Sunny and clear in Key Largo

Lobster tails ala Andiamo

When we think of all the things we're missing up north, 5 family birthdays, Oyster Party, Game Night, we heave a sigh and say "Oh, well, another day in paradise! Someone's gotta do it." We did actually do some work today. I did some cleaning and organizing below while Dan did the topsides and then he donned his wetsuit, got out the hookah and all the dive equipment and with my able assistance above water he changed the zincs on our shaft and scraped a few barnacles off same. He also swam over to Andiamo and checked zincs on their prop and bow thrusters. Checking the bow thrusters took him to the end of his 60' tether, but he made it.

After lunch we worked on getting the bikes out and ready to ride. Dan took a short trip up to Napa and CVS for boat parts and a watch battery (which didn't solve the problem, so we'll be looking for a new one tomorrow - - the two in the sock drawer at home aren't much help down here.) Betty and I then headed off on the bikes to ride to Publix. It turns out it's an easy ride with a bike path the whole way (I had had visions of us being splattered on US 1 by gawking tourists) so we'll probably go again soon! Dinner tonight was aboard Andiamo and we had B&B Seafood lobster tails - - someone has a bigger freezer than we do - - which were bought back in the middle of November! We are still waiting for Pekabu III to come up from Key West as Pete's quick business trip has dragged on due to SNOW, and sadly Sevilla is no longer part of our flotilla. They are still awaiting a transmission, and have decided they just don't feel ready to venture across to the Bahamas. We hope we'll meet up with them as we head north this spring. ~~~_/)~~~M&D

The hookah story. Lower left is the electric motor that supplies air through a 60' cord to a regulator just like a scuba tank has. Upper left is the remains of the shaft zincs that Dan took off, PLUS a little extra - some fishing line with a rusty hook that somehow got wrapped around the prop. Next is a new shaft zinc that Dan has to clamp around the shaft and tighten with two screws. There's smiling Dan! After finishing with Brunelle he swam across to Andiamo to check their zincs. They didn't need changing. Dan didn't mess with our prop zinc because we are waiting for a new Ecowind Max Prop which SUPPOSEDLY can be installed underwater, so he'll be back down again soon. The Ecowind is a whole other story for another time!

Back to Key Largo

I liked the reflection cast by Andiamo's main.

Another early departure - at sunrise again. The trip to Key Largo is over 50 miles so we wanted to get a jump on the trip. The anchor was well dug in by strong winds last night, but came up easily and we were headed out of the harbor before 7:30. Fair winds greeted us as we rounded the southern end of Boot Key and we had a beam reach ALL DAY with winds 15-20 knots. Two days of perfect sailing in a row! Some kind of a record. We were making 7 to 8 knots the whole way, so we arrived at the entrance to Port Largo Canal before 2:30. We decided to scope out the route out through the reefs with the sun still high and tracked our route for our future trip across to Cat Cay in the Bahamas.

Candi, the dockmaster at Marina del Mar welcomed us "home" as we took our slip right in front of the veranda again. It really is a great place to hang out and we signed up for a week (special rate) and hope it will coincide with a good weather window for heading across. It was my turn to cook and I made Jess' Tortellini Soup, everyone said it was yummy, thanks Jess! Dan plans to "dive" tomorrow and change the zincs on both Brunelle and Andiamo. I hope to finally get a chance to ride our bikes that have been taking up the whole forward cabin for months! ~~~_/)~~~M&D

I found that my camera allows you to "stitch" three pictures together to get a panorama view. The top one is my first attempt, I'll have to keep trying. We headed out this morning through the disassembled bridge and past these pelicans preening in the mangroves

Key West to Marathon

The sun was peeking through some remaining clouds as we set off 7:15 this morning. It teased us all day, breaking out for brief periods and then disappearing for an hour or so. The winds were out of the north and 10-15 all day and being that we were heading basically east, we had a GREAT sail all day. Both Andiamo and Brunelle were under full sail for the whole trip and it was a treat. We made good time too and entered the harbor at Marathon at 2:00. The temperature was a bit cooler than the last few days and we both donned socks for the first time in a week.

The trip took us through crab pots almost the entire way, so we had to keep a lookout for them. Right about elevenzees Dan ducked below to get a beer and left me reading in the cockpit. Within a minute I realized we were being approached from behind (I was sitting facing aft) by an official looking boat. It was the US Customs & Border Protection. They pulled up right alongside keeping pace with us and shouted across asking where we were coming from, where we were going and what our home port was. They also asked if Andiamo was with us and I vouched for them too. Dan heard me talking (to the waves or something) thought I was cracking up but decided to leave his beer below when he realized who was there!

We called for mooring assignments (as instructed) as we passed under the bridge that isn't a bridge (they took out the lift part because only 6 people live on the island that the bridge connected to the mainland) and found out that all 221 moorings were taken so we anchored just outside the mooring field among a motley collection of boats many of which appear to be abandoned. We took a dinghy ride into the City Dock because Sam had forwarded a package with some necessary mail items to us. We picked up the waiting package and decided to cruise around the harbor to see the sights. It continues way up past some small islands and there are quite a few docks and condos and a couple of small canals. We saw the Catalina 350 Arkeoo, belonging to Bob Klimek's daughter and son-in-law, tied up in a slip. We had heard that it was possible to take a small canal near the bridge(less) that lead to West Marine. We found the canal, went to the end of it, but found that there is nowhere to land because West Marine refused to pay for insurance at the assigned dock when someone slipped getting back in their dinghy and sued, so no "candy store" for Dan today. ~~~_/)~~~M&D

The sun had to fight clouds to peek through, particularly at sunrise and sunset. It did come out long enough to get a shot of Andiamo sailing by. (Note the bridge(less) in the sunset picture.)

Here's our friendly border patrol fueling up for another day. You can see how they had no trouble keeping up with us - four 225 hp Mercury outboards!

There were masts as far as the eye could see in all directions, but no moorings.

Still in Key West

Another front came sweeping in from the North last night and whistled about us as we bobbed on the mooring. The rain didn't start until almost dawn, but the change in temperature was noticeable immediately, we had to pull up the blanket! We didn't rush to get going this morning, but relaxed over breakfast and finally headed into the dinghy dock around 10 to go in search for the missing plug from yesterday's mishap with the dinghy gear lube. We also tried testing out the depth sounder that Dan had glued to the inside of the dinghy hull, but didn't succeed in gettng a reading. Luckily the nearest dealer from Johnson OB motors was right across the street from the dinghy dock and they had the plug we needed. Dan installed that and unglued the transducer to see if the glue was too thick or something. Without the glue the unit worked, so we'll try epoxy next time.

As we walked out of Garrison Bight Marine, Glen and Maureen drove up to take us to lunch at a spot recommended by Sue and Walt Dennison. It is called Hogfish Bar & Grill, and it's located on Stock Island just north of Key West. It was a great place with wonderful food and more atmosphere than -- well, just lots of atmosphere. We ate out on the deck/dock with all sorts of fish swimming around the dock and all sorts of boats coming and going. After lunch (luckily we had a respite from the rain that has plagued Key West for the last week while we ate) we wandered the docks in a light drizzle to see the eclectic collection of boats, houseboats and shore decor. On the way back to the dinghy dock we swung by Robbie's Boatyard where Sevilla is awaiting her new transmission and got an eyeful of their surroundings. Monstrous piles of every imaginable old boat parts mixed in with languishing yard machinery were side by side with million dollar yachts and several of the Key West Race Week sleek racers! It was easy to see why Glen and Maureen chose to move off the boat, walking around was very treacherous.

We arrived back at the dinghy dock around 2:30 and high-tailed it back out to the boat - - -weather was coming and coming fast. We made to Brunelle with about 3 minutes to spare. The wind and rain started again with a vengance. Dan had some work to do on our electronics and I had entirely too much time to spend on pictures, as you will see! Dinner aboard and a fun Skype chat with grandson, Ben and his parents. ~~~_/)~~~M&D

Here we are back at the Dinghy Dock with the Tin Toilet and now we see Humping Horseshoe crabs and Modified Motorcycles. Alright enough alliteration!

Hogfish Bar & Grill had all sorts of brass and bronze sculptures, even the bathroom was done completely in bronze, walls and all. We ate on the deck and the lower right was the view from our table.

There was a slight drizzle as we passed this well decorated houseboat. The sun was out for a minute on our return trip and the cat had found a place to nap and the jewels on the plant at right were sparkling in the sunlight.

Among the other sights at Hogfish we enjoyed the creative use of this piling and of several trumpets. The vessel belongs to Mel Fisher, a famous treasure hunter who has discovered many wrecks in the Florida Keys. We were told the large tubes at the stern are for blasting sand away from sunken treasures. Mel is no longer with us, but his dream lives on.

Everywhere we looked on the ride back out to the boat the sky looked ominous, it really took shape just as we returned to the boat (upper right). (Ray, these clouds are for you!)

Conch Harbor Marina back to Garrison Bight, Key West

We've moved - from the marina back to the mooring field. The distance (as the crow flies) is about a mile, but the trip up and around Fleming Island and back down to the mooring field is four and a half miles. We decided that we'd rather pay one tenth the price out here on a mooring now that we've had time to investigate Key West a bit.

We spent the morning walking around town a bit more with John, Betty and Kathy (Pete is in Philly on a quick business trip). We found Faustos Gourmet Grocery and were pleasantly surprised at the variety of stuff they had and prices weren't bad. We purchased our first bottle of Heinz 57 (now that WAS expensive) and a few other things. The guys were happy to carry our goods back to the boats while we gals headed for the Commercial Kitchen Store and Artisan Bakery. What a great place, made me sorry I didn't have a full kitchen to stock with all sorts of clever and innovative cookery! The aroma from the bakery pervaded the Kitchen Store, so we made a few purchases there also. Our entire morning trip was plagued with rain showers, but it didn't slow us down.

The sun came out for a brief period around noon as we pulled away from the dock and we made the one hour trip around to the mooring field with no trouble. The skies clouded up again as we picked up our mooring and the wind was whistling quite a bit as we took the dinghy in to sign up with the dockmaster. By the time we headed back out the sun was out and it remained so for the rest of the day. We might have been able to see a sunset today, but Fleming Island blocked our view.

We spent the afternoon working on the dinghy. We moved the motor up to the rail, drained the gear lube, replaced it with new lube (which included manufacturing a replacement plug for the one that dropped in the drink!) , removed the hydrofoil stabilizers (a dinghy guru told Dan they aren't necessary - - - we'll see), repaired a broken hasp of the bow locker, and began the long awaited installation of a depth sounder. We hope it will help us find our way through shallow spots in the Bahamas AND back in the Chesapeake! Dinner was just the two of us! It's been a while since that happened. After studying the weather, we have decided to put off leaving until Thursday. ~~~_/)~~~M&D

The sky was forever changing this morning, we saw a rainbow before heading off for our walk, and the sun trying to burst through these clouds was a bit more dramatic than this picture shows.

It was gray and dreary when we picked up our mooring next to Valhalla again, it's easy to spot unoccupied boats -note the white sail cover, green waterline and resident cormorants. The sky had cleared by the time we returned from checking in and I was finally able to get a picture of a frigate bird-one of Dan's favorite birds.

Unfortunately the warmer weather isn't making my flowers very happy. My arrangements were lasting up to two weeks in the cooler climates. I had to change the last one after four days!

Weathered in in Key West

What a difference a day makes! We heard from Glen early this morning that a transmission had been located and ordered already! Many of our CCYC friends back home were doing a bit of investigating on their own and found just what Sevilla needed. It should be here by the end of the week and the yard said they'd have it installed within 48 hours of receiving it. Needless to say their mood has lifted dramatically. They offered to drive me to the outskirts of town to get a haircut which I gladly accepted and while we were at it Dan decided to join me. We got both heads cut in less time than it usually takes one of us! Supercuts should be called Speedycuts. I must say they could also be called Shortcuts in my case - - - oh well, hair always grows out. While we were in the salon, Glen ran over to Sevilla to make sure the yard agreed that the ordered transmission was the right one. He returned just as we finished getting scalped and insisted on buying us lunch.

The weather today, first of all kept us from heading back to Marathon - - - 20-25 on the nose with rain showers, but also didn't cooperate with our evening plans. John and Betty, who have been to Key West before insisted we should all experience the sunset at Mallory Park on the western tip of the island. They talked about all sorts of vendors and entertainment in the plaza as crowds wait to watch the sun sink into the Gulf of Mexico. There was a lite spritzing at 5 as were trying to decide whether to go or not, but it didn't stop us. We hiked through town with only one wrong turn and arrived in plenty of time, BUT the view (and half the plaza) was blocked by the Ryndam cruise ship. There were very few vendors and only a handful of entertainers -a fire juggler, sword swallower and a circus basset hound doing tricks, but we decided to stay and watch. We soon realized the Ryndam was slipping lines and preparing to leave (they had a 6:00 pm departure time and sunset was at 6:10) so we watched that show instead. It was amazing to see the 720 foot ship push away (bow, midships and stern thrusters) from the dock, slowly back up, turn around on the spot and head off - not into the sunset (which was never visible, ship or no ship) but to the east without any help whatsoever. We headed back to our Marina where Glen and Maureen had dropped off a complete dinner before we headed to sunset corner and once again ate like royalty! ~~~_/)~~~M&D

Watching the Holland American Lines ship Ryndam depart from Mallory Park was quite a sight. I kept waiting for a tug or two to show up and help push her away and turn her around, but she did it all herself. You can see the stern thruster pushing her away from the dock in the center left picture.

After finishing my shower (they are located up on the second level of the Conch Harbor Plaza) I thought the pool and surrounding bars looked too pretty to pass up. No one has ventured in the pool since we've been here, it's too cold. I know, I know, whaaa, whaaa, --- we definitely are glad we're here and not at home!

Sunny Sunday in Key West

The storms last night brought through a front that cleared up the weather and today dawned crisp and clear. A good day for a half marathon/5K and Conch Harbor was the final gathering place for the 14th Annual Half/5 this morning. Very few runners ventured out on the docks, but the path to the showers and laundry lead right through the throngs of participants. Luckily things calmed down by the time we decided to hike around town on our way to the Margaritaville Cafe where we were meeting Glen and Maureen for lunch. Most of us just had to have the Cheeseburger in Paradise and found that Heinz 57 is really a little better than ketchup! Lunch was followed by a little shopping in the Margaritaville Store and a few other neat shops as we wandered back to the boat trying to work off our "French fried potatoes".

When we got back to the dock John got a call from a good friend who happened to be at the next marina. John wangled an invitation for Brunelle and Pekabu III to join John and Betty for cocktails aboard this friend's 72' Hatteras. The owners, Rich and Laurie Young, have been living aboard their boat, Forever Young, for 10 years. The boat was beautiful and spacious and we enjoyed hearing about their adventures. We may run into them again as they are heading for the Bahamas also.

As we walked back around the harbor, Betty invited us over to watch the rest of the football playoffs. We only made it through the 3rd quarter and headed back aboard Brunelle to watch the Jets valiant effort fizzle at the end. We had hoped to leave tomorrow to head back toward Marathon, but the winds don't look favorable, so we'll enjoy one more day here at "land's end". ~~~_/)~~~M&D

"Boat Drinks" being delivered to our table.

Our walk through town took us by many different types of architecture and interesting sights.

It also took us by this piece of prime property that can be had for a mere 2.7 mil! It's in the middle of town, no water view or anything, but what a steal!!!

This is Forever Young, you can see our marina's gas dock (the black arrow) in the background

As we sat sipping wine on Forever Young's upper deck we watched several boats heading out for a sunset cruise with throngs of tourists. This one was called Jolly Roger.