Sarasota | Pensacola FL Sailing Blog

January 12, 2014

Posted by sailingnightwatch in Clearwater, Durbeck, FL, Florida, ICW, Punta Gordo, Repairs, Restoration, Sailing, Sailing the ICW, Sarasota, South Florida.
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THAT WAS A DRILL, WE ARE STILL HERE

Yep. Got up early, ate cereal while looking up all my weather apps. I am over loaded with info most of the time. Today I could not get Chris Parker the weather guy on SSB. A front went through at about 1 AM and the atmospheric conditions were bad and could not hear anything. So I chicken out and stayed. That was good.

We are traveling with this couple going to the Bahamas and they are following along. We decided to go to West Marine to get a few things and we rented bikes to do some touring on the way. Got our stuff, ate some lunch and rode around. Rodger, you would have been proud. Land cruiser type bikes. That was good, because I can not remember the last time I rode a bike.

It was a beautiful day, and we will stay at least a couple more days because the weather is iffy and we could be stuck in Little Shark River or Marathon. Little Shark River is in the mangroves of the everglades with nothing but bugs, Marathon is nice but expensive. We need a weather window big enough to move to Marathon and then up to Key Largo to stage for the trip across with out doing a 24 stint. The Mate does not want to do that if possible. I am if full agreement.

On our Facebook page the mate is writing a daily what’s happening with lots of pictures. May be of interest. Our Facebook is: http://www.facebook/ralphknoerr.

WE HAVE WIFI January 5, 2014

Posted by sailingnightwatch in Clearwater, Durbeck, FL, Florida, ICW, Punta Gordo, Repairs, Restoration, Sailing, Sailing the ICW, Sarasota, South Florida.
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It is Sunday night and we have WIFI. That is good. We spent 3 days at Cape Haze and no WIFI or TV. Not good. We were there to avoid bad weather. Friday we got winds during the night in the 30’s. We were in this great hurricane hole that had a bottom of mud. Friday about noon we were dragging and the weather was not that bad. Put out about twice the anchor line and we held through the night with mid 30 winds.

We left this morning for Cabbage Key and a hamburger in Paradise. Did that and walked around the island. A very enjoyable Sunday afternoon.

Tomorrow morning we leave early for York Island. It will give us protection from the next cold front coming our way. It seems to be diminishing in severity. The temps are only going to be in the low 40’s. They were taking mid 30’s a couple days ago. Come on, I am in south Florida, not Pensacola. We will see. After this anchorage, we are going into a marina to do laundry, fuel up and top off the water. Then we will wait for a weather window to head to Marathon in the Keys. We will wait for a window there and head up to Key Biscayne and maybe pick up my son to go across with us. He wants to fish the Gulf Stream.

This past week has been chilly and overcast. Oh and no wind when we were moving. We have sailed maybe 4 hours the whole trip and then only an hour with out the motor running. This to will pass. I think the didoes on the alternator got fried. The alternator is not putting out any power to the batteries. Really not good. I have a spare alternator that I will put on while we wait out the bad weather. Maybe get it fixed at the marina we are going to . Or we will wait till Marathon.

HI SPEED INTERNET, WHAT A HOOT December 30, 2013

Posted by sailingnightwatch in Durbeck, FL, Florida, ICW, Repairs, Restoration, Sailing, Sailing the ICW, Sarasota.
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We are anchored in a cove at Longboat Key, between Bradenton and Sarasota. We are about a hundred yards from a bar that has high speed internet and no security. A dream come true. The speed makes what I had from AT&T a joke. Now my new computer is faster, but this is to good.

Anyway, we are finally on our way. We do not have family around from here on south. Just us and guests. My son has been wanting to make the trip across the Gulf Stream for fishing. About the time we will be staging for the crossing he has his annual meeting. It only lasts 3 days, so we will probably wait till the first of Feb to cross. Time will tell.

The trip from Tampa here was a bore. We had 6-10 knots dead on the stern. That is our slowest point of sail and we roll. We therefore motored all the way. With the wind behind we get to smell diesel fumes all day plus the new engine parts are slowly burning off the new paint smell. I do not like diesel fumes, but the paint fumes are almost sickening. I know, oh poor you. Did I mention it was overcast all day. I did wear a sweatshirt this morning. OK I am happy to be underway. Now to relax.

Mary needs to do that also. She went out shopping at least twice each day. All during the Christmas rush. She would bring home a large dock cart or two of stuff on each trip, then find a place for it and log into a book she started so we can find it when we need it. Mostly paper products. Lots of TP. Lots of paper towels. Tons of other stuff. Thing people have said either you can not get of it will cost you an arm and a leg for in the islands. There is lots of can goods. Ziplock bags, sun tan lotion, many types of cleaning products, personal hygiene products. The list go on. We could start our own Walmart. I did my part with engine consumables, parts for the watermaker, etc. Think. Supplying your home for 18 months.

Tomorrow we will go to a marina in Venice. I was amazed we could get a slip on New years Eve. That was not a problem. Now the restaurant we wanted to eat at has been booked for weeks. We did find a bar that lets people in on a first come first serve bases. Being old, we will sneak around with the other old people and get the early bird special. Then we will have to hang out till the party gets going. I can see we will be in bed before the New Year. Great.

Happy New Year All.