Long Key to Key Largo

Date: Thursday,Jan 2, 2020                        

Arrival Time: 1330 ET                      

Location:  Rodriquez Key @ Key Largo, Fl.

Weather:  80, mostly clear          

Sea State:  3 – 4 ft chop

Destination Tomorrow:  Florida Keys

Engine Hours:  1412                                                                        

Crew:  Ruth and Greg    

Mileage Log:  1035

Ruth keeping an eye out for crab pots in Hawk Channel

Comments:  New Year’s Day.  Our intentions for this day were to re-provision for our move to Rodriquez Key tomorrow, Jan 2, in hopes the weather would cooperate on Friday to cross over to the Bahamas.  Things don’t always work out.  We took off in the dinghy after breakfast, toward the town of Layton which is part of Long Key where we were anchored in Long Key Bight. The charts showed possible access to the Quick Stop which could supply us with fuel, water, laundry facilities and a few groceries.  We got really close through beautiful mangrove canals and after a nice discussion with a local, we were told there was no public access.  

The Mantus digs in well

Disappointed, we turned the dinghy around and retraced our 1 ½ mile path back past Pura Vida and headed under the Channel 5 Bridge hoping the Fiesta Key Marina and RV resort would meet our needs.  That didn’t work out either, though we were able to leave our trash, fill 2 of our jugs with water, and scored a couple of Klondike bars.  After returning, I dove the boat for the first time since summer in Port Arthur.  I was pleased to see that the bottom was clean, with no barnacles or slime.  The zinc I installed in May, at Galveston, was still intact and in decent shape. After returning to the boat, I emptied the water and 2 diesel cans into the boat.

 

Around 1830, we were joined by several boats in the bight.  One gentleman, Fred with wife Eleanor of Sea Tryst, hailed over channel 68 asking if anyone was going to the Bahamas.  I answered him and we had a lengthy discussion regarding a possible Friday passage from Rodriquez Key.  I told him we would be shoving off around 0900 in the morning to Rodriquez Key.

A beautiful sunset in Key Largo

At 0800 I contacted Fred who informed me they would not be ready by 0900 and would catch us later.  We set off in 15 knot winds from the East.  We turned south at Channel 5 for 2 ½ miles, then East into Hawk Channel for another 22 n/m.  Hawk Channel is the ocean path of the Keys from West to East.  It isn’t a typical channel in that it is extremely wide with only a few navigational beacons.  Basically, you wouldn’t know you were in a channel if it weren’t labeled on the charts.  The seas were a 3-4 ft. chop but on the starboard bow at 45-50 degrees most of the day.  We did utilize the mainsail gaining about ½ knot.  We anchored at Rodriquez Key around 1330 and immediately scrambled to get things together for a trip to town. We were able to reach the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce by phone and received information on several marinas with public access and the supplies we needed. Ken at Pilot House Restaurant and Marina was very helpful and I think if we aren’t able to make our crossing on Friday to the Bahamas, we will use their facilities over the course of the next few days while we wait on our weather window.   There we picked up 20 gallons of water, 10 gallons of diesel and dropped off trash.  We decided that Friday is not going to work out for a crossing mostly because of weather.  We have small hopes for Saturday, but it’s not looking good.

Well, what can I say?  We’ll just have to tough it out in Key Largo for a while.  It could be worse.  

Little Shark River, Florida Everglades to Long Key

Date: Tuesday,  Dec 31, 2019                      

Arrival Time: 1615 ET                      

Location:  Long Key, Fl.

Weather:  80, mostly clear          

Sea State:  Calm

Destination Tomorrow: Sit tight!

Engine Hours:  1407                                                                        

Crew:  Ruth and Greg    

Mileage Log:  1008

View from tonight's anchorage

Comments:  During the night, the light winds made a clockwise rotation from S to N.  We were slightly exposed with the winds at 9 knots but it was more of a comforting cradle movement. By 0645, we could see but the fog was still dense enough for us to sit tight.  We cranked up the little Honda, made some coffee and oatmeal and eventually pulled up anchor at 0745.  Our heading was SW until we found deeper water, then eventually south.  By 1025, we cleared Cape Sable and were inside the Bay of Florida.  We hoisted the mainsail but that only added an insignificant .1 knots with the light winds.  We spotted Sandy Key by 1100, then the main island chain around 0130.  We made our way through many shallows and mine fields (crab/lobster traps) and through the Channel 5 bridge near 1600.  We anchored at 1615, SW of the bridge in 7 ft of water, at low tide. The entire 60 feet of chain deployed and anchor was visible below.  Funny, but we were awed by that.

Many Bahamas bound boats tend to gather around Marathon Key then move east.  We really struggled last night with what today's destination would be and chose the Channel 5 Bridge/Pass at Long Key because of the location.  This puts us 23 miles to the east of Marathon, which is a half day by boat closer to our jumping off point to the Bahamas and since we decided to bypass Key West for now, it made sense.  From here we’ll eventually move a little more east to our final launch for the Bahamas. 

Ruth saw a small shark and a small turtle today.  Tomorrow, we plan to sleep in a little, if possible, regroup, re-provision, jump in the dinghy to explore some and start looking at the weather for a possible crossing.

P.S.  It’s been very warm.  No shirt, no shoes….. no (cell) service…. Isn’t bad.  I should write those lyrics into a song.

Naples to Little Shark River, Florida

Date:  Monday, Dec 30, 2019                                      

Arrival Time:  1645 ET                     

Location:   Little Shark River, Everglades, Fl.

Weather:  80, Sunny      

Sea State:  Calm

Destination Tomorrow:  Florida Keys

Engine Hours:  1398                                                                        

Crew:  Ruth and Greg

Mileage log:  964 N/M   

Comments: 

Little Shark River inlet

We upped anchor at 0630 with hopes of anchoring tonight near the Little Shark River.  Butch told us of a boat delivery he had with Jack, years ago, in which they stayed there and perhaps, we were feeling a little nostalgic as we put it on our “radar.”  We cleared the short Naples jetties by 0645.  The Naples anchorage was a beautiful and a perfectly smooth over nighter. 

The sea state today couldn’t have been better unless it included winds to sail; but, we’re not complaining.  During  the 52 n/m journey, the seas went from a one foot chop to a one foot swell to barely a ripple with winds in our face near 5 knots; a fisherman’s dream.  We cleared Cape Romano near 0945 and changed course to a heading of 136, SE.  We stayed on this course most of the day.

During the morning, I mentioned to Ruth that I was surprised at the lack of sea life.  Fortunately, for us that changed.  Throughout the day, we were honored by Poseidon the Sea Goddess showing us a variety including a large sea turtle, miles of man o’ wars, a flying fish, a jumping mackerel and of course, pods and pods of dolphins.  We even had a spanish mackerel jump right on to the blue lure Bryce gave me for Christmas.  Thanks, Buddy!

Sunset watching a boat enter Little Shark River inlet

We dropped anchor at 1645, in 12 feet of water near the mouth of the Little Shark River, in the Florida everglades. The light winds in our favor gave us no reason to chance entry.  While anchoring and throughout the evening, we were greeted by approximately 20 dolphins in as many as 4 groups.  They were probably from the same pod but just hanging out with their buddies.  They seemed to know each other.  We took many pictures of the beautiful sunset in the Gulf. 

Tomorrow, the Florida Keys. 

P. S.  I remembered that I set a track on the GPS when I left Port Arthur.  When checking it today it revealed Pura Vida has traveled 964 N/M (1109 St. M) since beginning the journey on Nov. 29^th.

P.P.S.  No cell service; therefore, hopefully this will be published tomorrow, Dec. 31.

Date: Sunday, Dec 29, 2019                                         

Arrival Time:  1800 ET                     

Location:   Naples, Fl., 26 06.1797 N, 81 47.6758 W

Weather:  Mostly Sunny, near 80             

Sea State:  2-3 ft. chop

Destination Tomorrow:  South

Engine Hours:  1388                                                        

Crew:  Ruth and Greg    

Comments: 

4 AM (0400), I can’t sleep because of the uncertainty of the coming day.

Yesterday evening we watched dolphins playing in drizzling rain as we discussed a possible passage to Naples, which could cut a 4 day trip to 3.  However, we were concerned about reports of shoaling in the Gordon Pass into Naples.  Today’s wind is reported to be the strongest of the next three days and, from the direction we are headed, SE.  So we went to bed last night with a rare uncertainty of our final anchorage. Throughout the night there was no wind, no waves, no movement, not even a mouse. 

1800

We pulled up anchor at 0745.  We waited for the overcast to shed some light.  Ruth wanted to learn the process for upping the anchor as she usually steers while I tend to the anchor, something she might regret.  We continued down the ICW instead of jumping out through the Boca Grande Pass as the winds were directly in our faces, not allowing  for sailing.  We truly hoped to make a direct offshore sail to Naples but it just wasn’t meant to be.  We reached statue mile 0 at 1120 then steered south toward San Carlos Bay and the Gulf.  Somewhere near Matanzas Pass, we briefly anchored to take the outboard off the dinghy and store it on the motor mount.  From there we ventured offshore another 25 n/m to the Gordon Pass into Naples.  We ventured only about 5 miles off the coast and I was amazed to see tall buildings the entire 25 miles.  I called Seatow and the Naples City Dock for information about passage through the Gordon Pass, but neither were able to provide information that I was comfortable with. When we were a couple miles out, I called for local knowledge on channel 16.  Sea Fox 26, answered immediately with really good information.  We anchored in Champney Bay, which is inside the most gorgeous neighborhood. 

We considered making an overnighter but the crab traps are too dense; so, tomorrow we will travel offshore again toward Cape Sable (70 n/m), Florida’s south coast.  We will probably be looking for a safe anchorage somewhere along the way.  By Tuesday, we hope to arrive in the Keys. 

PS:  I felt like I let Chuck down Friday not having ice for his drink.  Ruth has now made ice in a   The bad news is Chuck is not here to enjoy the ice.  The good news is, he left his Ole Smoky Tennessee on the boat. LOL!
baggie.

This is Ruth…Greg mentioned the gorgeous neighborhood where we are anchored.  I would never be so rude as to guess the worth of the people who own these beautiful places but I will say that some of the names on the yachts docked behind these homes are Top Dog, Mr. Money and Mr. Big!