TIDBITS/INTERESTING THINGS
1) Portable Generator - purchased one for last half of trip, but never had a real chance to test it out . - used 3 times . Much cheaper and easier to use (wear and tear) than using diesel to charge batteries, Quieter as well
2) Rain days and bad weather - sometimes stuck on boat 2-3 days- have a plan on what to do to fill your time. - generally solar panel and wind generator may not be enough to keep batteries charged - need portable generator or start boat engine - ideas what to do - videos, maintenance, cleaning. - be aware that the boat won't be necessarily still . Wind may pick up, boat may pitch and roll, claustiphobic/ seasickness (nausea) - turn day into a treat day.
3) if weather is bad, many boats head to marinas to weather it out. Need to pre-think weather and/or pre-book marinas or you may be stuck paying a premium for your slip - upwards of 3=$3/ft in high demand areas. (Miami, Marathon, Key West)
4) Pump outs in Florida - generally free . Many marinas have pump outs right at the slip. Expect to pay premium prices on islands
5) Anchoring out - we spent about 2/3 of our time on the hook. Need to consider dingy docks or where to safely tie/lock up our dinghy (boat ramps, bridge structures, public parks) - how far to walk to groceries, gas... - sometimes you can leave dingy at marina to walk up to town, if you purchase fuel etc, or pay a day use fee. Several public docks along the route, but on weekends, often tied up with locals. Some allow overnight, but most don't. TV /radio/cell phone/internet connection. coffee shops, stores, garbage disposal showers, little if any re-cycling
6) Charging phones, remote VHF, Computers . - access to shore power to give batteries a good charge every now and then- use of invertor and (TVVideos etc.
7) - bout a portable transistor radio, that I could use to listen football or music without disturbing rest of crew. Boat radio and VHF battery drain. ( especially when refrigeration is demanding powere
8) convert lighting to LED, particularly anchor light
9) assess your power demands - refrigerator/freezer, radio, VHF, , how much TV/video, computer use you use daily. We determined we could watch 2-3 hrs TV radio daily in good sun days when solar and wind could generate power. Thankful for wind generator this time as we had several bad sun days when we couldn't keep batteries charged.
10) BUGS/Insects - Florida in the coastal regions is fairly bug Free ( Municipalities treat areas to encourage tourism and people being out at night to visit bars, restuarants etc. - In most areas , no bug treatment and you are driven into your boat IN EARLY EVENING FOR A FEW HOURS, As you are trying to escape to the warm weather, the inside of the boat was often 80 plus degree. ( hot) - hopefully we had a wind to blow through the cabin. - we could not afford Air condioning due to power requirements.
11) most nights we could keep windows ( screened) and hatches open - many hot no cover sleeping nights, but also many nights that you were in a blanket for the evening. ( 0 degrees on the wter can be cild after a few hours. = half a dozen times we slept in cockpit
12) Cold fronts -drop temps to 50's several times , usually days on end- review power issues- run heaters and/or blankets. - propane heaters
13) Annodes = shaft and engine /water strainer check weekely... Water strainer more frequently, further south you go weeds aa/algae growh- shallower water in the "ditch" and rivers, ( barges churn up a lot of mud/debris
14) Living with tides and currents , Florida 2-3' tide twice a day , swing room in anchorages ... watch out for full/half moons - winds and tides usually higher and a biit more aggressive. - 9' tide in Georgia
15) crab pots - everywhere - 10 miles offshore coming down the Gulf we were in 10-15' of water... guess wha crab pots ( tousands of the) - many boats do an overnight from Florida panhandle to Clearwater ( 150 miles) right through them.
16) derelict/sunk boats - hurricane boats and others - too many to mention- many odd characters living in these boats as isit is cheep. ( holes community) - use it and sink it as ost are uninsured and can pick up for real cheap
17) Salt water everywhere - in air , spray, skin, hair, turnucles, anchorwells, inside and outside boat - rust maintenance- no way to wash boat unless during rain storm or at ock
18) understand what you want out of the journey... solitude/activity/buddy boating/docktails, comradery/ marina comforts or anchor comforts
19) - Weather windows - for over 2 and a half weeks we waited for a mooring ball in Marathon. Usually not a concern as they have a great anchorage. Problem was that because of the weather, no one could move out of the harbor as there was nowhere to safely go to, More boats kept coming into the harbour for refuse, What is noramlyy a 100 boat anchorage becomes a 200 boa anchorage , boats too close together... several of them no one on board ( working, went back home, derelect boat) - could not put out adeqaue scope ( 25' when I needed 50 plus. . In thezse conditions and because of high winds, little swing room, inability to put out 2 anchors ... you have to satay on the boat and fend off others , sometimes 2-3 days. - tough to book marinas in bad weather as everyone thinking the same thing. - Costly $2-$3/ft
20) No Tv coverage in Maraton , listen to radio/Videos/read. - gfoing ashore costs money ( bars, food, happy hurs, Home Depot etc)
2) Rain days and bad weather - sometimes stuck on boat 2-3 days- have a plan on what to do to fill your time. - generally solar panel and wind generator may not be enough to keep batteries charged - need portable generator or start boat engine - ideas what to do - videos, maintenance, cleaning. - be aware that the boat won't be necessarily still . Wind may pick up, boat may pitch and roll, claustiphobic/ seasickness (nausea) - turn day into a treat day.
3) if weather is bad, many boats head to marinas to weather it out. Need to pre-think weather and/or pre-book marinas or you may be stuck paying a premium for your slip - upwards of 3=$3/ft in high demand areas. (Miami, Marathon, Key West)
4) Pump outs in Florida - generally free . Many marinas have pump outs right at the slip. Expect to pay premium prices on islands
5) Anchoring out - we spent about 2/3 of our time on the hook. Need to consider dingy docks or where to safely tie/lock up our dinghy (boat ramps, bridge structures, public parks) - how far to walk to groceries, gas... - sometimes you can leave dingy at marina to walk up to town, if you purchase fuel etc, or pay a day use fee. Several public docks along the route, but on weekends, often tied up with locals. Some allow overnight, but most don't. TV /radio/cell phone/internet connection. coffee shops, stores, garbage disposal showers, little if any re-cycling
6) Charging phones, remote VHF, Computers . - access to shore power to give batteries a good charge every now and then- use of invertor and (TVVideos etc.
7) - bout a portable transistor radio, that I could use to listen football or music without disturbing rest of crew. Boat radio and VHF battery drain. ( especially when refrigeration is demanding powere
8) convert lighting to LED, particularly anchor light
9) assess your power demands - refrigerator/freezer, radio, VHF, , how much TV/video, computer use you use daily. We determined we could watch 2-3 hrs TV radio daily in good sun days when solar and wind could generate power. Thankful for wind generator this time as we had several bad sun days when we couldn't keep batteries charged.
10) BUGS/Insects - Florida in the coastal regions is fairly bug Free ( Municipalities treat areas to encourage tourism and people being out at night to visit bars, restuarants etc. - In most areas , no bug treatment and you are driven into your boat IN EARLY EVENING FOR A FEW HOURS, As you are trying to escape to the warm weather, the inside of the boat was often 80 plus degree. ( hot) - hopefully we had a wind to blow through the cabin. - we could not afford Air condioning due to power requirements.
11) most nights we could keep windows ( screened) and hatches open - many hot no cover sleeping nights, but also many nights that you were in a blanket for the evening. ( 0 degrees on the wter can be cild after a few hours. = half a dozen times we slept in cockpit
12) Cold fronts -drop temps to 50's several times , usually days on end- review power issues- run heaters and/or blankets. - propane heaters
13) Annodes = shaft and engine /water strainer check weekely... Water strainer more frequently, further south you go weeds aa/algae growh- shallower water in the "ditch" and rivers, ( barges churn up a lot of mud/debris
14) Living with tides and currents , Florida 2-3' tide twice a day , swing room in anchorages ... watch out for full/half moons - winds and tides usually higher and a biit more aggressive. - 9' tide in Georgia
15) crab pots - everywhere - 10 miles offshore coming down the Gulf we were in 10-15' of water... guess wha crab pots ( tousands of the) - many boats do an overnight from Florida panhandle to Clearwater ( 150 miles) right through them.
16) derelict/sunk boats - hurricane boats and others - too many to mention- many odd characters living in these boats as isit is cheep. ( holes community) - use it and sink it as ost are uninsured and can pick up for real cheap
17) Salt water everywhere - in air , spray, skin, hair, turnucles, anchorwells, inside and outside boat - rust maintenance- no way to wash boat unless during rain storm or at ock
18) understand what you want out of the journey... solitude/activity/buddy boating/docktails, comradery/ marina comforts or anchor comforts
19) - Weather windows - for over 2 and a half weeks we waited for a mooring ball in Marathon. Usually not a concern as they have a great anchorage. Problem was that because of the weather, no one could move out of the harbor as there was nowhere to safely go to, More boats kept coming into the harbour for refuse, What is noramlyy a 100 boat anchorage becomes a 200 boa anchorage , boats too close together... several of them no one on board ( working, went back home, derelect boat) - could not put out adeqaue scope ( 25' when I needed 50 plus. . In thezse conditions and because of high winds, little swing room, inability to put out 2 anchors ... you have to satay on the boat and fend off others , sometimes 2-3 days. - tough to book marinas in bad weather as everyone thinking the same thing. - Costly $2-$3/ft
20) No Tv coverage in Maraton , listen to radio/Videos/read. - gfoing ashore costs money ( bars, food, happy hurs, Home Depot etc)
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