Snorkeled at Grecian Rocks Today; Beautiful!

First thing this morning, Chuck rode his bike back to West Marine and bought the Garmin transducer for depth that he was eyeing up. We've been in a lot of shallow spots and our depth finder sometimes goes out for a split second and he wants to have more confidence in knowing the depth. It plugs into our Garmin chartplotter and glues into the inside hull of the bow, under the V-berth. That's a project he'll get to in a day or two.

While he was gone, I packed all of our snorkeling gear, lunch, snacks, towels and dry clothes. When he got back, we ate breakfast, then loaded up Bum's Rest for the ride to the reef.

The temperature was 80 degrees, the sun was shining and water temp was 75. We started for coordinates to see "Christ of the Deep" at Dry Rocks reef, but we were in 5-6 ft. seas, so Wayne turned around and headed for the Grecian Rocks mooring balls. Jazzy was a nervous wreck, so we put her downstairs as soon as we starting hitting some decent-sized waves. It was much calmer at the Grecian Rocks. After a few minutes, the the other diving boats left, and we moved to a ball that was protected by the reef.

Chuck and I donned our lycra skins and wet suits, fins and snorkels and jumped into the water. At first, we just saw sea grass and lots of white sand with an occasional fish. We snorkeled over to the "Danger Reef" sign and hit the jackpot.

I stole this photo from Patti's blog.

I saw barracudas, yellow stingray, needlenose fish, reef squirrelfish, yellowjack, and whole schools of fish, including about 40 or so parrotfish: blue, redband and rainbow. We saw all kinds of corals and sea fans. I took about 30 or so photos with my disposable underwater cameras. I hope I got some good photos!

We snorkeled for probably a couple of hours until I was too tired to swim anymore. Wayne jumped in for a few minutes and checked out the reef. We made lunch and ate before unhooking from the mooring and heading back in. We got back to the dock around 6 p.m.

Since we had such a late lunch, I cooked a sirloin steak and made us each a salad for a light dinner. It was delicious! We had cookies with coffee for dessert.

We decided to stay here another day and then look at weather to decide when to leave for Miami. Patti and I will do laundry tomorrow.

Took Tour of Coral Reef on High-Speed Catamaran Today; Way Cool

Chuck, Patti and I took the high-speed catamaran, Spirit of Pennekamp, out to the coral reef today. It's air conditioned and has a glass bottom, so you can see the coral reef. Pretty cool. We're going to go snorkeling there tomorrow and Chuck wanted to see if the water was clear enough to make it worthwhile. It was crystal clear.

Patti and I were inside for a little while and Chuck disappeared. We went outside to look for him and he was in the wheelhouse talking to the captain! He stayed in until we got near the coral reef and asked lots of questions about the channel we went through yesterday. Then he came down to the glass bottom viewing area. Patti and I stood on the upper deck for a little while, then went back inside as we got closer to the reef.

The reef is beautiful. We saw lots of fish, corals and fans. There was a lower deck where you could sit and dangle your feet. Chuck sat down there (see photo).

On the tour, we learned that an inspector went to 24 restaurants and ordered grouper and 17 of the 24 were actually not grouper, but an inexpensive Vietnamese fish that was passed off as grouper! He recommended yellowtail snapper as a delicious, plentiful fish. I kept that in mind when ordering my dinner.

What a different ride. It went 19 knots, about 22 mph. It felt so fast after being on a sailboat! And the water really flew up. It threw a big wake at that speed.

Wayne stayed behind to replace the blower that cools the motor compartment in his boat. When we got back, he was waiting for Patti to come to the boat so he could walk to West Marine for parts. Chuck went with him but didn't get back for a few hours. He was asking questions about a transducer for our boat.

I went to the gift shop to buy a few T-shirts (Sandi, I'm getting my shopping fix everywhere we go, LOL.) Then I sat in the cockpit of Sheet Music and read my book, with Jazzy on my lap. We both nodded off for a few minutes, it was so relaxing. The sun was warm and temp was 77.

As the sun went down, it got chilly and I went down to grab a sweatshirt.

We walked to The Fish House Encore for dinner. We had an outside table and it was set up like a garden with a big fountain and heaters. I had a couple of Coconut Margaritas (yum!) and the house specialty, Fish Metacumbe. I chose yellowtail snapper. It was delicious, topped with tomatoes, shallots, capers, fresh basil, olive oil and lemon juice and very moist. It was served with rice and a mixed vegetable medley. Chuck had baked scallops.

Tomorrow, we're taking Bum's Rest to go snorkeling on the reef.

Docked at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

Yesterday, Pam from Treasure Harbor took Patti and me to the Verizon Wireless store in Tavernier, which is right down the street from where we stayed last time. Patti and I had walked to that shopping center before.

Right before we left, Chuck decided to take a a dinghy ride and wanted to take Jazzy. She was walking on the pontoon and slipped off and swam back to me on the sailboat. It's a good thing I was there. She was swimming to fast, he couldn't row fast enough to catch her!

When he reached the sailboat, I put her back in the dinghy and off they went down the lagoon. She was fine until they got into the channel. When they got to open water, she freaked out and he had to turn around. She calmed right down when he got near land again.

Anyway, I mailed a package home and went to get a new high-end Global phone that I could use to get online in the Bahamas since my broadband card would cost me a fortune to use. They didn't carry global phones since no one buys them at that location. So, looks like I will have to do that in Miami when we stay in Dinner Key. I'm leaning toward the HTC Touch Pro 2. It's windows based.

We walked back to the marina, which was nearly five miles. Our feet and our bodies were hurting when we got back. I gave Jazzy a bath and combed and dried her. The guys were hungry, so we walked down the street to Chilli-Willie's and ate dinner. I had ribs and Chuck had grilled shrimp. Delicious. The guys had dessert. We went back to the boat and Patti came over for coffee.

We were up and at 'em his morning to ready to leave. We left Treasure Harbor Marina at 10:10 a.m. We were only going 18 miles, but high tide was at 8 a.m. and low was at 2 p.m. And it gets really low at Treasure Harbor. We saw 2 ft. 8 in. for a split second at one point. Another hour, we wouldn't have been able to get out of there.

We were in 2 ft. seas and it was very choppy. Winds were NE at 17-18 knots with gusts to 21. Our SOG was 5.2. Temp was 70.9 and sea level pressure was 30.2, unchanged. Water temp was 75.9. We were back in pretty blue water.

At 11:15 a.m., we pulled the main sail to the first reef to help stabilize us. SOG was still 5.2, but it was a smoother ride. At buoy MLRF1 winds were 14.3 from the East with gusts to 16 knots.

The canal into John Pennekamp is shallow and rocky, so we took it slow. We arrived around 2 p.m. The slips are nosed in with pilings that are made for smaller boats, so they hit around our dodgers. We have to climb over the anchor hold to step onto the dock like we did in Key West. Patti and I have to practice our pole dancing skills to get onto the dock!

At left, Bum's Rest in the slip.

I'm sitting in the cockpit typing this in capri jeans and a T-shirt. It's a beautiful, sunny day.

We're looking at kayakers getting instructions on the bank. There are boats and a big catamaran taking divers out to the reef. We'll be here a few days and will probably take one of our boats out to snorkel the reef.

Patti is making lasagna tonight for dinner. There's a good seafood restaurant near here, so we may go there tomorrow.

Treasure Harbor Marina near Islamorada with Electric and a Dock

Oh, it's so nice to have electric and be at a dock after three weeks on a mooring ball! We got a late start this morning and couldn't make it to John Pennycamp State Park, so we tucked in at Treasure Harbor Marina in Islamorada. It's at the other end of the island from where we stayed before.

Winds were 18-23 knots when the alarm went off at 7 a.m. We got ready to leave, lifting the motor off the dinghy and onto the motor mount on the sailboat. I secured everything down below while Chuck got things ready outside. We were ready to go by 8:45 a.m., but Wayne was off in the dinghy. He returned and lifted the motor off his dinghy and we were on our way at 9:15 a.m.

We left Boot Key Harbor through Sister's Creek, which takes you right out to the ocean. Winds were 17 knots. It was a little shallow getting through the channel. We saw 3 ft. 8 in. at one point! Our SOG was 6.5-7.2.

At left, some of the home on Sister's Creek.

At 11:30 a.m., SOG was 5.5-6 and winds were 19 knots. We motor sailed with a reefed main. We tried the jib, but pulled it right back in. It was sunny and beautiful on the water, although chilly. Temperature was 61. We were heeling 15 degrees. I had on a sweatshirt b/c I was under the dodger. Chuck wore a pea coat. It was cooler at the helm.

This is where Sister's Creek meets the ocean. There's a beautiful little beach that we went to there with Chuck's sister, Doreen, when she came down to visit right before Christmas.

Sea level pressure increased one degree to 30.2. We motorsailed through Hawk's Channel, passing Grassy Key, Duck Key, Long Key Viaduct, Long Key, Channel Five, Channel Two, Lower Metacumbe Key, Upper Metacumbe Key, Islamorada and Windley Key. As the water got shallower, to 22 ft., it turned a beautiful blue. Winds increased to 20-22 knots from the NE and seas were 2-3 ft. Eventually, we pulled out the main past the reef. The dodger paid for itself today, saving us from getting wet many times.

At noon, I went down and grab what I needed to make lunch:  roast beef sandwiches with lettuce, tomato and onion with a handful of chips. It was really choppy and I took everything outside to make lunch. I couldn't stay below long. Later in the afternoon, winds were 17 knots and we were heeling 20 degrees. I was reading a novel in between helping Chuck look for crab traps. There were lots of them!

I put Jazzy's life jacket on her and took her outside for some air. I was afraid she would get sick from the choppy seas. She crawled under my sweatshirt and stayed there for a while to keep warm.

We tried to pull the jib out again, but it put us too far up into the wind, so we pulled it back in.

See how blue the water is in this photo of the captain?

We arrived at Treasure Harbor Marina around 4:15 p.m.  It's at the end of a narrow lagoon. The entrance is shallow and it looks like you're going to the back of someone's house (see photo).

There's already talk about maybe staying another day. I need to find a Verizon Wireless store. One of the locals told me there's one two miles down the road. I'll walk there tomorrow if we stay.

Most Provisioning Done; John Pennycamp Tomorrow!

We're leaving Marathon tomorrow to stay in John Pennycamp State Park. We're looking forward to being at a dock for a little while and not having to take a dinghy to shore! Right now, the winds are whistling and the boat is rocking and rolling. But winds are supposed to be 15 knots in the morning, so we'll see!

Yesterday, Patti and I walked to Publix and took a taxi LOADED with groceries to get ready for our crossing. The boats are sitting lower in the water now! We came back and disposed of all the boxes and put everything in ziploc bags, both for freshness and space. I wish someone had a camera to take a photo of us in the dinghy. Chuck and I barely fit with all the groceries. We each sat on a pontoon and the dinghy was overflowing with groceries.

We're loaded with staples, canned goods, pasta, rice, canned meats and fruits and lots more. We just need to pick up a few things at the last minute and we'll restock the freezers right before we head to the Bahamas.

Last night we went to Dockside for dinner. There was a band, Florida Straits, playing and they were pretty good for only three pieces. Of course, Chuck said they needed a keyboard player. There was a drummer, lead guitarist and bass player. Only the lead guitarist sang. They were amazingly good for their size. They played Doobie Brothers, ZZ Top, blues and Jimmy Buffett...a little bit of everything. Hmmm, maybe it was the Bahama Mamas I had. Chuck faced the TV to watch the football game and I enjoyed the band. Everybody was happy.

Today was laundry day. I had four loads. Patti only had two. I took Jazzy with me and we were four hours getting laundry done and just as I called for Chuck to pick us up, the sky turned black and it poured! About a half hour later, it stopped and he came to get us in the dinghy. He no sooner hooked the dinghy line and it started pouring again, so he waited with us for another 30 minutes or so. So Jazzy and I were at the laundry room for a total of five hours. Good conversation with other boaters but not my idea of a fun day!

Tonight Patti served cheeseburgers with homemade potato salad and chips. Pudding with cool whip for dessert. Nothing like a good, juicy burger once in a while. Delicious.

Tomorrow morning we have to pull the motor back onto the sailboat and hook up the dinghy for traveling. Chuck hooked his bicycle onto the inside of the starboard aft railing.

I think we hope to be on the water by 8:30 a.m. Wayne will take Sailor to shore, then take his motor off. It's about a 50 mile day on the water tomorrow. Destination: John Pennycamp State Park. We plan to spend some time there snorkeling, then work our way back to Dinner Key/Miami for a weather window to cross.

I need to find a Verizon Wireless store in Miami to get a Blackberry. The woman I dealt with at Hamilton Mall gave me misinformation and when I called to increase my broadband card to a global plan, I was told that if I had used my broadband card this month in the Bahamas, my bill would have been $55,148! That's not a typo. More than $55,000 dollars to be online. And they don't give credit for not knowing how it works there. She told me some poor soul just returned from a vacation and only checked his e-mail five times on his trip, for just 10-15 minutes each time. His bill was over $10,000 and he was stuck having to pay it!

So my new phone I got in August won't work there. I can't afford to use the broadband card there. That gives me two options to be able to stay online and pay my bills:  rely on hot spots to piggyback on someone else's connection or get a Blackberry with a global data plan for $69.95 a month. This according to the Global Support Team rep at VZW. I'd rather get the Blackberry, which I wanted anyway, to be sure my bills get paid on time. Then I'll still be able to keep in touch with our kids and grandkids and my Facebook friends.

Hopefully,  I'll have some photos tomorrow.

Beautiful Day of Sailing with Billy & Chrissy

We finally got to take Billy Kerstetter and his girlfriend, Chrissy, sailing today. It was 83 degrees and sunny and the water was a beautiful blue. Winds were 10-14 knots and seas were 1-2 ft. with an occasional 3 ft. wave. We left our mooring around 10:30 a.m. and they had to be back for an appointment at 3 p.m., so we hooked back on the mooring around 2:30 p.m.
We saw a turtle swimming in Hawks Channel. No dolphins today.

It was so strange going out and seeing green water, then there was like a line in the water and it turned this beautiful blue. I've never seen anything like it! (see photo)

We started the day with a phone call for an emergency pumpout. The head was full and we didn't want to go sailing until it was pumped out. They couldn't guarantee that the pumpout boat would be here in time, so Chuck went out and found Sean the pumpout guy and gave him a $10 tip and asked him to come right over.

Only 7 gallons would pumpout, so we need to go get some vinegar to help break it up. (See Maryann, it's not all fub stuff!) We have a 13 gal. holding tank. That's part of the problem being on a mooring ball. No pressured hose to pump fresh water in to help clean it out. I pumped some in through the head, but it needs more than that.

Anyway, while we were out sailing Jazzy got seasick. That's only happened once before when it was rough. Poor thing! I put her life jacket on and held her outside to get air in her face and she came around.

Billy took the helm for most of the day. Chrissy even took the helm for a little while. It was good to see them again. They are going to try to catch up with us on Sunday and bring us some fish! Yum.

We took them in the dinghy back to the marina and while we were on our way, Patti text me to come to Noble House a 36 ft. Gozzard, where they were visiting with Dennis and Barbara. They are the couple that we went to Fiesta Key campground with a few weeks ago. Nice couple. They have a golden retriever, Abby, who is 10 and a sweetheart.

So we said our goodbyes and headed over to Noble House for wine and munchies. Their boat is beautiful. I fell in love immediately. They have a 12 ft. beam and you could dance in the center of their boat. It is all open and beautiful wood. And it's for sale! It has a 5 ft. draft. No air conditioning. New motor and lots of new equipment. It's really a beauty. If only...

Patti is cooking dinner tonight. We're heading over there at 7 p.m. I believe we're going to provision the boat for our crossing to the Bahamas tomorrow. We'll walk to KMart, then Publix. I'll have to lure Chuck into going with us and taking the KMart goods back to the boat while we shop at Publix!

We'll be heading out of here in a few days to John Pennycamp State Park to snorkel for a day or two, then head to the Miami area to wait for a weather window to cross.

We Sailed Today! Back on the Mooring Ball

We hooked the dinghy onto the mooring ball and went sailing today. Weather was in the mid to high 60s. It was sunny for the first part of the day. We left around 11 a.m. and it was beautiful in Hawks Channel, Marathon. It was my kind of day...winds were 8-12 knots. Seas were 1-2 ft. It was beautiful. I forgot how blue and beautiful the water is here.

Around 3 p.m. the sun went in and it was very overcast and nasty. It got cold and Chuck threw his pea coat on with his shorts so I had to snap this photo. We started our way back in to Boot Key Harbor.

Patti and Wayne were meeting his high school friends Jim and Linda for dinner at Dockside. We hooked back on the mooring ball around 4:20 p.m. as they were leaving. Chuck took a shower on the boat and we joined them for a few drinks and dinner.

Tomorrow, Wayne and Patti are taking them sailing. I'm planning on taking Jazzy for a walk, then walking to Publix for exercise and a few groceries.

Bum's Rest as we came back into the harbor. Patti was talking on her cell phone.

In Boot Key Harbor for Another Week; Weather Not Cooperating

The weather is not cooperating for crossing to the Bahamas, so we're hanging out in Boot Key Harbor, Marathon, for another week. Or the best part of it, anyway. It's as good a place as any to be and you can't beat the price. Only problem is, you have to take the dinghy to get off the boat. But we're used to that at this point. Chuck and I bought Boot Key Harbor shirts. They're pretty neat...they have a drawing of the harbor on the back.

Weather is mid to high 60s today. I sat on the foredeck and read a Nora Roberts novel. I was wearing cropped jeans and a T-shirt and was a little chilly, so put on a sweatshirt. Jazzy laid next to me in her little life jacket. I read two Danielle Steel novels in the past week. It's great to have time to read. While I was outside, Chuck got out his keyboard and played a few tunes. I opened the hatch so I could enjoy it outside.

Chuck broke his little toe on his left foot yesterday. The man who never goes without shoes went on deck shoeless yesterday to do a few things and jammed his toe, twice. It's black and blue today. They don't do anything for a broken toe anyway, so he won't get it looked at.

Saturday, after a day of doing laundry, we went to Key Fisheries for Happy Hour, 5-7 p.m. We had a few drinks and a dozen stone crab claws at the bar, then went downstairs to the restaurant for lobster. I had a whole grilled lobster with mashed potatoes and veggies. Delicious. Chuck had broiled lobster tail.

Last night I cooked steak, baked potatoes and asparagus for dinner. Tonight Patti made salad and cooked shrimp and spaghetti. She made mint brownies in her oven and added pudding and cool whip to it for dessert. Yum.

We're hoping to go sailing tomorrow. The boat hasn't moved in nearly three weeks. I'm getting antsy. I was hoping to be in the Bahamas by now.

Finally Warming Up in Marathon! Mid-70s Today

It's finally warming up in Marathon! Yay! No generator for heat this morning, just to run the coffee pot and charge the batteries. What a welcome change.

Patti and I took Jazzy on a walk to Publix and KMart. While Patti was shopping in KMart, I walked another tenth of a mile to the Pet Store and bought liver treats for Jazzy. She's finally getting better at walking on a leash. We were sorry that we didn't put our capris and sandals on...the weather was perfect for them and we were hot and sweaty, but thought we shouldn't complain. It felt good!

We got back around 3 p.m. and called Chuck to pick us up in the dinghy. I packed the ingredients I needed to make homemade peach cobbler with beautiful peaches I bought the other day. Then we went to Bum's Rest and the guys went to a talk at West Marine on Offshore Energy Management. They signed up for it earlier in the week. Close to 100 people attended.

While they were at WM, I made the peach cobbler and then Patti and I munched on Tostitos Scoops and Bruschetta. That was our lunch. It's a good thing we did...the guys didn't get back for dinner until 7:15 or so.

Patti made panko chicken fingers, string beans and chicken flavored noodles. We had the peach cobbler with our coffee for dessert. Patti added a dollop of cool whip.

It's really windy now...gusts are in the low 30s. We'll be here in Boot Key Harbor until early in the week. We're waiting for Jazzy's 2010 license to arrive in the mail. Sailor's arrived today. Then we'll head to John Pennycamp to snorkel and dock overnight. We'll work our way back to the Miami area and wait for a weather window to cross to the Bahamas. Possibly from No Name Harbor.

We're glad to hear Sandi and Chase arrived home from Florida safely. Sorry you were so far away and we didn't get to see you.

A Great Day with The McConnells; New Cell Phone Arrived

It was a beautiful day in Marathon. Temps rose to the low 70s, despite being overcast most of the day.

Joe McConnell and his son, Joe Jr., picked us up around noon and we went to No Name Pub for pizza and a few beers. It's a really cool place. There's over $100,000 in one dollar bills hanging on all the walls and the ceiling. The bar stools are really high!

They guys all sat in a row and Patti and I were sitting at the corner of the bar. We struck up a conversation with a nice young couple from Palm Beach, Brian Heiney and his girlfriend, Jen Clark. They grew up in Michigan and she moved here to be with him. We told them all about our trip and our boats and Brian said he wants to cruise like we are some day. We gave him our boat cards to follow our blogs and he gave us their phone number in case we're in their area we can reconnect.

We took their picture with their camera, but forgot to take one with our camera! Brian, you have my e-mail on the boat card. Send me the photo so I can post it here!

Joe and Joe Jr. have never been to Bahia Honda State Park, so we went there with them. I LOVE it there... this was our fourth visit there this trip! The views are spectacular.

This time, we saw lots of dead fish, just as we've seen all over The Keys, from the cold temperatures. The fish can't adapt to the quick changes in temps. It's very sad.

We also saw an iguana in the water. At first, we thought he was dead, but realized he was opening and closing his eyes slowly.

We walked along the beach and hiked back up the Old Bahia Honda Bridge for the spectacular views.

We stopped at Burdine's so Joe could have fried key lime pie one more time before he left. We had coffee and were still stuffed from the pizza at No Name Pub.

When we arrived back at City Marina, we checked the parcel area and Chuck's new cell phone was there. We got Jazzy off the boat, took her for a dinghy ride to shore and and I took her for a walk while Chuck walked down the street for gas for the generator.

Then we dinghied back to the boat and I programmed Chuck's phone. Then I made sirloin burgers on Kaiser rolls with Asian cole slaw with mandarin oranges and chips. We had waffle cookies dipped in chocolate with coffee for dessert.

Tomorrow, Patti and I are walking to KMart for a few things. There's not many places to shop in Marathon, especially within walking distance to the marina. That's about a mile or so.

Busy Day in Marathon; Cell Phone Replacement to Arrive Tomorrow

We ran a few errands this morning. Temperature was 54 degrees, but it felt warmer in the sun. I walked to KMart to return a few things, but they wouldn't let me shop with Jazzy. Chuck rode the bicycle he bought at KMart the other day in the other direction to West Marine. Then he met me and I handed off Jazzy and rode the bicycle back to KMart to pick up a speaker for my iPod and a Thermos to keep coffee warm. (After we make coffee using the generator, we have to turn off the hot plate to use the generator for something else and the coffee gets cold quickly in this cold weather.)

We finishing up at 3 p.m., just in time to go to shore with Patti & Wayne to meet his high school friends for the evening. Since we had the dogs out for the better part of the day, we left them at the boats.

Jim and Linda picked us up at City Marina at 3:30 p.m. and we got a tour of Key Colony Beach, a town surrounded by Marathon with its own government and police force. Jim and Linda have a home in Avalon and rent a place down here for three months each winter.

They took us to Sparky's Landing Fish n Cocktails at MM 53.5 Oceanside. Wings and large shrimp are just 25 cents and beer, wine and well drinks are reduced prices for happy hours, 4-6 p.m.

Each couple placed their order and wings, shrimp and drinks. We got ours dry...I'm not a hot wings person and neither is Chuck. They were delicious. A few drinks and 30 wings and 40 shrimp later, we headed back to their rental property for carrot cake and coffee.

They're a really nice couple and we had a great time. It's always good to get off the boat and onto land for a while, even better when you can spend it with nice people.

Chuck's replacement phone was supposed to arrive from Verizon Wireless this morning, but whoever sent it checked 2nd Day Air, so it won't arrive until tomorrow afternoon! Then we have to program it, so hopefully he'll be back in commission by the end of the day. What a pain it is with only one phone. I can't even call him for a dinghy ride back to the boat b/c he doesn't have a phone!

If he had your number, please send him your cell phone number because he lost his contacts. Thanks!

A Day of Errands and Laundromats (yes, plural); And A Lost Cell Phone

Well, we're in Marathon in the Keys for another week due to the winds and weather forecast. The boat has been rocking and rolling with all the gusts. It seems to have died down a little this evening, but will likely pick up again at midnight, like it does every night here.

The riding sail seems to be taking out some of the swing. We're swinging about 40 degrees now, compared to the 70+ we were swinging before.

We've been having trouble with our tank monitor. Every time we get condensation from the cold, it goes flooey and we're not sure when we need pumpout. Our friend, Ron Pence, in Annapolis, made a suggestion to try a stud finder. And it works. Great idea, Ron! It's not easy climbing into the lazerette to check it, but it works!

Patti and Wayne left with Joe McConnell and his son, Joe Jr., this morning to go to Everglades National Park. We had too many things we wanted to get done today, so we stayed behind.

I spent most of the day in laundromats. Yes, that's plural. First three loads at the marina laundromat, where we already purchased credit for four washers and four dryers. They don't use quarters here. You have to purchase credit on a card. It's $2 for washers, $1 for dryers (45 min.) Two of the dryers are out of commission here, so the morning was a long one waiting for dryers. Chuck ran errands to Home Depot and the local Yanmar dealer (that's another story). When he got back, I gave him the laundry to take back to the boat and I walked Jazzy while he went for his sleeping bag and quarters for the other laundromat.

Then I walked about 1.25 miles to the other laundromat to wash the sleeping bag. I needed a front loading washing machine for that. Someone gave me misinformation and said it was across from Home Depot (a much shorter walk!) While it was washing, Jazzy and I walked across US 1 (again) to the McDonald's for a bottle of water and a hamburger. It was after 3 p.m. and I hadn't had lunch yet!

Chuck picked me up at the dinghy dock around 4:30 p.m. or so with the sleeping bag and a tired Jazzy. While he changed the oil in the generator, I made pork medallions, home-fried potatoes and baby peas for dinner. Meanwhile, while climbing back onto the dinghy to get his measuring cup for the oil, one of the lines popped his cell phone off his belt and it's somewhere deep down in the harbor. Bummer.

His day started out on the wrong foot (it was 48 in the cabin when he woke up!) and ended that way too. Oh well, tomorrow we'll take Dave's Island Taxi to the local Verizon Wireless dealer (Office Depot) to buy him another cell phone. Just bought it a few months before we left too. And I don't think I backed up his contact list online when I backed up mine. Damn.
So, the Yanmar dealer...yesterday when he changed the belt for the water pump, it was still a bit loose with no more adjustment left. So we looked at the old belt and the number is M-19. The three new ones he purchased online that they say is for our motor are M-20. But it has too much play in it. He found one M-19 at the dealer today and they ordered more in and will switch the other two. Murphy's Law at work again.

Tomorrow, I hope to get to Publix and re-provision. We're about out of water and I have a long list. Guess I'll take the taxi back again. That worked great last time. Dave's Island Taxi only charges $5 a trip. It's worth it!

No pictures today. Will try to do better tomorrow.

Bundled Up in Marathon

We're bundled up in Marathon. It's freezing!

Yesterday, I stayed in my PJs all day...it was too cold to even think about a shower or getting changed. I stayed in the boat and played on the computer, read some, listened to my iPod and danced in the cabin. Have to get exercise somehow! LOL.

Today, Chuck is changing the oil and filters. It's a pain because he has to rip the bed apart to get to the back of the motor. Jazzy and I are trying to stay out of the way. Not an easy feat in such close quarters. If you look at the picture closely, you can see Chuck in the bedroom behind the motor. The belt to the water pump was chewed up, so he replaced that too.

The boat is rocking from all the wind. Temp is about 48, but wind chill makes it much colder. Winds are 16-18 from the North, with gusts up to 34 knots. I'm looking out the window at white caps in the harbor!

Chuck keeps saying we ended up in the wrong Florida. We wanted to go to the WARM Florida!

I'm cooking tonight...meaty pork ribs with spaghetti. I made it last week and let it simmer for a few hours and put it in the freezer because we were eating out so much. It's defrosting now. I was going to go to Publix for bread, but don't think I'll get there. I'll make a salad too. Strawberries for dessert.

Think warm!

Fun Day with New Friends in Fiesta Key

We had a fun, relaxing day today visiting friends of Wayne and Patti's from Ohio. They are camping in Fiesta Key, a 10-minute drive from Marathon.

Dale and his friend, Rodney, picked us up in Dale's van this morning. Dennis and Barbara from Noble House, who are also from Ohio, took their vehicle with their golden retriever, Abby, and the guys, while Patti and I took our dogs with Dale and Rodney.

The campground is right on the water and there were some beautiful views from there. We munched on lots of snacks, including homemade guacamole that Barbara made. It was delicious!

We spend the better part of the day sitting around talking.

Chuck and I took a walk along the waterfront. There were lots of fish floating and dying because of the weather change. The cold is really affecting the fish and even the manatees. It's really a shame. Here's a photo I took of an octopus that died.

We drove back to the marina around 4:30 or so and took the dogs back to our boats. Dennis and Barbara came to our boat to see the inside, then headed over to Bum's Rest.

We then went to Hurricane, a restaurant just down the street from the marina. The food was delicious. I had snapper stuffed with crabmeat and Chuck had barbecued ribs. I brought half of mine back to the boat for lunch tomorrow.

It was a nice, relaxing day and warm compared to the weather that's coming. It reached the high 60s today. They are talking wind chills in the 30s tonight with record lows on Monday. Ugh!

Guess I'll be digging my Uggs back out!

Visit by Joe McConnell and Joe Jr. from Home

Joe McConnell of Comfortably Numb, who used to be on our dock at Viking Yachting Center, visited us today with his son, Joe Jr.  He told us that he and Sandy are moving their boat to the Sassafras River next season.

They are staying in an efficiency in the area to fish and get some R & R and were just as surprised as us by the unseasonably cold weather.

Chuck met Bill Kerstetter at lunch time and picked up our mail, including the riding sail we ordered a few days ago. So far, so good.

Wayne picked Joe and Joe Jr. up in his dinghy this afternoon. Chuck had taken Patti and Sailor and Jazzy and I to shore about 2 p.m. so the dogs could run and play. We took them to the tennis courts, for a walk around the park, then to the street hockey court to run around. They had fun. At 4 p.m. we called Chuck to come get us.

We crated the dogs, then all went to shore to go to Key Fisheries, just down the street. It's a bar on the second floor over a dock and they have heaters above and roll-down windows. They have stone crab claws for $1 during happy hour, 5-7 p.m. The restaurant below is separate and doesn't serve alcohol. Strange setup.

Anyway, Patti and I each ordered a drink and a dozen stone crab claws. They were so delicious, that we ordered another dozen and, since there were no seats for the guys and they wanted dinner, we told them to go downstairs to eat. We were going to just eat stone crab claws and that's what we did! They were sweet and delish!

We went down and joined the guys when we were done and Patti, Wayne and Chuck all had ice cream. I had a cup of coffee. Somehow, ice cream doesn't mix with alcohol and crabs in my book!

Looks like we may be here longer...the weather isn't cooperating for crossing to the Bahamas!

Visits with Other Cruisers in Marathon

Brrrr. It was 52 degrees in the cabin this morning when I woke up to the sound of the generator starting. Chuck got the boat heater working to warm the cabin up before I got out of bed. I waited about 20 minutes before climbing out of my 0 degree sleeping bag. I was toasty in there and wasn't anxious to get up.

I heated water on the stove to wash my hair and take a "bath." You can only run so many things with the generator and I wanted to keep the heat on, so I couldn't turn on the hot water heater. It's amazing how little water you can get away with when you need to conserve.

By the time I was dried off and dressed, I could turn off the heater and use my hair dryer. Then I started breakfast and used the toaster oven and the stovetop and that helped warm up the cabin too.

We had several visits from other cruisers today.

Jim from Marylee stopped by in his dinghy to ask Chuck what he was doing with his sea anchor and kellett.

Our friends we met in Charleston, Lorrie and Pat from S/V Godspeed, stopped by in their dinghy. They are from Wyoming and just decided to buy a boat and travel to the Bahamas for the winter. They bought their boat in Oriental, NC. We've seen them on the water a few times. They also have three kids, the youngest is a sophomore at a community college. He and their daughter are arriving tomorrow to visit for eight days. We chatted for a half hour or so and they invited us to come to their boat at sunset.

We were planning to walk up town to mail stuff home and pick up a few things at Publix.

We started to leave in the dinghy and I forgot Jazzy's leash, so we went back to the boat to pick it up. While there, Don from S/V Sea-Quel stopped by in his dinghy. After going through one of the many bridges on our way to Ft. Lauderdale several weeks ago, we nearly hit a piece of fencing floating in the water. He was right behind us and we tried to radio him but he didn't hear us in time and hit it. So while waiting for the next bridge opening, he circled us a few times and we checked his hull for damage. Today he pulled up and introduced himself. It was good chatting with him.

After Don left, we went to the dinghy dock and walked up to US 1. Chuck decided to walk to West Marine, which was a mile to the south. He took Jazzy because she couldn't go into the grocery store. I walked a mile to the north to Publix. I got a box, bought strapping tape, boxed up the stuff to go home and walked back to the post office to mail it and a few other things. That left me with an empty pull cart for groceries.

Meanwhile, Chuck called and asked me to look for a 5 gal. water container at KMart, because West Marine was out. KMart is just past the Publix. So I walked there and bought a 7 gal. container, which was all they had. I walked back to Publix and he called and said to get another one. That gives us four to carry water to the Bahamas, two 5-gallon and two 7-gallon.

I bought a few groceries at Publix and ran into Patti and Wayne there. Patti offered to take me back to the marina with their friends, Dale and Rodney, who they were spending the day with and they had a van. I gave her the first water container, and said I'd walk back to the marina. I then walked back to KMart and bought the second water jug, then walked back through Publix. They were still in the parking lot, so I hopped a ride back to the marina with them.

We took a bottle of wine in our dinghy to Godspeed's mooring at sunset and visited until 8:30 p.m. or so. We enjoyed some homemade biscuits that Pat made. It's great talking with other cruisers and sharing stories.

This was our view from the dinghy on our way to Godspeed.

Back in Boot Key Harbor, Marathon City Marina

We're back in Boot Key Harbor, Marathon, for a week. We're waiting for a weather window to cross to the Bahamas from Miami and it's going to be cold and windy for at least the next five days, so we're back on a mooring ball for the week.

Chuck took a walk on the beach at Bahia Honda State Park this morning while I got my act together for the day. Jazzy and I walked up to the old bridge to see the beautiful views once again...brrrr it was freezing up there!

We walked back to the boat and I made sausage, eggs and toast for breakfast. Then I placed an order for Chuck for a riding sail to use while at anchor. It will be sent to Billy Kerstetter's house for Wednesday delivery.

Chuck used the bosin chair to climb the mast and change the bulb. I didn't particularly want to see him 53 feet in the air, and I knew Wayne was spotting him, so I stayed down below and downloaded iTunes to my iPod Nano.

We left Bahia Honda at 12:35 p.m. for Marathon. It was really rough on the water. WInds were 18-22 knots with gusts to 24. The temperature was a cold 55 degrees. Seas were 2-3 ft. We were rocking and rolling! Visibility was 10 miles. Our jib was to the first reef and our main was only out maybe 1/3. We were heeling 15-20 degrees and motorsailing all the way.

When we were about three miles from Marathon, I was down below and saw water splashing up from under the floor boards. It turned out that when Chuck had to bleed and prime the air conditioner in Key West, we didn't run the bilge and water was below the boards. When we were heeling, it was splashing up from under the boards. So we put the boat on auto pilot and pumped it out.

We arrived at the Marathon mooring field about 4 p.m. and put the motor on the dinghy. We went to the dockmaster to pay for the week, then went in and out of the boats, checking them out. There are 226 mooring balls here and less than 10 are empty. It was only about half full Christmas week.

On the way back, Bum's Rest had company, Doris and Dennis, a couple that that they met on their last trip to the Bahamas. They are sailing on Magic, a 42 ft. sailboat. We had wine and cheese and are going back for a light dinner.

Patti is making chicken and salad tonight.

Full Day of Fun at Key West; Back to Bahia Honda

Brrrrrr...it was freezing today on the water. We left Key West and headed back to Bahia Honda. But first, let me tell you about yesterday.

After a rough night's sleep at the dock (winds were gusting to 30 mph and I had to sleep in the salon. I was getting seasick lying in bed!) Jazzy and I walked with Patti, Wayne and Sailor to the Southernmost Point in the continental United States (90 miles to Cuba). (See photo at bottom...I hate this Blogger...no control over where your photos go!) Chuck stayed at the boat to remove one of the zincs that was causing vibration in the motor. It wasn't disintegrating properly and seems to be defective.

I wanted to revisit St. Mary's Catholic Church and the grotto with the Blessed Mother. We visited there with Ed and Gloria Hogan on our last cruise and I remembered how beautiful it was. I said a few prayers, lit a few candles and made my donation.

On the way back, I called Chuck and asked him to join us for lunch.

We walked to The Bull, but they only served drinks. Patti had a coupon for a two-for-one margarita, so we indulged. Then we walked to Wig-Ums Sports Bar Grill and split a cheesesteak. Chuck and I took Jazzy back to the boat and took another long walk to see Mel Fisher's Maritime Treasure Museum.

I took photos of the statues outside the Art Museum. next door and an unusual palm tree. We tasted a Frozen Key Lime Pie dipped in chocolate on a stick. Too sweet for my taste.

We walked all through the Truman Annex, a private housing complex and passed the Little White House. It was a beautiful neighborhood and used to be naval base housing.

Gluttons for punishment with very little sleep, we then walked to the Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, where the locals go to the beach.

We watched the sunset, then took the long walk back to our boat. I played with Jazzy while Chuck took a 15 minute nap before meeting Patti and Wayne for dinner. We ate at Turtle Kraals, right in front of the marina where we were docked. I had a spinach salad with mesquite grilled shrimp and Chuck had a salad with beef brisket. Both were delicious.

This morning after picking up a few things at the grocery store, we left Key West Bight Marina at about 10:30 a.m. It was a little hairy getting out of the slip. It was windy and Chuck attached our lines to the guide lines between the boats. We had to slide our lines down the guide lines  slowly guide ourselves out of the slip. It was tense, but we had no problems. (See photo at left).

We started with following seas as we left the harbor. Winds were 10-12 knots from the North on the wind meter, but we were moving with it. It was actually 15 knots. Temperature was 60 when we left and it was chilly. The sun was warm, but not for long.

At 11 a.m. we pulled the jib to the first reef and half the main. We motorsailed. Seas we rough, probably only 1-2, but very choppy. We were heeling 15-20 degrees and taking water over the front. There was white caps everywhere. The dodger protected us from most of the spray. I made hot chocolate to warm us up.

The winds progressed to 22 knots and we were freezing with it coming over our port side. We were wearing lots of layers...T-shirt, sweatshirt, fleece and pea coat! It's amazing how fast we adapted to the warm weather and really feel the cold. Should have put on long underwear this morning!

We were headed for the anchorage in Newfound Harbor, but the winds are from the north and it's all open with no protection, so Wayne called Bahia Honda State Park and we're here for the night. I love it here.

We pulled in our sails at 3:50 p.m. when approaching the seven-mile bridge and arrived at the dock at 4:10 p.m. The approach was very shallow...it was dead low tide...just over three feet.

I went into the little store and bought Chuck a T-shirt to replace the one I ruined. It's a beautiful shirt. We're only going 10 miles back to Marathon tomorrow. Hoping to cross to the Bahamas sometime soon...about two weeks I believe Wayne said. Have to keep an eye on the weather.

You can see the current running under the bridge.

Fun Celebrating New Year's in Key West; High Winds Tonight

We had fun celebrating New Year's Eve in Key West. We went to dinner at Pepe's, the island's oldest eatery. Chuck and I had Surf and Turf and a cranberry margarita. Delicious.

Then we decided to walk uptown for a while and check things out and Chuck and I planned to walk back to the marina for the wench lowering at midnight.

When we got to Duval St., the crowd was starting to build. The DJ was throwing beads off the roof and there was music blaring in the streets. We had fun catching beads and were packed like sardines by 11:30 p.m. We couldn't have left if we wanted to, but were having fun so ended up staying there until midnight to see the Conch shell drop.

I stuck the camera in front of us and took this photo. Wayne didn't make the picture...he was back a little bit from us b/c people kept moving and we'd move up.

Today, Chuck took the Yankee Freedom II to the Dry Tortugas National Park. He had a good time and took lots of video. The water is even prettier there.The second largest brick structure in the world is there, second only to the Great Wall of China.

Meanwhile, I did three loads of laundry, gave Jazzy a haircut and a bath (Patti helped hold and calm her while I clipped her).

Then I took the bedding to the local laundromat, where there's larger washers. (The sleep system takes a big washer b/c it's a queen-size sleeping bag with winter and summer sides.)

I waited two hours for the stupid thing to dry, then it started to rain so I had to wait about 20 minutes before I could head back to the boat since I forgot my oversized Ziploc bags.

When there was a break in the rain, I made a run for it to the marina (3 blocks) and it started to spit when I reached the Waterfront grocery store, right off the dock. I put my laundry under the big overhang and went inside and bought lawn and leaf bags. I put the laundry in two of them and poked a hole in one to put over Jazzy. Since she just had a bath, I wanted her to stay white for at least a few days!

It was absolutely pouring at that point, so the grocery store let me put Jazzy in a cart and stay in the store. Key West is very animal-friendly and animals are welcome almost anywhere.

I only bought a few things since my cart was already overflowing with laundry. I got back to the dock in the rain and stepped onto the bow with Jazzy in one arm. I put her on the boat and took off the bag that was keeping her dry, then went back for my laundry. Now remember, we have to get on and off the boat by stepping on the bow and it's a few feet away from the dock, not an easy feat in good weather and with both hands!

Here's how we get on and off the boat. It's harder than it looks!

Somehow, I managed to get everything back on the boat. Unfortunately, the wet suits and lycra skins that finally dried after 4 days were still outside and got soaking wet again. Such is life on a boat...there always seems to be wet things around and you just don't know where to put them.

Patti made meatball subs and Doritos nacho cheese chips for dinner. And chocolate chunk cookies for dessert with coffee. I need to cut down on calories...the clothes are getting tight. It's not enough that I'm gaining a few pounds...our clothes are shrinking from the hot dryers in the laundromats everywhere. Ugh.

The winds are really whistling out there tonight and we're sure glad we're at a marina, not in the mooring field. We're really rocking and rolling here...those poor souls out there are really struggling.

Winds are gusting to 30 mph! Chuck moved the dinghy to the side of the boat. It's bringing in a cold front and is only supposed to be in the 60s tomorrow. Back to long pants and sneakers again! Guess I'll get to wear my new Key West sweatshirt.

Happy New Year to all!