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

Log 99; day 272; Feb. 17, 2009; Marathon, FL

This is how foggy it was when we got out in the Key West channel

Here is our view as we enter the Marathon channel

In order to bow in to our slip (so we could get the dinghy off) I had to rig up a ladder to get on and off the boat. Not pretty...but it works just fine

That's me in the dingy in the channel just behind our boat

This is our slip in Sombrero Resort and Marina

This is the view when we were "stern in"

This is our view now...much better

Log 99
Day 272
Tuesday, February 17, 2009

6:30 AM EST
Location: Sombrero Resort and Marina, Marathon, FL.
Weather: 64 and a little windy...forecasted to be 72 and sunny today

Just barely light out this morning in Marathon. I’m sitting on the back deck, and I need to have the lights on to see the key board of the computer. Looking out the front of the boat I can see the palm trees blowing pretty good, and the winds have switched over night, and are now coming out of the North Northeast. But I can also see the eastern sky is crystal clear, so when the sun comes up it should be beautiful.

We had a nice run from Key West to Marathon. It was very foggy in the Key West harbor, so we took our time getting going. Before leaving, we had to put the dinghy back on the boat (we could not have it on during our stay in Key West due to the docking situation) and also take on some fuel. So after putting in 200 gallons ($2.24 @ gallon) and securing the dinghy we headed out at 9:30 with bright and sunny skies. But, the sun did not last long...by the time we were in the ship channel just at the edge of the Key West harbor, it was very foggy, with probably less than 1/4 mile visibility. No problem though, we have great radar and chart plotter, so it was just a matter of watching the instruments closely.

It’s about 50 miles East Northeast, from Key West to Marathon (most of us think that the keys run north and south, but they really run east and west...especially the lower keys) and we were in and out of fog most of the trip. At one point it would be bright and sunny, and 2 miles later it was very foggy. There was also a small swell out of the NE, so much of the way we went about 18 mph, to avoid the side to side rocking the swells would cause. We ran about 1 to 2 miles off shore in what they call Hawks Channel, which runs inside a reef from Key West almost all the way to Miami. We reached the mouth of the Marathon harbor about 1 pm, and after weaving our way through the channel, we arrived at Sombrero at about 1:30.

Once getting to our slip we hurried as fast as possible to get tied up, and hooked up to electricity, so I could start recording the Daytona 500. While I did take some time to clean the salt off the back of the boat, I did not do a good job, because I was anxious to start watching the race.

Monday...Sombrero Resort and Marina is not the nicest resort you have ever been to...but also not bad. The location is just about as far back in the Harbor as you can go, and on a fairly narrow mangrove channel. The bad news is we, again, have a slip that is designed for us to dock “stern in” and that’s an issue getting the dinghy on and off. Because we were in a hurry to dock on Sunday, we did stern in, but on Monday we turned the boat around so we had a better view of the water, and we could easily drop the dinghy in the water and head out as often as we wanted. This caused somewhat of an issue getting on and off the boat (you can see in the picture how I rigged a ladder to do this) but we both felt the hassle was worth the benefit of using the dinghy. Also, on Monday, we did a bit of exploring. I took the bike and rode as far (in both directions) as I felt we would normally ride, to see what was within a reasonable distance from the boat. Good news...there is a Boaters World; post office; Publix; Win Dixie; Kmart; liquor store; and a small boat marina that services Mercury engines. Also, there is a dockside bar and restaurant about a 5 minute walk from here. Not Key West...but not bad. Deb also did laundry and I did a more complete job of washing the boat, as well as getting the first layer of crud off the bottom of the dinghy. To do it right, will take a lot more work.

Today...we are talking about more exploring. Maybe by bike and by dinghy. Most of the major boat chores we did yesterday, so we only have some more organizing to do today. The winds are also supposed to pick up later in the week, so it’s a good time to get out and check things out. Inside chores can wait for a bad weather day.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 98; Day 269; Feb. 14, 2009; Last Day in Key West.

Our friends Rome and Teresa have been here for the last 5 days

Relaxing time on the front of the boat.

This is the gang who came in for Annie's (first person on the left) birthday.

Here's Annie on her 60th birthday.

Here's the girls the next day as they rented a golf cart to see the area

On Rome and Teresa's last day we took a long dinghy ride...you can see how foggy it was

This was our destination in the dinghy...Hurrican Hole...great Cheesburger!

Log 98
Day 269
Saturday, February 14, 2009

6:30 AM EST
Location: A&B Marina, Key West, FL
Weather: 67 and foggy...forecasted to be 77 and sunny today

They say it NEVER gets foggy in Key West...but we have had fog the last 2 days. The temperatures are nice, and it’s not foggy all day, but it rolled in and out yesterday, and this morning it’s very foggy.

Each morning as I write the log I have the VHF radio on and listening to boat traffic. This morning I was listening to the Coast Guard talking to a vessel (Lucky Penny) and the radio calls went something like this:
“Motor vessel Lucky Penny...we have a Coast Guard vessel on the way to your location”
Motor vessel Lucky Penny...where do you intend to run your vessel aground”?
Luck Penny responds (in very broken English with a Spanish accent) “we have picked a spot where it is charted to be 1 foot”
“Motor vessel Lucky Penny...you are going very fast, when do you intend to slow your vessel down?”
“We can’t slow down...if we do the boat will fill with water very quickly”
Motor vessel Lucky Penny...we have a pump on board that will pump 250 gallons per minute...do you think that will work”?
“I am not sure we have a large hole in the boat”
“Motor vessel Luck Penny...ok...we will continue following you, and assist as necessary”
That’s the last thing I heard??????

Today is our last full day in Key West. Rome and Teresa will be leaving this morning and heading back to Miami to catch a flight this evening. We’ve had a great time with them aboard...as we always do.

The gang from home also left yesterday...driving back to Cape Coral...where some of them will be until April 1st. It was a lot of fun for all of us to be together. I don’t have the stamina to keep up with them, but watching them is certainly a lot of fun. They are the life of the party wherever they go. I am not exaggerating when I say Deb must have 200 pictures of the last few days with everyone around...I picked a few to give you a feel of our time together.

Today after Rome and Teresa leave we plan to have lunch with our friends Ron and Cindy at Willie T’s. Not sure when we will see them again, so we wanted to get together before we head out. This afternoon we will probably spend most of the time getting the boat ready to leave tomorrow morning. After being here a month, and having folks on board, you tend to use the boat like a house, instead of a boat. This is fine if the boat is not moving, but when it comes time to head out, you need to make sure everything is ship shape, and won’t hurt anything if you hit a big wave or are tossed about in someone’s wake. Deb and I have really enjoyed our time in Key West, but we are looking forward to leaving and going somewhere new. It’s only about 50 miles up to our next stop in Marathon...which is about midway in the keys. The weather for tomorrow looks perfect...light winds and 77 degrees...so it should be a great day for cruising.


I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 97; Day 265; Feb. 10, 2009; Key West

This shot is looking NW from our boat and, although the picture is hard to tell, there is a cold front coming through, and it was like a tall mountain of clouds approaching us. None of us had seen anything like this before.

Another shot of the "wall of clouds" coming at us.

Rome and Teresa having dinner with us at the A&B lobster bar.

Log 97
Day 265
Tuesday, February 10, 2009

6:15AM EST
Location: A&B Marina, Key West, FL
Weather: 65 and light winds...heading for 76 today

We are finally getting back to normal Keys weather again. Today is the last windy day for a while and the temperatures are headed for the upper 70’s or lower 80’s the next few days. The humidity is also back...it’s 80% this morning.

Steve and Claudia left on Friday morning...we had a great time with them on board. I don’t have a lot of stories to tell about their time on board...we just had a great time visiting, and seeing many sights in the area. The only shame of the visit was the fact it was so windy that Steve and I could not go fishing...something we love to do. Oh well...they’ll just have to come back.

Once Steve and Claudia left, Deb and I got busy cleaning the boat, and getting ready for our next guests...Rome and Teresa...long time friends, and at one point neighbors for several years. They flew into Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday and drove to the boat...arriving at about 5:30. Just in time for cocktails. We spent the evening having dinner on the boat and catching up on old times. It was great to see them again, and have them on the boat.

Tuesday...still a little windy...but got to about 72*, so we were not complaining. Rome and I walked to breakfast at Pepe’s, and it turned out to be better than the lunch we had there last week. Rome and Teresa took a long walk in the morning, and found a place to have a bloody mary (not very hard around here...no matter what time it is) and celebrate their vacation in Key West. For lunch we met our friends Ron and Cyndy (I worked with Ron at TLC) and their friends from Cleveland...Mark and Susan. Mark and Susan also boaters, and wanted to see our boat, so after lunch we all walked back to the boat for a tour. In the afternoon Rome, Teresa, Deb, and I decided to jump in the car (what a treat to have wheels for a change) and head to a real grocery store to get some supplies for the week. It is very interesting to compare prices on different things, and see how much cheaper they are just a couple miles away from downtown Key West. If you needed very much it would be worth it to rent a car and go stock up. For dinner we decided to go up to A&B Lobster House for 1/2 price happy hour and enjoy a selection of their appetizers, and we were back at the boat by 7:30. I went to bed about 8:30...not sure when everyone else went to bed...because no one is up yet to give me a report.

Today...a gang of our friends (7) come to Key West. Les and Annie (Deb’s sister and husband); Jennie (their daughter); Darrell and Donna (friends of all of us...and the couple who share a home in Cape Coral, FL with Les and Annie for 2 months each year); and Lyle and Char (another couple from Ottawa who came down to spend time with Darrell and Donna). With all of these folks coming down, I assume the level of activity will pick up considerably. There are discussions of snorkeling; bar hopping; shots of tequila; and lots of other activities. Annie turns 60 tomorrow...so a party is planned. Based on all of this...who knows how long it will be before I am able to write another log?


I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Shortly after Steve and Claudia arrived we headed out fishing

I keep the dinghy right beside Rick Hendrick's 80' boat...Steve had never seen a fishing boat that big

For some reason Claudia had here name on the door when we arrived at lunch.

Steve and Claudia are on the left in this picture...Ron and Cyndy are on the right. We had a great luch together in a little Mexican joint on Duval. Great friends.


This is Rick Hendrick's boat coming in from fishing yesterday

Rick Hendrick is in the front left in this picture...Dale Earnhart Jr. is in the red hat. I told them I'd take their picture together. The fish they caught are Dolphin...beautiful fish

Log 96
Day 260
Thursday, February 05, 2009

8:30 AM EST
Location: A&B Marina, Key West, FL
Weather: 52 and very windy...there are wind chill factors in the Keys this morning

It got down to 50 last night...with winds all night howling above 20 mph, and 30 mph in many places in the Keys. If we were up north this would be a heat wave, but in the Keys...this is the worst part of winter.

Our friends Steve and Claudia got here on Monday afternoon (the pictures on the log really tell more of the story than I can today). It was a nice day with light winds out of the South, so I wanted to take Steve fishing as soon as he got here, because I knew the winds would pick up and this would probably be our last opportunity. So within 20 minutes of their arrival we were walking down the dock heading for the dinghy, and then headed out to my new fishing spot...about a 25 minute run. The good news was Steve caught several fish very quickly, but the skies were getting dark, and you could see lots of lightning off to the NW. I had to convince Steve to stop fishing, because he was enjoying himself, but finally did, and by the time we got back to the dock it was raining, and very dark. Shortly after, the skies opened up and it poured for most of the evening.

Tuesday was an exploring day of Key West, as the 4 of us walked all around the area. It was cool out (65), and windy, so it was a great time to walk. We ended up at Turtle Krawl for lunch, which is just across the harbor from our boat, and then walked Duval street in the afternoon. I finally had enough of Duval, and Steve and I came back to the boat, while Deb and Claudia walked for another couple of hours. For dinner we went up to A&B for happy hour, and were joined by Jerry and Lynn (across the dock on Sea La Vie). We didn’t spend much money (1/2 price for everything) and had a great time.

Wednesday...we met another couple for lunch today. Ron and Cindy Witzke...friends of ours from Michigan. Ron was VP of Human Resources for TLC...the company I retired from. Ron just retired, and he and Cindy have rented a place in Key West for the next month. The 6 of us had a great lunch and talked a lot about old times. Now that all of us are newly retired we also talked about what the next 12 months was going to be like. For Ron and Cindy...after a month in Key West; a month on the west coast of Florida; a month in South Carolina they head back to Michigan for the summer and then head to Paris...for 6 months. This retirement thing is ok. Also yesterday, the excitement (at least for Steve and I) was seeing Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnhart Jr on the dock. I mentioned before that Rick’s boat (Reel Wheels) was here and I kept waiting for some of his drivers to come here to fish. Yesterday was the day, and when they came back in from fishing Steve and I were there to catch their lines and help them tie up the boat. They had no more docked, when out walked Rick and Jr out of the cabin. You can see from the picture we took they caught some fish. We decided not to bother them with any autographs...but it was cool seeing them, none the less.

Today...not sure. Because of the high winds, and cool temperatures we are not sure what we’ll do. I’m in charge of finding a cool spot for lunch, and after that...who knows.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 95; Day 257; Feb. 2, 2009; Key West

When the cold front came through on Friday the winds really picked up, and the birds were going crazy. It was kind of spooky.

We had lunch here on Friday...they say this is the oldest place to eat on the Island. It is much nicer on the inside, than this picture would lead you to believe.

Just across the harbor from us this lobster boat came in to unload their catch. Some folks bought fresh lobster from the guys.

A shot from our swim platform early on Super Bowl Sunday

This shot is taken from the fly bridge on the boat just across the dock from us during the Super Bowl party

Log 95
Day 257
Monday, February 02, 2009

7:30 AM EST
Location: A&B Marina, Key West, FL
Weather: 69 with 13 mph winds from the SE...another cold front it coming through tonight

It’s warm and nice out this morning. There are a few small showers in the area, and a couple of sprinkles made it to the boat, but not a lot of rain to be concerned with. A lot of activity happening in the harbor this morning, with boats leaving their slips heading out...some to the Bahamas...and others just going out fishing. Just across the dock from us (in Galleon Marina) a boat over 150 feet just pulled in. He must have been running all night, in order to get here at this time. We also had two other boats come to our dock this weekend. One from Texas, and another from Arkansas...both here for 3 months to go fishing. It’s amazing to see all this happen.

Here is what has been going on for the last few days...

Friday...the morning was warm and no wind...just beautiful. After spending part of the morning on the boat, Deb took a walk, and we made plans to meet Jerry and Lynn (our dock mates on Sea La Vie) for lunch at Pepe’s...supposedly the oldest restaurant in Key West. When we got there at 11:45, the first thing we found out was that they were still serving breakfast and would not take your lunch order until 12. But...you could have a beer...so we did. Lunch was good...but expensive. Actually, I doubt we’ll go back while we’re here. As we finished lunch the skies were getting much darker in the NW and within an hour the wind picked up to about 25 mph, and it started raining. The temperature also dropped about 10 degrees. The rest of the night was cool, windy, with off and on rain. For dinner we had homemade chicken noodle soup, and the movie was 3 recorded sessions of American Idol.

Saturday...all night Friday night the winds blew, and the boat rocked from the waves in the harbor. Not bad, because we are very protected, but enough to remind you it was windy outside. The morning was very different from the last several days as it was windy and cool. Not fun to be outside, but once the sun came up it was not bad. After a few chores, Deb went walking and we decided to call one another at 11, and meet for some lunch. We ended up going to Meteor BBQ...and the food was great. The afternoon we spent reading and relaxing on the boat...more of the same in the evening. Not exciting...but a great day none the less.

Sunday...the dock is getting ready for Super bowl early this morning. Right next to us is a boat called Wendy Sue, and they are the center of all party activity on the dock. Every weekend folks come and go from their boat, and sit on the dock in front of their boat to tell the latest happenings. Their are about 5 or 6 boats that all gather here on a daily basis. Interesting to watch (and listen to sometimes), but it does make us feel funny sometimes being right next door to them and not “one of the group”. But most of the folks could not be nicer, and invite us to join in...it’s just they have their own group...and we certainly understand that. The party turned out to be a good time. Everyone brought something to eat (another pot luck) and there was plenty of food. As you can see from the picture lots of folks attended, and it was quite a chore to get through the crowd on the dock. About 1/2 time it got a little cool out, so many folks went back to their own boats. Deb and I did the same, and watched the last half down our salon.

Today...friends of ours, Steve and Claudia, will be joining us today, and be here until Friday. They live in Dixon, Illinois and have driven down, making many stops along the way. Steve and I had planned to go fishing today, but he just called to say he was having a wheel bearing problem on his car, and would have to get it towed to Miami for repairs (they are currently in Key Largo). He plans to get a loaner car and then drive back down here to Key West, so I doubt there will be fishing today. Fishing, or not, it should be a good day, with temperatures in mid 70’s. The winds are predicted to turn North again tonight...so the next 3 days will be a little cooler. Typical winter in the Keys.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

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