Monday, March 3, 2014
Today, we leave Marathon and motor up the coast towards Miami where we hope to stage our crossing to the Abacos in the Bahamas, weather permitting.
About 8:15 am, the captain fired the engines; turned on the communications, radar, GPS, and marine radio; did a final check, and gave the thumbs up.
After well wishes for smooth sailing, Dream Chaser slipped from her dock at the Boathouse Marina, and made her way back to the silvery blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Hawk Channel. The five weeks have passed quickly, and we are sad to leave. Our friends from the marina including Larry (marina boss) and his crew have made our stay delightful.
We will, also, miss the 9 am morning marine radio broadcast on channel 68 from Boot Key Harbor in Marathon. Broadcasting with volunteers at the mic, newcomers are welcomed, departing boaters are wished godspeed, upcoming events are reported, needs of boaters are addressed, and there is a time of Buy, Sell, Trade, and Give-away. It is a real sense of community among the hundreds of docked, anchored, and moored vessels. It’s also rather entertaining to hear what's going on.
Temps are in the 70’s with a few clouds in the blue sky above, and good weather is predicted. As the sun rises higher in the sky the water changes from a silvery blue to an aquamarine.
As we motor up Hawk Channel in 1-2 ft. waves, we are shaking off the barnacles of dock living, leaving our established zone of comfort and predictability, and gearing up for the adventures which lie ahead!
The first five hours of motoring on the Atlantic were a bit uncomfortable with short choppy three ft. waves creating a lot of bumps. (We ate very little this morning.) It was a relief to stop and walk around when we filled Dream Chaser’s diesel tanks at Caloosa Marina on Islamorada.
With Dream Chaser back on track and Steve napping in the cabin below, Mary kicked back in the captain’s chair (in the upper helm) with an iced drink in hand and took over the controls. The perfect afternoon!
Dream Chaser motored passed the towns of Islamorada and Tavernier. At about 6 pm, we found a great anchorage in Tarpon Basin on the edge of Key Largo. The sunset (see below) was spectacular, as we enjoyed our salads with baked chicken and cowboy baked beans.
Darkness fell heavily with only a crescent smile from the moon. In the distance over the mangroves, to one side of Dream Chaser, the Miami city lights glowed, and on the other side were the lights of Key Largo. The stars competed for attention!
Loopers' midnight is 9 pm, so with our navigational lights on and no looper friends to visit, we called it a night.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
After a restful night, we woke to the stillness of Tarpon Basin. Steve was up early for the sunrise and enjoyed the spectacle as it unfolded.
Weather couldn’t be better with bright
sun, scattered light clouds, a cool breeze,
and temps in the low 80’s. We’ve seen a
few boats along the way, but none with
looper flags.
This catamaran sailboat, on the right,
looks like it would be a lot of fun and
perfect for these large bays- provided
there is wind.
Passing under Key Largo Bridge was an interesting experience because we've driven over this bridge many times looking down at boats passing underneath- never thinking WE would be THERE.
We’re slow moving at 8.6 mph, but it gives us an opportunity to see the dolphins in the bay, osprey nests along the channels, and egrets standing watch along the shore. Lovin’ it!
About 11 am with tunes streaming from the upper helm, we enjoyed bowls of homemade chicken soup with crackers and Key Lime pie as we motored 20 miles across Key Biscayne Bay.
At about 2:30 pm, we pulled into Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park and docked Dream Chaser in No Name Harbor in Key Biscayne FL. (See above) After securing the lines, we decided to take our one mile walk along the shaded walking/biking path in the park before eating. Great park!
At the end of the path is the Cape Florida Lighthouse, refurbished and picturesque!
Along the path, there was an information plaque that told about the remaining seven buildings that hover above the water one mile south of Cape Florida on the edge of Biscayne Bay. (See below) Stiltsville, named for a group of wooden houses built on stilts on sand banks, got it's start in the 1930's when Crawfish Eddie built a bait shop (and gambling facility) one mile off shore and fishermen began building fishing shacks. More structures (27 in all) popped up including the Calvert Club. In its heyday, Stiltsville was the place to frequent by fishermen, boaters, club-goers, politicians, and people of influence. Hurricanes (including Betsy in 1965 and Andrew in 1992) have caused considerable damage over the years. These remaining seven structures really get your attention as you near Miami! They are now part of the park system, and you can see the silhouettes in this unique area, but they are not accessible. Very unusual!
Also-for a period of time, this island served as a secret meeting place and port for runaway slaves and Black Seminoles waiting to rendezvous with sea captains or to board dugouts for passage to safety in the British Bahamas. There are, also, stories about the harbor being a hideaway for pirates.
Our late lunch about 3:30 pm was at Boater’s Grill, a little Cuban spot right on No Name Harbor. This raised wooden building with outside deck was packed with people enjoying the cool breeze and fresh seafood on this warm afternoon. We can speak from experience that the grilled Florida lobster topped with shrimp creole, shrimp aospada (paella with rice), and the iced cafe con leche is a definite...YES! The perfect spot for sailors and boaters!
Our free anchorage for tonight was at Marine Stadium Harbor in Miami which Dream Chaser is just entering, in the picture below. Hmmmm, what looks like a good spot? Remember to consider water depth-so we aren't resting on mud in the morning from the tide going out. Think about space from other boats-the boats swing around during the night with wind changes and tidal movement. We could not anchor near the outside edges due to boats rowing the perimeter of the harbor. Finally, we found the spot, and the anchor set in the sand!
In the daylight, we were entertained by paddle boarders near the entrance of the harbor and teams of racing boats circling the harbor. After dark, it was the cheers from the soccer games nearby.
This is our view of Miami from our anchorage in Marine Stadium Harbor...during the day.
This is our amazing view of Miami from our anchorage...during the sunset at night. Breathtaking!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
We woke to cloudy skies and temps in the 70’s (80‘s predicted later) and this was our view of Miami.
Mary glanced out the starboard side window of Dream Chaser and was surprised to see a 19 ft. Hobie catamaran drifting by without anyone on board. It must have broken lose during the morning rainstorm or perhaps had some “help” to launch into the bay. We called the Coast Guard and then watched as the Hobie worked its way to the end of the bay- managing to avoid eight anchored boats along the way. We didn't see the Hobie as we left, so it must have been collected.
Today's theme was “Motoring Through Miami”.
Initially, Miami was an area of jungle swamps until Henry Flagler and others had a vision of what it could be. What a vision! Apparently, air-conditioning is what brought growth of the masses of people and businesses into the area. Miami has grown into a major city which we have visited numerous times, so this trip we wanted to see Miami from the water.
We pulled the anchor and motored out of Marine Stadium Harbor with views of Miami all around us.
When our kids were young, we toured Florida and the Miami area as a family and made a special visit to the Hard Rock Cafe to buy our daughter a T-shirt for her collection. Remember, Ari?
In the picture below, the "Thrill", a high speed boat looks enticing flying across the water. If you look below, you will see that there is a price to pay for speed...... a trip to the gas pumps! We are happy going 8.6 and listening to the hum of our diesels!
Soon after, we SLOWLY entered an area of frequent shoaling with 6 ft. shallows. Boaters were enjoying this shallow water and there were parties going on including a floating snack shop! The picture doesn't show the people "working on tans" and the boats spread out all over the sandbar.
As we followed the ICW north, we passed under numerous bridges and motored by very beautiful (Italian inspired) homes with skyscrapers behind them.
Our anchorage for the night was only five miles from Duffey’s, so by 4 pm we pulled into South Lake, a little bay surrounded by nice homes in Hollywood, FL. The sunset blazed behind the palm trees as we settled Dream Chaser for the night.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Oh, what a beautiful morning...Oh, what a beautiful day...glorious sunshine...temps in 70’s..birds chirping! Our friend, Bob, from Field Trip told us about this wonderful spot in South Lake.
For those of you from Minneapolis, imagine waking up and being the only boat in the middle of a small Lake Calhoun in July. We are anchored in the middle of this little lake in a residential area with beautiful houses edging the shore and people out walking their dogs, biking, or running along the walkway. Really cool!
After breakfast about 9 am, we pulled anchor and exited South Lake staying to the north side of the channel. Loopers take note: it is shallow in the middle of the channel!
Dream Chaser slipped back into the ICW and headed north. One of the great advantages to our boat (it was on our list of boat requirements) is the ability to fold the mast down to decrease our height from 22’ to 14’. Many bridges on the ICW through Miami and Ft. Lauderdale have a clearance of 19-22 ft., so if your boat is taller than that, you wait up to 30 minutes for the bridge to raise and then pass under. Dream Chaser motors right under and on to the next. Hurray!
Many cruise boats depart from Port Everglades, and they seem monstrous as we motor by.
There are areas with breathtakingly beautiful homes along the ICW!
Ft. Lauderdale has 270 miles of canals thanks to one of South Florida's rich land developers, Charles Rodes. He envisioned the area as a "Venice of America" turning miles of jungle into waterfront property. About noon, we turned and motored down one of these canals called New River to our dockage at Cooley's Landing, a city marina in Ft. Lauderdale. This marine facility was named after one of the city's founding settlers and is part of the old historic Ft. Lauderdale.
The docks are at the site of Old Fort Lauderdale Village at the intersection of New River and the Florida East Coast Railway. There are 4 historic houses on the property including the 1905 New River Inn and the 1905 home of Philemon N. Bryant. Mr. Bryant was asked by Henry Flagler to build the railway section from New River to Pompano, FL. In 1894, Mr. Bryant and his two sons brought 400 African American workers from New Smyrna to build the railbed. As a result Mr. Bryant and his sons received land on either side of the railway which later became downtown Ft. Lauderdale.
Dream Chaser slipped quietly into her slot next to a 44' Hunter sailboat, Express Mail, owned by Diane and Michael from New Jersey. They have company on board, Beamer, their two year old pekingese. He is the most well-behaved dog we have seen so far on this trip. Adorable!
Diane and Michael filled us in on all the sights nearby and the location of the closest Publix (grocery store). We were entertained just watching the boats of all kinds and sizes motor down the canal by our dock-some in party mode with music floating through the air. Small boats and yachts up to 200’ (with tow boats on each end) easily maneuver the narrow channel of New River. With the temp at 82, high humidity, and storms expected by this afternoon, the air conditioning went on.
Ft. Lauderdale is know for it’s big boats! It is reported that from Ft. Lauderdale on south, "the boats get bigger and the wives get younger". If you need anything done on your boat, Ft Lauderdale is the place to have it done-repairs, upgrades, supplies, and parts. We don’t have any major boat needs, but we are looking for some boating guides.
About 2:30 pm, Scott, a friend from the Bayfield, WI area, picked us up for lunch and took us to the Downtowner Saloon, a slice of old Ft. Lauderdale by New River.
It has old bar atmosphere (the building is almost 90 years old), and you can enjoy great shrimp tacos and watch the boats go by. Scott is the boat captain for a yacht receiving work in Ft. Lauderdale. Last Spring, we trained with Scott before leaving on our AGLCA loop trip.
After lunch, Scott gave us a tour of Las Olas Boulevard which is similar to El Paseo in Palm Desert or Rodeo Drive in Hollywood with high end restaurants and shops. We visited boating stores like the Bluewater Books and Charts, West Marine, McDonald’s Hardware, and Boat Owner’s Warehouse. Rain was predicted and a cold front moved through dumping some rain, but was over quickly and resulted in cool, comfortable temps.
Tonight, our two mile walk took us on the Riverwalk along the banks of New River, by the Broward Performing Arts Center, the I-Max, and along Las Olas Boulevard.
This "Touch of Venice", above, is available for a romantic boat ride on New River. Due to the rainy weather, there were no takers for tonight, but the weekend is coming!
Friday, March 7, 2014
We woke up this morning and still haven't decided if we will be able to cross to the Abacos in the Bahamas. We need a good weather window to cross and don't have time to sit around and wait for days. The seasoned sailors say that you do not cross if the winds blowing have an "n" in them- "north" anything. We are watching the weather intently and will be making a decision very soon.
At this point, there are two sailboats, another trawler, and Dream Chaser planning to leave on Monday or Tuesday of next week. Time will tell.
Our day consisted of errands, organization, and dinner at Briny's Restaurant, an Irish Pub, on the Riverwalk. Tomorrow, we will be motoring 40 miles to Lake Worth and docking at Rybovich Marine Center in Riviera Beach, FL. Dream Chaser will be the little sister to the yachts in that marina! Lake Worth is one of the staging areas for crossings to the Bahamas.
The sights have changed.
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