We started our winter in Marathon with a bit of an adventure. Hate those. My last post mentioned that we had hustled to our winter home to beat forecast unsettled weather and unsettled weather we had. Very unsettled. A day after we arrived the wind started blowing. And blowing. And blowing. Not a gentle breeze but consistently above 20kts and sometimes in the 30s. Or more. This wind was accompanied by the occassional deluge but we were able to go ashore to get groceries, pay bills and get a feel for the community with Covid-19 affecting all of us. Not too many seasonal boaters had arrived when the weather changed. For the worse. After a little more than a week of mostly nasty, windy weather, it got worse. A Tropical Storm that had hit Honduras bounced off of it, came back into the Gulf of Mexico/Carribean Sea, went under Cuba and turned north for the Florida Keys. T.S. Eta crossed over Cuba and steered right for us. Steered may not be the correct term because the forecast track constantly changed. Sometimes from hour to hour. It was going to pass south and west of Key West, it was coming right at the middle Keys (us), it was going well east of us to the Key Largo/mainland area and it cycled through these potential landfalls several times. From west to east. From east to west. The forecast windspeeds also varied a lot. We decided we would secure the boat as best we could and leave it to go ashore during the worst of it. Then we decided it wasn't going to come that close to us or with too strong of winds so we would stay aboard. Finally at the last minute when the forecast was for a direct hit on us with 60kt winds we made the run to a shoreside hotel. This was less than 10 hours before the hit was to come.
The forecast called for arrival at 1500 on Monday. Then 0300 on Monday, a big difference. It actually hit at Lower Matecumbe Key about 2200 on Sunday. The storm made a last minute jog east and had an increase in forward speed. This meant we were not in the dangerous semi-circle as forecast but on the slightly less windy side. We were actually within the circulation so the nastier bands were way to the north on mainland Florida. We had been hit by those bands of heavy winds and rains on Sunday and even Saturday so we did not miss out on the fun. Our hotel was pretty nice and it was well insulated from outside noise but I still heard the wind hit us at 2200 (10pm). Late Monday morning I walked back to the marina and even though it was rough and squally, I could see that the boat seemed to come through the storm fine. We stayed two nights at the hotel, mainly because we had paid for two nights due to the forecast. Worst that happened is the cable went out for about ten hours of those two days. Once back to the boat the wind continued in the upper 20s with higher gusts for another three days before we got a two day break. After the break was over the wind started again with two cold fronts. Near gale conditions (not quite) at times but mostly upper 20s again with significant gusts. These are not particularly dangerous or uncomfortable conditions in the harbor but the dinghy rides can be pretty wet.
During this breezy time we rented a car to drive to Miami for my doctor visit and maintenance Rutuxin. What a disaster!!@#!! Enroute they called me with a re-schedule for the injection. I went a little nuts with them over the phone, insisting on the planned actions happening that day. It takes almost three hours to drive up there and I was not going to make another trip due to their incompetence. For some reason my blood pressure was a little high when they took my vitals. They also messed up how I would get the medication. It was supposed to be a 10 minute injection but instead I got a 3 hour infusion. Infusions are fine but I was expecting to be out of there in minutes not hours. Plus Carol could not be with me and had to wait in the car all that time. Not fun. Besides raising my BP everything else was great. Some of my blood values were in normal range for the first time in more than a year and some others were very close to normal. I continue to make improvements almost six months after ending chemo so that's good. This maintenance regimen is to keep me in remission and/or improving into the future. I just hope they don't keep trying to kill me with aggravation.
After that came Thanksgiving. There was no big Thanksgiving Pot-Luck this year for obvious reasons. We usually have around 150 people in close quarters so that was out. We had dinner alone but did have an hour Zoom chat with Cobbe, daughter and SIL. That was good.
After that holiday we started preparing for the next. I started up an auction on the VHF radio net in the morning. Collected books and other items to remote auction to raise money to buy bikes for local kids in need for Christmas. I've been involved in this auction in one form or another for around five years and this one went well, too. We raised about $1000. and with the money people contributed directly to the fund the marina staff purchased all the bikes WalMart had in southern Florida. Some of the older kids in the area will have to wait for delivery after Christmas but we do have the funds to buy the bikes when available. Nice to have played a small part in this.
I have not been able to volunteer at Crane Point because my tour guiding is not yet allowed but we've been going there for a walk every week or so. I started playing pickleball with the other cruisers. It is a slight risk for catching Covid because of people together unmasked but you are generally six or more feet apart while playing even though you are breathing somewhat heavily. I mask during breaks. It's a risk. We'll see. Like tennis 40 years ago, I am barely average. Luckily most everyone else is fairly old, too. Getting a minor ankle sprain my third time out should have been expected, I suppose. Played through it but it stiffened up pretty badly later that day. Fortunately, only a one day issue.
In the 'everything always breaks' category, I had to replace a spun prop on our outboard motor as well as its carburetor. Purrs like a kitten. Again. A spun prop is when the propeller slips internally and doesn't provide thrust. Not good.
Before Christmas this little fellow, Grogu, showed up. Many people who saw the videos and photos we posted believed he was really here and not a projection. Hmmm.
One last disaster before I post this mid-winter update: Carol bought a new, very expensive sail cover from Bacon Sails in Annapolis. A major struggle to install it. And it doesn't fit. Grrrr. 😡🤬
Next up... another drive to Miami for checking blood and other maintenance.
