USA - Key West - Time to Leave the USA

It’s been just over 4 months since we arrived in Key West from Guatemala. Most of our time has been spent in Key Biscayne, Miami where we have been anchored in the idyllic harbor called No Name Harbor. 

Just a short cycle ride to the village for all our daily needs, and we took out a UPS box so were able to get get hundreds of packages from Amazon and Other Suppliers for stocking up Meshugga with Spares and Parts Nicholas required for immediate use, as well as for in the months ahead.

Stunning sunsets in No Name Harbor

Our Domestic Fridge Freezer decided to die, and so we ordered the same Liebherr , just newer model, to fit into the exact same area. Here we are alongside at No Name Harbor, and the delivery chaps have delivered the new and taken the old away. We are using a Halyard to hoist the unit aboard.

Inside, and unpacked. It took a day to maneuver the unit down the stairs on Port, and fit with water piping for the ice maker, and wood front doors

Another stunning sunset after a busy day

I caught the bus and Metro train to the airport to hire a vehicle for a few days. Not a bad way to travel. Took 45 minutes and cost $5, whereas an Uber would take 40 minutes and cost $40.

Hertz counter at the Miami Airport Car Hire station.

We spent 3 days shopping up a storm of victuals at Costco, Walmart, Home Depot etc

And even a new Chest Freezer for our Flybridge. Our existing although working fine is beginning to rust, and we don’t think it’ll last the expected 3 years in French Polynesia.

Many huge slabs of meat, this one is of Rib Eye, ready to cut into steaks, and vacuum pack into portions.

Next on our list was to get our Covid Boosters. I think this is our 6th Booster. We are now 100% up to date.

I went into Miami on a shopping trip to the Biscayne Mall and found energetic locals working out.

Nicholas generously gifted me a New iPad for my upcoming birthday, and as we’d not be near an Apple Store at the time, and probably have left USA by then, I ordered and went to the Apple Store to collect my loot.

Could not resist a little other shopping!

 

View from Biscayne Mall into Miami

Not all sunshine in Miami, and we had a few days of heavy downpours when a weather system in north Florida dumped huge rain and caused flooding.

Hurricane Season officially starts 1 June, and we decided to stay longer in Miami, as my British Citizenship Application had been Approved, and I was waiting for my Ceremony Date which I’d arranged to attend at the UK Consulate in Miami. I eventually got the notification date for the 18th, a little later than we’d hoped, but still doable.

On the day, we Ubered to the UK Consulate and I and 5 other Applicants received our Citizenship Certificates.

Back at No Name Harbor, Boaters Grill, and our dinghy at the Dinghy Dock

One of the hundreds of Iguanas that live in the Park and sun themselves

The Cleat Bar…

 Meshugga

Back at Meshugga, we immediately upped anchor and motored across the bay to Matheson Marina to fill up with Diesel and Petrol, and started our journey south to Key West motoring inside Biscayne Bay to Elliot Key Cut to exit to the sea.

Within 10 miles, I noticed that my new iPad GPS was not working, and my Location GPS said my new iPad was still sitting in No Name Harbor. I hauled out my Old IPad, fired that up, and it happily showed me sailing south down Biscayne Bay. 

After 6 hours on the phone to Apple Support, and numerous Resets etc, they said I’d need to return the iPad to a store. Googling I found there were no Apple Stores in Key West, so next morning we turned Meshugga around and headed back to Miami, a 4 hour sail. An Uber later, at Apple, they were most helpful and happily gave me a new iPad. This time I was taking no chances, and sat in the Apple Store, setting up the device, and then going for a walk around 2 blocks to ensure that the Location Device and GPS (essential for our Navigation Charts - as a back up), was working perfectly.

Back at Meshugga, we then set off again to Key West, an uneventful sail, with a couple of hours motor sailing in the early hours when the wind died.

Sailing into Key West is the obligatory Cruise Liner docked

We anchored in the Man O War mooring field. 

I had been in contact with a fellow Cruiser, who was in Rio Dulce, and they needed a package transported from Miami to Rio Dulce. We’d undertaken to help, but their package was delayed ( I think), and we left Miami before it was ready to be delivered to us. They organised for it to be couriered to Key West, and we met the driver at Key West Yacht Club.

Boat Parts for a fellow Cruiser.

Key West is hot, humid and windless. 

We’ve been waiting for the wind to set in, which will only really be tomorrow, Saturday, but we’ve decide to check out of Customs today, Friday and leave.

There’s a heavy weather system off Cancun Mexico,  ( the Yellow X), which will go over Cancun area on Saturday and so we’d like to get to that area only by Sunday late, to ensure the seas have calmed and winds gone favorable again in that area. Then there’s two system brewing in the Atlantic off Cape Verde, the Red one is scheduled to curve up in the West Caribbean Sea, and possible slam into Belize ( which is immediately north of Guatemala). But that will be Friday next week, by which time we’ll be into Guatemala’s Rio Dulce and safe.

The Yellow system off Cape Verde is new today, and no idea yet where it will go. But it’s far away enough to not impact on our trip.

We dingied to Key West yacht Club and Ubered to CBP (Customs Border Patrol) to get a Zarpe (Yacht Customs exit document). Then onto Winn Dixie (Supermarket), to get a stock up of some fresh produce and bread rolls for the start of our trip.

Back at Meshugga, you can see from my Pano that the Man O War anchorage is pretty much empty.

Motor Sailing out of Key West, again the obligatory Cruise Ship. This time a Virgin Cruise Liner.

So, sorry about the long wait for this News Blog update.

Cheers, will Blog again from Guatemala Rio Dulce.

USA - No Name Harbor, KeyBiscayne, Miami. PV T-bones Meshugga

The last few weeks have been quiet, Working on Meshugga, shopping, laundry, cleaning. Normal boat stuff. Very serene. Until……

Easter Sunday, and what a hectic day!

First off, is the fabulous news that our son Kieran, received his USA Citizenship, and we are keen to apply via Family Sponsorship to hopeful get a Green Card via his Sponsorship.

Never one to simplify things, we also reached out to Connor, Nicholas’ younger son (36) who lives in London, and Nicholas’s ex-wife, Michele who lives in Cape Town, South Africa, and with whom I have a great Family relationship with, to find out whether they want to apply as well.

I found out that each application for Sponsorship costs $535, and is increasing to $710 on Easter Monday 1 April. So to save approx $800 (for the 4 of us) it was a rush to get all the Sponsorship document applications submitted.

As I’m know as Admin in the Family, it’s obviously up to me to do the Applications, and send to our son Kieran for verification and signature, as he would be the one Sponsoring all of us.

Lots of chats, and mails, to get the odd bit of info or documents I did not already have, and I submitted 4 Applications. I have a huge pile of printed documents of Instructions, etc on how to complete a multiply page application. About a 4” stack!!! Headache material!

Eventually around 5pm, I’d done all and paid all the fees. YAY!

I’d put the Easter Sunday Lamb roast on in the morning, for a long slow roast to be ready for dinner. No Photo of a Lamb Roast, but it was Superb, with roasted carrots, roasted parsnip, peas, roast potatoes and gravy.

However, whilst chilling and scrolling through miscellaneous stuff on FB, before dinner, we suddenly heard a GREAT crash and looked up to see a boat right outside our Starboard window. Both Nicholas and I rushed out.

Some A***hole on a large powerboat T-boned us on our forward Starboard Bulkhead.

We jumped into the dinghy before they could leave and got various contact details (Drivers Licence),  and took photographs, but not being too savvy, we did not get immediately get their insurance details, but did ask for it, which they promised to send….

We contacted the Miami Water Police telephonically and they were helpful.

The power boat owner/operator was cooperative to, sending us his Insurance details and Marina Berth info, so we can claim on his Insurance as 3rd Party Insurance Cover.

The next week was a whirlwind of Reporting the Accident to Florida Fish and Game Department, (on the instruction from the Miami Water Police), and for them to come to us, per boat, to take our Statements, and then the laborious process of trying to get Quotes for the Damages. 

Here in Miami, all Work Docks are up the Miami River, which has Fixed Bridges at 75 foot, and Meshugga's Mast is 120 Foot!

We’re also having to deal with the Owner of the Power Vessels Insurance Assessors, and with every email they request more and more documents and information. Late this week they sent their Surveyor to do an independent Survey of the damage. Luckily I’ve took numerous photos, and photocopies/printouts of everything, as well as securing the details of independent witness on nearby yachts, and receiving a video taken by a witness of the incident.

Hopefully the quotes will be the last information they need to process the claim, but I doubt it.

Contractors are now looking for Work Docks in Fort Lauderdale, so that they can get costs for our quotes.

I’m chomping at the bit, as it’s now 2 weeks since the incident, and we still have no quotes for repair, and Hurricane Season is around the corner.

They say Bad Luck comes in Three’s;

-    We had Nicholas’s halyard break when he was up the mast,

-    We had a Lightning Blast destroying all our instruments,

-    And now we were T-boned by a Power Vessel, whilst at anchor.

I think we should be good now!

Otherwise, Nicholas is getting to the end of all the new electrical cables he has to replace due to the Lightening Blast, numerous lockers have been unpacked to pull wires around the boat, and we’ve been using extension cords and multi adapters to power appliances whilst sockets are rewired.

Other than that, on a more positive and pleasant note, we have schools of fish in the anchorage with dolphins chasing them

And awesome sunsets

USA, Miami, No Name Harbor - Still here doing R&M

We are still in No Name Harbor. The weather is sublime, and Nicholas is working on the batteries and electricity, and attempting to sort our problems from our Lightning Strike.

We currently have two of our four Inverters not working, and not sure if it is Lightning related or something else has gone wrong. So Nicholas is checking out the possibilities before sending the Inverters to Victron for Warranty Claims and/or Repairs.

I continue to do my daily cycles into Key Biscayne Village to collect packages from our postal box at UPS, and do my weekly shopping at Winn Dixie Supermarket -  looking quite like a Refugee.

We were treated to see the start of the Viper small boat regatta race, which started within No Name Harbor, after their lunch stop. Fun to watch!

We’ve started to see superb Sunsets. Crowds of visitors into Bill Baggs State Park daily, and gather at the Cleat Bar, with lots of cheering each night as the Sun sets

A pod of 4 dolphins came into No Name, and swam to, under, past, back under Meshugga. It gave me a half hour of pleasure!

So, No News,  is basically Good News. We continue daily to try get Meshugga into shape, to sail to Panama and onwards end of this year to French Polynesia. We have quite a lot of Upgrades, Replacements, not to mention the fall-out from the Lightning Strike to get fixed. 

Otherwise, All is well aboard the Good Ship Meshugga.

 

USA - Key Biscayne, Miami

Our first week in Key Biscayne, Miami has been slow. On Monday we moved Meshugga into No Name Harbor, and cycled to UPS in the Village to collect the first of many packages.

Nicholas is busy installing the Extra Additional new Batteries that arrived, redoing BMS’s and balancing batteries, etc. I’ve had a slow week with catching up on laundry, daily rides to the Village to WinnDixie, the supermarket, and UPS for seemingly a never ending delivery of Amazon and other boxes.

The weather is quite sublime after hot Guatemala. Days are warm to hot and humid, but night are delightfully cool, and some nights we actually put a duvet on the bed. 🤣🤣

Guatemala, Time to Leave

Both of us are at last feeling a lot better, so we went ashore to Fronteras to shop for fresh produce and buy a birthday cake and gift, that we’d promised to a little local boy, Luna (8 years old ) in Cayo Quemado  

With the New Instrumentation installed and 99% working, we upped anchor and motored the 20 miles to Cayo Quemado. 

Alfredo saw us at anchor and came to say hello with his daughter. He was most grateful for the birthday cake and gift for his son Luna. They are quite poor, and survive by fishing and growing and selling fruits. 

A hand of bananas I bought from Alfredo. 

We went to Fred, the Raymarine chap’s dock, and he spent less than a half hour assisting Nicholas with the last bit of programming that Nicholas was battling to get right. We now have all our instruments working 100% and can safely sail away. 

After Fred, on leaving his dock we motored the 10 miles down river to Livingston, and I contacted the agent Raul to process our Outbound Clearance. Nicholas had overstayed his Visa, which expired 10 February, but I’d checked out that possibility and we only had to pay a Visa fine of Q15 per day ($2 per day).

Fred’s dock

Chloe, the Sailmakers Loft

Beautiful misty conditions as we motored down the Rio Dulce to Livingston 

We had to pass under the dreaded Power Lines again, and we hugged the Port bank. 

We have a bit of Quetzal left, but with the notorious theft situation from anchored yachts in Livingston, I was uncomfortable leaving Meshugga unattended to go ashore for a last night out Valentines meal. 

Happy birthday to our daughter-in-law, Katie and Happy Valentines to everyone. 

Thursday 15 February, 8 months since we arrived in Guatemala, we spent the morning chilling and readying Meshugga so cross the bar at High Tide at noon. 

Livingston 

We crossed the bar at High Tide successfully with just two small bumps on the bar. Then we anchored waiting for the wind to switch. Currently it coming directly from the direction we want to sail to, but early to mid evening it should switch to easterly which will allow us a beam reach sailing north. 

Bacon, Tomato and Avo sandwiches for lunch whilst we wait.

At 3.30pm we upped anchor and motor sailed. By 6pm the expected easterly came through and we shut the motor off. Beautiful sailing, behind the Belize reef, flat water with 15 knots of wind. Sublime.

We exited the Belize reef at the English Channel soon after daybreak, and continued north. 3 days of excellent conditions continued.

Half hour fun sitting on the Starboard pulpit seat watching dolphins

We’d passed Cancun/Isla Majuers/Mexico well to sea, midway to Cuba. Current was strong with us, wind too. Quite a few ships on AIS, but nothing close or dangerous.

I’d just come off watch at 4.30am and at 5am was awoken with a huge noise and the sound of rain. Grabbing my scrunchie for my hair I raced up to the Flybridge in my Pj’s. Nicholas was there, Flybridge lights on. The wind was screaming, rain flying horizontally, sea spray everywhere. The wind, which was supposed to gradually switch from SE to South the SE to West, had not happened, and instead on a Squall came thundering through straight from SE to West, with Big winds.  We’d gybed. Nicholas was battling to get the Genoa furled as it was lying hard on the mast and inner Forestay. I rushed to the Helm and Nicholas shouted, “Don't let us Gybe again”  I saw that the Auto pilot could not cope and had clicked to Standby, and grabbed the helm and steered Meshugga up into the wind (after having a Quick Look at the Chart Plotter and scanning the horizon for ship lights). This slowed the boat down, and with the wind from the front, taking the pressure out of the sails, Nicholas was able to furl the Genoa. He then turned on the engines, and powering into the wind, we slapped two reefs into the Main. We eased off the wind, taking out a handkerchief Genoa, and turned the engines off. No damages, but we were soaked to the bone.

As the new westerly wind settled in we pulled out more Genoa and continued across the Florida Strait. Our next expectation of excitement was for around 9pm when the wind would go north.

Sods Law, at 7pm, the boat screamed and heeled with the huge northerly wind. Rushing up to the Flybridge again we reefed the Genoa. But instead of the 25-30 expected northerly, we had more than 40 knots, and felt it not prudent to aim into the huge swells to put a 3rd reef into our main. The wind continued to howl all night. Big winds and big sea state. No sleep was possible.

By 4am the wind eased to NW, and we could aim higher to Key West. We arrived and anchored in the lee of Stock Island prior to day break, and in dropping the main, we saw that our decision not to put in a 3rd reef had consequences, and we had a tear in our main and a batt car attachment to a batten had broken. More Repairs 🤷‍♀️

Time to sleep. On awaking we cleared into USA on the Roam App, and as per normal for a Foreign vessel, and was asked to report to CBP (Customs Border Patrol & Immigration). We dinghied to Stock Island Marina, and Ubered to CBP. As usual the process was quick, efficient and professional.  All legal in the States, we wondered down Duval Street, but having visited Key West so many times, we did not feel the pull to drink Rum Punches at the variety of bars, or buy memorabilia. 

Back on Meshugga we chilled, awaiting the next weather system to sail east and north to Miami.

That opportunity came next morning, and on the wind shift to south, in predawn we slipped our anchor and sailed up the Hawk Channel. Light winds, and with 3 reefs in our main so we don’t do further damage, we ghosted at 5 knots, 6 with the current.  As night fell, and we headed more north, the Hawk channel compressed and deciding that it was too dangerous to sail overnight up the narrow Hawks channel with reefs and unlit buoys, we headed out over a reasonably deep enough section of the reef out to sea. 

As usual I headed for bed at 9pm for a few hours sleep, to wake for my 1am watch. Instead of Nicholas going down to sleep, he said he’d stay up too - as it’s just a few more hours… He dozed in the Salon, I kept watch, and by 4am we were at the Biscayne Bay Fowler Light, so we could start to enter Biscayne Bay. Both on the Flybridge deck, we navigated through the channel, mostly with lit buoys, (a few unlit, just to make life interesting), and dropped anchor abeam Key Biscayne at 5am amid at least 10 other anchored yachts - a 23 hour trip. 

Time to sleep. We did nothing yesterday. Slept, read, ate and drank. Today we’re starting to make lists. We have some issues we need specialist contractors for, some big ticket items to buy, and as usual some Repairs and Maintenance, cleaning and quite a bit of laundry to do.  

All fine aboard the good Ship Meshugga.