Naples to Marathon

(Friday Dec. 17 - Dist: 126.6 mi; Avg Speed: 18.2 mph; TTT: 6:30 hrs)

THE KEYS 
Linda and I made it to the Florida Keys in our own boat; who would have thought. 

This leg of the trip was a lengthy one across Florida Bay which is in the south east corner of the Gulf, but it was a good day for the crossing.  The only problem was the zillion of crab pots.  Generally, we could cruise between rows of pots but at some points it was like a slalom course.  At one point we were dodging so many crab pots and then there was just no room to go anywhere.  I fortunately just got the boat out of gear as we floated over one of the buoys; we were lucky as it popped out the back without catching on the props or rudders.

For any who have been down to the Keys may remember 7 mile bridge.  We had to go under this bridge to get to the Atlantic Ocean so that we could get to the entrance to Boot Key Harbor.  There are numerous marinas here and a mooring field with hundreds of boats anchored in rows.  We chose to stay at Sombrero Marina Dockside at the far end of the harbor.  The docks are good but the facilities are limited.  There is only one shower and one toilet for each gender and the laundry facilities are very tired.  Having said that I can't believe that a month has passed since we have been here. 

Home for Two Months

 We are located near the far end of "B" Dock.  The marina facilities are actually the restrooms for the Sombrero Dockside Bar and Grill.  Unfortunately the bar went into receivership at the end of October.  We have been told by countless people that the Dockside was the best bar on the Island.  There is hope that it may reopen in early February.  I hope so.

Three slips up island is the home of Fred and Candy.  Yes their home is on the water but nothing like a boat.  It is a full blown house inside with all normal appliances, toilets, ceiling heights, etc.  It is very nice but it has no motor so stays put.  The house has been located here for a number of years.

Across the street from the marina is the Marathon Country Club; a beautiful place for golf and tennis.  The golf course has very little traffic but they discourage guests or the public from playing by charging $100 per person per round.  I had hoped to negotiate a deal with the golf pro when we were bored but that has not happened.



The Country Club across the street.

For Christmas we had an excellent potluck feast organized by Rick, who was abandoned by his wife over the Holidays.  He brought the turkey and a large ham for us all to share and everyone else brought the fixin's.  It was a fun time and do you know what??..... one does not need snow to enjoy Christmas dinner.

 While I am talking about holidays, New Year's eve was kinda different for us.  A bunch of us went out to the Sunset Grille for a nice meal and some music.  We were hoping for some dancing and revelry but about 10:30 the band left for another gig.  So we decided to move closer to home and stopped at the Tiki Bar next to the marina.  It was a good choice; the patrons were having a great time and there were plenty of party favours: hats, horns, etc.  The surprise came at midnight when 7 or 8 people went skinny dipping in the pool.  I definitely do not need snow to enjoy New Years.  For a peek at the festivities check out this blog:
http://septembersong-bobandstephanie.blogspot.com/   and go down to New Years.  You may also find a photo or two of us with this bad bunch in Key West.

I'll close off with this sunset photo from the cockpit of our boat.