We realized that the Active Captain tracking is tricky to use AND it requires our active updating – too much work. So we have purchased the Garmin InReach and you can track us anytime by using this link: https//share.garmin.com/RobertDoak
In addition to tracking the InrReach has some safety features and other tools that will be helpful in our travels. Want to Join Us? Over the next couple of weeks, our “south” destinations include, among others, Key West and the Dry Tortugas National Park. If you have the time and resources, get yourself to Key West. There is a fast cat that goes from Key West to the Tortugas National Park daily. We can arrange to connect so that you can stay with us and snorkel, swim and explore. However, our plans can change from one minute to the next BUT once you commit, so will we.
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We get very little opportunity while we are cruising to connect to wifi, so the blog posts may be clumped together. Feel free, of course, to read as much or as little as you like!
For those who like details, here you go!
Blue Bonnet is a 1971 Morgan 41 Out Island. Her overall length is 41 ft and her beam is about 13’. She is a ketch rig. The 160 genoa (jib) has a rolling furler. The main and mizzen sails are equipped with lazy jacks. There are 2 reef points on the jib and two reefs rigged on the main. All lines lead to the cockpit so that all sails can be managed by one person if needed. There is a spinnaker pole and spinnaker sail – we have not played with these yet! The boat has a 65hp Diesel engine. Made by Hyundai and marinized by Vetus. It has less than 2,000 hours logged. Nick (the previous owner) added a lot of nice features like an easy connect for the oil change along with an electric pump – no mess, no fuss! Additionally, he put together a fuel polishing system with two active filters which allows one to be shut down if there is a problem while the other continues. There are three diesel tanks with a total capacity of 159 gallons. The boat burns just a little more than one gallon per hour. The 30-amp alternator keeps the system charged while the motor is running. In addition to the 30-amp alternator Blue Bonnet has a wind generator and 3 solar panels. All of which keep the system charged while we are under sail or at anchor. For back-up there is also a portable Honda generator. The access to the engine room is behind the companionway ladder and also from the aft companionway. The engine room has plenty of space and is well lit to actually get in and work on any part of the engine, the battery bank, water or fuel systems. There is a feathering prop on Blue Bonnet so that the prop and shaft do not have to rotate while we are under sail. The primary steering is a chain link and cable system (in very good shape). The Autopilot runs on an independent hydraulic system and, of course, there is an emergency tiller if both of the other systems fail. In addition, this sailboat is equipped with BOWTHRUSTERS! We didn’t think we would need these but they do come in handy to make docking easier and provide that last minute burst that could make a big difference in a pinch. There are 2 VHF radios, 1 stereo, and a single side band radio. The chart plotter is a GarminGPS720map (2011). The system also has radar and an AIS receiver. She’s got an excellent Rocna anchor (plus two others) and of course our beloved Portland Pudgie dinghy. Now for the goodies that Robin loves. There are three water tanks with a total capacity of 150 gallons of fresh water. Additionally (AND THIS IS HUGE) there is a water maker that can take salt water and produce up to 20 gallons of drinking water an hour! Our galley is on the portside at the bottom of the companionway. There is a propane, three-burner stove, and oven. The sink and refrigerator are aft of the stove. Oh yeah, the ice box is original but the compressor and system is just a couple of years old – very efficient 12V system. Additionally, we have a portable freezer (electric ice chest) that can run on 12V DC or 110V AC current. Plenty of room to keep frozen foods (meat) for a couple of weeks. The salon has a dining table that can drop down to convert to a full-size bed. In and around the salon are multiple drawers and spots for storage of food stuffs and other boat related items. On the starboard side of the salon is a full-length bench that can serve as a single bed. There is a head (more on this later) to port and storage closet starboard. There is a V-berth forward that can accommodate up to three people. AIR CONDITIONING!!! Yup, we got that too! There are two units, one for the main salon area and a separate one for the aft suite. This is really only needed when we are at a marina where there is little or no air movement. It helps keep the moisture down and makes life a little more pleasant. Oh, did we mention that our cabin is separate from the forward compartments? The aft cabin, in addition to having separate air-conditioning has its own head and plenty of room for us to store clothes and personal items. We love Blue Bonnet, and we think that she loves us back. So far, she’s taken very good care of us, and we hope that will continue. We plan to take excellent care of her too. If not, we know a certain Captain on the east coast of Florida who will be looking for us! On the last weekend in October, we anchored in the Little Shark River (!) to enjoy the peace and quiet of the Everglades. We were expecting a stormy weekend courtesy of Tropical Storm Phillipe, so this quiet little anchorage seemed perfect. We are going to tell you all about the swirling waters and 40-60 knot winds, which were quite exciting ;( but we heard that Phillipe joined with another system and wreaked some havoc in New England. So no whining here – hope everyone has recovered from whatever damage was done! After Little Shark River we went to Indian Key. That was pretty but there was traffic nearby and our exposure to the wind was less than comfortable. From there we went to Panther key – a really beautiful spot. We took the dinghy out for a ride around Hog Key and enjoyed the quiet of the area. Bob tried to put the sail up on the dinghy with some success -more practice is needed. He did, however, get some good rowing practice in that day! From Panther Key we made a long day into night run to Fort Myers. Fort Myers offers really nice moorings but they are first come, first serve. In the dark, Robin deftly (with barely suppressed terror) guided us into the harbor, under a bridge, and through a crowded mooring field only to find that none of the moorings were available! So, back under the bridge to an area near the Coast Guard Station where anchoring is allowed. After three tries we got a good hold and Robin, rattled and exhausted from the experience of navigating in the dark, soon found sleep while Bob did a couple hours of anchor watch. After a that we decided to spend the day at anchor to recover nerves and give Blue Bonnet a rest. Cayo Costa State park was our next destination. We had good protection from the West but the winds seemed to be more northerly than predicted. We thought we had a solid hold on the anchor but at 3am, with rolling waves and a thud under the keel, we found that we were dragging -just a little but enough to make us uneasy. SO – at 3:15am we set sail in the dark! Though none of these experiences have been really dangerous and we got through them without incident, we decided to make our way toward Tampa Bay. The scenery offered by the intercoastal route may have been interesting but this hurricane season moved some shoals to places where our charts show deep water. Shoals, bridges and traffic inside led us to decide that an outside passage would work better. (Even on the outside in the Gulf of Mexico, Robin managed to find a new, uncharted shoal to run aground on!) November 6, 2017: Monday morning is here now. We are nicely anchored with two other boats at Egmont Key. Last evening’s sunset gave us a nice view of the Skyway Bridge across the bay, but a heavy fog this morning has really hindered the photo ops. Once the fog burns off, we will make our way to the Gulfport Municipal Marina to spend that day cleaning. We plan to be in the slip for two weeks while we visit friends and have a small Thanksgiving celebration with Robin’s parents. |
AuthorRobin and Bob recently quit their jobs, sold all their belongings, and headed south to begin a new life on the sea. Check back here to find out how life adrift is going. Archives
February 2019
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