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| Jan 17 We were anchored at Butternut Key. The guide book
said there are nursery sharks and porpoise (aka dolphins, we later learned), but
saw none.
The island had a lot of birds - pelicans, cormorants, snowy egrets and
mallard ducks. The water temperature has been in the low 70s. The next
day was such a beautiful sunny day we ventured
out into the Atlantic Ocean to check out a coral reef called Hens and Chicken,
a sanctuary protected area. There are mooring balls provided so boaters
need not drop the hook and damage the reefs. We really wanted to
snorkel, and we could see fish and the corals 17 feet below! But
unfortunately, the boat was rocking so much that we started to feel
queasy. We ate lunch and left. Jan 19 We have now arrived at Marathon, in the middle of
the Florida Keys. Yesterday, Sophal had to go for a little swim in the
water (temperature in the low 70s, air is 85 degrees, so it's not too
bad) . Earlier, we had tried to dodge a lobster pot (minefields of them here in the
lower keys), but it got caught on to the propeller anyway. We noticed a
line dragging behind our boat, so we anchored off the channel, and
Sophal went underneath the boat to cut the line.
We had been in complete solitude the last 10 days since
leaving Miami. Now back to civilization at Marathon, we took a slip
at Pancho's Fuel Dock and Marina ($1.10 a foot, diesel $1.39/gal with a
hefty discount) to do laundry, provisioning, among others.
Nearby Boot Key Harbor is a zoo with tons of boats anchored quite snugly together (some
would say without much swing room) , some even washed ashore or pretty
much sunk.
Jan 21 On the hook again... this time at Bahia Honda Key, a
little ways past the Seven Mile Bridge (Remember the helicopter scene in
True Lies?). It has a really nice anchorage
near a sandy beach (which we couldn't get to because our dinghy wasn't in place yet, but
were envious of several
going over) and seemed to be inhabited by elegant herons. It was so hot (must
be in the high 80s) we finally took the plunge and went swimming. The
sparkling water was nice
and warm and crystal clear. While trying out both new snorkel masks and tube, we saw
another rope entangled in our propeller, so Sophal had to once
again disentangle it. The man is getting good at this...
Jan 26 We have arrived at enchanting Key West - the southernmost point of the
U.S. We were anchored right across from the famous Mallory Square, where sunset viewing rituals are held
every evening, complete with music, and all sorts of entertainment. And no
wonder. The sunset was sensational. And the succulent shrimp cocktails and the
spicy Bloody Mary
from a vendor there were fantastic.
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Jan 30 We checked in at Marathon Marina, where we had
reservations for the month of February. Here, we saw manatees for the
first time. These creatures are so ugly they are cute. Many a time, they
came drinking from the outlet of our boat. And boy, can they
drink!
Feb 4 Our boating buddies Jon and Peggy of Island
Time came in today. The
following weekend, friends from our good old days in Philadelphia Halil and Engin visited us, followed by
Ralph and Domenica of Seabreeze (they visited Jon and Peggy, but we all
hung out together). We met MaryAnn and Stu of FireCat, Ron and Margaret of Bobcat,
hosted sunset and birthday parties on our boat. It was just one party
after another.Feb 12 As you probably know by now, sunset
parties are the norm in the laid back Florida Keys. The one on this particular
day
was special because
it was to celebrate Valentine's Day. All the boaters were asked to bring an hors
d'ouvres and to wear something red. It
was a perfect setting for a Chinese New Year celebration as well, being
the
first day of the new lunar year.
While Marathon isn't a spectacular town, its beautiful azure waters,
and the wonderful fishing are what attracts people to its pristine shores. Having
got our dinghy
motor fixed, we took it out to explore Sombrero Beach one day - the water is
crystal clear and the whole area is teeming with an abundance of wildlife
which include dolphins, sting rays, manatees, all kinds of birds - the ubiquitous
pelicans, cormorants and anhingas, egrets, herons (the budding naturalist
that we are). On another occasion, Island Time took us out to explore Sombrero
Reefs. We drove to Key West a couple more times, drove to Miami twice,
once to a boat show, another to meet up with friends who were in town,
biked around Pigeon Key, and went to a fleamarket at Pine Key(?). We found a local hangout - Burdines on the waterfront - that we liked
and frequented many times. Their fish sandwich was outstanding, their burgers delicious, and yet
prices were reasonable.
From Thursday through Sunday, there was live music performed by
local musicians.
Feb 23 A cold front swept through the Florida Keys, bringing
torrential rain at times and wind gusts of 25-45 knots throughout the
weekend. For 2 nights, our boat rocked and rolled like never before. It
was quite an experience. Despite the foul weather, the sunset was
still incredible one evening. The die-hards donned their raincoats and
gathered around as usual to see it, hoping to get a glimpse of the elusive "green flash". We think you see
it
anyway, especially after several drinks...
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