Island Packets are built for this

We left Miami with an ominous forecast for the coming few days. Winds would be out of the NNE mostly over 25 kts and seas could be as high as 10 ft. giving us lots of material to digest. We studied online weather predictions and listened to the TV weather reports and decided we should proceed. So we left Crandon Park and anchored off the south of Key Biscayne by "No Name Harbor" which would be well protected from the forecasted winds.

A beautiful sunset before an ominous forecast.

When we got to our planned anchorage the winds were actually almost southerly which was the direction to which we were wide open. But winds through the early evening weren't supposed to be much and build once they turn more northerly. Our anchor set well and I swam down on it to check and it was dug in well. During the course of the evening the winds did clock around to the north and we had a very pleasant night at anchor. There were about 6 other boats anchored there outside no name and one of them also left in the morning that we know of.

Cape Florida lighthouse.

Our assessment of the forecast was that even though the winds would be strong they would mostly be behind us and we could sail using just the jib and go quite well. We also knew that the shallow water inside the reef would be far less than the sea state predicted so we believed we could have a pleasant trip. It could be tough for a few miles until we got inside the ocean reef that protects the Florida Keys.

There is a shelf that run from just south of Key Biscayne all the way along the Keys and out to the Dry Tortugas. Water depths are often less than 20' with occasional shallow reefs for the entire stretch of over 200 miles. Usually the chop inside the reef is less than a foot but on really rough days it might be 3'. So we knew that in spite of the dire forecasts we probably would be comfortable in our boat. After all, Island Packets are built for these types of conditions.

Many boats carry their beam far to the back. IP's have a very narrow transom. While not as comfortable in a rough seaway as a double-ender, IP's achieve a compromise of living space to comfort with minimal sacrifice. Riding in a following sea would be extremely violent in a wide ended boat like many "modern-design" boats with wide sterns.

IP's also with a full keel and heavy displacement ride smoothly and comfortably through heavy wind and chop.

So knowing this we set out in conditions that would cause many to stay tied up to a dock. As we passed the Cape of Florida on Key Biscayne we pulled out the jib and began sailing. At first the winds were only in the low teens but it didn't take long until they were in the 20's and above. Fortunately while the winds were down we were outside the reef and as they picked up we soon got inside the reef so the seas were never very uncomfortable.

We sailed along on our jib only at speeds between 7-9 kts. Seas were less than 4' and the ride was very comfortable as we passed the northern Keys very quickly. But the discussion soon turned to were do we go to anchor for the night. Our original intention was to anchor near Rodriguez Key just off Key Largo but we would be there very early. Looking at options there weren't many places to go that we could reach comfortably before dark that appeared to afford better protection.

As a result we decided to go behind Rodriguez Key where we anchored fairly early. The winds were howling but the sea was very comfortable. I swam out and checked the anchor and we were dug in well so we should have no worries holding for the night. We had a nice dinner with a bottle of wine and enjoyed the evening.

The next morning we headed on down the Hawk Channel inside the reef with conditions very much like the day before but instead of using our jib we sailed on just our mainsail. I thought given the conditions it would be easiest to manage. With in-mast furling it's much less fight to bring in when the time comes.

About mid-morning we were forced to make a decision about going into our marina. My original plan was to cross over into the Bay through the Channel 5 bridge and go to the marina and if the conditions would not allow us into the marina we would go on to an anchorage south of Boot Key until it was safe. But doing that would have added several hours of sailing time, put us at risk of 2 bridges with a low probability of actually getting into the slip. So I called folks at the marina to inquire about conditions when we needed to decide if we would turn through the Channel 5 bridge. After discussions about the conditions it seemed unlikely that we could get in the slip so we continued down on the outside of the Keys to anchor for the night off Boot Key awaiting better conditions.

We anchored and with the shelter of the land there wasn't much breeze and no chop at all providing us a comfortable anchorage and a very nice evening. I swam on the anchor and since I couldn't find it assumed it was well invested.

Our anchorage by the 7 mile bridge.

The next morning came a text that conditions were clear to come to the marina. Overnight the wind had calmed a bit but shifted more to the south so at least the waters were flat and the wind diminished by the interference of the land. I replied that I wanted to wait for low tide to go through the bridge and get to the marina near slack tide or at least a minimal outgoing current. It has been reported that the depth sign boards on the bridge are not accurate so I wanted to go through at low tide given the 1-2' chop. The other concern was the current in the slip. I wanted to be going in with minimal current but hopefully something pushing me into the dock rather than away from it.

So we hauled anchor and made it through the bridge just about low tide. Fortunately, there was a boat going the other way who came through just ahead of us whose mast was not much less than ours and we spoke to them and they assured us we would have no problem. So we crossed through the bridge and motored up the channel to our slip and was still seeing winds up to and over 30 kts. Hopefully in closer they would be more subdued.

The low tide did give us pause because the approach to the marina has a MLW reading of 5' which is a couple inches less than we would like but we had plenty of water. By the marina the wind was subdued and there was no chop. I pulled around and put the bow into the wind and began my backing into the slip using the wind and current to push us right into the slip. We were able to parallel park our 48' boat (including dinghy) in a 56' slip between 2 other boats the first try with winds blowing around 20 kts. Everyone on the dock expressed surprise at how easily we got in the slip to which I replied that sometimes we just get lucky. Even a blind squirrel gets an acorn now and then.

So we are here for 2 months to enjoy winter in the Keys. Now the work starts.