Marathon 2

Well, its been almost 2 months since I've made a blog post, so I'm hopelessly behind.  Just havin' too much fun being on "Island Time"! ;)

So, instead of going day-by-day like I have been, I'm just going to hit some of the highlights.

We ended up spending almost 5 weeks at Marathon.  I can understand why some people make it their sole winter destination.  It's a unique community of boaters, with lots to do.

Marathon's Boot Key Harbor is a massive mooring field, with room for around 300 boats.  Despite this, it is usually full in the winter.  There are very few anchorage spots left inside the harbor, and those are packed tight with boats anchored too close together.  We spent 12 nervous days in the south anchorage, watching other boats swinging too close, and waiting for a mooring ball to come available. 

Sunset in the Marathon Anchorage

But finally, one came open, and it was very close to the dinghy dock! This cut our "daily commute" in half!

The harbor has a lot of rules,  and cruisers, being the free-spirits that they are, tend to chafe at them.  At first, I found them a bit intimidating and oppressive, but as time went by I realized that with this many people and boats in this small a space,  they really are necessary to keep things from becoming "the Wild West".  And they are enforced impartially, but they are enforced.  On the other hand, they are committed to providing necessary services.  Unlike marinas and mooring fields up and down the coast whose pump-out services are always broken or unavailable, Marathon maintains a fleet of two dedicated pumpout boats that run on a regular schedule, 5 days a week.  One pumpout a week is included in your mooring fee, and you can schedule more if you need them.  This was critical to us, with our minuscule 10 gallon holding tank!

Once secure on a ball, life became very relaxed.  Crafting for Joan on one day, Mexican train the next, and Bocce Ball on Wednesdays!  I ordered various boat parts and had them delivered to the marina.  A twenty-boat "Dinghy Drift" on Friday.  Seminars on spearfishing and freediving.  The days, and then the weeks just drifted by.

Twenty Dinghy Sunset Drink n Drift

The morning "Cruiser's Net" on VHF channel 68 was always a source of information an entertainment, consisting of weather, announcements, arrivals, departures, help wanted/needed, and always ending with a set of trivia questions.

Shortly after we arrived, I took Joan out to dinner at the Steak and Lobster House for her birthday.

Seafood Birthday Dinner

One day, Joan decided to get in the dinghy and scrub Dolce Vita's waterline, which was becoming quite shaggy with grassy strands of algae growing  from it.  As she got in the dinghy, we discovered a huge manatee (these things are 1400 lbs full grown!)  nibbling on the growth on the bottom of the dinghy.  Joan got to get up-close and personal with it, even getting sprayed in the face when it surfaced to get another breath

On another day, we borrowed two kayaks, and went on a guided trip through the Mangrove swamps that was conducted by one of the harbors long-time residents.  At times, the paths were so narrow that you couldn't paddle, and had to pull yourself through by the roots on either side!

We took one day to bicycle down to the  Craine Point Hammock Museum and Nature Center.  This is one of the last undisturbed pieces of the Keys as they originally were.  The museum was the personal property of the Crane family who donated to to Florida as a preserve.  We spent a whole afternoon hiking the trails and looking at the flora and fauna.

Our cruising plans had originally included going to Key West, but after we heard about the poor situation with the mooring field there (exposed to rough open water and a LONG wet dinghy ride to shore), we decided to stay put in Marathon, and just take a bus down to Key West for a day trip.  The shuttle runs all the way down in two hours, and is only a dollar for seniors! So, we played tourists for a day, taking in the shipwreck museum, the Flying Monkeys Bar, and the butterfly conservatory.

The La Ti Da Caberet & Bar

Flying Monkeys Saloon

Towards the end of our stay in Marathon, we took a dinghy trip down Sister's Creek to Sombrero Beach to get our fix of sun, sand and salt!

It seemed like hardly any time at all, but suddenly, five weeks was up, Bill would be arriving soon to crew on our crossing, and we would be on our way to Bimini!  Time to get serious and prep the boat for traveling!

Life is good!

Marathon!

1411 nm   N24 42.406  W081 05.739

Back into the "traveling" routine.  Up before dawn, coffee, breakfast, and on the move.

Once we left the Little Shark River, we stayed inside the "1 mile limit" around the Everglades as long as we could.  The reason for this is that watermen are prohibited from placing crab pots within the 1 mile limit!

So we hugged the shore until we got to Cape Sable, and then struck out across the Florida Bay.  Once outside the protection of the Everglades Park, the crab pot floats were so thick you could almost walk across the bay on them!  It required constant vigilance.  If you let your attention wander for even a moment, the next thing you know you're bearing down on a float and have to make a sharp maneuver around it.  Especially the black ones, which are already practically invisible.

We have a prop on a strut, instead of snugly protected in a cutout on the keel. As a result, if we run over a float we WILL snag it, and I will have to go over the side to untangle it, something I NEVER want to have to do again!

So on we went, in our zig zaggy course, dodging pot after pot.  The water got calmer and calmer.  Finally, 7 mile bridge came into view on the horizon.

7 Mile Bridge in the Distance

A little word about 7 mile bridge.  Its part of the long chain of bridges that connect the Florida Keys from the mainland all the way down to Key West.  Originally built on the railroad trestle bridges (built in the early 1900s by Henry Flagler),  the 7-Mile span has been replaced by a modern highway bridge that has a 65 ft high clearance in the center to allow sailboats to get under it.  The old original railway trestles are still there, but two spans have been removed to allow access.  It's one of the few places in the Florida keys where a sailboat can get from the Gulf side to the Atlantic side without sailing all the way around Key West.

Our passage through it was pretty uneventful.  Looking down the space between the old and new spans reminded me of sailing under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, as we have done many times at home.

The Old Trestle

Reminds Me of Back Home

Once under the bridge, we turned East and headed into Marathon.

Marathon Ho!

After following the entrance channel, and passing through the "Bridge to Nowhere" (a partially disassembled drawbridge), we entered Boot Key Harbor and called in to the City Marina to request a mooring ball.  Boot Key Harbor has been almost entirely packed with moorings,  leaving little space to anchor.  We were informed that we would be #24 on the waiting list!!

We located Pearl, and Joanie "jumped ship" onto their dinghy to go in and register us (you have to do it in person!) while I idled around the harbor looking for anchorages.  Once she came back, we anchored just outside the mooring field, close to Pearl.

Later that evening, we had Bruce & Gayleen over for sundowners and threw some steaks on the grill for dinner for us all.

Our First Sunset in Marathon

We plan to stay here in Marathon for a couple of weeks, while things warm up a bit.

Life is good.

Little Shark River

1366 nm   N25 19.781  W081 08.180

After 9 days of sleeping late and staying up late, we were out of practice at this "up before dawn" stuff!  But we managed, and quietly pulled away from the dock shortly after dawn.  Several of our friends turned out to help us with dock lines and see us off.

The tide was about midway on our way out, so we had no problems with depth, although there were a couple of spots that were shallow enough that we would have run aground at low tide!

Once back out on the Gulf, we turned south and set the jib for a motor sail.

Easy Motorsail

 We were close enough in to the coast that the waves were pretty mild, but we could see several miles out on the Gulf where there were big hills of water marching southward. Our easy ride and shortage of sleep had its inevitable effect.

Easy Seas and Short on Sleep

 Our goal today was the Little Shark River.  We had originally planned to rendezvous with S/V Pearl there, but they were still holding in Marathon due to the north winds, which would have had them pounding into chop all the way.  In two days, it would be glassy calm, but that would have them leaving Marathon on the morning after we got there!  Oh well, thats the cruising life.  Plans always change.

As we turned into the entrance of the Little Shark River, and dropped the jib, we saw that there were already a few boats snchored in the first big meander in the river and beyond.  We motored in past them and went in a good ways before dropping the hook.

Other Boats Already at Anchor

Drop the Hook here...

...with Red Mangrove Swamps All Around.

The anchor bit in right away, and set with no problem.  This is a really remote spot, right in the middle of the Everglades.  No Verizon service here!  It would have been nice to get in the dinghy and explore some of the mangrove creeks, but it was still just too d@%n cold!  Gotta keep moving south! Its bound to get warmer sooner or later!

 After end-of-voyage drinks, we grilled burgers for dinner and turned in early.

Tomorrow, we head for Marathon.  Hopefully, we'll be able to get together with Bruce & Gayleen on S/V Pearl before they leave.

Life is good.

Everglades City 4: Surprise!

1324 nm   N25 52.090  W081 23.096

Well, after three more days of taking it easy, it looked like we would finally be able to get underway again tomorrow.  The forcast was good for several days out, and we would be able to make it down to Little Shark River, and then on to Marathon Key the next day.

Although we had originally planned to sail around the Gulf side to Key West, after hearing about the conditions in the mooring field there (rough, and a long dinghy ride in), and the lack of good anchorages, we decided to head directly to Marathon instead, and take a bus ride to Key West as a day trip.

Joan told me that several of our new friends were ordering pizza in the clubhouse tonight, as it was our last night together.

As we all gathered around, Jerry stood by the pizzas and said he'd like to offer a blessing before we ate.  But what he said was... HAPPY BIRTHDAY ED!!

Joan had managed to organize a surprise birthday party for me and I didn't have a clue!  I haven't been surprised like that for years!  They had even brought chocolates and Key Lime Pie.

Pizzas

Desserts

And a large Crew of Co-Conspiritors

The drinks flowed, we played billards, and the bartender stayed late so we didn't have to shut down at 9.

Life is good.

Everglades City 3: Cookout by the Pool

1324 nm   N25 52.090  W081 23.096

The planned cookout by the pool was a great success.  Joan soaked in the Jacuzzi beforehand, and then we grilled burgers.  The poolside tiki hut has a bar sink and grills for the use of everybody staying here.

Working Hard in the Jacuzzi

Good Turnout

It's 5 o'clock... here!

In a recurring theme, although we were planning to leave the day after tomorrow, the weather once again wouldn't cooperate, with another front due through.  In addition, we were trying to rendezvous with Bruce & Gayleen on S/V Pearl as they came North, and they were pinned down in Marathon by the same weather.

So we extended our stay for another 3 days!  Third time will be a charm for sure!  Meanwhile, there's lots of good folks here, and always something fun to do.

Life is good!

Everglades City 2: Eclipse and Airboat!

1324 nm   N25 52.090  W081 23.096

Sunday 1/20/19

Today was overcast and rainy, as predicted.  We mostly stayed aboard.

But this evening, Carol, one of the RV'ers, had organized an informal "Eclipse Party" to watch the total Lunar Eclipse.  As the day wore on, the coluds got a bit thinner, but still didn't clear.

By the 10 pm , a bunch of cruisers and RV'ers showed up, but  the clouds had scattered clearings, and we could only see the moon in between.  The eclipse started, and we got scattered glimpses.  My iPhone wasn't up to the task of taking any good pictures under these conditions, but I tried.

Partial Eclipse

Then, in the final minutes before totality, the sky went crystal clear, and we had a great view, watching totality while listening to Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon"!

Monday 1/21/19

Today was our Airboat ride through the Everglades!  After the front blew through, it was clear, cold, and windy.  We bundled up good in preparation.

There were many choices, but we chose Everglades City Airboat tours, as they were the only ones who had two-way headsets for all the passengers, allowing commentary by the airboat captain and questions from the passengers while the boat was running.

Everglades City Airboat Tours

We learned that on the Gulf side, the Everglades were primarily Mangrove swamps, while on the Atlantic side, it tended to grasslands.  We zoomed through Mangrove "tunnels" at high speeds, and came to a pause in a secluded lagoon, where raccoons and catfish abounded.  Unfortunately, no alligators, as the water here is too salty for them at this time of year.

Mangrove Tunnels

Fearless Raccoons

Hungry Catfish

The Raccoons were totally fearless, coming right up to the airboat, and even placing their paws on the edge of the boat and peering inside at us!

We continued through the twisty, winding streams, and saw lots of waterfowl.

A Maze of Twisty Little Passages, All Alike

Adult Ibis

Heron

Juvenile Ibis

Pelican, perched in the Mangroves

It seemed like all too soon, the 1 hr ride was over, and we were back at the dock. :(

Back at the Dock

We had originally planned to leave tomorrow, (Tuesday), but the weather forcast showed only a one-day "window" until more bad weather was due, so we elected to extend our stay here by another three days.

Anyway, the people and facilities here are great, and we heard about a cookout that was being organized under the Tiki Hut by the pool the next day!

Life is good.

Everglades City

1324 nm   N25 52.090  W081 23.096

Once again, it was up early and get underway right after dawn.  The anchor came up easily and we were on our way.

Today's goal was Everglades City.  Its a bit out of the way for us because its about 5 miles back in the everglades from the coast, but it's where we wanted to go to get an airboat ride through the mangrove swamps.

We had planned to take a slip at the historic Rod & Gun Club, which features a hunting-lodge motief out of the last century, but we were unable to raise them on the phone, and their website domain was defunct and "parked". While the autopilot steered, I Googled another place called Everglades Isle.  It is primarily an RV Park for large, top-of-the-line class-A motorcoaches, but they also have docks.

A quick call had me talking to Judy, who assured me that they had lots of space, but some of the depths might a problem at low tide.  Lacking any other option, we reserved 3 nights there.

After another easy motorsail on the Gulf, we turned inland and entered the Everglades.

Into the Everglades

The Mangrove swamps were large and everywhere.  We're told this is typical of the Gulf coast Everglades, whereas the Atlantic side tends towards more grassy swamps.

Large Mangrove Swamps

As we proceeded up the long and sometimes narrow and winding channel, I kept a sharp eye on the depths, but we were at high tide, and everything was good.

On the way in, we passed the Rod & Gun club.  They appeared to be up and running, but their long facedock was rundown and deserted.

Finally, at about our navigable limit on the river, we came to Everglades Isle.  A very nice facility with all floating docks in good condition. Several boaters were on hand on the docks to offer us advice and assistance.

They recommended we use the face dock, as the depths were better there.  So we turned 180 into the strong current and sort "hovered" into place.  There was 7 1/2 feet of depth, but we were at +3 ft of tide, so we would be almost aground at low!

On the Face Dock.  Watch that Wind Generator!

Once secure, we went ashore to find the office and register.  This place is amazing!  Everything is clean, landscaped, well kept, and over the top.  Like a 5 star resort! The "clubhouse" and pool is like something you'd find at a country club.

The Clubhouse

Pool

Veranda

Bar

Entertainment

Movie Theater!

And they only charge $2.50 / Ft!  $2.00 / ft if you're a "looper" (someone doing the great loop).

At the desk, there was a sign up greeting all the new guests for today, by name. Nice touch.

Personalized Greeting

We met some of the other boaters and motorcoach owners, and one of them mentioned that there was a "Low Country Boil" going on in the town park tonight, and that we should come.  The next thing you know, we're on the back of an electric golf cart on our way there!  For $12 per person, you got crab, shrimp, vegetables, corn-on-the-cob, dessert, and live music!

Low Country Boil with New Friends!

Tomorrow, the front is supposed to come through with wind, rain, and thunderstorms, but Monday should be clear for our airboat ride.

Life is good.