Stuck Again

Well don't think it's really fair to all those stuck in cold weather and snow to say we're stuck in Biscayne Bay.....a cold front means a little rain and 74 degrees.  So I apologize in advance.  But things come up and before you know it, it's  been a month and we missed another weather window to Key West.  One of our first challenges was to get Jon's glasses fixed as the lenses looked crazed. After checking with our provider and realizing that we have no insurance but it may be a manufacturers defect, we looked up a local provider. Ok. Only 3.2 miles away. This would be nothing on bike or by car, which we have neither   So, we walk. (This is where those suffering in six feet of snow close your eyes or skip my whinning ). We walked in 85 degrees and 90 percent humidity.  Then I had to negotiate with the assistant manager who wasn't going to replace them because the other provider wasn't under a new system at the time we purchased the glasses. What!  So I give him the speil about customer service and how we are regular customers and blah blah blah. I guess I did pretty good or he just wanted me to leave because he replaced Jon's lenses for $30. (The replacement costs for those who purchase insurance.). And they did it same day within two hours. So Jon and I hung around, got the glasses and WALKED the 3.5 back to the boat. My legs were spazzing and I vowed to learn the Miami bus system. But we met friends at the Sandbar, a local pub, for flat bread pizzas and cold Fat Tires. This day was good. 

We were ready once more to leave when Jon had noticed the fuel pump leaking. So after  looking for the part and choosing the one that cost $43 instead of the one that cost $248, waiting for the pump to arrive (this took four days) and then poor Jon contorting himself for about four hours to put it in, we thought we had found our last problem before heading out to the Keys. 

As Jon started the engine he  noticed the oil gage jumping all over the place. We had just replaced the oil sending unit in Ft Lauderdale. You might imagine how Jon felt and you might guess some of the language that was heard through the mooring field. The only way I could calm Jon down was to ask him if he would rather be raking the snow off our old house. His answer was easy. We got our new oil sending unit from our new best friends, Bay Shore Marine in Annapolis and replaced the dud. 

Well, we are ready once more. So we decide to walk the 2.3 miles to the Publix to stock up. I talked Jon into taking a cab back.  It's going great...the taxi lets is out at the dingy dock with our groceries. We load the dingy with not an inch to spare when Jon realizes that he doesn't have my cell phone. He had just discovered this handy small pocket on the leg of his shorts, perfect for a cell phone. Welllll not so much. It must of fell out in the cab. We called the cab company right away and asked to send the driver back...well it's never that easy and to make a long frustrating story short, they didn't come and never found it. Ok so we rent bikes(the marina rents them. Who knew ) and head out 4 miles to the Verizon store in Coral Gables. So nice there. I would have taken pics but didn't have my phone. Again for the sake of your sanity I won't bore you with the costs and us looking on line and asking friends...(joe Alati you are my hero!)..a week later I have a phone and all is right with the world. Jon hasn't seen my face in two days cause I'm putting in contacts, downloading APS, catching up on Facebook and checking our bank account. Ok so let's try again, the weather looks perfect this Saturday to leave after the cold front comes through (again sorry but it will get down to 63 at night and a blustery 76 during the day). Hopefully no new delays.  Update you soon. 

Jon finds a shrimp in our dingy. Maybe a bird dropped it. At night we can hear the shrimp hitting the hull of the boat. It sounds like rain on a tin roof.  We should drop a net   

Jon threatens to eat it. 

To prove how far Visionworks is to get Jon's glasses repaired   We are the greenfly in the bay. Yeah GPS. 

    Our view of the boats. 

Our friends, Darrell and Ruth stop by to watch the sunset with us.  By the way they are so much fun and we tease them about being foreigners (they are from Nova Scotia, Canada). Had lots of fun watching the Canadians and US hockey Olympic playoffs...they won...boooo 

        Our view of the sunset. 

Our night view of Miami. Sorry so blurred not used to this phone camera. 

Ok so Publix is 1.7 miles. One way is enough waking,,,especially with tons of groceries. 

Verizon store, not a bad bike ride. To bad they were useless. 

Sorry again..our cold front comes in Friday night. 

Visitors

We had visitors,some I forgot to take pictures of. First, let me tell you that we're still in Coconut Grove, Miami. We have been enjoying sitting somewhere warm for more than a few nights. It has been in the 80's since we've got here. Today is cooler as we had an amazing light show of lightening with thunder, rain and gust up to 40mph....a cold front. (58 this morning, 71 for the high) it will be back in th 80's by weekend.  Anyway, we had visitors.  One was Freddie, a diver, who changed our zinc for us. Those that don't know, the zinc is a sacrificial piece that attaches to the shaft near your propeller. It's to appease the corrosion gods....don't ask me how it works but apparently, it will attract the corrosion and leave the other metals alone.  Freddie was great, he even cleaned off the keel-cool plate for the refrigeration.  

We also met some friends of Jon and Arlene's, Sue and Mike (Mike is pronounced Mick) from the UK. Actually, Wales--the north not to be mistaken for the South Wales.  Apparently there is a big difference and they spent some time on our last name  Edwards, saying "might be the north..wouldn't it..maybe the south..probably the north."  So much fun, loved their accent and the way they repeat some things or reasure it by saying something like "it would have to be, wouldn't it now." Or "that's what it was,wasn't it now".  They were on their way back to leave their trawler, Jenny, in Indiantown.  Then they are back to North Wales for a few months, then over to Turkey to sail on their Sailboat.  So interesting, hope we see them next year. 

Our favorite visitors were our children, Sara and Aaron.  They stayed with us for two weeks and we had such a good visit. We took a short trip to No Name Harbor(we have decided to rename it No-see-ums Harbor) at the Bill Bags State Park.  It was a beautiful harbor full of mangroves and palm trees.  Unfortunately we returned from the beautiful beach at dusk and got totally eaten up by no-see-ums ( some call them knats or punkies, we had a few other names as well). The following day we went for a wonderful sail (yes, I said sail, first time no motor at all since the coast of New Jersey.). We had such an great time. We were so excited to see about five or six dolphin swimming along side us. We all we laughing and oohing and awwing as they jumped, twirled and swam around the boat. Sara got some great pictures and a video I posted on Facebook.  Truely, it was the highlight of their visit. The rest of the time we hung around, played cards and swam.  Their cousin, Ben, came to see them with his girlfriend, Ashley, and friend, Markin.  We had so much fun that our cheeks were tired from smiling and laughing. 

Well we've got you up to date. We will probably stay here for little over a week and then head down toward the Keys.  Our friends Darrel and Ruth are here and may go with us.  Until then, we love you and miss all of you that we have left behind.  Maybe it's time for you to come and visit.... It's warm!

The skyline of Miami towards south beach. 

Another view of ours, off the back

        

Coconut Grove..

        More Miami 

         The lighthouse at Bill Bags state park

          The beach at Bill Bags Sate Park. 

          Our adventure with dolphins

Just amazing...they looked right at us.

    Another picture of little manny at the dingy dock.  He is eating the algae. Just a baby.  

   Swimming off our mooring in Biscayne Bay. Markin, Sara, Aaron, Ashley and Ben. 

P.S, some little repair and add ons that I didn't mention. Jon had to replace the oil sending unit as it was leaking.  After two weeks of humid hot weather (and our kids complaining) Jon put on the two fans we have been carrying since we left in August(after kids left). Also lubricated the bearings in the steering pedestal and added a stearn light on the dingy. Oh yeah, he had to replace lens on Quicksilver's stearn light as I knocked it off with my foot. (Oops)

Fan in the galley/salon. The other is in the bedroom...pointed directly on me. 

Stearn light on dingy. 

Smile "Manny"

Jon teased me every day when he took a ride ashore without me that he had seen a manatee. It would hang out at the dingy dock and come up to blow or snuff up air. I was so jelous of course.  I would ask of he got a picture but lamely he would offer up his pathetic phone with a sad picture of the water.  There may been a shadow that Jon claimed was the creature but I could see nothing. And Jon would go on and on, excitedly even, telling me how he watch the manatee and he would greet him with a snuff.  ???? Sooo, I was determined not be outdone and perhaps get a greeting myself. So being laundry day (another whole story..it seems to take all day) I went with Jon ashore. There was no manatee. Ok we'll check later. Sure enough there is a couple pointing looking at a light shadow and then he/she came up. And there were two of them and they would lounge along and then come to the surface and and well they would snuff. Yeah that's what I said, snuff.  But I have pictures to prove it. 

 Ok there is the shadowy look before they surface. 

Just peaking out to "snuff"

          Underwater

Look closely under the boat. 

Here he is coming up...

          Oh, Manny you're so cute.  

Lots of Little Sails

From our little mooring in Coconut Grove (that's south Miami) outside of Dinner Key Marina Jon and I were able to watch hundreds of what appeared to be sailing dingys being towed. Then we saw flags on the sails from all over the world.  Australia, Italy, Mexico, Canada, Germany and of course United States.  Looking it up we saw that this bay (Biscayne Bay) is the spot for the ISAF WORLD SAILING CUP.   How exciting... So every day we watch and wave to the different countries as they literally all pass in front or back of our boat. The weather has been pretty good except for the showers we've had today. 

      South imam as a backdrop. 

South end of Biscayne Bay. 

In front of the marina. 

Across our bow. 

In back of us. 

Along side of us. Y

Stand up if you're an American!

Sails everywhere. 

Off to Coconut Grove

We really enjoyed our time in Ft Lauderdale.  We enjoyed the mooring at Las Olas Marinia even though the city was working on the bridge all week. Otherwise it was like a boat show and we had front row seats. The quick ride to the dock was nice and we only had three short blocks to the beach. Our friends, Ladd and Denise took us all around. We especially like the River Walk.  Jon really appreciated the ride to Lester's (a diner that all marine stores are located near. It's either in front on Lester's or behind Lester's.) They had stores where you could buy planks of teak and every clasp, latch or screw for a boat.  There were stores just for boat exhaust systems and stores for just electrical systems. Ofcourse there was your canvas stores and marine air conditioning stores. It really is boater heaven. We also like how Ft Lauderdale is set up. Ever other cross road there is a canal that runs through it   It's like a little Venice with water taxis that will pick up from the other side of the city.  

We were lucky enough to spend a few hours with our nephew, Ben. We had such a good time catching up with him and hearing about his life in Ft Lauderdale with his girlfriend, Ashley. Hopefully the next time through we'll be able to catch up with her. 

So it is off to Miami, Dinner Key Marinia in Coconut Grove to be exact. We had decided to go through the intercoastal and all went smooth except for running aground. Yes, we ran pretty hard ona shoal that is on the western side of a narrow channel at Haulover Inlet. It was low tide with the current coming in and a First Response Rescue boat hailed us to let us know about the narrow channel and to stay close to the green.  Well we didn't. And before you could say oh crap, the First Response guy was hugging our starboard rail saying he'd tow us off for free if we told the other tow boat lurking behind him that we paid full price. Fortunately, Jon was continuing to wiggle us off and we got free within minutes. Neither of us had a good feeling about Mr. First Response and we felt lucky that we didn't need a second tow within one month.  

 

Across from our mooring at Ft Lauderdale.  

    Our shadows...so artsy...haha

   Ladd and Denise peaking from the back

Nice picture Ladd took of us

      Jon just chilling with his new friends

Our nephew, Ben and us(getting better at selfies)

   Us with Denise. 

     On the intercoastal near Miami the water is getting bluer

Dozens of cruise ships...everywhere in Miami

This is what our roomy cockpit looks like when Jon has to look for a possible oil leak our first day a Coconut Grove. 

That is Jon scrunched in one of the cockpit lockers looking at the engine for a oil leak. 

Our mooring at Coconut Grove. We are one of the last mooring balls...,one with the bay.