Maine

Our tracks through Penobscot Bay showing the various towns and islands visited.

Notes on Maine - Fog

Foggy morning in Buckle Harbor, Swans Island.

What a better way to finish discussing Maine than to end with the fog. We may have been lucky or it may have been the time of year (the month of August 2010) we visited but we actually experienced fog on only four separate days in our travels through the mid-coast of Maine. Our very first day in the water, on leaving Tenants Harbor, we went right into pea-soup fog. But conditions were fine: seas were flat-calm, our radar was operating properly, cruising boats we encountered were using their horns (as were we). All went well up for the run up to Rockland but for the alarm as we had with a crossing situation with a lobsterboat doing 15+ knots only 50 yards away.

Notes on Maine - Lobster buoys

Buoys lining a path on Warren Island (just west of Isleboro Island) in Penobscot Bay. Park rangers and visitors collected these from the island shoreline over who knows what period of time.

Lobster buoys everywhere! We didn't find them to be much of a nuisance...probably because we were expecting to see waters thick with them and also because we hand-steer Pecan. And hey, you can't have lobsters without the buoys (and traps) to catch them, right? So, with non-autopilot control of our Rossie we easily picked our way among the buoys--never snagged one during our travels. That being said, we did have quite a few close calls when underway in the fog. I can't imagine cruising around after dark--that's a 100% guaranteed way to run into these!

What took us by surprise was what we saw along the exposed, and not-so-exposed, shorelines. Buoys wedged under tree roots at the high-tide line; buoys in rock and boulder crevices; buoys lying on pebble beaches. It didn't take long--once we decided--to collect a fair number of these. In addition to having the frayed, cut end of a piece of polypropylene float line attached, many buoys had the spindles, buoy sticks and breakaway plastic swivels attached. (The swivels have a 600 or 1000 lb. test strength are meant to break if a marine mammal get entwined in the float line.)

Notes on Maine - Lobster

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Notes on Maine - Rossies we saw

Notes on Maine - Launch Ramps

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Notes on Maine - MDI

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Notes on Maine - Harbors

Aerial photos

I just received an email with an attachments of 10 sample photos from that helicopter outfit that buzzed us. Here's five of them cropped a bit.

We're steaming along at 12.5 knots northbound in the ICW near Grant; winds are 20 knots out of the NW.

Back in Satellite Beach

Dotted line path showing clockwise journey around Florida, and the locations where we stopped each evening.

Manatee Pocket

Under Yamaha 8 hp power from Indiantown to the St. Lucie Locks; give the little engine a bit of exercise and in fresh water too.

Today we arrived in Manatee Pocket in Port Salerno and thus completing our loop of southern half of Florida. We anchored in the ol' spot off Pirates Cove Marina at 1:20pm. 73F, sunny and wind brezzy out of the west at 27 mph.

Indiantown

Heavy and continuous rain today so we'll be staying put in Indiantown marina. Between rain showers we walked around the boat yard for the following photo 'essay'.

Indiantown

Rim route with wind on the nose.

Entered St. Lucie canal waterway after route 2 or the rim route passage of Lake Okeechobee. Saw lowest depth near Port Mayaca of 4.1 ft. Army Corps of Engineers publishes a detailed sounding survey on their website (conducted in 2009) of the complete Clewiston-Port Mayaca rim and lake route. They don't recommend any vessel with over 4.65' draft to attempt the rim route with the current lake level of 13.25 feet.

Clewiston

In Clewiston at Roland and Mary Martin Marina. Spotted a good number of gators along the rim route around Lake Okeechobee. Best weather yet on this trip. 80s, sunny and dry.

La Belle

Left this morning from an old college friend's home in Fort Myers.

Anchored along the Okeechobee waterway near La Belle in 21 ft of water. Dinghied to town dock: free water and power but have to med-moor if you want it. Finally a warm 78F day. Cross paths with Jan & Steve on Jessie M earlier in the day on the waterway as they headed West on their counter-clockwise circumnavigation of southern Florida.

Cayo Costa

Motored over to  Cayo Costa State Park docks this morning.

Anchored in behind Cayo Costa. Tucked in south of a sandy point with winds NW at 15 kts but sunny and upper 60s. Great pot luck dinner on Robert Sidney this evening.

North Captiva Island

We saw 2 feet at the 'choke point' when entering--eye-ball navigation required because the GPS chartplotter(s) had me directly over the 3 foot marked location. On departure the next day Robert Sidney and Pecan sounded the way out for Polynya, we never saw under 3 feet (good thing for Polynya with their 3'10" draft!)

Anchored in Fosters Bay off North Captivated Island next to fellow Rosborough owners Dave and Barbara on Robert Sidney. Met their fellow Canadian friends John and Lees on Polynya, a NorSea 27. NW around 10 to 15 knots, low 60s, sunny.Tamara is in heaven with the quantity, diversity and size of the shells on the gulf-side beach.

Fort Myers Beach

They were having a nice sail as we entered San Carlos Bay.

Entered San Carlos Bay (Fort Myers area) todat at 10am after leaving Naples mooring field at 6:45am with 44F and clear conditions. . A little bumpy run up from Naples. Grabbed moorings ball at Mantanzas Harbor off Estero Island at 11:50am after a fuel fill at Salty Sams Marina

Brezzy Naples

We moved to the a City mooring ball after a day in the slip.

Enjoying our time in Naples. A strong cold front has pushed thru and we've had several days of strong NW winds, now moderating to 18 knots. High is59F but sunny.

Naples

Tied up at city of Naples Marina. Dockmaster offered dockage at the $10/night moorings ball rate. Nice. One policy that they enforce--which may be unusual--is that you have to stop by the fuel dock before heading to your appointed slip or mooring ball so that you can have your holding tank pumped out. Sunny, winds NW 10 to 15 knots, temperature in the 60s.

Marco Island

Motored 6 nautical miles to Marco Island;  right as yet another cold front moves over us. Scored hot showers at nearby marina. 406 nautical miles under the keel since leaving Satellite Beach on Feb 11th.

Goodland

Leaving Flamingo it's best to stay in the marked channel; mud flats exposed on the southeast side of Red 16.

Everglades National Park

You can see clearly the park boundary we followed inside of coming north from the Keys.

Everglades National Park headquarters in Flamingo.

Toured around the Park the past two days. Last night the predicted cold front pushed thru with heavy rain and wind. Temperatures today only in the mid 50s!

Flamingo

Our track from Islamorada to Flamingo thru Florida Bay.

 With another cold front to swing thru in a couple days, and the forecast for winds out of the west under 10 knots we thought we had a good window to head up Florida to Flamingo. As it turned out we had calm to glassy conditions the whole day. Temps lower 70s.  Ran 46 n.m. today, and to get the Yamaha 8 hp a little exercise we motored about a hour under that engine at about 4.4 knots. Fuel usage was 20.45 gallons.
Arrived in Flamingo at 2pm having left the fuel dock at PYH Marina at 8:20am.

Islamorada

Hanging out at Plantation Key Marina due windy,rainy weather. Good news is that its been in the mid 70s.

Plantation Key

PYHarbor marina is located in the larger Founder's Park in Islamorada

 Picked up the anchor at 9am and headed 'down' the keys. While underway we wondered where the Jan & Steve on Jessie M were? We had loosely kept in touch after meeting them in Little Current last summer, and knew they were here in south Florida for the winter. Turns out they responded to a cell phone call and told us they were down in Islamorada. How convenient, just about a dozen miles away!

Key Largo

Anchored in Key Largo Tarpon Basin at 1:58pm after 26 nm. Nice dinghy dock at a recently constructed Monroe county administrative office/park/cultural center site just south of Hampton Inn.


Just about to drop the anchor in about 5 feet of water.

Biscayne Bay

After raising the anchor at 8am, we motored west back to the ICW ran up the Miami River until we were blocked by freighters maneuvering in channel; by that time we were actually pretty close the Miami International airport. The Miami River is quite industrial, with shipyards, condos, crab fishing fleets all 'cheek to jouwel'. After re-entering the ICW we toured the Bayside marina/shopping complex; would have stayed for a short stroll and even a Cuban coffee but they charge $15.00 for a hour at their day-use docks. So we proceeded south and checked out the marine stadium area off Virginia Key. Michael had a crew meet or two down here in years past; interesting to see from the water. Trip down Biscayne Bay was very nice with warm weather and calm conditions. Tied up in Elliot Key national park boat basin at 4pm after 38 nm. today.

Miami Beach

Ran 24 nautical mile south to Miami Beach. Anchored off South Beach area, just north of the Venetian Causeway, in 11 feet of water at 12:50pm. 65F and winds NW 8 knots. Clear.

Ft. Lauderdale

Still in Ft. Lauderdale today. Ran up New River a good number of miles to the west of I-95/I-595/SR-84. Afterward getting back to the ICW, we headed south past Port Everglades ship terminal area and went west in the Dania Cutoff canal. The New River and the Dania Cuttoff canal are connected--as you can see in the aerial photo above--but we don't know what the water depths are to the west of where we went nor if there are bridges with less than an air draft of 8.5 feet or so. I guess we should have kept going and found out! Upper 60s and winds NW5 knots.

Fort Lauderdale

Reached Ft. Lauderdale's Lake Sylvia anchorage at 4pm. Stopped at 15th street launch ramp docks to visit stores ashore. Ran 25 nm. 60sF and winds NW10 knts


The Lake Sylvia anchorage, as you can see, is fairly small and has homes all around and no place to go ashore unless you don't mind trespassing.

Boca Raton

Visited Peanut Island in West Palm Beach (right at the Lake Worth ocean inlet) and Spanish River park on the way to Boca. Anchored along ICW at 4:50pm in 3.5 feet west of R"60" in Boca. Ran 29 nm. today.

North Palm Beach

Anchored in North Palm Beach's old port cove anchorage in 17 feet at 1:12pm. Ran 28 nm today. Was 41F this morning; winds NW15 knots.


Hobe Sound bridge opening for big motoryacht.

Port Salerno

34 nautical mile run to Port Salerno's Manatee Pocket (next to Stuart). Anchored at 1:52pm in 5 feet off Pirate's Cove Resort/Marina. 54F, sunny, winds 15W-NW. Ran between 4.8 to 5.5 knots at 1,400 rpm.


Pecan at anchor. In the background you can see Hinckley's Florida service center and a nice Nordhaven 47 at their docks.

Vero Beach

Anchor up at 8am; Tied up at 10:30am at Vero Beach municipal boat launch ramp dock located in a protected basin just north of the Barber bridge. All public mooring balls in use; I guess this is where a lot of cruisers spend the winter. Short run of 12 nautical miles today. There's a strong cold front moving in tonight. 55F, cloudy/rainy, N 10kts.


Boat ramp basin; we're on the left off screen.

Departure on South Florida Circumnavigation

Launched Pecan a couple days ago at the Eau Gallie causeway boat ramp in Melbourne, and brought Pecan to the dock behind our house for final provisioning and filling up the water tanks. Left Satellite Beach at 1:18pm after Tamara completed some last minute errands. For this trip we'll be going a whole lot slower than our trip thru Canada. Today we ran at 5.2 knots; Yamaha 150 doing 1400rpm. After 25 nautical miles we anchored near Sebastian just outside the ICW channel. 50F, partly sunny and winds north at 5 knots.

Anchored off one of the many spoil islands.

Pecan Projects 1 - LCD monitor, Solar hot water heater, Radar installation

LCD HDTV installation.


Dynex (from Best Buy) 19 inch LCD HDTV/Monitor shown 'driven' from Asus netbook. One nice thing about the 10 inch netbook is that it will configure via function keys to operate at higher screen resolutions than 800x600. Here it's running at 1024x768. Not shown is USB Logitech trackball off the screen to the lower right.