LOG 1   5/26-5/28

SATURDAY, 5/26

Our long awaited trip to the Keys will finally materialize.  Hoping to shove off at 1300, we idled away from homeport at 1545.  Gene had problems fixing our bike tires and, of course, Jan had things to take care of in the house.  Bob Dunham came to see us off and wished us safe travels.

Our goal today was Shell Point, a mere 2 hours away and one of our favorite anchorages coming and going on trips.  We had a beautiful evening and night on anchor.  In spite of the day's warm temperatures, the breezes funneled through the hatch so we even needed a sheet to keep warm.  Since Jan had had two 1 AM nights right before leaving, it was early to bed for both of us – 15 minutes before “Cruiser’s Midnight” at 2100.

15.8 miles        anchor down 1745

SUNDAY, 5/27

Up early at 0639 well rested after a great first night back on the WE BE BLEST III.  Today is Pentecost Sunday, so we had church after breakfast and read the Sunday Scriptures.  Anchor up 0732, heading to Goodland.  We took the outside route to Marco Island, seas were 1’.  Around Naples, they changed to 2’ butting us on the beam.  When it gets lumpy and bumpy, the Mate’s tummy gets jumpy!  Out came the Motion Ease drops and oyster crackers.

Trying to keep distracted, I played with our new Verizon air card and e-mailed the kids and some friends – just because I could.  It is great being high-tech and on-line while cruising  No more need to look for wifi hot spots --- as long as there is a cell phone tower in range.

The Captain had done his homework well and had set waypoints for our course.  We came into Capri Pass at Marco Island around 1300, then followed the inland route up the Big Marco River to Goodland.  We wanted to top off our fuel since one of our two fuel gauges is still not working.  (The Captain had been trouble shooting it.) so we headed to Calusa Island Marina.  However, it seemed to have mainly sailboats, so we backtracked to Coon Key Marina.  We prefer to find a marina that pumps quite a bit of diesel so it is fresh.

Our anchorage was just south of the marina off G#3 beside Tripod Key in the inlet to Sugar Bay.  A sailboat from Goodland also anchored here.  We watched a number of boats and a group of about 10 jet skis come in through Coon Key Pass.  This was another calm anchorage – 6’ of water with a 3’ tidal change. 

We enjoyed watching the pelicans dive bomb for fish, keep their head submerged for awhile, then come up to enjoy a tasty meal.  Gene thought they were getting the fish lined up to eat it and perhaps getting rid of excess water.  They ate and ate and ate, with close to a 100% success rate as they splatted into the water.  The buffet was certainly open.

53.4 miles        anchor down 1444 in Sugar Bay Inlet

MONDAY, 5/28

Happy Memorial Day!  Thank you, Lord, for our freedoms.  Thank you for all who sacrificed for our nation and us.

Anchor up at 0741.  Within a short time, the Captain had motored past Coon Key picking his way through several skinny 3’ shoals.  Then he set the autopilot for the waypoint to Little Shark River 46 miles away.

As we left, the Mate hurriedly sent emails to the kids and friends about our potential 3 day black hole of communication as we motor to the Ten Thousand Islands and then on to Marathon.  Surprisingly, we kept a phone signal for a good hour or more from Coon Key.

As we cruised farther south about six miles from shore, the weather was settled with steady East winds, although  the ride became a bit lumpy.  Therefore, the Mate tried lying in the v-berth.  That was a comfortable place to read and pass the time for a couple hours.  Actually the seas were better then yesterday, (2’ and under) with ¼ off the bow instead of waves smacking us on the beam.  The Mate must just have a sensitive tummy.  Motion Ease and oyster crackers saved the day!

As we approached the green marker at the entrance to Little Shark River, the Captain sighed … what a grueling day he was having!  In 5 ½ hours of motoring (46 miles), he never touched the helm, adjusted the steering, skirted a shoal, or dodged a crab pot (although we did see three of them).  Whew!  He was exhausted!  Autopilots are great!  However, he still remains vigilant to our course, depth, surrounding water and the boat’s operation.  The Captain is looking forward to exploring new water.

At 1346, we anchored past marker red “4” at the bend in the Little Shark River.  Surprisingly, we watched another sailboat motor in here before we did – coming from the south.  We thought this would be an isolated remote location.  Several fishing boats buzzed by as well.  We are in the Everglades National Park.  Perhaps the fisher folk are camping.  The current here is swift, so the Captain used the dinghy to put out a second anchor off the stern to keep from swinging in the alternating tidal flow.  Then he fished a bit while the Mate studied charts and cruising guides.  No cell phone reception here at all.

At 1600, GEMINI, a large sailboat from Treasure Island, FL came in and with 10 miles of river ahead of us, anchored a mere 3 boat lengths off our bow!  Hope their anchor holds!  By evening, two more sailboats joined the three of us to make five in all.  Perhaps this is not as secluded a spot as we thought!  We’ll come back here on our way home and do some exploring.

52.2 miles        1356 anchor down Little Shark River

LOG 2   5/29-5/30

TUESDAY, 5/29

Up at 0630 again.  We know the routine: a quick breakfast and daily Scripture readings with coffee, then anchors up by 0717.  Gemini and one other sailboat left around 0700 heading to the Keys as well.

As the winds died down a little last night, the mosquitoes came out in force.  Gene could hear the hum of wings right outside the boat.  He sprayed Raid on the screens to try to keep them out.  This morning the cockpit was littered with dead skeeters.

The seas were fairly calm for a couple hours, but as we rounded the tip of Cape Sable, they picked up and we had two footers hitting us on the beam again.  A rocky and rolly ride.  The Captain wanted the log to reflect that the Mate holed up again in the v-berth reading and munching oyster crackers for a couple hours.  As we got closer to Marathon, the seas settled. 

Heading out of Florida Bay toward the ocean, we approached the old and new Seven Mile Bridges, both built fairly close to each other.  All of a sudden, the winds, rushing currents, falling tide, and waves gave us an extremely exciting and harrowing ride as we motored between the bridge supports.  These were perhaps 50’ or more apart, but according to the Captain, that distance seemed “awful damn narrow!”  The falling tidal current was rushing out through the bridge supports, creating eddies and turbulence.  Gene motored through the first set under old Seven Mile Bridge without too much trouble.  However, the swirling water between the two bridges pushed us one way, then another making control extremely difficult as we very quickly had to motor between the next set of supports and under the second bridge.  Coming pretty darn close we made it through safely either by luck or skill and breathed big sighs of relief.  The Captain remarked that coming back we will wait for a slack or falling tide.

We thought about anchoring in Boot Key Harbor, but decided to take a mooring ball instead.  The Boot Key Harbor City Marina operated the 226 mooring ball field.  Daily $18.  Weekly $66.  The fourth day gets us into the weekly rate, so we took the week.  Dinghy dock is $6/day and $28/week.  This is a huge mooring field, although only about half full now.  It’s really an interesting anchorage and experience.  Because of the mooring balls, more boats are able to stay in an area.  The plus side – we’re even farther from our boat neighbors than we are to our Old Bridge double-wide neighbors!

Every morning on channel 68 at 0900, the Boot Key Harbor Cruisers Net meets to greet new boaters to the harbor, give information, buy, sell, and trade boating gear, and answer questions.  Very interesting!

PHASE IV on the adjacent ball welcomed us “to the neighborhood.”  They are from Ft. Myers at the Landings as was another sailboat that traveled here with them.  After checking in, we dinked our bikes to shore and rode around for about an hour to get some exercise and stretch the muscles a bit.  While dinking back, as we passed PHASE IV, Joe and Glenda invited us to join them and their friends for happy hour, but we were bushed so we dragged ourselves aboard the WE BE BLEST III and crashed early.

WEDNESDAY, 5/30

Last night, I informed the Captain as we hit the sack that I intend to sleep past 0630.  Mission accomplished!  We crawled out of the sack at  0845 – Time to be on vacation!  Fixed a nice leisurely breakfast, packed a lunch, and then dinked down Sister Creek from the harbor to Sombrero Beach on the ocean side.  It’s a small beach, but a nice spot to while away the afternoon reading and writing.  Yes, today was a good day!  The weather has cooperated.  It’s warm, in the 80’s, but still windy (15-20 mph).  Today was overcast, but we’ve had no rain yet on this trip, even though it’s been predicted for the Keys.  Tomorrow we’ll probably do more of the same!

LOG 3   5/31-6/3

THURSDAY, 5/31

Another lovely morning.  Vacation is wonderful!  The 20-35 mph easterly winds continue.  Overcast.  Not much sun today.

The cruiser’s net set us laughing when near the end of the session, one cruiser asked, “What day is it?”  “Thursday,” was the reply.  Another boater who knew the questioneer also replied, “For John’s benefit, it’s 2007!”  Now that’s living the Keys’ laid-back lifestyle!

We took the bikes again and rode out to the Seven Mile Bridges.  The old bridge is now a pedestrian walkway with trolly access down the center to Pidgeon Key, about 2 miles west of Marathon.  We sailed on our bikes to the end in the stiff 25 mph breeze on our stern and labored our way back!  Jan drafted behind Gene’s bike.  That’s the way to tackle the winds.

Near the eastern end of the bridge we checked out where we motored under them and found the bridges were quite close together there, about 70’.  The old bridge spans were also about 70’ apart, while the new bridge spans were more like 120’.  However, since the pilings of both bridges did not line up with each other, as we motored under the first, we were then heading towards one of the supports of the new bridge, even though we had 120’ between the spans.  And, when your boat seems out of control, any concrete pillar is “too damn close!”

By the time we had lunch at Key Fisheries on the bayside, shopped Publix and returned to the marina we had biked over  10 miles.  We were bushed after fighting the strong winds!  Back to the boat for more reading and writing.

FRIDAY, JUNE 1

June 1.  Everyone in Florida knows the significance of that date!  The start of hurricane season.  Eyes and ears now stay tuned to the weather forecasts.

It rained during the night and off and on today with the winds letting up a bit.  However, the seas are still not favorable for much activity at all.  Even the commercial fishermen are not out much.  Another day of reading and writing.  That’s what vacations are all about!

Around 1400, Gene said he needed to bail out the dink.  I said “Wait!  Since we’re on water conservation mode at anchor, I’d use that water for my shower, then do a final rinse with our fresh water shower in the cockpit.”  It worked great.  Better than a sponge bath or a PTA with baby wipes.

SATURDAY, JUNE 2

Good friend, Bob Dunham, always keeping us abreast of important weather information when we’re boating, called last night to warn us of Tropical Storm Barry shortly after the weather service posted the warning.  We had strong gusts during the night and quite a bit of rain, but Barry was north and west of us. 

Today, the winds were shifting, skies clearing and except for a brief shower, we had good weather.  Rode our bikes to explore a couple marinas and Home Depot to see about using a gardening sun shade material to fashion a sun screen for the flybridge.  More reading and writing – a good day!

Jan used the dinghy full of last night’s rainwater to wash her hair.  She remembered capturing rainwater growing up for shampooing.  God’s natural conditioner.

SUNDAY,  JUNE 3

Happy Anniversary to our youngest son, Neal and his wife Becky – their 12^th.

Happy Anniversary to Betty and Bob Dunham – their 40^th.

We will toast the four of you during happy hour!

About 4 miles east of us on Grassy Key is San Pablo Church.  We rode our bikes there for Mass, explored a little, then hit Publix for milk and Red Snapper to grill for supper.  The challenge was getting back to the boat quickly before the milk or fish got too warm.  A Sunday newspaper wrapped around both did the trick!  Gene was the packhorse today with all the groceries in the backpack and a 2 ½ gallon jug of water bungied to the back of his bike. Jan had it easy!  Biked about 11 miles today.

More reading, more writing.  The stories are taking shape for Jan’s next book of reflections from our water travels.  The winds have clocked around and are now from the NW.  They have really calmed down considerably.

LOG 4   6/4

MONDAY, 6/4/2007

The Captain reported, “We didn’t do a damn thing all day!”  However, that’s not quite correct. 

We sweat a lot!  After the Mate cooked omelets for breakfast and did some writing, we rode our bikes to lunch, provisioned at Publix, dinked back to the WE BE BLEST III, put up the bikes and dink, motored to a nearby marina to fuel up and fill up the water tanks, then plopped on the flybridge to read, write and have happy hour. 

It was a hot day!  The air was still and humid with very few breezes.  This is the more normal Keys’ weather instead of 20-30 knot winds for a month as they have had.  However, the winds did keep the temperatures pleasant … until today!

2010   It’s sunset.  The mariners are blowing their conch shells all around the mooring field.  It’s their nightly celebration of sunset.

Early tomorrow morning, after we retrieve email, we’ll head back to the Little Shark River, in the Everglades and do some exploring for a day or so … if the mosquitoes don’t carry us off.

We will be out of touch for several days until we get back to Goodland, near Marco Island, a day’s motoring from the Little Shark.  No cell phone towers in the Glades!

We have filed our float plan with Bob Dunham indicating he should call in the search dogs if he does not hear from us by Friday night.  We will call him whenever we can and for the rest of you, we will send an email when we’re back in civilization.

WE BE BLEST III signing out!

LOG 5   6/5-6/6

TUESDAY, 6/5/2007

The Captain reported, “We did something today!”  Up at 0630, cut loose from the mooring ball at Boot Key Harbor City Marina at 0736 and bid farewell to Marathon, Florida.

Wiser now, from our  experience coming into the harbor, we motored out about a mile parallel to the Seven Mile Bridges before choosing a spot to pass under them.  The bridges were farther apart from each other here and we chose spans that gave us a clear run from one bridge through the second.  Fortunately, the outgoing tide allowed us to have more control as the Captain powered into it.  We also skirted a shoal that created the strong current and eddies between the spans that we motored under last week.  Through one bridge – then the second – susccessfully!  Thank you Lord.  No harrowing experiences today.  A non-event.

As we motored through the old bridge spans, the Mate reported they did not look like 70’ apart, but much less at the water line – probably 50’.

The seas today were smooth, less than 1’ following.  A beautiful day for cruising to the Little Shark River.  Arrived  at the entrance at 1330 and motored 6 miles up through the Everglades National Park to a chickee – a designated camping spot – a simple open covered platform, about 12’x12’, built along shore 4’ above the waterline.  A porta-potty stood on a wooden deck adjacent to it.  The National Park Service created the Everglades National Park Wilderness Waterway, a marked route for small boats and canoes through the 10,000 Islands from Everglades City to Flamingo.  This is a 7-day canoe journey from one town to another – if the paddler did not bleed to death first.  The mosquitoes are thick!

Traveling inland up the Little Shark River, we connected with the Shark River and followed it back to the Gulf meandering through innumerable thick mangrove islands made up of dense mats of twisted and tangled tree roots.  Near the Gulf, the trees were brown, probably dead from Hurricane Wilma, while upriver the islands were thick with green foliage.  It was certainly amazing territory.  We saw no boats here today in this 13 mile side exploration, but we did see dolphins and lots of white birds, probably ibises.  As an aside, as we entered the Little Shark River and its hard bottom, music from the Titanic began to play on the IPOD.  The Captain switched to another song.  We really didn’t need that sound track playing in this shallow previously new river for us!

At 1515 we anchored in Ponce de Leon Bay, about ½ mile outside the mouth of the Shark River.   Hopefully we can avoid the bugs here.  So far, we’ve had enough wind to be bug-free – even cruising in the mangroves.  This will be an interesting trip for the Old Bridge Yacht Club sometime.

With no cell phone reception and no other boats, as we look out on the Gulf, we have 1009 miles, plus or minus 3 miles to the nearest land – Mexico.  This is the longest fetch we have ever had at anchor!  Opps! Another boat is approaching.  It’s PHASE IV, the boat from the Landings in Ft. Myers that was moored next to us at Marathon.  They anchored farther out than we were.  The Captain hailed them and they joined us for happy hour.  It was nice getting to know them.  At least until the mosquitoes chased us down below and Joe and Glenda back to their boat.

60.2 MILES TRAVELED TODAY  Anchored in the Ponce do Leon Bay

WEDNESDAY, 6/6/2007

Up at 0645.  Underway at 0736.  The day started off in light rain.  The Mate asked, “Do we want to go?”  The Captain replied, “You bet!”  We needed to be out of the Shark River early since we were on a falling tide at 0700.  The tide here drops 1’ per hour and we had 2’ over datum on the chart.  Ponce de Leon Bay is a relatively shallow bay.

Intermittent rain until 0930 when a small rain cell nearby drove us below.  Heading into it, after looking on the radar, the Captain saw it was actually two cells.  He was able to cut between the two of them.  Without being able to see land, after traversing the two cells through the wind and waves, we were surprised we were going East instead of North, and got back on course.

Things calmed down to following seas, 2’ or less.  About 1300, the whole horizon east of us was looking dark.  At our current speed, it was 1 ½ hours to our plotted point outside Marco Island.  So the Captain bumped up the speed from 8.5- 14 mph. 

At 1430 made it into Capri Pass at Marco Island in a light rain.  After cruising in the channel about 5 miles, we came near an anchorage we wanted to explore between Little Marco Island and Sea Oats Island.  Since it was raining, we dropped the anchor and will head further up to the beach anchorage in the morning.

We closed our float plan with the Dunham’s since we told them to be worried about us if they heard nothing by Friday.  They were following our weather.  A lot of thunderstorm activity was getting ready to hit between Marco Island and Naples – just where we are anchored.  But we are protected by a barrier island and very happy to be off the Gulf. Listening to the wind and waves crashing on shore, over a few glasses of Peppermint Schnapps, if the Captain said it once, he said it at least half a dozen times, “Did I tell you I’m happy to be off the Gulf?”  All in all, it was a good day to use the equipment on board and a good boat to get to our destination.

This log is from the Captain’s reflections.  The Mate was pretty much worthless today, spending the day flat on her back in the V-berth reading Guideposts magazines, snoozing, meditating and chomping oyster crackers.  An offshore Mate she is NOT.  An inland Mate she is TOPS!

LOG 6   6/7- 6/10

THURSDAY, 6/7/2007

After a good night’s rest, the Mate can write once again.  Correction – our anchorage is not by Sea Oats Island, as we thought, but in the channel between Little Marco and Keewaydin Islands, turning in at G ”33” and heading back south.  With rain predicted, we anchored in the developed area with mangroves and homes.  Good protection and holding.

Then this morning, we motored to the beach at the south tip of Keewaydin.  This is a very popular spot for day boaters and tenters.  The shell beach wraps around the tip of the island.  Great for walking and beach combing.  However, the holding was not the best.  It must be a soft sand bottom.  Our anchors kept slipping, although we did stay one night there.  We gave up on the stern anchor, with the tides we kept blowing in toward shore.

Nonetheless, it was a wonderful relaxing time for both of us.  I plopped at the beach, writing and shelling, while Gene read and puttered on shore by the boat.  This could be a fun anchoring trip for the Yacht Club – perhaps staying up by the mangroves at night and coming down to the beach for the day.

FRIDAY, 6-8-07

We left the beach at 1140 heading to the Naples City Dock for a night.  Arrived 1300 in a very strong wind that was blowing us off the gas dock.  Luckily, two dockhands ran down to assist us in securing our lines.  Fueled up, took a slip, and then rode our bikes to Tin City, supper, the market and back – in the rain.  However, it was a warm light rain.  The Dunham’s are meeting us near Shell Point tomorrow and we’ll anchor a couple days in the area with them.

SATURDAY, 6/9/07

How nice to have AC for a change to dry out the cabin and rain gear, to cool off, and to use shore power for lights and the laptop.  I pulled a one-in-the-morning night entering my story revisions in the computer.

0935 cast off from the Naples Dock.  What a fantastic day on the Gulf! I CAN be an offshore Mate – as long as the sea is flat and the winds light!  It was a great run!

We came into San Carlos Bay, not under the main bridge, but under C Span of the Sanibel Bridge.  Gene picked our way over a sand bar as the depth under us kept dropping to well under one foot.  We finally crossed it with 1/10 of a foot to spare at low tide!  The Captain had skill and some good luck to boot!

At 1430 anchored at Merwin Key, off the Miserable Mile mm R ”6” and G ”5”.  This is a new spot for us.  Nice breezes.  Protection from east winds.  The Dunham’s soon joined us.  We rafted together, enjoyed happy hour and a feast of fresh grilled onion encrusted Mahi-Mahi.  As the winds died down, we separated for the night just before sunset.

SUNDAY, 6/10/07

There were no breezes last night.  It was a bit warm, but tolerable.  This morning, it was the WE BE BLEST III‘s turn to come and side tie to MISS BETTY.  After breakfast, we adjourned to the flybridge of the WE BE BLEST III for church and a good discussion about the Sunday readings, faith, and God.  We especially prayed for our friend Mary Ann struggling with bone cancer.

Another hot day, we frequently doused ourselves with buckets of seawater to keep cool.  We read, wrote, and chatted the day away.  Best question of the day – from Betty sitting on MISS BETTY to Jan sitting on the flybridge of the WE BE BLEST III. 

            “Jan, what time is it up there?”

            “2:37, Betty.  What time is it down there?”

It’s fun being with good friends.

Another feast for supper – Italian sausage and linguine.  More good stories, and a killer sunset.  After we slid apart and the WE BE BLEST III anchored for the night, a cool breeze started.  Did I mention life is good?  We are all blest! 

Tomorrow we will head home.