Rituals.

Rituals differ from family to family, person to person.  What some deem important, others have never heard of.  Nowadays, rituals tend to suffer the same ADD fate as may other things that we used to do.  Sunday dinners with family, going to church regularly, visits to grandmas house.  But for us, one of the constants has been the Opening Day of Trout season.

Rhode Island is far from the trout capital of the world.  Truth be told, most of the population is "put and take". Farm fish. Put there for the average joe to go out, put some power bait on a hook, and go home with a fish dinner.  Everyone feels like a fisherman.  If you can't catch fish on opening day, somethings up.

Some of my earliest memories, and some of my most memorable ones, have been on Opening day.  As a child, I was marched out on the second Saturday of April,  bundled up with layer upon layer, and armed with an old green Stanley thermos full of hot chocolate in search of some fish.  More often than not, the day was about 30 minutes of fishing, and then exploring the area, drinking my hot chocolate, and dealing with varying levels of cold from repeated near catastrophic falls into the water.

Almost without exception, the second saturday is a cold, clear, still morning.  Many years the water has been so cold that ice has clogged the eyes of the rod; sometimes freezing the line in place.

But, cold or not, the fish, and the fisherman return.  The small mill pond that we have frequented for the last 25 years or so sees the same visitors year after year.  Most people I don't know, other than for the one morning a year that we stand in close proximity, trading a polite hello, and chatting about fish.  There is always a guy who trips on the same rock as we wade into the water; another who always tangles his line in the tree overhead.  The people vary, but the rock and tree claim their yearly victims.  Howie Ogert, a local, has been fishing there every year since I have; and every year we chat briefly about the fishing, and about his deteriorating health, which has left him blind in one eye; and limited to fishing from the shore.  Tom Hopkins, of the Hopkinses for which the pond is named; comes by, but doesn't fish.  I often wonder if he comes by to see if people are having a good time in the pond his family worked for generations.  Even my father, acquiescing to time's constant march, has taken to using a walking stick; although we give him endless grief about it.

Opening day also gives me a chance to knock the dust off my old fly rod.  A 5 weight Sage rod, I have had the same rod for the past 15 years or so.  It has a small nick in the cork handle, but other than that, it is in the same shape since I received it as a birthday gift.  Rods, fly rods especially, tend to grow on you, and become increasingly more "comfortable" as time goes on.  I can't imagine not using this rod, and I don't quite know what I will do if or when the time comes to replace it.  The line is not quite that old, but certainly shouldn't be trusted past its yearly duties.  

The fishing itself is a pretty normal affair.  We always keep track of who caught how many and the most.  Is there any other way??  When the fishing slows down, our patience wear thin, and we start swapping out flies until we get another hit.

Truth be told, if we just kept fishing, I doubt our catch numbers would change much, but such is the nature of fishing.  There are practical jokes, usually perpetrated by yours truly, constant ribbing, and plenty of laughs.

The years pass, things change, and we all get older; but opening day will always be there.  As will I and my family.

The Sapona and Gun Cay

What would a vacation be without hitting some of the local tourist attractions?  I was never one to take a vacation and do nothing.  Sure, I can do that for a half a day or so, but the thrill of a new place for me is seeing the sights, walking the walk.

With Bimini, the attractions, like most things on the island, is a DIY affair.  There aren't many tour companies, booze cruises, or chartered boats.  The island still relies (for the near future anyhow) on private boat tourism as its main revenue stream.

The one exception, and one that is certainly a polarizing topic, is the Resorts World Bimini outfit, that is building a pier for their cruise ship to dock at, which may turn Bimini into the newest day tripper spot out of South Florida, changing the dynamic of the island drastically by most accounts.  For good or bad, however,  remains to be seen.

After a relaxing morning which saw a beautiful sunrise, we treated ourselves to a nice breakfast, and planned out our day.

When reading about a new boating area, I like to hit a few of my normal haunts for information, like thehulltruth.com, yachtforums.com,  as well as whatever google decides to toss my way.  Inevitably, you start to see a pattern of the same things come up, and you get a good idea where you stand.  Two places kept popping up, and so there you go.  Itinerary; done.  First on the list was the Sapona.  The Sapona is a concrete ship (as in, made of concrete, not carried it...) that sunk/beached in a hurricane back in 1926.   The history of the Sapona is pretty neat, and a decent read. But better than the read is the snorkeling!  Fish a plenty, eerie looking from inside, the Sapona makes for a great spot to hop in the water and see the sights.

Wild, right??  My brother snagged some terrific conch shells as souvenirs, and all in all, we had a blast.  

Next up on the list, after a nice lunch on the water, was Gun Cay, and its not so well known Honeymoon Harbor.  Gun Cay is a tiny spit of land about 5 miles south of Bimini.  It's uninhabited, and pretty devoid of structure outside of an automated light house.  On the North end, there is a natural sandbar that creates a wonderful anchorage, and with a small boat, you can nose right into it, and be treated to some of the clearest water in the Bahamas. 

Also hanging out at Gun Cay are a nice, very friendly population of stingrays.  They are trained to expect snacks from the visitors, so once you hop in the water, you can be sure that you will get a hello, and a nudge, to fork over the goodies.  Luckily, we had a few boxes of squid to keep them entertained.  In the photo below, my yellow mesh bag had the squid in it...  Can you guess who his new buddy was?

Once we got to shore, the fun continued!  Apparently, they really enjoyed the squid.  For the better part of half an hour, we were able to get to know our two hosts, and they allowed us to hand feed them, play with them a bit, and feel their undulating wings as they passed through water as shallow as 6 inches.  Astonishing to say the least.

It's not on any tour itineraries, no cruise ships stop here, and I think that makes this place just a little bit more special than many of the places that I have been.  You really get a great sense of the tropics in a place like this one.  Fantastic.  This was a day that I will remember for a very long time, and I'm very thankful that I had my family and friends there to enjoy it with.

Well, thats enough reminiscing for now.  Ill let you all digest this bit before we go on to our next installment.

For those of you who have been to the Bahamas by boat yourself, where is your favorite spot??  Let me know!

Bimini.

After a few week hiatus doing what pays for my boating, I return with yet another tale of exploration, of warmer climes, of Fun!  That is, of course, our first trip to the Bahamas (the Biminis to be more precise) by boat.  I have often heard people talking about running to the Bahamas, read about their trips, and seen the countless photos of Crystal Clear water and tropical towns.  Now its my turn!

I was scheduled to be working in Florida last Friday, so with some gentle nudging and a decent amount of planning, I was able to wrangle the family into my plot, and they all headed down with me to Florida.  We left Saturday morning, after a somewhat lazy start, from about as far up the New River's south fork as you can possibly hope for.  Never having travelled this waterway, some quick reading tipped me off to the many bridges, and somewhat tight channels that I was in store for.  Why does Florida love its drawbridges???

And talk about some tight turns!  There are a couple of hairpin turns that would give an F1 driver a run for their money...

Onward!  Out to open water an HOUR later (not kidding here, its an hour to get to open water... Shoot me in the head.)  Once we got into open water, we were able to stretch our gals legs, and with the 2-3 foot rollers, we had a nice comfortable 25 kt. cruise for the 48 mile run to Bimini.  48 miles, not too bad.  I had a mental image if it being much longer... but all in all, we were there in two hours and twenty minutes or so.  Of course that meant that the girls had a perfect nap break, which they took advantage of...

Once we got into Bimini, it was beautiful.  Seas less than 2', Bahama Blue water (which just doesn't come through in photos... ) 82 degree weather, and a light breeze.  What more can you hope for??

Gorgeous.  And what a feeling arriving there on your own.  I know I've said it before, but you really do feel like an explorer.  Its just you, your boat, and wherever you want to go.  No rules (well, some rules) no structure.  Its a great feeling.

Well, thats our arrival.  My flight is coming up soon to take me back to the wretched New England weather we are having, so thats all for now.  Next update, DIY snorkeling, and a nosey stingray!

A bit Offbeat, but Fun none the less!

It's winter in Rhode Island.  Its cold, dark, and we're all sick of it.  So, why not get everyone together, and empty out a freezer full of wild game??  Ok.  So who would be your ideal guests? Fellow hunters? Fishing buddies??  How about some of the biggest ball busters you know so they can heckle you all day long.  Yeah, lets do that!

Two of our close friends, lets call them "Chris" and "Steve", are not only good human beings, but excellent chefs in their own right.  Both work in the biz, and when they get together, it always makes for a good meal.  Through the year, we have had some good success in the field, and are lucky enough to have plenty of venison, wild boar, elk, pheasant, and duck on hand "to feed Coxey's Army" as my father would say.

Dinner begins, as many big meals do, the day before, with prep work, table settings, and sufficient planning.

Sunday was the big day... We prepped some more, got ready for a good ribbing, and started in on our 8 course menu.

Now, many of you have gone to game dinners, either for fundraisers or your own, and Im sure that many of you have your favorite dishes, but we tend to mix things up a bit, and really get some interesting recipes going.   Here is the menu rundown:

Apps:

-Terrine of Pheasant with a Cumberland sauce

-Smoked Goose breast sliders with Pecorino romano and lettuce

-Homemade Goose sausage with Caramelized Onions and asiago crisps

-Seared Duck Breast with Candied Bacon (yes... candied. More on that...) served over Johnnycakes

Mains:

-Boar Sausage over Rabe Broccoli and sun dried tomatoes w/ Gnocchi.

-Braised rabbit with Roasted red peppers and local greens.

-Venison Medallions with Local wild mushrooms and root vegetables.

-Elk Tenderloin with Brown sauce

Lets say we didn't go hungry....

A few of the dishes we served.  Top to bottom: Pheasant, Goose sausage, Duck Breast, Rabbit.  Starting at 1pm, we began with cocktails and cigars, started eating around 2:30 and wrapped up around 9pm.  Whew.....

As dinner wound on, we took a break from clogging our arteries when my Uncle, lets call him "Bob", decided he had a little speech to make.  

Now, to preface this, my Uncle is a consummate boater, but never got into fishing.  He and my father always go back and forth on this, and of course, whenever my Uncle is on the boat with us, we catch jack shit...  Especially if we tell him how good the fishing is...  Go figure.  We think he is a jinx, he says we suck at fishing.   This further played out while we were on our last trip with the new boat.  My uncle was expecting Wahoo and tuna to just start jumping in the boat, and of course....  Nada.  Great!  More fuel for the fire...  Anyhow, this is how it went down:

I wouldn't expect anything less... So now, for my first T-Shirt with the new boat, I have my "Knot Reel Fishermen" shirt, courtesy of these jackasses!  Priceless...  On top of that, another insult to injury, they decided that this would be a welcome addition to the dinner, seeing as how we were running low...

Oh, the shame of it all.  

Back to the candied bacon.  Candied Bacon....Mmmmmmmmmmmm.  Half cook your bacon in the oven, then remove it, pat it dry, and place it on a clean cookie sheet.  Brush with maple syrup and put back in the oven (say 400 deg. for 8 mins or so) flip and baste with the syrup as needed until crispy.  Its so good.  So freakin good.  Plain bacon is great.  This is slap your momma delicious.

I can still taste it... Damn.

We were so full at the end of the night, actually, I'm still full now as Im typing this.  What a meal.  It ended with basketball on the couch.

Some boat updates:  We are heading down to FL 4/3-4/9 for some work/play.  The play will entail, weather permitting, a Bahamas trip from 4/5-4/9.  Cross your fingers for good weather, because Im sick and tired of this New England winter.  Come on Bimini!

Bimini Big Game Club

Home

Now that it has been a few days, and the events of our trip have had some time to sink in, I can say that everything was fantastic, and I wouldn't change a thing.  Nothing at all.  Not even my botched dockage in Pompano.  Without an idiot to overbook us, I never would have met the folks at Sands Harbor,  who still are contacting me, and have become one of the highlights of the story that I recount to people.

Making a trip like this is a new experience for me, and one that whets your appetite for more.  Already, we have began to talk about what we are going to do next month, who will come along, where we will dock; and whether the idea of a trip to Bimini will become a reality.

For now, its back to reality.  Clients, phone calls, deadlines, cold weather.  Waking up early to meet expectations and live a sensible life.  But there, in the corner of my brain where I let my imagination play, is the sunshine,  the lazy afternoon talking with new friends, the salt on my lips from a long run at sea.  I give it just enough credence to be a reality, but not enough to engulf my thoughts.  Soon.  Soon I can let it run wild again.  But for now, I have to pay the bills.

Here is the inlet at Port Largo, as a quick time lapse.  What a beautiful area.

Negotiating

Whether it's people, new waterways, or products, life is full of negotiating. So is the case of Sunday's run from Key Largo to Pompano Beach.

After a good nights sleep, we headed back out around crash corner and into Hawks Channel. Pushing past the reef line, we headed east making 24kts. With little help from the current. 

After cruising a ways, it occurred to me that I hadn't sent a quick check in email to the dock master in Hillsboro Inlet, so I rattled off a quick note to him about just that.  Unfortunately, we didn't have much time to fish today, as we had to get Steve (Deck Bitch) over to Port Everglades to catch his flight out. 

Once we arrived into Port Everglades, I was instantly jarred back to reality and life with a hustle to it. Largo felt like the other side of the planet.  As we came under the bridge and rounded the corner to Pier 66, I instantly felt poor. Very poor. 

The remnants of the Ft. Lauderdale boat show were still there, and I was flanked on every side by 100' and larger yachts.  Damn.  Just then, I received an email about my slip in Hillsboro, saying "sorry, we had a mixup, and I don't have any space for you..."   What?!???  I called, and Josh, the dock master, picked up. I queried him on the situation, and whether he had received my contract and reservation a month ago.  He had... Ok. Could he help me find a slip? Nope...  A long litany of phrases and euphemisms then followed as I gave him directions to a spot he apparently had never been before. So here I am, 30 minutes from Pompano, flights out booked, and no place to leave my boat.  Brilliant. 

After some wrangling and sweet talking I was able to secure a slip at Sands Harbor marina, just north on the ICW.  So off we went, under many drawbridges I hadn't planned on, in a boat that I was unsure of the vertical clearance on ( it's roughly 26.5 feet, btw). So the adventure started at Las Olas bridge, where we passed under the bridge with literally 6" to spare.  Whew!  Then, moving north, we came to our next bridge which was showing 22' of clearance, so we had to wait the 30 minutes to the opening. 

Heavy traffic and a ripping current convinced us to backtrack a bit, so we shot back south, scraped the outrigger tip on the Las Olas bridge thanks to a rising tide (Grrrrr....), waited for some cruise ships to clear, and then popped a few miles north into Hillsboro inlet, and it's historic lighthouse. 

Once into Hillsboro it was yet another drawbridge, and then on to Sands Harbor marina. 

Sands Harbor is everything I love about boating life. Warm, friendly, people; good conversation, and almost instant acceptance. How often do you get together with neighbors, sit on their deck, and just chat about life and share stories??  

It's a great experience, and a wonderfully different experience from daily life. In my almost two days there, I met folks from Ohio, England, and locals who shared a wealth of knowledge with me, as well as a seat at their table for dinner. 

These are all people who decided to live their life exactly as they wanted, without the trappings of schedules, commitments, and 9-5 schedules. Just them and their loved ones. 

I may be romanticizing it a bit, but it's the way I'll choose to remember them.

Alone on Key Largo...

Well, actually, not alone at all. But, truth be told, the only thing I knew of Key Largo was the song by Sarah Vaughn (which is fantastic, if you like jazz). 

After a fun night in Key West, we headed out of the main ship channel to south, and turned east.  Making 28kts. we had calm seas and favorable currents. A quartering beam sea proved very comfortable, as we cruised in 200' of water. Of course, to satisfy our craving for fish, we stopped off on one of the endless reefs along the way, and managed a nice hogfish, a few snapper, as well as a dozen or so fresh ballyhoo. 

The ballyhoo were fantastic to troll with. I never want to use frozen 'hoo again! Nothing in this world goes perfectly, and our blue water trolling time was plagued with weeds all afternoon. 

Ugh. 

Turning north just past Conch Reef, we headed into Hawks channel en route to Port Largo, and our home for the night, Marina del Mar. 

To say its a narrow channel is generous. In fact, the westward turn at the north end of the channel is called "Crash Corner" and needs a radio call to get through unscathed.  We made it, however, and sidled into a nice stern to bulkhead next to the resort.  The vibe on Largo is very chill, with lots of divers and fisherman. The food at Sharkey's was very good as well, where we had whole Lionfish for dinner. Another first!  

 Lionfish are an invasive species, with basically a standing kill order in place to try and wipe them out and save the ecosystem.  Being tasty is an added bonus.  I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention the African Queen. As a Bogart fan, it was very cool to see this old gal still intact and in a preservation process. They are saving up for a new motor, which will be built in... Rhode Island! Also, there is a classic Hatteras there that is drop dead gorgeous. The owner of Hattitude certainly loves his classic Carolina lady. 

Trip stats so far, roughly 380nm run, average burn rate of 60gph based on the CAT displays, and excellent weather. See you in Pompano beach.  Calm seas and fair winds.