Key Largo update

New month, new week but no new travels!  The biggest trip was Dan's bike ride to the Publix, about two miles away, on Sunday to get extra V-8 for a Bloody Mary party at noon on Brunelle to start off the Super Bowl festivities.  About 10 of our new friends joined us.  We are getting to know our marina neighbors easily because our slips come with a continental breakfast, and we have been enjoying that each morning, usually at tables with others up on the veranda.  The veranda was also the sight of the Super Bowl party where we had 2 TVs, 24 people, one 25cents a square pool, and LOTS of food!  No one was too concerned who won, so it was a pleasant evening.  We spent today icing knees, working on paperwork for the Bahamas and swimming in the heated pool.  This is a rough life!
~~~(\_~~~D&M

Roadside view of our location.

Our present slip right in front of the breakfast/Super Bowl veranda

Shopping trip

Still here in Key Largo

Today we have committed to at least a couple of more weeks here in Key Largo.  It is a very comfortable spot to work on getting Martha's knees a little stronger.  It is not a great place for antsy Dan.  He has turned half the boat inside out checking stuff (stuff is an engineering term for ???).  More work to be done.  We are just learning that some of our neighbors come from all over and spend 1 to 3 months here each winter.  Seem to be great folks as anyone who rides around in a hole-in-the-water-into-which-you-throw-money has to be.  We have been invited to a Superbowl Party so we are feeling right at home.

We have had great support from lots of folks as we do this trip.  It is always dangerous to start something like this.  Jay and Pegg have been great fellow cruisers and spent a lot of time watching Brunelle as we went north for Christmas and THE KNEES.  Jay's daughter Amy is our wonderful "remote" at home taking care of Maggie, looking in on Mom, and sorting the mail...and wishing she had not agreed to go north for the winter, maybe.  Many friends and CCYC (Chesapeake Catalina Yacht Club) members have cheered us on...of course they would not know what to cheer about if it were not for our son Sam's effort on the blog site.  He has done a great job while dealing with the blog "newbies" on Brunelle.  Thanks Jay, Pegg, Amy, and Sam.

A secret weapon has been Gerry Helldorfer.  He and his wife Jeanne did this trip in 1999.  He has sent many emails coaching us on where to go and where not to go.  He is the reason we are in Key Largo.  Today he sent an email saying, "A delay in your trip to the Bahamas could be a good thing.  The Bahamas are at their best in the Spring.  About March 1 the weather fronts are much weaker and they are usually gone from the Exumas.  The winds are lighter, so the water is even clearer.  The water is warmer and just perfect for snorkeling.  The days are longer and the weather windows are frequent.  Even if you spend all of February in the Keys you could still spend two months in the Bahamas and be home in May.  In May, it ought to be a fast off-shore trip up the coast riding in the Gulf Stream."  This email was a great boost in our morale today.  And Martha and Jeanne (who also had knee replacements this year) have commiserated frequently as Martha tries to deal with this.  Thanks, Gerry and Jeanne!!

Updates may not be too frequent in the next couple of weeks.  I hope you have signed up for Sam's emails when there is a new bit of wisdom from the warm part of the country.~~~(\_~~~D&M

Home in Key Largo

We are mostly set to move on as we said in last night's note.  However, Martha's knees have been more swollen and painful for the last few days.  We have decided to stay a little longer as long as we are in such a great spot (thanks Helldorfers!).  We will continue to enjoy Marina del Mar and Martha's knees will continue to heal.  We hope to head on within a week.~~~(\_~~~D & M

A shot of Brunelle in the morning sun in Key Largo...too much bright sun.

Key Largo again...worth hanging around!

Jay and Pegg headed off this morning going back to St. Augustine but not before we borrowed their car for a last trip to the local Publix supermarket and conning Jay into carting two 2 gallon cans of gas to the boat while we shopped.   We've had a great time with them and now we have to head on on our own.  A major change will be that we don't have Pegg's pictures to select from when we do this blog. We'll try to pick up our picture taking but we didn't today.   Martha and I spent the day organizing some stuff to get ready for the trip to the Bahamas on Thursday.  Working on charts, VHF licenses which we hadn't noted that we needed, and setting up for cell phone and texting to minimize the cost of communicating when we are over there.  We have really become spoiled by the air card that gives us internet coverage along most of the east coast.  That will change Thursday.  The blog will be a lot different.  Hope you will all keep tuning in and I hope we can make it worth while for you.~~~(\_~~~D & M

Still having a good time in Key Largo

Today was the beginning of the restocking to head to the Bahamas.  Weather indicates that we should go across on Thursday.  Jay and Pegg drove us 20 miles north to a BJ's and of course stopped at a couple of other places including the Candy Store (West Marine) on the way home.  We got back and put things away (including some in the dockmaster's freezer for pre-freezing).  Then we jumped into the hot tub for a while and swam a couple of laps (not really in the form of excercise) and then got back to the boat just in time for cocktail hour (CCYC Training).  Just before dinner we heard someone calling, "Spring Grove".  It was Doug Small of Doug's Lawn Service who has taken care of our lawn on several occasions, the library's lawn, and the PaHaGaCo Association lawn.  They will stop by for a visit in the morning.  Small world!~~~(\_~~~D&M

On the way back from BJ's we stopped at West Marine. "Yes"!!

A little time in the hot tub (even after the shower I can still smell the chlorine)

The boat in the slip just before cocktails with the Marina del Mar Resort and Coconuts (restaurant) in the background.

Still in Key Largo

It started as a quiet day.  Did some laundry.  Martha and Pegg did some exercises and yoga.  Jay and I hit a couple of yard sales in case there where any nautical items we did not have yet.  It was the weekend so we decided it was a Bloody Mary day.  Then we came up with the bright idea that we should drive (Jay, Pegg, and Martha) and tow (Dan) kayaks to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.  I think the driving went well but I know the towing didn't.  Even with my special polaroid glasses I was not able to read the water well enough.  Got to some points where I realized I was bumping bottom with the outboard.  I raised it one level.  Got a little further.  Sometimes I had to raise it all the way.  Then I was rowing...then I was out of the boat trying to pull boat and kayaks...then I was sinking into mud as I tried to pull.  Finally got there and learned I had violated all kinds of rules about protecting the reefs.  Luckily (so far) no one has thrown the book at me.  Once in the park Jay and Pegg had a good time with kayaks while Martha and I dopped around in the dinghy.  Martha's workouts are good for her knees but then there is the pain of the workout to deal with.  After devastating Florida's reefs I didn't need any more work.  In spite of all it was another nice day.  We are almost up to Florida temperatures.  Another nice supper on board and now we will listen to the music not very far away from Coconuts cause we are too comfortable sitting here and really don't want to go up and join the Saturday night crowd. ~~~(\_~~~D&M

Dan delivered the kayaks to John Pennekamp Park...barely.

Jay and Pegg had a good time with them.

Martha and Dan watched from the dinghy...

Not sure that nature approved of all our antics...the mangroves are amazing!

Hanging out in Key Largo

Not much going on today other than oil changes and other maintenance activity, a little shopping, Jay and Pegg played some tennis, Martha and Dan soaked in the pool (finally warm enough...in a heated pool), and took a dinghy ride...with cocktails, of course.  It was a very relaxing day.  Watching an old movie now and wish we had "African Queen" as she is up the creek from us. ~~~(\_~~~D&M

Changing oil and other chores and the smile was one of the few of the day!!

He wasn't watching all that Dan did but he was keeping track of his time on the job.

The African Queen is just up the creek from Brunelle's slip.