EVERGLADES CITY March 9, 2009

After moving to the big bay at Shark River last night, we awoke not rocking. Tom investigated and found no other boats in harbor and we were aground! It was only 8:30 a.m.!

To make matters worse, the tide was still going out. If you have met Captain Smith, you now that he will not settle for staying in one spot for the tide to change. His first mate is not quite sure what he did, but both anchors are up and the boat found a passage way to the Gulf.

The rest of the day was rather uneventful with a light wind and a straight shot to Indian Key, the entrance to the five plus mile channel to Everglades City. On the way in we pass a big sand island (above) and lots of kayakers, fisherman, motor boats and sailboats.

It is a very pretty channel with lots of islands, mangroves and outcroppings.


Catrina goes through Indian Key Pass (below) and then passes an airfield on the right. A small plane tries to land but comes in high and makes a second pass and successful landing.

Everglades City appears in front of us and it is a very quaint, clean, charming town.


The largest house we see is on the left.


Debbie likes this yellow house.


The north side of the town runs along the channel and goes way back in to the fishing (work) boats and homes. Friends tell us that the boats leave every morning at 4 a.m. and they don’t follow the no wake rules!



When we get to the Rod and Gun Club, we discover the other PDQ that passed us.


It is parked at the only rental dock place for transients - the Rod and Gun Club.

We check prices and decide that $1.75 a foot is a little high for us. Back out the channel, we drop anchor off a shell/mangrove cove. It takes a number of tries to get the back anchor in but then we decide we are too close to “nat” country and don’t want to repeat last night.


Also Tom has trouble getting the TV disc aimed. We must be too near the mangroves.

We move to the big bay about a half mile inside the Gulf. The anchor drags halfway across the bay. That won’t work.

We move to one side of the sand beach island at the entrance which we think is called Indian Key. The anchor holds at last. After a quick sandwich, we decide to go exploring in Tigger.


We walk on Indian Key and take pictures of Catrina and another passing ship!

On our Radio 16 channel we hear from Pat and Colin. They are six miles away and should arrive shortly. They have been in Fort Myers for a reunion of sailors from the Virginia, I think. They drop anchor near us and join us for a short while to get caught up and say good bye until another year.

PDQ's March 8, 2009

Catrina says Goodbye to Marathon City Marina. We leave N-2 along with a dolphin!

Gas Tanks are filled and we head southwest toward 7 Mile Bridge. Is that Really? I don’t believe it! It’s a PDQ Troller passing us upwind! Snow Cat.

Catrina passes under 7 Mile Bridge and out into the Gulf.



Wind is about 12 out of the East. The sky is more clouds than blue.



In front of us is Gulf Water, and Beautiful Sky! (crab traps and fisherman)



The Captain is in his seat with breakfast - sorry we lost the captain!




We cross the three miles from land imaginary line (its on our map) and our radio sounds, “Sunshine to Catrina” Tom did you hear that. That’s the third PDQ sailboat. (There were also 3 PDQ Trollers in port).

We look out and there is Sunshine! We switch to another channel and learn that they are also going to Little Shark River tonight. We make plans to meet them there and learn about his genoa sail. It is definitely propelling him along faster than Catrina. I bet he does not have a motor lock down the way our starboard one is.



After lunch we decide to raise the spinnaker. Debbie has packed it and hopes there are no twists. We rig it up to port (remember the two bikes and cooler are strapped on that side so each time we go forward we have to use the starboard side). We get it up with only one twist and with a little yelling it is out and flying. It is so beautiful, even with all the stitching. We are chugging along at 6 ½ to 7 mph.






However, with 30 minutes the wind has crept up above 15 and we decide to take it down rather than rip it again. We are now going along at 5.5 mph. When we fly the spinnaker, we take the furl the jib so all the wind goes to the larger sail. Saying that, this time the spinnaker gave us 1 to 1 ½ mph speed over the jib.





Finally, we reach Cape Sable and sail up the coat to Little Shark River.

Sunshine is sitting just inside the River. We move farther up the River to a side inlet we used before. Tom is so happy to be able to get TV again on Catrina but it is not coming in well. We leave to accept Sunshines invitation for drinks and a tour of their 1989 PDQ. It is 18 by 34 feet and was the first one sold of 9 in this series. We see lots of different features including two queen beds and a bunk room. What we wanted to look at was their genoa. When we see their set up we know it will not adapt to our boat but it gives us an idea.

We return to Catrina for dinner and to work on TV reception. Immediately, we are attacked by nats - hundreds of them. Nats are NASTY. Our final solution is to move out into the river away from the mangroves and where the SW sky is open. We now count six other boats in residence.


At last we settle back after a quick shower to remove bugs and watch TV. Day 27 and Tom can watch TV in Catrina!

GOODBYE BOOT KEY HARBOR March 7, 2009

This is our last day at Marathon City Marina. Tomorrow we start our trip up the Gulf Coast to Crystal River. We have been here 26 days and away from home 35 days.

Tom made one last repair on the boom but first we had to go to West Marine to get a part. Debbie continued the bike ride toward the airport while Tom checked out the news. The repair was made and Tom returned the borrowed tool to Midori.

We haven’t mentioned much about the Marina except the balls. Along the side of the Marina is one channel which goes inland that is used to dock a few boats overnight, the two MCM boats and sometimes the sheriff’s boat. At the far end the channel is divided with the hard sided boats and drinking water tap nearest the Marina Building and the soft sided dingies on the far side. As you can see in the picture two-thirds of the dingies are soft sided. Sometimes especially in the morning, it is very hard to find a spot!

Our new ball is right across from the Marina. The open area is very shallow water.

Can you pick out Catrina? It is just over the left side of the bush. Second Avenue in right in front and the houseboat is behind our floating home. Does it help to see what the Marina looks like from Catrina?

During the day, we replenished drinking water and moved the bikes to the port deck. Tomorrow on the way out we will top off our gas tank. Hopefully, we can sail most of the way. However, Tom just checked and said we may not have enough wind as we move up the Gulf Coast.

We advertised the bikes on the morning net but did not get any buyers. Tom decided to bring them with us in case we wanted to explore any of the cities along the way. It is to bad we could not get a picture of just one bike in our small dingy!

We also rested up and read books after lunch. In the late afternoon, Debbie took this shot from our from our starboard stern.

PRUSSIC HITCH BRIDLE March 6, 2009

Yesterday was so much fun we decided to do it again. Tom went to watch his news programs and Debbie climbed back in bed and read the paperback romance Tom read yesterday.

However, Tom came back from MCM with a surprise. Our Spinnaker was back and all the holes were sewed up. We opened it up in the cockpit and looked at all the stitching. Unfortunately, the wind was way over 15 mph which ruled out trying it today but someday . . .

About mid afternoon we heard pounding on our transom. Our doorbell. Brian and Lynn from Midori, Toronto, CA, came to visit. They have the thirty-third built PDQ of our size and we have the third. When we first arrived, we stopped to visit with them. Tom talked about the changes he had made while Debbie showed Lynn around.


Brian had a tool Tom had wanted to borrow from someone but had been able to find. They invited us up to get it (I think they are in B and we are in N). While there Brian showed and explained his Prussic Hitch Bridle. Since our PDQ’s did not have a centered anchor line, we need to make a yoke on the bow. We have been using a pulley on a line to move the anchor line to the middle.


Midori was built in Canada and first owned by US citizens who then sold her to Canadians. The hull is exactly the same as ours but some of the equipment is different.

On our way home we passed a cute little boat which Tom called a New England Tug. On its side was Nordic Tugs.

We got out our bikes and road up town stopping for a paper, milkshake, apples and pepsi. Exercise is good especially when we have been so lazy recently!


The wind has slanted Catrina a different way and now this boat above is beside us and Salsa below is behind it.

SOMBRERO BEACH March 5, 2009

Catrina said goodbye to Clint and Pat as the courtesy car from Marathon Airport picked them up and delivered them to their plane. Tom really enjoyed their company and talking about airplanes and sailboats!

The rest of the day we used to re-energize ourselves. Tom did lots of projects around the Catrina and caught up on TV news. He also restocked the milk and cookies!


Debbie took a ride to Sombrero Beach and read her mystery book.

Previously, we had noticed how the seagulls were different in the Keys and Debbie finally got a picture of them.


Can you pick out the different ones?

Yesterday the Marina moved us to N-2 which is right off the main channel to MCM. Across the channel we see lots of boats in A-J.

In front of us is Second Avenue from Lutz FL


Beside us is Laura with no port of call.

Behind us is the biggest houseboat on a ball!


The big news from yesterday that we completely forgot to mention was our turtle sighting on the Gulf side. We thought at first that it was a big piece of board but as we got closer we could see it was a very large brown turtle, maybe 5 feet long. We think it was an Atlantic Green Turtle (which are brown) but when we got close he did not stay around for us to observe! He dove down into the Gulf and disappeared!

PELICANS March 4, 2009

As Catrina leaves Boot Key Harbor we pass the resting area for a large group of Pelicans. We have seen them here before but now we know it is a favorite spot for them.

We even see a Peligan on the 7 Mile Bridge.

This morning the wind is strong (15-20 mph). We could not pass up going out to sail as soon as everyone had breakfast. With a north wind we decided to try the Gulf side first. It did not seem to be quite as windy so we headed for the Atlantic side.

Tom and Clint chart paths on the GPS.

As we re-enter the Atlantic we see a large ship passing far out to sea. Debbie crops the picture and brings it in closer for you to see.


Clint took over the captain's chair for the rest of the day until we returned to port. He did a great job and we will miss him when he returns home tomorrow.

When we return to Boot Key Harbor, we have finally been issued a new ball much closer to MCM. We asked three different times to be moved so our guests did not have to travel so far to shore. Now that our third set of guests are leaving tomorrow, we get a close in spot.

When we are all squared away at N-2, we look around and find Clint like this--

And Pat like this--

Now Pat, do you really think we believe you were sunbathing?

As we leave for dinner, the sun is dropping over the boats where we used to be moored.

Everyone enjoys Annette’s for dinner. Salads from a very well stocked bar. Each person had a different kind of fish in a gourmet sauce. Debbie had a stone grilled meal which she cooked at our table. The grill was a square of granite heated to 750 degrees! She suggests if you have a meal like this, you don’t need to wear a sweater!

We had a rematch of Train and the men again won - Tom this time, Clint last time. Lady luck does not seem to reside in Boot Key Harbor.

GUESTS March 3, 2009

Ring-A-Ling goes Tom's Phone. Pat and Clint are taking off from near Weirsdale. Debbie and Tom hurry to MCM and on to Publix and the Showers. Catrina is ready.

Ring-A-Ling. Clint and Pat are standing on the dock at MCM! We quickly untie Catrina and head in. Clint catches the bow line. Pat and Clint are sailors and travel light. Also they arrived by small Airplane. We add fresh water and head out for a nice long sail. Clint shows his skippering ability and Tom relaxes!


We sail to Sombrero Reef but it is too wavy and not clear enough to look into the coral. Pat and Debbie attempt to make sandwiches as Catrina pitches up and down.


In the late afternoon we head in. After mooring, we relax for a while and decide on dinner. A pleasant dingy ride through the sailboats leads to a walk to Keys Industries and a good fish dinner.


All is quiet at home. A little newspaper reading and then Tom and Clint set up Train.

Here is a winning first play at 5 p.m! All chips down in one play!