Traumatic Adventure – Day 2
The story continues:
After little sleep, we had to move on early the next
morning. Strong winds built up about 5 am, and we were on a lee shore and would
be the next night when the 30+ knot winds would hit us. Fortunately (I don't get to use that
word too often in this narrative), I got the Bruce up using our dinghy. And we took off at 8 am, bound for
Marathon and the shelter of Boot Key Harbor – with our buddy boat following.
Crab & Lobster pots all the way – too many to let the
Autohelm do the steering. Full alert all day.
Not bad motoring this day – about 35+ miles to
Marathon. Tail wind. We were too tired to even put out the
Genoa (!), so motored all day. Buddy-boat
followed, jib up sometimes.
No
problem until we reached the Moser Channel and went through the 7-mile bridge
to the ocean side of the Keys. Now
we got the full force and fetch of the 20+ knot winds, on our nose - rough for ½ hour until Boot Key and shelter.
Meanwhile, Ilona [cell phone] checked out Boot Key Harbor and everything within miles – all the
mooring balls were full (14 boats already on the waiting list), inside
anchorage was completely full also, and ALL marinas (that could take our 5'
draft) were also full. And all boats steaming in all the time, for shelter.
Only possibility
would be to anchor outside of the harbor, weather shore, ocean side, but really strong winds and waves for the next week or more!
[General feeling: We are
really fucked!]
Fortunately [for us; I do get to use that word again], one
marina in Boot Key could take us in for a week, since the Asst. Harbormaster
would let us use his slip while his boat was pulled for a bottom job. We got a
slip! We are saved! At least for
a week or 10 days; expecting strong winds that whole time.
Our buddy boat got screwed, though. They had to anchor out on the ocean overnight west
of the harbor entrance (mostly offshore wind from the east). They decided to
take off this morning and head back towards Miami, on the bay side. They will have winds today gusting to
maybe 30 knots. They have a 40'
Caliber cutter. They are pretty tired also; we will miss Frank and Diane, and
hope they make it safely. They reported that it was really rough for the first few miles until they crossed under the 7-mile bridge to the bay side.
We, meanwhile, aren't going anywhere. I hit the beer [breakfast!] as soon as we were tied
to the dock, slept immediately for a few hours, then Ilona cooked a great
dinner aboard and we slept all night [nightmares, but what-the-hell.]
We will be here in Marathon for at least a week, until the
winds calm down enough that we can get somewhere else. It may be obvious, but we will not be
sailing on to Key West, and the Bahamas are out of the question. Getting back to the South Florida
mainland will be enough of a challenge for us, but that problem is many days away.
Today: Laundry, shower, replacing all the anchors and
rodes, and rearranging the cabin and V-berth and stowing everything back where
it belongs.
I suppose we should bike or dinghy over to the harbor office
and register (in person, only) for the mooring ball waiting list. But there won't be any openings for a
week or two, until the winds calm down enough that other boats can travel. By then, we may make a break for the
mainland also.
Someone please tell me why we are here and why we are doing this.
Would anyone like to trade, our boat for a condo in Death Valley?
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