CAYO HUESO BLOWDOWN

BEAR-  Put this to music-  Who knows?

When we pulled into Key West Bight

Don’t ya know we were feeling alright

‘Though we smelled like the man on the rag tag bike,

We put on our shoes and took a slow hike.

Saw the woman who went crazy on Caroline Street.

The old bakery with Cubano and fresh peach Danish treats.

Frangipani blossoms and Madagascar palms

Beggar on the corner hustling for alms.

We tied up our boat and took down our bikes

We tried,  but we couldn’t see all the sights.

Had to dodge around all the free fighting--cocks

And count all the schooners at the deep water docks.

Appledore, Western Union, and America 2

Our ketch ain’t a schooner but she’ll just have to do.

A bearded man standing in Hemingway’s bar

Busy rolling up all those loose-leaf cigars.

I almost bought a cherry-- flavor stogie,

But I knew I’d end up feeling just  like Bogie.

So instead, I slapped that wig hat on my head

Drank another Heiny--wished my own locks were dread.

Mike McCloud sang about Chevy on the Levity

Doesn’t Don know anything about song writing brevity?

We were hunkered down in Key West Town, the wind was a-blowin the salt air around,

30 knots of cold Northwind , thought we’d be eating a tamarind.

In the mooring field off of Sigsbee Park,

The howl in the rigging got worse in the dark.

We considered dingying back into town

But, on the way back out, kinda thought we might drown.

So we missed the masked ball and the Schooner Wharf bar

But Dave felt like a “salt” and Jan felt like a “tar”.

Supper last night was fish patties in sauce

Jan in the galley is really the boss

We’re surrounded by ketches and cutters and cats

Derelicts, gold-platers, sheer lines, and flats.

We pity the fools on the NW side,

In a low pressure front that ain’t nowhere to hide

Boats from Kemah,Texas, New Gate, and Wisconsin,

Some dinks have an Evinrude and some have a Johnson.

Boats in tatters and cormorant shit

Good thing we have binos, because here we sit.

Port holes, biminis, stem profiles, and flags

Self-tending  stays’ls,  and gennys in bags.

What’s better?  The windmills, or the passive solar panels,

With this wind-chill factor , We’re glad to have flannels.

Manana , Dry Tortugas, if the wind will subside

Then direct to Fort Meyers is a day-night-day ride. 

 

Peace, out.

Dave and Jan

Aboard S/V Visitor,  Key West

Skinny Waters- Phat Weather

Blog Shark River

We finally pulled up anchor in Punta Gorda and left the temptations of Ruth Decker’s eclairs, banana cream pie, meat loaf and other assorted goodies.   We weighed the anchor and noticed it too had gained a few pounds over the holidays. 

Made our way south and stayed on a mooring ball at Fort Meyers Beach.  There’s a  new paradigm throughout  Florida.  Instead of boaters anchoring wherever there may be a spot, Florida is trying out a system of mooring fields in harbors.  We were pleasantly surprised at our first mooring ball experience.  For a nominal fee ($13.00 a day), we were provided a dingy dock, showers, pump-out, fresh water, and laundry room. 

From the busyness of the beach we sailed south for the ten thousand islands with a quick over-niter at Marco Island.

 The trade winds have been out of the East almost every day and it is great to be actually sailing again. I am sure we must look smart with our main sail, jib, and jenny out.  We also had our drifter flying with its University of Florida (go gators) colors too. 

  Thanks to Lee, Marlene and Nels  Sonderfan’s friend,  for guiding us into Rabbit Key Pass.  What a trip worming our way through the mangroves and watching the GPS reading less than five feet.  We had such a great anchorage though,  that we stayed an extra day to view the magnificent stars, visit with locals, and do some site seeing in Everglade City.  The Sonderfans cooked us crab cakes and trout, served fresh veggies from the area and insisted we drink their Yuengling, yum.  Our tour of the Rod and Gun Club, an ancient, semi-famous watering hole and inn in Everglades city, was awesome and seeing where Mr. Watson died was cool, too. 

Shark River is where we are now.  It is the buggiest,  most beautiful spot you can imagine.  We got trapped in paradise because after two days here, we ran out of beer and ice and were anxious to leave but, the weather had other plans for us.  Beers or no beers, when the weather lady says: “Winds gusting to 30 MPH today with small craft warnings”, I guess we can enjoy one more day in paradise. 

Lee, Marlene, Nels

 Old painting at Rod and Gun Club

 Little Shark River

I'm just waitin' on you.

That was the First Mate writing-  this is Cap'n Davey.  We had a rousing sail south from Shark River to Vaca Key (Marathon) , a course of about 50 mi. over the shallows (8') of Florida Bay.  Marathon Harbor, which has over 200 mooring balls and various marinas was full up with a waiting list so we found a nice anchorage off the north side of the key.  Only down side is that it's open to the north.  Fortunately, the predom. winds are ESE.  People are very friendly, and we have easy access to shopping etc.  Spent Sun. eve watching Eli beat up on pretty boy Tommy at the Hurricane Bar and grill.  Cool.  Have had a few rain showers to wash the salt off the boat.  We are both healthy and happy and wish the same for all y'all.  Jan and Dave