A Couple Days With Bill And Pat (Mobetah)

The highlight of our trip up the ICW in Florida was stopping in Palm Coast to visit Bill and Pat (Mobetah). We last saw Bill and Pat in the spring of 2011. We took an inland trip to Antigua and Lago Attilan in Guatemala with them and had a wonderful time. Some of fondest memories were made with Bill and Pat as we also did an inland trip to Copan, Honduras with them in 2010 amongst other adventures.  At one time they directed readers of their blog to ours if they wanted to know what they were doing. We missed seeing them when we returned to Guatemala in the fall of 2011 before we departed for Panama. They would usually return at about the same time, but they were delayed because they were trying to buy a condominium in Palm Coast. Bill had investigated foreclosure sales of condominiums and had decided the time was probably about right to jump into the market. It was a time consuming process but having now seen their home, it was no doubt well worth the effort. We always planned to visit Bill and Pat, one way or the other. We thought we would be going up the coast on the outside and then once Ariel was secure in a marina we would drive over to see them. As it happens we could not go outside so the ICW took us right to their condominium which is just a few steps from the ICW.  It is a great spot for watching boat traffic.

Pat and Bill

They had arranged for us to keep our boat in a condominium marina (free), while we stayed at their home. We could only stay a couple days as we were already running a little behind schedule, and Bill and Pat made it hard to leave. We really enjoyed our visit. They have become full fledged dirt dwellers, but they are working very hard to bring some of the social aspects of the cruising life to their community. We expect and hope to see Bill and Pat before we head further north. Thanks for being wonderful friends (Bill and Pat) and thank you for opening your wonderful home to us.

We are now at Fleming Island Marina, on the St. Johns river and near Orange Park, Florida. We were last on the St. Johns our first year cruising. Linda's sister Dale and her husband Steve live further up the St. Johns near Palatka. A bridge just above Green Cove Springs prevents us from taking Ariel to their house. We are registered here for a month. During that time our son and his family will be vacationing in Ormond Beach at our timeshare which we bought in 1982 and which is still getting lots of use after all these years. Ormond Beach is a short drive so we look forward to seeing them. We will of course spend a lot of time with Steve and Dale, but Linda 's other sisters, Lois and Darlene are coming to Florida while we are here so all the girls will be together. Darlene's husband John very recently passed, so it is fitting that they will spend some time together. When not otherwise engaged we are doing some serious work on Ariel. Three years in the subtropics and tropics was very hard on the sun exposed surfaces, plus we have a list of maintenance items to address. Hopefully everything will be working when we leave Florida and Ariel will look much better.

Getting Reacquainted With The Ditch

We had hopes of continuing up the Florida coast on the outside, but a gale in the north Atlantic has created a large swell up and down the eastern seaboard, including Florida. Rather than wait for better conditions we are slowly plodding along on the Inter-coastal Waterway. It is very confining for us to stay in the Ditch, that is stay within the lines, after we haven't even had lines for so long now. We have stopped at the Titusville Municipal Marina. Our water tank, last filled in Isla Mujeres almost three weeks ago was just about empty and the laundry situation was reaching a critical state.

Another pelican - can't help it, Norm especially likes these guys.  We have two right now sitting on posts behind the boat keeping and eye on us

Working Our Way North Along Florida

The forecast for the next several days was for winds to be from the north or northwest. There is a fixed bridge on the inter-coastal waterway in Miami that we cannot get under so at a minimum we need to go out and around to Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale), but we planned to re-enter at Lake Worth and avoid 21 bridge openings over about a 44 mile stretch of the ICW. We found an opportunity for a night trip where the winds were forecast to be light and more from the west northwest. We knew the seas would be calm with the wind coming off the coast. We pulled anchor just before 6 pm. There was a cruise ship in port so we went around behind , rather than go down the cruise ship channel. We went out about 2 ½ miles and then turned north to parallel the coast. It was perfect and we were enjoying a nice motoring ride in very calm seas. Well we at least thought it was perfect. Upon waking up at 3 am to take my turn at watch I check the battery voltage and found the bank seriously discharged. The alternator was not charging the batteries. I couldn't find a quick and easy solution so we turned off everything except the navigation lights. Since we were running along the coast it wasn't too difficult to steer a course holding approximately the same distance from shore. The depth was not an issue so we felt comfortable. We turned the chart plotter on once an hour to get a fix on our position. We arrived at our planned destination, the Lake Worth inlet at just before sunrise and turned on the instruments for the few minutes it took to enter and get to a place to anchor. After getting some sleep I diagnosed the problem to be the voltage regulator. I was able to bypass the voltage regulator and very carefully by controlling the engine speed recharge the batteries at a safe voltage. Later in the day we moved the boat to North Palm Beach which was were we had intended to anchor before our problem. What a break or we are living a charmed life because there is a West Marine in North Palm Beach within a short walking distance. We were able to get a replacement voltage regulator and all is well. Knock on Wood.

Now southern Florida is experiencing the coldest weather this season and we are asking ourselves if we got here too soon. Just kidding, it feels good to be back in the states. It looks like we may be here a few days waiting on a break in the string of fronts sweeping down from the north and west. Posted from Dunkin Donuts, Oh Yeah, we are back in America.

Back In Our Home Country

We just completed our best open water passage ever. We made it from Isla Mujeres, Mexico to Dry Tortugas, a distance of 300 miles in 48 hours, by far our fastest ever passage. Of course having both favorable current and favorable wind made it both easy and possible. The same current that carried us north from Belize at 2 knots also carried us north as we crossed the Yucatan Channel. We set the boat up to sail on a close reach and just let the current carry us. We saw current as high as 3 ½ knots.

Our trip plan was developed by Linda.  She reluctantly agreed to make landfall in Dry Tortugas, a place which has always been high on the Norm's list. We arrived at Dry Tortugas National Park at a little after ten in the morning, which was perfect to allow time to get the boat organized, have lunch and then visit Fort Jefferson. After visiting the fort, Linda exclaimed it was well worth stopping there. Following our plan we set sail after dinner for an overnight trip to Boot Key in the Florida Keys. This was another pleasant sail, and we arrived there just before lunch. We now had the use of our cell phone so we called Customs and Border Protection to report our arrival. After lunch we pulled anchor and stopped at the fuel dock to top off the tank. We hadn't used much fuel, but the fuel docks are so convenient at the entrance to Boot Key harbor. We re-anchored and relaxed the afternoon away. After an early dinner we again set sail and continued along the Keys, arriving at one of our favorite anchorage spots in Miami Beach at 10:30 the following morning. Wow what a trip. We remember our very first night at sea going down the New Jersey coast six years ago. Neither of us slept at all, we were so keyed up. Now each of us falls off to sleep within minutes of being relieved from watch. What a difference a few years experience has made.

The Dry Tortugas lie about 70 miles west of Key West and are accessible only by boat or seaplane. The seven keys and surrounding coral reefs make up Fort Jefferson National Park. These keys are isolated and there are no places to fuel or provision here. 

Ariel Within Range

Ponce de Leon discovered these tiny islands in 1513 while on his famous quest for the Fountain of Youth. He called the area Las Tortugas for the large number of sea turtles that inhabited the islands. Later, the area became known as the Dry Tortugas, as the word "dry" was a warning to sailors that no fresh water was to be found here.

Surrounded By A Moat

Pirates enjoyed the isolation of the islands until 1821 when Florida became part of the US and the pirates were finally driven out. In 1825 a lighthouse was erected on Garden Key to warn of the shoals and reefs, which had sunk a great number of ships. 

High On Top Of Fort Jefferson

Then in 1846 the strategic location of the Dry Tortugas was recognized and the construction of Fort Jefferson was begun. It took some 30 years and 16 million bricks to build the hexagon shaped fort, although it never was completely finished. In 1856 the present lighthouse on Loggerhead Key was built, making it the southernmost lighthouse in the continental US.

Next To Big Gun

Federal troops occupied the fort during the Civil War where the fort served as a military prison. The most famous prisoner was Dr. Samuel Mudd, a physician who, not knowing of Lincoln's murder, set the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth. Dr. Mudd was sentenced to life in prison for this act.
Epidemics of yellow fever swept the fort during this time, but the efforts of Dr. Mudd saved hundreds of lives and he was pardoned in 1869. Through the efforts of his family, he was finally absolved of all guilt in 1979, 110 years after his sentencing.

Garden Key Light - Anchoring Permitted Only Within One Mile Of Light

Next Fort Jefferson became a naval base. In 1898, the battleship USS Maine left the Dry Tortugas and headed to Havana, Cuba on her fateful voyage. A year later the ship was blown up, an event which started the Spanish-American War. The fort also served as a coal station and a World War I seaplane base. Although its importance as a military base waned, it's value as a natural resource grew. John Audubon visited the Dry Tortugas in 1832 and the area was made a marine sanctuary in 1908. In 1935 it was designated as a National Monument and in 1992 it became a National Park. Today the area is known for its abundant bird and marine life, its legends of pirates and sunken gold, and of course, for its incredible, unspoiled beauty.

Several of the keys in the Dry Tortugas are off limits during the nesting season between March and September when some 100,000 sooty terns call Bush Key home. Disturbing the nest can be death for young birds. Brown and black noddies also nest in the vegetation between the sootie's rookery. While Bush Key is closed during the nesting season, Hospital and Long Keys are closed to visitors all year. All keys, with the exception of Garden Key (where Fort Jefferson is located) are open only during daylight hours. 

Prison Where Dr Mudd Was Held

Some of the other birds that are likely to be spotted include the magnificent frigate birds with their huge seven-foot wingspan, masked boobies, brown boobies, double-crested cormorants, brown pelicans and roseate terns.

There are day trips from Key West by boat or sea plane and if in Key West we recommend checking into it. Take along swim wear and a nice lunch. Bring everything you will need and plan to leave with any trash you may have.

Stopping in the Dry Tortugas was a nice relaxing stop after three years in Central America before entering Government Cut in Miami and then dropping anchor in Miami Beach. While very relaxing on the boat we are surrounded by luxury homes and can just feel the pace of a very vibrant city. We are happy to be back in the United States. We were really impressed with the new dinghy dock the city has built across from the Publix grocery store. No where have we been has shopping been easier than in Miami Beach and with free WiFi provided by the city, this place is hard to beat.