We tried to find a way to get to Disney World by bus, but there aren't any buses around here, so we rented a car and drove.
Disney World spreads all over the map. We followed the signs to the Magic Kingdom, parked in the huge parking lot, and took the shuttle to the gates. I nearly fainted when I saw the admission price --$35! But Roy said he had expected between $35 and $50.
Rode a ferry across a large artificial lake to the Magic Kingdom. There were thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of people there. I hate to think what it would be like on a weekend or holiday.
As at Great America, we spent most of our time walking or waiting in line. Nevertheless, we went on nearly every ride we wanted to, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Liberty Square Riverboat, Mike Fink Keel Boat, Tom Sawyer Island, Haunted Mansion, It's a Small World, Mission to Mars, Delta Dream Flight, Star Jets, Medway People Mover, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Also saw the Country Bear Jamboree. We lucked out; we'd just gotten off the top deck of the keel boat and into a restaurant when it started pouring. From the restaurant, it was just a short dash to the Haunted Mansion, and by the time we got out of the Haunted Mansion, the rain had let up.
My favorites were the Haunted Mansion and It's a Small World, but those were the ones Roy liked least. He preferred the Carousel of Progress, Mission to Mars, and Delta Dream Flight.
We had a lot of fun but didn't get back to the boat until one a.m., and I was beat to my feet.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 1993
Got up before dawn and moved the boat away from the fuel dock. Dropped anchor and waited for the other boat to leave. And waited. When it hadn't left by nine o'clock, we took Nancy and Jeanette to the dock so they could go into Cocoa Beach and rent a car. The other boat finally left at ten. We were barely tied to the dock when Nancy and Jeanette returned.
Drove to the Kennedy Space Center. We were really impressed. The place goes on for miles and has its own highways.
Saw "The Dream Is Alive" at the Imax theater. Visited a number of exhibits. Ate lunch at the Orbit Cafeteria. Then we took the bus tour on the biggest bus we've ever seen. It was 80 feet long and had two levels. Held about 200 people.
We saw two launch pads, the vehicle assembly building, a transporter that carried the huge rockets, and a number of other things. They let us off the bus several times to take pictures and to visit a replica of a control center, which was very interesting. There was another bus in back of ours. We decided to get on it, since it was less crowded than the one we'd been on. We noticed that a lot of the passengers were speaking German but didn't think anything of it until the tour-guide tape came over the speakers in German. Then we realized that was a special all-German bus! At the next stop we got back on the English-language bus.
Returned to the boat. Nancy and Jeanette got their bags and left. They're going to spend the night in Fort Lauderdale (but not at the Holiday Inn!), because they have to catch a nine o'clock plane out of there. It's a shame they couldn't stay longer, but at least they had a good time while they were here.
Drove to the Kennedy Space Center. We were really impressed. The place goes on for miles and has its own highways.
Saw "The Dream Is Alive" at the Imax theater. Visited a number of exhibits. Ate lunch at the Orbit Cafeteria. Then we took the bus tour on the biggest bus we've ever seen. It was 80 feet long and had two levels. Held about 200 people.
We saw two launch pads, the vehicle assembly building, a transporter that carried the huge rockets, and a number of other things. They let us off the bus several times to take pictures and to visit a replica of a control center, which was very interesting. There was another bus in back of ours. We decided to get on it, since it was less crowded than the one we'd been on. We noticed that a lot of the passengers were speaking German but didn't think anything of it until the tour-guide tape came over the speakers in German. Then we realized that was a special all-German bus! At the next stop we got back on the English-language bus.
Returned to the boat. Nancy and Jeanette got their bags and left. They're going to spend the night in Fort Lauderdale (but not at the Holiday Inn!), because they have to catch a nine o'clock plane out of there. It's a shame they couldn't stay longer, but at least they had a good time while they were here.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 1993
Made a flying trip up the coast to Cape Canaveral. Covered 73 miles in less than 12 hours!
Tied to the fuel dock at Cape Marina for the night. Another sailboat will be leaving in the morning, so we'll grab its spot.
(Some comments from Jeanette about this sail with Mom:
-The first night after we rendezvoused with them, I slept on top of the boat at the dock. It was so relaxing and comfortable, with the perfect temperature outside and the rocking of the boat on the water.
-The first time I drove the boat... Getting into the rhythm of the waves and anticipating when the side of the boat would get hit so I could steer against it and keep on course. That was really meditative and relaxing, too.
-The time the pod of porpoises played with us and the little baby kept playing when the pod swam off -- then an adult called to the baby and it dashed off to join the pod.
-Seeing the flying fish. It was like I was watching a myth come to life. I swear I could see a hole through the white caps where the fish flew threw, before it closed back in on itself.)
Tied to the fuel dock at Cape Marina for the night. Another sailboat will be leaving in the morning, so we'll grab its spot.
(Some comments from Jeanette about this sail with Mom:
-The first night after we rendezvoused with them, I slept on top of the boat at the dock. It was so relaxing and comfortable, with the perfect temperature outside and the rocking of the boat on the water.
-The first time I drove the boat... Getting into the rhythm of the waves and anticipating when the side of the boat would get hit so I could steer against it and keep on course. That was really meditative and relaxing, too.
-The time the pod of porpoises played with us and the little baby kept playing when the pod swam off -- then an adult called to the baby and it dashed off to join the pod.
-Seeing the flying fish. It was like I was watching a myth come to life. I swear I could see a hole through the white caps where the fish flew threw, before it closed back in on itself.)
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 1993
The morning was very calm, so we had to motor, but a nice breeze came up in the afternoon, so we were able to turn off the engine and sail.
Arrived at Fort Pierce around six. Almost went aground in the channel, but we had enough momentum to plow through.
Tied up at the city marina. Nicest marina we've been to since leaving California. They even have floating docks!
Arrived at Fort Pierce around six. Almost went aground in the channel, but we had enough momentum to plow through.
Tied up at the city marina. Nicest marina we've been to since leaving California. They even have floating docks!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Monday, June 21, 1993-We join Mom on sail
The lost is found!
After breakfast, Roy rode his bicycle to a marine supply store to get some charts, and I started the laundry. When I got back to the boat, I turned on the VHF radio. About half an hour later, I heard the marine operator calling the Jofian! Hooray! It was Jeanette. As I had expected, they had tried to phone Kathy, Carol, and Jim yesterday. Kathy and Jim hadn't been home, but Carol was. She told them we were at West Palm Beach, but she couldn't remember the name of the marina. In fact, she thought we were at a yacht club, so Nancy and Jeanette drove to West Palm Beach and checked all the yacht clubs, including one a block from where we were. They were that close at 8:30 p.m., while I was sitting in the Greyhound station in Fort Lauderdale!
They spent the night at a motel, and then phoned Kathy at work. Kathy didn't have the name of the marina quite right, but she remembered it was half a block south of Flagler Bridge, so that made it easy.
The villain of the piece turned out to be the Holiday Inn. Check-out time was eleven, but Nancy and Jeanette had waited in their room until 11:10. The operator must have rung the wrong room when I phoned. They waited in the lobby until 11:30, but no one paged them. Later, Nancy phoned the Holiday Inn a dozen times to see if there was a message, but they kept telling her there wasn't one. And they wouldn't even let her leave a message for me!
At 9:30 Sunday morning, Nancy had tried to phone us via the marine operator, but unfortunately, we hadn't heard the call.
What a relief to see Nancy and Jeanette when they arrived at 12:30! The rental car didn't have to be returned until tomorrow morning, so when the laundry was done and Roy returned, we drove around Palm Beach, looking at all the beautiful houses. Then we went to a Great Western Bank so Roy could cash his income tax refund check. We went to a grocery store, but their prices were too high, so all we bought was a loaf of bread. Stopped at a produce stand and bought some vegetables. Then we found a Publix market and bought a lot of groceries at very reasonable prices. It was sure nice to have a car to take the groceries to the boat in.
As soon as the groceries were put away, Nancy and I took the car to the airport and returned it. Took a cab back to the marina.
After supper, we turned the boat around, so we'll be ready to leave in the morning.
Nancy and Jeanette slept on the doghouse roof.
(Note: The front desk at the Holiday Inn actually called us to tell us that we had to check out, before 11:00. I spent the big money for room service so we could be in the room when Mom called. I told them that we were eating breakfast still and that we were waiting for a phone call. We stalled leaving the room as long as we could. They said we could wait in the lobby for the phone call. We must have been at the front desk when Mom called the first time, and they said nothing. It was obvious when we were waiting in the lobby that they were not going to let us know if we got a call, they were not paying any attention at all. So that is when we decided to drive up the coast and look for them.)
After breakfast, Roy rode his bicycle to a marine supply store to get some charts, and I started the laundry. When I got back to the boat, I turned on the VHF radio. About half an hour later, I heard the marine operator calling the Jofian! Hooray! It was Jeanette. As I had expected, they had tried to phone Kathy, Carol, and Jim yesterday. Kathy and Jim hadn't been home, but Carol was. She told them we were at West Palm Beach, but she couldn't remember the name of the marina. In fact, she thought we were at a yacht club, so Nancy and Jeanette drove to West Palm Beach and checked all the yacht clubs, including one a block from where we were. They were that close at 8:30 p.m., while I was sitting in the Greyhound station in Fort Lauderdale!
They spent the night at a motel, and then phoned Kathy at work. Kathy didn't have the name of the marina quite right, but she remembered it was half a block south of Flagler Bridge, so that made it easy.
The villain of the piece turned out to be the Holiday Inn. Check-out time was eleven, but Nancy and Jeanette had waited in their room until 11:10. The operator must have rung the wrong room when I phoned. They waited in the lobby until 11:30, but no one paged them. Later, Nancy phoned the Holiday Inn a dozen times to see if there was a message, but they kept telling her there wasn't one. And they wouldn't even let her leave a message for me!
At 9:30 Sunday morning, Nancy had tried to phone us via the marine operator, but unfortunately, we hadn't heard the call.
What a relief to see Nancy and Jeanette when they arrived at 12:30! The rental car didn't have to be returned until tomorrow morning, so when the laundry was done and Roy returned, we drove around Palm Beach, looking at all the beautiful houses. Then we went to a Great Western Bank so Roy could cash his income tax refund check. We went to a grocery store, but their prices were too high, so all we bought was a loaf of bread. Stopped at a produce stand and bought some vegetables. Then we found a Publix market and bought a lot of groceries at very reasonable prices. It was sure nice to have a car to take the groceries to the boat in.
As soon as the groceries were put away, Nancy and I took the car to the airport and returned it. Took a cab back to the marina.
After supper, we turned the boat around, so we'll be ready to leave in the morning.
Nancy and Jeanette slept on the doghouse roof.
(Note: The front desk at the Holiday Inn actually called us to tell us that we had to check out, before 11:00. I spent the big money for room service so we could be in the room when Mom called. I told them that we were eating breakfast still and that we were waiting for a phone call. We stalled leaving the room as long as we could. They said we could wait in the lobby for the phone call. We must have been at the front desk when Mom called the first time, and they said nothing. It was obvious when we were waiting in the lobby that they were not going to let us know if we got a call, they were not paying any attention at all. So that is when we decided to drive up the coast and look for them.)
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 1993
What a crummy day this turned out to be! It started out fine; we moved the boat to Palm Harbor Marina and got tied up by eleven. I immediately tried to phone Nancy at the Holiday Inn, but there wasn't any answer, which seemed strange. I didn't think of having her paged; I just assumed they were tired from their flight and were sleeping extra sound, so I left a message that I'd call back in twenty minutes. When I called back, there still wasn't any answer, and I was starting to get worried. I asked if there was a message for me, but there wasn't. The next time I called, I was told they'd checked out! The operator refused to tell me what time they'd checked out.
I was in a quandary. How would we find each other? I tried to call Kathy, thinking Nancy might phone Kathy to see if she knew where we were. Got Kathy's answering machine, so I left a message saying where we were. Also phoned Carol and Jim and told them where we were, figuring sooner or later Nancy would phone one of them.
I tried to catch the one-o'clock Tri-Rail train to Fort Lauderdale, not really knowing what I'd do when I got there, but I was ten minutes late. Returned to the boat, ate lunch, and caught the 4:10. The train was half an hour late getting to Fort Lauderdale. Rode the shuttle bus to the airport and the Holiday Inn shuttle bus to the Holiday Inn. Didn't find out anything new, but I left a written note for Nancy in case she came back.
There wasn't time to do anything else except return to West Palm Beach. The last train left at 7:30, and I was miles from the station. Looked for a cab there at the motel, but there wasn't one. I should have phoned for a cab, but I'd looked at the bus map and saw I could catch a bus a few blocks away, so I started walking, forgetting today was Sunday and the buses would stop running early. After a few blocks, I realized I was going in the wrong direction. At that point, I should have returned to the Holiday Inn and called a cab. Unfortunately, I looked at the bus map again and saw that if I kept going in this direction a little way, I'd come to a street with two bus routes, so I figured I'd have a better chance of catching a bus. The "little" way turned into a long way. By the time I reached the bus stop, I suddenly realized it was Sunday and the buses might have stopped running, so I checked the schedule. Sure enough, nearly all had stopped running except this one. About ten minutes later, a bus came and I got on. By then it was too late to catch the last Tri-Rail train, so I decided to go to the Greyhound station and take a bus.
I got off at Broward and started walking towards town, but it was miles, so I waved at every taxi that went by. Finally, one stopped and took me to the Greyhound station.
I was shocked to find out the next bus to West Palm Beach didn't leave until 10:45! But I had no alternative, so I waited. Tried to phone Roy via the Marine Operator, but there was no response.
Fortunately, the Greyhound station in West Palm Beach is right across the street from the marina, so when I arrived at midnight, I didn't have far to go to get to the boat.
I was in a quandary. How would we find each other? I tried to call Kathy, thinking Nancy might phone Kathy to see if she knew where we were. Got Kathy's answering machine, so I left a message saying where we were. Also phoned Carol and Jim and told them where we were, figuring sooner or later Nancy would phone one of them.
I tried to catch the one-o'clock Tri-Rail train to Fort Lauderdale, not really knowing what I'd do when I got there, but I was ten minutes late. Returned to the boat, ate lunch, and caught the 4:10. The train was half an hour late getting to Fort Lauderdale. Rode the shuttle bus to the airport and the Holiday Inn shuttle bus to the Holiday Inn. Didn't find out anything new, but I left a written note for Nancy in case she came back.
There wasn't time to do anything else except return to West Palm Beach. The last train left at 7:30, and I was miles from the station. Looked for a cab there at the motel, but there wasn't one. I should have phoned for a cab, but I'd looked at the bus map and saw I could catch a bus a few blocks away, so I started walking, forgetting today was Sunday and the buses would stop running early. After a few blocks, I realized I was going in the wrong direction. At that point, I should have returned to the Holiday Inn and called a cab. Unfortunately, I looked at the bus map again and saw that if I kept going in this direction a little way, I'd come to a street with two bus routes, so I figured I'd have a better chance of catching a bus. The "little" way turned into a long way. By the time I reached the bus stop, I suddenly realized it was Sunday and the buses might have stopped running, so I checked the schedule. Sure enough, nearly all had stopped running except this one. About ten minutes later, a bus came and I got on. By then it was too late to catch the last Tri-Rail train, so I decided to go to the Greyhound station and take a bus.
I got off at Broward and started walking towards town, but it was miles, so I waved at every taxi that went by. Finally, one stopped and took me to the Greyhound station.
I was shocked to find out the next bus to West Palm Beach didn't leave until 10:45! But I had no alternative, so I waited. Tried to phone Roy via the Marine Operator, but there was no response.
Fortunately, the Greyhound station in West Palm Beach is right across the street from the marina, so when I arrived at midnight, I didn't have far to go to get to the boat.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 1993
Paddled four or five miles to the City Docks to check them out. We thought they'd be inexpensive, but they said they'd have to put us in an 80-foot slip (don't ask me why) at $56 a day! They advised us to go to the Palm Harbor Marina, which is more convenient anyway, since it's on the West Palm Beach side, close to downtown. So we paddled back to the west side of the harbor and went ashore.
By then we were starving, so we ate lunch at the first restaurant we came to. Then I phoned Palm Harbor Marina and found out they charge 65 cents a foot, about $26 a day for our boat, which is high for California but low for Florida, so we'll go there.
Found the Post Office. We had some letters to mail and needed stamps. One machine was out of order, so I put $1.45 in the other machine for five 29-cent stamps. Nothing came out when I pushed the button. Tried several times with no luck, so I pushed the coin return to try to get my money back, but nothing came out, so I gave the machine a whack with my fist. That set off the burglar alarm right over our heads. In the meantime, a crazy had come up and was jabbering a bunch of nonsense to Roy. Between the jabbering of the crazy and the howling of the alarm, Roy and I were ready to climb the walls. Then the crazy "helped" me by pushing the button for 19-cent stamps, which I didn't want, but they popped out, so I took them and also got my change. We put two 19-cent stamps on each letter and mailed them. By then, the crazy had disappeared and the alarm had quit (no one ever did show up). What a relief!
We returned to our Royaks and paddled back to Jofian. By then, it was nearly dark, so we remained anchored for the night.
By then we were starving, so we ate lunch at the first restaurant we came to. Then I phoned Palm Harbor Marina and found out they charge 65 cents a foot, about $26 a day for our boat, which is high for California but low for Florida, so we'll go there.
Found the Post Office. We had some letters to mail and needed stamps. One machine was out of order, so I put $1.45 in the other machine for five 29-cent stamps. Nothing came out when I pushed the button. Tried several times with no luck, so I pushed the coin return to try to get my money back, but nothing came out, so I gave the machine a whack with my fist. That set off the burglar alarm right over our heads. In the meantime, a crazy had come up and was jabbering a bunch of nonsense to Roy. Between the jabbering of the crazy and the howling of the alarm, Roy and I were ready to climb the walls. Then the crazy "helped" me by pushing the button for 19-cent stamps, which I didn't want, but they popped out, so I took them and also got my change. We put two 19-cent stamps on each letter and mailed them. By then, the crazy had disappeared and the alarm had quit (no one ever did show up). What a relief!
We returned to our Royaks and paddled back to Jofian. By then, it was nearly dark, so we remained anchored for the night.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Friday, June 18, 1993
The day got off to a great start. We left the dock a little after ten. Twenty minutes later, we were aground.
Usually, Roy checks the chart very carefully before we leave, but apparently he didn't this time. I was putting the lines and fenders away when I noticed we were on the wrong side of the channel marker. I started to say something to Roy, but then I figured he knew what he was doing. All of a sudden, BLOOMP.
Fortunately, Roy has towing insurance. The powerful little tow boat pulled us back to deep water in a few minutes, but one of the bow cleats flew off in the process. If I'd been standing on the bow, I'd have been knocked cold.
The tow boat operator had us tie up to the fuel dock, so he could get Roy's signature. Roy told me it would be a starboard tie. I was getting the lines and fenders ready on the starboard side, when he said it would be a port tie. I was scrambling to move the lines and fenders to the port side, when he told me to get out the flat fender, so I went to the lazarette to get the flat fender, but before I could get it all the way out, Roy yelled at me to take the lines from the guy on the dock, so I ran to do that. As soon as we were tied to the dock, he wanted the flat fender. Man!
The towing bill came to $312. Fortunately, we're insured for $350.
It was a perfect day for sailing. The wind was out of the east at 15-20 knots. Waves were 4-6 feet. The sun was shining, and the sky was blue. We zoomed north at 6 1/2 knots under sail, with a little assist from the Gulf Stream. Despite our late start, we reached Palm Beach in daylight and dropped anchor in the middle of the harbor.
Usually, Roy checks the chart very carefully before we leave, but apparently he didn't this time. I was putting the lines and fenders away when I noticed we were on the wrong side of the channel marker. I started to say something to Roy, but then I figured he knew what he was doing. All of a sudden, BLOOMP.
Fortunately, Roy has towing insurance. The powerful little tow boat pulled us back to deep water in a few minutes, but one of the bow cleats flew off in the process. If I'd been standing on the bow, I'd have been knocked cold.
The tow boat operator had us tie up to the fuel dock, so he could get Roy's signature. Roy told me it would be a starboard tie. I was getting the lines and fenders ready on the starboard side, when he said it would be a port tie. I was scrambling to move the lines and fenders to the port side, when he told me to get out the flat fender, so I went to the lazarette to get the flat fender, but before I could get it all the way out, Roy yelled at me to take the lines from the guy on the dock, so I ran to do that. As soon as we were tied to the dock, he wanted the flat fender. Man!
The towing bill came to $312. Fortunately, we're insured for $350.
It was a perfect day for sailing. The wind was out of the east at 15-20 knots. Waves were 4-6 feet. The sun was shining, and the sky was blue. We zoomed north at 6 1/2 knots under sail, with a little assist from the Gulf Stream. Despite our late start, we reached Palm Beach in daylight and dropped anchor in the middle of the harbor.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 1993
Roy had found out the City has a new, fancier marina close to downtown. We paddled several miles over there to look at it. Went right by Millionaire's Row--luxury waterfront estates on the islands around here.
The new marina is very nice, but we decided to stay where we are, since we'll be leaving tomorrow.
After we returned to the boat, we gathered up the logs, took them to the Post Office, and mailed them. Much more reasonable than in Mexico. Roy also picked up the mail that his son Steve had forwarded to him.
On the way back, we went to West Marine to get a few things. I fell asleep on the bus. When I woke up, I thought we were supposed to change buses, so we got off the bus. As soon as we were walking along the sidewalk, I got wide awake and realized we should have stayed on the bus another five or six blocks. Oh well, it wasn't far to walk.
The new marina is very nice, but we decided to stay where we are, since we'll be leaving tomorrow.
After we returned to the boat, we gathered up the logs, took them to the Post Office, and mailed them. Much more reasonable than in Mexico. Roy also picked up the mail that his son Steve had forwarded to him.
On the way back, we went to West Marine to get a few things. I fell asleep on the bus. When I woke up, I thought we were supposed to change buses, so we got off the bus. As soon as we were walking along the sidewalk, I got wide awake and realized we should have stayed on the bus another five or six blocks. Oh well, it wasn't far to walk.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 1993
Much better day.
After breakfast, we paid Bahia Mar, returned the keys, and moved the boat to the City Docks. No amenities but less than half the price.
Roy worked on the boat, while I went to Kinko's. This time, I knew exactly where it was. Ran off the copies, bought some manila envelopes, ate lunch at McDonald's, dropped off the film at Walgreen's, and returned to the boat. Addressed the envelopes and got them ready to mail. Then I suddenly realized the first 35 or so pages were the same ones I'd sent out from Acapulco, but I'd already sealed the envelopes, and I wasn't about to tear them open again.
The microwave oven has been malfunctioning, so we decided to go to Brandsmart USA and get a new one. They had an eight-page ad in the paper. Had a 600-watt microwave oven for less than $100.
Brandsmart was at a place called Sawgrass Mills. It was way out in the boonies. Took over an hour to get there by bus. Sawgrass Mills turned out to be the world's largest shopping center. It must have covered several square miles. There were a number of malls, each with dozens and dozens of shops. Luckily, Brandsmart was in the mall the bus stopped at.
It was a long walk through the mall to the store. We bought the oven we wanted. It weighed 30 pounds, and Roy had to carry it all the way to the bus stop. Then, when we got off the bus, he had to carry it four or five blocks to the boat.
After breakfast, we paid Bahia Mar, returned the keys, and moved the boat to the City Docks. No amenities but less than half the price.
Roy worked on the boat, while I went to Kinko's. This time, I knew exactly where it was. Ran off the copies, bought some manila envelopes, ate lunch at McDonald's, dropped off the film at Walgreen's, and returned to the boat. Addressed the envelopes and got them ready to mail. Then I suddenly realized the first 35 or so pages were the same ones I'd sent out from Acapulco, but I'd already sealed the envelopes, and I wasn't about to tear them open again.
The microwave oven has been malfunctioning, so we decided to go to Brandsmart USA and get a new one. They had an eight-page ad in the paper. Had a 600-watt microwave oven for less than $100.
Brandsmart was at a place called Sawgrass Mills. It was way out in the boonies. Took over an hour to get there by bus. Sawgrass Mills turned out to be the world's largest shopping center. It must have covered several square miles. There were a number of malls, each with dozens and dozens of shops. Luckily, Brandsmart was in the mall the bus stopped at.
It was a long walk through the mall to the store. We bought the oven we wanted. It weighed 30 pounds, and Roy had to carry it all the way to the bus stop. Then, when we got off the bus, he had to carry it four or five blocks to the boat.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 1993
This was not my day. Almost everything I tried to do went awry. I started out confident of accomplishing three things: get my hair cut, order a pair of glasses to replace the ones I lost at Playa del Coco, and copy and mail the log. I had also intended to drop off our film for developing, but I forgot to take it with me.
Got off the bus at the wrong stop, so I had to walk a couple of blocks to the place I was going to for a haircut. The woman who cut my hair totally butchered it, so now my hair looks worse than Roy's (he got scalped in Miami Beach).
Looked in the phone book for a good place to make copies. There was a Kinko's at 6318 NW 9th Ave., so I decided to go there. Also looked up optical shops and selected one at 1744 N. Federal Highway. Checked the bus map to try to figure out how to get to these places. Optiworld was closer, so I got on a bus to go there. Got off the bus in the 1700 block. Unfortunately, I got off on Sunrise Boulevard instead of North Federal. Rather than wait half an hour for the next bus, I walked the eight blocks to Optiworld. They quoted me a price that was a lot higher than I wanted to pay, so I left.
Set out to try to find NW 9th Avenue. Unfortunately, many streets in Fort Lauderdale have two names. I realized later that the bus had gone right down NW 9th Avenue, but I didn't know it, because the street sign showed a different name.
Finally gave up looking for NW 9th Avenue and took a bus downtown. At the terminal, I found another phone book and checked the address of Kinko's. This was a more recent directory; it showed two Kinko's, and the second was a block and a half from where I'd gotten my hair cut. Terrific.
Took a bus to Kinko's. By then it was 3 o'clock, and I hadn't eaten lunch. I was starving, so I went to Burger King and had chicken nuggets and a strawberry shake. Then I walked a block and a half to Kinko's. The type of machine I wanted to use was in use, and there were people waiting, so I decided to go back to the boat. We wanted to have an early supper so we could go to the Jai Alai games tonight.
When I got to the boat, Roy was gone. He'd left a note saying Lee and his wife from the Pyxis had come by, and he'd gone over there to visit them.
Fortunately, Roy returned at five. We ate a fast supper and caught the bus to the Jai Alai games. Got there just a few minutes after they'd started.
Neither of us had ever watched Jai Alai before, so we had no idea how it was played, but it was easy to figure out all but the fine points. The players take turns flinging a small white ball against the end wall, using long curved things strapped to their right arms. The other player has to catch the rebounding ball with his curved thing, either in mid-air or after the first bounce, and fling it back against the wall. If one misses or takes two bounces, the other player scores a point. The ball traveled so fast, I often couldn't see it. The players had to have terrific eye-hand coordination, and they had to anticipate what the ball would do.
We left right after the seventh game started, partly because the air-conditioning was too cold, and partly because we wanted to get back to the boat before the buses stopped running. It was a little after nine, but we had to wait about 40 minutes for the #1 bus. We got to the transfer point after the last #40 bus had gone by. We could have walked the last 3 or 4 miles, but Roy's new sandals were irritating his feet, so we took a cab. It was a nice comfortable cab. Cost $5.
Got off the bus at the wrong stop, so I had to walk a couple of blocks to the place I was going to for a haircut. The woman who cut my hair totally butchered it, so now my hair looks worse than Roy's (he got scalped in Miami Beach).
Looked in the phone book for a good place to make copies. There was a Kinko's at 6318 NW 9th Ave., so I decided to go there. Also looked up optical shops and selected one at 1744 N. Federal Highway. Checked the bus map to try to figure out how to get to these places. Optiworld was closer, so I got on a bus to go there. Got off the bus in the 1700 block. Unfortunately, I got off on Sunrise Boulevard instead of North Federal. Rather than wait half an hour for the next bus, I walked the eight blocks to Optiworld. They quoted me a price that was a lot higher than I wanted to pay, so I left.
Set out to try to find NW 9th Avenue. Unfortunately, many streets in Fort Lauderdale have two names. I realized later that the bus had gone right down NW 9th Avenue, but I didn't know it, because the street sign showed a different name.
Finally gave up looking for NW 9th Avenue and took a bus downtown. At the terminal, I found another phone book and checked the address of Kinko's. This was a more recent directory; it showed two Kinko's, and the second was a block and a half from where I'd gotten my hair cut. Terrific.
Took a bus to Kinko's. By then it was 3 o'clock, and I hadn't eaten lunch. I was starving, so I went to Burger King and had chicken nuggets and a strawberry shake. Then I walked a block and a half to Kinko's. The type of machine I wanted to use was in use, and there were people waiting, so I decided to go back to the boat. We wanted to have an early supper so we could go to the Jai Alai games tonight.
When I got to the boat, Roy was gone. He'd left a note saying Lee and his wife from the Pyxis had come by, and he'd gone over there to visit them.
Fortunately, Roy returned at five. We ate a fast supper and caught the bus to the Jai Alai games. Got there just a few minutes after they'd started.
Neither of us had ever watched Jai Alai before, so we had no idea how it was played, but it was easy to figure out all but the fine points. The players take turns flinging a small white ball against the end wall, using long curved things strapped to their right arms. The other player has to catch the rebounding ball with his curved thing, either in mid-air or after the first bounce, and fling it back against the wall. If one misses or takes two bounces, the other player scores a point. The ball traveled so fast, I often couldn't see it. The players had to have terrific eye-hand coordination, and they had to anticipate what the ball would do.
We left right after the seventh game started, partly because the air-conditioning was too cold, and partly because we wanted to get back to the boat before the buses stopped running. It was a little after nine, but we had to wait about 40 minutes for the #1 bus. We got to the transfer point after the last #40 bus had gone by. We could have walked the last 3 or 4 miles, but Roy's new sandals were irritating his feet, so we took a cab. It was a nice comfortable cab. Cost $5.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Monday, June 14, 1993
While Roy repaired the winches for the headsail sheets, I rode buses to the Post Office to get my mail from General Delivery. The Post Office is about as far from the marina as you can get and still be in Fort Lauderdale, so it took a while to get there. They had a boxful of mail that Kathy had sent me.
Took a different bus back so I could see some different scenery. Bought weekly passes for Roy and me. Now we can ride as much as we want to. Also got a map of all the bus routes.
After I returned to the boat and looked over my mail, we took a bus to Wendy's and ate baked potatoes for lunch. Then we went to the SSCA headquarters (Seven Seas Cruising association, of which we're members). Bought sixteen used charts for $3 each. What a bargain! New charts are $14 each. Most of the charts we bought are of Chesapeake Bay.
In the evening, I phoned Nancy and found out she and my granddaughter Jeanette will be flying out here this Saturday to go sailing with us for five or six days! That will be fun. We're planning on leaving Fort Lauderdale Wednesday or Thursday, so Nancy and Jeanette will spend Saturday night in a motel. I'll phone them Sunday morning to let them know where we are. Then Nancy will rent a car and drive up there.
The weather here is surprisingly pleasant. I thought it would be hot and humid, but it's a lot less hot than Central America, there's usually a cool breeze blowing, and the humidity is so low we can shake salt out of the shaker for the first time in weeks!
Took a different bus back so I could see some different scenery. Bought weekly passes for Roy and me. Now we can ride as much as we want to. Also got a map of all the bus routes.
After I returned to the boat and looked over my mail, we took a bus to Wendy's and ate baked potatoes for lunch. Then we went to the SSCA headquarters (Seven Seas Cruising association, of which we're members). Bought sixteen used charts for $3 each. What a bargain! New charts are $14 each. Most of the charts we bought are of Chesapeake Bay.
In the evening, I phoned Nancy and found out she and my granddaughter Jeanette will be flying out here this Saturday to go sailing with us for five or six days! That will be fun. We're planning on leaving Fort Lauderdale Wednesday or Thursday, so Nancy and Jeanette will spend Saturday night in a motel. I'll phone them Sunday morning to let them know where we are. Then Nancy will rent a car and drive up there.
The weather here is surprisingly pleasant. I thought it would be hot and humid, but it's a lot less hot than Central America, there's usually a cool breeze blowing, and the humidity is so low we can shake salt out of the shaker for the first time in weeks!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 1993
Left Miami Beach Marina at 11. Had an easy motorsail to Fort Lauderdale. It's only 20 miles, so with the Gulf Stream pushing us, we got there in nothing flat. Roy was asleep when we reached the buoy. As soon as I shifted into neutral, he woke up, of course, and asked if the wind had changed. When I told him we were at Fort Lauderdale, he could scarcely believe it.
This is a beautiful place. It's even better than Miami Beach. We're staying at the Bahia Mar Yacht Club Marina. There's a nice swimming pool, luxurious showers, a big laundry room, a grocery store, a marine supply store, a big dive shop, and even a walkway to the beach so we don't have to dodge cars crossing the road. And the city bus stops right in front. The rate here is 75 cents a foot instead of $1.
We put our suits on and went for a swim. Even though it's open ocean, there's no heavy surf, and the water's warmer than most heated pools. The sand is soft as velvet. We had a lot of fun bouncing around in the waves. Then we took good showers.
This is a beautiful place. It's even better than Miami Beach. We're staying at the Bahia Mar Yacht Club Marina. There's a nice swimming pool, luxurious showers, a big laundry room, a grocery store, a marine supply store, a big dive shop, and even a walkway to the beach so we don't have to dodge cars crossing the road. And the city bus stops right in front. The rate here is 75 cents a foot instead of $1.
We put our suits on and went for a swim. Even though it's open ocean, there's no heavy surf, and the water's warmer than most heated pools. The sand is soft as velvet. We had a lot of fun bouncing around in the waves. Then we took good showers.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 1993
We had to return the car by 1:30, so we did as much as we could before then.
Went to a store that sells new and used marine gear, but they didn't have anything we wanted.
Drove as close to the South Point as we could get, and then went north along the coast. Saw a man climbing a tall coconut palm, using just his hands and bare feet. He scrambled up almost effortlessly. Then he picked a bunch of coconuts and dropped them down onto a soft cushion. When he got back down, he put the coconuts in a grocery cart. We talked to him later, and he told us he'd been doing this for 23 years. He sells the coconuts and makes quite a bit of money. He also plants some of the coconuts so more trees will grow.
We parked for a few minutes and walked over to the beach. Miles and miles of lovely clean sand, lounge chairs, and beach umbrellas. Everything is free!
Went to the shopping district and bought a few things. Roy wanted to buy a new head for his electric razor. (He had accidentally dropped the old one overboard.) He didn't find one, but someone gave him the address of the Norelco repair shop, so we went over there. Arrived five minutes before they closed! Roy got the head he needed.
Returned the car to Alamo. There was a Denny's next door, so we went there for lunch. Enjoyed large servings of turkey, cranberry sauce, dressing, gravy, rice, pea soup, hot rolls and butter for $3.95 each!
Took the bus to downtown Miami Beach, and Roy got his hair cut.
Rode the bus over to Bayside Park and walked around. The Miamarina was undergoing reconstruction, so there were no boats there except some charter boats and tour boats. There's a big shopping center with all kinds of shops and waterfront restaurants. Lots of people wandering around.
Went to a store that sells new and used marine gear, but they didn't have anything we wanted.
Drove as close to the South Point as we could get, and then went north along the coast. Saw a man climbing a tall coconut palm, using just his hands and bare feet. He scrambled up almost effortlessly. Then he picked a bunch of coconuts and dropped them down onto a soft cushion. When he got back down, he put the coconuts in a grocery cart. We talked to him later, and he told us he'd been doing this for 23 years. He sells the coconuts and makes quite a bit of money. He also plants some of the coconuts so more trees will grow.
We parked for a few minutes and walked over to the beach. Miles and miles of lovely clean sand, lounge chairs, and beach umbrellas. Everything is free!
Went to the shopping district and bought a few things. Roy wanted to buy a new head for his electric razor. (He had accidentally dropped the old one overboard.) He didn't find one, but someone gave him the address of the Norelco repair shop, so we went over there. Arrived five minutes before they closed! Roy got the head he needed.
Returned the car to Alamo. There was a Denny's next door, so we went there for lunch. Enjoyed large servings of turkey, cranberry sauce, dressing, gravy, rice, pea soup, hot rolls and butter for $3.95 each!
Took the bus to downtown Miami Beach, and Roy got his hair cut.
Rode the bus over to Bayside Park and walked around. The Miamarina was undergoing reconstruction, so there were no boats there except some charter boats and tour boats. There's a big shopping center with all kinds of shops and waterfront restaurants. Lots of people wandering around.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Friday, June 11, 1993
Today we splurged and rented a nice new, air-conditioned car for 24 hours. We drove to Sears, and Roy bought two nice pairs of shorts. Then we went to Sizzler for lunch. It's a good thing we didn't try to go there last night; it's miles from where we were.
Bought some things at West Marine. Then we went to Monkey Jungle, where Roy worked as a teenager. It was badly damaged by Hurricane Andrew. Nearly all the trees were knocked down by the hurricane, but the animals survived. Grace Dumond, the owner, is still alive at 91! Roy talked with her on the phone, but she didn't remember him.
Drove down to Homestead. This area was the hardest hit by Andrew. Many houses and other buildings lost their roofs and windows. Some had been replaced but many were still gone, and there were many heaps of rubble.
On the way back, we stopped at a market that turned out to be a big discount store. Bought $150 worth of groceries for $87, so we more than saved the cost of the car.
Made it back to the boat just before dark.
Bought some things at West Marine. Then we went to Monkey Jungle, where Roy worked as a teenager. It was badly damaged by Hurricane Andrew. Nearly all the trees were knocked down by the hurricane, but the animals survived. Grace Dumond, the owner, is still alive at 91! Roy talked with her on the phone, but she didn't remember him.
Drove down to Homestead. This area was the hardest hit by Andrew. Many houses and other buildings lost their roofs and windows. Some had been replaced but many were still gone, and there were many heaps of rubble.
On the way back, we stopped at a market that turned out to be a big discount store. Bought $150 worth of groceries for $87, so we more than saved the cost of the car.
Made it back to the boat just before dark.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 1993
Rode the bus into downtown Miami. Got on the elevated train and rode to the north end of the line. Then we rode back to where we could catch the Tri-Rail train. While we were waiting for it, rain started coming down in torrents, but it didn't last long, and we were under a roof. We rode to Fort Lauderdale and got off, intending to get my mail, which I'd asked Kathy to send to General Delivery in Fort Lauderdale. I had no idea the city was so big; I'd thought it was just a little seaport town that we could easily walk around in, but we'd have had to take a shuttle bus to downtown and then another bus to the Post Office, wherever that happened to be. The shuttle buses only ran once an hour. We'd just missed one, and by the time the next one arrived, it was after 4 o'clock, so we decided to get on the next Tri-Rail train and ride to the end of the line at West Palm Beach.
Florida is surprisingly flat. It's flatter even than Kansas. There are no hills at all, just miles and miles of flat, interspersed with a great many canals and channels and lakes and ponds and rivers and creeks and waterways of all kinds. Everywhere you look there's water.
When we got to West Palm Beach, we stayed on the train and rode back. Reached Miami a little after seven. Transferred to the city elevated train and rode to the south end of the line, which turned out to be at a huge shopping center called Dadeland. There was every kind of store imaginable, but we didn't have time to explore, because we were hungry. We had planned on eating at Sizzler, but it was getting so late we were afraid the buses would stop running and we'd be stranded, so we ate at a fairly good restaurant there at the mall. It was 11 o'clock by the time we got back to the boat.
Florida is surprisingly flat. It's flatter even than Kansas. There are no hills at all, just miles and miles of flat, interspersed with a great many canals and channels and lakes and ponds and rivers and creeks and waterways of all kinds. Everywhere you look there's water.
When we got to West Palm Beach, we stayed on the train and rode back. Reached Miami a little after seven. Transferred to the city elevated train and rode to the south end of the line, which turned out to be at a huge shopping center called Dadeland. There was every kind of store imaginable, but we didn't have time to explore, because we were hungry. We had planned on eating at Sizzler, but it was getting so late we were afraid the buses would stop running and we'd be stranded, so we ate at a fairly good restaurant there at the mall. It was 11 o'clock by the time we got back to the boat.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 1993
When we got up this morning, we were surprised to find a copy of the Miami Herald on our deck. We thought someone had made a mistake, but later we found out this marina delivers the paper to each boat every morning.
This is a really nice place. It costs $1 a foot, which is high by California standards, but it sure beats that outrageous $2.15 a foot at Key West. It's a prettier place, too. We're in South Miami Beach, we have a lovely view, and the showers are the best since we left San Diego. There's no water shortage here; you can shower as long as you like. There's plenty of hot water, and it's easy to adjust to whatever temperature you want. There's a large dressing room for each shower, with a bench and plenty of hooks. Boy, did it feel good to wash off all the salt and grode and sweat!
Roy wanted to move the boat to a less expensive marina, so I phoned every marina in the area. All the rest either didn't have openings or were higher, so we're lucky to be here.
We're only half a block from the city buses, so we rode around and saw some of the town. Really nice. This is like a modern-day Venice. There are so many canals and channels and other bodies of water with lovely homes alongside them.
We ate lunch at a halfway decent restaurant, bought some cough syrup and a bunch of groceries, and returned to the boat.
This is a really nice place. It costs $1 a foot, which is high by California standards, but it sure beats that outrageous $2.15 a foot at Key West. It's a prettier place, too. We're in South Miami Beach, we have a lovely view, and the showers are the best since we left San Diego. There's no water shortage here; you can shower as long as you like. There's plenty of hot water, and it's easy to adjust to whatever temperature you want. There's a large dressing room for each shower, with a bench and plenty of hooks. Boy, did it feel good to wash off all the salt and grode and sweat!
Roy wanted to move the boat to a less expensive marina, so I phoned every marina in the area. All the rest either didn't have openings or were higher, so we're lucky to be here.
We're only half a block from the city buses, so we rode around and saw some of the town. Really nice. This is like a modern-day Venice. There are so many canals and channels and other bodies of water with lovely homes alongside them.
We ate lunch at a halfway decent restaurant, bought some cough syrup and a bunch of groceries, and returned to the boat.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 1993
Made a long hop today. Left at 3 a.m. Now that our direction is more northerly, we can sail with an east wind. We were able to sail most of the day, but sometimes we had to motorsail. We also had a 3-knot push from the Gulf Stream, so we were zooming along at 9 knots! We really didn't think we could make Miami in one day, but around 2:30 I began seeing skyscrapers in the distance. I couldn't believe my eyes at first; it didn't seem possible we were that close to Miami, but the skyscrapers kept getting bigger. We reached the Miami sea buoy about 5 o'clock. The channels were sort of weird coming in here, and Miami is totally different from what I expected. It's mostly water, dotted with islands.
The distance turned out to be more like 80 miles than 104.
We wandered around the harbor for a while and then decided to tie up at Miami Beach Marina for the night.
The distance turned out to be more like 80 miles than 104.
We wandered around the harbor for a while and then decided to tie up at Miami Beach Marina for the night.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Monday, June 7, 1993
After breakfast, we paddled ashore. No beaches, just mangroves, but some guys on a boat told us where there was a small ramp, so we went over there. It was just right for us. We carried our Royaks up to the grass, put our clothes on over our swim suits, and walked a block to the highway. Bought some ice cream bars, another chart, and a few groceries. Paddled back to the boat, swam a while, ate lunch, and took off.
We didn't go very far today. We've been rushing for a long time; it's good to slow down and take life easy for a few days. We're still 104 miles from Miami.
Roy's tongue has stopped burning, and his feet have stopped itching, but now he has a rash between his fingers and the skin is peeling off his hands. My tongue is almost back to normal. My feet itched a little yesterday, but nowhere near as badly as Roy's. Whatever syndrome we're suffering from, it certainly has weird symptoms.
My toe that had the nail cut off is healing nicely.
We didn't go very far today. We've been rushing for a long time; it's good to slow down and take life easy for a few days. We're still 104 miles from Miami.
Roy's tongue has stopped burning, and his feet have stopped itching, but now he has a rash between his fingers and the skin is peeling off his hands. My tongue is almost back to normal. My feet itched a little yesterday, but nowhere near as badly as Roy's. Whatever syndrome we're suffering from, it certainly has weird symptoms.
My toe that had the nail cut off is healing nicely.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 1993
Got off to a rather late start, but we still managed to go 56 miles before dark. We're heading towards Miami, but we're taking it easy. Just nice little day hops. Overnighters are too exhausting, especially when you do several in a row. No matter how much sleep you get during the day, it doesn't make up for the lost sleep at night.
It was a bright, sunny day, but the wind was against us, so we had to motor all the way. There is so much shallow water among the Keys that you can anchor almost any place. We dropped anchor off Boat Key in eight feet of water. Calm, quiet, peaceful.
We're near the Seven-Mile Bridge. This is the third bridge I've been told is the longest bridge in the world.
It was a bright, sunny day, but the wind was against us, so we had to motor all the way. There is so much shallow water among the Keys that you can anchor almost any place. We dropped anchor off Boat Key in eight feet of water. Calm, quiet, peaceful.
We're near the Seven-Mile Bridge. This is the third bridge I've been told is the longest bridge in the world.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 1993
Got up early and washed another load of clothes. Now almost everything is clean.
We went over to a marine supply store and bought some charts and stuff. On the way back, we picked up some groceries. What beautiful fresh produce! Haven't seen such nice vegetables since we left San Diego.
We didn't want to spend another day at this extravagant marina, so we paid the outrageous bill and left.
Stopped at the Chevron fuel dock to fill up with diesel and buy twelve quarts of oil. Then we went over to an anchorage and dropped anchor.
After a nap, we paddled our Royaks for a couple of hours. Then supper and a good night's sleep.
We went over to a marine supply store and bought some charts and stuff. On the way back, we picked up some groceries. What beautiful fresh produce! Haven't seen such nice vegetables since we left San Diego.
We didn't want to spend another day at this extravagant marina, so we paid the outrageous bill and left.
Stopped at the Chevron fuel dock to fill up with diesel and buy twelve quarts of oil. Then we went over to an anchorage and dropped anchor.
After a nap, we paddled our Royaks for a couple of hours. Then supper and a good night's sleep.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Friday, June 4, 1993
Key West! We're back in the U.S. of A.! Good marinas! Laundromats! Super markets! Instant oatmeal! English muffins! Raisin bread! Junior Mints! Parts for the boat! Charts! Anything we want!
And high prices.
If travel does nothing else for you, it sure makes you appreciate home.
Our birdy friend stayed with us all night. He snuggled down on the aft deck, out of the wind. But when I went back there to get the lines and fenders ready, he flew away, which is just as well, since it's illegal to bring a bird into the United States without a permit. By then, we were within a mile or two of land, so he shouldn't have had a problem making it.
We arrived in Key West about six o'clock our time, which is eight o'clock Eastern Daylight Savings Time, so now we have a two-hour time difference to adjust to.
We had planned on tying up at the A & B Marina, but they didn't have any side ties, so we splurged and went to the Galleon Marina instead. We were flabbergasted when we found out they charge $2.15 a foot! That's over $80 for our boat! We thought Cabo San Lucas was ridiculously high at $1 a foot, but this is preposterous!
Roy phoned Customs, as required. Pretty soon an agricultural inspector came to the boat. He confiscated our oranges and lone onion, but he didn't take our potatoes, which was surprising. He said we could keep the eggs if we hard-boiled them, so I promptly put them on to boil. The immigration officer came and checked our passports. Customs cleared us by phone. So now we're free to go wherever we want to. No more Port Captains!
We walked to an ATM machine and popped out some money, as we were completely out of U.S. money. Had lots of pesos, lempiras, and colons.
Ate a good breakfast at a nice, air-conditioned restaurant. Then we walked to a drugstore and bought some cough syrup. On the way back, Roy bought a nice pair of sandals.
Back at the boat, we ate egg salad sandwiches. Then Roy carried a mountain of dirty clothes to the laundry room. There were only two machines, so I couldn't wash everything, but I washed the most essential stuff.
I phoned Lincoln School and found out my 50th Class Reunion was May 7th. Oh well, maybe I'll make the 60th.
Took refreshing showers. Boy, did that feel good!
Roy assembled the bicycles, and we rode around. Unfortunately, we managed to lose each other. Roy stopped to listen to some music. I turned right at the corner, as was our custom. When I saw that Roy wasn't behind me, I got off my bike and waited. After a few minutes, I went back to where I'd last seen him, but he had vanished, so I rode around looking for him. He was riding around looking for me. We looked in the same places, but at different times, so we never found each other.
By seven o'clock, I was totally lost. I didn't know where Roy was, I didn't know where I was, and I didn't know where the marina was. Since I wanted to get back to the boat before dark, I decided my number one priority was to find the marina, so I rode back in the general direction I'd come from, but didn't see anything familiar. I figured if I followed the waterfront, I was bound to find the marina eventually. Sure enough, I finally reached it, much to my relief. Roy showed up a little later.
We left the bicycles on the boat and went to Burger King for supper. Then we crossed the street and ate some ice cream.
We've been experiencing some strange symptoms. We don't know if they were caused by the barracuda or what. The tops of our tongues burn. Mine's been doing it for two or three days, but Roy's just started today. The bottoms of Roy's feet have been itching like crazy. He's practically scratched off the skin. He couldn't sleep for the itching. He put all kinds of medication on his feet, but nothing helped. Finally, he took an extra-strength Tylenol. The itching stopped, and he was able to sleep.
And high prices.
If travel does nothing else for you, it sure makes you appreciate home.
Our birdy friend stayed with us all night. He snuggled down on the aft deck, out of the wind. But when I went back there to get the lines and fenders ready, he flew away, which is just as well, since it's illegal to bring a bird into the United States without a permit. By then, we were within a mile or two of land, so he shouldn't have had a problem making it.
We arrived in Key West about six o'clock our time, which is eight o'clock Eastern Daylight Savings Time, so now we have a two-hour time difference to adjust to.
We had planned on tying up at the A & B Marina, but they didn't have any side ties, so we splurged and went to the Galleon Marina instead. We were flabbergasted when we found out they charge $2.15 a foot! That's over $80 for our boat! We thought Cabo San Lucas was ridiculously high at $1 a foot, but this is preposterous!
Roy phoned Customs, as required. Pretty soon an agricultural inspector came to the boat. He confiscated our oranges and lone onion, but he didn't take our potatoes, which was surprising. He said we could keep the eggs if we hard-boiled them, so I promptly put them on to boil. The immigration officer came and checked our passports. Customs cleared us by phone. So now we're free to go wherever we want to. No more Port Captains!
We walked to an ATM machine and popped out some money, as we were completely out of U.S. money. Had lots of pesos, lempiras, and colons.
Ate a good breakfast at a nice, air-conditioned restaurant. Then we walked to a drugstore and bought some cough syrup. On the way back, Roy bought a nice pair of sandals.
Back at the boat, we ate egg salad sandwiches. Then Roy carried a mountain of dirty clothes to the laundry room. There were only two machines, so I couldn't wash everything, but I washed the most essential stuff.
I phoned Lincoln School and found out my 50th Class Reunion was May 7th. Oh well, maybe I'll make the 60th.
Took refreshing showers. Boy, did that feel good!
Roy assembled the bicycles, and we rode around. Unfortunately, we managed to lose each other. Roy stopped to listen to some music. I turned right at the corner, as was our custom. When I saw that Roy wasn't behind me, I got off my bike and waited. After a few minutes, I went back to where I'd last seen him, but he had vanished, so I rode around looking for him. He was riding around looking for me. We looked in the same places, but at different times, so we never found each other.
By seven o'clock, I was totally lost. I didn't know where Roy was, I didn't know where I was, and I didn't know where the marina was. Since I wanted to get back to the boat before dark, I decided my number one priority was to find the marina, so I rode back in the general direction I'd come from, but didn't see anything familiar. I figured if I followed the waterfront, I was bound to find the marina eventually. Sure enough, I finally reached it, much to my relief. Roy showed up a little later.
We left the bicycles on the boat and went to Burger King for supper. Then we crossed the street and ate some ice cream.
We've been experiencing some strange symptoms. We don't know if they were caused by the barracuda or what. The tops of our tongues burn. Mine's been doing it for two or three days, but Roy's just started today. The bottoms of Roy's feet have been itching like crazy. He's practically scratched off the skin. He couldn't sleep for the itching. He put all kinds of medication on his feet, but nothing helped. Finally, he took an extra-strength Tylenol. The itching stopped, and he was able to sleep.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 1993
We're almost to Key West! Less than 100 miles to go! We can already pick up Coast Guard weather on the VHF. Theoretically, we shouldn't be able to get it until we're within 40 miles. We're more than twice that, yet it's coming in loud and clear. Sounds so good to hear it again!
As we got closer to the U.S., we kept expecting the Loran to start functioning, but it didn't. I fiddled and fiddled with it. Nothing. Finally, all else having failed, I resorted to reading the instructions. Lo and behold, all I had to do was press the "AUT" button (for "automatic"). It's been working perfectly ever since.
The Loran and the GPS are within a few seconds of each other. So now we not only think we know where we are, we know we know where we are. (The two systems are totally independent.)
We picked up a passenger early this morning. An egret has been riding with us all day. He doesn't seem to be at all afraid of us.
As we got closer to the U.S., we kept expecting the Loran to start functioning, but it didn't. I fiddled and fiddled with it. Nothing. Finally, all else having failed, I resorted to reading the instructions. Lo and behold, all I had to do was press the "AUT" button (for "automatic"). It's been working perfectly ever since.
The Loran and the GPS are within a few seconds of each other. So now we not only think we know where we are, we know we know where we are. (The two systems are totally independent.)
We picked up a passenger early this morning. An egret has been riding with us all day. He doesn't seem to be at all afraid of us.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 1993
Well, Roy was really proud and happy catching that big barracuda, and he put a lot of work into cleaning and filleting it, and it tasted great. Unfortunately, it made him miserably sick. Barracuda is notorious for that. He threw up several times during the night. By daybreak, he felt quite a bit better, but weak and certainly not 100% well, so the rest of the fish got deep-sixed. As the day went on, Roy gradually improved and was able to eat lightly.
Another beautiful day, but calmer and hotter than yesterday. Had to use the engine all day.
I've got a stupid cough that's driving me nuts.
We're more than halfway to Key West! Should get there early Friday morning.
About 6:30 p.m., I was sleeping in preparation for my next watch. The sound of male voices woke me up. At first, I was bewildered. Who's talking? Are we at a marina? Impossible. Is there another boat next to us? Then I realized the voices must be on the VHF. Finally, I recognized one of the voices as Roy's. It occurred to me that maybe we were being boarded by the Coast Guard, so I went up to the cockpit. It was the Coast Guard, but they weren't attempting to board. Their boat was about a hundred yards away, and they were talking to Roy on the VHF. Roy turned the mike over to me, so he could finish putting fuel in the tank from a jerry can. The Coast Guardsman was very courteous and nice. He asked a lot of questions, such as our last port of call, our next port, our registration number, and the skipper's name and birth date. I asked him for tomorrow's weather forecast, and he said it should be similar to today. He wished us a good trip and took off.
Towards midnight, when Roy was on watch, he saw a boat four or five miles away that had a lot of red lights. It seemed to be sending out signals that messed up our radar screen. We assumed it was some sort of Coast Guard surveillance boat.
Another beautiful day, but calmer and hotter than yesterday. Had to use the engine all day.
I've got a stupid cough that's driving me nuts.
We're more than halfway to Key West! Should get there early Friday morning.
About 6:30 p.m., I was sleeping in preparation for my next watch. The sound of male voices woke me up. At first, I was bewildered. Who's talking? Are we at a marina? Impossible. Is there another boat next to us? Then I realized the voices must be on the VHF. Finally, I recognized one of the voices as Roy's. It occurred to me that maybe we were being boarded by the Coast Guard, so I went up to the cockpit. It was the Coast Guard, but they weren't attempting to board. Their boat was about a hundred yards away, and they were talking to Roy on the VHF. Roy turned the mike over to me, so he could finish putting fuel in the tank from a jerry can. The Coast Guardsman was very courteous and nice. He asked a lot of questions, such as our last port of call, our next port, our registration number, and the skipper's name and birth date. I asked him for tomorrow's weather forecast, and he said it should be similar to today. He wished us a good trip and took off.
Towards midnight, when Roy was on watch, he saw a boat four or five miles away that had a lot of red lights. It seemed to be sending out signals that messed up our radar screen. We assumed it was some sort of Coast Guard surveillance boat.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 1993
Another beautiful, sunny day! Wind out of the north-northeast, about 12 knots.
After breakfast, I called "Pyxis" on the VHF to get the weather forecast. To my surprise, they were already on their way! They were just rounding the north end of Mujeres. Sure glad I caught them. They said it was really nice out there.
If it's good enough for "Pyxis", it's good enough for us, so we immediately weighed anchor and took off.
An ideal day for sailing. The wind was just right, the water was just right, the air temperature was delightful. You'd never have known it was the same ocean we were on a couple of days ago.
We had all four sails up, and we zoomed along at six to seven knots. Didn't have to use the engine until late afternoon.
"Primo" left shortly after we did. We were able to keep in touch with both "Primo" and "Pyxis" by VHF, which was comforting.
Around noon, the fishing line started whirring and the pole was bent ninety degrees. It was a struggle to get the fish on the boat. Turned out to be a barracuda, 40 inches long and about 30 pounds. And what a mouthful of teeth! He could have bitten your hand right off. So now we'll have fresh fish all the way to Key West, with a lot left over. And it's really delicious.
Lovely moonlit night.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Monday, May 31, 1993
Before dawn, we could see the lights of Cancun and Mujeres, but we couldn't pick out the lighthouse on the south end of Mujeres. When the sun came up, we realized most of the lights had been in Cancun, so we'd been looking for the light in the wrong place.
It didn't take long to reach Mujeres in daylight. The wind shifted to the west and blew the storm clouds away. Now we can see blue sky, white fluffy clouds, and sunshine. And we're alive and safe in Mujeres Harbor.
As soon as we entered the harbor, we tied up at the fuel dock and filled our empty diesel cans. Then we went over to the anchorage, dropped anchor, and ate breakfast.
Lee on "Pyxis" called us on VHF. I told him about our fun weekend. He said the Weather Service realizes they blew it. They sent out a plane to see what was going on. There's a tropical trough that's causing the problems. Looks as if Wednesday will be the earliest we can get out of here.
This was the first day it didn't rain since we've been in Mujeres. Gorgeous day! Blue sky, white fluffy clouds, refreshing breeze.
Paddled to a nice sandy beach. Went to the bank and cashed another Travelers' Check. Hopped on a bus and rode down to the south end of the island. It was the first time we'd been south of the marina. We'd just been in the downtown area, and we'd wondered where the people lived. Now we found out. The bus went through the residential area, and it was quite large. And as miserable as in the rest of Mexico.
The end of the line was near a nice beach with lots of restaurants and palapas. While Roy relaxed in the shade, I walked down the beach, looking for the lighthouse and the Mayan ruins that are near the point. Towards the end of the beach, a young man said "Hi!" to me, so I assumed he spoke English and asked him if he knew where the Mayan ruins were. It turned out the extent of his English vocabulary was "Hi!" He called his girlfriend over. She spoke a little English but didn't seem to comprehend when I asked about Mayan ruins, so I tried Spanish, but that didn't click either. Then she told me they were tourists from Japan!
Returned to Roy. We were both very hungry by then (it was after two), so we walked over to a nice restaurant. Unfortunately, they had just stopped serving lunch, so we ended up eating rather sorry chicken sandwiches at a palapa.
I asked the waiter where the Mayan ruins were. He pointed towards the road and said we could walk there in one minute. We started in that direction, but saw a bus at the turnaround. Since the bus doesn't run very often, we took advantage of the opportunity to return to town.
Stopped at a pharmacy for some cough syrup. Also bought a candy bar to kill the taste of the chicken sandwich.
At the plaza, we ran into some other gringo cruisers. The word had already spread about our weekend adventure, so they asked us for more details.
Bought a few groceries at the "super market" and some good bananas and mangoes from a sidewalk vendor. Returned to the boat with the groceries, and then Roy took his SCUBA tank to a dive shop to be refilled.
Now that the generator's working perfectly, the microwave oven has conked out, so I had to cook supper on the hotplate. Roy didn't like the way I boiled the vegetables, so I gave him three choices: (1) He could repair the microwave; (2) He could eat the vegetables the way I cooked them; or (3) He could cook supper himself. He chose to cook supper. Oh boy!
(Mom's dad came here from England and was accustomed to the traditional British style of very overcooked vegetables, which is how my mom cooked vegetables on the stove. Somehow microwaves are magical and she was not able to overcook them in the microwave, which I found out when we sailed with her later in Florida. Somehow carrots stay bright orange and al-dente, cabbage stays bright green and al-dente, no matter long she cooked them. I guess that was what Roy was talking about.)
It didn't take long to reach Mujeres in daylight. The wind shifted to the west and blew the storm clouds away. Now we can see blue sky, white fluffy clouds, and sunshine. And we're alive and safe in Mujeres Harbor.
As soon as we entered the harbor, we tied up at the fuel dock and filled our empty diesel cans. Then we went over to the anchorage, dropped anchor, and ate breakfast.
Lee on "Pyxis" called us on VHF. I told him about our fun weekend. He said the Weather Service realizes they blew it. They sent out a plane to see what was going on. There's a tropical trough that's causing the problems. Looks as if Wednesday will be the earliest we can get out of here.
This was the first day it didn't rain since we've been in Mujeres. Gorgeous day! Blue sky, white fluffy clouds, refreshing breeze.
Paddled to a nice sandy beach. Went to the bank and cashed another Travelers' Check. Hopped on a bus and rode down to the south end of the island. It was the first time we'd been south of the marina. We'd just been in the downtown area, and we'd wondered where the people lived. Now we found out. The bus went through the residential area, and it was quite large. And as miserable as in the rest of Mexico.
The end of the line was near a nice beach with lots of restaurants and palapas. While Roy relaxed in the shade, I walked down the beach, looking for the lighthouse and the Mayan ruins that are near the point. Towards the end of the beach, a young man said "Hi!" to me, so I assumed he spoke English and asked him if he knew where the Mayan ruins were. It turned out the extent of his English vocabulary was "Hi!" He called his girlfriend over. She spoke a little English but didn't seem to comprehend when I asked about Mayan ruins, so I tried Spanish, but that didn't click either. Then she told me they were tourists from Japan!
Returned to Roy. We were both very hungry by then (it was after two), so we walked over to a nice restaurant. Unfortunately, they had just stopped serving lunch, so we ended up eating rather sorry chicken sandwiches at a palapa.
I asked the waiter where the Mayan ruins were. He pointed towards the road and said we could walk there in one minute. We started in that direction, but saw a bus at the turnaround. Since the bus doesn't run very often, we took advantage of the opportunity to return to town.
Stopped at a pharmacy for some cough syrup. Also bought a candy bar to kill the taste of the chicken sandwich.
At the plaza, we ran into some other gringo cruisers. The word had already spread about our weekend adventure, so they asked us for more details.
Bought a few groceries at the "super market" and some good bananas and mangoes from a sidewalk vendor. Returned to the boat with the groceries, and then Roy took his SCUBA tank to a dive shop to be refilled.
Now that the generator's working perfectly, the microwave oven has conked out, so I had to cook supper on the hotplate. Roy didn't like the way I boiled the vegetables, so I gave him three choices: (1) He could repair the microwave; (2) He could eat the vegetables the way I cooked them; or (3) He could cook supper himself. He chose to cook supper. Oh boy!
(Mom's dad came here from England and was accustomed to the traditional British style of very overcooked vegetables, which is how my mom cooked vegetables on the stove. Somehow microwaves are magical and she was not able to overcook them in the microwave, which I found out when we sailed with her later in Florida. Somehow carrots stay bright orange and al-dente, cabbage stays bright green and al-dente, no matter long she cooked them. I guess that was what Roy was talking about.)
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 1993
At one a.m., we admitted defeat. We were going in circles, burning diesel and getting nowhere. It had taken us 20 hours to go 60 miles, and we were miles north of our course. At that rate, we'd have run out of diesel long before we reached Key West. If we could have ducked into Cuba for fuel and shelter, it would have been different, but that's risky business, so we turned around and headed back to Mujeres.
The morning was especially rugged. We had to go south against the current or be blown to the north side of the Yucatan Peninsula. This meant being perpendicular to the east wind, so the waves were clobbering us broadside. Several times, we were knocked over 60 degrees from the vertical. The decks were awash. We were afraid we'd capsize, but good old Jofian always righted herself. Sure glad there's all that lead on her bottom.
In the afternoon, the sea calmed down a little, relatively speaking, which helped tremendously, but it was still tough going. We couldn't go more than two or three knots. Mujeres seemed a long ways away.
The morning was especially rugged. We had to go south against the current or be blown to the north side of the Yucatan Peninsula. This meant being perpendicular to the east wind, so the waves were clobbering us broadside. Several times, we were knocked over 60 degrees from the vertical. The decks were awash. We were afraid we'd capsize, but good old Jofian always righted herself. Sure glad there's all that lead on her bottom.
In the afternoon, the sea calmed down a little, relatively speaking, which helped tremendously, but it was still tough going. We couldn't go more than two or three knots. Mujeres seemed a long ways away.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 1993
Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn't read the weather report. The weather does whatever it wants to do, not what some meteorologist says it should do.
The wind was straight out of the east, not the southeast. Instead of 15 knots, it was blowing 20 to 30, usually closer to 30 than 20. The waves, that were supposed to be less than 5 feet were 15 to 20 feet. And on top of everything else, a powerful current carried us way to the north.
The wind was straight out of the east, not the southeast. Instead of 15 knots, it was blowing 20 to 30, usually closer to 30 than 20. The waves, that were supposed to be less than 5 feet were 15 to 20 feet. And on top of everything else, a powerful current carried us way to the north.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Friday, May 28, 1993
A local radio station gives the weather forecast in English at 5:35 a.m., so I got up to listen to it. The forecast sounded somewhat promising for the weekend.
Roy changed the oil after breakfast. Then we took the diesel cans to the Pemex station in a cab and brought them back full. On the way, we saw the "Leonardo II" tied to the Navy dock, so apparently they made it okay.
Took another cab to the Port Captain's office to start the checking-out process. From there, we walked to Migracion and Customs, then back to the Port Captain. So then we were free to leave. We asked the Port Captain if he'd heard a weather forecast for the next few days. He said the wind will be out of the south, which will be perfect for us.
We did a little shopping and ate some ice cream. Walked to the other side of the island and watched the surf. Until then, the sun had been shining, but by the time we bought a few groceries, the rain was pouring down again. Fortunately, I'd had the foresight to put a plastic bag over my left foot. We made a dash for a cab and returned to the boat.
Kept trying to get weather forecasts on the radio. Someone right here at Isla Mujeres came on and said there was going to be a book exchange at the marina at 5 o'clock, and he'd bring us a printout of the latest weather information. His name is Lee Gillard of the "Pyxis". He's very nice. Gave us a really good printout. Very helpful. Looks as if the wind will be from the southeast, about 15 knots. That's great. Talked with Lee and his wife Linda and some other people for a couple of hours, so supper was pretty late.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 1993
Calm and sunny very early in the morning, so we took the boat to the marina before breakfast. No problem getting to the dock, bow out. No cleats; we tied to posts (actually, small tree trunks).
After breakfast, we went up to the office and registered. They charge 30 cents a foot per day plus $3 a day for electricity, but we didn't take the electricity, because the outlets are falling apart, and the wiring is pathetic. The generator is working perfectly now, so we'll continue to use it.
The guy in the office phoned customs and migracion. To our surprise, the officials came out to the boat! They were very nice and didn't even inspect the boat. They just looked at our tourist cards and asked a few questions.
After they left, we took a cab to the Port Captain's office. He was very nice and spoke English quite well. He needed another copy of our zarpe, and he told us where a copy place was. We went over there, had the copy made, and returned to the Port Captain. He typed on it, signed and stamped it, kept the original, and gave us back the copy. Then he asked if we had the form for checking out. We didn't, so he let us have his original to copy. We took it to the copy place and had 10 copies made. The Captain was pleased that we had run off extra copies for him. He showed us how to fill it out. We thanked him and left.
Next we went to a bank and exchanged $200 worth of travelers' checks for 650 pesos.
I've had a dead toenail for a number of years. The other day, I stubbed my toe and the nail came half off. Roy volunteered to cut it all the way off with a pair of pliers, but I declined his kind offer. Instead, I went to the medical clinic here on Isla Mujeres and had a doctor remove it. He did a good job. Shot a local anesthetic into my toe, cut off the nail, washed the toe with antiseptic, and bandaged it. Then he gave me a prescription for a pain-killer and an anti-infection drug. The clinic charge was 40 pesos ($13.33). That was the whole thing--doctor, two nurses, anesthetic, and all. I could have gone to the IAMAT clinic in Cancun for $45 U.S., and I would have for something serious, but I figured the local doctor could take care of a toenail.
We wandered around looking for a pharmacy so I could get my prescriptions filled. Instead, we found an ice cream parlor, so we treated ourselves. I asked the clerk where there was a farmacia, and she pointed around the corner, so we went there and found the pharmacy. There was no pharmacist on duty; the clerk simply handed me the stuff all prepackaged. Must be very routine prescriptions. She didn't even keep the prescription form.
Next we tried to find a super market. It was clouding up, and I didn't want to get my toe wet, so we hurried. Had a hard time finding it but finally did. Grabbed a few groceries and then ran for a cab. Got back to the boat just moments before the deluge.
It's only three days from here to Florida--in good weather. If these squalls out of the northeast continue, we might never get there. We don't mind the rain, but a 30-knot headwind would be a problem.
After lunch, the rain had quit and the sun was starting to come out, so we went back to town to check out the fuel dock. It looked pretty miserable, so we decided to take the jerry cans to the fuel dock in a cab.
Went over to the ferry dock to see about taking a ferry to Cancun, six miles away. They run frequently and only cost ten pesos, so we hopped on one. It turned out to be one of the super fast kind that slice through the water at 30 knots. It was a really neat ride.
We landed at Puerto Juarez, just north of Cancun, and took a bus into town (3 pesos). It was starting to rain when we got there, and I hadn't thought to wrap my left foot in a plastic bag, so we went in a large store and looked around. Roy wanted to get another pair of shorts, but they were ridiculously expensive, so he didn't.
We hopped on a bus to the hotel zone (4 pesos). Nice long ride. Went for miles and miles, nearly all the way to the point. Passed lots of luxury hotels, golf courses, lovely trees, green grass, neatly trimmed hedges, shrubbery. Trouble was, the rain was pouring down so hard and the bus was so packed, we could scarcely see anything.
By the time we'd made the round trip, the streets were so flooded, even the buses had a hard time getting through. It was after five, so we figured we better get back to Isla Mujeres ASAP. We got off at a bus stop that said "Puerto Juarez" and waited under the shelter. Nine zillion Hotel Zone buses went by, but none for Puerto Juarez. After many futile attempts to flag a cab, we finally caught one. He zoomed us out to the Terminal Maritima, but we'd already missed the 5:30 ferry. The next one was scheduled for 6:30, but there was a small ferry at the end of the dock. While I waited under the shelter, Roy walked out to the ferry to find out if it was going to Isla Mujeres, and if so, when. Just at that moment, about 300 people descended on the dock, all carrying enormous suitcases, and began stampeding towards the ferry. I joined the stampede. Roy yelled at me to "Come on!", and I yelled at him to "Get on the boat and grab a seat!" It was amazing how many people and suitcases crammed onto that little boat. They just kept coming and coming, but thanks to Roy, we had seats.
All the way across, we kept wondering when someone would come around to collect fares. Gradually it dawned on us that we were in the midst of a tour group from France that had chartered the ferry. We had just merged in with the rest. And when we got to Isla Mujeres, we just walked right off with the rest.
Took a cab back to the marina. Got there just before dark. And my toe was still dry.
Roy choked on a piece of fish during supper. Couldn't get it up and couldn't get it down. Really scared me. But eventually he dislodged it and was okay, thank goodness.
Heard another "Drama of the High Seas" this evening. We were listening to "Southbound II" on shortwave, trying to get a weather forecast. Suddenly, the "Primo", right here in the harbor at Isla Mujeres, broke in to say he'd heard a distress call and wanted "Southbound II" to contact the U.S. Coast Guard. (Hundreds of miles away. How about the Mexican Navy right here on Isla Mujeres?) Anyway, "Southbound II" phoned the Coast Guard in New York (sic) and the New York Coast Guard contacted Miami Coast Guard and Miami Coast Guard contacted the Mexican Navy here in Isla Mujeres. Right. And guess who pays the phone bill.
Anyway, it seems a fishing boat from the U.S. named "Leonardo II" was floundering around in the ocean about 13 miles east of Isla Mujeres, taking on water. Their electric pump had broken, and they were out of gas for their gasoline pump, so they were pumping by hand, but the water was gaining on them, and they were plenty scared. They kept sending out Maydays on VHF, but they didn't hear a response, even though "Primo" kept trying to contact them. They were strangers in this area and didn't quite know where they were. They didn't know how to pronounce "Mujeres"; they kept saying something like "Mayores", which added to the confusion. Fortunately, they were able to see the light on the southern tip of the island and were heading towards it. When they were 11 miles from the island, another gringo here in the harbor managed to contact them on VHF. You can imagine their relief when they finally heard a response. The reception wasn't very clear, however. The guy here, who called himself "Sailboat", kept asking for their latitude and longitude, but they didn't seem to understand. Finally, they came up with their Loran coordinates. Fortunately, someone was listening who was able to calculate their position. "Sailboat" asked them to spell the name of the island they were near, and the spelled it "Mujeres", so that cinched it. A bilingual guy in Cancun contacted the naval base here on Mujeres, and the navy dispatched a boat. (Mexico doesn't have a Coast Guard.) "Sailboat" told "Leonardo II" to turn their spotlight on and leave it on and to fire a flare so the navy could see them. By then, they were close to the point and in danger of going aground, so "Sailboat" told them to head due south. Soon, the navy boat found them and led them to safety. The last we heard, they were on their way to the harbor, but still taking on more water than they could pump out.
After breakfast, we went up to the office and registered. They charge 30 cents a foot per day plus $3 a day for electricity, but we didn't take the electricity, because the outlets are falling apart, and the wiring is pathetic. The generator is working perfectly now, so we'll continue to use it.
The guy in the office phoned customs and migracion. To our surprise, the officials came out to the boat! They were very nice and didn't even inspect the boat. They just looked at our tourist cards and asked a few questions.
After they left, we took a cab to the Port Captain's office. He was very nice and spoke English quite well. He needed another copy of our zarpe, and he told us where a copy place was. We went over there, had the copy made, and returned to the Port Captain. He typed on it, signed and stamped it, kept the original, and gave us back the copy. Then he asked if we had the form for checking out. We didn't, so he let us have his original to copy. We took it to the copy place and had 10 copies made. The Captain was pleased that we had run off extra copies for him. He showed us how to fill it out. We thanked him and left.
Next we went to a bank and exchanged $200 worth of travelers' checks for 650 pesos.
I've had a dead toenail for a number of years. The other day, I stubbed my toe and the nail came half off. Roy volunteered to cut it all the way off with a pair of pliers, but I declined his kind offer. Instead, I went to the medical clinic here on Isla Mujeres and had a doctor remove it. He did a good job. Shot a local anesthetic into my toe, cut off the nail, washed the toe with antiseptic, and bandaged it. Then he gave me a prescription for a pain-killer and an anti-infection drug. The clinic charge was 40 pesos ($13.33). That was the whole thing--doctor, two nurses, anesthetic, and all. I could have gone to the IAMAT clinic in Cancun for $45 U.S., and I would have for something serious, but I figured the local doctor could take care of a toenail.
We wandered around looking for a pharmacy so I could get my prescriptions filled. Instead, we found an ice cream parlor, so we treated ourselves. I asked the clerk where there was a farmacia, and she pointed around the corner, so we went there and found the pharmacy. There was no pharmacist on duty; the clerk simply handed me the stuff all prepackaged. Must be very routine prescriptions. She didn't even keep the prescription form.
Next we tried to find a super market. It was clouding up, and I didn't want to get my toe wet, so we hurried. Had a hard time finding it but finally did. Grabbed a few groceries and then ran for a cab. Got back to the boat just moments before the deluge.
It's only three days from here to Florida--in good weather. If these squalls out of the northeast continue, we might never get there. We don't mind the rain, but a 30-knot headwind would be a problem.
After lunch, the rain had quit and the sun was starting to come out, so we went back to town to check out the fuel dock. It looked pretty miserable, so we decided to take the jerry cans to the fuel dock in a cab.
Went over to the ferry dock to see about taking a ferry to Cancun, six miles away. They run frequently and only cost ten pesos, so we hopped on one. It turned out to be one of the super fast kind that slice through the water at 30 knots. It was a really neat ride.
We landed at Puerto Juarez, just north of Cancun, and took a bus into town (3 pesos). It was starting to rain when we got there, and I hadn't thought to wrap my left foot in a plastic bag, so we went in a large store and looked around. Roy wanted to get another pair of shorts, but they were ridiculously expensive, so he didn't.
We hopped on a bus to the hotel zone (4 pesos). Nice long ride. Went for miles and miles, nearly all the way to the point. Passed lots of luxury hotels, golf courses, lovely trees, green grass, neatly trimmed hedges, shrubbery. Trouble was, the rain was pouring down so hard and the bus was so packed, we could scarcely see anything.
By the time we'd made the round trip, the streets were so flooded, even the buses had a hard time getting through. It was after five, so we figured we better get back to Isla Mujeres ASAP. We got off at a bus stop that said "Puerto Juarez" and waited under the shelter. Nine zillion Hotel Zone buses went by, but none for Puerto Juarez. After many futile attempts to flag a cab, we finally caught one. He zoomed us out to the Terminal Maritima, but we'd already missed the 5:30 ferry. The next one was scheduled for 6:30, but there was a small ferry at the end of the dock. While I waited under the shelter, Roy walked out to the ferry to find out if it was going to Isla Mujeres, and if so, when. Just at that moment, about 300 people descended on the dock, all carrying enormous suitcases, and began stampeding towards the ferry. I joined the stampede. Roy yelled at me to "Come on!", and I yelled at him to "Get on the boat and grab a seat!" It was amazing how many people and suitcases crammed onto that little boat. They just kept coming and coming, but thanks to Roy, we had seats.
All the way across, we kept wondering when someone would come around to collect fares. Gradually it dawned on us that we were in the midst of a tour group from France that had chartered the ferry. We had just merged in with the rest. And when we got to Isla Mujeres, we just walked right off with the rest.
Took a cab back to the marina. Got there just before dark. And my toe was still dry.
Roy choked on a piece of fish during supper. Couldn't get it up and couldn't get it down. Really scared me. But eventually he dislodged it and was okay, thank goodness.
Heard another "Drama of the High Seas" this evening. We were listening to "Southbound II" on shortwave, trying to get a weather forecast. Suddenly, the "Primo", right here in the harbor at Isla Mujeres, broke in to say he'd heard a distress call and wanted "Southbound II" to contact the U.S. Coast Guard. (Hundreds of miles away. How about the Mexican Navy right here on Isla Mujeres?) Anyway, "Southbound II" phoned the Coast Guard in New York (sic) and the New York Coast Guard contacted Miami Coast Guard and Miami Coast Guard contacted the Mexican Navy here in Isla Mujeres. Right. And guess who pays the phone bill.
Anyway, it seems a fishing boat from the U.S. named "Leonardo II" was floundering around in the ocean about 13 miles east of Isla Mujeres, taking on water. Their electric pump had broken, and they were out of gas for their gasoline pump, so they were pumping by hand, but the water was gaining on them, and they were plenty scared. They kept sending out Maydays on VHF, but they didn't hear a response, even though "Primo" kept trying to contact them. They were strangers in this area and didn't quite know where they were. They didn't know how to pronounce "Mujeres"; they kept saying something like "Mayores", which added to the confusion. Fortunately, they were able to see the light on the southern tip of the island and were heading towards it. When they were 11 miles from the island, another gringo here in the harbor managed to contact them on VHF. You can imagine their relief when they finally heard a response. The reception wasn't very clear, however. The guy here, who called himself "Sailboat", kept asking for their latitude and longitude, but they didn't seem to understand. Finally, they came up with their Loran coordinates. Fortunately, someone was listening who was able to calculate their position. "Sailboat" asked them to spell the name of the island they were near, and the spelled it "Mujeres", so that cinched it. A bilingual guy in Cancun contacted the naval base here on Mujeres, and the navy dispatched a boat. (Mexico doesn't have a Coast Guard.) "Sailboat" told "Leonardo II" to turn their spotlight on and leave it on and to fire a flare so the navy could see them. By then, they were close to the point and in danger of going aground, so "Sailboat" told them to head due south. Soon, the navy boat found them and led them to safety. The last we heard, they were on their way to the harbor, but still taking on more water than they could pump out.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 1993
Left Cozumel about 7 a.m. We were going to go across to Punta Hut and anchor behind the reef so Roy could dive and fish, but there was a strong on-shore wind blowing and visibility was somewhat limited, so we decided it would be too dangerous. Turned north towards Isla Mujeres.
Had a nice northeast wind, so we were able to sail most of the way, with occasional assists from the engine. For a while, the wind was so strong, we were making 6 knots with just the headsail and staysail. We also had a 3-knot current pushing us part of the way; we made 9 1/2 knots while that lasted. Really a neat day of sailing.
Went right by Cancun. Luxury hotels and condos along the waterfront as far as the eye could see. Who stays in all those places? It would take tens of thousands of people to fill all those rooms.
We reached the harbor of Isla Mujeres just in the nick of time. The rain started coming down in a deluge. Visibility was about zilch, so we just dropped anchor and sat. When the rain let up half an hour or so later, we were right in front of the ferry dock. Moved to the anchorage where the other sailboats were. There are ten U.S. sailboats here, mostly waiting for the weather to break so they can make it to Florida, just like us.
Mujeres isn't quite as pretty as Cozumel, but it's nice. Most importantly, this is the jumping off place for the U.S. From here, it's a straight shot east northeast to Key West.
When the rain let up, Roy paddled to Marina Paraiso and talked them into letting us have the one vacant slip, and it's a side-tie! We were going to go over there immediately, but the wind picked up and it was getting dark, so we decided to wait until morning.
Had a nice northeast wind, so we were able to sail most of the way, with occasional assists from the engine. For a while, the wind was so strong, we were making 6 knots with just the headsail and staysail. We also had a 3-knot current pushing us part of the way; we made 9 1/2 knots while that lasted. Really a neat day of sailing.
Went right by Cancun. Luxury hotels and condos along the waterfront as far as the eye could see. Who stays in all those places? It would take tens of thousands of people to fill all those rooms.
We reached the harbor of Isla Mujeres just in the nick of time. The rain started coming down in a deluge. Visibility was about zilch, so we just dropped anchor and sat. When the rain let up half an hour or so later, we were right in front of the ferry dock. Moved to the anchorage where the other sailboats were. There are ten U.S. sailboats here, mostly waiting for the weather to break so they can make it to Florida, just like us.
Mujeres isn't quite as pretty as Cozumel, but it's nice. Most importantly, this is the jumping off place for the U.S. From here, it's a straight shot east northeast to Key West.
When the rain let up, Roy paddled to Marina Paraiso and talked them into letting us have the one vacant slip, and it's a side-tie! We were going to go over there immediately, but the wind picked up and it was getting dark, so we decided to wait until morning.
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