Thursday, March 15, 2012

Caesar Creek Anchorage - Bad timing for leaving due to tides

Ann snapped this photo off the back of the boat - what colors!
After 75 miles yesterday we just anchored in Caesar Creek for the night. In order to make high tide for the western exit into Biscayne Bay, we would have had to leave at 6:00 am in the dark. We just were not up for that, especially after a 12 hour passage from Marathon. So with that we stayed another day and now we intend to go through the western exit at 7:15 am, at first light, just a little after high tide (since high tide advances every day). With a 1.4 ft high tide, we expect to see 5.2 ft of water on our way out.

The dock at the ranger station - our dinghy is at the far end by the ladder
The ranger station here has a dock for getting Hoolie ashore and a grassy area for walking the dog. There are also docks for daytime use of small boats since the only way to get to the station is via a boat. The anchorage itself has a lot of current but it's very well protected from the north and east. If the wind was from some other direction, you could anchor elsewhere in the creek for protection. For us it's a perfect stopover.

He's keeping an eye on us...














Today's activities included changing the belt on the Volvo engine (it was slipping), pouring vinegar into the intake on the Panda genset raw water pump (to dissolve accumulated salt and other deposits) and cleaning the paddlewheel of the knotmeter (done about every 3 months). You do pick up some skills, however limited, in owning a boat. We intend to sail on Friday to Marine Stadium near Miami if the wind really is out of the predicted east direction. There's no reason to believe the weatherman will be right this time given his track record to date but one can hope.

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