The winter storm (Elliott) kept everyone in Key West inside for 2-3 days, and there has been a flurry of activity in town as the nice weather returned:
• More boats arrive every day…the marina is almost full now.
• More people on the sidewalks, as all those folks who stayed home for Christmas are now showing up.
5The harbor is very cute this time of year – it’s ablaze with Christmas lights.
Christmas trees everywhere!
The tree at the Truman White House -look closely and you’ll see ornaments that you had as a child!
We didn’t have a tree, but we did decorate the boat with lights!
Like everyone else, we were ready to have some fun, after being cooped up. So yesterday we joined our friend Tom (of Tom&Hank fame) on a sail aboard the America 2.0, a modern version of Sir Thomas Lipton’s boat that created the America’s Cup challenge. Check her out online to learn more about her.
The sailing experience was exhilarating! The wind picked up to 25 knots during our sail, and the boat was screaming along, even with a single reef in the sail. You can see how much sail she carries in the photo above. The crew puts her nose into the wind to raise the sails. Then, as the captain lets the bow fall off the wind, the sails fill and the boat surges to life. The sheer brute power of the boat is palpable as she “gets the bit in her teeth.”
Looking up at the main sail.
Despite all the days and weeks we have been on the boat, this was very different and very exciting.
After the sail, we had dinner at First Flight, just next door to the tiny cottage where Pan Am was inaugurated in 1927.
Then around the corner to the Comedy Club. A mix of local talent…some good, some boring. But Guinness got a callout from the stage! He is always in the limelight.
It’s nice to see the return of sunshine and 75 degree weather, and we feel bad about the folks who died as a result of the storm. We have it pretty good down here, and we are grateful.
Not the real Tom Hanks, of course. We celebrated yesterday with Tom and Hank, boat neighbors. Tom is traveling with his dog Hank, a 13 year old golden. Their burgee is from the American Great Loop Cruisers Assn., which prompted us to want to hear his story.
Tom lives in New Hope, PA, and has a 32 foot Sea Ray. He can trailer it and has spent time in the Poconos, and on the Hudson River and Lake Champlain, similar to what we did last summer. But he didn’t stop there. Tom’s four year old nephew Carson was struggling with brain cancer and asked Uncle Tommy “Can you bring the boat to me in Memphis?” Due to the pandemic, Tom was already working remotely as CFO for a major company. So he headed up the St Laurence, through the Great Lakes, the Rivers of the Midwest, and reached Memphis – just him and Hank. Along the way he gathered quite a following on Instagram and raised over $100,000 for St Jude’s Children’s Hospital. You can see his posts on @TomandHankOfftheHook.
Tom, Hank, Carson and his little sister
We had a wonderful time hearing his stories and sharing ours. I had asked Rod if we met someone traveling alone whether we could share Christmas with them, similar to what another boat did for Rod two years ago. Luckily, the local grocer and caterer in Key West provided turkey dinner and all the fixings so we just had to pop a bottle of wine and crank up the microwave.
This was a special evening, sharing life stories and boating stories, with our Christmas lights on the boat and the iPad crackling fireplace. I think both Rod and I have made a new friend who we hope to meet again – possibly even cross paths on our trip north next summer. And Guinness made a new friend with Hank too.
We hope you all had a wonderful holiday – looking forward to a wonderful 2023!
Lynn, Rod and Guinness
PS: as for the Polar Express, it’s nothing like what the folks in the north have been experiencing, but we have had two days of cold rain with a few more to come and temps in the 50’s. We feel for those folks who are just here for a week’s vacation. This should clear later in the week and get back to more normal temps in the 70’s
Elliott, the winter storm that is ravaging the mainland, is pounding Key West. The wind is 0 degrees true – right out of the north, and it’s bearing down on the Key West anchorage at 25+ knots. That’s almost 29 mph. Not exactly a gale, but strong enough to cause problems. The harbor is very choppy – white “horses” (the breaking caps of waves) are racing across the harbor, and waves are breaking against the jetty, throwing spray into the air.
It’s been blowing like this for about twelve hours, and boats are starting to break loose and drift down on other boats.
One is beached on Wisteria Island – just across the harbor. Another dragged all through the anchorage, hitting several other vessels and almost hitting the Coast Guard jetty before the Coast Guard took him in tow. We are listening to the radio and hearing distress calls and watching the tow boats heading out for rescues.
Our stern faces due north, so we have a direct view on the chaos. We are protected from the waves by the stone jetty, but we can feel the strength of the wind and see the white caps. Spray hits our rear-facing Strataglass curtains.
We saw the same thing happen when we were here two years ago, when a strong northerly came through. This is Paradise, until it isn’t.
Conditions are expected to abate by this evening, but I don’t think they will truly return to normal for several days.
I want to stress that WE are safe – tied securely in our slip and protected by the breakwater (jetty). But it’s a sobering scene.
And it bears upon the next phase of our trip – the Bahamas. We’ve met a number of cruising couples on our travels, and almost all of them are on sailboats, and planning to anchor out. It’s much more economical than staying in a marina as we do, but it also adds a bit of complexity and risk. As I understand it, the wind cycles constantly in the Bahamas, and it clocks to the north about once a week. As a consequence, you must change your anchorage to seek protection from the Norther, then move back after it passes. I can live without that anxiety and nuisance. We’ll be safe in a marina every night!
Christmas in Key West is an interesting experience. Walking the streets in the evening you see many folks dressed as Santa, or at least wearing funny hats. And there are lots of Santa’s – here are just a few of the cuter ones we saw on our walks.
We have researched and tried a few churches and haven’t found one that we feel is right for us, so tonight we will enjoy the Eagles game at the Philly restaurant down the street where the game will be on all ten TVs. We’re sure there will be other fans to celebrate another win with (hopefully)!
We had talked about how to celebrate Christmas. Two years ago when Rod was here with Guinness, a very nice family on a boat also named Freedom, brought him a lovely turkey dinner with all the fixings. We thought it would be nice if we could do something similar – pay it forward. There’s a nice fellow who is also traveling alone with his dog. He is working crew on some of the tourist boats that we see in the harbor every night but they’re shut down the next few days due to inclement weather (more on that later). So Tom and Hank will be joining us for dinner tomorrow.
As for the weather…it’s 58 with 20 mph winds. Now we know that’s nothing like what the folks at home are dealing with, but we may actually have to put the heat on tonight. We’ve packed up the sandals and pulled out the socks for the next few days. There are whitecaps on the water and we feel very lucky to be tied up here safe and sound.
A very Merry Christmas to all back home. We will be thinking of you and hope you have a wonderful time with friends and family.
I’ve been watching Rod and Lynn, and they seem to have slipped into some sort of indolent lethargy…ignoring their duties as Bloggers. So I’mm stepping up. Please pardon the typos…my Grooming appointment was postponed until next week, and the fur between my toes is getting quite long!
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I guess I’d better get the bad stuff out of the way first: I am still chasing chickens. I just can’t help myself…it seems to be bred into me. As a consequence, I have to be on the leash much more than I like. What a pain. I mean, they are just CHICKENS!
Here’s a before and after shot that Lynn took:
Looks like a good one!
And Dad let me off the leash!
And no, I didn’t eat him he just released his feathers all over the street. Maybe next time!
OK, now for some good stuff: we got back to the dog park, where I met all my old friends from 2020: Tucker, Shelby and the others. They moved the dog park in Key West, and the new location is right next to a small military post, and every morning they play the National Anthem at 8AM. Rod – because he’s a showboat – likes to sing along, and Duffy seemed to like it, because she jumped up into his chair!
The new location is pretty far away, so we don’t go every morning like we used to. Usually, we take the Harbor Walk over to the Cuban Coffee Queen, where we pick up a Key Wester breakfast sandwich with eggs and pulled pork on pressed Cuban bread, AND two Cuban cafe con leche, and we take it back to the boat where Lynn has my breakfast waiting. It’s a dog’s life!
Rod got a great slip this year – an uninterrupted view of the KW anchorage across the rock jetty. I’m not allowed to swim out to the jetty anymore because of the Bull Sharks, but I get a kick out of watching the pelicans that congregate on the rocks! And on the dinghy…haven’t caught one of them yet but when I tried, he hit me with his beak.
In the afternoon, Rod often takes me for a dinghy ride to a nearby beach where I can swim. I LOVE the dinghy! I like to sit in the bow and take in the sights and smells of the harbor.
And sometimes, we just hang out in a restaurant or bar. Here’s a shot of Rod at Smokin’ Tuna, where we ducked out of the rain one afternoon.
And, of course, we watched the Birds beat the Bears at Celtic Conch, Key West’s all-Eagles rooftop bar. It was a heck of a World Cup final, as well!
I get the feeling that Rod and Lynn really think they’re on vacation – my job is to keep them entertained and get them to take me on walks around town – I love getting out with them.Key West is lovely once you get off the main drag.
It is an amazing sensation to wake up every morning and know you can expect another perfect day.
We’ve been keeping busy –
• mani/pedi for Lynn
• massage for me (my aching muscles are feeling much better, thank you)
• re-provisioning, etc.
• watching the sunset every evening
Saturday was particularly busy: First, the SPCA Puppy Parade and Costume Judging. It turned out to be a really fun event, with dozens of dogs. Here’s a photo of Guinness with Santa. We didn’t stick around for the judging, or I’m pretty sure he would have won!
Then we stopped for lunch on the beach at Salute’. Caprese salads and iced tea. Yummy!
Then, Saturday night was the Key West Boat Parade! In Palm Beach, our views were somewhat blocked by spectators and spectator boats. Here, they passed RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR DOCK!
Sunday, of course, was dedicated to the IGGLES. There is a huge brewery / sports bar here with EVERY live game on a separate flat screen. We cheered the Birds while we ate our way through the Starters menu, and everything was delicious!
We continue to push for conclusion of all the boat projects. Today, Lynn is struggling with the software update that’s the answer to our depth sounder problems. I have to say in all honesty that I would have hired a tech to do it, but she is stubborn determined to fix it herself. Brava!
If there is a shortcoming to Key West, it’s that it is not easy to be a dog here. Not much grass, and all the good beaches are on the other side of the island – about 2 miles away. Plus, there’s the issue of the CHICKENS. They are on every corner. They are in the bushes and trees. They are protected for some reason, and they taunt Guinness. So, he must stay on the leash. Not the life he’s used to in the wilds of Hershey’s Mill. But he draws smiles wherever he goes. Tomorrow, he’s going to be groomed. Fingers crossed. We haven’t used this groomer before. But he needs to be sheared before we leave for the Bahamas.
We’ve had a busy 48 hours since our arrival in Key West…but we have all our tasks scheduled or completed. This morning, we walked all over the island:
• To West Marine to figure out some final installation details for a new water pump
• To the Vet for Guinness’ exam
• To the pickleball courts so Lynn could start to put a schedule together
• To the ocean to let Guinness take a swim
Two interesting new “small world” encounters:
1. We stayed Tuesday night at Marathon Marina in Marathon Key, and the GM turned out to be Dottie – an old friend from Haven Harbour! I didn’t know she was there, and we seized the opportunity to have dinner with her and her husband and catch up.
2. The assistant at the Vet’s office noted our West Chester address, and told us that he grew up in a development on Greenhill Road, just across from a place called Hershey’s Mill – did we know it?
This afternoon, we are just vegging out – it’s 77 degrees with sunshine and a wonderful breeze. Heaven. It really was worth the trip!
View from the back deck of our boat
Tonight, we’ll watch the sunset from a viewing deck on the top of the resort hotel, and then tomorrow morning, we’ll watch the full moon set as we enjoy morning coffee. CUBAN COFFEE! Yummy
We rolled in this morning, right on schedule, after 37 travel days and more than 1,400 miles. We are very impressed with ourselves!
Once again this morning, we had to make the inside/outside decision, and we decided to continue straight down the Hawk Channel. It was delightful! We left at 8, and rolled into Key West just before noon.
Lynn said, “I have a proposal! Let’s not do all the usual work when we arrive. Let’s tie up the boat, grab a burger at Wahlburger, and have a couple beers!”
And so we did. Then a walk around the harbor boardwalk, running into a few old friends.
THEN we cleaned the boat.
Now, we’re sitting on the back deck (cockpit) enjoying the breeze and the view of blue sky and blue sea. It is genuinely nice!
We have a long list of tasks to complete now that we’re finally here:
• Water pump is acting up (again)
• Depth sounder is not working right
• Guinness needs to be groomed
• Guinness needs a scheduled inoculation
• I need a massage
• Refrigerator showing an error code
• Mani/pedis for all hands
• Boat really needs to be waxed
Other than that, we are about to slip into a Key West Coma, so don’t be surprised if we go silent for a while!
When we last posted, we were leaving for Ft Pierce, traveling by ICW because the winds were still too strong outside. I was studying the weather apps all week, expecting to see a shift, but this pattern of strong NE winds and waves continued the rest of the week…
We stayed at the Ft Pierce Municipal Marina – right in the heart of all the action:
• Friday night was First Friday, where the town draws thousands of people to a street festival with music, food and retail.
• Saturday morning found the park transfigured – it was now a Farmers’ Market!
We were shocked on Friday night when we ran into David and Linda Hall – the folks we had stayed with on the James River earlier in the trip. They had come down to pick up their boat, which had been stored for the summer. I must honestly report that we consumed a LOT of alcohol that night – (beer, Rum Runners, beer). I really felt it Saturday morning.
SATURDAY, 12/3
Lynn picked up some Cuban coffee and a couple of breakfast tacos, and we set out for Palm Beach. ICW again…the wind would not “lay down”.
That night, we met my nephew Brian and his friend Lexi (whom we had seen in Palmetto Bluff) to enjoy dinner and the Boat Parade! It was amazing luck to find ourselves in Palm Beach on the night of the boat parade:
• More than 50 boats
• Decorated with thousands of lights
• In a miles-long parade that winds its way north along the ICW from North Palm Beach to Jupiter
• Thousands of people all along the route
• Fireworks finale
SUNDAY, 12/4
Once again, we decided to stay inside (ICW), on our way to Ft. Lauderdale. This was a decision designed to keep us comfortable and safe, but this is a long, slow trip.
• Lots of Slow Speed Zones
• Lots and lots of bridges
The speed limit signs were a constant source of consternation:
• They have WAY too much text on them
• They are 50 feet outside the channel – difficult to read even with binoculars
• They seem to change from fast to slow every mile or so for no discernable reason (manatees which we never saw).
The good news is that you see some spectacular homes and boats.
We stayed at the Bahia Mar Marina. It is located right across from Ft Lauderdale Beach, but regrettably, this was the weekend of the Aubrey Music Festival on the beach, a true scream-fest that lasted to 11:30 Sunday night. It would have been nice to sleep with the hatches all open, but we settled for air conditioning. Oh well.
We did catch the highlights of the Eagles game in the lounge, followed by a cornhole tournament on tv and a billiards match – I won but it was close. Folks, this is close to total depravity:
You’re in Ft Lauderdale
It’s a sunny 80 degrees outside
The beach is just across A1A
Wadda ya wanna do?
I’m exhausted. Let’s drink beer and watch a cornhole tournament!
MONDAY, 12/5
We checked the weather apps one more time…everyday expecting to see the prevailing winds slowly settle down…
Besides our decision to “hole up” during Hurricane Nicole, I viewed this as one of the most important decisions we would make this trip:
• Remain in the ICW through Miami and take the “inside route through Biscayne Bay to Key Largo, or
• Go straight out of Ft Lauderdale, go right around Miami, and race down the Hawk Channel, which lies between the Keys and the offshore reefs
• I much prefer the Hawk Channel, but after the uncomfortable ride to St Augustine, we have been playing it safe.
BUT ON MONDAY MORNING, WE FINALLY GOT THE BREAK WE HAD BEEN WAITING FOR! Realize that we are consulting 5 different weather apps every day, seeking a consensus on a wind and waves forecast that we can live with. Finally, the shift I had been looking for seemed to be happening.
We left Ft. Lauderdale at 7:30 AM, out the inlet, right past Miami, and on to Key Largo. SMOOTH SAILING! YOWZA!
Monday evening, we re-provisioned at the local Publix. (Thank you, Uber.) Lynn picked up some Cuban sandwiches, and we crashed early.
TUESDAY, 12/6
This morning, we took off early for Marathon Key under cloudy skies, but the trip down was very pleasant. I finished a Michael Connelly novel as we travelled on Autopilot. And we had lunch underway – autonomous piloting!
TOMORROW, 12/7
And tomorrow, we finally expect to reach Key West. We’ll write and let you know we arrived safely.
We’ve been on the water for one month now. We have about five days before we get to Key West if the weather cooperates – it’s been pretty windy which kicks up the waves. Looks like 5-7 for seas and anything over 2 isn’t comfortable for us or the boat.
Many if you remember how Rod and I met. He did this trip two years ago with Guinness. When I heard about this guy who left for five months alone I wanted to interview him for our in-community TV station. He did a great job of describing the trip so I knew what to expect.
Rod and Guinness 2020
Rod and Guinness 2022
But handling the boat alone – docking, tying up, keeping an eye on the charts, danger zones, etc. is a lot for one person. I have a new and even more respect for this guy. While lots of people make this trip south every year, few do it solo.
Of course, having Guinness along helped. Guinness meets people wherever he goes and brings a smile to people who pass by. I’m sure that helped Rod meet people, but at the end of the day, it was the two of them on the boat, traveling over 1,400 miles from Rock Hall to Key West.
Today we crossed the 1,000 mile marker on the ICW – add that to the 160 miles from Rock Hall to Norfolk, and we’ve covered some ground. We avoided Hurricane Nicole, had some great seas and some a little rougher, but this first month has been amazing.
If you’d like to see the interview from a year ago, here’s the link.
Rod & Guinness' Amazing Adventures 