1,780 miles to the Tropics

Pictures: The "soil" in Marathon and most of the other Keys is composed of coral.{except where they have trucked in loam, or have paved it over, just like in the the Bahamas); Mike and Mimi Powers with us on the Harbor Walk in Key West Bight; juggler on a tall unicycle at the Sunset Celebration in Key West; moonrise over Boot Key Harbor in Marathon; one of the sharks we saw while snorkeling at Sombrero reef off of Marathon; Ken surfacing, with Rising Tide in the background, at Sombrero reef.

Wow! A lot has happened in this past “blog time”. The Patriots have played in the Super
Bowl. That’s enough said about that.  We have been spending time in the Keys, mostly Marathon and Key West.  We had companions with us from Ft. Lauderdale and now they have gone. We were visited by very good friends Mike and Mimi and got to explore Key West with them. And we’ve been snorkeling several times and are enjoying the proximity of the reefs off of the Keys.

First of all, the mileage to this point deserves a comment. We have circled about a lot the past two months but now we have reached the southernmost point in our trip and will be heading north! So 1,780 miles is the number that we have come up with to account for our last 4 ½ months.  And these last two weeks have been tropical: very warm, very bright sun, beautiful plantings and lush greenery, birds and fish at every turn. The fruits and veggies are delicious here, and widely available, especially the citrus, mangos and avocados. We need to wear light colored clothing. Navy blue and black would be way too hot.  We need to have sunglasses and hats on at all times. Not complaining now, just reporting on the conditions in these tropics!

Our friends Peggy and Jack were with us for more than a week, traveling in their recently updated Sea Ray, keeping us company at a few restaurant meals in Marathon and letting us stop by their dock site at the city marina for a few drinks now and then. Just as they were leaving to go back to Ft. Lauderdale we got a phone call that Mike and Mimi were flying down to Florida from Massachusetts and would be in Key West for almost a week. They arrived in Marathon and spent a night and then drove to their hotel in Key West. We moved RINGING TIDE to a city dock there a few days later and overlapped with them so we could enjoy their company, take a few walks, eat out, and catch up on their news. The weather during their last two days in Key West was especially perfect.

Back on our own after Mike and Mimi left we took some bike rides through the neighborhoods in “the Conch Republic” and attended a sunset celebration in Mallory Square. We also loved the lunch on our last day at a Thai restaurant that was on a floating barge right next to our dock.

We have snorkeled at Sombrero reef, about 4 miles off of Marathon, and at Looe reef (4 miles) and Newfound Harbor Sanctuary reef (1/2 mile) off of Big Pine Key.  All three times the sea conditions were a little rough, with 2 ft. swells, but the diving was really memorable. There are moorings provided so you don’t have to anchor, and the reefs are full of fish and interesting corals. Our first glimpse under water on our first dive was of barracuda, sharks, and colorful reefs fish looking for shelter under our hull.

The weather should be stable enough tomorrow or the next day for our next direction, into the Everglades National Park. We are preparing by having enough fuel, food and water to get us through a week in an area that is full of wildlife but not full of supplies.  We had a preview of the quieter side when we were in the harbor at Big Pine Key on the way back from Key West. The water was perfectly clear, the stars were very bright; we expect more of this in the Everglades as there are no cities near and the boating activity is lighter.

It’s time to head north, to the 130 miles of Everglades coastline in southwestern Florida.