Log 100; Day 274; Feb. 19, 2009; Marathon, FL.

Here is our boat in the slip at Sombrero Resort

About 1/4 mile from our slip is the Boot Key Harbor where over 200 boats are on moring balls
This is the city marina...where all those boats at the mooring field park their dinghys
A shot from the inside of Berdines...another cheeseburger test

A look from the deck of Burdines looking toward the Atlantic

An outside look at Berdines

Right around the corner from our marina is Sister Creek. This is one of the front lawns of the houses on Sister creek.

Log 100
Day 274
Thursday, February 19, 2009

5:30 AM EST
Location: Sombrero Resort and Marina, Marathon, FL.
Weather: 67 with light winds...forecasted to be 78 and sunny today

I was watching the weather channel this morning, and they were having a live broadcast from Holland, MI (are old home) talking about the 20 to 30 mph winds and lake effect snow. It’s amazing how quickly you forget what it’s like in the north, when things are so mild down here in the Keys. In northern Florida, they are having strong storms and tornados...here in Marathon, things are mild with 67 degrees at 5 am, and light winds. It is headed for a high of 78 today.

Here’s what has been happening the last couple of days.

Tuesday...it turned out to be a beautiful morning, so I jumped on the bike and headed down the cove to Sombrero Marina (different from our marina...Sombrero Resort and Marina???) to check out the boats and see what was going on. While doing so I did see a couple of boats we had met a few months back at Joe Wheeler marina. While talking to them they said there were 34 boats in the area on the loop. At about 11, Deb and I headed out in the dinghy to do some exploring. Our first stop was at the Dockside Bar (at Sombrero Marina) to have some lunch. We’re not sure if there was a problem or not, but there was only 1 other couple in the restaurant and they were complaining about not having french fries. We sat at our table for a few minutes without any service, and finally got up and left. We jumped back in the dinghy and headed out of the harbor, and ended up at Berdines, a local landmark for years. They were very busy, and we split a great cheeseburger. After lunch we went further out of the harbor to Marathon Marina...the first marina as you enter the harbor. We also found a dinghy dock where you can tie up and take a 1 minute walk to a West Marine. As we were doing all of this the wind continued to pick up so we headed back in the harbor and then found Sister Creek...a fairly wide and deep creek off the harbor that winds around between mangrove trees. I kept telling Debbie there must be some fish in here, and I was surprised not to see any fisherman, and then we came around the bend and saw two boats fishing. I stopped and talked to both of them, to see what they were fishing for, and what bait they were using. One was using a simple jig, and the other was using live shrimp. Both said they were biting, but would not hook up. (I plan to go back and see for myself). We kept exploring this creek, and found it went in many directions that had canals with large yachts parked in front of huge homes, and it also went out into the Atlantic. We will definitely see more of Sister Creek. Back at the boat we did some chores; had some great chicken for dinner; and our movie was recorded episodes of 24 and The Closer.

Wednesday...another beautiful morning. A little windy, but sunny, and temperatures heading to the mid 70’s. I have been thinking about replacing some of the batteries on the boat, so I goggled the closest NAPA store (about 1.2 miles away) and decided to ride the bike there to check out the batteries. After riding about 3 miles, I finally stopped and asked someone if they knew where the NAPA store was...and they said about 2 miles further down the road (so much for trusting Google). At that point I turned around and headed back to the boat. Oh well...I got my morning exercise. The other thing on the list for the morning was a pump out of our holding tanks. Kyle (the dock master) told us he pumps out all holding tanks (at your slip) on Wednesday...so that makes it very nice. Deb was planning on taking the bike and heading to the store. She’s all excited, because we put a basket on the back of her bike, and now she can carry more groceries. It turned out to work great, and we were both surprised how much she could carry. While she was gone, I packed up the dinghy and went fishing. I checked out the places I saw on Tuesday...but no luck. Not even a nibble. At 3, I took the dinghy to the local Mercury engine repair shop just across the channel to have them try to figure out why the motor will not run at slow speeds. The problem started in Key West, and has not got any better. The mechanic tells me there is something in the carburetor...I left the dinghy with them and walked a little over a mile back to the boat. For dinner Deb made some great pork chops, and our movie was an episode of Leverage. A great day.

Today...I think I am going to get on the bike this morning and ride a couple miles to Marathon Marine...a local place that specializes in marine repair. My plan is to see what they have for batteries, and also check out the West Marine store which is just next door. I also will stop and check on the dingy to see how that’s coming. Other than that, no real plans. There is almost no wind, so it will be a good day to head out for a long dinghy ride. The next few days are forecasted to be very windy, so we should take advantage of the day.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob