Rod & Guinness' Amazing Adventures
Follow our travels aboard FREEDOM, our 32' Legacy power boat: Key West; Bahamas; Abacos; Eleuthera; Exumas; Florida's West Coast; Atlantic ICW; Maine; Nantucket; Martha's Vineyard; Cuttyhunk; Long Island Sound; Erie Canal; Lake Champlain; Rideau Canal; Ottawa; Montreal…
No, not the weed. The refrigerator!
Not an easy installation: 3 hours of carpentry, plumbing, electrical. Not by me – by the pro’s. All for what was supposed to be a slide-in replacement. They did a great job, and the new unit is a major upgrade.
Tomorrow we can re-provision: call Fausto’s Food Paradise or Publix and get a major delivery!
Definitely getting ready for the trip home.
One of the logistical challenges on a boat like mine is that we do not have a washer/drier.
Most marinas have a laundry, but the machines take a lot of quarters: at least $2 for a load of wash, and $2 for the drier. So typically, that means $8 per visit.
Also, it is traditional to offer a $5 tip the dockmaster/dockhand who helps you tie up, connect the shore power, etc.
So in preparation for the trip south, we bought $50 in quarters and $200 in $5 bills.
Seeking to repeat the process, we went to a bank in Key West. Their response was: “Oh, I’m sorry. We no longer have cash drawers. Unless you have an account with us, we cannot access the cash.”
Me: “But, I thought this was a bank?”
Mgr: “Well, it is a bank, sir, but we no longer have cash drawers.
Me: “Look, I am holding ten $20-dollar bills. All you have to do is exchange them for $5’s. No net change to your cash balance.”
Mgr: I understand, sir, but we no longer have cash drawers.”
Me: “OK, but you must keep cash in varying denominations SOMEWHERE, right?”
Mgr: “I’m sorry sir, we no longer have access to that cash unless you have an account with us.”
Me: “What’s the point of that? Are you worried about a holdup? Are you afraid I’ll vault the counter and scoop up the cash?
“Or more realistically, considering my age and my fading athleticism, that I’ll walk calmly to the window like Robert Redford with a note requesting the money? “
Mgr: “Sir, I’m very uncomfortable with this conversation.”
Me: “Well, I realize I am wearing a mask in your bank lobby… but nowadays, I’m more likely to get arrested for NOT wearing a mask in your bank lobby! How’s that for an irony?”
Mgr: “Sir, I’m afraid I must ask you to leave.”
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Gentle Readers: Do you comprehend how surreal this whole conversation was?
BTW, I walked two more blocks and found a bank that still traffics in US currency.
By the time we return to the Chesapeake, we will have spent nearly 5 months living in a 260-sq-ft floating home. Freedom is 32′ long with a 12′ beam. Subtract the side decks from the beam, and the interior width is about 10′. She carries that 10′ width from the stern forward about 20′ So figure that’s 10 x 20 = 200 sq feet. The next 12′ of length narrows down to a point at the bow, so figure it’s effectively 12′ x 5′ wide on average. So another 60 sq. ft, for a total of 260 square feet. Don’t forget, you can get a look at a Legacy 32 online. www.legacy–yachts.com/models/legacy-32
I am amazed at how comfortable it is:
Which brings us back to the fact that she is mighty, but she is still small. EVERYTHING has to be kept in its place: binoculars, sunglasses, reading glasses, phone, even cigars and lighters. Misplaced items are a nuisance when you’re docked, and dangerous underway. Boy, I wish I would actually practice what I preach!
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Sorry if this ended up reading like a sales brochure. I simply mean it to be a testament to how much comfort and utility we are enjoying in less than 300 square feet of space.
Sorry we were off the air for a few days…we went back to Captiva for a couple of days. I just love the beach there!~
We crashed at Connie’s place, and we had a great time on the beach and at several fun restaurants.
My favorite was the Mucky Duck…
It’s right on the beach in Captiva…you sit in rocking chairs and watch the surf as you eat and drink. Check out their Beach-Cam on their website, and you’ll get an idea of the view! Copy this address and load it into your browser: http://theduck.axiscam.net:8000/axis-cgi/mjpg/video.cgi?resolution=800×450&dummy=1613074492905.
Anyway, we’re back in Key West, and I cannot believe we have just 11 days left before we leave.
I’ve already started a “punch list” of everything we have to get done before we leave:
I’ve enjoyed my time in Florida, and I am now looking forward to getting home.
Isn’t this a cute shot?
Guinness met Annie and Martha on our walk this morning. He is just a big Love Puppy!
All kidding aside, this is one of the nicest things about traveling with a friendly dog like Guinness…we meet the nicest people!
This evening, I am heading back to Captiva for the weekend. But I’m not taking Freedom.
Instead, I’ll be a passenger on the Key West Express, a 170-foot-long jet-powered catamaran. At 34 feet, her beam is wider than my boat is long!
This boat completes the trip in half the time it would take me on Freedom, and it only costs $75 each way. (Plus $25 for Guinness) My fuel alone would be $100 each way, and the marina cost would add another $200. So it is too easy to “take the bus (and leave the driving to us.)”
The Express will drop me at Ft. Myers, where Connie will pick us up. We leave at 6PM; should be in Ft. Myers by 9:30. I’ve packed three new books for the trip, and I think it will be a fun experience. I hope Guinness thinks so, too; he will be wearing his Service Animal vest, but he still has to be in a crate while we’re underway.
Key West is oriented east to west (DUH). Our marina, and most of the places we’ve visited, are on the north shore.
Today, we Uber’d over to the south shore. About a 15 minute ride. Pathetic, I know, but I figured we’d ride over and walk back…and it is HOT today. About 80 degrees and humid.
Anyway, it was a home run: beautiful beaches where Guinness could swim and run off leash, plus a great lunch at Louie’s Backyard, a KW institution. We ate on the outside deck. Looking south, nothing between us and Cuba.
Grilled octopus, gorgonzola profiteroles, and a bottle of Provencale Rose’.
We stopped on the way home to say a prayer for Cathy at St Mary Star of the Sea.
Decadence and devotion. Kind of bi-polar, I admit. Kind of perfect.
Last night, we hosted a sunset cruise for all the folks who have been so kind to us in Key West: dog park friends, party friends, boating friends.
Left at 4:30; back at 6:30. Lots of food and wine (but no wine for the captain).
A beautiful night.
Not the Super Bowl game I expected, but what a shocker! TB just shut KC down!
Of course, it was fun to watch Brady, Gronk, and AB execute those familiar Boston plays, but wasn’t the TB defense astounding? I saw a stat that said Mahomes was pressured on 52% of his dropbacks: a Super Bowl record.
OK – the KC offensive line sucked. But TB OWNED them, RIGHT?
I was fortunate to be invited to a SB party at Kiera and John’s house. Steve and Jane (my Beach Haven friends) were there; also my friend Barbara, whom you met earlier; and a couple I met for the first time: John and Candy. Her salad was awesome!
Outdoor entertaining at its best…comfortable, covered seating on a huge patio with built-in TV, bar, etc. Enough food for an army: Yellowtail snapper, steak, chicken, salad, multiple dips, snacks, and lots of bevs. Everything done perfectly. These folks are all so generous. And so kind.
I had to leave Guinness behind; he spent the night on a neighboring boat with another Doodle named Murphy. All went well from what I’m told.
Anyway, not as much fun as Philly/Boston, but I enjoyed it. “The Weekend”? Not so much. Everyone likes his music, I guess, but he’s not much of an entertainer, is he? I have to say that I find his music AND his performance rather ordinary.
DISCUSS…
We had a quick look at several Florida West Coast towns last month. Certainly not exhaustive by any means: we never made it to Tampa / St. Pete, or Anna Maria Island, or Longboat Key. Nor did we see Ft. Myers Beach. But of the towns we saw, albeit briefly, I believe Venice and Key West have a lot to praise.
Sarasota is certainly affluent, and it enjoys a great deal of support for the arts. The plus, of course, is that it has museums and theater and music venues. It can seem a bit like a big city, but within it are many small neighborhoods within walking distance of the water. Very livable.
Naples struck me as flashy, with some great restaurants; it’s busy like Sarasota.
Captiva has the most beautiful beaches, but there aren’t many restaurants or any other type of entertainment venues. This is probably unfair, because I am essentially comparing a single resort (South Sea Island Resort) to cities. Still, where would I buy?
Marco Island has beaches, but dogs aren’t allowed! And t is essentially a planned real estate development.
Venice is smaller than Sarasota or Naples, but it has a cute downtown, restaurants, and beaches (including a great dog beach).
And of course, Key West. The magic here is the blend of authenticity and artifice. This island town was not created by a developer; it grew organically. Through multiple cycles of boom and bust: pirates, wreckers, spongers, shrimpers, the Navy, the Railroad, and finally, US1.
The indigenous architecture is charming (although some of it was built more recently in the authentic style.)
There are authentic schooners in the harbor. Sure, they are there to carry tourists on sunset cruises, but it’s the tourist trade that keeps these beautiful old ships afloat.
There’s a pleasant rhythm to the day; the schooners and party catamarans leave at the same times every day, with the same running commentary: “Hey! How’s everybody doing on the Party Cat today?”
Each afternoon, when the fishing boats come in, the crews clean the catch at the docks, and the pelicans and a group of 4-1/2 foot tarpon gather around to be fed.
It’s amazing that 4-to-5-foot tarpon are commonplace. And we saw that manatee again, and we measured him from the dock. He is not 6-feet, he is 9-feet long. Big animal.
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Of course there’s also a lot of silliness. Like this boat.
Let’s just say that Key west has a unique identity, and that’s not true of most towns in the US.
But no matter which West Coast town you choose, they ALL have those wonderful SUNSETS!
I’m sure many of my readers have thoughts to add to this opinion piece. I just thought I’d pass my thoughts along for what they’re worth
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Rod & Guinness' Amazing Adventures 