Special Coffee Brew; Something in the Water?

Sarbucks, First Street, Fort Meyers, FL

The weather doesn't look favorable to leave for Marathon for next 50-60 hours.  Therefore, we decided to stop at the Fort Meyers Boat Basin overnight.  We've heard it mentioned favorably several times before.   It cost a more than I like ($1.80/foot with the Boat US discount.).

So what is there to do in downtown Fort Meyers?  Not much.  We went to the Edison/Ford estates before.  So here I am in Starbucks.

But wait, my vente Pike coffee isn't just Starbucks good, it is GREAT!.  Then, deja vu kicked in.  I searched the archives of this blog, and yes on 3/15/2010 Libby and I sat in this same Starbucks in Fort Meyers, complaining about how little there was to do in downtown Fort Meyers.  We sat at the same table where I am now, and I remember remarking that the coffee was the best coffee I ever tasted.  Is it possible that they do something unique in the Fort Meyers Starbucks?  That sounds unlikely.

Ah, The Bloom of Youth

Labelle, Florida

Even as I lament the effects of age, we were presented with a live example of impetuous youth.  The vessel in the picture below pulled in beside Tarwathie.  As they approached I and another boater offered to help with their lines.

They had no lines ready.  Then I heard the girl say, "This is our very first time at a dock.  We didn't know we needed ropes."  Holy s***.  We got her to scramble and find two pieces of rotted clothes line; each about 5 feet long.  Fortunately, there was no wind or current, so the pilings held her in place while we got things sorted out.  Neither of them knew how to use a cleat, so we showed them how do to it.

It turns out that they are a sweet couple.  They bought that sailboat 6 days ago, and just started cruising.  They had never been on a sailboat before, and their knowledge of boating is nearly zero.

But they are learning.  Their first night at anchor in an un-sheltered place with strong winds was terrifying; but they survived.  They have been aground 3 times in 6 days, but they got themselves off without help from a tow boat.  Their tale was very reminiscent of our early days, when every day brought a new "opportunity to learn."  Those were great days.

Well, I donated some lines to them, and Libby donated advice and tips when they visited Tarwathie.  We also donated a cup of witch hazel for the poor girl who was covered with no-see-um bites.

But our best chuckle came when they told us about their dinghy.  It is an inflatable kayak with a hole in it.  To get the two of them ashore, one paddles furiously while the other pumps air furiously. OMG LMAO.

It is much too early to tell if this couple will transform themselves into experienced cruisers.  But as long as they stay away from The Gulf Stream, their chances of survival are very good.  No matter what the outcome, I'm sure they'll recount it to their grandchildren as the "time of our lives."

No matter how much amusement this couple provides for boaters, they are out there doing it while their contemporaries remain safe at home dreaming about doing it.  Join me in saying,  "We wish fair winds and following seas to the intrepid crew of Moondancer."

Things the Seller Won't Tell You About Boats

Okeechobee Waterway, Florida

If you plan on cruising some day, one of the first things you'll need to do is to buy and equip a vessel to suit your needs.  New or used, there are lots of things the salesman (or authors of cruising articles) will neglect to mention that are not obvious until you have the cruising experience.  Here are a few tips.

1. The phrases blue-water, coastal-cruising, weekender, and day-sailor, describe classes of vessels.  The definitions of what those things mean are loose, and not universal.  But in general, most people cruising on the USA east coast will do best with a coastal-cruising type vessel.  
   
   Libby had her own ideas before we started in 2005.  She rated safety above all else, so we chose a blue-water boat.  Tarwathie, a Westsail 32, is famous for being probably the safest cruising vessel for two people ever made.  But Tarwathie's blue-water features mean that we sacrifice some conveniences.  Foremost, are the small cockpit that we can not enclose, and the lack of a swim platform.
2. Tankage is of critical importance to cruising sailors.  By that I mean the capacity of fuel tanks and water tanks.  Daysail and weekend boats often have too small tanks.  How much do you need?  I would say 40 gallons of diesel and 80 gallons of fresh water minimum.
   
   You often see many cruising sailboats (including Tarwathie) carrying jerry jugs on the deck.  Sometimes many jugs.  Blue jugs for water, yellow for diesel, and red for gasoline.  That is a sign that the tankage on that vessel is inadequate to suit the captain.
3. Size of your vessel.  For full freedom to cruise anywhere on the USA east coast, you must set certain maximums on critical dimensions.  If you exceed these dimensions, your freedom is reduced and your costs increased.  Even billionaires can't have full freedom with their too big megayachts.

• LOA 45 feet.
• Beam 14 feet.
• Height of the mast+antennas 49 feet.
• Draft 5.5 feet.
• Sail area > ???
  
  Those most frequently caught by surprise are those with masts 63 feet or more who cannot travel the ICW in all conditions, and catamarans with beams more than 20 feet which can not be accommodated in many marina slips.  For example, today Tarwathie will pass under a RR bridge with 49.28 feet clearance.  90% of our cruising friends are unable to choose that route because they can't fit under that bridge.
  
  I'm unsure on the numbers for sail area.  Just remember that the motivation for making larger vessels Ketch or Yawl rigged is to reduce the maximum size of any one sail to make them easier for the crew to handle.

1. The price of a new boat usually does not include canvas or davits. You need at least a dodger and a bimini.  Fully enclosed cockpits are highly desirable.  You need comfortable cockpit cushions.  These add-ons can cost many thousands of dollars unless you can make your own.
2. Electronics.   Everyone knows about VHF radio, compass, and depth sounder.  Beginners sometimes don't appreciate the need for a chart plotter, SSB radio, and battery monitor.    They may also not understand that a TV and an AC suck down so much power, that you need to be connected to shore power to use them.
3. Manufacturers of daysail and weekend boats, provide inadequate insulation and refrigerator systems.  If you only cruise two days at a time, you really don't care about the efficiency of your refrigeration.  It becomes a huge issue when you cruise full time.
4. Access to your engine.  You should plan on needing to remove your engine for repair or replacement sometime during the life of your boat.  Some vessels are not designed for that, and they require that you destroy the decks and/or carpentry to do that.  Avoid them.
5. Selection of a dinghy.  That is a very big subject.  Too big for me to discuss here.  But you need to research it.  I my opinion, the finest dinghy on the market today is a Portland Pudgy; but that costs nearly $5000!!! That is 500-800% more than you might plan to spend.
6. Ways to get the dinghy on board for transport.  Davits are the most common choice.  But davits can be very expensive and not all of them are good.  Research that thoroughly.
7. Visibility.  You need excellent visibility in all directions (360 degrees).  I chose this subject today because I saw a vessel that was blind to the rear because of his dinghy in the davit.  The captain could not see me approaching from behind.  A sharp helmsman frequency pivots 360 degrees to see what is around him in all directions.  If you can't see clearly, you are a hazard.
8. An arch.  Arches form a combination of davit, and a place to mount solar panels and electronics.  Not all vessels (notably Westsail 32s) lend themselves to adding an arch.  A well built arch will also cost you thousands of dollars that you did not plan for in your budget.
9. Deck storage.  You'll need places to store lines, and buckets, and mops, and fenders.  You'll probably need more than you anticipated.
10. Propane:   Most cruising boats use propane stoves.  Tarwathie has a propane stove and a propane cabin heater.  Some people use alcohol.  That works well and it is very safe, but alcohol can be too expensive.   Propane is the only ubiquitous and affordable cooking fuel.
    
    Tarwathie carries two 20 pound propane bottles, of the type that can be filled or exchanged almost anywhere.   When one tank runs out, we have four months to find a place to buy more propane.  If you have only one bottle, then you'll be unable to cook until you get it refilled.
    
    Propane tanks must be stored safely.  A propane explosion on a boat can leave nothing bigger than a matchstick remaining.  You can use and store the propane safely, but propane safety is the most deadly serious technical issue you'll face.
    
    Propane safety means if the tank springs a leak that 100% of the propane leaks overboard and 0% leaks into the cabin.  (In real life, three times in 10 years I bought small propane tanks to use with a blow torch.  All three of them rusted out and leaked all their contents. I had stored them safely so there was no crisis, but if I hadn't we could be dead by now. The same applies to small propane bottles used for camp stoves and BBQ grills.  If you have one or more on board your boat, you must plan on it leaking.)
    
    The easiest way to safely store propane bottles is to strap them to a stanchion, but steel tanks corrode rapidly that way. You'll need an expensive aluminum or fiber composite tank immune to salt water corrosion.  Those cost a lot and can not be readily exchanged.   Many of them are too small because of the high cost and thus run out of fuel too soon.

I also advise new cruisers to not rush to spend their money so fast in the first months buying every imaginable gadget and convenience.  Not only do you empty your wallet, but you can clutter up the boat with things that you ultimate don't use very much, but will need your maintenance attention and conflict with simplifying your life.  The above list of 12 items are the exception to that rule.  Think carefully about those before starting your cruising life.

Weather Driven Choices

En Route, ICW

My friends Bob and Darrick are both weather junkies.  Every morning they check multiple source of weather reports.  I'm different.  I spend the same time scouring 8-12 news sources for articles that interest me.  I only look at the weather when I am thinking of departing.   I did that yesterday, thinking we would depart on Sunday.  Whoops, there will be too strong unfavorable winds Sunday-Wednesday next week.  There is not enough time to get to Marathon before that.

So, the next question is where to hang out for that 4 day window.  Vero?  Nah, we did our stuff in Vero (including a delightful afternoon and dinner with dear friends Walt and Pat).  Miami/Dinner Key?  Nah.  There is no place in the Lauderdale/Miami/Coconut Grove area that interests us.  Both of those options include a sail in the Hawk Channel which is a best-of-the-best sailing passages in the world.  Then I thought of a very different strategy.  We could cross Lake Okeechobee and spend a couple of night in Labelle, and two more in Fort Meyers.   The unfavorable winds are forecast for offshore only; the interior of Florida will have fine weather.

So, that's what we are going to do.  Yet again, cruisers make drastic changes in plans at the last moment; because of weather.   That is why cruisers are so reluctant to commit to any promise of future plans to other people.

Dirty Birds

 Vero Beach, FL

The weather has been very hot.  That makes the best part of the day the hour before dawn.  I've been enjoying that hour out in the cockpit.  That's how I became aware of a little local drama and entertainment, that was not present in Vero in prior years.

1. Step 1: Every day, just 10 minutes before dawn, a flock of starlings appears from the direction of the nearby mangrove island.   They seem to like to land on the standing rigging of sailboats in this harbor.  Not all the boats, but just a few.  As many as 100 might land on a boat.  (So far, not a single bird has chosen Tarwathie, thank goodness.)
   
2. Step 2:  the designated scarecrows on the affected boats appear.  These are always females, probably the wives.   They shake the wires and shoo the birds away.  They birds leave for 10 minutes or so, then return.
   
3. Step 3: 20 minutes after dawn, a flock of much larger crows appear and take the place of the starlings.  The crows are very noisy and objectionable.
   
4. Step 4: Later in the morning, the wives reappear with buckets and mops to clean up what those dirty birds left behind.  Pity those vessels that have no one on board.

Given the way that starling populations seem to explode, this story has the potential of becoming much larger in the future.

It appears to be yet another case of animals (starlings) teaching animals (crows) specific behaviors.   A few years ago, that would have been dismissed as scientific nonsense, but now there are at least two other well documented cases of learned behavior.  First, the technique dolphins in The Florida Keys have learned for how to encircle and capture small fish (video here).   Second is the disgusting case of how seals in the South Atlantic have learned that penguins make good victims to rape and kill (video here).

Apologies for the fuzzy pictures below.  They were taken with the horrid built-in camera of my iPad.  The second picture shows the most amusing part of all.  Some of the crows seem to take delight in jumping up and down on the Windex wind vane, causing them to bend.  Others attempt to get a carnival ride on the spinning anemometer blades.

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