Category Archives: Great Loop

Yesterday at 10:10 am we entered the Barge Canal off the ICW and crossed our wake; completing the journey we started 373 days before.

Here is an update of our last two days on the Great Loop:

Tuesday (4/19) – Serenity Island – ICW, FL – When we bailed on going to the Bahamas and decided to take the slow road home, we had no real itinerary; we knew we would just keep heading north.  We thought we would want to spend more time in Vero Beach as we really like this area.  But something was calling us home so we made the decision to leave today and spend one more night on this great adventure, even though we could easily make it all the way home in 6 hours.

So we said goodbye to the VBYC and the staff at this wonderful club. They were super nice and the club has a comfortable ambiance, along with some pretty good food. We will likely stay here again sometime in the future, like next January when we plan to take the boat to Ft. Myers.

Before we got underway, Denise got in a quick run up the bridge and back, and snapped some pictures of the marina and surrounding park area. Here are some pictures to share:

We also had an opportunity to meet a Looper couple who came into the south docks of the City Marina on Monday night. Tom & Connie Rogers were on a Motorcat 30’ catamaran (“rPad”) that can be trailered and which they have taken through many parts of the eastern US, but have not done the entire loop. They are going to trailer the boat to the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Minnesota later this summer and cruise the rivers which will enable them to complete their Loop adventure.  We exchanged boat cards and wished each other luck – then returned to the boat.

We watched others leave the City Marina and VBYC, and then we too untied the lines and headed north.

Here are some other pictures we took during our stay in Vero Beach:

It was a nice day to be on the water and we had a good time enjoying all the sights along the way. We had picked out two potential anchorages to stay at for our last night on the Loop. The first one was near the Sebastian Inlet and looked to be a good spot.  When we got up to it we found the holding good and liked its close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean.  But with the wind blowing out of the east, we did not see ourselves spending any time on the beach.  We also didn’t like how close it was to a public park and boat ramp, so we decided not to stay and headed north past Sebastian Inlet and past Grant Farm Island.

The second anchorage (Serenity Island) proved to be a terrific little spot and one we will most likely come back to if weather conditions are favorable. Just south of Melbourne City marina (where we have stayed in the past), there are a series of “spoil” mangrove islands that make for great anchorages.  One in particular got a great review on Active Captain so we headed to it.  We found one (sail) boat already in the anchorage, but was able to secure a spot a little closer to the shore and in front of them.  Shortly thereafter another sailboat came in and anchored north of us.  Serenity Island has a small sandbar to its south and offered great protection for winds out of the east, so we felt very comfortable here.

We launched the dinghy and went to explore the island, unexpectedly finding a ton of small shells including oyster and scallop shells. We collected a few to bring home and walked through some of the mangrove paths until it got too think for us to continue.  We then returned to the dinghy and took it all around the island.  We saw so many nests for osprey and herons it was amazing; this place was like a bird sanctuary.  We took some pictures but they just cannot convey the beauty and how very connected to nature we felt. It was awesome!

We then cruised in the dinghy to the small sailboat that came in after us. Here we met “Noel” who was very friendly and talked us about the island. He was a local and had been coming here for 20+ years. He told us the island’s sandbar used to be much greater, but it has slowly eroded over time due to storms and large wakes from boaters.  He told us about his home-made dinghy and how his old sailboat was new to him and he was trying to get it in shape.

We enjoyed our chats then moved on to the first sailboat in the anchorage, only they were not in their cockpit or appeared available for socializing. So we respected their privacy and returned to our boat in time for happy hour and to see a fourth boat pull into the anchorage. Then all of us (3 sailboats plus us) settled in for the night.  Mark fired up the bar-b-que and grilled some great steaks while Denise made rice and a salad. We then watched a terrific sunset. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day, and the last night for us on the Loop.

Wednesday (4/20) – Harbortown Marina – Merritt Island, FL – At an anchorage we have a tendency to go to bed early and last night was pretty much on par.  The downside is we wake up really early.  For Denise it was with the birds (literally) who started the cacophony in the wee hours and continued to get louder until the sun came up. The cool thing was when they all came down out of the casuarina (aka Australian pine) trees and went down to the water to feed.

Although the boat swung a little during the night, it was mostly due to the current as there was little wind. The water was very calm in the morning and if not for the birds we would have said peaceful.  Not wanting to disturb nature, Denise resisted turning on the generator so she could make coffee.  However, once Mark was up, the first sailboat pulled out, and the others were visible in their cockpit, she turned it on.  Enjoying that first cup was made even more enjoyable by watching the dolphins frolicking in the water nearby. It just doesn’t get any better than this!

Once we had finished breakfast we pulled up the anchor and headed north for our final day on the Loop. We passed by Melbourne City Marina and the Melbourne bridge – one that Denise has run over in a half marathon.

We then cruised north in the ICW encountering several boaters along the way. Some were boats we had passed the day before, including a few sailboats. Eventually we came upon some Loopers on a Nordic Tug called “Lee Loo”.  We had seen and heard of this boat, but had never met them. We chatted for a bit on the VHF and wished them well on their journey; they are from Illinois and have a long way to go before they cross their wake.

Eventually we went passed the Eau Galle and Pineda Causeway bridges, and approached Cocoa Village. This is very familiar cruising grounds to us and we have had lots of great times in this area. As we headed under the SR 520 Bridge and past Cocoa Village Marina we took it all in as if it was the first time.

As we approached the SR 528 (Beachline) Causeway we saw that our Looper friends on “Ocean Dancer” were just ahead of us. What a coincidence that we were in Michigan City, IN when they started their Loop adventure, and here they are when we are about to complete ours.  We talked for a moment on the VHF and as we passed them and offered our best wishes for their continued Loop experience.  We promised to keep in touch and look forward to seeing them next winter in FL.

And then we went under the bridge and made the familiar right turn into the barge canal and we crossed our wake!

But we still had an uneventful 30 minutes of no-wake cruising to get to Harbortown Marina (our home port). We passed a few other boaters, some people picnicking on the shore, and a sailboat.  Finally we turned into the marina, got some fuel, a pump-out, and headed into our slip.

After we tied up, settled the boat, ate some lunch, and checked into the marina office, Denise published the last blog update while Mark cleaned the outside of the boat. Soon afterwards we met some of our new marina neighbors and then began the celebrations which included pictures, a champagne toast and now flying our Gold Looper burgee!

And so ends our 5000 mile adventure on America’s Great Loop!

After so much planning and all the travels of the last year, it is hard to believe we are headed into the last leg of our Great Loop adventure. We cannot wrap our head around the fact that a year has gone by already…..time really does fly when you are having fun.

Here is the latest update of our activities:

Wednesday (4/13) – Stuart, FL – We left Mariner’s Cay Marina in Stuart as late as possible as we were working feverishly to get the last blog update published before we left.  It was a nice day to be on the water and we didn’t mind the 20-mile cruise north to Ft. Pierce.  There were lots of fishing boats out and although it was breezy, the wind was out of the South making the cruise north very comfortable.

Here are some pictures of our morning on the water:

Since Palm Beach, Mark had been trying to coordinate delivery with a fuel truck at one of our last few stops, and we just weren’t able to pull it off. Eventually, the difference in price was not worth the hassle to get fuel this way. We pulled into the city marina in Fort Pierce and went right to the fuel dock.  With the boat US discount we actually were only a few cents off the price from the fuel truck, so it made sense to get the diesel here.  Plus, they gave us a free holding tank pump-out since we bought over 100 gallons of fuel!  This will be our last fill up until we get to our home port.

After we got the boat tied up and settled we checked into the marina office, and walked around the facilities a bit. It had been a long time since we last visited this marina and it has grown a lot. They have new docks to the east of the older section (where we were located), and they have put in a few small breakwaters off the ICW to minimize wake and currents in the marina.  To us these looked like the wingdams we saw along the Mississippi, but we were grateful as they did the job.

There is a park just south of the marina where they have a farmer’s market on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings; we were told Wednesdays was considerably smaller. We went to check it out and found it was kind of small; it only took us about 15 minutes to walk through the whole thing.  We didn’t really need anything or see anything to buy so we just went back to the boat.

We had heard about the good food at a restaurant called “12A Buoy” located north of the marina, and started to walk to it for dinner. The path took us past the House of Seven Gables Tourist Information center and by a park along the Riverwalk where they were having a big festival. We decided to go investigate and we discovered there was “A Taste of St. Lucie” event being held.  For a $40 per person fee, you got unlimited food & drink provided by some of the local area restaurants, bakeries and bars. All was to benefit the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of St. Lucie (county).

Mark was a little reluctant, but Denise convinced him it would be fun and for a good cause, so we paid our money and went in. For the next 1.5 – 2 hours we went through each vendor and sampled their food.  Some were really good and some were just ok, but it was great fun.  There was Italian, Bar-B-Que, and even some fried chicken, which Mark loved. The beer truck was our stopping point for beverage and we split a Stella Artois (Denise’s favorite) to quench our thirst from all the spicy stuff.  The Lexus dealer had bottled water and we ended up with 4 or 5 of their minis to help out with that too.  The best part was the DJ they had hired, and once they started playing music Denise wanted to dance. Of course no one else was dancing, but once we started it, many others chimed in.  When it switched to rap music we knew it was time for us non-hip old folks to go back to the boat, so we waddled home fully stuffed.

Once back at the marina we met the people in the boat next to us, who were Loopers too. John & Paula Dennis (“Chapter III”) are from Prince Edward Island, Canada and were so interesting to talk with. They have traveled many miles and shared some information about the Maine coast and coming down the Northeastern part of the US.  Come to find out they know some of the Loopers we also knew, and we were surprised that our paths have not crossed before now.

When we finally got back to the boat, we noticed a text message from our Looper friends KelliRae and Bill (“Ocean Dancer”) who we met back in Michigan City, Indiana in August, and whom we shared a dock with in Stock Island (Key West) in January. They had pulled in and saw we were in the marina and wanted to let us know they were there too.  We agreed to make contact in the morning and then we went to bed.  It was late and we had a full day of adventure.

Thursday (4/14) – Ft. Pierce, FL – Today was a very fun day on our adventure.  Denise started the day with a run around the up-and-coming downtown area and took lots of pictures of some cool sculptures and art around town. She also ran by the Sunrise Theater – which we were told by a local has a great history and should be toured even if you don’t go there for any live performances.  I guess we will have to make it there on our next trip through Ft. Pierce.

Although there are many small businesses that have closed out of the downtown area, there are lots of other projects going on to attract visitors to this town, including an expansion of the Riverwalk area at least one new marina going in on the island side. Here are some of the pictures she took during her run:

After the breakfast we made contact with KelliRae and Bill, and invited them to spend the day with us on our plans (see below), but they had chores to do as they had just come back to the US from the Bahamas and needed to tend to that. We agreed to touch base for possible dinner together.

Then we took an Uber cab to the National Navy UDT-Seal Museum on the northern part of Hutchinson Island.

This is terrific museum that pays tribute to the Navy Seals who started out as underwater demolition teams (UDT) and were originally trained in Ft. Pierce during WWII.  Yes, there really was a Fort Pierce located on the North end of Hutchinson Island.  Anyway, the museum was really fascinating and had a lot of interactive displays. Not only was it informative, but it also did a great job of paying tribute to those who lost their lives in the defense of our country.

There are many artifacts and a large area outside that includes old boats and equipment they used to train on.  In addition, there is an obstacle course that you can try your luck at, and a memorial for those fallen in the line of duty, similar to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC. It is a really terrific place and worth a couple hours drive from the Orlando area to see it. You can learn more about it here.  Here are some of our other pictures from here:

We returned back to the boat very late and still had not had lunch, so we ate a quick bite and then went on our next adventure. We had been talking boats with our new friends Joy & Steve Poole (“Meandering Joy”) when in Stuart, and they suggested we look at a “Krogen Express”. We confessed we didn’t know anything about them, and they shared that the owners of the company are located in Vero Beach.  We had heard of “Cady Krogen”, but always thought they were the same company.  But, it is not.  They suggested we take a look at that boat as it has some features that we might like in a future boat.

So Mark made contact with the company and we were advised that there is a new one in the marina near where we were. A few phone calls later and we had the broker come and pick us up at the marina, and we went to see the boat.  It is a beautiful and terrific boat that is in the same size range we would like should we choose a mostly full-time cruising lifestyle.  We liked a lot of its features, its design, and feel like it is a sturdy well-made boat.  However, it is way more money than we have to spend, and so we were just interested in learning about it at this time.  But if we were to win the lottery….well, then that might change our minds. In the meantime, we are very happy with Island Office and know we can afford to keep it running so we can go on more adventures.

After we returned from seeing the Krogen Express, we tried to coordinate dinner with KelliRae and Bill, but they were in the middle of a boat maintenance project. So we went off to eat at “12A Buoy” (the restaurant we were headed to last night before getting distracted) with plans to connect with them later in the evening. We had to walk down the Riverwalk and under the bridge that goes to Hutchinson Island to get to the restaurant; about a half mile away.  The place is known to get packed and has most of its eating outside. It was threatening to rain and we were hesitant to choose an outdoor table, but because we could get seated right away we opted for outside and had a terrific meal. The seafood was fresh and the options allowed for an affordable meal that was very satisfying and delicious.

Shortly after we returned to the boat, Bill & KelliRae came over and we talked for a long time; sharing their adventures in the Bahamas, and our future travel plans. After hearing their stories (and others who attempted travel in the Bahamas this year) we were feeling like we had made the right decision not to go there this trip.  It was just after 9:00 when they left our boat, just as the sky opened up and a heck of an electrical storm ensued. Fortunately they made it back to their boat safely and we tucked in for the night.

Here are some other pictures from the Ft. Pierce area:

Friday (4/15) – Vero Beach, FL – Fearing the forecasted bad weather, we wanted to leave early and get under way while the sky was still blue and the sun shining.  We left Ft. Pierce before 9:00 a.m., and traveled the short 13 miles to Vero Beach.  It was so nice to be on the water when the weather was good, but we could see the clouds forming and by the time we tied up to the Vero Beach Yacht Club (VBYC) docks they were getting bigger and filling the sky.

After checking in and we did a quick walk through of the Vero Beach marina located right next door, to see if there were any other Loopers there. We saw some flags on boats, but did not know of them and they were not on their boats, so we returned back to the VBYC. Then, we decided to hit the grocery store before it rained.  The good thing about Vero Beach and is they have a bus system and you can pick one up at the city marina and be at a Publix in 10 minutes.

So we walked back to the city marina parking lot to wait for the bus. While waiting we ran into Mike & Fran Brown (“October Moon”) whom we met at Old Port Cove Marina in Palm Beach – but we didn’t have a boat card and couldn’t remember their names.  We ended up talking to them while waiting for the bus, on the bus, and into Publix.  After shopping we got to the bus stop and had a bit of wait for the next bus, but ended up talking with them and some other boaters, all who were at the city marina or on a mooring in the city marina.  We all got back safely to our boats when the thunder and lightning started and gave us quite a show.  Fortunately, most of the worst weather was south of us and we were spared the high winds.

We spent the rest of the evening reading and doing emails, until it was time for dinner. Denise made fajitas and we enjoyed having a good home cooked meal aboard our Island Office.

Here are some pictures from today:

It has been nearly 18 months since we were here in Vero Beach so yes, we technically crossed our wake in this boat today. But we are not going to officially celebrate until we return home to Harbortown marina in Merritt Island in a week or so.  We haven’t decided if we will go straight there from here, or if we will stop at anchorages along the way, or maybe make a quick trip up to New Smyrna Beach first.  Weather will be the key factor in our decision, along with tempering the desire to be home.

Saturday (4/16) – Vero Beach, FL – We woke up to a thunderstorm and rain that would subside for 15 minutes, only to be pouring again.  This prevented Denise from getting in a run and she ended up staying in her PJs for most of the morning – something she NEVER does.  Mark, slept in until 9:00 and loved it!

Fearing our activities for the day would be limited and that Sunday was also not looking great, we decided to get a rental car for the weekend. This way we could go adventuring a little further around Orchid Island (the ocean-side part of Vero Beach), and do some things we wanted to do that were not accessible via the bus system or walking.

After picking up the rental car we drove to the beach side to check out Quail Valley River Yacht Club, just south of where the VBYC and city marina are located. It was purchased by the Riomar Country Club (also on Orchid Island), and from what we could see from the guard gate it looked to be a beautiful place.  They are a members-only club but they do have a couple of slips for reciprocity transients if you are lucky enough to get in.  We had heard about this place from another Looper, but did not pursue it as we had reservations at VBYC. Although we were happy with our accommodations, we were still curious. The area surrounding the club is gated and we could not get close enough to see it,  Without an appointment we were not getting in, so we moved on; our curiosity had been satisfied.

Next we went to the beach downtown and stopped into a kitchen supply store that used to have cooking classes we thought we might take one while we are here. However, last week we learned that they no longer offer them, and in fact the store was closing and were having a huge clearance sale. We stopped in only to find the ridiculously overpriced items were still ridiculously overpriced even with a 60% discount. Probably why they closed – and the fact that the Williams-Sonoma outlet store was less than 15 minutes away.

Finding nothing to spend our money on, we left for more sightseeing. We drove around a few neighborhoods and some of the other sights along the beach area, including Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa – owned by singer Gloria Estefan (aka Miami Sound Machine) and her husband.

We then drove back to the mainland to go to the movies at the Indian River Mall – AMC Movie Theater. We saw “Miracles from Heaven” as we were surprised it was still in theaters.  We wanted to see this when it first came out but we were in Marathon and the lone movie theater didn’t show it. What a wonderful movie that all who question belief in a higher power need to see.

After the movie we went back to the beach side and had a delicious dinner at “Pomodoro Grill/ Trattoria Italiana”. The food was really good and our waitress was friendly enough. However, they were a bit disorganized and Mark’s dinner came out 10 minutes after Denise’s.  The good news is they had delicious garlic knots (better than Giovanni’s) but only give you one each when you sit down.  With a simple request, our waitress got us 2 more and Mark was in 7^th heaven.

Sunday (4/17) – Vero Beach, FL – The benefit of a rental car was that we could get to church as the bus system does not run on Sunday.  We contemplated going on Saturday evening, but the movie got out too late for us to make the last mass.  So we ended up going to the 9:00 am mass, which afforded Denise the opportunity to run down and around the beach before we went to Church.  Here are a few pictures from her run:

We attended Holy Cross Catholic, which is a good size parish and a beautiful church with balcony seating and a lively congregation.  Here are some pictures from it:

After church we went back to VBYC as they have a brunch that came highly recommended by a few other boaters we have met on the docks. We were not disappointed as they make omelets (or eggs benedict) to order and had fresh fruit, salad, and the usual bacon, sausage, potatoes, grits and pastries.  The food was good and the price ($12.95 per person) was very reasonable.  We were full and felt good about patronizing the club.

After brunch we used the rental car to drive to the Vero Beach outlet mall. We like this mall as it has a Williams-Sonoma Outlet store and we can sometimes find some great bargains.  Although this outlet mall has many of the same stores like the ones in the Orlando outlets, we like it better because the salespeople here are friendlier, much more customer service oriented, and we don’t feel like we are in a foreign country.  It is delightful shopping here, even though we hardly purchased anything.

After our adventures at the outlet mall, we drove back towards Orchid Island and went through more neighborhoods looking at houses. We drove north up towards Indian River Shores and an area known as John’s Island – a large development area that has a beach club, country club, home sites, townhomes and condominiums that span both the Atlantic Ocean and Intercostal waterway.  This gated community looks beautiful, but we both agreed we would not want to ever live in such a place. It is way too “sterile” and we don’t want the monthly maintenance and association fees.

We drove back to the VBYC in time for cocktails, dinner of leftovers from the freezer, and to see the sun set over Fritz Island to our west.

Monday (4/18) – Vero Beach, FL – The day started out calm with a little breezy, but very comfortable. It was nice that it wasn’t raining and that the wind had settled down a bit.  We spent most of the morning doing emails and writing for the next blog post.

After lunch we returned the rental car to Avis and had them bring us back to the marina; a short 5 minute ride.

Then we went on a dinghy adventure. We rode around the city mooring field and anchorage, around Bethel Creek, and to the Indian River waterway that runs along Live Oak Rd.  Here we saw nicely maintained older Florida homes mixed in with newer mansions. Another part of Florida that is being overdeveloped and homogenized.  We like the old homes that have been maintained or updated as they lend an air of authenticity to the area.  Here are some of the pictures we took:

During our dinghy ride we went over to see John & Paula (“Chapter III”) – whom we met in Ft. Pierce. They had come into the VB city marina and were on a mooring right near our boat.  We spoke with them for a while and made plans to have happy hour together on Island Office.

After we got back to the boat and did a few chores, we got cleaned up just in time for John & Paula to show up with a bottle of wine in hand. We spent a long time talking with them and getting to know them better. They have so many travel stories as they have boated all over the world and it was all so interesting to us. They did not leave until it was way late and we had missed the last bus for any dinner on the beach, but we didn’t care as we now have new Looper friends.  Fortunately we have plenty of food on the boat and so we ate the last of the leftover pizza for dinner and called it a (very fun) day!

Stay tuned for more adventures!

Well we have left the FL Keys and we are (finally) headed North on our final stretch of this Great Loop adventure. Very soon we will be home and some days it seems like we just left yesterday.

Here is the latest update of our activities:

Friday (4/1) – Card Sound, FL – We left Key Largo in the morning with a revised itinerary and a schedule which will have us spending the next few weeks making our way north.  It was bittersweet to leave Key Largo as we had a lot of fun and liked the neighborhood; plus the people we met here were so friendly.  However, we will not miss the blaring noise from Sharkey’s every night.

We had a nice day on the water, but our cruise was not long and in no time we were anchored in Card Sound, just off the northern shore of North Key Largo, east of Pumpkin Cay. As the wind was to blow out of the Southeast during the night we felt well protected. Our only concerns were passing boats which may wake us, or that the nuclear power plant (Turkey point) across the sound would melt-down while we were there. Obviously our chances were greatest with the passing boaters.

We made some lunch and then launched the dinghy and went for a ride. Our adventure took us through the canals and homes on North Key Largo which is part of Ocean Reef, a gated community that is very exclusive. The yacht club here requires you to have a member sponsor you in order to visit; reciprocity is allowed, but only with the sponsorship.  At $9 per foot per night and a 50’ boat minimum, it was not a place for us.  We did however enjoy riding around and looking at all the huge homes around the place. Here are a few shots from there:

We left the canals and ventured out into the sound to the northern shore of Pumpkin Key where there was another boat at anchor. The waves and chop were a lot worse out here, and we spoke with the people on the boat and told them it was calmer where we were anchored.  Shortly after we returned to the boat, they decided to move near us where they stayed the rest of the night.  Shortly thereafter we were joined by two other boats who anchored near us as well.  Fortunately, there was lots of room and we never felt crowded.

That night we had great protection from the wind and we were treated to a spectacular sunset. We also found all boat traffic ceased as soon as it got dark so all was quiet and calm.  This ended up being one of our favorite nights at anchor on the Loop.

Saturday (4/2) – Miami, FL – The sunrises here are just as beautiful as the sunsets, but we were only here for one night.

We had been in communication with our friends on “Sassified” and “Endoxi”, who left Islamorada earlier in the morning.  Once they cleared the Card Sound Bridge they called us and we pulled up our anchor in time to rendezvous on the ICW with them.  Together the three of us cruised through Biscayne Bay and into Miami. We were barely able to see the “Stiltsville” houses off the coast of Key Biscayne as it was quite hazy with salt in the air, and the wind was really blowing strong now.

As we entered the Dinner Key channel to make our way to the Coral Reef Yacht club in Coconut Grove, we found ourselves in the middle of lots of Optimist Prams whose young sailors were enjoying the blustery wind. There was nowhere for us to go as it is too shallow outside the channel and their tack forced them across us.  It was a harrowing few minutes, but Mark handled our boat well and we made it through without incident.  Likewise, he docked Island Office on the end of the dock with the help of the dockhands at the yacht club.  Meanwhile our friends continued on to Grove Isle where they had reservations in slips there.

 

That night for dinner we met Pam, Pete, and Sharri & Rodney at Monty’s (formerly known as Monty Trainer’s) in Coconut Grove. It was a short walk from all our boats and the closest restaurant.

This is old stomping ground for Denise from when she lived and worked in Miami. Oh how it has changed. The place now has outdoor dining and a large bar in what was the old place, and indoor dining in a new building that now is where the old parking lot was.  It is no longer just a neighborhood handout that Jimmy Buffet used to spontaneously show up at, but rather a tourist mecca that (naturally) sells t-shirts, etc.  We still had a good dinner and enjoyed each other’s company, for what will probably be our last time together; they are moving north to continue their Loop adventure and we are taking a slow route until we get Island Office back home.

Sunday (4/3) – Miami, FL – We started off the day by going to another new church St. Hugh’s in Coconut Grove. As we expected rain and didn’t want to get wet along the way, we got an Uber taxi to take us there. But the weather cleared up while we were in church, so we walked the 1.2 miles back to the yacht club, passing shops, parks and restaurants “the Grove” is known for.   Here are some pictures of St. Hugh’s:

Also along the way we stopped by the Fresh Market that is right near the yacht club. We needed milk for breakfast, but not much else as we expect to do very little cooking on the boat going forward – there are just too many great places to stop and eat at along the way.

The rest of the day we enjoyed just hanging around the boat and the yacht club. We watched the sailing instructor go out with his young students in the Optimist Pram boats.

We also enjoyed the atmosphere and hanging out around the CRYC.For dinner that night we patronized their snack bar and had a fish sandwich (Denise) & hamburger (Mark).  It was beautiful weather and we enjoyed sitting out by the pool taking in all the sights.

Here are some pictures we took of the yacht club over the last few days:

Monday (4/4) – Miami Beach, FL – Denise was motivated this morning to run around the Grove where she had run so many years before. She headed south on Bayshore Drive past the high rises and down to Main Highway for an out-and-back run.  This two-lane road runs along several of the parks and has 4 schools all within a one-mile stretch.  Needless to say at 7:30 it was full of cars trying to drop off kids for school and was very congested; there were 4 separate police cars directing traffic.

Here are some pictures from our time in Coconut Grove:

After the run and breakfast, we moved the boat to Miami Beach as we wanted to see the place when it was not crazy with the Boat Show crowds like we usually see. Along the way we passed by Vizcaya and some great views of downtown Miami.  We chose to cruise the eastern side of the bay nearing Fisher Island and the Port of Miami.

We rounded the corner through Government Cut and into the Meloy Channel, and went under the MacArthur Causeway.  We passed between Miami Beach and Star Island, location of mansions and homes for some known celebrities (Gloria Estefan) and CEOs (Lennar Homes). We also passed the Flagler Memorial Island (what Mark and his dad would call Monument Island when they would fish the Biscayne Bay together.

This path was fun and worked great until we got to the East Venetian Causeway Bridge that was locked down for maintenance. As a result we had to head west towards downtown Miami taking us south of the Venetian Islands and north of Watson Island. Along the way we got to see some beautiful homes, the Miami Yacht club, and many boats at anchorages.

We then had to wait 20 minutes for the next opening of the Venetian West Bridge.  All of this added about an hour to our journey, but we didn’t care as we were on the water and enjoying a beautiful day with spectacular sights.

We arrived at Sunset Harbor Yacht Club and had two very good dockhands assisting us for the tied up. We were one of the smallest boats in this mecca of large private yachts, many with registry in the Cayman Islands or BVI’s.

Although named a yacht club, this marina is open to the public, but they are actively seeking equity club members. On the east side are two large condominium towers and on the west side is the Biscayne Bay.  The place is absolutely pristine and the staff is awesome. After getting the boat secured we went to the marina office to check in.  “Daniel” the dockmaster immediately recognized us by our names; Mark had spoken with him on the phone and everyone in the office was most helpful.

Right after checking in we were looking at the pool and realized we knew the man sitting in the chair watching his young son play in the water. “John” was the former NY Firefighter Mark had met at Great Kills Yacht Club in Staten Island, NY, where he is a member. He and his family left shortly after us to start their Great Loop adventure, and we were surprised we had not run into them before.  We stayed talking to him for quite a while about places we had been and experiences along the way.

The good thing about this marina is it is walking distance to Publix, Fresh Market and just blocks from Lincoln Road where we went for dinner. John had recommended a place to us (“SPRIES”) that has a pizza “happy hour” and is supposed to be great NY-style pizza. So we went there to check it out. We found it to be good and with a shared salad, made for an affordable night in an otherwise very expensive dining area.

Sunset Harbor Yacht Club Marina is a high-rent marina with lots of big yachts, including “A2” which was on the dock behind and perpendicular to our boat.

It is also the most expensive place we have stayed on the Loop at $4 per foot + $15/day for electric, + tax. Needless to say we only stayed one night, although we can see how people would like to stay for months on end.  It is convenient, well-staffed and immaculate. It has a beautiful pool and patio area, and a first class workout facility that we (unfortunately) were not here long enough to take advantage of.

Here are some other pictures from our short Miami Beach stay:

Tuesday (4/5) – Coral Ridge Yacht Club – Ft. Lauderdale – Not wanting to leave, but realizing we had to (or it would be like another mortgage payment) we untied the dock lines and headed North.  It had been a very long time since we have taken this part of the ICW; usually we go outside in the ocean as the going is very slow.  There are numerous no-wake zones and lots of boat traffic.  But the wind was blowing hard out of the north today, so we knew going outside was not an option.  Plus, we really wanted to see the sights.

All along the water on the beach side are several communities with large homes and boats. As you approach North Miami it turns into condominium city, with numerous large towers, and many more under construction. And yet there still is some of the older one and two-story complexes which are now in the shadows of the steel monoliths.  It is quite a sight to see.

We continued north through Hallandale, Dania, Hollywood, and eventually into the Ft. Lauderdale inlet known as Port Everglades. Here are some pictures from this part of the trip:

Coming into Port Everglades we saw that the Princess Cruise ship the “Coral Princess” was in port.  In 2007 we had taken this very ship out of this very terminal on a 10-day cruise to the Panama Canal with Claire (Denise’s sister) and her family.

Of course one of the first landmarks in the area is the famous Pier 66 with its famous rotating restaurant and 360˚ view; now operating as a Hyatt hotel.

The other landmark to know you are in Ft. Lauderdale is the numerous HUGE yachts that are everywhere. It is amazing that so many exist in one place.  If that is not enough, there are the numerous homes that line the ICW, as well as the canal that feed into the ICW.  So much wealth in one spot on this large planet.

Here are some other pictures from the trip today:

We docked successfully at the Coral Ridge Yacht club which is directly off the ICW just north of Sunrise Blvd in Ft. Lauderdale. If you know this town, you know that it is a pretty great location as the Galleria Mall is in walking distance, as is numerous high end dining spots. Additionally, it is a short walk to the famous Ft. Lauderdale beach where the boys (and girls) really are.

We were met at the dock by the dockmaster, Sharon who helped us tie up and then instructed us where to go for check in.

After we got the boat securely tied for the forecasted wind, we were visited her office and checked in.  She then preceded to give us a tour of the yacht club and introduced us to the staff along the way.  All were very friendly and helpful and down to earth. We also got to meet the club cat, “Coral” who was equally hospitable and managed to get some affection from Denise.

As we had missed the opportunity for fine dining to celebrate Denise’s birthday in March, we splurged for dinner and went to the Capital Grill near the Galleria mall. It took us about 15 minutes to walk there and had a delicious steak and accompanying sides.  We were thankful for the walk back as it gave us some chance to exercise off our dinner.

Here are some pictures we took of the yacht club:

Wednesday (4/6) – Coral Ridge Yacht Club – Ft. Lauderdale – Denise spent nearly the whole day cataloging pictures taken in the last two weeks.  There was a lot to do as we have been so busy and we got behind a bit. In the meantime, Mark secured our marina accommodations for Palm Beach, Ft. Pierce and Vero Beach, and he identified anchoring locations in Hobe Sound and Stuart area.  He was also able to secure a home-port slip back into our old marina at Harbortown in Merritt Island, although not the same one. Before long we will have Island Office there and we can’t believe how fast a year has gone by.

That evening we decided to have dinner at the CRYC in their less formal dining area, the Wheelhouse. They had a reputation for good food and we always want to patronize the clubs when they are kind enough to let us stay on reciprocity.  Our food was really good and the service was superb.  We really liked the friendliness of this club, the amenities, and we wouldn’t mind staying here for a month or so next winter if they have space.

Thursday (4/7) – Delray Beach City Marina – Delray Beach – Today we were headed north, but not before Denise was able to get a run in along the Ft. Lauderdale beach area.  She ran along the esplanade and enjoyed seeing this beautiful beach and surrounding area.

Not wanting to leave, we procrastinated as late as possible, but finally got the boat underway and headed north, passing more beautiful homes through Ft. Lauderdale, Lighthouse Point, Hillsboro Beach and Boca Raton. When the homes were not big, the boats in front of them were, or in some cases both were huge. Here are some of the small shacks we saw along the way:

We arrived at the Delray Beach City marina and were pleasantly surprised. Although there were no dockhands or city employees to greet you, one of the seasonal live-aboard boaters came out to assist us with tying up and told us the info packet and restroom key were in the dock box. He also told us about the restrooms and laundry facilities at the south end of the marina, which had a free ice machine.  Everything was in great condition and the rate was really reasonable, plus it was in walking distance to Atlantic Blvd where all the restaurants were.

We had Mark’s new AMEX credit card waiting for us across the ICW at the Delray Beach Yacht Club, where we originally were going to stay. However, the marina facilities were under construction and there were no restrooms, laundry, office, etc. and the rate was double the city marina. So, when we got into the city marina we cancelled the yacht club reservation, but still had to retrieve the already delivered credit card.  While Mark washed the salt off the boat, Denise walked across the bridge to the yacht club and in no time was back to the boat.

Shortly thereafter Jason from Ocean Air showed up to fix our salon hatch shade. We had been trying to get him scheduled to meet us since the Miami Boat show in Feb., but his schedule and ours never seemed to coordinate until today.  He came in an in 90 minutes fixed the shade, replaced a handle on another shade and showed Mark a few things to help us maintain these going forward.

Just has he was leaving, we had more company. Denise has an old high school friend who is a captain on a privately-owned yacht that is kept in West Palm Beach. “Barry” and Denise had reconnected on Facebook a few years ago and they have communicated occasionally, mostly as they are politically aligned, but they also share a love of the water.  Barry and his wife Staci live in Delray Beach, so he came by the boat and they had a chance to talk about his job and to get caught up.  Our conversations lasted way longer than we expected and it was too late to go out for a bit to eat, so we opted for leftovers on the boat for dinner.

Friday (4/8) – Delray Beach City Marina – Delray Beach – We discovered early in the day that this was the weekend of “Delray Affair”, an annual arts festival located on Atlantic Blvd for which they shut down this main street through the town.

We decided to go check it out with the intention of spending a short time there.  However, we were so impressed and it was so much bigger than we expected. Additionally, half way through our exploring of the artists, Mark got a call from a client in Australia who had a critical systems issue so he had to stop and deal with it. He was on the phone for nearly an hour coordinating resources and trying to assist with the issue, all the while Denise found a few things to purchase.  Finally, the call was ended and we realized it was well past noon, we were hungry and we still had a third of the festival to see. Plus we had an errand we needed to do that would require us to walk another mile. So we opted for a quick bite to eat at “Doc’s All-American“, and pressed on through the rest of the festival. It was well after 2:00 before we got back to the boat.

Mark got a little power-nap in and Denise did some emails before our old friends Irv & Marsha showed up to catch up. We met this couple in 1999 when we had our sailboat in the Bahamas and have stayed in touch ever since.

After some drinks aboard our boat and getting caught up on our lives, we went to dinner at Lemongrass, on Atlantic Avenue.  Our Asian dinner was good and afterwards Irv turned us on to ”Popbar”; an Italian gelato-on-a-stick place, It was good, but we both agreed a good bowl of ice cream would have been better for the same portion and calories.

After a walk around a bit we headed back to the boat when Irv suggested we come out to see their home. So we got in their car and drove about 15 minutes to their house.  They are pet-sitting Marsha’s daughter’s dog so Denise & Marsha took the dog on a much needed walk while Mark and Irv discussed boat things. Shortly thereafter they returned us back to our boat said our good-bye’s.  It had a very long day and it was late so we crashed right away.

Here are some other pictures from our stay in Delray Beach:

 

Saturday (4/9) – Old Port Cove Marina, North Palm Beach – Wanting to see the sunrise on the beach, Denise was up and out the door early for a run.  She captured a few sights along the way:

We left Delray Beach marina at 9:05 to time the Atlantic Avenue bridge opening at 9:15, and wanting to get an early start.  The winds were forecasted to be strong and we knew we had to cross Lake Worth later in our travels, and didn’t want to face rough water when doing so.  We also had to consider the restricted bridge openings for two other bridges, one of which we discovered had a 15’ clearance and we didn’t need to wait for its opening.  We barely squeaked by, requiring 14.5 feet; it was close but prevented us from having to wait over 20 minutes and unnecessarily burn fuel.  We were grateful for our low clearance as we did not require any further openings.

We had originally made reservations at a different marina in the Lake Worth inlet area, but based on input from Barry & Irv, it was suggested we look at Old Port Cove marina in North Palm Beach. It is also where the boat that Barry captains is located. So, after their inputs and reading the reviews on Active Captain, we decided to switch if they could accommodate us. Mark made a phone call before we left the dock and we were in and made travel plans accordingly.

The cruise up the ICW once again took us past the lovely homes of Delray Beach, Palm Beach, and the downtown of West Palm Beach, including the “public docks”. Here are just a few pictures of what we saw:

Coming into the Lake Worth area, the boat traffic had picked up considerably, as had the wind which contributed to the choppy waters. We were glad we did not stay at the original marina as it was right off the ICW and we would have been very exposed to the chop. It would have been another “Grand Haven” experience and we were glad we had chosen differently.  We did however see a group of young sailors in an Optimist Pram regatta:

To our east was Peanut Island, a county park which is in the middle of the inlet and attracts lots of weekend campers, boaters, kayakers, and paddle boarders (although not today as it was too windy). It also has hiking paths throughout and you can pick up water taxi to take you there from either Riviera Beach or West Palm Beach. You can learn more about the island here.

We continued North through Lake Worth until we came to the marina, located just to the right of where the ICW makes a left turn. It was tucked back into a cove and was well protected.  Around the place are several condominium towers, and the marina is home to some very large yachts.  The staff was at the dock ready to help us tie up, and they were incredibly friendly and courteous; it didn’t matter that we were probably the smallest boat in the place.

We checked in at the marina office, located just inside the entryway of the Sandpiper’s Cove Restaurant and bar, which also houses a small café and gift shop. Here we learned of their shuttle service and met “Ed” the driver.  We immediately arranged for a pickup in the morning to take us to the closes Catholic Church for 9:00 am mass.  All this was coordinated by terrific marina staff who also presented us with a bottle of wine; one of the many perks to staying at this first-class marina.

Mark immediately got to work at washing the boat as it was covered with salt while Denise opted for doing a few loads of laundry. In the process she checked out the adjoining fitness center and met “Greg”, a guy from Memphis who keeps his Hatteras sport fishing boat* in this marina and has for 17 years.  They chatted for a while before she headed back to the boat with the clothes all folded.

In the afternoon Denise went for a walk along the docks and ran into Barry where they chatted for a bit until Barry had to go back to work as the owner’s family was onboard the yacht for the weekend. We made plans to try and get together either later that day or the next. We hung around our boat and met some of the other boaters on our pier, including Karen & Fred Sage from Newport News, VA on their Catalina 47 sailboat named “Southerly II”.  They were very friendly and really enjoyed talking with them. There were several other boats that came into slips near us, but we really did not have a chance to get to talk with anyone else, except the couple on “October Moon” – a sailboat in the slip next to ours, but whom we did not share boat cards with, and therefore cannot remember their names.

The marina is in a gated community that includes several high-rise condominium buildings, as well as the restaurant and several offices for yacht brokers. Nearby, but not close is PGA Blvd and A1A that has everything from a Publix, CVS, West Marine and other similar stores.  There is also a Duffy’s Sports Bar, Carrabbas, Bonefish Grill and other eateries, but we didn’t want to go to a chain for dinner.  Without a car we were limited so we chose to visit the Sandpiper restaurant at the marina; it was convenient and came with a good review.  Mark got a Cesar Salad with Salmon and Denise got a roasted beet and goat cheese with grilled shrimp.  The food was good and the service excellent so we too would recommend the restaurant.

Sunday (4/10) – Old Port Cove Marina, North Palm Beach – We got up in time to make our 8:30 am appointment with Ed, who shuttled us to “St. Paul of the Cross” for the 9:00 am mass. This is a lovely church and is one of the “Doors of Mercy” churches we have been to since the start of the “Year of Mercy” announced by Pope Francis.  The church was less than 3 miles from the marina, so we arrived quite early and had a chance to take a few pictures:

After mass we walked around the western area of the marina, including a section where there were several 100+ foot yachts and a bunch of other boats that were being offered by yacht brokers.

We had also been in communication with Barry who said we could come look at his owner’s yacht*.  It is an 85-foot Berger that is old (circa 1980’s) and in need of interior updating. But, it is a classic and he loves driving it.  We chatted with him and met Stan, the CIA-trained chef that is also full-time crew for this boat.  They talked of their jobs and the owners and we gained some amazing insight into how the “other half” lives.

Barry also told us about one of the mega-yachts* in the marina we had seen; that it was owned by the DeVos family (co-founder of Amway, and current owners of Orlando Magic, Amway Arena, and the RDV Center). It was an amazing morning and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

*Note: We are intentionally not sharing the names of these boats in order to protect the privacy of the owners.

In the afternoon we hung out at the boat and watched The Master’s Golf tournament, while working on this blog post and talking with friends and family. We had decided we were not up for a walk to go out for dinner, but had not taken anything out of the freezer for dinner. So we opted for a pizza and calzone from the marina restaurant’s “express” café. After a 40 minute wait, Mark went up to pick up our order and we ate a very late dinner. Unfortunately, Denise’s calzone was mostly pure dough and only a quarter of it contained any of the filling.  It was not very good and we would NOT recommend the café for dinner.

Here are some other pictures of the area:

Monday (4/11) – Peck Lake, Hobe Sound – South of Stuart, FL – Knowing the Captain wanted to get an early start so we could meet a fuel truck at a private marina a few miles up the ICW, Denise got out for a run as the sky was just getting light.  She ran out of the gated complex and down US1 and back, taking in all the shopping center sights we had missed.  Shortly after returning, Barry came aboard for a pre-arranged tour of our boat and we enjoyed chatting again until it was time for us to go.

We hated to leave this very nice marina and the terrific staff. It is first-class all the way, with floating docks, moveable cleats, great facilities, and close to many amenities.  Since it is close to Lake Worth inlet, there is a high probability we will come back here.

We left the dock with the intention of stopping to meet the fuel truck and take on 100+ gallons of diesel. However, when we approached the area, the small dock was totally occupied by the sport fishing boat that was the primary buyer of the fuel, and there was no real place for us to tie up to.  Additionally, the fuel truck had broken down and was just arriving.  We would have to wait for the other boat to get their fuel, and as they were taking on a lot more than us, it was going to be at least a 45 minute wait. Oh if only we would have known…..we would not have left Old Port Marina so soon.

However, we decided the wait for fuel to save a few dollars was not worth it, and continued north on the ICW through the rest of Palm Beach county. Again we passed a few homes not quite as large as the ones further South, but these were still quite nice.

At one point we saw a Grand Banks coming towards us that had lowered the canopy on their fly bridge so they could get under more bridges without requiring an opening.  We had commented that they were smart to do this when they passed and we noticed the boat name: “Patriot” from Mobile, AL.  It was about then that we realized it was our Looper friends Chuck & Vicki Stapleton whom we met in Norfolk and whom we last saw in Mobile where they crossed their wake.  We chatted on the VHF for a bit and learned they are headed to the Bahamas if the weather holds for a good Gulf-Stream crossing in a day or so. Otherwise, we may see them up the east coast.  What a small world!

We cruised past more beautiful homes and into Jupiter, passing a Wyndham resort along the way – causing Denise to think of her running friend Susan M. who works for Wyndham.

Just beyond this point is Jupiter Island Park and then the ICW takes a turn east on the Loxahatchee River, and then turns north around the inlet. It was really windy, but clear and we had a chance to get some pictures of the Jupiter Lighthouse as we went by.

After the turn north we entered the Indian River and cruised past Jonathan Dickenson State Park to our west, and some very nice old-Florida homes to our East. Eventually we came to Peck Lake, which is part of the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, and our intended anchoring spot for the night. As we arrived early in the day, we had an opportunity to find a great spot that would buffer us from the East wind, and set anchor without issue.  There were already a few boats in the anchorage, but it is large and there was plenty of space for even more.

All morning long we had heard the calls by the Coast Guard who were in search of passengers from a vessel offshore from St. Lucie inlet that had ended up in the water. All mariners were requested to keep a sharp lookout and assist if possible. As there had also been numerous small craft weather alerts, we were concerned even though we were in the ICW and not offshore. Around mid-morning the “pan-pan” had been cancelled and shortly thereafter we heard on the news that the Coast Guard had rescued a mariner.

The eastern shore of the anchorage is a mangrove island that has a sandy path that leads directly to a beautiful beach on the Atlantic. In the afternoon when the winds died down, we launched the dinghy and cruised over to the island to explore.

First we met “Dan” who runs a local paddleboard business, mainly for guests at Loblolly– a marina/condo complex on the western shore of Peck Lake.  He gave us a brief history lesson of the area including the naming of Peck Lake, and then told us about the rescue earlier in the day.  The surviving mariner was rescued not but a few hundred yards from where we were standing, and he had witnessed the helicopter land on the beach.

We left Dan for a walk to the beach and found that it was mostly deserted. There were a few other people in the water, but for the most part it was like having our own private island.  We walked along the shore for about half a mile, picking up seashells when the still thunderous surf allowed.

Soon we came upon a dead Portuguese Man-O-War, took pictures of it, and decided to turn around and head back.

We spotted some small jelly fish in the sand, and combined with the rough surf and cool water temperatures made us not want to venture into the water.  So we headed back to Peck Lake and the dinghy.

From there we cruised over to the Loblolly marina and see what else was there. Here we discovered several two-story condo buildings surrounding the marina that was full of high end boats.  Although not the mega yachts of Old Port, there was still plenty of wealth in this area and it was apparent by the types of boats, and their hailing ports.

By this time we were ready for our requisite happy hour, so we headed back to the boat for showers and a cool refreshment. While relaxing before dinner we saw a tug go by that reminded us of many we had seen along our Loop adventure. For some reason this just looked so out-of-place here in Peck Lake, but seeing it brought back a flood of happy memories. It was also about this time that we heard the whistle of a passing train; the first of several we would hear throughout the night.  It too brought back thoughts of the Hudson River and Erie Canal towns where the sound was a constant for so many days.

We watched a beautiful sunset and then prepared for dinner. We had taken leftovers out of the freezer, so all we had to do was crank up the generator and presto, we had a 15 minute microwaveable feast!

Tuesday (4/12) – Mariners Cay Marina – Stuart, FL – Today marks our 366^th day on the Loop (one official Leap year), and it started like many before it; Denise was up early waiting on Mark to wake.  Just like many mornings at anchor, she wished he would hurry and wake up so she could turn on the generator and make a pot of coffee!  Finally he woke up and she disturbed what would otherwise have been a very peaceful anchorage.  During the night the wind had picked up and Mark had to let out more anchor chain, but this morning things were incredibly calm and we saw a terrific sunrise.

While enjoying the cup of coffee, Denise got caught up on the morning news and learned of the boating catastrophe that had played out the day before. Apparently the boat had been reported missing on Sunday as they had not reported in to family.  The boat was offshore and began taking on water; 4 people were aboard and all but one had perished, including a 9-year old boy and his father.  The only survivor was in a state of shock when rescued and taken to a nearby hospital.  There are a lot of details of the story that have mariners scratching their head, but mainly everyone wants to know why you would take a small boat offshore when such weather conditions exist.

We left the anchorage and headed the short distance to Stuart, passing several park areas along the way including the St. Lucie Inlet State Preserve, and the Twin Rivers Park.

We originally intended to anchor in an area known as Manatee Pocket. This is just off the ICW and the St. Lucie River where many mariners queue up to go through the Okeechobee waterway, and there are several marinas, homes with private docks, and a hotel resort (Pirate’s Cove).  It is quite congested and we found that both anchorage areas were pretty full. Having anchored out the night before, we decided to try and get into a marina.  As luck would have it Mariner’s Cay Marina had an available slip, so we pulled in and tied up before anyone knew we had arrived.

We immediately met Joy, the woman in the boat two slips down from us who claimed she did not even hear us come in. She and her husband Steve are on their Fleming 55’ (“Meandering Joy”) and are from Athens, GA.  We spoke with her briefly and learned that our Looper friends on “Patriot” had been in the slip between us the night before.  Again – small world.

After we got the boat settled and checked into the marina office, we ate lunch and Denise went to work on finishing this blog post while Mark washed the boat; it does get salty even when cruising in the ICW.

In the afternoon, a PDQ (motor catamaran) came into the slip next to ours and we recognized them from the Peck Lake anchorage. Bill and Fran on “Easy Riders” are from Ocean City, Maryland and are preparing their boat to be put up in storage for the summer at the Hinckley Yacht Services right here in Manatee Pocket. This seems so strange to most boaters that they would put their boats in the water during the summer, but it is not unusual for those wishing to not be on the water during hurricane season.

In the evening we were invited aboard Joy and Steve’s boat (“Meandering Joy”) for cocktails as they wanted to pick our brains about doing the Loop as they too would like to do it. We talked for a long time as they knew several people we have met on the Loop, including Kathy & Kenny on “No Zip Code”.  It was way past dinner when we got back to the boat, but Joy had put out some appetizers and we didn’t feel the need to eat more. Tomorrow we will leave and head to Ft. Pierce for two nights.

Here are a few pictures from our short stay at this marina:

Stay tuned for more adventures!

Some comments about South Florida – from South Miami, Miami Beach, Ft. Lauderdale and north to Palm Beach, the amount of people who live in this very densely populated area scares us and is a real travesty to us natives. Overdevelopment has ruined a spectacular area and continues on without any resistance.  If there is ever a direct hit by an Andrew or Katrina-sized hurricane, no insurance company will be able to survive the loss.  Florida residents will be hit with huge homeowners’ insurance bills to bail them all out as there would be record losses.

And then there is the traffic, water, and infrastructure issues; too much and not enough now (respectively) and will only get worse. Don’t get us wrong, we are not against development per se. But it is the destruction of a single or two-story building and replacing it with a 20-story, 500 unit high rise that has us so baffled. And there are hundreds of these in this area, with more being built every day. The sad part is that there is no cry for people to stop building and it just continues on and on. Thank goodness for our state and local parks along the way, or we would not see anything but cement in this state that we call home.

It is easy to see how people can come to the FL Keys and find they are still here months later. We have been enjoying the relaxing and laid back atmosphere here, even while trying to do some work. It is so different than the rest of the Loop where we were moving every two or three days.  As with all of this trip, the weather has dictated what we can and can’t do.  These last few weeks we have been preparing for and/or entertaining guests, and made a quick trip home to take care of some client engagements.

Here is the latest activities of our Great Loop Adventure:

Friday (3/18) – Key Largo, FL – We slept in very late as we both were very restless all night. There was a lot of noise all night long coming from Sharkey’s, and in the early morning hours there were guys talking just outside our boat. Evidence of their presence was found in the morning as they left a strewn of cups and bottles along the wall next to the boat, which we picked up and put in the trash can 20 feet away.

Mark worked almost all day while Denise wrote and published the latest blog update. Later she found a local nail salon and got a pedicure.

For dinner we ventured to the Key Largo Fishery; sister restaurant to the Key’s Fisheries in Marathon. We got very lucky and timed it well as right after we ordered a bus load of young people showed up and all 40 of them overwhelmed the kitchen.  We were lucky our fish salad and sandwich came out just before they placed their order.  The food was good and it was nice to sit outside under the canopied deck and watch the boats in the harbor.

In the evening, Mark began a project for a client that can only be done on the weekend; deleting old records from their database. He stayed up very late to do this so that he could as much done as possible.

Saturday (3/19) – Key Largo, FL – Denise managed to get in a 6-mile run through the neighborhood of Port Largo, despite the heat; it was 76˚ when she started at 7:00 am.  Summer has arrived!  Not only did she miss the cooler weather, she also misses her running buddies, especially with these longer runs.

Although we originally were going to blow up the paddleboard and take it out, we began first doing boat chores, and then one thing led to another and we had spent the whole day working on the boat. Denise de-rusted and polished all the stainless steel on the stern part of the boat including the dinghy davits and the hardware.  Mark cleaned lots of other areas, including all the grime that had accumulated on the power cords. However, after 2 pm he had to begin deleting records again, but he did not stay up as late as the night before.

Needless to say we were tired from lack of sleep and all the work on the boat.  So we opted for dinner on the boat and watching the movie “I’ll See You in My Dreams”, then crashed at a reasonable hour. Amazing the music and crowds from Sharkey’s didn’t seem to bother us.

Sunday (3/20) – Key Largo, FL – We started the day visiting one more new catholic church; St. Justin Martyr on the north part of Key Largo.

It was a simple church made with local materials and many of the stain-glass features are designed with the sea in mind.  We returned to the boat and hunkered down with reading and office type tasks. The wind had picked up and it was really blowing, making it difficult to do anything, and not good conditions for taking the paddleboard or dinghy out on the water.  Plus, Mark had to finish the deleting records project for the weekend.

In the afternoon, Pam and Elaine (Mark’s sister and mother) arrived. Pam is on spring break this week and Elaine wanted to go to Miami, so Pam agreed to drive her there and then down to visit with us for a few days. Along the way they stopped in their old neighborhood of Miami Shores and also to visit Ray’s gravesite (Mark’s dad).

We had a chance to visit with them for a while before we headed out to dinner at Skipper’s Dockside Grill.  We had to wait a little for a table this time, but once seated we enjoyed our meal.  The women all got some version of their fish tacos and Mark got a salad with a grilled fish topper. Of course it was way more food then we all could handle and we were stuffed from eating so much.

We attempted to watch the Live Fox TV Show “The Passion”, but were unable to stream it and ended up introducing Pam to the first few episodes of the NetFlix “House of Cards”. We have already watched the entire series and now have her hooked.

Monday (3/21) – Key Largo, FL – Again this morning we woke up to very high winds and overcast skies, and a little rain.  None of the dive boats were moving this morning, and we saw few fishing boats leave as it was just not great conditions.  Eventually, we did venture a dinghy ride with Pam, taking her through the canals around the Port Largo area and to see all the houses.  We also spotted numerous iguanas who had climbed out onto rocks or cement ledges to get warmed by the now partly sunny day.  The winds were still blowing and with it came a cool air that filled in and temperatures dropped for what will most likely be the last cool snap we will see.

In the afternoon we decided to venture to some of the local places in the car. We went to the Diver’s Direct store and a few other spots in Key Largo so Pam could find a few “souvenirs” for her adult children. We drove up to Islamorada and were going to venture further South, but just over the Snake Creek Bridge we got stuck in a major traffic jam and decided to head back to the boat for showers.

We had enjoyed our dinner with Pete & Pam so much at the Fish House Encore, we made reservations to take Pam and Elaine there for dinner. We wanted to go to the Bayside Grille for a glorious sunset, but the weather was not cooperating and because it turned cool we opted for indoor dining at Fish House Encore. We were not disappointed and had another terrific meal at this fine place.  However, tonight we were smart and chose ‘to-go’ boxes so we could have a second meal later in the week.

Tuesday (3/22) – Key Largo, FL – We woke up to news of another terrorist bombing; this one in Brussels where we spent some time in 2003 with some of Mark’s Co-workers at MAPICS.  Our hearts were heavy for the families who lost loved ones and for those who were injured by these evil people.

Denise managed to coax Pam into a 4-mile run just as the sun was coming up. It was cool and quite a difference from Saturdays swelter. Pam needed to start thinking about her summer training as she is running the Marine Corp Marathon in October and Denise enjoyed the companionship (naturally).

We ran through the Port Largo neighborhood and came across two women who were driving their “classic” golf cart. It was a funny sight and nothing like we had seen, including the high end (Cadillac) ones on Boca Grande.

Shortly after getting back the boat and getting breakfast, Pam and Elaine left to head back home. It was great to have them aboard and to see them.

After they left, Mark did some work for a client and Denise addressed scheduling and logistics information with the Deland client for work there 3/28 week. We also did a quick bit of laundry and did some reading as well.  The wind was still blowing and it was a bit cool still so we did not venture past he marina for the whole day.

Wednesday (3/23) – Key Largo, FL – It has been really nice having our own car with us as we can come and go as we please without much logistical planning like we had to do along the rest of our Loop adventure.  Today was one of those days we really appreciated this as we had a few errands to run, some of them were spontaneous.

For example we had been wanting to go to the West Marine store here, so we did. It is quite a large store and had has a lot of clothing, including a lot for women which we have only seen in one other WM store and that was in Pensacola. We also ran by Publix to pick up only 2 or 3 things; something we would have lived without had we not had our own car.

When we were back at the marina, Mark helped Tom (“Gambrinus“) with his Wi-Fi connections as he had been having trouble getting his internet going. As usual, Mark had him up and running in no time and he was grateful. He later reported that he also cleaned the corroded connections and got much better service as well.

For dinner we made delicious hamburgers and cooked them on the grill. Then, after watching the news we started to watch the movie “Trip”, a British film that was sometime funny, but also boring in parts. Mark gave up after about 30 minutes and went to bed, but Denise stayed up to see the end.  What a waste as it ended anti-climatically and then she couldn’t sleep.

It didn’t help that the outside temperature was too cool for the AC to be put on, and too hot for having the boat all closed up. Therefore we had the boat hatches open. Add to this that Sharkey’s musician du jour was louder than usual and it made for a tough night of sleeping.

Thursday (3/24) – Key Largo, FL – Again this morning the wind was blowing, but it had calmed down a bit. Unfortunately, during the night it rained and was threatening to rain again.  Mark had closed all the hatches, but now it was hot again so he turned on the AC.

We spent almost all day working on emails, planning on the Bahamas trip, and readying for our next round of company; Denise’s brother, cousin & family were headed south.

In the late afternoon our company showed up. Elizabeth (cousin) and her family were staying in the nearby Holiday Inn (part of the overall resort property) and Robert (brother) was staying on our boat.  After a short visit on our boat, we took everyone to Bayside Grill so they could witness a spectacular sunset as we had when our friends introduced us to this place.  We ate dinner upstairs while waiting for the sunset, then went out to the beach area and pier.  Unfortunately, it was too cloudy to see a green-flash-making sunset, but it was beautiful nonetheless and we enjoyed the time.

Friday (3/25) – Key Largo, FL – Our goal today was to have fun and try to secure a fishing boat for Robert to go out fishing with Daniel on one of the nearby reefs.  Most of the places nearby are fishing charters and were booked up, but we did some research and identified a few places to call in the upper Keys. Unfortunately, they were sold out as well, or the boats were too big/small for what was wanted.

In the morning Ken, Elizabeth and Daniel went on the Key Largo Princess II Glass bottom boat ride. The boat took them to a nearby reef to see the coral and fish. Although they reported it was a fun time, the lower level of the boat (where the glass bottom was) ended up being a bit warm and stuffy and they were glad for the upper deck and fresh air.

In the afternoon, Denise went with Robert to Islamorada and secured a boat for tomorrow, while Ken & Daniel went swimming in the Holiday Inn pool. Elizabeth and Mark got their quiet time.

Later on we got the dinghy out and took Daniel for a ride in the canals around Port Largo. He was so excited when Mark showed him how to drive it and then allowed him to be the Captain and drive. He did a great job and was so proud. We have now hooked another relative on the joys of boating!

Because of our different schedules throughout the day, we all were not hungry at the same time. Our company had a late lunch and were not up for dinner, so Mark and I went over to Sharkey’s for a quick bite to eat, and Ken & Elizabeth joined us a bit later.

While we were dining, Robert & Daniel went fishing near the marina. Denise showed them a spot on the last street in Port Largo that has a small shoreline on the Atlantic and is adjacent to the mangroves.  They actually caught a few small fish; one of which they brought back for bragging rights and to be used for bait. It was a great way to end a busy and fun-filled day!

Saturday (3/26) – Key Largo, FL – Denise started the day with a run (probably the last) around the Port Largo area – and it was a HOT 78˚! She now will not complain too much about the warm and humid 72˚ mornings in Central FL.

Ken, Daniel and Robert had left early for their fishing trip out to one of the reefs while Mark slept in. Denise & Elizabeth got together for breakfast and spent most of the morning chatting and drinking coffee on the back of the boat.

It wasn’t long before we heard from the guys who had headed back in because it was so rough and seasickness had set in with some of the crew. By lunch time they all had returned to Island Office and we made sandwiches to stave off the nausea.

Robert was in need of a nap, so we left him aboard while the rest of us headed to the pool. It was a hot day and the frozen drinks at the Tiki bar were refreshing, not to mention the cool pool water. We spent most of the afternoon talking out by the pool and enjoying the day.  Mark was deep into his Tom Clancy book which weighed about as much as our new Ultra anchor….there is not getting it away from him now. Eventually Robert joined us to cool off and play in the pool with Daniel.

We had decided to go to Snapper’s for dinner; Elizabeth had eaten there her first time in Key Largo many years ago, and wanted to return. We managed to secure a table for 6 on the outside deck; no small feat on a Saturday night during the busy time.  It was a good meal and we had fun, and of course had to purchase t-shirts from this Key Largo landmark.

We all agreed it had been a long and fun-filled day, but we needed to get some rest and so we retired early to our respective quarters.

Easter Sunday (3/27) – Key Largo, FL – Although not sunrise service, we all were up early and we returned to St. Justin Martyr Catholic Church for the 8:00 am service.

Although it was crowded, we were early enough to secure seats together for the mass.  The priest was familiar; we had seen him at the church in Marathon and he rotates between the FL Keys churches as needs arise during the peak (winter) season. Not a bad gig for a guy who otherwise lives in Chicago!

After church we went back to the boat and packed our car for the trip to drive home. Robert, Elizabeth, Ken & Daniel were also headed back to Winter Park, but would take the scenic route home, eventually arriving 3 hours after us. Mark had an early flight out to Ohio the next morning and we were anxious to get home.

Interlude: Monday through Wednesday (3/28 – 3/30) – Home to Winter Park, FL – Denise & Mark went to client visits (Deland & Akron, OH, respectively).

Thursday (3/31) – Key Largo, FL – We left Winter Park to make the drive back to Key Largo in a rental car, leaving our own car at home. We will miss the convenience of having a car at our beckon call, but will adjust as we did for the rest of the Loop adventure.

Driving down to Key Largo we made the decision to not go to the Bahamas, but to take our time going home and enjoy the beautiful cruising grounds of Florida. There were many factors contributing to this decision, including a not great weather window over the next 7 -10 days, and we did not want to get stuck in Bimini or the Berry Islands for weeks. We also had a lot of work coming in from clients and were concerned about our telecom/internet access while enjoying the Bahamas. Also on the drive down we spoke with our friends on Endoxi & Sassified – whom we were going to travel with to Bimini.  We had learned that they had decided not to venture across the Gulf Stream, and that became the catalyst which reinforced our decision.

Interestingly, once we made this decision, we seemed to begin enjoying the adventure again. Without realizing it, we had both been stressing a little bit about this part of the adventure. We really wanted to go back to the Bahamas, and we were looking forward to cruising in this boat. However, we were receiving lots of little obstacles (“signs”) that we needed to rethink this plan.

Now that we changed our minds, we began planning for the last leg of our great loop adventure. While we were home we had ordered and received our Gold Looper flag, which we will proudly display when we arrive in Merritt Island sometime in early May.

Once we unloaded the car and returned the rental car back to Avis, we caught back up with Pam & Pete (”Endoxi”) and Sharri & Rodney (“Sassified”) for one last dinner in Key Largo. We made plans to head to Miami together on Saturday and shared respective marina locations.

Sometime while attempting to pay for our meal, Mark’s AMEX credit card went missing.  We all recollected his placing it in the receipt binder for the waitress, but she returned without it.  As this part of the restaurant sits out over the docks and water, it is highly possible it fell through the separation of the floorboards and into the water.  In any case, it now means we (once again) will have to replace a credit card at a time when we will be moving every one or two days.

Tomorrow we will leave Key Largo and head to Miami, staying one night at an anchorage on Card Sound. Until then, the adventure continues!

Here are some other pictures from Marina Del Mar and surrounding area:

We moved the boat to Key Largo on March 1^st to give us time in another part of the Keys.  This was our second choice location as we wanted to stay in Tavernier, but found the accommodations not as desirable as originally expected.

So, here is the latest of our adventures:

Tuesday (3/1) – Key Largo, FL – We left Marathon and headed north on the Gulf of Mexico into the FL Bay.  Here it is very shallow outside the channel, and there were several parts of it that were quite narrow. However, it is truly a spectacular place and a beautiful gift from our Creator.

We continued along this route until we reached Snake Creek.  Here we entered a rather narrow (read shoaling) channel and passed some beautiful homes and the Coast Guard Station.

We also saw some other amusing sights here:

We crossed under the (US1) bridge to the Atlantic Ocean side of the Keys and entered into Hawk’s Channel for the rest of the journey north.  It was a beautiful day to be on the water with sunny clear skies and calm seas.

Cruising along the Atlantic side, we passed Plantation Key, Tavernier, and eventually Rodriquez Key – hoping to spot our friend Rodney’s house. Unfortunately, we were too far from shore to distinguish his place from the others.

Eventually we came to the markers for our turn out of Hawk’s Channel and make our way through the Port Largo Canal where the Marina Del Mar Resort (our marina) was located.

There was a long canal heading north with a blind left turn to the west that is known as “Crash Corner”.  This is mainly due to the large amount of commercial traffic (dive, sport fishing and sightseeing boats) that goes through here a bit fast, and they hog the narrow channel causing smaller craft to move out of the way. Unfortunately, there are boats tied up on both sides of the canal and there is nowhere to go.

Shortly after entering this canal, we ran into Pam & Pete (“Endoxi”) and Shari & Rodney (“Sassified”) who were out in their “Tavernier-resident” boat; a 25’ center console they use when they are down here every winter. (“Sassified” is currently sitting in a marina in Tavernier until they resume their Loop in April).

It was fun to have them be our Key Largo “welcoming committee”.  Once we docked in the slip they came up beside us and we talked for a bit, making plans to have drinks and dinner together that night.

We had put the boat in the previously assigned slip, which is a side-tie along the wall with the canal on our other (Port) side.

This is literally the eastern-most slip and is the furthest from any of the resort facilities. Once we got the boat settled, we checked into the marina and attempted to get our “infrastructure” connected to the marina services.  Here we discovered the cable connection (for TV) for our slip did not work.  We also were unable to connect to the resort Wi-Fi, because we are so far from the office, and they do not have a repeater that would take the signal to this end of their marina.  This was a major issue for us on our Island Office, especially considering we are planning on being here for a whole month.  This place is way too expensive for this to not be available.  Dockmaster Brian said he would see what he can do to get us what we need, but it would probably be in the morning before we had resolution.

We took showers and then met up with Pam, Pete, Shari & Rodney at Bayside Grill; a bar/restaurant on the Florida Bay side about 2 miles from our marina.

Here we had a few beers with them and witnessed a gorgeous sunset at a very fun and popular place, for which they are regulars.

Afterwards, we all drove to Skipper’s Dockside restaurant which is located in our resort complex.  We had a great dinner and enjoyed their great company.  We also made plans to get together to go over charts of the Bahamas when we get back from our short trip home next week.

When we returned back from dinner, we were greeted to live entertainment courtesy of “Sharkey’s”; a restaurant and bar located less than 500 feet from the bow of our boat. It is a lively place and the music is an every night occurrence, which has us even less comfortable with this place for a long stay.  Fortunately, tonight, the music ended around 10 pm and we were able to get to sleep without issue. It kind of helped that we kept the hatches closed as the night air was still cool.

Wednesday (3/2) – Key Largo, FL – Denise started the day with a run in around the neighborhood surrounding the resort.  It is mostly residential unless you head out towards US1, then it becomes very commercial.  She opted to stay around the houses, even though it meant running up and down several streets just to get in the mileage.  There is a park nearby the marina, but she was uncertain as to how to enter as there is fence all around it, so it will have to be another adventure on another day.

In the morning, Mark met with the assistant dockmaster (Captain Joe) to see if we could get better service on the internet and the cable. We also asked if there was another possible slip in the marina, and he agreed to check into it all for us. Dockmaster Brian was off for the day.

After a short period of time he returned with bad news. There was no getting the cable tv hooked up and there is nothing he can do about the Wi-Fi signal.  He had also investigated the possibility of another slip, but reported that they were all reserved for by other incoming boaters.  While waiting on this news, Denise had walked the entire marina to investigate the potentially open slips on the other side of the water near the Marriott Courtyard. However the Wi-Fi signal was not any better there, so it was just as well that we didn’t have the option to move the boat.

In the afternoon we met Tom who is on the boat (“Gambrinus”) right behind us along the dock wall.

He is from Chicago but has been coming down here for the last 10 years, leaving his 36 foot sailboat in Charleston during the summer months. He gave us the low down on this resort and their lack of caring attitude about fixing things.  Although the grounds are pretty and the old buildings and pool are well maintained, the docks are another story.  However, he says it is still the best place in the area, especially considering the fees include access to the three pools, fitness center, free breakfasts, and has a good restaurant onsite.

Once again we started to seek out other marinas in the area, but none of which had as good a review on Active Captain as this one. One we considered was the Pilot House Marina, located just south of us.  We had run into a Looper who was walking the docks in our marina, and he had his boat there.  He said it was a great place, with plenty of protection and a good restaurant onsite as well, and we should consider it.

So after dinner because it was dark, we drove to check out that marina. It didn’t take us long to realize that if we moved, we would not be gaining anything except Wi-Fi and cable TV access. Like Marina Del Mar, the restaurant has nightly entertainment and it too blares through the marina. However, we thought it was much louder than what we currently experience.  Additionally, the marina facilities and the neighborhood was not near as nice as where we currently are, and Denise didn’t feel it was as comfortable an area for early morning runs.

One of the other things we had to consider was what else is there to do in the area. We have family coming to join us later in the month and we wanted to make sure they had things to do in the area. The Marina Del Mar has a lot to offer with three pools, closeness to local attractions and other activities (dive boats, fishing boats, glass bottom boat charters, and the original “African Queen”), not to mention all within walking distance of our boat.

So we returned to our boat with the Sharkey’s “entertainer of the night” serenading the patrons and keeping us up to nearly 11:00 pm. We decided we liked this place better and would live with the music.  We also decided that we would up the Hotspot plan for the month and use it for our internet access.  We would live with the no cable issue, using the Hotspot for those must-see shows.  Since we were going home on Sunday for the week, it wasn’t that bad after all, and better than all the other choices we had checked out.

Thursday (3/3) – Key Largo, FL – We had set aside today for us to both get some work done. Denise had a lot to do to prep for a workshop she would be delivering in Jacksonville on Tuesday (the main reason for going home on Sunday), and Mark needed to work directly on the database for a client. However, shortly after breakfast Mark suggested that he wash the boat to get the salt off of it, put on the new anchor, and then we should just head home a few days earlier than planned.  We know we have good internet at home and we both had a lot of work to do and needed to stay focused – there were just too many distractions here (go figure).

So Mark washed the boat, then we installed the new anchor.

We then packed up the car with things to take home, (like all our cool weather clothes), readied the boat for our absence, and solicited Tom to keep an eye on it until we returned. We made the 4.5 hour drive back to Winter Park, missing all the traffic in Miami and hitting plenty of it in Orlando – the one thing we don’t miss when on the boat.

Interlude: Friday (3/4) – Monday (3/14) – Home in Winter Park, FL to work with clients, celebrate Denise’s birthday, and to visit with family and friends.

Monday (3/14) – Key Largo – We left Winter Park much later than planned, causing us to arrive in Key Largo just in time for dinner. One of the reasons for the delay was that Mark had sold our old anchor and the buyer was in Pompano Beach. In order to save money on shipping and because we were headed right by the buyer’s office, we agreed to deliver the anchor directly to him.  It worked ok, but caused us to hit a lot more traffic in South Miami but we were happy to have sold and delivered the old anchor.

Once we unpacked the car and stowed our gear on the boat, we walked the 500 feet to check out the food at “Sharkey’s”. We found the food to be good and reasonably priced, not to mention terribly convenient. It was our waiter who suggested and provided the internet passwords to a few Wi-Fi connections we were getting in the restaurant; some were from neighboring locations. We had previously picked them up on the boat, but had been unable to connect as we didn’t know their passwords.

Once back on the boat we were able to successfully log into the Key West Inn Wi-Fi and got a very strong signal. Bingo! We were in business and now able to work, as well as stream the (mostly news) shows we wanted to watch. A lack of cable TV was not so important now.

The Key West Inn is located just to our North, across the canal from us. The rooms overlook a Jet Ski Rental business, as well as several side-tie slips with boats in them.

Further up the canal towards the main part of the resort is one of several dive boat charters in the area, as well as all the other tourist boats for hire. All day long we get to watch them come and go with their paying customers, usually starting around 6:00 am. The dive and fishing boats usually go out on ½ day adventures, which means we get to see them come and go several times.

There is also a big two-level glass-bottom boat that ferries people out to see the reefs without them having to get into the water.  This is clearly the biggest boat and takes up the majority of the canal when it comes through; kicking up a good wake in the process.

Lastly is the “African Queen” – yes the original used in the movie “Key Largo” with Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn.  Although smaller than our boat, it comes so close to us we could reach out and touch it if we wanted to.

All of this is truly a circus and gives us something to watch and laugh about.

Tuesday (3/15) – Key Largo – This was a work day on our Island Office.  Denise spent the whole day getting the last blog updated and posted, while Mark worked with clients. All this while listening to iHeart radio and eventually watching election results.  It was nice to have a good Wi-Fi connection, finally.

Because we wanted to stay focused on our work and get it all done so we could play tomorrow, we opted for a quick dinner on board. We ate the last of the leftover Dion’s fried chicken we had in the freezer, and paired it up with some steamed broccoli and rice. When all our work was done, we went for a walk around the neighborhood and through the MDM complex.  Here are some pictures from our walk around the establishments near our boat:

Finally, we went back to the boat and retired while listening to a rocker banging on his guitar at Sharkey’s until almost midnight!

Wednesday (3/16) – Key Largo – Today was a very fun day in Key Largo.   After sleeping in until almost 7:00 am (very late for her), Denise went for a run around YMCA Park and the neighborhood near the marina known as Port Largo. She was already missing companionship of her running buddies from Winter Park and can’t wait to be able to run with them again soon.

After breakfast we did a few tasks aboard the boat, got caught up on emails, and then readied the dinghy for our morning adventure. We took off in it going up and down all the canals near Port Largo, taking in all the big and beautiful homes as well as some of the older (not-to-beautiful) homes.  It took us well over an hour just to do this area alone.

Then we left our area and went out into Hawk’s Channel to a series of canals south of us. There was only a slight wind so it wasn’t too choppy for the dinghy ride. We only had to slow down when a big boat passed us. There we cruised around other homes which were not as nice as Port Largo, but had some unusual architecture nonetheless.

We also cruised to Pilot House Marina, now getting a chance to see it from the water and in daylight. As was true the night we drove there, we were not impressed and finally felt like we did make the better choice for our Key Largo stay. We also went by the Key Largo Fisheries – sister fish processing and restaurant to Keys Fisheries in Marathon.  We have been told they have a great lobster BLT here and we may just have to check it out before leaving the area.

We returned back to the boat in time for a late lunch and connected with Pete & Pam (“Endoxi”). We made plans to get together with them for dinner and for a review of our Bahamas plans.

After lunch we spent some time talking with Tom (“Gambrinus”) and meeting Canadians Tom & Julie Gates (“Outreach”) who spend all winter aboard their McGreggor 26’ sailboat here in Key Largo. Like in Marathon, there is a contingency of folks who come here every year to flee the cold weather of the north. Sounds like a great retirement plan!

We also did a little work; Mark helping a client with their system and Denise scheduling a series of (on-going) workshops for delivery in Deland, FL right after Easter. So, we will be going back home on 3/27 for Mark to fly to Ohio for a client, and Denise to go to Deland.  Hey, it is paying for our marina fees and we feel very lucky we have been able to juggle the client needs with our Great Loop adventure.

In the evening, Pam & Pete came and picked us up and took us to dinner at Fish House Encore.

The food was very good and patio dining outside under trees and lights made for a nice atmosphere. We were sorry that Shari & Rodney (“Sassified”) were unavailable to join us, but they had company in town and were already committed. After dinner we came back to the boat and went over charts and information we had on the Bahamas. We discussed our plans and we are hopeful we will be able to all make the Gulf Stream crossing together.

Of course we had background music courtesy of Sharkey’s, but for the first time it didn’t bother us. Either we are getting immune to it or it was quieter than usual as we both fell fast asleep by 10 pm!

Thursday (3/17) – Key Largo – Happy St. Patrick’s Day! – Another beautiful weather day in Key Largo and we stayed around the marina for most of the day working on this blog post and handling a few scheduling issues for work.  We also took care of a few travel items for the home-office that required attention by the end of the month, and we addressed a few client issues.

At one point Denise walked up to the resort office, and upon returning to the boat discovered a 3 foot iguana had decided to hitch a ride. There he sat on the front of the boat, and Mark (who was sitting in the boat facing forward) did not even see him.

So, together we managed to chase him off the boat. He jumped into the water and swam across the canal and climbed up on the shore near the Jet Ski rental place.  We watched as he made his way across the concrete pier and climbed up the stairs to the rental office.

There were 3 women who were trying on life vests for a Jet Ski rental and he climbed up right near them.

Denise yelled to them that they “had company” and they finally saw the iguana. Their reaction was priceless! We were only sorry that we could not have caught a picture of it to share as it provided us with entertainment and laughter for about 15 minutes.  We never saw them get on the Jet Skis and think they got scared off.  Meanwhile, the iguana kept going towards a shed where he climbed up the chain link fence and disappeared on the roof.

Later in the afternoon we went to Publix to stock our boat for the Bahamas, taking advantage of the sale items. Mark was happy to see the “Family Size” of the Frito Scoops he loves on a BOGO, so he grabbed a bunch and pledged to get more before the week was out.  We have had difficulty finding this size in the Keys, even at the Wal-Marts in south Florida.  We also picked up a rotisserie chicken for dinner and headed back to the boat.

In the evening we had Tom (“Gambrinus”) aboard our boat for drinks, and to get to know him a little better. He has some great information about places up and down the east coast where he has personally anchored and shared some of it with us.

After he left, Denise cooked some asparagus and made a salad and we enjoyed the lemon rotisserie chicken.  It was a delicious meal!

That is all for now. Stay tuned for more adventures!

We started the month of February with a very quick trip home. During our visit we enjoyed spending time with Denise’s Aunt Judy who was visiting from New Hampshire, and celebrating the Catholic confirmation with Zachary Medei and his family. Additionally, Denise really enjoyed getting 3 days of running with her buddies in Winter Park.

We returned to the boat on Friday, 2/5 and have spent the entire month in Marathon. This has been very different than the rest of our Loop adventure as most of the time we have moved the boat every day or two – with a few exceptions for a week stay. In fact, we found more of our normal routine schedule took over and before you know it, a month had flown by.

So, here is the latest of our adventures from Marathon:

Saturday (1/30) – Marathon, FL – As usual, Denise woke up way before dawn, but today it was because of the noise coming from outside.  Eventually, she got up and ventured out to see where the blaring boom-box noise was coming from.  Come to find out it is from the fishing boats who were in line at the boat ramp near the yacht club.  They were all in queue which extended down the street and out onto US1, all in attempt to get their boats in the water, then grab one of the very limited parking spots for their vehicle and trailer.  By 5:00 am the lot was full and they were on their way to fish, but everyone on boats in MYC marina were awake.

Mark got Bob (Port Captain) to take him to the airport to get our rental car, and we got it packed and hit the road for a quick trip home.

(Interlude – trip home to Winter Park)

Friday (2/5) – Marathon, FL– We left Winter Park in the morning and drove down the keys before the traffic got too bad. We stopped in Islamorada to check out the marina where we planned to stay in March. Our friends Pam & Pete (“Endoxi”) were already there, and Shari & Rodney had “Sassified” docked but they had moved to their house.  We visited with Pete & Pam for a while, then we all went over to see Sharri & Rod’s beautiful home which overlooks the Atlantic.  We visited with them for a little bit longer, then had to leave as we did not want to get to Marathon when it was dark. The weekend traffic was building on US1 and we still had 40 miles to go.

Since we will be staying in Marathon for a month, then moving to Islamorada for another 4 weeks, we decided to drive our own car (SUV) to the keys. One of the benefits of this is that we can leave things in the back of the SUV until we need it, like a cooler and a whole flat of bottled water. Of course when we go to the Bahamas we will not have this luxury, but for now we are happy to not have to worry about where to store these things on our boat.

When we arrived back at the Marathon Yacht Club (MYC) we were advised by neighbors on the sailboat next to ours that they had to adjust some of our lines while we were gone as the wind started to blow the day before. It is like we are a magnet for the wind as it kicked back up when we got back to Marathon and of course it was out of the North where (once again) the marina has its greatest exposure.

After we got the car unpacked, we went over to the Key’s Fisheries located just a few blocks from the marina. Here we got some dinner and then checked out their stone crab claw prices in their market. Denise had gotten some at Whole Foods while home and discovered that Key Fisheries was their source.  The prices, remarkably were the same price, but Whole Foods is not fresh off the boat.

MYC was having their usual Friday night Bar-b-que and we ran into Bill Mellman at the grill. He and Jann (“Ivory Lady) were dining at the club that night, so we stopped and chatted with him while he cooked their dinner.  We agreed to get together later this week or sometime soon.

The wind was really blowing and the chop in the marina was unbelievable. As the water slapped the hull of the boat it made a lot of noise and made it difficult to sleep. Plus, since the bow faces north and we sleep in the bow, it is louder and more uncomfortable in these conditions. We both were up and down all night long, trying to get comfortable despite the noise.  Either that or we just missed the comforts of our dirt home bed.

Saturday (2/6) – Marathon, FL –Unfortunate for the fishing guys this week, it rained most of the day and was really windy so we didn’t have the early morning music issues from the previous weekend.  Eventually, the rain cleared up, but it still remained a bit windy. We spent most of the day just hanging around the boat and MYC. Mark rested a bit as he was still under the weather with either a cold or allergies.  Denise spent the afternoon working on the information to submit her maintenance points for her Supply Chain Certification and got that task completed.

In the afternoon we watched Dori, Bob’s dog go after an iguana that had been sitting on the dock trying to warm up with the now very sunny day.

Later we went to Publix to get some food for the week, and then on the way home we went to the Keys Fisheries Market and got some fresh grouper for dinner; Denise had a new recipe she wanted to try out.

But now we had a dilemma. The recipe called to broil the fish and our oven doesn’t really have a broiler; it is a convection microwave. However, it does have grilling capabilities. So we improvised and made it using the grill feature. It took about 10 minutes longer to cook, but it was good and fresh so it tasted great.  We now know that if we want fish cooked this way, we should either grill it on the outside grill, or wait until we get back home to put it under the broiler.

Sunday (2/7), Marathon, FL – It is Super Bowl Sunday and we felt like they had played the game on our boat.  The whole night the wind continued to howl and it continued to rain off and on.  When we woke in the morning it was cloudy and overcast, but not as cool as was expected.  However, it did start to rain just as we headed out to attend mass at San Pablo Catholic Church, located about 4 miles from the marina. We were grateful we had our car and did not have to worry about getting transportation to go to church in these conditions.

After church we went out to breakfast (something we rarely do) at “The Stuffed Pig”. This is a small restaurant around the corner from the marina that only serves breakfast and lunch. It has an outdoor eating area as well as the small dining room, but the inclement weather had it closed so everyone had to wait on indoor seating.  Fortunately, we only had a 15 minute wait.  The food was good and the place was lively with a lot of fun treasures all over the walls.  We had an opportunity to talk with the hostess who come to find out was a former Eastern airline flight attendant. Mark’s mom worked for Eastern before she retired so we had something to discuss with this woman.

After breakfast we attempted to get a newspaper; specifically the Sunday edition of the Miami Herald. Who would have thought it would be such an adventure. We went to no less than 10 places only to be told they were sold out. Publix, Walgreens, Tom Thumb (7-11 like store), gas stations, and every newspaper box in front of every store. The combination of the upcoming Miami Boat Show, Coconut Grove Art Festival, and Super Bowl Sunday must have made it a hot commodity. Either that or they have really terrible supply chain forecasting and need to hire us to improve their business. It was unbelievable that they would have sold out by 10:30 in the morning.

Afterwards we came back to the boat and hung out for a while, talking with Bob (MYC Port Captain) who owns the Island Packet Catamaran across the dock from us, as well as other boaters around us.

Later in the afternoon, the clouds finally dissipated but the wind was still blowing out of the north and bouncing our boat around the slip. So to get off the boat we went to the Pigeon Key Art Festival which was held in the Marathon City Park located 1/2 mile up the road from MYC. We walked to the event and through the 70 or so artists who displayed varying mediums, mostly all with a beach or Keys theme to their products.  Even the jewelry had nautical or sea life motifs.

When we got back from the festival, Mark wanted to rest for a while still trying to get rid of the running nose and congestion. Denise read. We ate a dinner of bar-b-que chicken that Denise had prepared in the crock pot, then watched the Super Bowl and all its entertaining commercials.

Monday (2/8), Marathon, FL – We spent the day working around the boat and getting to know some of our boat neighbors in the marina. It is a small group as there are less than 25 slips and many are filled with boats from the clubs members. In the evening, the live-aboard and transients in the marina held a Pot luck dinner; something they do every Monday during the season as the yacht club is closed on Mondays.  It gave us a good time to meet people who we would be spending a lot of time with in the next month.  We brought some smoked salmon and capers, as Mark’s request, and it was well liked by all.  Afterwards we watched Downton Abbey on demand as we had missed Sunday’s episode due to the Super Bowl.

Tuesday (2/9), Marathon, FL – Today was a day of adventures.  We had to go to Key West for a 10:30 appointment with ICE (Immigration and Customs enforcement) to get our Small Vessel Reporting System cards. This will enable us to re-enter the US after the Bahamas with (hopefully) no issues.  The cost is free, but they must see us in person.  So we drove the 45 miles to the address they told us to report at (Federal Courthouse in downtown Key West), only to learn that they only show up there periodically. We were redirected to the ICE office at the KW airport. Fortunately, they were laid back (it is the Keys) and even though we were slightly late they were very accommodating. They also let us park in the spot for official cars right near their door, which was a nice bonus. Our business was conducted in no time and we were in an out of there in 30 minutes.  We then ventured to a few stores to pick up a couple items and headed back North (or is it East) on US1 towards Marathon.

We had made arrangements to see a long-time friend of Denise’s (Mary) from her days in Miami. She now lives in Big Pine Key which is about half-way between Key West and Marathon.  However, it was too early to drive straight there as she had a lunch appointment.

So we decided to stop for lunch at a place we had heard about on Cudjoe Key called the “Square Grouper”. We found this spot to be a lot of fun as the whole theme of the restaurant is based on the marijuana bales that wash ashore in the keys – known affectionately as square groupers.  There is a large aquarium in the middle of the restaurant containing a fake example, and there are sayings all throughout the restaurant and menu that reinforce this play on words (e.g. “this is my favorite joint”).  But the best part of this restaurant is the food. It is really fresh and tasty and they have an excellent wine selection.  It also helps that the service is fast and friendly and we really enjoyed ourselves.

After lunch we drove to visit Mary on Big Pine Key. Mary is a widow and a retired Miami firefighter.  She and Denise used to run and swim together when both were single.  Although we correspond periodically, we had last seen her (and her husband Mike) when we had our sailboat “High Flight” in Miami Beach in 1999.  It was great to visit and get caught up. Plus, Mary gave us some suggestions on things to do and see while we are in Marathon, and we made tentative plans to get together sometime again before we leave.

After that we made the drive back to the MYC, arriving in time for to finish up the days business and have a quiet night watching TV on the boat.

Wednesday (2/10), Marathon, FL – Today was an office work day on the boat.  Both of us had work to do and conference calls that were tricky to pull off without one of us having to leave the boat.  We also had a few boat chores to do and spent time talking to our dock mates in the marina.

Thursday (2/11), Miami, FL – Today was the day we were reminded why we no longer live in South Florida.  Denise got up early and got a run in the morning before we made the drive to Miami Beach to attend the International Boat Show.  The traffic was terrible and it took over 3 hours for us to get there.

We went directly to Yachts Miami Beach (show) located on Collins Ave near the Fontainebleau hotel, and ended up spending the entire day here. While not the biggest boats, most of these are 45’ and up and many are previously owned – being offered by brokers – as well as new boat manufacturers.  We spent the morning and most of the early afternoon looking at all the boats we wanted to see including Flemings, Grand Banks, Hatteras, and of course Sabre. Yes, Mark has one-foot-itis!  We also found the vendor for the anchor we wanted to buy before going to the Bahamas, and completed that purchase. BOAT – Bring On Another Thousand!

As this was the area commonly known as the “brokerage” show, there were a lot of “previously owned” yachts on display.  One was a boat we had seen before…in Key West at anchor.  Yes, “Shalimar” had been on its way to this very show when we saw it in KW.  Small world.

Eventually, we connected with Tim and Karen (“TiKa”) who were there to look for a new boat. We enjoyed sharing a drink with them and getting caught up, then went and saw a boat they were looking at buying; a 70’ Ocean Yacht. It was beautiful and although it was a model year 2011, it was in beautiful shape and looked new.

Later went to dinner with them at Don Shula’s Steakhouse, not far from their hotel. We had eaten here before, and while the steak was delicious, their service was really bad and we were very disappointed. It is clear this place is not as good as it used to be.  As we were leaving the restaurant we ran into Looper friends Mary and Brad (“Dollinger”), whom we last saw in Green Turtle Bay, but met one of our first weeks on the Loop in North Carolina.  What a small world!

After dinner, Tim and Karen took us back to our parked car and we made our way out of Miami Beach and to our hotel near the airport – fighting traffic nearly the entire way.

Friday (2/12), Miami, FL – In the morning we left the hotel and drove to the parking garage at Bayside in downtown Miami. We wanted the option of taking a water taxi or a bus to Virginia Key – the primary venue for the International Boat Show that used to be at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Due to traffic and limited parking access on Virginia Key we thought this would make it easier to get out of Miami at the end of the day.

Once at the show, we went immediately to Marlow Yachts as we had a previously scheduled appointment. They were showing their new 53-footer, but it was the 49’ that really intrigued Denise. Unfortunately, this model has only been available for a year and there are no used ones in the marketplace yet – and a brand new one does not fit our budget.  We also went by and saw the Sabre 48’ and couldn’t believe how the 1’ difference between the two boats was so different – the Marlow won hands down!

We also visited with several vendors to get answers about equipment we have on our boat. The refrigeration people were incredibly helpful as were the Ocean Air people who volunteered to come to the Keys and install the replacement parts on our hatch shade. However, we must first take the whole ensemble apart to get at that information.

We were done with the show by about 4:00, but had to wait almost an hour to get a water taxi to take us back to Bayside and the car. As it was a spectacular day, and with the traffic as bad as it is we did not even consider taking the shuttle bus. It was worth the wait as we had an enjoyable 20 minutes on the Biscayne Bay of Miami – taking in the ever-changing skyline along the way.

We arrived back at Bayside shortly after 5:00 pm and decided to eat an early dinner before leaving the area. Our intention was to let traffic die down before heading south to the Keys. So we grabbed some food at Chili’s Restaurant and then headed back to Marathon. Of course we fought bumper-to-bumper traffic just about the whole way, finally breaking just west of Key Largo. We arrived at the boat exhausted and went right to bed.

Saturday (2/13), Marathon, FL – Because of the boat show, our list of “action items” was long, and Mark got right to work on some of them in the morning.  We were tired from our whirlwind trip to Miami, but managed to get a few of the easier chores done in the morning.

After lunch Mark started a project to replace the locking mechanism on our freezer, while Denise did all the prep work for our dinner. This “simple” project took over 3 hours because to get to the freezer mechanism we had to remove a piece of starboard that is above the unit.  To further complicate this, the freezer is located in the small storage area underneath the helm seats, and is not easy for Mark to maneuver.  So working with Denise who could crawl up into the smaller space, and handing her the tools (while providing the usual spousal instruction) we removed everything, swapped out the broken lock, and then put it all back together.

After all that, we were ready for happy hour and the enchilada dinner Denise had prepared.

Sunday (2/14), Marathon, FL – Today was a day of adventuring and entertainment. Denise started the day with a run through Marathon.  After breakfast and showers we drove south to Big Pine Key and attended a new church (St. Peter’s) for their 11:00 mass.

We chose to go to this church as we were headed back to Key West to see a movie playing at the Regal Movie Theatre there.  But also because we wanted to go see about the Key Deer located on Big Pine Key (more about that later).

However, after mass we were hungry and wanted something to eat. Many of the restaurants in this area are closed on Sunday, so we went having any luck finding a place to eat as we drove west. Eventually, we turned around and headed back to the Square Grouper. Normally they are also closed on Sunday, but because of Valentine’s Day they were open, and they were packed. Instead of wasting time waiting on a table, we opted for the bar and had another delicious meal. Mark had a fish sandwich and Denise had their grilled fish tacos which were excellent! The people next to us got the homemade tater tots – really just fried mashed potatoes – that also looked really good.

From there we headed back to Big Pine Key to see the Key Deer. These deer are unique in that they are very small in stature and live only in the FL Keys; mostly on this key where there is a National Park Refuge for them. We drove out to the refuge, and stopped at a place called Blue Hole; a lookout over a body of water that was originally a limestone quarry.  Here we were greeted by an alligator, a turtle and lots of birds.  But, we didn’t see any Key Deer.

We then went to the Visitor Center (which we had passed by mistake) and got some information about the area and the Wildlife Refuge. Here they reinforced what everyone had told us; the deer are all over the place and we should see them all about – which of course we had not. And then as we left the parking lot to go explore more of the wildlife area, there stood a deer in the middle of the road. The speed limit is 25 mph in this area, so we immediately stopped and he walked behind us and down the intersecting road before we could get a picture.

From here we drove to Key West in time to hit the 4:00 showing of “Deadpool”. Truly this was one of the funniest movies we have seen in a long time.  It is definitely a hard R-Rated adult movie and is NOT for those easily offended by foul language and nudity.  It does have a “super hero” theme and is probably why the idiots next to us brought their not-yet-middle-school-aged son thinking it would be ok.  Obviously, they didn’t heed all the press in advance as the mother would not have had to cover her son’s eyes through several parts of the movie. On the other hand, we laughed a lot and want to see it again as there were missed parts from the fast action and constant one-liners.

After the movie we headed back to Marathon up the two-lane Overseas Highway. There was lots of traffic in both directions, which makes for scary driving in some places. At one point we even called the (Monroe County) Sherriff on a car we were following that was weaving across the center line and then back into the bike lane.  Eventually, they turned off on Little Torch Key as if they were going home. We never did see the Sheriff catch up to them, even when we saw him turn in several cars behind us at one point.  They must have known where they were headed and opted to watch them get home safely.

We arrived back to the boat in Marathon in time to watch this week’s episode of Downton Abbey and call it a very fun day!

Monday (2/15), Marathon, FL – In the morning we made a trip to Publix to get the food for the evening pot luck, which Denise later prepared and put in the crock pot. After lunch Mark worked on addressing some client needs while Denise went on a mini shopping spree to the Dollar Store.  She was on a mission to get some decorative toothpicks for the meatballs that we made for the MYC Monday night Pot Luck dinner. The transients and live-a-boards really use this time to take over the grill and patio area of the club since it is closed on Mondays, and we enjoy the socialization and getting to know our dock neighbors.

One of the boats near us is called “Stowaway” and is owned by Greg & Lisa. We met them the first week we came to MYC, but they left after a few days.  They have some guests who are boat-sitting for them while away, so we had a chance to get to know Jeff & Carol. Jeff plays the guitar (acoustical 6-string) and brings it to the pot luck dinners for entertainment.  Last week they had company aboard and we were introduced to Tim & (another) Carol, which totally confused us.  It is difficult to remember everyone’s names when you meet a bunch of people at once, as we did when we first showed up at MYC.  To make it more complicated, we had gone home, come back, then went to Miami for the boat show.  So today when we saw Jeff & Carol by themselves, we were really confused.  Fortunately, they clarified things for us and we just laughed about how mixed up we had been.  What is even funnier is that there is another boat on our dock (“Maxine”) where the wife’s name is also Carol – his name is Dan.

Of course all of this would be easier to understand if everyone had boat cards. However, not everyone does, and those that do forget to bring them.

Tuesday (2/16), Marathon, FL – In the morning it was cloudy and very breezy.  We watched a storm blow in off the Gulf of Mexico towards the yacht club and really kick up some wind.

But in within 90 minutes it had passed and it turned out to be a beautiful day.  Even the resident iguana liked it:

Once the weather cleared, we went for a bike ride to the Marathon Municipal Marina (also known as Boot Key Harbor).  It is ½ mile from our marina, but on the Atlantic Ocean side of the Key.  We wanted to visit there as they offer a goody bag for all cruisers who stay in Marathon, consisting of coupon books, boating supplier books and ads, and a really nice cooler bag.  We had tried to get into this place but were unable as they were very full for the season.

Boot Key Harbor has 237 mooring balls and all were full, with another 50 people on the waiting list – all at local anchorages. This is drastically different then when we had High Flight here in 1995 and there were maybe 50 mooring balls then.  But, it is a nice facility with a huge cruiser’s pavilion that includes picnic tables with internet Wi-Fi, TV cubicles, and a large book exchange a very friendly welcome by the receptionist.  The area also includes many shower facilities, a huge dinghy-dock area, washer/dryer facilities and an entire pavilion where you can work on your boat/dinghy equipped with lockers for your tools or work-in-progress items. Since it is a harbor with almost 360˚ protection it offers mariners great protection and is a well-known in sailing/cruising circles.

From there we rode to and throughout the Marathon Community Park which is right up the road, and where the art festival was. Here are some photos of the place:

In the afternoon we took the boat out on a cruise, and it felt great to be moving again.  We had been asked to help Jeff & Carol (resident guests on “Stowaway”) to assist Carol with the scattering of her sister Diane’s ashes.  Diane was in her 20’s when she was in a car accident that left her with debilitating injuries.  Although she lived a full life for 50 more years, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last spring.  She succumbed to the cancer in October and Carol had promised to honor her wish to be buried at sea like their parents. Unfortunately, a third sister was not able to be present, but Carol had her blessing to proceed.

It was a perfect day to go out and be on the water as the winds had died down and the waves were mostly flat. It was sunny and warm, but not hot. So we left MYC and cruised under the 7-mile bridge to the Atlantic side and headed 3 miles out.  Once we found the appropriate spot Jeff emptied the bag of ashes overboard while Carol read a poem and dropped a rose bouquet into the ocean.  It was really a unique event and we felt honored to be able to help them with this task.

In the evening the four of us went to dinner at Sunset Grille – a restaurant that overlooks the 7-mile bridge and gave us a spectacular sunset. This place had been suggested to us as a “must see” place to go to and we understand why. It is the quintessential Tiki Bar & Restaurant. There is dining on an indoor verandah, or outside near the swimming pool under umbrella tables.  There are docks where small boats can boat-in, tie up, and get a bite to eat.  It is a fun place with nightly entertainment; we had a solo- guitarist.  The food was pretty good and we had a lot of fun getting to know Jeff & Carol better.

Wednesday (2/17), Marathon, FL – Time has been flying and we have can’t believe our stay at MYC is half over.  After Denise went for a run in the morning we spent part of the day putting together a rough plan for the Bahamas portion of our adventure.  We wanted to do this in order to decide which guide books we would need and get them on order.  We picked up a discount coupon at the boat show and we wanted to take advantage of it.  Our plan is to leave Key Largo in April and cross to either Cat Cay or Bimini to clear customs.  We intend to spend all of April and part of May there, then return to the USA either at Ft. Lauderdale or Lake Worth (Palm Beach) before heading up the east coast and, eventually home.

After lunch we went on an adventure to explore a few areas. First we drove to Sombrero Beach, just a few miles from MYC. Denise has been running down towards this area, but never went past the Marathon High School which is along the way.  So we drove down to the beach area and around all the homes that are built near this area.

Afterwards, we headed to Islamorada where Denise wanted to pick up a birthday gift for her brother at Bud N Mary’s marina. This is a well-known place that people come to go out fishing from one of their many charters. While there, some of the boats were coming in with coolers full of fish.  You could tell they had a good day by the number of pelicans that hung out behind their boats.  You could also see the resident tarpon in the water also hoping to get a bit of the leftovers after cleaning.

Another reason for our trip today was to explore Hawk’s Cay where we may stop and get fuel on our way to Key Largo. The entrance to the marina and fuel dock there looks tricky so we want to be sure we can get in. So after the errand, we drove back to Duck Key and the resort known as Hawk’s Cay. It is really nice and they are rebuilding the on-site restaurant at the marina, which burned last year.

While we were there walking the docks, we saw an incoming boat; a Fleming 55. Come to find out it was “Otter”; a Looper boat we had met on the Western Rivers this fall and had seen several other places as well.  They are now Gold Loopers; completing their loop in Key West in January.  We spoke to them briefly as they were having issues docking and we needed to let them be.  It really is a small group of people who do this “Looping” thing!

After exploring the resort and homes around Hawk’s Cay, we headed back to MYC and arrived in time for dinner. Not wanting to cook and having a plethora of places we wanted to try, we decided to venture to the local bar-b-que place called “Porky’s”. It is right on US1 and not far from our marina, but we decided to drive there anyway.  They have nightly entertainment and the guitarist was playing when we arrived. He was ok, and the food was good, but not great.  We were glad we went, but won’t make a huge effort to go back.  We both agreed that this is probably a great place to go when you are with a large group of people (like Loopers).

Thursday (2/18), Marathon, FL – in the morning we attempted to go to the Turtle Hospital. But delayed our departure from the marina so much that when we got there they were booked up for the morning tours. As Mark had a conference call scheduled for the afternoon, we were unable to make it today. So we reserved from tomorrow morning and left.

Not wanting to end our very short bike ride, we rode down to Faro Blanco marina again to see if any of our Looper friends were back on their boats. This time we did find Tom and Julie Van Hale (“Sum Escape”) on their boat; we missed them on our last trip there.  We spent some time visiting them and getting caught up and disusing future travel plans in the Bahamas.  We also got to see a pair of manatee in the water by their boat, and meet a few other non-looper transients in the marina.

And it was here that we learned about one of the funniest coincidences of our Loop: we learned that the previous owner of “Sum Escape” was the same people who own “Otter” – the Fleming 55 we had seen at Hawk’s Cay marina. Small world!

In the afternoon while Mark was on his conference call, Denise used the car to go do a few errands and came back to make one of Mark’s favorite dinners; Fajitas. Yes, we have been on a Mexican food kick lately.

Friday (2/19), Marathon, FL – We started the day with our adventure at the Turtle Hospital.  What a great experience this was.  The hospital rescues, rehabs and releases (when it can) sea turtles from the FL waters.  It was formerly an old hotel that initially used the salt water swimming pool for their rescue tank. Now the rooms are used to house the volunteers and scientists who work to study and rehab these creatures, and they have added a surgery area, recovery room, and several pools for the turtles to rehab in.

During our one-hour tour we attended a movie where we learned about the 5 popular sea turtles they deal with including; the green turtle, the leatherback, the loggerhead the Hawksbill and the Kemp Ridley.  Then we got to see all the turtles in their various states of rehab, as well as the large tank (original swimming pool) that now houses their permanent residents; turtles that for whatever reason are unable to be returned back to the wild. You can learn more about this place here.

Here are some pictures from our adventure:

After our tour we rode back to MYC, but not before taking a side adventure around the grounds of Tranquility Bay; a beautiful resort we had passed several times. Denise loves the architecture and grounds and it is close to many things in Marathon. It looks like it would be it would be a great place to stay in this part off the Keys if you don’t have a boat. You can learn more about it here.

In the afternoon, Denise spent a lot of time writing this blog while Mark did some work for a client, but not before going to get a haircut and getting in a little afternoon siesta. It was a cool and very windy day, so we were rocking a bit in the boat, once again.

For dinner we walked over to Key Fisheries for a second dinner there, mainly because it was so convenient and because we wanted to try out their famous lobster Rueben sandwich. Although it was tasty, Denise didn’t feel the price was worth it, given the small amount of lobster in the sandwich.  They also were offering Stone Crab claws at $1.50 each in the 2^nd story bar, but it was so crowded and we could not get a seat. There was a standing bar near the door, but the cold wind made this too uncomfortable so we opted to just eat downstairs in the restaurant.

Saturday (2/20), Marathon, FL – Denise was up early and managed to get in a run before the day got underway. It was very windy again today and we spent most of the day doing boat chores.

In the afternoon we went back to San Pablo Catholic in Marathon for the 4:00 mass. Here we ran into Peggy & Tom Perrotto, MYC members who are from Rhode Island. Their boat (“Tom Follery”) is not in the marina this year, but usually they stay aboard in the marina. Therefore they have been participating in the Monday evening potluck dinner so we have gotten to know them a little better.  Seeing a familiar face in church made us feel like we actually belonged to the community. It was the first time in our Loop adventure that we actually went to the same church more than once.

On the way back home we stopped off at a Pizza Hut and picked up pizza for dinner and took it back to the boat. We had not had any in a few weeks and we looked forward to having this meal.

Sunday (2/21), Marathon, FL – This was a mostly uneventful morning for us.  We ventured to Publix in the morning to pick up some groceries, and then we hung around the boat talking with some of the people in the marina and around the yacht club.

One of the people we met in our marina was a young (26 year old) guy who was 4^th generation native from Pensacola, and was doing the Loop.  “Forrest” was single-handling his own boat (“Pura Vida”), a 1987 Hatteras which he purchased in the fall in Nashville, then had friends help him with the trip through parts of the Cumberland, Tennessee and Tenn-Tom waterway.  Mark helped him dock when he came into the Yacht Club under very windy conditions.

In the afternoon, we attended the Sunset Celebration – a gathering of Loopers at Banana Bay Resort & Marina about 1 mile north of MYC. The event was well coordinated by Pat & George Hospodar (“Reflection”), and was assisted by other Loopers staying at that marina. Although not an AGLCA planned event, there were two sponsors who provided beer, wine and soda and sponsored the music; a local band (“Four Sheets to the Wind”) that is well known throughout the keys and who were pretty good. Everyone brought a dish to share – so it was like one big pot luck dinner – Looper style.

There were over 130 Loopers, many we knew and had not seen since our days along the western rivers. We sat with Shari & Rodney (“Sassified”) and Pam & Pete (“Endoxi”) who drove down from Tavernier for the event. Also present were Ev & Clark (“SeaMoss”) who took some great pictures for us.  It was a lot of fun and we enjoyed talking with others about their Loop adventures.  We left shortly after capturing these great sunset pictures.

Monday (2/22), Marathon, FL – Wednesday, (2/24) – Mark had to go visit a client in Ohio this week, so in the morning Denise drove him to Key West airport and drove all the way back.  Two almost-non-stop hours in the car. If it wasn’t for the beautiful scenery of the FL Keys along the way, she would have probably gone bonkers!

In the afternoon Denise worked on the blog, and made a chicken dish for the usual Monday night marina stay-aboard pot luck. Jeff and Carol (“Stowaway”) had gone out of town for the weekend, but returned in the nick of time, so we again were serenaded by his wonderful guitar talents after dinner.

On Tuesday afternoon (2/23) another Back Cove showed up in the marina. “Jolie” was is a 34’ older model, but their owners Lou & Tina are young at heart.  They came by and visited Denise for while right before dinner and they had a chance to talk about their respective boats and compare notes. They liked a lot of the things we had done for storage on Island Office, and we liked the canvas shade they have for their cockpit.  We are still trying to find the perfect solution for our boat.

The rest of the time while Mark was gone Denise spent time putting together the presentation slides for a workshop she will be delivering in Jacksonville on March 8^th – one of the main reasons we are headed home to Winter Park the week of 3/6.  It is a big job and material from 2009 required updating, not to mention getting her mind on work instead of Loop activities.  She stayed close to the boat, socializing with those in the marina, and managing to get in a run as well.

She did spend some time getting to know Forrest (“Pura Vida”) a little bit better, as well as Port Captain Bob, boater Steve, and some of the others at the club. You know Denise, she will talk to anybody!

Thursday, (2/25) – Finally today, our new anchor showed up.  Denise was concerned that the 35 lb. package might be too heavy for her to lift, and had lined up a few guys on the dock to assist with getting it to the boat in Mark’s absence.  Fortunately, it arrived with minimal packaging and was so lightweight that the MYC office staff was able to bring it down to the boat when it arrived.

Inside the boat was a mess and Denise was set on making it sparkle for Mark’s return in the evening. All day long she scrubbed, dusted and vacuumed, polished and cleaned everything possible. It never ceases to amaze us how such a small space gets so dirty and can take nearly a whole day to clean, but that is life on a floating home.  Still not getting everything done that she wanted, she left to make the hour drive back to Key West airport to pick up Mark.

On the way home the decided to stop for dinner once again at The Square Grouper on Cudjoe Key. The 45 minute wait (they don’t take reservations) was very worth the wait as once again we had a terrific meal.  We will surely miss this place, and highly recommend it to everyone.

Friday (2/26), Marathon, FL –We had an errand to run at the Home Depot, so we used that as the impetus to get us off the boat and go explore parts of Marathon we had not yet seen, by way of car.  We took Sombrero Blvd out towards the Sombrero Marina and the Boot Key anchorage. We parked the car and walked the docks that parallel the road and went looking for any Loopers who might be there.  We also walked down to “Docksides”, a pub/restaurant at the marina that we had visited in 1995 when we were on High Flight. Although we don’t remember the restaurant, we certainly remember the bar area.  We had sat there one day awaiting weather and trying to decide if we would leave the next day to head north, or stay another day. Fast forward 20 years and we are having the very same discussions now with this boat.  Too funny!

Today we said goodbye to our new friends Jeff & Carol (guests on “Stowaway”) and their Maltese dog Lilly – as they were headed north to Disney, then on to their home in Annapolis. We really enjoyed getting to know them and being entertained by Jeff’s great guitar playing.  We hope to be able to connect with them one day if we get back to Annapolis.

Since it is Lent and we are trying to be good Catholics, we needed to find a place to have fish for dinner. MYC was having a special Pirate-themed Mystery Dinner at the club, but the food they were serving was going to be a pulled-pork entrée. Even though they offered to make us a complementary fish dish, we opted not to spend $29++ per person for that, and decided to try a restaurant we had not yet experienced. “Barracuda” was located not but a half mile from the marina and had glowing reviews on YELP and by other friends.  They only serve dinner, open their doors at 5:50 and do not take reservations.  But this place has now become our new favorite restaurant in the Keys – with Square Grouper a close second. It has a limited menu, but all of the ingredients are very fresh and delicious.  While the entrees are somewhat pricey, Denise brought most of the pasta from her “Scallop with Pesto Pasta” dinner home for lunch the next day.  Mark had ordered “Escargot with Marsala Mushrooms” and “Mussels” from their appetizer menu and these were large enough portions to make a meal – thus making it affordable.  It really was a delicious meal and we were glad we chose this place.

Saturday (2/27), Marathon, FL – From the drive down Sombrero Blvd yesterday, Denise found a new place to run and one she could use to get in a little longer distance.  The scenery was better and she didn’t have to deal with cars like she did when running the whole way on the Overseas Highway. Although she didn’t run as far as she liked, she welcomed the change in course.

This morning we also welcomed back to MYC Greg & Lisa, the owners of “Stowaway”, who were returning from Ohio where they had to conduct some workshops for their business. We look forward to hopefully getting to know them a little bit before we leave MYC on Monday.

Later in the morning we walked to the Marathon community park to check out the Nautical Flea Market. It was sunny with a slight wind, making for a beautiful day to be outside. MYC had a big booth with items donated by members, then they sell as a fundraiser for one of their educational programs. There were other organizations there as well and we walked around to each one. Fortunately for our cruising fund, there was nothing we needed.  We did take a few minutes to briefly visit with Bill & Jann Mellman (“Ivory Lady”) and George & Pat Hospodar (“Reflection”) who were manning the MYC tent.

As we were leaving the park we ran into Ev & Clark (“Sea Moss”) and started talking about going to the Bahamas. They were curious as to our boat and our Bahamas plans so we invited them back to MYC and spent another 45 minutes talking with them and reviewing our charts for places to go.  It was fun to share this with someone who has never been and we hope to be able to meet up with them while there; it would be fun to anchor out together.

In the afternoon we went to church for the 4:00 mass at San Pablo’s for our last time. And as a special treat for Mark, on the way back to the boat we went to “Dions” and got their fried chicken for dinner.  “Dion’s Quick Mart” is the WaWa of the FL Keys.  We learned about this chain of gas station-serving fried chicken dinners from an article in the “Free Press” – the local Keys weekly newspaper.  The owner is the daughter of the founder who started the business 65+ years ago.  She took over the business when her father died and has been running it ever since.  During that time it grew to multiple locations throughout the Keys, all serving their famous chicken. Recently she sold the family business to another company who promises to keep the 150 employees and the locations.  You can learn more about Dion’s here.  We liked our chicken and now felt like we had experienced life like a true Keys local.

Sunday (2/28), Marathon, FL – Again it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day; sunny and a slight breeze with warm temperatures (finally).  A perfect day for a bike ride.  So we headed out to the old 7-mile bridge and to Pigeon Key. We have been wanting to go there, but the weather or schedules had not allowed for it, and today was the last day we could.  It is 2 miles to get there, 2 miles out on the bridge to Pigeon Key, which you cannot get to from the bridge now as the ramp is in need of repairs and is closed.  If you want to visit there you have to take the water ferry from the Visitors Center on the mainland.

After a short rest and an opportunity to take some awesome pictures, we rode the 2 miles back to the base of the bridge. Only now we were facing a hard east head wind the whole way; it was exhausting on our small (20 inch) wheeled bikes.

We stopped in at the Pigeon Key Visitors Center and Gift Shop at the base of the bridge to inquire about the water ferry and tours of the island. Here we learned that the ferry only leaves 3 times at day (10am, 12pm, and 2pm) and we were between departures and didn’t want to wait over an hour for the next one. The cost is $12+ per person round trip. You can learn more about Pigeon Key here.

But we were not done with our biking adventure. We rode near the PK Visitors Center, Sunset Grill restaurant, and then up the street to Burdines Marina and the area around it. We then still had to ride the 2 miles back to MYC, again facing the wind.  When we got back to the boat we were exhausted, but happy from our fun adventure.

In the late afternoon we decided to patronize the MYC for their Sunday dining event. The idea is you bring a side dish to share (we brought a bean salad) and the club provides hot dogs, with cocktails at half price. We sat at a table with some veteran club members and learned that the food at Friday night’s Pirate Mystery dinner was not that great and that we had not missed much. We were grateful for not spending the money there, but enjoying a better meal at Barracuda’s.

Monday (2/29), Marathon, FL – This will be our last full day in Marathon, so Denise started it with a run down the Overseas Highway one last time.

Then we went on quite an adventure. We had to move our car to the marina in Key Largo where we will be keeping the boat in March.  So we headed north on the Overseas Highway (US1), but along the way made an impromptu stop in Islamorada at the World Wide Sportsman (Bass Outdoor). We wanted to see what it had to offer.  Other than Hemingway’s boat (“Pilar”), and the fish stripes in the parking lot, this place looked no different than the one in Orlando.  In fact, it was considerably smaller than the Pyramid in Memphis, TN that had us awestruck.  After a stop at the restroom, we got back in the car and finished the trip to Marina Del Mar in Key Largo.

Once at the marina, we checked in with the dockmaster to get a pass to leave the car in the parking lot. Then, to get back to Marathon, we caught the Metro Dade express bus.  What an adventure this was.  We rode along with the locals who use it to commute to go to work in the Keys. Some of the people will commute up to 2 hours each way as the housing in the Keys is so outrageous they cannot afford to live where they work. It was very interesting to talk with the people, including the woman in front of us who commutes to work at the K-Mart in Marathon – which is also the end of this bus line and where we got off.

We still had to walk the 1+ mile back to MYC. However, it was way past lunch so we stopped along the way to get delicious sandwiches and a cold drink at the Marathon Deli. We had discovered this place early in our stay and we were happy to have stopped and patronize this local deli/wine-liquor store.

In the evening we had our last pot luck at MYC, and it was a big crowd. There were a few new transients, and all the others from past weeks. This included Forrest (“Pura Vida”), who had taken his boat to Hawk’s Cay (20 minutes away), but Steve went and got him so he could participate in the dinner. The food was really good as many different dishes were brought. Denise made shredded bar-b-que chicken in the slow cooker and it must have been well-liked as there were few leftovers for us. Everyone was complementary and there was only a little bit left to take back and put in our freezer for a “leftover” night.  We also said our “Good-Byes” to everyone as tomorrow we leave for Key Largo for the month of March.

Here are some other pictures of things in Marathon:

The Yacht Club:

Wildlife around the place:

The school across the street from MYC:

A local coffee shop:

And all the buildings with murals that are everywhere:

Stay tuned for more!

We have moved from Key West to Marathon and have plans to stay here through the month of February. Many people have told us that is not enough time to see everything in this community. After only a few days here we are starting to understand what they mean as there is quite a bit to do and see.

Here is our latest on our adventures:

Thursday (1/21) – Key West, FL – Today was boat maintenance day for Denise while she awaited Mark’s return from his business trip.  Everything inside the boat was vacuumed, washed, & polished so it would be nice for his homecoming.  She got the last blog update finished and published, and took some pictures around the marina.  She also started and spent most of the day reading the book “13 Hours”; a great insight into what happened at Benghazi, Libya from the perspective of the contractors hired to protect the CIA staff. The story is compelling and she got most of the book read.

Later in the evening Mark returned safely from his trip and we discussed our plans to leave Saturday to head to Marathon. The weather was not looking good and was going to turn bad all weekend so we discussed the possibility of staying a few more days.

Friday (1/22) – Key West, FL – As forecasted, today was an awful weather day in Key West.  The wind was howling from the North at 35 knots with gusts to 40 knots and the stern of our boat took the brunt of it.  It got covered with the salt that blew in off the Gulf and made it difficult to get on and off the boat without getting a bit dirty. Even though there was a breakwater/dock at the entrance to the marina there were 2 foot breaking waves over it, and all the boats in the marina were rocking.  It also began raining and continued off and on throughout the day. Needless to say we were not going to take the SUP out into the Gulf and cruise around like we wanted to. In fact, we really were not going anywhere for a few days as it was going to continue to blow. So, we rescheduled our departure with the marina, and postponed our Marathon arrival until Monday or possibly Tuesday. We stayed close to the boat in the morning so Mark could get some work done and Denise could finish her book.

In the afternoon we rented a car so we could get off the boat.

We used it to go to the movies and see “13 hours”. We had been in communication with our friends on “Endoxi” and “Sassified” who were now in one of the downtown marinas. They took a cab to meet us and see a movie as well.  Afterwards, we all crammed into our rental car for dinner at Salute! This restaurant is owned by the same people who own Blue Heaven and has an outdoor patio that is covered with isinglass windows.  Because the weather was so bad we were able to get seated right away on their enclosed patio. We can see that this would have been a fun place to visit for lunch during a sunny day as there is an outdoor bar and is set up for beach volleyball. This could be a great people-watching spot that we will need to come back to again someday. Together with Pam & Pete (“Endoxi”) and Sharri & Rodney (“Sassified”) we had a delicious meal.

Saturday (1/23) – Key West, FL– Again the weather was not so great so we went adventuring in the rental car. First we headed out to downtown Key West and to see the impact of the wind on the water. There were a few brave tourists out on the streets, but not many. We went to Mallory Square where there was no one around; something we have never seen before. Here are some pictures of the Key West Harbor area:

Then we headed to the FL Keys Eco Discovery Center and realized we had made a great discovery of our own.  This center located in the Truman Annex compound offers a plethora of learning about the Florida Keys ecosystems and what is being done to make them sustainable. There are several big aquariums and numerous interactive exhibits, as well as a 20 minute video.  The best part of this center is that is it FREE!  We were so glad we went there as they are closed on Sunday and Monday, and we would have missed it if we did not see it today.  You can learn more about this really cool place here.

We got back to the boat for a very late lunch and to get out of the weather for a while. Later we went to the 6:00 pm mass at Basilica of St. Mary Star of the Sea for a second week in a row – the first time in our entire Loop adventure that we have visited the same church more than once.  Afterwards we went back to the boat for dinner and a quieter night then the one before as the wind was finally dying down.

Sunday (1/24) – Key West, FL– Denise went for a run and although the rain stopped and the wind was still blowing a bit.  She ran to and down the promenade on the Gulf side of Key West and saw many more boats out on the water than in the past few days, taking advantage of better weather.

We had been watching a sailboat that had been at anchor in the Gulf about a mile away from us. During the high winds over the last few days it dragged closer and closer until this morning it was pushed up onto a shoal just outside the marina.  Others in our marina claimed they saw people aboard the boat and that the Coast Guard and FL Wildlife Commission (FWC) had both been out to see it, but we had not witnessed any activity.  Clearly this boat will require a tow off of the shoal and hopefully for them they will not get cited for any reef damage as the fines for this can be costly.

Today we took the rental car and drove east to explore some of the other lower Keys neither of us have ever been to. We traveled through the Saddlebunch Keys, Sugarloaf Keys, and eventually to Cudjoe Key. Although much smaller than Key West, they all have some residential areas and we found many houses for sale that intrigued us, but not enough to get us to make a purchase. The exception of course was Boca Chica which exclusively houses the Naval Air Station.

We did see some very interesting sights along the way, including a radar balloon that was on Cudjoe Key, but was so high up in the air we could see it from our marina on Stock Island.

We also saw houses that still had Christmas decorations on display, ala Florida style:

When we returned to the marina, the wind had further calmed down and we got to (finally) cook some steaks on our grill for dinner.

Monday (1/25) – Marathon, FL– Finally a good weather day, so we decided we would take advantage of it and head to Marathon.  We returned the rental car back to the airport and then left the Sunset Marina.  Our trip route took us back through the mooring field, the Fleming Cut and Key West Harbor where we noticed the big yacht “Shalimar” was still at anchor.

From there we headed south to the Atlantic Ocean side of the Keys, and then headed east entering Hawk’s Channel for our 55 mile cruise to Marathon. The waves were mostly flat, but the wind was on our nose and the water was a little choppy. It was a little bouncy but quite tolerable.

We cruised past Boca Chica Key and all the Keys we had driven to yesterday.

Eventually we came up to Little Torch Key where we stopped to fill up on diesel fuel at one of the more affordable places in the Keys.  The entrance to the channel to get to Little Torch Key took us past Little Palm Island Resort (on Munson Island) – a five-star exclusive resort that is frequently written about in travel magazines like Coastal Living and Conde Nast.  It is extremely expensive (starts at $900/night) and is not inclusive, with everything having a 7.5% sales tax and 20% gratuity.  You can go there just to eat dinner at the resort and they will send a boat launch to the mainland to pick you up if you don’t have your own boat. They do have a dock and allow overnight stays there with access to the beach and resort amenities, but it is very exposed to wind and waves, and very expensive – the discounted price is $600/night and well beyond our Looping budget!

After fueling we made our way back out to Hawk’s Channel and continued our trip east past Big Pine Key, Bahia Honda State Park and Key, and the Seven Mile Bridge which we went under to get back on the Gulf side of the Keys.

We pulled into the Marathon Yacht Club and tied up to our assigned slip without incident. Although not a 5-star resort like Little Palm Island, the MYC is a very nice place with friendly people. Unfortunately for us, the dining room is closed on Mondays so we ventured up the road to have dinner at Takara a Thai restaurant. The food was ok (not bad, but not great), but with only one waiter the service was really slow. We don’t think we will go back as there are many other places to eat at that are within walking distance of the marina.

Tuesday (1/26) – Marathon, FL– In the morning we ran into Jann Mellman (“Ivory Lady”) who we expected to see at the club as her husband Bill is a past Commodore and they had suggested we stay here.  They recently completed their Loop and are now Gold Loopers and have their boat in a neighboring marina (Faro Blanco). Jann invited Denise to the ladies fashion show at the club on Thursday and made plans to sit at the same table.

Today was a work-day and very low-key. Mark came down with a bad cold and used the afternoon to take a 2 hour nap to try and feel better. Denise used the time to download pictures and start on the next blog update. She also spent time doing a load of laundry and communicating with friends and family members.

The weather was fairly nice, although it was still windy. Fortunately, it was out of the South and mostly blocked by the land behind us so we were quite comfortable. But it was hot and for the first time in weeks Denise put on shorts instead of jeans.

The MYC has been around since 1951 and has recently added the swimming pool. The marina has 22 slips, two of which are taken up by a single large Marlow yacht near us. The dining room and bar area occupy most of the area in the building, with club offices, marina restrooms and a laundry facility completing the rest of the facilities.  The main entrance shares the parking lot with the local boat ramp, and the parking lot is across from an elementary school. So there is lots of activity going on all day long. As members of MTOA we were granted reciprocity dockage which includes use of the club facilities and participation in activities while we are here.  Since we will be staying through February we are looking forward to this as they have a lot going on.  Here are some pictures of the marina and club:

Wednesday (1/27) – Marathon, FL– Denise went for a morning run, down the bike path that runs along the “Overseas Highway” (US 1) to the 7-mile Bridge and back.  Along the way she passed a new Marriott Courtyard under construction and right next door, the Faro Blanco marina where several of our Looper friends were docked. She also ran past a large section of mangroves that border the bike path with the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. Hiding out in these bushes are numerous homeless people and she was thankful she had waited until later in the morning to run as this would have spooked her if it was still dark (as it is until 7:00 am).

She also ran past a well-known restaurant and bar called “Porky’s”, that looks exactly like the kind of bar you would expect in the FL Keys. Later we learned that this place has really good food, so we have marked it as a “must see” place to get dinner one night.

Mark was still fighting a cold but looked like he had turned the corner and was on the road to recovery. He did some work in the morning and then in the afternoon we took a bike ride along the route Denise ran earlier.  We stopped in at Faro Blanco marina to see Looper friends we knew were there including Sonny & Phyllis (“Corkscrew”).  We talked for them for a while and looked for others on “Sum Escape” and “Chasing 80”, but they were not on their boats. We also saw Lila and Allen (“Blue Haven”) whom we met at IVY on the Illinois River, and again in Ft. Myers, but did not get a chance to speak to them. Eventually we got around to “Ivory Lady” and spent time talking with Jann & Bill about our boating adventures.  We missed Willy & Caryn (“Next Chapter”) as they had their boat hauled for maintenance, but would be back in the water their sometime next week.

Noticing the approaching rainstorm, Mark indicated we needed to get back on our bikes and head back to the marina. So we made a quick exit and peddled back to the MYC, arriving just in time as the raindrops started to fall. Because of this we nixed our plans to grill out chicken shishkabobs and instead made chicken fajitas.

Off and on all night long it rained and we were grateful that we had made the repairs to the boat when at Sunset Marina. We have yet to see any water on the floor and felt a sense of relief that this problem was now behind us.

Later in the evening Mark was reading the local (weekly) newspaper (the Free Press) and learned that on Thursday (tomorrow) Monroe County would be conducting a census of all the homeless population in the FL Keys.  Denise suggested they look in the mangroves along the Overseas Highway if they want an accurate number.

Thursday (1/28) – Marathon, FL– We woke up to more rain and a dreary looking overcast sky.  This is what the El Nino conditions brings to the FL Keys.  It was hot and humid and we once again had the air conditioning running.

Mark had scheduled a day full of conference calls and barely came up for air all day.

Denise attended the fashion show luncheon at the MYC. She was invited by Jann Mellman (“Ivory Lady”) who also was one of the “models”, along with a few other women from the club.

The women’s auxiliary puts on the show as a fundraiser for their education programs. Also present at the luncheon was Looper friends Pat Hospodor (“Reflections”) and Caryn Bain (“Next Chapter”), and she met several other women who planning to go on the Loop in the near future.

After the luncheon Denise spent a bit of time talking with Caryn about things to do and see in the Marathon area and it is clear that we came to stay at the right place.  We may even run out of time to see it all before we move east at the end of February.

In the afternoon it was still drizzling off and on, and the breeze started to pick up. By early evening it was really blowing again and was just miserable out. Our original plan to walk somewhere for dinner was nixed as we didn’t feel like getting soaked.  We debated about eating at the club, but knew we would be participating in the cookout tomorrow night so we nixed that option as well.  Finally, we opted for a pasta dinner on board our Island Office and an evening of debate watching until we couldn’t take it anymore and went to bed.

All night long the boat rocked a lot as the North wind was strong and the entrance to the marina faces the Gulf (north). Still it was not nearly as bad as the 4 days we spent in Grand Haven, Michigan getting blown around our slip.

Friday (1/29) – Marathon, FL– The wind was still blowing strong in the morning, only now the temperature was dropping; 65 degrees in the Keys is still cool, even for January.  The good news is that it meant the weather front was passing and eventually the wind would die down, but not until much later in the day.

We spent the morning on the boat working and writing this blog, and when we had enough rocking opted for a bike ride. We rode north on the bike path along Overseas Highway (US1) to scope out a new development about ¼ mile away called “Marlin Bay Yacht Club”.  There are new homes and a new marina in a gated community that is in the first of five phases of development. It is very nice, but clearly is going to be an exclusive and expensive place.

The funny thing is it is right next to the Florida Keys Fisheries processing facility, and across the street is a trailer park with a bunch of double-wide trailers.  Only in the Keys!

We continued our bike ride up to Banana Bay Resort & Marina where we heard several other Loopers were docked. We saw Cindy & Randy (“I think I can….”) on their Ranger Tug. We had met them at the Spring Rendezvous in Norfolk and again in Deltaville, but had not seen them since. We congratulated them on their Gold Looper Status as they recently crossed their wake.  We rode around the marina to see other Looper boats we recognized including “Sea to Sea” and “Reflection“, but they were not on their boats. So we left Banana Bay, but we will be back here as there is a big Looper event being planned for here on 2/21 and we have already sent in our reservations.

We then headed further east to the next traffic light, which was also where the Walgreens and Publix were located. We used the crosswalk to make our way to the other side of US1 and then rode all the way back to the marina, stopping briefly to check out the prices at Marathon Liquor & Deli. We discovered that it was a really cool store with a great wine selection and lots of deli items, including Boar’s Head products that are cheaper than Publix.  We will be coming back here too, but not for alcohol; it is still cheaper at Costco than here.

Finally we returned back to the boat for lunch. The skies were now sunny, but the wind was still blowing pretty hard.  We hung around reading and working on this blog post for most of the afternoon.

In the evening we attended the usual Friday night cookout dinner at MYC. We provided the meat (a steak) and then used their grills by the pool to cook it. They provided a buffet of salads & fixings, potatoes, rice, and green beans, and an ice cream dessert bar – all for $15. You can choose not to bring your own protein and then order from the club, but the cost then is $26.  Either way we got a great meal and had a chance to meet some other club members. They also provide entertainment and each week it is different; tonight it was a family who played folksy country music (NOT Mark’s favorite).  But they had the cutest little boy who was 5 years old and played the mandolin and had quite a good voice.  It was casual and everyone was very friendly and welcoming.  We had fun and we are glad we did this.

We then came back to the boat to pack. We leave tomorrow for a quick trip home in order to see Denise’s Aunt who is in visiting, and for a special event with our friends the Medei’s. We will be back on the boat Thursday and the adventures will continue then.

Here are some of our wildlife pictures from the week:

Stay tuned for more

We have been enjoying our time along the FL West Coast and we are now in Key West. Our travels have been fun and we have been incredibly busy with moving the boat often and spending time with visiting family.

Here is our latest on our adventures:

Tuesday, (1/5/2016) – Ft Myers, FL – Today was a work day for us, and a day to get the water system fitting repaired so it would not leak when using our water pump. Mark had been in touch with the Supervisor at Dog River Marina in Mobile who installed the coupling, and they agreed to pay to have someone come fix it.

We spent most of the morning working and getting some things in order for the New Year, as well as several client conference calls. Just before noon Craig from VIP Marine Services (the company Dog River Marina was contacting) was on the docks and Mark flagged him down.  He came in to assess the situation and said he needed to go get some parts and lunch, then would be back around 1:00.  He came back as promised and in 20 minutes had the whole thing fixed, with the plastic fitting replaced by a brass one so it would not crack again.  We were very pleased with this repairman and would recommend him to anyone, and we were also happy that Dog River marine stood by their word that they guaranteed their work.

In the afternoon Tim and Karen (“TiKa”) met us with their car and took us to Costco for a few item. After that we went to their house for hamburgers on the grill and an evening of great company and conversation. Afterwards they let us take their SUV so we could use it in the morning for a few errands, so we drove back to the marina.

Wednesday, (1/6/2016) – Ft Myers, FL – This morning Denise was able to go for a nice run along the waterfront of the Caloosahatchee River and through downtown Ft. Myers.  Along the way she encountered a group of students attending the city’s firefighter and police college who were also out for their one-a-week 3-mile run.  All of these students were young and she was surprised to see some of them struggle to get in the 3 miles.  She ran through Centennial Park and around the Ft. Myers Yacht Basin before heading back to the boat.  Here are some pictures from her run:

After breakfast we used the SUV to go to Publix (even though it was in walking distance to the marina) and then Mark used it to go get a much needed haircut. In the meantime Denise went and got a much-needed pedicure from a terrific salon right near the marina.  We spent the rest of the day working around the boat on various things, including cataloging pictures and publishing the latest blog update.

In the evening we joined Tim & Karen for dinner at a Bonefish Grill that was less than 5 miles from the marina but took us 25 minutes to get there due to traffic. After dinner Tim took us back to the marina and we said our Good-Byes.  We so miss traveling with them and we are grateful for their warm hospitality while we were in Ft. Myers.

Thursday, (1/7) – Ft. Myers, FL – it was really foggy this morning, and there was a bit of mist in the air, but it burned off by noon.  We spent the morning working on the boat doing work for clients, conference calls and getting some pictures cataloged.

After lunch we walked the .75 miles to the Edison & Ford Winter Estates, a national register historic site that was the winter homes for Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. We toured the outside of the homes, Edison’s Laboratory, and the museum.  But we were most impressed with the grounds, and all the different types of foliage around the estates.  They grounds were spectacularly beautiful and had an awesome view of the Caloosahatchee River. There was also a building that housed two antique Ford cars (Model A and a Model T).  What was also very intriguing to us was how close friends these two men were; close enough to live side-by-side and share a carriage house for their cars. You can read more about this place here.

Here are some pictures from our visit:

We walked back to the boat and decided to eat our way through some of the pizza we had in the freezer. It was a quiet night for us and we just wanted some no-socializing down time.  Mark read a book (“13 Hours”) and Denise got caught up on some emails and watched a little TV.

We really liked this area and especially liked Legacy Harbor Marina. They are in a great location and in a very protective harbor.  We would like to come back here again, and since it is right near the entrance to the Okeechobee Waterway, it is highly probable that we will.

Pictures from the marina:

Friday, (1/8) – Naples, FL –  We got up in the morning to a very wet Ft. Myers; it had rained off and on all night and it was still sprinkling. We had previously found some water on the floor near the guest stateroom but this morning it was really bad, indicating that we have a leak somewhere.  We have not been able to find out where it is coming from and Back Cove has suggested several areas to test, which we will do if it ever stops raining.

Eventually it cleared up enough for Denise to get in a quick run past the Edison & Ford estates and down McGregor Boulevard and back.   After a quick shower and prepping of the boat, we left Legacy Harbor and headed back out into the Caloosahatchee River and towards the Gulf of Mexico.

There is no inside (or GICW) route from Fr. Myers to Naples, so we had to go out into the Gulf. The wind was on our nose and the seas that were forecasted to be 1 -2 feet were more like 2 -3 feet.  It was not fun, but it was only 22 miles and took us a little more than an hour to make the passage.  As we got closer to Naples the seas died down a little more, although they did get a bit choppy by the time we entered the harbor. We had to then go North about 20 more minutes to get to the fuel stop (Coastal Marine Fuel) where they have the best price in SW Florida for diesel ($2.24 /gallon).

Our original plan was to anchor out here one night, but when we saw our Looper friend’s boats (“Endoxi” & “Sassified”), we changed our minds and sought out a marina slip where they were at Old Naples Seaport Yacht Association (aka marina). Fortunately, they put us in the slip right across the dock from them; how convenient.   Shortly after arriving Pete & Rodney showed up (Pam and Sharri were still out shopping) and the guys made arrangements for docktails on “Sassified” for 5:30.

Once we settled the boat and got all checked in, we went for a walk to the famous 5^th Avenue in downtown Naples. We walked past the numerous restaurants and viewed lots of pretty art in the windows of the numerous galleries.  There were also lots of shops to go into, but we resisted most of them and only “shopped” in a few. Our total take was a new purse for Denise that cost $20 – probably the cheapest thing in all of Naples.

We got back to the boat in time to make some drinks and take an appetizer for the gathering with our friends. We had so much fun talking and enjoying each other’s company that before we realized it we had missed dinner and snacked on all the appetizers. It was after 8:30 when we finally called it a night and went back to our respective boats.

Here are some pictures from today:

Saturday, (1/9) – Naples, FL –  Today was decision day as we had been watching the weather for the next week and trying to determine when we would make the big passage to Key West.  We have to be there no later than Saturday 1/16 as Denise will be participating in a Half Marathon along with several family members and friends.  We studied the weather and wave forecasts for the next 5 days and decided that we could stay in Naples one more day, if we allowed for some contingency routing (go to Marathon first, then back down to Key West/Stock Island on the inside route).  This provided us with more options and still allowed for shorter and (hopefully) not too treacherous days on the Gulf of Mexico between Everglades City and the Keys.  It would also allow us to more easily attend church as the one in Naples was close to the marina; the one in Marco Island would have required a cab ride or long bike ride.

Once we confirmed the marina would let us stay, we set out to enjoy the rest of the area and all the Naples had to offer. We rode our bikes to the Farmer’s Market that is held on 3^rd Street every Saturday, and purchased some fresh tangerines and a few other items.  We then continued our bike ride to the Naples pier where we walked all the way to the end and took some pictures.

After the pier stop we continued the bike ride through some old but very nice neighborhoods where we saw some unbelievable homes, and then eventually rode back to the marina.

We also took advantage of the free washer and did a few quick loads of laundry; something we have learned to take advantage of even if a small load is all that is warranted. Because of the leak in our boat we had lots of dirty towels and this gave us the opportunity to get them cleaned.

Two slips from us in the marina was a Sabre that had a canopy over their back cockpit area that we were admiring. We met and talked with Sven & Kathy (“Flykt”) and discussed the various options they considered. We have been looking for something to protect our back cockpit and provide some shade when we want to sit outside on sunny days.  They let us take pictures of their boat and canopy and then we gave them a tour of our Island Office.

Later in the afternoon we attended the 4 pm mass at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, which was about a mile from the marina. We chose to walk as the rain was threatening and we didn’t want to get caught in it on our bikes; it is easier to walk and hold an umbrella in conditions like this.  This also allowed us to get in lots of walking exercise and burn a few calories. After mass we walked back to the boat and ate a quiet dinner onboard.

Other pictures from Naples:

Sunday, (1/10) – Marco Island, FL – We left Naples just before 11:00 am and cruised the 14 miles to the Esplanade marina in Marco Island, taking the inside route instead of going into the Gulf of Mexico.  As the weather was overcast and quite windy we did not want to deal with 3’ waves and chop of the Gulf, so we chose the more protected inside route. On a sunny day this would have slowed us down a lot, but because of the weather we only encountered a few small fishing boats off the channel in the mangroves, and as we passed through Rookery Bay our wake attracted a few jet skiers.

We arrived at Esplanade and were tied up to the dock by 12:30. This is a marina located up Smokehouse Bay and it is quite protected from the currents of the Marco River and Gulf breezes.  It also protected on the south side by two very large condominium buildings, and there is a Winn Dixie across the street and a Publix about 3/4 of a mile away.

Just outside the entrance to the complex is the bridge that can take you west to the beach if you are so inclined, but because we are Floridians the weather is too cool and we did not go.  We did however walk to Publix to get a few items and then decided to take advantage of the free washer at this marina, and finish the last few items we did not get to wash in Naples.

Because it was Sunday, there was a limited number of restaurants open around us and the few that were required a walk back to the area near Publix. Due to the cold and damp weather we did not want to walk all the way back. So, for dinner we opted to go to CJ’s, which was located in the complex of the marina and was open. It had mixed reviews on YELP (our go-to restaurant finder) so we didn’t expect a lot, but we were pleasantly surprised. The food was good and we had good service, so we were happy.

We also studied the weather and confirmed that Tuesday would be the best day for us to go to Key West, so we would still be able to get to Everglades City, but only if we did not stay any longer in Marco Island. Therefore we made plans to leave the next day.

Monday, (1/11) – Everglades City, FL – In the morning, Mark contacted the local TowBoatUS representative who confirmed what we thought; there is an inside route from Marco Island to the 10,000 islands and the entrance to the Everglades. We could take that route to avoid going out into the Gulf, and all the way around a huge shoal area south of Marco Island that would lengthen our trip. So we left the marina just before noon to allow us to transit the areas with the shallowest water on a rising tide and found no problems all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way we passed a few interesting sights, including the Old Marco Lodge & Crab house on Goodland Bay – which has been around since 1869.

Shortly after that we went through the Coon Key Pass and entered the Gulf of Mexico. Here we found seas of less than 1 foot, and we were happy that we had taken the inside route.  We continued for another 30 minutes cruising along the coast of the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife area.  We then turned left and headed east through the Indian Key Pass. Here we followed the channel through the mangroves and small islands that took us into Everglades City.

Here are some other pictures from today:

By 2:30 we had parked the boat on the dock wall at the Rod & Gun Club, a landmark fishing lodge that has been around since 1884.

Denise went for a long walk while Mark attended to several client needs and conference calls. While not really a ‘downtown’ area, she did go to a souvenir shop to buy postcards and inquire about airboat rides in the Everglades. Not that we were interested in going; we just wanted to know what the going rate was ($38/hr per person). Here are some of the pictures from the Everglades City area:

In the afternoon our boat was periodically rocked by all the passing commercial fisherman and crabbers returning with their daily catch. This is still very much “old Florida” and the commercial fishing business is very big here – along with the eco-tourism of the Everglades.

After sunset and the conference calls were over, we went to dinner at the restaurant at the Rod & Gun Club. We were one of only three other tables of guests.  We were told that in 2 weeks the season will be in full swing, but we could see that the employees were concerned that the bad weather had been keeping fisherman away.  This place is well known in fishing circles and everyone had told us we had to come here.  We are glad we did as this was quite an adventure and great way to break up the cruise from Marco Island down to the Keys.

Other pictures from this area:

Tuesday, (1/12) – Key West, FL– Figuring we would have a long day on the water, we chose to leave Everglades City as soon as it was light. This was easy as we woke early due to the rocking of the passing fishing boats now leaving at 5:00 am to go set their crab traps or to fish for the day. It didn’t matter that the wind was up and it was raining – they have to make their living.

We quickly made it out into the Gulf of Mexico and entered the Florida Bay where the average depth is 15 – 20 feet. The water was a pretty green and normally would be crystal clear, but for the waves brought on by the 25 kt North wind.  We were very fortunate it was behind us and we were not uncomfortable at all. We plotted a course to head to Marathon with the plan to head there, then cross under the US1 Bridge and head West through Hawk’s Channel into Key West. This was a longer route, but would protect us from the north wind.

However we were having a good day and the wind wasn’t as bad as predicted, so we made the decision to head directly to Key West, staying on the northern side of the Keys and in the FL Bay. This ended up saving us lots of time and we were glad we did this.  The waves did build a bit and it got a little rougher as we neared the Key West Harbor entrance, but it was still tolerable.  The most stressful part was the (literally) thousands of crab pots we had to negotiate around. It is stone crab season and all the traps are out!  It took lots of concentration and we had to pay attention making sure we did not foul our prop on any of the pots.

We entered the North West channel and made our way through the Key West Harbor as a Carnival Cruise ship was preparing to leave port.

We negotiated around it, through the harbor, and then took the Fleming Key Cut to the North side of Key West. From there we had to navigate through a mooring field that had no less than 200 boats on moorings. It was quite a challenge as the wind was blowing really strong and was on our nose at this point, and we were trying to eyeball the channel marks to take us around Sigsbee Park and into the narrow channel into Sunset Marina on Stock Island.

The marina does not communicate on the VHF and we had been trying to reach the dock master via phone since arriving in Key West area, only to get an “out of service” message. Although we had our dock assignment from prior communication, we did not know the layout of this marina and wanted some assistance. The wind was really blowing which made docking a significant challenge.  Fortunately, fellow Loopers Bill & KelliRae (“Ocean Dancer”) whom we had been in touch with, saw us coming in and helped us get to the correct slip and tie up.  We really appreciated their efforts and it was good to see a friendly face.  Come to find out the marina had lost all telecommunications with the high winds and in fact it was out for all of Stock Island. Later in the afternoon it was eventually restored.

Once we had settled the boat and checked in we took a walk around the marina area to see the sights. It was a well-protected location and we were happy with our accommodations as the wind was really blowing.

We stuck around the boat for the rest of the day and ate a quiet dinner on board.

Wednesday, (1/13) – Key West, FL – Denise started the day with a 4 mile run on Stock Island. Her route included crossing over the Overseas Highway (US1) to the South side of the Island and to the Stock Island Village Marina where most of the Loopers stay but where we were not able to get a slip.  She found fellow Loopers John & Jan (“Mitzvah”) whom we met in Green Turtle Bay, Kentucky and talked with them for a little bit before heading back to the marina.

While she was gone, Mark investigated some possible areas for our boat leak, which was getting worse every day. He was pretty sure that the leak was coming from where the fiberglass cabin top and decking are seamed together, as the caulking there is cracked and chipping away. We had checked all other portholes and hatches and there just was no evidence of water entering from them.  So we resolved to get some blue painters tape and put it over the area to see if this would prevent further leaking.

The rest of the day was a workday on the boat, and a day to resolve computer technical issues for Denise, which literally took all day. Since it was mostly a rainy and windy day we did not venture out much, staying close to the boat and marina.

Thursday, (1/14) – Key West, FL – The rain continued all night and into the day, giving us a bit of cabin fever. In the morning Denise started to read the book Mark had finished (“13 hours”), while Mark started to do some work. Then he got the idea to get a rental car so we could get off the boat and do our errands instead of waiting for our family to arrive on Friday.  This would allow us to go get some blue tape and get a temporary repair on the leak as soon as possible.

So we took a cab to the Key West airport to get the rental car, then went to Home Depot to buy the blue painters tape.

We then drove to the Cummins dealer (Key West Engine Service) to pick up the spare generator impeller Mark had ordered when we were in Sarasota. After that we went to the West Marine which had been holding a new water softener we had ordered, as well as a leash for Denise’s new SUP.  Finally, we went to Publix and to get a few things needed for the weekend.

Not wanting to go back to the boat just yet, we opted for a late lunch at the Hurricane Hole, a restaurant on Stock Island. The food was good, but the service was very slow and the place had hardly anyone in it. It had come with good reviews, so we figured our timing was off and just enjoyed being off the boat for a while.

After lunch we drove to the rental house where the family would be staying for the weekend to scope out the surrounding water. It is only 2 miles away and on a canal that leads out to the FL Bay.  We had hoped to be able to take the dinghy there, but the weather does not look favorable for us to do that.

Later in the afternoon, Mark was able to get the water softener installed and we also put blue tape on the seam where we believe the leak was. We had discussed going to the movies in the evening, but the rain came and we just didn’t feel like venturing out. Denise was heavy into her book and Mark had work for clients he was trying to get done. However, since we had the rental car we decided to get a to-go dinner from Outback Steakhouse which was located near the Publix and Home Depot on Key West, a short 4 miles from the boat. After that it was back to reading and relaxing for the rest of the evening.

Friday (1/15) – Key West, FL – The rain continued in the morning but fortunately we had no leaking water.  It looked like we had identified the source, so Mark made some phone calls and found a local person who could do a permanent repair for us. Jorg (George) is from Germany and is a certified master boat builder. He came by and gave us an estimate, and we scheduled him to do the repair work beginning on Monday. Denise spent the rest of the morning finishing her book while Mark did some work for clients and then returned the rental car back to the airport

In the afternoon the family started to arrive. Coming to Key West for the Half Marathon were the following: Denise’s Sister Claire, her husband John, son Johnny & his girlfriend Scarlett – all from Tallahassee; Sister Susan and her husband Steve – from Orlando; Sue and Steve’s three daughters – Jessica, Jaci, & Jeanette – from Tallahassee, Thomasville, Ga, and Tampa, respectively.  These three gals got a weekend pass as they left leaving their young children in the charge of their husbands for the weekend.  Staying nearby at a hotel on Key West was friends Vicki and Liz – from Orlando, who were part of this contingency of folks all planning to walk the half marathon on Sunday.

We spent the afternoon with the family at the rental house hanging out and just chatting and planning for the next few day’s activities. We were also able to take advantage of the washer and dryer in the rental house and get some laundry done.

In the evening we all went to dinner at Blue Heaven. This is a restaurant in Key West that we have eaten at before, and because we were such a large group we were able to get a “reservation”, even though they usually don’t take them. It also helped that the rain had kept most people away as the majority of this restaurant is outside underneath a large banyan tree. Fortunately, the rain had stopped right before we called and we were able to get in at a decent time. We had a lot of fun talking and enjoying each other’s company at this good old Key West standby.

Saturday (1/16) – Key West, FL – in the morning Denise spent time with the family at the rental house and making plans for the rest of the day; Mark washed the boat as it was finally sunny and clear enough to do so. Eventually, we regrouped and all went into downtown Key West to pick up our race packets and attend the expo. It was very windy, but at least it had stopped raining and afforded us time to walk around a bit.

Of course we forgot to get a picture of the rental house!

Because of the race on Sunday we went to the 6:00 pm mass at the Basilica of St. Mary Star of the Sea. However because of our large group and how crowded it was, all 13 of us had to spread out across three different pews.  Coincidentally, the principal of the school associated with the church was at the same mass and spotted Claire, John & Johnny. He used to teach at John Paull II (Catholic High School in Tallahassee) and moved to Key West a few years ago as his wife is from here. What a small world!

We left the church just as the rain drops started coming and made our way back to the rental house on Stock Island. A carbo-loading spaghetti dinner had been planned and all pitched in to help get it cooked and served – buffet style, of course.  We took pictures, watched some football on TV, then we headed back to the boat for the night.

It rained most of the night and the wind howled but we stayed dry in the boat. Apparently we have found the source of our leak and the temporary repair was holding.

Sunday (1/17) – Key West, FL – It was an early wake-up to coordinate the pickup, drop off and rendezvous with everyone for the start of the race. As we arrived near the start we got word the race had been delayed for one hour due to a tornado warning and pending rain. So we opted to go to Harpoon Harry’s for coffee and protection from the elements which we were glad we did; within 20 minutes it started to pour.  After about 45minutes, it calmed down to a drizzle and stopped completely just before the start of the race.

And after that, there was no more rain for the rest of the day. But the winds picked up and were ferocious. Our whole group finished the 13.1 miles and we were all in a celebratory mood, but only after battling the 35 kt headwinds during the last half of the race. It was brutal!

Afterwards we all hung out at the race after-party for a while and then made our way back to the rental house for lunch.

We headed back to the boat for showers before regrouping with the gang again in the afternoon. In the late afternoon everyone went down to Mallory Square to watch the sunset, but it was non-existent due to the cloud cover.  We watched a few of the entertainers, and Johnny participated in one of the shows, but because of the wind and cool temperatures we did not stay long once the sun went down.

We had dinner at Two Friends Café located not far from Mallory Square. We enjoyed a great time there celebrating our accomplishment and enjoying each other’s company. We stayed as late as our tired bodies would let us, and then we made our way back to the rental house. There we said our goodbye’s to family and returned to the boat for the night.

Other sights from today in Key West:

Monday (1/18) – Key West, FL – Today all the family left the rental house and headed back to their homes in Tallahassee, Tampa, Orlando and Thomasville.  Denise was sad to see them leave and was even sadder when Mark too left for the airport; he had to go to Ohio to visit a client.

Denise spent the rest of the day beginning the task of cataloging the pictures taken over the last two weeks. It was a big job and she barely made a dent before the day was over.

Tuesday (1/19) – Key West, FL – Again today the wind was howling in the morning and Denise spent the entire day cataloging pictures until she was caught up.  She took a brief time out to talk with Nicholas (local live aboard) whose daughter Kassidy also ran the Half Marathon, and she spent some time talking with Bill & KelliRae (“Ocean Dancer”).  She also worked on an update to the blog posting and in the evening participated in web conference for a professional association she is involved with.

Also during the day, Jorg showed up and started the repair work. This involves taking all the old caulking out of the seam, which is a tedious task. It has to be done carefully so as not to scratch the fiberglass gel coat. He got about half way done the boat before he had to leave for the day, but will be back to finish tomorrow.

Wednesday (1/20) – Key West, FL – Finally today, the sun came out and the wind seemed to die down a little bit. The temperature was still cool for Key West, but was very pleasant for a change.

Shortly after 10 am, Jorg showed up with his helper Ken, and the two of them went to work on removing the rest of the old caulking. After that they had to clean and then prepare the area for the new sealant to be applied. The actual installation of the new sealant was the easiest and fastest part and by 4:30 pm the job was done.  The boat looked better, our leak was repaired, and our bank account was now lower.

While this was going on Denise was able to get in a short run around the Key West Golf Course and the marina, and worked on this blog update. She also participated in a webcast on leadership that was delivered by one of her colleagues and she went up to balcony on the 2^nd story of the facilities building to capture the best sunset we have seen yet in Key West.

The marina here is very friendly and there are lots of live-aboards as well as transients and locals.

Here is a little bit about this area on Stock Island:
The marina is bordered by four 3-story condo buildings to Southeast, the Monroe County Juvenile Justice Center (and Jail) to the Southwest and West, a large landfill behind the condos, and the Florida Bay to the North. Across the street and up the road is an elementary school, a Community College, the County hospital and the Key West Golf Course, which is open to the public. Also nearby are two naval air stations and we continuously hear the jets or helicopters taking off and landing, or just running their jets. We also hear the never ending sounds of ambulances going to the hospital making for a sometimes a noisy place.

In the marina there is a marina office that also serves as a mini convenience store and bait shop. There is also a two-story building adjacent to the marina office building that houses the bathrooms, showers and laundry facilities, as well as a multipurpose room which is under some type of renovation. The balcony off of this building provides a spectacular view to the West, where we can see the cruise ships in port in the Key West Harbor and offers a terrific spot to view sunsets.

There are several commercial fishing charters that are based here and they make use of the fish cleaning stations on the docks when they come in with their catches.

This gets a lot of attention by the resident tarpon and pelicans who anxiously await for something to be thrown to them. We have watched the tarpon literally come out of the water to take the fish scraps out of someone’s hand, while the pelicans try to get in on the action as well. This makes for a fun thrill when there is nothing else to do in Key West!

Stay tuned for more of our adventure!

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday and that 2016 is starting off well for you. We spent some time at home enjoying family and friends, and are now back on the boat continuing our travels south down the west coast of Florida.

First an update from before the Christmas break:

Wednesday, (12/16) – Dunedin, FL – While Mark was away, Denise got to play.  Well, not really.  The day started with a nice out and back run along the Dunedin Causeway to Honeymoon Island State Park.  It was a beautiful day and the sun stayed behind clouds just long enough for Denise to finish her run.

The day was spent doing boat chores and cataloging pictures, as well as starting a blog post – which didn’t get very far due to interruptions.

In the evening Denise met up with a grade and high school friend (Joan Nickerson Wessel) who now lives in Hudson, FL – just north of Tarpon Springs. Joan’s mother was a bus driver for Good Shepard and Bishop Moore Catholic schools where Denise attended.  She and her husband Albert came by the boat for drinks and then we went to dinner at Casa Tina; a very good Mexican restaurant in downtown Dunedin.  We walked around a bit in the downtown area to see some of the shops, and then they returned Denise to the boat and headed home. It was great to see them and reconnect after so much time and hopefully we will get together again in the Orlando area – this time with Mark.

Thursday, (12/17) – Dunedin, FL – Denise spent the day cataloging pictures, visiting with the few Loopers still in the marina who had not yet gone home for Christmas, and taking advantage of the free laundry at Marker 1 Marina.  She was anxious for Mark to return from his Ohio business trip, and for them to move the boat down to Sarasota and eventually Palm Island Marina in Englewood before heading home for Christmas.

In the afternoon and evening the winds started to pick up and the weather was not very pleasant. Denise stayed close to the boat doing emails and reading, while keeping abreast of Mark’s eventual arrival on the boat.

Friday, (12/17) – Dunedin, FL – Today we were planning to leave Dunedin and head south but again woke up to very strong winds that were not going to die down anytime soon.  We put off the decision to leave until mid-morning and felt that although the winds were strong, we could certainly handle the majority of the trip down to Sarasota because most of the ICW through Clearwater and St. Pete would be in narrow and protected areas. However, crossing Tampa Bay and the Sarasota Bay would have been another story and we would have to stop short of crossing those bays and put into another unplanned marina (if available).  And despite having Looper slip neighbors willing to help, exiting our boat slip would have resulted in a bad case of “bumper boats”.  We were so close to leaving with cable, water and power unplugged from the dock when we decided to reconsider leaving.

Given the weather conditions and the fact that we would not make it to Sarasota, we felt there was no reason to stay on the boat either. Mark suggested we just leave the boat at Marker 1 Marina and go home a few days early for Christmas.  Also a contributing factor in the decision was that we would now be pushed past the threshold for daily/weekly rates for dockage and into the monthly (and cheaper) rate. A quick call to the marina office to confirm they could keep our boat through the holidays and this became a “no-brainer”.  Denise was thrilled to be going home for Christmas a few days early!

Then came the task of getting a one-way rental car and getting picked up by Enterprise, which they could do, but not before 3:00 pm. In the meantime we packed and identified things to take off the boat that we had not used or were no longer needed.  It was after 4 pm when we finally left the marina with the car packed to the hilt.

It being the Friday before Christmas, traffic in the Tampa Bay area was awful with all the major freeways congested and accidents everywhere. So we took the backroads to I-75 and eventually took SR 50 all the way across FL until in the Central FL area, stopping along the way for a quick dinner. We were home by 8:00 pm and very happy to be able to sleep in our own bed!

The rest of the holiday week we enjoyed time with our families and several friends we had not seen in months. Denise was delighted to have several good runs with her running buddies, as well as a Christmas dinner that included spouses as well.  It was all quite fun and it was great to see everyone.  Of course we both got to participate in Christmas mass at our home church and see many parishioners who have missed us as much as we missed them.

Here are some other sights from Marker 1 Marina:

And then we returned to our adventure:

Sunday, (12/27) – Dunedin, FL –  We left Winter Park right after mass and got a ride thanks to Susan & Steve (Denise’s sister and brother-in-law) who were going to see their daughter in Tampa.  So we did not have to worry about getting another rental car and we didn’t have to fight too much traffic as we left early enough in the day.  We stopped along the way for lunch and by 2:00 we were back on our Island Office and they were on their way. We really appreciated their taking us and it was good to be able to spend time with them as well.

In the evening we planned for the next day’s departure and ate some of the great leftovers of home-made cooking for dinner. We also caught up with a few other Loopers who were now back in the marina, including Tom & Jane (“Elizabear”) who have the friendliest dog (“Gus”) who loves people.  We spoke with them for a while about our mutual plans and then said good-bye, hoping to connect again further south.

Monday, (12/28) – Sarasota, FL – Yes, today we did finally untie the dock lines and leave Marker 1 Marian in Dunedin.  It was bitter sweet as we really liked this marina.  The people who live and work there are terrific; it a first class joint and the area of Dunedin has much to offer anyone on a boat.  It was a great place and we strongly suggest all other Loopers spend time in this place.

Our cruise to Sarasota was mostly uneventful. It was very slow going through the no-wake zones of Clearwater, Ana Maria Island and Venice, but the rest of the time we were able to make faster progress. That is when we were not having to slow down for the millions of pleasure craft on the water. Of course the highlight of the day was going by the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay:

It was also thrilling to go past “Cortez” which is where we took delivery of our old sailboat (“High Flight”) in 1995. From here on south it is old cruising ground for us and we are thrilled to be doing it again.

Here are some sights from today along the ICW:

Unfortunately, while in route we encountered our second mechanical issues on the trip; this time with the generator. It was really hot and we wanted to run the air conditioner while under way, but we could not get the generator to stay on. Mark had confirmed the filter was clean, but it was not pushing water through the system which meant either a clog in the line, or a bad impeller. Since generators like to be used and ours had not been in over 4 weeks, it most likely was the impeller.

We arrived into Sarasota just after 3:00 to some very blustery conditions. The wind had picked up quite a bit making docking a bit of a challenge. Fortunately, Mark knew enough to request a slip on any other dock except A- dock (the outside dock) and they assigned us one on C-dock, offering much better protection.  Denise was grateful and the boat did fine.

We were able to connect with our Looper buddy-boat friends Ginny & Bruce (“Snug Tug”) who had left their boat in Michigan and will finish the Loop next summer. That evening they joined us on the boat for drinks first, then we went to dinner at a Mexican Restaurant (“Two Senoritas”) in downtown Sarasota. We had so much catching up to do and so many stories to share that time flew by.  At dinner they presented us with two high quality pictures they had taken of our boat this summer in Canada, and they had enlarged them for framing. They are terrific and we were so touched by their generosity. We shared so many great moments with them that it really was a very special gift, in addition to the gift of their life-long friendship. Of course we were having so much fun, we forgot to take a picture with them!

Tuesday, (12/29) – Sarasota, FL – Denise got to start the day with a nice run in the morning around Lido Key and St. Armands Circle – but it was HOT!  After arriving back at the marina, she was able to take advantage of the fabulous gym on site and really work the arms, which had gotten a little weaker while home over Christmas.

In the morning, Mark contacted Cummins about the generator and was able to schedule a service technician to come first thing on Wednesday. We were hoping it was a quick enough repair as to not delay our departure.

In the evening, we had dinner at the Sarasota Yacht Club. The food was excellent and the service was terrific.  We liked that they offered a casual dining atmosphere, while still serving some of the best food. No stuffy yacht club here!  The ambiance and wonderful amenities this place has to offer was a great find and was truly one of the nicest places we had stayed on the Loop.

Even though we do not belong to another yacht club (with reciprocity) it was through our MTOA (Marine Trawler Owners Group) membership that we were able to stay here. We joined MTOA in the last month as a result of discussion with other Loopers.  The yearly membership ($60) offers us the opportunity to stay at other Yacht Clubs not open to AGLCA or Boat US members.  So, now we (like many other Loopers) are members of 3 separate organizations which each offer unique enough benefits that warrant the yearly dues. Ah the boating life!

Wednesday, (12/30) – Palm Island Marina – Cape Haze, FL –We had barely finished breakfast when the Cummins generator repair guy showed up.  Fortunately, it was a simple impeller replacement that was required and he was done within 90 minutes.  Mark was able to watch what he did and now know how to repair it ourselves in the future. Additionally, a spare part has been put on hold and will be waiting for us when we arrive in Key West.

Once we got the generator repair done, we headed south down the ICW, dodging pleasure craft the entire way, and even getting buzzed by low flying airplanes in Venice.

Even though it was not a weekend, it is still the winter holiday and there was lots of boat traffic around. Plus it was very sunny and hot, so we cranked up the generator and the AC units and cruised in comfort for the 33 miles to Palm Island Marina in Cape Haze, FL.  Normally this should have taken only 2.5 hours, but it took us 4 hours. This was due mostly to the crazy boat traffic, and also because we had a short wait for a bridge that had an on-the-hour-only opening.  It was almost like traveling the I-4 corridor from Tampa to Orlando on a Friday night.

But we didn’t care that we were on the water this long as this is very familiar cruising ground for us. We pulled into the Palm Island Marina and tied up to the slip without incident, even though it was a narrow entrance. Mark is a master at maneuvering our Island Office into tight places.

It had been 15 years since we had last stayed at this marina when we were here on Claire’s sailboat (“Aurora”). At that time we were celebrating Denise’s 40^th birthday, so it is only quite fitting that we stay here for another celebratory event – New Year’s Eve.  In all actuality, it is very close to two separate friends who we had plans to connect with, and the marina is still a great place to stay.  There is a good restaurant on the premises (Leverock’s) and we were considering eating NYE dinner there.

Our first meeting was over to Glenda & Alex’s condo for drinks and a wonderful dinner. They are long-time friends of the Gillespie’s from Miami and we visit them every year during our Boca Grande visits.  Glenda is a fabulous cook and Alex makes a terrific smoked salmon spread that we indulged in during fishing stories, political discussions, and college football.  Unfortunately, this is a Gator household and we are Seminoles, but we all enjoyed each other’s company and they were gracious hosts.  We love our time with them and hope to connect with them again soon.

Thursday, (12/31) – Palm Island Marina – Cape Haze, FL– Before anyone else was up in the marina, Denise was out the door to try and get a run in. Because the marina is located on a two-lane highway with little or no sidewalk paths, this was a bit of a challenge. She did manage to find an older condo complex and do several loops before heading back to the marina and logging only 3 miles. UGH! Hard to train for a half marathon under these conditions.

One of the benefits of this marina was the free washer and dryer. So shortly after the run Denise got one load in before the line formed by other boaters. We opted to let the second load wait until there was a less busy time. There are several full-time live aboard boats in the marina as well as a few seasonal transients so this is a nice perk and they all seemed to have wanted to do their laundry at the same time.

We were able to connect with our other friends Chele & Dave who used to be our neighbors in Winter Park. They moved to Englewood several years ago to take over a family business.  They live less than a half mile up the road, so Chele came by the boat with daughter Tailor and two of her friends.  We made plans to spend the evening together at their place and they took Denise to Publix (where they were also headed) so she could get a few things.

After lunch we took the dinghy out and cruised all around Palm Island and the mangroves that are just west of the marina. We saw many a pieces of real estate we would love to own, but would never be able to afford the insurance or taxes.

We cruised north to Rum Cay restaurant (on Pine Island) where we were going to go for a drink, but realized that neither of us had a wallet, money or credit card. So, we left the area and cruised back across the ICW to Cape Haze Marina. We wanted to check it out to see if there were any Loopers present.  We didn’t find any, however there were several large boats in slips and one very big Hatteras yacht on an end tie. We had a chance to speak with the woman who owns the boat and she told us they live aboard full time and now cruise all over Florida. Ah what a life!

Here are some more pictures from our dinghy ride:

It was getting late so we had to head back to the boat to get cleaned up and ready for our NYE celebrations at Chele & Dave’s. Since they live so close to the marina and the temperature was not too hot, we walked to their place. They live on the 3^rd (top) floor of the condo building and we were hoping for a spectacular sunset view. Unfortunately, it was so cloudy and overcast that we saw nothing and abandoned all hope of seeing one.

We enjoyed our time with them and meeting other friends they also had over – Dan & Agnieszka Delong with daughters Nika and Kenzie.  Knowing we would not be able to stay up until midnight, Chele was kind enough to drive us back to the marina around 9:30.  It was fairly quiet in the marina and we went right to sleep.  At midnight the celebrating and fireworks by locals in the marina and around Palm Island woke us up, but it didn’t last long and we fell back asleep quickly.

Here are some other pictures of this marina:

Friday, (1/1/2016) – Boca Grande, FL – It was a new year and the best way to start things off right was heading to one of our favorite places in Florida; Boca Grande.  But not before Denise got that second load of laundry done; easy to do since she was up before it was even light out.

While waiting on the laundry Denise talked with Jim, one of the dockhands that work at this marina. He was from the Orlando area (actually Casselberry) originally, spending 70 years there, so they had quite a bit to share. He had recently retired to Rotunda – a community not far from Cape Haze – and told her about how he had paid off his house after winning $90,000 in a FL Lottery scratch off game.  What a lucky guy!

We left Palm Island marina shortly after 10 and cruised 10 miles to Boca Grande, encountering a few dolphins who rode in our bow for a while. Denise was able to take a few pictures of them and really looked them in their eyes to her delight.

As we approached the entrance into Boca Grande, a float plane landed right behind us and followed us into the Boca Grande Bayou where we set an anchor.

This is right near the docks for the famous “Pink Elephant” restaurant, commonly known as “The Pink”.

Because this anchorage is very tight quarters and it is an active waterway to and from the inlet to the “Outlet” – a local hotel and eatery, we had to tie our stern off to the adjacent mangrove bushes (called “med mooring”).  It took us no time to set the anchor, then Mark took off in the dinghy to go tie us off.  It took a couple of tries to find the right one with the right angle for our boat so we would not swing into the constant boat traffic.   While it was busy during the day, it settled down and night and we found a great protective anchorage for our boat.

Shortly after lunch we left the boat and went exploring on our dinghy. We had been in these waters before on a rental boat, but now we had our dinghy and went all around the place; in and out of coves and around some of the most beautiful homes (aka mansions) we have ever seen.  There is big money here and the yachts are plentiful in the back of people’s homes. We have also seen a plethora of Back Coves and Sabre Yachts here – probably more than in any single location to date.  We knew we were in good company.

We arrived back at the boat sweaty and hot. Fortunately, we had left the generator going and the AC cranked so we could get showers and feel refreshed after the fun dinghy ride.  We had tried to get reservations for the upper dining room at “The Pink”, but they were sold old as this is high season here.  Fortunately, they have a downstairs where casual dining is first-come first serve, and we arrived at 5:30 in time to get a great seat inside.  Within 15 minutes the place was packed and by the time we left there was a long line waiting to get inside.

After dinner we walked around parts of the village (of BG) and took in the sights. We noticed that they had built new cottages that are part of the Gasparilla Inn across the street from the Neil Bush house (yes of GW and W Bush fame) that had previously been a vacant lot. We also noticed how crowded the streets and restaurants all were, and how many people were milling about. It is so different here in January (busy time of year) compared to May when we usually come.  We think we like May better when it is mostly locals.

When we got back to the boat we turned off the generator so that we could remain good citizens with the other boats in the anchorage (generators are loud and disturb the peace). Outside it had cooled down since sunset, but it still made for an uncomfortable evening sleeping.  This has been one hot Florida December.

Saturday, (1/2/2016) – Boca Grande, FL – We were eating breakfast at the anchorage when we heard this loud rushing noise that sounded like water coming from a huge drain pipe.  When we looked out the window of the boat to see its source we were treated to an amazing display of small fish jumping in the water, being chased by bigger fish who were being chased by birds. It was an amazing display of nature and the food chain in action, and the kind of sight you don’t get to see when in a marina.

We had intended to stay a second night anchored in the Bayou as the price was right (free) and it is well protected. But because it was so hot and we didn’t want to run the generator all night for the AC, we made the decision to see if we could get into the Boca Grande Marina for Saturday.  We toyed with the idea of just heading south, but we really wanted to stay here one more night so we could go to mass at our favorite little church; “Our Lady of Mercy” either Saturday night or Sunday morning.

Mark called the (BG) marina and they were able to take us as most all the holiday boats had left and there was plenty of room available. This was a splurge as they are ridiculously expensive ($3.25 night), but the service is unprecedented and it afforded us the ability to walk to everything in BG without launching the dinghy. So we moved the boat to the same marina that 20 years ago provided fuel and ice to us on High Flight (our old sailboat) before we headed through Boca Grande pass to Ft Jefferson and the Dry Tortugas. Ah the circle of life!

We spent a good bit of the day working on plans for future ports in the FL Keys. Mark was able to secure a stay at the Marathon Yacht Club in February and we tentatively planned our stops along the FL west coast after Ft. Myers. In the meantime the wind began to pick up significantly and many boats came into the marina either to eat lunch at the onsite restaurant Docksides, or to stay for the night.  One boat that came it was “Holiday” – a 65’ Marlow Yacht that Denise recognized as they approached.  Sure enough it was Chuck and Sandy from Aspen, CO whom we met in Annapolis, MD and who live on their boat 8 months of the year. They spent all summer up in New England and were making their way to Naples for the rest of the winter.

We decided to go to mass on Saturday, leaving Sunday morning for Denise to get a run in before we shoved off and headed south. So we made our way to “Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church” for the 4:00 mass, only to discover that the two Saturday vigil masses (4 pm & 5pm) they have in winter – instead of just one – was not starting until next Saturday. This misfortune turned into a wonderful encounter with a family from Alpharetta, Georgia.

We met Sylvia and Dan Duarte and their 5 children (Peter, Andrew, Matthew, Teresa, Nathan & Catherine) and Sylvia’s parents Luis & Isabella who are originally from Portugal. They too thought mass would be at 4:00 and therefore were early for the 5:00 mass.  We got to spend a delightful 45 minutes getting to know them and talking about our shared Catholic faith and their lives in Alpharetta (an Atlanta suburb we know quite well).  We learned that Isabella’s father and Grandfather were present in Fatima, Portugal for the “Miracle of the Sun” that took place there in 1917.  You can learn more about this phenomenal world event here.  We then sat behind them in mass and watched as all 5 children were on their best behavior.  They were a delightful family and we so enjoyed meeting them.

We also felt especially privileged to attend mass at this church as it is designated as one of the “Doors of Mercy” churches by the diocese of Venice, FL. This is a distinction afforded certain Catholic churches in response to Pope Francis’s declaration of the “Year of Mercy”.  You can learn more about this here.

After church we walked to “Sisters” an Italian restaurant that has great food and is the most affordable place on the entire island. Mark got his usual Chicken Parmesan and Denise got Eggplant Parmesan, both portions sufficient enough to take back to the boat for another meal.

We returned to the marina after dark and found the north wind had kicked up quite a fetch. All the boats were rocking and ours was no exception. There were only two boats that were not moving, one was our friends on “Holiday” (65’ Marlow), and the other was the 137’ custom yacht “Hilarium” that was in the private slip area.  This place is definitely a playground for the very wealthy.

Sunday, (1/3/2016) – Pelican Bay, FL – Taking advantage of the marina and a known town, Denise began the day with a 6.5 mile run.  It is so hard to run this distance without running buddies to help make the miles go by in conversation, but she was able to do get it done by knowing the path down to the lighthouse, state park and through the village.

Once back on the boat and with breakfast completed, we checked out and pulled away from the dock. With no other boats near us, Denise was able to get some practice in such windy conditions and not have to worry about crashing our Island Office. While Mark cleaned up the lines and the fenders, Denise made progress out of the marina and back into Charlotte Harbor. It was a short 5 mile run across Charlotte Harbor to Pelican Bay and the anchorage across from Cayo Costa State Park.

We had been looking forward to putting the boat in this anchorage and then using the dinghy to go to Cabbage Cay for hamburgers. With overcast skies we made plans to head out for lunch, but not soon enough as the rains started and thwarted our efforts. It rained all afternoon and the wind blew strong which kept us from taking out the paddle board or the dinghy. It was just too wet and windy.

Mark made use of the afternoon by reading the Waterway Guide and trying to determine more specifics about our tentative itinerary, while Denise worked on this blog post. It was around 4:00 when we heard the bilge pump kick in and discovered water was flowing into the bilge from a hose connected to our water tanks.  We quickly turned off the water pump which stopped the water flow, and Mark preceded to investigate further.  It didn’t take long to discover that there was a crack in our new fitting put on by the folks at Dog River Marina in Mobile. We attempted to patch the hard plastic fitting with “safety tape”, but it just wouldn’t hold up to the pressure of the pump without leaking. We now had our 3^rd mechanical boat problem on the Loop.

We considered our options including pulling the anchor and going into a marina where we could use the inline water system. However, it was too late to make it to a marina before dark, even to Captiva which was the closest place. So, we opted for staying in the anchorage and living without any running water on the boat.  Since we have bottled water we could use for brushing teeth and drinking, this was not critical. It just meant it would be tomorrow before we could shower, and we would have to use bottled water to flush the head (toilet) if required. Of course Mark had one other option that Denise did not have!

This did mean that we would have to leave at first light, and that we would not get to spend time in this beautiful area we love. We had hopes of “playing” here one more day before heading to Ft. Myers, but with more bad weather approaching and now this problem, we must go where this can get fixed.

The anchorage here is beautiful and there were less than 10 boats in an area that could easily handle many more. We felt very comfortable and didn’t rock near as much as in the marina in BG the night before. Usually we would be able to see a million stars in this place, but with the overcast skies we didn’t even see the sun today. No sunset, no stars and no moon made for a dark night.

The good news is that with the generator fixed we were able to use it to power our lights, computers, cell phones and the microwave. Dinner was leftover pasta from “Sisters” and we got in a little reading before turning in for the night.

Monday, (1/4/2016) – Ft Myers, FL – As soon as it was daylight we left the Pelican Bay anchorage. The weather outlook was not good and it wasn’t worth wasting time, plus with our water pipe issue we needed to get to a marina to get it fixed.  Dining at Cabbage Cay, exploring Cayo Costa and “SUPping” around the anchorage would have to wait for another time.

We headed back into the ICW where the wind was really blowing already, but fortunately we were going in the same direction and the cruise wasn’t bad. We pulled into South Seas Resort on Captiva to fill up with fuel, and then fought an awful headwind going back out into the ICW for a short run.

After that it was a direct cruise down the ICW then a left turn up the Caloosahatchee River into Ft. Myers, passing along the towns of St. James and Cape Coral, FL

We had made the decision to stay downtown versus Ft. Myers Beach as the Legacy Marina is an ALGCA sponsor, they offer good discounts, and our friends Tim & Karen (“TiKa”) keep their boat here.

We arrived to greetings from Pete (“Endoxi”) and pulled into a very nice slip not far from the marina office. Shortly after checking in we met up with him and Pam, as well as Sharri & Rodney (“Sassified”) – all of whom we traveled with down the Tennessee and Tombigbee waterways.  Since they are leaving tomorrow we made plans to go to dinner together later.  We then went back to the boat to give the outside a good scrubbing as it was covered in salt.  We also made a temporary repair to the waterline fitting until we were able to get a replacement part, or someone to help us fix it.  Once this was done we were able to use the inline water system on the boat and get our showers.

We joined Pete, Pam, Sharri, and Rodney for dinner at Ford’s Garage in downtown Ft. Myers. It is a 10 minute walk from the marina and in an area where there are several restaurants and shops.

The place is totally decorated in everything Ford cars, including the sink fixtures and the door handle in the bathrooms.

Although this restaurant is an expanding SW FL chain, this is the site of the original, and it comes equipped with an old “Model A” car hanging from the ceiling in the bar.  The food was really good with all types of burgers being their specialty. However, there was a lot of other good menu choices including items for those who prefer vegan or gluten free.  You can learn more about this place here.

We had a lot of fun and discussed our plans to meet up again further down the coast, and for our extended stays in the Keys.

Stay tuned for more of our adventure!

We are finally back on the water after what seemed like an eternity on land. We had left the boat in Carrabelle and went home for the Thanksgiving holiday hoping to return the following week to cross the northeast corner of the Gulf of Mexico.  Unfortunately, Mother Nature had her own plans and decided that when we were available, she would kick up some high seas cancelling our plans for the 150 mile journey.  Again we had to postpone the departure, working around Mark’s two business trips to clients.  Finally, the planets aligned and we got a good weather window that coincided with available time.

Of course we were not idle when we were home. We were able to visit with family in Tallahassee and Orlando, and we had a nice Thanksgiving meal with Mark’s family in Oviedo. We also got some Christmas lights and decorations put up at the house, Christmas cards created & mailed, and we tended to weeds and bushes in the yard that needed attention. Denise completed the Space Coast Half Marathon (3^rd year in a series of 5), managed to get some holiday baking done, and get in several fun runs with her running buddies.  Not only was this good for the waistline, it was good for her mental state.

We had much to be thankful for this year as we have safely traveled over 4100 nm with very few issues. We are also thankful for the many family members and friends who have helped us make this adventure possible.  Whether it was getting and processing mail (Mom), watching over our house (Kim & Mark), transporting us to and from the boat (Claire – double thank you!), or just calling to check on us.  We really do appreciate all that you have done for us.

Here is our latest on our adventures:

Friday, (12/11) – Carrabelle, FL – It was a beautiful morning leaving Carrabelle and we pulled away from the dock as the sky began to shed the darkness of night revealing a glorious sunrise.  Right as we left the Carrabelle channel to the GICW, we were greeted by a dolphin who frolicked in front of the boat for a while. We took this as a sign for a good day on the water.

We rounded Dog Island and headed into the Gulf of Mexico just before 7:00 am to a spectacular morning. As forecasted, there was little wind and the water was pretty flat. Within the first thirty minutes we passed the only visual sighting of anything we would have for most of the day – a radio tower that stands about 100’ high.

Yes, Jeanne, we spent most of the day looking at the sea as there was no land in sight; not even another boat until sometime after 1:30 pm.

Eventually we spotted more boats and the power plant stack on land in Tarpon Springs.

We entered the cut to the South of Anclote Key and turned to enter the now re-started GICW along with a charter fishing boat. The water was pretty and we were once again greeted by a few dolphins as we made our way south.

In no time at all we were through the Dunedin Causeway Bridge and tied up to our slip at Marker 1 Marina. It took us 9 hours and we could not have asked for better conditions to go the distance.  This was the longest mileage we traveled in a single day since this Loop adventure began on April 13^th.

The marina was full of other Looper boats, most of whom we had previously met. These included friends on “Something Special”, “Corkscrew”, “Elizabear”, “Chasing 80”, “Manana”, and “Sunny Daze”.  Also in the marina were several new Back Cove and Sabre Yacht cruising boats for sale, as there is a dealer here for these boats.  In fact, we had visited this marina and almost purchased a Back Cove three years ago by this very broker. As luck would have it we ran into him at the marina office when checking in.

In the evening we decided to watch a DVD we had borrowed from friends at home. We have been trying to play catch-up on the Hunger Games series and had watched the first while home at Thanksgiving. We then borrowed the DVD of the second in the series (“Catching Fire”) to close out a very busy and long day.

Saturday, (12/12) – Dunedin, FL – As we left Carrabelle with little food on the boat, we needed to pick up a few things to get us through the week.  Denise rode her bike to Publix located a quarter mile from the marina.  It was a little bit of a challenge to carry the three bags of groceries on the bike, but the cooler tote we got at the AGLCA Rendezvous in May came in handy and kept everything cool as well.

While at the store, Mark fixed the starboard side navigation light that went out as we left Carrabelle. Initially we thought it was a burnt-out bulb, but come to find out some contacts were corroded and once cleaned, the light worked without issue.  The problem is little things like this don’t come with an owner’s manual on how to take the thing apart, so most of the time is spent figuring that out. The goal is to do the repair without breaking anything else in the process. However, what should be a 5 minute job ends up taking an hour. Hey, it’s a boat!

We also took around the marina property, exploring the pool area and the nice community room where they had put up some decorations for Christmas. They also had a few fun things and we clowned around a bit.  Here are some pictures of the marina area:

In the afternoon we spent time planning the rest of the week and making reservations at marinas further south. We had been in touch with our niece Jeanette who lives in Tampa. We planned to move the boat to St. Petersburg on Sunday so we could visit with her and her family at a venue that was closer to them.  However we were having difficulty squeezing in their available time on Sunday, while allowing for us to move the boat to St. Pete, as well as finding a place to go to church either here in Dunedin, or in St. Pete that would fit these timeframes.  When all was said and done, we made the decision to stay in Dunedin for one more night, and they would to come up and visit us on Sunday.

Also in the afternoon we met Russell and Karen who had just taken possession of a brand new Back Cove 37 like ours. We spent a lot of time showing them our boat and what we had added to it and why.  They took pictures and asked lots of questions, but we were happy to share what we have learned.  They were going to name their boat “Southern Comfort” and were preparing to leave on Monday to take it through the Okeechobee waterway and up the east coast to their home in North Carolina.

In the evening we met up with our now Gold Looper friends Bill & Donna Nielsen (“Renegade”) who completed their Loop in November. They live near Crystal River and made the drive down to have dinner with us.  They took us to Ozona Blue Grilling Company in Palm Harbor which is at the marina where they keep their boat (now up for sale). The food was really good and we had a great time talking about our mutual adventures since Canada.  We had traveled the entire TSW with them, and separated in Georgian Bay, so we had lots of catching up to do.  It was so great to see them and we felt honored that they would make the drive to see us.

It was late by the time we got back to the boat and we were tired so we called it a day and went to bed.

Sunday, (12/13) – Dunedin, FL – Since our plans had changed to stay in Dunedin one more night, we now had flexibility as to which mass to attend.  So, we slept in a little this morning, and then used our bikes to ride the 2.5 miles along the Pinellas Trail to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

This is a big parish and was quite crowded for the 9:30 mass, which was also presenting the new Candidates and Catechumens who were embarking on the journey to become Catholic.  The mass lasted well over an hour and it was a bit warm when we finally left. The good news is most of the ride was tree-covered and offered shade.

The Pinellas Trail is a bike and pedestrian path that runs through Pinellas County and stretches from Tarpon Springs in the north, to St. Petersburg in the south. It passes through the towns of Palm Harbor Dunedin, Clearwater, Largo, Seminole, South Pasadena, and Gulfport for a total of just over 38 miles. You can learn more about this linear parkland here.  It is really pretty and a great way to get around this area.

Along the way in Dunedin, the trail passes behind homes that line both sides of the path (very similar to parts of the Cady Way trail in Winter Park). One home in particular caught our attention as it had a very fun looking backyard with pool, outdoor sofas, and a terrific Tiki bar. On our way back from church the owner, Tom was setting up for the usual NFL Sunday so we stopped to talk with him and a few of his friends.  This is a first class Tiki bar equipped with two flat panel TVs, high-end bar stools, a surfboard for a stand-up bar table, and all the decorations – including those on the roof he put up for Christmas. Every Sunday that Tampa Bay is playing they gather to cheer on their team and have fun. This is not open to the public, but if you showed up with wings in hand, and a Buccaneer shirt on, we are sure he would invite you to stay.

We were not back at the boat very long before niece Jeanette, her husband Reed, and their adorable three girls showed up to visit. We all went to lunch at Frenchy’s Outpost – a local restaurant that has several locations in the Bay area.

Then we all went back to our Island Office.  We were hoping to be able to take them out on the boat, but it was too windy and we didn’t think the girls would like the rocking they would encounter.  So we allowed the girls to explore all the nooks and crannies of the boat, play with our flashlights, gave them some paper to draw things, and took some pictures. Before long it was time for them to leave. We really enjoyed the visit and appreciated them making the drive up from Tampa as we probably will not get to see them at Christmas.

In the evening the Loopers got together for the usual Docktail hour – organized this time by Mark. The marina has a covered patio area near the office that has two big tables and lots of chairs. It is perfect for such a gathering and there were many of us there.  It was fun to talk to new and old friends alike and learn from each other.

One thing that we learned was that the Tampa airport was the same distance from the marina, as it was from St. Pete Municipal Marina where we were going to move the boat on Monday. As the reason for going there was to see Jeanette and her family and that was no longer a factor, we made the decision not to go to St. Petersburg Muni Marina.  In fact, if Marker 1 had sufficient space, we were happy to stay here while Mark traveled to Ohio to see a client.  The rate was cheaper and there is easy access to many things from the marina.  We agreed to find out if this was possible from the office first thing in the morning.

After docktails, we are a quick pizza dinner on the boat and then began to watch the third Hunger Games (“Mockingjay – Part I) movie. Unfortunately, about half way through the movie, we both were falling asleep and we decided to stop it and go to bed.

Monday, (12/14) – Dunedin, FL – In the morning Denise was able to get in a nice run to and down the Pinellas Trail and back.  It was a little spooky at first because it was still dark, but there were enough other runners and cyclists that she felt safe and eventually it became daylight.

Today, we opted to do a deep cleaning our floating home. Mark scrubbed all the salt off the exterior of the boat (from the Gulf crossing) while Denise dusted, vacuumed, polished stainless steel, and cleaned the floors.  It is amazing how fast the boat gets dirty; after all we had only been on it for 3 days.

In the morning we were also able to secure our slip here in the marina for the rest of the week, so we cancelled our St. Pete reservations. This means that Friday we will have further to move the boat in order to stay on our schedule to have it in Sarasota for next Monday, but we are sure we can do this without sacrificing desired stopping points.

After lunch Mark had a conference call and some work to do for clients. Denise began cataloging pictures and started this blog update, which always seems to take longer than planned.

At 4:00 the Loopers got together for an earlier-than-usual Docktail hour and a “White Elephant” Christmas gift exchange. The rule was to bring something from your boat that you no longer wanted to keep or haul. We had replaced a potable water hose before Thanksgiving and we were still carrying the old one, so this was our contribution.  It was lots of fun and we ended up getting a bottle of Margarita Mix – unfortunately, we don’t have the tequila onboard to mix it with!

During this time, Mark was picked up by Enterprise as we had rented a car to use to take him to the Tampa airport in the morning, and for Denise to use the rest of the day.

We had a light dinner aboard the boat and then finished watching “Mockingjay Part I”; we are now ready to see the last movie in the series (“Mockingjay Part II) at the theater when we are home for Christmas.

Tuesday, (12/15) – Dunedin, FL – Mark had a 6:20 a.m. flight out of Tampa airport, so we were up very early to make the 20 mile drive south.  Denise returned to the boat for breakfast and some morning emails, and then headed out to explore.  She took advantage of the rental car to do several errands, including shopping for a few Christmas gifts, and some sightseeing.

She headed first to downtown Dunedin to walk through the shops and explore the marina there. It is a very cute town with lots of restaurants and interesting shops, and it was all dressed up with beautiful Christmas decorations.  Denise was sorry Mark wasn’t there to see it.  The Pinellas Trail runs right through the heart of town, and it looked like a great place to stop for lunch on a full day of cycling.

Here are some other pictures from downtown Dunedin:

After running some errands in the Dunedin area, she drove up to Tarpon Springs, where it is really like two towns in one. The first area to see were the Sponge docks which run along the waterfront near the marina.  This is a very touristy area with lots of ticky-tacky souvenir shops and a plethora of Greek restaurants (there is a huge Greek community here).  She was glad we made the decision to stay in Dunedin not here after Carrabelle.

The second part of Tarpon Springs is the downtown area, loaded almost exclusively with antique shops, a few bars, and a Historical Museum in the old Train Depot. It is quite small and there is not much to see during the week. Here are some pictures of these sights:

However, the more interesting area is just west of the main street. Here there are two beautiful connected parks (Craig & Coburn parks) surrounding the water and are bordered by streets with old Victorian and quaint homes.  Several of the streets have some pretty large houses, many which are on the Tarpon Bayou or branches from that. This is also where the Tarpon Springs Yacht club is located. The water eventually leads to the GICW.  It was a really pretty part of Tarpon Springs and worth the short drive to see it all.  Here are some pictures from this area:

Eventually, Denise had to return the rental car, and it took forever for Enterprise to get her back to the marina; despite showing up when they told her it was “slow”. One thing we will not miss when we are done the Loop is the transportation challenges we have faced.

A note for other Loopers who read this blog: There is a trolley that runs in this area and will take you to and from downtown Dunedin and/or Tarpon Springs, however, they only run on the weekends. If you wish to travel on the weekdays, you will need to use the city bus, get a car, or bike the trail.

The evening was quiet and most of the Loopers kept to themselves, as did Denise. She ate leftovers for dinner and started to watch the Republican debate on TV until she was too tired and eventually called it a day.

That is our update for now – stay tuned for more adventures soon!