Honey Queen Adventures

We rewarded ourselves an extra 30 minutes this morning before leaving.  The bridge opening was a little later, so we took advantage and had took smaller sips of our coffee.   The day’s forecast was perfect, with no threat of rains or storms.  More beautiful homes kept us looking.  Luxury yachts 100+ feet long are commonplace here.  The young men that work on these boats have job security.  It takes elbow grease and gallons of sweat to keep these beauties in top condition, so the cleaning and maintenance crews are full time on many boats.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

After we were underway, we reached out to Chris/Alyse Caldwell, who are from Vero Beach.  They are professional boat trainers.  We hired Chris in early 2019 to train us on our boat.  He traveled with us from Daytona Beach to Brunswick.  I learned the basics of maintenance and boat handling from Chris.  He is an excellent teacher and communicator.  His knowledge of boats is broader than most; his people skills excel, and he’s a pleasure to have around.  He built my confidence, encouraged me, and made sure I was prepared to handle a boat like this before leaving us in Brunswick. 

We rendezvoused with them in Ft. Pierce.  They suggested the Faber Cove anchorage, one much better than the one we had planned.  Then they worked out an arrangement in a private marina with one of their contacts, allowing us to park our dinghy for a couple hours.  They picked us up in their van and took us to a restaurant where we had an early dinner and a great visit.  It was good to catch up with them. I regret that I failed to get a picture of them.

Faber Cove was similar to the Sunset Basin, in that it was almost completely surrounded by land.  Nice condos on all sides, we enjoyed the anchorage with only one other boat.  We were well protected from the wind and had plenty of swing room.

We returned to the boat after dinner, I did a little blogging, Amanda did a little knitting, and we called it a day.

Today’s journey was from Sunset Basin near Ft. Lauderdale to Lake Worth-North.  We left 30 minutes ahead of Steve and Susie for a fuel stop.  One of the pleasant surprises of this trip has been the fuel economy of our slow boat.  The bonus (bad economy usually means cheaper fuel) has been the drastic reduction in the fuel prices.  After paying over $5.00/gallon (only once) in Canada last summer for diesel, I happily paid $1.94 today.  They threw in all the ice I needed and topped off our water tank.  As we pulled out of the fuel dock, Steve and Susie drove by, timing our rendezvous perfectly.

We continued our gawking at the real estate, wondering how can so many people make so much money and all congregate in one area. Often, we would say, “Surely, that’s a hotel.”  But each time the structure was a single family dwelling.  For entertainment, we’d pull up a real estate web site and check out a house.  For example, one we liked was $6.65 million.  But the pool was just too small, so we decided not to make an offer.  Our favorite sign said, “Now reduced to $4,995,000.00.”  We passed through Boca Raton, which drips with wealth. The places are immaculate.  We passed the Boca Raton Resort where Amanda and I attended a fire sprinkler convention on my 50^th birthday.  We stayed in the tower overlooking the lake, enjoyed great times with friends from the industry, and made lots of memories.  It was fun seeing it from the water side.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Lake Worth North was a pretty anchorage.  We did get our late afternoon thunderstorm, but we can’t hold that against the anchorage. The storms are becoming quite the norm.

The anchorage, we learned later, is the neighborhood of Jack Nicolas’ home.  Wished we had known before we left.  I’d have called The Bear and asked him over for supper.  Rumor has it Tiger Woods’ home is here, too. Too bad we missed it.

Steve and Susie came over for dinner.  I threw the dinghy in the water, picked them up, and we enjoyed orzo salad, grilled chicken, asparagus, and for dessert, Blue Belle ice cream with Amanda’s famous homemade chocolate sauce.  After the sugar buzz wore off, I slept really well.

Miami Virginia Key Anchorage to Sunrise Bay/Ft. Lauderdale

We pulled out of south Miami around 7.  Our planned, shorter day, 27 NM (but still 5 hours), meant we could enjoy (rubberneck) the landscape of this first day inside the ICW.  With the number bridges we had to navigate, the pace of the day was even slower (as hard as that may be to believe).  This waterway contains some of the most expensive real estate in the world.  Our mouths hung open as we perused countless multi-million dollar homes.  And most of them have boats, correction, mega yachts sitting at the private docks.  They all are what I call “2 comma” boats and private residences.  All the properties have 2 commas in their value.  Amanda said, “I have never heard the brand names of most of these boats.”  And my reply, “you never will, dear, you never will.”

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

As I mentioned, many bridges cross the ICW in the metro areas.  Most are low enough to require opening for our passage.  We frequently wait for the next scheduled opening.  Bridges open either on the hour and half hour or on the quarter and three quarter hour.  So, once you get into the rhythm, seldom is our wait more than 5 minutes but our pace is always slow.  It’s all part of the adventure, so we remember we aren’t on a schedule and try to soak it all in.

We arrived at the anchorage just after noon, so we had a long afternoon to chill.  Steve and Susie had stopped at a boat yard to have some minor work done on the control board of their stabilizers.  They soon caught up with us and anchored off our port side a safe distance away.  Shortly after, I was on the cockpit (back porch) writing this blog when I heard this strange knocking sound.  Amanda had stretched out on the couch in the salon, so I got up, assuming she was tapping on something in the galley.  She asked me what I was hammering outside.  As I answered that I wasn’t hammering, I heard it again.  I walked back outside and heard it again.  I had nothing running, but couldn’t figure out where it was coming from.  One last time, the knocking sounded like it was in the hull of my boat, so I leaned over the gunnel and there was Susie hanging on the side of my boat laughing at us. Steve had swum to the other side and started knocking again.  These 2 goofy friends had slipped into the water from their boat, quietly swam to ours, and started the knocking on the boat side.  They have made our trip more fun and their sense of humor keeps us guessing as to what might happen next.

Sunrise Bay is just off the ICW. A popular anchorage because it is surrounded by homes almost entirely; wind is seldom a threat from any direction.  With a nice breeze through the evening and night, we swung gently with the other boats and enjoyed stress free sleep.

Rodriguez Key to Miami (Virginia Key Anchorage)

Day 265  May 18, 2020

A restful night at Rodriguez Key and we were off to Miami shortly after 7.  The forecast wasn’t quite what we hoped for, but by no means a show stopper.  Tropical Storm Arthur, first named storm of the year, did not affect us, since most of it was working its way up the Carolina’s coast today.  That said, the partly cloudy day turned to mostly cloudy, and we did get one of those widely scattered thunderstorms shortly after our departure.  But the seas were flat and most of the day was breezy enough to keep us from getting too sweaty. We left the open water and entered Key Biscayne, south of downtown Miami.  Our plan was to anchor at a place called Miami Stadium Anchorage, but it was packed out with boats.  All Talk II and the Honey Queen backtracked about a ½ mile to the south side of the Bay Bridge, where we still had a view of the Miami skyline.  This anchorage is much more exposed to southerly winds, but the storm we were watching was north of Miami, so we felt safe. However, feelings should always be verified with facts when it comes to boating. 

Steve and Susie asked us to join them for burgers on the grille (still my favorite meal choice).  So I splashed the dink and we puttered 100 yards to their 70’ Marlow mother ship, All Talk II. We ate on the flybridge and watched the clouds grow more and more ominous. We finished eating and decided the weather wasn’t going to be as kind to us as we had forecasted.  Steve and I both have come to the conclusion that meteorology is not in our future.  We made a joint decision it was in our best interest to get our _ _ _ back to the boat, or Steve and Susie would have guests for the night. The rain started as we secured the dinghy on our swim platform.  We secured the rest of the windows just as the bottom fell out.  Then the lightning came.  Then the hail. The winds picked up and our boat (and the 70 footer, too), did almost a 360 turn in the bay.  I dragged anchor at least 300 feet. Winds peaked at 43 knots on my wind meter (we spoke to friends the next day who were anchored around the corner, who said they saw 63 on their wind meter).  I was thinking that if it was raining cats and dogs right now, they would have hit the side of our boat, not landed on top. We were rocking and I was hoping that the mast on top of the boat (aka lightning rod) would not attract any high voltage from the air waves.  I mopped water the whole time that was blowing through the windows and doors and about 20 minutes later, the storm left us and we finally exhaled.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The worst behind us, we watched a few minutes of The Voice (my Admiral’s favorite show) before we went to bed.  We had experienced more than a widely scattered thunderstorm…it was severe. I’ll be happy to miss those in the future.

We rose early at 6:00 am to an alarm clock.  Not setting an alarm has been one of the easiest adjustments to the retired life. Forty plus years of 5:30-6:00 am have easily been replaced with being waked by the light in the room. I had a little trouble remembering how to set it, especially for that early.  My more recent talent has been setting the timer on my watch for my afternoon nap. I digress. Tom and Paula and Robert and Carolyn sacrificed their morning sleep-in and assisted the Honey Queen and All Talk II with their lines.  The marina boys had promised to be there at 7 to help, but ended up calling us on the VHF about 7:20 apologizing for missing our departure.  Though we had plenty of help and didn’t need them, they did miss out on a pretty good tip that I had planned to give them.  They have been great servants and have accommodated our stay above and beyond what we would have expected. We hope to spend time here again next year, and use Marlin Bay as a springboard to the Bahamas, if the Lord wills.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Our journey was 47 NM and our destination Rodriguez Bay.  It was probably one of the prettiest days we’ve experienced on the Loop. We arrived early afternoon, got the anchor settled, and Steve and Susie swam over to our boat for a visit.  We hadn’t seen them since yesterday, so we had lots to catch up on.  Seriously, we have so enjoyed their sense of humor and are thrilled to have a buddy boat to plan with and to discuss destination possibilities.  And it never hurts to have a second set of eyes and ears to talk things through.

We rode the dingy over to our other friends, Ted and Robin, on the Curtis Sea, then over to Mike and Marylou’s on Enshallah.   After running out of people to talk to, we returned to our boat, had a nice hot dog dinner and then watched 60 Minutes. In case you have not heard: there’s a virus out there, the economy is in terrible shape, “certain” leaders are doing a terrible job, and the climate is getting warmer.  I felt much better informed about what is going on (because I had not heard any of this ever before).

I ran the generator for a while to get the batteries topped off for the evening, and we shut it all down for the night.  Tomorrow, we head to Miami, with the weather almost as promising for us.

With the forecast of lots of wind and rain the week of the 11^th, we decided leaving later was a wise choice. It ended up being a blessing in disguise.

First, after that 2 hours of playing guitar Friday night, I woke up Saturday morning hurting in my wrist (yes, the same right wrist that had a tube and wire run up it just 5 days before.  Apparently, I singlehandedly (yes, that’s an attempt at humor) inflicted such inflammation in my wrist that I could hardly lift my arm Saturday-Monday.  I sat around whining, icing and elevating my wrist, until the pain started letting up Monday.  The heart cath was a piece of cake, compared to this.

• 

• 

• 

Most of the week passed without any drama.  Tuesday, we were able to go out to dinner at one of the partially opened restaurants.

Amanda and Susie enjoyed Maine lobster, while Steve grabbed some sushi and nearly caught his face on fire with an overdose of wasabi. I ate a boring (delicious) grouper.

It rained relentlessly most of the week; some said we got almost 6 inches. 

• 

Our weather has been perfect nearly since we arrived, so with the rainy season upon us, we aren’t complaining.  It’s been a nice stay at the marina.

Friday night, 8 of us gathered and went to dinner once last time.  Several of us will be leaving and going different directions and we will miss these opportunities to hang together.  Robert/Carolyn, Tom/Paula, Steve/Susie, and us caught a $6.00 taxi ride to Castaway-Marathon.

• 

• 

• 

• 

It was great to hang with these friends that 2 months ago we never knew existed.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Saturday, the 16^th, we spent the morning prepping the Honey Queen for our Sunday departure.  Fluids, strainers, filters, etc.  The same routine I was used to doing daily for so much of our trip.  Now, I had to think.  Not having run the engine or generator for weeks, I gave them a little test run to ensure their performance was up to par.  We made our last trip to Publix, mask in hand, to provision for what may as long as a week before we see a grocery again.  This can sometimes be a challenge with a refrigerator as small as ours.  We picked up a couple bags of our ice for our Yeti to handle the overflow.  Steve and Susie have an ice maker on board their yacht, and graciously offered to lend us ice if we run short.

Saturday afternoon, most every remaining boater at Marlin Bay gathered at the pool for Analise’s birthday party. Mark and Lana’s special needs daughter turns 17 this week and has been one of the highlights of our time in Marathon.  Her sweet, sweet spirit and personality have been a joy to us all. Several of the ladies decided to put the surprise event together.  We all bought small gifts and ice and cake were served.  Analise was thrilled and surprised.  We enjoyed watching her tear through her gifts. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

We have enjoyed meeting people all along the Loop, but there are no finer people than those right here.  The event put us all together and gave us time say good byes to many.  We also figured out that several more were leaving Sunday morning, as well.  Of those, 2 boats were going to the exact place we had planned, so instead of saying good bye, it was more like, see you tomorrow!

With only a sore wrist, we spent the next few days taking it especially easy.  My sweet bride of almost 42 years doted over me and made sure I did nothing to exert any extra energy.  I don’t recommend a blocked artery, but it does get one out of washing dishes and few other household chores, so it’s not all bad. By Friday, my hand was feeling great and my energy was renewed.  I made my rounds to the neighbors and invited them over for a Friday night sing-along. 

• 

• 

I pulled out my old guitar and we sang songs for 2 hours.  They would make requests, look the words up on their phones or ipads, and I would fake my way through the song chords.  We laughed a lot and had a great time.

To update, we have altered our exit from Marathon.  Our planned exit of Monday, May 11, has been postponed. The forecast calls for some rain, but lots of wind. The next good weather window will be no sooner than Sunday, May 17.  We will plan to leave either Sunday or Monday, if the Lord wills.

I walked to the hospital at 8:30 this morning.  They checked me in, prepped me with a few needles and patches over most of my body, wrote “X”’s on my feet (must have used a Sharpie cause I’m still trying to get them off), and at 11:00 am, they rolled me into the OR. 

• 

It’s common knowledge, the Cath procedure is now routine.  It’s considered minor surgery.  But there is no such thing as minor surgery (oxymoron), when it’s your body on the table.  With that said, I watched a screen to my left as they inserted a wire in my right arm, ran it to my right coronary artery, and installed a stent in my 95% blockage. 

• 

• 

Five hours later, they pulled all the needles and patches, and handed me some printed instructions.  When I asked what else needed to happen, the nurse said, “Walk out that door, go through the double doors, and the elevator will be on your left.”  Just like that, I was done.  No wheelchair, no escort, just me. I walked through the Lobby to the drive through (Porte Cochere) and then waited on Amanda to pick me up.  As I stood there, all I could think was, “I had heart surgery a few hours ago, these people saved my life, and here I am standing our front, waiting on a ride.”  That ain’t routine. I am the beneficiary of a miracle.  Sometimes, that word is thrown around a little too loosely, but what I witnessed today, from first-hand experience, was just that, a miracle.  I stand in awe of the technology, science, and especially of our God who gives all wisdom to man.

We drove directly home (back to the boat in Marathon), 95 miles from Miami.  As we stepped on the boat, the Marlin Bay Marina boating community family had made posters and taped them to the boat. 

Boaters seldom stay strangers. We have grown close to so many here in these weeks. I teared up as I was reminded of how many people had prayed for me this day, and that my surgery was not a routine thing.  It was, well…it was a miracle.

Today is Stella Marie’s (our 3rd grandchild) birthday. Though we are 600 miles from her, we decided to celebrate her birthday and NDRD at the same time. We made our first dinghy adventure day in quite a while. Mark & Lana, Robert & Carolyn, Steve & Susie, with us tagging along started NDRD (National Dinghy Ride Day).  It was my idea, so I will take full responsibility for this national holiday, and its imminent success.  Just remember Ocho de Mayo.  Someday, it may be a paid holiday.

With the Florida restaurants receiving approval to open to 25% capacity, we decided to take a mini-loop around Marathon.  Eighteen miles plus, we were able to get off the boat (home) and out of the marina to enjoy a day of sunshine on the water.  Because of my heart issues, Amanda wouldn’t let me pull start our dinghy, so we ended up in the boat with Steve & Susie.  Their dinghy is almost as big as our home boat, so we were quite comfortable and Amanda was happy not worrying about me doing something to myself.

• 

• 

Approximately, half way around the loop, we stopped at Dockside Marine/Restaurant and enjoyed lunch outside under their canopy.  Their first day open in weeks, the wait staff was thrilled to see us and to have clientele again.  It’s been so hard for these hardworking restaurant workers and owners during this virus.  We were equally happy to eat out and have happy people serving us.  We enjoyed burgers, tacos, and chicken pot pie.  I think I may have seen someone enjoy a cold beer…or two, as well. We cruised at a slow pace after lunch, enjoying the sunshine and company with our friends. Steve let me drive his dinghy back, so I could be under the bimini.  Everyone is really looking out for me, since I will have heart surgery (cath) tomorrow morning.

• 

• 

We got back to our respective boats about 3:00 pm.  FINALLY, around 4:00, I got the call from the heart surgeon’s office that my wonderful (sarcasm intended) insurance company had come through and that the procedure would happen tomorrow. Quite relieved, we packed a few things and headed to Miami, where we stayed at a Spring Hill Suites, around the corner from the hospital.

We talked to the kids on Zoom, from the hotel, and then crashed for the night. Tomorrow is a big day in the life of this heart patient.

Marlin Bay Resort & Marina–Marathon, Florida

I am writing for the first time in a month.  The world isn’t the same since I last wrote.  The virus spread at an incomprehensible rate.  The term “social distancing” has become a household word. New friendships made are differently.  We have not gotten as close, figuratively or literally, to the boaters here, like we have for the last year.  It’s just another time.   In the weeks we have been here, we gathered twice at a picnic table and shared meals with other boaters.  We had one “docktail” party, as well.  Typically, that social aspect describes 3 nights in a marina, not a month.  Like the rest of the world, we’ve shared our opinions regarding what we think is the right thing to do.  Some think social distancing is a joke.  Some take it very seriously.  Some think it’s Trump’s fault (surprise surprise) and some think he is doing a terrific job managing the pandemic in America.  One thing is for sure, regardless of your party affiliation: Trump thinks HE is doing a fantastic job! Nobody knows what is right.  I do know that after our 2^nd supper gathering, we got a letter from the GM at the marina.  Apparently, someone saw us too close to one another, violating the 6’ rule.  We got our hands spanked and decided we’d best follow the rule of the law for our health, as well as, to ensure we have a place to stay.  Three years from now, we will know what was the right thing to do.

The marina has tried to figure it out, as well.  Since our arrival, they have now closed the main lounge, boater’s lounge, fitness center, and steam and sauna rooms.  As the world has gone to lock down, we as boaters wondered what our fate would be.  With Florida’s governor mandating all short term (vacation) rentals be terminated immediately, we feared those of us in slip rentals would have to leave.  After seeking legal counsel, the marina offered us an opportunity to renew our lease, on a month to month basis (meets the letter of the new ordinance because leases are longer than 28 days). That offer provided us a place to stay and we grabbed it.  Marinas all over have closed, so we are relieved to have a place to stay for as long as we need.  After saying good bye to our Bahamas dream, we are pleased to be in such a good location, even with the restrictions.

The city of Marathon has virtually shut down, like all towns.  The state placed a security checkpoint on Highway 1 so no southbound traffic from the mainland can access, without proof of residency.  Apparently, northerners (New York, specifically) have tried to escape the Covid-19 hot spot, literally running for their lives.  The Keys depend almost exclusively on the tourism industry. Fishing and water related entertainment are the reasons people come. Marinas have settled into a routine, accepting no new boaters, and requiring that any boat leaving the marina must file a float plan or be denied reentry.  The plan must also include a commitment to not go anywhere where where there is contact with other people.  If there is contact, reentry is denied, or worse, quarantined to the boat for 2 weeks. 

So, entering our second month in Marathon, we have almost grown bored with the routine.  As beautiful as the environment, we don’t go far.  Occasional trips to the grocery with masks and gloves, we find the Publix is an exciting outlet for our psyche.   All restaurants, like most places in America, are only open for take-out.  We have had pizza a couple times and seafood a couple times.  But for the most part, we ride bicycles to the grocery one mile down the road and then do our own food prep.

As all boaters know, there is always a project to do on the boat.  But with 31 boats now confined to Marlin Bay Marina, it is my observation from my 6’-0” conversations with other boaters, we are all running out of projects on our boats. 

For example, after being here a couple weeks with no functioning TV, I broke down and ordered the satellite antenna system that I have considered since I bought the Honey Queen. That has provided some entertainment relief for us. Over the air TV antennas, the method most boaters use for watching TV, are useless here because the nearest broadcast station in Miami is almost 100 miles away.  Amanda can now watch Fox News, which has consisted mostly of Trump’s daily press conferences, providing us with updates on the virus.  The antenna installation provided me some entertainment for a couple days.

• 

• 

• 

Abigail joined us the 18^th of March, and Zach came on Friday the 20^th.  Their plan was to visit for a few days and then head back to Nashville. Zach did return, but Abigail is still with us.  She has been able to work remotely, what little work there is to do in her business.  So, for now, 3 of us are living on the Honey Queen.  Abigail “enjoys” the skinny couch in the salon as her new bed.  She prefers to hang with us in paradise, as opposed to confinement in her apartment alone in Nashville (temps are going to 39 degrees tonight, as I right).  I would like to think she loves spending time with her parents, but if the truth be told, I think the weather here may have a little to do with her decision to stay.

The following pictures summarize our weeks and memories in Marathon.   We have enjoyed our time here, been happy to have Abigail and Zach with us, and we have made some good friends, in spite of the circumstances.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Wrapping up this post, one more thought. Since late February, I have dealt with an issue that we now know is a restricted opening in one of my heart arteries. After dealing with shortness of breath when running, I went to a cardiologist in Marathon. Now, almost 8 weeks later, I have been scheduled to have a heart cath procedure on Tuesday , May 5. So many of you have promised to pray for success in that procedure. I have been humbled by the genuine interest and concern for me as I enter into this procedure. I am thankful the doctors were able to find out and address the issue, before a heart attack. Thank you for your outreach and your promises to be praying.

My mind turns to the verses in James, Chapter 4:13-16; Look here, you say, “today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog–it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. Friends and family, I am thankful to you. We are trusting in the sovereignty of God and that His choice will be healing through the surgeon’s hands on Tuesday.

Finally, if the Lord wills, we will be here until May 11. With the hopeful news from Delegal Marina in Savannah, we expect a slip to open very soon for us.  Boats at Delegal have not been able to leave for the same reasons we have not.  We trust the stay-home ban will soon lift and boats will be able to get to their real homes.    We hope to be in Delegal by June 1^st. 

The trip home will take 14-17 travel days.  We have fuel capacity and water capacity to make it without the need of a marina, if it comes to that.  A number of marinas are open along the Atlantic coast of Florida, so we trust there will be options. 

We see the end of our big adventure coming to an end. What an experience this has been. We do look forward to some time back home, with family and friends. As Dorothy has said, “There’s no place like home.”