Passage Notes from Marathon to Angelfish Creek - Florida

Passage from Marathon to Angelfish Cay

After spending three months living and working in Marathon, Florida our time had come to move on. We had been living on a mooring in Boot Key Harbor on our 32’ Bayfield “Puff”. The facility provided by the town of Marathon at its City Marina caters to liveaboard cruisers. For a very reasonable monthly fee ($260 for our 32’ sailboat) they provided a dingy dock, showers, laundry facility, book exchange, and bike racks. The marina also strictly enforces no overboard discharge and provides weekly pumpouts from a pumpout boat that makes its rounds throughout the week. We feel a lot of other marinas could learn a thing or two in this respect by making pumpout stations more available.
On our trip down to Marathon we had taken the bay side route and enjoyed the shelter of the many small cays. Wanting to get the full experience we planned an ocean side return north. On our itinerary were stops at Molasses Reef and the dive at the Christ of the Abyss. Our first leg of the trip took us from Marathon up to Rodriguez Cay just off Key Largo. We planned our departure according to the weather and as the wind was shifting to the southeast we set sail The water inside the reef was crystal clear turquoise and as we approached the greater depths of the open sea it darkened into the cobalt blue of the deep. Their are two options for cruising the ocean side of the keys, the open sea beyond the reef or the marked channel through the inside of the reef. We chose the open ocean passage in hopes of catching dinner as we trolled the ledges of the abyss. Our only luck was a single bonito (too bloody for our taste).
As we approached Rodriguez Cay the wind had died and we ended up motoring the last few hours to a beautiful anchorage. Our view of the open ocean had a bit of excitement that went along with the beauty of it. Excitement in it because there is always the possibility of the wind shifting onshore and putting you on a lee shore in the middle of the night. The forecast held and there was only light winds shifting to the southwest and a brilliant red sunset to end the day.
The next morning we awoke to a glass calm anchorage and billowing cumulus clouds out over the gulfstream. The day was already warm and had that wonderful tropical feel as the birds on Rodriguez Cay serenading us to another glorious day. Molasses Reef lay only seven miles from the anchorage where we arrived around 9:30am. We grabbed our fins and masks and were over the side exploring the remains of a spanish galleon’s anchor, a beautiful swim through, and some of the most dramatic coral formations we have seen. After nearly two hours of diving we were satisfied with our visit Molasses reef and set sail to the Christ of the Abyss eight miles northeast.
On the sail we enjoyed a quick lunch and rest as we got ready for the second dive. Our expectations of this dive were only to see the statue and continue on to Angelfish Cay. As we picked up a mooring and jumped overboard we found ourselves in a fabulous coral garden. The formations came from 25 feet to within 5 feet of the surface with huge hogfish and groupers swimming throughout. The Christ of the Abyss statue was placed within these formations obviously to protect it from currents and surge while creating a glorious backdrop. It was truly a magnificent area to explore and well worth the effort.
It was now 4pm and time to make for Angelfish Cay before the wind clocked around to the north like forecasted. The wind was piping up out of the west with the approach of the front and clouds that were rolling in. Within 5 miles a dark cloud passed over giving us a light shower and bringing the north winds on its backside. The cool dry air told us that was the front and the engine came on to motor us the remaining way. The approach to Angelfish Cay and Angelfish Creek that brings you bay side was very straightforward with clear channel markers and good depth throughout. We opted to anchor in one of the many small channels off Angelfish Creek to wait out the strong northeast winds that followed with the high pressure behind the front.
Our splash back into truly cruising again after a short stint of work in Marathon was fabulous. We choose a good weather window for what we wanted to do and got some great sailing and diving as a result. We are looking forward to the rest of our voyage back north, sailing, fishing, diving, and exploring as we go.

Stuart, Florida: The Best of Both Waterworlds

Stuart, Florida is a nice stop for cruisers for many reasons. First and foremost is it’s prime location on Florida’s Treasure Coast with ocean access through St. Lucie Inlet and more than one comfortable anchorages right off the ICW. If you’re a water person, you’ll find no end to the activities available in Stuart. You can anchor in one of the two anchorages in Manatee Pocket, which is a hurricane hole at Port Salerno in Stuart.  There are plenty of marinas to offer fuel and water. Within walking distance, less than a mile, there is a West Marine, a Winn Dixie, coin laundry, canvas maker, fantastic produce stand, incredible marine consignment shop and flea market, not to mention the numerous waterside restaurants, boatyards, and fishing docks. There is a huge warehouse right on the water in the southern anchorage of Manatee Pocket that has been made into a coffee shop and artist’s co-op with free WIFI and fabulous original pottery, tile, painting, and stained glass.  And here is a little gem of cruiserly local wisdom, a 5 minute walk from the dingy dock will reveal a 24-hour ice machine that dispenses 10 or 20 lb.  bags of ice, or loose ice into your ice chest, for $2.00!

There are two public parks to dingy to, this is especially nice if you have a dog. The parks are beautiful and full of birds, squirrels, palms and pines. The landside amenities for the cruiser are endless. And here’s another secretto look for while you’re here, there are colonies of wild, green parrots living  in large nests in the tops of the palms. They are quite vocal and scold you if you get to close. They are great fun to observe.

In the harbour, you can expect to see bottlenose dolphins hunting their breakfast every morning. Since we’ve been here I’ve seen a baby dolphin spyhopping, (that’s popping his head out of the water and looking around), and an adult dolphin tossing a large mullet into the air over and over, like a dog playing with a toy. There are herons, sandhill cranes, gulls, and lots of pelicans. We’ve seen several spotted eagle rays gliding gracefully below the surface, leaping out of the water every now and then. The Spring is a wonderful time to be here because all of the wildlife is very active this time of year.

If you want to have some fun, take the dingy or kayak up one of the numerous creeks and see if you can spot an alligator or a manatee. Or, pack a picnic, and dingy out to one of the lovely deserted islands between the ICW and the inlet. We did this and had a blast. These little islands have clean beaches with sandy shoals that you can walk out onto at low tide and watch tiny crabs and minnows hide in their nurseries of marsh grass and shallows. Big Causaurina pines provide plenty of shade, and the water is cool and refreshing.

You can also go all the way out to the inlet in your dingy and fish around the rock jetties. We spoke to someone who dove the jetties and spotted a huge spiny lobster there. People are catching mostly mackerel, pompano, kingfish, snook, and catfish. Offshore, not for the dingy motorist, there are an abundance of sailfish, after all, Stuart is the Sailfish Capitol of the World! Stuart can also boast a six square mile reef, which is considered the northernmost of tropical coral reefs. The reef is accessible by dingy on the outside of the inlet, or if you dingy to Peck Lake, part of St. Lucie state park.  Or take the big boat and anchor there as it provides a nice anchorage, and beaches on both the ICW side and ocean side.

There are all sorts of hidden surprises for fun and relaxing in the area of Manatee Pocket. We’ve yet to discover everything. During a sunset cruise last night in our dingy, we met a couple on a trawler from Maryland. They told us about the Bathtub Beach, (where shallow pools of ocean water are warmed by the sun), and the surfing beach, ( where local surfers maintain a tough front and build surf shacks at their favorite break). Guess we’ll just have to do some more exploring…

Reading the Conditions to Go Free Diving in the Keys

 

Upon arriving in the Florida Keys in late February Jeannette and I were anxious to get in the water and do some serious freediving.  The entire sail down from NC was filled with strong winds, oddly enough from the southwest,  and once secured to a mooring in Boot Key Harbor the winds continued. Front upon front that marched across the states would find us down here and blow as they passed through then increase in strength as the high pressure filled in behind.  Well all this wind is obviously not good for diving.  A few days when the wind settled down to around 15kts I would charge out for a beating in the dingy.  The first two times I went out the water was clear one day and cloudy the next.  My first thought was a change in wind direction had caused a change in water clarity.  In NC an onshore wind will bring warmer cloudy conditions, while an offshore breeze will bring cooler, clearer water in. As I experimented with the winds with each passing front my theories were being blown out of the water, nothing was being consistent relating to wind direction and water clarity.  As a result I began to question other variables that could effect visibility on the reef.  It was on a bus ride back from Key West that it became apparent what had the most effect on the visibility.  Riding over the seven mile bridge I could see the green cloudy water of the bayside in contrast to the blue clear water on the oceanside.  The tide was coming in and the clear water was rushing by the pilings of the old bridge. It was like a light bulb went off in my head.  So over the next few weeks whenever the wind slacked to 15kts or less I would review the tide charts and go out on an incoming tide, and voila,  more consistent clear water. Thinking about it it all makes sense.  The high nutrient rich waters surrounding the shallow mangroves has that green cloudy characteristic, while the deep cool ocean water has the clear visibility that is needed for more enjoyable diving.  Watch the tides and you have your own calendar for the best times to make the run out to the reef without getting burned.  Now it’s mid April and the fronts have finally settled down. The wind and sea has calmed and the water is becoming clearer each trip out.  There are truly some amazing reefs to dive, and if you venture to the greater depths there can be some rewarding spearfishing as well.  

How Much Does It Cost To Go Cruising

How much does it cost to go cruising?  We all know the answer to that… exactly as much as you have.  But that is not very helpful, now is it?  I’m going to simplify this question and tell you how much it costs myself and my husband to go cruising.  We have been cruising for seven years, far and wide, so I feel I can give you an accurate report.  Then, you can take my information and plug in your own numbers, because it is different for everyone.  For example, the boat might cost $30,000 or $300,000.   Cost of Cruising aboard Puff…Boat:  $50,000Equipment and Gear (self-steering, new sails, fishing and diving gear, inflatable dingy, etc.):  $30,000  (spread out over several years as we acquired new stuff)Yearly Maintenance  (including annual haul out and bottom painting):  Average $4000 (how I got this average: some years this is around $2000 if we have no major repairs and some years it can be higher, like $12000, if you have major replacements or repairs like the engine.)Dockage, slip fees, marinas:  $1500/year (Explanation:  We live out at anchor while we are cruising or island hopping through paradise, but 5-6 months out of the year we live in a marina in the USA while we work, we have paid anywhere from $200 - $750/month for marina rent)Mail Forwarding Service:  $10 - $14/monthCharts and Guidebooks:  $30 - $50 for a guidebook or cruising guide; $100 - $300 for paper and/or digital charts of each area.  (We attended a Seven Seas Cruising Association Marine Flea Market and bought paper charts for the world from a guy who had just completed a circumnavigation for just under $3000)Provisioning:  $1500+ for a 6 month cruise  (This is all dry goods, rice, flour, canned food, nuts, seeds dried fruit, spices, etc.  We do it cheap, of course.  You can buy gourmet or organic everything or lots of sodas, liquor and beer and spend 5x as much.)  Grocery and Eating Out Allowance:  Ours is quite small, $30/week.  We don’t eat out except maybe once a month, very cheap burgers or something, and we work hard to catch our own food almost every day, fish or lobster.  We buy fresh local produce every week from local farms.Water:  $30 - $60/month (Usually, when you are cruising, you pay for freshwater to fill you boats tanks, .10/gal to .50/gal.)  Diesel/Gasoline:  $200/month (And that is being generous.  We sail all we can and try to use the engine sparingly.  We do use gas for our dingy a lot to go fishing and diving, and of course it is our only vehicle while cruising.)Medical Supplies:  $300/year  (We stock  up on basics like antibiotics, suture kits, emergency medical supplies about once a year so we are prepared while cruising.  We had our doctor show us proper procedure for everything.)Licensing and Documentation:  $150 one time fee usually (Make sure you get proper documentation for your boat in your country of origin or you could be facing fines and legal penalties)Customs and Entry Fees:  $0 - $300/per country (This depends on what country, your best source for current entry fees is Jimmy Cornell’s site, www.noonsite.com) I’ve probably forgotten some things, so I may have to do a part two of this article, but all the basics are here.     

Boat Maintenence

One thing you should know before buying a boat and going cruising is that is going to be a lot of work.  But it is kind of cool work, even though it is often difficult and you invent new curse words as you go.  Since we have owned a sailboat I have acquired many new skills such as:  sewing, sail repair, fiberglass repair, applying nonskid to decks, rigging tuning, stainless care, applying epoxy and epoxy paints, varnishing wood, plumbing, electrical and engine repair.  I must say I feel much more capable and independent than before being a cruiser, however necessity being the mother of invention, if I did not have a cruising sailboat, I don’t think I would have just gone out and perfected these skills.  Now, if you have enough money, you might say, why not just pay someone else to do it all for me?  Right.  That might work if you are in civilization at a dock or marina.  But the point of cruising is exploring remote places on your own.  Sometime, somewhere you are bound to have to take care of something or things on that boat simply because there will be no one around to do it for you.  And I think that is one of the best parts about cruising.  Although it is a lot of work, it can be very satisfying when you complete a project and you know you’ve done well.  If you are actively cruising, the boat will get a lot of wear and tear, so be prepared to work on something, almost daily, definitely weekly if you want to beproud of your vessel and the shape that it is in.  Too many people let their boats fall into disrepair and that gives sailors a bad name.  Harbors worldwide have too many fine boats in them that have become derelict messes.  Be proud of your boat, it is your home, and your magic carpet, too!

Living in Boot Key Harbor, Marathon, Florida

We have been living in Boot Key Harbor in Marathon, FL for about a month now.  It’s pretty nice.  We pay under $300 per month for a mooring ball, bicycle storage, showers, mail drop, and close proximity to West Marine, grocery stores, library, bank, cafes, movie theater, home depot, drugstore, K-Mart, everywhere…  We work at a restaurant and ride our bike there every day.  You can get anywhere on your bike and there is a bus you can take down to Key West for just $2.  There are hundreds of cruisers here, which is good and bad.  The wildlife is prolific, birds, turtles, fish, manatees, dolphin…  We hear there is fabulous fishing and diving, we’ve  just been working too much to check the fun stuff out so far, but we will!  It is very peaceful on the mooring ball, no loud partying keeping you up at night, nice respectful neighbors.  It’d a neat place to drop the hook, or grab a mooring for awhile, especially if you have to be in the States to work, which is our case.