Fort Matanzas

This fort was constructed in 1742 by the Spanish military in order to protect their settlement of St. Augustine. It is situated on the Matanzas River near a virtually unnavigable inlet. This inlet during the 18th century was considered the back door to St. Augustine. Eight men and one officer spent 30 day tours here keeping an eye on the back door inlet for any French,British or pirates looking to invade. This fort didn't see much action (only 2 attacks) for all the years it stood guarded. However, one bloody massacre gave the fort its name. 250 French soldiers attempted to pass this area and were fired upon. The Catholic Spanish captured them and told them to convert from their Protestant faith or face death. The French opted for death. And thus, the Spanish word for massacre, matanza, is now the fort's namesake.

Many of you have commented that I haven't appeared in any of the photos, so here I am! I really am on this trip!! This photo was taken from the top of Fort Matanzas. We took the National Park Service tour and had our own private showing. We anchored in the river right across from the fort and had a very peaceful night. The temperatures are improving!! We are now ready for the big fort in St. Augustine, Castillo de San Marcos.

Two days by sea

Ponce Inlet Light
We departed Miami in hopes of going offshore during a great weather forecast. We opted to take the Government Cut in the Port of Miami as our way out into the North Atlantic. We were faced with very high seas as the current was running out of the inlet against the wind. We battled the seas because it would have been worse to try to turn the boat around and take the brunt of it on the beam. The wave period was just too short to do anything about it! We were optimistic that things would improve dramatically as we could see the ocean was peaceful outside of the inlet. Sure enough things looked better in a short time!
We turned to the north and had a very pleasant night at sea. We were able to hop into the Gulf Stream and ride it to make our all time fastest speed of 10 knots! We decided that the conditions were so good that we'd sail up as far as we could all reasonably handle to avoid the bridges of South Florida. The wind came and went and we spent some of the time motor sailing when the wind peetered out. We opted to sail past Cape Canaveral and make a reach for Ponce Inlet. At one point, I was taking a nap below when I woke to the kids and Jason shrieking about something! They were pointing at the sky and shouting that a rocket just flew by! They couldn't believe that I didn't hear the blastoff! The NASA folks must have been shooting something up into space!
We realized that we needed to spend another night at sea to reach Ponce Inlet. We didn't want to navigate the inlet in the dark and needed to manipulate our speed to avoid arriving too early. We had some shifty wind and variable winds that night as well as varying seas. We were all really ready to get ashore for some crew liberty! We have our sights set on St.Augustine!

The two coolest kids in Biscayne Bay!

Here is a picture of Hayley and Jack manning the rails as we sailed from lower Biscayne Bay up to Miami. If you look close or enlarge the picture, you can just see the skyline of Miami coming up over the horizon (just over Hayley's head). We've had some really great wind lately and haven't used our engine much.

Once we arrived at Miami, we went straight to our old haunt, Crandon Marina. Its located on Key Biscayne which is just across the Rickenbacker Causeway from downtown Miami. On our first night ashore we went to the Miami Bayside park area where we ate a Cuban dinner and then listened to live music.

This morning we woke up early and went across the Venetian Causeway to South Beach where we had a great breakfast of ham and eggs (with Cuban toast, which, by the way, is not part of the South Beach Diet). Later in the day we went to the trendy Coconut Grove district of Coral Gables where we hob-nob-ed with the bold and the beautiful and saw their swanky boutiques. We also visited the University of Miami and showed Hayley and Jack where their grandfather Bill Middleton went to college.

More snorkeling at offshore reefs!

I know that it seems like all we are doing is fishing and snorkeling but the truth of the matter is that all we are doing is fishing and snorkeling. We stopped at two reefs during our transit from Marathon to Key Largo: Grecian Rocks and Key Largo Dry Rocks. Grecian Rocks had a lot of fossilized coral that was light in color giving the reef the appearance of Greek ruins. Very beautiful. The claim to fame of Key Largo Dry Rocks is that it is the home of the "Christ of the Abyss" statue that is often photographed. There is a trough in the reef and a larger-than-life statue of the Christ is there to swim around. Its a real Florida landmark. Once again, we were joined in our swimming with dozens of types of tropical fish and, of course, the large barracudas. We're getting more and more comfortable swimming with them. After the offshore passage to the Northern Keys, we entered Biscayne Bay, our favorite old cruising grounds on our way to Miami.

More fishing in the Gulf Stream!

Mahi-Mahi for supper! We caught this dolphin while sailing from Marathon to Key Largo. Of course, he didn't last very long before he was tossed onto the grill. We were particularly proud of this fish because we caught him trolling out in the Gulf Stream while in some pretty strong winds. Cindy saw a bird resting on a floating piece of lumber and told me about it. I told her to troll past it because sometimes dolphin like to hang out in the shade of trash floating in the ocean. Sure enough, the dolphin hit right as we went past. The entire crew sprang into action. Cindy was at the tiller and had to point us back toward the wind to slow down our speed (we were making about 6 knots when the fish hit). Hayley went forward to close the hatch while we tacked (if she hadn't remembered to do this, the forward hatch might have been ripped off as the large Genoa sail moved across the deck). Jack came back to the transom to help me land the fish. A real team effort that paid off at dinnertime. Our fishing skills are improving all the time.

We had a really nice couple of days anchored in Boot Key Harbor in the city of Marathon. Marathon caters to people traveling on boats more than most communities. It shows in the fact that we were sharing the anchorage with around 200 other boats all with people living onboard them. We even met another boat from Charleston. The air conditioned public library was just a couple of blocks from the dinghy dock so the kids got in some good schoolwork.

Which one is the walleye?

Pictures from my fishing trip to Canada continue to filter in. Pictured above is Dave, aka "Bwana" with a fish that he caught. While the fish he has in his hand is actually a Northern Pike, it does beg the question, "Which one is the Walleye?". The Bwana normally spent 18-20 hours per day (the waking ones) with a wild look in his eye. This was most likely induced by the extreme amounts of alcohol that he kept in his body. This alcohol no doubt also contributed to the Bwana falling out of his bunk two nights in a row ( see: Hiatus from the boat is over!, below). Dave's claim to fame was that he spent several years inspecting elevators for the state of North Carolina. He like to refer to himself as the "elevator heat". Those of you readers that are Tarheels should probably just take the stairs.

A stop at Bahia Honda

Overall the topography of the Florida Keys is a little scrubby and not too attractive above the waterline (the real draw is whats lies beneath the water and the laid back culture above it). We think the exception to the rule is the area around Bahia Honda. Here's a picture of Mariah framed by a couple of Silver Palms. This type of palm tree is threatened in the US. There is a Florida State Park here that protects the flora and fauna. Hayley and Jack became "Junior Rangers" at the park while getting in a day of schoolwork.

Most people would think that the Florida Keys would have a lot of nice beaches but they don't. In fact, the Keys are almost completely made up of limestone and fossilized, calcified coral. Not too good for laying out in the sun or walking barefoot. Once again, Bahia Honda is the exception here too. Pictured below is their beautiful swimming beach. Reminds me of Wakiki Beach without the surfers or breakers. Or the Japanese tourists.

Both of these pictures were taken from atop an abandoned bridge that spans Bahia Honda Channel. We've enjoyed learning a little about the history of the Keys and these bridges make up the most important part. A partner of John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil, Henry Flagler gave up his high profile position with the company to search for fortune in Florida. He built the Flagler railway which essentially connected the East Coast of Florida to the rest of the civilized world (Charleston, SC?). We ate breakfast at one of his refurbished train depots in Melbourne, Fl. two years ago on our first boat trip. When his railroad reached Miami, Flagler refused to quit. He had the notion that trade with Cuba was going to increase (wow, did he miss the mark on that one!) and decided to build a railway down to Key West to transport Cuban cargoes up the east coast. The railway turned out to be very difficult and expensive to build. Not one to give up, Flagler built the railway from 1905-1912. He died only 16 months after its completion. He didn't live long enough to see that his railway would be destroyed by a hurricane shortly after its completion. The railway, which only operated for a short time, became known as "Flagler's Folly". That's the bridge I was standing on when taking the pictures.

"Flagler's Folly" was purchased by the government and in many places became the right of way that is now US #1, connecting Homestead with Key West.

Fishing Pictures

Here's a Little Tunny that Jack landed while trolling some offshore reefs. Jack also landed a large Spanish Mackerel the same day that we immediately consumed. Note how calm the seas were that day. We were about 8 miles offshore when this photo was taken.

Here's Hayley with her catch of the day! It was another Little Tunny. These guys really fight hard. Food is extremely expensive in the Keys so we've been supplementing with lots of fresh fish.

Fishing and Snorkeling our way up the Keys!

We departed Key West this week and determined that we were going to go out to Dry Tortugas National Park (a group of islands about 60 miles west of Key West). Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, Cindy researched the regulations and determined that we couldn't visit the islands without a permit. It was after hours by the time we realized we needed the permit so we just decided to head East instead of West from Key West.

We chose to transit the Hawk Channel which is a deep water (relatively) trough between the keys and the shallow reef that lies about 5 nautical miles offshore. On our first night after leaving Key West the weather was particularly calm and clear. The ocean was as still as a lake so we decided to spend the night offshore moored at Looe Key. Looe Key is not a "Key" at all, but a coral reef that has developed over an island that has sunk over time. The sights there are absolutely unbelievable. Thousands of tropical fish congregate beneath your boat so all you have to do is jump right in and enjoy them.

After we were snorkeling for a short time, the very large Barracuda pictured above started hanging around us a little too close so we decided to get out of the water and take a break. The barracuda then started circling the boat as if he was just looking for something to fall over so he could gobble it up. As luck would have it, Jack decided to lean as far as he could over the side to get a better look and then fell into the water right on top of the Cuda. I don't know who panicked more....Jack, Cindy, Hayley, me or the Barracuda but there followed a large amount of yelling, screaming, cursing and crying. Luckily the Barracuda instinctually chose "flight" instead of "fight" and bolted away.

After all that excitement we decided to head a little further off the reef and do some fishing on the steep ledge going from about 10 feet deep to about 500 feet deep in only a mile. We had a fantastic fishing day! We caught lots of "Little Tunny", Spanish Mackeral and yellowtail snapper (pictured above). Jack has decided that he's giving up school and just going to go fishing instead. He actually told this to his mother (teacher).

Visit to Norfolk, Virginia

I've been in Norfolk, Va. at Maersk's office for meetings regarding my ship, Maersk Constellation, pictured above. The Constellation is presently in Mombassa, Kenya discharging her cargo. She'll return to the US around the last week of October where I'll join her for the next voyage. Ports on our next voyage will be Lome Togo, Beira Mozambique, and Doula Cameroon. Should be interesting as usual. While I've been in Norfolk, Cindy and the kids drove the Suburban up to Miami. They'll leave the car there and then rent a car back to Key West. When I return to Key West, we'll prepare to leave and head North and East up the Keys stopping in at a few different spots for fishing and snorkeling.

Hanging around the boat again!

We're back Hangin' around the boat in Key West. Hayley and Jack both have gotten some airtime being hoisted up the mast to enjoy the view of Garrison Bight.

Hiatus from the boat is over!!!

Well, so sorry that we've been out of touch. Above is a picture of the cabin that I stayed in while Cindy and the kids were on their field trip to Williamsburg and Washington, D.C. My Dad, my stepbrother Mark and I were here fishing for Walleye and Northern Pike. We were also joined by Dave, who we came to call the "Bwana". Anyway, the fishing started off slow but improved as our week went on and we ate plenty of fish. The scenery in Northern Ontario was beautiful and the brightness of the stars rivaled the sights that we get at night from the boat. We also viewed lots of wildlife like Moose, Otters, Beavers and several chipmunks. On our last morning in the woods, Dad and I finally got to see a Bald Eagle flying over the river looking for fish.
Other highlights of the trip involved the Bwana rolling out of his bed two nights in a row and meeting two brothers named George and their 3 wives. But that's another story for another time.

A reunion

While in DC, we had a mini family reunion. The McGowans, my mom's cousin's family invited us for dinner. The last time I saw them was during the time they were stationed in Hawaii 20 years ago. Since then, Louise (mom's cousin) and Bill's son, Sean married Angela. Now they have two adorable boys, Ryan and Dylan. We had a fantastic dinner and spent some time catching up while the children played. We are hoping they will visit us in Charleston sometime soon! Thanks to the McGowans for a really nice evening!!
Pictured are: Ryan, Jack, Hayley and Dylan

A photograph cannot capture the beauty of this view from the Arlington House

A history lesson

After a nice breakfast in our room, we went to Arlington National Cemetary. We opted to take the tour and were very glad to have the guide point out historical facts and deliver us from location to location within the cemetary. Our first stop was the JFK memorial where the eternal flame burns. Although I tried to help Jack understand that we were in a place where you need to show respect, he still couldn't help himself and he tried to blow out the flame!! (from a respectable distance, however) He just had to try to conquer something that was supposed to be everlasting!
The next stop was the Tomb of the Unknowns and we witnessed the changing of the guard. Jack was on his best behavior for that and I am guessing that the guns captivated him. Ialso made him count the guard's footsteps to see if he was really pacing the required 21 steps.

Our last stop in the cemetary was the Arlington House. The home was built by the grandson of Martha Washington (she had a husband before George). This home was the nation's first memorial to President Washington and was filled with his treasury. This man's daughter married Robert E. Lee and the home became theirs after his death. They only stayed there a short time before Civil War broke out and forever altered the home and those who lived there.
Robert E. Lee made the decision in that home to resign his commission with the US Army and stay loyal to Virginia by becoming a confederate officer. He was faced with that difficult choice as he had strong ties to the Union...his cousins signed the Declaration of Independence and his father was a Revolutionary War hero. Eventually the home was confiscated by the Federal government for Mrs. Lee's inablility to comply with the wartime practice of paying property tax in person.
The home is now a memorial to Robert E. Lee and is aligned with the Lincoln Memorial. The home and the Lincoln Memorial are joined by a bridge, a symbol of reconciliation.
After that tour we walked that bridge all the way to the Lincoln Memorial and on to the National Mall for more museum time! Tomorrow will be one last day in DC and then back to NC! We have had a great time here!