Keys Bound

A

Ainokea

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 23, 2008
Messages
184
Fluid Motion Model
C-248 C
Non-Fluid Motion Model
Boston Whaler 170 Montauck
Vessel Name
Ainokea
Keys Bound,

Hello Tugnutters!!!

Ainokea will be leaving her home port of three years and sailing south to the Keys and South Florida for a while. hopefully we can catch up with other TugNuts.

Cheers!

Frank and Cathy

Ainokea
R-25

MMSI 338124765
 
Frank and Cathy,
Man have you got it made! Maureen and I are just going to continue to support the Federal Government by working and paying income taxes along with our social security taxes so you can go boating.....

In reality, we are jealous that we are not quite there yet. A few more years and we hope to take on our "retirement jobs". Each day we think we are a bit closer and then.... we look at the financial news..... not good, not good at all......

Have a great trip. Watch out for the Manatees!

On your way back up the west coast, stop into the Shark River and check it out. I hear it is quite incredible to sit in your boat and watch the hammerheads swim underneath!

Travel safe!

David and Maureen
 
David,

Oh I am still doing my part and have some more years in me that have me tied to the Company Store. I have some vacation time and we are looking for a change of scenery and a chance to return to some of our old waters. Our game plan is a) no schedule or time frame. b) have fun and then return to work while leaving the boat at "X" . Then head back to boat and travel to "Y". Go back to work and when done mow lawn, trim hedges, paint house,pressure clean patios, etc and return to boat and travel to "Z". At this point it is time to repeat the above steps. I have friends in S.Florida and the Keys who have been offering the use of their docks for some time now, hopefully they were serious because... well here we come!

Having a full time live in house sitter helps take some of the edge off traveling. At least I know the tv is being watched and the foods in the refrigerator are being rotated and the beer doesn't go too far past its born on date...... :lol:

We decided it is time to get some use out of the boat.We have cruised the St. Johns for 15 years now and it is time for a change, though I am going to miss the convienence of fresh water and the solitude of river cruising.

Frank
 
Frank,

Jess & I plan on towing ILLUSIONS down to Fort Pierce mid-January and we will be doing a loop down to Stuart then through the Okeechobee , Ft. Myers then down to Key West and then back up through the Keys. Perhaps we will pass one another along the way.

Mike
 
Mike,

That would be great. I will post updates. On my time off.. I will be Not Flying..

Frank
 
Suggest Tugsnutters spending time in the Sunshine State this winter continue to post updates on their itineraries and whereabouts. Sounds like a number of us will poking around Florida waters. We're still hoping to hit Florida by early December and slide down to the Keys in January/February. We plan to be based at Marathon Marina in Boot Key Harbor and explore the southern Keys from there. Hopefully some of us will be able to cross paths.

Ed and Elaine
Bay Ranger
 
Frank,
I would sell that house! It sounds as if it is going to get in the way of a lot of serious boating! Sounds like a great plan though. We plan to do the same this next summer with the difference being we are taking Karma north to Campbell River in BC. I will be making a quick run up at the end of June with her (Two days). We will then moor her in Campbell River for July and August. We will spend ten days in July exploring the Broughtons and then another ten days in August exploring the Octopus Islands and Desolation Sound area. Then its another two day return trip back down to Bremerton over Labor Day weekend to get ready for the rendezvous.

This winter we are planning to explore the San Juans between Christmas and New Years. Then a couple of others along with myself are planning a trip to Princess Louisa Inlet the third week in January. While you and the rest of the SE contingent are exploring the lower SE corner of America, there will be a handful of the PNW contingent exploring the northern reaches of Puget Sound and beyond. It is truly amazing when and where you will find these Tugs!

To all of you spending the winter in Florida, have a great time. Maureen and I spent ten years exploring Eastern Florida on our Catalina 25. The St. Johns was an incredible waterway as well as the ICW. Sometimes we miss it, and then, then we remember the hurricanes...... Andrew was our first!

Travel safe!
 
Someday we will get up there to explore the PNW waters. I have only seen it from the air but the area looks fantastic. Just not enough time to do all.
 
I agree. I would love to get Karma down to the West Coast of Florida, the North Channel in Lake Huron, Lake Powell, Catalina Island along with the Channel Islands, the great loop, SE Alaska........ Not enough time in life to get this done. It was interesting when I was speaking with a sales person at the Banks dealership. I expressed interest in going to Alaska via boat. He had an interesting comment on that. He said "Don't be in a rush to get to Alaska, in your lifetime, you will not be able to explore everything there is to explore between here and there". Man is he right!

We will explore all that we can trying not to rush along the way.

Oh did I mention I also would love to explore the Ten Thousand Islands area of Florida.......
 
Ainikea and Illusions:

Lisa and I will also be in Florida and the Keys this winter and would be interested in meeting up a time or two during the winter months, I hope our paths cross. Our plans are to tow the boat to Florida some time during the second half of January, cruise the west coast and down to the Keys for a few months. Lets stay in touch.
 
Give a blast on the horn when you are in Stuart, I'm one mile north on the east side of the Stuart Causeway between the Jensen Beach Causeway and Stuart Causeway. If you need a place to tie up in, we can side dock you. A great stop on the way to the keys either for a break or overnite anchorage is Peck's Lake on the Intracoastal. Quiet manatee zone and the ocean is right over the dune. Another good anchorage is near Jupiter Beach in a manatee zone on the west side of the Intacoastal. Always try to anchor in a manatee zone, that way the crush of boats with no speed limits will cause no harm. Happy motoring!

Mike McDonald
 
We plan on launching in Ft. Pierce on or about January 23rd and staying a few days at Harbortown Marina to commission the boat and stock up. Hopefully we will all meet up at some time. Our intent is to be cruising until the end of March. This will be our first long cruise ( all others have been a week or less in our 22 foot C-Dory) so it will be an adventure to say the least.
 
Before I left my tow vehicle and trailer at Harbor Town, I would check the security. It has been about 12 years since we were there last but, I would not go off and leave anything there in the parking lot. I would also check on provisioning there. This part of Fort Pierce used to be the drug and prostitute capital of the Treasure Coast....... Might want to consider launching north in Melbourne or go further south.
 
A lot may have changed in 12 years. It received several good ratings on active captain and was also recommended highly on the great loop association web sight when I inquired. There is also a Publix and a West Marine nearby as well. Prostitutes you say, this may be a better adventure than I thought!!
 
Mike,
You are correct when you say a lot of things can change in twelve years. Way back when, we spent a night at Harbortown on our Catalina 25. It was a nice marina with nice facilities. It was once you got outside of the gate that it got scary.....

There seems to be a few Tugs down in the Stuart area which is about 20 miles further south of Fort Pierce. One of these folks may be able to give you a recommendation of a place to launch there. They may also be able to give you additional information on the Fort Pierce/Harbortown area. It would sure ruin a great cruise to come back and find the truck and trailer stripped and sitting up on blocks...

Stuart is a great area with many shops and stores. (We kept our Catalina at a little marina that was called "The Deck" way back then) It is also just down river of the locks to the Okeechobee Waterway.

There are numerous anchorages on the ICW as well as the St Lucie River close by.

Travel safe!
 
Okay, I will take your advice and look around for a better place. Anyone out there have any suggestions?
 
Harbortown is a good marina. I've stayed there with our big boat that we had and the Publix and West marine are handy. There is a restaurant and bar at the marina, but that is all there is in this part of town. They do have a fenced in area where you can leave your vehicle and trailer and it is locked at night. Not sure I'd venture anywhere else close by.

City Marina in Fort Pierce is nice also and all the restaurants and shopping are right there. Not sure if there is a grocery store around. Haven't stayed there much as it always seems to be full, you might call ahead and get a reservation. Great area though. No place to park a vehicle or trailer.

We have quite a few marinas in Stuart. Sailfish marina is new and nice, located next to downtown with plenty of restaurants and great shopping. Loggerhead Marina is nice also but it is a little further to town, a good bike ride. I have stayed there many times, usually a great crowd and they have a nice restaurant also. They also have a separate small dining area next to the pool for marina patrons only. There are marinas in Manatee Pocket also but I have never stayed at any as there pricing always seemed high to me, but the night life is great there. These are all on the St. Lucie River. On the Intracoastal just south of the Stuart Causeway is Mariott Marina, good for a night, Publix is just a block away. Its on the ocean side of the river.

Someone mentioned the marina where the Deck restaurant is located, it is fair but the docks are old and dated. It is a good bike ride or walk to downtown Stuart. As for any marinas that may allow you to park a vehicle or trailer, I could not answer.

As for putting a boat in , both the Stuart Causeway or the Jensen Beach Causeway have great ramps underneath the bridges.

Hope this helps.
Mike McDonald
 
Are you going by water via Jax or overland to Key Largo?
 
Towing from CT to FL and launching around Ft Pierce or perhaps Stuart, then cruising from there through Okeechobee down the west coast to Key West and then hitting all the Keys on the way back up staying on the east coast back to the starting point. Hoping to find a safe place to keep the truck and trailer while cruising so that will be the criteria for the starting point.
 
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