Up the Keys

We left Marathon Wednesday after a planned 2 week stay and an actual 24 week stay.

Our departure was marked by Larry and Linda snapping pictures and Peter blowing his air horn. It was a great send off!

The wind was SE and brisk so we raised sail just after the last harbor marker. We sailed south to the Moser Channel and passed under the bridge. The wind began to
shift to the east (NOAA lies again) and we tacked our way slowly up the bay side of the Keys.

Thursday we set sail again under double reefed main and jib in 15 knots from the SE. After a few hours, and across from the Channel 5 bridge De Anne asked for a full main sail. I shook out the reef and a few moments later the sail just exploded. There is just no other way to describe a 505 square foot heavy fabric sail suddenly releasing the pressure of the wind and instantly becoming two white flags. De Anne kept us on course while I cleaned up the carnage.

I reflected back to a few years ago when we spent $1,200.00 to have the sail re-conditioned and had considered buying a new main sail. The cheapest one I could find then was just under $5,000.00. I can't imagine they have gotten any cheaper since then.

The anchor got dropped while the unhappy sailor/wife and grinder/husband discussed options: repair/replace main, get a power boat, get a camping trailer, get a job....OK that last idea did not take long to dismiss. We decided to press on to Miami.

Because the rip was below the second reef I was able to set the main again (a permanent double reef) and we were off again, bloody but not bowed. I thought of my favorite sailing movie "Captain Ron" and the best line in the movie was "Hey, if it's gonna break, it'll break out there".

The day ended well when we picked up a free mooring ball off beautiful Shell Key.

Thursday was motor day due to the narrow channels and shoal waters all around. We could see bottom all day. Passing through Cross Bank Cut the chart showed 4 feet of water just after the Cut. This sort of thing can be a problem on a boat with the keel reaching down 5 feet. It looked a little better depth wise to the right so I instructed De Anne to hug the green markers. We went aground. I raised the main some to heel the boat, but it was not enough. A passing power boater took a bow line from us and pulled us free. Although the ordeal lasted only 10 minutes the psychic damage was done. I fretted over our course the rest of the day and in two more spots of dubious depth I even considered anchoring and awaiting high tide; however, thinking of the line from another movie "Risky Business" (unquotable here) we pressed on without incident to Tarpon Basin off Key Largo.

We will sit out a strong NE wind and all the weekend traffic in this protected anchorage and be on our way again Monday.

(Pictures will follow when I have a strong internet signal again.)