Irish Rover Shakedown - May 9-10, 2017

Karen and I took Irish Rover to the Titusville Municipal Boat Ramp for a brief but very important test of the boat.  Mostly we wanted to confirm we could handle the various systems, especially raising and lowering the mast on our own, just the two of us.  As it turns out, we mostly did fine, but found that if there is a stiff breeze, then I would have trouble keeping the mast from swaying side-to-side.  Now we've added stiff side spars to keep the mast centered when less than fully upright.  We also discovered that it can be difficult to prevent the slack shrouds and aft stay from fouling while we are busy in the process of raising the mast.  On this day, after two episodes of fouling, lowering and re-raising the mast, we recruited a fellow sailor to keep the shrouds and stay free while Karen and I hauled the mast upright.

Irish Rover and her tow vehicle, the RV

As this was our first time preparing the boat for the water, it was also our first time installing the bimini, stowing provisions, shipping the dinghy and motor aboard.  We were very careful and deliberate in everything so we took much more time than we expect to in the future.  All told, it was 6 hours of preparation before we left the pier and were actually sailing (OK, motoring) away.

Sunset, May 9, 2017

Thankfully, the weather was gorgeous and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset, moonrise and sunrise as we prepared our dinner, slept, and breakfasted before returning to the ramp to haul our new-to-me boat, lowering the mast and preparing her for our summer adventures and road trip.

Moonrise, May 9, 2017

Sunrise, May 10, 2017

Return to the Florida Keys, Curry Hammock State Park - April 29 - May 4, 2017

Karen and I decided we wanted a few days to just relax.  We had been rather busy all winter as we sold Kelly IV, then bought and refurbished a new-to-us RV and sailboat.  The RV, boat and trailer were nearly ready to begin our summer adventure, so we felt we deserved a few days to just relax and enjoy ourselves.

RV, bikes and kayaks are ready for a short vacation trip

As we knew that sailing Irish Rover would be more work than fun on such a short trip, we left our new-to-me sailboat and took our bikes and kayaks instead.

A large crab scurried into his hole as we set up camp

There were numerous crabs in our campsite, but we barely caught site of them as they rushed away to hide in their holes scattered around the edge of our campsite.  With a bright sun and stiff breeze, it seemed a good idea to raise our tarp over the picnic table so we could enjoy the breeze in the shade of the canvas.

Murph's old BSA trail tarp serves well again

We spent our first day just relaxing, walking the beach, reading, and resting.  The next day we launched the kayaks and paddled around the small bay nestled between Little Crawl Key and Crawl Key.  It was a good opportunity to test our paddle float which enables a lone paddler to climb back into his kayak in the event she/he capsizes.  It turns out to require a significant effort, but is doable.  The next day was our bicycle ride of 18 miles round trip to Sombrero Beach, a beautiful, long strtch of powdery sand beach.

Karen begins her bike hike

These shots don't do justice to the grand spectacle that is Sombrero Beach.

The path to the beach is a walkway to a blue wonderland

Sky and sea present a grand view

Our last full day was spent on a longer kayak trip that took us east past Crawl Key, out to a sandbar for a brief wading session, around a small islet for a close look at the mangroves and crabs, south to another sandbar for swimming and wading, then our return to Little Crawl Key.

Murph and kayaks as we return to our launch site