The Exciting Conclusion of Port Charlotte to Islamorada (part 2)

The days blur together. At 11:00 p.m. Saturday night we were making great time. The navigation software (Navionics) had an ETA in Islamorada by 9:34 a.m. Sunday. During my turn on watch, I allowed the autohelm to run the boat and took an incredible shower on deck under a billion stars using our solar shower (a black bag which gets hot equipped with a spout). We had left the sky-glow of Marco Island behind while Miami's glow was on the horizon. At midnight, I gave my brother Brandon the watch and hit the bunk for some much needed rest.

12:45 a.m. My brother alerts me to new wind, he wants to raise the mainsail. I'm disoriented and it takes me a moment to grasp his request. I inspect the wind direction/speed and sails. He's right, we could add another 2 kts. if we raised the mainsail. But once again our halyards (lines which raise/lower sails) are caught on built in ladder steps on the mast. I'm too tired to figure it out. I go back to bed feeling happy with our current speed.

2:00 a.m. I'm on watch. Over the next hour I dodge several miles worth of crab trap buoy's. These little floating balls may seem insignificant to the non-boater. If struck, they can get wrapped around the propeller and drive shaft and cause a lot of damage. I'm on edge.

3:00 a.m. Wind speed is increasing and shifting. Dead ahead. I shift our course slightly and try sailing as close to the wind as possible. The wind seems to be coming from everywhere. Our progress is rapidly slowing. I spend the next hour dodging buoy's and write a love letter to my wife. The contents are none of your business. All you need to know is that I love her dearly. I check the weather. VHF says 5 kts. from the South. WRONG again.

I remember being excited that 5:00 a.m. was soon. Because 5 is a morning time, and morning means daylight. I'm so very tired of spotlights and crab buoys.

Sunrise finds us 2 miles west of Cape Sable, the southern most point of the US mainland. No cell reception or response to radio checks. My poor old yanmar diesel is pushing us slowly, but we are noticing oil in the exhaust. I'm seriously starting to worry about overworking the motor. We are beginning to feel trapped. Brandon is getting agitated and impatient.

Burning too much diesel fuel, we turn off the motor and raise the main sail on a course SSW. We spend two hours tacking downwind and back. We only make about 1.5 miles progress up the channel. 

Brandon is a power boater. He's convinced we can skirt the shoals along Sandy Key and Oxfoot Bank. We spend another hour working our way towards East Cape and the shoals. The incredible tides aren't cooperating. It seems incoming tide goes to the Gulf of Mexico AND outgoing tide goes to the Gulf of Mexico. Brandon pushes the diesel hard and we burn a lot of fuel. No real progress. We're tired and cranky and need a solution. Brandon really wants to get home or at least make contact with family. He's done with sailing at this point. Our options:

1. Sail back to Shark River. Anchor and wait for better winds and tide.
2. Sail 11 hours back to Marco Island.
3. Sail SW, Many miles off course to Big Pine Key.

We sail on to Big Pine Key and the great unknown. It was a bouncy beam reach cruise. The diesel was finally off and I was sailing at 5.4 kts. At Big Pine Key the wind was still gusting at 20-30 kts, so I took advantage of my unlimited-towing TowBoat US Membership and got an assist up to Marathon and a cute little bayside motel called Kingsail Resort. It was a welcome respite.

The forecast called for more of the same winds, so it's a good thing they are completely inaccurate. My dad joined me for the final leg and we had a very pleasant 4.5-hour cruise to Lower Matecumbe Key. The time of arrival was 3:00 p.m. Monday, if you're keeping track of such things. 

I felt triumphant. I put 250 nautical miles under the keel with some help from my brother and dad. This was the culmination of countless hours of study and ASA sailing school. We overcame some minor adversity and got to know a lot about Miss Marisol. I'm now looking forward to a fun summer exploring the Keys with Miss Marisol.