Miami Knows How to Party!

The next day was New Year's Eve and we had made plans to have the crew of Azimuth over; the kids were not expected home for two days. 

First, of course, was work on finding the source of a leak in the engine room that had Gary busy a large part of the day.  It's always something on a boat, or in a house, I guess, too.  He had already replaced the fuel pump to the generator while we were in North Palm Beach.  Every stop of the way has him working on something new.  My next story will highlight (or low light) the explosive effluent activity that almost ruined one of our days in Stuart.

But for now, we'll talk the not so icky stuff.   

Miami is a party town, as you probably already know.  Even though some lights go down, the shows, restaurants, shopping promenades, boating; all that keeps the city very vibrant and awake at all hours.  It was no different on New Year's Eve.

Gary had gone ashore to get black-eyed peas, greens, and potatoes for our traditional New Year's Day meal. 

We straightened the boat, set out hors d'oeuvres and drinks, and welcomed the Azimuth crew over to bring in the New Year.  They had brought a cheesy popcorn that Elliott loved and some root beer for him and regular beer to share amongst the adults.  As always, the repartee was lively and fun.  We just click and it is such a sweet thing.

A lot of boats were still out, vying for position for what we found out would be the City's fireworks, though during the evening we saw about eight sparkly shows.  It was awesome because we were so close.  The tall apartment buildings near us acted as a huge reverberator as the fireworks went off; the first time it happened, we kind of looked at each other like WHAT? 

Apartments full of celebrating people danced to music pulsating with the bass beats.  Another place had what looked like a disco ball that changed colors and the reflection was cast on the water to lend even more color to the festivities.

Small dinghies went by, rowboaters, and of course, in the main channel, larger boats up to the mega-yachts, blaring music complete with people dancing on the bow.  It was like a Miami Vice show or something.  But it was a party night and it was okay.

At one point, we noticed a small dinghy put-putting over to the side of our boat.  There were three guys in this teeny boat laying crosswise.  A blond largish man in the middle with his feet towards us, then two dark-haired men, one by the engine with his feet away from us and the other at the bow with his feet away.  They looked like sardines; they were just missing the mustard sauce.  They said hello, the middle guy had a strong accent, which we found out later was Swedish.  The guy aft was Canadian and the guy forward was American.  I swear this couldn't have been a better lead-in to a joke!

When we asked their plans, the Swede said that after this night, he was going to leave the other two guys on shore and then take the dinghy over to the Bahamas.  Uh, okay.  I think not.  But I didn't want to rain on his parade. 

At one point, they asked whether we'd like a hole in our boat to make it a real adventure; I wasn't too happy with that, but armed with beer from our friend and the promise that there were naked dancing girls if they just followed the green light, they left us alone and put-putted away.

We continued to nosh and talk and, finally, I got the champagne that had been given to us by our cousins who visited us in Hollywood.  I asked Gary to step outside the covered cockpit because champagne was so iffy sometimes and I didn't want to deal with a cork hole in the bimini.  He thought I was being overly cautious, so he ignored me and peeled back the foil wrapping covering the cork.  I flinched and within seconds, the bubbly expelled the cork all on its own and it flew up and hit the bimini and landed under the dodger.  Happy to see there was no new air conditioning vent in the bimini, we sipped on the champagne and wished each other good health.  

Finally,  it was the 10-second countdown to the New Year; hugs all around and good wishes given.  Then the cowabunga episode of fireworks was launched from across the way in the main part of the city; just beautiful.  And then more and more smaller shows on shore, some folks sending out small fireworks off their balconies.

After our guests left, we stayed in the cockpit enjoying residual fireworks and the cooling breeze. 

I saw a little black dot coming toward us and then heard the put-putting of the dinghy motor carrying those three guys back again.  They pulled up along side and the Swedish spokesman said, "You lied.  That's not good." 

"What?" we replied.

"There were no naked girls."  They looked sad and the guy in the bow had taken a bit wave and was soaking wet.

"Sorry about that.  Happy New Year!  Safe Travels!" (I hoped they would get the hint and depart quietly.)

They went away, slowly, and whether they would come back and put a hole in our boat for an adventure was anyone's guess.  But we're still afloat.  And I fully expect to hear about some large Swede taking his dinghy across the water to the Bahamas.  That would be him.  Happy New Year!

Miami Moon, Meteorites, and Fireworks

Even with this rolly anchorage and the unruly jet-skiers, this anchorage has proven to be quite fun.  Our first day here, we did the Lincoln Road touristy thing; glad to be a tourist, as I was way underdressed to be a local.  The high heels are so outrageous; makes my feet hurt just to watch people walk in them.  Ouch.

We were on the prowl for Cuban food, good Cuban food, because Miami would be the place for it outside of Cuba, which we just heard had sanctions lifted, so who knows?  Maybe a real Cuban meal is in the offing some time soon.  But not soon enough for today's cravings!

Cuban food, Cuban food, Cuban food.  Oh, look!  There's a Hofbrau Beerhall Munchen!  German food, German food, German food.  This is a stomach that is ADD, but we settled down to a delicious meal with an amazing pretzel that made us very homesick for Germany; we were there a few years ago to visit my relatives and we all loved it so much.  I'd like to go back again within a year or so.  Gary was able to get a Radler, which is a mix of beer and lemonade that he came to enjoy overseas.

We walked all the way to the beach and then back again in time to hop the dinghy to visit Azimuth.  Their teenagers were still at their grandparents, but we had a grand time and the hours raced by, again full of laughter and great stories (I really hope this couple writes a book about their sailing adventures), until finally, a little before midnight, we came back to the boat to sleep.

Long-time friends of ours were in Boca for winter break (can you believe it?), so we made plans for a daysail and a stop at the Flagler Memorial Island, which is a small, uninhabited man-made island within spitting distance of the boat anchorage.  With all the water traffic during the day, I will admit to being nervous that it would not be a calming experience, but somehow the day turned out just perfect.

Our friends, their three daughters, and the daughters' nanny, were brought to the boat from shore and we sailed for about an hour.  Because they came laden with snacks and food and more food and a box of boat gifts, it felt like Christmas! 

The island stop was fun for all, with a little bit of swimming, some lizard watching, sand art, and a short walk to the inner part of the park to look at the monument.  The place is quite neglected with broken down wire fencing, but it was still an adventure.

Dinner out was very special, as we had originally thought about pizza, but that ADD stomach spoke up again when it saw an Argentinian steak restaurant.  Gary had a 32-ounce steak and he was so happy.  Sad to say goodbye to our friends, but their Uber car was coming soon, so we walked them to the designated meeting point and amidst hugs, said goodbye until we meet again.

As we got back to the boat, we noticed fireworks over Miami proper; they were so beautiful and unexpected.   And right during the middle of the man-made display, Gary and I were treated by the Universe sending an exploding meteorite right overhead.  Coolest thing ever as is disintegrated into a burst of color!  

Government Cut and Memories

The next day, we left late because we only had a short sail to the next inlet of Government Cut.  Another great sailing day except that we had to tack back and forth quite a bit, so the sun was going down by the time we made Government Cut.  We've gone in and out of this cut as bareboaters several times, so it was pretty cool to be going in on our own boat.  

There's a (new) rule that if a cruise ship is going out of the Cut, regular boats cannot be going in.  While we were tacking back and forth, we noticed at least three of the cruise ships had gone out, so we felt safe entering and motoring to our destination (UNDER A BRIDGE!!!), but halfway in, we noticed a big red boat coming out.  We slid over to let is pass and noticed it was a Bahamian boat taking folks to Bimini where, since we'd been there last 10 years ago, a casino had opened on the far side of the island.  Makes me sad because I know the feel of Bimini has been compromised.  The loss of the Compleat Angler to fire just added to that feeling.

We cleared the area and went by the marina where Gary and I first met.  Where there was a huge open parking lot stood skyscrapers and restaurants.  The marina had expanded exponentially over the years, too.  But it was neat to be back.

Because it was dark and you know my feelings about boating in the dark, I was relieved to make the bridge with a very good clearance (Gary had timed it thus).  But instead of taking the safe way around and having to come through a bascule bridge, he took the short cut, short in distance and short in water.  

At one point, I saw the depth sounder read 5.2, which meant we should have been scraping bottom, so I just turned my head away and didn't look again until we were in our anchorage.  Our friends on the s/v Azimuth were there and we said hello as we motored by, but we had to anchor away from them to allow for swinging room.  This is a rolly anchorage; not so bad the night we came in, but because it's a water play area, you have megayachts, smaller cruisers, jetskis, ski-boats, and every other kind of boat in between using the close by waters.  We are always moving.

On the plus side is the fact that a short dinghy ride away, you can find a grocery store, hardware store, and the famous Lincoln Road pedestrian area and South Beach.  The sail down was my first ocean run without Bonine, but I wondered if we'd need it just to stay anchored here.

A Peanut of an Island

A great coincidence brought more friends from the 'burg into our journeys; we made plans to see them after we moved the boat (incoming windage) and so, a little journey down the ICW brought us to the Riviera Beach area into an anchorage just north of the Phil Foster Park.  We didn't know this at the time, but the bridge area on the south side of the park is quite the place to go if you like to skin or scuba dive in shallow water.  The site is known for having a great number of types of fish and other underwater wildlife.

So, anyway, our friends were staying at a family spot right on our path down the ICW, so with them being both photogs, we got some cool snaps of us motoring down the waterway.  Always interesting to see us from another's eyes.

We got settled and then our friends picked us up from the nearby dock to lay in some rum and margarita-making supplies and then I begged to go to Chick-Fil-A for sweet tea, because, for some crazy reason, Florida is just not a southern state as it is very hard to get sweet tea at restaurants.  They might have Arizona, they might have regular, but no sweet tea, and I was hoping for a fix.  And I got one and am so thankful because it's such delicious bad-for-you stuff.

Much food, snacks, swimming in the heated pool, and fishing ensued; the kids even caught a starfish, which they inspected well before placing it back in the water

Peanut Island was on the itinerary for the next day, so Gary dropped Elliott and me off there and went over to the Sailfish Marina (where we bought Nalani) and got our friends.  While waiting for them, we watched kayaking groups coming in, skin divers, and families who looked like they came straight from church.

All of a sudden I felt like I was Dudley Moore's character is the movie "10," as a beautiful apparition walked out of the water towards us.  Elliott had just been admiring the young women in bikinis and so, when this young man walked by with his glorious long black curly hair, tanned skin, nice tattoos, and a real sweet voice when he asked the time, E and I looked at each other and broke out in knowing giggles. A special moment between mother and son. 

Elliott was also busy cracking open a coconut, so that when our guests arrived, they got to munch on a special treat.  A few of them had never had fresh coconut, which, to me, is a fruit of the goddesses.

Peanut Island was called that because it was originally a shipping terminal for peanut oil; our theory is that it is small and shaped like a peanut, there you go.  It is a beautiful little oasis with camping facilities and a lovely beach for swimming or snorkeling.  A trail runs the circumference which takes you by a reef area, a lagoon, a canal (in which we saw a very large manatee and one that tried to get out of the water a bit, which was odd, and where we saw schools of large fish playing follow the leader).  There is also a bunker on the island that was built specifically for President John F. Kennedy for when he stayed nearby on vacation or for other "special" meetings.

After our friends left because we thought some weather was coming in, it actually cleared up enough for us to visit the lagoon again (at low tide now) and Elliott discovered a live conch and an interesting sea-cucumberish animal that had fleshy spikes all over.  It would shuffle along on the sand and then, ever so often, a hole would open in its back and a lentil-sized oval of sand would drop out and down.  It must take in sand, sift it of nutrients, and expel the unusable stuff.  Really cool and weird to watch.

On FB, I'm part of a women's sailing group, and like Elliott with the sailing families page his is on, we have a chance to meet up with people everywhere who are sailing, either with kids, without, or solo.  We dinghied by a boat that Gary thought he insured, so we said hello to the owner, said hi to her dog, and then I noticed her Women Who Sail burgee.  I said that I also have one; she said, "I'm Angie Wilson."  We said we'd meet up again.

The next day, I let her know I was making spaghetti and that she could come over for a meal.  She'd already landed ashore with a friend and were at a restaurant at that point.  She came up alongside the boat later that evening and said hello and introduced her friend Paul.  She also gave us a block of ice for Christmas.  That was really kind of her.  I liked her immediately; she had a great drawl and is the kind of woman who would fit right in with my best friends.  I hope we see her again; she's on her way to the Bahamas real soon.

I was glad for these peaceful times of friends and making new ones, because you know what was coming next, don't you?   The dreaded going under the bridge!!!!

Hollywood, Here We Come

Many years ago, Gary and I were down this way and we drove through Hollywood, Florida.  We may have been with his cousin George Fisher (we gave Elliott his middle name of Fisher to honor this wonderful man).   I loved the feel of the place and enjoyed the seemingly slower pace of life there.  Walking by some of the smaller hotels, you would see older folks playing cards and laughing.  Kids were playing in the surf while their parents sunbathed or slept. 

We got up early and got under way at about 4:30 and slid nicely under the bridge; no boom ballast for me or Elliott.  Yay!

Moving slowly through the water, we worked our way around Peanut Island and headed for the inlet.  Very little traffic to contend with, which we were thankful for since it was dark.  It was another great sail down to the Port Everglades inlet.  We had a fairly narrow canal to contend with, so boat traffic there was trying.  It seems quite a few boaters cannot read the signs that say, "No Wake, Manatee Zone."  Really annoying.

We passed bars and hotels and condos and some really cool boats anchored to sea walls. 

Gary made arrangements with a dock affiliated with the Diplomat Resort and Spa for us to spend a few nights as a holiday treat.  When we saw the slip we were supposed to slide into, we got a little nervous.  Looked a little less wide than we'd need, but with us all working lines all over the boat, we made it in stern first (the hardest way to dock a boat in any circumstance).  We tied up regularly and then were hit by one of the stupid boaters' waves and realized we'd need a lot more lines to stay safely put. 

The dockmaster had left a key for us in the electric box, so we checked out our surroundings.  The hotels was crazy awesome and the pools were beautiful and two levels.  There was also a hot tub I hoped to employ at some point.  The beach was gorgeous as the light began to dim.  We hopped a trolley to visit one of the bars we had passed along the way; Le Tub Saloon.  They are supposed to renowned for their burgers, but what we loved most about them was the ambiance.  Supposedly built of flotsam and jetsam (and looking like it, too), it was probably the most unique place we'd visited yet for dinner.  It was a bit of a wait as the people on holiday poured in through the doors at an alarming rate.  We got a table right by the water we had just motored by in.

Next morning, we met Chuck, our dockmaster.  He is one of the nicest people we'd met; I loved that he had a bright orange whistle, which he used a lot to call to the speeding boaters on the ICW.  He complimented us on our tying up job and said he could tell we knew what we were doing--a nod to Captain Gary, for sure. 

We departed for a walking tour of the downtown area.  A glass-blowing center caught our eye; as we were looking in the gate, a guy came to the door and asked us if we were scheduled for the next class.  I swear to God he sounded just like Javier Bardem.  We loved the park as it had a really fun play area.  Had a few homeless living there, but we were not bothered as we played.  I photo stalked a white heron as it stalked a lizard.

We hit the grocery store before hopping the trolley back to the boat because we were having guests in the later afternoon and we wanted some little nibbles for the time they were on the boat. 

Sharon and Allen are cousins of Gary's and we had not seen them in years, so we were excited for the visit.  They brought us a nice bottle of champagne and delivered a package from the office.  One of the insurance companies we deal with, Seaworthy, is owned by Warren Buffett, so it was fabulously appropriate that we got a box of See's Candies (which Buffett also owns).  What a wonderful surprise!  I LOVE See's candy!!!  I used to get their coffee bites back in the day, but I can't find them anymore

. 

We talked for a while and then I noticed the water level going down which could make exiting the boat onto land a little tricky; everyone made it off okay, if a little shakily (myself included).

We had dinner out and then reluctantly said goodbye, as I could have spent many more hours talking with them.  If we head north again during this trip, we'll hook up with them again.

While the downtown was not too exciting on the time we had to run around, I definitely wanted to spend some time discovering the Hollywood Broadwalk (and it is BROAD, not BOARD, just the way it is).  We took a trolley the next day to the beginning of it and walked to the end, stopping for a bit of carbs to eat and, not surprisingly, met up with yet another friend from up north.  When I posted our location on FB, a friend said she was just down the way on the beach.  "Look for our big hats," she wrote.  We did and we found her and spent about an hour on the beach talking to her and her husband and her cousin. 

By the time we got back to the hotel, we all were hot and sweaty (walking on sand is hard work!), and we went for a cooling dip and a thirst-quenching Margarita.  Perfect way to end the evening.

The Game of Bridges

"How many bridges did we have to go under for this part of the trip, Gary?"

"Grrrrrr."

One of the reasons many people avoid the ICW is the number of bridges, be they fixed or swing or bascule or lift.  It can be crazy stressful, as was the leg from Hobe Mountain down to North Palm Beach.  Part of the craziness comes from the bridges, while being opening bridges, they are on a tight schedule.  And the boats, mostly power boats, are coming at you from bow to stern, starboard to port, and vice versa.  Lots of traffic, especially since this was Christmas week.

The hardest part was the waiting; sometimes only 25 minutes, but it meant having to hold your position, relatively, by adjusting for the current, the wake from other boats, and yet still keeping away from land and other boats or marks or crab traps. 

And yet, we made it fine, though Gary crashed hard that night.  Our anchorage was a fairly crowded one, but we had plenty of room if the winds picked up.  Planning to stay only a few days because the winds were supposed to get worse and we wanted to not be where we could potentially drag anchor.

One of our propane tanks had run out, so Gary found a place a little bit inland that could fill it, so we hopped in the dinghy for a ride to shore.  Elliott got us up on a plane real quick, but Gary was attempting to give him directions, we couldn't hear him as he was talking into the air rushing past, so I yelled, "Slow down!!!!!"  I have no desire to be tossed out of a dinghy (even though I wear a life vest) at any time.  Slower speed may not have been optimal, but we could communicate better and I was much less white-knuckled and nervous.  Stupid boys!

Chillin' Dog

We cruised slowly down a canal and tied up and locked the dinghy right behind a car wash.  We used their trash facilities to dump ours, and walked, with propane tank in hand, about 1/2 mile to the facility.  Afterwards, I checked out a chi-chi consignment store; no thanks, too pricey for me.

Then we had lunch at a Mexican restaurant next door to the chi-chi shop.

Creepy!

Since we were passing by it, we motored up to and pulled the dinghy up on shore of Munyon Island, within a stone's throw from our anchorage.  Munyon Island is essentially deserted except for adventurers.  There is boat docking usually, but signs posted otherwise this day.  We got on the boardwalk and noticed animal dung every few feet. We wondered what kind of animal would purposely step outside their normal habitat to poop on the places humans walk; hmmm, maybe they're getting us back for doing the same to them.

This covered a good portion of the boardwalk;
not exactly welcoming!

Anyway, it was kind of a creepy walk, as it seemed neglected there and really wild and existing park structures not well tended.  We did not see much wildlife, but maybe they were alerted to our footfalls on the wooden planks of the boardwalk.  The island used to be one of the largest wading bird rookeries in South Florida.

Then, a man named Rodgers came to stay, a supposed "Robinson Crusoe"-type, who lived in a tent and sold green turtles to survive.  After that, a family came and went, and then a doctor bought the place, and built a Hotel named Hygeia, named after a Greek Goddess of Health.  He also concocted a healing fermented papaya nectar that he sold out of the hotel to help heal the ails of the recuperating wealthy folks who came to stay at the "spa."  The five story, 21-room, 8-bath hotel burned to the ground in 1917 (maybe from an exploding nectar bottle) and the island has been uninhabited since then.

It is now a part of the John D. MacArthur park (which we love and visited last year when we were in the area to pick up our boat).

After another venture into town via another route, we dinghied up to shore and had quite a row about securing the thing.  Interesting how differing viewpoints can make or break your day.  Ugh.  Got groceries and some more supplies from West Marine and headed back to the boat, knowing we'd be moving the next day. 

s/v Paisley

We heard, via the radio, our friends from s/v Paisley coming down the ICW through the bridges, so we hailed them and suggested they stop in our anchorage for the night before continuing on.  They agreed to and while the husband and their daughter stayed back (she was feeling under the weather), Elliott picked up the mom and the two boys and we spent a while noshing in the cockpit while the kids wrestled down below.  They left early the next morning to see someone about a clock. 

The Yacht Calagorm

Thankful to Elliott for "liking" their page on Facebook (Yacht Calagorm--check them out), we also had a short, but sweet, visit with the couple sailing a most interesting catamaran that was anchored nearby.  It is a Thailand-built cat and looks much more authentic than modern day cats.  A British couple, they were very nice and I wish we could have spent more time with them as they would be superb to lift a pint (or two) with, though I'm a little jealous that they're going to Cuba this time around; here's hoping we see them again soon.  

The light on this building looks like people on balconies.

Time Goes On . . . Quickly!

The time is flying; I know that for some, my reports about what we are doing may be too chatty, but for those of you who know me well, you know when I get talking, it takes a lot to stop me.  And, obviously, I don't get enough of it in real life, so I transfer that wordly abundance to paper (or, in this case, the interwebs).

We've just been having mostly fun, with a few bumps in the road, but nothing major to report (oh, except for the generator fuel pump).

Dred Pirate Tom

The day after our fun meeting with Sea Monkey and Aladdin, we did some chores on shore and then set sail at what would be a low tide to get under a cluster of bridges and travel just a few miles away to the Hobe Mountain.

We were anchored just off shore of the "mountain," having a quick lunch before going exploring when I heard a faint "Gary." What?  Then I heard a faint 'Ruth?"  We scrambled topsides to see another boat about to touch bow to bow.  It was Tom on Aladdin.  What a fun surprise!!

He said he noticed the "second prettiest boat" out on the water (because he's a Moody owner, too) and came over to say hello.  We laughed and visited for a while and then he had to continue on because he was meeting family further south for the holidays. 

Welcome to the Jungle!

We launched the dinghy and headed to shore; Gary had an idea of where the ICW side of the trail was to get to the mountain, but we had to poke around a while before finding it.  I was not happy.  I did not think it would turn into a jungle excursion; but, eventually, we found a brambly path up the side of the dune and over to the park.

A sign proclaimed that the entrance to the park was actually 15 miles further south; ack!  No, wait, I read that wrong.  It was 1.5 miles, but STILL!  Of course, my renegade husband found a split in the fence and we snuck in the back way. Down a sandy path we trudged, hot and sweaty, until the platform got closer and eventually we were able to climb to see the view.  Elliott had found a turtle to watch, so Gary and I hit the heights.  The view away from the water was misty and primeval looking; I fully expected to see a dinosaur or two.  Towards the water, there was, of course, a highway, cars racing by, and houses, some more mega- than others.

While we were up on the platform, two guys walked along with their dogs and, as they got closer, the turtle that we named Fred, who had originally been so slow and munch-munch-munching along, skedaddled out of there so quickly.  That turtle could sprint!  The guys came up to the platform so we struck up a conversation and took photos of each other for keepsakes.

Crossing back over the highway was probably the scariest part of the trip (Florida drivers, in general, sucketh), though I did feel like a real explorer having to back down the cliff again to prevent from falling head over heels and face planting in the mangroves.

Safely back to the boat, we charted the next part of our course to North Palm Beach.  And guess what?  We were meeting up with more 'burg friends!!!!