Captain’s Log: Star date: April 30, 2008

At the end of each month Captain Mark will provide me with the following statistics.



To make the entry of these mundane and anal facts more interesting, please remember that this is the time to note Captain Mark’s ponytail. Our goal here is to determine if there is a correlation between the fuel consumed and how quickly the ponytail grows. Please share your thoughts.

Observations

Computers:
For those of you who suffered with me as I entered the nasty world of Windows Vista last fall, I hope you will find this cartoon as appropriate as I did...



Underwear:
Females do not wear underwear in the Keys. It is so hot in the Keys that almost every woman that we saw (except Abby) chose to forgo their bras. I must admit that I find this custom admirable in spirit and comfort but like the majority of women who frequent nude beaches, this is not something that most of us really want to see…but then I am just jealous that I do not have the nerve to partake of this custom in public.




Boating Skills:
As we made our way through Biscayne Bay into Miami, the water was quite choppy with large white caps. Captain Mark looked at me and said "If the waters in Lake Michigan were this rough, you would never have agreed to leave the harbor." He was absolutely correct in this statement but what was amazing was that I did not even give a thought to how rough the seas were as me made our way into Miami. While we have not been caught in The Perfect Storm as yet, we have had our share of bouncing around so far in this trip. At this point I have such confidence in the Lolligag and Mark's ability (as well as mine) to handle the boat that I know that as long as we exercise good judgment and are respectful of the weather that we will be safe. I think this has been the most valuable lesson that I have learned so far in our journey.

Angel Fish Anchorage

We left Plantation Key around 10a as our destination anchorage for this evening was not that far away. Storms are predicted for this afternoon and evening so Captain Mark wanted us to anchor in a well protected area where we would be sheltered as much as possible. Angel Fish Creek turned out to be the perfect location to be in should a storm arise. It is also a spot where boaters gather to await weather conditions that will allow them to cross and catch the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas.


Again today, we traveled in very shallow water along the leeward side of the Keys via the ICW. The day was very hot and humid and you could feel the rain in the air.
Just before we arrived at the Jew Fish Creek Bridge we saw a sign posted in the opposite direction welcoming boaters to the Keys, but we did not see a sign informing us that we were departing the Keys. SO, I made Mark turn around so that I could get a picture of the signing welcoming us to the Keys. We will just have to pretend that it is also thanking us for visiting the Keys.



The bridge tender at the Jew Fish Creek Bridge was darling. She had the most pleasant and cheerful voice and you could just tell that she loved her job. She even came out to wave to us as we passed and tell us how cute she thought the Lolligag is. Unfortunately for boaters, her job will be eliminated in the near future when the new bridge under construction is completed. Hopefully, she will be able to find another bridge opening job.





We kept hearing jet airplanes but we could not see them and then it dawned on us that we were very near the Homestead Air Force Base. As we looked into the sky for the planes, we saw something that neither of us had ever seen before – a circular rainbow. It was truly spectacular and so vivid and beautiful. The pictures that I took simply do not do justice to the rainbow.

We arrived at the anchorage location and the water was so clear that I thought I would try to do some snorkeling. It was amazing that when I lowered the anchor, we could see the entire length of chain – the water was that crystal clear at a depth of approximately ten feet. However, as we looked at the water with a more critical eye, we both saw a very strong tidal current that made me afraid to snorkel without being tethered to the boat. In addition, I also saw more jellyfish than I am comfortable being with in the water, so I put my snorkel gear away for another day.

This anchorage like so many along the Tenn-Tom was wonderfully secluded - so very peaceful, calm and tranquil. Soon after dinner the dark rain clouds started gathering and the rain fell, immediately cooling the evening. It was so wonderful to fall asleep with the rain gently coming down upon the boat.

Hours on the water: 4.5
Nautical miles traveled: 32
Number of bridges need to be open for us: 1
Time spent waiting for bridge openings: 10 minutes
Next Destination: Miamarina in downtown Miami
What we're listening to: Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
What we watched: Dancing with the Stars
Lesson for the day: One is never too old to see the wonder in a rainbow
Obligatory knitting report: Baby Sweater for Maxwell

Two Days at Plantation Key

It was a beautiful and somewhat breezy Sunday morning as we waved goodbye to Abby and baby John to depart the mooring field at Marathon City Marina. Since our very bumpy ride in the Atlantic earlier this week, Captain Mark decided to take the ICW northeast back to the Florida mainland coast. The concern in taking this route is the water depth. The water is very shallow, in fact extremely shallow would be a more accurate description as we were to find out very quickly.

As we left the long Boot Key channel we turned starboard and once again went under the Seven Mile Bridge and entered Florida Bay and the ICW. This time it was not necessary for us to pass under the highest part of the bridge and it was rather fun and exciting to cut through at a lower span of the bridge – it felt like we were being a little rebellious or getting away with something that we should not be doing.

As we made our way north traveling on the leeward side of the Keys, we had a wonderfully calm ride and we found it interesting and a little odd that there were only us and a few tiny fishing boats out on such a beautiful Sunday…The reason became apparent very quickly as the depth alarm started sounding almost constantly. Our draft (depth of the boat under the waterline) is 3.5 feet. Mark had the alarm set at 4.5 feet and we were encountering water levels well below 5 feet and some even below 4 feet. Our charts, both electronic and hard copy, clearly mark the shallow areas so we knew that we would not see any sailboats but it was surprising that we would have the entire ICW channel to ourselves for most of the day.
When we encounter shallow water like this, the conservative and prudent thing to do is to go slow, be cautious and respectful of the conditions. Other than the obnoxious sounding alarm going off every other minute, we were fine in the Nordic. The water was gorgeous, so clear and calm that we could look over the sides of the boat to see the ocean’s floor.

We arrived at Plantation Key Yacht Marina which is undergoing a major renovation. As we travel north this spring we are scouting out places to staying next winter and this location seems wonderful. The renovations should be completed this summer to both the piers and the harbormaster’s office. Plantation Key is the northen most key that is included in the city of Islamorada and I think this would be an ideal location for a month’s stay next winter. Our thought at this time is to stay a month in three places for November, December and January before heading to the Bahamas in early February 2009. There is no shopping in the immediate area so we would probably want to have the pick-em-up truck with us. There is a small but very nice beach, as well as a pool and wonderful city park complete with an amphitheatre within easy walking distance. This has been our most expensive marina so far - $3 per foot per night = $103 per night for our sized boat. If we stay here next winter the cost will be more reasonable as we will pay by the month at a rate of $25 per foot, which is more in line with the other marinas in Florida.

After having been on the mooring ball for over two weeks, it was nice to be in a marina with electricity and water. Like when we were in the Marathon Boat Yard for those few days, it felt wonderful to run the air conditioning and the microwave without running the generator. Sunday evening we savored the air conditioning and watched movies. On Monday we continued our laid back routine and spent the afternoon at the pool. Monday evening we relaxed some more as we Danced with the Stars and then fell asleep under the stars.

Hours on the water: 6
Nautical miles traveled: 40
Number of locks: 0
Time spent waiting at locks: 0
Next Destination: Angel Fish Creek Anchorage
What we're listening to: Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
What we watched: Supersize This and Wordplay = C+ and B+
Lesson for the day: Slow and cautious is always the way to go
Obligatory knitting report: Baby sweater for Maxwell

This and That

Goody: Terry and I were not able to make it to Snook's per your recommendation but I took a picture of it on our way to the fuel dock in Marco.


Eleanor: These are the seashells that we collected in Sanibel.




One cool dude on his way to the dinghy dock.



And maybe someday he can drive the Smorgasboat.





If you take this


and add a wine that only a knitter would drink



while listening to



Radio Free Cuba, you get this


the finished Carol Anderson Tunic sweater



Where we left a whole lot of money


Once there were three men in a tub...I did not take this picture nor was I even in Florida when it was taken, but I love it just the same = P Dock Dudes!!

Meet John and Abby

We were most fortunate to anchor next to Last Paradise while in the mooring field at City Harbor in Marathon. Much to our delight, we met Abby and baby John who live aboard Last Paradise.



John is ten months old and just the cutest and happiest young man ever - and who wouldn't be living on a sailboat!

Captain Mark and I watched with both awe and fascination as Abby expertly maneuvered infant John and all the related baby items into the dinghy each day for trips around the harbor. She did all this with a wonderfully happy attitude and great pride. Captain Jeff (the father) was in the Midwest working so we were not able to meet him on this visit to Marathon. His work speciality is related to fine tuning racing sailboats and I am sure that infant John will be racing sailboats before he is driving.



What impressed Mark and me the most about Abby and Jeff is the way that they have chosen to open the world for infant John. What a wonderful way to grow up and to experience life. How many of us have wished that we could show our children the world but somehow never made it happen...here are two parents who are making sure that their son will indeed see the world and more power to them as parents!


PS Notice the bumper sticker on their boat - just in time for the Indiana primary election next week!!

Marathon

It was two weeks ago today that we arrived at Boot Key Harbor, the city marina for Marathon in the Florida Keys. We attached ourselves to mooring ball K2 and after two weeks, it is beginning to seem like home.

The city of Marathon is unique in that the four or five marinas within the city limits are among the few marinas in the state of Florida that allow live aboard boaters. The state of Florida has become very weird and downright stingy about allowing boaters to live aboard their boats. In their defense, the state and more than a few municipalities have had some really bad experiences with some boaters in the past who have lived on their boats. Examples of these bad behaviors are the total neglect and upkeep of the boats, poor hygiene of the live aboard residents with the improper disposal of waste products both human and hazardous and probably worst of all is the abandonment issue when the boat no longer becomes inhabitable. This is the major reason for the half sunken boats that we have seen along our journey. My first thought was that the boat were just left in place following the hurricanes of the past few years but upon further investigation it seems that many times the boats are stripped of any identification and then just abandoned to rot. It is extremely costly to remove the boats and it seems that the state of Florida can not keep pace with the number of boats that are dumped each year so the answer is to tighten the rules and regulations relating to living aboard one’s vessel.


So back to my main point, now that the snow birds have headed back North, the boaters in Marathon at this time are almost all live aboards. It is certainly an eclectic group of people to say the least. Just at the City Marina, I would say that every socio-economic, age and gender group is represented with sailboats being the predominant vessel of choice. The ratio of boats is probably 80% for sailboats, 17% powerboats and 3% are boats that defy classification. It is very obvious from the crust line of barnacles along the waterline of several boats, that these boats have not been moved in a long, long time.

While the Florida Keys as a whole have a reputation for an alternate life style, Boot Key in the past was known as a safe haven for outlaws. No one asked about one’s past or one’s last name. If one was willing to offer that information, terrific but if not, that was okay as well. Even today, if you spend more than a little time in Boot Key, you begin to sense that this is a place to come to in order to start over. Most everyone that I have met here was from someplace else originally – I have yet to meet anyone who graduated from Marathon High School. While the cost of living is relatively high compared to the Midwest, Boot Key and the city of Marathon is not a wealthy area in stark contrast to Marco Island, Naples and Key West. There is definitely an undercurrent of outlaw pride and alternate lifestyles among the people we have met during our few weeks on Boot Key.

Out and About

As the work was complete at the Marathon Boat Yard, it was time to return to our mooring ball. In order to do this Captain Mark had to turn the Lolligag around and exit the narrow crowded channel back to City Marina. We go through all of our standard exit maneuvers and in my headset I hear Mark say “The bow thruster is not working”. This is a major concern for two reasons: first with boats stacked up on both walls of the narrow marina, Captain Mark could have most definitely used the bow thruster to assist in turning around. Secondly, this is a major component on the boat and should not be malfunctioning.

Calmly and with great ease, Captain Mark turned the boat around without the use of the bow thruster and with nary a screech of panic from me or butterfly in my stomach. This deserves major kudos for Captain Mark because as crew members Jerry and Taras can attest, I have not always been the calmest deck monkey. Captain Mark handles the Lolligag so well now that I have learned to relax and allow him to do whatever needs to be done. I am totally confident that he will get us where we need to go safely and without incident.




We needed fuel ($4.49 a gallon), so while at the fuel dock we checked to see what was wrong with the bow thruster. The bow thruster area is located under our bed in the stateroom which is where I also store yarn. It appears that when we took a bag of yarn out of storage yesterday that we inadvertently tripped the activation switch for the bow thruster. This was easily fixed, much to our great relief.

Since we were out and about, we decided to venture out into the Atlantic to see the seas. The area between the shore and the reef that parallels the Keys about five miles out is called Hawk’s Channel. As one travels north from the Keys there are two options available. You can travel in the Atlantic Ocean via Hawk’s Channel or take the Gulf side of Florida via the Intracoastal Waterway.

So it was that we were in Hawk’s Channel today. The wind was from the east at about 12-17 mph with waves of 3-5 feet. As we traveled northeast and with the waves hitting us pretty much dead on, we were being tossed around way more than we prefer. I made the mistake of going below to make sure that all was secure. Since the waves were coming over the bow, we had all the portholes and the doors closed making the boat extremely hot. While I pride myself on never getting seasick, I lingered too long in the heat and stuffy area of the stateroom. I was not seasick as much as overheated and lightheaded so I laid down on the salon couch for a few minutes. At this point, Captain Mark has decided that we have seen enough of the Atlantic for today and we turned around to head back to Marathon. As soon as we turned around, it was miraculous…now the waves were on our stern. Boat speed went from 7 to 9 knots and we glided through the water like sliding on glass. I was able to open the doors and immediately felt better with the ocean breeze cooling me down. If the winds continue to be from the east, we will take the ICW north from Marathon when we leave on Sunday headed to Plantation Key.

Just another reason to own a Nordic

Upon arriving in Marathon, I noticed that there was a crack in the fiberglass next to the electric windlass on the anchor pulpit. This was not just the spider vein surface type of crack that occurs with age in fiberglass boats, but an honest to goodness crack that I could insert my fingernail into. So Mark called Jay at Bay Breeze Yacht Sales in Traverse City, Michigan where we purchased the boat to see what we should do about this bodily injury to the Lolligag. Jay’s response was immediate and most comforting. He said that we should take the boat to a boat yard of our choice, have the injury fixed, have the boat yard bill Bay Breeze and that he would take care of the necessary Nordic Tug warranty paperwork. What could be easier?

Upon our return from Key West, we took the boat over to the Marathon Boat Yard. From the moment we called to make arrangements to the moment we left the yard, we were taken with the professional manner in which we were treated at the Marathon Boat Yard.

They were still quite busy even though it is the beginning of the off season and therefore it was necessary for us to raft off another boat during our stay in their marina.



This was totally fine with us because while the repair was being done, we had electricity and water which was most refreshing after having been on the mooring ball for ten days.



The job was completed very much to our satisfaction and the anchor pulpit area looks as good as new. We would very much recommend the Marathon Boat Yard as an upstanding and and outstanding facility. It is our plan to return to Marathon in December and will most likely have the boat pulled and maintained here at that time.

Oprah Alert

This Tuesday, April 22nd, our daughter Beth and her good friend, Teresa will be in the audience of the Oprah show. This segment was filmed last week and the topic is Earth Day 2008. The guests are Al Gore, Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock.

Beth said that their seats are located in the front row and that Julia Roberts is just as gorgeous in person as she is in the movies. I hope you have a chance to tape or watch the show. The following is a picture of Beth (the shorter one) and Teresa so that you may identify them and not get them confused with Julia and Sandra.

An Earthquake in Indiana

While on this trip we have missed the major snow storms in Chicago, the torrential rains storms in southern Indiana and now it seems that we missed an earthquake. This morning we received several calls from friends and family to let us know about the 5.2 earthquake that shook most of Illinois and Indiana. While our home was closer to the epicenter than I would like to acknowledge, all is well with hearth and home.