Bottom scrubbing sortie

[Ixneigh]

I needed to scrub the bottom, so I departed for what is locally known in key largo as “dog run beach” which is on the small spoil islands not too far from county line boat launch and storage. Passed a sad looking abandoned keelboat in grouper creek. I see fewer sailboats in use these days and I think it’s going the way of the dodo in the next few generations. Even the floating community of derelicts here now prefer cabin cruisers and houseboats. More space, who can blame them. I made it through grouper creek without the engine but was not so lucky at jewfish creek. The wind quit near jewfish creek bridge (of course) and I had to run the motor, and escaped the creek just as the bugs were coming out. In barns sound I got 4.5 knots with just a main and a dirty bottom. In the pitch black night now, and fresh breeze, it was the first time I could hear no traffic sounds in weeks. Anchoring on the weather side of Short Key proved a bit bumpy and some spilled sundries below needed clean up, and I was annoyed with myself for forgetting to get the cabin ship shape before leaving tarpon basin harbor. The wind kept the bugs away but the air was hot and offered little cooling. Not until a few hours had passed did I stop sweating. Morning finds my beautiful M just offshore a small sandy area strewn with fallen casurina trees, which are slowly succumbing to the rising sea levels. I’ll move her in closer to shallower water after breakfast to clean the bottom. The wind has veered from last night, it’s no longer a dead lee shore. It should continue to shift until the key begins to provides shelter. The copper powder/epoxy coating I put in the boats bottom several years ago has a nice collection of small barnacles after a month and a half in the water. Looking forward to getting rid of those and then maybe sailing around in not too much of a rush to see the sights this afternoon.

Ix

[NiceAft]

Thanks, this was a nice post.

[OverEasy]

Ditto!

[Ixneigh]

So I did scrub the bottom after taking the dogs to the island itself, which is only ten Yards wide and a hundred long. The casurina trees still standing provided shade and a nice ground cover of needles. Many dead trees existed near the waters edge. The water was as clean and clear, as I figured it would be, this far from any shore development. Happily there was very little litter. A few broken camp chairs, a diaper perched on a tree stump, an old tire. This area sees a lot of weekend visitors so it’s obvious someone is doing garbage patrol. Bless them, truly! A short trip on the paddle board to check out a tiny gap in the long row of mangroves and spoil islands reveals something of interest. A passage just large enough for my boat to slip through to the shallow bay on the other side. That could come in handy sometime.
Back at the boat with the dogs under the sun tarp, I decided water was of a perfect temperature to swim, and it only took me an hour or so to scrub the bottom. A few jet skiers dismounted nearby and waded on the sandy bottom which you know, in the keys, is a rarity. Most of it is mucky, or stony. The Luke anchor had quickly settled into that sand, in three feet of water where I could easily inspect the setting action. I’m quite certain that even if I were to suddenly experience a strong on shore squall the boat would be fine even as close to the beach as I am.
After finishing the bottom, I made sail and departed this idyllic setting under only the main, unhurriedly, across the bay over to the south end of steamboat creek. The boat sailed her self most of the way. Aside from a nice view of the SR 905 bridge, where Alabama jacks is located, there was not much to see on the way. The next tack was similar, it was sort of like riding on the back of a turtle, and the dogs appreciated the lack of headsail and its associated additional drama in the cockpit. This course took me eventually to what was locally called “Fagowi Beach” before the county put up no parking signs along the roadside access to prevent its use. Now there is a chain link fence along the road, but people can still come by boat. When there are several boats there, the traffic slows down to look at them. It’s annoying if you are driving that stretch of road. Now I suppose my beautiful M is slowing traffic as I sail by, only a stones throw away. At dusk I anchor the boat off the mangroves at the end of the beach so I’m not in direct view of the traffic. There are a few juvenile dolphins around, but not much else. Tomorrow my intent is to familiarize myself with the area just to my NW, which means more fairly sedate sailing, probably with no board down.
Ix

I’d

[NiceAft]

I’d,

While my M is in the shop being checked for why an alarm goes off in excess of 2000 RPM, I read your posts and dream. Our upcoming seventeen day cruise of the Chesapeake is not the Keys, but your posts are helpful.


P.S. While scrubbing the bottom clean, did you need to watch for sharks or other predators?

[Ixneigh]

Re:sharks. I scrub the boat in as shallow water as possible for that reason. Although I’m not overly paranoid, I am careful in deeper water, in cuts, tide races, holes etc. when I swim off the boat for pleasure, like I was doing his afternoon, I pick an area about eight feet deep with good visibility. I hold onto the boat or dinghy. If I go swimming with a mask and snorkel, I tow the dinghy with me if I’m going away from the boat.

Ix

[NiceAft]

I tow the dinghy with me if I’m going away from the boat.

Is that where the shark tosses the leftovers for neatness

[Stickinthemud57]

What a pleasant narrative, Ixneigh. Thank you!

[Ixneigh]

For some reason the site didn’t post my last narrative. It’s too long to rewrite. The tl;dr:
Had a lovely sail in mostly shallow water. Looked at county line marina. I know some on this forum have launched there, but it appeared too sketchy for me. Walked the dogs on some gravel dredge islands near the entrance to Glades Canal. Drove all the way to the end to see the lock there. There was a person there, which surprised me.
In the afternoon, I had a really nice long swim, sharks notwithstanding. I basically just hung out on the rudder.

Ix

[Be Free]

Sorry to hear about your lost post. It really stinks when that happens. I've gotten paranoid after losing a couple of detailed posts on a couple of sites so now it (usually) remember to copy the post to the clipboard before submitting it. That's saved me more than once.

[OverEasy]

Hi Ixneigh & Be Free!

Yer not the only ones that have been SNAFFLED by this ‘lost post’ issue. Really kind of annoying!!!
There are a couple options to help avoid this….

> 1st Option is to periodically take a moment while composing to use the “Save Draft” tab which is fine if one is ONLY having a text message without any photos.
That tab for some technical reason will ditch the photos when used… kinda annoying but it’s probably a legacy site software issue.
> 2nd Option is to periodically take a moment to use the “ Submit “ tab and then immediately reopen your post via the “ Edit “ tab (that pencil looking tab) to continue with yer posting. This will save your typing AND your photos!
This also helps with the issue of ‘low power’ and ‘sporadic’ internet service issues… at least one doesn’t lose everything.

It’s not a perfect work around but “ it is what it is “ kind of thingy…. Beats pecking one’s message on rock ………. Hmmmmm Pectographs….thar could be something to that idea hmmmmmm…… it could last for a while anyway but would require traveling to the message board to view and post……

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[Ixneigh]

So yesterday, the winds were still westerly. I had figured they would have veered east by now, so I could have a downhill ride home. Not only westerly but quite fresh. Windy, even. I again spared the dogs the jib drama. The plan, on seeing the wind, was to sail over to the jewfish creek entrance, then motor though the creek, under the bridge and over to lake surprise, which has a narrow entrance and not much to offer except some nice paddle boarding, and a shore access not far from a gas station. That’s a rarity. I decided my mission today was to asses the usability of the shore access. I’d seen it before but never used it. I got the main up, and it assisted me in pulling the anchor. Once Mr Luke was secure, we were off towards jewfish creek at 5 plus knots, just slightly off the wind. The running back stays are always set up in these conditions. These were the conditions that prompted the underwater additions which now keep the boat controllable instead of rounding up in the gusts. So in short order I was lowering the sail in Thursday Cove, a handy place to anchor overnight if traveling the ICW. Motoring through the creek I had the poor company of several four engine very large center console fishing boats which of course do not slow for smaller boats, possible manatees, or anything else. I was glad to leave those guys (or they left me!) behind and exit the confines of jewfish creek into black water sound. This has always been the “gateway to the Keys” in my mind. It’s very tropical out-island appearing, with the resort, anchored houseboats, and big chiki hut bar. They have fuel here if needed but the dock is exposed to the wakes of the aforementioned overpowered fishing boats so I have never used it since I don’t want my boat slammed around.
Backwater Sound was churned up from the winds, a brownish soup color. Yuck. But soon I was anchored in Lake Suprise, and the water was pretty smooth in here. This body of water is cut in half by the us highway 1 causeway of which jewfish creek bridge is a part. Sailboats cannot get under the causeway so one half of the lake is inaccessible to them. (This is a saltwater lake btw. They just call it that because it’s very circular in shape and closed in except for one tiny opening) there is a place to walk dogs at the east end of the causeway. This is the remains of a construction access when the causeway was built. About this time the thought of a cold drink and a crappy service station hot dog sounded great, plus I could take some trash to throw away too. The land access is a tiny opening in the mangroves, just steps way from a prominent two story duplex. It’s loaded with mosquitoes. From there you can walk up a side road past a house with peacocks hanging around everywhere, to the US 1 highway. You must cross US 1 to reach the service station. It’s only about a five minute walk.
I disposed of the trash that was starting to smell, got some ice in a Stanley style thermo cup, a crappy hot dog and a gator aid. There is no rec 90 gas here, unfortunately. And while the station is not that far from the shore access, it would still kind of a struggle with a five gallon Jerry. There service station does have other sundries though. Oil, gas treatment, pet food, limited grocery items.
I was able to nurse that stolen container of ice all evening. The wind dropped off, it was nearly 100 degrees inside and the bugs were out. I have screens and fans, but my cruising season is definitely coming to a close. Tomorrow is a hang around day. I got a lot of sun today, and I have some web things I need to do.

Ix

[OverEasy]

Hi Ixneigh!

What a nice day!
Envious! (But in a nice way!

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[NiceAft]

Ix,

As your cruising season is coming to its end, ours, up north, is just starting. You have given us the standard to reporting our trips.

[Ixneigh]

Re: cruising seasons: those cool crisp nights, sound lovely. The heat here has been unusually brutal last few years even for locals who are supposedly used to it.

After a day of lounging with my dogs and doing some creative things, I departed Lake Surprise. The winds remained from the southwest. Right in the nose for my travels today. I decided to motor slowly along the shore and admire the expensive shoreside residences while the rest of the boating world passed me by at high rates of speed. Black water Sound has several attractions for weekend warriors. One is the famous Caribbean Club bar. The other is the “cut” or Adam’s Waterway” access between the bay and ocean side of key largo. (No mast clearance) These make the body of water very very busy. There is a fuel dock nearby. Also, sundowners (fine dining) and senior freeholes (less fine dining) there’s a Kayak outfitters, and several resorts.
The houses that line the shore in between these points of interest are all beautiful. Which one would you choose to own? One area of interest to cruisers is the Rowells Waterside county Park. There are bathrooms here and a place to walk your dog. You can anchor quite close to shore. There is a service station not too far away. This usually has people with families and dogs visiting it during the week ends. So if you dislike either, best to avoid it.
After a few hours or idyllic sightseeing, I found myself in the mangrove creek that leads to Tarpon Basin which has been my cruising base for this sping. A multitude of people in a big rush to get *somewhere* all were annoyed that someone dared to travel at less than 20 knots. One guy slowed down but only because he lost his hat and had to go back to get it. Tarpon Basin was a hot, muggy, but welcome sight. It is nicely off the beaten path and sees very little traffic brave enough to navigate the shoals of grass that separate it from the ICW. There is a public and a hardware store, a farmers market, several restaurants all within walking distance.
(A note in shore access here: a few years ago the county closed the public dinghy dock. However, people still do access the shore and park, by using the gaps in the nearby mangroves. Not as easy, but possible. I place my things on the finger pier, and then bring the dinghy over to load them. I suspect that the docks were closed due to insurance reasons. Now they have “docking prohibited” signs to cover their @ss)
This concludes the log of my bottom scrubbing foray. My next trip will be south to the Islamorada/Lorilie district.

Ix