Foreign Affair Sailing

Sunrise to St. Augustine to Melbourne and finally Key West (February 28 and 29)

We drove to St. Augustine and picked up Carla's car, dropped off our rental car and began our return trip to Key West. We spent the night of February 28 in Melbourne and returned to Key West the following evening.  Our drive to Key West was uneventful.  Upon our return, we contacted John who lives aboard Sam Sam which was on the mooring ball next to Foreign Affair.  He dropped us off in his dinghy the day we left and kept an eye on Foreign Affair while we were gone.  He agreed to pick us up upon our return which he did without delay.  It is great to have people like John around. Like John, we willingly offer other sailors assistance when they need it.  Sometime soon we will be taking him out to dinner to thank him or his efforts.

Driving to St. Augustine

We dropped Bob off in Fort Lauderdale so he could catch his early morning flight today.  We continued on to St. Augustine.  We made a slight detour to the Kennedy Space Center hoping to see the launch of a Space X Falcon 9 Rocket carrying a SES9 communications satellite into orbit around the earth. Unfortunately, the launch was cancelled due to a boat being in a restricted area near the launch site and later a problem with rising oxygen temperatures and a helium bubble which created conditions to scrub the launch.  We continued on our way north and spent the night at the Sawgrass Grand Hotel in Sunrise, FL.  It was a great room for the price as we booked it on hotwire.com.

Key West

We dinghied into the marina harbor.  Carla and Bob took showers and did laundry while Dwayne went to pick up a rental car.  Once we had a car, we took Bob to the Hemingway House so he could tour it and other sites in Key West.  Dwayne and Carla drove over to the Boca Chica Naval Air Station Marina to check out the facility and the slip which we will occupy in a few days.  The marina is well laid out and on site there is a restaurant, beach, picnic area and laundry.  Everyone we met was very friendly and welcoming.

Boot Key/Marathon to Key West

The anchor held through the night.  However, as we started to recover our anchor, we discovered the motor yacht anchored next to us was sitting immediately above the last 20 foot of our chain and our anchor.  Fortunately, they were awake and it was decided the motor yacht would use her windlass to shorten the scope on their anchor which moved the boat forward enough to allow us to recover ours. This worked out well. As we began to make our way out of the harbor, we saw BoatUS attempting to pull another sailboat off a bar and heard the skipper yelling at us to stop before we too ran aground. Dwayne took the wheel from Carla and threw Foreign Affair into reverse.  We backed out into about 8 foot of water and requested the BoatUS skipper to provide us with guidance on how to get out of the harbor.  His advice was go slow and touch the Greens as you leave.  We followed his advice and finally left Boot Key behind with a sigh of relief.  This place is a real "honey pot" for the tow service.

Rodriguez Key to Boot Key/Marathon Anchorage

The Rocna anchor held well through the night.  Rodriguez Key protected us from waves generated by the 20+ mile per hour wind which continued through the night and into the next day.  With the wind from the north, we were able to motor sail with the genoa at 100 percent.  We did not use the main sail since we did not want to risk an accidental jibe or leave the cockpit in the high winds and waves to hoist the sail and set a preventer.  Small craft warnings were in effect with sustained winds in the 20s and waves were building as the day progressed.

No Name Harbor to Rodriguez Key Anchorage

We made a smooth passage through the Cape Florida Channel and entered Hawk Channel with winds building as the day progressed.  Once again, the winds were in our face and we had to motor much of the way.  The waves were about 2 feet in height and we averaged less than 6 knots in speed.

We could see several of the buildings in Stiltsville while negotiating the Cape Florida Channel.  Stiltville dates back to the 1930s and is no longer inhabited.  The buildings are now held in trust and are part of Biscayne Bay National Park.

Miami Marine Stadium Anchorage to No Name Harbor Anchorage (Bill Baggs State Park)

We sailed down Biscayne Bay to No Name Harbor to anchor for the evening in anticipation of an early morning departure through the Cape Florida Channel and on to the Hawk Channel.  Bob was at the helm most of the day.  We sailed with one reef in the main and a 100 per cent genoa as the winds were in the high teens and low 20s.  Of course, we had to beat our way to the harbor.

Fort Lauderdale to Miami

We departed the anchorage at 0640 and loitered in front of the Las Olas Bridge waiting for the next scheduled opening.  We were able to make the 17th Street Bridge without having to loiter.  A cargo ship was coming into the harbor as we entered the turning basin but we were not delayed as we hugged the northern shore of the channel and gave her a wide berth.  Waves in the cut were not a problem.  Waves on our way to Miami were in the 4 foot range, period 5 from the southeast.  The wind was initially from the east but soon shifted south, southeast which meant we had to tack to Miami.  It was a bit bumpy and both Carla and Bob got a bit uneasy despite having taken Bonine.

Fort Lauderdale

Bob flew in for a little vacation and to help us move Foreign Affair to Key West.  We spent the day re-provisioning, doing laundry, showering and wandering about the downtown riverfront.  We toured the Fort Lauderdale History Center which consists of the New River Inn and King-Cromartie House which are among the oldest buildings in Fort Lauderdale.  We were fortunate enough to have a private tour and the docent was exceptionally informative.  We had dinner at the Pirate Republic Bar and Grill which was on the river just across from Cooley's Landing Marina.  While there, we saw our first manatees.  There were at least three to include a mother and baby.  Needless to say, it was an unexpected surprise and quite exciting.  Dinner was great but the drinks were expensive.  Still. a good time since we are on vacation.

Fort Lauderdale - America's Venice

We spent 7 hours on the water today exploring Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood.  We left the driving to the water taxi service.  We used an all-day pass to travel all the routes served by the water taxi. This was a great way to see and learn about the cities of Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood.  It also gave us an opportunity to reconnoiter the route we would take as we left Fort Lauderdale for Miami.  The best weather window for us appears to be a departure on Monday.

Among the most marvelous sights in Fort Lauderdale are the multi-million dollar homes which line the waterways and the mega-yachts parked along the ICW.  We thought Steven Spielberg's yacht, 7 Seas, was the largest one we'd seen at 281 feet in length.  Until we saw Infinity, which is 10 feet longer. Eleven men were working on Infinity giving her a wash down as we passed.  Several men were on a floating raft, one was suspended on a cable washing windows and the rest were assisting from on deck.  I wonder if divers were hired to clean her bottom.  Foreign Affair had her bottom cleaned in Hampton, VA just before we started down the ICW and the diver cost us $80.

Lake Boca Raton to New Middle River Municipal Marina

Lake Boca Raton was glass smooth as we weighed anchor.  We made the 0720 opening of the Camino Real Bridge and docked at noon just west of the Andrews Avenue Bridge in downtown Fort Lauderdale.  It was a very smooth passage with the route lined by multi-million dollar homes and high rise condos.  The New Middle River was busy with vessels of all sizes from paddle boards to mega-yachts.  It is amazing to see the mega-yachts negotiate the river and dock. Water taxis are everywhere.

Hobe Sound to Lake Boca Raton

We left Hobe Sound at 0715 after a very quiet night at anchor.  In less than an hour, we found ourselves moving into increasingly urbanized portions of the ICW.

All was going fine until we got to the Lake Worth Inlet.  Just south of the Riviera Bridge several dredgers were hard at work and they blocked much of the charted channel.  Additionally, boat traffic was heavy coming from several directions as both the Riviera Beach Yacht Club and New Port Cove Marina channels entered the ICW where the dredgers were at work.  A red drop buoy only 20 feet from one dredger defined the channel so getting by would be a tight squeeze and required a sharp turn to get back into the main channel.  As we were making our approach, a fast moving powerboat attempted to beat us through the narrow gap between the dredger and drop buoy.  This forced us to go to the right of the bouy to avoid a collison.  We immediately ran aground.  Fortunately, we were moving very slow when we touched bottom and we were able to eventually dislodge ourselves and get back into the ICW channel. Lesson learned:  hold your course and let the other fellow go aground.

Vero Beach to Hobe Sound Anchorage

We spent and extra day in Vero Beach to wait out a storm front. We were able to take care of some more laundry and re-provision prior to the rains and strong winds.  Dwayne rode the free Vero Beach Go Bus through the beachfront area and into the shopping district.  It was a good way to see Vero Beach and get to learn more from the other cruisers on the bus about traveling the ICW and other boating matters.  It rained quite heavily after dark.  Big raindrops pounded the cabin and decks. Gallons of water rolled off the bimini. Carla was happy to see how clean Foreign Affair's decks were in the morning.  The heavy rain saved her a lot of work.  We departed Vero Beach shortly after 0900.

Rocky Point Anchorage to Vero Beach

The winds blew hard all night long but the Rocna anchor held fast.  We slept in for a while and had a breakfast of bacon and eggs before weighing anchor.  We only had to get to Vero Beach which was 24 miles away.

Somewhere between Rocky Point and Vero Beach we saw two boys in a canoe paddling across the Indian River.  They seemed as surprised to see us as we were to see them.  They began paddling as fast as they could and even more surprising to us was where they were headed.  It seems we must have come across "Wonderland" and the "Island of Lost Boys" for there on the Indian River ahead of us lay at anchor a pirate ship which looked like the one we've seen in books about Peter Pan.  The ship was very colorful and its sails were furled.  No one appeared as we sailed past.  Perhaps the pirates were having a powwow with the Indians and the boys were paddling their canoe to rescue any boys left imprisoned in on the ship.  Traveling the Indian River is proving to be a great adventure.

Titusville to Rocky Point Anchorage (Indian River - south of Melbourne)

We woke up to another bright sunny day.  A Canadian Schooner was on the mooring next to us.  It is rare to find a three masted schooner these days.  The crew looked like they were all in their early 20s. Much more nibble on deck and more graceful getting into their dinghy than us.

We slipped off our mooring ball to refuel and pump-out.  We were back on the ICW by 0900. We followed closely behind a Canadian ketch, Nauti Cuss, all the way from Titusville to our anchorage. She was being sailed single-handed and we watched closely as the skipper made sail changes during the day.  He would fly his spinnaker going downwind (with and without much success depending on the wind velocity).  Later, as the ICW changed course, he would douse the spinnaker and unfurl his genoa.  We were able to keep up and occasionally overtake him for a short while when we unfurled our genoa.  For the most part, our boats were evenly matched for speed.  Our best for the day was 7.8 knots under power and flying our genoa.  Nauti Cuss is bound for the Bahamas.  She kept heading south when we turned off to our anchorage at 1530.

Daytona Beach to Titusville

It was another great day in the kingdom.  We spent a very peaceful night at anchor just south of the Daytona Beach Memorial Bridge (peaceful once the engine noise from the Daytona Speedway ceased around sundown).  Once again, we smoothly made all the bridge openings and avoided any difficulties in challenging portions of the ICW.  A lot of our success in making smooth passages the last few days is the result of extensive review of the charts and seeking out local knowledge on Active Captain and from Tow Boat US.

We arrived at Titusville at about 1530 and were able to take showers before meeting up with John and Tammy who were still on their RV not far from the marina.  We gave them a dinghy ride out to Foreign Affair for happy hour and then headed back to shore for dinner.  Once again, we went to Cracker Jacks which has very good fresh fish specials and very reasonable prices.  We could see Foreign Affair on its mooring from our table which overlooked the marina basin.  It was a great way to end a wonderful day. Days like this are why we are out here.

John and Tammy at Cracker Jacks in Titusville

St. Augustine to Daytona Beach

The run to Daytona Beach went very well.  We slipped off the St. Augustine Municipal Marina mooring ball at 0715 on a bright sunny but cold day (29 degrees as sunrise).  The tidal and river currents pushed us along at over 7 knots for several hours.  We followed another sailboat, Sea Foam, all the way to our final destination.  This made getting through some of the trouble spots easier as we could follow her lead and make corrections based on her adjustments to the channel.  We arrived at Daytona Beach at 1530, refueled and pumped out at the Halifax Harbor Marina and anchored just south of the Daytona Beach Memorial Bridge.  Carla made a wonderful dinner and we spent the evening reviewing our charts in preparation for tomorrow's run to Titusville and listening to the Democratic debate broadcast from my alma mater, the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Along the way we came across  a "village" of the "floating homeless".  About 20 boats were at anchor most of which obviously not actively cruising since they had no sails and many had more than one anchor out to keep them from swinging in the current and wind.

On the Move Again (Finally)

We are finally on our way south bound for Key West.  Today we said farewell to our friends at Camachee Cove Marina and moved to the St. Augustine Municipal Marina Mooring Field (about 2 miles south).  We cast off at 0930 which was near slack tide and made the 1000 opening of the Bridge of Lions.  We caught the mooring ball on the first attempt despite winds in the high teens and gusts in the 20s.  Carla did a fine job at the wheel holding the boat steady in the wind and waves.

We only went 2 miles today to better position ourselves for an early morning departure tomorrow without having to contend with getting off a dock in high winds and having to wait for the Bridge of Lions opening.  Tomorrow we intend to slip off the mooring ball at first light and hope to make it to Daytona to anchor before dark.  Winds today and tonight are to be in the high teens and 20s. Temperature is forecast for a high of 54 and low of 33.  Slightly less wind tomorrow and warmer as we head south.  The forecast for tomorrow at Daytona is high of 62 low 45 winds in low teens.

Preparing to Move South

We spent the day preparing to cast off tomorrow.  Carla had a 0715 doctor's appointment.  So, we were up early.  After the appointment, we went to the Metro Diner for breakfast.  The diner was featured on "Dives, Diners and Drive-ins" on the Food Network.  Carla had SOS and Dwayne ate one of their specialty omelettes.  They are now franchising the diner and have locations in Jacksonville and Daytona. Let's hope the quality of the food remains the same.

After breakfast, we did our grocery shopping.  Upon returning to the boat, Dwayne changed the engine and transfer oil.  He also checked instruments and radios.  Carla filled the water tanks and cleaned the cockpit.  We mounted the Lifesling with its new cover (a Christmas/Birthday present from Carla to Dwayne).  All systems appear to be ready for departure tomorrow.

Ponce de Leon Hotel (Flagler College)

The morning was spent on boat repairs (again) and preparations for heading south.  A section of hose for the fresh water cooling system on the engine was badly chafed and had to be replaced.  Dwayne went to the county court house to get a sojourners permit which allows us to keep Foreign Affair in Florida waters an additional 90 days.  The state collected $83.00 for the permit. Next was a stop for propane. Then a brief visit with Justin, the local Tow Boat US captain for an update on hazardous conditions such as shoaling on the ICW and how to negotiate a safe passage in these areas. After lunch, we headed to Flagler College to tour what was once the luxurious Ponce de Leon Hotel.

Visiting Friends

We headed south down US 1 to visit friends and pick up some cockpit cushions.  The first stop was Titusville where we met Mike and Robin of Sea Change.  They recently purchased new cockpit cushions and gifted their old ones to us for Foreign Affair.  Mike and Robin also have a Catalina 380 and our paths crossed in Myrtle Beach in October. There Mike showed Dwayne how to draw power from the anchor windlass to run the anchor wash-down pump.  We had lunch together at a restaurant near the marina   The tuna tacos were delicious.

New Comms

We finally got the new Very High Frequency (VHF) Radio installed.  The original VHF radio Remote Access Mike (RAM) in the cockpit disintegrated due to exposure to the sun and weather.  Also, the original radio was not Digital Selective Calling (DSC) capable and we wanted DSC as a safety feature since it can send automated distress signals to vessels near us as well as the Coast Guard.

As usual, nothing about this purchase and installation was easy.

Mounting Rocna Anchor

Dwayne finally got two good days of weather and was able to clean out the chain locker, remark the chain, mount the Rocna anchor and fabricate a divider for the locker to allow either the Fortress or Rocna anchor to be used without difficulty.

The Fortress anchor has proven very effective for use in the Chesapeake Bay and on the ICW where most of the bottom is mud.  However, the bottom is much more varied between Fort Lauderdale and Key West.  Possible anchorages might be in soft sand, hard packed sand, shell, rock, sea grass or a mixture of these.  The Fortress anchor is not as versatile as the Rocna; therefore, time to mount the Rocna. Fortunately, the Rocna rides well in the anchor roller and there was no need to modify the anchor locker cover.  The Rocna's shank fits in the existing locker cover opening.