CRUISING ADVENTURES AND GUNK HOLING IN SMALL SAILBOATS 16

Article By Richard Frye
Part 16 of the series: Backpacking On The Water

I was up early and the aroma of coffee filled the air from all directions as the golden ball peaked over the horizon. Voices echoed across the water that we needed to get going so I had a quick breakfast of muesli along with my coffee, made another cup for the thermos, and I too was ready to go. The last of my fresh fruit was finally used up. It was a collection of blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and my last banana that was beginning to turn black! Some of the other fruit was already moldy and getting soft spots and had to be thrown out. My neighbor, a stout German girl taught me how to make muesli when I had a small house in town. Not bad at all and a quick way to get a morning started! I still much prefer the old fashion way of preparing oatmeal. This way is good for a quick but nourishing breakfast and uses very little liquid! To me, that’s what makes it unique!

One boat was already leaving, and at that time I was not aware that a crew member had become violently ill! Later it was discovered that the culprit happened to be a severe allergic reaction to mosquito bites along with other insect bites! Some people are born with the unfortunate ability to attract these pesky insects while others are not bothered at all! I also did not know this at the time that they were headed to the mainland to find an emergency room. It was that bad! But, this problem would not have occurred in the first place if they had updated their “cruising” first-aid kit! We sailed out from behind the barrier island and headed south. The ill-fated boat turned off and headed to the mouth of a tributary that had a small marina. This was also the lead boat which we were following because their knowledge of certain places to stop! They could get a doctor from there! We all waved and remained on course. Luckily no one else was affected except the dyed in the wool sailors that tried sitting on deck that evening with a gallon of insect repellent poured over them! Some had taken vitamin E tablets that were also helpful in warding off mosquitoes. If you took it 12 hours ahead of time it would be well into in your system. Some folks said that the Avon product Skin So Soft would repel skeeters to! What they didn’t tell you, if you were on land it would also attract yellow jackets by the zillions! That’s what they said anyway! I just applied my good ole 6-12 and was fortunately not pestered as much as others. I also wondered that maybe the alcoholic content of the red stuff oozing through my skin kept the mosquitoes at bay because if there was enough alcohol in your system they didn’t want to bite as much! Anyway, it seemed that way! Nothing worse than a bunch of drunken skeeters! Well… it was possible!

Cruising with a lot of people can have as many disadvantages and sometime more that good points offered. During this few days their plans had changed so many times and I was ready to just get back to what I enjoyed and that was cruising along the coast without complications or problems that were not mine. I said my good byes and headed south the following day. My chosen mooring was poor for the night without the group but I did not have much choice unless I wanted to continue sailing into the darkness. I dropped the hook close to shore and bounced and bobbed all night long! It would be stupid on my part to say that I slept well! I knew a good mooring was ahead with plenty of time to rest but I would be exhausted when I arrived.

My new friends talked of cruising out of West Palm Beach and heading over to the Bahamas for a while which had me all excited but those plans they had so carefully laid out also changed like everything else that was planned! At first light the tide was right and luck seemed in my favor so I point her bow off shore for a few miles, then south toward the clearer emerald green waters of the keys.

I sailed hard during the daylight hours and made as much time as possible and 3 days later I was at one of my favorite moorings near Key Largo. It was just inside the mouth of a gentle creek with hardly any boat traffic and loaded with Stone Crabs! The water was shallow at low tide with a sort of rocky bottom that made this water clear but did get a little muddy as the tide rushed in. Many crabs could be caught by hand if you were quick enough, but you did risk a pinch! The preferred method was using a small 12”to 16” dip net! Anything larger did not work very well. Only the largest claw was allowed to be taken which would grow back time and time again! After tidying up the ship I went over the side with a mask, fins, snorkel and pole spear and easily popped a nice flounder I spotted moments after I submerged in the 4 foot deep channel. If he had not flipped a little sand I would not have noticed the flounder. This was a nice 2 pound fish and all I needed for a very filling dinner with enough leftovers for breakfast and perhaps lunch!

A small daysailer approached from the sea as I was climbing back aboard Sea Mistress. They waved, hailed me and held up some nice lobsters they had caught! They were kind enough to tell me about the small reef about 3 miles dead east where a plentiful supply of the crayfish as they are sometimes called hung out in abundance! I thanked them and said I would check it out sometime during the week.

I needed supplies from town, some ice, beer, fresh fruit, eggs, canned bacon, and at least 2 bottles of dark rum! I was completely out and that could be disastrous! But I had the infamous red stuff! There was always plenty of that, and I normally purchased the apple wine by the case because it was cheaper that way, and could be purchased almost anywhere! It had become a trademark over the years, and everyone expected Tupperware glass filled to the brim over ice and when I could get it, a sprig of mint would float on top just to make it pretty!

I was still pouting about not getting over to the Bahamas at this time, but soon got over it when I sailed out to the reef and collected 2 nice and above average legal size lobsters off the reef. The coral reef was easy to find and there were at least a dozen boats anchored with the red diver’s flags sporting the diagonal white stripe letting other boaters know that divers were down. More kept coming into the area as time went on. This area was closely watched by the marine patrol and the catch was limited so you really had to go by the rule book or have the book thrown at you by a mean judge in a bad mood! I was under the limit so I went back into the water and got one more about the same size as the others. One reason this area was closely watched is because it was near the state park that protected all species within its boundaries.

The water was emerald green with a clarity that was perfect for spearfishing, catching lobster (bugs, as they were sometimes referred to) or just exploring a reef. I preferred to save the air in my two tanks for emergencies and other important underwater tasks like retrieving a fouled anchor that I could not afford to replace. Dive shops with compressors were few and far between and a fire departments usually had their own were also just as difficult to find when you were traveling in an unknown area unless you were on fire at a dock! But in this place there were a couple of dive shops that had tank filling capabilities. Some fees for air ranged from fifty cents to seventy five cents for refilling and I decided I just might do some underwater exploring later on. Then I realized I also needed to scrub the bottom of Sea Mistress as growth was appearing and I needed to give her a fresh coating of anti-fouling paint soon. I would have to haul her out soon and needed to save one tank for that chore. The old timers would say she needed new copper or a copper bottom! That term was coined by the ship builders from the early days of sailing ships when it was discovered that thin copper plates reacted with salt water was poisonous to the Teredo worms and other sea worms and parasites that will devour a wooden hull and eventually sink a ship. For an example, the Santa Maria was lost due to these dreadful creatures of the sea! Smaller sailboats, rowboats and skiffs were often pulled out of the water when not in use. A simple act of just pulling the boat out of the water prevented this of disaster, and the boat had a much longer life. Of course the barnacles if left to grow would stop a ship dead in its tracks or any boat from making headway until they were scraped off. It was amazing as to how much speed could be lost with a thin coating of marine growth. This was especially noticeable on small cruising sailboats.

I was very comfortable at my mooring and Jack, a worker and friend at the nearby marina saw my boat and came over to visit! I had not seen him in over 14 months and right off he presented me with a care package, so I offered him a large glass of my red stuff! I added ice too! He took it and smiled, “You still drinking this crap?” I said, “Now hold on mate! I will have you know this the finest vintage of Strawberry Hill apple wine you will ever wet your lips with! It’s been aging all week sitting on a shelf! Look at the date on the receipt! See...it’s a week old!” He laughed and guzzled it till almost half was gone! “It is mighty tasty and refreshing on a hot day! Have to admit to that! But mark my word! That rotgut is going to turn your gizzard red!” Hmmmm……I hadn’t thought of that!

“Want dinner?” I said! “Got some crab claws and bug tails and a big can of lima beans!” He interrupted, “No…actually I came over to ask you to with me to a new place down the road! Treat is on me!” I accepted his offer and we relaxed with another glass of red stuff to catch up on what has happened since we last saw each other! He described the place as a bar with a nice restaurant that served excellent steaks as well as seafood! I figured since Jack was buying I would order the biggest steak on their menu! That’s the least I could do! He expected that anyway! It was a thing that bound our friendship! If you really wanted it then order it! Don’t be bashful when someone is offering! It seemed as if it had been a year since I’d had a juicy steak! Come to think of it! It had been almost a year since I had tasted any quality beef! I did have a couple of Burger Chef Hamburgers a few months back but that doesn't compare with a nice T-bone! I enjoy steak once in a while but truly wasn’t that thrilled eating it all the time. This was special! Besides, I knew I would pay for it the next day. Something about any kind of beef except ground beef (hamburger) always tore my stomach up! Never did understand that and it still does to this day! So….I enjoy and pay the price, making sure I have a fresh bottle of Pepto or Kaopectate in the medicine locker!

After a long hot shower at the marina I was fit and ready to go, and even had time for a well needed nap before Jack would be driving up in his VW bus!

The place was much nicer than I expected and had a bar, a dance floor as Jack had described earlier and a menu that was excellent! We both ordered a Captain Morgan on the rocks with a splash of Coke to start with while the sun was still up. A few hours of daylight were left on the sundial so we took our time! I wanted a relaxing evening and needed to unwind. I also wasn’t planning on a hangover the next day but planned to enjoy myself for a week or two just doing mostly nothing but fishing, and chasing a few lobsters around the reef. Jack loaned me one of his sailing skiffs to do my exploring and fishing! Now I could leave Sea Mistress at anchor without worry and still have ship to shore transportation! I was thankful because I didn't want to lose my anchorage to someone else.

The little 11 foot sailing skiff was complete with oars, a small anchor, and moved smartly with the slightest breeze. A motor was available if I felt the need for it he said. She had a tall Gunter rig that was popular in England that could be easily reefed if the wind piped up! This small boat was a dream to sail and often I would just take her out for a day of sailing and fishing around the mangroves. There was a compressor at the marina and Jack filled my tanks free so I could also explore the reefs. Only real problem was getting back on board the pram. Part of a small rope ladder Jack had on-board solved this problem if I came over the stern. I once tried it from the side, and then spent the next hour up righting the boat, grabbing at everything floating away, and retrieving what sank to the bottom in 20 feet of water!

I was getting to the point where I really didn't want to leave. The people I began to meet on a daily basis made me want to stay! They were warm, hospitable, friendly, helpful and slowly becoming good friends. That included Brenda that worked at the restaurant! Before I knew it she and I were on a real date! I had to come to my senses but I did enjoy being with her! She liked everything I was into! Personally I thought I was a bit crazy but she seemed to like that adventure as well. We went to several movies, out to eat a few times, and then I took her on her first sailing trip! But, before she stepped on the deck, Sea Mistress was Bristol as they say across the pond! Took me two days to clean her up, polish the decks, tidy everything up and get the smell of me, sour wet clothing, and fish out of the cockpit from weeks of sailing! I used an entire bottle of Air Wick freshener stuff I had picked up at a local 5 and 10 cent store to mask anything that smelled unpleasant, and scoured everything with Pinesol! After that I aired out all the cushions and anything else that might retain an odor! Can’t say that the ole girl didn't need a good scouring, cleaning and disinfecting….so I went from the lowest part of the bilge to the mast head with scrub brush and rags! It really wasn't all that bad from my point of view but yes, I wanted to make an impression!

It was nice to have a friend for sharing certain moments. The cruising life is full of adventure and you meet people from all walks of life but the drawback is that all that fun and adventure can become an extremely lonely time in the life of a small boat cruising sailor! Things are better when the company on-board and you have common interest! So for the next month or so my time spent in Key Largo was pleasant with many new friends. Jack introduced me to his girlfriend Sue and together we, meaning myself and Brenda included went places on the weekends together as a foursome to movies, places of interest, and one time we took out Jacks nice Sport Fisherman for a few hours to fill the freezer with grouper and sea bass! All four of us were armed with a nice saltwater rod and reel, and when we returned, the girls prepared a seafood meal fit for a king while Jack and I relaxed with a beverage on the patio at his cottage!

The next week was quiet for me as the others had returned to their jobs and I doubted I would see any of them except Jack once in a while until the weekend. Many transients were moving into the marina as winter months closed in on the northern state. Sailboats, power cruisers and yachts of every size you can imagine trudged down the ICW in search of warmer places. They would stay put until spring thawed the north out and once again they would make a return trip. Some snowbirds were on their way to Key West and others would go all the way around the Keys to find anchorage in the Gulf of Mexico. Some would sail further into the Caribbean and perhaps the Bahamas.

My plans were to spend time in Islamorada and Marathon, places where I still had friends living! I would be sailing to the middle and lower Keys in a few weeks and wanted to get the bottom job done before I set sail. A week passed and Jack came over for coffee one morning and said the marina lift would be available in a couple of days and I could paint my bottom there if she was already rough cleaned. This was great and the weather was right! So later on I went over the side to scrub and scrape.

Once out of the water Jack helped me examine the hull and the final cleaning and then we lightly sanded before we painted the bottom! Notice I said we? We could get it done much faster with the two of us rolling on the anti-fouling paint. This time I chose blue rather than the rusty red that once adorned her hull. A few hours later she was back at her mooring. Jack and I had anchored a skiff to keep my spot for Sea Mistress. I waved as Jack headed back to the marina under power, and I fired up the hibachi grill for lobster I had caught earlier. The gang was coming after they got off work since it was a Friday afternoon for drinks, lobster, and Brenda was bringing dessert from home. Sue had made potato salad, and Jack would bring some nice wine! I assumed a pleasant evening was in store! But things do happen!