March 15th- Lake Worth, West Palm Beach FL

Another day at the Palm Beach Sailing Club. We were visited by my Father and wife today and had dinner at the club. There was a lot of traffic moving through Lake Worth so I think the decision to stay off the ICW was a sound one. It was nice to relax for another day and get caught up with family.

This is Will from Climate Kayak. He is piloting a 14′ sailing kayak from Miami to Virginia. Along the way he is recording conversations and documenting climate change. This is, by far, the smallest boat we’ve seen traversing the Intracoastal.

All of the cruise ships are now in port due to the Coronavirus.

March 16th and 17th- Lake Worth to Hobe Sound, FL

We navigated our way back up through Jupiter to Hobe Sound. At one point we have to go through 2 bridges in Jupiter inlet. They are about a half mile apart. Due to the flood tide one bridge had a 3 knot current opposing us. The other bridge had a 3 knot current pushing us toward it. Thankfully both bridge tenders are wise to the problem and time their respective bridge openings well. One should not attempt to pass under a 25′ bridge with a 41′ mast clearance requirement.

Jupiter Island on the east side of Hobe Sound.

For most of this trip I’ve managed to avoid television (we don’t have one). I’ve also tried to stay away from the news in general. This was a conscious decision on my part as I generally read the AP news wire every day. With all the disturbing news about the Coronavirus I’ve been trying to keep up with developments in Massachusetts and Florida. I don’t know if this is going to change the way we are doing this trip. Decisions. Apparently things are flying off the shelves at grocery stores. We have plenty of food, water, and diesel (thank you Dennis), so no problems there. I guess we just have to be careful. I hope everyone stays well. Ironically, Lynne and I both recently read Station 11 (thank you Janice). Great book. Don’t read it until all this blows over.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day. All the bars in Massachusetts are closed. Hard to imagine. We decided to stay another day in Hobe Sound. We are in a secluded spot with our own private beach. We went swimming yesterday and will be doing the same today. Ollie loves it. He is once again a sandy, salty, mess.

Our private beach.

Clean sheets on the bed? Me and Blue Monkey will fix that.

March 10th- Miami Marine Stadium to Fort Lauderdale, FL

We spent several days in Miami Marine Stadium waiting for the winds to subside. The wind was still strong today but we were ready to move on. If it had calmed down a bit more I was going to sail up the coast to Port Everglades. We’d avoid 8 bridges by doing so. Wind and waves kept us on the ICW though and we tried to make the scheduled openings with varying levels of success.

Goodbye Miami.

Back in mansion land.

Our day ended in Fort Lauderdale. We called ahead to the Los Olas Marina and found their mooring field was once again operational. On the way down it was closed. The mooring gave us easy access to a dinghy dock, showers, and the Ft Lauderdale beach area. We decided to stay an extra day. I heard rumors of an excellent French Bakery in town. Lynne did most of the exploration work in Fort Lauderdale. I couldn’t handle the crowds. It’s Spring Break! Noooooo…….

Maybe the sun and beer kills COVID-19?

Lynne also visited the Swimming Hall of Fame. Apparently they used much more material to produce a bathing suit in the past.

This was Lloyd Bridges’ Sea Hunt outfit.

The French Bakery was worth the stop. We loaded up with quiche, croissants, and French bread. A couple of days later, we used the French Bread to grill the best pizza we’ve been able to produce on Catalpa.

March 12th- Fort Lauderdale to Lantana, FL

16 bridges. On the way down South we split the day up by staying over night in Boca Raton. Today I decided to push on to Lantana. We didn’t arrive at Lantana until 7:00. The sun doesn’t set until 7:30 so we didn’t have to navigate in the dark.

While entering the anchorage area I went a little too far in and ran Catalpa aground for the first time. I knew we were going to bottom out and managed to turn around before we stopped. FLANK SPEED AHEAD!! We plowed our way into deeper water and drop the hook for the night. The end of a long day.

March 13th and 14th- Lantana to Lake Worth, West Palm Beach FL

Today we headed up to Lake Worth and anchored near the Palm Beach Sailing Club.

On our trip South there were far more boats anchored in Lake Worth than present. I imagine many have headed over to the Bahamas. This particular anchorage is pretty exposed but the next few days look good. We’ll stay here until Monday. The Florida ICW, from Miami to the St Lucie Inlet, is like the Cross Bronx Expressway on the weekends. It’s filled with small power boats. Many seem to have almost no idea what they are doing. Maneuvering Catalpa in a current, while waiting for a bridge, can be difficult enough. Throw another 15 small power boats into the mix. We avoid moving on the weekends.

Today (Saturday the 14th) Ollie was happy to visit several of the waterfront parks. He seems to remember them all. We are still having some difficulty with leash walking so he and I are getting some practice in. Lynne found a decent grocery store up the road so we stocked up on some fresh food.

Palm Beach Sailing Club.

One of Ollie’s parks. We are trying to cut back on some of the frisbee action until the leash walking improves. That’s today’s idea anyway.

Not sure what kind of boat this is but I believe it’s a fiberglass version of a Munroe design. I’d like to find out more about it. I think I’ve seen one up North also.

Catalpa anchored in Lake Worth.

March 3rd- Marathon to Barley Basin, Islamorada FL

We got a, somewhat, late start out of Boot Key Harbor today. Ollie had to “say goodbye” to the marina staff. He had his picture taken for a doggy wall of fame. We then waited for the cruisers net to announce our departure. I think I mentioned in another post, that when we stay in port for a while, we feel like we put down roots. It’s difficult to leave. Another week on the mooring maybe? We dropped our lines and headed out into a windy morning.

Goodbye harbor. It was amazingly calm in here this morning. Not so on the outside, near 7 mile bridge.

I immediately noticed a significant reduction in speed while motoring. I guess this was a manifestation of Catalpa putting down roots. One thing that I didn’t check before leaving was the bottom of the boat.

Part of my spring commissioning process is painting the bottom of Catalpa. This is a copper based anti-fouling paint that keeps barnacles from growing. It doesn’t need to be done every year but I usually add more paint anyway. I also paint the propeller with a similar paint but this wears off in a few months. It all works well in New England. Not the case in Marathon. We had the bottom cleaned up in Vero so I didn’t think there would be a problem. Apparently the sea critters in the Keys are not bothered by our paint.

Once out of the harbor I was able to raise some sail and pick up some speed. We hooked behind Vaca Key for a great sail on Florida Bay. The Keys blocked most of the wave action but we still had a good wind driving us toward our destination.

Our salt covered vessel flew into the anchorage at Islamorada just before sunset. I got Ollie in to shore. We had hot dogs and chili for a quick traveling meal.

We saw this beautiful boat ghosting along in the evening. I think it’s a sharpie.

In the morning, we had a sea plane land nearby.

March 4th- Islamorada to Black Water Sound, Key Largo, FL

On our trip down I was concerned about getting stuck in some shallow spots. On my GPS (navigation aid) I was able to lay a trail on the screen showing where I passed through on the map. This made getting back a cakewalk as I had a safe path.

We still had good wind and weather driving us along. I had to motor through the cuts in the mangroves but was able to sail the bays.

We made good time to Key Largo and got there early in the day. I donned my snorkeling gear and jumped over the side to see what was going on under the hull. As suspected, the prop was covered in barnacles and there was quite a bit on the hull also. The water around Key Largo is very clear so it was easy to see the problem. Our water up north it is mostly a murky green/black. I’m no diver but an hour later I had scraped clean the propeller and some of the hull. I also swam down to see the anchor on the bottom. Our new anchor is digging in well (so far).

Another sunset at Key Largo with rum drinks in the cockpit. Too many sunset photos? Maybe.

March 5th and 6th- Key Largo to Marine Stadium, Miami, FL

We feel like it’s August. Not Florida August, Massachusetts August. The wind was still from a favorable direction but it had died down quite a bit. The sun was blazing today. These past few days have been really nice. It feels good to get “out there” again.

Catalpa was gliding through Biscayne Bay, nothing around us for miles. No land, no boats. Just 8 feet of crystal clear water beneath us and the sun above. Eventually we turned off of the ICW path and dropped the hook in the middle of the bay for a swim. We felt like we were in our own universe. A half hour later we were back on track to Miami.

My hull and prop cleaning seems to have helped a lot. Our speed is much better with less vibration. It’s still not perfect. Maybe I’ll work on it more at the next anchorage.

Still flying the BKH burgee.

Approaching Miami. A big Regata.

The end of the day had us anchored back at the Miami Marine Stadium again. Crews are still working to disassemble the Miami Boat Show. They were setting it up when last we were here. Most of the piers are gone. We had a quiet night.

Today (Friday the 6th) we had some rain in the morning. Catalpa needed a wash down. We were even able to gather a few gallons of water. In the future I plan on setting up a more efficient system for catching rain water. It beats lugging big cans of water around.

Back to civilization.

It looks like we’re going to have some heavy winds until Monday or Tuesday. We are going to sit here until it clears out. Despite jet skis and speed boats with poor taste in music, this a good/safe harbor. We have plenty of provisions. The only thing we needed was ice. We stopped over at the marina and grabbed 30lbs (along with a pastrami sandwich).

March 2nd- Boot Key Harbor, Marathon FL

We’ve spent another week lounging around in Boot Key Harbor. Notable happenings- Diesel Don broke the record for the longest BKH cruisers net broadcast (2 hrs and 23 minutes). These morning broadcasts generally run an hour or less. Also of note, Oliver has caught his frisbee 1000 more times.

Zeroing in….

Launch!!!

He is pleased with today’s performance.

On the subject of Oliver, he has an island girlfriend (Sophie). We can’t get within 100 yards of her without him crying and yelping. They love to wrestle. She’s a little bigger than him and tires him out (a seemingly impossible task).

They just roll around when they start getting tired.

We had planned to head over to Key West at some point but the days have been too breezy for the anchorage area. The other option is a marina but they are very expensive. I’ve been watching the weather and the calendar. We feel it’s time to head back to the main-land again. Today was supposed to be departure day. The wind was blowing 15 to 20 out of the east this morning. We have to go east before turning north. That would put the wind right on the nose. A difficult day for a sail boat. Tomorrow is going to have a more southerly component to the wind so tomorrow is The Day. The extra day of rest was appreciated as it was difficult to get Catalpa ready to sail again. She’s now loaded with food, water, booze, propane, ice, and diesel. The hull has grown some barnacles and sea weed in the warm waters of the Keys. I might throw a mask on and try to scrape some of it off in one of the anchorages along the way. If that doesn’t work out, we’ll hire a diver again up in Vero Beach.

We’ve been in Boot Key Harbor for over a month and a half. We made many friends and will miss them. We’re also going to miss the Rumbrella Regatta. This is a dinghy race where umbrellas are the only form of propulsion and an oar, the only steerage. The prize: a bottle of rum. I’m sure all umbrellas are sold out on the whole island. We’ll be back someday with several umbrellas. This whole trip has been a life changing experience for us.

The amphitheater at the park where Ollie may, or may not, play (no dogs allowed). Lynne takes yoga there in the morning.

Dad, can we kidnap Sophie?

We were serenaded with many conch horns tonight. We believe they were practicing for the Regatta.

February 25th- Boot Key Harbor, Marathon FL

We are still on the mooring in Boot Key Harbor. We’ve had plans to leave for the past few weeks but keep extending our stay. Marathon is a nice place to be stuck at. Lynne has been taking yoga, going to Bahamas seminars, and gardening. Ollie has become the Marina greeter. I’ve been reading and fixing stuff.

I’ve never met this person before but somehow we had the same outfit on. Maybe it’s some kind of Florida uniform?

One old salty definition of voyaging is: boat repair in exotic places. Since we will eventually be traveling a couple thousand miles north, I’ve been trying to go through Catalpa and check all of the systems out. We had a problem with one of the water tanks but managed to clean it out and treat the water. Our batteries needed to be switched around and topped off with distilled water. Another day was “engine day.” Working on the engine starts by emptying the cockpit lockers. The lockers are very deep, bulk storage, and hold a lot of gear. I have to distribute this all over the deck. This opens up a small area where I can get at the back of the diesel. Inside Catalpa the companionway stairs are removable and this opens up the front of the motor. By this point, moving around the boat is similar to traversing an obstacle course. Lynne and Oliver go to shore as it’s difficult to function in Catalpa and I’m usually not good company by this point. The worst part of the job is contorting my body to squeeze behind the engine. When we first bought Catalpa (12 years ago) I was almost too rotund to fit. Luckily my waist size has gone down a few inches.

It was good that I checked on the engine and have spare parts. We had a broken water pump (impeller) again. The fin from the impeller was stuck in the heat exchanger. Change the impeller , disassemble the heat exchanger, etcetera . Since I was having such a good time I also did an oil change, swapped out the fuel filter, and the air filter. After all that it was time for a beer.

Catalpa’s Beta Marine diesel. The heat exchanger is on the upper right. Engine is about 6 years old. I keep a neat engine room. No rust!

We’ve loaded up with food and water but weather prevents us from leaving. The weather is good but we keep having these weather fronts moving through with strong northerly winds. We’re looking for a weather window with no north wind for Key West. I think this is all part of the Keys winter weather pattern. We’ll reassess the situation toward the end of the week.

Some views of the dinghy canal at Marathon. Inflatables are far more popular than rigid dinks.

The marina office.

The sea-dog. He’s always ready to go for a ride.

Mooring field.

Catalpa moored with the Admiral waving me in.

After a long day the pirate is finally asleep on the main sheet block and tackle.

February 15th- Boot Key Harbor, Marathon FL

A belated Happy Valentine’s Day. We had Valentine’s breakfast at a Cuban Restaurant (5 stars). It was over 80 degrees so we then went to the beach. Many sailors were heading out to the reefs to go snorkeling. Since we have almost no snorkeling experience we decided to try it out at the beach. Unfortunately, the water was very cloudy so we couldn’t really see anything. We enjoyed the swimming anyway. Ollie was like a fish. Later in the day we headed back to Catalpa for grilled steaks and a nice sunset.

Oliver was tired from all of his swimming activity.

By the time we got to Marathon, a month ago, Catalpa was looking pretty rough. The hull was stained from the tea colored ICW water (called ICW moustache). My varnished teak was beat up. Our American Flag was in tatters by Vero Beach. We replaced old glory when we were there. The Cuttyhunk Burgee made it all the way to Boot Key Harbor but it was also shredded. The hull is now white again and I’ve managed to touch up the varnish a bit.

We discovered, on the radio net, that a woman on Invictus makes BKH burgees. We promptly ordered one. She also made us a custom Catalpa flag.

The new Boot Key Harbor burgee. We still love Cuttyhunk too. We’ll get a new Cuttyhunk flag when we get back.

The Catalpa burgee. I’ve wanted one for years.

More bling. Catalpa also got a new anchor.

One more for the road. I found these colorful fish interesting.

We’re here for at least another week. Then we’ll go West.

February 9th- Boot Key Harbor, Marathon FL

We’re still floating around in the East end of Boot Key Harbor. It’s well protected on all sides so Catalpa doesn’t move much, even when there is some wind.

The dinghy channel, at the city marina, has been visited by various manatees over the past week or so. This momma and baby were around for a few days. One evening I watched the baby eat seaweed off of the seawall.

Another day, this beast was spotted at The Dockside.

Later in the evening the same beast was still prowling around for any food that hit the deck.

We watched some karaoke before heading back to Catalpa for some much-needed sleep.

We heard, on the radio net, that there was going to be a “turtle release ” at Sombrero Beach this morning. We grabbed some coffee, hopped in the dinghy, and went to check it out. There is lots of local support for the Turtle Hospital and their mission. These events are well attended.

I was a little concerned that Ollie might not act appropriately at the site of a big turtle. Since everyone at the beach was watching the turtle, Ollie and I got some exercise (off leash) at a distance. Lynne managed to work her way through the crowd.

This young green sea turtle was found last June. Terri had surgery and was rehabilitated at the turtle hospital. Fair winds and following seas Terri.

January 30th- Boot Key Harbor, Marathon FL

Life in Marathon moves at a different pace. Some of our neighbors have left for the Bahamas, others have just shown up. We’re still on the list for a mooring. No one had moved for a while due to the winter winds but they seem to have calmed down lately. The moorings are closer to the dinghy dock (and showers). We also plan on exploring some of the surrounding islands with Catalpa. We’ll be able to use the Boot Key mooring field as a home base once we actually get the mooring. I’m looking forward to some sailing. We’re at the top of the list now.

Some more exploration. The bridge crosses from Vaca Key to Boot Key but the center span was removed. Boot Key is abandoned. I believe the state owns it now.


The bridge to nowhere.


Dad, we’re not going to live on this bridge with the pirates?


The harbor entrance.


Marathon (from the bridge).


The harbor.


Catalpa is anchored in the middle of the shot.


I think it took me about a week to get used to this island. I pictured a tropical paradise but Marathon is much more “gritty”. It was really beat up by hurricane Irma. Of the 250 boats in the harbor, only 50 were left after the storm. The school was destroyed as was the hospital. Both are still housed in temporary structures. Many businesses are shuttered. I’ve been told (by the guy at the coffee shop) there is a labor shortage for those businesses that are left. Last year they lost 700 housing units, more the year before. Much of the land was purchased by resorts.

Tiki boat.


Most days I do a little boat maintenance. We’ll run a few errands if we need to. If the weather is good (it usually is), we do a little site seeing.

Beach day.


Ollie pursuing one of his favorite pastimes- chasing the ball. I need a new arm.


Lynne has volunteered her services at the marina community garden. We pick fresh herbs for meals.


Ollie and I doing some dinghy exploration. We ventured to the other end of the harbor and went up a canal.




Another restaurant to try. They have “All day happy hour” on Mondays and Tuesdays.



We walk a little further down route 1 each day. Oliver doesn’t really like the traffic but we need the exercise.


The Turtle Hospital. There are 7 species of Sea Turtles. They are all endangered. This was the first certified medical facility, for turtles, in the world.



Not much to report on down here in Boot Key Harbor. We’re living on island time. Last night we went out with family and friends to Keys Fisheries. They have “sunset happy hour.” The sun did not make an appearance but everyone was happy. We had drinks and local appetizers. Of course we had more peel and eat shrimp. We also indulged in copious amounts of mussels and stone crabs. It’s the first time I’ve had mussels or crab. Both were delicious.

Another sunset from Catalpa.




We don’t have any plans at this point. We’ll probably be here for most of February.

Note: While typing this post I got the call from the marina. We’re moving to a mooring. I hope the anchor isn’t stuck on a sunken boat or something!

January 22 – 23rd – Boot Key Harbor, Marathon FL

The temperature was 49 degrees. It was the coldest Keys temperature in 5 years. According to the radio net iguanas are falling out of the trees. Normally I wouldn’t consider 49 degrees to be cold but I seem to have become acclimated to the 70 to 80 degree temperatures we’ve been having.

We are getting some extra anchor practice in. We vacated our previous location as we were swinging into the main channel when the wind direction changed. Our next spot was a bit shallow and had no room for error. I didn’t like it. We finally found another spot in the harbor and dropped the hook.

All of this moving around was due to another strong front scheduled to move through the Keys. This time we put out a lot of rope and chain (called scope). This allows the anchor to have a better angle to penetrate the ocean bed. We also deployed our second anchor. The sustained winds increased to around 28 with gusts approaching 40. Catalpa’s gear held us through the night. Confidence restored.

A clear and cold morning.

This sunken vessel is near us. I wonder what the story is?

We ran into a few sailors we’ve met in the past. Ollie got in a play session with Wilson. They met in Vero Beach. There is no dog park nearby. There are sports fields with No Animals Allowed signs. There might have been a few animals on the baseball field in the evening.

We’ve explored more of the town. We have a marine chandlery (West Marine), grocery store, and Home Depot with in walking distance. Walking around here is a little difficult. Route 1 runs right through the middle of the island. It’s a 5 lane highway with almost no crosswalks. It seems like the county could make an attempt to make it more pedestrian friendly.

Today, the wind has calmed down and the temperature is getting back to normal.

Not stars. Anchor lights.

Catalpa anchored in Boot Key Harbor.

January 17th- Islamorada to Boot Key Harbor, Marathon FL

Despite the electronic chart showing that Catalpa would be crossing land, we instead found well marked channels. Steamboat was deeper than the rest of Florida Bay. Bowleggy Cut was a little shallower but we always had a couple of feet under the keel. Today was a combination of sailing and motoring. We kept Catalpa’s speed up to keep ahead of the approaching front. The only challenge was dodging crab pots. The weather was good most of the day. The last hour or so it deteriorated.

Florida Bay. Gotta stay ahead of those clouds.

The old and new 7 mile bridge.

Weather catching up to us. The wind had picked up but the sea was still pretty flat. The picture is 7 Mile Bridge taken from Hawk Channel.

Almost there. Marathon.

Boot Key Harbor (Marathon) is loaded with boats. The city administers 226 moorings. Besides that, there are at least another 150 boats at anchor or tied to wharfs.

Burdines Restaurant, tiki bar, and fuel dock. Looking forward to dinghying over for a meal. They put diesel in the mixed drinks.

Lynne called the City Marina for a mooring but there were none available. We dropped the hook in the very crowded anchorage area. We only had about 30 minutes to get over to the marina before it closed. We wanted to get on the mooring waitlist and take showers. They wanted vessel documentation papers and money. The sky opened up. The wind increased. We made it over to the office before it closed.

I mention the weather and the rush to the office in an attempt to explain what happened later in the night. Perhaps I was not 100% diligent in setting the anchor. This is a process where you back the boat down to bury the anchor in the bottom. I usually do this and increase the engine RPMs until I’m completely sure it’s set. Our anchor is sized for a 45′ boat (Catalpa is 28′). The anchor is also backed up by 50′ of chain and around 300′ of rope. We never move. We’ve sat out a few storms with no problems. We’re both sure of our gear. This time we were in a rush and it was raining. We quickly backed the boat down but I didn’t pay attention to the RPMs. In addition there was not much room to anchor so we were on somewhat short scope.

Eventually we headed back to Catalpa for the night. We were happy to have made it to a good harbor so we could relax for a while. Dinner, wine, and sleep.

January 18th & 19th – Boot Key Harbor, Marathon FL

This entry starts at just after midnight.

BANG. 24 hours later I still don’t know what made that noise. Did we hit something? I awoke from the racket, just after 12:00am, to wind howling through the rigging. I looked out the hatch to see a boat just feet away from us. Did we hit the boat? No one was on deck. I think the dinghy may have acted as a fender. The mangroves were much closer. The wind had increased to 25 knots with gusts from 30 to 40 knots. Catalpa was yawing wildly back and forth. Spray was kicking up. It was pitch black. No visibility. I knew our anchor was dragging and we had a big problem. All hands on deck (except for Oliver).

Somehow we got the the engine started and the anchor up. The wind was gusting so strong we could barely keep Catalpa under control. We managed to blindly steer through the crowded anchorage to the channel. My plan was to leave the harbor and anchor in the lee of the island. There were too many boats around and it was very dark. The gusting winds made the navigation more difficult. The crew threatened to mutiny. Luckily, before we had a complete breakdown of command, I saw a decent spot to drop the hook. The gusting wind made it difficult to re-anchor the boat. A couple more attempts later we were securely anchored for the night. We kept a watch for a few more hours. The drama was over by about 3am. Later that night we saw a dinghy fly by. Other boats had dragged around the harbor and were re-anchoring in the morning. It was a difficult night.

The next day I was a little rattled by the whole event. A day after that, the sun, salt, and sand have helped us to recover. We’re planning on staying here for a while. We have fresh fruit and veggies from a farmer’s market. We also ventured over to Keys Fisheries for some Mahi Mahi to grill. I now have our spare anchor (with chain) tied to the bow. It’s ready to fly if we run into a similar situation. We’re on the wait list for a mooring.

This morning we listened to the local cruisers net. This is a local VHF radio network that takes place in various harbors. It got us into the spirit of Boot Key Harbor.

Off the back porch today.

Ollie approves.

The old bridge to Boot Key. The center span has been removed.

Channel marker #16. This was extremely important when I was trying to locate myself during the night. I referenced this marker to determine whether our anchor was holding during the squall.