The Keys!

One of the goals of our trip has been achieved, as we arrived in Marathon last Wednesday and dropped anchor. This will be our home base in the Keys for the next month.

 

It took us 4 days to travel from the Miami area (Coconut Grove) to Marathon. We left last Sunday and traveled 30 miles down Biscayne Bay. We had to cross to the outside of the Keys at Caesar Creek, and it was low tide, so we ended up polishing Spray's keel to get into the channel there, as you can see by the stripe of sand we kicked up.

It was another 20 miles travel out in the Atlantic before we turned off into John Pennekamp State Park on Key Largo. We rented a mooring from the park in Key Largo Sound and spent 2 nights there which let us enjoy some of what the park had to offer:

- nice shower facility shared with the RV park there.

- walking trails and boardwalks.

- on Monday we signed on to a snorkeling trip where they put 40 people onto a fast catamaran and run them 5 miles offshore to a coral reef (Grecian Rocks in our case) for 1.5 hours of snorkeling. Lots of fish including many barracuda.

- dinghying around in the mangroves :

On Tuesday we made a 25 mile run farther down the Keys to Islamorada, home of Lorelei's. This run was partly on the outside (Atlantic side) of the Keys, then through Snake Creek to the inside (Florida Bay or Gulfside). The inside section was in water typically 5-6 ft. deep. We dropped anchor off Lorelei's in time for lunch there (with the pooches) and later we returned for dinner too. They had a pretty good singer that night and were doing good business.

 

Wednesday's 37 mile run had us crossing back tot the outside at Channel 5 Bridge, and arriving Marathon mid afternoon after a somewhat bouncy ride. We wanted to rent a mooring here from the City Marina (they maintain 226 moorings in protected Boot Key Harbor) but they were full up so we signed onto the wait list and anchored on the fringe of the mooring field that night.

 

We now had access to the City Marina with its 2 large dinghy docks, showers and laundry, and nearby park. On Thursday we brought our bikes to shore and made a quick ride to Home Depot for a few supplies. While there we got the call that a mooring was available so we moved Spray onto ball P4 which is where she'll be for the next month.

 

Since then we've taken the dogs on many walks and romps, including at the nearby (20 minute dinghy ride) Sombrero Beach, biked to Publix for groceries, rowed the dinghy around the lagoon checking out all the boats, attended a pot luck dinner, had lunch at Burdines Chiki-Tiki bar, and participated in the daily 9 am Cruisers Net, which is a moderated discussion done via VHF radio. The weather has been great with coolish sunny days. Many of the boats here have stayed for years and you can see why.

 

For us the month will pass quickly (we've almost been here a week already) and then we'll be moving up the west coast of FLA.

 

 

 

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