From the Dry Tortugas we set out for Key West on Saturday, April 20. Janet and Jeff brought bait for some serious fishing, so we took a route that put us along an underwater ridge. By early afternoon the rods were zinging. A barracuda and two king fish. The first king fish was filleted on deck and is still providing food for us. The second (and bigger) was set free. We enjoyed a wonderful fish dinner and then Ken smoked the remainder of the meat overnight on the grill to make fish dip.

Our other excitement during the day was more visiting birds. A blue indigo (we think, please correct us if we are wrong, we are still working on our bird identifying skills) arrived and stayed with us for an hour or so before he flew away for a bit and we saw him in the water - looking like he was trying to fly out. We were all distraught, so after about 5-10 seconds with concurrence from all - including the captain - Jeff jumped overboard and picked up the bird. In daylight and calm seas we practiced our first 'man overboard' drill. No problem.

We kept the bird in the box for the rest of the day and let him go when we anchored that evening off Boca Grande Island, about 20 miles west of Key West.

One other bird visited also, a barn swallow (again, we think). The barn swallow was particularly friendly and landed on Ken's finger and then just hung out there for about 10 minutes until Ken finally said, 'someone needs to take this bird!' He was in the middle of driving the boat while Janet was pulling in another fish.

Sunday, April 21 we finally arrived in Key West to the waves of our friends Monica and Vicki at Mallory Square. We found an anchorage and got Janet and Jeff on their way to the ferry terminal. They took the high speed ferry back to Ft. Myers where they left their car. We enjoyed lunch with Monica and Vicki and then they graciously drove us to the grocery store before getting on their way back to Miami.

Wednesday morning, April 17 we departed Ft. Myers for the Dry Tortugas with Janet and Jeff Luce aboard (see Janet's post below!). We were able to sail all morning and in to the early afternoon, but by mid-afternoon the wind died and we had to motor up for about 5 hours. As the evening set in, the winds began to pick up and we prepared to sail through the night with a reefed main sail. It is so nice to have extra hands aboard and know that you will be able to get some sleep. 

The highlights of the day were catching fish (a released bonita and two spanish mackerel we had for dinner the next night) and a goldfinch that joined us on the boat for most of the day. Kaylee tried to feed the goldfinch crackers, but it would have nothing to do with it. It only wanted flies. This was an added bonus because this was the first day we were having any issues with flies. The bird spent the whole day with us and even went inside the cabin to take a little nap perched on our knife block.

I am sad to report that after not seeing the goldfinch leave that evening, my fears came true about five days later when I found him inside the cabin in one of the book shelves. I distracted Kaylee while Ken took care of the issue :-(

We had a great time onboard the Aqua Vida! Our trip took us from Fort Myers Beach to the Dry Tortugas (a long 30-hour voyage), and after a few days snorkeling and touring Fort Jefferson, we had a beautiful sail to the Marquesas and Key West. Though we saw patches of rain on the radar, we never had a drop over the entire five days! Jeff dreams of owning our own sailboat one day, so it was great to have this experience sailing with experts, Ken, Danielle, and first mate Kaylee.

I know now that living off the grid requires some adjusting – like no long showers, no ice maker on the front of the fridge, and no dishwasher. My contributions as part of this crew were to stay awake for a couple hours during the overnight sail (to keep Danielle company) and to wash dishes (not too shabby, huh?). Boy, do I need to work on my dishwashing skills! After our first dinner onboard, I took the dirty dishes and gave them a quick soak in a bucket of seawater. After the rinse, I stacked everything neatly so they could be taken into the cabin for a real wash with soap and water. Jeff was nice enough to dump out the bucket of water but when he did, I saw the twinkling of forks tumbling out into the Gulf of Mexico. We used plastic forks for the rest of the trip (frown face). Then, on Saturday night, we had a superb dinner at sunset with some of the 32-inch kingfish we caught on our sail to the Marquesas. From the stern platform I rinsed plates and utensils and took such great care to keep everything safe. I rinsed the Tupperware the fish was in and placed the tongs in the container. With everything stacked and ready to go down for a real wash, I gave the Tupperware a final shake to get rid of excess water and whoop – there went the cooking utensils – falling first onto the platform then right into the ocean. Sorry to say that Ken, Danielle, and Kaylee will be cooking and eating with their fingers for the next few months (again, frown face).

Just want to also add what a treat it was to spend this time with Kaylee. She is an extraordinary girl who is experiencing great new things every day. It was great to see this part of the world through her eyes (especially the underwater world). She floats around the boat with weightlessness grace even in bumpy seas, and she takes her crew responsibilities seriously. I think I stepped on her toes once when I turned on one of the panel switches – this is her job! We thumb wrestled, arm wrestled, played rock paper scissors, and told knock-knock jokes (I only know two though). We also played with the turtle Stacey gave her. She keeps a journal and documents the biggest highlight from each and every day. She is quite content and I can tell that there’s no place else she would rather be.

St. Petersburg to Sarasota Harbor, April 11, 2013,

By: Roger Anderson, Crew aboard the Aqua Vida.

Aqua Vida lies just off shore of the Maximo Moorings Park in South St. Petersburg when I arrived to
join the voyage on the morning of April 11th. This was to be my second passage after the shakedown
cruise between Galveston Bay and Morgan City. This morning a cool south wind blow off Tampa Bay
and a heavy mist lingered over the grass flats as Ken and Kaylee motored into Frenchman’s Creek to
pick me up. The objective of the day was to cross Tampa Bay to the Intracoastal Waterway in Manatee
County then south to the mooring field at Marina Jack’s in Sarasota Harbor, a distance of approximately
35 miles. An offshore passage to Sarasota was determined to be out of the questions because of the
restrictive pass into Sarasota Bay from the Gulf. The cruising guides were unanimous in stating the
constraints of the shallow pass with shifting shoals. Local knowledge, with daily experience on the pass,
was recommended to make this passage and none was available among our small crew. The high south
winds also prohibited an offshore passage. Cool winds gusting to 25 mph would make of a rough ride in
the Gulf.

I wanted to join the Jones’s for this passage since I am a native of St. Petersburg and have sailed the
waters of Tampa Bay since my early teens. Memories of long past Sea Explorer cruises, all night snook
fishing trips to Egmont Key and Inter Collegiate sailboat races from the Eckerd College on Frenchman’s
Creek were on my mind as we weighted anchor and motored south along the channel west of the
Sunshine Skyway Causeway. Further west of the channel we could see the luxury development of Terra
Veda and the expansive seagrass beds around Bunces Pass. Closer to Tampa Bay we could see the
large American Flag on Fort De Soto Park that looked out of place towering above the islands mangrove
forests and flapped vigorously in the high winds.

The south wind was an issue from the start of this passage. Winds were 18 to 20 mph straight out of
180 degrees south with gusts to 25 mph. So, the wind was on the bow for the entire trip to Sarasota
and limited the ability to sail to just the crossing of Tampa and Sarasota Bay’s. Danielle set the course
using two IPads, IPhone and the boats chart plotter. We set a reefed mainsail and genoa off of the
Skyway Fishing Pier once we cleared the outer marker of the channel and fell off to 220 degrees
south, southwest into the white caps of Tampa Bay, a heading that would take us to the Intracoastal
Waterways off Anna Marie Key in Manatee County. We could see the tree line of the Key on the
horizon 10 mile away. Danielle and Kaylee curled up on the cockpit seats for the bumpy ride and I
braced my right foot against the cowling for leverage against the shape heal to starboard. The boat
responded to the wind with speeds of 6+ knots and we made the crossing in less than two hours. Any
sailor can tell you that sails seem to come alive in winds higher than 20 mph. They shout for attention
as they flap in the wind and strain the sheets like an angry bulldog pulling on it leash. The jib sheets join
the animation like collided snakes thrashing the decks while coming about. We were to experience
more gyrations of these jib sheets once we reached Sarasota, but that’s later in the story.

After the sleigh ride down Tampa Bay we furled the sails off of Anna Marie Key and motored into
the Intracoastal segment in Manatee County. The protected waters between the mainland and
Gulf beaches gave relieve from the strong winds and we only had a light chop as we continued to
motor south. Two bridges later we leisurely motored towards Sarasota Bay passing the old Florida
Communities of Anna Marie, Cortez, Bradenton Beach and Longboat Key. The land uses on the shore
were a mixture of old and new, with the old Florida beach and fishing communities giving way to the
mega mansions and the scenery was always interesting.

A large commercial vessel passed under the Cortez Bridge in back of us. It looked out of its element
as it steamed down the Intracoastal. Ken suggested we turn around and let it pass before we reached
the narrow section of channel a few miles ahead. As it passed we could see that it was a 125+ foot
Army Corps of Engineers dredge with its suction pipes deployed on either side. A few miles further
south the dredge slowed and unannounced began dredging the channel, a process that obstructed the
narrow channel and confused boaters on the waterway, including us. After several attempts to pass the
dredge, we circled and waited for a chance to snick by. The depth finder on the boat went wild when
we entered the turbulent waters around the dredge and we were unwilling to attempt a passing when
the water depth showed only four feet, since we needed 5.5 feet just to float the boat.

After 15 to 20 minutes we passed successfully and entered the broad section of Sarasota Bay, where Ken
raised the sails and executed a nice series of tacks to the St. Armand Key Bridge, just north of downtown
Sarasota. Ahead was Marina Jacks, a sprawling waterfront facility that included a full range of amenities
for both the local and transit boating community. Danielle had called ahead to reserve a mooring and
the plan was to wait out an approaching weather front while replenishing supplies, doing laundry and
preparing for the next leg of the trip to Charlotte Harbor.

The roller Reefer and genoa proved to be a problem in the high wind while we approached Marina
Jacks. A section of the head sail halfway up the forestay remained bloused and would not furl. The
bloused section thrashed violently in the high wind and it was apparent that damage to the sail was
inevitable, unless we resolved the problem and completed the furling. What followed were repeated
attempts to furl the genoa while secured to the mooring. The winds were now up to a steady 25 mph
and the sail beat violently against the stays as we repeatedly unfurled and furled the sail to eliminate
the blouse. During these efforts the ¾ inch jib sheeting came alive, like the enraged snake described
earlier, and pummeled both Ken and myself as we attempted to control the sail. For the record, a ¾
inch sheet that spends most of its working life gently coiled up on deck, can be a formable sparring
partner in the high wind and can deliver devastating blows to the head and shoulders of anyone within
reach. After an exhaustive and unsuccessful battle with the roller reefer, we dropped the mooring line
as sailed back into Sarasota Bay looking for a sheltered area to complete the furling. While sailing
downwind we were final successful in furling the foresail (Ken’s idea). The lesson learned was that the
high wind caused the foresail to furl too tightly and there was not enough line on the roller reefing spool
to accommodate all of the sail. With this new knowledge, we limped back to our assigned mooring
to nurse our rope burned hands and wounded pride. The next day we replaced the furling line and
added additional loops of line around the furling spool on the roller reefer. Next time we will be better
prepared to battle this snaring beast.

The real adventures in Sarasota were the trips back and forth between the dingy dock and boat. In the
best of conditions the 8 foot RIB (Rubber Inflatable Boat) barely accommodated the four of us. When
you add, laundry, groceries, dry bags full of cloths and necessities for daily excursions; the boat was full
to capacity. On several occasions we made a late night run back to the boat in 20 mph winds and white
caps. Danielle and Kay Lee both kept us entertained with screams and gremmies as the cold water
surged over bow and soaked the entire crew. Other than these little adventures, Sarasota was a great
stop in the cruise. Stacy Roberts and her mother fixed us dinner one night, and the facilities at Marina
Jacks and downtown Sarasota were excellent. Of course, there was the unusual sighting of a couple
with nine dogs at the Marina Jacks restaurant. That’s right nine dogs all dressed up in matching jackets,
having dinner on the dog friend section of the restaurant deck overlooking the marina. You have to love
Sarasota.

I'll post more text and photos later when I get the computer out, but here are a few quick ones from the phone from the last few days.

We left Ft. Myers this morning for the Dry Tortugas with Janet and Jeff aboard. No cell coverage for the next 4-5 days until we reach Key West. More photos then!

We all had our first salt water baths this morning! The water is finally warm and clear enough. Then we headed just across the channel in the dinghy to Cabbage Key where Roger and I enjoyed a cheeseburger in paradise - the legended (is that a word?) location of Jimmy Buffet's inspiration for the song. Kaylee and Ken tried other items on the menu. We also saw a sea otter come in to the dock and climb on boat after boat opening coolers and live wells looking for food, it was the funniest and cutest thing.

Back on the boat we pulled anchor and headed to Cayo Costa State Park for more swimming and some amazing shelling. Kaylee's swimming is starting to come back to her and now it's all she wants to do.

Two days, three nights and a great time in Sarasota. We caught up with friends (Stacey and Norm), went to the beach, an art festival and enjoyed a fantastic dinner at Stacey's, prepared by her mom. Homemade pizza and it was amazing! Not to mention we got some supplies, groceries and have a completely fresh start on laundry. Thanks so much to Stacey, her mom and Norm for all the ferrying around, borrowing of cars and everything else.

We pulled away from the mooring field this morning hoping to head out Big Sarasota Pass to sail south. The wind direction for the day was already looking a little iffy for traveling south (S and SE) when we chickened out getting out of the pass and across what looked to be really shallow water - breaking waves in front of us. We turned around and headed down the the intracoastal. Other than not sailing, it is a very nice drive. Pretty houses, bridges to open for us, lots of kyakers, fishermen, and birds. Meanwhile, Kaylee is working on her knot skills.

Wednesday (April 10) evening we anchored off Maximo Point near the north entrance to the Skyway Bridge that crosses Tampa Bay.

Thursday (April 11) morning Roger joined us for the leg across Tampa Bay and down to Sarasota. The winds picked up all afternoon and by the time we moored, we had steady 20+ knots, with gusts to 25. We had trouble with the jib's roller furling again (rolling too tight and not wrapping all the way). After an hour of wrestling with it (and the sail winning), we un-moored and headed down wind to get some relief. That worked and we returned to our mooring ball at Marina Jacks.

Friday (April 12), Stacey - thank you! -came to pick us up and let us use her car. We spent the day visiting, doing some laundry and planning the next legs. Late in the afternoon we met up with Norm and his two kids, Lila and Cooper, at the beach. The kids had a ball and saw lots of cool stuff. We had a great dinner with Roger, Stacey, Norm, and and the kids and then a very wet dinghy ride back to the boat - the wind is still at 15+ and out of the south where this bay has no protection.