2nd Trip to Panther Key

This past weekend was a second trip to Panther Key, the weather not quite as nice as Thanksgiving weekend, but a great trip none-the-less. An official second trip for Athena and one for the log book ;)
For this trip I was accompanied by my friend Vicki :)
Although she might tell you differently, she was a great sailing partner and I very much appreciated having her with me for the trip. I wouldn't have gone without her, and if I had, it would have been a very difficult trip.
We didn't leave the dock until after 1600 on Saturday, December 9th, a 3-ish hour trip ahead of us and the sun quickly setting...
We left the dock as quickly and quietly as a mouse stealing the cheese without setting the trap.
Once leaving the protection of the channel from the marina towards the Gulf, we felt the force of the blowing winds that were keeping most snug at port, not exactly sure what they were, but they were predicted at 10 to 20 mph. I'm thinking they were probably doing every bit of that, seas at least 2 feet coming at us from the south, a small craft warning of some sort in effect. Luckily the 30 foot sailboat isn't considered small craft ;)
It was a little unnerving, being the darkness upon us and the still uncertainty in Athena's engine and whether or not to make the trip...
Three to four days prior to the trip, I was wondering if I would really be ready to go... I had been feeling in the doldrums. Certainly I didn't feel I'd be ready by the planned departure date.
Two days previous to the trip, I had convinced the boat bottom cleaner to clean the boat bottom the next day if he could, Vicki cleaned Athena's decks, I scrubbed the bottom of the sailing dinghy, I discovered the engine was leaking fuel and officially gave up on the ability to leave for the trip the next day, I went to the parts department and asked them to overnight the parts I thought I needed to stop the leak...
Now one day prior to the trip, instead of the originally planned departure date, I did nothing on the sailboat, I attended buddhist mediation and learned about the practice of patience and training the mind to not waste time being angry. Earlier in the day though, the parts I had ordered the day before had arrived and I picked them up.
The morning of the trip, I needed a new burst of motivation. Although I had given up coffee the day previous, I felt it imperative to give in if this trip was ever going to happen this weekend...
On my way back to the boat from Dunkin Donuts, my spirit was 100% positive we were going !!!
I noted that the diver had indeed cleaned the bottom of the boat, I cleaned and organized the boat interior, I changed the suspect fuel line and one crush ring, bled the engine and started her right up, I picked up Vicki since she forgot her car keys back on her island home (a trip she wasn't about to go back on based on the tide level and time ticking), we grocery shopped, Vicki and I topped off the fuel tank and filled up the fresh water tank, I wired up the triplex light on the top of the mast (all systems go! if only i could remember which fuse i put them on!!), and installed a new anchor, anchor chain, and anchor line.
Even with the seeming setbacks, there seemed too much falling into place for us not to make the trip...
The trip down to Panther Key was a difficult one given the darkness, heading into the oncoming waves, and the blowing winds with strong bursts, an ominously strange line of clouds that looked like some kind of a front, the line of which we appeared to be traveling right along, clouds to the west of us, clear skys to the east. Darkness quickly descended assisted by the cloud cover. I turned on the new running lights on the deck and the top of mast running lights. With the power draw of the lights and the GPS Chartplotter, and no recharge to the batteries since the engine was off, in relatively very short order, the battery alarm on the chartplotter was buzzing....
My stress level went up a notch.
With the uncertainty of running the engine too much with the fuel leak, I was hesitant to turn the engine back on so soon, but I felt no choice, as loosing battery power I deemed not an option!
With engine on we motor sailed in a new heading toward the channel north of Panther Key. I prayed we'd make it safely into the channel between the oyster beds to the north (picture shows oyster bed markers during the day) and the shoals to the south... I also vowed that if we made it back safely, I'd be sure to start advertising the boat for sale on Monday!
As minutes clicked for hours, we finally arrived at the anchor spot. Just then Patty cat decided she'd had enough of the craziness ! She kept making bolting dashes from down below to the deck until we finally kept her down below with all three boards placed in the companion way.
With Patty in place, we anchored. The boat set well and we felt very comfortable we had a good anchor set. Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......
With an amazing sigh of gratefulness, we could finally sit back and start working away the stress of the trip.
We sat inside for a while, then ventured out. The clouds had cleared and the sky was full of stars. We sat and enjoyed. At one point, Patty appeared over the now only two boards in the companionway. She looked out peering around. Just below her however, I had set three candles burning to keep the bugs out of the boat, not that there were many because of the cool temps and the winds keeping them away. I looked down at Patty because I was concerned she'd catch on fire, and sure enough, as I'm standing above her, me outside and she inside, I watched smoke start pouring up from her belly, her hair burning !!!!!
There was a kitty torch in the sailboat !!!!!
I carefully with quick step dropped into the boat and grabbed the Patty-cakes to ensure she didn't start running around the sailboat setting things on fire !!!!!
It turned out her fur was just smouldering and not really burning. She didn't seem aware in the least !
The next day was a great morning at Panther Key. Vicki sailed us over in the sailing dinghy. It was great to have Vicki's knowledge of the natural things we found on the island. We found porcelain crabs and she also led us to discover at least twenty Woodstorks feeding in an inlet of water within the mangroves beyond the beach.
We ate very well, as every sailor should ;)
Breakfast of fresh squeezed organic oranges/lemon/ginger/garlic and a dash of cayenne pepper, delicious zucchini bread by Vicki, and fruit salad of watermelon, banana, a pineapple from our friend Nick's organic farm, and cantalope. Lunch was organic guacamole, mango salsa, blue chips, and a wonderful black bean/corn/red pepper mix made by Vicki.
While at our anchor spot we enjoyed the scenery (pic of mangrove near anchor spot) and got to see at least fifty White Pelicans land in the water beyond Hog Key to the north of us.
The time to leave came too soon. We pulled up anchor and headed back home. An "easier" trip since it was day time, we sailed mainly with wind at our starboard stern, and with the direction of waves now heading the same way we were, we got to enjoy the sailboat surfing ! We made it back into port in record time ;)
Whether we should have gone or not, I wouldn't have wished to have stayed at port for the weekend. The chalked plans to stay at dock this next coming weekend being erased with water...
After a brief trip on land upon docking, I returned to the boat that night, and started plotting the next big trip ;) A New Year's Eve trip to Little Shark River... but that now seems so far away, and I'm hoping the weather will be good for another weekend trip to Panther Key in between!!!