" When Pigs Fly"

Faro Blanco Lighthouse

We’re blessed with liquid sunshine today so plans to wash the boat and pump out have been put on hold for the time being. While sitting here drinking coffee, looking at charts and weather reports I got to thinking about my first boat trip in the Keys. All the planning I’m doing these days brings a smile as I compare it to that first trip. At that time we were sort of living on the confidence that God watches over fools and idiots. On that first trip I was guilty of being both.

1992 was the first boat trip to the Keys, with my then wife Cheryl, along with our friends Dennis and Edith. We towed from KC my boat, a 357 Formula, to Dania, FL a trip of about 1,200 miles done in just two days. Needless to say I was on a mission.

We launched from Daina, Fl just north of Miami with the naive intentions of Key West or Bust. Armed with only a chart book and a borrowed LORAN from my uncle’s airplane we departed into the unknown. I could plot the Lat/Longs provided by the LORAN onto the charts but I had to stop the boat to do so. Since this was the case the LORAN wasn’t much use to us.

We found going from Dania to the Bayside Marina in Miami was fairly easy following the ATONs in the ICW and matching to the ones on the chart. After hanging out at Bayside for most of the day, it was my intention to return to our marina back in Dania and get an early start the next day. My crew had conspired against me with other ideas. They wanted to go to Dinner Key and spend the night on the hook. Leaving from Dinner Key to go on south would save the 2 hour trip back down the ICW. So out into Key Biscayne we go looking for Dinner Key. It didn’t take but 15 minutes for us to become misplaced, we weren’t lost since we could still see the Miami sky line and Key Biscayne lights. What we couldn’t see was a single ATON of any kind. Lucky for us we happened on a fellow boater whose boat had broken down. This was perfect. He needed a tow and we needed directions. With his guidance we towed him and his boat to the city marina on Key Biscayne. We spent the night at the marina and our new friend Joey explained how to get through Biscayne Bay and back in the ICW at Featherbed Cut.

The next day we entered the ICW just as Joey had instructed us and we were able to find a marina in Key Largo to spend the night. In Key Largo Dennis had to leave us for a few days and return home for a funeral. So the two ladies and I continued on south toward Marathon, and this is the part of the story that connects to the present. Boating in the cool turquoise water of the Florida Bay was fun. However it didn’t take very long for us to lose sight of the ATONs in the bay as they became fewer and farther apart. Next thing we knew we were LOST. This time we were really lost, land was nowhere in sight.  I turned to the LORAN but it had lost antenna connection so it was no good to us. To add to our tensions the weather had taken a nasty turn to the west and we had major rain clouds closing in.

Having no idea where we were I headed east knowing we would find land someplace. After speeding blindly east across the bay we finally spotted what looked to be a light house. So I headed for it  and it turned out to be a marina called Faro Blanco. There we were able to find a slip for the night. We enjoyed the rest of the trip to KW, back to Dania and then on to Kansas City safe and sound.

Little did I know that years later I would have a de’javu moment sitting on the back deck of my 42’ Carver. Harbour Cay is about ¼ mile from Faro Blanco. A lot of history has occurred in the world and in my life in the years that have passed since that first trip.  Hurricane Wilma tore up Faro Blanco leaving only that old lighthouse and a few pilings behind.  I have a different boat and a different lady. But for the last two months every time I look to the east and see that old light house that saved us in ‘92, I can’t help but think about that trip and how lucky we were.

Wind and weather reports are looking favorable for our departure tomorrow morning. We hope to shove off mid morning, anchor out tomorrow night, and make Dinner Key some time on Saturday. This time leaving Marathon, we will follow the magenta line that Garmin provides and finding Dinner Key should be the least of our worries.

See ya on the water