Moving right along....Boca, Ft. Lauderdale & Sunrise Bay

On February 20th, we decided to venture out of the anchorage at Lake Boca Raton and find an anchorage closer to where our hard bimini was to be installed. A change of scenery was sounding nice as well. So on a semi calm morning we motored out of the anchorage and headed south on the ICW. Our plan was to stop and fill the fuel tanks at the Cove Marina which was only two bridge openings away. Well just as we were making our turn to come into the fuel dock, the starboard engine went kaput. Not good timing! It is very hard to maneuver a Catamaran with only one engine..especially when you are coming into a dock! Rick was at the helm trying feverishly to maneuver the boat and trying to get the engine to start. I was hopping back and forth from one side of the boat to the other to get extra fenders to cushion the blow into the dock. I was a bit panicked and worried the boat would be crushed into the dock. Fortunately there was a gas attendant who calmed me down and who also helped us wrangle the boat safely to the dock. Such a relief. No harm was done. But we still had the issue of the engine getting fixed and running. It was still early in the morning before the other boaters and marina restaurant patrons would be coming in so the fuel dock attendant said that we could stay and work on the engine until noon…so we had a few hours to work on it. Rick tried everything he could to fix the engine with no luck. It was approaching noon and the attendant was pacing back and forth nervously hoping we would leave soon. Boats were starting to arrive and tie up at the dock…our time was up. So with one engine, we fought to get off the dock but made it out into the ICW. With not much control of the boat other than turning in circles due to the wind and chop and current, we attempted to make it through the bridge and just head back to Lake Boca since it was too far to get to the next anchorage going in the direction that we wanted to. We called the bridge and requested passage at their next opening. Once the bridge opened we tried to move forward but kept crabbing sideways and could not make it to the bridge in time to get through. And as usual there were big yachts and other boaters all around us that we had to try and steer clear of. Rick decided at this point to turn the boat around, go downwind and down current to work up enough momentum to turn around and then attempt the bridge opening again. This plan worked well! We made the next bridge opening and the next bridge after that. Now once we got back to the anchorage and wove our way through the other boats with just the port engine, that was another tricky feat! Miraculously we made it and dropped our anchor and stayed there for the next couple of weeks. So during that time, Rick worked all day on the engine trying to make heads and tails of what was going on. We put calls in to several places that work on boat engines, but no-one was able to come out and help us. I reached out to the Facebook Lagoon Owner’s group and the Yanmar Marine Engine Owner’s group. Also made calls to friends with boats. We got several ideas and tried them all. Finally a few days later, Rick fixed the engine! He is not sure what did the trick, but he was just happy to have it running.

During our time at anchor after fixing the engine, we went to the beach a few times and also went out to dinner one night in town. That was a nice treat for me since we have all of our meals on the boat and I am the cook!

On March 4th, it was time to take the boat to a private dock in Fort Lauderdale to have our bimini and wind enclosures installed. We left the anchorage early in the morning. Both engines started right up and all was good. It was calm and not crowded on the ICW. A very peaceful morning. When we arrived at the dock space which was a space on a corner lot home and just off the Waterway down a narrow channel, we took one look at the space and Rick said, ‘We can’t fit in there!” It really did not look like we could to me either…it looked impossible! Just as we motored passed the space, figuring we would turn around and think of a plan B, we noticed a Lagoon 450 parked in front of the same house but around the corner. There was a young woman sitting out in the front cockpit. I said, ‘Hi there’ probably looking a little frazzled and panicked. She jumped up and said, hello back and said that she’d get her husband and that they would help us in. Really? This was so nice but still I didn’t know how we could manage. But I definitely felt hopeful! Within seconds, the couple came out and rushed over. The husband asked permission to come aboard. I was like, ‘yes please!’ Because I had no clue how I could figure this out. So Korey, the husband, jumped aboard and told us step by step how they got into their spot which was just as challenging. He helped with fenders and lines and his direction was very much appreciated. With the help of the couple, Korey and Kerry, we managed to get into the slip with ease.

The home we were parked in front of belongs to a French Canadian named Jacques. He and his family winter in Florida. He had kids, grandkids an other relatives staying at the house with them. They were all very pleasant and Jacques couldn’t have been nicer! He told us we could use the pool anytime and even drive their 8 passenger golf cart if we needed to go to the store or wherever else we need to go. We never took him up on either. Now Korey and Kerry and their dog Gracie, were exceptionally nice! They made us feel so welcome. They offered us the use of their electric scooters right off the bat if we should need them for anything. We exchanged stories about the work to be done and the work they were having done on their boat by the same company, Dedicated Marine, and owner/technician, Chris. We both had felt a little frustrated with the time things were to be completed. We also took tours of each others’ boats and visited from time to time in between boat projects. Lovely couple!

Monday March 5th, following our arrival, the bimini was brought in and three guys started working on attaching it over our flybridge. It took pretty much the entire week for this to be finished and it was going to take another few days after we had to leave the dock to finish the enclosures. We were a bit worried once we left the dock, and got to the nearest anchorage, we would be forgotten and the job would not get finished.

During our time at the private dock, Kerry and Korey let us use their vehicle to provision and do errands. This was so perfect because we were planning to rent a car. We also worked on the boat and Rick washed and scrubbed the boat, since there was a hose on the dock and we did not have to use our limited water supply. I was also able to use our washer/dryer because of the same reason. I did not use the dryer portion of the washer/dryer and just hung our clothes/sheets etc out to dry on the life lines which sort of got me in trouble on our last day there. Jacques came out to tell me that hanging the clothes out makes it obvious that we are living aboard and apparently it is not legal to live aboard while staying at a private dock. He was nice about it but I felt badly that I might get him and us in trouble.

Monday morning, we had to leave the dock and move to a nearby anchorage, Sunrise Bay Lake. We were bummed to leave the convenience of the dock and bummed to leave our new friends. But, Sunrise Bay Lake anchorage is great. It’s quiet and not too many boats around. There are several other Catamaran’s out here, two of which we have met the owners. One Catamaran, a Bali 4.1 had a couple from Sandpoint Idaho aboard, Cindy and Jeff Bond. We were invited over one night on their boat for a visit. Turns out we knew a few of the same people. They were a delight and fun to get to know. They left yesterday. But there may be a possibility to bump into them again in the Keys. Another Catamaran couple on a Leopard 44’, Gino and Deborah we chatted with briefly and they were quite nice as well. We find most boaters in the sailing community are usually very friendly and helpful.

On Wednesday morning, to our delight and surprise, Chris and his son, made it back to our boat at the anchorage, as promised, and put up the enclosures! They spent most of the day, and it turned out fantastic! We are quite pleased with the work that has been done.

So now that the work is done, the plan is, at this point, to leave here on Tuesday or Wednesday depending on weather conditions out in the ocean of course and make it to Biscayne Bay. Our friends, Korey and Kerry are planning to meet us here and go south with us as well. It will be fun and comforting to have these guys to buddy boat with. It will be both of our first time sailing to the Bahamas.

Stay tuned… Our next blog should be after our arrival to the Bahamas. First stop Bimini! Thank you for following along.