Bada Byng!!

This afternoon we took a 20 KM cruise and circumnavigated Plantation Key. We invited our dockmates Kay Ann and Mike to join us. I wanted to check out the "Community" anchorage on Tavernier. We saw this colorful houseboat at Mangrove Marina that caught our eye.

But what REALLY caught my eye was this trimaran heading north on the inside as we we headed to the creek. Just so happens it is our last trailer cruiser, an F-31 Corsair trimaran, now called Bada Byng. The new owner, a Canadian from the Georgean Bay area of Lake Huron, was heading north to stage for crossing to the Bahamas. Fair winds Bada Byng!! The boat was called kimosabi when we owned her - see: http://www.trimarankimosabi.blogspot.com/

We then decided to cruise through Tavernier Creek to cruise back on Hawk Channel. When coming back through Snake Creek we passed this 22' twin-keeled English Westerly sailboat. Anyway, those aboard her had no idea what the Thistle on their sail was about. It is an old mainsail off of a 17' racing dinghy designed by Sandy Douglas in the 40's. Still a very popular racing design today. We used to own one... 

Miami City Hall

Miami has a population of how many million? Our hometown of Sturgeon Bay's population is less than 10,000. The City Hall buildings are about the same size....

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Bill Baggs State Park and Dinner Key Entertainment

While we were anchored in No Name Harbor at Cape Florida,  (http://www.floridastateparks.org/capeflorida/) a young couple was using their ParaSail boat for a weekend cruise. It was Friday night that we anchored here. Late that night it was a busy place. Saturday morning the place turned into the Southeastern Miami Zoo...

A couple on this little cat (Discovery 50) from South Hampton England dropped a hook in front of us for a bit Saturday morning before we headed to Dinner Key.

While we are at Dinner Key we walked over to the launch ramp a few times to enjoy a little Cuban entertainment. It took this poor guy at least a 1/2 hour to haul his boat. I think he may need a new set of tires...

What more can I say?

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Dinner Key

Well... The Coral Gables moorings field is sailboat only. Didn't matter that we are sailboaters in disguise. So... Two nights at the marina are only $180..... Go Packers!!!!!

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Cruise to Cape Florida

Morning in Plantation Key...

Yesterday to cruised north to Cape Florida on Key Biscayne to meet up with the Grey Hound. It was a 54 KM run north of Plantation Key. We cruised up the "inside", passing through Jewfish Creek. 

Anchored off of Elliott's was (I'm sure) the only Grand Banks 48 ketch in the world. Dick and Anne told us they talked to the owner, who did the modification himself.

We left at 09:30 and arrived in No Name Harbor at 14:15. It was a nice run up.Today we head to Dinner Key. Grey Hound was the first boat we saw at No Name...

One of the houses of Biscayne Bay...

Miami!!

and sunrise at No Name Harbor...

On the hook for the night...

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A run to Alligator Reef

No alligators. That's a good thing. We headed out behind Tonic (who went to an different reef )

and when we came back we ran into Kay Ann and Mike!!

Took about ten pictures of Portugese Man-O-Wars. This bad picture to the left was the best. We'll have to work on that!!

Boats, Bikes and Beaches

I had a super birthday a few days ago. A ride out to the reef, lunch off the beach and dinner with dockmates. We are keeping "busy". I can tell because I have only read 1/2 of a book since we got down here. On our one week trip to Kentucky Lake last fall I read three.

Been having issues with bike tires, three flats in a week!! Although the last one "healed itself" after the "Green Slime" worked its way to the leaking valve...

We hauled Buddy for a couple hours yesterday while I serviced the power tilt systems. The starboard engine was not responding to the tilt switches all the time... I figured it was a fluid issue, so I filled both engines with new fluid, purged the air, and they now seem to work as designed...

Brenda and Woody hauled out yesterday to move to Key West for the month. Something was growing on their bottom...

Oh yeh, I did get buzzed on my birthday. By this RC plane that is...

The Fisherman Returns....

and the crew of Tonic will have Red Snapper for supper!!!

Had to throw it back...

...because it was bigger than our Buddy!!!

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Sunrise...

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Life's a beach...

Today a short cruise to Cotton Key for lunch, a bike ride, beer on the beach and concert in the park with dockmates Brenda and Woody. Life is good!

Cathie be divin'

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Overnight Run

We got back from our overnight rendezvous with Grey Hound about noon today. Yesterday we went up in the fog, but it lifted just as we got to where Anne and Dick were hiding. The Spoonbills were fantastic!! This Manatee was our welcoming committee when we came "home"....

The mighty Grey Hound

We had Great time meeting up with the good crew Anne and Dick. The day was full with a circumnavigation, Spoonbill watching, camaraderie, and dinner. Tried to get a photo of the full moon rising over Grey Hound but I haven't yet figured out how to use the camera... We woke up feeling surprisingly good this morning...

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Sea Trial

This afternoon we took Buddy out for a quick ride and systems check. On the way out who do we see? Pam and Tom returning from a fishing expedition. We went through Snake Creek to the Gulf side and then returned back to Plantation Key.

We saw this guy "hanging out" on one of the houses. Actually I think the owner's intend him to be some sort of art work...

The Neighborhood

Today we scrubbed the road grime off of the boat and got completely settled in. In all of our cruising in Florida we have always been on the hook so to be down here in a marina at a dock is a new experience for us. There are couples from Virginia (Woody and Brenda), Michigan (Kay Ann and Mike) and Indiana (Pam and Tom) in our "neighborhood".

We plan on basing out of here and cruising to different destinations in the Keys. Tomorrow we may head over to Key Largo for the day to catch up with Dick and Anne on Grey Hound.

To the right is a photo of Buddy's sistership. Except for the rear hardtop, Tonic is setup as Buddy is with a pair of 50 HP Yamahas. Tom and Pam are the ones who introduced us to the Rosborough a year ago while we were in Marathon cruising on our trimaran. Tom also put us on to Plantation Yacht Harbor for this winter... We thank them for tboth!! Last year they flew a Colts flag the week of the Super Bowl. You will note we are displaying our Packer flag in anticipation of the NFC Championship game this coming weekend. I hope we have better luck than they did...

Buddy and crew have landed...

..in Plantation Key. We've taken a slip for a month.

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The horses' house is bigger and better than ours...

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Ranching in Northern Florida. We'll be launched at Plantation Key Monday. It's 32 degrees this morning...

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Buddy's confused. This isn't the Keys...

Actually, it's our friend Greg's heated warehouse in Hales Corners, WI. We stopped to see Greg and his wife Carol on the way south. Greg insisted we put Buddy in the warehouse. Who could argue? (It's real cold out)

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