Axioms and Idioms

Sometimes it’s fine. Sometimes it’s not. 

When we set out in mid-April, our plan was to cruise to the Florida Keys, and hopefully get out to Ft. Jefferson with our buddy boat Zydeco. It started well, with wonderful weather, mostly decent winds and a perfect forecast to sail out to the Dry Tortugas.

Snead Island Boat Works launched Bay Breeze with everything in working order. We provisioned and were off, excited at the prospect of using our new Doyle Sails and Sunbrella sail cover. 

The wind blows from where you want to go!

The start of our cruise was less sailing and more motoring in the ICW. More often than not, the wind is on the nose, meaning, if you want to sail, your option is tacking at an angle to the wind or using the diesel engine to motor into it. Tacking means you are covering more surface, going back and forth instead of, as your geometry teacher said over and over, the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line.

Cruising down toward Naples to rendezvous with friends turned out to be motoring into the wind. Still it’s good to be on the boat. We enjoy being on the hook at Pelican Bay at Cayo Costa State Park. At Estero Bay we joined up at Snook Bight Marina in Ft. Myers Beach with Linda and Michael on Zydeco who sailed north (the winds were with them) to meet us.

Everything on the boat is broken, you just haven't discovered it yet.

Being creature comfort craving wimps, we like the amenities of our boat, not the least of which is air conditioning. At Snook Bight, the A/C failed. We began our diagnosis and tracked the problem to the raw water cooling pump. After changing out the pump, including a trip to Ace Hardware for a coupler, and clearing hoses we were back enjoying the air conditioning. Watching the weather, the Dry Tortugas still looked possible.

Cruising is fixing your boat in exotic locations.

Noticing that the bilge pump counter was ticking away frequent cycles, we started checking for leaking thru-hulls. The defect was a leaky depth sounder sensor. We coated the inside of the sensor with BoatLife caulk. We found a nice young man SCUBA diving to clean hulls and hired him to caulk the hull on the outside. The problem was solved, for now. Next haul out we can replace the sounder and rebed the transducer.

Any port in a storm.

It wasn’t exactly weather-related, but persistent sciatica pain that started on the first day of this adventure was a tempest for Marvin. Enjoying the City Marina in Naples to rest and try to recover, the symptoms only got worse. Finally, Marvin decided a trip to the Naples Community Hospital ER was needed. A CT scan revealed a herniated disk in the lumbar vertebrae. Some meds and the need to get a referral to an orthopedist or neurologist informed our plans. Dry Tortugas was too far away and too remote to risk sailing there. With “what ifs” foremost in our minds, we had to strike the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas from our itinerary. We decided to begin our trek back to Snead Island to leave our boat and get back to hometown physicians.

But, before leaving Naples, with the pain subsiding enough, we enjoyed a Shoalsailer alumni reunion with Steve and Edie, former owners of the Edie K, and Linda and Michael, stewards of Zydeco.

 *hit happen$

After a wonderful near-8 knot broad reach back toward Ft. Myers Beach, our luck ran out at the Big Carlos Pass Bridge. Many factors coincided to create an unhappy end to a perfect sailing day.

Because a new bridge is being built to eliminate the single-span bascule bridge, a temporary metal I-beam trestle has been installed to aid in the construction. The bridge span was opening a little slowly, so Marvin cut back on the throttle to slow our approach. Trying to avoid the bridge span, Marvin hugged the opposite side of the narrow channel, failing to recognize the powerful push of the tide carrying us forward – into the trestle. The huge I-beam caught the (brand new) lifelines on the starboard side, breaking them, damaged the supports for the hardtop, and gouged the fiberglass coaming. Oops! Fortunately, there were no injuries to either of us, other than to our pride. And, we didn’t bring down the rig (or damage the bridge – HA!) Later, we were able to see the starboard side of the boat and noticed the hull was spotless, with no scrapes or scratches. If that I-beam had not been there, we would have bounced our way through the opening on the wood bridge fenders and been none the worse for the wear.

Ending at the Starting Line

It was a slow cruise limping back to Snead Island near Bradenton. Trying to keep Marvin’s back from being too stressed, we didn’t want to push it with long days or going long distances. And, an added benefit to that strategy were the opportunities to visit with longtime Sarasota friends Mike and Linda in Venice, and Pat and Judy in Palmetto, boosting our spirits. And, it was a special treat to meet up with new boating friends, Holly and Greg on Audrey at Longboat Key Club Moorings.

In early March, Holly and her sister, Dawn, and dog, Naui, came into Shell Point from Carrabelle, to get out of bad weather. They were trying to work their way to Port Richey and eventually to Longboat Key. How they found Shell Point, the Apalachee Bay Yacht Club, and the county boat ramp docks is a mystery. But, we and our friend Frank were happy to spend a couple of days introducing them to the area. When the weather was more favorable, they headed south. It was fun to catch up with Holly in her new home berth.

We are counting on Snead Island to fix the damage to Bay Breeze, as well as to replace the depth sounder transducer. But, most of all we look forward to navigating the medical treatment for the herniated disc and getting back to normal.

There are always challenges in our coastal cruising. There are normal tasks like planning and navigation, piloting, and boat chores. There are challenges of self-reliance in diagnosing problems and making repairs. 

The weather and seas can be placid to brutal and, In the rough patches, we ask ourselves why we do this. 

There are the obvious rewards of being in nature, meeting interesting people, and exploring places. Besides the sunrises and sunsets, dolphins and manatees, eagles and wading birds, and scenic landscapes there is a satisfaction of accomplishment. It tests ourselves to meet the challenges in good times and bad, by our own wits and capabilities. We have a selective memory of the times that are difficult or unpleasant and instead revel in the romanticism of the journey.   

Thank you for reading.

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