Yo Ho Yo Ho a Sailors life for me, Drink up me 'earties, yo ho. Day One, The Move!

So I am a little behind on posts. Life, well it has been incredibly busy. Yes, We bought a boat, Yes I will backfill posts that should have been made.

Today we made our first sail in our boat. What is she you ask, She is a 2006 43' Beneteau 423. We searched long and hard and this is the one. But more on that later. Today, We sailed!.

Day One: January 20th 2016

The plan, as it be, went south as so many sailing plans do, we just can't control the weather.  We were to make sail on January 20th leaving Pompano Beach FL and head south to Belles Island in Biscayne Bay, a hearty sail of about 45 nautical miles. Well, if winds cooperated, we could make the sale but they did not and since this was a must make point, we cruised the intercostal almost without event. I say almost because the first thing we needed to do was turn a 43' sailboat, with a rudder and keel, 180 degrees in a 60' wide canal. How did I do you ask, Very well thank you, I executed a perfect standing turn in these tight quarters and all went well until a line fell in the water and I didn't see it slip under the boat. I turned right over the line and we fouled the prop. Thanks to some handy breath hold diving by Sam, my friend, We we able to free up the line and only lost 30 minutes or so. Other than that, and the oversight of reading the bridges, It was a good day.

One Pucker filled moment was as we approached the I-195 Bridge over Biscayne Bay. All fixed bridges on the Intercostal Waterway are 65' except for one and that one is somewhere between 54' - 56' but different sources quote different heights and nights after all ar mean high tide so at low tide, you get some extra room. Well, Arielle, We will call her Arielle for now, is 54'4" tall, this might be a problem.  Also almost all bridges have guesses telling you what the hight is based on the tide. They are simple little signs that give you a level of comfort, This bridge didn't have one. So I had my first real Captain decision to make, Motor under very slow ready to reverse at the first sign of fail, or turn back and loose the day. I decided I was going for it. As I crept forward inch by inch, the winds started blowing and I needed throttle to keep control. Just then three workers on the bridge collard at us and said we had it by about 8 inches. They had the angle and could see we were clear. Now I will tell you, Looking straight up at a mast that is 54'4" at a bridge that is 55' tall, 8" is almost impossible to judge but my little worker angels made the day and we ended day one in Biscayne bay. Then we settled in to read the weather and chart the next day. Ugg!

Bridge Height Guage

So the day was a success, the ship survived her Captain and Crew and we all lived another day to tell tails. And the universe gave us a nice farewell to the day with a spectacular sunset.

May the winds always fill your sails and the sun and moon light your passage.