. It is what Dad calls "a hurricane hole." Unfortunately, the Stadium is short some 90 degrees, making it an uncomfortable spot if a storm blew in from the northwest and that's just what the weatherman has predicted for us tomorrow. We decided that we will make a move early tomorrow to get to No Name Harbor (yes that's the real name) in Key Biscayne to wait out the storm there before heading down to Key Largo.

What we ate: pot roast, potatoes, carrots

Log Book: January 4th-5th

Conditions: 70-75 degrees
Location: Fort Lauderdale

Today Dad and I went through thirteen bridges as we made our way down to Fort Lauderdale. They came one after the other, barely a mile apart. It was very frustrating. The tide was against us all day, making it hard to reach each bridge opening on time. At least we found a quiet municipal marina with mooring balls to stay at for the night. Being in Fort Lauderdale, the cost of a mooring ball for the night was about the cost to stay the night on the dock at a regular marina.
We put our feet on the ground the next morning and went out to breakfast. On the main road we stepped into a crowd of swimmers. The Swimming Hall of Fame was hosting a polar bear plunge swim meet out on the beach. It was 73 degrees. Yeah. The long narrow beach was littered with activities; volleyball, soccer, runners, bikers, some cross-fit people, the swimmers and a Hawaiian style wedding to name a few. The beach was bordered by the busy A1A highway. Flashy cars whizzed by Dad and I as we ate breakfast in a sidewalk cafe. Dad spent a lot of time in Fort Lauderdale during his college days. He has some wide stories. On our way back to the boat we peaked into the local beach bar that Dad said was the place to be back in the day. It was empty but Dad suggested that we stay the weekend and see if it livens up at all.
This morning Dad and I headed down Las Olas Boulevard, away from the beach and toward an art fair that we heard about from the marina staff. It was a good turn out. White tents were setup on the Boulevard full of pictures, paintings, sculptures, and ornaments. There's isn't much room for paintings or trinkets on the boat but I was tempted to make an exception. I settled to have a gelato instead, which only required additional space in my tummy. After the fair Dad and I went to a great cheese and wine shop on the Boulevard. We ate Gouda and sopressata, drank red wine, and listened to the live two man band. Although we didn't make it back to the beach bar the night was still a success. The restaurant reminded us of being in New York City. If you have been to both the city and Las Olas Boulevard you know that they are not at all alike. In the streets of Fort Lauderdale wealthy retires and Florida beach bums amble around the town, rarely mixing but all looking for a good time. In New York no one ambles, people are always mixing, and every one is always working (even when they say they're not). BUT almost every year Dad and I find at least one reason to go to New York and before catching the train back home we pick up a bottle of red wine, stop at the Lexington Market in Grand Central and pick out our favorite meat, cheese, and crackers. On the train home we host a little part in our train car. Tonight felt like we should be walking out of the restaurant and onto the train platform in the snow in New England. If you haven't done it you need to try it.

Spotted: flock of parrots (not pictured), & automated bike rentals throughout town - pick up a bike on the boulevard return it on the beach

Log Book: December 3rd

Conditions: 68 degrees
Location: Delray Beach

Another long uneventful day in the Florida canals. The only noteworthy occurrence was when we spotted a boy swimming right in the middle of the waterway. Another young boy was in a small power boat near the kid, yelling at him to get back into the boat. Swimming in the canal is definitely against the law and is a dangerous game to play. Many smaller canals open up onto the waterway and power boats are constantly speeding by, going faster than safe for a swimmer. Dad wanted to call the marine patrol on the radio. I asked him if he was too old to remember how to have fun = silence.

We arrived at the Delray anchorage just before sundown. It was a small basin. There wasn't much room and at first Dad seemed nervous about staying. Will we fit? Is it deep enough? Is it sand or mud? Will we drag? When an anchorage isn't ideal a lengthy conversation is held on the negatives and positives of the location and on the other options available. Since there were no other obvious options available (no other anchorages or marinas nearby) the second half of the conversation was short, we had no choice but to stay. There was only one other boat but the small anchorage was surrounded by private docks, encroaching on the available space. But it turned out we were fine. Once we got the anchor down, realized we had a good hold and plenty of swinging room Dad finally relaxed. We watched some kids fish off of the dock before eating a quick dinner and going to bed.

Log Book: December 27th - January 2nd

Conditions: 60-70 degrees
Location: North Palm Beach

The trip from Jensen Beach to North Palm was exhausting. The closer we got to the Lake Worth area, the more low bridges we encountered. We waited for seven bridges in total. Dad and I were both getting very annoyed, it is a tedious thing to wait for a bridge. The current in the canal was strong so we couldn't simply remain still waiting, instead we had to circle around, travel up and down the canal, and avoid oncoming traffic. On the other hand I'm now a pro at radio communication. Dad and I joked about starting a radio show in the droning style of the NOAA weather report (computers that sound like people). We only traveled a little over twenty miles but with all of the bridge delays it took us all day to reach Old Port Cove Marina, which had been recommended to us. Our friends Bill and Catherine live very close by and have graciously invited us to stay. It will be a treat to spend New Years with friends.
We stayed in Palm Beach for five days. I met up with my cousin Jimmy who happened to be in the area for the holiday. It was so nice to mingle with people my age again and we had a great time. Especially since I want able to see any family for Christmas.
Bill and Catherine took us to an eventful farmers market on Sunday with garden plants, baked goods, jewelry, art and more. I got Dad a new Hawaiian shirt to add to his collection.
All in all Dad and I spent the week watching football, relaxing, and enjoying great company.

Spotted: kite surfing is the thing to do down here. 

Log Book: December 26th

Conditions: 70's

Location: Jensen Beach

We got to Jensen Beach in the late afternoon and made it ashore for a quick look around. Dad went to college a few miles from here at the Florida Institute of Technology, but he said that even the street signs had different names. We walked along the main road and explored Dad's old jaunts, but everything seemed to be new. When the sun set vendors came out onto the sidewalk and sold books, jewelry, scarfs, and art. The most popular stand housed a young guy playing techno music. He was vigorously spray painting canvas for the crowd to create an outer space landscape. Dad and I watched him paint for awhile like the rest of the mesmerized crowd. We returned to the anchorage and Dad told me what Jensen beach had been like when he was here and all the trouble he caused. We plan on going for a bike ride tomorrow to a beach Dad refers to as 'the Baths' and the House of Refuge where they raise sea turtle eggs. 

The branch of FIT that dad went to has since closed but we biked over to campus to see it anyway. No wonder the branch is closed, I don't see how anyone could study here. It is now a large park, right on the water. The only building that remains of the college is the mansion. The giant, white house on the hill was owned by Ann Leach, a Coca-Cola heiress, before it was donated and became the center of the college campus. The hill on which the house stands was an ancient Native American midden, a sort of dump site. The house is yards from the water and a boardwalk hugs the shore close to the building. Dad and I walked our bikes along this boardwalk to the front of the house where we found white double doors that led inside. The doors were locked and the inside appeared to be empty but Dad told me that while he was here this was the entrance to the college bar, upstairs housed the administrative offices. Dad told me his favorite stories of nights at the campus bar while we walked the rest of the boardwalk. The boardwalk ended near a beach that was full of Hobiecats, 420s, and Lasers it turned out to be a very expansive community sailing program. Dad told me a story of the first time he ever went sailing, it was off this very beach and it didn't go so well. Around noon we biked back to the boat, the wind had picked up while we were gone so Dad wanted to make sure we were securely anchored still. Back on the main drag in Jensen Beach we went out to lunch at a New Orleans fashioned restaurant that had been recommended to us. The food at Crawdaddy's was excellent. I tried crawfish for the first time. There's not much to them, it's the sauce that counts. After lunch we got back on the bikes and headed for the Florida Oceanographic Society. It was a mini aquarium not too far from the House of Refuge, our next stop. The aquarium had small tanks with fish and descriptions, the usual boring stuff. The artificial lagoon was the interesting exhibit. This was a huge man made lake with different kinds of fish, sea turtles, and nurse sharks. Dad and I spent hours watching the different fish swim by, ever time you thought you had seen them all a new one would show up. Next up was the House of Refuge, the now museum on the beach was originally built to house shipwrecked sailors that were often marooned on the uninhibited Hutchinson Island. The Refuge was later used to spot German U-boats and to protect and house endangered species of sea turtles who used the surrounding beach as a nesting ground. The museum curator was more interesting than the museum itself. He told us of a pirate, Gilbert, who use to sail out of Hutchinson Island. Gilbert used to light a fire on a sandbar just off the island, fooling his prey into thinking that the bar was the port that they were looking for. When the perspective ship went aground Gilbert and his men sailed out to plunder the ship and to kill the survivors, dead men tell no tales kind of thing. He was caught after he bored a ship of the Royal Navy, imprisoned the crew below, and set the ship on fire but the crew escaped Pirates of the Caribbean style. Gilbert was hunted down by the British and eventually hanged for piracy and if you haven't said argh in your head at least once while reading this I'm disappointed in you. Our last stop of the day was the Baths. The Baths is a public beach on the ocean. This beach is unlike any other due to the tube worm reef just offshore. The reef blunts the force of the ocean, protecting the beach from the waves, making it calm like a bath hence the name. By the time we got back to the boat we were both aching from the long ride but the day was a success.

What we ate: gumbo, seared tuna sandwich, crawfish

Spotted: sea turtle & a beach bum