February 12, 2006 Sunday

We left our dock in Punta Gorda, Florida at 1:35 p.m. We entered Charlotte Harbor at Ponce de Leon Park at 2:35p.m. We are headed for Cayo Casta which is 20 miles away.

We left the dock later in the day than we had hoped. That was O.K. because we had a surprise visit that morning from B.J. Hoete. B.J. is a friend of ours from St. Louis. He is working in Tampa, Florida and he drove down to Punta Gorda to see us off. There was also a condo for sale in our complex and we wanted to go to the open house they were having.

It was very cold . The temperature is in the 50’s. There is a north wind so I am sure the chill factor is much lower than 50. It is in the mid 60’s in the boat so I am pretty comfortable inside the cabin--so far.

I fixed hot dogs for lunch and handed them outside for Denny and Kay to eat. I have a great view from inside the boat so I saw no reason for me to set on the deck in the cold wind. I told them to yell in if they needed me. We motored with the head sail up.

We had been in Punta Gorda for 21 and a half days. We stayed in our condo till our winter renter came on Feb. 8^th and then we moved to our boat at the dock. In those 21 days Denny and Kay installed a water maker, radar, and did numerous repairs on the boat and on the sails. We also had a few visitors. Bob and Diane Falk came by and took us to dinner one night. Bob Snyder also came down from St. Louis and spent a couple of days helping us with things on the boat. Bob was a big help to me because he entertained Kay and Denny while I cleaned the condo to get it ready for the winter renters.

We arrived at Cayo Costa at 5:40 p.m. Kay (aka Anchor Boy) put out the anchor and we settled in for the night. The cabin stayed in the mid 60’s while I was cooking supper but it dropped down into the mid 50’s inside during the night. We were very comfortable in our beds under the blankets but it was cold when we woke up in the morning.

One of the things that surprised us about Cayo Costa is the fact that we could get on line in our boat. This was a national park . We did not expect anyone to have wireless anywhere close to this place.

February 13, 2006 Monday

We left Cayo Costa headed for Key West, Florida.

Kay (aka Anchor Boy) pulled up the anchor at 9:15 a.m. We saw dolphins swimming next to our boat soon after we left. I took some Dramamine but it was too late. We really bounced around coming out of Charlotte Harbor into the Gulf (Boco Grand Pass). Things were flying around the cabin of the boat and I was trying to catch them before they hit the floor. Results- sea sickness in my case it is usually sea nausea. In desperation ,I put one of Bob Ohlson’s sea sick patches behind my ear. I was able to cook the meals but I spent a lot of time sleeping . I slept all night while Kay and Denny took turns standing watch. It was a cold night for them.

February 14, 2006 Tuesday

Happy Valentines Day. I woke up about 8:30 a.m. Denny was asleep at the table and Kay was at the Helm. I felt pretty good since I got all of that sleep, but I took more Dramamine just in case. We arrived at Key West , Florida around 3:40 p.m. It was a beautiful sunny day . Denny had ran the engines for a while before we anchored so we knew we would have hot water for showers. We didn’t go ashore that evening. We all took showers , grilled some chicken, ate and went to bed.

February 15, 2006 Wednesday

We dinghied into Key West today. It was free to anchor or boat but it cost $5.50 a day to leave your dinghy at the dinghy dock. The first place we went was the Kleen and Wash to wash all of our dirty cloths. Denny and I walked around town while Kay stayed with the laundry, read the paper and rested his healing foot. We went back to the dinghy with the clean cloths . Denny took them back to the boat while Kay and I waited at the dock. The dock in Key West has all kinds of bars/restaurants and shops along it. When Denny came back, we proceeded to drink and shop our way down Duval street. Later in the day we walked to Mallory Square to watch the entertainers set up their acts. We went back to the boat before sunset because we forgot to bring the dinghy light. We ate supper on the boat and took pictures of the sunset. It was a beautiful night.

February 16, 2006 Thursday

We all ate breakfast about 8:00 a.m. and prepared to go to shore again today. This time we took our computers in to find a place to get on line. We dinghied in, paid our $5.50, and walked into town. We found a Key lime Pie shop called the Blond Giraffe on Front street. You can get on line here while you drink coffee , soda, or eat pie. This was a very comfortable place to e-mail friends and loved ones to let them know we were well and doing fine in this nice sunny upper 70’s degree weather. We stayed in the pie shop about an hour and then walked back to the dinghy dock. Kay took our laptops back to the boat while Denny and I waited at the dock. When Kay returned we split up. I went in all the shops on Duval Street while Kay and Denny bar hopped. This town reminds me of New Orleans only cleaner. We planned a time and a place to meet up later. We then proceeded down to Mallory square to watch the sun set. We remembered we forgot the dingy light again so we had to leave to get back to the boat. I stopped by the pier grocery store to pick up a few things and we climbed into the dinghy and headed for the boat. We took more pictures of the sun set, ate supper and went to bed.

February 17, 2006 Friday

I woke up around 8:00 a.m. We ate breakfast. We usually eat cold cereal or oatmeal. I tried to organize my cloths better so I could find what I needed more easily. I have brought way to many cloths. Denny and Kay worked on the single side band radio. I had time to put my bathing suit on and lay on the deck for a while. The water is beautiful here. We ate lunch and then decided to take our computers back in town to check our e-mail. Kay also wanted to check out something about our stereo system. The speakers inside aren’t working any more.

We dinghied into the dinghy dock, paid our $5.50, and headed to town. Kay and I went on ahead to the Key Line Pie/ Internet store, while Denny made his usually stop at the hardware store or West Marine. I just love the coffee in the Key Lime Pie store. It taste so much better than that stuff I make on the boat. When we finished reading and getting our e-mail we went next door to the key lime pie factory to watch them make pies. It was really interesting and it smelled great in there.

On our way back to the dinghy Kay and Denny bought some beer and sat outside on stools on the pier while I went in the grocery store. Everything in that store is twice as expensive as it is in Missouri. The place is called the Waterfront Grocery Store but I called it the tourist trap grocery store. I bought some chicken breast to grill and some fresh spinach for a salad. I also bought a red onion. We remembered the light for the dinghy this time so going back to the boat after dark was not a problem. We went back to the boat and had supper.

There is talk on the boat about leaving Key West on Tuesday , February 21^st. I never thought much about a weather window until this trip. My idea of a weather window would be no rain, lots of sun, 75 to 80 degrees , flat water and a steady 15 mile per hour breeze. The weather window has more to do with the direction the wind is blowing and less to do with the temp. and the amount of sunshine. We don’t want to leave with the wind on our noise. North winds seem to bring on a lot of waves. Come to think of it this place is fine with me. My weather window here is great.(upper 70’s in the day, lots of sunshine, beautiful sunsets). The anchorage is free. It only cost $5.50 to go to town each day. Actually ,if I knew we were going to say this long we could have only paid $24.00 for a week of dinghy dock. The rate for a month is $72.00.

February 18, 2006 Saturday

I woke up about 8:00 a.m. Kay and Denny are working on the single side band so I decided to set out in the sun. It is 80 degrees today with a pleasant breeze . There are other boats in our anchorage so there is lots of things to watch. There is a crazy guy anchored out here with us. When a jet ski or a fast dingy comes to close to his boat and makes a wake, he comes out on deck and holds up his spear gun , jumps around and swings off the stanchions, waving and yelling at them to slow down. I can’t hear him from our boat but I’m sure he is saying more than “slow down”. He wares a do-rag and has a beard and mustache. He looks like one of the characters in the Pirates of the Caribbean. There are also other boats here that look like they haven’t moved in years. I think people live on them and work in town.

After lunch Denny and I went back in town. Kay wanted to stay on the boat and rest his foot. Denny is looking for more copper ground foil for his single side band radio. We went to the hardware store, West Marine and we filled two six gallon jugs with water. We haven’t made water at this anchorage and we are afraid we will run out of water. We went back to the boat for dinner and to pick up Kay to come into Key West at night. Someone told us once when we were in the Bight at Norman Island ,BVI that the freak doesn’t come out in people till around 10:00 p.m. or later. Being the people watchers that we are , we want to see the freak in the people of Key West.

Duval street street still reminds me of New Orleans French Quarter. There are no beads in Key West but the places seem similar. I must throw in a little Gatlinburg Tenn in there also because Duval street has a lot of cars, trucks, and motorcycles that cruise up and down the street.

We walked up and down Duval street. It was a pleasant night, 68 degrees and a light breeze. Kay and Denny bought $2.00 beers at a grocery store . The store puts the beer in cups so you can carry them on the street. We went back to the boat about 11:30 and went to bed.

February 19, 2006 Sunday

I woke up at 8:30. Kay is already up, as usual. He is reading books and looking at charts. He and Denny are trying to decide which Key we are going to next. I fixed pancakes and sausage for breakfast today. We sat in the cockpit of the boat and had coffee. The water is bright turquoise green, it is 80 degrees and there is a pleasant breeze. It is 10:30 in the morning. The small waves on the water sparkle like glitter when the sun shines on them. We can see the Ft. Meyers Ferry and the Parasailors in the distance. This is really nice. I think I could stay here a while if we have too.

We want to make sure the weather window is right before we leave. Denny and Kay also read and look at the charts a lot. I think I am with some very good sailors and they seem to be very cautious. I read a quote the other day in one of the many sailing magazines we have on the boat. “The superior seaman shows his superior seamanship by never putting himself in a position that requires superior seamanship.” I guess my skipper and anchor boy don’t want to demonstrate their “superior seamanship”.

In the afternoon, Denny and Kay went to town to fill two 5 gallon cans with diesel and to fill the two 6 gallon cans with water again. I stayed on the boat and made cole slaw and coconut cream pudding.

After we ate supper on the boat we just sat around and looked at pictures on the computer and then went to bed.

February 20, 2006 Monday

We ate breakfast and went back to town to do laundry at the Kleen and Wash. We also visited the usual hardware store and West Marine. We came back to the boat for lunch.

In the afternoon Kay and Denny messed with his single side band radio and I read my book.

At 4:30 p.m we went back to town with the computers. We stopped at the Blonde Giraffe to check our e-mail. We then set out to mail a letter and to find Hemmingway’s house. We didn’t want to pay to go in but we figured we were here so we should at least see the house. We stopped for beers at a place called Fogertys. It was almost 9:30 p.m when we got back to the boat. It was too late to fix supper . We just ate cheese and crackers and went to bed.

February 21, 2006 Tuesday

Denny woke me up at 6:30 a.m. to take my Dramamine. We hoisted the anchor at 7:04 a.m. We ate breakfast and the Dramamine set in so I went back to bed. We ran the engines so Denny and Kay made water. I slept till 11:30 a.m. I got up and fixed them lunch. I went back to bed and slept till we arrived in Marathon at 3:44. We did not leave the boat that evening. We just ate supper and went to bed. I finished my book tonight. It was called “Pretend You Don’t See Her” by Mary Higgins Clark

February 22, 2006 Wednesday

We woke up about 7:00a.m and ate cold cereal for breakfast. We are in Marathon, Florida now. I read while Denny and Kay worked on things on the boat. Before you go on a trip like this one, you must be a plumber, an electrician, a carpenter, and a mechanic. Between Denny and Kay they seem to be able to fix most of the things we have problems with. I just stick to my cooking and assisting them where needed.

After lunch we went to town in the dingy to get diesel and for Denny to go to the West Marine and the hardware store. We are on the Ocean side of Marathon and from what I see here, all of the tourist attractions must be on the other side of the town. We tied up off a nice persons boat. We ask him where there was a place to tie the dinghy up and he said we could just tie up off of his boat. He was hosing his boat off and there was a giant manatee drinking the fresh water from his scuppers. We went in town and found a place close to get on line. Even with our own lap top, they charged us $5.00 for twenty minutes. Their system was really slow. We just checked our e-mail and left. Denny went off to go to the West Marine. There was a grocery store next to the Internet store so I went in to pick up some junk food to take back to the boat. We were running low on chocolate, potato chips, salsa, and Tostitos. I didn’t want to buy anything cold because I didn’t know how long it would be before we went back to the boat. Denny had walked to West Marine, which was over 2 miles away. He also has a habit of staying in West Marine for long periods of time. We had forgotten that the cab fare in Marathon is real cheep. We also read later that we could have taken the dinghy there. If we had read more we could have saved Denny a lot of walking. We went to Poncho’s fuel dock and filled up our two yellow diesel cans. We arrived back at our boat around 5:00 p.m.

I fixed dinner. I think my refrigerator is going out. Things don’t seem to be very cold. The small amount of things I had in the freezer were defrosting. Denny and Kay say they think it is OK , I just need to defrost it. I cooked all the meat that was in the freezer. It wasn’t frozen anymore anyway. I hope the defrosting helps. I started a new book tonight.

February 23, 2006 Thursday

We left Marathon today, headed for Rodriquez Key . This place is real close to Key Largo. We motored all day. It was a beautiful day and the water was real flat. We ate cold cereal for breakfast. The milk is still good (surprise). We made water with our water maker ,we made ice with our ice machine, we listened to music, and we soaked up some sun. It was a great day. We had hot water showers when we arrived in Rodriquez Key. Key Largo is where we will go , by dinghy, to get diesel tomorrow.

February 24, 2006 Friday

We had cereal for breakfast. We used the long life milk. The fresh milk went bad in the refrigerator. I think my refrigerator has bit the dust.

It is very hot today. We put a shade over the windows to keep the sun out. The water is very shallow here. We can see the bottom. We can even see our anchor.

Around 3:00p.m. we went into Key Largo to get diesel and gas. We went to a place called Sharkeys in Key Largo Harbor. Sharkeys looked like a neat bar. I bought a couple beers when I paid for the fuel and Denny and Kay drank them in the dinghy. We couldn’t stay around because it was a long ride back to the boat and the weather looked a little threatening.

February 25, 2006

We had cereal for breakfast. The long life milk isn’t even cold. Denny just happened to have a West Marine Catalog on the boat and we found a refrigerator that would fit on our boat. We called the Key Largo West Marine on our cell phone and they had one in stock. Denny and Kay took the dinghy to town to attempt to buy the refrigerator, put it in the dinghy and get it back to the boat. I didn’t go with them. We were afraid we couldn’t get all three of us and the refrigerator back to the boat in the dinghy. They didn’t seem to be gone very long before they were back at the boat with my new refrigerator. They said they came into shore and ask a nice man which way it was to the West Marine. They told him the story about our refrigerator and he offered to take them to the store to pick it up in his truck. He also had a big cooler of beer behind his house and he offered them one of the beers. Both Denny and Kay said the beer was really cold.

They had him stop at the liquor store on the way back from the West Marine so they could buy him a case of beer for his trouble.

We spent about an hour taking the old refrigerator out and installing the new one.

We ate supper, read and went to bed. We seem to go to bed right after it gets dark.

February 26, 2006 Sunday

We had “cold” cereal for breakfast. We did laundry this morning with our plunger bucket washing machine and our cloths wringer. Denny and Kay seemed to enjoy doing the wash. They seemed to be fascinated with the mechanics of the whole thing. I’m sure this will not last when the new wears off this way of washing cloths. I wiped the life lines off with a damp rag and we hung the cloths out to dry. It all seemed like a great day to do wash. It was real windy (25-30 knots). Our problem was that it was humid and there was no sun. The cloths did not seem to be drying. They sure were getting wind whipped though. This was the first time I realized we need sun to dry the cloths in this warm weather. Kay said its like having your dryer running without a heating element.

Another problem was that I had wiped the life lines off but the cloths just set there wiggling on them and the life lines made dark streaks across a lot of the white things that we had hanging. It was almost dark and we still had damp, wind whipped cloths and some of them had dirty streaks across them. We just hung the cloths around in the boat and eventually they dried. Denny said next time he would run the jack lines for us to hang them on and we would do it on a sunny day.

While all the laundry was trying to dry, I made cole slaw with the last of the cabbage, the last of the red onion, and the last of the carrots. I also baked an apple cake in my pressure cooker so that was the last of the apples. We have no more fresh or frozen meat on the boat and no more fresh produce. Denny and Kay said it was too choppy to take the dingy to shore for food. Even if we did get to shore we didn’t know where we would find a grocery store. I tend to agree with them. It looked like two to three foot waves with white caps.

The wind is still from the North. We are still waiting for the weather window to cross over to the Bahamas. The temperature in the cabin is 78 degrees. This is very pleasant for me. The temperature started dropping in the afternoon. I guess that north wind was blowing some of the cold air down on us. I am not suppose to say the “R” word because we haven’t had any rain since we left Punta Gorda a couple weeks ago. It sprinkled around sunset. We needed an extra blanket in the night. The temperature dropped down into the 60’s . It was really ruff. I don’t think Denny or Kay slept much. I heard them up several times in the night making sure we were not dragging anchor in the high winds.

I finished another book today. “Late For The Wedding” by Amanda Quick --good book

February 27, 2006 Monday

It was a little cooler this morning. Denny and Kay thought that we were dragging anchor so they decided to move to the Lee side of Rodriquez Island. After we got around to the Lee side, we realized that the water was too shallow for us to get close enough to the island to protect us from the wind and chop. We motored back to where we were anchored before and put out two anchors. I am so glad Kay (aka Anchor Boy) is with us. He helps so much with the heavy and strenuous duties on the boat.. Between pulling up the anchors and pulling up the dinghy on the back of the boat, I don’t know if I would have been strong enough to make it.

We have been at anchor here for four day and I have only been off the boat two times in a week. I had heard the expression “Cabin Fever” before but I thought it was in reference to the people snowed into log cabins for the winter. I am beginning to think it really refers to people stuck for long periods of time on cabin boats.

Tomorrow the weather may be good to make the crossing to the Bahamas.

February 28, 2006 Tuesday

Fat Tuesday. We all woke up early and headed for the Bahamas. We pulled up the anchor at 7:21 a.m. We motored in the morning and then sailed. I fixed Jambalaya for supper since it is Fat Tuesday.

We sailed all night. I guess I should say, Kay and Denny sailed all night. I slept a lot.

We all really seem to be getting along fine on the boat. We have the usual sailing rules.

1. Don’t fall off the boat.

2. Don’t hit anything

3. Husband your resources:

Don’t get crew overtired, sunburned, dehydrated or injured.

4. Go in the right direction

5. Right size the canvas:

Do not oversize the sails in the day

Downsize one size at night

6. Monitor Battery Power

No juice means no autopilot, radar or GPS

7. Watch the consumables on the boat.

Diesel and Food

8. Respect your fellow crew members

So far we are functioning well.