Cat Cay to Miami

Amberisle2
Valt & Sandy
Mon 13 May 2013 12:25
25:77:98N. 080:15:178W
May 11, 2013
We left through the cut between Cat Cay and Gun Cay at 7:00am. The forecast was for light winds and waves and 1.5' SE swell. It seemed higher in all counts, but doable. The sky was grey and rain threatened. We set our course and soon adapted to the gentle beam roll. We fished but caught no fish. The 7 hour trip was uneventful, not even a visit from our " coastie buddies". In Miami, we headed for our favorite anchorage near Venetian Isles. Next we called US Customs to report our arrival. With the Local Boaters Option, a pre-registration system, we were able to complete this by phone. We also brought our Customs Decal prior to departing to speed the process. Next we called our kids to close our float plan. We activated the phones and called the credit card company to notify them of our return. The fuel truck was set to meet us at 9:00am Saturday.
Preparing for refueling was quite a process,too. First we lifted and washed mud off the anchor. Next we set fenders and lines for docking. Tying off at the dock we took on nearly 500 gallons of diesel. When done, we pushed away from the dock, stowed the fenders and lines, then re-anchored the boat. The dinghy required launch. All this was before breakfast!
Anchored near very beautiful houses, tour boats circle constantly, eager to explain the wonders of Miami. This is more people that we've seen in months. But it is not unpleasant. Sometimes we even become part of the tour.
We needed to get ashore to walk, so we tied the dinghy off at a nearby marina and walked into town. It was maybe 15 degrees warmer on land than at anchor, We were still pretty well stocked up on foods, but find it hard to resist fresh veggies. So we went to The Fresh Market and filled our basket full.
Back at Amber Isle, we watched boats and jet skis ride by. Miami is a water town and its residents enjoy water sports immensely. We hope to move west to the Keys soon.