Leaving Key West for Isla Mujeres today

We will enjoy Dry Tortugas on the way and wait for a weather window. Check out our blog if interested.

Cool trip!

Where can I find the blog?

Think I found it
https://caribbeansealife.wordpress.com/category/boat/marine-consignment/

Cardude,
Its in my signature line...

www.caribbeansealife.wordpress.com

We have a delorme for those interested in our exact routes, speeds, etc.

Sealife said:

We will enjoy Dry Tortugas on the way and wait for a weather window.

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A great trip and a great destination! An experience to amaze when doing that passage to Isla Mujeres is to be bopping along in the middle of the night, everything quiet and peaceful, and then to have a cruise ship come barreling along, lit up like the stadium in "Apocalypse Now" and with a bunch of inebriated passengers waving at you and shouting. Kind of puts things in perspective, so to speak.

Your blog is 1st class! Great writing, pics and informative! Guess it will be some time before you get into cellular range to up-date us on your trip to Fort Jefferson. Cuba on your go-to places?

Looks like Sat. night is the time to make the jump.


You might want to think about removing that Bahamian courtesy flag. At the very least before you get to Mexico.

Sea life, I was directly in front of you for the last few days here in Key West Bight Marina. When I saw you post this morning I planned to go over and say hi, but you pulled out before I could get there( I am on D dock). Anyway, fair winds in your travels. We made our trip to the Tortuga's on New Year's Day and had a great time. Look for the Goliath Grouper after dark in front of the Ferry dock area, especially if you have an underwater light. We saw six, some maybe 300 lbs.

Rafe

Looks like Sealife is snug at anchor in the Dry Tortugas!

Scott & Caroline have been enjoying their stop in the Dry Tortugas. Tonight should be especially fun with 40kt winds predicted. Here's their side of a few messages from today.

"Going on scorpion walk tonite, if front holds off that long. Barometer is diving hard!

I figured Im in for a long night again. Hoping to do w/o squalls because we are further south and west. Still E-SE 12-15, but ready to do full swing

Did full 360 over past few days w/ peak 38 kts. Rocna w/ 4:1 earning its money! I'll send pic sometime of Ipad plot of circle

Doing OK on food and booze. Pretty much out of ice though, too cloudy for excess solar. Ferry sells a small bag for $7. Not that desperate yet."

Larry M said:

Scott & Caroline have been enjoying their stop in the Dry Tortugas. Tonight should be especially fun with 40kt winds predicted.

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Whoa! Not a lot of protection there! We'll see how their anchors perform. And if the usual low-budget sailboats are there, that might make for an interesting night. Assuming they are anchored in front of Fort Jefferson, of course.

jwnall said:

Whoa! Not a lot of protection there! We'll see how their anchors perform. And if the usual low-budget sailboats are there, that might make for an interesting night. Assuming they are anchored in front of Fort Jefferson, of course.

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They're in front of the fort.

I asked Scott about going to Cuba but they aren't insured.

If something were to happen to boat, I would have to come live with you, as I'd be broke and homeless! And probably divorced

From today.

A sailboat from Denmark just pulled in. F.....s are probably going to Cuba, but I'll try to find out.

These are from 2 days ago.

Harbor cleared out. All the fishermen went back to KW. Just me and the GB

No, cat only here for the day, then left. GB seems to want to leave, has tried and turns around. Park rangers very nice and inviting, most anyway

Since they are in front of the fort, and since the strongest winds tonight are going to be from the SW, working around to the NW, hopefully the fort will offer some protection. Still going to be rough, though. Fingers crossed.

7:40 this morning:

"Going to try to get some sleep…been a long night. Peaked at 56kt gust, 40-45 sustained. Currently 35 sustained gusting 45. 2-3 ft. Whitecaps in anchorage."

Off topic, but I bought and igloo ice maker from Walmart and it was the best thing when we went to the Bahamas. Ice is not cheep when buying just frozen water.

We anchored at Bird Key rather than Fort Jefferson. It seems at first more exposed but the holding is better and ironically much of the time the waves are less even though very open to the wind. However, the week before we were there and the week after the conditions were quite unpleasant. To me Dry Tortugas is a place you look at conditions and decide whether to go from Key West or not based on current conditions. Quick hops there and back, but hard to depend on longer windows of comfort.

Your window doesn't look very good for the next few days. Frankly, I'd head back to Key West and get some relief and sleep while waiting for a window to start again.

Love yawls' blog and will follow for inspiration. Jenny and I just bought a 44' trunk trawler and after 3 weeks of work including a head job on the port engine we are bringing it back to Charleston SC from Panama city FL. Then she's going on the hard for year like Sea Life. Then we'll be seeing you two somewhere sometime..........safe travels and keep us updated!!

Sealife is off and running from the Dry Tortugas. Looks to be off the western edge of Cuba heading into the Yucatan Passage. I wonder if that cold front pushed that far south giving them some nasty seas. Good luck and fair sailing!

ragin cajun said:

Sealife is off and running from the Dry Tortugas. Looks to be off the western edge of Cuba heading into the Yucatan Passage. I wonder if that cold front pushed that far south giving them some nasty seas. Good luck and fair sailing!

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He should be encountering mostly 3-4' right now. Sounds like he may have escaped the US weather just in time. The area he left is 4-7' tomorrow.

Wind forecast for Mexico has winds in the 20-gusts to 26 tonight into Tuesday morning then calming to 10-15 Tuesday afternoon. Later in the week winds and seas pick up considerably. Looks like thy hit it about right for their passage.

ragin cajun said:

Sealife is off and running from the Dry Tortugas. Looks to be off the western edge of Cuba heading into the Yucatan Passage. I wonder if that cold front pushed that far south giving them some nasty seas. Good luck and fair sailing!

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Sure hope the cold front is not that far south. The Yucatan Channel with a wind with northerly components in it can be a real bear! Good anchorage right there on the west end of Cuba to wait weather, though.

From Scott today mid afternoon today:

Best we've seen, wind 5-10, seas down, swell finally down. Going to keep RPM up a little, still riding counter current.

Its sunny and 81 now. If i wasn't on watch Id be outside shirt off and drink in hand!

We r in shipping lane now because of favorable current, also thought might get a little lee off cuba if wind piped up early.

Scott and Caroline arrived at Isla Mujeres at ~ 3pm this afternoon. The final slog was pretty crappy but they arrived safe and sound. I'm sure Scott will fill in all the details after some rest and a few margaritas.

Larry M said:

Scott and Caroline arrived at Isla Mujeres at ~ 3pm this afternoon. The final slog was pretty crappy but they arrived safe and sound. I'm sure Scott will fill in all the details after some rest and a few margaritas.

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Great!! I'll be looking forward to the blog

Same here. Very interested.

That's a great run, congrat's to them on a safe passage.

Finally 100% legal in Mexico ($370 & 3 days later). Internet here is bad, also can't get SIM card....so need to be brief. Caroline is going to try to get somewhere to upload blog. She has been typing offline. Pics may be minimal as well. I hear in Belize, internet will be great.

So quick summary: Weather window was too short, which we expected, just got tired of horrible conditions in Tortugas. Seas worse then expected or forecast, due to land, sea, current interface and depth changes (arrow smith bank current getting in & out was horrible). Seas seems constantly confused most of the time, so not really able to get on a good course for comfort. Boat did excellent, confirms my decision to pay the premium for this hull shape. Stabilizers, stabilizers, stabilizers. Decks constantly awash, put rub rail under water, flying fish on bow, due to wave height! Took about the same amount of time as Warderick Wells Bahamas to Key West non stop, but much more physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging. Delorme worth its weight in gold. Was able to get encouragement for wife, weather updates for me (thanks Larry), etc.

Mexico IS cheap. Bottle bear $2 and under, Margaritas around $4. Trick is to pay with pesos, as restuarants, bars, etc give you a really bad exchange rate if paid in US. Like 11:1 instead of 17:1. Thats like a free happy every two! Go to marina paraiso and pay Chepo to handle all of the paperwork and inspectors. Worth every penny. Not only does it save tons of time and frustration, but lets just say its easier when someone knows the system talks for you and gives you "advice" on "grey areas". Also after a long voyage, you tie up, plug in, drink at bar, walk around, enjoy, recharge, etc. VS. anchor, fight isolation, dingy winds etc. when you are already tired. Not to mention boat is covered in salt, will be using tons of water to clean.

More later...

Also, want to check out of Mexico as far south as possible. Need your help, getting mixed information on Xcalac. Some say cant clear, some say 10hr bus ride round trip to chetumal. Just dont want to back track north so far to fight current south again. If anyone can provide current info for Xclalc, it would be appreciated. I did see one Active Captain review from Nov 2015, said it was back up and running. Customs, imigration couldnt confirm anything.

As I have mentioned, internet sucks here.

Thanks.

Congrats on your successful passage! I was feeling for ya with that long delay at Fort Jefferson. Had to be brutal wind and sea conditions w/ those fronts coming through the area for over a week. Did you have a bunch of company from the fishing boats holed-up in the anchorage? I hope you had some relaxation/enjoyment in the Tortugas, beautiful place in good weather conditions. Looking forward to your blog and pics!

Just read the latest post on their blog about the trip. Sounded pretty scary to me. 14' waves? ?

https://caribbeansealife.wordpress.com/2016/01/29/hola-mexico/

Wife writes the blog for laymen. It was really 6+ waves on top of 6+ swells, some larger, when the two got together and broke (which was often) it was horrible. So bad, I was too busy (scared) to even attempt pics and vids. Too busy holding on!