s/v-Ihana

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Ride up from Miami to Fort Lauderdale

Miami to Fort Lauderdale - February 27, 2013

Ride up from Miami - out in the ocean - was uneventful except swells. Then when approaching Fort Lauderdale the rain began so that as we entered it was pouring. Pouring!

Encountered a huge (I mean huge) power cruiser astride the channel at one point, blocking the whole channel - and it is 200' wide at that point. Took a while to figure out what they were doing and when they were going to do it. Current was against us.

Then confusion of where our slip in the Las Olas Marina was. Dockmaster mistook us for our buddy boat which is 40 ft long. I asked specifically the location of our dock and slip. So we get there and a boat is where I think we are assigned. Back out as current is grabbing the boat. Back into the channel. Another conversation. Clarify where we are to go. Oh, not the floating dock but the high fixed dock on the opposite side of the fairway. Will someone help with the lines? NO. It is raining outside. Don't have any rain gear. (?? Really - you work at a marina and no rain gear?) But he does come out and handles lines for us. Really needed his help. We are about 4-5 feet below the fixed dock surface. We climb out of the boat with no ladder at low tide [almost broke out the Bosun's Chair for disumbarking. High tide is a little better. A little better than being at a mooring ball.

Then helped our buddy boat, Utopia, come in. Used very extended boat hooks to direct [push, pull] them into their slip.

Cocktails on board later. Too tired to eat out. Dinner on board and early to sleep.

Weather looks like cold [60s] and rainy for the next few days. Well, we are docked, warm, dry, and well fed.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

South Beach - Miami Beach

Wonderful couple of days ashore (by dinghy) at South Beach. Lots of sidewalk cafes, Art Deco buildings, rich locals and tourists. Rented bikes fort $5/hour - check out, check in at places on the street every few blocks. Some dinghy rides up the canals and off/on our boat. Warm daytimes - hot and humid actually, but cooled off nicely at night.

Leaving tomorrow, headed north. Slowly.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Moving through Miami

Today we moved from the Dinner Key Marina in Coconut Grove, to an anchorage inside of Miami Beach. Met up with our buddy boat (Frank & Diane) at the dinghy dock, then walked through Miami Beach / South Beach - nice ritzy pedestrian mall filled with sidewalk cafes and (of course) stores, then on to the beach. Very hot. Back on the boat for tonight on the hook.

Coconut Grove to Miami Beach

Another norther is coming in midweek, so our plan is to hang out here tomorrow (Monday), then make a run for Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday while we still have southerly winds (maybe a good sail on the outside if the winds are not too strong). That should get us safely back into the Las Olas Marina Tuesday evening, a great place to hang out and reprovision until the weather makes traveling possible again. Bound for Stuart (meet up with the Kimmets and their new boat), then Indiantown (where we plan to leave our boat for the summer), then return home to Minnesota as soon as it is inhabitable again.
Or not - our mileage may vary ...

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Short Trip

Coconut Grove - from mooring field to marina slip

What's up? Dock?

Yeah. At a dock in Dinner Key Marina. Not bouncing for the first time since Tuesday. The mooring field is out in Biscayne Bay and the wind has been S/SE at 10-15 for the last two days. Beautiful out there but....

Yesterday we took the dinghy ashore from the mooring field, then had brunch in Coconut Grove (another Florida Coast ritzy town), and spent a few hours at the wonderful Barnacle Historic State Park, right on the water in the middle of the Grove. Malts in town, then groceries at the Fresh Market, only 1/2 mile from the marina - this place is a little like Publix (the usually-better grocery chain down here), crossed with Trader Joe's (i.e. they have specialty stuff mainly, not what you want or need). Restocked the beer though; but couldn't carry too much in backpacks and dry-bags (the dinghy, remember?)

Today at the dock: Laundry. More groceries. Fill up the water tanks (some docks here don't provide water, since they can't charge for it!). Maybe a bike ride. Some rest.

Tomorrow, we plan to try to get to Miami Beach - only 7 miles, but a nightmare of closed and scheduled bridges. Might have to take the 15-mile detour. We expect to reconnect with our buddy-boat (s/v-Utopia, the Albanis), who we haven't seen since we arrived in Marathon with strong winds and seas, and we got a slip (30' boat) and they didn't (40' boat). It's been a few weeks now.

We are slowly on our way back to Stuart, where we will meet Jim & Peggy Kimmet, who just bought a 28' Mariner there and will be sailing her in that area. Then April, Indiantown, and home for the summer. We think ...

Thursday, February 21, 2013

At last! An entire day of pure sailing. East winds 8-12 knots, waves < 1 foot, protected by the keys on the east side of Biscayne Bay. Very little motoring - just for the departure, approach, and as a safety through two short, narrow passages. It's been a long time since we have been able to sail, enjoyably, without having to rush to make the next port.

February 21, 2013 - Biscayne Bay

Bob enjoying a whole day of sailing
Auto is doing the steering
Bob is standing (well, sitting) watch

Full sails, no motor - all day!

Dinner Key Mooring Field
Thursday evening, 2/21/13
Coconut Grove (Miami), Florida

We're on a mooring ball here for a few days. Some winds, on-shore, but surrounded by shoals that are only 3 feet down, so the waves are no worse than you see here. Might be a wet dinghy ride if the winds pick up tomorrow; or there is always the water taxi. Should be a lot to do here in Coconut Grove.

This is the same marina that we sailed out of several years ago on s/v-Dilly Dally, helping the Brooms move their newly-purchased 46' Morgan Ketch from here to North Carolina in the Gulf Stream. Fond memories.