SoBe (it) Miami Beach

   

South Beach scene

     South Beach (SoBe) a barrier island in Miami Beach has been one of our favorite anchorages along the south eastern seaboard. It's historically a glamorous hot spot for people watching and seaside activity. Unfortunately, we've had a slow start while anchored in the SoBe neighborhood of Sunset Lake due to a visit to Mt. Sinai ER and a subsequent follow up appointment. Darn that blood pressure medication! I think it sometimes causes more issues than management. To make a long, boring story short. I am fine now, just holed up here until we have a weather window for a Gulf Stream crossing to the Bahamas. As of today it seems the window may open on Monday for a crossing to Bimini.

The New World Center designed by architect
Frank Gehry

     In the mean time we've toured the New World Center home of the New World Symphony where we rendezvoused with several other cruising sailors during last Saturday's Wallcast Concert. The concert was a world premiere event featuring avant-garde musical New Works by three prominent composers including Bruce Hornsby who premiered three of his his newest compositions.

The interior stairwell of the New World Center

   

 






      The Wallcast is a live projection of the indoor concert on the New World Center's exterior wall. Hundreds of concert goers gathered hours before the concert to stake their claim to a spot of land within prime viewing distance of the projected event. Excitement permeated the atmosphere. Concert goers trickled in hours before the 7:30 PM start time. Chairs & blankets were set up and coolers were positioned. Conversations, shared snacks and adult beverages were consumed in anticipation of the event. A classic tailgate party for the classical music crowd.

 

The Wallcast

   As darkness set in and the moon rose over the palms, outdoor lighting was dimmed and  New World Symphony Artistic Director Michael Tillson Thomas was projected larger than life on the Wallcast announcing the special evening we were about to experience. At the time none of us knew exactly how extraordinary this evening would be and how challenged we'd be as an audience.

French horns

 

The Orchestra

   
   



     Composers take risks. It's relatively easy to compose mellifluous sounds for a toe tapping audience. It's a whole other ball of wax when composers create sounds that may not be agreeable, soothing, that may aggravate creating tension and discord. These attributes describe Saturday evening's concert. It was discordant, dissonant, aggravating, and at times wonderful. It was a musical experience! Very much on the level of an artistic installation. The composers were drawing inspiration from sounds of city life. Horns, screeches, you've been there use your imagination. The final piece was a composition titled El Sol Caliente by Miami musical composer Michael Gordon and filmmaker Bill Morrison. The piece dedicated to Miami's centennial celebration was performed simultaneously with archival video footage displayed on split screens from Miami dating from the 1920's through the 1960's. It was a powerfully integrated piece performed with video footage albeit once again not a toe tapper. The video and music mesmerized. I imagine this was the composer's intension. It was a memorable experience and I imagine that too was the intension of this musical extravaganza.

One of the violin fellows from the New World Symphony Orchestra
during a private lesson. 

   

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Location:Sunset Lake, Miami Beach,United States

Greetings From Fort Lauderdale

     The topic for my previous blog was provisioning for the Bahamas. That was a couple of weeks ago. We are still in the States...eating the provisions. It isn't all that bad. Balmy breezes, warm sunshine along with a few walks on the beach and lunch at a couple of delightful restaurants. A few boat projects have been checked off the lengthening list which included refinishing the teak toe rail and replacing the fresh water pump.




     

No that's not Joe running away from me in a thong!
It's Thong Man of Fort Lauderdale out for his daily run.

Waiting for lunch at the Casablanca Cafe on the beach
enjoying the sights.

     

The anchorage at Lake Sylvia, Fort Lauderdale

     Simple Life has been anchored in Lake Sylvia in the heart of the so called "Yachting Capital of the World." The only negative side is that it seems cruising sailors aren't welcomed with open arms here unless they stay at marinas with exorbitant dockage fees. Those of us who live on the hook in a couple of designated anchorages in the area are clearly not among the welcomed in Fort Lauderdale. I'm not out to paint a picture of negativity, but there is an undercurrent of gate crasher mentality in this city. For instance, a small let's say 20 foot power boat filled with a crew of wake boarding under age young men are allowed to speed by throwing wakes at anchored cruising boats in Lake Sylvia. Police do not take notice.
   

     On the other hand we cruisers who dinghy across the ICW from Lake Sylvia to a dinghy dock where we land for grocery shopping and a laundromat are charged $10.00 per day to land. Along the way we are often stopped for minor infractions while traversing the area at idle speed and reprimand for throwing wakes! I suppose we are not contributing enough to the Fort Lauderdale economy.

   

     Within a couple of days the easterly winds we've been experiencing have been forecast to lighten and our plan is to sail Simple Life from Port Everglades Inlet in Fort Lauderdale to Government Cut in Miami. Provisioning options are better there since we have easy access to Publix and Fresh Market groceries. Also, shore access is convenient with a couple of options. One being a dinghy dock in Collins Canal directly across from Publix! Public transportation is also excellent in South Beach. Ahh, the life of the cruising sailor...we all tend to get delirious discovering the whereabouts of the nearest grocery, laundromat, liquor store and West Marine!


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Location:Lake Sylvia, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Preparations for a Crossing to the Bahamas

The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse festively
decorated for Christmas. Just one of
the sights along the way to Lake Worth, Florida.

     It's 6:30 AM. Joe is making coffee. The crackling sound of the SSB radio being tuned is filtering into the aft cabin where I'm attempting to waken and disentangle the previous night's cobwebs in order to decipher Chris Parker's Marine Weather Center live broadcast for our upcoming crossing to the Bahamas. Cold front approaching in Beaufort...trough off Florida, upcoming possible crossing opportunities and...a deep sleep ensues. Once again Chris's mesmerizing radio intonation, a sure knockout drug has taken hold. When I finally "woke up and smelled the coffee" the broadcast was over. By that time Joe had written notes from the broadcast and made plans for our day.


     

Canned goods and other provisions stacked
three deep in storage compartments.

     Bahama crossings aboard sailboats require considerable advanced planning for provisions, spare parts, weather and sea state conditions. While spending time in Vero Beach we were afforded free public transportation in the form of mini buses from our mooring at the city marina for provisioning. Public transportation in Vero is excellent with stops at the beach, West Marine, Publix Supermarket, Fresh Market, ABC Liquors and with only one transfer, a stop at Walmart! The moniker for Vero Beach is Velcro Beach...for obvious reasons. Cruisers tend to stay awhile and it's tough to break free.


 

      Bus transportation was well used by us and everyone else at the City Marina. While riding the bus topics of conversations centered on "When do you plan to cross? Along with "Where do you plan to cross from?" running a close second. It seemed while we were all busy with one project or another everyone was preparing. Repairs, provisioning, washing clothes, jobs were being accomplished with one goal in mind. Crossing over to the Bahamas.

     One problem with advanced planning is that the weather window doesn't always materialize on time. Boats end up spending days or weeks waiting for the best crossing using up precious provisioning! This tends to be an issue on boats such as ours in the 40 foot range. The boat has great storage, but not as much as larger boats that have even more storage capacity. So, when it's time to provision for the Bahamas it has to be done a day or two prior to departure.

     So, here we sit at anchor in Lake Worth, Florida. Before dawn at 5:00 AM this morning the anchor was raised and Simple Life headed out Lake Worth Inlet in darkness bound for West End, Grand Bahama Island. At seven miles out with 15-17 knot wind on the nose, the seas built to a steep chop. It was ugly. The boat was motoring against the wind, seas and Gulf Stream at 3.2 knots. After consulting with Chris Parker via SSB it was clear that we needed return to port. Conditions were not expected to improve.

     No one likes to backtrack. Although, sometimes it's the best decision. Today was one of those times. Simple Life is back at anchor in Lake Worth. The wind has been building all morning. In fact it's howling! I'm grateful we returned. As of now it's uncertain when we'll cross. Winds are forecast to subside tonight with light and variable winds tomorrow. We may cross or we may head south to Fort Lauderdale to stage for an upcoming crossing from Miami. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

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Location:Lake Worth, Florida

Liebster Award Nomination

Simple Life at anchor in the Exuma Islands 2014

   




The Liebster Award is presented to non commercial cruising & sailing websites and blogs, as recognition for quality content and interest











      Thank you so much to Kathi from www.bigdumboat.com who nominated my blog for the Liebster Award! This nomination was awarded to us a couple of months ago, but this is the first opportunity I've had to sit down and answer the ten questions that accompany the nomination regulations.
Thank you to Kathi from MV Dyad!

1) Introduce yourselves and the boat you are sailing.

     We are a couple from Narragansett Bay, RI who dreamed of living aboard a sailboat for most of our marriage (over 30 years). Our home (sailboat) is Simple Life (we keep hoping).

2) What is your boat's name and why is she called what she is?

     Our boat is named Simple Life. We bought our first cruising boat in 1991 and her name was Simple Life. We loved the name and when we found our new boat in 2001 we named her Simple Life. Living aboard certainly isn't a simple life, but we keep hoping and trying to live up to the name.

3) What kind of boat is that anyway?

     She is an Island Packet 37. She's actually 39.5 feet in length including the bowsprit.

4) What made you decide to live this lifestyle?

     The dream was constant. It seemed everything we did while living ashore was in preparation for making the lifestyle a reality.

5) What is the best thing about your lifestyle?

     There are so many best things that it's difficult to choose only one. One thing I enjoy is self reliance. We primarily live off the grid. Our power source is a battery bank that is recharged by solar and wind power. We cook with propane and even have an on board fireplace for the occasional chilly morning.

6) What is the worst thing about your lifestyle?

     I would have to say that the worst thing about living aboard is the occasional need to remedy a clogged head...and I'm not referring to the human kind.

7) What has been the favorite place you've visited?

     We love the Bahamas especially the Out Islands.

8) What do you carry on board that is completely useless?

     Our boat isn't big enough to carry useless items. Everything must have a purpose. Each year I inventory items and if they were not used during the season they're removed.

9) Is there anything you really miss by living on a boat?

     I'd have to say a washing machine. Sometimes when traveling laundry can build up for three weeks!

10) What do you really use your binoculars for?

     I actually use them often. Joe is constantly pestering me for confirmation of navigational marks, boats heading toward us, etc. Of course they come in handy for finding friends in anchorages, too.

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Location: Deerfield Beach, Florida

Thanksgiving in Vero Beach

   

Thursday happy hour jam at Vero Beach with the Salty Paws
Jim Austin and Bentley Smith
Michele Boulay on Bodhran

      Each year I find myself appreciating the gifts of life more and more. Maybe I'm getting more sentimental or perhaps age and some semblance of wisdom have something to do with it. At any rate not to sound sappy I am thankful for good health, wonderful friends, a great boat that generates abundant adventures, and a husband who is my best friend and protector. Thanksgiving although not a religious holiday, is my time of year to take notice of the gifts my life has been afforded and to give thanks to God. The Pilgrims really had a great idea! Eat lots of food and celebrate with friends who matter. Enjoy and be thankful for the life we have. What a concept! It must have been a great idea because we still celebrate today especially at the annual Vero Beach Cruiser's Thanksgiving Dinner.  

A pre holiday get together with the crew from SV Island Spirit
Radeen and Hayden with Michele aboard Simple Life

Dave from MV Dyad 

Thanksgiving dinner in Vero Beach

 
 








   













     This year as always the CLODS former boaters (cruisers living on dirt) provided cooked turkeys and ham for the 150 or so cruisers who visited Vero Beach for the holiday. Each cruising boater brought a side dish and beverages. This year my contribution was a recipe from Traditional Irish Cooking called Champ (mashed potatoes with green onions). It was a hit. If you're curious...see the attached recipe from epicurious http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Champ-241776

Michele Boulay SV Simple Life and Jim Austin of SV Salty Paws

Dave Register of MV Dyad 

     The food and conversations are always good, but my favorite part of the day begins after dinner when a few musicians who live aboard get together for a jam session. This year did not disappoint as the crew from SV Salty Paws, Jim Austin and Bentley Smith sang a salty mix of tunes performed on guitar and banjo. Dave Register from MV Dyad sang and played guitar while Patrick Hentschell from SV Holiday did a great job jamming with his collection of harmonicas. I provided the rhythm section with the Bodhran (Irish drum). A few other cruisers also jammed on guitar, but some came and went and I didn't catch their names.

Dave and Kathy from MV Dyad and Pat Hentschell from SV Holiday

     After Thanksgiving the cruising vessels head south on separate schedules. Some plan to spend the winter in south Florida and the Keys. Others like us will cross over to the Bahamas. Next November most us will gather once again in Vero Beach for celebration, good food and even better friendships.

Jim Austin & Bentley Smith from SV Salty Paws

All photo credits by Joe Boulay
            SV Simple Life

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Location:Vero Beach, Florida

Shore Leave in St. Augustine

   

Joe checking out the drawbridge into Castillo de San Marcos

     St. Augustine's harbor on Matanzas Bay has been a popular stop along the north south route for centuries. Today it still offers safe harbor as well as numerous amenities for cruising boats. Historical landmarks, restaurants and cafes, a modest but well stocked grocery on nearby Anastasia Island, a liquor store, marine consignment exchange and the St. Augustine Municipal Marina. The municipal marina offers a mooring field for a modest price where boaters can stop for a few days, catch their breath, catch up on laundry duties and reunite with fellow cruisers while visiting this historic city.

One of four bastions overseeing Matanzas Bay

   

A young boy enjoying the joy of music 

      We always look forward to having quality shore leave in St. Augustine. Even though we've made this stop several times it seems we always make new discoveries. Each year the National Park Service offers free admission on Veteran's Day for tours of Castillo de San Marcos. We'd arrived a day before the holiday and were able to take the free tour. The fort was once the northernmost outpost of Spain's New World Empire. Construction which began in 1672 was completed in 1695. The tour of Castillo de San Marcos was self guided with a few guides dressed in period costume stationed in rooms throughout the fort who were well versed in lore of the time period.

   

Crowds enjoying the beautiful day

   


      It was an interesting day albeit crowded with families along with us enjoying the fee waiver. Later that afternoon we met with fellow Island Packet cruisers at the Legion Post. This is a local "best deal in town" favorite of ours where drinks are always happy hour prices with the best ever shrimp basket for only $9.00! Great friends and good food. It's an extraordinary and occasionally a simple life.

A spontaneous rendezvous of Island Packet owners at the
St. Augustine Legion Post.
from left Kismet (Jim & Laurie) Salt Shaker (Gwen & Walter)
Simple Life (Michele) Slo Flight (Steve) Passages (Mo & George)
photo by Joe Boulsy

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Location:St. Augustine, Florida

Cumberland Island

Skeletal remains between marshland and beach

     Cumberland Island's spectacular beauty is best illustrated in photos. Words cannot capture the sights and whispering sounds of this wild island's palmetto palms rustling in the breeze or the swaying, Spanish moss hanging from Maritime Oak branches where each seemingly reach out in search of someone who'll climb.

Marshland along the island's southern end

Dungeness where the forest ends

 










     

     The forest abruptly terminates at the island's southern end where it morphs into lush green marshes and miles of pristine beach. It's here where the forest startlingly unveils the ruins of the Carnegie mansion Dungeness where during the Gilded Age the 1% enjoyed "conspicuous privacy" by throwing elaborate house parties for wealthy guests. The island encompasses 36,415 acres of wilderness area and 16,850 acres of marsh, mudflats and tidal creeks where a few Carnegie mansions dot the maritime forest.

Cumberland Island's beach

Simple Life anchored near Plum Orchard

Three hunters, Brandon, Blake & Bradley

     During our recent visit Simple Life was anchored near the northern end of the island in the Wilderness area where the woodland seemed ripe for exploration. That was until we met a few hunters along a trail who warned us not to venture farther. The annual three day controlled hunt for deer and wild boar was well underway. They advised us not to wander beyond the grounds of the former Carnegie mansion Plum Orchard. Shortly thereafter a park ranger spotted us and verified the hunters' warnings. As consolation she offered a private tour of the interior of the mansion. What luck! Under normal circumstances the mansion is not open to the public.

Pauline the park ranger during a private tour of Plum Orchard

Plum Orchard Mansion

   

Local shrimper with a cast net at our anchorage

   


       The following day the tides were in our favor allowing us to travel over a shoaled area from the southern entrance of the Brickhill River at the Cumberland Divides to where it rejoins the ICW. Within an hour and a half our anchor was set at a popular anchorage near the Sea Camp on Cumberland Island where feral descendants of the Carnegie horses roam freely on the island. This area was deemed safe for hiking and exploration since hunting was not allowed near the camp. This was our second excursion to Cumberland Island and certainly will not be our last.

Feral mare and her filly near Dungeness

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Location:St. Mary's, Georgia