YF at Fort Jefferson

Been to the bars and restaurants. Watched the freak shows at the plaza. Partied at the sundown splash.
Better in StAugustine. Bay break is more fun and lifting.
I had been to some museum in Sebastian and I thought one in the upper/middle keys (wife #1 &2)
Wife 3 has tromped around down here during her previous life also. We agree on our memorys and thoughts of the lower keys.
Brain fart or something, didn't know of Mel's museum at the bottom.
Sorry Mel, Keeping my road rage down is more important than driving to your K/W museum.

Bugged out of Marathon this morning, up Hawks channel and just dropped da hook behind the old Nixon dock/helo pad.
Seemed like the weather was calming down around noon (North Key Largo).
Starting around Elliot key, the outer reefs got thinner and the ocean swells were getting more noticeable.

By Stilts-ville entrance, had a nice 3' & tight swell pushing my beam then on my stern during my approach.
Been many moons since my last approach here. More sand, less water. Entrance bar did get shallow,, twice. Still 7 stilt houses.

In the past I usually come in under the cape by the ole light. I did remember that getting shallow moons ago. Didn't want to press any luck.

Rum-thirty.

Huummm. Was not planned but let me ask the crew. Been getting out voted lately and a lil behind schedule but I have been known to make a stink.
Any docks that way that still allows old boats less than 200 feet?

6/16/15
Slept a lil late and weighed anchor before noon.
If nobody has not watched the show, the dredge on the Miami south channel is rotating dump barges as fast as they can turn around. Looks like 4 tugs/aft tow barges working today loading sand and dropping a lil over 6 (?) miles out and turning around for another load.
The white smoke trail (sand), after they dump makes a big white line in the streams edge past Liquordale.
I'm wondering what that drift sand is doing to the northern reefs????

Artificial rigs kept fouling on the sea grass. Gave up and came into Bahia Mar early.
What a treat. They looked full but gave us a wonderful c dock slip and a great young man was there to help.

Ten minutes till 2300, somebody rocked the heck out of us. By the time I got on deck, I could see the big girls still swaying. Bad guy was not seen by us (jerk).

Sending down a planer with feathers over plug and weighted jig tomorrow. Old ballyhoo still in freezer but for what we do, plastics and feathers work well. Top skippers sucked today.

Looking for Lake Worth or FtPierce. We can do either at night so it's a coin toss after we catch some fish.
I'll never do StLucy at dark. That place make me nervous on a sunny day.

Once again I have to brag on the great service at Bahia Mar.
Then we finally busted out side, north bound. As we approached Boca, I knew we had picked props full of weed. Started at 10.5 knots and was making 8 by Boca. Stopped and cleared my wheels and continued with little help. Finally figured a south current.
Josie mentions if were stopping and putzing, she can drop a line. Sure enough, I found some ugly bottom and we drift fished, SOUTH at 1.5 kts.
AND OF COURSE, She out fished me,,,, again.

Rum can help scars like this. With the shame and looking forward to my rum, we made Lake Worth. South anchorage.

Oh, 10 miles south of Lake Worth inlet we started picking up speed. Screaming at 13.5 kts I had to slow down twice. Now the current is pushing like yesterday. Strange big counter current. Don't recall one this long (north / south).

Josie hates that power plant discharge boil near the anchorage. She did call in that I was a poor fisher guy, poor looser and other things and made me anchor away from that boil.
The things I do to make her happy. So now I'm in shallow water, near some Hypocrite power boats (snail botes) and nobody within 500 feet of the boil and deep water.

Wind did calm this afternoon and was real nice nice outside when we came in.

Ft Peirce tomorrow.

Wow.
We keep getting calls from Jax; "A/C not working"...
That dark water in the river, Lots of sun shine, Fast underwater growth (again).
Already dispatching divers and techs to our customers in Jax.

I bring this up; Our A/C has never worked better. Nice cool, fresh, clean ocean water. After dropping anchor and lighting up #1 gen-set or finding a dock and plugging in, our systems have never had it so good. Josie likes it ice age, I sleep under a winter heavy blanket. Amazing how well it works down here, even with a hot engine room (one 230vac blower with gen sets running).

Are we sure we want to go home?? Wait,, Were on/in our home and doing business in the middle of south Lake Worth Anchorage, been dealing with things since back in range at Key Worst.

Huumm...

I did threaten to leave the cell phones behind. Were getting e-mails also and we all know, I have to have internet.....

This work from a far idea has my attention.$%^&*(*&& Wait, I woke up,,,, I still have to work myself to pay for the diesel.

Damm, hate it when reality messes up a good dream. That WORK for money (diesel) thing again ...

Oh, Josie told me about it last night. Spending some serious time back in Key Biscayne again next year. We missed some other friends and kodas at KBYC,, more old friends.

Josie wants to do some more fishing. Ft Pierce tomorrow by way of what other reefs or holes she points to on the chart. By line of sight it should take 4 hours. With Josie with rod in hand, maybe 10.

Some body help me NOT get out-fished tomorrow. Air drop works for me.

,rc

Oh, on Lake Worth.
Big (BIG) M Y anchored out side the inlet. Rite where a big (BIG) snail bote used to more.
Now were anchored and I see that big (BIG) snail bote over at the Spencer yard. Didn't think he had the water to come in. Don't think that M Y anchored out has the water either.

Any stories on who and what on these big toys? A new thread maybe???

,rc

We have completed the real Florida loop. Have to pat myself on the back and really brag and play down other claims to the loop,,, did they do the Dry Tortugas???

Back at mid FL base camp with our friendly Ft Perice city marina. The last dock before were back in Jax.

slowed down and drug some artificial rigs north of Jupiter. Lots of fun & action but alas, only Bonitos. They seemed to like the green skirts.
Josie still the champ fisher person from yesterday.

Tomorrow a long haul to Ponce inlet. I may drag some speed tubes but don't expect much surface action between 10 to 12 knots close to shore.

Made Ponce inlet. Beautiful outside. Foretasted 2 foot, Maybe 2 inches.
It is getting hot the further north we go.
Tomorrow, slow trip to StAug with a lines following behind. Hopefully left all those bonitos down south.
Drifting over some favorite numbers Sunday before we turn into Jax.

Another long day of sleeping at the helm deserves a good nights rest below in the A/C..

We found that submarine spring off of Crescent Beach this after noon. The seas were glass this morning but by the time we made the spring, it was already blowing with 2 foot capers.
I marked the spot on the DSM and saved it to a way-point.
Been by it many many times and never looked for it. Was hoping to jump in it as a vacation closer but not today.
Despite the chop and wind, you can see the dark boil and smell the gasses (sulfur and something else).

Josie reported some sad news from the galley this afternoon; To late getting into StAug. She won't be cooking my turkey tonight.
One of the pleasures of our ole Bert is she still has a full sized oven.
With the wind still unpredictable, it wont be till Monday (after were back on our dock) before it goes into the oven.
Still have steaks, fish and rum to enjoy tonight.

Oh
Back on a ball at StAug city marina. The great kids at the office reported chop on the south side of the bridge (s/e winds). They offered the big ball on the north side. Just a breeze and calm here.
Reaching for my rum now. Checking out a view of the fort and sunset soon.

We have taken a few tours of the Castillo. Worth the effort if anybody come by this way with a few hours. They still fire that ole cannon.
Years ago before these (d#$$) moor balls were in place, the open anchorage for us was just in front of the fort. We used to return fire with a nice potato cannon. Then one of the tour boats would light off a volley and we would salute them also.

Josie trying to talk me out of it again, She Does not want to go back,, to our dock,, back to work,, back to reality (grind).
Any job openings for a crappy service managing company in mid to south Fla?
Dark water in jax get pretty depressing.

Outstanding Big guy. It's good when it works out.

Sunday, 1730 in Jax. Lines (Shackles) attached to dock.

It's hot up here (in Jax). Water temp is 90 degrees. Already have a stack of A/C calls waiting.
Plugged in our shore power and started up our A/Cs that have been working like champs.
Already noticed a difference of delta drop. NO WONDER, the water is 90 degrees (measured at dusk) and dark and full of a new algae bloom and ugly and all bad things we could thing of.... Not clear blue & cool like we have been in for 3 weeks.

During our trip we have been doing some business planning. Where to re-locate to and that has room for our company with clear blue water. The answer was ANY WHERE BUT HERE.
There may be some serious locations. More open-air-dreaming to come. We have some customers (or their boats) that are coming with us (the customers may not know this yet....)

Happy Fathers Day to all.

Ralph, Josie, Zoë & Tiger











Vacation donations are always welcome, CCs accepted.