Awake before the alarm, surprising since I had been up late looking at different routes. I knew the winds would be dead on our nose & directly from the east around 10-15kts with wave heights 2-3 feet. The problem with forecasted wave heights is the dominate wave height is many times twice the significant height, meaning occasionally we would be getting 4-6 foot waves as we plowed through the chop. The forecast the rangers had been so nice to print also showed a good chance of multiple squalls during the crossing. For the non sailors out there a squall is a quick strong storm that in the words of Capt Ron "Come on ya quick and leave ya quick" you've just gotta ride it out.
The skies looked great as we prep'd the cabin. I sat in the cockpit with my cup of coffee and plotted our course, entering all the coordinates in the Garmin GPS. It was a beautiful morning and we all felt good about our trip, even though none of us wanted to leave. We had spent our time well, saw and did all there was to do, just wish we could have done more of it! I fired up the Yanmar and let her warm up, knowing this was her day to shine. Our trip would rely on the cast iron sail today, there would be very little if any chance of sailing.
Morning sun rising over Fort Jefferson
Colby and I went to the front deck and prepared ourselves to pull the 150ft of chain I had let out, along with the 55lb Rocna anchor. Jess was at the helm and ready to give us a couple bumps in forward to help us muscle it in. The chain and anchor came up without a problem, Colby and I were ready to collapse on the deck, our arms feeling rubbery like a Stretch Armstrong. We made our way out of the park and back into the open ocean. On the way out to Tortugas I had taken the southern route, now going home I decided to take the northern. It looked a little better and I can't stand to take the same way twice.
The first couple hours went well and we were making around 4kts but quickly approaching the Rebecca shoal area of the trip. This is the area that caused the ocean to act strange on our way out and I wasn't exactly excited to go by it again. I had set my waypoint for Newground Rocks and would then squeeze between this point and the ominous "Quicksands". Jessica was below preparing some snacks for the trip and the kids were both partying like it was 1899 reading books! Peyton also had her fair share of knot tying practice. It was very satisfying to see them enjoying a book or doing something completely unrelated to video games, computers, or TV. Part of the reason we enjoy this life is the detachment from "needing" electronics or TV. As I sit here in the community center of the Marathon city marina Peyton and Colby are both reading books right now while the TV in the lounge remains silent.
Like clockwork we passed above Rebecca shoal and the ocean got a little confused. I did feel good about my decision to take the northern route after seeing what would have hit us to the south. However the wind was building and the clouds were gathering for a squall. Normally there is a very noticeable temperature drop when a system is about to hit and this one was no exception. Just about the time we were preparing to hunker down the shout of "Lobster pot!" threw a stick in our spokes. Jessica grabbed a portable radio, threw on her offshore inflatable vest with harness and made for the bow to guide us through the maze of prop destroying poly line and styrofoam floats. I was leery about Jess going to the front with a storm front about to hit but someone had to do it and someone had to steer. Jessica knows if she fell off the boat we would get her picked up right away, she doesn't feel confidant enough to feel that she would be able to get the boat back to me if I fell off and even if she did getting my big ass back in the boat wouldn't be a walk in the park, so she would rather have me at the helm.
As the winds picked up, so did the waves and we finally got those 4-6 footers we were expecting. The bow would rise up proudly and then crash down into the next wave like a battering ram. One reason we picked this boat was her rugged seaworthiness and she didn't disappoint as she sliced and pounded through the chop. With the wind and the rain joining the party Jessica was in for a ride. She kept the lobster traps in sight and somehow kept me from snagging one and fouling the prop. This would involve diving over the side of the boat with a knife and trying to cut the line while holding my breath, as the waves sent the stern pounding down above me (NOT FUN). I'd watch as green water poured over the front deck where Jess was sitting, knowing she just got a sea bath. Wave after wave soaking her as she guided my course. What a trooper..
The problem developing was an increased wind, waves and current all funneling from the same direction. This reduced our forward progress to sometimes less than 2 kts. We would have progressed quicker if we were walking! I've always said that would make a good Tshirt "Sailing, only slightly faster than crawling" At this point I also began to feel the ocean drawing me towards the "quicksands" to my south. The boat felt as if I was the last lone toy in the bathtub with the drain pulled. I kept my course the best I could as the shoal water begged me to come play. There is a reason there are so many shipwrecks in this area, I didn't want to add to that list. The squall lasted a good 30 minutes and as we passed north of the shoals the ocean began to calm. Our progress however didn't improve much and we were already a couple hours past the time it took us to get to the Tortugas, with several hours to go. At this rate it would be a race to make Marquesas by dark and that anchorage is tricky enough in the broad daylight.
Soaked
My view through the dodger
We managed to make Marquesas right before the sun dropped out of the sky. We dropped the anchor in almost the exact same spot we did on our way out, set the hook, attached the snubber and relaxed. The skies cleared and became a rainbow of colors beyond description. As amazing as the photos looked, the beauty of what we were seeing couldn't be captured, you had to see it. Jess and I prepared dinner as Colby dropped a fishing line over the side. As dinner simmered on the stove I grabbed the Nikon and attempted to stuff a little piece of heaven in my camera.
After dinner we settled in for a good nights sleep in the protection of the Marquesas we knew it would be a smooth one. I was able to pickup NOAA on the radio and listen to the weather reports, very thankful we left when we did. The next 3 days were forecasting waves 4-8 & 6-8ft with more severe storms and much stronger winds around 25kts, these would have been directly on our nose and would have made for a very uncomfortable trip to say the least. A couple sips of rum made sleep come easy and I drifted off to the sound of the weather report.
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