Spanish Wells

Spanish Wells is just under 10 NM away from Royal Island for an easy jump. They said the winds would decrease, but again, they did not tell us the truth and it continues to blow.  It was a bumpy ride and a most interesting approach as although well marked, the channel looked a bit intimidating. The current and wind were pushing us to the dock at Spanish Wells Yacht Haven for a speedy arrival.  The marina is being rebuilt and is a construction site. A quick couscous salad for lunch before heading out to town where we bought a phone, walked along the pink beach and returned to Moonstruck.

We shared Foie Gras and cocktails with our guests and had to duck inside, since it was so windy on the bridge the crackers were flying off the table. So much for cruising the Bahamas late in the season for calmer weather!

As the wind was still howling on Thursday, it was decided to stay in Spanish Wells and jump on the 10:35 AM Fast Ferry to Harbour Island for an expedition. The ferry screamed at 24 knots making sharp turns around the reefs and at one point coming 50 feet from the beach to negotiate the “Devils Backbone”.

Five of us enjoyed touring the island on a rented golf cart taking us from the pink beaches of the Atlantic side to the lunch at the Conch Queen, a drive on the Queens Highway, some ice cream and it was time to return to Spanish Harbour.

Diane managed to squeeze a little shopping and found a dress at Shells.  On the way back to Moonstruck we stopped by Bubba's and Joannie was able to give JP a much needed haircut.

Another fabulous day which ended on Sno’ Dog where we shared a meal of Chicken/Bean Gumbo and the famous Wedding Vows Brownies.

As the winds were still strong out of the South-East, we spent the next day catching up on chores of laundry, checking the engines and a few small projects.  We walked to the grocery to buy some shrimps for tonight’s dinner on Moonstruck with our guests from Sno’ Dog and Improv. Couscous Paella, Salad with Mint Chocolate Girl Scout Cookies for desert were on the menu.  Henry went back to secure the container of Wedding Vow Brownies,for a night of chocolate. The best part of the evening was yet to come: As a fishing boat from Delray Beach was pushing a wheel barrel full of dolphin fish they had just caught as part of a fishing tournament, Diane put a target lock on them and as the nice fellow strolled back with buckets of filellet'd fish, she jumped into action and after a pleasant hello, she was given a 2 gallon bag of beautifully fillets Dolphin – Sno’ Dog, Moonstruck and Improv share the lute and are eating a lot of fresh Mahi (Dolphin)..

Royal Island

While most all of the PDQ flotilla now gathered in Nassau, was watching the windy forecast and  trying to decide what to do, our original trio (Sno’ Dog, Improv and Moonstruck) decided it was time to depart and head to Eleuthera / Royal Island for some exploration. Alaska Gypsea decided to go on their own towards the Exumas, everyone else decided to stay put and wait it out.  After  a quick walk to the bakery, and checking out which included; reading the water and electrical meter, and a bag of ice, we departed Nassau Harbour at 9:00 AM with winds out of the southeast our course kept us  close to shore to minimize the bumps and lumps. 

Improv on Port, Sno' Dog on Starboard

JP and David from Improv deployed the fishing lines in hopes for a catch. JP got a bite, but it turned out to be weeds, David on the other hand caught a tuna and two Spanish mackerels – will have to find out his secret? The tuna was prepared ceviche style and enjoyed by all six of us on Improv after dropping  anchor in the very protected anchorage of Royal Island.

Sno' Dog and Improv

Overall it was a great day where we travelled at about 7 knots and covered 42.61 NM in 6.25 hours before the engines were turned off in Royal Island Harbour.  It was time to check the anchor, swim and relax. 

JP checking the anchor

Frazer Hog Cay and Nassau

There are a couple different ways to travel to Chub Cay and after much discussion, Henry, David and JP decided on going south.  It is difficult to describe how absolutely beautiful the Great Bahama Bank is – it was glassy smooth, you can see the bottom and count the Starfish even when travelling at 12. knots. It is like gliding over a pane of glass.

 It took us Seven and half hours and 88.15 NM we (Moonstruck, Sno’ Dog and Improv) anchored at Frazers Hog Cay just past the Berry Island Club. (About 5 NM beyond Chub Cay.)

Sno' Dog, Moonstruck & Improv are now docked at the Bay Street Marina in Nassau.  We had an easy crossing (with 10-12 mph E winds & moderate chop) over from last night's anchorage in Frazer's Hog Cay (just passed Chub Cay).

We filled our diesel tanks at the Bayshore Marina (1st one on right, $5.25/gal cash), then we docked just beyond at Bay Street.  This is a very posh marina with good security and all amenities incl WiFi.  Price is $2.50/ft/nt + metered elect & water ($.30/gal).  We like it because it's the closest to downtown Nassau, but we're planning to check out the others later this afternoon.

Soon after we got settled in, Kim, the marina attendant informed us that 7 other PDQs were on their way and as we looked west down the Nassau harbor channel we saw the first arrive with the others in tow. Freedom a PDQ 41 leading the flock.

Bimini

It was finally time to get started on the Bahamas adventure. At 7:46 AM we departed Coral Reef Yacht Club with much excitement and a plan to meet "Sno' Dog" and "Improv",  two other PDQs while crossing the Gulf-stream.  We made contact with Sno' Dog over the VHF but never saw them until we arrived at Browns Marina 4.75 hours  / 54.34 NM later.

 3 PDQs in a row: Henry and Nancy with Sno' Dog , Dave and Elaine with Improv – 

We watched amazed the needle fish and other bait fish swimming around the boat in the clear blue water.

It is really true, you can see clear to the bottom in 6 ft. of water.

A 15 minute walk to Customs to get our 90 day cruising permit and fishing license ($ 150.00) , Immigrations to get the passport stamped, and it was time to get some famous Bahamian bread at the bakery. The bread did not disappoint.

On the way back to Moonstruck Henry spotted a water spout.  

Tomorrow is an early departure for Chub Key. We Did It, we are in the Bahamas!

Miami - CRYC

We traveled 26.84 NM in 3.5 hours and arrived at Diner Key Marina for a pump out and rinse off, next stop was Grove Harbour Marina for Fuel and finally we arrived at Coral Reef Yacht Club.  We had a long list and it was going to be a busy couple days….. As we strolled to the office to check in, we saw a familiar face at the Bar – Magnus and Tracy looked to be hard at work.  We settled in, had a nice dinner on the patio and turned in early. 

Wednesday we saw another familiar face and shirt that our friends Kristina and Atle know and he hooked us up with Tony and Grandson Santana were hired to give Moonstruck an outside cleaning.  Everything worked out as Santana, along with good looks, had muscle and helped JP remove and install 4 new batterers. 

We found Home Gas Corp and topped off our propane tank.

Wednesday night we caught up with our good friends Jan and David for dinner at Angelique Euro Cafe.
Jan is recovering nicely from her run with a mini van which resulted in a broken leg.

 

We kept watching the weather and really wanted to get going, after many emails with other flotilla's participants, it was decided to depart Miami on Friday to take advantage of calm conditions over the weekend and make the crossing to Bimini.

Gilbert's

Happy Easter.  We have a dear friend Danny Evans who is a 2.4 sailor and member of the U.S. Sailing Team that lives in Miami.  After many emails we tied up to Gilbert’s, in Key West and located Danny, Hollie, many of his siblings and friends where we had lunch, laughed and looked at the Hobie Cats that they sailed from Shake-A-Leg / Miami, 40 NM. 

Diane had many questions;  How much food did they pack?  Where is the Fridge for the spirits/beverages?  Where is the head?  None were answered to her satisfaction

Mid afternoon it was time to depart and continue north.  

Our anchorage was at the edge of Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, we saw lots of dolphins, a beautiful sunset and controlled fires on the mainland…..

To our dismay, we found the deck covered with black ash when we woke up in the morning.

Time to get out of here and move to Pumpkin key where we anchored right in front of Ocean Reef resort.  The Florida legislature is yet again trying to pass a law to control and restrict anchoring in the coastal waters. Let's hope this will never happen.

Another selfie

Tavernier anchorage

After a bumpy night of 20 knot winds W NW, we pulled anchor to head to Tavernier.

It was pretty tempting to go back to the Worldwide Sportsman for another shopping  round, or spend another evening listening to music from Lorelei Restaurant, but good things have an end and we have many other places to explore.

Brunch at Lorelei Restaurant 

 Our next stop would take us 12.16 NM closer to Miami in 2 hours to Tavernier Anchorage.  It was time to find a grocery and stockup on fresh fruit and veggies. A skinny channel took us to a closed lagoon across from Mangrove Marina but when we saw mud kicked from the bottom while doing a circle around anchored boats, we decided it was too shallow inside even for Moonstruck, so we quickly got out on an ebbing tide and anchored outside. 

A dink ride to the marina to find a Winn-Dixie just down the street, yea!

Diane decided it was time to get a haircut. So she made a deal with a French stylist and now proudly displays a sportive look which will keep her cool in the warm climate.

We now have spent 8 days at anchor and this serves as a test to see how we manage our water and battery resources. So far we are doing very well with the water as we still have two thirds left in our water tank thanks to new conservation measures. Our house batteries had real problems and could not hold a charge. A quick investigation revealed that the batteries needed 1 ½ gallon of distilled water  

Islamorada

The folks at Banana Bay Marina recommended Sombrero Key and Loue Key for great reef snorkeling and the forecast seemed to be agreeable with 10 knots out of the SW for a peak out to the ocean side. The day started out with a bit more breeze than was forecasted.  It was time to pull up anchor and head out Moser Channel, cross Hawk Channel to Sombrero Key. 

Moser Channel

The plan was to pick up a mooring, go snorkeling, have lunch, and if the conditions were right, stay the night.  Up until this point we have been on the inside / north / bayside of the Keys, Hawk’s Channel is on the outside / south / Gulfstream  side and is a haven of reefs for divers, snorkeling and fishing  and many boats were already there along with lots of breeze and choppy water conditions. 

Sombrero Key

When we arrived at Sombrero after 1 ½ hrs of bouncing and washing the deck with salt water in a 15 knots breeze on the nose, we re-evaluated the situation. A few boats on mooring balls were pitching like crazy and it was not going to be fun, forget about snorkeling, time to switch to plan B which is to continue on the outside in Hawks Channel and move back into the Bay Side under Channel 5, and after 50.3 NM, 7.25 hours we dropped anchor at Islamorada exhausted.

The next day had us in the dingy (Moonie with her new chaps) touring the area, and to our surprise we discovered the Worldwide Sportsman Pro Bass Store where we gathered tackle to catch the big fish for our upcoming big fishing expedition in the Bahamas and outfits for JP – bathing suit, shirt and Diane now has a new hat and sunglasses all a MUST HAVE to keep the crew happy and for a successful cruising trip. 

Moonie with her new Chaps

Little Pine Key

After several windy days keeping us dock side in this oasis with free ice, free towels, free pool  and very nice people it was now time to leave Banana Bay Marina or we will never leave this too comfortable place where people park their boats to come and spend the entire winter season. But WAIT!  Is that the USCG truck parked next to the dock house?  We wanted to get an inspection but ran out of time before leaving St. Pete. 45 min. later Don Weston from the Coast Guard Auxilary gave us our sticker as we passed the Inspection with flying colors. 

It was now time to go explore another section of keys and we selected the secluded Little Pine Key for protection from the NNW wind that was predicted for Saturday.  It is such a big contrast after the marina life to spend 3 beautiful days at anchor enjoying the clear, shallow water, we are in 4.5’ of water, and yes you can stand and walk around the boat, watching the wind increase, decrease and change direction along with stunning sunsets giving place to a full moon!

Banana Bay Marina

The Yacht club did not look inviting, so Banana bay won and we called in after our morning swim to move  into a well protected corner slip at the marina. A tight fit but much better than being on the unprotected seawall with the nasty weather coming.

APRIL 8, 2014

After a slow morning, Steve a friendly dock neighbor, offered us to use his car for a Publix run. It is always surprising to see how nice and helpful complete strangers can be along the way.  Okay we still have 141 cans of food on board, in case we get stranded for the next year, but we are tied up and there is a Publix so close and so we went and loaded up on Orangina, milk, eggs and snapper for dinner. It was decided to put our time at the dock to good use and clean the inside of the boat.  The outside is getting a good rinse with the storm / front that is now moving through.

APRIL 10, 2014

While sipping coffee and listening to the weather, it was decided to stay one more day at Banana Bay Marina. Why? It continues to blow a steady 18 knots with gust to 30. What shall we get into……..JP started waxing the Starboard Side and Diane was cutting out the new replacement screening that is a tighter Mesh To Keep out NO-SEE-UMS. For those unfamiliar with no-see-ums, they are flying teeth. 

Lunch was enjoyed at the Hurricane Grille, a local establishment and the ribs just melted in our mouth, while the beer was cold.  It was time to return to work, on a boat there is always something to do and our to do was to continue working on changing out the screens, 10 screens altogether, consisting of removing the framed screen, cutting the old screening  material, gluing the new screening or re-installing the gasket in the channel, and reinstalling the newly screened frame .  Isn’t there a proper tool that will make this faster, easier, more professional?  Our day revolves around meals and we found that it was getting close to dinner, we cleaned up and with our list crossed U.S. 1 for another visit to Home Depot and then back to the Hurricane for dinner. Diane was not interested in cooking after a fun day of working and we hope to depart tomorrow for about 10 days on the hook and probably no eating out – it is it time to start fishing for our dinner?

Crane Point

 We woke to a sunny sky, warm temperatures and a soothing breeze.  After a relaxing morning it was time to place the dinghy in the water and venture out.  We motored to Banana Bay, this is where Rick and Colleen spent the winter and we wanted to check it out. 

Paul, the dock master, is very friendly and gave us the lay of the land. We were out of fresh fruit and it was time to find a Publix that was located ½ mile down the road. It was a walk just to get from the docks to U.S. 1, but to our big surprise, there it was, the big unmistakable Orange Building, Home Depot, it was all JP could do to contain himself.  Diane promised him that we would go there, just not now.  After securing fresh fruit, veggies and bread, we walked back, found some ice and returned to Moonstruck. 

Meeting our first Marathon Yacht Club Member

After lunch it was off to check out Marathon Yacht Club, as another front is heading our way and the weather is going to turn very windy with rain and a blow, we thought we may go into a marina, along with the need to dispose of trash and do some laundry.  While we were at Marathon YC, it was a short stroll to West Marine; One of the exciting treasure hunts of cruising is to locate every West Marine on your way. A swim, shower, sundowner  and another good day cruising.

Crossing to Marathon

It was a beautiful sunrise on the Little Shark River and we were anxious to get under way for a 40 miles open water crossing of Florida bay. We knew the biting bugs were waiting for us outside so we got everything prepared, started the engines and ran out to pull up anchor. We put up a good fight but got slaughtered and lost a lot of blood in the battle!  2.5 miles later we were in the Gulf of Mexico with the Ten Thousand Island, part of Everglade National Park to the East.

 The deepest water we spotted on our 41.46 NM crossing was 9.5’and typically around 6’, incredibly shallow. 

 Once we came around Cape Sabel and entered the Florida Bay it became Ten Thousand Crab Pots and at first it was a fun game to slalom between crab pots and clump of weeds but shortly became exhausting and we had to take turns at the helm frequently. 

We arrived in Marathon 4.5 hrs later, dropped anchor in Crane Point and it was time to jump in the water for a well deserved swim.  Welcome to the Keys.

Little Shark River

We covered 47.14 NM in 6.5 hours with an 8:06 AM departure time to reach little Shark River our jumping off point before crossing Florida Bay to Marathon. Once we turned the corner of Coon Key we found the breeze and chop in our face which stayed that way for most of this open water leg, although it did die down around lunch time.  We came up the Little Shark River and found a quiet corner to drop anchor for the evening. Our first attempt at anchoring found  MS undecided between a strong tide current and an opposite dying breeze resulting in a dance around the anchor. Sounds like fun for her but very unsettling for us as we did not care about doing 360 circles. Time to try a different spot with less current, Yeah, right, did we mention we are in a river? 

This is a part of Florida that not many get to see. We are at the west / north west end of Ten Thousand Islands that is part of Everglade National Park.  It will be just us and the mosquitos and the no-seeums.

We tried our Sun shower and ran inside for cover as the flying bugs spotted us. The night came and it was an eerie feeling as we were all by ourselves in this desolate place and the darkest of nights. Hold me tight honey!!!

Calusa Island Marina

After we went under the tall bridge at Marco Island and upon missing the red channel maker found us in 1.9’ of water under MS.  It was time to make a sharp right turn and get back in the channel.  We took our time going through the Big Marco River and 11 miles later tied up at Calusa Island Marina.  Scallops and lavender Pasta along with salad made for a tasty dinner. 

  What a quiet, quaint place with very friendly live aboard folks.  MaryAnne walked us to the front gate and directed us to the main area where we found the post office and Kirk’s Fresh Fish.

 Val and MaryAnne invited to come over and visit with friends that had spent time in the Bahamas. Next to us was a funky pontoon house boat for sale!!! I think Diane wanted to put an offer to have a vacation home in Goodland.