Anchored off Pumpkin Key
Trip Start
Dec 01, 2007
1
12
35
Trip End
May 31, 2008
Key Largo,
Florida,
United States
Friday, January 25, 2008
As the weather was perfect, it was an easy choice. We also wanted to stay out the ocean as long as possible.
Entering Biscayne Bay via this northern pass takes only a little careful steering to avoid the obvious reefs so we make an easy entry and glide over the powder blue waters. As the winds were light, it was a piece of cake. This was to be the first time we have had to be concerned about coral, but not the last. I figure two weeks in the Keys will be a good tune up for the main event when we head to the Bahamas in the spring.
By 1300 we make the turn past the big marker and easily navigate past the obvious shoals. Once inside Biscayne Bay, we continue south. We planned to anchor in the extreme south of Biscayne Bay and then head back out to the Ocean for a passage down the Keys tomorrow. The kicker is that yet another cold front is due. This will mean heavy winds out of the north and bigger seas.
Winter cold fronts in Florida/Bahamas are readily forecast and easily predictable. The wx will be warm/hot with southerly winds one day and then cold, ripping wind out of the north the next. Slowly the winds will abate and 'clock' to the south when the whole process will repeat....hopefully not too often. We had hoped not to see more than a front per week, but lately its been two or sometimes three.
The strategy to manage these fronts, is to anchor in such as way as to anticipate the wind shifts. So tonight, we look for a place with protection from northern winds. Its going to be behind a small, private island called "Pumpkin Key". We arrive there around 1600 and drop the hook in such as way as to anticipate where the wind will blow by morning even though the current winds were out of the south.
Pumpkin is shaped much like the orange gourd. Its small, but does offer a good degree of northerly protection so we set anchor about 500 yards south such that when the wind shifts we sleep well.
Tomorrow the winds and seas will kick, but we anticipate we can still go to sea with confidence as the wind and seas will be behind us. Having had First Forty in winds over 40 knots and seas of 6-8 feet, we are pretty confident that the forecast winds of 20-25 and seas 3-4 feet are well within safety and comfort tolerance. I say this mainly because we will be going downwind. Had our plans been to go to windward, we would likely stayed at anchor. A downwind trip in these conditions is usually a good day and can be quite exhilarating.
We are less confident about the way to get out to sea for the safety of the bay. We have to go via a small stream called Angelfish Creek. The challenge is depth. Its charted with only a 5 foot approach on the west end and 5-6 foot on the ocean side. The cruising guide says it will carry a 5 foot draft, but cautions captains to be very careful as there has been reports of submerged rocks and shoaling. First Forty draws 4' 8" so its going to be tight.
I would not have used this pass had it not been referred by one of our cruising friends Milt Baker. Milt is an expert yachtsman and is sighted in many marine publications as an expert in this area. Still I fall asleep hoping this is the right idea.
