Enroute NAS Boca Chica, Key West, Fl to Sarasota, Fl
1220
Renne' and I have taken the opportunity to assist Marlen Robb, owner of a Morris 46, s/v Menemsha,
in finishing this delivery to his homeport. Below you will see the route from NAS Boca Chica to Sarasota, Fl.
The total miles for this trip is about 175nm. Menemsha is on her re-fit maiden voyage, and has traveled 1775nm from the Morris Yacht Yard in Trenton Maine to Key West. Marlen Robb
1615, 10 Jan 2014
We are doing 77kts over the ground at present. Winds have been pretty much out of the southeast. We just took a wind shift to the northeast, and it has changed our sailing to motor sailing. Winds are now up to 11kts and we are doing 7.9kts over the ground right now. Temps are dropping, but they should stabilize in the mid 60's and no rain. Skies are mostly fair and the seas are only about 1 foot.
I spent an hour or more reconfiguring Marlen's Raymarine C-125 Chartplotter to a split screen with the chartplotter/radar on one side and CDI (Course Deviation Indicator) and navigational data on the other side. I set it up in the same configuration our is set up. He appears to be very pleased.
On the other hand, now that I have shown him how to do it, his configuration might change the next time he is aboard!! Hehheh! Attaboys can be fleeting, as we often found out in the fleet!! LOL! Actually, I am amazed the Captain they hired to get them south from Maine to North Carolina didn't take the time to set them up on something.
2024 10 Jan 2014
25 18'.704N
082 04'.198W
Great sailing - not sure how it could be better!!
Still motoring, but engine is clicking along at 1600 rpm and we are doing 6.8 kts. It couldn't be nicer. I have the watch from 2000-2300. Marlen will have the 2300-0200. I will, then, come back on for the 0200-0500. Renne' gets to sleep most of the night.
The chartplotter is digitally tied to Marlen's IPAD. Holy smokes, what an incredible tool! This means I can sit on the settee in the cockpit, not on the lazarette. it allows me to sit out of the wind and keep track of everything that is going on. What a wonderful setup! It is also slaved to the laptop below. The advantage with the IPAD over the slave laptop, is I can change anything from the chartplotter on the IPAS without moving. I could even take it below with me. Very Cool!
2300, 10 Jan 2014
Off Watch
11 Jan 2014
0156
25 56'.431N
082 14.038W
On watch again, letting Renne' sleep. Beautiful moon out, clear skies, cool, probably 64 degrees. Have my foul weather jacket on. Seas basically calm. Nothing on radar. We are the only ones out here. Marlen is making coffee for me. The moon is 3/4 waxing. Interesting how the top of the moon is gone. I don't remember seeing it this was in some time.
11 Jan 2014
0442
26 14.821N
082 18'.858W
A few minutes ago, while watching for satellites, a meteor came across. One of the most blazing I have seen. As it hit the atmosphere, it looked as though a flint had struck steel, as though you were attempting to start a primitive fire. It seemed to throw off sparks on either side of its pathway across the sky. Although I have seen longer streaks, I have never seen this type of display.
It appears to be 90% clear tonight, but there must be a very thin gauzy layer in the cirrus range. The brighter stars are very obvious, but the more distant or less bright stares are a bit muted. I believe that is the reason I have not seen any satellites tonight. When Renne' and I were assisting our friend, Barb Schindler, bring her boat to Houston from Pensacola, Fl, I think it was 2010,, but it might have been 2009, I was able to spot 12 satellites in 25 minutes with the naked eye. The moon has been down about an hour, so there is no influence from its' ambient light. Disappointing.
I just heard what sounded like a cry off the port stern, a bit away from the boat. When I tried to listen again, I did not hear anything, so I suspect it was a dolphin nearby. That was a spooky feeling. I am here in the cockpit by myself, and not normally subject to being nervous, but that was a bit unusual.
The wind has clocked around almost to our stern, so we are now running with the wind. The main and jib are on the port side, or what we term as a starboard tack. The apparent wind speed has now dropped to 5 or 6 kts. I expect I will be gybing the main over to the starboard side in the not to distant future.
Sanabel Island is about 045 degrees at 20nm. We seem to have picked up a bit of counter current and we are being set a bit to the east. I am now crabbing three degrees to port and have lost almost a knot of speed. We are down to 6.3 kts. Still doing well, and anticipate being at the south entrance to Long Boat Key, west of Sarasota, at about 3pm.
1445
Arrived at the entrance of Big Bay Pass at Sarasota Point.
WRONG!!
Our best thought was to find the shortest way across the shallows. However, Menemsha grounded on hard sand, even though the charts indicated we were over the shallows and in an area of about 7 feet. We guessed it had probably shoaled over.
Marlen immediately put Menemsha in reverse and began the seemingly torturous crawl back to deep water.
Our immediate good fortune came from the surface waves impacting the boat. The entire trip, there was never more than a foot of waves. However, each wave that passed, raised Menemsha off the ground on the crest of the wave, and she struck the ground in the bottom of each trough. Had there been more wave height, we could have been in a serious predicament. As it turned out, we had no issues.
Our biggest disappointment was with SeaTow!! Not to be confused with Towboat US!! As we were attempting our entry, there was a SeaTow skiff about 300 yards off our bow, inbound toward us. Over the next 5-6 minutes, as he neared us, he NEVER attempted to wave us off the shallow water. NEVER got on the radio. NEVER got out his air horn. NEVER sped up to tell us it would be impossible to go through!! He sat off our starboard side, about 20 feet, and when we were trying to free the boat, he yelled across, asking if he could be of assistance!! As though he were a vulture waiting for us to get into trouble. I can't print the thoughts going through our heads about this jerk! He almost overcame our being pissed at him by returning our dinghy, which we discovered had the towline severed when we put the boat in reverse, but not enough to overcome our ill-thoughts to the risk he let us accept. NO TIP for the recovery!
Disappointed, we headed north along the coast of Long Boat Key to the entrance of Long Boat Pass. A distance of 10nm.
At this point., it was about 1520. The temperature was beginning to drop remarkably.
We all slipped on our jackets, immediately noticing a new fog bank developing. Although Renne' and I have encountered a deeper fog bank along this coast, we were 1/2nm off Long Boat Key, and couldn't see the shoreline at this point.
When we arrived at the mouth of Long Boat Pass, at 1640, visibility was down to 100 yards, and finding the channel markers required a steady hand holding the binoculars to see the markers through the fog. We were able to spot land, then the Bascule Bridge that needed to open to let us through to Sarasota Bay and the InterCoastal Waterway (ICW). From there, with a coulple of turns and some tight maneuvering, we were headed south toward Sarasota, another 10nm and 90 minutes. We arrived at Marina Jack in Sarasota by 1815 (6pm), and pulled alongside the fuel dock. 45 minutes later, we were tied up, fueled with diesel, bags loaded in the car, and headed for dinner at the Dry Dock Grill on Long Boat Key.
12 Jan 2014
1000
Headed for Marina Jack to move Menemsha to her new mooring ball.
1130
Arrived, moved, and locked up the boat for a few days of rest.
Overall, a great trip, no damage, no real episodes to write home about, and two happy owners to be re-united and a boat in the marina. This arrival for Marlen is the first time he has been to their new home in 7 months. Welcome Home Marlen, Marlene, and Menemsha.
Renne' and I are headed back to Key WEst, compliments of Avis, via Miami, for a couple of doctors appointments for the two of us. I really need to get on the ball putting JonNe' ready for our next adventure in March.
See ya back in Key West on Wednesday evening!
