FLORIDA KEYS ADVENTURE

[Gazmn]

How long are you planning on staying?

Till March... -at least...


"I made it down the coast in 17 hours...
Thumbing my way into North Caroline'...
Staring up the road, pray to God that I see headlights..."
-"Wagon Wheel"

In Selma, NC 4PM 72*

Thanks Cus
I got delayed bringing the kitchen sink

[Tomfoolery]

How long are you planning on staying?

Till March... -at least...

I'm only asking 'cause we're going to be doing something interesting right down the waterway from you. Barging in and plopping down 800 ton sections of building over the FDR, as part of the NY Hospital expansion. Right across from Roosevelt Island, using the Chesapeake 1000 barge derrick. Starting May 1. If you want something interesting to look at from the water, that is.

[Gazmn]

That's quite interesting. HSS is just off the water. The only way for them to grow is In the water

I've performed for them a # of times over the years. & they performed for me doing my left rotator cuff...
& will be doing my rt: shoulder & hip too, once they get too painful to bear.



-Now we're in Walterbro, SC @ 9PM. Should make Jacksonville, Fl around 12. & my 2001 Tahoe is avging about 10 mpg, pulling Miss Ollie

[jstyers]

Gazmn, how do you like the Tahoe for towing?

[Gazmn]

Gazmn, how do you like the Tahoe for towing?

My purpose when I purchased, was cheapest tow beast I could trust. I bought from a CT car dealer off Ebay w/ car fax. He wouldn't budge from 10k. My next choice was an '01 Suburban that I would've had to get from somewhere in Texas, for 11K. So I went with CT. The power steering went as I drove it off the lot

But I knew that was going to happen. So I fixed that & the truck has been great since. & it's taken me & Miss Ollie to Florida twice now. It tows well. No worries or white knuckles - which is very hard on me
I reccomend tandem trailer & D load tires. While I have thought longingly on a Suburban, (with the longer wheelbase- better for towing) the Tahoe has Never left me short.

& I was able to cut into some fairly tight quarters with the boat for getting gas, Starbucks & Cracker Barrel -of course.
I also tow a small single axle 16' travel trailer, camper. With this rig I can just about fit in a front & back parking lot space. & don't have to worry fitting parking spaces around & in NYC. With a Sub I'd need a Bus Stop

Just made Yulee, FL by 12:05. So, I've officially travelled from NY to Fl in 26 hrs towing a boat - one driver. I'll take that


But now I have another 400 miles to Duck Key

[THE CUSCUS]

Are ya there yet?? Are you staying at Duck Key the whole time? I'm launching March 7th at South Dade Marina and heading down to Bahia Honda. I have a slip therefor the 10th to 13th. I'll be going by Duck Key twice, its a possible stop off point if need be due to bad weather or late timing.

[Gazmn]

Sounds nice & a possible meet, if I'm able to extend my vaca - without divorce papers.
I'll PM my info later, if it looks good.

Re: location status. I was game for driving all the way down but had to turn aside @ 5AM in Cocoa, FL. What started out as a beautiful cloudless night with more stars than I've seen in NYC, turned

A heavy fog rolled in around 2AM & just turned it into a dangerous slogfest. I pulled over in Walmart that SIRI found me in Cocoa at 5AM. Earlier, I bought a Fort Lauderdale JetBlue ticket to return my wife, temporarily, to the daily grind till President's week. So it didnt pay to run past FLL airport till I drop her off at 3:30PM.

Thankfully, they have an LA Fitness branch close by so we're cleaning off the road grime

Now looks like I wont make D Key till about 7-8. I'm there for the month.

Also this last car check I found I lost a trailer support for CB area. Pics will follw later. So I MacGuyvered a solution.

[beene]

Wish I could join you, but I used up my long distance driving and time off for the year by driving to Houston and back (1600 miles each way) for Christmas to visit my brandy-new granddaughter.

But one of these years, I really want to haul the boat to the Keys for some skinny water fun.

Same

[beene]

How long are you planning on staying?

Till March... -at least...


"I made it down the coast in 17 hours...
Thumbing my way into North Caroline'...
Staring up the road, pray to God that I see headlights..."
-"Wagon Wheel"

In Selma, NC 4PM 72*

Thanks Cus
I got delayed bringing the kitchen sink

Super Jealous Man....

[Gazmn]

Thanks Tom, Thanks Beene.

I got in Hawks Cay at 10:30. The boat is stuffed to the gills with shtuff
Dropped wife off at the airport & then trudged through rush hour traffic S. I shopped before arrival 'cause I knew I was coming in late & the Truck was gonna be tied to Miss Ollie for the night. So I went to The Winn Dixie I knew from an earlier trip to Key Largo. Got provisions & booze

I had what was once a frozen pork loin & chicken thighs from home. They needed to be cooked pronto, to be saved. So I am cooking/salvaging, making "Bachelor Surprise" at 12:30 at night; in a Cherry 1 Br Villa I rented for a few days next door for about half of what Hk Cay charges
It's right next door! I can see my boat & truck from my terrace, waiting for me todo ALL the work I need to to the next 3 days before I move into it.

It was 80 something today & will be the next 2 days. Then a front's moving in and I may have rain the following 3 days in whole or part & then I'm living in the 70's ;Time will tell. The weather can be so diverse across S Florida & The Gulf & different from what's forecasted. I need local guru knowledge to interpret.

February is my musical slow month, so I can vacation/travel. But trying to live a "Mac Winter Dream" in a fickle Season, at best is a crap shoot. But it is 30* in NYC - so I'll shut up & drink my beer. This Doesn't Suck (my favorite phrase).

& I'm very grateful & thankful to have arrived with little less than: inconvenience, a blown CB support & after the fog- troubled trailer lights

Hey! What do u know, chow's on

[ris]

Glad you made it Gazman. That is one long truck ride from New York. Living in Florida for 59 years and I have only been to the keys 3 times. First time I was about 40 years old. Crazy thing is, I have been to New York and Connecticut 5 times, of course to see my godfather. We are still trying to get ready to leave on our great loop trip by 2 April 16. Hope you have a great holiday with great sailing.

[Sumner]

Congrats on making it down there ok. The trip down 95 is a long one (and the other way too!). Keep the trip reports coming and have fun,

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Tomfoolery]

It was 80 something today & will be the next 2 days. Then a front's moving in and I may have rain the following 3 days in whole or part & then I'm living in the 70's ;Time will tell. The weather can be so diverse across S Florida & The Gulf & different from what's forecasted. I need local guru knowledge to interpret.

Bobbing around on a boat in Florida, even in the rain (assuming you at least have a boom tent), is still a lot better than being up here, where it's just gray. And we're not even getting any snow to speak of, which we need to replenish the Great Lakes over the spring. Just gray. And somewhat cold. Feels like I'm living in England.

And do keep the reports coming. Lots of us up here are living vicariously through you and others with boats actually in the water.

(I love England, and have been there many times; I just don't love their weather.)

[Chinook]

Two good sources for weather info are Marv'sweather (open his site and subscribe, at no cost. You'll get daily buoy reports of wind and wave conditions, by hour, for various cruising areas including the Keys. Very useful. I also like Passageweather.

[THE CUSCUS]

Glad you made it. Sounds like you had a lot going on. That's a long way to drive to drop the wife off at an airport......couldn't find one closer to NY