I ask that you forgive my grammatical mistakes; I pray that Mrs. Wieman is not reading this somewhere in heaven. She would applaud my persistence, but reprimand me for so many mistakes in my haste to get our activities post on the blog.
We were told constantly from other sailors that the islands and waters in the Exumas were more beautiful than the Abacos. We find that hard to believe so we, I mean Steve, began charting and plotting our 2009 trip. Even though we live “at the beach,” January and February are pretty dreary months, leaving time to dream about warmer climates and spending time on Little Wing. It was decided that Steve would leave mid February with a crew of three, sailing to Marathon, then I would flying down the first of March. I just couldn’t miss my grandson, Jacob’s 1st Birthday Party in Birmingham.
Steve spent all January getting the boat ready for our three months of cruising, checking off his list each of his projects when they were finished. The boat had to be hauled out for a bottom painting job and to have service done on the prop, which meant a trip to Eastern Shore Marina at Fly Creek in Fairhope. The weather was particularly cold and rainy this year, making the departure difficult to schedule. Steve was still completing projects right up until the day they departed. After a quick trip home to Birmingham to visit with parents and children, Steve decided to set sail on Monday, February 16. We did a last minute cleaning job of the boat before we began loading all the provisions and equipment. We had three buggies full of groceries and supplies from WalMart on our first trip and we made several more trips before we finally finished. We kept telling ourselves that we might not be able to get these things in the islands so we did not want to run out. Three months is a long time away from WalMart! Steve, Ken and Mike went back to WalMart for their groceries and supplies on Sunday morning. One last project needed to be checked off the list; climbing the mast to replace the steaming light. I have included a picture of Steve being hoisted up the mast by his crewmates, Ken Rollins, Charley Stewart, and Mike Darden (all Sailboat Bay owners) to replace the steamer bulb. Boy, you really have to put a lot of trust in your crew with this project. Thank goodness he only had to go as far as the spreader and not all the way to the top.
The guys gear was stowed for the trip and they pulled away from the slip at Sailboat Bay around 8:00 am Monday morning, with the boat scraping bottom all the way out the canal. I couldn’t help but wonder what lay ahead for four happy sailors and how excited Steve is now that he has started on this sailing adventure.
The passage from Sailboat Bay to Marathon was dictated to me while we waiting for our weather window to make the crossing.
We proceeded down the Inter Coastal Waterway (ICW) almost four hours arriving at the pass at Pensacola around 2:00 pm. We decided to set a course to Clearwater with an option of stopping at Port St. Joe if the weather was not favorable. The wind was out of the north creating a good point of sail, allowing us to make good time along the coast. Due to a predicted cold weather front coming, we decided to make Clearwater as soon as possible.
Each crewmember would take a two hour watch throughout the run. It was easy for me to rest off watch with a very experienced crew in control. 
Charley Stewart on watch.An interesting situation occurred during the second night. We were approximately 80 miles from Clearwater when we saw a red flare in the sky. Then we saw a second and third red flare. By this time we decided it was time to contact the coast guard. Countless questions were asked by them: What color was the flare? How high in the sky was it? What distance from our boat was it? Over the next hour we probably saw close to 20 red flares, but the coast guard seemed quite unconcerned, in our opinion, so we decided to investigate the situation by heading toward the approximate location where we saw the flares. We found NOTHING that would have released the flares and no one in distress. We then contacted the coast guard again and they instructed us to resume our course. We surmised the excitement might be some type of covert military exercise and they didn’t want “us” Alabama sailors anywhere around! We carried on our course.
Ken Rollins on the lookout.On Wednesday, approximately 3:00 pm, we pulled into Clearwater, 56 hours after departing Sailboat Bay. Before motoring into our slip at Clearwater City Marina, we filled the fuel tank, surprised that fuel was $1.62 a gallon.
After good night’s sleep on Thursday night, we pulled out of Clearwater at daylight, heading out the channel in very rough water until we headed south. Once out in the gulf, the wind and waves were behind us giving us a great day of sailing. With the wind blowing 20 knots or more, we did the math and figured it would take us two full days to get to Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas National Park. We all agreed to GO! It was a beautiful sunny day, but still pretty cool, in the 50’s with beautiful green turquoise ocean water for sailing. We saw several ships and ocean going barges, but no other pleasure crafts, just we idiots, but, we were making excellent time. For those non sailors, having a following sea (waves coming at you from the stern/rear) is the hardest point of sail to maintain your course. As the seas overtake you, you slide off the front and the boat wants to wander in several directions. Luckily, “Ray,” our trusty auto pilot, is an amazing piece of equipment, keeping us on course without saying a word. If we had hand stirred the boat it would have been a brutal two days. The day went by quickly. I only remember that Mike concocted some jazzed up beef stew. I can only say it was hot and ……… we ate it. Sleep was impossible in the forward bunk that night, so I moved to the bunk of the person on watch. Like “musical bunks” all night! We made excellent time through the night, as the winds clocked around to the east forcing a beam reach. This is Little Wings favorite point of sail. (This is when the wind is coming in straight from the side and usually the fastest point of sail.) The next morning we did the math again and decided if we kept going at maximum speed, over 7 knots, we could possibly make landfall before dark. Getting to an unfamiliar channel in the middle of the night, in shallow water, is not an option. We cranked the engine, getting our speed over 7 knots. The seas were large, probably 6-8 foot waves, with occasional 10 footers. But we all marveled how Little Wing shouldered through the seas.
We calculated our arrival time to be before dark, based on maintaining our speed. Land was sited at approximately 6:30 pm; we made the complicated approach and slowly maneuvered between shoals and sandbars, finally reaching the channel and finding a spot to anchor in the small anchorage at Fort Jefferson. We traveled 230 miles from Clearwater to Dry Tortugas National Park, averaging a little less than 7 knots an hour. What a trip! Sometimes you win…sometimes things go your way! There were only two fishing boats in the anchorage with us.
The old Fort at sunset was quite an erry scene. We had a sundowner and congratulated each other for quite a feat. We all crashed soon after dinner. The next morning it was breezy but we were in protected water and were not concerned. The water here is the most brilliant blue turquoise, much like you find in Bahamas or in the Caribbean Islands. Charley went to stick his foot in the water to check the temperature, jumping back when he saw a huge unknown fish. We all scrambled to get a look. It was very large and had this odd tailfin leading us to initially believe it was a manatee. I pulled out the “Sport Fish of the Gulf Of Mexico” book to look up the species. They were Jew fish, which are giant grouper and are a protected species. Four or five more showed up and we assumed because they were so friendly they were looking for food. 
After a good breakfast, we inflated the dinghy, lowered the outboard motor onto the dinghy, and road into the dinghy dock at Fort Jefferson.
The Captain and his crew.
Ponce de Leon discovered these islands in 1513, calling them Las Tortugas, meaning “the turtles” for the great number of turtles found here. The later name Dry Tortugas, was meant to advise seafarers that the islands contain no fresh water. Around 1845, the United States began construction on Fort Jefferson to control navigation into the Gulf of Mexico and protect Atlantic-bound Mississippi trade. The construction lasted over 20 years and is one of the largest brick forts constructed, with over 4 million bricks hauled in.
One of the most famous people connected to the fort/prison is Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was convicted of aiding or treating John Wilkes Booth’s broken leg. But later, I understand, he was pardoned. We toured the Fort, finding amazing examples of old canons and other equipment used during that time period. We highly recommend you visit either by sailboat or by taking the high speed ferry from Key West every day. 
We were glad the weather permitted digging out our t-shirts and shorts. We spent part of the afternoon cleaning the boat then Ken and I took the dinghy to Loggerhead Key, about 3 miles north of Fort Jefferson. There is a huge lighthouse on the Cay and a pristine, secluded beach that we enjoyed. Getting there was easy but on the way back, the wind increased causing a two foot chop and making the trip back to Little Wing a “wet ride.” It took an hour to get back. Since we hadn’t eaten very well for a few days, I grilled chicken breast, heated a can of baked beans, prepared wild rice, and grilled French bread. 
During the night the wind blew over 20 knots, causing the anchor line to creak and strain. I decided we needed to start an “anchor watch” at midnight, with everyone taking an hour watch. The anchor held and the captain slept!
Because it was 70 plus miles to Key West, we felt it necessary to leave at first light. Dressed in foul weather gear for the long slog to windward, which means the wind was from the east, made for a long day. We picked our way through the shoals and coral heads to deeper water and set a course to Key West. The middle of the day, we passed the Marquesas Keys, where Mel Fisher found The Atocha ship, the largest treasure ever found on a sunken Spanish Galleon. At first sight, we saw large cruise ships docked in Key West. Once we were in phone range, we called to secure a slip in Key West Bight at City Marina. Motoring into Key West around 6:00 pm, at sunset affords you the opportunity to meet beautiful old schooners going out for their sunset cruise. You also pass huge cruise liners making their way out of the area.
As we entered the boat slip, several guys on dockside helped us get the boat into the slip and tie up. It’s always a “small world.” After talking with the guys, we found out they knew a guy at Sailboat Bay. Ken knew him and called him on the phone so they could chat. We cleaned the boat from all the salt spray, showered and headed out to dinner at Half-Shell Raw Bar. After walking through the marinas in the area, we turned in early.
On Tuesday, Charley got up early to run around Key West, as this was his first visit. The guys went for breakfast while I did my laundry. We all scattered for the morning and agreed to meet at Sloppy Joe’s Bar for lunch. I went to the Customs and Immigration Office to check on requirements to preregister us for our return into the US after our stay in the Bahamas. I finally found the “official building” were a gentleman stood guard at the door wearing a dark suit and dark sunglasses. At the door a large sign read, “no cell phones allowed. “ I asked if I should take my cell phone back to the boat, but he suggested I turn it off and hide it in the bushes. I wonder how many times he has given that response. I questioned this action, but I assumed he would keep a look out for it, and I sure did not want to dispute his suggestion! After entering the building, I had to empty all my pockets and state my business. After going through the metal detector, I was allowed to enter the empty customs office, waiting at least five minutes for a very large officer appearing at the window asking what I wanted. (They really know how to intimidate a guy!) I filled out the necessary paperwork and informed him of our intentions; he then took our passports and disappeared for 15 minutes. All I received from this “official visit” was a phone number written on a scrap piece of paper. He said, “Call this number when you get back to the United States.” I asked him if we would be able to handle this over the phone, he said, “depends.” Then he left. I turned and headed to the door and sure enough, my phone was still in the bushes. I thanked the non-smiling guard.
Sloppy Joe’s Bar was packed so we went to an Irish pub about three doors down where we enjoyed drinking Irish beer. We walked to the Southern Most Point Park for a picture taking session with Charley in front of the monument.
We continued our tour of the area ending up at Fogerty’s and enjoyed an excellent meal. Later that day we walked to Mallory Park for the famous sunset watching, which is a local custom with hundreds of people milling around. Now that large cruise ships are coming into this area, they are required to be gone by sunset or early evening in order for this local tradition to continue. Today, just happens to be Fat Tuesday, so everyone is celebrating. Check out the picture of Charley made with the store models.
We lost Mike in the melee and we are still not sure where he went. We never saw him again until we got back to the boat. We had dinner at Schooner’s, a unique restaurant reminiscent of old key west, were dogs and roosters have the run of the place and you always see a strange cast of characters hanging out. Wannabe Pirates, I mean guys with patches on their eyes, parrots hanging out, dogs begging for food, and of course your interesting tourists are visible everywhere. Afterwards, we walked around looking at all the old ships until we arrived back at our marina. 
We departed Key West around 8:00 am the next morning in route to Marathon, about 60 miles, which makes for a pretty long day of sailing. As we headed northeast out to Hawk Channel, the wind was “on the nose” so we couldn’t sail. But it was a beautiful, warm day and we enjoyed the ride as well as the fighter jets flying overhead fairly low. Finally we pulled in to a slip at Marathon Marina around 5:00 pm. I wanted to make contact with Frank and Barbara, a couple we were trying to catch up with while in the Exumas, before they left Boot Key Harbor the next day. Hastily, I put the dinghy in the water to take off to Boot Key harbor; the sun was setting and getting late. As I was approaching the bridge, the Florida water patrol flagged me down, and told me I was speeding in my dinghy. They wanted to see my registration numbers, which I didn’t have; wanted to see my drivers’ licenses, which I didn’t have; but, I did have my personal floatation device and my orange whistle! They let me slide. As I entered Boot Key Harbor, I saw over two hundred sailboats, so the changes of me finding one particular sailboat in the dark was not good, so I returned to Little Wing. The guys decided to go to Frosty’s for dinner, which is a restaurant in walking distance to the marina.
Our arrangements for the next day were for Charley to get the rental car and Mike and Ken would help me get anchored in Boot Key Harbor because there were no available moorings. After we anchored, I took the guys into the dock at City Marina to meet Charley with the rental car for their trip to Gulf Shores. While there, I put Little Wing on the list for a mooring ball.
My crew and I shared a lot of jokes and tales and I truly enjoyed the comradely for the last 10 days with them. Judy and I are grateful to them for accepting the invitation to sail to Marathon with me so she could stay in Alabama and attend her grandson’s 1st Birthday party. Thanks Guys!
I located Frank and Barb later in the morning and found they put their departure off one day because of the weather. He was able to assist me with the mooring ball late Thursday and we spent a little time looking at charts and discussing our journey. Friday, they departed and I started deep cleaning the boat, defrosting the freezer, cleaning the head, etc. for Judy’s arrival on Tuesday. Saturday, I got off the boat and walked to Publix and Boaters World to get a little exercise and some provisions. Sunday, a cold front came through with high winds, but there was no problem in the marina. I continued working on projects until Judy arrived Tuesday.
My(Judy) trip to Marathon.
I departed Birmingham for Gulf Shores on Sunday afternoon, as soon as Catherine, Josh, and Jacob left Emily’s for Memphis. Snow was still on the ground, but the roads were clear, making the trip south more enjoyable. I had much to do to get packed and ready to fly to Miami on Tuesday.
The flight to Miami and the two hour drive to Marathon were uneventful. I stopped at the local Papa’s Pizza in Marathon for our dinner, before arriving to the City Marina, where Steve would meet me at the dinghy dock. We enjoyed the sunset, one of many we would watch while waiting for the right weather window to make the Gulf Stream crossing. Plans were made to get provisions at Publix the next morning, before I took the rental car back to the local airport.
Boot Key Harbor, formerly the heart of the city’s commercial fishing industry, is the largest mooring field in the country, with 226 mooring balls.
The mooring community offers valuable amenities; free Internet access, laundry facilities, free dinghy dockage, West Marine, Boaters World, boat repair shops and grocery shopping in walking distance; free pump out, tennis courts, restaurants on the water, and a friendly community of boaters. Each morning at 9:00 am on Channel 68, the Cruiser’s Net broadcast includes a weather forecast, new arrivals and departing boaters, announcements, comments, questions, help and trivia. It is quite entertaining in the morning. It is like “Craigslist” on the radio. This is a friendly community of boaters offering to assist others in all types of matters.
Based on the long range weather forecast, we were not expecting to get out of Boot Key until next week at the latest. The easterly winds were blowing pretty hard, the temperature was chilly both day and night and no one was venturing out in the Gulf Stream. I spent the time lazing around reading and helping Steve with a few projects on the boat. The generator was not operating as it should so Steve had a repair guy out to diagnosis the problem. We thought it was repaired but after running it for the first time, the problem still existed. Steve decided to wait until we meet up with Frank since he is an experienced mechanic. We spent one day walking to West Marine then on to Castaways and Burdines, which is probably 3 miles one way from the boat. Of course, we needed the exercise after sitting around on the boat for so long.
Plans were to ride the dinghy to Castaways on Sunday night for dinner. Since the time changes on Saturday night, we would have enough time to eat an early dinner and get back to the boat before dark, as we did not have a light on the dinghy. On the ride to the restaurant, we encountered the patrol boat again. Several days ago, we lost one of our plates that had the dinghy registration numbers and decal sticker, in the dinghy docks at City Marina. Steve thought he could retrieve it with a long boaters hook and net but found out from the marine dockmaster that the water was over 30 feet deep. Steve took the other plate off and laid it in the bottom of the dinghy so we wouldn’t lose it too. I am sure the water patrol would love to give us a ticket for lack of registration! Back to the water patrolman. When we first saw him, Steve immediately gave me the plate and I hand-held it to the side of the dinghy hoping he had not seen my sly move. He slowly rode close by, I waved with my other hand (my Miss America wave and gave him a big smile) and he passed without stopping. Another day in paradise!
We spent one of our afternoons waiting to do one load of laundry in the City Marina laundry facility. The marina office is one big room, much like a large airplane hanger, with a 20 foot plus ceiling. This room includes; two TV watching stations, an Internet station, a library with shelves of books for you to “borrow,” a buddy boat board for boaters to sign up stating where they are headed so you can contact each other and travel together, the official marina office, pamphlets and travel guides everywhere, and tables for you to play scrabble, chess, or other board games.
Why we chose Monday to do the laundry; never again! There are three washing machines and four dryers. You purchase a card, much like a credit card, with the amount you wish to spend based on your laundry needs. Wash $2, dry $1. When we arrived there was already a line for the washing machines. The unstated order or “your turn” is to line up your washing and wait until the person in front of you has finished. Unfortunately, the person in front of us had a large cart that was overflowing with dirty clothes. I knew we would be there for a long time. She had at least 3 loads. I sat at the Internet table checking emails while Steve watched the laundry line. One young guy comes bounding in with his tiny laundry basket thinking he is just going to sit it down in front of a washing machine and skip the waiting line. Steve alerts me and I take over the watch! Once the lady with the large cart is finished loading her last load, I keep my eyes on the young guy for his first move. He isn’t going to get a head of us! Now, we have been waiting over two hours for the washing machine. When the 45 minute wash cycle is down to 3 minutes, I get up and move over to our laundry bag and move it to the front of the machine that is almost finished. The young guy gets up also and comes over to inspect what I am doing. I casually make mention that I have been waiting for over two hours and that I saw him come in with only a small load, knowing that it would be a long wait for him as it has been for me. Luckily, we both only had one load and he knew that another wash was almost over. When I returned to the table where Steve was sitting, he said he hoped that I was not going to get into a fight with the guy over the washing machines. Everything was cool. My only mistake was putting the dryer money in the upper machine instead of the lower machine where my clothes were. When the lady with clothes in the upper machine realized this mistake she kindly removed her clothes so I could swap my clothes to where I had paid. (She said her cycle only had 2 minutes the last time she looked.) Life in the laundry room! So much pressure!!!!! Another 45 minutes and we were ready to head back to the boat for our afternoon sunset sundowner. I needed it!
We hear on the Cruiser’s Net of an Island Packet boat owners’ gathering at the Dock Side Restaurant for lunch Tuesday so Steve adds it to our “busy” calendar of events for the week! Each day we Steve looked at the weather forecast and would postpone the departure another. We are looking for southeasterly winds for our sail up the Atlantic coast to Rodriguez Cay then possibly on to Angel Fish Creek before to made the Gulf Stream Crossing.
Steve decided to depart tomorrow, Thursday, March 12, for Rodriguez Key.
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