..........MacGregor Index Page.......... 2015 Bahama Trip Index Page

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--- White Horse Key --- to --- --- Little Shark River (Everglades) ---

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............................ ..(March 17th) ..Anchorage --- N 25º 19.350´ ==== Trip Mileage = 215 miles ...................W 81º 09.397´ ==== Day's Mileage = 49 miles

Since I hadn't been able to leave Ft. Myers Beach in total darkness I decided to try again here and I had almost 50 miles to cover to get to Little Shark so an early exit would be good. Well it turned out to be how many things can you do wrong and still get away with it. I was up by 5 and ready to go before 6 and this time of the year it wasn't light until after 7 so I had my 'dark'. Well not entirely as mistake number one is that I didn't take down the yard lights that charge during the day and shine at night on the stanchions ahead of and to the sides of the cockpit. There was no moon so we are talking dark but with those lights there my night vision was shot. I should of not put them up the night before and for sure should of taken them down that morning.

Mistake number two was for some reason as I had never done it before I didn't have the Garmin hand-held running with its waypoints and the track also available to me as I went out. I only had OpenCPN running on the computer and the monitor running it facing out into the cockpit and zoomed in so I could see the route out and the route I'd come in on in detail. It was on night mode but even on that mode the screen is bright so more loss of night vision.

Keep in mind that the route in from the Gulf and out is very narrow with shallow water and or land close on both sides. The night before two other boats had come in and anchored for the night. As I started out I realized one was sitting almost on top of one of my waypoints where I had to turn to port. I didn't want to run right next to them so cut the turn about 100 yards short. My rudder then kicks up so I know I'm now in water less than 3 feet. I look at the chartplotter and start turning to get back where I need to be and I'm now headed for the sandy point of White Horse that you run very close to exiting to the Gulf. Watching the boat, the Mac and I, on the chartplotter I don't seem to be turning hard enough to port so crank the rudder over and still don't seem to be moving like I should of.

The next thing I know the bow goes up in the air and the boat stops. I look at the depth finder and I have 9 feet under the stern. I can't make sense of it at first and wonder did I run up on something in the channel or what.

Well I go forward and guess what I ran up on the sandy point of Whitehorse and was firmly aground. I figured out a little later that the USB GPS that is connected to the computer had stopped for some reason giving location. So while I thought I needed to turn more to port the screen was not being updated it was actually static at the last GPS position it had received.

This would not of happened if I had the Garmin running as it is also connected to the computer and also sends position all the time. I don't know how OpenCPN knows which to use but I've had it running and unplugged one or the other and it keeps getting position from the one still connected. I don't know why the USB one didn't send position for that minute or so as I've never had this problem before or since. Still with all that in mind I was hard aground on the sand beach and had to deal with that. At least it was sand and not rocks.

I tried backing off with the outboard. No luck with that. I got off and pushed. Again no luck. The tide was out and about as low as it was going to get so I could of just waited for the tide to come in but that second anchored boat was only about 100 yards away and so far I hadn't seen where they had been awakened by what was going on as there was no calling out to me to see if I needed help. I felt pretty embarrassed by the whole deal so really just want to get off and gone before they did awake or at least before they acknowledge the situation in some way.

I got the boat hook out and started to dig a trench on both sides of the bow but the boat wouldn't fall into either one. I got back in the boat and tried the motor again. Nope not going anywhere. So then I started swinging the motor from side to side in reverse and increased the throttle to as much as possible and still keep the prop in the water. That got the bow to wiggle a little side to side and finally it fell into one of the trenches I'd dug but still wouldn't come off. I got back off the bow and started to push again and the boat finally started to move. I jumped up on the bow before it left without me and back in the cockpit reversed off a little and then went to forward and turned to starboard to get back into the channel and then to port to get out into the Gulf. So lots of lessons learned from that one.

Out in the Gulf I started running south and the sun came up and said 'you should of waited on me'.

It was all outboard the first 25 miles or so as...

.... you can see there wasn't much wind out there.

Later the wind came up enough that I was able to motorsail on the outboard and Genoa at 5 kts with the outboard just off idle for the last 20+ miles and finally on the main also. If you are running straight to Little Shark in the Everglades from the 10,000 Islands you end up being about 6 miles off shore since the coast curves in to the east until it starts coming back to you as you approach Little Shark.

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As I neared Little Shark the wind had really piped up and I was running on the main now also and no outboard for the final miles. I wasn't looking forward to lowering the main in the waves even using the tether Scott had given me along with the safety harness Ruth had sewn up. I set the autopilot to run me into the wind and with the tether and harness on it went pretty smoothly. I was now really sold on using them while out here by myself.

Before when Ruth and I had been here we had run up Little Shark a half mile or so but this time I wanted to anchor just after getting in so I could get out faster in the morning as I had another long day ahead of me getting across Florida Bay to the Keys. There were a few other boats already anchored there and I ran between two and tried to get further in so I'd clear them when I was swinging. Well I went from 6 feet of water to less than 3 in a boat's length and kicked the rudder up. As I was turning I heard someone hailing me on the VHF, calling out Kera Jane, which is on the sides of the Mac, and then Sumner, which isn't. I asked them to hold on a minute as I needed to get turned and back into deeper water. I put the anchor down and ended up fairly close to one boat but didn't see a problem myself, but that wouldn't be the case for them.

Back on the radio I found out that Bill and Mary who post on sailboatowners.com were the ones hailing me. They had just made the run over from the Keys and were headed back to Charlotte Harbor. We had messaged back and forth over the years but had never meet. They invited me over for drinks and snacks. I asked if they could possibly come pick me up as I was just too tired to deal with getting the motor on the dinghy, new block and tackle or not, and I don't take it anywhere in higher winds, which there were, without the motor on the transom. Bill was kind enough to come get me and we had a nice visit even into the dark with no mosquitoes due to the wind. Shark River is rumored to be the breeding ground for all mosquitoes on earth or at least it seems that way at times.

While I was on their boat the guy who I was next to came over and expressed his concern about how we were anchored feeling we were too close as he had a lot of rode out and felt he could swing into me. I also had a lot out but not the type to argue said I'd shorten mine up when I got back to the boat although doing that was also going to increase the chance that I might drag. After a really nice visit and some wine and snacks, thanks Mary, Bill hauled me back to the Kera Jane and I shortened the rode about 25 feet and went to bed thinking I've never drug on anchor and now watch that happen tonight. I hate anchorages with other boats. Well I woke up a couple times and checked out things and as far as I could tell we never got close at all.

It was a long day for sure but the fiasco of White Horse was behind me and the boat was still afloat so life was good.

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............................--- Little Shark River --- ........................................................--- to --- .--- Upper Matecumbe Key in Florida Keys ---

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........................ ..(March 18th) Anchorage --- N 24º 55.395´ ==== Trip Mileage = 273 miles ..................W 80º 38.249´ ==== Day's Mileage = 58 miles

It was a rough night with the boat rolling from side to side. It was if powerboats where constantly going by nearby. Must of been the interaction of the tide, current and wind where the wind didn't keep the boat pointed into the waves as it normally does. I woke up a couple times. Checked to make sure that I was staying clear of my nervous neighbor which the boat was and at 5:30 thought about going but said, 'no Sumner wait for more light. The wind/wave perditions were good with less than 2 foot seas and not much wind.

I finally pulled the anchor and headed out at 7 am not long before the sun was due up, so it was light out. First 10 miles were a little rough with quartering seas but they were on their way down. Put out the Genoa and was able to motor-sail to some point the first 20 miles ...

.... to down around Cape Sable, the furtherest point south on Florida's southwest coast, but I needed to keep my speed up as I wanted to run over 50 miles.

Then down about Sandy Key the water went flat and so did the wind. Sandy is the only Key you come close to on this route and is part way across Florida Bay. I tried to stay just inside the Everglades National park boundary markers to miss as many of the thousands of crab pot floats out. Those guys lay them right up to the boundary and sometime a little ways in according to my GPS. A few places it was to shallow to run in there so then it was dodge the crab pots and yes I managed to hook one with the rudder but this time I knew what had happened and was on my way again a few minutes later.

By Sandy there were some guides and fishermen working the banks there.

In 2011 Ruth and I had made this crossing with a lot of anaxity before hand. Having done that I pretty much just looked at this as a long day on the water. We had crossed at an angle where we went into the Gulf side of Marathon and spent some time there. I'd thought about doing that as I knew I could get gas there. Reading one of the guide books on the Keys I found a couple possibilities for gas in the northern Keys so bypassed Marathon and ...

... hit the Keys near the Channel 5 bridge north of Marathon. I couldn't believe it when I first saw it as it seemed like compared to the crossing that Ruth and I had done this one was much shorter, which it wasn't, but like a lot of trips the second time always seems faster. Seeing the bridge I could pick up the branch of the ICW that runs inside the Keys on the Gulf side and ends at Key West. Of Course I was headed .....

... north on it.

The wind had come up and I actually got some help from the wind my last 30 miles or so. I didn't have a particular anchorage in mind thinking I'd just see how much water I was putting behind the stern and pick one late in the day. It finally came time to do that so decided to go in at Upper Matecumbe Key and there found a place ....

...... inside almost everyone else and ....

........ put the Manson Supreme down and ended a good day on the water. In fact it was the most miles, at 58, that I'd ever done in a single day. I was making good time towards the point where I had to make a decision if I was going to Bahama or not. Ruth and I took about 5 weeks to make it this far and I'd done it in 9 days with a couple of those not moving so actually only 5 moving but I sure would of liked to of gone back and done another 5 week trip with Ruth again. I sure miss her, what a great wife, friend and person.

As the sun went down I even was treated to some live entertainment from shore but was too far away to really pick up on it.

========= Now to catch up with a few things about the boat ============

Before I left Scott gave me a safety tether to use on the boat. I'd brought the saftey harnesses that Ruth made for Sailrite kits but hadn't figured out how I was actually going to use them. Well Scott's tether was a perfect fit to snap on the lifelines on each side of the boat. I liked it so much and realized I really needed to make sure I didn't go over the side, especially if the boat was moving that I bought one at West Marine at Marco Island. The price, $170, was a little tough to take but realizing this was my life I was talking about decided to buy my own which is pictured above.

It quickly snaps on the life lines and when I get to the mast I normally hold onto the mast if conditions are really bad and reach across and upsnap the port side one and reattach it ahead of the mast. Then they can both slide up to the stanchions forward of the mast. You can see the starboard one above. There the lines are just long enough that I can get to the anchors and deploy or retreive them. Most of the trip I didn't use any of this for anchoring as the boat was basically stopped and the conditions weren't that bad. I also went forward a couple times underway without using any of this but tried to stop doing that.

Above is the safety harness Ruth sewed up. It snaps together above your waist and by your chest. The right arrow points to the strap that needs to then go through the ring the left arrow is pointing at.

Now the straps from both sides are through the ring and they can then ....

be clipped to the tether with you in it of course. The snap on the tether has a quick release strap that will release the snap even under load if that became necessary.

Above the tether is snapped onto the tether. I would seriously consider all of this even if you weren't sailing alone. If you went in the water underway and are counting on a single person, your partner, to keep their eye on you and get the boat slowed and turned back to you without ever loosing sight of you in the process you are putting a lot on them. People do loose there partners in situations like this. Don't let it be you. Avoid that situation by strapping in if conditions are bad. If you take a long trip where you have no idea what the weather will be like in the trip sooner or later it likely will be bad. We should of had this gear on-board and using it before this.

Another item I installed before the trip and that we should of had a long time ago was a tiller-pilot ....

like the Ray Marine 2000 above. When I posted the install some questioned the location vs. installing it on the port side. For me this side has been ideal. I tend to sit on this side and there were many times where I would have to quickly detach it and hand steer. Doing that was easy sitting here as I'd leave the left end in the socket I made and just lift the tiller end off the tiller and move that end back by the ladder with it resting on top of the lazarette. I never had a problem doing this even under some extreme situations where I not only had to man the tiller but would also have to reach over and turn the outboard one way or the other to assist in steerage. Doing all of that from the port side would of been awkward for me. Also if I needed the tiller-pilot to take back over for a minute I just reached back and pull the tiller side forward and put it on the pin on the tiller and it was back in business.

There was also concern about where I put the plug, arrow, but as you can see it was always protected by the cup holder I have there so never a problem. One thing I do is I leave it plugged in all the time and at night I'll lift the laz. Hatch and put the tiller-pilot in there and keep the cord in the corner of the hatch where there is no pressure on it when closed. I put a toggle switch just inside the laz under the hatch and when I store the unit I turn it off with the switch. This way I don't have if draining the battery in standby and I don't have to deal with the plug every day. I'd put it on a switch circuit if you are out day after day.

The other thing that came up is that with the unit on the hatch you would have to remove it to say store fender or get into the laz. Not true as you have to also lift the tiller to get in the laz and they both just go up in unison so there is no need to remove it to get into the laz for most things.

I keep the outboard clamped so it needs some pressure to turn it but still don't want it locked down as I often turn it one way or the other which really helps the tiller-pilot in handling some situations. I usually look and see if the tiller is neutral most of the time. If it isn't and is always to starboard or port to handle the current seas/wind then I'll turn the outboard a little to help it.

In extreme seas where the waves/wind are producing large waves and the boat is falling off one way or the other sometimes the outboard will then turn on its own due to the forces that are happening. The bungee seems to help some in those conditions but still allows me to reach over and hand steer if I have to and some times I had to use the outboard along with the tiller to overcome conditions are where I needed to turn the boat very quickly. A few times I connected the connector, see the mods section, that connects the outboard tiller to the rudder tiller. That allowed the tiller-pilot to handle some conditions on its own since it was turning both at the same time and in the same direction.

Also in the mods you will see how I actually tow the dinghy from its stern primarily and use the back of the ladder to keep it tucked in close to the boat and away from the outboard. I had made an aluminum brace, right arrow, that held the ladder horizontal. Well at about 500 miles into the trip after some days of pounding where the dinghy would try and lift the ladder up and down and the brace finally lost the battle and bent and cracked. I repaired it on an anchorage but found out I really don't need it as I ran a line to the ladder at the same rung and now the line holds the ladder at what ever angle I desire. If the ladder gets lifted by wave action the line just goes slack.

Also the left arrow points to a second line running to the dinghy. I try and look back at somewhat regular intervals to make sure the dinghy is still there but since things happen I keep the second line on it for the 'just in case' situation where the one line, breaks or comes untied or whatever. I'd sure hate to look back there once and see the dinghy gone, especially if the conditions for looking for it are not good.

I can't break this Zodiac down on the boat or put it together on the boat so tow it through hell and literally high water and so far it has always followed the boat. I wanted the hard floor for Ruth's sake and it is nice hauling things but if I had to get another it would probably be one with a high-pressure blowup floor so that it could be stowed easier and setup on the boat.

One thing I do like with it in the water is that if for any reason I had to abandon ship it would be right there ready to go. Lots to think about when picking one out.

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