Dockside Bar and Grill provided the place. Steff provided the service. A casual minivous of the following boats:
ALTER EGO Audrey and Griff
CHARMED Debbie and Craig
KESTREL Ed
OPTIMYSTIQUE Judy and Bill
PLAN SEA Loretta and Jim
TANGO Lana and Bob
PAPILLION and WITCH OF ENDOR are here, but we could not raise them to have them join us.
At first it was disappointing. Two hundred plus boats and just two Island Packets! We could only look to the Krogen crowd for society. But then way deep in the harbor we found the IPs all nestled together. There are a half dozen of the fleet here. Enough for a Marathon Minivous.
The bump in the night was at three AM. We both bolted out of bed to find Miller Time, a fifty eight foot cruiser, up against Charmed. Pounding on their superstructure woke them. Their anchor had dragged in the calmest of conditions.
Miller Time had about twelve feet of rode out in water ten feet deep. We watched them retrieve it. The reply to the question of how much rode was out, “we have plenty out.” In ten feet of water and all chain rode, Miller Time should have had from forty five to seventy five feet of rode out.
With due respect to Captain Stengel, you just can’t say you have experienced cruising the east coast until you have spent considerable time in Miami. It is easier and cheaper and more comfortable than New York City. It gives you much the same, attractions, arts, humanities, sciences, services. The gurls are way more beautiful, and they wear way less clothes.
First, the weather. You just can’t complain when the weather is over eighty during the day in January and February, and a bit below seventy at night.
Second, the Columbian and Cuban food. You just can’t complain about a $6.00 breakfast that includes bistec, huevos, arepa, arroz, frijoles, and café con leche. Then, when you want a great jazz bar with more elegant food and entertainment, you go to Van Dykes!
Third, you find two Publixes within an eighth mile of the dinghy. (Granted the dinghy tie up is less than ideal. It is odd tieing up to a bridge and clambering over the guardrail, but it is normal here.)
Fourth, you find Enterprise Rental Car within a sixteenth mile of the dinghy.
Fifth, you have Miami International within a $20.00 cab ride of the dinghy.
Sixth, you find a world class beach less than a mile from the dinghy.
And it goes on and on . . . .
Charmed was just out Angelfish Creek for a short trip north in Hawk’s Channel to Key Biscayne and Hurricane Harbor, when a calm and clear “mayday, mayday, mayday,” was heard on Channel 16. We immediately turned greater attention to the radio. There was no response from the Coast Guard. A bit later the mayday was repeated. Again, it was calm and clear. Again, no response from the Coast Guard, or anyone. We were surprised. We also know we tried to contact the Coast Guard more than one time here in south Florida to determine whether Government Cut was open to us. We know our radio works well and cannot explain why the Coast Guard did not respond to us. We were pondering what to do when the mayday call came again.
We responded to the call. To two men in a twenty foot Proline in the ocean off Elliot Key. The engine wouldn’t start. The anchor just went over the side unconnected to the boat. There were no injuries. There was no distress. Lifejackets were available. Charmed relayed the message to the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard did respond to Charmed, and the Coast Guard used us to gather additional information. Interesting, once the Coast Guard was involved Tow Boat US also got right involved and dispatched a tow boat. Tow Boat US could not hear the Proline either.
Locating the Proline precisely was challenging. The men claimed they were two miles offshore and could see Adam’s Key. Adam’s Key is on Biscayne Bay. But, the Proline was drifting safely. The weather was calm. Finally another boat hailed Charmed to tell us the Proline was near Green 17 in Hawk’s Channel, around a number of other boats, including them. They confirmed the Proline was safe.
During the time Charmed was involved, the Coast Guard periodically asked us questions. Some seemed irrelevant. Tow Boat US initially claimed a five minute ETA. Thirty minutes later, they stated their ETA would be thirty five minutes. Once Tow Boat US got to the Proline, we stopped paying attention.
It is surprising VHF communications were so poor for the Coast Guard and Tow Boat US. At worse, the Coast Guard was twenty nautical miles away. Lesson learned for Charmed, if a mayday call goes unanswered, respond immediately. This call did not require immediate attention. It was not even a proper mayday. However, you just never know . . . .
