Day 187-189: Hanging in the Everglades

Day 187-189: January 21-23: We have remained in the Everglades all week, waiting for a good weather window to make a move. The Gulf has been riled, especially down toward the keys where we were planning to head. Also, Frank and Mona have been waiting for some valves to be delivered to the marina they are staying in, and so far have had no luck. They are not able to pump out one of their heads and need the valves to make the repairs. 

January 21: Sunday was windy and overcast. There is a pretty strong current running through the inlet. That, along with the gusting wind had us spinning around throughout the day. Too choppy to make the 4 mile run to town, John decided to take another look at the head pump again to see if he could resolve the problem with it running too much. He spent most of the day tinkering with it; he took the pump apart and cleaned it, checking the bellows for tears before reassembling it. He then tightened all the connections around the pump, hoping to stop air from leaking into the system. His efforts paid off. The pump has stopped cycling aside from an occasional 5 second run. I am always glad when John has a project to do. It gives me time to read one of my many books or research anchorages and destinations and plan our next steps. 

Sometime in the afternoon we noticed the boat seemed a bit closer to a particular point of land. It appeared we had been drifting a bit. We pulled up anchor and traveled 1/2 mile deeper into the inlet, passing by the Fleming that has been anchored here since we arrived. We were relieved when a person on the Fleming came outside and waved. We hadn't seen any activity on the boat and were wondering if folks on board were ok. 

The anchor grabbed immediately in about 7 feet of water. We probably should have moved into this area when we arrived here on Friday; it's out of the mouth of the inlet and more protected from the winds that blow off the Gulf. If it is possible, this spot is even more serene than our first. 

There are so many variations of a sunset or sunrise. Some more colorful than others. Tonight's misty picture was mysterious, casting a continuous haze, connecting the sky to the land to the water. 

January 22: This morning's sunrise was perhaps the most dramatic I have seen. It changed rapidly as the sun crept out of its slumber, saturating the surroundings with intense and breathtaking visions.

Strong winds continued for most of the day. Assuming the river would be riled up, we did not venture into town, rather we spent the day relaxing and enjoying the solitude. Some time in the afternoon, we noticed another Looper, Kim's Crossing come into the pass, dropping their anchor about 1/2 mile from us. 

January 23: Another glorious sunrise, another blessed day in our peaceful surroundings!

We started out, intending to visit the town again and meet Mona and Frank for lunch. As soon as we entered the channel it was obvious today was not the day. Even in the protected area, the dinghy was banging up and down on the 2 to 3 foot chop. One or two waves over the bow and I was soaked. Visiting town was not in the cards today.