Biscayne Bay Day Trip--Dinner Key Picnic Islands

Okay, this was less a day trip than, let's play with our dinghy!

We've been noticing a small 'key' right off the end of our pier that had some outbuildings and a brand new pier.  We found out that it's a public use facility.

So we dinghy'd over there, so excited! Get to explore!

The picture of the sign is below, but what the City of Miami did was turn one of the 'keys' made out of backfill from the dredging done way long ago in the PanAm days.  They've since cleaned up the island with help from local community organizations and it is for parks/rec facility use. HOW COOL IS THAT!
There are about 5-6 picnic areas and one large group spot. They are currently trying to rehab some mangroves on the shore line.

It's not very big, but they've done a good job and walking around is nice, they've labeled the flora and fauna and put some signs out for history.

All in all, not a bad way to picnic and spend an afternoon!

Look out over the Dinner Key channel and the mooring field in the background

Add captionThe PVC pipes are protecting seeded mangroves.  South Beach skyline in the background.

Lessons Learned...or how to fit a 36ft boat in a 60 ft slip sideways

Actually, this is a true lessons learned story.  Two parties are involved here. Both are at fault.  Let's start with the other party first because it's more fun!

Background on the situation:  It's the night before we have to leave and it's time to do that lovely chore of pumping out.  The marina has free pumpout, however, unless you are in the mooring field, they don't come to you. You have to go to whatever slip they tell you. (then fetch the hose, etc etc etc) All of the big boy slips have pump out at the slip, I hope they eventually continue that on to the entire piers.  After all the plumbing is there!

So we call in for our designated slip.  Cool it's on our pier. How convenient.  I get lines ready, Tim merrily steers for the slip.

Now here is where things go a bit pear shaped.  Back at the lake, we were poetry in motion, we could get that sucker up to the poop dock and tied off in almost any situation.

This time....not so much.

So, what went wrong....
Well, my intrepid helmsmen got rattled, not sure exactly what rattled him, but there were plenty of opportunities to get rattled.  So, suddenly he starts giving me directions on how to tie off. Approximately, 90 million per minute. Each conflicting. So, what happens? I, who can get rattled with a large noise...get rattled.  Abort first attempt.

Now. Lets cut to what needs to happen.  The helmsperson needs to maybe talk the situation through with the lines person, but way before the event should happen.  And said helmsperson should have a little faith in the linesperson that it might not be pretty, but he/she will get the job done.  We are all on the same team here.  So, let the first goal be not to have the 36ft Hunter wind up cockeyed in the big slip, especially when thar be $10 million boats on each side.

I'm just saying.

So, back to the what not to screw up part.  So we go for second attempt. The linesperson, moi, doing very well to keep her mouth shut and follow the less panicked directions.  After all, I am poop dock princess of the lake, I CAN DO THIS!

Except....I flaked.

Back at home, everything is done on cleats.  So, I's used to cleats. I somehow got it in my brain to not put the line on a cleat.

But I forgot to make the loop for the piling. Derp.

So, quickly I make the loop. Helmsman says throw it on the aft piling.

But. But. But. Honey?

QUICK, I need a spring line!

Fine, get it on the piling.....and we keep going, going, going. And run out of dock line (and it's a DAMN long dock line).  See, even I could do the math.  That's why ya need to trust the person on the front of the boat.  However, the person on the front of the boat better be rapidly assessing the situation and making plans and not standing there being pretty.

So, the end result wasn't pretty, but we did get the boat tied off.  Afterwards, over sundowners we talked it out, I think our next attempt will be so much better.  All in all, the pump out was awesome, it's one of those turbo pump out systems that empties the holding tank in about 2 seconds.

So remember folks, gotta trust your team mate, just a little....

The Pirates of the Prairie take over Biscayne Bay

And numbnuts here didn't take pictures, hopefully I can get some from the crew.

We had a bunch of friends from the lake marina come to Miami Strictly Sail so we scheduled a day on the water with them.

Theme music for this post is: What do you do with a drunken sailor....

So, it was a great time, although....
1) We almost ran aground.....twice.
2) We almost had a man overboard....in the slip.
3) We almost had some teeth knocked out from the jib clew.  Evidently the 'down in front' message wasn't conveyed properly.

However, we did have a good time.  Beautiful day, and we got to do a great tour of the Miami skyline and Stiltsville.  (Which I was actually sailing through Biscayne Channel. Sphincter Factor = 10)

Here's the few photos I did manage to shoot. C'mon, I was trying to be an adult here. We ain't in Kansas anymore, Toto!

Regatta of Optis

Please note that there's a serious blue can infraction in this picture.
The requisite 30 pack was BUD LIGHT. Gah!

Time for Sundowners. (and blessing the cockpit floor with copious amounts of wine)

The Legend of Tiny Dancer

So, when we decided to move the boat. One of my conditions was that I wanted to actually make some trips up and down the coast with it (cue in Kid Rock....NOW...)

So, thus, we should get a dinghy.

Not one to rush into things, my husband begins the great dinghy research project.
Hypalon vs. PVC?
What size?
What kind of outboard motor?
What brand is the best?
etc.
etc.
etc.

Mind you, this went on for FIVE MONTHS.  Rainman meets Forrest Gump, I know all there is to know about the dinghy business. yeah, definitely hypalon.

However, at the beginning of this madness, we got to actually look at dinghys at the Annapolis Boat Show.
Did wonders.

And then, electronic guru husband sees the Torqeedo. Laa aaaah laaaa. An electric dinghy motor.  Most recently Nigel Calder has sung the praises of it.

So that was October.  February the Mercury Hypalon 10ft dinghy and 1003 Torqeedo arrived at the marina just in time for our trip down there.

So, what does this have to do with Tiny Dancer?  And yes, I am referencing the Elton John song.

It all began with the Annapolis Boat Show.  Our Hunter is named Hemisphere Dancer as a shout out to my husband's Jimmy Buffett fetish.  (Hemisphere Dancer is the name of JB's seaplane) I liked it, it's pretty and not goofy.  God help me if he wanted to name it Parrotdise or something stupid like that.

So, my spouse surprised me with a boat show gift.  Polycarb wine glasses for the boat with HemiD's name on it.

However, when the spouse saw the glasses, he was less than satisfied.  Because he needs symmetry and eveness in his life.

So, he states:  I don't like it. The dancer is soooo....tiny.

Me: OMG. DIDYOUJUSTSAYTHAT?

Him: Yeah, what?

Me: Did you just say, the DANCER is TINY.

Him: Yeah.

So I proceed to loudly sing Tiny Dancer to the amusement of the drunks over at Pussers. Okay, they couldn't hear me over their buffoonery, but I did nonetheless.

So spouse says: We could name our dinghy Tiny Dancer.

So, that's how legends are born folks.  Meet Tiny Dancer.

PS-insert the seat BEFORE you fully inflate the boat

Oh, a man does love to play with his dinghy

So, she's a pretty good dinghy. The Torqeedo does the job, although I still would want a traditional outboard for longer hauls or if I had to haul ass for instance.  But I can lift the Torqeedo myself, something that would not happen with an outboard.

..ballerina, you must have seen her, dancing in the sand....