The Dry Tortugas....May 6th through May 9th

Our first BIG adventure since we have been in Key West, was a trip to the Dry Tortugas!  If you are anything like me, I was familiar with the name but that was about it!  So, not to sound too much like a teacher, I will give you a brief overview of the "lay of the land"!  Almost 70 miles west of Key West lies a group of seven islands, composed mostly of coral reefs and sand.  Originally they were named Las Tortuga (the turtles) by Ponce de Leon in 1513.  This was changed on the mariners' charts to Dry Tortugas to indicate there was no fresh water on the islands. In 1825, the first lighthouse was built to warn sailors about the rocky shoals that surround these islands.  Thus, this is the final resting place of many vessels.

By 1829, the United States knew it could control navigation to the Gulf of Mexico and protect the Atlantic-bound Mississippi River trade if they could fortify the Tortugas.  Fort Jefferson's  (named after our third president) construction started on Garden Key (the largest of the islands) in 1846.  Construction continued for 30 years but was never finished.  During the Civil War, it was a Union military prison for captured deserters.  It housed four men convicted of complicity in Abraham Lincoln's assassination.  This included Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was the Dr. who helped and set the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth.  By the 1880's, the Fort was abandoned by the Army and then became a wildlife refuge.  Fort Jefferson was proclaimed a National Monument in 1935 and was designated Dry Tortuga National Park in 1992.This would protect its scenic, cultural and marine wildlife (most notable are the birds and the loggerhead and green turtles that call this area home).  So, there you have it folks, a thumbnail sketch of the Dry Tortugas.

 The Tortugas can only be reached by sea or by air (sea planes).  Thus, you must bring your own provisions and water with you, if you sail there, as we did.  The National Parks Dept. here on Key West run a ferry to the Islands daily and give two guided tours of the Fort per day. If you want to be in the Tortugas, you are on your own to plan for your food, water and necessary things you might need (restroom facilities :) So with that information, we made a trip to Publix before we departed Key West.  We were set!!!!  My only "fear" was the fact there is NO communication on the Island.  No phone, no internet, no TV....basically it is rather primitive!

Our trip started on Wed. May 6th.  We planned to make it a two day trip over to the Tortugas,  with a stop over at the Marquesas Islands, which are about 23 miles from Key West.  These, too, are not inhabited, but you can take your dingy to shore if you so choose.  It was a very peaceful anchorage and we made a nice dinner on the boat and watched and captured on camera a beautiful sunset.  After coffee and breakfast the next AM, we were off to our destination.

It was another eight hour sail to the Tortugas from the Marquesas.  Not too much happens on a sailboat in open water as you sail mile after mile...but we did have some visitors.  (This is a de je vous kind of a tale!!!)  All of a sudden, a very small bird (perhaps the size of a wren) flew into the cockpit of our boat and landed very close to Steve.  In fact, he even climbed on Steve's finger!  Cute, right???  Well, he continued to fly around the cockpit and land every so often and then he was off.  Pretty soon he was back and I guess he had told a "friend" that this sure beat flying and come on over!  They flew around, landed, etc. until one decided to fly down into the lower level of our boat.  At first, I thought this was cute to have these tiny guys on board, but NOT fly in our kitchen and bedroom.  So, I sent Steve to chase them out....once again, I am not the animal/bird girl.  Once that was accomplished, we put the door in the opening.  Finally, I'm watching our new little friends, when one starts to fly to the other side of the boat BUT didn't quite make it and landed in my hair!  Okay, that's it!  I am not enjoying this anymore!  End of story, a few miles from our destination they both flew off.  Probably to be at home on the huge bird sanctuary on the Island.

Fort Jefferson is a huge structure and takes up most of Garden Key.  You can start to see it in the horizon many miles before you arrive.  The water is the beautiful aqua color of the Caribbean and is rather shallow considering you are in Gulf.  It made a magnificent sight as we sailed in to where we were going to anchor next to the Fort.  The only other Island that tourists can visit is Loggerhead Island, which is named after the loggerhead turtles that call it "home".  They and the green turtles are protected in this area.  It is the season for them to come on shore and lay their eggs, so the Park Rangers are always on the look out for turtle nests. They have approximately 250 nests yielding 15,00 hatchlings each summer.  We sailed past Loggerhead as we approached Fort Jefferson.  Both islands are  what I call "postcard material".  I'm no photographer, but the pictures I took of the lighthouse and surrounding water I just love!

We spent two nights anchored off of Garden Key surrounded by about 8 to 10 other boats.  At night on the sand outside the Fort, there is room for 8 campsites.  They must bring all of their provisions on the Ferry (tents, kayaks, food, etc)  Our first day there, we took a dingy ride (three miles) over to Loggerhead Island.  This is where the old lighthouse still stands.  The last light was removed a few years ago and is now on display at the National Aids to Navigation School in Yorktown, VA.  It states that this light could be observed at a distance of 53 miles.  This area can be a dangerous place, as more than 250 shipwrecks have been documented in these waters.  When we landed on the island, we noted four kayaks on the shore.  Soon we met the owners who were from Texas...yee haw!  They had paddled their kayaks over and were spending the day snorkeling and viewing one of the wrecks off shore.  We were, also, met by the Park Rankger.  She was very informative and gave us some facts about the Island.  She and her husband (a retired Park Ranger) were working for one month on the Island.  Their so called base is Rocky Mountain National Park and she will return to that job the end of this month.  They, too, must bring provisions for a month with them and do not leave  the Island in that months time.  The ferry will bring them milk or a few other items if they should run out, but they are there for a month.  Solitude!!!!!  Steve did some snorkeling and I just soaked in the sunshine and beauty.  It was quite beautiful.

Beginning of a Palm Tree

A Frigate Bird

That late afternoon, we took the dingy over to the Fort.  There is a large moat around the outside and you walk across a  bridge to enter.  Of course, it is very old and is always being repaired.  Once inside, it is massive but quite stark!  All the way around the facility are the places for the cannons that were used to fortify the fort.  They have  tried to rebuild and renovate the officer's quarters but we could not go inside.   It is one of the nation's largest 1800s masonary forts.
On the same Island, is the bird sanctuary which can only be viewed by water from January through October.  Many songbirds and other migrants fly over or nest in the Dry Tortugas.  The islands lie across a principal flyway between North America and South America. Many  gulls, terns and migratory shore birds winter here.   Our favorite bird to watch was the frigate bird.  It is large with a seven foot wingspan and a v-shaped tail.

Saturday morning, Steve listened to the marine weather report which is headed by a weatherman named Chris Parker.  Steve has used his services when he has crossed the Gulf.  As I mentioned, I am a fair weather sailor so any reports of higher winds or seas is not to my liking.  Bottom line, when Steve called Chris on the marine radio, his suggestion was to set sail on Saturday morning (as he spoke) and head back to Key West. OR, we could wait until Sunday, as we had planned, and have a "bumpy ride" for 12 hours.  That answered our question....pack up and let's go!  We did have a beautiful sail home, but didn't arrive in our marina  until 10:00 PM.  It had been quite an adventure and we were able to see many beautiful sights!  If you ever have the chance to go there, we highly recommend the trip!

Nancy's April

In Steve's log entry, it was discussed that I don't do Gulf crossings.  Reason????  I get sea sick AND it takes too long!  So, my alternative is to fly North to see the children and grandchildren and try to keep a watch on Steve and his" were abouts" in the Gulf. It works for us, folks!!!

I flew to Chicago on the 1st (and that is no April Fool joke).  I must say, all of my flights on this trip were perfect!  You need to give the airlines an "atta boy" when they come through for you like that!  I spent from the 1st through the 20th in Schererville, going between Melissa and Jon's homes so that they didn't get too tired of me !!!  What's my Dad's old joke....fish and company are both the same, after three days they both stink!  What???  Not ME!!!  While in NWI, I got to celebrate Easter and go to a huge Easter egg hunt in Crown Point, hike in the Dunes National Park, watch Tyler play baseball and see his new belt he earned in Karate, saw Ava's track meet, played board games and read books with the kids AND had time to get together with old friends for dinner/lunch!  Life is good!
Once I knew Steve was in the Keys, then I was able to make plane reservations to go meet him.  I loved the pilot that flew us from Atlanta to Key West.  He came on the loud speaker and explained if we hadn't flown into Key West before, it was Delta's shortest landing strip.  So, he said as soon as we touched down he would hit the brakes.  But not to worry, it was his favorite place to land a jet and he also had many years of Naval flight training behind him.  When that jet hit the ground, oh yes, he hit those brakes hard and we landed quickly.  We deplaned on the tarmak since they don't have the covered walkways....welcome to sunny Key West.  Mr. Steve was right there to meet me!

Since that time, we have been "living on Island time"!  It's been warm, sunny and just beautiful.  The marina we are in is great and I took some pictures so you could paint a picture in your mind of where we are and what we do.  So many people have asked me what we do all day....well, it varies but a lot of it involves finding new places to go and explore.  One of my favorites, of course, are the restaurants.  Key West never disappoints with their choices of food.  We are always on the lookout for great key lime pie and seafood.  We've had pie at Blue Heaven and the Key West Key Lime Pie Company....both excellent, I might add!  Another favorite is Antonio's with Italian fare....delicious.  The A and B Oyster Bar was recommended to us by the marina van driver.  The happy hour goes from 4:00 to 6:30 and their drinks and appetizers (which are a meal in themselves) are half price, so it is fun and fairly inexpensive!  (which is unique in Key West)

Steve and I both like museums and have found many in our travels.  We ended up at the Museum of Arts and Science in downtown Key West.  There was a huge exhibit featuring Ernest Hemmingway and we both learned a lot about the man and the early days in Key West.  As many of you know, people always come up to Steve and say, "Do you know who you look like?"  And their response is Kenny Rogers.  Well, one day a gentleman had Steve roll down his window at a stop light and asked the same question and Steve was sure he knew what he would say!  Nope!  You look like Ernest Hemmingway!  Well, Steve didn't know if that was a compliment or not!  After seeing many pictures of Mr. Hemmingway at the exhibit, we came upon one that really DID look like Steve.  He's one famous man!

Ernest Hemmingway

The past two weeks have left us tan, rested and WELL FED!  We are now ready for a sail to the Dry Tortugas which are 70 miles West of here.  We have had to wait for a good weather window, because this little sailor likes calm seas.  So, our next blog will fill you in on that adventure.

Crossing The Gulf to Florida - Second Time

It’s  been a month since we left Corpus Christi and I have been putting off writing the blog for the Gulf crossing because I’m lazy and “Wasting Away in Margaritaville”, aka Key West.  There just doesn't seem to be any urgency to do anything down here, other than make sure we are on time for “Happy Hour”.  We haven’t been late yet, whatever time it has been.

 

We have been at the Stock Island Marina since April 15^th.  It’s a new marina on the key next to Key West.  The facilities and staff are excellent.   We have shuttle and bus service to downtown Key West, which is about a 20 minute ride.  Life is good here and very relaxed.

Since this blog is about the Gulf crossing, I had better go back to the beginning on April 1^st.  Kathryn was ready and provisioned for the crossing.  In the morning, I took Nancy to the airport to fly back to Indiana, as she, for some reason, doesn’t like to sail across the Gulf.   I just don’t understand her; she is a little funny about these things.   At around 6 PM that night, I went back to the airport in Corpus and picked up my two friends, Buford and Lee.  We went to the boat and prepared for an early morning departure from Padre Island Yacht Club. 

Lee Watson & Buford Eddy

On April 2^nd, we left the Yacht Club and motored to Port Aransas where we topped off the fuel tank and headed out into the Gulf.   We headed east and were able to sail close-hauled on southeast winds.  It was a beautiful day on the water.   After dark, we were still making good speed on the southeast breeze.
   

First Sunset of the Trip

During the evening, Lee started feeling very ill.  Through the night he became very sick and I decided we needed to head north to Freeport, TX to get him help.  If we didn’t head north now, we would be committed to a couple of more days as sea before we could make land fall.   We arrived in Freeport the next afternoon and docked at the public marina.  Lee was feeling a bit better, but decided it was best for him not to continue.  He was able to make reservation and fly out the next day.  Buford and I decided to continue on to Florida, but we would really miss Lee.

Buford and I left Freeport on April 5^th and started heading southeast.  

Headed East to Florida

Buford Keeping the Spot Radio Working So Everyone Can Monitor Our Progress

We had smooth sailing on southeast winds.  By the next morning, the winds were on the nose so we found ourselves motor sailing.  Not what I want to do at the beginning of a long trip when we only have a limited amount of fuel.  We continued to motor east and dodge oil rigs.  After another day of motoring, we decided we needed to get fuel so we headed for Grand Isle, LA.  We arrived early in the morning of April 8^th.  We filled up with fuel and did some laundry.  My friend, Andy Galliano, who lives there, stopped by and took us out to dinner.  We had great burgers and swapped stories with Andy. 

The next morning, April 9^th, we left Grand Isle at around 9AM.  We spent most of the day motoring south into a 15 knot winds and rolling seas.  Not uncomfortable, just slow and not much fun.  Once we got 50 or so miles south, we were able to start heading east and sail on the south winds.   The next day was probably some of our best sailing.  We were sailing in an east current and, on a couple of occasion,s hit 10 knots and consistently doing 8 knots.  But all good things come to an end and our favorable current and south winds were no exception.  The winds turned out of the east and we were back to motor sailing into the wind.  That was the story all the way to Venice Fl.  Wind on the nose.

Buford Playing His Guitalele and Fishing

One of the  interesting things that happened on this part of the trip was the hitch hikers we picked up.  About 60 miles west of Venice, FL. a couple of small birds, that reminded me of barn swallows, started flying around the boat.  I thought it was very strange that these birds were more than 60 miles from any land.  They looked a bit tired and as it got dark they decided to land on the boat.  One landed on Buford’s leg and sat there for a minute before flying off again.  The second bird decided to land behind the dodger and didn’t have any problem with us getting very close to him.  Buford went below to rest when the second bird landed on my arm.  He let me stroke his wing a couple of times and then took off.  As night fell, the bird behind the dodger tucked his head under his wing and went to sleep, while the other found a perch back in the dinghy and did the same.  They spent the night and just after the sun came up, as we arrived at Venice,  they few off.

A Tired and Sleepy Bird

The Second Hitchhiker

Close Up

We arrived at Venice, FL around 7 AM on April 13^th.   Kathryn needed fuel and an oil change.   Buford and I needed a shower and some food and drink.  I was surprised to hear from my friend, Bill Boyd, who was on vacation and was only a half hour away.  Bill drove over and took us to a grocery store and we all enjoyed a good dinner at the Crow’s Nest Restaurant at the marina. 

Kathryn at Venice FL

 The next morning Buford and I left Venice and set sail south to Key West.  We had been fighting easterly winds for the past three days and were looking forward to sailing south on them.  But, no luck.  The winds had shifted to the south and we found ourselves motor sailing again.  We continued motor sailing for the next 34 hours until we reached Stock Island. 

This was a much more uneventful trip than last year.  The Gulf was kind to us this year with generally smooth seas and mild winds even though they were almost always out of the direction we wanted to go.  Maybe my crossing back will

provide us with better wind and a little more excitement.

We Did Eat Well..  Had Hot Meals Every Night

Looks Like We May Get Wet

We Had Many Wonderful Sunsets and Star Filled Nights