Waiting to leave the Frozen North

Last year we took kimosabi to Florida on November 4th and brought her home March 10th. We came home for the Holidays and went back January 27th. We launched the boat approximately 24 miles east of Fort Myers, up the Caloosahatchee River at Belle Hatchee Marina in LaBelle. We chose Belle Hatchee because we could launch in fresh water and store our truck and trailer on a weekly/monthly basis while we where cruising and we could also haul and store the boat when we wanted to come home. We cruised back to Belle Hatchee mid-December to haul the boat out and leave it stored there mast up, ready to launch when we returned. Belle Hatchee, the land of Broken dreams...


This photo is of the Admiral and kimosabi in Smokehouse Bay, Marco Island in November. We had to fumeagate the boat because we had a red ant attack. Apparently about 10 milion ants came aboard during our short time in LaBelle before we launched...... So we spent a few hours cruising around while the bug bomb did its thing.

In February we met up with Fellow Fboat friends from Wisconsin. Here we all are rafted off (again in Smokehouse Bay, Marco Island) on our way to Marathon. Two boats are F-31s and the larger one is an F-39 (not what you would call trailerable - actually, it is, but in pieces on more than on trailer).

From Marco we headed south, stopping at Shark River. Here we did a dinghy cruise up the river...

Later, we found our dream boat in Key Largo...

More later, I'm sure...

Preparations for our 2008 Bahamas Cruise

Grundig Yacht Boy 400 PE AM/FM/SW/SSB receiver to obtain weather forecasts. EBay Acquisition...


Solar "anchor lights" to augment our Davis anchor light. the more the better... $8.99 for six on closeout at Lowes...


kimosabi has a "large" water tank at 18 gallons. Believe it our not, when cruising we can last 4 days on this tank. 3 Additional 5 gallon jugs...

Finally, we have added a Waeco CoolFreeze CF-50 cooler/refrigerator. See: http://www.waecousa.com/page.aspx?p=CF-50

This required the addition of an additional "power plant". Last year we upgraded our two ten watt solar panels with a Kyocera 65 watt panel. We found we averaged 15 amps restoration to our two group 27 AGM batteries per day. Because the Waeco uses 14-21 amps per day, we have added a second Kyocera 65 watt solar panel. When at anchor the panels can be placed on 1" "T" tubes locked in the unused stanchion bases on the amas for maximum solar exposure. When underway, one is stored on top of the companionway storm hood using deck mount hinges and pull pins. The additional one will be mounted on the radar tower using the gudgeons for the Garhauer motor lift...

About the kimosabi and crew

This is the trimaran kimosabi sailing off Fish Creek in Door County, Wisconsin. She is an F-31 Corsair folding, trailerable trimaran owned by Admiral Cathie and Captain Phil of Sturgeon Bay, WI, USA.





Although she has small accommodation for a 31 foot sailboat, we have equipped her as comfortably as possible to cruise.





We designed and built a dodger with bimini and full enclosure for additional space while cruising.





In November of 2006 we trailered to Florida, launching up the Caloosahatchee River and cruised for 6 weeks. Here we are arriving at Belle Hatchee Marina in LaBelle.




Here she is docked at Everglades City in March, 2007. We spent three months aboard cruising south Florida in winter of 2006-2007. We sailed from Sarasota, cruising the Florida Bay down to Marathon, and sailed up the Atlantic cost as far as Boca Chita Key then back through Florida Bay, up the Gulf Coast and then back up the Caloosahatchee River to La Belle before trailering home in March.
Here's the Admiral Cruising down the Hawk Channel south of Key Largo at 15 knots.

Then there is the Captain driving a little slower...

More later...