Ed only worked for a few months. It just wasn't worth the time for the extra money. We spent the next spring and summer visiting family and working on Manatee. We found an electrician to help Ed re-wire the boat from bow to stern. We increased our battery storage which allows us to use a TV, Microwave and coffee pot while away from the dock. He became good friends with Stuart of Stuart Marine Electrician LLC and eventually started working part time for him. He got paid quite well, giving us the extra cash to sink into Manatee. We spent time in Arkansas helping Erin and Ben remodel a rental home. When in Florida and the boat wasn't disabled being worked on we took trips to Peck Lake, up the Indian River to the Space Coast and just floated around, a week at a time. The Covid-19 pandemic hit and that kept us at port for a couple of seasons. We were also very very lucky to have missed the hurricanes for two seasons. They all went up the gulf coast.
Fast forward to our current status. We left the dock on November 12, 2021 and spent a night at Peck Lake before heading South to Key West. Rather than going down the ICW and opening bridge after bridge, we took or first weather window and headed out the St. Lucie Inlet and went south to Key Biscayne.
Leaving Peck Lake on a calm morning
The weather was perfect for a quiet run down the shoreline. We exited the St. Lucie Inlet at 9:52 am. Winds were 5 kts out of the WNW and it was a cool 76 degrees. The winds stayed calm and fluky. Manatee's engine ran smooth. As dusk approached, the lights of the shore lit up. Most folks know or have heard, I am not an eager overnight sailor. I napped on and off and did my best to keep my captain company. He got us past the ship channels coming out of Port Everglades and the Port of Miami. We had to dodge a couple of ships coming through the channel, but most of the ships were anchored outside the port. We stayed close to shore the entire trip to avoid the counter current of the Gulf Stream. We made better time that Ed predicted and arrived at Cape Florida about an hour before sunrise. We drifted around the outside of the cut leading into the anchorage until dawn and then motored around the lighthouse and into No Name Harbor.
Sunset over Pompano Beach
The night lights of Fort Lauderdale
Sunrise over the Atlantic
We stayed at anchor outside No Name Harbor for a few days and took in the sights of Bill Bagg State Park and the Lighthouse grounds. The nature trails were full of natural Florida foliage and woods. We spent several days here, relaxing in between a couple of walking trips to the Winn Dixie about 2 miles up the road on Key Biscayne.
Our first evening in the Keys (Key Biscayne)
The first of many phenomenal sunsets
Very very old trees
I love taking pictures of Lighthouses
And birds
Wild Papaya tree
Cape Florida Lighthouse grounds
After a few days and the return of travelling weather, we left and travelled further south. Our destination was Key West. We were one week late for the annual music festival we were shooting for but we thought we would enjoy Key West and the music it had to offer.
November 16, 2021- Temperature 75 degrees, winds 11-15 kts out of the NE
We raised the main and the jib and had a nice sail down Biscayne Bay, past Elliot Key, down Card and Barnes Sounds and found our spot in Thursday Cove, just outside Jewfish Creek.
November 17, 2021 Temperature 76 degrees and sunny.
Winds 15 kts out of the ENE
We weighed anchor at 8:30 am and stopped at Gilberts for fuel and to top off our water holding tanks.
We had a chance to briefly visit with our old friend Dennis once again.
Ed and Dennis catching up We made it a short day, anchored in Tarpon Basin. It was a hot sunny day and winds were picking up 15-20 kts ENE. We decided we really like this anchorage, great protection from all directions. We spent the next day doing short explorations in the dinghy before moving on.
Jellyfish type creatures along the bottom of the water, they move like jellyfish
November 19, 2021 Temperature 78 degrees
Winds 7 kts out of the NE
We sailed and motored down the ICW and decided to see about picking up a mooring ball at Lignumvitae Key. The winds picked up out of the NE to 15-20 kts. It was super choppy and the winds were cool; bring out the long sleeves and hoodies! We dinghied into the State Park and decided to explore the grounds. We were surprised that it was empty, no other tourists around. As we were timidly walking around we encountered a park ranger. She was completely clothed head to toe, as in long sleeve shirt, scarf, gloves, long pants, socks and shoes. She even had screen covering her hat and her face. She was heading out to walk the nature trail we had intended to do. She was pleasant and very informative about the Lignumvitae Hammock and its history. She told us the trails were not open to the public until December 1, 2021, stating there were still too many mosquitoes! As we were talking, I was getting bit. Needless to say, we thanked her and went back out to Manatee.
November 20. 2021 Temp 77 degrees
Winds ENE at 14 kts
Time to head south. It was beautiful weather, the sun was shining, the water was a beautiful aqua green and clear. In 10 ft. of water you could see the bottom. We decided our next anchorage would be just past the Channel 5 Bridge on the Atlantic side. We found our anchorage by Long Key and settled in.
November 21, 2021 Temp 77 degrees
Winds ENE 14-17 and fluky
We continued to head south along the Hawk Channel. It was a stormy day, squalls out to the East. We chased some and we got caught by some. Rain gear had to come out. We motor sailed on the jib until the winds became too fluky and motored the rest of the way.
Erin surprised us with an AWESOME Christmas gift of a new Canon DSLR camera, almost exactly as the one we lost last summer when it got stolen. We were shocked and so excited!! Santa Clause came to us! We couldn't wait to play and relearn all the cool settings
We spent a fun filled week with the girls. We even took an overnight trip to Peck Lake.
When it was time to go and the winds calmed down giving us a nice weather window, we proceeded South. We wanted to go to Key West before heading back up to Stuart for Christmas week. We were looking forward to a visit from Erin and Anna, our daughter and granddaughter for the week.
