"2002 Trip - Part 1 - Protected Anchorage" Little Torch Key by grandmaR

For the beginning of 2002, I reset the GPS to zero. We cast off from Boca Chica about 10, and motored over to Oceanside Marina for fuel -got 22 gallons of diesel and motored out into the channel, which was easy to see in the sun - so no danger of running aground. There's a lot of wind, and Bob put up the sails and turned off the engine. The sky clouded over and the water turned a milky yellow-green. A line of thunderstorms was reported.


The line of thunderstorms went by about 1310 - I had gotten Bob to pull in the jib, but was not able to get him to put down the cockpit curtains. The wind shifted after the squalls went by and Bob put up the staysail and turned on the engine.

When we got to Newfound Harbor, we motored in past the Little Palm Island resort (only access by boat) where they filmed PT 109. Now it's a very exclusive place.

Bob wanted to anchor out by the channel, but we had great difficulty finding a spot with enough water where the anchor would hold. Finally a dinghy came up to us with a Favio type guy and his girlfriend. He was on a boat called CATNIP (an Irwin) that we had seen in Fernandina. He told us where we should go to anchor up by the highway, so we followed his advice and were anchored after 28.9 nm.

Sandpiper that came to visit us one night

We had dinner in the cockpit and a llittle shore bird came aboard and walked around the edge of the boat.

Jan 7-8. The weather was too bad to move for two days. The yellow and green houseboat that was anchored up closer to the land left on the 7th. The ketch with the blue hull and light blue stripe from Canada left before us. The yellow tri is still here, but the trawler that was here had also left.

As we motored out of the channel about 0900, we saw that a boat that came in yesterday and anchored down near the end was a CSY like ours named SIRENA DEL MAR, and we had some conversation with him on the radio. When we passed the blue ketch, it appeared to be aground, and was listing. I think they tried to cut the corner out to the channel.

Next stop, Marathon

• Pros:Safe anchorage on the Hawk Channel side