Wednesday, January 21, 2015

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE ROPE!

Yes, with boating there is the good, the bad and the ugly! This morning we had some ugly. First, the good news is we are now officially in The Bahamas, we have paid our $300 entrance fee. We can motor around in our boat anywhere we want for the next 90 days. The blues are extra blue and the weather is wonderful.

This morning we actually set the alarm for 6am. We needed to get fuel at Crandon Marina in Key Biscayne. We know from experience the fuel is much less there than in the Bahamas. Quick shower then off we motor. This is actually the sunrise. I don't remember the last time I was up and ready with camera for a sunrise. Beauty.


As we motor in the marina for fuel at 7:15, our props caught something foreign... and not seaweed. This is a motorboat's nightmare. As we were reversing into the fuel dock, I noticed a long black rope hanging/floating downward into the water. Yikes! I ran to Paul to stop reversing. We could not tell if this is attached to our props or just hanging in the water. Turns out it was wound up tight around the starboard prop. Not good. Here, yesterday we must have maneuvered around 500 crab traps floating randomly everywhere. It was like a minefield out there. Today, no crab pots but something terrible snagged onto us in the marina. This is the ugly!!

Paul put on a face mask and dived under the boat to start the work. If he could not get what we needed off we would be delayed because a diver would have to be hired (one with a nice air hose, and a good looking one I hoped). Luck would have it that Paul's cardio paid off, whew, see the ugly!!


Amazing what a small nylon rope can do .... Paul took many dives under to cut away pieces. Only a very small cut on his knuckle.



We were only delayed for about one hour. We wanted to head into the Gulf Stream and get to Bimini. It is always good to get here before 4pm so one can check in to customs.


Paul is happy to leave Miami area.









Flying fish everywhere, some don't make it to the other side of the boat! This one we discovered after we got to Bimini, I would have tried to save it if I had seen him flying through the air.

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