Aboard Lady

Mermaid meeting

Key West  024 33.738N 081 48.192W

Tuesday...Wednesday...Thursday...

A storm came through, and the weather has been very windy and much cooler, although that's hard to tell on this still picture of Key West's weather buoy.

Worked on trip planning and blog publishing - this takes a LOT of time, when you are a week behind!  Some of our friends have asked where we are going and when we will be there, so that they can plan a visit.  We are working on a tentative schedule, and would welcome visitors! 

Anyway, we were headed to the Waterfront market for a few provisions yesterday, when one of out neighbors called us back.  This wonderful, huge, gentle creature was swimming just off the dock. 

The manatee had quite a few large barnacles on his/her back, and a few scars, fortunately none of them deep, probably caused by boat propellers.  A family with dad and three kids were also there.  They were thrilled to see this wonderful animal, as were we. One of the kids told me that it was too bad the mom and and other sister  missed such a special experience.

The manatee stayed around there for about ten minutes or so.  He/she munched on some seaweed that floated by.  Then he/she slowly swam off going towards the AB docks, just next to the Galleon docks.

We stopped off for lunch at Turtle Kraals.  According to our server, all the sea turtles they used to have are now living in a much better sanctuary in Marathon (Boot Key, Florida).

We also came across another statue.  Although the plaque below it said otherwise, Charlie asserted that it was George West, the founder of this great town.

Key West Happenings

February 26th, 2008

24 33.738N 081 48.192W

We've been hanging around Key West and enjoying The Conch Republic.  It's been so hot here, that we dressed Lady for hot weather. Our project on Sunday was to remove the isinglass cockpit windows, "The Florida Room", and replace them with the shade screens.

We also discovered the local West Marine...and have manage to make a daily pilgrimage there to give them lots of our money.  We have enjoyed meeting the constantly changing residents of the marina, swimming in the pool here at the Galleon, and enjoying the restaurants of this town.

Sunday our Tulsa friend Bob Crawford arrived before breakfast.  He had come in to KW on his Little Harbor 58 Sovereignty the previous evening.  Sovereignty is too big for The Galleon Marina, so he had a slip over by the Westin, close to the cruise ship docks. We gave him a tour of Lady.  We have been friends with him and his wife, Betty, since we both raced Catalina 30's against each other, and anchored out together on Grand Lake, Oklahoma both couples with two small children.  (All those little kids are now grown and married, and Katie Crawford Hunter has a new baby.)

We wandered over to the big boats later on that morning and had a grand tour of Sovereignty.  The yacht is truly beautiful.  Lots of varnished wood on the exterior and the interior, beveled glass cupboard doors,  movable chairs in the salon. 

As Bob had guests aboard this week (who were off seeing the sights of KW while we were there), he also had some staff with him.  Cami, the chef, had a yummy snack of salmon and cream cheese tortilla roll-up things ready for us, and as she and Jon Gustafson, the captain, share their time between West Palm Beach, Florida and Newport, Rhode Island, they were able to give us lots of information about ports, bridges, offshore and inshore legs, places to visit, dos and don'ts for our future travels this year.  Thanks for your help Cami and Jon!

Cami and Jon had errands to do ashore, so we left Sovereignty, and took Bob to lunch at a local oyster bar.  He and the group were off to do some diving at the Dry Tortugas National Park.  We know that they'll have a great time there, and perhaps next time we see Sovereignty, Betty will be there too.  I sure would have liked to see her.

As I had my hair done yesterday afternoon, I had to inform Charlie that our daily evening swim was not to be.  Instead we decided to wander over to Mallory Square, and see the daily sunset celebration.  We were delighted when we found the cat act that we had seen when we were here with IV and Mike over 15 years ago! (New cats and new catmaster since then)

Dominique and his flying cats are amazing.  Imagine being at the circus watching the lion tamer.  It's like that kind of an act, but the cats are trained domestic house cats!!!  They sit up on stools, walk a tight-rope, one cat crawling over another, jump through hoops, even jump through a flaming hoop.  You can tell that the kitties adore Dominique.  He's quite a comedian, and the show is the best!

Voyage to Key West

Friday February 22nd to Saturday February 23rd, 2008 

(Charlie's report)

1755 Anchor up motor out channel to NW and then around Fort Jefferson to the North.  From there, left park to the SE.

1837 left # 2 abeam C117 S6.0 under motor.

1910 main up to stop rolling. C117 S5.4

2145 C094 S 4.0 running 1500 rpm so as not to arrive too early.

2-23-08 0200 raise jib, turn off motor. C090 S 7.

0430 Cross SW channel, turn NE to follow channel into Key West.

0530 Anchor down off Key West to west of channel in small boat anchorage.

1000 after breakfast and nap, call Galleon Marina, slip is available. Motor in pick up slip.

Key West is the first major waypoint of our trip. Distance traveled since 1-27-08 is approximately 1027 nm, engine hours is 180. We’ve turned the corner, from here its north and east.  Time to spend a lazy week in Key West, rest up, plan our coming itinerary and get ready for the push north. 

(Jenny's report)

Although we tried to stretch the sailing and motoring out, we managed to arrive in the Key West channel about 0530.  We dropped anchor out of the channel, across from the Hyatt Hotel, which we have fond memories of Stephanie and Mike's wedding reception there in December 2005.

Charlie slept while I stood anchor watch, then we has a big breakfast, while waiting for our slip to become available.

Once in slip 21 at The Galleon Marina we had a busy day of cleaning salt off Lady and doing the ship's laundry.

We went SWIMMING in the Galleon's pool!  The staff keep telling us how this weather is unseasonably warm.

Great dinner at The Conch Republic Seafood Company (more fond memories for McNamaras and Maughams from December 2005), just a short walk along the Key West Bight wharf.

Stephanie McNamara made this great link of our voyage to date.  Thanks Stephanie!

Loggerhead Key

Friday February 22nd, 2008 24 37.993N 82 55.022W

We decided to go and see the lighthouse at Loggerhead Key.  We considered taking the dinghy over there, but three miles away was too far to row back, should the motor fail, so shortly after 1000 we left dinghy tied up astern, upped anchor, and then motored over to Loggerhead, zig-zagging out of the Garden Key anchorage, missing White Shoal and dropped anchor off Loggerhead before 1100.

We scrambled ashore with waves breaking, and hauled dinghy up on the sand and walked around the lighthouse.  There's a couple of graves there, and it was interesting to see the bank of solar panels that must power the beam.

There was one other sailing yacht in the anchorage, and a small boat with divers off the north end of the island. Although there are a couple of homes there (perhaps the park rangers use them for  monitoring turtles), we did not see another soul.

Not only a deserted island, but a desert island.  We walked across the island to the northwestern beach, and the vegetation was scrubby cactus and  low-growing dry loving plants.

We continued walking along the shore.  It was rocky and very shallow on that side of the island.

We saw four or five beached Portuguese Man O' War jellyfish in with the seaweed on the high-tide line and also found a couple of pretty shells.

Launching the dinghy into the wind and waves was exciting.  We got a lot of sand and water aboard!

Once back aboard, Charlie was uncomfortable with the changing wind and the depth, so we motored back to Garden Key, anchoring this time in the Bird Key anchorage...plenty of deep water and the harbor to ourselves.

We stowed the  motor, gas tank and dinghy (an hour-long project), and departed the Dry Tortugas at 1800 for a night sail to Key West.

Garden Key

Thursday, February 21st, 2008  (Google maps for Garden Key just don't work!)

Dry Tortugas National Park

After anchoring about 0700, Charlie found a small flying fish that had landed aboard during the night. 

We enjoyed looking at the half-dozen yachts, some sail, some power, that were in the Garden Key anchorage. 

A seaplane from Key West arrived, depositing visitors. 

A flotilla of magnificent frigatebirds soared over Fort Jefferson, and loads of sooty terns and brown noddys were creating a huge ruckus on nearby Bush Key.

We caught up on sleep, and were amazed when two giant powered catamarans arrived and docked, disgorging scads of people.  So much for our plan to visit a deserted island.  We launched the dinghy and went ashore.

 

As we walked around Fort Jefferson, Charlie observed that Homeland Security has certainly helped to upgrade the park since our previous visit over twenty years ago (when we were moving Francis Rooney's Swan 44 Hoya from Fort Myers Beach to Fort Lauderdale).  The rangers now have golf carts to get around in, they have a large launch and small ranger boats too, there's a helipad and a big radio tower.  There were also a lot more rangers, and a lot more tourists.

We took a dinghy ride around the bay, came back to Lady,watched the last seaplane depart, then radioed Fred and Margaret (Sanctuary) to come over for dinner and to watch the sun set. 

Another great day.

Voyage to Dry Tortugas

Wednesday, February 20th, 2008

(Charlie's report)

While in Naples, we ran into S/V Sanctuary, Fred and Margaret Keith, hailing port Panama City, FL.  Found out that Fred is a retired Presbyterian minister who didn’t start sailing until 1997. Who says that you can’t teach old dogs new tricks! We decided to sail to the Dry Tortugas together.

1220 depart Naples City Dock fuel dock. Motored down channel at 2400 rpm. Very beautiful views.

1305 clear Gordon Pass sea buoy.  Raise sails. C218 (straight shot to DT) S 6.4 wind SE at 9.

1430 wind dies. Drop sails, start motor 2000 rpm C215, S6.5. Sirius weather shows large area of shows ahead moving west to east, which has probably killed wind.

2145 wind picks up, hoist sails, stop motor C217 S6.5

2219 Saw lunar eclipse!

2305 C221, S7.3

0030 Furl mainsail to try to reduce speed (we want to arrive in daylight).

0100 Shrimp boats lined up east to west in front of us. The first problem with shrimpers is that they have so many work light on that you can’t see their running lights, so although you can see them, you don’t know what course they are on.  Second, I suspect that no one is on the helm; the skipper is back sorting fish (or whatever they do).  They don’t respond to radio hails. I change course to miss one who is running fast with nets up (I think). I can see from my radar that he is on collision course with Sanctuary. Hail Sanctuary, who had not seen the shrimper. Two dots became one on my radar screen, was I glad that to finally see two dots again.

0200 C214 S7.4 under jib alone.

0400 Skirt Park to west so as to come in from SW.

0630 drop sails, under motor, C093 S5.7

0715 in channel to Ft. Jefferson

0745 anchor down off Ft. Jefferson.

(Jenny's report)

We had a leisurely morning, preparing for a noon departure.  Fred and Margaret Keith (Sanctuary) were headed to the Tortugas, as well, so we decided to travel together.  We met them at the fuel dock, and departed Naples.

We were able to sail in good wind for a while, but the breeze gradually died, so we then had to motor.  The clouds finally broke during one of my watches that might, and I was able to see part of the Lunar eclipse, although totality was over by the time the clouds broke up.  Later that night the wind came up again, so we sailed until daybreak.

We entered the Dry Tortugas through the Southwest Passage, and here's Sanctuary with the sun rising over Garden Key.

Lunch with friends

Naples 26 07.903N 081 47.562W

Tuesday February 19th, 2008

After Francis Rooney (Gitana, Gypsy) had visited Lady yesterday morning, he phoned in the afternoon inviting us to join he and Kathleen for lunch.  He had advised us that the beach club had a dress code (collared shirt, khakis), so we dressed in our best (although I was unable to find the emergency lipstick I brought aboard six months ago in case an ambassador or prince were to invite me to dine).  He picked us up, and first took us to his gorgeous home in the Port Royal area of Naples, where we met Kathleen, and then drove down the street to their Beach Club, where we had a wonderful lunch outside overlooking the Gulf, watching children playing on the beach and dolphins playing in the turquoise water.

Francis and Kathleen next suggested that we return to Lady by boat, so back at their house we admired photos and boat models, and then boarded Gypsy, their Hunt Harrier launch.  Their present home is in a canal just off Gordon Pass, the entrance channel to Naples, and we passed a gorgeous 100 something foot sailing yacht as we exited the canal.  We cruised by the new home they are building that is right on the pass.

A fun ride back to the Naples City Dock aboard Gypsy.

It was such fun to meet friends in a distant port.  Thanks again for the wonderful lunch.  Perhaps we'll be able to meet up again in the Bahamas next year!

After such a wonderful lunch, an afternoon walk was in order, so we strolled down 5th Avenue, admiring stores and galleries. 

Our neighbors, Leroy and Judy Patterson (Wet Ink) came over for a sundown drink, and a local resident came by with his exotic birds.  We made sure that the birds did not meet Sooty.  If they were to get in to a fight, the cat might lose!

Segway

Naples

Monday February 18th 2000 - Presidents Day

As I was walking back to the boat from mailing a postcard to my Mum, (who doesn't have Internet, so can't keep up with this blog), I passed a sign - "Segway Tours".  Thinking that this might be something that might interest Charlie, I followed the directions to a resort office, picked up a flyer and took it back to him.

Back aboard, Charlie was busy with Bill, the technician from Tropica Marine, who was installing the repaired Raymarine Radar.  If you remember, the radar failed the first night out (just when we really needed it going through the offshore oil and gas platforms in the fog), and Cesar Elisando of Mobile Marine in Kemah had referred us to Tropica in Panama City, who had come and determined that it was some sort of bad chip, and sent  it back to Raymarine, who had returned it to their Fort Myers office.  Success!

A succession of visitors stopped by that morning. Barely had Bill left, when Francis Rooney, a sailing buddy from Tulsa who now lives in Naples came by to see Lady, followed by Fred and Margaret Keith (Sanctuary), who we had first met as we were at the fuel dock in Panama City, and then contacted by radio when we saw them tied up behind us over at the Naples Yacht Club docks.  After they left, Kathleen Rooney came and we gave her and Francis the tour of Lady.

After lunch, Charlie contacted the number in the flyer of Naples Segway Tours, and we were able to book a tour that afternoon.

Russ was our instructor/tour guide.  After signing promises not to sue if we got hurt, he fit us with helmets, and our Segway training started. "The secret is just to RELAX!" You control direction by weight, leaning forward or back.  The handlebars are just for you to have a place to put your hands, although you turn using the control on the left handlebar.  I learned how to stop, how to turn, and how to handle the bumps of curbs, you approach them at an angle. 

Then it was Charlie's turn.  He was MUCH better at it than I.  The Segway has three speeds, each speed controlled by a different key.  We were using the black keys, which is slow, and the machine will run for about eight hours on he black key.  The yellow key will let you go faster, and with the red key, you can get all the way up to 10 mph!

Training completed, we were ready to start the tour.  Wisely, Russ chose to take us through low motor, cycle and pedestrian trafficked neighborhoods.  I think this is kind of like ski-ing.  Once you get the basic feel, with experience you can become more confident, but after a tour through a couple of lovely parks in Naples, it was time to go back.  This was loads of fun, but by the time two hours were up, we were ready.  Like many beginners, our feet were tired!

But not too tired...Russ had told us about Tin City as we passed it, so we walked back there (it seemed SO much further on foot than on Segway), where we found a bar, and celebrated our new skill with Margaritas.

Dinner that night at Napoli, the best pizza restaurant in Naples Florida, was another good recommendation from Russ.

Charlie says he would do a lot more exercising if he could do it on a Segway.  Russ told us that they are making Segways now that will also hold a bag of golf clubs... 

Naples

Sunday February 17th

26 07.903N 081 47.562W

We spent the morning doing boat chores:  Charlie washed all the salt off, while I did laundry and house cleaning.  These municipal docks are very public, and lots of tourists came by, so Charlie had a great time talking to them.  "Yes, we're from Tulsa.  Getting over those first five hundred miles up and  down hills was hard, but since we got to Houston, it's been much easier!"

After lunch we strolled though the area around the docks, and were amazed at palm-tree lined avenues.

Charlie's  golfing buddy, Joe Brandt, has a home here, and he came by to see Lady, and then took us out for a drive downtown (lots of ritzy, glitzy shops and bistros) and then for a wonderful dinner at Grey Oaks Country Club, and after that a tour of his showplace home. 

Voyage to Naples

Saturday February 16th 2008

(Charlie's report)

In our continuing effort to arrive at passes new to us in the daytime (for marital harmony, etc.), we awake before dawn and up the anchor pre dawn light, 0655, and motor out to Boca Grande Pass via the ICW. Clear ICW 0800 and enter Pass outbound under motor. Once clear of the channel, set course 179, S7.0. 1100, wind going light, C155, S4.4. 1200, give up sailing  start engine, C130, S7.3-7.6. About 1500, arrive at Gordon Pass. One spot coming in we saw only 1.5 feet under the keel, which made the skipper very nervous. After that, plenty of water. Passed by some of the most beautiful houses you could imagine. Tied up at Naples City Dock about 1600.

(Jenny's report)

We were up at daybreak, in anticipation of an 8 hour voyage from Charlotte Harbor to Nables. No problems getting the anchor up (nice sandy bottom) and motor out through Boca Grande Pass.

At the sea buoy there was a nice breeze, so sails up, and course set for a day sail to Naples. We cruised past Cayo Costa, Captiva and Sanibel Islands; maybe one day I will make it to that great shelling beach. 

After a couple of hours, the warming land had set up a light sea breeze, which didn't move Lady very fast on a close-hauled course, so the iron genoa was started, (Sooty calls it "The Very Loud Monster Under The Stairs"), and we motored the rest of the day, coming in to Naples late in the afternoon.

Oh. Saturday of a holiday weekend, and the weather is warm and sunny. Lots of boaters out, some going way too fast in the narrow channels, and although we did not talk to anyone over the VHF radio, some people sounded quite testy.

Beautiful waterfront homes line the channel.

We tied up at slip 26 at the Naples Municipal Marina, checked in, and had welcome marina showers.