Subject: The Great Adventure South



Ahoy Everyone: 02/09 - WE FINALLY MADE IT TO KEY WEST!!! HELLO TO THE 
CONCH REPUBLIC



01/28 - Left Vero for Jensen Beach. Used our new anchor for the first 
time. People anchor behind causeway's to get some wind protection on 
the ICU (ICW). It works. Anchor held in 15 kns.



01/29 - To Old Port Cove Marina in North Palm Beach. Ran into the 
original owners of Magic who have a condo here. Couldn't believe it 
after 18 years they recognized the boat and new it was us. They loved 
this boat and called it their little boy. Oops we changed the gender. 
It's a girl now!!. Great to see them and they may join us in Key West 
later. They now own a little power boat. We also met Gene and Marla 
Meirs here. We had been in touch by phone trying to find a place to 
meet. They are camping so we had to find something near by. Well they 
found us and took us to their campground to see their super 5th wheel 
camper and then we went out to dinner. Had a very fun time. They gave 
us lots of tips and tricks for the waterway. Never know who you will 
meet on the waterway. What an amazing day.

Home

01/30 - To Lantana to pick up our mail. Staying at the Palm Beach 
Yacht Center. Sounds better than it was. Mostly stack and store for 
small fishing boats. Sent a box of girl scout cookies to the troops in 
Iraq. Who doesn't love those cookies??



01/31 - Lying Lantana and paying bills whoopee!! Bought some grocery's 
and we are off again.



02/01 - To Pompano Beach and the Sands Harbor Hotel and Marina. Hey 
they have a pool and a pool bar. Marina and hotel is kind of run down 
but the beach is only a block away. Took walks on the beach at every 
opportunity. Beautiful beach.



02/02 - Doing laundry while swimming and pool baring. Not to bad.



02/04 - To anchorage at Biscayne Bay Bar Harbor islands. Waiting for a 
weather window to jump outside. Decided to leave ICU via Government 
Cut in Miami. Motored past Greg and Luba's boat in Hollywood. They 
are wintering their this year. Tired of some much traveling. Wind 
today is 15 to 20 kns. Too much.



02/05 - Laying Bar Harbor - Packed winter clothes away. I decided that 
we are finally thru with winter.



02/06 - Departing for Sea Isle Marina in downtown Miami for fuel and 
water to jump off to Keys. This marina charges $3.50 per ft for 
overnite plus extra for electric etc. Yikes!



02/07 - Left today via Government Cut for Rodriques Island partway to 
Marathon. Lots of activity in the cut. Big cruise ships coming an 
going, fishing boats and tugs plus ferry's running back and forth. Off 
we went Key West or Bust to the "Big O". It got a little rollie until 
we turned the corner and started heading south instead of east into 
the ocean. Once we were inside of the barrier reef the waves went 
down. We motorsailed down to our over night anchorage at Rodriques 
Island.



02/08 - Spent beautiful night at this mangrove island with a few other 
boats. had trouble setting the anchor and Tom said it never did set 
right in the sand. Don't know what that means for the future. We are 
motorsailing to Marathon. Arrived Marathon and had to stay at marina 
because their were no mooring left. They have 250 mooring buoys and 
all were taken. All the snow birds must end up in Marathon at some 
time or other. We will be leaving in the morning so we will miss the 
flea market, chili cookoff and dinghy races. Sounded like fun but we 
are pushing south. Almost there. Just one more day.



02/09 - Weather is wonderful - 80's and a good breeze ofcourse not 
from the right direction. Is it ever?? We motorsailed in the most 
beautiful neon aqua water all day. Arrived Key West and found the 
mooring buoy via lat/lon directions from Captn Ron. Blew up the 
dinghy and ran in to Key West for ice and generator fuel. It is 
diffently summertime here. We are moored off Fleming Key with a view 
of the city and the Gulf. Our multi million dollar waterfront house. 
Can't believe we made it. Lots of miles under the keel.



Today is 02/16 and we had to reprovision the food supply and try to 
get this e-mail off to all of you. I will send another and update you 
on life in the city at a later date. I think a margarita has my name 
on it so talk at you later from the Conch Republic.


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