"Why would I ever leave...this island?"

Well, that's the question Howard Livingston asks in his song, but it seems that sometimes the answer is...MONEY.
Bev got a temp job at the hospital in Marathon, so Sunday night we enjoyed our last sunset in Key West and on Monday morning hauled in all 3 anchors and set sail for Boot Key Harbor.
It was predicted that we'd have seas running 2 to 3 feet, but as soon as we rounded the point at the west end of Key West we were slammed with waves running 5 to 6 feet. We couldn't use the engine because the waves "hobby-horsed" the boat to the point where the propeller came up clear of the water. So we sailed on as best we could. We had about 3 hours of tough tacking back and forth into the seas and traveled about 4 miles before the seas began to subside. Once the waves backed down to predicted levels, we were able to have a very nice sail for the rest of the day. We even set the mizzen-powered self steering gear and sailed hands free for a few hours.
By sundown we still had 20 miles to go and the wind died out to zero. We started the engine which, after a finicky start ran fine till we set anchor.
The only real trouble we encountered was the old leak in the forward bulkhead. I thought I had that spot repaired, but apparently the pounding we took in the morning opened up the seam again and we started taking on water. For a while the bilge pump handled it, but then the pump burned out. We had to pump manually until the boat leveled out enough to stop leaking. Since we made anchor Monday night, no further water has come in.
We anchored outside the harbor for the night on Monday, and first thing Tuesday morning our friend Scott from "Detroit Copper" dingied out and brought us a pot of fresh coffee. Bev cooked up some bacon, eggs and bagels and we all had breakfast on deck. Then Scott guided us in to our mooring ball in Boot Key Harbor. "Thanks, Scott."
Now we're relaxing and trying to recouperate from our adventure. Tonight there's "meet and greet" at the club house and we will go and meet the other cruisers in the harbor. The boater community here is very active. There's a "cruiser's net" radio program every morning on the VHF radio. We received a nice "welcome package" from the net organizers and the local water taxi. It's a package of information, catalogs and coupons wrapped up in a nice canvas shopping bag.
For those who are "geographically challenged" Marathon is a city on Vaca Key, about half way up the Keys from Key West. It's at Mile Marker 50 on the overseas highway. We'll be here for about 6 weeks or so, depending on how long the hospital can guarantee Bev enough hours to pay the rent and still save a bit.
I've included only one picture today, but it's a humdinger. Yesterday just after our first REAL showers in 4 months we were getting in the dingy to go back out to the mooring when someone shouted "Look Up!" When we did we saw this "sundog" - a ring around the sun. It last for several hours and was visible at least as far away as Key West. Cool!

Arrrgh! Let the "bloody battle" commence!

Yesterday Bev and I were invited aboard "Aurora" to participate in "The Bloody Battle," an event which commemorates the famous battle between the naval and air forces of the Conch Republic and the imperial forces of the United States. In the original battle, the Conch forces surrendered after engaging the enemy for 13 minutes, then immediately applied for $1 Billion in foreign aid. (Doesn't the US always pay its defeated enemies?)
In yesterday's reenactment, the bulk of the Key West schooner fleet combined with several private vessels and 6 airplanes to attack a single Coast Guard cutter, the Farallon. Farallon and her crew received a heavy beating from repeated broadsides from the naval vessels (shooting damp bread balls and water cannon) and took 2 direct hits from aircraft (which dropped streaming rolls of toilet paper.) After only a single pass through our lines Farallon retired from the field. The victorious forces of the great Conch Republic retired to the Schooner Wharf bar to celebrate.
Here are a few pictures of the battle.
N.B. - The crew of the charter vessel "Party Cat" violated the "rules of engagement" by using "unauthorized ammunition." They threw tomatoes, eggs and other items which were dangerous to all concerned. We have received other reports of this vessel violating the marine rules of the road and generally being operated in an unsafe manner. We strongly suggest that if you are ever in Key West and want a day charter, pick any vessel other than "Party Cat."
Also, I've included a picture of the school of yellowtail that swarmed around the boat on our reef trip last week. I've also included some pics of friends we've met here in Key West.
We will be leaving Key West in the next few days so we need to say goodbye to:
Dave and Ray,
Mike and Patty,
Jeff and Helen,
Daniel,
"Portside Tom,"
Melinda from Garden of Eden,
Erica, John and Chris from Kelly's,
Sue and Kevin,
the crew at the Coffee Plantation,
Rose and Mike,
Louis and K (our newest friends, sorry can't remember the spelling),
Terri, Bob and Kevin from the Key West Bight Marina,
and others too numerous to mention.
Photo legend:
1) Capt Jeff of "Aurora" (left) and Capt Scott of "Detroit Copper."
2) Bev and I with "Commander" Howard Livingston of the Conch Republic navy. (Better known as the lead singer in the Mile Marker 24 Band.)
3) Mile Marker 24 performing at Schooner Wharf during the Conch Republic days celebration. Note the old outboard engine that has been converted to a margarita machine.
4) Our favorite bartenders Erica, John and Chris from "Kelly's Caribbean Grill."
5) Schooner "Appledore" preparing for battle.
6) Schooner "Hindu" (oldest and fastest in the fleet) preparing for the great battle.
7) Schooner "Jolly II Rover" in the battle.
8) US Coast Guard Cutter "Farallon" in the heat of battle. Note the 3 "TP bombs." 2 of the 3 TP bombs hit Farallon causing her to retire from the battle giving the victory to the naval and air forces of the Conch Republic.
9) A school of yellowtail swarming around "Aurora" during our trip to the reef.

Bev visits the reef

This Monday, Bev and I were invited aboard "Aurora" for a snorkeling trip to the reef. The wind was calm, there were few waves and the water was amazingly clear. We stopped at a different spot that my last trip and I was pleasantly surprised to see more living coral. It appears the reef is recovering, or at least not declining as fast as some would have you believe. There were dozens of species of beautiful tropical fish, including some large schools of yellowtale and blue chromis.
A fantastic day. I'm glad Bev got the chance to see the reef before we move on. Thanks Capt. Jeff.

And now, some pictures

We finally made it to the Internet Cafe with the laptop, so here are some pictures from our visit here in Key West.
From top to bottom:
1)With a storm blasting away outside, Barney and I take a break from fighting the weather and have a little chat.
2)At the "drag races" the MC leads the contestants through the obstacle course they have to run.
3)In the "pits" at the "drag races."
4,5,6) Some shots of the KW waterfront with the schooner fleet in port, and the schooner "Western Union" now returned from major repairs in Miami.
7)A spectacular evening sky over the anchorage.
8)A rainbow. The remarkable thing is that this rainbow last for over an hour. If you look closely, you will see there is a second, fainter rainbow just to the left of the bright one.
9)The sailing vessel "Legacy." She was dismasted and put hard aground during hurricane Wilma in Oct 2005. After over 2 years of fighting with authorities for permits to free her, the owner finally got her afloat a few weeks ago. She is a 158' megayacht, built in Italy by Perini Navi at a cost of over $30 million. She will now be transported back to Italy for a refit. I guess it's nice to have money.
10)Eat your hearts out folks, we get a sunset like this almost every night.

Conch Week

This week is "Conch Republic Independence Week" here in Key West.
The event marks the anniversary of the events of 1982. The US Immigration department, in their infinite wisdom, decided to put a road block up on US Rte 1 to stop the traffic in drugs and illegal immigrants. The folks in Key West (tongues firmly in cheek) said "If you treat us like a foreign country, we're going to BE a foreign country." Key West declared independence from the US, declared war, promptly surrendered and asked for $1 billion in foreign aid. A "bloody battle" ensued between the schooner fleet in Key West and the Coast Guard (ammunition consisting of water balloons and rotten veggies).
The "Conch Republic" still has its own flag, issues "passports" and conducts "foreign affairs" with the US.
This week will be marked with a number of events including a "drag race." (Contestants required to wear high heels.) There will also be a recreation of the "bloody battle." And of course, in real Conch tradition, there will be TONS of alcohol consumed along the way.
It's all in fun, and we'll be there. Wish you were here.

Sad news

My sister called this morning to say that my Aunt Kay passed away last night. It was not unexpected, she was 93 and had been in poor health for a long time. The word is that she just went to sleep last night, quietly and painlessly. After a long, full life, to pass on in that way is really a blessing.
She was an artist, an avid bridge player, and a "second Mom" to my sister and I. We will miss her.
Now it will be a mad scramble to see if I can get to NY in time for the services.
(Some timing, Aunt Kay. You just HAD to go as a cold front is approaching the Keys, didn't you?)

A slight change of plan

and our 200th post to this blog!
Bev has been offered a temp job at the hospital in Marathon, about 50 miles further up the Keys. So...we will leave Key West around April 27th or so, and spend May and part of June in Marathon, then head up the coast from there. It will mean reaching NY no sooner than mid July, but that still leaves us a few weeks in NY and a few more in MA before heading back south. The hospital wants Bev back for next winter. That should work out nicely. Marathon has a really good harbor with very secure moorings. We won't have to worry about our ground tackle when the fronts come through. Not as much fun as KW, but KW is only a $1 bus ride away.
Today we saw an exhibit of John Lennon's art work. Yoko is sponsoring a tour of the exhibit to benefit AIDS research. The pieces are for sale, WAY out of my price range, but very interesting to look at.
It was fun, and we learned a bit of Beatles' trivia: Who was "Prudence" in the song "Dear Prudence" and why was she asked to "come out and play?"
Answer in our next post.
Also, the schooner "Western Union" has returned to her home port. She was built in KW to lay cable for the company she was named for. For the last four months she has been in Miami for repairs and now she has returned to reclaim her place as the flagship of Key West's fleet of tall ships. We hope to have some pictures soon.

Whew!

What a ride!
About midnight Sunday morning, a violent thunderstorm struck Key West. As the storm hit, a huge wind gust spun us around and caused one of our anchors to break loose. (Oddly it was our biggest, heaviest anchor.) The gust had the boat heeling over at about 25 degrees or so for a very long 10 or 15 seconds. Fortunately, our two other anchors held, and as the wind shifted, the big anchor reset itself. We sat up most of the night keeping watch to make sure we didn't drag and hit something (like another boat.)
We found out today that the storm produced steady winds of over 40 knots and one gust was recorded at 60!
The only damage happened when one of the bamboo curtains in the pilothouse broke free and slapped the VHF antenna, snapping the mount off at the base. This is easily repaired, and there was no other damage to contend with.
And the big news is - we didn't run aground or have to be towed. We held in place. Whew! But it was a wild ride even so.
We had thunderstorms again on Sunday night, but not as bad. Last night the storms had the decency to go around us. The next few days are expected to be quiet.
On a lighter note, when we got up this morning, we discovered the tall ship "Bounty" had anchored not far away. She was in town only to pick up a passenger and was back out on the sea, headed for Mexico, by noon.

Little by little

The computer is getting well again, little by little. By the next post I should have some new photos to share. For now, just a few words about plans.
As it looks now (subject to change at any time) we will be pulling anchor and leaving Key West around the end of April. It will all depend on favorable wind shifts. Right now we have near constant northeast winds which will make it tough going if we head north. We plan on taking the boat out a few times before then to "shake down" after 4 months of sitting at anchor. Baking in the sun is taking its toll on sail covers, varnish, paint and other vital stuff. Not using the engine also takes its toll as gunk builds up in the carb. So little by little, we start getting ready to get on the move again. It's a shame, because we would really like to stay here. But they have this little thing called hurricane season and I'd really like to follow the good old "BSE" rule - Be Somewhere Else!
So we will try this spring to complete the loop by making our way back to Kingston NY. While there we can visit my sister (who now lives in Middletown) and my son in Albany. I will also attempt to clean out my storage bay. (If you have need of a NEW 15 hp outboard, contact me.) From there we hope to spend some time on the Cape with Bev's family. After that we might just head back to the Keys for next winter.
For now, we're just content to be "livin' out the lyrics Buffett wrote." (A line from "Same Boat" by Eric Stone.)

Still "Livin on Key West Time"

Just a very quick update to let you know that we haven't fallen off the edge of the earth.
We're just "Livin on Key West Time" (the title of a great Howard Livingston song.)
We met Howard and his band Mile Marker 24 and have gotten to really love his music. Check him out at www.milemarker24.com. Hey, gotta love the guy, he even looks like me.
The plan so far, is to start heading north as soon as the east winds start to die down, sometime around the end of April. It should take us about 2 months to make it to NY, so look for us sometime "Junish, Julyish," whatever. Then in September, we'll head back here and winter in Key West again. We love it here. If it weren't for hurricanes, we'd just stay and watch Bananas Grow.

Just another day in paradise

Well, we're still in good old Key West.
My computer's hard drive crashed, so I'm using the library computer until I get my laptop fixed. Most critical data were backed up, but I think we may have lost some photes. Everything else is either backed up or easily rebuilt.
We are also having a bit of a glitch with our solar electic system. I think the regulator has gone haywire. It shows "charging" early in the AM, but once the sun is full on the panels, the light goes out and the batteries don't charge. If anyone has any ideas on why that would happen, let me know.
Otherwise, as long as the weather holds, we seem to be surviving "on the hook." Finally, cheap living in a great place. Our total "dockage" costs for the last 7 days amounted to a whopping $34. ($24 for the dingy permit and $10 for the pumpout boat to pay us a needed visit.)
As for weather: 75 to 80 during the day, 68 or so at night. It rains for about an hour most every night about 2 AM, otherwise mostly clear skies.
Starting Jan 21 there will be a week of sailboat racing here in KW. Everything from dingies and sunfish up to America's Cup type boats will be racing. We will try to get out to see some of the races.
Otherwise, all is well here in paradise. As the song says "The weather is here, wish you were beautiful..."

Still in Key West.

We were supposed to leave KW on the 3rd, but high winds and waves kept us here a few extra days. Aw, shucks. 3 extra days in Key West.
Actually, we will anchor out for a few days and dingy ashore. There's just too much to do here.
Yesterday, we attempted to find the "back way" to the large shopping area. We took our bikes and rode for hours. We finally found it and decided the best way is the direct way. That means fighting heavy traffic on US 1, but it's is the most efficient way of getting there. As it is, it's a half hour bike ride to the two large grocery stores. I guess that's not all that bad, in the general scheme of things.
Now...if we could just find a safe spot to keep our bikes ashore while we're anchored out...

Happy New Year!

Yesterday, we took a bike ride around the entire island. Including stops at each of the beaches it took about 2 hours. Now we know where all the "modern" stores are: Home Depot, Publix, etc. They're all clustered just north of the airport, probably a 20 minute bike ride from the marina.
We also bought an engine for the dingy. I hadn't planned on spending the money, but now we will be able to anchor out more and save marina fees. It should pay for itself.
Last night we had dinner at "Pepe's," the oldest eatery on the island. It was Hemmingway's favorite place to eat and it's still about the same as it was in his day. Then we had a few beers at Kelly's, met some great people (even some from NY and NJ) and then walked over to Schooner Wharf for the "Lowering of the Wench."
Each New Year's Eve the crew of the schooner "Liberty Clipper" dress up like pirates, winch a wench to the top of the mast then lower her to the deck in time with the final count down to the new year. It is billed as "second only to New York's Times Square." Well, that's a bit much, but it was fun.
This morning we're back at the Coffee Plantation enjoying the best coffee on the island.
The weather is expected to change today as a strong cold front approaches. They're predicting winds of 25 to 30 with gusts to gale force and temps dipping to the 40's! Just our luck - the coldest it's been here in years!

Barney's big day on the town.

Yesterday, Bev and I took Barney on an expedition to downtown Key West. At first he was apprehensive about his new travel case, but once he got out among the people, he calmed down and had a great time watching all the colorful characters that inhabit this place. (He did tell me he was jealous of the chickens that roam free all over town.) He came with us to the Pirate Soul Museum where we saw the ONLY genuine, documented pirate treasure chest in the world. He even sat at the bar with us and had a drink at Fat Tuesday's. Of course, being under age, he had to have water.
We're having a blast. So far the only problem is a minor blister on my toe from walking all over town in sandals. Yeah - to you folks up north - I said sandals. Much to warm for shoes.
For anyone who hasn't been here, but planning to come, don't miss happy hour at Kelly's. Best beer and wings on the island and the prices are great - $1.50 for a beer and wings are $4 a pound. It's located in the original headquarters of Pan Am Airlines and features a seaplane flying out of the ceiling!
Now the big question is: are we really Conchs at heart? Do we want to get a motor for the dingy, anchor out in the Cut, and stay here a while? Hmm...don't tempt me.

Greetings from the Isle of Bones

Yes folks, we are here in "Cayo Hueso" (The Isle of Bones) - better known as Key West!
We sailed from Naples on Wednesday. We were able to sail most of the day, but about sundown the wind died out and we ended up using the motor. We did get some practice using our new spinnaker. The 100 mile crossing (our longest to date) took 25 hours. We arrived at the outer mark in the northwest channel about 8 AM, but it took us until 11:00 to fight the current coming in from the Atlantic. We set our anchor in Flemming Cut about 11:30. Our marina reservation was for Saturday, so we just waited at the anchorage. As it turned out, that was a good plan. Coming off a 25 hour crossing we needed the extra time to relax and rest before hitting the town.
We got into our slip at the marina about 10:00 yesterday, took a shower and walked the entire length of Duval St. For those who've never been here, that is a TRIP, in several senses of the word. For one thing, walking the length of Duval takes you from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. It also takes you past some of the most colorful characters you are likely to meet anywhere. Mimes, drag queens, hippies and hillbillies - they're all here. There are also the thousands of cruise ship passengers who come ashore here for a few hours and really don't have a clue as to what they are seeing.
We had lunch at the original "Margaritaville." We saw the sunset over Mallory Square. We had a few Key West Sunset Ales at the Schooner Wharf Bar (one of the most famous bars in the world.) We also ran into Jim, our former dockmaster at South Pasadena! Key West is one of those places where, if you stay long enough, you'll run into everyone you know.
Happy Birthday Julie! And thanks to you and Tim for all you've done for us. (Now get your butts down here.)
Today, after a bit of reprovisioning, we hope to see the Pirate Museum and a few of the other interesting historical sites. Tomorrow, we need to take a nap so we can stay up, tip a few at the Schooner Wharf, and watch the "Dropping of the Wench" from the top of the mast of a schooner at midnight.
The weather is predicted to change starting Wednesday, so we may have to juggle our plans about leaving, but there's a couple of days for the forecast to change.
Oh, speaking of weather - to all you folks up north - it's 78 to 82 for a high during the day, and 68 to 72 for a low at night. And the only "white stuff" around is the sand on the beach. Yuck, Yuck.

Merry Christmas to all!

Merry Christmas!
Well folks, we're in Naples. We are now 87 miles from Key West.
Today, we are celebrating Christmas. We spent the early morning drinking coffee and watching "The Santa Clause." After breakfast we will do some work to get the boat ready for our biggest crossing yet. Once that is done, we will have our Christmas dinner. We have a little tree, and we have the boat all decorated for the holiday.
We are staying at the Naples City Dock for a day or so. We need to get fuel, do a pumpout, fill our water tanks, etc. I have to make new reefing nettles as the old ones have gotten to worn to trust. We need to load the bikes on the deck. Then we will watch the weather. We need about 24 hours for the crossing to Key West. Our reservations are for Saturday, so we have three days to pick from. The wind is predicted to be easterly, so it should be a pretty smooth crossing. It is still a challenge as we've not yet done a 24 hour crossing. Our biggest so far was the 18 hours it took to cross the Gulf. If the weather holds as predicted, we should have no trouble. The autopilot is working and we will be starting our with full fuel tanks and full batteries so it's all systems go. This might be our last posting before the crossing, so wish us luck!
Update: It turned out to be such a nice day, after our work was done we took a bike ride to the beach. To the folks up north: eat your hearts out! We were wading in the surf on Christmas day. Wow! That's what being "south" is all about.
Merry Christmas to everyone!

A star is born.

The last couple of days have had their share of events.
As we were leaving Venice, we managed to swamp the dingy (don't ask, long story) and had to stop and bail it out. In the process we got the tow line caught in the propeller which stalled the engine. So we had to hurry and set the anchor, during which process the anchor got bent. What a comedy of errors.
After 45 minutes of scrambling around trying to fix things, we finally got under way and made it to a lovely anchorage at Englewood Beach. It was a very well protected spot and we had a very quiet night. The mangrove island that set the anchorage off from the bay was teeming with osprey. We watched them circle overhead. As we sat on deck eating dinner and watching the sunset, a pod of dolphins swam by. This whole area seems to be swarming with dolphins. All the next day we saw dozens of them. Some actually swam under the boat.
We stopped in at the marina in Boca Grande to see if we could buy a new anchor. They had to order it and have it overnighted, so we stayed here for the night. Our new friends, Paul and Laurie from Verkennen were anchored in a little cove just north of here and we all went for a bike trip downtown and to the lighthouse. While we were downtown, Bev spotted a sign outside a tiki bar that said "Open Mike." We dashed home, had a quick shower, grabbed the guitar and went back.
The open mike event was hosted by a very talented guy named Chakulla who did a few songs and then turned the mike over to the guest performers. The first was a very talented young woman. She writes her own songs and sings great. She kind of reminded us of Alanis Morrisette.
Then it was my turn. I did the standard 3 song set, then the host asked me to do one more. Later, after everyone had a chance to do their thing, he asked my to come back up and do another set. It was a great night.
Today we're just going a few miles (after the anchor gets here) and anchor out. We will be making our way toward Naples. Naples is a bit tricky because there is a stretch of about 30 miles or so that has to be done on the outside, in the Gulf. We need a good weather window to make that crossing. Once in Naples, we have an offer of free dockage from one of Bev's friends. We will wait there for the big jump to Key West. We're still not sure where we will be for Christmas, but it will probably be an anchorage.

Getting moving again

Well, today the plan is to get moving again. The wind has calmed down and shifted around to the north/northeast. The down side of that is that temperatures have gone down significantly. Night time lows are now in the 40s.
We are planning a few nights of anchoring out as we make our way down the coast, so we will not be updating for a while.
During our stay in Venice we met some new friends, Paul and Laurie. They are cruising in their very unique "Dutch scheldeschow" named Verkennen. They have been following our adventure via this blog and were quite surprised to actually catch up with us. They have been sailing very much the same route we have and we had a great time swapping stories over dinner on their boat. They were a great help Sunday with our emergency at the Crow's Nest. Thanks, guys!
Also, a big "Thank You" to Pat and Peter for putting us up in the condo for the weekend, for helping tend lines during the move on Sunday, and for ferrying Bev to the grocery store.
In case we don't get a chance to update between now and Christmas "Happy Holidays" everybody!

A harrowing day.

Here's a bit of information for all cruisers: if a cold front is anywhere in the vicinity DO NOT plan on staying at the Crow's Nest Marina in Venice. The marina is completely exposed to a west wind, and the waves coming in from the Gulf slam the transient dock with such force as to cause damage to any boat moored there. The pilings are old and weak and will not prevent your boat from slamming into the concrete sea wall. We know, it happened to us.
Fortunately, the only damage was some chipped paint and one chock that was torn off the deck and lost. All damage will be easily repaired, but I'm still a bit peeved at the marina staff for not warning me about the lack of protection from the west wind. I guess they thought I should know. Yeah, right, I've never been here before in my life but I'm supposed to know how every marina behaves in every wind condition.
Any way, we're safe and the boat has been moved to a much quieter location on the town dock.
I just hope that enough folks read this and stay away from Crow's Nest. Maybe if they lose enough business, they'll fix their pilings and may put up a warning sign telling transients to stay away if the wind is out of the west.

Ride the wild surf

Well folks, we've made it as far as Venice, but I think we'll be here for a while. A cold front has come through, bringing with it west winds at 25 to 35 knots and gusts to 40. It has kicked up a huge surf along the shore and waves up to 8 feet off the coast.
The boat is tied up at the Crow's Nest marina in Venice, but there isn't much protection from the west wind.
We are staying ashore with some friends of Bev, Pat and Peter. They manage a small resort apartment complex on the beach. When we went to check on the boat today, we found she had taken a bit of a beating during the night. We reset all the lines and added a few extra lines to keep the boat off the pilings. So far, the only damage is to the paint and that will be easily fixed.
We will try to move the boat tomorrow to a more protected area, and then leave for points south on Tuesday when the winds are predicted to shift to the northeast and weaken a bit.
Looking out at the Gulf, I'm glad we're not out there today! Whew!