I had company coming. I didn't want to stay at a marina when I could be sailing and since there were no more bridges to deal with, I thought it might be doable. Tawnya arrived, concurred, and we did exactly that.
To get out of the marina, I tricked the engine into starting once again. As soon as we were untied the engine's plastic carburetor top broke in two. As pretty as it was, we were able to reach a piling and get the boat back against the bulk head.
I had an engine with no compression, a wire hanger that replaced a broken stainless clip, and a carburetor top that had a roller broken off of it. We wanted to go sailing! The West System came out and I fastened the carburetor top and the roller together with the two-part epoxy. By noon we were free once more.
After clearing the Rickenbacker bridge it was smooth sailing. Beautiful warm winds were pushing us across turquoise colored water. Tawnya was great in the galley. What a treat. She made a delicious healthy dinner and we drank a nice '94 Merlot. Ok, 2. We made it to Adams Key, not too far from Christmas Point.
We ended up in Key Largo the following day and planned to stay there for a few days until it was time to fly back to New York. I had bought an airline ticket months ago to fly home from Key West and Tawnya arranged it so she would fly back with me. Instead of pushing for Key West, we decided to relax there for a few days and take a bus to the plane when it was time.
In Tarpon Basin, you are behind the Quay Restaurant. Howard Johnson's, and a big, boxy, cement tower belonging to Bell South also mark that spot. We dinghied into a dock behind the Quay. They were accommodating. Nick and his daughter are very nice people.
We went snorkeling along the reef at John Pennekamp State Park. The visibility wasn't all that good but it was exciting to see all the underwater life. I had been diving once before and remembered what a humbling feeling it is too be in such a beautiful, foreign world.
We had some nice meals in Key Largo. We ate at the Quay twice and once at the Fish house across the street. Bringing in the dinghy at least once a day, eventually, I got to know those Quay-Z people managing the Wave Runners, Gary and Sheila.
When it was time to leave, they assured me that they would watch the boat in my absence. We left the boat and I crossed my fingers in hopes for the best. While tying off the dinghy we were met by a manatee. He was right under the us, dwarfing the inflatable. I reached down to touch him and was six inches shy. He didn't move. Tawnya was insisting that if we don't leave right then we might miss the bus. She was right, we were running late. I forgot about the boat and hoped that this wasn't the last time I would see the manatee. In fact, I thought about the it the whole hour and a half that the bus was late.
Calculating the travel time, the late bus was going to be a problem. We were being driven down US 1 with constant eyes on our watches. When I saw we weren't going to make it, I thought, "I better call". The plane was thankfully late and we boarded it 15 minutes after arriving at the airport. The connecting flight was extremely late. It is hard to return from airline travel sober.
I kept in touch with the LTD via Gary and Sheila. They informed me that she dragged twice and that he reset the anchor both times. New York was nice if you don't mind ice, rain and snow.
Back to Key West. Mike , another friend who kept his boat near mine in East Hampton, picked me up at the airport and drove me back to Key Largo. He stayed a few days and was a big help in getting chores done. Chain for the anchor was on the list and I bought 25 feet of it.
We were also in search of local knowledge pertaining to mechanics for small outboard engines. Chris Carson's Outboard Repair is what we were told over and over again. Chris laid some good outboard knowledge on me. After reviewing all of my options, I went with rebuilding it.
The manatee came back to the dingy dock when Sheila was hosing down the wave runners. She called him Scarface and put the hose in the water. Using his hands like mittens, Scarface put the hose into his mouth. He must have been thirsty. I was able to see scars, not so much on his face, but, on his back from propellers. They have no natural enemies, eat grass, and stay near the top. A quickly moving boat might never see him as they whisk past. I got to pet his head. They are big, goofy looking, graceful and docile. You just want to give them a big hug. Of course, I didn't have my camera with me.
My friend Garth flew down, overlapping Mike's stay by a day. Waiting for the engine repair to be completed, we had a couple of days to keep ourselves busy. A dinghy ride through the mangroves occupied one afternoon. That's where we saw a pink flamingo flying overhead. Garth took Sheila's bicycle into town while I put the anchor chain on and rewired all the electrical stuff to new blocks. The old blocks were-well, old. That is what occupied the other day.
We left Key Largo all set to break in the new engine. It idled well and sounded better than it ever did. Full sails were driving us 5 to 6 knots through Buttonwood Sound and Florida Bay. To enjoy the sail fully, I just had to turn off the engine. We ended up at a juncture and had to decide to take either Hawk Channel on the outside or the Florida Bay. Every time I had an opportunity to go on the outside, weather came up. Almost as if the ocean were saying, 'Come on, you want a piece of me?' 5 foot waves kept me on the inside once again.
The next part of the Florida Bay is littered with buoys making their connected fish traps seem like land mines. These things are scattered in close patterns, obstructing passage. One of them took out the original centerboard cable leaving it hanging, knocking with a thud as it moved from side to side.
Between the Big and Little Pine Keys, we went up the Big Spanish Channel. The markers did not match up with any on my new BBA Chart Kit. This was the first time that I was right and the charts were wrong. The reading of my position on the GPS supported my conclusions.
I dropped the engine in again to complete the break-in process. Into the fifth hour of break-in, I noticed water was not spitting out of the back like it is supposed to, just in time. The water pump on the engine gave up. Without cooling, my newly rebuilt engine would be garbage. We decided that we didn't need it, the wind was strong and we were on a sailboat.
Out of the channel we rounded what is now Green '57' and headed down again. Dolphins found us and played with our speedy little sailboat. They were bigger than any others I've seen. A large sea turtle was on the surface of the Bay until we passed him. Expecting a storm that evening, we planned to go as far as we could before ducking in. We did just that outside the Northwest Channel in Key West National Wildlife Refuge.
The storm came. Lighting, wind and rain. Waves were pounding the boat. Neither of us slept well. Garth woke up wanting to be off the boat. 20 knots of wind came out of the north. During the past two days it was 20 to 25 knots from the east and southeast respectively. North was not good. The anchor was difficult to retrieve. Garth was horizontal, bucket in hand. Exhausted, I finally got the anchor up and had to travel northwest in order to be able to tack back to the Channel that would take us to Key West.
Sailing as close to the wind as I could, I failed to notice the anchor that fell into the drink and set. Unknowingly, I tried to tack and the LTD would not respond. Realizing what had happened I quickly lowered the sail and had another go with the anchor. The swells were still large. I couldn't do it. I had to use the engine, something I'd rather not have to do. Garth came up, like a trooper, and helped yank the anchor onto the boat. The anchor must have gotten jammed in rocks because when we got her up she was mangled.
Our itinerary was to pass around Key West and go to Stock Island. My friend Mike is at the marina there and that it is where I will haul the boat to fix the centerboard. I made it to the outside after all. I just had to round the United States to do it.
I phoned Mike at the Peninsular Marina and told him that I wont be able to make the upwind stretch in Boca Chica Channel. He was telling me that I could as I ran aground. The wind and current were so strong, I was blown right off of the sand. I took down the genoa and prepared to put up the main sail. Garth was delicately managing the current, keeping us in the channel. I popped up the mainsail and turned us around.
Too close to the wind, I needed to fall off. A rusty, steel girder a.k.a. red marker 4 would prohibit me from falling off of the wind. "Fend", was the order given. And we did, like fighters. A fishing rod holder that was attached to the stern rail was cleanly picked off. We took a second to reflect on the close call when I noticed the dinghy was going to catch the steel girder.
I tried to untie it but it was too late. She caught red marker 4 and stopped us all in our tracks. Time stood still, waiting for me to release the dinghy in order to free us up. As soon as I did, both the dinghy and the boat shot into different directions. I dropped the main sail, gave Garth the spare anchor, shackle and quick directions, stripped to my Calvins and went in after the little inflatable making its way deeper into the ocean.
I brought her back and surprisingly there was no damage. Garth needed to get off the boat. Even though it was a mile to shore, I put the dinhgy's engine on and took him there. He is staying at a youth hostile tonight and here I am, just a few yards outside Boca Chica Channel. I will wait for the winds and the tide to be favorable before I use the dinghy's engine on the LTD to get me into the marina.
After I am hauled, in order to fix the centerboard, I will search for the best anchorage in this area. I plan on making this my home-base for a few months. In the near future for the LTD, I see a trip to the Dry Tortugas and perhaps, the Bahamas.
The next page released, in about 10 days, will cover the equipment, modifications and the inventory of the LTD. I also see an underwater page in my immediate future. In these parts, that is where all the pictures are.
