Snorkeled at Grecian Rocks Today; Beautiful!

First thing this morning, Chuck rode his bike back to West Marine and bought the Garmin transducer for depth that he was eyeing up. We've been in a lot of shallow spots and our depth finder sometimes goes out for a split second and he wants to have more confidence in knowing the depth. It plugs into our Garmin chartplotter and glues into the inside hull of the bow, under the V-berth. That's a project he'll get to in a day or two.

While he was gone, I packed all of our snorkeling gear, lunch, snacks, towels and dry clothes. When he got back, we ate breakfast, then loaded up Bum's Rest for the ride to the reef.

The temperature was 80 degrees, the sun was shining and water temp was 75. We started for coordinates to see "Christ of the Deep" at Dry Rocks reef, but we were in 5-6 ft. seas, so Wayne turned around and headed for the Grecian Rocks mooring balls. Jazzy was a nervous wreck, so we put her downstairs as soon as we starting hitting some decent-sized waves. It was much calmer at the Grecian Rocks. After a few minutes, the the other diving boats left, and we moved to a ball that was protected by the reef.

Chuck and I donned our lycra skins and wet suits, fins and snorkels and jumped into the water. At first, we just saw sea grass and lots of white sand with an occasional fish. We snorkeled over to the "Danger Reef" sign and hit the jackpot.

I stole this photo from Patti's blog.

I saw barracudas, yellow stingray, needlenose fish, reef squirrelfish, yellowjack, and whole schools of fish, including about 40 or so parrotfish: blue, redband and rainbow. We saw all kinds of corals and sea fans. I took about 30 or so photos with my disposable underwater cameras. I hope I got some good photos!

We snorkeled for probably a couple of hours until I was too tired to swim anymore. Wayne jumped in for a few minutes and checked out the reef. We made lunch and ate before unhooking from the mooring and heading back in. We got back to the dock around 6 p.m.

Since we had such a late lunch, I cooked a sirloin steak and made us each a salad for a light dinner. It was delicious! We had cookies with coffee for dessert.

We decided to stay here another day and then look at weather to decide when to leave for Miami. Patti and I will do laundry tomorrow.

Took Tour of Coral Reef on High-Speed Catamaran Today; Way Cool

Chuck, Patti and I took the high-speed catamaran, Spirit of Pennekamp, out to the coral reef today. It's air conditioned and has a glass bottom, so you can see the coral reef. Pretty cool. We're going to go snorkeling there tomorrow and Chuck wanted to see if the water was clear enough to make it worthwhile. It was crystal clear.

Patti and I were inside for a little while and Chuck disappeared. We went outside to look for him and he was in the wheelhouse talking to the captain! He stayed in until we got near the coral reef and asked lots of questions about the channel we went through yesterday. Then he came down to the glass bottom viewing area. Patti and I stood on the upper deck for a little while, then went back inside as we got closer to the reef.

The reef is beautiful. We saw lots of fish, corals and fans. There was a lower deck where you could sit and dangle your feet. Chuck sat down there (see photo).

On the tour, we learned that an inspector went to 24 restaurants and ordered grouper and 17 of the 24 were actually not grouper, but an inexpensive Vietnamese fish that was passed off as grouper! He recommended yellowtail snapper as a delicious, plentiful fish. I kept that in mind when ordering my dinner.

What a different ride. It went 19 knots, about 22 mph. It felt so fast after being on a sailboat! And the water really flew up. It threw a big wake at that speed.

Wayne stayed behind to replace the blower that cools the motor compartment in his boat. When we got back, he was waiting for Patti to come to the boat so he could walk to West Marine for parts. Chuck went with him but didn't get back for a few hours. He was asking questions about a transducer for our boat.

I went to the gift shop to buy a few T-shirts (Sandi, I'm getting my shopping fix everywhere we go, LOL.) Then I sat in the cockpit of Sheet Music and read my book, with Jazzy on my lap. We both nodded off for a few minutes, it was so relaxing. The sun was warm and temp was 77.

As the sun went down, it got chilly and I went down to grab a sweatshirt.

We walked to The Fish House Encore for dinner. We had an outside table and it was set up like a garden with a big fountain and heaters. I had a couple of Coconut Margaritas (yum!) and the house specialty, Fish Metacumbe. I chose yellowtail snapper. It was delicious, topped with tomatoes, shallots, capers, fresh basil, olive oil and lemon juice and very moist. It was served with rice and a mixed vegetable medley. Chuck had baked scallops.

Tomorrow, we're taking Bum's Rest to go snorkeling on the reef.

Docked at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

Yesterday, Pam from Treasure Harbor took Patti and me to the Verizon Wireless store in Tavernier, which is right down the street from where we stayed last time. Patti and I had walked to that shopping center before.

Right before we left, Chuck decided to take a a dinghy ride and wanted to take Jazzy. She was walking on the pontoon and slipped off and swam back to me on the sailboat. It's a good thing I was there. She was swimming to fast, he couldn't row fast enough to catch her!

When he reached the sailboat, I put her back in the dinghy and off they went down the lagoon. She was fine until they got into the channel. When they got to open water, she freaked out and he had to turn around. She calmed right down when he got near land again.

Anyway, I mailed a package home and went to get a new high-end Global phone that I could use to get online in the Bahamas since my broadband card would cost me a fortune to use. They didn't carry global phones since no one buys them at that location. So, looks like I will have to do that in Miami when we stay in Dinner Key. I'm leaning toward the HTC Touch Pro 2. It's windows based.

We walked back to the marina, which was nearly five miles. Our feet and our bodies were hurting when we got back. I gave Jazzy a bath and combed and dried her. The guys were hungry, so we walked down the street to Chilli-Willie's and ate dinner. I had ribs and Chuck had grilled shrimp. Delicious. The guys had dessert. We went back to the boat and Patti came over for coffee.

We were up and at 'em his morning to ready to leave. We left Treasure Harbor Marina at 10:10 a.m. We were only going 18 miles, but high tide was at 8 a.m. and low was at 2 p.m. And it gets really low at Treasure Harbor. We saw 2 ft. 8 in. for a split second at one point. Another hour, we wouldn't have been able to get out of there.

We were in 2 ft. seas and it was very choppy. Winds were NE at 17-18 knots with gusts to 21. Our SOG was 5.2. Temp was 70.9 and sea level pressure was 30.2, unchanged. Water temp was 75.9. We were back in pretty blue water.

At 11:15 a.m., we pulled the main sail to the first reef to help stabilize us. SOG was still 5.2, but it was a smoother ride. At buoy MLRF1 winds were 14.3 from the East with gusts to 16 knots.

The canal into John Pennekamp is shallow and rocky, so we took it slow. We arrived around 2 p.m. The slips are nosed in with pilings that are made for smaller boats, so they hit around our dodgers. We have to climb over the anchor hold to step onto the dock like we did in Key West. Patti and I have to practice our pole dancing skills to get onto the dock!

At left, Bum's Rest in the slip.

I'm sitting in the cockpit typing this in capri jeans and a T-shirt. It's a beautiful, sunny day.

We're looking at kayakers getting instructions on the bank. There are boats and a big catamaran taking divers out to the reef. We'll be here a few days and will probably take one of our boats out to snorkel the reef.

Patti is making lasagna tonight for dinner. There's a good seafood restaurant near here, so we may go there tomorrow.

Treasure Harbor Marina near Islamorada with Electric and a Dock

Oh, it's so nice to have electric and be at a dock after three weeks on a mooring ball! We got a late start this morning and couldn't make it to John Pennycamp State Park, so we tucked in at Treasure Harbor Marina in Islamorada. It's at the other end of the island from where we stayed before.

Winds were 18-23 knots when the alarm went off at 7 a.m. We got ready to leave, lifting the motor off the dinghy and onto the motor mount on the sailboat. I secured everything down below while Chuck got things ready outside. We were ready to go by 8:45 a.m., but Wayne was off in the dinghy. He returned and lifted the motor off his dinghy and we were on our way at 9:15 a.m.

We left Boot Key Harbor through Sister's Creek, which takes you right out to the ocean. Winds were 17 knots. It was a little shallow getting through the channel. We saw 3 ft. 8 in. at one point! Our SOG was 6.5-7.2.

At left, some of the home on Sister's Creek.

At 11:30 a.m., SOG was 5.5-6 and winds were 19 knots. We motor sailed with a reefed main. We tried the jib, but pulled it right back in. It was sunny and beautiful on the water, although chilly. Temperature was 61. We were heeling 15 degrees. I had on a sweatshirt b/c I was under the dodger. Chuck wore a pea coat. It was cooler at the helm.

This is where Sister's Creek meets the ocean. There's a beautiful little beach that we went to there with Chuck's sister, Doreen, when she came down to visit right before Christmas.

Sea level pressure increased one degree to 30.2. We motorsailed through Hawk's Channel, passing Grassy Key, Duck Key, Long Key Viaduct, Long Key, Channel Five, Channel Two, Lower Metacumbe Key, Upper Metacumbe Key, Islamorada and Windley Key. As the water got shallower, to 22 ft., it turned a beautiful blue. Winds increased to 20-22 knots from the NE and seas were 2-3 ft. Eventually, we pulled out the main past the reef. The dodger paid for itself today, saving us from getting wet many times.

At noon, I went down and grab what I needed to make lunch:  roast beef sandwiches with lettuce, tomato and onion with a handful of chips. It was really choppy and I took everything outside to make lunch. I couldn't stay below long. Later in the afternoon, winds were 17 knots and we were heeling 20 degrees. I was reading a novel in between helping Chuck look for crab traps. There were lots of them!

I put Jazzy's life jacket on her and took her outside for some air. I was afraid she would get sick from the choppy seas. She crawled under my sweatshirt and stayed there for a while to keep warm.

We tried to pull the jib out again, but it put us too far up into the wind, so we pulled it back in.

See how blue the water is in this photo of the captain?

We arrived at Treasure Harbor Marina around 4:15 p.m.  It's at the end of a narrow lagoon. The entrance is shallow and it looks like you're going to the back of someone's house (see photo).

There's already talk about maybe staying another day. I need to find a Verizon Wireless store. One of the locals told me there's one two miles down the road. I'll walk there tomorrow if we stay.

Most Provisioning Done; John Pennycamp Tomorrow!

We're leaving Marathon tomorrow to stay in John Pennycamp State Park. We're looking forward to being at a dock for a little while and not having to take a dinghy to shore! Right now, the winds are whistling and the boat is rocking and rolling. But winds are supposed to be 15 knots in the morning, so we'll see!

Yesterday, Patti and I walked to Publix and took a taxi LOADED with groceries to get ready for our crossing. The boats are sitting lower in the water now! We came back and disposed of all the boxes and put everything in ziploc bags, both for freshness and space. I wish someone had a camera to take a photo of us in the dinghy. Chuck and I barely fit with all the groceries. We each sat on a pontoon and the dinghy was overflowing with groceries.

We're loaded with staples, canned goods, pasta, rice, canned meats and fruits and lots more. We just need to pick up a few things at the last minute and we'll restock the freezers right before we head to the Bahamas.

Last night we went to Dockside for dinner. There was a band, Florida Straits, playing and they were pretty good for only three pieces. Of course, Chuck said they needed a keyboard player. There was a drummer, lead guitarist and bass player. Only the lead guitarist sang. They were amazingly good for their size. They played Doobie Brothers, ZZ Top, blues and Jimmy Buffett...a little bit of everything. Hmmm, maybe it was the Bahama Mamas I had. Chuck faced the TV to watch the football game and I enjoyed the band. Everybody was happy.

Today was laundry day. I had four loads. Patti only had two. I took Jazzy with me and we were four hours getting laundry done and just as I called for Chuck to pick us up, the sky turned black and it poured! About a half hour later, it stopped and he came to get us in the dinghy. He no sooner hooked the dinghy line and it started pouring again, so he waited with us for another 30 minutes or so. So Jazzy and I were at the laundry room for a total of five hours. Good conversation with other boaters but not my idea of a fun day!

Tonight Patti served cheeseburgers with homemade potato salad and chips. Pudding with cool whip for dessert. Nothing like a good, juicy burger once in a while. Delicious.

Tomorrow morning we have to pull the motor back onto the sailboat and hook up the dinghy for traveling. Chuck hooked his bicycle onto the inside of the starboard aft railing.

I think we hope to be on the water by 8:30 a.m. Wayne will take Sailor to shore, then take his motor off. It's about a 50 mile day on the water tomorrow. Destination: John Pennycamp State Park. We plan to spend some time there snorkeling, then work our way back to Dinner Key/Miami for a weather window to cross.

I need to find a Verizon Wireless store in Miami to get a Blackberry. The woman I dealt with at Hamilton Mall gave me misinformation and when I called to increase my broadband card to a global plan, I was told that if I had used my broadband card this month in the Bahamas, my bill would have been $55,148! That's not a typo. More than $55,000 dollars to be online. And they don't give credit for not knowing how it works there. She told me some poor soul just returned from a vacation and only checked his e-mail five times on his trip, for just 10-15 minutes each time. His bill was over $10,000 and he was stuck having to pay it!

So my new phone I got in August won't work there. I can't afford to use the broadband card there. That gives me two options to be able to stay online and pay my bills:  rely on hot spots to piggyback on someone else's connection or get a Blackberry with a global data plan for $69.95 a month. This according to the Global Support Team rep at VZW. I'd rather get the Blackberry, which I wanted anyway, to be sure my bills get paid on time. Then I'll still be able to keep in touch with our kids and grandkids and my Facebook friends.

Hopefully,  I'll have some photos tomorrow.

Beautiful Day of Sailing with Billy & Chrissy

We finally got to take Billy Kerstetter and his girlfriend, Chrissy, sailing today. It was 83 degrees and sunny and the water was a beautiful blue. Winds were 10-14 knots and seas were 1-2 ft. with an occasional 3 ft. wave. We left our mooring around 10:30 a.m. and they had to be back for an appointment at 3 p.m., so we hooked back on the mooring around 2:30 p.m.
We saw a turtle swimming in Hawks Channel. No dolphins today.

It was so strange going out and seeing green water, then there was like a line in the water and it turned this beautiful blue. I've never seen anything like it! (see photo)

We started the day with a phone call for an emergency pumpout. The head was full and we didn't want to go sailing until it was pumped out. They couldn't guarantee that the pumpout boat would be here in time, so Chuck went out and found Sean the pumpout guy and gave him a $10 tip and asked him to come right over.

Only 7 gallons would pumpout, so we need to go get some vinegar to help break it up. (See Maryann, it's not all fub stuff!) We have a 13 gal. holding tank. That's part of the problem being on a mooring ball. No pressured hose to pump fresh water in to help clean it out. I pumped some in through the head, but it needs more than that.

Anyway, while we were out sailing Jazzy got seasick. That's only happened once before when it was rough. Poor thing! I put her life jacket on and held her outside to get air in her face and she came around.

Billy took the helm for most of the day. Chrissy even took the helm for a little while. It was good to see them again. They are going to try to catch up with us on Sunday and bring us some fish! Yum.

We took them in the dinghy back to the marina and while we were on our way, Patti text me to come to Noble House a 36 ft. Gozzard, where they were visiting with Dennis and Barbara. They are the couple that we went to Fiesta Key campground with a few weeks ago. Nice couple. They have a golden retriever, Abby, who is 10 and a sweetheart.

So we said our goodbyes and headed over to Noble House for wine and munchies. Their boat is beautiful. I fell in love immediately. They have a 12 ft. beam and you could dance in the center of their boat. It is all open and beautiful wood. And it's for sale! It has a 5 ft. draft. No air conditioning. New motor and lots of new equipment. It's really a beauty. If only...

Patti is cooking dinner tonight. We're heading over there at 7 p.m. I believe we're going to provision the boat for our crossing to the Bahamas tomorrow. We'll walk to KMart, then Publix. I'll have to lure Chuck into going with us and taking the KMart goods back to the boat while we shop at Publix!

We'll be heading out of here in a few days to John Pennycamp State Park to snorkel for a day or two, then head to the Miami area to wait for a weather window to cross.

We Sailed Today! Back on the Mooring Ball

We hooked the dinghy onto the mooring ball and went sailing today. Weather was in the mid to high 60s. It was sunny for the first part of the day. We left around 11 a.m. and it was beautiful in Hawks Channel, Marathon. It was my kind of day...winds were 8-12 knots. Seas were 1-2 ft. It was beautiful. I forgot how blue and beautiful the water is here.

Around 3 p.m. the sun went in and it was very overcast and nasty. It got cold and Chuck threw his pea coat on with his shorts so I had to snap this photo. We started our way back in to Boot Key Harbor.

Patti and Wayne were meeting his high school friends Jim and Linda for dinner at Dockside. We hooked back on the mooring ball around 4:20 p.m. as they were leaving. Chuck took a shower on the boat and we joined them for a few drinks and dinner.

Tomorrow, Wayne and Patti are taking them sailing. I'm planning on taking Jazzy for a walk, then walking to Publix for exercise and a few groceries.

Bum's Rest as we came back into the harbor. Patti was talking on her cell phone.