Memsahib's Voyage

We are slowly working our way up the Keys to Miami, but it has been slow going in the “northers” (big, cold for here) north winds that seem to be sweeping through about every two days.  We caught a break getting out of Key West, but then got stuck in Marathon a couple days.

Getting “stuck” in Marathon is not such a bad deal.  We were coming in and it was raining and starting to blow.  So John and I looked at each other on the way to the mooring field with that, “Do we really want to get down the dinghy and put on the engine and go in and register and get soaked” look.  We were passing by Burdines Waterfront, where we had stayed during the Superbowl, so I gave them a call on the radio and they had the first empty slip they had had for a month.  So we pulled out Molly’s credit card, and in we went.

Burdine’s is what the Keys are all about — laid back, cats and dogs wandering around everywhere, tiki huts for shower rooms, every kind of boat imaginable, from those with varnish you could use to shave to Chinese junks.  The Chicki-Tiki  restaurant is GREAT — every kind of seafood, totally fresh with a top price of 10 bucks.  They wouldn’t let me buy ice, “Nah, you been here before, just get what you need.”

Met up with two of our favorite Loopers, Bob and Cathryn from “Next to Me.”  They had their very interesting sailing friends, Jim and Phebe, down from the North, so we  had them over to the boat for cocktails, then joined the local Looper contingent at Porky’s for dinner.  Cath will always occupy a warm place in my heart, since she was standing on the dock with a big, icy Bloody Mary for me when we pulled into Tarpon Springs after our Gulf Crossing.

Then we caught a half-day weather window to Plantation Key Harbour in Islamorada, where we were blown in for another two days.  I can’t get much of a feel for the Middle Keys.   I rode my bike for miles and about all you see is motels and schlocky restaurants amid the ridiculously heavy traffic.  The water side looked nice as we headed north, though, and our boat neighbors were very nice folks.

We crossed from the Gulf side of the Keys to the Florida Bay side after Marathon, and it is very different than anything we’ve seen yet — very shallow water, and thousands of isolated, uninhabited mangrove islands.  Since the water depth is shallow, but consistent, a small boat can go into the back country for miles and get that “backpacker” feeling of total isolation.  We are at anchor right now at Jew Point, the last wild area before we hit the Miami suburbs (and another norther) tomorrow.

Burdines

Northers bring out the sweaters and flanels for the Memsahib crew.

Loopers consuming pork at Porky’s.

Now THIS is a Wooden Boat. 1963 Trumpy, our very friendly neighbor at Islamorada.

Islamorada — plam trees, tiki, huts, water, sand. Ho hum.

Florida Bay Islands

Sailboat coming through one of the many mangrove cuts we traversed today.

Back to civilization — Key Largo

Our beautiful anchorage at Jew Point. Hard to believe we’re a five iron from Miami.

Sparta loves being at anchor, because she can go anywhere without a tether. Here she is trying to climb into the engine room through one of the vents.