2/28/22 Newfound Harbor, big blow coming

February 28-March 8, 2022

We decided we would be staying at this anchorage for at least a week. Wind Alert shows a BIG blow coming next weekend, and we were in a good protected spot from the E and NE winds. The winds for the first few days were moderate, 12-15 with gusts to 18-20. We went into town (Big Pine Key) and walked about 2 mile to the grocery store and hardware store. We seem to always require these two stores when we get to a town with dinghy access.  We bring our folding wagon to transport groceries, propane tank, water or laundry. Works great! And oh my, the sunrises and sunsets never disappoint! 

Sunset over Little Torch Key

Sunrise over Big Pine Key, Coupon Bight

Another sunrise

And sunset.  This one was amazing.  It was actually behind a large dark cloud, we were surprised to see it at all!

Dinghy ride through a canal to Big Pine Sea Center, where we heard for a nominal fee you can tie up your dinghy securely and walk into town. (That “nominal fee” is $20)

A manatee came up to us as we were tying up the dinghy, looking for a hand out. Some folks feed and give fresh water to them, but it’s illegal and bad for wildlife to depend on handouts. But we enjoyed her visit. It was great to see that she had no prop scars! 

We like exploring through the canals in the dinghy. There are homes of all kinds and sizes. This one was so key-sy!

Look close, as we were motoring along we both spotted drips in the water along the shore. Ed turned the boat to investigate. Turns out it was just an iguana relieving himself.

    A pelican walking on the sea wall. He had a hurt wing. Hope he survives.

Such a perfect palm tree in my book

                                                                        

 Land-side, on our way to the grocery store in Big Pine Key

                                                    

This picture was taken through about a foot of water close to the shore (from my kayak). It was a tiny beach with tiny shells!

                                                   

I just had to walk the small piece of beach on shore. It's always amazing to me that flowers bloom in such remote places

A sharp contrast of water color. This pool of silty light emerald green water began to engulf the anchorage. It looked milky. We thought it might be coming from a lagoon off the land where a crane was working.  

Palm island Resort, on its own island off the tip of Big Pine Key. We watched shuttle boats and            seaplanes daily taking patrons to and from the resort. It must be expensive to stay there!

While coming back in the dinghy we noticed a helicopter doing some amazing moves. It was combing the land in a grid type pattern, coming over the water to make sharp turns before heading in a straight line over Big Pine Key. We thought it might be mapping, maybe to update google and other land maps. Fun to watch!

Another big blow forecast for Sunday. We dragged a few feet at this anchorage with one of the bigger gusts. The bottom here is like a very course sand and silt. Ed wasn’t happy staying here for the next blow, especially after researching other spots. He discovered another spot, one more key down, between Ramrod Key and Summerland Keys on the Niles Channel. We had taken a couple of “charge up the batteries” runs this week to check it out. 

We left on Friday in preparation of the blow coming from the NE. We found a comfortable spot along the shoreline of Ramrod Key, anchored in 7 ft of water and Ed liked it. We stayed here and explored the area in the dinghy (when the winds were tolerable). 

A kite (Frigate Bird) is considered good luck when they fly over you.  

Rock ledges just under the surface by shore

An old statue on a piling, looks like some saint?

Cormorant!

Old bridge to the left, new to the right

Manatee through the arch of the old bridge

March 6, 2022

Our anchor held great here, but we went back around to Big Pine Key so we can provision again and get ready to leave the lower keys. Rick wanted to see Key West for the first time and we had no intentions of going there again at this time.  We headed back over spent a couple of nights.  We went grocery, liquor, drinking water and propane shopping.  I wish I took a picture of that poor wagon on its 1 mile trek back to the dinghy dock! We looked like a well-off homeless couple, carrying all our supplies and food in one cart.  The next day Rick left to head to Key West.  Ed decided to that Manatee needed some "bottom attention".  I held the dinghy close to the boat, with a fender in between the two while Ed scrubbed the hull from the waterline down about 3 feet.  Then he donned his mask, snorkel, fins to scrub the rest.  We were planning an outside (Atlantic) stretch to head back up to the middle keys, on our way back to Key Largo.  Gee, another big blow forecast for Saturday March 12. 

Goodbye for this season, Lower Florida Keys

2/25/22 Channel Key to Newfound Harbor

February 25, 2022

Living on the water does have its inconveniences. One of them is the need to pump out the black holding tank, the same thing one has to do when in a camper. But we have to be in a pre-scheduled spot on the correct day and wait for the pump out boat to come take care of us. It’s a great thing Monroe County does for boaters, it helps to keep the waters clean. But depending on the weather and being on “island time”, the pump out boat may or may not come. So we made our way to Newfound Harbor, off  Big Pine Key. We weighed anchor at 8:45 am after a gorgeous sunrise. 

Rick in Wind Gypsy following along. Winds were out of the East 15 kts. We enjoyed a nice sail down the bay to Marathon and under the seven mile bridge. 

I guess I need to change that toast color to green

                                                           Looking East and looking west

Looking West to East

We went under the bridge and into the open Atlantic. It was a rock and rolly few hours to our destination. The winds stayed moderate, 14 kts out of the East. We had brought the jib down before going under the bridge and motor sailed on the main. The seas were 3-5 ft, giving us swells to roll on. In retrospect, Ed said it would have a been smoother sail if we sailed on the jib alone. We were only a couple hours away, so we didn’t make the change. We arrived at our anchorage at 3:00 pm, weighed anchor and enjoyed a restful evening, out of the East wind and enjoyed sunset. 

2/24/22 Channel Key, You just can’t make this stuff up!

Thursday, February 24,2022

Another beautiful start to the day

The winds stayed steady out of the East, around 15 kts, allowing us a very nice sail down the ICW. A review of the charts showed us a small key named Channel Key that would provide sufficient protection from the East for the overnight hours. (Captain likes restful nights). We sailed and motor sailed on a port tack. We arrived at our anchorage mid afternoon.  As we were arriving and setting the anchor, I noticed an interesting looking sailboat, coming off a channel from the middle of Florida Bay. I peered through the binoculars and mentioned it to Ed. From a distance it looked like a larger ketch with lateen rigging. 

But it was a MUCH smaller boat, no engine, very basic

We got busy settling in and the next thing we knew this boat was coming in towards the island. It was much smaller than we thought, and on board was eleven people, most were sitting on the floor in the boat. 

As they got close to shore, upsetting a flock of cormorants,  all of a sudden everyone on board stood up!! The boat tipped port to starboard until everyone got into place and the boat settled.  “No folks, that’s not a good thing to do on a boat like that!” We continued to watch this group of people on the boat stand shoulder to shoulder. We couldn’t tell what they were doing. We used binoculars and the telephoto camera to “spy”. We didn’t see any sign of camaraderie or prayer. Channel Key is a pretty small island and there are tons of birds that flock in and out of the trees, a sanctuary. Were they going to study the birds? Take water samples? Is it a special school? Class? Religion? 

It became dusk and we continued to watch. The folks then started scooching  out of the boat into waist-deep water and single file walk over to the island. They weren’t carrying much gear, didn’t see any sleeping bags. Now, this is mostly a mangrove island. It’s a very silty bottom to stand in much less walk. And other than a couple of 20 ft spits of sand, it’s all mangrove roots. Last week I tried to get out of my kayak and step onto an island and went up to my knees in heavy silt, like quick sand! So I know this wasn’t an easy or fun thing to do. 

We stopped watching, had dinner, watch the sunset and made plans for the following day. 

We looked back over to see the last of the group getting back into the boat and before long there were tents and tarps on the boat. I’m guessing all eleven people are sleeping or attempting to sleep there all night? 

And they were just like that in the morning.  Shortly after sunrise, they started folding up the coverings. I did see through the binoculars two 5 gallon buckets in the boat, I presume that was the sanitation station. There were 9 males and 2 females. We were ready to weigh anchor and it was time for us to move on. Too bad, we’ll never know what that was all about and who and where these folks came from.  It’s like they came from out of nowhere. Long Key is the closest land, at least 12 miles to the NE. 

2/23/22 Time for new scenery

 

Manatee in her "safe place" in Tarpon Basin

Ed keeps a close eye on the power in, power out situation.  We use a 12 Volt refrigerator  and freezer which demands enough power to become a challenge to keep our batteries topped off. Running the engine for an hour twice a day helps but only for a couple of days. We don’t want the noise of a gas generator, so motoring South it is.  Besides, its time to see new shorelines.                                                                                                                                                                                                          

The day usually starts with taking pictures of sunrise  

It was a nice weather day, winds out of the East, 13-15 with gusts to 18 kts. Sunshine, 78 degrees. 

We left Tarpon Basin after lunch and motored about 3 1/2 hours through the turquoise clear waters of Florida Bay.                                                                                 

                                                 Ahh, green clear water! Motor sailing

                                                     Rick on Wind Gypsy, following along

Cowpens Cut has what is called Toilet Seat Row. There are tons of them, painted or left natural, but all in a row. Only in the Florida Keys! 

The turquoise stripes created with the sun’s help

     Stake Key for the night, it’s small and will provide some protection from the East winds. 

2/20/22 Tarpon Basin, Key Largo

Monday  February 20, 2022

The start of a beautiful day

We usually start our day with greeting the sun. We watch the sky get light, watch the cloud formations and the sky evolve into different shades of pink, red, orange and yellow. Today’s was pretty. Shades orange, yellow and gray clouds. We had decided that this morning Ed was going to fish around the mangroves in Lil Big’r (the dinghy), while I took solace in the mangrove forest on my kayak. We had been through this creek before, but it’s worth going anytime. 

 

That’s my kayak route today

                                            The reflections in the water made for a cool picture

If you look closely you can see two rope swings, left behind by local kids perhaps. The ropes were still in decent condition. Kids will be kids everywhere!

                                                         And they go swimming in this! 

We had a quiet afternoon, the weather was great, windy and warm. Rick on Wind Gypsy, a friend sailed down from Stuart and met up with us. 

Welcome to the keys, Wind Gypsy and Rick