WE MADE IT TO STUART
8am departure from Marathon, Fl. Cousin Rick posed up on the bow of a gentle ocean.
As they take a photo of the Mahi Mahi they caught
An Osprey sits on a wrecked tiny sailboat
We had an incredible cruise up to Stuart arriving yesterday (Saturday) about 9am. The Gulf Stream, the Full Moon and the constant Easterly winds of about 10-13 knots helped us quickly glide north at arount 15 miles offshore. That's about 240 miles in 24 hours, an average speed of 10 knots. (the hull speed on my boat is 9 knots, so we were going faster than possible) That Gulf Stream is a great help!
We got the boat tied up to the dock and settled into putting away the travel gear: jack lines, harness, life raft, ditch bag... Going from a sailing transit to electricity off the dock and AirConditioning yippee! Next Cousin Rick got out the water hose and washed down all the salt water off everything. (during a transit / a big sail, crashing waves send spray back all over the boat. This salt water then dries and leaves a salty - sticky - slick feel. on everything.)
*THEN I went to the Emergency Room to check on a "little boo boo cut" on my right shin. About 3:30pm on Friday, 15 miles offshore and just south of Miami, I slipped climbing out of the cockpit and like Humpty Dumpty, had a great fall. My shin hit a 'sharp' steel deck fitting and it cut a pretty impressive swath down my shin.
Stupid Fitting
Cousin Rick was way too excited, and notably pleased, that he could "use his Boy Scout First Aid training" and proceeded with glee to inflict unnecessary pain to my already damaged limb. Rick cleaned and wrapped the shin and we trudged on toward Stuart. (this after a quick motor directly toward shore - and then back out, to get phone reception and use our 1 life line to call Craig's lovely wife, and nurse, Angela Yakel for a consult.) It was everyone's opinion that being this close to halfway in our trip, going back was not any easier than going forward. So we hurried on to Stuart to seek medical attention. (the Nurse at the hospital asked, why not go directly to Miami and get emergency care? Short answer - it would have been too dark to enter an unknown port, especially one that busy, for just a cut. Better to enter Stuart at first light.) So we sail on and continue to swap our watches throughout the night. (nobody got much sleep) Thank goodness it was a truly lovely night of sailing to help us through our small hiccup. Enough about my silly leg....
Finally at 6p we had dinner in the marina restaurant, Sailors Return, and met 93 yoa Mr. Angus who regaled us with many a fine story about EVERYTHING. When i get old and am 93, I want to be just like Angus. After dinner Angus invited Cousin Rick and I back to his 70ft motor yacht, Sentry, for a night cap and a few more stories. WOW how cool. He has invited us back to tour the boat another day. It sits just down the dock from me. (i'm quarantined in the white trash area of the dock) Actually i'm surrounded by multi million dollar yachts and look pretty small and poor here, but it's home!
I hope your legs are in great shape.
Lets all try to get better and stay that way! xo Pirate Skip
Lynn, the question sister just sent me a text: "Hey Dude, Did they stitch it? Give you a tetanus shot?" Great Questions - per usual - Lynn. Yes they gave me a tetanus shot. They washed, prodded, pinched, poked and commented about the wound. I had other strangers come and stick their head into my little draped off area to 'view me.' (One ER guy said, "Sir you have the wound of the day!" An honor i much prefer to have not won.) But NO they did not stitch it. We are working toward scheduling a skin graft for Monday. (it appears i have much more butt than shin and they are going to remedy that) So that's probably way too much about the leg? I apologize now because it seems this will be a topic of conversation for weeks, or months, to come.
