February 10-27, 2018
We had an amazing week at Marco Island, spent hunting for sea shells at the beach, sharing “docktales” and “docktails” at the fire pit, and laughs around the pool! We were so blessed to spend such a fun time with our family. As they packed up to catch a flight home, we pulled away from the dock and headed back out to the Gulf. We planned to stop on the north side of the island for the night, pick up Rilee from boarding, then head south to the keys!
As we entered the Gulf, there was some great wind, so we raised the sails and were headed north at a nice, relaxing pace. All of a sudden, the boat heeled violently. We noticed debris in the water behind us, and felt a vibration in the steering, so we knew something was wrong. Luckily, there was no water in the bilge and we were still able to steer. We made it into an anchorage safety where Chad jumped in the cold, dirty bay to assess. He found ALL of the fiberglass on the right side of the rudder was missing. It was Saturday, and we would have to wait until Monday morning to find a service yard that could take care of us. We picked Rilee up anyways, uncertain how this would all play out.
Naples Boat Yard came to the rescue and said they would haul us as soon as we could get there. We discussed with our insurance, and rather than risking the trip north on the Gulf, they preferred to tow us to avoid any further damage. Thank goodness we sprung for the unlimited towing option with BoatUS! Having to watch the tides carefully to enter the shallow creek (seriously y’all, a creek!) that the boat yard is on, we were towed to Naples the next day. As soon as we got there, we were hauled out and immediately we saw the damage to the rudder. The entire right half of our rudder was gone! We believe what we felt while sailing was the fiberglass and foam peeling off.
Chad had done some research over the weekend, and happened to run across Foss Foam Products of Florida, a small shop in Williston that repairs and manufactures rudders. He spoke with them and found out they made most of the rudders for Hunter, our sailboat manufacturer. Apparently Hunter tried making their own rudders, and stopped because they were not good at it. Unfortunately, our rudder was apparently made by Hunter. Good news was when Hunter went out of business, Foss Foam got all of the molds from Hunter, including our model. We took them what was left of our rudder, and it fit perfectly in the mold. They were going to reuse the stainless steel shaft and refoam it with a higher quality foam and fiberglass combination. Normally this would take two weeks, but they were going to try to get it done in one week so we could continue on our trip.
In the meantime, Rilee was back in boarding because we were living on the hard (on the ground) in the boat, in the boat yard. To get to the boat required a climb up a 12 foot ladder, which Rilee would not have willingly done multiple times a day. We rented a car and toured Naples and the surrounding area. On our drive to and from Williston twice, we got to see some of the forgotten coast we had to bypass on our way south. We stopped at Crystal River, hoping to see manatees, but saw none! I guess they were still too cold and hiding out further south. We also stopped in Aripeka, where Chad did some work several years ago. We toured the beautiful Naples Botanical Gardens, full of amazing flowers. We even found a brew fest in nearby Bonita Springs. We got to meet up with Mick, the first Looper we met our second day on the rivers. Mick lives in Naples, and took us under his wing on those early days on the river. We are forever grateful!
After being out of the water over a week, the rudder was done and we were ready to get back in the water. Again watching tides to get out of the creek, we leave near dusk and settle in for the night at Mick’s marina in Naples. We head out in the morning, south once again to Marco Island to pick up Rilee. We are ready to get south!
We leave Marco Island at first light, one stop between us and the keys. We decided stopping at Everglades City would be a better path, lining us up for arrival at Marathon on Boot Key before dusk, instead of arriving at Key West in dark. From all the information we had on Everglades City, we prepared with bug spray and screens. We had to time the tides right to arrive at Everglades City at high tide. What we didn’t prepare for was the very active airport running perpendicular to the river. I stood on the bow watching for any planes on approach or depart from the airport. Our tall mast with a landing or departing plane would have been a bad combination!
As we approached the wall where we would tie up to, the current off the Barron River was very strong, and we had to circle twice before we successfully docked. Nice show for the porch full of diners! We spent one night at the historic Rod and Gun Club, where five presidents and various others such as Ernest Hemingway have visited since it opened in 1922. Walking into the lodge with the beautiful wood work, you feel like you are stepping back in time. Reading the old newspaper articles on the wall, we quickly get a feel for what Everglades City looked like in the 70’s and 80’s….drugs, drugs, and more drugs. Apparently there was a huge drug bust that sent 80% of the male population to Federal prison. After seeing the Everglades and the millions of tiny islands and shallow waters, you can understand how this would be possible. According to local legend, there are millions of dollars and thousands of pounds of drugs buried in these islands.
We leave the next morning for an anchorage on the edge of the Everglades. This will allow us to leave at first light, instead of waiting for high tide again. We try anchoring near Indian Key, though the combination of the wind/current/and tide cause the boat to wrap around the anchor rode (line). Concerned with it wrapping around the keel, we decide to relocate further in the Everglades where we saw two other boats anchored. This spot isn’t much better, but it will have to do for the night. It is VERY buggy, and it’s not mosquitoes that bite, but no-see-ums! These nasty little creatures are so small you can’t see them. And they bite. And it hurts! I sprayed bug screen on all the screens, hoping they wouldn’t sneak through.
It seemed to work well, until we had to emerge from the cabin in the morning to pull anchor. I should have worn long pants and long sleeves, ouch! Now pulling up the anchor is usually my job, and I’d like to say I’ve gotten pretty good at it. However, we now had two anchors out, one at the bow (front) and one at the stern (back) of the boat. This was our attempt to keep the boat from twisting around the anchor rode. It worked, but also made it nearly impossible for Chad to pull up the stern anchor in the morning. The tide and current had shifted, putting us perpendicular to the current. One thing we have learned to do is improvise! So, we ditched the stern anchor after adding a floating buoy. I pulled up the main anchor, and then took over the helm, while Chad retrieved the floating buoy and attached chain we had previously abandoned. Whew! Easy peasy, summer breezy, right?! Just another day in the life of a boater!
After a quick pit stop for Rilee, we leave the Everglades. As we watch the sun rise, land slowly disappears. Keys, here we come!