This years cruise began on May 28th with a fast run from Longboat Key to Miami via Florida Bay.  This was also a good shakedown run since S2 had not seen much action during the winter months.

I hired a captain who was also a live aboard at Twin Dolphin Marina to assist with the trip.  Captain Harry Schell. Harry has done a good bit of sailing including a number of deliveries and was most helpful on the trip.  

We began our trip from Longboat Key Moorings, where I had moved the boat on May 1 to have it closer and more convenient prior to leaving for the summer.  The original plan also included a number of day cruises and overnights with friends, however we only wound up doing one "Cocktail Cruise" during the stay.  The convenience was however most helpful as there were quite a number of trip to and from the boat prior to leaving.

We used Big Pass for the exit to the Gulf, an inlet I had not used for a couple of years and which I had understood was problematic due to shoaling, but which was quite navigable.

There were a few issues in route.  First was engine overheating on the starboard engine which caused me to opt for a stop at Naples, rather than the Shark River.  On every previous stop we had stayed at Naples City Dock, which could not accommodate us on this occasion, we thus found a berth at the Naples Boat Club http://www.naplesboatclub.com/index.htm  which was actually a better berth, with floating docks and a good restaurant on premises.

The overheating as it turned out was caused by a build up of various sea creatures in the sea chest and fuel chillers.  This problem was not supposed to exist on the Explorer due to the installation of a Zeta Rod, an electronic device which is supposed to inhibit barnacles and other sea life from the intakes.  Obviously this technology is not yet ready for prime time.  Cleaning the sea chest is a challenge as it is too deep to allow for hand cleaning.  The best that I found I could do was to chip off the coruscations with the end of a mop handle and then siphon them out with a hose taped to the same handle.  The chillers had to be removed and cleaned.  All this was a project taking two to three hours and a good deal of irritation. 

We anchored for the second night just on the west side of the Channel 5 bridge and made the run to Miami the following day through Hawks Channel.

We had reservations at Mia Marina due to no availability at Miami Beach Marina.  Mia Marina does not have a fuel dock and MBM had a couple of boats waiting for fuel, so, at the dock masters recommendation from Mia Marina, we stopped for fuel at Sea Line Marina, which was a big mistake.  They are not at all equipped to handled boats of S2 size, have a tight entrance and very slow pumps, it took 2 1/2 hours to fill up.  They also have a substantial current at the entrance breakwater.  Mia Marina is a better choice although a bit noisy and in the middle of a large entertainment and commercial facility.  No services or knowledgeable dockhands. (On the way back we stayed at Miami Beach Marina, which has more knowledgeable dock personnel, but does have a current running through the marina and Monty's Crab House is no longer in operation, only Monty's Raw Bar.  I would say it is a toss up on which is best.

The cruise began in earnest from Miami the day following our arrival with the crossing to Cat Cay.