Log 94; Day 254; Jan. 30, 2009; Key West

This is Susand and Andy...from the Nordhaven 55 (Maggie May) that we have met a couple of times

HQ at her slip in A&B Marina

Deb and I took a dinghy ride to the city marina...this is a little mangrove water way just off the main channel

These fish are tarpon and these shots taken from the bow of our boat

This gives you an idea of the size of the tarpon compared to the pelican

Log 94
Day 254
Friday, January 30, 2009

7:30 AM EST
Location: A&B Marina, Key West, FL
Weather: 71 with calm winds...a cold front is coming through this afternoon

The dew each morning has been so heavy, you wonder if it rained overnight. The humidity at 7 am was 94%, so we are running the a/c to make it more bearable. This is not a complaint...just a fact. All of this will change this afternoon as a cold front will pass through...and another one forecasted for sometime Sunday. The high temperatures will only get to the upper 60’s or lower 70’s...about 10* cooler than the last 3 days.

Yesterday...at about 7, I was sitting on the back deck working on the computer, I looked up to see the local fishing guide (John) wave at me. When I walked out he said “hey Bob...are you going fishing today...it’s going to be great out there...you need to go today”. That’s all I needed to hear. He also had me bring my charts out and showed me exactly where to go, and said to come over to his boat and he would show me exactly what to fish with. I walked over to his boat and he showed me a good sized white jig with a clear looking tail on it, and said “take this...this will do the trick”. He also said I could find more of these at the bait shop (the one with the beer on draft) so off I go. Between getting supplies; a pump out; and a couple of phone calls, it was almost 10 by the time I took off in the boat. It was almost 13 miles to Jewfish Key, where he told me to go, and most of it in waters less than 4 foot deep. I was skimming across the water at about 18 mph, and just knew at any time I was going to hit something and run aground (but John said it was safe, so I kept going). At some places you would go between 2 sticks stuck in the middle of no where (put there by the locals to guide you) and it would be dry land on each side of the sticks. Keep in mind I was 3 miles from shore. Somewhere along the way I forgot all the “turn left at this stick” and “turn right at this stick” because instead of turning right (which I later figured out I was supposed to do) I went straight. Bad deal. The water went from 3 feet, to 2 feet, to nothing but sand and weeds. At this point the boat started to slow down because the prop was getting full of weeds, and there was no water coming out of the engine discharge, meaning that sand had filled up the impellor and the motor would shut down because it would be too hot. All I could do was stop the boat and try to get out of there. The water was only about 1 foot deep, so I got out of the boat to try and drag the boat back to deeper water, which was when I sunk into the sand and weeds over my knees. At that point I said, out loud, “this is not good...not good at all”. I was in the middle of no where, with no help, and no way to paddle or push the boat. Well it took about 30 minutes to get the boat back to water deep enough to use the engine again. What I would do was put all my weight on the dinghy (so I would not sink in the sand) and then use my feet to inch the boat along. It was hard to do, and very tiring...but it worked. When I found deeper water, I realized what I had done wrong, so after cleaning the sand out of the engine water discharge, I was able to slowly work my way into deeper water (2 to 3 feet) and able to get the boat back up on plane again.

Jewfish Key is a cool spot. In the middle of nowhere, there are about 10 islands with some deep spots between them, where the bigger fish hang out, looking for the bait fish that are in the very shallow water. I ended up catching about 6 or 7 fish...ranging in size between 6 and 18 inches. It was a great time, and the way back was not near as scary. It still seemed like I would hit ground at any time, but I knew that there was enough water, in the spots I was going, to make it back without a problem.

Today...no plans yet. The calm winds and hot and humid temperatures are supposed to change about 1 pm today, so I don’t think there will be any fishing today. But is past time to make a dock walk and see what all the other boats are up to...so that is the first thing on the agenda. From there...we’ll see.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 93; Day 252; Jan. 28, 2009; Key West

We walked a couple of blocks from out boat to see the first sunset we have seen since we got to Key West...a perfect one

Yesterday we had 2 cruise ships and 2 Navy vessels in the harbor

Here is another shot of Reel Wheels...the 80 foot yacht owned by Rick Hendrick

This is a Manatee just off our swim platform

Deb not only took a picture of all the fish these guys caught...she hung around long enough for them to give her a bunch...which we had for dinner last night. Our boat is just off to the left in this picture

While Deb is on these walks she finds someone to take her picture. Here she is in the southern most beach in the US.

Local street vendors selling their paintings

Log 93
Day 252
Wednesday, January 28, 2009

6:00 AM EST
Location: A&B Marina, Key West, FL
Weather: 71 with calm winds...forecasted to get to 80 today

It’s warm and muggy this morning...humidity of 90%. The wind switched to the south yesterday, and will continue for a couple more days. They forecast lows in the 70’s and highs near 80 the next 3 days. I’m up early (for a change) and watching the weather channel as I write this log, and the rest of the country is a mess with snow, sleet, and lots of ice causing problems across the Midwest. We certainly picked a great winter to make this trip...our weather has been great.

Deb has been taking so many cool pictures for the log, it’s hard to decide which ones to include. Her daily walks continue to improve her knowledge of Key West and her picture log. She also continues to get a real understanding of the Island and all it has to offer. For some reason I don’t get too far from the docks and the water. They seem to have everything I need.

One of yesterdays highlights was a manatee who visited our dock...and came up right behind Headquarters. Many on the dock were gathered to watch, and he stayed in the area for over 30 minutes. They come to the docks looking for fresh water...if you were to put a hose in the water...they would stay all day. Bad idea...Manatee’s and boat props don’t mix well.

We had a small issue with the dinghy. I went to get fuel a couple of days ago, and when I left the fuel dock the motor quit. This motor has run perfectly for 5 years so I could not figure what happened. After checking out the things I could, and calling around for someone to repair the boat, I called Boat US and had them tow the dinghy to a place called Fish and Race, a local Mercury engine repair facility. The tow was free to me, (because of insurance) but the guy who towed me charged Boat US $308 for a quick 30 minute tow. I rode back to the marina with him, figuring I would take a taxi back there the next day. As it turned out it was a very quick fix...a fuel line had somehow come loose (but was not visible to me) and was not getting fuel to the engine. $68 later...we’re back on the water.

Yesterday Deb and I also did some deeper cleaning of the boat. I took off the back isinglass and cleaned and waxed it. Deb used the same cleaner on the showers. For lunch we walked over to Schooners...the first time we had eaten there. It was very good food. Speaking of first time...we saw our first sunset since we arrived in Key West a little over 2 weeks ago. As it turned out it was a perfect sunset (as you can see by the picture) with no clouds. Deb took 63 pictures (yes...63) to get one she really liked. She deleted a bunch...but I’ll bet she still saved 10.

Today...I’m sure Deb will get another walk in. I want to finish the isinglass, and get prepared for fishing the next couple of days. Light winds on Thursday and Friday should be great for me going off shore to find some fish. We also have plans to have dinner with Andy and Susan from Maggie May. They are the couple who were on that great Nordhaven we met a week or so ago. They went up to Naples, and are back (but in another Marina) and they stopped by the boat yesterday and asked us to join them for dinner...so we will.

Well it is just starting to get a little light out, so I think I’ll take a dock walk to see if anyone is up. While I have been writing this log, along with watching the weather channel, I have been monitoring the VHF radio (which I do most of the day) for all boat traffic in the area. This morning the harbor pilot has been talking to an incoming cruise ship. He just told them he would come out a few miles to meet them. What happens is that a local pilot (boat captain) goes out a few miles and climbs a ladder to the cruise ship and then drives the ship to the dock. When the boat leaves later today, the procedure is reversed. The pilot boat is just down a few slips from us on the dock and I have talked to him several times. I am so intrigued by how things on the water happen.

Oh...I also saw Rick Hendrick (the NASCAR owner) walking our dock yesterday...which confirms to me we are in the right place. I love Key West.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 92; Day 249; Jan. 25, 2009; Key West

Deb found this cool looking mosiac house on one of her walks around town

One of the sail boat races they had this week

That's me in the black shirt walking the docks...something I do on a regular basis

That's me talking to Jack...on his 65 foot fishing boat. I think this is where he asked me if I wanted to go fishing?

This boat is owned by Rick Hendrick...the famous NASCAR owner

Log 92
Day 249
Sunday, January 25, 2009

7:00 AM EST
Location: A&B Marina, Key West, FL
Weather: 63 with light winds

We are back to normal weather here now...highs in the mid 70’s and lows in the mid 60’s. It only got down to 63 overnight, and it is a beautiful morning. Our docks are still somewhat quite, but just across the harbor the charter boats are leaving their slips. The sun is not up yet, but it’s light enough to see out in the gulf, and the water looks very nice and calm. It should be a great day in Key West.

We continue to really enjoy our time here. Deb walks almost every day now and reaches her 10,000 steps most of the time. She is keeping track of the different places she visits, and has listed them on the map so we can go back when we want. She also found a craft fair on Saturday...but, as far as I know, she did not bring anything back to the boat. I have been trying to fish the last 3 days (since the wind died down) and don’t have much to show for it (I’ve caught about 6 fish), but I have really enjoyed exploring, and trying different things. When I talked to John (a fishing guide who has a slip near us) he told me to head out to Bay Key, but to be very careful because it is very shallow in most of the area around the 3 islands. It took me 3 tries, on three different days...but I finally found a channel that was deep enough at low tide to get me there. I marked it on my GPS, so I can get back without a problem. Now all I have to do is figure out where the fish are.

The marina has been very active lately...with lots of folks coming and going. I’ve met several of the new comers...and as usual every boat (owner) has a story. A 65 foot Ocean Yacht just arrived from Baltimore Maryland. Jack is the owner, and a big time fisherman. The last 5 years he has spend 4 months in the Bahamas fishing, and this year decided to come to Key West and try his luck. He asked if I was interested in going out fishing...I let about 1 second go by before answering...sure. The coolest new boat to dock here is a boat called Reel Wheels (the picture does not do it justice)...an 80 foot Hatteras. It’s owner is Rick Hendrick...no doubt the best, and most famous, NASCAR owner in the business. He has 4 cars driven by Jeff Gordon; Jimmie Johnson; Dale Earnhardt Jr.; and Mark Martin. I talked to his captain, Drew, for a while on yesterday, and we talked about all the people who he takes out and how much fun he has. He’ll be here about 2 weeks, and I’m sure several of the team will be here fishing. Drew also told me he has two 36 foot boats that travel with him to go catch the bait. Oh...and they also have a 124 foot boat, and just took delivery of a 162’ Trinity Yacht. Tough duty. Drew has not asked me to go fishing yet...but we’ll see.

Last night was the first time since we got here (2 weeks ago) that we ate dinner out. Well “dinner” might be stretching a bit (we just had hors d'oeuvres), but we have been told by folks that the restaurant at the end of our dock (about 100 foot from our boat) that we walk by several times a day, has great food, and between 4 and 6:30 all drinks, and 1/2 their menu, is 1/2 price. We tried it and it was great. The beer was cold; the food was excellent; and all for the total sum of $16. Perfect.

Today should be a nice day for a long dingy ride. We plan to take off late morning and head for Hurricane Hole...the cool spot we visited when we first got here. It’s a great outdoor bar that sits right on the water. A very casual place where you tie up your boat, step off, and eat. My kind of place.

It should be a great day.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 91; Day 246; Jan. 22, 2009; Key West

This makes perfect sense to me...especially in the Keys

Here is my favorite bait and tackle store...the one with draft beer...great idea

Before I could eat a bite, Deb had to take a picture. It looks great. Taste...no so much

Another lunch spot...Hogs Breath Inn. Very good food

On Deb's bar list she found the smallest on in the world.

I hope Deb put the good word in for Mr. Obama to get the market back in order

Just one of the many pictures Deb has of the local cemetaries

Ok...another one

Just one more

Log 91
Day 246
Thursday, January 22, 2009

7:30 AM EST
Location: A&B Marina, Key West, FL
Weather: 54 and windy

Well the forecast has been correct about the winds and the temperature. It got to a low of 54 here last nights...and the north winds continued to blow 15 to 20. This morning you can sense a change is coming. The winds have already laid down a little, and the dark grey winter clouds are moving away. The sun is just coming up over the Key West bight, and looking west, there is nothing but blue sky. The forecast is for a high of 61 today...and then in the mid 70’s for the next week or so. I wonder when it gets spring in Key West?

Sometimes I wonder what we do all day without any schedule, or requirements of any kind...but somehow we manage. Deb has been walking a lot the last few days. She leaves the boat between 9 and 10 and walks until lunch. Her goal is 10,000 steps...and most of the time she makes it. She also has been listing all the cool places to visit (mostly bars) so when people come down we’ll know where to go. Somehow on this “best bars” quest she has also found a cool things like cemeteries, and other spots she is intrigued with. Me...on the other hand...I am content walking back and forth between the boat and West Marine and the bait shop. However many steps that is...is just fine. It is very interesting to me that no matter how many times I have been to both, I somehow find something I need with each visit. West Marine is starting to send me daily emails wondering if I will be coming to their stores each day...something about if I don’t, they will have to lay some folks off. It’s good to know I’m doing my part to help the economy.

In between the walks and shopping, we continue to do boat chores, and make sure we do not have to work on the boat when our guests arrive, at the end of the month. Nothing major...just keeping up with normal “stuff” you have to do when a boat is your home. We also continue our quest for great lunch spots...a highlight of our day. It gets pretty bad when Deb takes a picture of our meal before we eat it, but it was a great cheeseburger presentation. The fact is...it looked better than it tasted. Oh well...take that one off the list. We’ll just have to keep looking.

Today...no real plan as of this point. A couple more boat projects to complete before the weather turns real nice...and all we think about is being outside. I’m sure Deb will get her walk in, and there may be a lunch trip in there as well. If these winds continue to die down I can also see a fishing trip later this afternoon. Not much of a plan at all. I talked to 2 different industry friends yesterday, and they both talked about the issues and pressures of the business. I loved talking to them...but I do not miss the pressures they are under. The pressure Deb and I have living on this boat are just fine...thank you.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 90; Day 244; Jan. 20, 2009; Key West

Here I am talking to the fishing guide, asking him for as many tips as he will give me. Deb took this picture from the bow of our boat.

This is the dinghy dock just across the harbor from us...there must have been over 50 of them.

One of the many fishing boats fishing out in the Gulf

Lunch at Wille-T's on Duval street...great Pizza

This is Maggie May...the 55 Nordhaven parked across from us...what a boat.

This is Starlight...parked just in front of us. You never know what boat will show up next.

On one of Deb's walk she saw this manatee drinking water from someone's hose

There are lots of chickens on the streets of Key West, and each morning you can hear lots of roosters crowing just before dawn

Most days there are cruise ships that dock here

The most southern point in the US.

Log 90
Day 244
Tuesday, January 20, 2009

7:45 AM EST
Location: A&B Marina, Key West, FL
Weather: 61 and windy

After a couple of days of light winds...they have picked up again and will be 15 to 25 MPH of the next 3 days. NOAA is predicting waves of 7 to 12 feet out in the Atlantic. In the harbor it’s breezy, but where we are, we are pretty protected. It’s also go to be a high of about 60 tomorrow and Wednesday, and after that it will be in the mid 70’s for several days. No fishing for a couple of days, but then it looks like several nice days for fishing.

Speaking of fishing...I have been trying for the last couple of days, but I have only caught 1 fish...a small barracuda. My lack of success caused me to visit West Marine a couple of times, and also several trips to Key West Bait and Tackle, for the latest lure guaranteed to catch fish. My last trip there yesterday I also discovered that at the bait and tackle shop, they also serve draft beer...how cool is that? While shopping you can enjoy a beer...and I did. I also talked to a guy who is a back water fishing guide, and has a boat here on the dock. The first thing he told me was that the area I am fishing does not “hold” many fish. He also said that with winds out of the west and north the fish won’t be biting...he was right. The last thing he told me was were to fish, and I’ve got that saved on my GPS, so when the wind dies down, I head out and give it a try.

In the last couple of days we have done some more exploring of Key West. Deb has been walking each morning trying to get in 10,000 steps per day, so she has seen a lot of new places. We haven’t visited them all yet...but we have time. We both really like Key West...more than we may have thought. There is always something going on, especially now, because there is a major sailing event that has boats from all over the world docked here. It’s also cool to hear so many different languages spoken on the docks.

We’ll it’s bright and sunny...and time to get going. Another day in paradise.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 89; Day 241; Jan. 17, 2009; Key West

Here is a shot of B.O.'s Fish Wagon...great lunch spot, and always crowded

There are lots of trees like this lining the streets of Key West

Key West house

Another one...not so well taken care of

Our lunch spot...great food

Log 89
Day 241
Saturday, January 17, 2009

7:10 AM EST
Location: A&B Marina, Key West, FL
Weather: 60 and windy

In our bedroom we have one of those projection clocks that shines on the ceiling and tells us the time and outside temperature...last night at one point it got down to 59...the coldest so far for us in Key West. The winds continue to howl and blow at 15 to 30 MPH, but they are forecasted to lay down today. Hopefully things will get back to “normal” tomorrow, with average highs in the 70’s.

The last couple of days have been nothing special...but very enjoyable. We keep the bikes out full time now, and have them locked to a bike rack area near the end of our dock, so we can jump on them any time we want...and we do. It is a great way to get around Key West, and it’s surprising how much ground you can cover in a short time.

Yesterday...we changed things a bit. and went in search of perfect Mexican food...and we found some at Salsa Loca. Knowing we would want to walk off our lunch we decided to walk instead of taking the bikes, and it was a long walk to find the place we wanted, but worth it. On the way back to the boat, we took a small detour, and I went to West Marine...Deb went to the local store.

At about 6 PM we had cocktails with Andy and Susan, aboard Maggie May (they are parked just across dock from us). They came to Key West 2 days ago, and Andy and I struck up a conversation on the dock, which ended with him saying “let’s have a drink tomorrow evening”. Originally he had thought we’d go to a place on land...but I suggested they come to our boat, which they did (secretly I was hoping he would have us come to their boat, because I wanted to see it). We had a great conversation for an hour or so, which included them taking a tour of our boat, and then they asked if we wanted to see their boat. As I always say...every boat has a story...here is theirs. Andy has been an entrepreneur all his life, with business he started and owned including building the biggest car striping company; an Ohio natural gas company; and owning several McDonalds; all of which he has retired from...letting his kids now run the company. They have a new 55 Nordhaven boat, which he helped design and had built in China. The biggest boat he ever had before this was a 28 foot runabout, that he kept in his back yard in Indianapolis. They took delivery last May and plan to live on board 5 to 7 years. They also plan to travel the world, including spending the next couple of years in the Caribbean; then to the Panama Canal; and a couple years in the South Pacific. This boat is, by far, the best boat I have ever been on. I’m not sure how to explain to those who don’t know what a Nordhaven is, but they are designed to cruise the world...and they do. They have systems, and back up systems, and back up systems for the back up systems. Andy quickly realized how impressed I was with everything...so he showed me even more of the “hot set ups” that he built in the boat. It was a fantastic tour, that I wish all my boating friends could go on. They will be leaving today, so I’m sure we’ll get a picture and put it in the blog...but it will not do the boat justice.

Today...not sure what we’ll do. I can’t wait to go out in the flats and fish, but with the wind, I don’t think that will happen, until tomorrow. Maybe we’ll take the bikes and look for a great lunch somewhere. Plus...it’s the weekend...so I get to have a bloody mary this morning. What a life.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 88; Day 239; Jan. 15, 2009; Key West

This is proof we do have bikes...and do ride them. Here we are riding down Dubal street.

Here we are at lunch at Cheesburgers...catchy name.

The men folk having dinner aboard "Livin Easy" at 48 Sea Ray. David; Tom; BK; and Tim

And the ladies...Lynn; Rodie; Monica; Deb

Log 88
Day 239
Thursday, January 15, 2009

7:00 AM EST
Location: A&B Marina, Key West, FL
Weather: 64 and windy

It got down to 64 last night, with winds of about 15 to 20 MPH. NOAA weather is reporting waves of 4 to 7 feet now and predicting them to go to 6 to 10 feet over the next couple of days. The forecast calls for the winds to let up somewhat late Saturday or early Sunday.

We had a great day in Key West yesterday. After finishing the log, I walked to my new neighborhood family restaurant, Harpoon Harry’s, and had breakfast. Most of the same folks I saw in there the day before were there again. Obviously locals. Walking back I just strolled the dock area, but there was not much activity. Back at the boat, although it was windy, the sun was out so it felt nice. I got the bikes off the boat (for only the 3rd time since we left in May) and Deb and I took a nice bike ride. We wanted to find where Deb’s sister, Annie, will be staying when they come in early February, and also look for another perfect cheeseburger. We did both. Riding a bike in Key West is fairly easy. Because there are so many people who do it, the traffic is “somewhat” tolerant. But, neither Deb or I, enjoyed riding on Duval Street, because it is so busy and the traffic can be a little challenging at times...so we rode on the side streets when we could. As it turns out Annie’s room is a little less than a 10 minutes bike ride from our boat. A quaint little spot, like so many bed and breakfast places in Key West. For lunch, as we were riding down Duval, Deb spotted a place called Cheeseburgers of Key West. We just had to stop. The name was catchy. The place was cool. The cheeseburgers...not so good. Oh well...we’ll keep looking.

Back at the boat as I was walking down the dock I stopped and talked to a guy (David) who was one of the three boats who came in when we did on Saturday. All three couples seemed very nice, and we had made small talk with each of them as we walked up and down the dock over the last 3 days. Anyway...this time David and I got into a much deeper conversation about electronics on a boat, one thing led to another, and he invited us for dinner on his boat, to which I happily accepted. It turned out the they (David and Lynn) were cooking for their friends on the other two boats (Tim and Monica; Tom and Rodie) and we joined them. We had a great time. All three couple were very nice, and it was like we were old friends (I even stayed up past 10 PM). After dinner everyone came over to our boat to check it out, and shortly after that, we called it a night.

Today...not sure. No plans yet. I’m sure I won’t be going fishing, because of the winds. Maybe a bike ride to a lunch spot somewhere. I have some boat chores to do, but really not a lot of motivation to do them for some reason. Must be the Key’s disease (just lazy all the time) they talk about. Speaking of boat...we put it up for sale starting today. I’m sure it will take several months to sell (hopefully not years) so we’ll see what happens. We are by no means ready to quit cruising yet, but at some point we knew we had to do this, and after a lot of talk, we decided now was the time to begin that process. We plan to cruise until it sells...when it does, we’ll take off the boat whatever the buyer doesn’t want, and rent a vehicle, and come home. We’ll figure out the rest, as it happens.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 87; Day 238; Jan. 14, 2009; Key West

Our dock at A&B Marina...looking toward the town

This is a shot from our dock looking east...that's Schooners Wharf Bar you see in the backround...a 2 minute walk from our boat.

This is the side of our local grocery store...about 3 minutes from our boat.

Log 87
Day 238
Wednesday, January 14, 2009

5:30 AM EST
Location: A&B Marina, Key West, FL
Weather: 66 and windy

I thought if I got up earlier I’d be able to get the log done before the sun comes up and the crazy urge to walk the docks and talk to my morning friends kicks in, so I did that today...we’ll see how it goes.

It’s very windy here this morning, sitting on the boat I can hear the howling of the winds as it blows hard through the harbor and it is especially noisy because of all the sail boats here. The noise a strong wind makes on a sail boat’s mast is really something. If you’ve never heard it, it’s hard to explain. Two things...it actually howls, and is very eerie...and it makes noises you swear can not come from a mast...but they do.

Yesterday...after having a great breakfast at a new spot (I think the name is Harry’s...but I’ll be going back this morning, so I’ll get it right tomorrow) and then making stops at marine stores ( I bought a great book on how to catch fish in the Florida flats) and talking to fisherman, I finally made it back to the boat and finished the log. The weather was warm and very humid, and you could tell there was rain in the area. Deb and I did our morning ritual (not every morning...but most) she wiped down the windows and stainless, and I wiped down the rest of the boat. Sounds like work...but it’s not. I also went down and cleaned up the dinghy...with plans to go fishing later. As the morning wore on the wind picked up, and it got cloudier, so I decided to bag the fishing for a while and instead do some quick boat chores. At 11:30 Deb and I walked the dock in search of some lunch and ended up at B. O.’s Fish House. I can’t believe Deb didn’t take a picture of this place (I’m sure we will) because it is something. Picture what a corner, one level, shack would look like if you gave a 10 year old boy lots of old lumber; tin; and told him he could go in the junk yard and get anything he wanted; and then build a building. I’m sure most 10 year olds would do better...but it is always busy, and the food is very good...and expensive. Only in Key West. After lunch we found a taxi, and with plans to go to Kmart, and replace the TV we lost in the crossing from Marco to here. After a few miscues, and a $65 cab fee, we did get a replacement TV...which I set up and is back on the back deck. Back at the boat, I again had ideas of either fishing or a dinghy ride, but just as we were getting the life jackets ready it started to rain...so we worked on more inside projects. For dinner we had pork chops on the boat...and the movie was more of a 24 episode that we had recorded.

As the evening wore on last night, the wind continued to build, and just before bed I had to go out a couple of times to adjust the lines. When I got up this morning I checked them again, and they seem OK...but stronger winds are forecasted...so we’ll see how they do. The weather the next few days is not forecasted to be good...at least for the Keys. Based on our friends and family are doing with the awful winter up North, I am not complaining...but it will be very windy (from the North) and temperatures in the mid to upper 60’s (average this time of year is a low of 65 and a high of 75). So I’m sure no fishing or dinghy rides until early next week. This will be a time to get some boat projects completed. Also we can get out the bikes and explore the area.

Well, it’s now 6:20, and time to close this and head out and find some breakfast. The biggest decision of the day for me, is whether to wear shorts or jeans as I head out. The good news is my years of business management trained me for such decisions.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 86; Day 236; Jan. 12, 2009; Key West

This is a shot of our new home for the next 5 weeks...the A&B Marina in Key West

This is where we'll keep the dinghy for the time we're here, because we had to back into our slip and so we had to take the dingy off.

On our lunch trip on Sunday I ran in some shallow water and got some sand in the water intake, so I am trying to get it out with a piece of wire...it worked and we were on our way in no time.


Notice how calm the water is...awesome ride to lunch

Here is Hurrican Hole...our lunch spot.

Just across the lagoon from our boat is an outside bar called Schooner Warf and they have live music every day.

Log 86
Day 236
Monday, January 12, 2009

6:30 AM EST
Location: A&B Marina, Key West, FL
Weather: 71* with calm winds

Side note...for the last 3 days I have been trying to get a log completed and sent out. Each time I try, I seem to find something that takes me away...like...walking the docks; going to eat breakfast; fishing; or some other activity that is more fun. Sorry for the lack of communication.

Well...after 234 days (since leaving Holland, MI), and 3,410 miles later we have reached Key West...the southern most point on our journey. It is just awesome to be here...something we have planned for, and dreamed about, for several years.

Getting here...the 91 mile run from Marco Island to Key West was not the best time. Nothing major happened, but the waves forecast was much rougher than predicted, and they were hitting the boat directly on our port bow, which meant we would fall sideways into the next wave as the last one went by. I had been watching the forecast for several days, and to put it simply...the winds did not die down as much as forecast, so the Gulf was much rougher than planned. I was fairly certain it would be “ok”...and it was...just not much fun. Three boats came in just before us (from Fort Myers) and they were all complaining about how rough it was. Deb and I talked about waiting one more day in Marco, and then coming down, but I was anxious to get here, so we headed out. As it turned out, it would have been almost flat calm if we waited one more day, and came in on Sunday instead of Saturday. Oh well...the only real causality was the helm TV fell and broke, so we need to find a new one. If you think about all the things that could go wrong...replacing the TV is at the top of the list of things you’d like to repair.

Once arriving at Key West we had to do a very thorough cleaning of the boat to get the salt off (some of which had hit the hard top). It was hot out, so the water spray felt good. After a complete wash, and complete wipe down, we were ready for dinner...and Deb was ready for a Cosmo. Both of these we took care, when we took a very short walk to a nice open air restaurant (within 5 minutes of our boat there are at least 15 places to eat). Back at the boat we were both very tired and did not last long...we missed the first sunset at Key West...but there will be others.

Sunday...in the early morning we got our bearings in our new surroundings. On these docks there are no side walkways (to walk along the side of your boat), so everyone must “stern in”. That is a problem for us because the dinghy sits behind our boat on the freedom lift, so when we got here we had to take off the dinghy and the freedom lift arms to be able to back the boat right against the dock. A pain...because we had to find a spot to park the dinghy, and also, it meant the dingy would sit in the water the entire time we are here. I found a spot, and after cleaning everything up Deb and I decided to head out for a long ride and find some lunch. We ended up at a place called Hurricane Hole...a perfect spot for a boater. You have to take the boat down this narrow waterway...and then through a mangrove channel to get there. The dinghy ride was awesome...the food was ok...but the beer was cold. Later in the afternoon we were back at the boat watching the football games, and we ate dinner on the boat. It got to 83 today.

Monday (80 and sunny)...up early, tried again to do the log, but decided to walk the docks and look for a spot for breakfast. Ended up a Turtle Krawl, a place I have been several times for good lunches. Breakfast...no so much. Oh well...the dock walk was great, talking to the commercial fisherman getting tips about how to fish got me excited so I came back to the boat and (after a trip to West Marine and the local fishing tackle store to get the best gear) I loaded up the dinghy and went fishing. I fished from about 10:30 to 1 with no luck, so decided to take the dinghy for a trip around some of the islands. I love doing that. Back at the boat about 2, Deb had left a note saying she was “exploring” so I called her and we met for a beer at Schooner Wharf Bar...right on the water, with a great guitar player singing all the songs you like. Just like you imagine when you think of a lazy afternoon in the keys. Back at the boat, we had a relaxing end to the afternoon, and dinner on the boat, while we watched the first episode of 24, which we had recorded earlier.

Today (Tuesday)...started this log early this morning, but stopped, as I was again lured into walking the dock and finding a new spot for breakfast. This time I got some local input from my new fishing buddies on the dock, and walked to Harry’s...great little spot where the locals go. After breakfast I stopped at a Marine/hardware store and ended up buying a fishing book that tells me exactly how, and where, to catch fish on the flats. Can’t wait to read it, and then go catch fish. Back at the boat at 9, it looks like another great weather day today, but late in the day it will start to get windy, as the cold front makes it way here. It is supposed to be 77 today, and then 68 for the next couple of days with fairly strong winds from the north. If it stays that way tomorrow I think we’ll take a taxi to K-mart (the only real big store on the island) and get a new helm TV to replace the broken one.

Well it’s time to go wipe the boat down, and also wipe down the dinghy. Not exactly sure what today will bring, but I’ll bet it will be fun.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob