In The Bahamas

Compass Rose departed Miami at 7am and headed east towards the Bahamas. We were accompanied by Mike & Casey Ruhr aboard their Krogen 48 Tranquility Base. Although the forecast from NOAA was for 2-4 foot seas in the a.m. and 1-2 in the p.m, it turned out to be more like 3-4 all day. The wind and waves were on our starboard beam which contributed to a rock and roll crossing.

But, at 2:30 in the afternoon we sighted Cat Cay (land ho!) and winded our way through Gun Cay Cut. The water went from 2,800 ft to 12 ft in a matter of minutes. The water becam flat and verrrrry clear once we were on the Bahama Banks. We continued on for another 20 miles and anchored out on the Banks litterally in the middle of nowhere. Very dark and spooky.

Photo: Our travelling companion Tranquility Base.

After a somewhat rolly night on the Banks, we pulled up the anchor at 7am and continued east towards Chub Cay. Sighting land once again, we entered the Chub Cay Marina. This marina is in the process of being completly rebuilt. Floating docks can accomodate boats up to 150' and they are building single family houses everywhere. Apparently, there is great fishing here (the water drops off to 2500' just off here). Very nice place but at $3.85/ft (incl elect) it's a bit pricey.

Photo: The new 'clubhouse' at Chub Cay

Miami, FL

We received an email from Mike and Casey Ruhr (Tranquility Base) that they were in Miami and planning on crossing to the Bahamas on Monday. We agreed to meet them up there and get together.

Compass Rose departed Boca Chita Saturday morning for the 2 1/2 hr trip up to Miami. Saturday on Biscayne Bay is akin to the DC Beltway! A lot of fast boats going in multiple directions with little coordination. Photo: anchored in Sunset Lake.

We found Mike and Casey in a delightful anchorage hidden among the multi-million dollar houses between gated communities on the islands just off South Beach. We are the only two boats here.

Photo: Cruise ships parallel parked in Miami.

Photo: Heritage of Miami on Biscayne Bay

Boca Chita Key

We decided to stay in Boca Chita for another day. By noon Friday every dock space was taken and boats began rafting up. The "Shake a Leg" foundation was having an outing on Boca Chita and arrived with about fifty people and a dozen sailboats. The foundation provides opportunities for handicapped people to sail and they were joined by Univ of Miami students in the Physical Therapist curriculum. They erected a small tent city with tons of food and beer. Their partying went on well past 1am. Photo: Boats starting to pack in.

Photo: Coast Guard checking out the situation.

Phone: Another sunset over Biscayne Bay.

Bahamas Crossing...Not So Fast!

Well, the winds shifted to the NNW Wednesday night...John got up at 2:45am Wed to check on the weather and went back to bed!

For the unitiated, the north running Gulf Stream does not like winds from the north. It has been compared to rubbing a cat's fur from the tail forward; the waves really stand up on end.

Wo we departed Rodriquez Key and had a delightful cruise up the coast and cut through Angelfish Creek into Biscayne Bay. We are now in Boca Chita State Park, a place we stopped at and loved back in November. Looks like the next crossing 'window' will be Monday. We'll make our way north to West Palm and see what happens.

Photo: Boca Chita lighthouse at sunset.

Onward To The Bahamas!!

We plan on departing Marathon on Wednesday and pre-position near Rodriquez Key (Key Largo) for the crossing to the Bahamas. The weather forecast calls for SSE winds at 5-10 kts. A front is expected to come through Wednesday night with winds switching to the NW. Hope the Gulf Stream doesn't react too quickly to the wind switch.

Bob & Gail's Excellent Visit

Bob and Gail Higginbotham left frigid Annapolis to spend a week in the Keys. The weather cooperated here and the seas were perfect for snorkling on the reef.

Photo: Bike riding on the Seven Mile Bridge.










Photo: Aboard Compass Rose at Sombrero Reef.





















Photo: View of the reef from the boat. Water is 20' deep.















Photo: Pam & Gail enjoying the sun and water.

Installing Sampson Posts

Sometimes there is just not enough places to tie off lines from dock, mooriong balls or other boats. So, we decided to install two Sampson Posts on the foredeck of Compass Rose. It is a pretty scary proposition drilling holes through the deck.



Photo: Holes drill in deck to stbd post.

Photo: Layers drilled out. The total thickness is 3".








Photo: Smaller holes drilled through epoxy.
Photo: Holes filled with epoxy.

Photo: Sealant applied to deck.

Photo: Dock line tied around post.

Photo: Sampson Post installed