I went up to the helm with Steve to sail into the Dry Tortugas. I have to give Steve

Beach to right of Fort

We made it!

Lone Palm

Sign at side beach.

Another pic of sign!

Camping area.

Steve and Kayla

Camping area.

Steve at entrance.

The Fort

Fort again

Anchor at Fort entrance.

Pretty water

Entrance Beach

Plane flying in.

Coming into Tortugas

Just water

a tremendous amount of credit you have to know the extremely grueling task of sailing at night in high winds (we are in a 32 foot boat so high winds for us is not the same as a larger sailing vessel, we get hit harder with waves they handle a lot better). Your shoulders get so sore from constantly fighting the current and waves to keep boat on course and our auto pilot is not made for the gulf or rougher waters. I learned that sailing to the Dry Tortugas is a right of passage for sailors, esp in a 32 foot sailboat (the smallest sailboat in harbor while we were there). So we feel pretty darn good. OK back to entering Garden Key and Fort Jefferson. We sailed into the harbor at app 9 am into the sparkling clear green water, set our anchor waited on deck to see if it held and then we met our sailing neighbor Baha and his wife. Then we crashed after a rough night sailing. We woke up at about 3 PM and went over to the island to check out Fort Jefferson to check in. We met Kayla the park ranger and looked around the beaches, they have a salt water crocodile in the moat that goes around the fort. It is about 10-12 foot long. The sand is a mixture of course shells and soft sand. It is a huge fort with beaches around half of it. There is a key off of it that is closed for the Terns mating season. Another key that hosts a nurse shark colony and Loggerhead key with a lighthouse and it is a research facility, usually there is no one on it and the snorkeling is great. We have a Goliath grouper under our boat and they can weigh up to 300 pounds. It is about 5-6 foot long and it is scary looking. Like a 400 pound bass looking for something to eat, lol.  A guest at the key asked which boat we were in and the ranger Kayla said, “the little one” 🙂 We made taco salad to celebrate our arrival. Back to bed with the wind howling and the halyard banging against the mast, so soothing.

CAPTAINS LOG:

Good Morning everyone! I have been out of circulation and have had no internet so i am adding these posts in today at the public library in Key West. ENJOY! 2-6-2013

Headed out early this AM to the Dry Tortugas across the gulf again. There is a front moving in at 11PM but Steve says we should beat it. Steve and I decided to go for it! The weather was beautiful and the waves minimal so that was a good thing. We finally got everything in order on the boat and headed into the gulf. (i had to batten down my hatches some more before we hit the gulf). I love to see the dolphins they are always checking us out, sliding up to the side of the boat and looking up at us. They glide like graceful ballerinas through the sparkling water cutting through it with speed and beauty. We saw some with brown spots haven’t seen those before. We have seen up to 15 dolphins at one time( they aren’t easy to count so I am guessing). The waves are 3 foot + but since we haven’t been on really calm seas i do the Dramamine and Steve captain’s the boat. No standing inside the cabin, luckily i battened down the hatches and we have minimal slingage of personal items across the boat 🙂 The waves are the same height as the rough sea crossing before but less choppy and further apart. We saw a bunch of dolphins and they had little ones with them. They all followed each other through the waves like a little parade in the gulf. Actually they hung around us for about 10 – 15 minutes just swimming around the boat. I loved it when they would come up behind the boat and their heads would break through the waves in perfect harmony and they looked so awesome. Steve saw another sea turtle in the waves. There are no manatees out here but i do hope to get to see one of those before our trip is over. Steve and I were attempting to take turns sleeping at night but the gulf was too rough and he couldn’t sleep at all. I had her from 11-2 i had to have him take over she was hard to hold on course and i was exhausted. We stayed out in cockpit and stared at the sky for a few. The night sky is so beautiful , its like a blanket of stars covering us up.

Steve looked at his watch this AM and said, ‘WOW its 12:30!” Then laughed at me when i said OH NO! It was actually 8:30 :-0 We made our game plan and i headed out to do laundry and  get supplies.Got to wash room and only 2 washers were working and only one dryer. I said to myself this is gonna take a while. So i got out my computer and commenced to work on this blog. I am still at washette and it is 2:30 PM. Been here for about 3-4 hours. The mechanic came in put quarters in machines and they all worked!! Someone just did not know how to work them i guess. I could have used that info earlier but then i wouldn’t get to work on my computer. There is no service in Tortugas i am told so i wont be blogging or talking to anyone. Just a marine radio and an EPIRB. I met a great person named Kandi and her husband they were also on a boat. She was at the washette also. After all the laundry and Steve putting boat back together ( sea water pump) we put our final preparations together for the trip tomorrow to the Dry Tortugas. Have to get up early and head out. We will be out of contact with anyone for a few days. Down in the Tortugas there is no cell, no internet, and only the park rangers radio for emergencies only.

CAPTAINS LOG: Sailing is working on your boat in exotic places 🙂