Onboard

Josephine and I returned to the boat February 16th. Nate had to pick us up from a neighborhood bridge in the dark once we took an Uber from the Miami airport to Key Biscayne State Park. Unfortunately the park gates were locked. Nate asked the security guard to help so we could get to the boat but he was of no help. This meant Josephine and I waited at a bridge in the nearby neighborhood of the State Park. Under headlamp Nate dinghied to us where there was no dinghy tie up. We had to throw our bags down and clean over the fence to get in. Luckily no one called the police and we were able to get back onboard No Worries. Too bad I didn’t snap any photos. We were happy to be back with Nate and Queso. The warm Florida weather was a nice change from the snow of Oregon and Idaho.

Nate finished this very difficult puzzle while we were away. The trails at the State Park are perfect for daily exercise.

We started planning for our upcoming guests, my brother Ian and sister in law Karlyn. We looked at maps and fun to be had and started a loose itinerary.

Guest preparations include scrubbing of the cabin and bathroom but also other areas such as the fridge. Our fridge is very small. We have two small drawers that look like this and involve daily tetris skills to get everything to fit inside. I removed all items and cleaned the inside for a fresh set up when provisions arrived the day before our guests.

The dinghy dock at the state park is among the mangroves and had a good tie up which made errands, such as provisioning, easy for loading. There were trash cans and I utilized the recycling behind the restaurant despite being yelled in a language I couldn’t understand by one of the cooks. I was not phased because I was so excited to have recycling after two months!

There were many other live aboards at this anchorage. Some were gearing up to cross to the Bahamas and some, like us, had just returned. The proximity to the airport is also key. Florida is trying to discourage cruisers (mainly live aboards) and so anchorages with public docks have become hard to find. Queso, of course, loved all the dinghy rides.

Meanwhile in another bay in another ocean, Addy was rowing the early hours of the day as her team prepared for the start of race season.