Nov 1

The forecast for today is five to ten knot winds and less than two foot seas.  There must be some pithy saying about what a forecast is, but I'm getting ahead of myself.  I have figured that if we leave at the crack-o-dawn, we might get to Key West about dusk tomorrow.  So, at 05:45 we are up and at 06:30, we are out of the slip.  We head out of the inlet against a strong current.  At full throttle, we are only making about four knots, but since the seas and the current are both coming in, the water is not too rough in the inlet. 

Once out of the inlet, we set our course south.  I had plotted a course quite close to shore to make sure we stay out of the Gulf Stream.  From here to Miami, we won't be more than a mile or two offshore, in about forty feet of water.  The predicted two foot seas are more like six to eight foot, with the occasional ten footer, and we are taking the waves on the beam.  Even with the mainsail up, we are uncomfortably rolling from side to side.  I hoped that perhaps the forecast was just a little late, and we pressed on.  I could see a couple of large power boats at least a mile further out than we were and they are making huge splashes when they bash through the waves, so it doesn't look any better further out.  Within the first fifteen minutes out in the ocean, the cat was running out both ends even though we had given him a Dramamine as soon as we got up.  Barb took care of him, getting him cleaned up and tucked in a corner where he might feel better.

We kept going, believing it had to get better as we moved south and the winds died as forecast.  There's that word again.  After another hour, the wind was blowing over fifteen knots, from the east, just causing the waves to build.  About 09:00 I decided we should not continue.  Barb was feeling green, and I was not too hot either.  If the conditions continued like this all day, we would not be safe.  So, we turned around and headed back to Ft. Pierce.  Unfortunately, since the waves were hitting us on the side, the trip north was no better than the trip south, just rolling from the other side.  But, looking at an hour or more to the marina this way was better than twelve hours or more the other way.  Before we got back to Ft. Pierce, I finally lost it and got sick.  I had not been feeling nauseous, just dizzy, but suddenly it got me.  Since we had not had breakfast, I didn't have much to hurl, but turned my gut inside out for a few minutes, and then felt better.  Barb never did get sick, but felt bad.  This was a first for both of us since we left Texas.

Once back at the inlet, the tide had switched.  Now we had a strong outgoing tide colliding with the seas coming from the east.  The current slowed us to about three knots , which wasn't a big deal, but the huge confused seas tossed us about.  I was steering manually, as there was no way the autopilot could handle this.  After what seemed like an hour, but was really about ten minutes, we were inside the jetties, and the seas calmed.  The current was still against us, but the water was calm.  It took almost an hour to get back to the marina.

If you remember my last log, I just replaced the inclinometer.  As I mentioned in that log, if you need it, you don't have time to look at it.  I never looked at it once during this harrowing morning.

We had called the marina on the radio once we had turned back, and they told us to come back to the same slip.  Once we were close, I called them again and they had a man at the slip to take our lines.  The calm waters of the marina were a welcome sight after the last few hours.

Once we had made the decision to turn back, we had started thinking about our options.  We could blow off Key West, we could be a couple more days late, or we could go by land.  After some thought, going by land sounded best.  First thing, back in the marina, we called Enterprise to get a car again.  They informed me that they were not doing any more retail rentals because they had so many cars rented to people with storm damaged cars, FEMA, utility workers, etc.  They suggested we call Avis.  It turns out, Avis has a little sub-office here at the marina.  I went up there and arranged for a car for a week.  We then went to the marina office to make sure it was ok to leave the boat in that slip for a week.  They looked it up and found we were good until the 14th in that slip.  We showered and started to pack.  Barb called the marina in Key West to tell them we were not going to be there in a boat, and ask if we get a room in their hotel instead.  For about the same price, we got a room.  What's wrong with that picture?  In the marina, we bring the room and the maid, and in the hotel, we get a room and a maid.

Some or our friends were having dinner at Louie's Back Yard, which is a Jimmy/Key West tradition.  We had been counted in, when we planned to get in Monday night, then counted out when we planned to get in Wednesday night, then counted back in now that we would be there by car Tuesday night.  We were on the road at 13:30.  Because of Hurricane Wilma, traffic is not normal.  The Florida Turnpike, which is a toll road, is the way to go to the Keys, because it bypasses Miami.  However, since they have suspended toll collection, many more people than normal are using the turnpike.  Additionally, we encountered heavy rain off an on around Ft. Lauderdale and Miami.  Once south of Homestead, the traffic thinned a bit, but by then, we were getting to where US-1 is only a two lane road, and/or has a 45mph speed limit.  We got to Key West at 20:00, found the hotel and checked in, and drove across the island to meet our group at Louie's right at 20:30 as planned.  It was great seeing John & Pege, Dave & Carolyn, Gary & Pam, Bud & Janice, Floyd (wish Patsy was there), and Dennis & Jo Lynn.  We had a great dinner and caught up with our friends.

After dinner, we were beat.  We were back at the hotel at 23:00 and crashed.

GPS N 27-28.104 W 80-19.649  Miles made good this leg 0.  Total miles covered 3589.

Nov 2 thru 6

I'll consolidate the Key West days into one entry.  It will be short.  Wake - coffee - eat - Bloody Mary's - music - drink - lunch - drink - music - drink - dinner - music - drink - bed.

If I hadn't already made it clear, the reason for going to Key West was to go to Meeting of The Minds, which is the annual national Parrothead convention.  Thirty-five hundred Parrotheads from across the country convene to enjoy tons of Parrothead music from members of Jimmy's band and other musicians who's music is in the Parrothead genre.

There were more friends to meet up with.  Brian & Tammy, who we visited in Tampa, and the rest of the Austin, TX gang.  Bubbles, Jeff & Tinka, Sonny & Ruby, Stale & Ana Mae, Jerry & Carol, Ray & Linda, Fred & Sara, Jerry & Mary, Danielle & John, Mark, Mo, Samantha, Monte & Andrea and others.  I know that by mentioning any names, I'll forget somebody, and I hope I don't hurt any feelings. 

There were, of course, highlights.  One was when we saw our friend, singer/songwriter Kelly McGuire.  On Thursday evening, we joined over a hundred people on the Texas Sunset Cruise.  This is a two-hour sail on a huge catamaran.  Kelly and another dear friend, Jerry Diaz were the entertainment.  Kelly told us that he had written a song, that was partially inspired by our decision to live our dream and sail away.  He didn't get it done in time to play it at our going away party, but it was done now and he was previewing it here for us.  The song is great, and Kelly performed it two more times for us over the course of the weekend.

We were entertained by many fine musicians, many we know, and many who are part of Jimmy's band.  There were too many choices to make during the five days we were there, trying to see everybody.  Unfortunately, Jimmy himself did not make an appearance.  There were many rumors that he was in town, but none panned out.  On Friday after the street party, where a number of Jimmy's band performed, we mingled with Robert Greenidge, Mike Utley, and Mac McAnnaly from the band at the Hog's Breath Saloon.  They were there for a couple of hours just hanging with the crowd.

Our friend Karen from Austin has cut our hair for the last couple of years, and we both needed her attention when we got there.  Fortunately, she brought her scissors and took care of us.  Good for another six months.

Andrea and Monte had scored a third floor suite at the Hilton with a sunset view.  A gang of us went up there to watch sunset over Mallory Square Sunday evening, only to have it blocked by the Disney Magic cruise ship.  This is the same ship that was right behind us in dry-dock while we were in Norfolk a month ago. 

We did a couple of non-Parrothead things while there.  We visited the Hemingway House, where Ernest Hemingway spent about ten years in the 1930's.  He wrote several of his famous books here.  One of the attractions to this place is the forty-five cats that live here.  About half of them are poly-dactyl, which means they have six toes.  Hemingway was very fond of the cats and had fifty to sixty in residence during the time he lived here. They are all named after famous people and the oldest one is Jimmy Stewart at 18.  The home is amongst the strongest buildings on the island, is the only building on the island with a basement, and is the second highest plot of land on the island (sixteen feet).  It has never flooded or been damaged by a storm.  Unfortunately, the trees around it have not fared as well, and the grounds looked a little barren compared to my memories of eight years ago.

We toured the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum.  Mel Fisher was a treasure hunter who devoted many years to finding the Atocha, which was a Spanish galleon that sunk near Florida in the 1600's.  The coins that Barb and I, and several other friends, have on necklaces, came from silver recovered from the Atocha.  It was very interesting to learn more about the history of these coins.

A special thanks goes out to Dave & Carolyn for picking up our mail from back home and bringing it to us.  That saved us a few bucks over having the UPS Store forward the mail to us.

We attended the annual "One Particular Breakfast" on Sunday where Fred & Sara and Brian & Tammy make breakfast tacos and Bloody Mary's for about forty of us while Jerry Diaz, Kelly McGuire, and Tom & Michelle Becker entertained us.

The best thing about the weekend was seeing all our old friends and hearing all the independent artists that really make the Parrothead life what it is.  We all enjoy Jimmy's music, but the "little guys" who take the time to get to know the audience, and make their own music are what I really enjoy.  To any of our friends who we didn't get to say goodbye to, it was great seeing you, and we hope to see you at Pardi Gras in New Orleans in January.

GPS N 27-28.104 W 80-19.649  Miles made good this leg 0.  Total miles covered 3589.

Nov 7

We are supposed to have the car returned in Ft. Pierce at 12:30, so we are up at 06:00 and on the road by 06:30.  Other than a fifteen minute breakfast stop at McDonalds, we drove straight through.  We pulled in the marina at 12:40 and returned the car.

The rest of the day was spent vegging.  We took a nap in the afternoon, got up and ate and laid around watching TV until halftime of Monday Night Football.

GPS N 27-28.104 W 80-19.649  Miles made good this leg 0.  Total miles covered 3589.

Nov 8

Since we didn't make the Keys, we will get the work we need done here in Ft. Pierce instead of Marathon.  We need to fix a few minor things, and get a survey done so that we can get the proper insurance for going to the Bahamas.  I made an appointment to get the boat quick-hauled so the surveyor can do the out-of-water part Friday, and he will do the rest Monday.  I spent the bulk of the day reviewing our insurance options, both for the boat and health insurance for ourselves.  Leaving the country poses complicated options for both.

GPS N 27-28.104 W 80-19.649  Miles made good this leg 0.  Total miles covered 3589.