Fort Lauderdale Training

Last week we had the opportunity to set sail from Fort Lauderdale, FL down to Biscayne Bay for a whole week. We went with the Blue Water Sailing School on a Dufour Gib’ Sea 43 captained by Jaye. It was a great experience, we got used to sleeping, traveling, cooking and maintenance on a boat. And we were able to take away some great ideas for our own boat.

We showed up at Fun in the Sun Marina in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday the 7th without knowing what to expect. We showed up a little early and met two other students, David and John. David is a developer for a publishing company in Indiana. John is an accountant from New York with a passion for numbers and adventure! He’s skilled in scuba diving, horseback riding, flying airplanes and now sailing. David ended up assigned to another class for the week aboard “Gitana.” So our crew consisted of Sara, John and myself. Captain Jaye was our skipper and instructor.

After meeting Jaye and boarding our vessel “Third Wish” we were assigned berths and started by going over the boat systems and finding all the safety equipment. The next day we headed started on the ICW then out the Port Everglades inlet and to the Atlantic. We motor sailed down to the Biscayne Bay through Miami Harbor.

Most of our time was spent in Biscayne Bay where we drilled and practiced navigating. We anchored two nights off Key Biscayne, one night in Miami’s Marine Arena and once at a slip in Dinner Marina. Navigating in and around the marina we practiced docking and picking up a mooring ball, easier said than done!

South of Key Biscayne there’s a neat little area called Stiltsville with an interesting history. We charted a course through the Biscayne Channel one day to go out and get a closer look.

Once we got out of the channel and into the open water we happened to find “Gitana” the other sail boat out from Blue Water Sailing School. Naturally a little light-hearted competition ensued. Gitana’s crew had to shake out a reef and once done it didn’t look like we’d be able to take them but then they made a fatal error and tacked allowing us to tack ahead of them and steal their wind! Pulling away from them was a treat and they even took some parting shots at us in the form of rotten fruit directed at our stern. Thankfully no damage to our vessel.

Coming back into Biscayne Bay through Cape Florida Channel we happened upon a small fishing trawler powerless in the water. The family aboard didn’t speak English very well but Sara acted as an interpreter and learned that their fuel line had malfunctioned and they accepted a tow back to Rickenbacker Marina. We attempted to set up a bridle tow but it quickly became apparent that we needed practice with our knots. Captain Jaye had to quickly help us get them right and then tossed the line to the other boat where it was tied to their bow. After getting them to the marina and saying good-bye most of our light was gone and we took off to the Arena to anchor for the night.

It was an amazing week. Learning the ropes of a larger vessel makes me feel more confident to take out “Rose Anne” in the Spring and practice all that we learned. Also getting a feel for cooking and sleeping on the boat helps us to know what to expect. And of course meeting new people, hearing about their lives and working alongside them is I think one of the most meaningful parts of our time. We already miss Jaye and John and look forward to seeing them again!