Sombrero Beach FL

By Capt. Scott Buckley
Location: Sombrero Key
We took an outing to the beach.  We loaded up the blowup dinghy and headed down Sister Creek to the state park that has a nice beach on the Atlantic Ocean.
 
Surprisingly there were actually a lot of fish, urchins and jellies on the reef.   The sand was very nice and clean . 
The water was a little chilly and was a little murky but once you were in you quickly got use to it.

A Day Trip to Key West

By Capt. Scott Buckley
Location: Florida Keys
We made a trip to Key West to Explore the area like tourists.  There is a bus that runs from Marathon to Key West everyday.  There is a schedule but it is written in some ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics so actually understanding it is rather difficult.  Fortunately the bus drivers have not read the schedule either. 

The buses were pretty nice and the ride to Key West is about 2 hrs and only cost $8 each.   We got to see a lot of the other Florida Keys on the way over to Key West.
We jumped off the bus at the Harbor and had a walkabout.  There were some beautiful schooners in port.

 
We stopped and grabbed some breakfast in the harbor.

We went to the Aquarium.


We walked to the southern most point in the USA.

We toured the oldest house in the USA, drank some beer and generally had a great time.

The Rhythm of Cruising in Boot Key Harbor

By Capt. Scott Buckley
Location Boot Key Harbor Florida
I have not written in a while and I will say I was getting used to the rhythm of cruising in Boot Key Harbor.  It is the most comfortable word I can find to describe what it feels like.  A gentle and subtle rhythm.  It has ups and downs and musical components.  It has repetition interspersed with periods of rest.  It has excitement, romance and serenity. 

It feels like waking up on Saturday over and over again.  It feels like all the parts of a vacation over and over again.  It does not feel like routine.  It does not have the melancholy that you get at the end of a vacation when you know it will be over tomorrow.

The components of the rhythm has adventure interspersed with the mundane and a chorus of new friends that understand and live in the rhythm with you.

Every evening in Boot Key harbor just as the sun goes below the horizon the cruiser sound their conch shell horns.  Each horn and horn blower has and unique and individual note.  They are play separately and together and the song they play at sunset is different each night and becomes part of the rhythm.


The wrap wrap wrap of someone knocking on your hull as they pass by to see if you are there and want to visit.  This includes a little dance as they stand up on their dinghy deciding if they are going stand there on their dinghy holding onto the side of your boat or go ahead and come on board knowing it will be hours before they get underway again.  It is their decision, the invitation has been offered and the decline has not been fully accepted.


The rhythm is the wind whistling in the rigging and deciding the laundry can wait another day.  The rhythm is the slapping of the oars on the water as they row to this chore or that.  The rhythm is the cruisers net on the radio as you welcome new arrivals, say good bye to old friends and offer help to those that request it.  The rhythm is the ebb and flow of the little boats at the dinghy dock.

There is rhythm to the events of Boot Key Harbor.  The weekly pump outs give the rhythm some funk.  The weekly musical jam sessions at the tiki hut give notes to the beat. The weekly movie night add color and the weekly yoga classes give strength.  The daily cruiser’s net on the radio give the place community.
There is a rhythm to the weather that pumps sailors and their boats to the island like a giant heart.  The cold fronts blow through and cause the winds to clock.  As the winds clock around the cold front the sailor get ready and head from the mainland to the islands from 5 until 9.  As the winds clock the sailors make their plans and gather in great excitement asking; “Are you going?..Are you going?”.  As the time draws near the the winds are passing from 2 o’clock to 4 the harbor looks like a musical stage as sailors dance back and forth making ready and all dancing the same dance.  Cruiser dance this dance together, sharing rides, asking questions, offering advice.

When the winds hit 5 o’clock the anchors are weighed the sails are raised and the harbor is emptied of its nervous first timers and its confident veterans for the next batch of new arrivals.  The rhythm continues.

Marathon, FL and Boot Key Harbor

By Capt. Scott Buckley

Position: 24 42' 19"N, 081 05' 32"W

Progress towards destination: 1050 nm

We left Naples, FL about 5:30AM to head to Little Shark River to anchor for the night.  We passed Marco Island to port and transited SE passed the Thousand Island area.  The crab and lobster traps were everywhere but not so contested it was difficult to pass.  That would come later in Florida Bay. 

Leaving Little Snake River 

Little Shark was pretty easy to approach however I was apprehensive after reading the Active Captain reviews of this anchorage.  All the warnings about shoaling had me on the edge of my seat.  No shoaling was noted and there was plenty of depth and good holding.  A weak front blew thru that night and Kooky Dance did not drag her anchor an inch.  We still set the anchor alarm and I was up every couple of hours to check on things.  The sailing boat next to us drug anchor about 300 ft but there was plenty of room and she got into no trouble.  They were working their way north and left early in the AM for Marco Island.  

The anchorage was beautiful and we would have liked to stay longer to explore it further.  The coming weather was favorable for getting to Marathon and delay would mean we would miss that weather window. We set sail around 7AM which is late for us.  We headed south to round Cape Sable and turned slightly to the east toward Marathon.

We arrived in Marathon as previously scheduled on 16-Nov (Sunday) as planned. The weather was just about perfect.  In fact we had to run the engine for most of the trip because the winds were so light.  The challenge on this leg was the crab and lobster traps.  In some places they were so dense there was little room for Kooky Dance to pass.

Getting this far is a major milestone for us.  We had to sail into the Atlantic Ocean to get to Boot Key Harbor.  We have left the Gulf of Mexico behind and there is a possibility we will not see it again for a long time.
We are now reviewing our options.  There is a very lively cruiser community here in Marathon and one option would be to stay here.  I connected with an old school mate from Rock Hall MD that I have not seen in 35 years.  It was a real pleasure to run into Bill and Anita Jamar.  They have been very generous with their time and their home.



 The original option of going onto the Bahamas is still in play but we both would like a break from voyaging and would like to explore and enjoy a location before moving on.  We also need to watch the weather.  To cross the Gulf Stream requires a specific set of weather conditions before it can be crossed easily.  It is not to be taken lightly.  I may say more about this in another blog that is more technical than this one.

Restrooms, Showers, Shopping, Laundry, Etc........

Amenities - By First Mate Tamera

Scott has done a wonderful job detailing the logistics of passages and weather but I want to cover some of the other aspects of our ports.  For each stop I will tell what I remember about some of the comforts of port such as restrooms, showers, & laundry.

Delcambre, LA
At this stop since it was "winter" there was not enough water to stay at the marina slips so they put us on the public boat slips about 1/8th of a mile from the actual marina.

Restrooms
The restrooms were, oh shall I say.... rustic.  At the dock there was two port-o-pottys and were shared with the public boat ramp and the public fishing pier.  At the actual marina there was a restroom/shower trailer for the marina guests use.  These restroom facilities reminded me of airline restrooms, very small but functional.

Showers
The shower facilities were like I said at the actual marina a brisk walk  by road away.  The marina staff would give us a ride from the public dock to the RR/Shower trailer if you could get a hold of them.  The showers were small and had a pull chain (kinda like they use on M*A*S*H*) which if you are not coordinated can be difficult to use (don't ask how I know).

Shopping
The closest shopping was a convenience store approximately 1.2 miles from the public dock.  We were fortunate to have friends in the area and gave Scott a lift to get some supplies like ice. 

Laundry
They did not have any laundry facilities and the closest was 10 miles.  Once again those great friends we have in the area helped us out.  They went above and beyond and took our laundry home and brought it back to the boat the following day.

Dockage
The public dock was OK.  It was a fixed dock but it had long finger piers so boarding was easy.  Since it was public a lot of people were fishing off the dock and the shrimp bait in the hot sun made for interesting (phew) smells at the end of the day.

 

Grocery
There are not any grocery facilities within walking or even biking distance.  Again like the laundry it is about 10 miles to the nearest real grocery store.

Pensacola, FL
The marina is part of a marina/restaurant facility. Having said that, the restroom is also part of the marina/restaurant facility.  When the restaurant was busy so was the restroom facilities.  Nature was having some fun with us by making her call to boaters and restaurant guests at the exact same time.  The facilities were located really close to our slip and needed a code to get in the restroom and the marina gate.

Restrooms
I kinda felt sorry for the restaurant patrons that had to share a restroom with dirty ole sailors after a long passage.  Anyhow, in the ladies room they had 3 toilets stalls and a secret door that housed the shower.  The mens room had one toilet and one urinal and a secret door that housed the shower.  I say secret door because there is no sign indicating it is a shower, you just open it up hope it is the shower and not some weird entrance into the restaurant.

Showers
The shower room was huge but the shower stall was very tiny, really hard to even turn around, but no chain to coordinate (or uncoordinate) with and it was clean.  Clean is very important but not always part of the free restrooms/showers equation.

Shopping
With a nice 6 block walk you can shop, eat and browse.  There is a neat little tourist shopping area and even a few useful stores like pharmacy and general supplies.  Several pubs, bars and drinking spots for the menfolk visit.

Laundry
Here we go with the secret doors again.  The washer and dryer was located behind a secret door.  One washer and one dryer, oddly enough the waitstaff from the restaurant would use the tops of the washer and dryers to roll up the silverware in the napkins....I hope that is all they did on top of the washer/dryers.  The cost was $1.50 to wash and $1.50 to dry.  Dryers worked good and got the clothes dry in one cycle.  There was no place to fold laundry except on top of the washer/dryers....well we know what happens on top of those :)

Dockage
Floating Docks - I love floating docks.  The dock master comes out to help you tie up.  Nice long piers, water and power.  They wobbled a little bit or maybe that was just us after being on the boat for two weeks.

Grocery
What is it with grocery?  The closest was 5 miles away.  Luckily we had a renal car and could drive to the grocery.  There was not even a convenience store close by to grab a snack or an icee.

White City, FL
This stop was a free dock.  We like free but free often means very little amenities. 

Restrooms
The restroom was part of a small park area near a public boat launch.  Now remember it's winter...there is no hot water or heat for that matter in the restrooms.  I was just happy to have toilet paper in a free dock.  We did have to take our own soap and paper towels to wash our hands and face.

Showers
There are no shower facilities here unless you want to wash up in the above described restroom sink.  Oh yeah the lights did not work.  In fact they did not even have a bulb in the light fixture.  You had to bring your own light as well.

Shopping
The only nearby shopping was a convenience store about 1 mile from the public boat launch.  The usual convenience store items like beer, ice, lottery tickets, condoms, etc...I did not even see White City souvenir coffee cups, cozies or hats, what's up with that?

Laundry
None - I did not expect any laundry facilities.

Dockage 
Well it was free.....it was a floating pier dock that had enough water for our 5 foot draft boat to cuddle up with to ride out a gale.  No frills, no fuss - just us, inconsiderate fishermen and lots of vultures flying overhead.

Grocery
The little convenience store was well stocked of well convenience food items like chips, snacks, beef jerky, bread, milk and eggs.  There was an assortment of insects in small containers in the store but I am guessing they were not for snacking. They also had a little hot meal section with hot dogs, roasted chicken and fried something unidentified...too afraid to ask what it was.  No real grocery stores anywhere close, we were in the boonies.

Clearwater, FL
This was our stop after our long, long, long, cold, cold, cold, overnight passage from White City.  Let me tell you after a long sloppy passage the White City facilities even sounded wonderful.  Fortunately, Clearwater was a big step up. 

Restrooms
The restrooms were clean.  They had two rooms that each had a toilet and a sink and two rooms that each had a shower.  The restrooms were in the far and I mean far corner of the marina facility. If you had to go really bad you hand to pinch your butt cheeks and walk like a penguin really fast and hope nobody stops to talk about well....anything.

Showers
I am not sure who designed these showers but they should give up their designing job.  The shower rooms were one big shower stall.  There was not any place to put your towels and dry clothes.  The best you could hope for was to put the dry stuff in a far corner and try not to splash water in that direction.  But who am I to complain after no real shower for several days...only a solar shower using only 2 gallons of water.

Shopping
Again, a little tourist shopping district nearby.  The usual pubs, deli's, art galleries and cafes.  One day there was a farmers market that was more like of a teeny tiny flea market (The Captain is chuckling about "teeny tiny flea market").  It is about a 4-5 block walk uphill.  The first time I thought I was going to die walking uphill, the second time I did die. JK, LOL, OMG and SHIT (I hate walking uphill).

Laundry
They had one washer and one dryer at the same building as the restrooms/showers.  Fortunately there are not any laundry urgency like the restroom urgency described earlier.  $2.00 to wash and $2.00 to "dry" - the dryer did not fully dry in one cycle.  You could put in another $2.00 or be a frugal ole sailor like me and hang them all over the boat to complete the drying cycle.  No place to fold clothes and no trash can for lint trap debris.  No place to sit and wait for your partially dry clothes.

 

Dockage
Once again, my favorite floating docks.  We originally were going to Clearwater BEACH marina to be close to the beach action.  When we arrived there they were nasty fixed piers that our boat, captain and first mate could not tolerate.  So we went to Clearwater HARBOR marina with nice floating docks for the same price.  Score.....
The dock masters work hard to keep the bird poop from building up on the docks.  They use several methods like spinning thingy with red flags, a loud obnoxious digital recording of a bird of prey and and lots of tourist walking on the docks.  The last one kinda backfires because the tourist LOVE to feed the birds and we all know what happens after birds eat....guano....lots and lots of guano.

Grocery
One of the little stores in the tourist area is a small family owned farmers market type store.  It had eggs, bread, milk and fresh fruit & veggies.  Otherwise it is a taxi, trolly or really long walk to any grocery store.  We opted to go  partial cruiser style....we hitched a ride to the grocery store and then called a cab back to the boat. Full cruiser style is hitch a ride to the store and hitch another ride back to the boat.  Works out really well when you hitch a ride both directions with the same kind stranger.

Finally........Naples, FL

Restrooms
Nice clean restrooms.  Each sex has one restroom and inside is a room to shower and a room to potty. 

Showers
Nice clean showers.  Again the same shower designer as Clearwater, one big shower stall with no place to put towels or dry clothes.  Don't take any of these descriptions as negative....I am appreciative of any shower but really do appreciate a clean shower more.  These showers did however have a folding chair so you could sit down to shower or perch your legs up to have a good long overdue shave.

Shopping
A real good ship store steps away from Naples City Dock.  It has souvenirs, toiletries, boat supplies and books too.  A couple of boutique stores nearby but that is all.  The marina office has ice, snacks and that all important free coffee in the morning.  Tourist shopping areas nearby but did not participate in the public acquisition of useless crap.

 

 

Laundry
Nice facility for laundry.  Two washer and two dryers (they actually dry in one cycle).  Only $1.00 to wash and $1.00 to dry.  This is my kind of laundry.  The view was awesome....oh wait.....laundry....they had a table to fold clothes and a trash can for lint.  They even had a very large sink to use, not sure for what but nonetheless it was there.

Dockage
Not ideal.....fixed docks.  Fixed docks with really short finger piers.  We pulled in bow first and we were happy to be tied up.  Let me explain....15-20 knots of wind, really narrow slips AND an audience of about 8 people.  For sailors that is all I need to say....for dirt dwellers this will make your butt pucker worse than the penguin walk to Clearwater restroom.  It is tense with a capital T.

Grocery
There are no grocery facilities nearby.  Scott is great at talking with the locals.  He chatted with a guy named Tim who offered Scott a ride to Lowes for materials to make our fender boards.  The next day Tim says "if you need a ride anywhere else just let me know"  Well that is all we needed to hear, out came my provision list and my wallet.  Tim kindly drove us to a grocery store where I stocked up on meats, breads, fruit, frozen veggies and snacks.  Without Tim we would be eating canned everything until we get to Marathon....our next stop.

Summary
No stop over will be perfect.  You have to learn to take the good with the bad.  We are now heading to an area where everything will be different.  Many of our stops will be an anchorage or a mooring ball.  The chores of showering, shopping and toileting will be handled in a whole different way.  I will write up something after we get to experience......cruiser style....... People Amenities.

Bye-Bye Ya'll......