Crossing the Gulf Stream
I'm not sure what it is, but I get the clean bug every time Steve leaves and right before he gets back. It was like this on land, too. So the day before Steve got back, the girls and I cleaned ever nook and cranny of the boat. They were very proud of how well they each cleaned their rooms. As soon as he was back on the boat, we hit the ground running. He brought the girls a care package from their friend Shandon in Colorado and they wasted no time making good use of the fun items inside. They were so excited to know their friend was thinking of them. Missing their friends is one of the root causes of having rough days on the boat. We had a to-do list that seemed to have more things added than were being checked off. While out on an errand, we decided to stop in for dinner at The Key West Bite. Steve and McKelle went to West Marine across the street and Saylor and I went and got a table. This place was so fun! Matthew was so friendly and food was great. Saylor filled him in on the situation, that Dad and Sister were going to join us. He would come back and look at the table, "Is your sister here now?" and kidded with her that he didn't think she really had a sister. The best part, other than the food, he made balloon crowns for the girls. Jackie, our waitress, was a delight. We liked it so well, that the next night we met up with our new friends, Frank and Tena, there for dinner. We were given Frank's information through one of Steve's friends. They are a couple who migrate from Massachusetts to Key West every winter on their sailboat. It was nice to put faces to the names and exchange stories. My favorite was about the time Frank was maneuvering into Ft. Lauderdale when a boat nearby hollered out to him, "There's a sand -- you found it!" As his boat went aground on a sandbar. It's funny now, but probably not so much at the time. The downside of the story was they had to wait until 11:00 p.m. for the tide to rise before they were able to be towed off. The learning never stops.
The next morning we woke early to get a good start on our crossing. We had prepared the boat the night before and all we needed to do was start the engines and release the mooring ball. I wish I could say that it all went that smoothly. The best laid schemes of mice and men... Steve decided he would rinse out the bottom of the dinghy and pulled the plug to allow some water in. We heard a WHOOSH!! and some cussing. I hurried out to see that the two water-activated life vests we had left in the Brinky had, in fact, been activated! I actually wondered if they worked as they had been left out in the rain a couple of times with nothing. The good news is it wasn't a hole in the dinghy and now we know they work. Bad news is we have no idea how to deflate them and change out the CO cartridge. The instructions are in... French! We stowed the now inflated life vests and were ready to pull up the mooring ball and release our bridle from its chain.
For those who aren't familiar with a mooring ball, it's a large, somewhat heavy ball that is permanently anchored in a marina or bay. They generally have a chain or rope loop that you catch with a hook while you're at the bow of the boat, you bring it up to a level you're able to run your line or a link through, unhook it from the hook, attach your bridle to whatever the system is while the boat is in forward motion. You have to work quickly as the momentum of the boat will start to pull you, your hook, anything attached to it as it's passing, in our case, under or to the side of you. Once you're secured to the ball, you drop it and it holds your boat like an anchor would.
We had gone through the process the day before when we filled up on water and it had gone off without a hitch. But now that we actually had somewhat of a timeline we wanted to work with, the mooring ball thimble was stuck at the top of the ball not allowing the chain to rise to a level I could release our snap link. After several attempts to get the thimble to jiggle out of the top and having to drop the ball due to the momentum of the boat, our challenge multiplied as the bridle rope tangled itself around the chain below the ball. As we discussed our options, Steve caught sight of Gunny, a retired marine, while he was making his way to the marina and asked for his help. So here is Gunny in his dinghy, with his dog, trying to untangle the rope from the ball. His dinghy is moving, the dog is pacing, our boat is moving, the ball is rolling and the rope is twisting every which way. Needless to say, there were a lot of moving parts. Talk about feeling helpless. I couldn't decide where I should station myself to help him. After a couple attempts, he was able to get the mess untangled. We were off the ball and on our way just as the bugles announced the National Anthem. I felt really bad as MJ was very upset that we missed it that morning.
We cruised north to Marathon where we picked up the new lines for our lazy jack and fueled up. We initially were going to stay the night there, but decided to just head out. We left around 6:30 p.m. and made a night crossing. The Gulf Stream was not the most comfortable crossing to make. We started in an easterly direction and the plan was to ride the current north before making an exit towards Bimini. We could see the lights of Miami until the sun came up. I can't imagine the electric bill for that city! The girls slept in the salon and made the trip without much of a problem. Steve stayed up most the night watching our route and looking out for other boats. Morning came and we still had a few hours to go. Saylor was done with the rocking of the boat and repeatedly asked when we were going to arrive. "When is this boat ever going to stop?" she would wail.
We arrived in Bimini around noon the next day. A storm was blowing in from the north and we got the boat secured to the dock just before the winds picked up. Clouds loomed, threatening rain, but it didn't rain that first day. The girls were in the pool by 3:00. The rough sea was a distant memory.
Initially the northerlies were to break Sunday and we would be on our way Monday to meet up with special visitors on Wednesday. After watching the weather updates change daily, our three-day stay, to wait out the high winds and seas, turned into five days. Unfortunately, flights had to be changed. We are learning that to make plans while living on a boat is like shoveling the snow while it's still snowing. Pretty futile as Mother Nature has her own plans which trump ours time and time again. The girls didn't mind so much, it meant more swimming in the pool at the marina and no rocking boat.
While in Bimini we visited The Dolphin House and were given a personal tour by Ashley Saunders himself. This was definitely a treat to see his mosaic house and hear his stories. We also made it to the beach a few times. We met one of the nicest couples, Bob and Kathy, who actually have a home in Vail, CO. Nearly neighbors! They had just come from the Bahamas and invited us onto their beautiful yacht to give us the lowdown of things to see, places not to miss, and the best routes to get there. Although our time with them was short, when it was time to say goodbye, I felt a tear tug at my heart as I watched them pull away.
