Hi Loyal Readers,

We arrived in Marathon, Fl,  January23rd and put the boat in the water the next day.  We promptly came down with a case of bronchitis which took weeks to run its course. We're blaming the crud on the airplane trip to Ft. Lauderdale.

 This year is quite different for us as we have been at the same location for a couple of months.  It is, of course, very different from transiting every day or so.  We have established a bit of a routine here and have made some great new friends.  It's like moving into a neighborhood where everybody is outside all of the time and everybody has a common interest in boating.  We go to yoga twice a week which has paid off as we contort ourselves around the boat.  Movie night is Tuesday and there is always a great turn out.

We don't have a car so we depend, as do many folks here, on our bicycles.  We thought we would really miss having wheels but we manage quite well with panniers for the bikes.  You can always opt for a cab for a flat rate of five bucks for anywhere on the key.  The bus to Key West is a buck and a half each way.

We had a wonderful visit from our Canadian friends Peter and M.J. Shankel and Doug and Pam Briand.  We were on the go all the time.  A highlight was a fishing trip arranged for by Pete.




To the left is a Permit which is a type of Pompano.  Our captain was great and we all caught a bunch of fish and then took them all to the restaurant here at the marina and they prepared them all family style for us in a number of different ways.  Very fun day!  Thanks Peter and M.J.!

                                                                                  Doug and Pam

Another day we had a beautiful sail.  We anchored on the Gulf side of the key and had a 

nice picnic lunch.

Here is a pic of Cap'n Pete at the helm of the Gratitude.  MJ is navigating through crab pots.

Every so often, manatees visit to sip some fresh water coming off the dock.  

This one scared the *&$% out of me when I bent down to check a dock line.

Mama with her calf.

Darcy and Jeff Allen-Young are building Darcy's Bateau in Loveland, CO.  It  is a 41' motor
yacht designed by Jeff's dad in the 1940s.  Jeff and Darcy came down to Marathon to see what this boat life is all about as they .
 

Here they are in the Fatty, our 8' dinghy.  I forgot to mention it 

as a prime means of transportation along with the bikes. We also got in some
nice day sails with Jeff and Darcey.

One sail was out to Sombrero Key where we picked up a mooring and did some snorkeling.



We will be here one more week and then head north to Ft. Myers on the Gulf coast of Florida.  Then we will go through the Okeechobee Waterway across Florida to Stuart, Fl on the Atlantic side.  We reluctantly have put the Gratitude on the market with a broker in Stuart.  We'll see what happens.  May or may not be another boat in our future - have to see what happens.

Or will we just sail off into the sunset?!?

Final Post For 2013

 Susan and I drove to Ft. Lauderdale and spent the day with our friends, Don and Rosemarie. They have lived in Ft. Lauderdale for over 30 years after moving from Denver.  They were wonderful hosts.  We had a terrific bike tour of Ft. Lauderdale.  It is a great way to see a city that has over 300 miles of canals.

Peter flew into Ft. Lauderdale as Susan flew to Savannah for a girls' trip to explore the city and catch up with college roommates.

Pete and I drove to Chez Gilbert where the boat was docked.  Our first order of business

was breakfast at the local Waffle House.

We then sailed from Key Largo south to Shell Key where we dropped the anchor for the night after a delightful 6 hour's sail.  Enjoyed a swim in turquoise waters. 

After navigating for a good part of the day, Pete grilled steaks on the poop deck.

The next day, the crew of the mighty Gratitude sailed another 6 hours to Vaca Key and the beautiful

Marathon Marina and Boat Yard.  Hot weather and high humidity dictated a swim.

We launched our dinghy, the not-so-mighty Attitude.  It was a fun ride in Boot Key Harbour to yet another tiki bar for lunch.  When we arrived, we realized we had both forgotten shoes.  So back to the mother ship for shoes.  'Castaways' has 32 beers on tap, good food, and a solid, colorful local following.  They offer a shuttle service via golf cart to the surrounding trailer park.

Pete's water taxi service is top rate!  

Susan returned to Ft. Lauderdale after 3 days of frolicking in Savannah with college roommates. 

She picked up Jamie at the airport and, after a quick stop at Wendy's, drove down to Marathon.  We had a wonderful 65th birthday dinner for an old guy from Colorado.

Black and white kitty helps staff with clean up after dinner.

The next morning we sailed three hours south to Bahia Honda Key.

Bahia Honda has a state park with beautiful white beaches.  While you many people think there are an endless choice of white sand beaches in the keys, such is not the case.  Most shoreline is mangrove swamp, a habitat for birds, iguanas and lots of other critters.

In the background is the old railroad bridge that Henry Flagler built around 1910.  The railroad went all the way to Key West but was wiped out during the hurricane of '37.  In the 1950s it was converted to a highway using the old rails as guard rails.  Most bridges have been replaced with modern bridges, but remnants of the old railroad bridges are in evidence all up and down the keys.

We reluctantly let Peter and Jamie head for home in NYC.  Susan and I rented a small condo in Marathon for a week that we would use as command center to sort, wash, and organize gear for the next season.  It turned out to be an air-conditioned oasis after 90 degree days of boat chores.  While the Grat has a very efficient heater, it does not have a/c.

The Chiki Tiki is a good place for a lunch break. Or happy hour.  While exploring for tiki bars in our dinghy, we roamed around the many moorings in Boot Key Harbour.  Much to our delight, we came upon the sailboat Anam Cara and friends Franci and Mike from Chicago.  We first met them two years ago in Norfolk and later in Oriental, NC.  We had lost contact so it wonderful to reconnect and spend some time with them and other sailors over drinks and pot-luck dinners.

View of entrance to Boot Key Harbour from the Chiki.

We had our first invited four-legged visitor aboard Gratitude courtesy of cruising friends from Arizona.  They warned us that the very friendly Sami (short for Samantha) was like a slinky.  We were very relieved that the visit did not end with an impromptu swimming lesson for Sami the Friendly Ferret.

After decommissioning Gratitude for the season, we pulled her out of the water in Marathon, a sad day.  

 After a meandering journey of over 3,000 nautical miles from Summerside, PEI, Canada over the last 6 years, it was time to once again put her up on the hard for another season.

We will miss the keys until Gratitude is splashed again in January.

Thanks to all who have followed the adventures of the 
Mighty Gratitude.

We left Coconut Grove and headed southeast across Biscayne Bay to anchor for the night.  Halfway across the bay, we encountered a massive thunderstorm so we dropped anchor and hunkered down for an hour or so and headed back to Coconut.  The next day we had a lovely sail to a beautiful anchorage in Biscayne Bay.  The water there is wonderfully clear and great for swimming.  The lights of Miami on the horizon make for a fun backdrop.

Our next stop was at Gilbert's Resort and Marina on Key Largo.  If you ever watched the movie, Airplane,  you know the disco scene in the tropical dive bar.  This could have been filmed at Gilbert's Tiki Bar with no stand-ins needed.  It is a 1950's era joint that is a must stop for anyone transiting the keys.

All the Cool Cats hang out at Gilbert's.

Fortunately, most of the patrons were fairly well behaved with one notable exception.  After consuming a couple of beers and 90% of his burger basket, one gentleman complained that his burger was overcooked. He refused to pay and, as the bartenders, waitresses, and security guy were conferring, he slipped off to his derelict sailboat (no mast) and shoved off the dock.  As the above Gilbert's employees were assembled on the dock shaking their fists at the guy, he calmly dropped anchor about 40 yards off the dock.

We met our friends in Ft. Pierce which is a busy port with a direct outlet to the Atlantic.  We anchored next to our friends and we all went in their dinghy to a nice waterside seafood restaurant.  It was fun to catch up with Bruce and Esther whom we have not seen in 6 year.

We left the boat in Palm Beach Gardens just north of Palm Beach for 5 days while we flew from West Palm to Boston to celebrate Thelma's (Susan's mom) 90th birthday.  It was lots of fun and the party was a great success.  Peter and Jamie drove from NYC to be there in their new Audi convertible.  

The next night we anchored in Boca Lake, which is a very pleasant anchorage in Boca Raton, after a run on the ICW and 14 draw bridges, most of which only open at certain times.  Very well protected and fun to see all of the high rise lights and lovely homes around us.  

After Boca, another day on the ICW and 10 more lift bridges.  Enough of this!  Our next stop was in Ft. Lauderdale where we stopped for a couple of nights at a great marina.  Lauderdale is the busiest waterway we have been on, bar none. Everything from jet skis to mega yachts to fishermen to cruise ships all converge in the center of Ft. Lauderdale, along with partying college kids on spring break.  Over 300 miles of canals form the waterways of Ft. L.  It is truly an exciting place to be boating.  We stayed with our old friends Don and Rosemarie McCoy for 2 nights and had a terrific time between having fun with them and hanging out at the marina.

Pool at the marina - nice!

Lots of families enjoying Spring Break and a few raggedy sailors thrown in the mix.

Our friends Don and Rosemarie after helping us off the dock as we left Ft. Lauderdale.

Yesterday was a 6-hour fun sail about a mile off the coast due south from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami, 10 to 16 knots of wind on our beam.  So nice to turn off the engine.  Came into the Port of Miami inlet (Government Cut) dodging cruise ships and tankers on their way out.  Going in and out of any inlets to and from protected water is absolutely crazy.  You had better hang on with both hands for about 10 minutes or so as you pass through these chasms of giant waves, heavy traffic, and strong currents.  If there is something that has not been secured on the boat, you will immediately find out as it get flung about the cabin.  From Miami we followed the ICW to the Coconut Grove Sailing Club where we picked up a mooring for last night and tonight (Easter Sunday).  They claim to be the friendliest club on Biscayne Bay and they have certainly lived up to that claim.  A very active sailing club without the pretentiousness is always a joy.

Greetings to all.  The mighty Gratitude is off the hard and back in the water.  She fared well in Savannah resulting in no needed repairs.  Just a good cleaning.  We spent a few frosty days in Savannah checking all the systems and provisioning the boat.  Headquartered at a nearby Marriott Courtyard as we combined work with some sightseeing.

By chance, we discovered that the 8th Air Force was started in Savannah and is still headquartered there.  It is of interest because Susan's dad was with the 8th in WWII, stationed in England, and flew B-24s over Germany.  We found records of his duty and his name on a plaque on a memorial wall.  Very moving.


As we prepped to head south, we met a great couple on a 43 foot sailboat also getting ready to go south.  Bjorn is originally from Germany, now a Canadian citizen, and Kat is from Upstate NY and NYC.  We decided to sail together on the 27 hour outside run to St. Augustine, Fl.  This avoids shallow and windy ICW in southern Georgia.

They took this pic of us as we worked our way offshore.  We were very glad to sail with them as it was quite rough (big waves on our beam) and it gets pretty dark and lonely out there in the middle of the night.  Also, our chart plotter/GPS stopped working in the middle of the night.  Maintained visual contact at all times and radio contact on the hour.

 

We stayed several days with Bjorn and Kat and toured St. Augustine.  It is a the oldest city in the United States.  Founded in 1565 by Spain.  Great cafes, shops, historical sights, etc.

                                                       Relaxing with our new pals.


Went down the ICW to Daytona Beach and anchored for the night,  then the next day we continued to Cape Canaveral area.  Now navigating by IPad - yes there is truly an app for everything.  Too bad there wasn't a launch - would have had a bird's eye view from our anchorage.  Now navigating by IPad - yes, there is truly an app for everything.  Only $29.95 for charts of the entire US east coast, full color, touch screen access to current info on hazard, anchorage, marinas, etc.

Stopped for a couple of days at Cocoa Village, then proceeded to Vero Beach (on a mooring) and today re-connected with friends from Canada with whom we had sailed years ago  and will have dinner with them tonight in Ft. Pierce.  Next stop in Palm Beach where we catch a flight to Boston to celebrate Susan's mom's 90th.

                                                          Breezy bird.  Nice legs.

Savannah Georgia And Other Things You Couldn't Make Up

Our final voyage was 60 miles from Beaufort to our final destination in Savannah.

Why Did the Deer Cross the ICW?

Tidal currents pushed us into the Savannah area hours ahead of schedule so we

dropped a lunch hook for a couple of hours and had a quiet lunch on a small river

just off the ICW.

Bridges 101

As you transit up or down the Intracoastal Waterway, a number of bridges, both 
automobile and rail, cross the waterway.  

Many of the newer bridges we encountered were fixed span bridges with a clearance 
of 65 feet at mean high tide.  Our mast is 48 feet above the water so these bridges posed 
no problems for us.  Optically, however, as you approach the bridge you would swear 
that your mast will be taken off at the spreaders.

Other bridges open upon demand. 

The most common is the bascule bridge which is also known as a drawbridge. 

Swing bridges are also common.  They

pivot on a point at the center of the bridge to open and close.  There are a few lift bridges that are typically used by railroads.  They are generally left in the up position and close only for train traffic.  Some bridges open on a fixed schedule (every hour, on the hour, for example) and others open only upon demand.  You must radio the bridge operator and request a bridge opening.

Final Stop

Our final stop was the Sail Harbor Boatyard in Thunderbolt, GA.  Thunderbolt is a

suburb of Savannah that is on in intracoastal.  We checked in and began the long

process of getting ready to put the boat up on the hard for the winter.  We gave

 away some food to live-aboards at the marina some we gave to the local fire

station.  We cleaned the boat, took all of the sails off, drained the water tanks, etc., etc.

We stayed on the boat as we prepped it for dry land.  The second night at the dock,

tired from a full day's work, we had just fallen asleep when an enormous splash

jolted us awake.  We thought it must be a manatee or large fish.  As we continued

to listen, we heard our bow lines being jostled and the lifelines rattling.  I grabbed

a flashlight and scurried on deck in my boxers and tee shirt.  The next thing Susan

heard was me yelling, "Jesus Christ!"  As I peered over the deck, I saw an elderly

 gentleman lying on his back in the water between the boat and the dock.  His heels

were perched on the edge of the dock and his hands were grasping our bow lines. 

His head was just above water and he made no sound.  I yelled for him to give me

his hand and with one motion, I flopped him up onto the dock like a dead tuna. 

Susan asked him if he was okay, did he hit his head?  He said he was fine.  The

water was warm.  We helped him to his feet and he said, "I walked off the dock. 

I can't believe I just walked off the dock."  Then he thanked us and wobbled off

down the dock to his boat.  I followed him to make sure he got on his boat safely. 

Susan was making her way down the dock in her nightgown.  We once again

turned in for the night and both broke into uncontrollable laughter.

We spent our last night in the historic downtown district of Savannah.  It was our

first night off the boat in six weeks.  Our hotel room seemed very large.  We had a

nice dinner and caught Amtrak to Richmond, VA at 8 the next morning.  We picked

up our car in Virginia and drove up to DC and stayed for a few days with our dear

friend, Barbie.  Headed west with a stop in Tulsa to see my mother who is now

96  and then made the final push to the Mile High City.

Gratitude is now on the hard and shrink wrapped. Thanks for following along

as the crew of the mighty Gratitude forged on.  We'll look forward to picking

up where we left off next year.

Charleston

We made a grand entrance into Charleston Harbor under sail.  Fort Sumpter was just off our port bow, directly in the middle of the harbor entrance.  It was built just before the Civil War as a defense against foreign attacks.  It sits on a man-made island (landfill) and was almost completed as the war broke out.  There are smaller forts on each side of the entrance of the harbor as well.

Fort Sumpter as seen from the boat.

Without exception, every boater we met on our way south recommended two places that were not to be missed: Charleston, SC and Beaufort, SC.  They both lived up to the hype.  We stayed at the City Marina in Charleston.  A courtesy shuttle would take you downtown every hour, but downtown was so close that we usually walked to the historic downtown area and took the shuttle back.   New friends we met (on the VFH radio as we both approached Charleston Harbor) had stopped at Charleston several times and acted as our tour guides. We were both headed to the city docks and met up there.  After spraying the salt off the boats and settling in, they took us to Pearlz which must have the best happy hours in South Carolina.  Cheap (but good) drinks and eight bucks for a dozen oysters on the half-shell.

The next day, Susan and I signed up for an historical tour of Charleston that included a ferry ride out to Fort Sumpter.  The tour around town was very well done.  Fort Sumpter is a part of the National Park system and it is well worth the visit.


The highlight of our stay in Charleston was a visit to the Rhett-Aiken Mansion just outside of the cental historic district.  Being slightly away from the center of town, the mansion was spared the years of civil war bombardment as it was just out of cannon range.  The mansion is unique in that it remained in the same family until it was donated to the historical society in the 1990s.  But what makes it extraordinary is that no significant changes were ever made to the house and outbuildings.

The family simply closed off areas that they did not use.  As a result, it is pretty much like it was 150 years ago.  The dependencies, consisting of a cook and laundry house, and stables, are all intact and original.  There are even two carriages still in the carriage house.






Beaufort, South Carolina

Our next stop was Beaufort, South Carolina with an overnight anchorage on route.  Beaufort is pronounced Byooferd and is not to be confused with Beaufort, North Carolina, which is pronounced like you would think: Boefort.  Beaufort, SC, is very much like Charleston, but smaller.  The waterfront is a park with plazas, fountains, sitting areas, and picnic tables.  There are palm trees everywhere. It backs up to the downtown area which is alive with art galleries, small shops, restaurants and bars.

We took a historic tour around town via horse-drawn carriage.  The streets are canopied by Live Oak trees which are covered with Spanish Moss.  It is a lovely little town.  Our last sail would be to our final destination in Savannah.