We had a very nice day yesterday:

First, we got a good close-up look at a manatee:

This one was about 6 feet long.

Then we went to a waterfront Farmer’s Market that is managed by Sean, a friend from the dog park. The usual stuff: jewelry, island apparel, curios, art and food. A nice diversion.

Then cocktails and wings on Sunset Pier:

• 

Today, we had to run some errands, and my friend Patricia (also a dog park friend) was kind enough to run us over to a boat supply shop and the pet food store. She is a long-time KW resident, and she gave us a tour of the entire island – much more than we have been able to see on foot – complete with a running narrative!

The weather has returned to normal: sunny with a light breeze. Very nice. Another day in paradise.

Things are gradually returning to normal in Key West: the wind is slackening and the temperature is slowly rising.

How have you all fared?

My friends from Beach Haven suffered water damage/flooding in both their restaurants, and they had to fly home to deal with it!

I finally got a haircut today – first one in 3 months. I looked like Albert Einstein on a bad hair day. Much better now.

BTW, you may recall that I was concerned about all the boats out in the Key West anchorage – it’s pretty much just a big area of open water, and they were totally exposed to the 35-mile-per-hour north winds during the gale Monday and Monday night…I talked to a marine tech down here who had his radio on Monday night, and he heard a number of distress calls to the Coast Guard and TowBoatsUS. Dragging anchors, crossed anchor lines, etc. I am so glad we were safe in our slip behind the rock jetty.

We are getting some routine maintenance done (changing the oil and the oil filter) and hoping to get the refrigerator repaired. That’s an interesting tale of self-inflicted pain…It is a drawer refrigerator, and it has a plastic pin that locks the drawer closed during heavy seas. Unfortunately, the pin was broken when I bought the boat, and I never bothered to replace it. As a consequence, the drawer opened on one of our crossings, and ice formed on the cooling plate. In my haste to break the ice away, I used an ice pick and punctured the plate, which I learned is almost paper-thin, and the freon escaped. Stupid. All I had to do was turn the unit off and let the ice melt. The unit is built in Italy by Verifrigo, so it is questionable whether I’ll be able to get the new part within the next three weeks.

Oh well, that’s the least of my problems…the freezer still works. And the drawer now has a nice new stainless steel pin.

“For want of a nail, the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe the horse was lost. Etc.”

I’ll let you know what transpires.

I realize that those of you in the northeast are getting hammered by a record-breaking nor’easter, but it is amazing to look at this storm on weather radar: it stretches from Greenland to Cuba! I’m not sure I’ve seen anything like it – it’s massive. I wonder what Phil the Groundhog has to say about that?

The impact in Key West is primarily dropping temperatures and a LOT of wind. It began with a rain squall yesterday morning and it has been blowing a gale for almost 24 hours. (30-35 knot gusts) Since the Keys are primarily oriented east/west, the wind out of the north is sending waves crashing into the rock jetty that protects the Bight, and spray is bursting into the air. That’s something I hadn’t seen here before; it’s generally breezy but mainly placid.

There are 50-100 boats in the open anchorage field north of Key West Bight; I can only imagine how uncomfortable that must be. And a little scary. Pitching and rolling, and hoping that the anchor or mooring ball holds!

It makes me realize how lucky we have been with regard to the weather; we have always managed to be in a safe spot. As we are now: we are snug in our slip: our lines are tight, and our inflatable rubber fenders absorb most of the movement. It’s a little rocky, but not enough to disturb our sleep.

Nevertheless, in the middle of the night, Guinness woke me because he started hearing a strange noise, and in the pale light from the dock stanchions, I could see that the halyard has come loose from an adjacent boat, and the metal fitting on the end is slapping our radar mast. Not good for either boat. The other boat is unoccupied, so I will have to climb up on my cabin roof (in a 30 mph wind) and grab the halyard it as it swings by, and secure it. I am definitely waiting for sunrise to undertake that little feat of gymnastics.

**********************

Well, that’s done. I was able to grab the halyard without getting on the cabin roof. The sun is breaking through a gray overcast, and that always makes things look better.

**********************

Today, I am going to rent a bike with an enclosed trailer for Guinness. That should enable us to run some errands to distant spots (like the pet store). We’ll see how Guinness takes to it. Another day in paradise…

It rained this morning – from 9:30 to 10:30. I think this is the first rain we’ve seen since we’ve been in Florida.

It gave me a chance to think back on the past several weeks, as we traveled up Florida’s west coast.

Here are a few photos from Cabbage Key:

We’re back in Key West after a very sloppy crossing from Marco Island. Seas were much rougher than predicted: there were large swells (rollers), and we would struggle to climb up the back of one at 13.5 knots, then surf down the front at 19.1 knots, and then plow into the back of the next one.

The problem is that when you plow in, you “broach”: the bow gets buried in the wave and gets pushed to the side. This drives you off course, and it is dangerous, as well.

So we had to reduce speed to match the waves, and as a consequence, the trip took six hours. No other boats the entire way. Amazing.

It’s the first time I really appreciated how small our boat is to be making these open-water crossings. I wasn’t exactly scared, but I was definitely anxious. And no land in sight. Just trusting your instruments and hoping there will be a little dot called Key West waiting for you at the end of this torture test.

Of course, when we got to KW, it was calm and lovely. Sigh.

Anyway, it’s good to be back.

Although, I must say that I am not as smitten with Key West as I was before I saw Naples, Saratoga, Venice, and Captiva. They all have gorgeous Gulf beaches and more room for Guinness to run.

Still, I can’t complain. We’ve gotten the boat all cleaned up (it was covered with salt), and a number of fellow boaters have stopped by to welcome us back. We have three doodles on the dock, so Guinness is happy.

Not surprisingly, Happy Hour started a little early tonight, as one of you suggested. We’ll post again as the lazy days unwind.

Last night was one of those nights when the full moon looks brighter, and larger, and CLOSER than usual. When it arose, the sun was still up. And when we woke this morning at sunrise, the moon was still well up in the sky as the sun rose.

Because of the Wolf Moon, the tide this morning is a full foot below normal low tide. That exposed 25 more feet of beach. Interesting to think about what will happen if the seas all rise a foot.

We had a very nice dinner last night at MIYC. Caprese salad and Osso Buco. Both prepared expertly. And a glass of red wine that cost more than I typically pay for a bottle. My choice.

It’s much colder today – 47 degrees, but going up to the mid 70’s.

Just now, I’m enjoying a second cup of coffee – the one the poets praise and the songwriters celebrate. Listening to an acoustic playlist that Alexa chose for me. Very nice.

My dog, however, is absolutely hyper this morning. Is it the cool temperature? The Wolf Moon? I’m not sure, but it looks like I have to sign off and take Guinness for a run. Now that I mention it, I feel my own ears getting hairy and pointed…hmmm.

I was out this morning, walking Guinness on a private beach, when I was greeted by a BIG man with a $100 haircut who asked if he could help me. We all know what that question means, don’t we? [What are you doing here?]

Anyway, a brief, pleasant conversation later, I learned that he is the GM of the Marco Island Yacht Club, and a few minutes later, he offered me guest privileges during my stay here!

Chris and Kim met me there for lunch.

At lunch, another man walked up to me and said, “Is that Guinness? I met you two at South Seas.”

I’ll have dinner at the Club tonight, and I’ll probably see that guy again. He has a beautiful boat and an AMAZING Corvette.

The bad news is, I’m stuck here until Saturday. The good news is, it will be in very nice surroundings. Thank you Guinness!

It is a GORGEOUS day in Marco Island, and I am feeling very frustrated. The Marine Forecast calls for 25-knot winds and 9-foot seas, so I decided to hole up. But here in the marina, it is brilliantly sunny with a light breeze. Is that cognitive dissonance? I never was really sure what that means, but it’s a great phrase.

Looking at the forecast, it’s likely we can’t travel until Sunday.

Oh well. You know the old saying: “When life hands you lemons, make a Margherita!

My cousins Chris and Kim are coming down today from Naples, and we’ll have lunch at the Marco Island Yacht Club. Not a bad start.

Cape Coral has a population of over 200,000 people, and over 400 miles of navigable canals and waterways.

We arrived here yesterday from Captiva, and I was awed by the traffic – a steady stream of boats that went on for miles.

We had a very nice visit with our friends John and Susie, whom we met last month in Key West. They have a beautiful 50′ Riviera. The live in Iowa in the summer, and they spend the winter on the boat in Cape Harbour, one of the many developments within Cape Coral.

I might have stayed here longer, but we are expecting a lot of wind on Thursday, so I have to cover some ground today. We’ll move on to Marco Island today, hole up there on Thursday to let the weather pass, and then we expect to make the crossing to Key West on Friday.

I registered this morning for the Covid vaccine in Chester County; hopefully I will have risen to the top of the list by the time we return in April.

I’ll post again on Thursday when I have more time.

Hi everyone…sorry I haven’t posted in a while; it’s because I have been lucky enough to connect with some great people:

• Tree crazy “Senagers” in Everglades City
• My cousins Chris and Kim in Naples
• Mel and Bonni in Sarasota.
• The mysterious Natalie
• Jim and Sue DiCarlo in Venice (friends from Hershey’s Mill!)
• Connie (and her dogs Archie and Anna) in Captiva

So, the time I would have spent blogging, I have spent in real-life conversation.

Last night, for instance, we went to a sunset party on the beach with Connie’s fiends, and today, Connie and I took the boat to the Cabbage Tree Inn, where Jimmy Buffet was inspired to write “Cheeseburger n Paradise.” The walls and ceilings are papered with dollar bills left by previous visitors. And it’s in a beautiful setting.

Nevertheless, it’s good to think that we are started on our return trip. This has been a great experience, but it is tiring: every day is from scratch: terra incognito, requiring a check of routes, wind, and wave heights. Every day, something could go wrong. It’s relentless, particularly flying solo.

I fear that even Guinness is getting burned out. The last three days, he has balked at getting on board for departure. We have a long way to go, so I hope he is OK.

Tonight will be an early night: Mexican food with Connie, and then tomorrow, we leave for Cape Coral to visit a couple we met in Key West. Then back to Naples, and then Key West.

I have lots of photos, and lots of stories. I hope to catch up once we’re back in Key West for February.

The good news is that it really is wonderful down here. Sun and sand and palm trees. Who am I to complain?