The Cruise - We have arrived! January 26 - February 1, 2015

We were in the Little Shark River for 5 days waiting for weather and 2 days in Flamingo.  During this time, I was not able to post because we had no cell phone or internet access, but I did write daily and today I am finishing posts through yesterday, January 30, 2015 when we arrived in Marathon.  I do not expect that many will want to hear about our mundane daily activities, like laundry and washing and cleaning up Dubhe, so my posts will not necessarily be daily until we begin our return.

Monday, January 26, 2015

Anchored in the Little Shark River

Four weeks ago we departed Beaufort.  It is hard to imagine…seems like years.  I haven’t driven a car or even ridden in one in four weeks!  I hope I remember how!

Fairly quiet last night and the anchor seems to be well set in softer bottom.  There was no grinding of chain on rock as we had the past two nights.  The marine weather forecast at 0600 this morning was about the same as yesterday so it looks like we can move Wednesday or Thursday at the latest.  The NOAA forecasts are so difficult to listen to as there is so much information in a short time, that I have taken to recording them on my iPhone as a voice memo.  We can then play it back as much as we want to pick up all the details.  We always compare today’s report with the previous day to see differences and any trend…of course time is no problem now…we have plenty extra so we should enjoy it.

I did a little fishing around the mangroves, but did not want to venture too far with the weather we are expecting.  No bites, but it was good to get out and do something.  I am reading the Jack Abury series by Patrick O’Brian, on the third of about 20 books...great stuff if you like 18th and 19th century sailing ships and the arcane terminology that goes with them…I love it.

This morning, a small red hulled trawler came up the river.  I called to them thinking they may be another boat (Lady in Red) that we were looking for.  They passed by our cove but came back later and anchored near us.  They are an English couple who live in Marathon, just doing some short cruising.  We had drinks and great conversation on their boat this evening.  Our solitude is broken, but it is fun to meet new people in a place like this.  For the most part, cruising people are the friendliest of any group and will invite strangers over for a drink as soon as they meet.

The front has passed through, the skies have cleared, it is much cooler (long sleeves and pants for a few days), and the wind is howling, probably 20 kts with gusts to 25+ kts.  We have a line of trees on an island blocking most of the wind and there are no waves, but I am not sure how well I will sleep when every few minutes Dubhe heels over and the wind roars.  Nancy is cooking supper and we are cozy in our little boat in the middle of nowhere. 

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Anchored in the Little Shark River

After a windy night, we woke to clear skies, and light wind.  Looked great, in fact, like maybe we could move today…until we listened to the weather.  The forecast for today is NW wind 10 to 15 kts but seas left over from the weather yesterday are predicted to be 5 to 7 feet.  Not a problem because we were planning to go tomorrow anyway, but now the weather then is worse.  Now it looks like Thursday.  We have plenty of food, but beer will be running low soon!  

Our plan is to go to Flamingo, FL and then to Marathon but because the channel is so shallow, it would be good to have a rising tide when we go in.  In years past I would have a book about an inch thick that gave the tides for every tide station along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts for a year.  Each year you had to purchase a new one for that year for less than $10.  Today, we use apps to tell us what the tides will be, but that requires access to the internet which we don’t have!  How dependent we are today on the internet and I use my cell phone directly or via a “hot spot” to access the internet when there is no where to plug in.  There are probably not many places in the US where you cannot get a Verizon signal, but this is one…as I have lamented before.  So what is the solution to our dependence on the internet and the calamity when we cannot access it?  Is it to buy paper books and charts?  Not hardly…I don’t think they even print the tide tables anymore and the last charts I bought were $26 each (I would need dozens).  I do have the USCG Rules of the Road, and Light List as a pdf file on my iPad and I should have gotten a copy of the tide tables.  So many publications are available (usually free) as pdf files that can be downloaded on a computer or iPad.  I should have a better electronic library that I could access when the internet is not available...a lesson learned for next time.  

We took a dingy ride around the mangrove islands today.  The mangrove trees are much taller than any I have ever seen; as tall as tall pines.  Peering into the mangrove forest is magical for me.  There is no way you could walk into it, but it looks so jungle like and inviting…there is no undergrowth, just a forest like I have never seen.  When I get to the source of all knowledge (internet) I am going to research them and look at this area on Google Earth.

Tonight we had our “neighbors” from “Poppy” over for drinks and appetizers.  A very interesting couple; Dom (Dominick) is retired Royal Air Force had has many intriguing stories to tell.  Since they live in Marathon and will be back home in a couple of weeks, we may see them there.  No other humans to be seen since the day before yesterday.

The weather report for tomorrow is worse than it was this morning.  We are preparing to depart for Flamingo in the morning, but we will have to get the report at 0600.  Dom and Caroline are planning to “poke their noses out” (of the Little Shark River) to see.  If it is too rough they will come back but if they go, they will call (via VHF radio) and let us know what it is like.  Tomorrow is our sixth day here.  

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Departed Little Shark River         0730

Arrived Flamingo, Florida 1220

Total day’s run 33 statute miles (29 nm), 768 miles total.

We made the breakout!  Although conditions were not perfect, we left the Little Shark River this morning.  Dom and Caroline on “Poppy” left before us which I think motivated us to go.  It was a good day’s run.  I had set the steadying sail before we got out of the Little Shark River so we were less rolly than would have been.  It was quite windy but manageable.  I was really worried about entering the Flamingo channel because it was just after high tide, but the “high” tide was a “low” one of only 1.1 feet, and the north wind tends to blow the water out of the bay.  But all my worrying was for naught…we came in with at lest 1½ feet of water under Dubhe’s keel at the shallowest part.  Now we are tied up at the Flamingo marina which is part of the Everglades National Park, had have stepped onto land for the first time in six days!  The history of the park and Flamingo is fascinating…there is lots to see here.  Check it out on the web.  It would be a great place to vacation as there are many people here and there is a large campground.  As usual, several people walked by and commented on Dubhe.  One Japanese couple (there are a lot of people from other countries here) kept looking and taking pictures, then the woman asked in very limited English if they could come aboard.  Of course we gave them the tour and they were quite impressed….A bed! You sleep here!? What we have come to take for granted is unimaginable to most people. 

But one of our expectations of Flamingo was to be able to get cell phone service and get online…Nooooo.  Only AT&T here so although I am writing this on January 28, I probably will not be able to post it until January 31 when I post the whole last week.

This evening we called our sons on a pay phone, although we used a credit card rather than a handful of quarters.  This trip has taken us back to some basics we have not experienced in a long time; riding a bus, using laundromats and pay phones, and listening to the radio for weather and entertainment!

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Flamingo, Florida

I woke up at 0600 as usual this morning and listened to the weather.  We decided to stay another day in Flamingo, so tomorrow we must definitely head out to Marathon.  We had a leisurely breakfast and listened to Morning Edition on NPR, then took a walk, lunch, nap…normal routine.  This afternoon, we took a Park Service Ranger walk during which our guide talked about the Everglades trees.  I chose this one because I was fascinated with the tall mangrove trees along the Little Shark River.  I learned that these trees up to 80 feet tall are the same (Red Mangrove) as the short scrubby ones that we see along the islands in the Keys.  The difference is habitat and nutrients.  The guide was impressed that we had been there and were so interested.  She also learned that the Sable Palm is not only the state tree of Florida but also South Carolina.  One tree that we had seen and was wondering about is the mahogany.  I don’t know if all the “Ranger Tours” are free, but this one was and it was excellent.  

Strangling Fig tree.  Note the palm strangled  inside. 

Tonight we worry about the tide in the morning.  Yesterday we entered at high tide but a small one.  Tomorrow, low tide is at 0800 and we normally leave about 0700.  I told Nancy that I would wait at least until 0800 so if we bump, at least we will have the rising water.  I may need a “nerve pill” to wait.  Otherwise, we are looking forward to arriving at our destination and spending some time with friends and exploring.  

Friday, January 30, 2015

Departed Flamingo, Florida 0820

Arrived Marathon, Florida         1415

Harbour Cay Club Marina

Total day’s run 38 statute miles (33 nm), 806 miles total.

We departed on our last leg of this first part of our cruise with trepidation.  The channel to (and out of) Flamingo is famous for being shallow and having shoals and wouldn't you know it but low tide is at 0800, just about the time we want to leave.  The good news was that it would be rising so if we got stuck, it probably would not be for long.  I waited as long as I could and eased out following my previous track (it was high tide when we came in) and advise from others.  We made it on the first try, but if we had had another coat of bottom paint, we may have gotten stuck.  Nancy says we bumped but I did not feel it.  Dubhe draws 3 ½ feet of water.

Our passage to Marathon was most enjoyable.  We had a nice NNE wind about 10 kts, it was sunny and warm.  The problem was the crab traps.  We had been told, and we had seen quite a few further back, but I was amazed at the density of traps.  It is a wonder there are any stone crabs left.  Although the autopilot (Captain Benmar) was working well, we had to be very vigilant and steer around trap buoys every few minutes, so the trip was not relaxing.

We arrived at the Harbour Cay Club in Marathon to the welcome of several “residents” including a couple from Beaufort who had told us about this place.  The owners of this small facility actually own individual slips and when they do not have their boats here, their slips are rented.  The appurtenant grounds are extremely nice with good showers, a laundry, great wifi, indoor lounge, and covered outdoor areas where most “residents” gather, especially for cocktails in the evening.  Sunday, there will be a big Super Bowl party to which of course we are invited.  Tonight, our friends from Beaufort took us out to dinner.  I think we will fit in nicely, but we plan to do some local traveling to Key West (by bus), and day trips on Dubhe and by dingy.