Nordhavn 47, Sea Eagle at Longbranch Marina.
March roared in with lots of sunshine and lots of wind. With small craft advisories in effect and 25 knots showing on the anemometer, we headed out in search of some protected waters for the evening. Filucy Bay, on the Key Peninsula looked promising so we cruised slowly into the weather, turning North at Devil’s head. The bay was well protected by Anderson and McNeil Islands and offered stunning views of Mount Rainier, perfectly framed in the entrance to the bay.
As we turned in, I spotted the small Marina operated by the Longbranch Improvement Club, with only a few small boats tied up. There was plenty of room for a 47 foot Nordhavn, so I decided to take the opportunity to practice some port side docking into strong head winds.
Mount Rainier framed perfectly in the entrance to Filucy Bay.
The marina docks have continuous bull rails for securing boats and anyplace that has yellow painted rails is public moorage. We picked a straight section of the main dock and slid right up, easily, with no fuss. I didn’t even have to use the thrusters.
Once the boat was secured, we stopped to chat with the owner of a Grand Banks classic and discovered that we’d both graduated from the same high school. It’s truly a very small world that we life in. As advertised, the view of the Mount Rainier was stunning and the wind backed down just enough as the sun set to allow the BBQ to work it’s magic for another exceptional meal.
In the morning, we woke up to an ice covered boat and frost coated docks, but the sun was out, the wind had died completely and I couldn’t think of anyplace that I’d rather be!
Longbranch Marina