There, but maybe not back again so quickly

[Ixneigh]

I returned to the Islamorada, gulf side district, on the back of a rambunctious easterly. I had a reef in the main this time, and no prepaid ticket home. Meaning, there were no fronts in the offing which could soon bridle that east wind and turn it towards the southwest. But I had planned to stay longer in the area, this most tropical of gulfside harbors, and possibly even travel a little further south to the Long Key oceanside beaches. Sugar-sand they are not, but they are less traveled and dog friendly. The boat was performing well and 4.5-5 knots was made good, despite towing a dinghy. The large abandoned yacht which had been a hazard in Toiletseat Pass the last trip, seemed to have had found a secure berth in nearby mangrove thickets, where it can decay in harmless solitude. There was heavy traffic in the pass but I just ignored everything. The average powerboats now move so fast that I may as well be frozen in place. People think nothing of passing pedestrians scant feet away in an automobile doing 75 mph. That mindset has become the norm on the water as well. In the late afternoon, I passed Snake Creek, and traversed the poorly marked fishing guide pass behind Cotton Key. There was a very inviting lee near by which promised a quiet evening and a respite from the same easterlies which had tirelessly borne my little shard of blue and white fiberglass from Key Largo. I have passed this little spot many times, and now noticed I could get well inside the "no wake zone" buoys which are positioned to mark some of the shallower areas around the Florida Keys (to keep boats from tearing up seagrass beds with their propellers). That important detail would mean that I would be off the direct line from the fishermans pass to the busier harbor of Islamorada. Like a hobo sitting under a bridge with four lanes of traffic above him, I would be all to myself and scarcely even noticed because no one was going to deviate from that straight line.
I lurked the boat up into the shallows closer to some wading herons, and let go the anchor. The birds watched a moment and then returned their attentions to the minnows which might be their suppers. I was in the wind-shadow of their home mangrove keylets, and the water was flat and clear. I covered the sails and explored the shoals with my canine crew in the dinghy, looking for puppy sharks, stingrays, and whatever else lived in this overlooked corner of the gulf. My dogs were very unimpressed by the absence of dry land. One insisted he could magically will an exposed mud bank into solid ground, and we laughed at his failure. I took note of some possible shrimping locations if I am ever in this area during a cold spell. Certainly it looks like, for the rest of this year though, any such delectable capture is over-with.
The next day was still windy. Instead of proceeding directly to the main anchorage, I decided to sail around a bit, this time adding a small Yankee jib to the sail compliment. The little headdail will allow me to sometimes come about without the daggerboard down. That particular appendage is now enjoying its retirement, as it is seldom used. This is a very picturesque location, and a lovely area to daysail. Around three pm, the winds abated a little and made it more difficult to maintain a good turn of speed without changing my sailplan. I struck the yankee jib and decided against staying out for sunset. Instead we had an unhurried cruise through the anchored boats, past them, and into the shallows where a new derelict cabin cruiser had replaced the one that was there the last time I was here. The large, sunken sport fishing boat was still where it had been, looking like a misplaced movie set from Miami Vice. In depths scarely waist deep, I remained remote from the swarm of petrol powered craft which ply the harbor at high rates of speed.
The next day was ships business. I moved the boat early to a spot quite close to shore. The same spot I always use, the same one which, a few years ago, was deemed so unsafe in a mild cold front, that a local dock owner had demanded I move my boat. Quite in a fluster, too. Every time I return, I hope he sees me, and fumes. After taking the dogs to real, dry, land at the only public ramp in town, I had to fill up a 6 gallon jerry with gasoline at a nearby gas dock, and get some water as well. Gas was 6 dollars a gallon, and water was free, however I can imagine that last could change depending on your attitude. This fuel dock is behind a large boat dealer which also sells yamaha parts. They have small ships store which sells basics like dockline, extra life jackets, and cleaning supplies.
That task complete, I did a few hours of sightseeing, enjoying the colorful, tacky, marvelous and unique tourist shops, and bought some provisions at a small corner store named the Trading Post. Each year, this store has a larger selection of wine, and less variety of groceries. There is a Publix a few miles away, if one wishes to take an uber there, or, use a bike if you happen to carry one onboard. A return to the ramp saw my dinghy missing no equipment. I was warned that theft was common. I certainly would not leave anything unattended for too long, even if securely locked. Today, took only the precaution of hiding the oarlocks, since I expected I would be back well before dusk. Now, after a pleasant lunch, its time to relocate the boat to the spot we were last night, closer to the drowned Miami Vice movie set. Not because of the excitable boffin with his pristine dock, but because the Lorelei bar and restaurant will have loud music until around 9 pm. And Ive already heard their playlist.

[Ixneigh]

Had a great sail from long key to key largo. 5.5 knots with main and jib, no board. Keeping the weed off the rudders was a chore. Of note: new sail jib hanks, stainless clip style, come off the headstay sometimes. Id avoid them in the future.
My longer trip account somehow disappeared when I tried to post it. Site does not keep me logged on? Not sure.

Ix

[Russ]

Are people abandoning their boats or did the captain sink it?

I hear abandoned boats in FL is a big problem.

[OverEasy]

I wonder what the ‘salvage’ rules/laws are in that area ….
One sees pictures of boats with lots of stainless steel tubing exposed, masts and cables…

[Be Free]

I wonder what the ‘salvage’ rules/laws are in that area ….
One sees pictures of boats with lots of stainless steel tubing exposed, masts and cables…

It is a crime to take possession of an abandoned vessel without first getting title to it. It is a crime to take anything off of an abandoned vessel without first getting title to it.

If you want to get ownership of an abandoned vessel you must first pay an investigative of fee of $300 to $600 and wait 45-120 days for the state to give you clear title. While you are waiting, less law abiding folks continue stripping anything they take a fancy to off the vessel. Once you have clear title to the vessel the clock starts ticking until you either move your new boat or it is declared derelict or at-risk.

[OverEasy]

Thanks Be Free!

I figured there was a legit process!
Last couple of years we’ve also seen obviously abandoned vessels in our area occasionally.
They seem to sit for about a year before I believe DNR has them removed but by then they have rain flooded, been banged about, driven ashore or illicitly vandalized by “yahoos” .

I’m wondering now where and how these vessels get scrapped as some of the videos I’ve seen just show them getting chewed up and crushed for landfill…. Which after a year is probably all that can be done with them as they get pretty scuzzy after sitting (sinking) for that amount of time. (Yucky…. )

Just seems a shame..

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[Be Free]

In an effort to limit thread drift and to protect this excellent trip log, I've started a new thread to discuss abandoned vessels here: viewtopic.php?t=30724.

Mods: please move (or remove) as you see fit. Thanks.