Bimini

We are here!  Latitudes at the Blue Water Marina in Bimini!

The beautiful blue water view from our boat

After a glorious late sleep, we did a few things and then went for a walk.  First, here in the marina, a remembrance of the "glory of days of old" cannon.  It's a little sad (and rusty).

In town, the now burned down remains of Hemingway's favorite hang-out and pub.  Luke and my brother Don had drinks here with a scuba trip in the early 2000's.

The derelict boats, lying mostly submerged and forgotten in the shallow waters of Bimini bay.

We went into the  Big Game Club, a major marina in the past.  Out of commission for several years, Guy Harvey bought into it and brought it  back to life.  Today the marina is full and bustling, but the old reminders remain --- like the old walls, painted in the early 2000's.

On to the grocery store, closed after our mid afternoon Sunday arrival.

The same person, in 2005, did the drawings on the grocery store walls as he did on the Big Game Club walls.

We wandered toward the ocean we had crossed just yesterday. She is still not quiet.

This small church, on the ocean side, caught out eye.

As Bimini seems to prosper, a new "airline" has come back to the island.  A seaplane company has returned to the island.  They take off, roaring down the narrow channel.

Later, roaring in, back from Miami.

He  lands, but with no one to help him with the lines, the pilot struggles to bring her ashore in a 20+ kt breeze....

Finally the passengers disembark, and help secure the lines.

I think we'll stick to sailing....
Tonight we had our 2 neighbor boats over for "sun downers" (aka drinks and snacks).  It was fun and we look forward to seeing them again in the Bahamas.

Bimini, The Bahamas!

We made it, but oh, boy, it was rough.   The wind stayed a little higher than we had hoped (high teens), more on the nose than we'd like, at about 60 deg to our heading. The waves were a little higher than anticipated (3-5 ft), and the wave period (time between waves) was very short (4 seconds), making them uncomfortable. Way too early, at 2 A.M., we pulled up anchor, to arrive near Bimini's high tide at 8:30 A.M.  The much younger folks in the boat anchored next to us were still up, partying.  We rocked and rolled for 8 hours.  Luke and I got queasy and Smoke slept, as flat as possible to her cushion.  Not a dangerous situation at all;  just not a pleasant sail. We again learned the significance of the Gulf stream's current -- on average about 3 kts, peak more like 3.5 kts to the north. That's a lot when the boat is doing about 7 kts and we're trying to go east - about a 30 degree crab angle.
But, we are here!

The afternoon was spent clearing both Customs and Immigration, straightening up after 2 consecutive night sails, long naps, and wondrous showers.  Stores will be closed tomorrow so we'll do some beach walking and wander the street of town.  Well, not all stores will be closed.  The Bahamian custom is that grocery stores are open from 9-11, then closed for the rest of the day.  Seems funny. Anyway, sightseeing and pictures start tomorrow.  We are just glad to be here!  (so is Smokey --- the water is clear enough to watch fish and the nosey pelicans are willing to sit sooo close....)

Made it to Key Biscayne and ready to cross

We finally left Vero Beach (affectionately known as "Velcro Beach" because so many cruisers hate to leave there).  From 8 a.m. on Thursday to about 9 a.m. today we motored on the outside, arriving in Biscayne Bay to top off water and diesel, get a convenient anchorage spot, and prepare for our 3 a.m. crossing to Bimini tonight (Friday).  It's only 44 miles but we have to get there to arrive at high tide.

The crossing was a breeze - wish it was!  Too little wind for us to sail except for the last hour.  So, it was a quiet crossing, blessed with a beautiful full moon.  Smokey and "dad"  started out comfortably.

We thought, what the heck, we will toss out the fishing line.  Well, it didn't take too long!  We promptly lost our first lure.  But the replacement lure snagged 3 fish for us!  They are the "usual" Little Tunny, a smaller red meat tuna.  Not my first choice, but when they are that fresh and properly cleaned up, they are yummy!  The first guy was big enough to give us 2 full meals.  Here's Luke, standing at the World's Most Wonderful cleaning station.  Neighbor friend and accomplished woodworker Charlie spent a lot of time with Luke, hand crafting the table.  For size comparison, this fish was 22 inches.

And Luke makes the cut!  Luke takes care of the primary slicing and dicing; I do the final prep work.  Smoke eats sushi. We are a little stale, but hopefully will have caught enough fish to get our cleaning skills finely honed by our return trip.

Onward into the night.  Miami stretches for miles along the coast before you really get to the boat channels into the city. 

And then Miami again, this time in the early morning, this time from the Biscayne Bay side.

We had to wait at the diesel dock for these happy fishermen to fill up their boat with gasoline....400 + gallons, over $1,600 worth!  Look at those outboards!  350 hp each, for a total of 1400 hp!  Think those babies will drink a little fuel when they roar off????!!

Our next blog should be from Bimini.  The posts won't be as frequent as recently since I have to wait until we are at islands where we can get wi-fi.  But we will continue!  I'll let you know that we have arrived.

Christmas dinner and Plan B

Christmas dinner with the cruisers was fun --- and oh, my, can those folks cook!!!  There was a LOT of delicious food.  The buffet was set up on top of the washers and dryers in the laundry room.  Food was just starting to come in when I snapped this.

Then, at 1, the line began to form.  There were probably 50-75 participants.  Cruisers with their plates and utensils --- that's the routine!

We met a whole table full of new friends.  That's the best part of these pot lucks.

A great surprise for us - we ran into cruising friends Marian and Greg from 2008.  They were part if the wonderful group of 5 couples that cruised together in the Bahamas.  We had stayed in touch but not seen them since.  We knew we were both headed south, but unable to make definite plans to meet. We were delighted!  Plan to catch up with them again after we cross.

And speaking of crossing, we are now into Plan B.  The weather and cat both look good so we intend to leave Vero tomorrow around 8 a.m., sail overnight to Miami, about 20 hours with the help of a NW to NE wind, and hopefully make a crossing to Bimini on Saturdaywith a SSE wind.  One day at a time, but we are thinking this may really work!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years!!!

We are still in Vero and enjoying Christmas.  Smoke went back to the vet on Monday and is much better now.  She seems to feel like her usual self and the squinting is gone.  We have emergency meds for her in case she has a relapse.

Sunset on Christmas Eve, a lovely south Florida sunset.

As evening fell, Smoke began waiting for Santa.

No Santa, but we did get carolers in dinghies.  A group of cruisers went from boat to boat, singing  Christmas carols.  The accompaniment was provided by an accordion.  It really made Christmas Eve!

Luke cooked a wonderful breakfast for us this morning, which we ate in our sun-drenched sunroom (AKA our cockpit).  It's a balm 80 here.  Later this afternoon we will join other cruisers for a pot luck Christmas dinner at the marina.  Pictures to follow from that.

Again,  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Plan A --- foiled!

Foiled by a sick cat.  Smoke definitely isn't doing well so we called the vet today.  Lucky for us, they are also an emergency vet!  The nurse tech that helped with her on Friday called back after talking to her doctor.  End result - we need to stop her meds and take her back in on Monday.  At least the vet is open then so it isn't an emergency $$$$$  visit!

I didn't know cats got pink-eye....

But they do.  Poor little Smoke.  One eye has been watering for a few days and she has been squinting with it.  We took her to a vet here in Vero Beach and learned that she has pink-eye.  Now I'm putting ointment in both of her eyes twice a day.  So far it's not a hassle, as she seems to feel bad; very lethargic and listless, sleeping in strange places and in strange positions.  She is very needy.

The vet put one little mist of a calming pheromone in the air when we entered the examining room.  It was amazing.  Smoke calmed down and was relatively relaxed for the entire visit, including rinsing her eyes and taking a little swab of one to check for the bacterial infection.  Afterwards, as we waited for the results, she simply jumped over to a chair, nested in my jacket, and lazed while we waited.  Good stuff!!!

It's been a busy few days.  We rented a car and drove to the Coast Guard's Homeland Security station about an hour south of here.  I needed to get my "free pass" back into the States updated, as my passport number has changed.

After that, we drove on to Ft.Lauderdale to spend the night with Ange and Ray.  It was a great visit; we always like to spend time with them.  I don't know why I didn't take any pictures as their house overlooks a lovely lake with tame ducks that come up to beg for food.  And I even took my camera!  oh, well.

Back from there to take Smoke to the vet and then back to Latitudes so Luke could once again climb the mast.  And he did --- this isn't a repeat picture, it's a new one!

I threw up from the top the only time I tried climbing the mast, and that was in Luke's smaller sailboat.  SO, I'm exempt from this little chore!

Let me clarify that Luke doesn't exactly shimmy  up the mast when I say he "climbs" the mast.  Oh, no, it's a lot more complicated (and safe) than that.  We rig up a series of safety ropes and he has a bosun's chair to sit in.  I, the Boat Wench, use the Electric Winch to hoist him safely up and down the 59 foot mast.
The wind direction instrument is now replaced and working well.  Luke took pictures from the top.  He says this is the worst way to see the mooring field  LOL!  But it's a great view.

Our plan is to leave Vero tomorrow morning early and do an overnight run to Miami. This will stage us for a hop over to Bimini when the weather is right, probably on Wednesday. The weather is supposed to be calm and mild.  But, his is a sailboat and there are no guarantees.  I'll post when we leave.

Vero Beach 85 degrees...ahhh...

We are safe and snug at our mooring in Vero Beach.  It's warm - very warm.  But that is OK!

The mooring field isn't as full as we've seen it.  Latitudes is fortunate to have a mooring ball all to herself.  That is nice because Smokey can wander around the deck of the boat comfortably (and not wander onto someone else's boat). 

Smoke is delighted to be at a quiet mooring again.  She rewarded herself on this accomplishment by taking a luxurious bath in the sun on the aft hatch.  This morning we were all treated to dolphins fishing next to the boat.  Always fun to watch.  I forgot to take a picture...maybe tomorrow.

The wind indicator is definitely broken (another trip up the mast confirmed that).  The replacement is on order and will arrive Friday for another trip up the mast.  Based on that, our plan right now is to rent a car later today, drive to Lake Worth tomorrow to renew my Local Boater Option with the Coast Guard, go a little further south to Lauderdale to spend the night with friends Ange and Ray, and then return home on Friday morning.

Luke is off right now - first trip in the dinghy this trip!  He's going to the marina to pick up mail, sign in, and get the ever important ice.  I defrosted the freezer this morning (the first of MANY times as the temperature and humidity go up).  Anyway, that gives me plenty of room for ice.

Note the shorts?  We can always wear shorts in Vero!!!

In Cocoa, FL

We waited out the fog yesterday morning in St. Augustine but still made it to New Smyrna Beach in time to meet friends Ret and Joe for dinner.  They own an identical boat to Latitudes, so we ALWAYS have boat stuff to compare!
Today we also waited out the fog but made it to the outskirts of Cocoa, FL. We are simply anchored out for the night, ready to reach Vero Beach tomorrow.  I retrieved Smoke from the anchor and from the railings on the tippy end of the boat this evening.  sigh. 
The wind direction indicator has done itself in...Luke will agin climb the mast on Wednesday to determine if we can repair the stinker or need to order a new part.  Again, sigh.

St. Augustine

Business first - the diving guys showed up on time.  They cleaned the prop, our line cutter, and miscellaneous barnacles from our bottom.  Latitudes runs smoother and a little faster now.

That taken care of, we took the marina's launch (water taxi) into town.  Narrow, beautiful little streets.

Air plants along with other plants, growing happily on the centuries old walls around town.

Luke took this great shot of Flagler College from the fountain across the street at the Lightner Museum.

He is perfecting his panorama picture technique - this is a wonderful view of Flagler Collage.

We got into town in time for lunch at our favorite pizzeria, cheap and wonderfully greasy pizza.  It's a must stop when we go to St. Augustine.  Then as the afternoon wound down, we happened on a little Swedish crepe place on a side street.  Oh, yum.  A crepe with caramel sauce, fried apples, and a wonderful drizzle of some sort.

We caught the 5:30 launch back to Latitudes, but by then fog had set it.  It only got thicker after Luke took this picture of the historic Bridge of Lions.

We were afraid it would derail our plans to go to New Smyrna Beach today, but it only delayed us by an hour.  With some help from current in the right direction, we should be there in time for dinner with friends Ret and Joe.

To St. Augustine

We do like St. Augustine!  It's nice to be back.  Tomorrow we plan to spend the day in town after spending the early morning getting Latitudes' prop cleaned.  That requires a diver and he'll be here around 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Smokey has settled into her curious-cat routine on our slow motor sails down the ICW.  Here we are, watching the endless parade of waterfront houses pass us.

Apparently something in the water caught her interest (she does love to sit on the deck and view her world from outside).  Don't worry  -  see that strip of red around her neck?  That's part of her harness, securely attached to the boat.  She can't go any further than her current vantage point.

Today we passed a Naval repair facility.  Again, a pesky Navy inflatable, flashing blue lights, doing his duty to protect the ship from old people in sailboats.  Yes, I know, we could have been evil-doers, but it still is a little funny.

What a ride we got today from the currents!  Timing is everything - it just happened that we were heading in the same direction as the current most of the day, getting a speed boost of almost 50% at times. On the ICW, it really works well when we pass an inlet to the sea at low tide, or the midway point between two inlets at high tide. We made great time, arriving in  St. Augustine about 2 1/2 hours earlier than I anticipated.  You can see evidence of the current against this red nun (a red buoy).

We are nicely moored for the next two days, looking forward to St. Augustine.

Hurray!!! On the way south!!!

We left Jekyll today!  I really liked the marina and folks there, but it is good to be on our way.

Latitudes, resplendent in her anchor's Christmas wreath, chugging down the ICW.

Smokey remembered the routine immediately.  As soon as the engine started, she bolted for the cockpit.  It didn't take too long before she settled down on any available lap.  She has her little red harness on, just in case, complete with our phone numbers, boat name, and her name.  She also has an ID chip.  She's relaxed now that we are at anchor.  Playing with her toys and sleeping - not a bad life!

Major excitement today was being herded away from a big black balistic missile sub at the Naval Submarine Base at Kings Bay, GA. A small grey Navy inflatable with flashing blue lights placed itself threateningly between us and the sub pen -- we must have looked ominous!

Tonight we are anchored a whopping 40 miles from Jekyll Island, 7 hours of motoring, just north of Jacksonville FL.  The ICW currents are really noteworthy - we had up to +3 kts (great) to - 3 kts (miserable).  It's chilly (50), gray, and overcast.  I'd like to improve on any of the above!  Tomorrow should be about the same, with the sun breaking through later in the day.  We plan tomake it to St. Augustine tomorrow, staying a couple of days.  We like St. Augustine!

Rain....as promised...

And rain it did...

But last year that woud have been ice, so it is OK!
With a rainy day, we decicded to do some inside chores.  Checked the water in the batteries...

Cleaned the bilge

Vaccumed the rugs

Smokey didn't help...she just ate.

Tonight we reviewed the charts and decided how far to go tomorrow and where to anchor for the night,.  We definitely have to take the wind direction into account when finding a suitable place.

 

To bed soon - we have to be ready to cast off and leave our slip at high tide, 9 a.m. tomorrow.  I SURE hope it isn't still raining tomorrow morning!!!