Log of first Cruise

To the Keys on Kittrace

(or he who goes to sea for pleasure would go to Hell for a vacation)

Sunday, June 13

- We Left our dock at 12 noon and decided to overnight at Egmont Key and get an early start tomorrow. It was perfectly calm at anchor - a beautiful tropical night.

Monday, June 14

- It is a beautiful morning at Egmont Key, we had breakfast and spent two hrs. cleaning the hulls in the calm and clear water. We left about 11:00 a.m. with light S.E. winds and had an uneventful sail to Englewood where we anchored off the beach and made dinner. I awoke around midnight -- the wind had shifted to the west putting us on a lee shore and the tide had gone out, so the rudders were banging on the bottom. Don and I reset the anchor about 100 yards off the beach. I was awakened again about 2:30 with the wind whining in the rigging so I went topside into 30 to 40 knot winds and 6 foot breakers. "Where the hell did this come from?" When I went below after resetting the anchor the first time, there were stars all over and calm seas. I sat anchor watch for two hours until the storm blew over. We didn't drag an inch! Said a brief prayer of thanks to the CQR god and went below.

Tuesday, June 15

- Pulled anchor at about 10:00 a.m.After an enjoyable but uneventful sail to Moss Marina at Ft. Meyers Beach we got cleaned up and ate at a seafood restaurant right on the dock -- excellent. I had my first shark steak which I was pleased to find has a very good taste and no bones. We slept topside -- and were awakened several times by porpoises surfacing under the trampoline and blowing!

Wednesday, June 16

- We got underway about 9 a.m. and went inside Ft. Meyers Beach and out Big Carlos Pass. Wonder of wonders! -- not only did the bridge tender open the bridge for us without our signal, but he asked if we would be back today because the bridge didn't open after 7 p.m. (Editor's comment: - "Doesn't sound like any bridge tender I know - do you suppose he failed bridge tender's school?) We picked up good winds, but you guessed it -- from the wrong direction -- looked like a beat all the way to the Keys! About 3 hours later on a fast tack into the beach, we pulled up next to a windsurfer to ask where we were. "What?" he said, "Oh, 1st Ave. S". "No", I said, "What city?" "Naples", came the reply. About then I saw a tall building in the distance, the Condo at Marco Island. We pulled into the Marco River Marina for gas and ice, and then decided to try for Indian Key. As we left the river at Coon Key going into Sullivan Bay, a squall came up with about 50 ft. visibility. As it was getting dark, and we had never been in those waters before, we dropped the hook at Coon Key. It poured -- no dinner -- just mosquitoes! No breakfast - mosquitoes mean (but no longer hungry). We left in light drizzle and passed Coon Key beating into force 5 (see chart) winds with driving rain in squalls. We were hunched over in our rain gear with rain beating on our heads, at times visibility was so bad we couldn't see the bows -- we put up the working jib and motor sailed on a tack out. We got brave and put up main. We came about and found ourselves on a screaming tack (Kitty doing most of the screaming) toward the 10,000 Islands. The wind and seas were on our starboard beam and we were flying the stbd. hull about 1 ft. out of the water. We eased the main and came into the wind so we could drop it. We motor sailed with the working jib to the beach -- tacked out again, to start all over. After 5 hours of this punishment, we found ourselves at Indian Key --10 miles in 5 hours! Boy, am I glad I bought a "fast" multihull!

Technical terms for the force levels: 1: No Wind 2. Too Little Wind 3. Too Much Wind 4. Much Too Much Wind 5. Wind,Wind, Wind, Will it ever stop?!!! 6. Blammo!!!

As soon as we got into Indian Key Channel everything calmed down and the trip up the river was very pleasant. We tied up at the dock by the Rod and Gun Club in Everglades City. Mosquitoes - merciless!! Since we were low on mosquito repellent, we went into the general store to replenish our supply. As soon as we stepped through the door everyone in the store stopped whatever they were doing and stared menacingly at us. It was obvious that this was where all the extras from the movie, "Deliverance" were cast. All the trucks had signs like "Dixie, Love It or Leave It". or "Kill a Commie for Christ" , and all sported gun racks---I bet these guys even have gun racks on their riding mowers! All we needed to make it perfect was a genetically challenged banjo player! We went back to the boat and turned in for the night. About one in the morning I went topside into driving rain and 30-40 knot winds - here we go again! I decided to double up all lines and jumped nimbly to the dock -- NO DOCK!! It was under 6 inches of water! There was nothing to do but double the lines and move them as high as possible on the mooring posts -- I went back to bed.

Continued