Back on the water again...after too long off..

[Stu Jackson]

Sum,

It happens. One time I pulled up a telephone cable. I knew it was a telephone cable because it was black, gooey and didn't SPARK!

Then a few years later I did it again!

Same anchorage! :cussing:

There was a post here recently about some skipper who "got smart" --- when he pulled up the cable, he hooked it with a line, cleated it off and lowered the anchor to release it from the cable.

Shoot, I didn't think there was any other way to do it!

Yup, sometimes the ooze tries to keep it.

One of those "sleep tight" moments.

Reply #5 here: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5064.0.html

Whatever works. :dance:

 

[Sumner]

Sum,

It happens. One time I pulled up a telephone cable. I knew it was a telephone cable because it was black, gooey and didn't SPARK!

Then a few years later I did it again!

Same anchorage! :cussing:

There was a post here recently about some skipper who "got smart" --- when he pulled up the cable, he hooked it with a line, cleated it off and lowered the anchor to release it from the cable.

Shoot, I didn't think there was any other way to do it!

Yup, sometimes the ooze tries to keep it.

One of those "sleep tight" moments.

Reply #5 here: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5064.0.html

Whatever works. :dance:

Yep, got wrapped around some submerged trees on Lake Powell...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/MacgregorTrips-3-Powell09/09-10-8-Powell-09.html

...once and that was a mess and a not so fun wet suit experience. I just don't want to lose the Manson if I can help it ,

Sumner

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[All U Get]

Probably just an old wreck with a treasure chest loaded with gold and jewels. You don't have room for it anyway. Glad you got loose.

All U Get

 

[Bob 04 H260]

Sum, enjoying your posts very much ! Glad you are feeling better. I hope you get across to the Bahamas.

Regarding your Tohatsu motor. I don't know about the rest of the Bahamas but in the Abacos there aren't any parts available for them. We have one on our dinghy. I brought a carb kit, fuel filters, water pump with us just in case. There are ? Mercy dealers here so they may be able to help.

Fair winds, Bob

 

[Sumner]

Made it over to the upper Keys today, Islamorada. I'd like to go ashore one last time for supplies. Anyone live here that would have time to play taxi? I'll probably move up by Key Largo tomorrow (Buttonwood Sound).

Lots has happened since I left Ft. Myers Beach about 4 days ago. Too much to write about right now as after 58 miles today I'm beat and need to eat and rest my old bones up.

Meet Bill and Mary, from here ,last night at Little Shark River before crossing Florida Bay today and had a great visit with them.

More when I have time, but would like to be up to Biscayne Bay and staged to cross to Bimini and beyond within 3 days. Need to gas up, get a few things and get up there,

Sumner

 

[Roadking Larry]

This way better than the Saturday morning serials.

 

[Sumner]

A quick update as I'm not sure if I'll have Internet tonight and tomorrow hope to go outside and be able to anchor near shore Sat. night and start crossing to Bimini Sunday morning early. Right now winds are suppose to be 7 kt from the south and the seas 1 ft. on Sunday. I need to get up to Biscayne Bay today just inside of Angle Fish cut where I'll go out.

Yesterday I moved up to Key Largo and Ixneigh hauled me around to get gas and some supplies and we had a good dinner together and he shared more about the Bahamas with me. He went to Georgetown in the Exumas with a Mac 222 (impressive!!)

I only spent one day at Whitehorse and that was rigging a two pulley system to get the dinghy outboard off the new side mount on the side of the boat into and out of the dinghy. It works great compared with trying to lift it on and off by hand so well worth the time spent. I don't feel like I'm going to loose it to the bottom of the sea now. The winds were going to be good so left in the morning and went 40+ miles down to Little Shark with 6 miles off shore being about max due to the way the coast curves in. Got there and the winds seas had picked up do I really liked having the autopilot keeping me into the wind while I got the main down.

Bill and Mary were there (they have a Hunter and I knew them from the Internet but we now got to meet face to face). Left early the next morning and made 58 miles across Florida Bay to Channel 5 and up the Keys to Islamorada for the night and yesterday to Key Largo. 296 miles since I left the boatyard on the 9th (the day sailing with Scott in that). I'm tired but feeling good about things and glad I'm doing this. Being 71 now I don't count on the future to do things I think are important. Once I get across the Banks past Bimini I'll slow way down on my daily passages and stay in one place multiple days if I'm happy,

Sumner

P.S. Lots more happened in those days above but that will have to wait until latter but one was running up onto the beach in the dark leaving White Horse Key (bow on the sand and stern in 9 feet of water) when the GPS quit running and I didn't realize it and I wasn't where I thought I was (things are tight in those channels).

I'll never leave again, and never did in the past without both chart plotters up and running and I had also screwed up my night vision with some yard lights on the boat. Those won't be there either. Lessons learned......

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[Sumner]

Sum, enjoying your posts very much ! Glad you are feeling better. I hope you get across to the Bahamas.

Regarding your Tohatsu motor. I don't know about the rest of the Bahamas but in the Abacos there aren't any parts available for them. We have one on our dinghy. I brought a carb kit, fuel filters, water pump with us just in case. There are ? Mercy dealers here so they may be able to help.

Fair winds, Bob

Hi Bob, hope to cross Sunday.

On the motors I changed the impellers, oil and lower end oil at home and have more impellers with me and extra props and nuts and I have a remote filter/water separator with an extra filter for it.

On the parts Tohatsu makes the Merc's from 15 HP down now and they are the same motor so if they have Merc parts then they now have Tohatsu parts. Hopefully that won't be a problem.

My 3 1/2 HP dinghy motor is also a long shaft so I could probably struggle home on her and if that also goes for using the sails and the 80 lb. thrust trolling motor when the right conditions were right but hopefully I don't have to explore those options.

Hope you guys are having a great time,

Sumner

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[med2463]

We were anchored at Little Shark River few days ago A Mcgregor with UT on hull came into anchorage. We said that has to be Sumner. We called him on radio & he came over for happy hour. We had a nice visit with Sumner.

 

[Sumner]

...We called him on radio & he came over for happy hour....

Actually Bill was so kind to come over and taxi me back and forth as I was too tired to put the motor on the dinghy, thanks Bill. It was great meeting you guys and look forward to some visits in the future.

I'm off Pumpkin Key in Card Sound, just south of Biscayne Bay, and going through Anglefish Pass in a couple hours (11am) to the Atlantic side and will park myself there for the rest of the day and into the night and hope to head out to Bimini about 3 in the morning. Conditions look about as good as they could get right now. They are predicting 7-9 kt S winds tomorrow with 1 foot seas on a 7 second interval,

Sumner

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[Sumner]

============= Sat. -- 03-21-15 ========= Atlantic side of North Key Largo

Only 5 miles today to move outside into the Atlantic just off the north end of Key Largo. I got antsy and left a little sooner than I should of but no problems. First I did a couple circles trying to calibrate the tiller pilot but don't know if I'm better now than before but it works so that is good.

Then I should of waited about an hour for the current to drop some before going into Anglefish Pass but didn't. I knew the current was faster than I really wanted when I saw if knocking down the waves being blown into it. I approached the entrance at about 4 1/4 on 1/3 throttle and that dropped to 2 1/2 at 3/4 throttle so it was slow going out against the current. No skinny water as it was approaching high tide and a lot wider than I thought it would be and gentle turns so no problem getting swept up against any markers, just slow going. As I approached the Atlantic side it widened and the current dropped and my speed went back up and I cut the throttle back.

Made a big arc to the south back towards shore and anchored in about 8 1/2 feet of water but when the tide goes out that will drop to 5 feet. About a quarter mile off shore (lots of expensive homes) and really exposed but no wind waves today and less than 1 foot predicted before I leave around 3 in the morning. Power boats have made it a little uncomfortable being close to the entrance of the pass and Hawk Channel is just out a ways but I'm use to this little boat rolling all the time anyway.

So up at 3 and off to Bimini without any drama I hope. Report when I can,

Sumner

P.S. The weather is perfect.

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[Joe]

============= Sat. -- 03-21-15 ========= Atlantic side of North Key Largo

Only 5 miles today to move outside into the Atlantic just off the north end of Key Largo. I got antsy and left a little sooner than I should of but no problems. First I did a couple circles trying to calibrate the tiller pilot but don't know if I'm better now than before but it works so that is good.

Then I should of waited about an hour for the current to drop some before going into Anglefish Pass but didn't. I knew the current was faster than I really wanted when I saw if knocking down the waves being blown into it. I approached the entrance at about 4 1/4 on 1/3 throttle and that dropped to 2 1/2 at 3/4 throttle so it was slow going out against the current. No skinny water as it was approaching high tide and a lot wider than I thought it would be and gentle turns so no problem getting swept up against any markers, just slow going. As I approached the Atlantic side it widened and the current dropped and my speed went back up and I cut the throttle back.

Made a big arc to the south back towards shore and anchored in about 8 1/2 feet of water but when the tide goes out that will drop to 5 feet. About a quarter mile off shore (lots of expensive homes) and really exposed but no wind waves today and less than 1 foot predicted before I leave around 3 in the morning. Power boats have made it a little uncomfortable being close to the entrance of the pass and Hawk Channel is just out a ways but I'm use to this little boat rolling all the time anyway.

So up at 3 and off to Bimini without any drama I hope. Report when I can,

Sumner

P.S. The weather is perfect.

Sum... now that you're a bonafide cruiser, and going to the Bahamas....Having a printed "boat card" is really an excellent way to expand your growing network of cruising friends..... that's like a business card with your boat name so people can call you on the vhf plus all your other info.....

The other thing you'll see over there are people driving their dinghies standing up, using a tiller extension....

 

[finding41]

Looks like you are having a great time. Hope to hear about your crossing from you from the Bahamas.

 

[Roadking Larry]

Breathlessly waiting for the next installment.

 

[Sumner]

In a slip in Alice Town (Bimini). Like it here....


.... but don't like getting in and out of these slips but no damage done and tied up so happy.

Up at 2 last night and gone by 3. The beginning and end of the day were exciting but the crossing except for the big container and tanker ships was easy. About the flattest water of the trip and you get cooking out in the Stream (6+ for me). 75 miles in 13 hours. I'm beat, but in a good way so more tomorrow,

Sumner

P.S. Chris, sorry no BEER for me, at least this year. I plan on 2 months in the Bahamas.

Joe, Ruth was going to get the boat cards. I've failed to do it yet :cry:.

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[MrBill_FLL]

In a slip in Alice Town (Bimini). Like it here....

P.S. Chris, sorry no BEER for me, at least this year. I plan on 2 months in the Bahamas.

Smart! you'll save a fortune.

Glad you're safe.

ps:

ix:





Can you tell how close to finished the casino is on S bimini?
+conch fritters, FTW!

 

[Stu Jackson]

Congratulations, great journey. Glad the weather cooperated. SFP405!

 

[naturguy]

But ya gotta try the Becks and St.Paulie Girl beers while you're in the Bahamas Sumner. When I was there they were genuine German beers, not the watered down US stuff. DELICIOUS. I actually enjoyed the Becks warm. And the cheeses came from Holland. Fresh veggies came mostly from the US but staples came from europe.
Congrats on your first crossing. Gulf Stream crossings are probly the most dangerous you'll have on this voyage. May they all go so smoothly.
Chuck,(Lees brother).

 

[Sumner]

But ya gotta try the Becks and St.Paulie Girl beers while you're in the Bahamas Sumner. When I was there they were genuine German beers, not the watered down US stuff. DELICIOUS. I actually enjoyed the Becks warm. And the cheeses came from Holland. Fresh veggies came mostly from the US but staples came from europe.
Congrats on your first crossing. Gulf Stream crossings are probly the most dangerous you'll have on this voyage. May they all go so smoothly.
Chuck,(Lees brother).

Thanks for checking in on this and for the advice I got from you via Lee.

On the BEER thing that was in response to Chris where I thought he had asked me here if I was going to the B.E.E.R. sailing event up on the gulf coast, but he asked me somewhere else so I screwed up answering him here .

I'll have to check out those beers you mentioned but when it comes to Beer and not B.E.E.R. I'm kind of a pansy and like the light stuff ,

Sumner

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[Joe]

Your a seasoned cruiser now, Sum.... easy or not, the Gulf stream crossing is a big milestone...

My friends anchored out in the middle of Mackie Bank on their way to Chub Cay... they said it was weird but fun, no land in sight anchored in 5 ft.

Big decision is to go north to Abacos or SE to Exhumas.... I envy you, my friend.

P.S. What do you have to pay for gas and drinking water? How's the tohatsu holding up?