When last we left you dear reader, we were eating fresh fish caught with our own hands. The adventure continues here in Marathon (Boot Key Harbor). I have been some what delinquent in my postings on the blog because we are doing so much that I can’t easily find the time. Bob M from Takoma Park (home) came for a visit and we did some sailing and more fishing. A side trip to Bahia Honda was a beautiful sail down the Hawk Channel which runs along the reef on the ocean side of the Keys. Going down (west) we had the wind on our stern quarter blowing about 15-20. We were able to tuck in behind the key to get out of the wind for the night, but the swell from the ocean still curved around and bounced us a bit. We fished for a while and caught dinner. Don’t know what the fish were except good. The next day we had a great sail back to Boot Key Harbor. After a tack off shore to gain some room, we sailed slightly off the wind all the way back.
Later in the week, Terri and I, with Lenny from Dreamer, went out to Sombrero reef to do some diving. Florida has set up diving sanctuaries all along the keys. In these sanctuaries there are mooring balls that one can tie up to and snorkel in any where from 2 to 20 feet of water. It was spectacular to see the living reef with hundreds of small fish around and the various bottom life that abounds. The water is soooo clear. Even Terri braved the “cold” to take a peek, but cold by our northern definition it is not. If any of you have been in the water north of Cape Cod, that is COLD.
Right now we are sitting on the boat being held hostage by the wind. A cold front moved through last night and the wind is blowing 20-25 with higher gusts. While this is not a problem in this protected harbor, we will get wet on the dingy ride to shore if we choose to make the trip, so here we sit reading and writing. Life is a series of adjustments. Oh how Zen of me.
Another day and we are back to paradise. Mid 80s nights cool to sleep by, what more could we ask. We are on cruiser time and tasks. Read a bit, maintenance on the boat, meets with friends, trips to Key West, etc. Our thoughts are now turning toward the return trip home. We have come as far south as we are going to do and now it’s head north and try to keep just below the cold weather. We expect to be back in mid May so that we can attend Pete’s graduation from Bridgewater. But again, to recite the cruiser’s mantra, no schedules are carved in stone but judged rather by wind and weather, so at best we will get close enough to fly home to Pete’s graduation temporarily leaving the boat behind.
