SAILING VESSEL  AD~ASTRA

New Years in the Keys

It is the second of January, 2002 , we are sailing back up Biscayne Bay after spending a few days cruising the Florida Keys . The winds are 16 – 18 knots on the beam and gusting to 22.  Ad Astra, our Island Packet 37, is making 6.5 knots with occasional bursts to 6.9 knots under full main and genoa. We could be doing over 7 knots but the bottom hadn’t been cleaned in over two months. The rig is well balanced making steering almost effortless. Amazingly there is only a light chop with 1-2 foot waves that barely rocks the boat at all.  As is often the case, the famous Island Packet full keel keeps the boat on course as though it is on rails. We are heeling 5-10 degrees at most.  The temperature is 70 degrees and the skies are partly cloudy giving a grayish cast to the blue-green water. I couldn’t think of a better way to start the New Year.

It took us just 5 hours to make the 30-mile trip from Barnes Sound to Dinner Key Marina.  The decision to stay on the bay side inside the barrier islands was wise. The sailing conditions were much different on the open Atlantic Ocean outside the barrier islands.  The weather broadcast told of 6 to 8 foot seas outside the reef and 11 to 13 foot seas in the nearby Gulf Stream .  This would not have been a good day to hop over to the Bahamas , a mere 50 miles away.

My wife, daughter and I were escaping 20 degree weather back in Kansas for a little mid winter R & R.  We left Miami Beach Marina on December 30^th in light winds.  We motorsailed for about 4 hours and spent a quiet night anchored off Elliott Key.  This six mile long barrier island miraculously escaped development a few years ago and remains an unspoiled National Park.  Lack of ambition and a light rain dissuaded us from dinghying ashore to explore the hiking trail and walk the beach. Before long the rain let up.  The remaining clouds made for a spectacular sunset.

After sleeping in we took a leisurely sail to anchor off Pumpkin Key, a small private island that is part of the luxurious Ocean Reef Club on Key Largo .  We put the dinghy in the water and putted into the nearby canals lined with multi-million dollar mansions and mega yachts.  It was fun to see how the gentry live but it also was nice to be able to share their view and see their New Years Eve fireworks.

 http://www.oceanreef.com/

I grilled some chicken breasts that had been marinated in Kraft Zesty Italian dressing that came out great.  I managed to brown them well but not dry them out. They were quite tasty.

After dinner the forecast wind shift came along with driving rain. Winds were 22 gusting to 25 knots. We drug anchor as I was warned that we might by an Island Packet discussion list member with local knowledge. We weren’t in immediate danger of landing on rocks or hitting other boats but we soon would be.

I put out our second anchor (a Danforth) and all the chain on our primary Delta anchor and it finally grabbed just fine. Fortunately there were only 5 other boats in a rather large anchorage so we didn’t drag onto anyone. Still it reminded me of our yearlong trip in the Caribbean .  Here I was again in the dark, howling wind and driving rain, the bow pulpit bouncing up and down in the waves while I wrestled with the anchors.  It was Deja Vous all over again.

I finally got around to calculating that if we went as far south as I had planned we would have at least an 8 hour trip back to Dinner Key on Wednesday.  We decided instead to stop short and visit Alabama Jacks, an open air Key’s style restaurant and bar, just past the Card Sound Bridge .  The cruising guide was a little sketchy on the depth of the approach.  Ad Astra draws a little over 4’ 6” and the depth gauge registered 4’ 3” several times on the way in.  After we anchored, I stuck a boat hook in the water and found that the gauge was set about a foot and a half too shallow so we had more water that we thought. 

Alabama Jacks wasn’t much to write home about so we decided to cook aboard instead.  We did go for a walk on the Key’s Highway but there was no shoulder, lots of traffic, and the roadside was filled with trash and sand burs.

I had called a few weeks ago requesting a slip at Dinner Key Marina, a city owned facility on the western shore of Biscayne Bay in Coconut Grove just south of down town Miami.  I was told they didn’t make reservations that far in advance and to call two days before our arrival. When I did they said they were full and to call back the next day.  They were still full and said to call back the day of arrival.  I did and got the same response except to call back later.  After two more calls just as we were taking the sails down and approaching the channel entrance I was finally told they had a slip and to come on in.

We settled into to Dinner Key Marina.  After taking showers aboard (since the showers ashore were closed for cleaning) we decided to walk to the nearby shopping area. Libby asked if we might need our raincoats since we had showers on an off on the trip up the bay.  I checked the weather on the radio only to find that we were under a tornado watch!  What irony it would be to have lived in Kansas all our lives, and never having seen a tornado, to be struck by one in Florida .  Fortunately it passed south of us and did little damage.

I was to meet a fishing guide the next day to do a little flats fly fishing but he called to say that the predicted cold front and high winds would pretty much guarantee no fish would bite.  We decided to reschedule for next time.  It did get down into the lower 40’s last night so the heater on the boat felt pretty good. Still it is better than the snow and ice much of the country has had the last few days. Tomorrow the forecast is for it to get back in the 70’s.  Ah south Florida . Too bad we have to go home tomorrow.  It was a great trip.