Trilogy will soon be for sale. At this writing in mid-March 2022, we are preparing this great boat for sale. The wonderful trailer will be offered for sold separately. Why? We needed a bit larger living space to adapt to the changes in our lives.
Summary of Trip Data: 26 days, 638 miles, anchored 6 nights plus many lunch stops, 73 engine hours, averaged cost was $92 a day while traveling, averaged 8.73 miles per hour or 7.4 knots, and diesel fuel – 3.1 miles per gallon and 2.8 gallons per hour.
Monday, February 19
We took a flight from Seattle to Tampa. We travel light with only a small backpack and a 24” long duffel bag each. When the boat or the trailer is set up right, we only need a week’s worth of clothing and the personal essentials to travel. 5-1/2 hours after leaving, another miracle of jet travel happened with 2,500 miles behind us, 50 degrees warmer and there was still time in the day to use. We arrived in Tampa, Florida and a short Uber ride to the Enterprise Truck Rental and our reservation was waiting. In 30 minutes, we were northbound in a 2017 Dodge ¾ ton pickup with our portable Garmin GPS named “Penelope” that is brought on all trips as a guide.
Florida’s freeways are wide and good shape, somehow they have the funding piece figured out. Penelope took us up the coastal route and included a toll road and half dozen small towns with speed zones, signals and local construction. The drive was easy with a burger stop in Crystal River, the FM stations were either country or religion and the traffic was very light. The route was easy and interesting for the 4 hour run to Tallahassee but the return trip with the boat and trailer would be by Interstate 75.
Tuesday and Wednesday, February 20-21
Now on Interstate 10, the route had turned west with more traffic in Tallahassee and later in both Pensacola and Mobile. The truck was very comfortable at 75 MPH, running with the traffic flow and getting 21 miles to the diesel fuel gallon. 4 hours later we were in Mobile and the suburb of Saraland where Trilogy was left on her trailer at the EZN Storage. The tug was in good shape with the long extension cord providing power to the battery charger and the dehumidifier. The outside was appropriately dirty from three months of rains and storms. The inside was in great shape with no sign of mildew. The digital thermometer showed the record outside temperature was 104 and the lowest was 14 degrees. There was much concern about damage from freezing because the boat was not winterized because the advice of locals and research did not support the need. This winter was unusual with quick periods of bitter cold and some short-lived snow. A quick visual inspection showed no tell tale signs of freezing like crack water lines, coolant stains, or a empty water tank. However, the thorough testing for damage would come later. This was the time of driving, moving, delivery to Tampa and finding a storage place for the trailer.
45 minutes later the tug and trailer was eased out of the lot and into the traffic heading east. The nearly 11,000 pounds of boat and trailer changed the driving and handling characteristics of the truck. Stacy and Paul Brannon, our angels of the southeast, were down from Athens, Georgia to work on their old boat and were headed back home. We agreed to meet for breakfast the following day. After 5 hours of driving east from Mobile, Laurie found a Quality Inn in Lake City, Florida that was quite nice.
The next day, Stacy and Paul were met at about 10 AM at a Pilot Truck Stop for coffee and catch up. When Paul learned that the materials were brought to finish adding a battery monitor, he said that he had the tools with him and offered to finish the re-routing of the heavy ground cables. An hour was spent under the hot blazing sun, sweating, cutting battery cables, crimping on lugs, and attaching the new re-designed ground wire system.
After lunch and back on the road after noon, the destination to launch the tug was St. Petersburg Municipal Marina. A question asked on the AGLCA forum, and on the Ranger Tug owner’s forum brought four possibilities. St. Petersburg had the closest marina to the boat launch and the immediate available of services should repairs be needed. A look at the satellite photo of the launch confirmed the choice.
Though the approach to the ramp was short and needed more maneuvering, the ramp itself was great. Concerned about freeze damage to the engine, the engine was started while the boat was in the water but remained on the trailer. The BMW engine block quickly jumped to life, cooling water was pumped out and there was no indication of any damage.
Laurie had paid for two nights and the nearby slip was found. Our first docking of Florida’s fixed docks was a bit rough: when and how to get lines to the pilings and adjusting them for the short tidal range would get better with repetition that would come later.
At the dock and hooked to shore power, we started the fine assessment and making shopping lists. The fresh water pump had very little pressure and a bit of research revealed that the problem was a damaged diagram that was likely caused by freezing because the fresh water pump is outside the cabin and the engine compartment and located against the hull. The tug has a separate wash-down pump that is nearly identical to the damage pump, so an hour was used to swap the damaged pump for the wash-down pump.
That solution did not last long. Great water pressure and verification that the waterlines were undamaged but the breaker tripped. The operative word here is “nearly identical” because the wash-down pump uses a 15 amp motor and the damaged pump had a 7.5 amp motor which matched the 10 amp breaker nicely.
The remedy was to find a replacement pump. An Internet check of brands, models, the correct specifications and availability in the area found the solution: the West Marine store in Bradenton, about 21 miles away and the model was closest to the damaged pump. That solution would happen tomorrow. A huge provisioning trip to the nearby Publix Store was done that included a take-out dinner of chicken and beer. We decided to keep the truck for the entire three-day period to run errands.
We took a flight from Seattle to Tampa. We travel light with only a small backpack and a 24” long duffel bag each. When the boat or the trailer is set up right, we only need a week’s worth of clothing and the personal essentials to travel. 5-1/2 hours after leaving, another miracle of jet travel happened with 2,500 miles behind us, 50 degrees warmer and there was still time in the day to use. We arrived in Tampa, Florida and a short Uber ride to the Enterprise Truck Rental and our reservation was waiting. In 30 minutes, we were northbound in a 2017 Dodge ¾ ton pickup with our portable Garmin GPS named “Penelope” that is brought on all trips as a guide.
Florida’s freeways are wide and good shape, somehow they have the funding piece figured out. Penelope took us up the coastal route and included a toll road and half dozen small towns with speed zones, signals and local construction. The drive was easy with a burger stop in Crystal River, the FM stations were either country or religion and the traffic was very light. The route was easy and interesting for the 4 hour run to Tallahassee but the return trip with the boat and trailer would be by Interstate 75.
Tuesday and Wednesday, February 20-21
Now on Interstate 10, the route had turned west with more traffic in Tallahassee and later in both Pensacola and Mobile. The truck was very comfortable at 75 MPH, running with the traffic flow and getting 21 miles to the diesel fuel gallon. 4 hours later we were in Mobile and the suburb of Saraland where Trilogy was left on her trailer at the EZN Storage. The tug was in good shape with the long extension cord providing power to the battery charger and the dehumidifier. The outside was appropriately dirty from three months of rains and storms. The inside was in great shape with no sign of mildew. The digital thermometer showed the record outside temperature was 104 and the lowest was 14 degrees. There was much concern about damage from freezing because the boat was not winterized because the advice of locals and research did not support the need. This winter was unusual with quick periods of bitter cold and some short-lived snow. A quick visual inspection showed no tell tale signs of freezing like crack water lines, coolant stains, or a empty water tank. However, the thorough testing for damage would come later. This was the time of driving, moving, delivery to Tampa and finding a storage place for the trailer.
45 minutes later the tug and trailer was eased out of the lot and into the traffic heading east. The nearly 11,000 pounds of boat and trailer changed the driving and handling characteristics of the truck. Stacy and Paul Brannon, our angels of the southeast, were down from Athens, Georgia to work on their old boat and were headed back home. We agreed to meet for breakfast the following day. After 5 hours of driving east from Mobile, Laurie found a Quality Inn in Lake City, Florida that was quite nice.
The next day, Stacy and Paul were met at about 10 AM at a Pilot Truck Stop for coffee and catch up. When Paul learned that the materials were brought to finish adding a battery monitor, he said that he had the tools with him and offered to finish the re-routing of the heavy ground cables. An hour was spent under the hot blazing sun, sweating, cutting battery cables, crimping on lugs, and attaching the new re-designed ground wire system.
After lunch and back on the road after noon, the destination to launch the tug was St. Petersburg Municipal Marina. A question asked on the AGLCA forum, and on the Ranger Tug owner’s forum brought four possibilities. St. Petersburg had the closest marina to the boat launch and the immediate available of services should repairs be needed. A look at the satellite photo of the launch confirmed the choice.
Though the approach to the ramp was short and needed more maneuvering, the ramp itself was great. Concerned about freeze damage to the engine, the engine was started while the boat was in the water but remained on the trailer. The BMW engine block quickly jumped to life, cooling water was pumped out and there was no indication of any damage.
Laurie had paid for two nights and the nearby slip was found. Our first docking of Florida’s fixed docks was a bit rough: when and how to get lines to the pilings and adjusting them for the short tidal range would get better with repetition that would come later.
At the dock and hooked to shore power, we started the fine assessment and making shopping lists. The fresh water pump had very little pressure and a bit of research revealed that the problem was a damaged diagram that was likely caused by freezing because the fresh water pump is outside the cabin and the engine compartment and located against the hull. The tug has a separate wash-down pump that is nearly identical to the damage pump, so an hour was used to swap the damaged pump for the wash-down pump.
That solution did not last long. Great water pressure and verification that the waterlines were undamaged but the breaker tripped. The operative word here is “nearly identical” because the wash-down pump uses a 15 amp motor and the damaged pump had a 7.5 amp motor which matched the 10 amp breaker nicely.
The remedy was to find a replacement pump. An Internet check of brands, models, the correct specifications and availability in the area found the solution: the West Marine store in Bradenton, about 21 miles away and the model was closest to the damaged pump. That solution would happen tomorrow. A huge provisioning trip to the nearby Publix Store was done that included a take-out dinner of chicken and beer. We decided to keep the truck for the entire three-day period to run errands.
Thursday, February 22
The day was busy and packed with a run to West Marine and back, the installation of the new water pump, the wash down of Trilogy’s exterior cabin and half of the hull, the total cleaning of the interior, the water tank and lines were flushed with water and bleach and cleansed, and finishing checking the status of the tug’s systems and another shopping trip to Publix. The faucet in the galley developed an un-repairable leak that meant a trip to Home Depot to replace it. This is not the first boat or RV that we have had that developed this problem and the best fix was a $30 replacement and the luck of finding a similar looking replacement.
Friday, February 23
We decided to spend another day to transition to the cruising attitude. Canvas was set up, the roof and cockpit were polished and shined, a trip to the fuel dock for 66 gallons of diesel at 1968 total miles and 109 engine hours, and the boat was backed in to clean the other side of the hull.
A leisurely walk through downtown, other trip to Publix, changing the anchor light to LED, and re-organizing the box of supplies closed the afternoon. Laurie wants to anchor out for a couple of nights so dinner was out at Hops and Props, a craft beer bar and good/reasonable food. Downtown St. Petersburg is humming with cars and pedestrians because there is another festival, this time jazz and art.
The day was busy and packed with a run to West Marine and back, the installation of the new water pump, the wash down of Trilogy’s exterior cabin and half of the hull, the total cleaning of the interior, the water tank and lines were flushed with water and bleach and cleansed, and finishing checking the status of the tug’s systems and another shopping trip to Publix. The faucet in the galley developed an un-repairable leak that meant a trip to Home Depot to replace it. This is not the first boat or RV that we have had that developed this problem and the best fix was a $30 replacement and the luck of finding a similar looking replacement.
Friday, February 23
We decided to spend another day to transition to the cruising attitude. Canvas was set up, the roof and cockpit were polished and shined, a trip to the fuel dock for 66 gallons of diesel at 1968 total miles and 109 engine hours, and the boat was backed in to clean the other side of the hull.
A leisurely walk through downtown, other trip to Publix, changing the anchor light to LED, and re-organizing the box of supplies closed the afternoon. Laurie wants to anchor out for a couple of nights so dinner was out at Hops and Props, a craft beer bar and good/reasonable food. Downtown St. Petersburg is humming with cars and pedestrians because there is another festival, this time jazz and art.
Saturday, February 24
A clear, blue sky with temperatures in low 70’s and thoughts are about how come every January and February are not spent in here? After breakfast, the water tank was filled to its 40 gallon capacity, the gate key was returned to the marina office, garbage was taken to the dumpster and on the way out, the holding tank was pumped out. With all of this, the departure time was 0945 hours.
The wind predictions for Tampa Bay were just wrong. Instead of 5 to 10 MPH from the east it was 10 to 15 from the south causing 2-foot swells with white caps that crossed the width of this huge bay. Trilogy ran at its fast cruising speed and sliced through at a quartering angle at 14 miles per hour that caused spray over the roof. The marked channel was closely followed and this was the introductory course to running the ICW and staying between the red and green markers. Continuing under the Skyway Bridge with huge freighters looming in the distance, Trilogy turned south to join the ICW. The speed was reduced to the comfortable cruising speed of 8 miles per hour after 22 miles and the first of many bridges was encountered where Ann Marie Key started.
Saturday afternoon, in high season, under hot clear skies meant lots and lots of boats on the water. Trilogy was passed many, many times by boats twice or three times its speed and about a boat length away. The tug was repeatedly rocked hard from side to side by steep and close wakes. Things never fell over and modifications were made later at anchor. A lunch stop at the north end of Long Boat Key was made by anchoring for the first time on this trip in 5 feet of water.
The Navionics app was running on the iPad as a resource for Laurie. The application is consumer of battery power and Trilogy’s inverter was tested and verified that all is well. Past Sarasota, the expensive marina and the mooring field, Laurie had found an anchorage using Skipper Bob’s Cruising The Gulf Coast. Before, we would have used Active Captain but that crowd sourcing app and website had been sold to Garmin and the service was still dead to us.
A lapse in attention and not paying close enough attention to staying within the narrow ICW, took the tug off-course and the depth dropped to zero and then negative -.05. The stern of the boat rose slightly out of the water as the keel and the protected prop and rudder slid over a mud hump. Another reason we like this tug: the prop and rudder are behind the keel.
A good anchorage was described at Robert’s Bay that is west of the ICW and behind a small wooded island. Trilogy had just gone under the Siesta Key Bridge when it was caught in a congested traffic jam, at 5 knots, involving five boats that were sandwiched between the shallow water on each side of the channel. Just past the green marker 79, a turn was made to the west and the tug slowed to navigate the 3.5 feet of water under the keel and went around the north point of the island to anchor against the far shore at 3 PM and away from the entrance to a small boat channel.
Robert’s Bay was active with boats leaving and returning to the small boat channel that feeds a larger grid of waterways that are ringed with houses and docks. For next 2 ½ hours, we were entertained by high school aged kids driving their parents newer go-fast boats that pulled skiers and tubes of screaming friends. A day of innocence that one-day will likely be colored by unexplainable tragedy like a car crash, sudden illness and death, a boating accident, or diving into a shallow pool. They would likely be dealt cards the horrible and unexplainable realities that chip away at youthfulness; lessons fueled by agony that shape character and values into adulthood.
Trilogy’s engine had heated the water and showers were taken. In the waning rays of daylight, the BBQ heated the chicken burgers and these were served with a fresh salad. Small boat traffic continued intermittently for the next three hours as the wind dropped off and the water turned to glass.
Trilogy had traveled 44 miles in 5 hours.
A clear, blue sky with temperatures in low 70’s and thoughts are about how come every January and February are not spent in here? After breakfast, the water tank was filled to its 40 gallon capacity, the gate key was returned to the marina office, garbage was taken to the dumpster and on the way out, the holding tank was pumped out. With all of this, the departure time was 0945 hours.
The wind predictions for Tampa Bay were just wrong. Instead of 5 to 10 MPH from the east it was 10 to 15 from the south causing 2-foot swells with white caps that crossed the width of this huge bay. Trilogy ran at its fast cruising speed and sliced through at a quartering angle at 14 miles per hour that caused spray over the roof. The marked channel was closely followed and this was the introductory course to running the ICW and staying between the red and green markers. Continuing under the Skyway Bridge with huge freighters looming in the distance, Trilogy turned south to join the ICW. The speed was reduced to the comfortable cruising speed of 8 miles per hour after 22 miles and the first of many bridges was encountered where Ann Marie Key started.
Saturday afternoon, in high season, under hot clear skies meant lots and lots of boats on the water. Trilogy was passed many, many times by boats twice or three times its speed and about a boat length away. The tug was repeatedly rocked hard from side to side by steep and close wakes. Things never fell over and modifications were made later at anchor. A lunch stop at the north end of Long Boat Key was made by anchoring for the first time on this trip in 5 feet of water.
The Navionics app was running on the iPad as a resource for Laurie. The application is consumer of battery power and Trilogy’s inverter was tested and verified that all is well. Past Sarasota, the expensive marina and the mooring field, Laurie had found an anchorage using Skipper Bob’s Cruising The Gulf Coast. Before, we would have used Active Captain but that crowd sourcing app and website had been sold to Garmin and the service was still dead to us.
A lapse in attention and not paying close enough attention to staying within the narrow ICW, took the tug off-course and the depth dropped to zero and then negative -.05. The stern of the boat rose slightly out of the water as the keel and the protected prop and rudder slid over a mud hump. Another reason we like this tug: the prop and rudder are behind the keel.
A good anchorage was described at Robert’s Bay that is west of the ICW and behind a small wooded island. Trilogy had just gone under the Siesta Key Bridge when it was caught in a congested traffic jam, at 5 knots, involving five boats that were sandwiched between the shallow water on each side of the channel. Just past the green marker 79, a turn was made to the west and the tug slowed to navigate the 3.5 feet of water under the keel and went around the north point of the island to anchor against the far shore at 3 PM and away from the entrance to a small boat channel.
Robert’s Bay was active with boats leaving and returning to the small boat channel that feeds a larger grid of waterways that are ringed with houses and docks. For next 2 ½ hours, we were entertained by high school aged kids driving their parents newer go-fast boats that pulled skiers and tubes of screaming friends. A day of innocence that one-day will likely be colored by unexplainable tragedy like a car crash, sudden illness and death, a boating accident, or diving into a shallow pool. They would likely be dealt cards the horrible and unexplainable realities that chip away at youthfulness; lessons fueled by agony that shape character and values into adulthood.
Trilogy’s engine had heated the water and showers were taken. In the waning rays of daylight, the BBQ heated the chicken burgers and these were served with a fresh salad. Small boat traffic continued intermittently for the next three hours as the wind dropped off and the water turned to glass.
Trilogy had traveled 44 miles in 5 hours.
Sunday-Monday, February 25-26
Watching the house battery voltage was part of learning the boat’s systems. At bedtime the house bank was 12.6 volts or about 80%. At breakfast, it was 12.25 volts or about 50%. The refrigerator, the fans, the electric head and water pump were the big users.
Green herons, white and brown pelicans, and dolphins would be the morning treat after leaving the anchorage at 0845 hours in flat water, a light southerly breeze and little boat traffic. By 1000 hours, that would all change as the floodgates of weekend boaters filled the channel. 1030 hours and the channels of Venice were transited. The only damage observed that was caused by the recent hurricanes were several boats still aground; probably no insurance and the owners cannot be found and a conscious decision to leave the problem for the community to deal with.
After the slow speed of Venice, Trilogy did another 10 minute long cleansing run at 14 knots that took us to the narrow key that separated the ICW from the Gulf of Mexico. Past Manasota Key and Lemon Key and into Lemon Sound, under bridges that the 15 foot air draft of the tug could easily clear, Trilogy went past her long time home at Palm Island Marina near Englewood.
A Carver yacht name Q’s Cabin, called us on the VHF as they were flying their gold AGLCA burgee and we had our first conversation with another Looper on this trip. The anchor was dropped in a small bay in Cape Haze that was ringed with multi-million dollar homes and with a blue water sailboat for a lunch break.
The destination was Cayo Costa State Park and the route took us the length of Gasparilla Sound, past Boca Grande Entrance, and to Pelican Bay that is on the northern tip of Cayo Costa Island. The entrance to the bay is shallow but do-able and on this later Sunday afternoon, there were about 50 go-fast center console boats beached on the shore and another 50 yachts, trawlers and large sailboats swinging at anchor in the deeper portion of the bay.
The state park has 10 slips for boats under 30 feet and five were available. At nearly 4 PM, Trilogy was easily backed into the fixed dock and secured after 6 hours and 49 miles of traveling.
The battery for the thruster and windlass was very weak even though it was fully charged; a sure sign that the battery was toast and this was not a surprise as a load test done a year ago showed only 50% of its reserve capacity. That repair would be the top priority at the next stop. The park rangers said that park use had increased between 20 and 40% per year for the last 4 years. When the last ferry had left at 5PM, the park was quiet and the mile long trail to the beach was walked to enjoy the beach on the gulf side. Dinner was ravioli and salad with movie following.
The still and warm air next to the mangroves brought out the no-see-ums and the tug’s screens that were designed to keep out mosquitos offered little protection. Windows were mostly closed, curtains closed to minimize the attraction, and a paper towel with vinegar was used to smash and collect dozens of the bugs with some carrying our blood cells.
The next morning the house battery was at 13.1 volts at bedtime and this time the DC breakers to the trim tabs, the chartplotter and the NMEA backbone were shut off. The result was much better morning voltage of 12.6 volts even with a fan and the refrigerator running. Surprising how much voltage is used to keep a circuit energized.
During breakfast, a text was received from Joe and Connie in Fort Myers with an invitation for dinner. Trilogy could easily get to Fort Myers in a few hours. This is how we do boating and camping: one or two days at a time and seizing the serendipity that arises.
Pulling away from the state park dock at 8:40 AM under blue skies and partly cloudy skies to the south with temperatures in the high 70’s, the water was flat because the breeze had dropped away. Past Cabbage Key, Pine Island and Captive Island, the water was calm with an occasional other boat.
That all changed at about 10:30 AM and just north of Sanibel Island when about half-dozen 50 to 70 foot long yachts, running at 20+ knots blew by us with only one slowing to cut down their 4 foot high wake in half. Then, turning to the east and beginning up the Caloosahatchee River, came groups and dozens of newer go-fast day boats heading west. For the next 90 minutes and going past Cape Coral and the “miserable mile” of a narrow winding part of the ICW channel with its appropriate slow speed, about 50 oncoming boats were counted. The density of the boats was surprising; on a Monday, and under sunny skies; clearly the economy was healthy.
At 12:45 PM, the Fort Myers Yacht Basin was arrived at having traveled 40 miles in about 4 hours.
Earlier in the day, Laurie had made a reservation and now the marina was over 95% full. The talk that the Florida marinas were mostly full was true for both St. Petersburg and Fort Myers. Making reservations the morning of has worked for us so far.
Connie met us after lunch and said Joe was playing golf. The decision was made to replace the Interstate AGM thruster battery that was less than two years old. The local dealership had one in stock for $300 and Connie offered to take us. The batteries were photographed and the wiring carefully diagrammed. Then, the engine start battery was removed to get to the thruster battery.
At the retail dealer, the manager had an employee do several tests and the battery tested fine. But, the manager accepted my story of its performance and said that a fully charged battery will be difficult to properly assess. He provided a brand new one at no charge. An hour later, the new battery was in and all the wiring had been re-installed with the system checking our correctly.
Charts, weather, and destinations were being studied when Eddy and Linda came down the dock wearing an AGLCA shirt. Eddy had led us and a group of 14 other boats on an overnight crossing of the Gulf to Tarpon Springs three years earlier and continues to provide weather forecasting for Loopers. His words about going south to the Everglades and Marathon: use the Wind Finder app, wind speeds under 12 knots are desirable and no more than 45 degrees off the bow or stern. He described the cruise to the south as “benign” in comparison to the “armpit" of Florida.
The weather forecast would make us leave Fort Myers a day earlier because a cold front was coming that would make boaters settle in for the next three to four days. There was more discussion about whether to get a dinghy for this trip.
Watching the house battery voltage was part of learning the boat’s systems. At bedtime the house bank was 12.6 volts or about 80%. At breakfast, it was 12.25 volts or about 50%. The refrigerator, the fans, the electric head and water pump were the big users.
Green herons, white and brown pelicans, and dolphins would be the morning treat after leaving the anchorage at 0845 hours in flat water, a light southerly breeze and little boat traffic. By 1000 hours, that would all change as the floodgates of weekend boaters filled the channel. 1030 hours and the channels of Venice were transited. The only damage observed that was caused by the recent hurricanes were several boats still aground; probably no insurance and the owners cannot be found and a conscious decision to leave the problem for the community to deal with.
After the slow speed of Venice, Trilogy did another 10 minute long cleansing run at 14 knots that took us to the narrow key that separated the ICW from the Gulf of Mexico. Past Manasota Key and Lemon Key and into Lemon Sound, under bridges that the 15 foot air draft of the tug could easily clear, Trilogy went past her long time home at Palm Island Marina near Englewood.
A Carver yacht name Q’s Cabin, called us on the VHF as they were flying their gold AGLCA burgee and we had our first conversation with another Looper on this trip. The anchor was dropped in a small bay in Cape Haze that was ringed with multi-million dollar homes and with a blue water sailboat for a lunch break.
The destination was Cayo Costa State Park and the route took us the length of Gasparilla Sound, past Boca Grande Entrance, and to Pelican Bay that is on the northern tip of Cayo Costa Island. The entrance to the bay is shallow but do-able and on this later Sunday afternoon, there were about 50 go-fast center console boats beached on the shore and another 50 yachts, trawlers and large sailboats swinging at anchor in the deeper portion of the bay.
The state park has 10 slips for boats under 30 feet and five were available. At nearly 4 PM, Trilogy was easily backed into the fixed dock and secured after 6 hours and 49 miles of traveling.
The battery for the thruster and windlass was very weak even though it was fully charged; a sure sign that the battery was toast and this was not a surprise as a load test done a year ago showed only 50% of its reserve capacity. That repair would be the top priority at the next stop. The park rangers said that park use had increased between 20 and 40% per year for the last 4 years. When the last ferry had left at 5PM, the park was quiet and the mile long trail to the beach was walked to enjoy the beach on the gulf side. Dinner was ravioli and salad with movie following.
The still and warm air next to the mangroves brought out the no-see-ums and the tug’s screens that were designed to keep out mosquitos offered little protection. Windows were mostly closed, curtains closed to minimize the attraction, and a paper towel with vinegar was used to smash and collect dozens of the bugs with some carrying our blood cells.
The next morning the house battery was at 13.1 volts at bedtime and this time the DC breakers to the trim tabs, the chartplotter and the NMEA backbone were shut off. The result was much better morning voltage of 12.6 volts even with a fan and the refrigerator running. Surprising how much voltage is used to keep a circuit energized.
During breakfast, a text was received from Joe and Connie in Fort Myers with an invitation for dinner. Trilogy could easily get to Fort Myers in a few hours. This is how we do boating and camping: one or two days at a time and seizing the serendipity that arises.
Pulling away from the state park dock at 8:40 AM under blue skies and partly cloudy skies to the south with temperatures in the high 70’s, the water was flat because the breeze had dropped away. Past Cabbage Key, Pine Island and Captive Island, the water was calm with an occasional other boat.
That all changed at about 10:30 AM and just north of Sanibel Island when about half-dozen 50 to 70 foot long yachts, running at 20+ knots blew by us with only one slowing to cut down their 4 foot high wake in half. Then, turning to the east and beginning up the Caloosahatchee River, came groups and dozens of newer go-fast day boats heading west. For the next 90 minutes and going past Cape Coral and the “miserable mile” of a narrow winding part of the ICW channel with its appropriate slow speed, about 50 oncoming boats were counted. The density of the boats was surprising; on a Monday, and under sunny skies; clearly the economy was healthy.
At 12:45 PM, the Fort Myers Yacht Basin was arrived at having traveled 40 miles in about 4 hours.
Earlier in the day, Laurie had made a reservation and now the marina was over 95% full. The talk that the Florida marinas were mostly full was true for both St. Petersburg and Fort Myers. Making reservations the morning of has worked for us so far.
Connie met us after lunch and said Joe was playing golf. The decision was made to replace the Interstate AGM thruster battery that was less than two years old. The local dealership had one in stock for $300 and Connie offered to take us. The batteries were photographed and the wiring carefully diagrammed. Then, the engine start battery was removed to get to the thruster battery.
At the retail dealer, the manager had an employee do several tests and the battery tested fine. But, the manager accepted my story of its performance and said that a fully charged battery will be difficult to properly assess. He provided a brand new one at no charge. An hour later, the new battery was in and all the wiring had been re-installed with the system checking our correctly.
Charts, weather, and destinations were being studied when Eddy and Linda came down the dock wearing an AGLCA shirt. Eddy had led us and a group of 14 other boats on an overnight crossing of the Gulf to Tarpon Springs three years earlier and continues to provide weather forecasting for Loopers. His words about going south to the Everglades and Marathon: use the Wind Finder app, wind speeds under 12 knots are desirable and no more than 45 degrees off the bow or stern. He described the cruise to the south as “benign” in comparison to the “armpit" of Florida.
The weather forecast would make us leave Fort Myers a day earlier because a cold front was coming that would make boaters settle in for the next three to four days. There was more discussion about whether to get a dinghy for this trip.
Tuesday, February 27
The morning was used for showers, laundry, researching, loading apps, bookmarking websites and writing. The predicted cold front would require a stable place to be and the Rod and Gun Club in Everglades City was the likely choice because they are open, have dock space at $1.50 a foot and the tiny town is rich with local history and character. A search for a new dinghy quickly put that issue aside: there were no compatible ones for Trilogy in any of the West Marine stores in the region – simply they had no inventory. Craigslist did not have any of the smaller inflatable ones in Fort Myers.
After lunch, an Uber ride was taken to the large sporting goods store that is outside the downtown core. For Laurie, a long-sleeve shirt of ultra-light material was chosen, a better hat, an effective mosquito repellent system was obtained and an additional cooling collar was found. Another Uber ride was taken to the grocery store nearest the marina for provisioning because the choices may be limited for the next 7 days. Then, a free electric shuttle service that serves the historic downtown core was used to return to the boat.
The tug’s water tank was filled, notice was given to the marina office of our leaving and diesel would be purchased tomorrow on our way out.
Joe and Connie invited us to share dinner out with their long time friends and fellow Manatee owners Ted and Sarah who have a dock near Goodland. A wonderful 3-hour dinner of pizza, beer and stories were told. Ted and Sarah bought their Krogen Manatee new in 1982, have taken it 140,000 miles and now have their 4th engine. They are major Krogen Manatee rock stars.
The morning was used for showers, laundry, researching, loading apps, bookmarking websites and writing. The predicted cold front would require a stable place to be and the Rod and Gun Club in Everglades City was the likely choice because they are open, have dock space at $1.50 a foot and the tiny town is rich with local history and character. A search for a new dinghy quickly put that issue aside: there were no compatible ones for Trilogy in any of the West Marine stores in the region – simply they had no inventory. Craigslist did not have any of the smaller inflatable ones in Fort Myers.
After lunch, an Uber ride was taken to the large sporting goods store that is outside the downtown core. For Laurie, a long-sleeve shirt of ultra-light material was chosen, a better hat, an effective mosquito repellent system was obtained and an additional cooling collar was found. Another Uber ride was taken to the grocery store nearest the marina for provisioning because the choices may be limited for the next 7 days. Then, a free electric shuttle service that serves the historic downtown core was used to return to the boat.
The tug’s water tank was filled, notice was given to the marina office of our leaving and diesel would be purchased tomorrow on our way out.
Joe and Connie invited us to share dinner out with their long time friends and fellow Manatee owners Ted and Sarah who have a dock near Goodland. A wonderful 3-hour dinner of pizza, beer and stories were told. Ted and Sarah bought their Krogen Manatee new in 1982, have taken it 140,000 miles and now have their 4th engine. They are major Krogen Manatee rock stars.
Wednesday, February 28
Trilogy was at the fuel dock when it opened at 8 AM and took 40.7 gallons of diesel and then headed west down the river, with the current, a light breeze and few boats. Knowing this could be long travel day, the fast cruising speed was used when it was comfortable. Almost 90 minutes after leaving the marina, the tug left the comfort of the magenta line on the chart that designated the ICW and headed south toward the gulf, under the Sanibel Bridge, past the last marker and we watched Fort Myers Beach slide by to the east.
In the hazy distance was the huge towers that were erected north of Naples and that would be the landmark to focus on. The pattern of mostly slow cruising with 10-minute intervals of fast cruising continued throughout the day. Trilogy was about 2 to 3 miles off shore and the water depth remained about 20 feet. Closer to Naples, a Ranger Tug 29 was seen in the distance, then the distinctive shape of Krogen Manatee was seen with the brilliant orange hull, orange stabilizing sail and massive orange dinghy that was Ted and Sarah’s.
The waves and the wakes had grown and we were glad to get off the Gulf by entering Gordon Pass with it’s access to Naples at 1 PM where a quick couple of turns revealed a thick group exclusive multi-million dollar homes with docks and boats. In an elbow, the anchor was dropped in 5 feet and lunch was enjoyed. Afterwards, Trilogy was taken deep into Naples until the route was obstructed by a low clearance bridge. It was odd that that the owners of the million+ dollar homes had not succeeded in lowering the speed limit from 30 MPH and of course, the drivers of those go-fast boats were likely other owners of million+ dollar homes.
With nothing in Naples calling us to stay and the mooring field closed – probably to keep the cheap live aboards out, we continued southward on the inside route. Trilogy had already traveled over 40 miles. The inside route was narrow, shallow but perfectly fine as a preview of what this part of the trip would be: 30 foot tall mangroves and skinny water. The horizon was huge, the water still and the buzz of rental go-fast boats returning to Naples would keep us on our toes.
Marco Island was like Naples; interesting from the point of view of seeing it once and that would be good enough. The playground of the wealthy with exclusive access, new shiny boxes that housed people who worked at taking money from those who had it. Marco Island’s development is new, going higher and yet thin; just as quickly as it rose from the mangroves, it was gone and behind us.
Goodland was about 7 miles from Marco Island and Goodland locals passed Trilogy in the pontoon boats laden with supplies. Goodland is very different from Marco Island and Naples. It is located on an island with marinas, businesses, and residents on the shore and extending to the center. Small, genuine, not flashy and authentic in flavor. Though there was evidence of wealth, there were also normal residents who were making a living in this rural part of southwest Florida. Ted and Sarah’s Manatee was waiting for us at anchor as their slip had been destroyed by Hurricane Irma, as was about a quarter of the docks. The anchor was dropped in 10 feet of water in Blue Hill Creek, just west of the marina at 4:50 PM ending the travel day at 133 engine hours and 76 travel miles.
Trilogy was at the fuel dock when it opened at 8 AM and took 40.7 gallons of diesel and then headed west down the river, with the current, a light breeze and few boats. Knowing this could be long travel day, the fast cruising speed was used when it was comfortable. Almost 90 minutes after leaving the marina, the tug left the comfort of the magenta line on the chart that designated the ICW and headed south toward the gulf, under the Sanibel Bridge, past the last marker and we watched Fort Myers Beach slide by to the east.
In the hazy distance was the huge towers that were erected north of Naples and that would be the landmark to focus on. The pattern of mostly slow cruising with 10-minute intervals of fast cruising continued throughout the day. Trilogy was about 2 to 3 miles off shore and the water depth remained about 20 feet. Closer to Naples, a Ranger Tug 29 was seen in the distance, then the distinctive shape of Krogen Manatee was seen with the brilliant orange hull, orange stabilizing sail and massive orange dinghy that was Ted and Sarah’s.
The waves and the wakes had grown and we were glad to get off the Gulf by entering Gordon Pass with it’s access to Naples at 1 PM where a quick couple of turns revealed a thick group exclusive multi-million dollar homes with docks and boats. In an elbow, the anchor was dropped in 5 feet and lunch was enjoyed. Afterwards, Trilogy was taken deep into Naples until the route was obstructed by a low clearance bridge. It was odd that that the owners of the million+ dollar homes had not succeeded in lowering the speed limit from 30 MPH and of course, the drivers of those go-fast boats were likely other owners of million+ dollar homes.
With nothing in Naples calling us to stay and the mooring field closed – probably to keep the cheap live aboards out, we continued southward on the inside route. Trilogy had already traveled over 40 miles. The inside route was narrow, shallow but perfectly fine as a preview of what this part of the trip would be: 30 foot tall mangroves and skinny water. The horizon was huge, the water still and the buzz of rental go-fast boats returning to Naples would keep us on our toes.
Marco Island was like Naples; interesting from the point of view of seeing it once and that would be good enough. The playground of the wealthy with exclusive access, new shiny boxes that housed people who worked at taking money from those who had it. Marco Island’s development is new, going higher and yet thin; just as quickly as it rose from the mangroves, it was gone and behind us.
Goodland was about 7 miles from Marco Island and Goodland locals passed Trilogy in the pontoon boats laden with supplies. Goodland is very different from Marco Island and Naples. It is located on an island with marinas, businesses, and residents on the shore and extending to the center. Small, genuine, not flashy and authentic in flavor. Though there was evidence of wealth, there were also normal residents who were making a living in this rural part of southwest Florida. Ted and Sarah’s Manatee was waiting for us at anchor as their slip had been destroyed by Hurricane Irma, as was about a quarter of the docks. The anchor was dropped in 10 feet of water in Blue Hill Creek, just west of the marina at 4:50 PM ending the travel day at 133 engine hours and 76 travel miles.
Thursday, March 1
The planning notion was a short travel day to Everglades City, but a change in the wind forecast and the resulting chop showed a two-day travel window and then four days of no traveling. There was no rain; the skies were clear, blue, with temperatures in the low 80’s and cooling down from the record heat. The decision was made to adapt to the changes and spend the four or so down-days in Marathon. A phone call to Blackfin Marina was another example of serendipity: they are nearly always booked up but they just had a cancellation and had room for Trilogy. Goodland would not be explored, Everglades City would be passed by and today’s destination would be the Little Shark River in Everglades National Park.
The anchor was raised at 9:45 AM and we said good-bye to Ted and Sarah by telephone. Using Eddy’s recommendation, the Windfinder app was exclusively used and that would prove to be a mistake because their forecast was wrong for the Ten Thousand Islands. The Windy app did get it right: 10 to 15 knot winds from the southwest with waves 1 to 2 feet with an occasional 3 footer; all at 2 second intervals. Dolphins were playing on the edge of the mangroves. The depth past Coon Key did not get above 3 feet for 5 miles.
In 2007, this ride of short and tight waves would be uncomfortable and not tolerated. Our comfort zone is now wider and we are more tolerant and patient because the comfort zone had been exercised by being used, pushed and learning has happened. Comfort zones are like fitness: use it and grow it or lose it. The longer the boat stays at the dock, the harder it is to leave it. Over time and quicker than expected, it is just easier to stay, not go, and have the same life. Leaving meant venturing and gaining.
The faster speed of 15 to 16 miles per hour provided a smoother ride. So rather than going this for 10 minutes per hour, it was increased to 15 to 30 minutes. 12:30 PM and Trilogy entered Everglades National Park and would stay inside the park boundary to avoid the crab and lobster pots. At 2:45 PM, the tug had rounded the marker into Little Shark River, past the huge yacht anchored outside, and made the S-turn following the markers into the wide river.
The anchor was dropped in 10 feet of water and away from two large sailboats and a Carver yacht. The fresh cooling breeze was enjoyed as the dried salt was cleaned from the front windows and Rain-ex was re-applied. Dinner was enjoyed in the cockpit as the breeze faded with the sunset. Then the conditions quickly changed: thousands of no-see-ums forced us into the sealed cabin where the 85- degree temperature and 80% humidity made it difficult to bear. Dozens of bugs were squished with a finger as they hovered at the salon lights and cards were played to divert our attention away from the conditions.
Finished with 138 hours, 2233 miles or 56 travel miles
The planning notion was a short travel day to Everglades City, but a change in the wind forecast and the resulting chop showed a two-day travel window and then four days of no traveling. There was no rain; the skies were clear, blue, with temperatures in the low 80’s and cooling down from the record heat. The decision was made to adapt to the changes and spend the four or so down-days in Marathon. A phone call to Blackfin Marina was another example of serendipity: they are nearly always booked up but they just had a cancellation and had room for Trilogy. Goodland would not be explored, Everglades City would be passed by and today’s destination would be the Little Shark River in Everglades National Park.
The anchor was raised at 9:45 AM and we said good-bye to Ted and Sarah by telephone. Using Eddy’s recommendation, the Windfinder app was exclusively used and that would prove to be a mistake because their forecast was wrong for the Ten Thousand Islands. The Windy app did get it right: 10 to 15 knot winds from the southwest with waves 1 to 2 feet with an occasional 3 footer; all at 2 second intervals. Dolphins were playing on the edge of the mangroves. The depth past Coon Key did not get above 3 feet for 5 miles.
In 2007, this ride of short and tight waves would be uncomfortable and not tolerated. Our comfort zone is now wider and we are more tolerant and patient because the comfort zone had been exercised by being used, pushed and learning has happened. Comfort zones are like fitness: use it and grow it or lose it. The longer the boat stays at the dock, the harder it is to leave it. Over time and quicker than expected, it is just easier to stay, not go, and have the same life. Leaving meant venturing and gaining.
The faster speed of 15 to 16 miles per hour provided a smoother ride. So rather than going this for 10 minutes per hour, it was increased to 15 to 30 minutes. 12:30 PM and Trilogy entered Everglades National Park and would stay inside the park boundary to avoid the crab and lobster pots. At 2:45 PM, the tug had rounded the marker into Little Shark River, past the huge yacht anchored outside, and made the S-turn following the markers into the wide river.
The anchor was dropped in 10 feet of water and away from two large sailboats and a Carver yacht. The fresh cooling breeze was enjoyed as the dried salt was cleaned from the front windows and Rain-ex was re-applied. Dinner was enjoyed in the cockpit as the breeze faded with the sunset. Then the conditions quickly changed: thousands of no-see-ums forced us into the sealed cabin where the 85- degree temperature and 80% humidity made it difficult to bear. Dozens of bugs were squished with a finger as they hovered at the salon lights and cards were played to divert our attention away from the conditions.
Finished with 138 hours, 2233 miles or 56 travel miles
Friday, March 2
Up at sunrise for an early crossing to Marathon. As the sun was rising, the moon set in the northwest. As I went forward to prepare the anchor for raising and to remove the windshield canvas, thousands of no-see-ums attacked the face, arms and hands. The edges of panic were felt coming on. Laurie almost came outside but heeded the warnings to stay inside. At 7 AM, we headed out during a very low tide that brought depths of two to three feet under Trilogy’s keel for nearly 10 miles.
At 8 AM, and near Sandy Point, the tug headed due south on autopilot to Marathon. The wind and the waves were behind the tug and at 9:15 AM and 17 miles from Marathon, so many crab or lobster pots were encountered that these would be constant companion for the next two hours. At 11:30 AM a fuel stop was made at Faro Blanco Marina and Resort where 62 gallons were taken.
30 minutes and about a mile to the east from the fuel stop, Trilogy found the Blackfin Marina and backed in to the last spot. Immediately, long-time tug owners and boating friends, Mike Rizzo and Jim and Lisa Favors came over. The marina has a quiet, low-key feel about it because it is small – maybe 20 boats total, 90% of the boats are 30 feet and under, most of the users are here for at least a month, the marina is associated with a motel and a restaurant and is on the main highway.
We paid for 4 nights, which is the same as the weekly rate, “Buy for 4 nights and stay a week.” Jim and Lisa invited us for dinner on their boat, a 2017 Ranger 29S that we had seen in Des Moines, WA last fall.
Ended with 143 hours and 2278 miles or 43 travel miles
Up at sunrise for an early crossing to Marathon. As the sun was rising, the moon set in the northwest. As I went forward to prepare the anchor for raising and to remove the windshield canvas, thousands of no-see-ums attacked the face, arms and hands. The edges of panic were felt coming on. Laurie almost came outside but heeded the warnings to stay inside. At 7 AM, we headed out during a very low tide that brought depths of two to three feet under Trilogy’s keel for nearly 10 miles.
At 8 AM, and near Sandy Point, the tug headed due south on autopilot to Marathon. The wind and the waves were behind the tug and at 9:15 AM and 17 miles from Marathon, so many crab or lobster pots were encountered that these would be constant companion for the next two hours. At 11:30 AM a fuel stop was made at Faro Blanco Marina and Resort where 62 gallons were taken.
30 minutes and about a mile to the east from the fuel stop, Trilogy found the Blackfin Marina and backed in to the last spot. Immediately, long-time tug owners and boating friends, Mike Rizzo and Jim and Lisa Favors came over. The marina has a quiet, low-key feel about it because it is small – maybe 20 boats total, 90% of the boats are 30 feet and under, most of the users are here for at least a month, the marina is associated with a motel and a restaurant and is on the main highway.
We paid for 4 nights, which is the same as the weekly rate, “Buy for 4 nights and stay a week.” Jim and Lisa invited us for dinner on their boat, a 2017 Ranger 29S that we had seen in Des Moines, WA last fall.
Ended with 143 hours and 2278 miles or 43 travel miles
Saturday-Monday, March 3-5
The wind blew through the evening causing small swells that gently rocked the tug. Before sunrise, a blanket was needed in the v-berth to stay warm. The winds did not blow as predicted and eased off before lunch. The morning was eggs, cleaning up, a phone call with Rich, walking to the nearby Home Depot to research portable air conditioners and buy a mosquito combat and prevention strategy. Wanting to stretch the legs and get some much needed exercise, the intention was to walk the 15 minutes to Publix and perhaps the Walgreen’s drug store but Laurie took a detour into the T-shirt shop and was drawn into the 50% sale.
Back at the boat and a snack later, the boat was washed, scrubbed and rinsed. The tug was turned around with the bow facing west to finish scrubbing the hull. The afternoon was talking about air conditioning, cleaning the stainless rails, talking to a couple from New Jersey who had a Nimble trailerable boat, and taking a dip in the pool. After a light dinner, a movie was watched on the laptop.
The winds howled after midnight and twice the guy-wires to the radar tower became loose and had to be tightened. While on the roof, the warm wind picked at the skin and the fix was easy to do with the full moon illuminating the marina. The next boat over had a full patio setup with table, BBQ, workbench and an umbrella, which broke and fell over.
The wind blew through the evening causing small swells that gently rocked the tug. Before sunrise, a blanket was needed in the v-berth to stay warm. The winds did not blow as predicted and eased off before lunch. The morning was eggs, cleaning up, a phone call with Rich, walking to the nearby Home Depot to research portable air conditioners and buy a mosquito combat and prevention strategy. Wanting to stretch the legs and get some much needed exercise, the intention was to walk the 15 minutes to Publix and perhaps the Walgreen’s drug store but Laurie took a detour into the T-shirt shop and was drawn into the 50% sale.
Back at the boat and a snack later, the boat was washed, scrubbed and rinsed. The tug was turned around with the bow facing west to finish scrubbing the hull. The afternoon was talking about air conditioning, cleaning the stainless rails, talking to a couple from New Jersey who had a Nimble trailerable boat, and taking a dip in the pool. After a light dinner, a movie was watched on the laptop.
The winds howled after midnight and twice the guy-wires to the radar tower became loose and had to be tightened. While on the roof, the warm wind picked at the skin and the fix was easy to do with the full moon illuminating the marina. The next boat over had a full patio setup with table, BBQ, workbench and an umbrella, which broke and fell over.
The next day, breakfast was after sunrise. The day would be clear skies and the perfect temperature of the mid-70’s. A trip toward the Publix store found the directional sign to the Episcopal Church – one that was not found in a search of, “Episcopal Churches near me.” The traditional 9AM service was just ending and the contemporary service at 11 AM would be starting in 45 minutes. The Publix store near by was walked to and the short list was taken care of. The store was packed with people – a surprise for a sunny Sunday morning.
The worship service was another example of serendipity that brought the opportunity to meet local people, catch a glimpse into their lives, the struggles and projects. The praise service was different, the contemporary music from the live band was unknown, but the message and the structure were familiar. The people were genuinely friendly and hearing about their response to the needs of those hurting from the hurricane was valuable.
The afternoon was conversations with Mike and Jim, finishing the project of installing and calibrating the new battery monitor, and adjusting the guy wire cables on the tower. Sunset was spent at the point with friends and Jim’s drone where we brought out jackets for the first time and enjoyed being chilly. The day was closed with steaks grilled on the BBQ.
The worship service was another example of serendipity that brought the opportunity to meet local people, catch a glimpse into their lives, the struggles and projects. The praise service was different, the contemporary music from the live band was unknown, but the message and the structure were familiar. The people were genuinely friendly and hearing about their response to the needs of those hurting from the hurricane was valuable.
The afternoon was conversations with Mike and Jim, finishing the project of installing and calibrating the new battery monitor, and adjusting the guy wire cables on the tower. Sunset was spent at the point with friends and Jim’s drone where we brought out jackets for the first time and enjoyed being chilly. The day was closed with steaks grilled on the BBQ.
Monday was another glorious day with temperatures in the mid to high 70’s. The fresh air in the morning would lie down in the afternoon and stay down through the evening. After a breakfast of oatmeal, the return air flight was booked out of Orlando. This created the stick in the sand that other planning would pivot around and it also created a mental finish line that created some sadness.
With exploring the area to the west, a walk on A1A to the west part of Marathon showed the whole spectrum repair from the hurricane. The eye doctor and surgeon business still had the heavy metal shutters on the windows and doors, the new section of highway with new curbs, gutters and sidewalks in front of the local and state offices of government and the power cooperative and water provider, and just off of the highway was the sea of motorhomes, trailers, cargo containers, and dump trucks moving debris.
The first destination was Boot Key, a large protected bay with a huge mooring field that is run by the City of Marathon. We had been here years before by car and noticed the difference from the hurricane. The mooring field was filled with boats, and noted that 75% were large sailboats, the large dinghy dock that had extended out into the bay was broken and gone with concrete pilings snapped just above the water level from the storm surge.
On the side docks were heavy steel boatlifts and one was substantially bent by the storm surge. A conversation with the manager revealed the pain and exhaustion in his voice, 6 months after the storm, about the immense task of rebuilding. The handful of city employees did nearly all of the work of cleanup and rebuilding. The federal aid is on a reimbursement basis and therefore the city of 10,000 with limited financial resources pays first and hopes for aid later.
The walk took us to the West Marine Store and an art gallery before stopping at Banana Bay Marina to see Carl and Vicki who are tug owners from Portland, Oregon. Vicki had made side and stern curtains for their tug and we liked the idea of what she had done. Back at Trilogy by noon for lunch and the flight back to Seattle was booked which created the date to pivot and plan around. We have 13 days to use, enjoy, and explore the east coast of Florida to Orlando.
Most of the afternoon was spent with charts from Jim Favors, Navionics on the iPad, weather apps on the iPhones, and the Waterway Guides on their website with current marina information. The number of travel days in the next 6 days is predicted to be 2.5 days with the obstacle being waves on Biscayne Bay.
Calls were made to marinas to stay tomorrow night and possible two more nights but phones were not answered and messages not returned until Laurie found one about 60 miles away from Marathon. Jim Favors came by and identified a number of anchorages that he had used between here and Stuart and this provided a high level of comfortable and optimism for the coming days. Jim’s willingness to offer this information and his friendship is a specific example of why we wanted to come back to the Great Loop.
Laurie returned the marina key to the office while the boat’s systems were checked for tomorrow’s travel day. At 5 PM, a gathering of the tug owners happened at the viewpoint for drinks, food, laughter, and to watch the sunset. We said our good-byes, as the intention was to leave at sunrise.
With exploring the area to the west, a walk on A1A to the west part of Marathon showed the whole spectrum repair from the hurricane. The eye doctor and surgeon business still had the heavy metal shutters on the windows and doors, the new section of highway with new curbs, gutters and sidewalks in front of the local and state offices of government and the power cooperative and water provider, and just off of the highway was the sea of motorhomes, trailers, cargo containers, and dump trucks moving debris.
The first destination was Boot Key, a large protected bay with a huge mooring field that is run by the City of Marathon. We had been here years before by car and noticed the difference from the hurricane. The mooring field was filled with boats, and noted that 75% were large sailboats, the large dinghy dock that had extended out into the bay was broken and gone with concrete pilings snapped just above the water level from the storm surge.
On the side docks were heavy steel boatlifts and one was substantially bent by the storm surge. A conversation with the manager revealed the pain and exhaustion in his voice, 6 months after the storm, about the immense task of rebuilding. The handful of city employees did nearly all of the work of cleanup and rebuilding. The federal aid is on a reimbursement basis and therefore the city of 10,000 with limited financial resources pays first and hopes for aid later.
The walk took us to the West Marine Store and an art gallery before stopping at Banana Bay Marina to see Carl and Vicki who are tug owners from Portland, Oregon. Vicki had made side and stern curtains for their tug and we liked the idea of what she had done. Back at Trilogy by noon for lunch and the flight back to Seattle was booked which created the date to pivot and plan around. We have 13 days to use, enjoy, and explore the east coast of Florida to Orlando.
Most of the afternoon was spent with charts from Jim Favors, Navionics on the iPad, weather apps on the iPhones, and the Waterway Guides on their website with current marina information. The number of travel days in the next 6 days is predicted to be 2.5 days with the obstacle being waves on Biscayne Bay.
Calls were made to marinas to stay tomorrow night and possible two more nights but phones were not answered and messages not returned until Laurie found one about 60 miles away from Marathon. Jim Favors came by and identified a number of anchorages that he had used between here and Stuart and this provided a high level of comfortable and optimism for the coming days. Jim’s willingness to offer this information and his friendship is a specific example of why we wanted to come back to the Great Loop.
Laurie returned the marina key to the office while the boat’s systems were checked for tomorrow’s travel day. At 5 PM, a gathering of the tug owners happened at the viewpoint for drinks, food, laughter, and to watch the sunset. We said our good-byes, as the intention was to leave at sunrise.
Tuesday, March 6
The sun rose at 6:30 AM and Trilogy was eased out of its slip at 7:15 AM under clear skies and a light breeze. The ICW is a more of a magenta line on the charts with only a few markers in Florida Bay. Much of the day was spent looking for and dodging dark colored floats of either crab or lobster traps. The traps were in the ICW, which is unlike any other place where the floats are outside the channel and can often provide a marking of the channel’s boundary.
We went past Long Key with the autopilot doing the steering on an easy cruise. An attempt to use the radar as a training event revealed that the radar was not on the Garmin network. This may be as simple as a blown fuse or a loose connection or could be something more complex. Later, an attempt to find the simple solution found that Trilogy did not have the right owner’s manual, so a deeper assessment would be put off.
Many miles were spent either in Everglades National Park or just skirting the southern edges of the park as the transition was made from west side of Florida, around the southern point near Key Largo and turning to the northeast. Narrow channels or cuts were navigated through shallow water and between islets with names like Bowlegs, Cowpens, Barnes and Card.
The first option to stop was at John Pennekamp State Park that had anchorage, mooring balls and a transient dock. With the wind forecast of a moderate blow, having Trilogy on a dock was preferred. Laurie checked the state park’s website and found the hurricane damage to the mooring field and the docks were not yet repaired. The next option was Anchorage Resort and as the approach was made at 1:00 PM, the destination simply did not call us because it was exposed to heavy boat traffic, had a very commercial resort feel to it and the day was young.
In about 10 minutes of research, another option was found in Biscayne National Park at Elliott Bay Harbor. What was odd was the harbor did not show up on the 2011 version of the Garmin chartplotter. It was in the Maptech chartbook and a Google search that showed it was part of the national park. A better read of the Waterways Guide found more information but it was unclear if it was open and what were the size limitations. A look at the satellite image showed the potential to be a good destination and a phone call to the park visitor center revealed that it did not have power but was open. That would be the preferred destination and Laurie had identified two other options, if needed.
Entering Barnes Sound brought a stiffer wind from the southwest and the predicted waves of 2+ feet. Trilogy quartered the following sea on its starboard corner and then ran at 15 miles per hour for a smoother ride. In Biscayne Bay proper, the tug hugged the 5-foot deep contour on the eastside of the bay and left the ICW magenta line for an easy ride to Elliott Bay Harbor. The approach was not easy to discern from the water and the depth went to about 2 feet under the keel until the harbor was entered and the depth increased to 4 feet. The intentional decision was made to tie on the north end of the harbor in preparation for northwest winds the following day and that decision would later be regretted as the southwest winds increased and made the night and next day more uncomfortable due to swells rocking the boat in its slip.
Trilogy arrived at 3:30PM with 152 engine hours and traveled 83 miles.
Elliott Bay has large building that was a visitor center, a campground, cold water showers and a bathroom. A high school group was out kayaking and three other campers were on-site. The harbor hosts, Curt and Marilyn, were on their days off and had their sailboat on the mainland. Karen, the park volunteer who was helping with the high school group, met us and shared her story. A retired teacher from Kentucky, on disability from a catastrophic car accident, she spends about 5 months a year as a park volunteer with her gentle dog, Spirit.
The sunset was amazing and the breeze kept most of the bugs at bay. After dinner a Harry Potter movie was watched. During the night, the wind increased and rocked the boat – a foretelling of things to come.
The sun rose at 6:30 AM and Trilogy was eased out of its slip at 7:15 AM under clear skies and a light breeze. The ICW is a more of a magenta line on the charts with only a few markers in Florida Bay. Much of the day was spent looking for and dodging dark colored floats of either crab or lobster traps. The traps were in the ICW, which is unlike any other place where the floats are outside the channel and can often provide a marking of the channel’s boundary.
We went past Long Key with the autopilot doing the steering on an easy cruise. An attempt to use the radar as a training event revealed that the radar was not on the Garmin network. This may be as simple as a blown fuse or a loose connection or could be something more complex. Later, an attempt to find the simple solution found that Trilogy did not have the right owner’s manual, so a deeper assessment would be put off.
Many miles were spent either in Everglades National Park or just skirting the southern edges of the park as the transition was made from west side of Florida, around the southern point near Key Largo and turning to the northeast. Narrow channels or cuts were navigated through shallow water and between islets with names like Bowlegs, Cowpens, Barnes and Card.
The first option to stop was at John Pennekamp State Park that had anchorage, mooring balls and a transient dock. With the wind forecast of a moderate blow, having Trilogy on a dock was preferred. Laurie checked the state park’s website and found the hurricane damage to the mooring field and the docks were not yet repaired. The next option was Anchorage Resort and as the approach was made at 1:00 PM, the destination simply did not call us because it was exposed to heavy boat traffic, had a very commercial resort feel to it and the day was young.
In about 10 minutes of research, another option was found in Biscayne National Park at Elliott Bay Harbor. What was odd was the harbor did not show up on the 2011 version of the Garmin chartplotter. It was in the Maptech chartbook and a Google search that showed it was part of the national park. A better read of the Waterways Guide found more information but it was unclear if it was open and what were the size limitations. A look at the satellite image showed the potential to be a good destination and a phone call to the park visitor center revealed that it did not have power but was open. That would be the preferred destination and Laurie had identified two other options, if needed.
Entering Barnes Sound brought a stiffer wind from the southwest and the predicted waves of 2+ feet. Trilogy quartered the following sea on its starboard corner and then ran at 15 miles per hour for a smoother ride. In Biscayne Bay proper, the tug hugged the 5-foot deep contour on the eastside of the bay and left the ICW magenta line for an easy ride to Elliott Bay Harbor. The approach was not easy to discern from the water and the depth went to about 2 feet under the keel until the harbor was entered and the depth increased to 4 feet. The intentional decision was made to tie on the north end of the harbor in preparation for northwest winds the following day and that decision would later be regretted as the southwest winds increased and made the night and next day more uncomfortable due to swells rocking the boat in its slip.
Trilogy arrived at 3:30PM with 152 engine hours and traveled 83 miles.
Elliott Bay has large building that was a visitor center, a campground, cold water showers and a bathroom. A high school group was out kayaking and three other campers were on-site. The harbor hosts, Curt and Marilyn, were on their days off and had their sailboat on the mainland. Karen, the park volunteer who was helping with the high school group, met us and shared her story. A retired teacher from Kentucky, on disability from a catastrophic car accident, she spends about 5 months a year as a park volunteer with her gentle dog, Spirit.
The sunset was amazing and the breeze kept most of the bugs at bay. After dinner a Harry Potter movie was watched. During the night, the wind increased and rocked the boat – a foretelling of things to come.
Wednesday, March 7
Though there are several million people who live within view of this harbor, there is no strong Internet coverage and that made finding the update wind forecast problematic. After sunrise, the wind was fresh but not white caps that indicated 12 knots or higher. After breakfast, the muddy paw prints from a raccoon had tracked across the bow and along the cockpit. Curt and Marilyn had come on the Park Service boat and came by a park golf cart for a conversation about boating and volunteering. They are from North Dakota and had done the Great Loop in 2014-2015 in a Hunter 26 sailboat. They and Karen are ideal volunteers - being patient, friendly, chatty, engaging and knowledgeable.
The trail to the Atlantic Ocean side of the key was explored. In the absence of the noise of the wind, the dense grove of small trees and bushes were quiet. Where this east-west trail intersects with a north-south trail, a sign told the story of how a developer in the 1960’s was stopped in a court battle that created this park, had bulldozed a 7 lane wide highway down the middle of this key and was named “Spite Highway.” Today, only a two-person wide trail remains. The Atlantic coast does not have any surf and looks like an infinitely wide bay. Hurricane Irma caused the damage of uprooted trees, logs blown back into the mangroves, and sections of man-made boardwalk that used to be on the water’s edge were forced 200 yards inland along a trail.
This part of the park is starved for funding. Neglected maintenance has allowed well-engineered buildings to lose their value that would require more funds to bring them back. Informational signs needed repair and should have been replaced years ago and sends the message that we are not good stewards of the community’s property.
By 10 AM, the wind had risen to a steady 15 knots with gusts to about 20. Trilogy was taking 1 to 2 foot high chop on the port stern quarter and the tug rocked heavily side-to-side, straining at its lines, and more lines were added and adjusted. The park concession operates a 35-foot catamaran with twin 300 outboards, zigzagged across the wind-whipped bay and struggled to land in the wind to pickup a high school group. Soon, everyone except us and a lone camper had left the island. Several options were agreed upon: if the wind dropped before 5PM, the run to Miami would be done. If the wind dropped before sunset, the tug would be moved to the quieter part of the harbor and when it shifted again tomorrow – that would be dealt with at the time.
Lunch was eaten under the cover of the old visitor center because Trilogy was too uncomfortable with the side-to-side rocking. Heavy clouds came from the southwest, missed Elliott Key and dropped heavy rain on Miami. Curt and Marilyn told us where a working power outlet could be found on the outside of the old visitor center so the electronic devices could be charged. The afternoon was spent reading, writing, adjusting lines and watching a flock of pelicans dive head first into the harbor to feed.
Though there are several million people who live within view of this harbor, there is no strong Internet coverage and that made finding the update wind forecast problematic. After sunrise, the wind was fresh but not white caps that indicated 12 knots or higher. After breakfast, the muddy paw prints from a raccoon had tracked across the bow and along the cockpit. Curt and Marilyn had come on the Park Service boat and came by a park golf cart for a conversation about boating and volunteering. They are from North Dakota and had done the Great Loop in 2014-2015 in a Hunter 26 sailboat. They and Karen are ideal volunteers - being patient, friendly, chatty, engaging and knowledgeable.
The trail to the Atlantic Ocean side of the key was explored. In the absence of the noise of the wind, the dense grove of small trees and bushes were quiet. Where this east-west trail intersects with a north-south trail, a sign told the story of how a developer in the 1960’s was stopped in a court battle that created this park, had bulldozed a 7 lane wide highway down the middle of this key and was named “Spite Highway.” Today, only a two-person wide trail remains. The Atlantic coast does not have any surf and looks like an infinitely wide bay. Hurricane Irma caused the damage of uprooted trees, logs blown back into the mangroves, and sections of man-made boardwalk that used to be on the water’s edge were forced 200 yards inland along a trail.
This part of the park is starved for funding. Neglected maintenance has allowed well-engineered buildings to lose their value that would require more funds to bring them back. Informational signs needed repair and should have been replaced years ago and sends the message that we are not good stewards of the community’s property.
By 10 AM, the wind had risen to a steady 15 knots with gusts to about 20. Trilogy was taking 1 to 2 foot high chop on the port stern quarter and the tug rocked heavily side-to-side, straining at its lines, and more lines were added and adjusted. The park concession operates a 35-foot catamaran with twin 300 outboards, zigzagged across the wind-whipped bay and struggled to land in the wind to pickup a high school group. Soon, everyone except us and a lone camper had left the island. Several options were agreed upon: if the wind dropped before 5PM, the run to Miami would be done. If the wind dropped before sunset, the tug would be moved to the quieter part of the harbor and when it shifted again tomorrow – that would be dealt with at the time.
Lunch was eaten under the cover of the old visitor center because Trilogy was too uncomfortable with the side-to-side rocking. Heavy clouds came from the southwest, missed Elliott Key and dropped heavy rain on Miami. Curt and Marilyn told us where a working power outlet could be found on the outside of the old visitor center so the electronic devices could be charged. The afternoon was spent reading, writing, adjusting lines and watching a flock of pelicans dive head first into the harbor to feed.
At about 3:30 PM, the wind started to change direction from the southwest to the northwest and by 4:00 PM the wind had lost much of its punch. The decision was made to leave for Miami and anchor at Stadium Marina Harbor. The two-hour and 23 mile ride was done at the fast cruising speed of 15 to 16 miles per hour. The second half was nearly calm as the wind was much lighter in the city.
At about the exact spot where wilderness/park boating ended and high urban boating began, the streak of a go-fast boat with an orange hull came from the starboard side, came fast at the tug’s stern and then did a quick pivot and dropped speed to come nearly along side the port side. The law enforcement arm of the Coast Guard was about to board Trilogy. Laurie waved a greeting to the crew as they indicated to slow down with a blast from the siren. Two uniformed and armed officers stepped from their moving craft and onto the tug, and after a quick assessment of us and the boat, they asked to do a quick safety inspection. We had been boarded at least 6 other times on different boats and Laurie answered all the questions and showed them the items they asked for. She did all the talking and showed them all of the items requested which impressed the officers. In 10 minutes it was over and they were gone to stop another vessel.
At 6:15 PM, the anchor was dropped in Stadium Marina Harbor in 5 feet of water. There were about 20 other boats and most were sailboats. Some were unoccupied, a few turned on an anchor light, and two boats were sunk in the harbor. In the fading light, a group of rowers from a teen rowing club did a work out in the bay. Hamburgers were grilled as the lights of the skyline created their own beauty as the airliners made their approach to the international airport.
At about the exact spot where wilderness/park boating ended and high urban boating began, the streak of a go-fast boat with an orange hull came from the starboard side, came fast at the tug’s stern and then did a quick pivot and dropped speed to come nearly along side the port side. The law enforcement arm of the Coast Guard was about to board Trilogy. Laurie waved a greeting to the crew as they indicated to slow down with a blast from the siren. Two uniformed and armed officers stepped from their moving craft and onto the tug, and after a quick assessment of us and the boat, they asked to do a quick safety inspection. We had been boarded at least 6 other times on different boats and Laurie answered all the questions and showed them the items they asked for. She did all the talking and showed them all of the items requested which impressed the officers. In 10 minutes it was over and they were gone to stop another vessel.
At 6:15 PM, the anchor was dropped in Stadium Marina Harbor in 5 feet of water. There were about 20 other boats and most were sailboats. Some were unoccupied, a few turned on an anchor light, and two boats were sunk in the harbor. In the fading light, a group of rowers from a teen rowing club did a work out in the bay. Hamburgers were grilled as the lights of the skyline created their own beauty as the airliners made their approach to the international airport.
Two Sunsets, one day and a world apart:
These two photos were taken on the same day. The photo on the left is at Biscayne Bay National Park. The one on the right is the skyline of Miami from an anchorage.
These two photos were taken on the same day. The photo on the left is at Biscayne Bay National Park. The one on the right is the skyline of Miami from an anchorage.
Thursday-Friday, March 8-9
During the night, the wind came up and caused a sound that was a low and deep rumble that necessitated another 15 feet of rode and allowed for an easy sleep. At the close of the evening, the house battery had 88% of amp/hours capacity because it did not get a full charge from the alternator. In the morning and after dinner, dishes, a shower and a night of running the refrigerator, the new battery monitor showed 64%. The alternator would later take 4 hours to replenish the entire amps to make a full charge.
The anchor came up reluctantly at 8:00 AM and the next 90 minutes was entertaining as Trilogy traveled through the waterfront heart of downtown Miami. The bridges were choked with cars, an event was happening under a large tent that was put up in an open space, walkers and joggers filled the sidewalks near the high condos and apartments, and the cruise ships were guarded by security boats.
The skies stayed clear with temperatures in the high 70’s. The wind from the northeast was significant with small craft warnings. However, being on a narrow waterway, there was no fetch and therefore no significant swells or white caps and this made an acceptable travel day and was the reason that we left Marathon and Elliott Bay Harbor. Boaters on the large open water were typically kept in the harbor.
This would be slow travel day with speed restrictions caused by bridges and by signs saying, “minimum wake,” or “No wake” or “Idle Speed” or “15 inch high wake maximum.” Trilogy would travel for 6 hours, go under 19 bridges and average only a bit over 6 miles per hour and travel 38 miles. Loopers had complained about how slow and congested this section of the ICW can be but we found it to be interesting but that required full attention and very little use of the autopilot.
Most of the trip was through the richest communities on this coast. The meg-yachts against mega-priced building, the hundreds of multi-million dollar houses, and 95% of the boats and yachts were less than 5 years old. The economy is booming, disposable income among the richest is illustrated here, and the new status symbol is the 30-foot go-fast boat with four 400-horse power outboards hanging off the stern. Is there a correlation between the number of high horsepower outboards and the lack of penis size?
Trilogy continued through Miami Shores, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Hallendale Beach and Dania Beach. After Port Everglades with its container ships, cruise ships and the bored Broward County Sheriff’s Deputy on his go-fast patrol boat warning the rare boater (like us) to slow down, came Fort Lauderdale which took opulence and extreme wealth to a whole new level. Trilogy anchored in Lake Silvia with a dozen sailboats for a lunch break. Two pontoon boats with a gaggle of college kids on spring break from a snowy campus in the north arrived to dive in the water, scream and drink beer – it was time to leave. By the end of the day, 19 bridges were gone under and only one had a clearance that was less than the height of Trilogy’s tower of 13 feet. Rather than waiting the 20 minutes for the scheduled bridge opening, the tower was laid down.
The destination was Lake Santa Barbara in the community of Pompano Beach. The anchor was dropped in a high-end neighborhood, near a live aboard sailboard that was in marginal condition and near a Marine Max facility that was commissioning high-end yachts and we watched two technicians spend two hours maneuvering and testing the propulsion systems on a multi-million dollar 66 foot yacht.
During the night, the wind came up and caused a sound that was a low and deep rumble that necessitated another 15 feet of rode and allowed for an easy sleep. At the close of the evening, the house battery had 88% of amp/hours capacity because it did not get a full charge from the alternator. In the morning and after dinner, dishes, a shower and a night of running the refrigerator, the new battery monitor showed 64%. The alternator would later take 4 hours to replenish the entire amps to make a full charge.
The anchor came up reluctantly at 8:00 AM and the next 90 minutes was entertaining as Trilogy traveled through the waterfront heart of downtown Miami. The bridges were choked with cars, an event was happening under a large tent that was put up in an open space, walkers and joggers filled the sidewalks near the high condos and apartments, and the cruise ships were guarded by security boats.
The skies stayed clear with temperatures in the high 70’s. The wind from the northeast was significant with small craft warnings. However, being on a narrow waterway, there was no fetch and therefore no significant swells or white caps and this made an acceptable travel day and was the reason that we left Marathon and Elliott Bay Harbor. Boaters on the large open water were typically kept in the harbor.
This would be slow travel day with speed restrictions caused by bridges and by signs saying, “minimum wake,” or “No wake” or “Idle Speed” or “15 inch high wake maximum.” Trilogy would travel for 6 hours, go under 19 bridges and average only a bit over 6 miles per hour and travel 38 miles. Loopers had complained about how slow and congested this section of the ICW can be but we found it to be interesting but that required full attention and very little use of the autopilot.
Most of the trip was through the richest communities on this coast. The meg-yachts against mega-priced building, the hundreds of multi-million dollar houses, and 95% of the boats and yachts were less than 5 years old. The economy is booming, disposable income among the richest is illustrated here, and the new status symbol is the 30-foot go-fast boat with four 400-horse power outboards hanging off the stern. Is there a correlation between the number of high horsepower outboards and the lack of penis size?
Trilogy continued through Miami Shores, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Hallendale Beach and Dania Beach. After Port Everglades with its container ships, cruise ships and the bored Broward County Sheriff’s Deputy on his go-fast patrol boat warning the rare boater (like us) to slow down, came Fort Lauderdale which took opulence and extreme wealth to a whole new level. Trilogy anchored in Lake Silvia with a dozen sailboats for a lunch break. Two pontoon boats with a gaggle of college kids on spring break from a snowy campus in the north arrived to dive in the water, scream and drink beer – it was time to leave. By the end of the day, 19 bridges were gone under and only one had a clearance that was less than the height of Trilogy’s tower of 13 feet. Rather than waiting the 20 minutes for the scheduled bridge opening, the tower was laid down.
The destination was Lake Santa Barbara in the community of Pompano Beach. The anchor was dropped in a high-end neighborhood, near a live aboard sailboard that was in marginal condition and near a Marine Max facility that was commissioning high-end yachts and we watched two technicians spend two hours maneuvering and testing the propulsion systems on a multi-million dollar 66 foot yacht.
The next day, the coolness woke us an hour or two before sunrise and another blanket was added. The inside cabin temperature was 53 degrees and for a moment the idea of starting the diesel furnace was considered but a cup of coffee and a light coat was sufficient. The skies were overcast and Weatherbug showed the clouds could drop a light rain but they never did. After a bowl of oatmeal while listening to the local NPR station, the anchor came up at 8:15 AM and Trilogy headed north on the ICW continuing the high density, urban boating experience.
This day would be six hours of traveling and the speed would be a bit more than yesterday because of the longer stretches where the tug could stretch its legs and go the fast cruising speed of 16 MPH. 18 bridges were gone under and four of them needed to be opened for the tug because the bridge had less than a 14-foot clearance. All of these bridges opened on a schedule, either at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour or at the top and bottom of the hour. This is an acceptable necessity for the boater because the streets and bridges were typically choked with traffic.
One town and city melted into another with no discernible separation or boundary with names like Deerfield Beach, Boca Raton, Highland Beach, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Lantana, Lake Worth, West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Palm Beach Shores and North Palm Beach. What did change was the number of multi-million homes at Lantana to more homes of “normal rich people.” The ICW also changed from being generally narrow in Boca Raton to being wider at Boynton Beach with the structures being further away.
In West Palm Beach and at a boat ramp on the west side of the ICW, the anchor was dropped for a lunch stop. College students were stretched out on cots in the sun a few hundred yards away, the ramp was nearly empty except for a fisherman and the duck-boat that was full of wide-eyed tourists. The water was full of wakes from the passing boats.
Where West Palm Beach ends and Palm Beach Shores begin is a channel to the Atlantic Ocean and at that intersection is Peanut Island County Park. This used to be a Coast Guard Station and apparently had a bomb shelter for the Kennedy family. On the north end of the island, a narrow but deep enough channel led to about 200 feet of dock in a semi-circle. Trilogy easily slipped in but would be the largest boat that could fit in. An hour was spent walking the beautifully maintained park. There was a dock for larger boats on the east side but the ranger said it was for campers who used the campground. A set of pools and small jetties were built for snorkeling.
The boat traffic both moving and anchored around Peanut Island was staggering on a Friday. The destination was the north end of Lake Worth, which was less than 4 miles away. There, the anchor was dropped in 15 feet with about 20 sailboats. The day was closed with emails, making decisions about the next two days, having a beer in the cockpit and grilling hamburgers before sunset.
Trilogy had gone 45 miles, went through 18 bridges in 6 hours of motoring.
This day would be six hours of traveling and the speed would be a bit more than yesterday because of the longer stretches where the tug could stretch its legs and go the fast cruising speed of 16 MPH. 18 bridges were gone under and four of them needed to be opened for the tug because the bridge had less than a 14-foot clearance. All of these bridges opened on a schedule, either at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour or at the top and bottom of the hour. This is an acceptable necessity for the boater because the streets and bridges were typically choked with traffic.
One town and city melted into another with no discernible separation or boundary with names like Deerfield Beach, Boca Raton, Highland Beach, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Lantana, Lake Worth, West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Palm Beach Shores and North Palm Beach. What did change was the number of multi-million homes at Lantana to more homes of “normal rich people.” The ICW also changed from being generally narrow in Boca Raton to being wider at Boynton Beach with the structures being further away.
In West Palm Beach and at a boat ramp on the west side of the ICW, the anchor was dropped for a lunch stop. College students were stretched out on cots in the sun a few hundred yards away, the ramp was nearly empty except for a fisherman and the duck-boat that was full of wide-eyed tourists. The water was full of wakes from the passing boats.
Where West Palm Beach ends and Palm Beach Shores begin is a channel to the Atlantic Ocean and at that intersection is Peanut Island County Park. This used to be a Coast Guard Station and apparently had a bomb shelter for the Kennedy family. On the north end of the island, a narrow but deep enough channel led to about 200 feet of dock in a semi-circle. Trilogy easily slipped in but would be the largest boat that could fit in. An hour was spent walking the beautifully maintained park. There was a dock for larger boats on the east side but the ranger said it was for campers who used the campground. A set of pools and small jetties were built for snorkeling.
The boat traffic both moving and anchored around Peanut Island was staggering on a Friday. The destination was the north end of Lake Worth, which was less than 4 miles away. There, the anchor was dropped in 15 feet with about 20 sailboats. The day was closed with emails, making decisions about the next two days, having a beer in the cockpit and grilling hamburgers before sunset.
Trilogy had gone 45 miles, went through 18 bridges in 6 hours of motoring.
Saturday, Sunday and Monday, March 10, 11 and 12
The northeast wind had shifted to the east and southeast and the day was cloudy. Most of the cruising was done through the community of Jupiter and this was different from the high density of urban boating. Jupiter has huge estates with beaches and few sea walls. Jupiter likes its gates and no trespassing signs. The estates have long docks that reach out to the depth to store their boats. The opposing points of view about boats and the role of the ICW are quite evident in South Florida: Is the ICW a waterway for transit or is it a storage lot for property owners? Each community has answered that question in different ways.
Hobie Sound is a wider body of water and the narrowest sliver of land that separates it from the Atlantic Ocean. The first real significant elevation of about 40 feet was found and a mansion was perched on top of it. On through Jupiter Narrows and Hell’s Gate was the first expanse of undeveloped country and a huge national wildlife refuge. This emptied into the St. Lucie Inlet, which is the un-official boundary between south and central Florida. A short ways to the west, Trilogy turned into Manatee Pocket of the greater Stuart area, avoided a slew of fast and slow boats through the choppy water and quickly arrived at Sailfish Marina.
Laurie’s calls to marinas found they were booked full or had hurricane damage. Sailfish Marina is home to 40-foot long sportfishing boats. We hate them and they are called the enemy because of the 5-foot high wakes they make and the drivers are the most thoughtless of all boaters. But they had room because boats were gone fishing. Trilogy was backed into a 45 foot long slip of pilings and a 4 foot long fixed dock with a stiff wind blowing across its beam and sandwiched between two sportfishing boats.
The tug had traveled 29 miles in 4 hours and went under 7 bridges. We were happy to pay only $2.00 a foot, buy diesel, fill with water, bathe the tug and use their Laundromat. The marina store was the best store for its size in any of our travels. 70% of the space was packed with all manner of fishing gear. The rest was the best selection of boat gear, hardware, stainless fasteners and even dive masks. The selection of beer included Pipeline Porter from the Kona Brewery and the best treat was their ice cream.
The afternoon brought the first measurable rain on this trip as a front came through the keys, across the state and on out to the Atlantic. The party for the boat captain of the year had live music which lasted to 10 PM but with the windows closed and the sound track of the movie on the laptop put through the tug’s sound system, it was hardly noticeable. A thunderstorm cell with brief winds buffeted the boat for 20 minutes and then the air was still again.
The northeast wind had shifted to the east and southeast and the day was cloudy. Most of the cruising was done through the community of Jupiter and this was different from the high density of urban boating. Jupiter has huge estates with beaches and few sea walls. Jupiter likes its gates and no trespassing signs. The estates have long docks that reach out to the depth to store their boats. The opposing points of view about boats and the role of the ICW are quite evident in South Florida: Is the ICW a waterway for transit or is it a storage lot for property owners? Each community has answered that question in different ways.
Hobie Sound is a wider body of water and the narrowest sliver of land that separates it from the Atlantic Ocean. The first real significant elevation of about 40 feet was found and a mansion was perched on top of it. On through Jupiter Narrows and Hell’s Gate was the first expanse of undeveloped country and a huge national wildlife refuge. This emptied into the St. Lucie Inlet, which is the un-official boundary between south and central Florida. A short ways to the west, Trilogy turned into Manatee Pocket of the greater Stuart area, avoided a slew of fast and slow boats through the choppy water and quickly arrived at Sailfish Marina.
Laurie’s calls to marinas found they were booked full or had hurricane damage. Sailfish Marina is home to 40-foot long sportfishing boats. We hate them and they are called the enemy because of the 5-foot high wakes they make and the drivers are the most thoughtless of all boaters. But they had room because boats were gone fishing. Trilogy was backed into a 45 foot long slip of pilings and a 4 foot long fixed dock with a stiff wind blowing across its beam and sandwiched between two sportfishing boats.
The tug had traveled 29 miles in 4 hours and went under 7 bridges. We were happy to pay only $2.00 a foot, buy diesel, fill with water, bathe the tug and use their Laundromat. The marina store was the best store for its size in any of our travels. 70% of the space was packed with all manner of fishing gear. The rest was the best selection of boat gear, hardware, stainless fasteners and even dive masks. The selection of beer included Pipeline Porter from the Kona Brewery and the best treat was their ice cream.
The afternoon brought the first measurable rain on this trip as a front came through the keys, across the state and on out to the Atlantic. The party for the boat captain of the year had live music which lasted to 10 PM but with the windows closed and the sound track of the movie on the laptop put through the tug’s sound system, it was hardly noticeable. A thunderstorm cell with brief winds buffeted the boat for 20 minutes and then the air was still again.
The next day brought Daylight Savings Time and the sun was up at 7:30 AM. The air would be nearly still all day, with high humidity and Weatherbug provided the warning of thunderstorms for the morning. St. Mary’s Episcopal Church had a service at 9 and 11 AM and after breakfast it was too late to catch an Uber ride and make the 9 AM service.
Coupling a grocery store run with the 11 AM church service was a good use of time. This church has a campus of four major buildings over two blocks and is 5 times larger than our home church. The service was great but the people were remote and cool with no conversations and no overt welcoming. The leadership had a goal to increase the number of people who financially support the church by 10%. From an outsider’s point of view: good luck with that.
Within 15 minutes following service, the campus was oddly quiet and deserted. The Publix grocery store was a 28-minute walk away and a stop was made along the way for grilled chicken Panini sandwiches. The coming week’s worth of food was packed into two backpacks and two folding bags and another Uber ride was taken back to the boat. The still air brought high humidity and the tug’s inside temperature was 90 degrees and dropped 10 degrees in 5 hours. An evening of phone calls from friends and family.
The evening brought cooler and a moderate breeze that intensified the following day and would last all day and into the evening. Two big boats on Trilogy’s port side left leaving the tug exposed to Manatee Pocket but the wind was from the west and buffeted the starboard side all day requiring several adjustments of the lines.
Reservations were made to solidify the last phase of this trip with reservations for the truck rental and dockage at Fort Pierce, Vero Beach and Titusville. The tug would be put back on its trailer in Titusville. The majority of the day was doing billable hours for one of the two last projects for work.. The highlight was drinks and dinner with Kevin and Steve whom we met 4 years ago when their Great Loop trip was started and in Tampa at the end of our Great Loop. They had done the loop two years ago with a Nordic Tug 39 and now have a Selene 48 that they live on nearly full-time. The dinner was at the same restaurant, Shrimpers, that we had dinner with Tom and Pam in 2014.
Coupling a grocery store run with the 11 AM church service was a good use of time. This church has a campus of four major buildings over two blocks and is 5 times larger than our home church. The service was great but the people were remote and cool with no conversations and no overt welcoming. The leadership had a goal to increase the number of people who financially support the church by 10%. From an outsider’s point of view: good luck with that.
Within 15 minutes following service, the campus was oddly quiet and deserted. The Publix grocery store was a 28-minute walk away and a stop was made along the way for grilled chicken Panini sandwiches. The coming week’s worth of food was packed into two backpacks and two folding bags and another Uber ride was taken back to the boat. The still air brought high humidity and the tug’s inside temperature was 90 degrees and dropped 10 degrees in 5 hours. An evening of phone calls from friends and family.
The evening brought cooler and a moderate breeze that intensified the following day and would last all day and into the evening. Two big boats on Trilogy’s port side left leaving the tug exposed to Manatee Pocket but the wind was from the west and buffeted the starboard side all day requiring several adjustments of the lines.
Reservations were made to solidify the last phase of this trip with reservations for the truck rental and dockage at Fort Pierce, Vero Beach and Titusville. The tug would be put back on its trailer in Titusville. The majority of the day was doing billable hours for one of the two last projects for work.. The highlight was drinks and dinner with Kevin and Steve whom we met 4 years ago when their Great Loop trip was started and in Tampa at the end of our Great Loop. They had done the loop two years ago with a Nordic Tug 39 and now have a Selene 48 that they live on nearly full-time. The dinner was at the same restaurant, Shrimpers, that we had dinner with Tom and Pam in 2014.
Tuesday-Wednesday, March 13-14
The morning was cool and required the first use of the diesel furnace to take the chill out of the air. The destination was Fort Pierce City Marina a short run of 24 miles north on the Indian River. The river is wide and the ICW is about in the middle. Going outside the ICW, the river looks inviting to explore but it is shallow with depths of less than 3 feet. The northbound current was evident as the water raced to go out the Fort Pierce Inlet with the tide dropping. Trilogy dropped its RPM’s and took advantage of the force of nature. The fresh breeze of 10-15 knots caused a 1 to 2 foot chop.
At about noon, the tug made the tight 90-degree turn at the AIA highway bridge, went past the man-made rock islands that were made after the 2010 hurricane and into the protected harbor. The dockmaster put the tug on the end of a T-dock that fronted the main channel and in front of a sailboat. The marina was 98% full because of hurricane damage to other marinas and this was the season of northbound boaters.
The afternoon was spent re-acquainting with the area: the visitor center, manatee education center and walking the docks. Bud and Sue, who we first met in Florence last fall, arrived at the fuel dock and we made a point to connect with them later in the afternoon and catch up on the progress of their loop trip.
The next day, a walk was done through the area south of the marina along the water and into the revitalized part of downtown near the impressive courthouse. Several RV’s were by the visitor center and time was enjoyed with a Canadian couple from Quebec who have done a lot of RV traveling in the states. Then, billable hours were done to build the last exercise for Renton’s Sergeant promotional process. In the afternoon, Bud and Sue stopped by to see the boat. An agreement was made to meet at the boater’s lounge at 5PM for docktails. On the way there, a stop was made to enjoy the rare ice cream treat.
Drinks and appetizers were shared with 6 looping couples in the boater’s lounge. One couple was just finishing their loop in Fort Pierce and others were in various stages of being in the middle of their adventure. Enjoyed a long story from an owner of a 1995 43-foot Tollycraft who personally rebuilt an engine in Fort Myers two weeks ago. In-depth conversations with people who are newly met is one of the attractions of doing this adventure and two hours later, everyone left with the vague potential of meeting again somewhere along the route.
The evening was closed by streaming two episodes of Blue Bloods with the hotspot, when the marina’s Wi-Fi was not strong enough.
The morning was cool and required the first use of the diesel furnace to take the chill out of the air. The destination was Fort Pierce City Marina a short run of 24 miles north on the Indian River. The river is wide and the ICW is about in the middle. Going outside the ICW, the river looks inviting to explore but it is shallow with depths of less than 3 feet. The northbound current was evident as the water raced to go out the Fort Pierce Inlet with the tide dropping. Trilogy dropped its RPM’s and took advantage of the force of nature. The fresh breeze of 10-15 knots caused a 1 to 2 foot chop.
At about noon, the tug made the tight 90-degree turn at the AIA highway bridge, went past the man-made rock islands that were made after the 2010 hurricane and into the protected harbor. The dockmaster put the tug on the end of a T-dock that fronted the main channel and in front of a sailboat. The marina was 98% full because of hurricane damage to other marinas and this was the season of northbound boaters.
The afternoon was spent re-acquainting with the area: the visitor center, manatee education center and walking the docks. Bud and Sue, who we first met in Florence last fall, arrived at the fuel dock and we made a point to connect with them later in the afternoon and catch up on the progress of their loop trip.
The next day, a walk was done through the area south of the marina along the water and into the revitalized part of downtown near the impressive courthouse. Several RV’s were by the visitor center and time was enjoyed with a Canadian couple from Quebec who have done a lot of RV traveling in the states. Then, billable hours were done to build the last exercise for Renton’s Sergeant promotional process. In the afternoon, Bud and Sue stopped by to see the boat. An agreement was made to meet at the boater’s lounge at 5PM for docktails. On the way there, a stop was made to enjoy the rare ice cream treat.
Drinks and appetizers were shared with 6 looping couples in the boater’s lounge. One couple was just finishing their loop in Fort Pierce and others were in various stages of being in the middle of their adventure. Enjoyed a long story from an owner of a 1995 43-foot Tollycraft who personally rebuilt an engine in Fort Myers two weeks ago. In-depth conversations with people who are newly met is one of the attractions of doing this adventure and two hours later, everyone left with the vague potential of meeting again somewhere along the route.
The evening was closed by streaming two episodes of Blue Bloods with the hotspot, when the marina’s Wi-Fi was not strong enough.
Thursday-Friday, March 15-16
Another clear and cool morning where the diesel furnace saw another hour of use. Under a brilliant blue morning sky, the lines were released after breakfast and Trilogy had to fight the 1.5 knot current for a brief 20 minutes until the inlet to the Atlantic was passed. Then the tug rode with the current but opposed the 10 to 13 knot wind from the northeast. Wind over current creates a short and steep chop that resulted in some spray coming over the bow.
The destination was a short run to Vero Beach that was 15 miles and two hours away. Northward on the Indian River with Orchid Island on our starboard side and the island separates the river from the ocean. The marina is on the island and is adjacent to a modest residential area and separates the upscale business district that is on the beach. This is the wealthy side of Vero Beach because across the bridge to the west and a handful of miles later is the old, worn and somewhat tattered side of Vero Beach. The community ends at Interstate 95, then the country is an endless flat sample of citrus and cattle that does on for over 100 miles.
The dockmaster assigned the tug to a great spot on the south side of the small marina. After tying up to the fixed docks, we saw Rich on Roam a short distance away. With Rich was a long-time friend from his sailing days, Gary, who helped Rich bring the boat from Sanibel Island to Vero Beach because Cheryl was home in Michigan and caring for her father. Though we talk every couple of months and last saw each other a year ago, the friendship renewed itself very quickly.
The afternoon was a walk through the residential district, to businesses and to the beach. Spring break was still evident with groups of college-aged people in groups that were divided by sexes and working on their tans, job security for tomorrow’s dermatology doctors. The return walk was by a different route with new views of houses, yards, empty lots, flowers, and the yacht club.
At 5PM, Rich and Gary came over for beer and munchies and afterwards we went out to dinner for Mexican food; lots of laughter and stories. The evening was closed with some billable hours and church work.
The next day, was a continuing repeat of clear blue skies yet cool. After breakfast, the nearly empty propane tank was removed and the propane locker was cleaned. Rich and Gary came by about 10AM and Rich announced that Gary’s transportation plans back to St. Petersburg had changed from private airplane to ground transportation. Rich was going to drive Gary and asked if I wanted to go along and then bring back our boat trailer. This would be another example of serendipity and opportunities to help friends.
Laurie stayed on the boat, handling a minor medical issue with her mother by many phone calls, did cleaning, organizing and some reading. I did 8 ½ hours of riding in a truck and did almost half of the driving and all the driving with the boat trailer. Rich is in that place where Cheryl is dealing with her father’s last chapter that is dominated by dementia. Rich is waiting for Cheryl to re-join their life together. Decisions are day-to-day, plans are soft, and waiting and patience is practiced again and again.
In Titusville, the boat launch is immediately adjacent to the marina and is perfect for Trilogy. The question was where to drop the trailer for a few days when there are no trailers at the ramp without a vehicle. A small parking area was nearby and had two large trailers on the grass that were tucked into the edge of the foliage. Would anyone really notice a third one? With the marina office closed, the chance was taken and the trailer was dropped.
90 minutes later, we were back at the Vero Beach Marina. Rich came by and we all went to dinner at a pizza spot and told stories.
Another clear and cool morning where the diesel furnace saw another hour of use. Under a brilliant blue morning sky, the lines were released after breakfast and Trilogy had to fight the 1.5 knot current for a brief 20 minutes until the inlet to the Atlantic was passed. Then the tug rode with the current but opposed the 10 to 13 knot wind from the northeast. Wind over current creates a short and steep chop that resulted in some spray coming over the bow.
The destination was a short run to Vero Beach that was 15 miles and two hours away. Northward on the Indian River with Orchid Island on our starboard side and the island separates the river from the ocean. The marina is on the island and is adjacent to a modest residential area and separates the upscale business district that is on the beach. This is the wealthy side of Vero Beach because across the bridge to the west and a handful of miles later is the old, worn and somewhat tattered side of Vero Beach. The community ends at Interstate 95, then the country is an endless flat sample of citrus and cattle that does on for over 100 miles.
The dockmaster assigned the tug to a great spot on the south side of the small marina. After tying up to the fixed docks, we saw Rich on Roam a short distance away. With Rich was a long-time friend from his sailing days, Gary, who helped Rich bring the boat from Sanibel Island to Vero Beach because Cheryl was home in Michigan and caring for her father. Though we talk every couple of months and last saw each other a year ago, the friendship renewed itself very quickly.
The afternoon was a walk through the residential district, to businesses and to the beach. Spring break was still evident with groups of college-aged people in groups that were divided by sexes and working on their tans, job security for tomorrow’s dermatology doctors. The return walk was by a different route with new views of houses, yards, empty lots, flowers, and the yacht club.
At 5PM, Rich and Gary came over for beer and munchies and afterwards we went out to dinner for Mexican food; lots of laughter and stories. The evening was closed with some billable hours and church work.
The next day, was a continuing repeat of clear blue skies yet cool. After breakfast, the nearly empty propane tank was removed and the propane locker was cleaned. Rich and Gary came by about 10AM and Rich announced that Gary’s transportation plans back to St. Petersburg had changed from private airplane to ground transportation. Rich was going to drive Gary and asked if I wanted to go along and then bring back our boat trailer. This would be another example of serendipity and opportunities to help friends.
Laurie stayed on the boat, handling a minor medical issue with her mother by many phone calls, did cleaning, organizing and some reading. I did 8 ½ hours of riding in a truck and did almost half of the driving and all the driving with the boat trailer. Rich is in that place where Cheryl is dealing with her father’s last chapter that is dominated by dementia. Rich is waiting for Cheryl to re-join their life together. Decisions are day-to-day, plans are soft, and waiting and patience is practiced again and again.
In Titusville, the boat launch is immediately adjacent to the marina and is perfect for Trilogy. The question was where to drop the trailer for a few days when there are no trailers at the ramp without a vehicle. A small parking area was nearby and had two large trailers on the grass that were tucked into the edge of the foliage. Would anyone really notice a third one? With the marina office closed, the chance was taken and the trailer was dropped.
90 minutes later, we were back at the Vero Beach Marina. Rich came by and we all went to dinner at a pizza spot and told stories.
Saturday, Sunday and Monday, March 17, 18, 19 and the end of this trip
Rich met us before his daily 5K run and we said our good-byes. There is always faith and optimism that our paths will cross again, even if it takes time and planning.
A near perfect cruising day with clear, blue skies, temperatures in mid-70’s and a following breeze in the single digits that caused a whole day of flat water. The boat traffic was surprisingly light, perhaps they were preparing for the St. Patrick’s Day partying that would happen later.
Over 7 hours Trilogy traveled 74 miles and it was both relaxing and engaging. Traveling past the towns of Sebastian, Melbourne, Cocoa, and Port St. John to the destination of the Titusville Municipal Marina, the tug traveled at either 8.5 MPH or 17 MPH in a mild current that went with us the whole way.
The only exception to the light traffic was at the end of day when four big yachts with Jupiter, Florida on their transoms roared past at 20+ knots in tight formation and only two boat lengths away that caused 4-foot high wakes. Jupiter is a haven for the ultra-snooty yachties who believe that their lack of boating knowledge, skill and courtesy is compensated by the depth of the checkbooks. This group of boat-drivers (they are not boaters) would be the source of complaints from boats at anchor and on mooring balls, they would not follow the directions of the marina staff, and their owners would watch helplessly as the marina staff tied their lines and plug their craft into the shore power.
Arriving at the hottest part of the day at 3:30PM, Trilogy was backed into its short slip and the bow was tied to the two pilings. The live-aboard on the sailboat next door was nice and chatty and gave tips about enjoying Titusville. I confessed to the marina supervisor about what I did with the boat trailer and he appreciated knowing and said not to worry about it and he would deflect the concerns his boss that would probably happen on Monday.
The evening was closed with showers, pork chop on the BBQ and a movie.
Rich met us before his daily 5K run and we said our good-byes. There is always faith and optimism that our paths will cross again, even if it takes time and planning.
A near perfect cruising day with clear, blue skies, temperatures in mid-70’s and a following breeze in the single digits that caused a whole day of flat water. The boat traffic was surprisingly light, perhaps they were preparing for the St. Patrick’s Day partying that would happen later.
Over 7 hours Trilogy traveled 74 miles and it was both relaxing and engaging. Traveling past the towns of Sebastian, Melbourne, Cocoa, and Port St. John to the destination of the Titusville Municipal Marina, the tug traveled at either 8.5 MPH or 17 MPH in a mild current that went with us the whole way.
The only exception to the light traffic was at the end of day when four big yachts with Jupiter, Florida on their transoms roared past at 20+ knots in tight formation and only two boat lengths away that caused 4-foot high wakes. Jupiter is a haven for the ultra-snooty yachties who believe that their lack of boating knowledge, skill and courtesy is compensated by the depth of the checkbooks. This group of boat-drivers (they are not boaters) would be the source of complaints from boats at anchor and on mooring balls, they would not follow the directions of the marina staff, and their owners would watch helplessly as the marina staff tied their lines and plug their craft into the shore power.
Arriving at the hottest part of the day at 3:30PM, Trilogy was backed into its short slip and the bow was tied to the two pilings. The live-aboard on the sailboat next door was nice and chatty and gave tips about enjoying Titusville. I confessed to the marina supervisor about what I did with the boat trailer and he appreciated knowing and said not to worry about it and he would deflect the concerns his boss that would probably happen on Monday.
The evening was closed with showers, pork chop on the BBQ and a movie.
Sunday morning was bright and clear. Laurie had found St. Gabriel Episcopal Church and the convenient 15-minute walk from the boat. The parish is 150 years old and the building is almost 100 years old of wood beams, roof and walls and all in a dark stain. Arriving fashionably early at 9:45 AM, the church is larger than it looks from the outside with four sections of pews and like most Episcopalians, 2/3 will sit in the back half. The service was familiar, the sermon was great and the people were friendly – more so than ones in Stuart. The demographic is all Caucasian and 70% over 60 years old. We stayed through coffee hour in the Parish Hall for the opportunity to meet local people.
The afternoon was washing Trilogy’s salt off and doing small projects like the wobble in the salon table, a nut missing on a coat rack, ordering a Smart Plug and a Carbon Monoxide detector from Amazon; small projects that are added to the next trip list. Pamela lives aboard her Pacific Seacraft 34 foot Crealock named Meander that was two boats down from Trilogy. Talkative, she was drawn to Laurie – like most people and told her story of being new to sailing and loving it and life aboard with her dog and husband who travels for on business. Later, came the owner/builder of a unique sailing catamaran who told Laurie his story of building the boat and living aboard.
Getting ice cream at the marina store, the marina supervisor who gave me forgiveness for parking the trailer, told the story of the Hurricane Irma that missed the marina but the winds were substantial. The marina was full of boats because of the storm. Those who chose to stay aboard their boats were told to wear a white T-shirt with their name and the name and phone number of their next of kin. It was not a joke because no one would be there to protect or rescue them – during the storm everyone was on their own. The marina escaped nearly unscathed and some boats received minor damage. The owners of older boats were disappointed that their boats were not destroyed so they could collect the insurance money and start over with a different boat.
The research was started on finding a storage yard in the greater Charlotte region. We look for the local business in a small town that does not have a robust website because they are likely to be more affordable and flexible. Chain stores with lots of marketing typically means higher overhead and therefore higher prices.
Laurie put together a fine dinner by mixing leftovers. A movie on the laptop closed the evening.
Monday morning was still and overcast but a look at the radar on Weatherbug showed a fire hose of rain stretching from Mobile to just south of Jacksonville. The updated hourly forecast had the potential of wind and thunderstorms during the day. The wind forecast for tomorrow morning brought consideration of pulling the tug today. A phone call to the Enterprise Truck Rental in Cocoa changed the reservation and the only truck available was a 1-ton with dual rear tires for the same daily rate.
Starting at 9 AM phone calls were made to the nearly 15 RV storage businesses in the Charlotte North Carolina region. In about 45 minutes the list was done to 2 possibilities because either the business was full or they did not have room for a 40-foot long trailer/boat combination.
Pockets of rain followed by episodes of calm and stillness came throughout the day. During the calm, Trilogy was prepped for the road trip by following the checklist. Two loads of laundry were done, the refrigerator was defrosted and canvas was stowed.
The tug has two small propane tanks and each will last 3 to 4 weeks of use. The oldest one was empty and I had a mildly frustrating walking trip to find the propane supplier. The supplier was a welding gas supplier and after being directed to the back lot and under an awning by an attractive woman, I found a well dressed man holding a clipboard who said the guy who fills the propane tanks will be back in hour. Then, he took a look at the older tank with its pockets of rust on the bottom edge and said they would not fill the tank. After considering the walk back to the boat with an un-fillable tank, I asked the white-collar supervisor if he would dispose of the tank for me and he agreed.
By mid-afternoon, a Lyft ride to the Cocoa Enterprise Truck Rental secured a 1-ton 2018 Ford truck that would turn out to be a great truck for towing: solid, quiet and would not be impacted by the wind of nature or truckers. Back at the marina, the sky was volatile with storm clouds and the morning forecast was moderate winds. Taking advantage of a lull and still water, the trailer was hooked to the truck and the tug was moved to the ramp after one last emptying of the holding tank and rinsing with fresh water. Trilogy re-joined the trailer easily. Laurie worked the truck and the bow tie-down and after a false start did the job well. 45 minutes later, the tug was nearly road ready. The plan was to stay the night on the tug and be northbound on I-95 at first light. That would all change by one phone call.
In the last half hour of sunlight, we walked to a nearby restaurant and had beer and seafood as the wind and heavy rain pounded the area. Laurie’s phone rang with a call from her mom's assisted living residence in Edmonds, WA. The nurse was sounding the alarm due to her mom falling repeatedly and needing constant observation and assistance. Within an hour, daughter Karen stepped up for the night shift and Laurie booked a flight home in the morning. Not only was the trip over, but also the looming weight of the work back home was bearing down.
In a downpour, we walked back to the tug that was sitting massive on her trailer and the combination of truck and trailer was over 60 feet long. The plan was to find a Home Depot parking lot near the Orlando airport where we could quietly sleep and then Laurie would take a Lyft ride to the terminal. The 45 minute run to the airport in a new truck, pulling a long and heavy load, on a strange road and in the dark and intermittent rain showers made for a focused and quiet drive.
Laurie flew out the next morning. I drove the 11 hours and 550 miles to the storage yard north of Charlotte, North Carolina, returned the truck the next day back to Cocoa, FL and took an Uber to the Orlando airport for the flight to Seattle.
The afternoon was washing Trilogy’s salt off and doing small projects like the wobble in the salon table, a nut missing on a coat rack, ordering a Smart Plug and a Carbon Monoxide detector from Amazon; small projects that are added to the next trip list. Pamela lives aboard her Pacific Seacraft 34 foot Crealock named Meander that was two boats down from Trilogy. Talkative, she was drawn to Laurie – like most people and told her story of being new to sailing and loving it and life aboard with her dog and husband who travels for on business. Later, came the owner/builder of a unique sailing catamaran who told Laurie his story of building the boat and living aboard.
Getting ice cream at the marina store, the marina supervisor who gave me forgiveness for parking the trailer, told the story of the Hurricane Irma that missed the marina but the winds were substantial. The marina was full of boats because of the storm. Those who chose to stay aboard their boats were told to wear a white T-shirt with their name and the name and phone number of their next of kin. It was not a joke because no one would be there to protect or rescue them – during the storm everyone was on their own. The marina escaped nearly unscathed and some boats received minor damage. The owners of older boats were disappointed that their boats were not destroyed so they could collect the insurance money and start over with a different boat.
The research was started on finding a storage yard in the greater Charlotte region. We look for the local business in a small town that does not have a robust website because they are likely to be more affordable and flexible. Chain stores with lots of marketing typically means higher overhead and therefore higher prices.
Laurie put together a fine dinner by mixing leftovers. A movie on the laptop closed the evening.
Monday morning was still and overcast but a look at the radar on Weatherbug showed a fire hose of rain stretching from Mobile to just south of Jacksonville. The updated hourly forecast had the potential of wind and thunderstorms during the day. The wind forecast for tomorrow morning brought consideration of pulling the tug today. A phone call to the Enterprise Truck Rental in Cocoa changed the reservation and the only truck available was a 1-ton with dual rear tires for the same daily rate.
Starting at 9 AM phone calls were made to the nearly 15 RV storage businesses in the Charlotte North Carolina region. In about 45 minutes the list was done to 2 possibilities because either the business was full or they did not have room for a 40-foot long trailer/boat combination.
Pockets of rain followed by episodes of calm and stillness came throughout the day. During the calm, Trilogy was prepped for the road trip by following the checklist. Two loads of laundry were done, the refrigerator was defrosted and canvas was stowed.
The tug has two small propane tanks and each will last 3 to 4 weeks of use. The oldest one was empty and I had a mildly frustrating walking trip to find the propane supplier. The supplier was a welding gas supplier and after being directed to the back lot and under an awning by an attractive woman, I found a well dressed man holding a clipboard who said the guy who fills the propane tanks will be back in hour. Then, he took a look at the older tank with its pockets of rust on the bottom edge and said they would not fill the tank. After considering the walk back to the boat with an un-fillable tank, I asked the white-collar supervisor if he would dispose of the tank for me and he agreed.
By mid-afternoon, a Lyft ride to the Cocoa Enterprise Truck Rental secured a 1-ton 2018 Ford truck that would turn out to be a great truck for towing: solid, quiet and would not be impacted by the wind of nature or truckers. Back at the marina, the sky was volatile with storm clouds and the morning forecast was moderate winds. Taking advantage of a lull and still water, the trailer was hooked to the truck and the tug was moved to the ramp after one last emptying of the holding tank and rinsing with fresh water. Trilogy re-joined the trailer easily. Laurie worked the truck and the bow tie-down and after a false start did the job well. 45 minutes later, the tug was nearly road ready. The plan was to stay the night on the tug and be northbound on I-95 at first light. That would all change by one phone call.
In the last half hour of sunlight, we walked to a nearby restaurant and had beer and seafood as the wind and heavy rain pounded the area. Laurie’s phone rang with a call from her mom's assisted living residence in Edmonds, WA. The nurse was sounding the alarm due to her mom falling repeatedly and needing constant observation and assistance. Within an hour, daughter Karen stepped up for the night shift and Laurie booked a flight home in the morning. Not only was the trip over, but also the looming weight of the work back home was bearing down.
In a downpour, we walked back to the tug that was sitting massive on her trailer and the combination of truck and trailer was over 60 feet long. The plan was to find a Home Depot parking lot near the Orlando airport where we could quietly sleep and then Laurie would take a Lyft ride to the terminal. The 45 minute run to the airport in a new truck, pulling a long and heavy load, on a strange road and in the dark and intermittent rain showers made for a focused and quiet drive.
Laurie flew out the next morning. I drove the 11 hours and 550 miles to the storage yard north of Charlotte, North Carolina, returned the truck the next day back to Cocoa, FL and took an Uber to the Orlando airport for the flight to Seattle.