Day 186, February 12th, 2010
Weather forecast bad again. It was meant to blow at 20 knots last night but that didn't happen. However, another cold front was forecast with gusts up to 40 knots. We looked around at the crowded anchorage and decided it would be best to reanchor just a little further over. It took a couple of tries but finally we were set. However, there were boats very close to us. Some were on one anchor, others on two, and one old wreck behind us was on a permanent mooring on a short chain. Quandry. The holding was excellent but what about the other boats? I jumped in the dinghy and went scouting to see what Sister Creek was like. Just a little ways up the bay a channel runs through the mangroves to the sea. There were about 5 boats in Sisters' Creek and another boat we had just met were moving up another tributary, Whiskey Creek. It all looked good. Room to swing without interfering with anyone and I was told the water was deep right up to the mangroves. John was in the middle of getting the eggs and bacon on the go but we decided to put that aside and move again, before the rush started for greater cover.
We anchored behind another Canadian boat "Sea Sharp" and it wasn't very long before Pea Soup came along and hid up Whiskey Creek. We felt much better about this location and settled comfortably to eat our eggs, bacon and pancakes, washed down with coffee!!!
Feeling much more positive we took the laundry and set off to do chores. I was chatting in the laundry room with another lady who has been here many times and when she heard we had moved into Sisters Creek she told me that there's an electrical current in the water there. Be careful as a man raising his anchor had got a shock off his chain a couple of weeks ago and last year and 8 year old child had been eletrocuted when she'd jumped in to go swimming!!!! Ha! Now we know why there were so few boats there!!! We definitely won't be going swimming in the creek. On the southern shore of the creek are signs saying "Government Property, No trespassing". There are 4 huge radio towers which apparently transmit to Cuba but no signs of a power plant or anything. Not good.
However, we finished up the laundry, did the banking and I sat and wrote up almost two weeks on the Blog before we returned to the boat. It was close to 6:00 p.m. when we got back. Reg from Pea Soup came over to us and told us that the weather forecast had changed - now they were talking about 60 knot gusts and advising people to seek shelter in strong buildings!!! Uh oh!! Here we go again. More excitement! We came to Marathon for the easy stress free life and trouble just seems to follow us!! John set another anchor and looped it around a big root in the mangroves, getting caught in a huge downpour! In a matter of minutes the sky went black, the lightening started but we were still waiting for the wind. The weather channel were warning it would start at 7:15p.m. We waited patiently but nothing really happened. At 11:00 p.m. I went to bed thinking it had missed us and John came shortly after. We woke up at 1:00 though and the wind was howling. It sounded as if we were in a wind tunnel but the water was quite flat. We'd turned 180 degrees but the anchors were holding. John got up with his fowly gear on and kept an anchor watch in the cockpit. We agree to do 3 hour watches. I was nice and warm and comfortable in bed and went to sleep! Around 3:30 a.m. the wind had dropped and John came back to bed. An anti climax again. Thank goodness!
Weather forecast bad again. It was meant to blow at 20 knots last night but that didn't happen. However, another cold front was forecast with gusts up to 40 knots. We looked around at the crowded anchorage and decided it would be best to reanchor just a little further over. It took a couple of tries but finally we were set. However, there were boats very close to us. Some were on one anchor, others on two, and one old wreck behind us was on a permanent mooring on a short chain. Quandry. The holding was excellent but what about the other boats? I jumped in the dinghy and went scouting to see what Sister Creek was like. Just a little ways up the bay a channel runs through the mangroves to the sea. There were about 5 boats in Sisters' Creek and another boat we had just met were moving up another tributary, Whiskey Creek. It all looked good. Room to swing without interfering with anyone and I was told the water was deep right up to the mangroves. John was in the middle of getting the eggs and bacon on the go but we decided to put that aside and move again, before the rush started for greater cover.
We anchored behind another Canadian boat "Sea Sharp" and it wasn't very long before Pea Soup came along and hid up Whiskey Creek. We felt much better about this location and settled comfortably to eat our eggs, bacon and pancakes, washed down with coffee!!!
Feeling much more positive we took the laundry and set off to do chores. I was chatting in the laundry room with another lady who has been here many times and when she heard we had moved into Sisters Creek she told me that there's an electrical current in the water there. Be careful as a man raising his anchor had got a shock off his chain a couple of weeks ago and last year and 8 year old child had been eletrocuted when she'd jumped in to go swimming!!!! Ha! Now we know why there were so few boats there!!! We definitely won't be going swimming in the creek. On the southern shore of the creek are signs saying "Government Property, No trespassing". There are 4 huge radio towers which apparently transmit to Cuba but no signs of a power plant or anything. Not good.
However, we finished up the laundry, did the banking and I sat and wrote up almost two weeks on the Blog before we returned to the boat. It was close to 6:00 p.m. when we got back. Reg from Pea Soup came over to us and told us that the weather forecast had changed - now they were talking about 60 knot gusts and advising people to seek shelter in strong buildings!!! Uh oh!! Here we go again. More excitement! We came to Marathon for the easy stress free life and trouble just seems to follow us!! John set another anchor and looped it around a big root in the mangroves, getting caught in a huge downpour! In a matter of minutes the sky went black, the lightening started but we were still waiting for the wind. The weather channel were warning it would start at 7:15p.m. We waited patiently but nothing really happened. At 11:00 p.m. I went to bed thinking it had missed us and John came shortly after. We woke up at 1:00 though and the wind was howling. It sounded as if we were in a wind tunnel but the water was quite flat. We'd turned 180 degrees but the anchors were holding. John got up with his fowly gear on and kept an anchor watch in the cockpit. We agree to do 3 hour watches. I was nice and warm and comfortable in bed and went to sleep! Around 3:30 a.m. the wind had dropped and John came back to bed. An anti climax again. Thank goodness!
Happy valentines.
ReplyDeleteDave Vester.
How are you. I got your blog address from Ida at the anual x-mas party and just found the napkin I wrote it on in my mail slot at work. We are doing fine. Starting to plan college and university with the kids as Andrew is 17 this month and Ashley turned 15 in Dec. Wow. Do you remember when Carol and I used to bring them to the floor at shift change on 6E.
Hope everything is well with you guys. I think of you (and your trees) every time I drive down John Street. Say hi to John for me and take care.
Dave.
vesterdave@hotmail.com