I left paradise this morning… a mile long beach that was all mine. It was home for two weeks… ten miles from civilization. Other than the park rangers and a fisherman that motored by, there were no other human beings. Twelve days without seeing another person. My footprints were the only footprints on that beach. I didn’t want to leave. If it weren’t for that fourteen-day limit, I would plant myself there for months, only leaving to get supplies.

So, I sailed out at daybreak in a fog, riding a Northern South to the ICW. The fog lifted by the time I got to the ICW and now I’m back at Key Largo for mail and supplies.

February 5, 2001 9:46 a.m. – Smilin’ Islands Trailer Park

The North wind freshened up during the night. I anchored two days ago with a mooring buoy about 100 feet behind me. I was directly in front of Smilin’ Island trailer park where I shower and tie up the dinghy to get mail and supplies in town. I looked out a while ago and everything had moved. I was no longer in from of the trailer park and that mooring buoy was right next to me. The anchor must be dragging in the gusty North winds. I don’t suppose it helped that I’m on the South side of the sound so the waves have a pretty good fetch. There is a mud bottom here and I’m using a 22-lb. Delta fast-set anchor. But I’ve only got about 12 feet of 3/16” chain and 7/16” Nylon Braid on a scope I estimate at 5 or 6 to 1. I hated to put out more… hold on… I’m going to go put the other anchor out. I’m only 300 yards from the shoreline and getting closer…

11:51 a.m. – It took me awhile, as the anchor, the chain, the shackle, and the line were all in different places, and only the anchor was easily accessible. As I was saying before being interrupted by necessity… I hated to put out more anchor line for a longer scope because if the wind backed to the West instead of veering to the East, my anchor line could tangle with the mooring buoy. But I saw no other choice as the conditions are to bad right now for me to pull up anchor and move further out. So I quickly learned the hard way not to take the anchor line all the way off the cleat when letting out more line in a blow. Just take enough off the cleat to let it slip back. I took it all off so I could re-set the chafe guard, but I couldn’t hold her against the wind. I was lucky to get it back on the cleat without getting my fingers caught between the line and the cleat. I did one thing right though… I did have the end of the line tied so if I couldn’t have got it around the cleat, I wouldn’t have lost it altogether.

The funny thing about the whole situation was that although keeping Joanna off the shoreline should have been my only concern, right in the middle of putting out the second anchor on this rolling, pitching boat, I had to stop and look along the shoreline to see if anyone noticed that I was an inexperienced sloppy sailor who let his anchor drag. Fortunately with the bad weather everyone was indoors. It’s real easy to get sloppy when 99% of the time you can get by with being a sloppy sailor.

I took a bearing with the hand compass to some rocks off the starboard beam so I can check later to see if I’m still dragging.

Lesson Learned: Watch the weather forecasts and put out adequate scope on the anchor line, and set anchor properly by pulling against it with the motor in reverse. (I forgot… my reverse quit working.)

I was told to use 3-strand twisted for anchor line, but why is that suppose to be better? A fellow cruiser out here told me to use a boat length of chain. I admit 3/16” chain is a bit small, but 25 feet of chain of any size seems like a lot.

February 6, 2001 8:03 a.m. – Smilin’ Islands Trailer Park

It really bothered me to not shower everyday at first. But now that I’ve gotten used to it… it’s like, “so what.”

February 14, 2001 2:29 p.m. – Buttonwood Sound to Nest Key

N25^o 09.128’ W80^o 30.806’

I pulled up anchors this morning at 9:30 and sailed northwest to Next Key, a short sail of 2 hours with a following wind. I put the jib down because it was blanketed by the main and was more trouble than it was worth. Next Key is noted on the chart as a beach/camping area and was recommended by a fellow cruiser. I had to put the rudder up to get in and anchored in 3 – 3-1/2 feet of water. Upon approach I could see the small beach area, two buoys, and a sign on the beach with what I expect to have rules for the area written on it. Within a half hour after I got here, 5 powerboats landed. This isn’t wilderness to me, I’m not going to stay.

February 16, 2001 7:02 p.m. – Nest Key to Boggey Key to Shell Key and back to South Coast of Florida, Everglades National Park

Upon exploration, Nest Key turned out to be a little larger than I first perceived, and it also had some interesting features. There was a pond in the middle of the island and the island was actually big enough I got lost in the middle of it. I was trying to work my way out of the brush when I spotted Joanna’s mast 90^o off from the direction I was headed. When I left Nest Key this morning around 8:30 a.m., I first motored out to deeper water and re-anchored thinking it was going to be difficult to get the rudder back down. I got behind in the dinghy but was surprised that it was easier to push it down with my foot from the swim ladder. And I really hate to tell you what happened next. I fired up the motor, got up to cruising speed, and set the auto-helm, and forgot to pull up the anchor. Did you ever see that episode of ‘Leave it to Beaver’ where one of the Cleaver boys hooks a chain up to the rear end of Eddie’s car for a joke? Well, I wish that anchor would have dragged this time, but it didn’t. When Joanna got to the end of that anchor rode, the bow and the stern switched ends real quick. I’m just glad I wasn’t standing up; I think she would have thrown me. And yes, I looked back at Next Key to see if the cruiser from New Jersey saw what I did after he spoke so critically of some people he saw getting grounded the other day. It was too far away to tell if he was looking or not.

I motored southeast into the wind until I was able to make a course change to Northeast and sail on to Boggy Key, and then Shell Key. (There are two Shell Keys; this is the one by Boggy key.) I made a trip up the Western coasts of these keys, didn’t see any beach areas, got discouraged and turned around. I decided I could make it back to that place in the Everglades I named Paradise Beach a couple of weeks ago. So I headed west, and then North.

I thought I had traversed shallow waters before but in that area between Nest key and Boggy and Shell Key, my depth gauge was usually reading between 3-1/2 to 4 feet. A foot less than marked on the chart, and it was between high and low tide. Of course I didn’t have the keel down much (five turns on the winch), but at one point I hit the ground pretty hard. It must have been rock in that area as it was a sharp blow and Joanna shook hard when it happened. They must make these boats pretty tough. Later I discovered the ruder was up.

I got back to my ‘Paradise Beach’ at 3:30 p.m. and couldn’t wait to go for a walk on the beach. I was heartbroken when I found some footprints that weren’t mine. Another thin is, it wasn’t the same beach. In that short period of time the waves had changed the beach. That bothered me. Those three women I married didn’t stay the same either. I don’t believe there is anything of this world solid enough to hand on to.

February 17, 2001 8:54 p.m. – From mainland of South Florida, Everglades national Park to near Hammer Point, Tavernier, south end of Key Largo

N25^o 02.542’ W80^o 31.45’

I’m sailing under the stars right now but I’ll have to explain later as I need to try and keep a half decent watch and figure some waypoints for a course change a couple hours from now.

February 18, 2001 12:12 a.m.

I’m tired now. I thought I would stay at that beach a while but at 6:30 p.m. I pulled up anchor to let her drift away from a possible mosquito attach as the wind had let up. I noticed she was drifting slowly back toward the main keys. I thought about letting her drift all night just to see if Joanna could make it back on her own. But when I checked her course after an hour she was off some, so I thought, “What the heck, I’ve got a following breeze so I’ll just put up the jib and set the auto-helm for an evening cruise.” I wouldn’t normally do this as my running lights aren’t hooked up yet but there’s no other boats in this area after dark and my anchor light should do, as I’m not going that much faster than anchor speed, 2 – 2-1/2 knots. It was a perfect night for it, clear with a dry Northwest building breeze in the mid 70’s. Goodnight.

February 18, 2001 2:47 p.m.

I’ve never even seen the Atlantic before but within a few minutes I will be sailing in it. Passing under the bridge between Lower Matecumbe Key and Long Key.

February 18, 2001 4:11 p.m. – Anchored at Long Key Bight on the Atlantic Side

N24^o 50.13’ W80^o 47.85’

I was just going to move closer to Tavernier and get a better anchoring spot so I could go into town Monday and fill my propane tank, but I had installed cleats and eye straps so I could now reef the mainsail and since it was blowing pretty good, I thought I would try out the second reef point. It worked so well I just couldn’t stop to anchor. The wind was just right for sailing down the main keys. I could sail through all the channels and cuts with this hefty NE wind, so I did. I shook out the reef before going through the second channel as wind speed was dropping. I ran the rest of the way with full main and working jib although if I weren’t so lazy I would have put up the Genoa towards the end. Just as I was approaching the bridge to enter the Atlantic, the sails were full and I was leaving a wake but the GPS read 0.0 knots. I had to fire up the motor to push through the current under the bridge. I left just a little before seven this morning and since this was unplanned I’ve been keeping pretty busy taking points off the chart, keeping watch and tending sails so I’m beat, I’ve had too much sun and I haven’t eaten properly all day. I’m going to eat and sleep.

February 18, 2001 7:15 p.m.

I’m feeling better now. I took some acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, and some of those pain pills the doctor gave me in case I get an appendicitis or impacted tooth or something and I’m some distance from a doctor. He said he was going to give me some pain pills that wouldn’t mess me up so I would still be able to do my navigation figuring, but it doesn’t work, I’ve already tried it.

I just came in from an unsuccessful attempt to retract the rudder. I hung off the stern rail and had both legs around the rudder pulling, but I still couldn’t get it up. I anchored as far North in this cove as possible because of heavy winds predicted, and to do so I had to get over here where it is very shallow. The rudder only clears by a few inches. I just found out there is going to be a ‘wind surge’ before midnight and the wind will shift and come straight in here. I was worried that if Joanna is pitching up and down she might hit on the rudder. I just checked the tide table, it’s going out, I better get back out there and find some way to get that rudder up in the dark.

7:44 p.m.

Got it. I taped a 2X4 wooden block as a fulcrum point onto a 1” heavy aluminum pipe. It did the trick. Now I can sleep without worrying about it.

February 19, 2001 8:06 a.m. – Long Key Bight

Today I am undertaking one of the most difficult things I have to do on this journey. Something I haven’t always done well with in times past. That is to stay put when conditions indicate, even though I feel like sailing. I could go back under the bridge and sail the Bay side, but I really wanted to sail in the Atlantic, at least to Marathon. I just don’t think it’s smart to have my first experience in the Atlantic with 30 mph winds and four-foot waves. I should sit tight for a couple of days and that’s why I’m writing this down, to remind me what the rational thing to do is.

February 20, 2001 9:05 p.m.

There are 42 bridges connecting 126 miles of Florida Keys and there are only a few of them you can get a sailboat under.

February 21, 2001 9:15 a.m.

Wow, this is great. I’m now in the Atlantic. Seas of one to two feet are what the weather radio reported. That’s big enough, I’m glad I waited for less wind. The waves or swells seem bigger than one to two feet. And that is inside the reef. This 10-15 mph wind brings waves larger outside the reef. This is pretty comfortable sailing here but it’s easy to get knocked around the cabin or cockpit if I don’t have a good hold on something. The following wind makes it a little rougher and it’s really giving Mr. Autohelm a workout. I was going to name the self-steering unit as some sailors do but he has just become Mr. Autohelm.

February 21, 2001 – Long Key to Marathon, Vaca Key, Boot Key Harbor

N24^o 42.35’ W81^o 05.53’

Started at 7:00 this morning and reached Vaca Key at 2:30 this afternoon. I had two choices on entering Boot Key Harbor. I could enter a wide, deep, well-marked channel and go under the drawbridge or I could take the narrow, shallow, winding Sister Creek. Wasn’t too hard to guess which one I took, I avoid those draw bridges at all costs. I did fine until I got into the harbor and found a crowded anchorage. I motored around looking for a spot. Give me 40 acres and I’ll turn this rig around. I finally found myself a big old space. I was watching the depth gauge and I had 10 feet of water then, boom, I was stuck fast in the mud. The propeller was even in the mud. I looked down and there was only a foot and a half of water so I thought I would try and push it out by hand. I put on my aqua socks to protect my feet and jumped overboard. The water went up past my crotch; I sunk in the mud up to my knees! I could barely get back into the boat. I then took the anchor out in the dinghy 90^o off the bow to wench it out of the shallow area. I winched the anchor all the way back to the boat. All I did was plough a furrow through the mud… Joanna didn’t budge. Then I thought, “These boats are made to go forward, not sideways”, so I rowed the anchor out again about 20’ off the bow and dropped it off the dinghy. When I threw it over all the mud on the anchor splashed up and covered the top half of me, which up to this point had remained clean. Now there was mud everywhere. This time she pulled forward as I winched in the anchor rode and I found a spot and planted her. After cleaning the mud out of the dinghy, I went in the Sombrero marina, got a week’s worth of dinghy docking for $15 and the best $1.50 shower I ever had. Rhode my bike into town for dinner at Deadhead Georges Mexican grill where I fell in love with the waitress while the sun set. Then I got lost on my bike trying to find the way back to the marina in the dark. Men will ask directions if there is no other way!

February 23, 2001 – Marathon, Vaca Key, Boot Key Harbor

All these boats are packed in here pretty tight. I wonder what’s going to happen when the wind changes and they all swing at anchor? Do they all have the same scope? I notice the boats around me all have two anchor lines running down into the water. I guess I’ll put my other anchor out too…

Continue to Chapter Three

Return to Venture/MacGregor Yacht Club