Labor Day 2014
We just don't get out on JD enough! I'm committed to work and Admiral Pegs is committed (very happily) to helping care for our granddaughter KT. So we just don't get out enough!
But when we do get JD on the water, we try to make up for it. Sailing has a high priority, safety is right up there too. So we tend to be the oddities out there. Sadly, most boaters on Biscayne Bay don't even have the correct safety equipment, including Life preservers, onboard, let alone use it. We tend to stand out because, as we come into the anchorages, other boaters will see we're wearing our auto inflate life preservers and they stay on until the anchor is secure and the boat is not moving (much :)
The trip this weekend included a self imposed challenge. We have owned JD for over 9 years since new, and we only have 2 pics of JD under sail and both of those were taken during the BEER cruise in Pensacola. So this weekend I set to get some 'Selfies' of JD under sail.
This is one of my favorite photos from the weekend. The weather had eased up enough to make sailing a pleasure, the skies were just cloudy enough to make them a great back drop. The water was crystal clear with a green tinge from the Bay floor and, most importantly, JD was carving it up with Admiral Pegs at the helm (note that JD is heeling ever so slightly!)
A great pic to start September's Sail!
This Labor Day weekend seemed a lot different from the past many years. As recently reported, there have been too many fatalities in the Bay, mostly up around Miami. So this weekend, it was very well reported that the Authorities would be on the water helping to keep drunken skippers under control. From our vantage point, they succeeded. Elliot Key Harbor was virtually empty, normally it would be packed over Labor Day Weekend, especially after the considerable rebuild that took place after the last Hurricane damage that closed the harbor for about a year! And the boats anchored off the North end of Elliott Key were at an all time low! I doubt there were 50 vessels in sight.
The good news is that we did not hear of any horrific boating incidents the entire weekend. Keep up the good work guys!
We had the chance to anchor with a small sailing fleet out of Dinner Key, there were 6 sailboats and one power boat. All really good people and we were invited aboard for sundowners. We got to see some great pics of their boats. I took several pics of them during the afternoon and the following morning after we had sailed up to Sand Key and back.
We dragged anchor and had a close encounter with the power boat, but no harm no foul. Glad that the owners were decent people and they helped us free JD which was stuck on their anchor line between our rudder and our center board/swing keel.
Sadly all good things must come to an end, but that only moves us closer to our next trip. We anchored off Elliott Key, just to the north of the harbor, over night. And before Dawn we had our Cereal and Yogurt breakfast with some hot coffee, then it was up anchor and motor with our Running lights till Dawn, getting back to the Marina before 8am. Sure is good to get the boat prepped for trailing home before the heat is turned up.
Back home safe and sound. Over the next few days we power washed the boat, flushed the Outboard engine, emptied the porta potti, and pulled all of the food, drinks and linens off the boat. Of course, I have a list a yard long of things to do on JD, including replacing the mast lighting electrical connector, fixing the cracked stern light lens, fixing a couple of fiberglass dings that we found (they appear in the gel coat almost by magic.) and fixing the rudder hard link that got bent.
But we did get some great pics - check them out here
Keep sailing!
Paul
This Labor Day weekend seemed a lot different from the past many years. As recently reported, there have been too many fatalities in the Bay, mostly up around Miami. So this weekend, it was very well reported that the Authorities would be on the water helping to keep drunken skippers under control. From our vantage point, they succeeded. Elliot Key Harbor was virtually empty, normally it would be packed over Labor Day Weekend, especially after the considerable rebuild that took place after the last Hurricane damage that closed the harbor for about a year! And the boats anchored off the North end of Elliott Key were at an all time low! I doubt there were 50 vessels in sight.
The good news is that we did not hear of any horrific boating incidents the entire weekend. Keep up the good work guys!
We had the chance to anchor with a small sailing fleet out of Dinner Key, there were 6 sailboats and one power boat. All really good people and we were invited aboard for sundowners. We got to see some great pics of their boats. I took several pics of them during the afternoon and the following morning after we had sailed up to Sand Key and back.
We dragged anchor and had a close encounter with the power boat, but no harm no foul. Glad that the owners were decent people and they helped us free JD which was stuck on their anchor line between our rudder and our center board/swing keel.
Sadly all good things must come to an end, but that only moves us closer to our next trip. We anchored off Elliott Key, just to the north of the harbor, over night. And before Dawn we had our Cereal and Yogurt breakfast with some hot coffee, then it was up anchor and motor with our Running lights till Dawn, getting back to the Marina before 8am. Sure is good to get the boat prepped for trailing home before the heat is turned up.
Back home safe and sound. Over the next few days we power washed the boat, flushed the Outboard engine, emptied the porta potti, and pulled all of the food, drinks and linens off the boat. Of course, I have a list a yard long of things to do on JD, including replacing the mast lighting electrical connector, fixing the cracked stern light lens, fixing a couple of fiberglass dings that we found (they appear in the gel coat almost by magic.) and fixing the rudder hard link that got bent.
But we did get some great pics - check them out here
Keep sailing!
Paul
