Is It Supposed To Be This Cold In Florida?

SHIP'S LOG:

Actually, it wasn't that cold, I just wanted to be in solidarity with those of you who really are freezing. But after several days of weather in the 70's, having the night time low in the 40's and the high today in the mid 60's, well . . .it does seem rather cold.

ABISHAG held tight last night in the midst of some rather nasty gusts. I did get up a couple of times just to make sure that we hadn't moved and we hadn't. As I am sure that I have mentioned before, the sounds and motions on your boat at night seem different and more ominous than they do in the daytime.

Two boats left this morning and three came in a Valiant 42, a Caliber 44+ and an Admiral 40 Catamaran. It was interesting to watch each of them 1.) find the pocket; 2.) scope out what they thought was the best spot; 3.) maneuver into position; & 4.) set their anchor. In a nice steady 15 with gusts to 25, no one did it on the first go round. The Valiant crew took the longest, actually setting and retrieving 4 times until they got it exactly right. I think the guy(girl?) on the bow handling the anchor was not happy with the person on the helm. In that they were using a chain rode, they also had to attach the snubber to the chain and slack it each time, and then retrieve the whole ball of wax for each reset.

The woman on the bow of the Caliber handled it better and they only reset twice. And the guy at the helm, once the anchor went down, came forward to help out. They really did it nicely but reset a second time because they didn't like the way the Nauticat 44, which has been here before I got here, was swinging.

The Admiral 40 did the circular drive by a half a dozen times, stopping here, stopping there, checking depth and wind and spacing, before dropping their hook. They have an advantage because they have less draft than anyone else so they can go a little bit further into the thin water, but in the wind they really swing and never the same way as monohullls which is which cats tend to anchor next to cats. As there are none here, they anchored a little farther away from the rest of us . . . . . just off my bow.

I was having breakfast at sunrise in the cockpit at 7am when I heard this incredible roar in the distance. It sounded like a whole bunch of motorcycle but then I recalled that the fishing tourney is on and that it was the 30 or so Sportfishers headed out after sailfish. They are staying at the Ft. Pierce Yacht Club on the Ft. Pierce Inlet and have to maintain a slow speed as they depart. Once clear of the Inlet they put the hammer down and boy to they make some noise.

Still didn't get the batteries, so ABISHAG is still not whole. I am sure that it will be tomorrow. Doing such things as shopping while living on a boat can be an exercise in planning and logistics and luck, not just for you but for everyone involved. Such things are often better done in a marina that offers free courtesy car use. Then again, who can afford to stay at a marina. In the last month, weather and circumstances have made that possibility something of a future choice, way in the future. The only reason I will visit a marina any time soon is to fuel up and unload - garbage, recyclables and pump out the infamous "black water" from the holding tank . . . . or unless something else goes BOOM!