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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Seafood Birthday Dinner |
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.
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| The La Ti Da Caberet & Bar |
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| 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!
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