USA - Florida, Key Biscayne, No Name Harbor - A month

Sorry about no posts during the past month.

Not too much has happened. We’ve been waiting for supplies, parts, doing shopping and victualing Meshugga for a year, and waiting for Jenny (Nicholas’ sister) to arrive.

Eagle (I think) flying over Meshugga in No Name Harbor

Birds

Manatee in No Name Harbor

And in Nicholas was very busy with necessary repairs and maintenance that had to be done before we could set sail for the Bahamas. Meshugga’s cockpit and salon was a real mess whilst all this was happening

After our trip to San Francisco, I was sick, with a nagging cough, sore throat, slight fever and raging headache. After a week of medications, I was concerned that I might have Covid and took myself off for a Covid test at Curative, a testing station in Key Biscayne.

They were most efficient, and I had my results within 2 hours, Negative, Yay!

Finally our dingy arrived back after being re-tubed after being at the installers for the past 3 weeks. They did a wonderful job!

My next job was to sell the Honda outboard as we had a new Suzuki outboard to install. I put an advert on Craigslist and had so many hits I had to delete the add, to stop the numerous emails and calls. It was priced right at $1000 for a 50 Hp Honda 4 stroke

Nicholas was cycling at night through the Bill Baggs park, and hit a post, going arse over tit, dislocating his shoulder and breaking his toe. Next day we rushed to the Mercy Hospital Emergency rooms for X-rays etc. Prior to going to the hospital though we managed to pull his shoulder back into joint and so after the X-rays and MRI his diagnosis was for a Grade 3 ligament tear and the doctors prognosis was that it should heal naturally, if not, then surgery. His Big Toe, is also a mess with multiple fractures and then cannot operate to put pins in as there are just too many breaks. This too has to heal naturally, and Nicholas will end up with a thick, maybe wonky not too straight Big Toe. He cannot wear Flip Flops or shoes, so has an Othopedic Sandel when walking off the boat.

Returning our hired car to Hertz and the Ritz Carlton in Key Biscayne, and waiting for a Freebee Golf Car to take us back to Meshugga.

A week later, Nicholas decided his shoulder was feeling more stable and having sold the Honda outboard, installed the new Suzuki outboard. It was quite a feat, made easier by us being alongside the wall in No Name Harbor were the water was flat and no wind.

A trip to Crandon Marina to fill up with Diesel and Petrol, one of the last few items on our Must Do List before leaving for Bahamas

I stayed ashore to make a last Grocery Run to Costco and Walmart, Nicholas leaving the dock on his own to return the 5 miles to No Name Harbor

A couple of photos of Meshugga underway, it’s not often I get the chance to take photos of Meshugga moving, as I’m always aboard.

Friday 17th finally arrived and Jenny arrived to join us aboard Meshugga. Welcome Gin & Tonic to celebrate

That night we were treated to a wonderful Fireworks Display

Saturday saw us doing final prep, ie off to have a Covid test so that we could apply for the Bahamas Health Visa. Despite making an appointment, the line at Curative was long, and we waited 45 minutes for our turn to do the test.

We also went for Booster shots at the local CVS Pharmacy, quick and easy.

And then back to No Name Harbor in one of Key Biscayne’s Freebee Shuttles

All our chores and prep done, we spent a last night in the USA at No Name Harbor with an early start planned for Sunday 18th to cross the Gulf Stream to Bahamas.

USA - Florida, Jacksonville to Key Biscayne, No Name Harbour

Nelson of Fordham Marine came to the party, and supplied us with an EVS computer for our Port Engine and did the re-programming, so we now have two working engines, Yay.

Our original plan was to leave Jacksonville latest Friday for the sail south to Miami, but a Huge front bearing down on the coast is due to arrive at Jacksonville on Friday night with 40-50 knots of wind.

We decided to prudently leave earlier, and hauled our anchor first thing on Wednesday morning, 3 November. We passed SV Persephone on the St Johns River, and had a brief conversation on VHF with Jerry and Karen. We hope to catch up with them later down south in Florida or in the Bahamas.

I was surprised at seeing another Huge Naval base at the entrance to the St Johns River, (we had entered in the dark of the night, so had not seen these sights before).

The Ferry crossing the St Johns River, the current ripping through here at 3 Knots

We arrived again in the dark of the moon on Friday morning at 5am, navigating through the buoyed channel, with only some of the buoys lit, and dropped anchor amongst 6 other yachts in the lee of Key Biscayne near to No Name Harbour.

No Name Harbour fills up rapidly over the weekend, and by the time we’d woken after a much needed sleep, we found no space inside the Harbour for Meshugga, so we spent the weekend outside. It was a bit rolly with Power Boats screaming past, and we had a Westerly, Nor’Westerly, Northerly all weekend so there was a bit of a swell too.

Come Monday No Name emptied out, and we could take Meshugga in and had choice of water space. That night we dinghied ashore to the Boathouse Grill for a much needed night off from cooking aboard.

Meshugga in the distance in a wider section of the Harbour

Outside eating on the Patio, masks on for waiters etc

Back aboard, this is the No Name Harbour Bar, which is opposite Meshugga. Very prettily lit up every evening.

Nicholas took the Hobie to the wall of the Harbour, this is going to be our transportation to shore for the next couple of weeks.

Nicholas took our dinghy off to be re-tubed. Last photo…. Next time we see here she should be sporting new pontoons. He motored to the slipway at Crandon Marina, and then cycled back, using the Hobie to get back onto Meshugga.

Stunning Sunset