Day 142, Year 10: In Search of Fan Belts

Day 142, Year 10: In Search of Fan Belts
Date: Sunday, March 1, 2015
Weather: Beautiful Day, High in the 70’s, Winds E to SE to E 15-20
Location: Dinner Key Marina Anchorage, Coconut Grove, FL

The Sunday search for fan (alternator) belts took us on an all day chase through Coconut Grove to parts of Miami that we had never heard of. The NAPA warehouse for this area is in Doral, Florida, and that is where we had to go. This is west of downtown Miami and west of the airport in Hialeah. We first took a bus from near the dinghy dock to an area of Coconut Grove that we now know well. Enterprise Rental Car, West Marine, and Advance Auto Parts are all right together and just a short bus ride away. We went to Advance Auto Parts and they had only one fan belt that was even close to what we needed. They checked for us and another of their stores in the area had two more. We wanted four and since the belt they had wasn’t really a perfect match, we decided to look further. The NAPA store in Coconut Grove is closed on Sunday, but Mark found one a little further south. The belts we have been using were from NAPA, so the guy at this store was able to check the number and let us know that he had none. But he suggested we go to the regional warehouse. He said they would definitely have great quantities of what we needed. So Mark started searching on his phone how to get there. Thank goodness for smart phones. Mark got the address, put that in his phone and it immediately told him exactly how to get to warehouse via public transportation. The problem was that it was two long bus rides and more than a mile walk to get there. The phone told us to go one way to the bus stop, but the bus stop where we had come from had a sign for bus 37, the one we needed. So we ignored the phone and went to the closer stop. Bus 37 roared past the stop not even hesitating to pick us up. So we watched it and it turned into the Metrorail station just across Highway 1—very busy highway. We ran as fast as we could, crossed one street and then the highway, and made it to the station before the bus left. We decided that next time we’ll do exactly what the phone tells us. But even so, we weren’t so lucky with the next connection. We got off bus 37 to wait for bus 36A. Mark realized he no more change and only bigger bills, so he ran into a restaurant to get change. Of course, the bus came as soon as he disappeared into the restaurant, so we had to wait almost an hour for another 36A. From there things went a little more smoothly. The walk felt long in the hot sun, but the warehouse did have the belts and the walk back to the bus stop seemed much shorter. We had to run to catch the bus, but we made it. We met some great folks from Toronto on the bus. There were two couples, all originally from the Philippines. They had just returned from a Caribbean cruise yesterday and were exploring Miami by bus. For this return trip, the phone was telling us to take the bus to the closest Metrorail station and then take the train back to Coconut Grove. Since we had decided earlier to always do what the phone says, we did exactly that. The search took us all day, but we did get the belts and we got to see a little more of Miami. And we are now running the engine and it is charging like crazy. The new belts did the trick. So all is well that ends well.

Tomorrow we have another whole day of public transportation travel to Fort Lauderdale and back. This trip will require bus, Metrorail, Tri-Rail, and more buses to get to Holy Cross Hospital and then we’ll have to do it all in reverse to come home. It is a three-hour trip each way which will make for a very long day, but it is cheaper than renting a car, so we’re going to give it a try. The reason for the trip is to meet with Mark’s oncologist to get the results of Friday’s scan. I always wait with nervous anticipation but with hopes of positive results. I’ll share the results in tomorrow night’s log and thank so many of you in advance for the positive thoughts you send Mark’s way.

Day 141, Year 10: Surprise Weather ‘Attack’

Day 141, Year 10: Surprise Weather ‘Attack’
Date: Saturday, February 28, 2015
Weather: Overcast with Heavy Rain and Wind in the PM
Location: Dinner Key Marina Anchorage, Coconut Grove, FL

It was my turn this morning to get up at 6:30 am to listen to Chris Parker’s weather report. There is a chance of crossing the Gulf Stream on Monday and then possibly another chance on Thursday/Friday. I had really hoped to be in the Bahamas to celebrate my birthday on Thursday, but now the best that I can wish for is to be on the way. Patience, patience.

We went to shore this morning to do laundry and then to return the rental car. Just before we finished the laundry, the rain came pouring down. The rain was so heavy that it felt like an ‘attack’. We knew there was a chance of rain, but we were truly surprised by the intensity of this rain . . . and it went on and on and on. We certainly didn’t want to put our clean, dry clothes in the dinghy with torrential rain pouring down and winds gusting to 40 knots, so we asked the Enterprise rep to take us to Scotty’s Landing. This is the place where we had lunch with Detta and Tom on Thursday and it seemed like a good place to get in out of the rain and have a couple of beers while waiting. It was after 4 pm before we got a break in the rain, so we headed to the dinghy. I had kept a large plastic drink cup from Dunkin’ Donuts earlier in the day when I realized we were going to need something to bail the water out of the dinghy. The water was deep, so that cup was greatly appreciated.

150228 Day 141 Florida, USA–Water in Dinghy from Afternoon Downpour

It was when we got back to Windbird that the fun really started. First, Windbird had drug anchor and was much closer to the boat behind us. Thankfully the anchor had reset, but it is truly scary to think that you could come back and find your boat floating out to sea without you. We pulled up the anchor and moved forward to re-set. Mark then worked to change the fan belts on one of our alternators. For the past few days, the batteries have not been getting the charge they need because the belts on the alternator were loose and starting to fall apart. Mark had replacements, so he put on the new belts and tried again to charge the batteries. Before long, we could see that the new belts weren’t helping the situation, and when Mark looked in the engine room, both of the “new” belts were falling apart. So much for spare parts. Mark and I then spent a great deal of the evening searching for an automotive store that has the belts we need. In the meantime, he put on a different belt and so far that’s working. Tomorrow morning Mark will remove the belts and take them with them to try and find a match. This will be difficult since it is Sunday and we no longer have the use of a car, but he made calls this evening and is hopeful that an auto supply store close by will have what we need. So I guess our day of rest isn’t happening tomorrow.

Day 140, Year 10: Another Day Trip to Fort Lauderdale

Day 140, Year 10: Another Day Trip to Fort Lauderdale
Date: Friday, February 27, 2015
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, High in the 70’s F, Winds NE 15
Location: Dinner Key Marina Anchorage, Coconut Grove, FL

Before the sun rose this morning, we were on the road headed to Fort Lauderdale. Mark had to be at Holy Cross Hospital for a cancer treatment at 8 am and he didn’t want to be late. We weren’t sure what the early morning traffic would be like, but there was really no heavy traffic headed north and we reached the hospital area before 7:30 am. We took advantage of the time by driving to the Executive Airport which is close to Holy Cross. This is where Mark will fly into from Staniel Cay in the Bahamas. That is, if we ever get to the Bahamas. We are anxious to listen to the weather at 6:30 am tomorrow and see what Chris Parker has to say about opportunities for crossing next week. From the information we have gathered, the prospect doesn’t look good.

Shortly before 11 am, Mark was finished with the treatment but he needed to stay at the hospital for a 1 pm CT scan. My sister-in-law Sue and her husband Brad met us at the hospital after Mark’s treatment and took me with them to the gigantic flea market called the Swap Shop on West Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. I read on the Swap Shop website that there are “more than 80 acres of shopping, entertainment, food, and fun!” There is an inside market as well as the hundreds of vendors outdoors and under tents. You can buy everything from food to iPhones. And at night the entire area is transformed back into a drive-in movie theater. I bought a couple of pairs of polarized sun glasses that we need before heading to the Bahamas. Since much of the navigation there is done by having one person on the bow on the lookout for coral heads, polarized sun glasses are a must. And the ones I bought will fit over our regular glasses so we can actually see. What a great idea! I also bought onions and ginger and a dress. But the fact that I ran out of money and that it was time to go back to pick up Mark, ended our shopping for the day. We picked Mark up and all of us headed to the Japanese buffet, Kyojin, for a late lunch. This is the restaurant where we ate with Mark’s brother Steve two weeks ago. It was every bit as good today as it was then. After lunch, Brad and Sue took us back to the hospital to pick up our car and we parted ways. They came down from Boynton Beach today to bring us mail and packages that we had delivered there. They are so good to us—always driving to meet us to deliver things and take us places. Brad and Sue, thank you so much.

We headed to a post office as soon as we left the hospital so we could mail a CD with Mark’s scan results on it to Dr. Kwak at Mass General. On Monday we will return to Holy Cross to meet with Dr. Gomez to get the results and Dr. Kwak will also have the scan read and analyzed at Mass General. We won’t get those results until later in the week, but at least we will have some idea of how things are going on Monday. Hope with us that Mark’s cancer is still being reined in by the current treatment.

Tomorrow we have to return the rental car, but first we’ll use it to go to the laundromat. Once we return it, we will be back to taking public transportation. Having the car was great, but I always feel like a learn more about an area when riding the bus and train. It takes longer, but right now we have plenty of time while we are waiting for this elusive weather window for crossing the Gulf Stream.

150227 Day 140 Florida, USA–Swap Shop, Sue and Brad

Day 139, Year 10: Farewell to Tom and Detta

Day 139, Year 10: Farewell to Tom and Detta
Date: Thursday, February 26, 2015
Weather: Cloudy, High in the 80’s F, Winds SW 20 Calming to Light and Variable Late
Location: Dinner Key Marina Anchorage, Coconut Grove, FL

For their last night aboard, Tom and Detta had a bit of rock and roll as the winds piped up to 20 from the SW. And those winds brought even warmer weather. Although it was cloudy, the temp today was in the 80’s. Tom had a business Skype call this morning from Germany and the rest of us sat in the cockpit and read. Once his call was over, Tom joined us and we continued our quiet morning reading despite the roaring winds. I took a deck chair out to the bow of the boat to read for a bit but it was too windy to really enjoy sitting out. Since this was Tom and Detta’s last day with us, we decided to relax and read until about 1 pm and then head to shore for a late lunch. We had Tom and Detta wear our foul weather gear and Mark and I wore ponchos. The wind was blowing hard and the water was rough, so we anticipated getting soaked. But Mark did a great job of getting all of us and Tom and Detta’s luggage to shore without a problem. Enterprise car rental picked Mark and I up promptly and we went to fill out the paperwork for the two-day rental. While we did that, Tom and Detta walked along the waterfront to Scotty’s Landing and we soon joined them there for lunch. It is a great little waterfront eatery that reminded us of so many of the places cruisers gather all around the world. And the food was good. After lunch it was off to the Fort Lauderdale airport to drop off Tom and Detta and then Mark and went into town to do a little food shopping. The Publix supermarket and Total Wine liquor store that we are familiar with are just a few minutes from the airport, so that is where we headed. We bought beer for the Bahamas trip and picked up some wine for our friends Ed and Lynne who are already there. Just the other day they discovered that all of their boxes of white wine have gone bad, so we will take them new boxes. Our supermarket run was mostly for paper products, but we picked up some food items as well. We were back aboard Windbird before it got too dark and we will take off before sunrise in the morning to head back to Fort Lauderdale. Tomorrow Mark has a cancer treatment followed by a CT scan. My sister-in-law Sue and her husband Brad are going to meet us at Holy Cross Hospital to bring us mail that we have had forwarded to them, and when Mark is done, we’ll all go out to lunch. We still don’t have a good idea of when we will be able to leave for the Bahamas, so we’ll just continue to enjoy our days here until departure.

150226 Day 139 Florida, USA–Farewell to Tom and Detta

Day 138, Year 10: Key Biscayne Back to Dinner Key

Day 138, Year 10: Key Biscayne Back to Dinner Key
Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Weather: Still Sunny and Warm, Winds SE 10-15
Location: Dinner Key Marina Anchorage, Coconut Grove, FL

We made our way from Key Biscayne back to Dinner Key this morning. We took a little side trip from No Name Harbor out to Hawk Channel at low tide to lay a track and to make sure we wouldn’t go aground at one particularly shallow spot. When we do get a window to leave for the Bahamas, we will leave from No Name Harbor at 3 am. Now we have a track to follow and we know that we shouldn’t go aground. Detta and Tom had decided that they really wanted to help us install new steering cables, so Mark and Tom spent the afternoon doing that. Detta and I supported them by sitting in chairs on the deck and reading. They needed us out of the way, so we were forced into it! We feel terrible that Tom had to spend one whole day of his vacation working, but we are so grateful. Mark had made a temporary fix on one cable and today Tom found that the other cable was severely compromised. It could have broken at any time, but that is fixed now and we will be safe. Thanks and praises to Tom for doing the work and to Detta for insisting that we do it. And even though it was hard work, Mark and Tom seemed to really enjoy it. Tom and Detta fly home late tomorrow afternoon, so we will do a bit of relaxing on the boat tomorrow, head in for a late lunch, and then off to the airport in Fort Lauderdale. On Friday we will return to Fort Lauderdale for Mark’s treatment and scan and on Saturday we will officially start our wait time for that perfect weather for crossing the Gulf Stream. Lee and Lynda have been listening to the weather and they tell us it looks like we really might have to wait for two weeks. I’m hoping for a weather miracle.

150225 Day 138 Florida, USA–Work and Play

Day 137, Year 10: Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

Day 137, Year 10: Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Weather: Sunny and WARM, Winds Light and Variable
Location: No Name Harbor, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, FL

It was a wonderful day. We motored across Biscayne Bay to show Detta and Tom the stilt houses we discovered a couple of weeks ago and then we entered No Name Harbor in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. We visited here by land a few weeks ago and today we ‘officially’ visited via boat. We anchored in somewhat crowded conditions and then we headed to shore to take a walk to the tip of the island. On the way Detta had us using our “wide awake writer’s eyes” and we immediately spotted the green iguanas sitting on the rocks looking out into the bay. We also spotted a bright green iguana or lizard climbing a tree—haven’t been able to identify him as yet. We walked on down to the tip of the island and admired the lighthouse and renovated ( historical purposes) Lightkeepers home. From there we walked back to the main picnic area, came too close to a raccoon in a trash can, and then went down to the beach to sit and swim. Actually only Tom went swimming and Mark waded in the water while Detta and I talked. We all ate our apples, watched the sea gulls right in front of us wanting our apples, and then headed out for the walk home. We walked back via a nature trail where we saw wild poinsettias and zebra longwing butterflies (Heliconius charitonia). We stopped at the Boater’s Grill to have a beer, went back to Windbird to let Mark and Tom take showers, and then headed back to the Boater’s Grill for dinner. We all had shrimp, either Creole-style or scampi, and a bottle of wine before heading back to Windbird where we enjoyed the evening in the cockpit. It was a relaxed, wonderful day and we’re looking forward to another tomorrow.

150224 Day 137 Florida, USA–Bill Baggs State Florida State Park