Wow!!! What can I say? Our training sail was completed today and in only 22 hours! Our best laid plans came to naught… we arrived in Flamingo at midnight 12 hours ahead of schedule, so not stop for a leasure dinner right? But at the very lowest of tide for Florida Bay, so off we go! We got a little lost right off the bat and had difficulty finding and staying in the west narrow channel. But we persevered and continued on without many and not insurmountable challenges. Arrived Key Largo at 4:30AM… so no stop for breakfast. What else is there to do but head home via inter coastal to Marathon and then into the open Gulf of Mexico. We cut a corner a little close and hit the bottom hard and broke our starboard rudderhead. Out in the Gulf we experienced the most and harrowing conditions, 25kyts 6-8 following seas. Forsafety we throttled back until reentering the back country at the Jewfish Basin. Home only 30 mintues away! We made it, very tired but we made it with an average speed of about 8 kts. We have a long list of upgrade items and repairs. We are in the countdown mofe towards the Everglades Challenge. See everyone at Fort DeSoto!
Cheers