Our Next Adventure : Into the Backcountry

It was dark when we left Lil' G early this morning. The star scape of mast lights stretched toward the marina and beyond. And even though I was awake at 3:30am, I couldn't help but smile. It's such a beautiful sight, and besides, we were on our way to Miami to pick up Jon. 

The drive to and from the airport was the fastest and least congested we've experienced so far and the sun rise over the water on our return was well worth being awake for it.

Once back in Marathon we made one last stop for a bag of ice, headed to the boat and, even though it wasn't going to keep us from leaving the harbor, double checked the weather report. The prediction is calling for a four day weather window with warmer temps and calmer wind. It's the perfect Gulf side, back country opportunity we've been waiting for. So here we go...Cheers!

The First Half Full

Today marks the half way point between Lil’ G’s return to the sea and the day we will say goodbye to her. I counted the weeks more than once in disbelieve. The days have passed so quickly and yet upon reflection the memories seem to fill a much greater length of time. I guess it’s kind of like falling, experiencing both the quickness that prevents a physical reaction and the slow motion visual that makes you think you could have reacted before your knees and palms hit the ground. 

After scrolling through the calendar and counting the weeks on my fingers to be sure, I pondered the time that has passed, the seemingly small chunk between the piles of rat scat and now. Because of my overly organized nature, I found myself categorizing all the moments and activities into chunks that I could mentally hold, analyze and then relive as I typed them out. Really it’s no wonder it feels both short in time and long in experience, because we’ve done a lot.

We’ve sailed. Not as much as we would have liked due to a lot of heavy winter wind, but on days that it’s calmed long enough for the seas to follow suit, we’ve gotten Lil’ G out to spread her sails. Over the course of the last month and a half, we’ve gotten in roughly eleven days of sailing and covered around 135 miles. Most of our outings have been on the Atlantic side of the Keys because of the primarily northern winter winds, as well as our direct access from Boot Key Harbor. However, we did make it over to the Gulf side for an overnighter in Big Spanish Channel and on another afternoon to sail to a friend’s house for a Sunday barbecue. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for calm or southerly winds in the coming weeks so we can return to the Gulf, to the northern edge of the lower Keys which is often referred to as “the backcountry,” where the islands are uninhabited, the passages are less traveled, the anchorages are often empty and the sea life is plentiful.

We’ve worked. Not in the “traditional” show up and get paid by an employer kind of work, but rather the kind that keeps your home afloat and doesn’t pay diddly. Since we got Lil’ G back in the water, we’ve tackled nearly a dozen boat projects and repairs, some necessary and others preventative. Adam installed a new electric bilge pump and ran new wiring, which was a labored process full of frustration, but much better (even though not particularly likely) than finding our Lil’ G half sunk upon returning from a long day on shore. We fought off an army of carpenter ants who’d made a home for themselves in some damp and dark corner of the hull during the summer and began scrambling for food and water sources after we’d moved back aboard. We serviced all of the winches, which we assumed hadn’t been done since they were installed, but is recommended every two years or so. This was an especially proud moment for myself, because it was the first time I had ever successfully disassembled and reassembled anything mechanical. We got a “mattress” upgrade from a harbor freebie, new four inch thick foam that after some measuring and slicing in the parking lot, fits perfectly in our Vberth and may even be too comfortable.

We’ve hunted. Any chance we get to sail, is also a chance to anchor up, go for a swim and try to catch dinner. Last year we learned how to spearfish, catch lobster and husk coconuts, so this year we’re working on perfecting these skills. And I'd say, so far we're doing rather well. Adam has successfully speared thirteen delicious and much appreciated fish, including five hogfish, four mangrove snapper, three mullet, and one mutton snapper. We also finally found some spiny lobster hiding out, after hearing a lot of locals say they are few and far between this winter, and last week we caught six in one day. 

We’ve eaten. A lot. We have a couple of favorite restaurants in the area, but we do most of our cooking on the boat and I have to say it’s not only cheaper, but often tastier. Adam has made some seriously memorable meals, from fresh fish cakes to lobster bisque and in honor of my favorites, the most amazing assorted grilled cheese platter ever and lobster mac and cheese. We're also big breakfast fans and have a few favorites including huevos rancheros with mango salsa and Krispy Kreme donut french toast, which is a tribute to Jos and the genius that he brought to our boat last year.  

We’ve had visitors. Wonderful visitors! So far this winter we’ve had three Colorado friends come down to test their sea legs and we’ve invited a handful of new Florida friends aboard as well. Since my last post about Pyrat Dave’s visit, my good friend Bob Shannon came for a week to further explore the live-aboard lifestyle with the idea that he might soon become a salty sea dog himself. The strong winds ceased for a couple of days and allowed us to take an overnight trip up Big Spanish Channel. We had everything you can ask for, beautiful blue skies, sunshine, great wind and calm seas. On the days when the sailing weather wasn’t as ideal, we rode our bikes around Marathon, enjoyed hammocks and volleyball at the beach, went spearfishing in the mangroves of Boat Key, attended a small air show where we got to explore both a B-17 and B-29, and spent every evening sharing stories about sailing and traveling over delicious meals paired nicely with beer and wine. 

Photos courtesy of Bob Shannon ~ Thank you so much for capturing our wonderful adventure together!

The same day we said goodbye to Bob, we welcomed our third guest aboard Lil’ G, our good friend David who was passing through on his way back to Colorado from the Cayman Islands. He joined us for a long weekend and after we solidified his worthiness, we took him out for some spearfishing, sailing and the most epic party entrance ever, when we sailed up to our friends Sunday afternoon barbecue. 

In the days since we said goodbye to our Colorado friends, we’ve gotten out for a couple of day sails with some local friends. We met Adam and Ashley a few weeks back and after attending a couple of wonderful barbecues they’ve hosted, we got them aboard Lil’ G and introduced them to sailing. Now I’m a bit biased and don’t really understand how you couldn’t fall in love with flying across the water like you do on a sailboat, but I think we got these two hooked. 

Now with the first half full and behind us, I'm thinking about the empty time ahead and how many things we can cram into it. 

I have no doubt that we'll surprise ourselves. 

Cheers!

A Visit from Pyrat Dave

It’s Monday evening and I’m propped up in the Vberth. It is anything but quiet, my ears absorbing the layered sound of whirling and clanking, with an occasional clap as the chop of the harbor hits the side of the hull in celebration of the strong winds. It’s a song of sorts, not especially rhythmic or beautiful, but one I hope I never forget. I stare out the small hatch above my head at the brilliant night sky. The star scape dances above me, as the boat swings back and forth on the mooring ball. 

On an evening such as this, I enjoy the movement of the boat and the song that accompanies the wind blowing through the harbor, but even more so I enjoy the days when the wind blows between 5 and 15 knots and we take Lil’ G out to sail. I think about how much the weather dictates our schedule down here and how lucky we were with the timing last winter. The weather gods gave us good weather for sailing and exploring the keys almost every time we had a guest aboard. We can only hope for the same good fortune this winter and with the risk of jinxing us, I will say, ‘So far, so good.’ 

A few days after we got our Lil’ G back in the water, our good friend Dave came down for a visit and we set out to take full advantage of the good weather predicted by NOAA. Although it didn’t last the full five days he was here, we did get a nice window that allowed us to take Lil’ G out on the Atlantic side to sail, explore and sea hunt. We didn’t have pristine sunshine everyday, but we did have good wind, calm seas and decent ocean visibility. And really, we couldn’t ask for more than that wonderful trifecta. Before we could set out on our journey though, we had to properly welcome Dave aboard and make sure he had some pirate in him. Turns out I myself needed a bit of practice. After all, it had been a while. 

The following morning we woke up with the sun and after a quick breakfast and some last minute provisioning, we motored out of the harbor. Once outside the channel we eagerly raised our sails and picked up speed quickly in the steady northerly wind. 

Our first mission was to find our good friend Bart who had sailed down from Everglade City the following day with his friend Christian, aboard his beloved Revival. We knew they were somewhere between Boot Key and Bahia Honda, so we set our course for the latter and kept a lookout for a small blue sailboat anchored on the leeward side of one the few keys between. Not more than an hour later, as we neared Molasses Key, we spotted Revival, with a dive flag floating about fifteen feet off her stern.

We approached Revival and prepared our anchor, and Bart held up two lobsters he’d just caught as a friendly greeting. Although it wasn’t a particularly warm day, we were suddenly very eager to get in the water and see what other bounty there was to be found. After about an hour of swimming, diving and hunting, Adam had speared himself a good sized hogfish and Dave and I had enjoyed the beauty of the creatures below without successfully catching any edible ones. 

Bart on the other hand, had gotten himself 3 lobsters, 2 hogfish, 2 stone crab claws and a horseshoe conch, the last of which we had no idea you could harvest and eat in the Florida Keys. We agreed, after a few minutes of shouting back and forth, that we would sail about 15 miles west to Newfound Harbor to anchor for the night, and then prepare a seafood feast together. Since we had ice in our ice box and Bart had none, we agreed to collect Bart’s bounty and keep it chilled and fresh until that evening’s feast. We devised a plan to motor up alongside Revival while they remained anchored so that Bart could toss his bounty into one of our nets. It was a complete success in that the hard earned sea bounty flew perfectly from Bart’s hands into the net I held out off the bow. However, the quick collision that followed, when the side of our Lil’ G scraped against the edge of Revival’s transom, was not what I’d call successful. As Bart said though, “No good deed goes unpunished,” and it resulted only in a minor flesh wound, which joins the other scars and stories that we’ve caused/created on our sweet Lil’ G in the process of transforming from novice sailors to amateur sailors. We all quickly shook the minor collision and with the taste of cold beer and a mighty seafood feast in our mouthes, we raised the sails and our little boats slipped through the water alongside one another as if best friends holding hands. 

For the first few minutes of our journey at least, until our Lil’ G snuck ahead and led the way to Newfound Harbor. The late afternoon was cool, with thick cloud cover, but some of the best sailing you can ask for with steady wind across the beam. 

After around two and half hours of ideal sailing, we passed the channel marker for Newfound Harbor and tacked to head up in search of a good anchorage for the evening. We set our anchor, tidied our lines and opened our beers just in time to watch Revival sailing up the channel.

Once Bart and Christian anchored Revival, we pulled our anchor up and motored as close to them, still with safe swinging room, as we could. We reset our anchor and the guys tossed each other lines to slowly pull the boats together until Bart and Christian could jump aboard Lil’ G. Bart brought the horseshoe conch he had found and boiled, and diced it up into small pieces. It reminded me of octopus, somewhat chewy with a slightly salty flavor. Adam manned the grill, and cooked up the 3 lobster Bart had caught.  Inside, I took the filleted and diced hogfish and made a huge bowl of ceviche. And how dare I forget the two stone crab claws, one of which was the biggest any of us had ever seen, that we boiled up right before we sat down to our feast. Then we ate until all of us could do nothing but smile. 

The following morning we took our time caffeinating and re-energizing in preparation of more sea hunting and exploring. After both boats were ready, we agreed on a reef patch about a mile out that showed a shallow area of 16 feet, hoping it would be shallow enough for us to hunt without tanks, and far enough from shore that it wouldn’t be completely picked over. 

After setting our anchors, we quickly geared up and jumped overboard to assess the area. We guessed it was around 20 to 25 feet deep and after a few dives to the bottom to look for lobsters to catch and fish to shoot, Dave, Adam and I decided that although the visibility was great and the scenery was beautiful, it was a little too deep for us to snorkel and hunt. Bart had his scuba gear though and he didn’t waste any time gearing up and going down to spearfish. After looking at the charts, we decided to head north to a small reef patch that we thought would be full of critters and plants, good for exploring and catching our dinner.

We lowered our anchor in what seemed like 8 to 10 feet and suited up once again, eager to get back in the water. The cloud cover had thinned and we were graced with some sunshine. Adam was the first in, speargun in hand, and immediately took off to find a hogfish or snapper for dinner. Dave and I followed with the net and tickle stick, searching for lobster and stone crab. We found one big stone crab who refused, and I can't blame him, to be coaxed out of his deep hole. After probably 20 minutes of trying, we gave up and moved on. Then Dave found a small rock cluster that was full of sea life. We swam over and around admiring the colorful reef fish and variety of sea fans and other plant life. Then we headed back to the boat and met up with Adam who had been busy slaying hogfish. He’d shot three and if the water temperature had been a few degrees warmer, we might not have pulled him back on the boat until dark. Since we were close to Newfound Harbor, where we planned to anchor again for the night, we kept the bag of hogfish dragging behind the boat and waited to fillet them. We quickly rinsed off and then motored back into the harbor. We wanted to anchor northwest of where we’d been the night before, closer to picnic island, and traversed the shallow area north of the channel carefully, since we still don’t have a working depth gauge on board. 

We weren’t entirely sure where Bart and Christian had ended up, and were pleasantly surprised to find Revival sitting almost exactly where we planned to stay for the night. Once we set our anchor, I volunteered to fillet Adam’s catch while the guys assembled our porta-bote dinghy. Then we sat out and enjoyed our cold, hoppy beer until the sun disappeared in a wash of color and we retreated to the cabin to cook up the fresh hogfish.

The following morning we lounged around the boat, enjoying our coffee and breakfast in a relaxed manner. We waited patiently for the sunshine to break through the clouds, wanting to swim to picnic island.  Around noon we were rewarded for our patience and in celebration I mixed up some delicious, and if I may say so myself, picturesque rum punch drinks. Since half the day had already passed, instead of swimming, we climbed into the dinghy and headed to picnic island to hang out for a little while before sailing back to Boot Key. We walked around for a few minutes and then spent the rest of the time chatting with a couple of guys, a local and a friend visiting from Colorado, lounging in the beach chairs.  

Around two o’clock in the afternoon, we disassembled the porta-bote, strapped it between the bow railing and the side stays, and secured everything below for our 20 mile journey back to Boot Key Harbor. We slowly traversed the shallows, following our successful line from the previous afternoon on our electronic charts and once we reached the deeper waters of the channel, we raised the sails. Out in the Atlantic, the wind was blowing 10 to 12 knots from the east northeast and we paralleled the keys at a close reach. We maintained an average speed around six knots, heeled over nicely in the steadily increasing wind, and arrived on the west side of Boot Key just before the sun set.

We caught a nice three day weather window, and although we weren’t necessarily ready to be back in the harbor, NOAA was predicting a wind shift and an increase up 25 knots that night. During our afternoon sail back, the wind had slowly picked up and by the time we had lowered the sails and headed back into the harbor, we were grateful for our decision to return. 

The next day, just as predicted, the wind was blowing hard from the south east so we took the dinghy to explore the mangrove tunnels of Boot Key and watch the sunset from Sombrero beach.

Sunday, Dave’s last day, was full of goodness...Krispy Kreme donut french toast, Key West walkabout, Peppers hot sauce shop, cold beers with old friends and making new friends! Thank you again Larry, Dana and Gabe for your kindness, generosity and hospitality!