So we're finally on the move! We've been traveling for almost 2 weeks now. We had a lot of delays this year so it's great to be finally heading to a destination. We left Our beloved Port Canaveral Yacht Club.
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| We miss you PCYC!! |
on December 29th & have been leisurely making our way from the east coast of Florida to the west coast. We crossed Lake Okechobee ( the 4th largest lake in the U.S.) instead of going on the "outside" (via the Atlantic down & around Miami). In order to get to Lake Okechobee however, we had to get under a bridge first. It's an old railroad bridge that is fixed at 49 feet. Our mast is 52 feet so we needed some help. For a fee of course (well worth it) we hired a guy named Billy to help us. He meets you in the river in front of the bridge & loads your boat with 55 gallon barrels & then fills them with water to provide the weight needed to heel the boat over enough to get under the bridge. Sounds easy enough right?
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| The Bridge....a little smaller than I had pictured in my mind... |
You can't tell from the picture but the wind was howling down the river that day at 20 knots. Billy was an hour late so we had to anchor & wait for him. And then a train. Billy arrived with a buddy & they got to work. Malaika's keel weighs 10,000pounds so we needed a lot of weight to get her over.
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| Cousin Eddie's on our boat!! |
Here we go......
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| That's about 6,000 pounds on Malaika's port side |
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| And by the hair on our chinny chin chin..... |
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| We made it! |
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| Glad that's over! |
In the end, it took 12 barrels (a record for Billy), 8 of our jerry jugs & 2 grown men hanging off the side to get the few inches of clearance we needed. If you ever need Billy's services while cruising the Okechobee water way, message me & I'll give you his contact info. While rough around the edges, Billy got the job done without hurting Malaika & we were on our way. I was a little concerned when he was duct taping all the holes in the barrels but it's true! Duct tape is good for just about everything.
Our good friends Patrick & Marilyn, Dan & Cheri came for moral support & to watch this event. They took all the great pics.
So....tomorrow we're off to Cape Coral/Bimini Basin then to Marathon, Florida. Marathon is a boating Mecca with about 300 boats that hang out there. We will wait there for a weather window to head south west eventually ending up in the Rio Dulce, Guatemala. Taking the scenic route of course. Can't wait for all the new adventures & hope to get this blog going again! ;)
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| Jib discovered squirrels along the way |
Happy New Year everybody! Better late than never!
Goodbye to 2015....which wasn't a great year quite honestly. Hello 2016! Looking forward to new beginnings, new adventures, & new places! Stay tuned!!
Love,
Michelle, Scott & Jib
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