Fly Preparations

Day #40: We've been warned, we're heading into biting fly country. It's not like we haven't seen it before. The last time through northern Florida and Georgia at this time of year we felt sorry for ourselves but even sorrier for the sailboaters. They'd sit in their cockpits, swarmed in flies, arms flailing, and without hope of escape. We at least can close the windows to keep them out. It was because of this experience that Bicki made screens for the pilothouse and salon windows. Now I'm making screens for the bedroom, shower and head ports.

We visited with John and Sue Mackie today. They own a tug just like ours, John William (hull #72). They're good friends and I know no one more knowledgable on boats than John. In fact, one of the reasons we decided to overhaul Nellie's injection pump here is because John had just done the very same job on his tug. Another thing we have in common is house building. John and Sue are completely gutting and finishing a house here on Merritt Island. Having been working on a house of our own we can certainly commiserate on the trials and tribulations of their undertaking.

Today's picture is of a well varnished bowsprit here in the Harbortown Marina. I certainly appreciate all the labor it takes to get a result like this, and doubly so in the Florida sun. Holding at 580nm but look for us to get moving again tomorrow. DBH

That's a Wrap

Day #39: It takes about three hours to amble over to Orlando and back. It would be quicker if we took the toll roads but we're happier keeping the $12 in our pockets. The guys at Nozzle Masters had our injector pump ready. "Oh, you're the boat guy.", was the response when I presented myself at the counter.

The injector pump went back in without incident but only after 2-1/2 hours of work. The biggest challenge was priming the pump and fuel lines. But even that went well. Best of all, no fuel leaks now.

The injector pump's gaskets and seals only lasted 25 years so I've put a note in Nellie's log to be sure to have the pump rebuilt again 2038! Here's to hoping I don't have to touch it until then.

Still at Harbortown Marina, Merritt Island, FL, and holding at 580nm. DBH

Lazy Day

Day #38: Nellie's injection pump was on the shop's test stand when I called this afternoon. It'll be ready for us tomorrow morning (fingers crossed).

Satellite views have become a favorite of ours now that we have 24/7 Internet access aboard Nellie. We use the satellite pictures for navigating in unchartered waters, and surprisingly there's a lot of it just off the ICW. While it's not perfect, shoals are easy to pick out. Today's picture shows Nellie's route into Sebastian Marina. The sand bars north and south of our track are clearly visible.

Holding at 580nm and still in Harbortown Marina, Merritt Island, FL. DBH

It's Out

Day #37: There's now a big hole where the Cummins' injector pump should be. That's a good thing ;-) It took about three hours to remove it. We then rented a car, drove to Orlando, and dropped the pump off at Nozzle Masters. To the question, "When do you need it?", I responded, "I'm on a boat and now stuck in the Marina." The tech smiled knowingly and said, "It'll be ready tomorrow, next day at the latest." Holding at 580nm. DBH

Maintenance Mode

Day #36: Another nice day on the water. Another short day on the water. The Banana River is shallow but well marked. The gusty southeast winds worked up a chop. Nellie couldn't be running better. Problem is her injector pump continues to leak.

"You can be a mechanic for a day but you can't become a mechanic in a day.", was the advice I got 20 years ago when debating rather or not to tackle a complex diesel engine repair myself. Those words now ring in my ears as I prepare to replace Nellie's fuel injection pump. Cruising pushes us beyond our comfort zone in so many ways. Being a competent mechanic is just one of them.

It was a short 17nm today, upping the total to 580nm, to Merritt Island's Harbor Town Marina. With luck it won't be too long a stay as we overhaul the Cummins' injection pump. DBH

Pig Roast

Day #35: Last night Tom and Megan Campbell, previous owners of the 49' Lord Nelson Victory Tug, Promise, happened upon us. They were in their runabout on the way to dinner when they saw Nellie at anchor. Shortly after the introductions were made they invited us to today's pig roast. This morning it was a long 3nm from last night's anchorage to the lake in front of the Campbell's house. We gave some tours of Nellie, had some great food and thoroughly enjoyed meeting their neighbors.

Tom told us he lost the end of a finger while replacing the diesel engines on his tug. Before installing the rebuilt six cylinder, turbocharged Cummins engines he tested them in his garage. With the engine running at 50% power he ran his hand by the air intake. The air sucked his hand in and the compressor blades, rotating at 10,000+ rpm, did the rest--ouch.

At anchor in Lake Shepard, just south of Cocoa Beach, FL, and 563nm into our journey. DBH

Ham It Up

from l-r: Lynn, Marta, Chris, and John 

Day #34: While underway Nellie broadcasts her position every few minutes via ham radio. It was via these broadcasts, back in 2010, that we came to know Lynn Deffenbaugh. This afternoon, once the anchor was down, we had a fun reunion aboard Nellie with Lynn and his wife Marta, and made new friends of Chris and John. Hams all, and all having been in the software business in some fashion, interesting conversation flowed.

Nellie's injector pump leak is proving to be indifferent to my repair attempts. Oh we'll, one definition of cruising is, fixing the boat in new and exotic locations.

We're in the midst of a curious conundrum: the more we travel the more friends we make; but, the more we visit these friends the less we travel. We've been aboard Nellie for over a month and have yet to make it out of southern Florida. It's embarrassing to admit but I can see tomorrow's anchorage, a whole 6 miles away, from tonight's anchorage. Oh well, it's a great problem to have.

We made it a whole 17nm today from Sebastian River to the southern end of the Banana River, FL, upping our total to 560nm. DBH.

Nelson's Victory

Day #33: Meet Jo Baggs, Mandy Cummins and their pup Diesel. Together they're continuing the resurrection of Nelson's Victory, a 49' Lord Nelson Victory Tug which was badly damaged by 2004's Hurricane Francis. Jo's unsuccessfully 2005 salvage-sale bid on Nelson's Victory didn't deter him. He followed the tug's progress through two owners before finally buying her in November 2011. The tug is kept next to their house on the Sebastian River in Micco, FL. Jo works on the tug most days, for several hours, and says he really enjoys doing so. Mandy's background in boat detailing is paying off too. No shrinking violet, she dons her painting clothes and works side-by-side with Jo. It's not like they don't have anything else on their plates either. Behind their house is the Sebastian Marina which they own and run. It's an incredibly friendly place with a darn good pub, The Outrigger (4-1/2 stars on Yelp). Jo built and started the pub but now leases it out. It's clear that both Jo and Mandy really enjoy what they're doing.

 Got the wrenches out this morning and tightened up the bolts above the fuel injector's leaking gasket. Maybe it'll even work ;-) As it stands the leak isn't a show stopper. The drips are being caught in the top of a 2L soda bottle which has been cut in half. The flexible plastic makes it east to and jam the bottle underneath the injector pump. Not pretty but effective at keeping the diesel out of the bilge. Still in Sebastian Marina. No miles on Nellie today and holding at 543nm. DBH.

Social Day

Day #32: The Everett's, some new friends, joined us aboard Nellie for breakfast this morning. Michele is retired from the Defense Investigative Service. H.T. ran NASA's liquid propellants program. It's a lot of fun meeting people with such interesting backgrounds.

Nellie's injection pump has been leaking fuel for the last few days. It appears the leak is coming from the auto-advance assembly's gasket. Gotta love the Internet; I was able to download the injection pump's overhaul manual. Next question is, how big a deal is the repair?

Today's picture shows Nellie in Micco, FL. It was an easy 19nm run from Vero Beach. This brings our total to 543nm. DBH

I Want One...

Day #31: Today's picture is of the 108' yacht Freedom. Built by Trumpy, she's a sistership to Sequoia, the US president's yacht until the 1970's. She spent the night next to us here in Vero Beach. Still in the Vero Beach mooring field. 0nm today and holding at 524nm total. DBH

Life at 6.5 Knots

Day #30: Six-and-onehalf knots is the speed at which we cruise. Put in perspective, that's about twice as fast as a person walks. Sometimes 6.5 kts seems dreadfully slow. Like today when a thunderstorm overtook us. Other times it feels outrageously fast--usually when operating in close proximity to concrete objects like pilings and bridges. At 6.5 knots we get enough time to really take in the sights but not so much time as to get bored by them. Perhaps the best thing about going slow is that it gives us time to think and ponder. All-in-all it seems a most enjoyable pace to live one's life.

On a mooring ball in Vero Beach, FL. 38nm today and 524 slow miles behind us.

Rain, rain go away...

Day #29: What a difference a day makes, especially when the days are Sunday and Monday. Gone are the jet skis and hundreds of runabouts. As today's picture shows, gone too are all the wakes from the watercraft. Bicki's standing on the shoreline of Lake Peck, 26nm north of Palm Beach. We stopped here planning to stay the night--but the areas healthy abundance of no-see-ums convinced us otherwise. We did explore before hightailing it. There was only a 100 yard spit of land that separated the ICW from the Atlantic Ocean. Walking the beach we found many sea turtle tracks in the sand. Seems to be a popular place for egg laying.

Arriving in Stuart, FL, the new destination for tonight, we waved to the boat moored next to us and commented on how nice the area is. "Yea, except for the no-see-ums.", was their response. It appears we can run, but we can't hide. With all the windows closed and the fans on high in Stuart, FL, it was a rainy 37nm today which upped the total to 486nm.

Down Day

Day #28:  LadyHawk, the 45' Tillotson-Peason sloop that tried to anchor in our cockpit yesterday, left at the crack of 11am this morning.  Letting them get well ahead of us was a great excuse to stay put.  Today's picture is the sun setting over West Palm Beach. 0nm today and 449nm so far.  DBH. 

Ramming Speed

Day #27: Today's picture is of Ft. Lauderdale Beach. What a pretty area.

Tonight we're at anchor between Palm Beach and West Palm Beach. It has taken us four weeks to go literally nowhere. This is where we boarded Nellie, gave up on the Bahamas, and decided to do the Keys instead. And now we're back.

Having a fast and stable dinghy allows us to anchor away from the fleet. There are three of us with the same idea occupying the 3/4 mile space between the Palm Beach bridges. That's why it caught us by surprise when a sailboat tried to anchor nearly on top of us. Anchoring too close is like porn--it's hard to define but you know it when you see it. There are two guys on the sailboat. A big sticker on its stern announces that no one is to board without an auction company representative. Hmm, does that make her a foreclosure or drug seizure? On the first anchoring attempt they come so close that Bicki and I laugh while remembering friends in Mexico who, in similar circumstances, armed themselves with a boathook and shot laser-beam stares. The sailboat's second ramming attempt, what else can you call it, was much more fruitful. They got within inches (only Bicki's fending kept the hulls apart) and they managed to grab our anchor chain with their skeg. Fortunately as they moved away the chain dropped free. Without too much additional excitement they successfully anchored--right on top of a clearly marked cable crossing.

We moved a whole 37nm today, quite a feat considering our previous runs. That puts us at 449nm for the trip. DBH

Christopher Columbus

Day #26: Seeing the Galeón Andalucía, a wooden replica of a late-17th century Spanish galleon, docked next to some mega yachts in Ft. Lauderdale struck my funny bone.  What if ...

 ** News Flash **

Captain Chris Columbus arrived in Ft Lauderdale today aboard his flagship the Santa Maria.  He claims to have left Seville, Spain in 1492 under the egis of Queen Isabella.  The Coast Guard, unable to raise Chris on VHF, sent a boat out to tow him in.  Upon landing at the Bahia Mar Yacht Center witnesses agree that Chris came ashore and claimed something for Spain.  As to what exactly he claimed the witnesses can't agree:  most say it was the dock, a few thought it was the marina, and one idiot says he claimed all of the American continent...

In the Las Ollas mooring field just west of Ft. Lauderdale Beach, FL, 22nm today which brings the total miles thus far to 412nm. 

Miami's South Beach

Day #25: Miami Beach is a huge place and densely populated. The locals seem to enjoy the show put on by the tourists as much as the tourists enjoy ogling the locals. We began the day with a 14 mile dinghy ride through some of the canals just west of the beach. Stately mansions line the canals closest to the beach. The price of the houses closely correlates to the width of the canal. There was some pretty funky real estate on the narrowest canals.

Finding a place to land the dinghy, very surprisingly, is not a problem here. Publix supermarket even has a dinghy dock next to their store. So this afternoon we dinghied ashore (no tie-up fee) and walked 7 miles. Not only is the beach great for walking but just off it is a paved and landscaped trail that's equally good. A third alternative is to walk on the sidewalk in front of hotels and restaurants. This at times feels like running a slalom course of dinners and wait staff but it's all in good fun. It would be easy to spend some time here.

Still at anchor east of Miami's South Beach. 0nm today on Nellie and 390nm into the adventure. DBH.

You Win

Day #24: The name of the yacht in today's picture is A. We passed A on the way to South Beach in Miami. It's an amazing 390' long, cost $300M to build, and is owned by a Russian couple who, I venture to guess, are doing pretty well for themselves. Near A's stern, just outboard of the 'garage', you can see one of her $1M, 36' long tenders. A has three such tenders. Cute as Nellie is, we didn't get a dinner invitation :-(

Had an interesting conversation with our slip neighbor at Pelican Harbor this morning. He left Boston two years ago to make a living here in Miami--as a treasure hunter. Not by diving on spanish galleons but with a metal detector in front of South Beach hotels. His is modern treasure and, as he tells it, is constantly being replenished by Miami's bling-laden. A three carat diamond ring tops his finds and he knows roughly where a $500K necklace was lost. There sure are a lot of ways to earn a living.

Friends told us that the Miami River, which has a 5 mile long navigable portion, is a blast to tour. How right they are. The river starts right downtown. Think gleaming skyscrapers, palm trees, and yachts everywhere. Slowly the scenery transitions until at the end the river it's chock-a-block with freighters. Old, tired freighters; rust buckets. What's amazing is that the freighters can even navigate in this, at times, very narrow river.

Tonight we're anchored in a big bay just west of South Beach and being dazzled by the lights of Miami. 19nm today and 390nm thus far. DBH.

Goodbye Florida Keys

Day #23: The predicted cold front moved through about midnight, the winds rotated to NE and accelerated to 20 knots. It was nice to be in a well protected anchorage. We took today's picture on this mornings walk, it's of the 1800's light house on the south end of Key Biscayne.

Water, water everywhere and we're almost out of it--Nellie's one tank is completely dry and the second is on fumes. It has been 10 days since they were refilled last. We do go through water quickly in this warm climate. Filling up in Miami is proving to be a bit of a challenge. Normally we'd just spend the night in a marina. But marinas here average $3/ft (that's $111+tax+electricity=$130/night). The other choice would be a fuel dock. The good news is we found a slip in Pelican Harbor, a municipal marina, for $49.40/night. For this princely sum we get unlimited water, electricity, hot showers, and a good night's sleep (no anchor watch).

In slip B-21 in Pelican Harbor, 79th Street Causeway, Miami, FL, 12nm today and 371nm total. DBH.

Mosquitoes!

Day #22:  Boca Chita, the picture perfect key during daylight hours, but a living hell after the sun sets.   We should have been on edge  when everyone cleared out early: the families, the couples, even the crazies.  At first we couldn't believe our luck, to only have to share this beautiful place with one other boat.  We did notice the crew going below decks at dusk and dogging all the hatches and port lights.  In retrospect it's all so obvious, but at the time we were happy and considered ourselves fortunate.  Before the sun was even down the attacks started.  Quickly we took the cue from our neighbor and shut Nellie up.  Vicki in the salon and I in the pilothouse called out each time we made a kill.  The count was above three dozen in less than half an hour, and still they came.  The 3/8" thick windows bowed inward from the onslaught.  To survive the night we'd have to retreat to a smaller and more defensible space--the stateroom.  While our retreat was fast we still weren't alone and the blood bath continued.  Although it was 90F out we closed even the screened windows hoping to stem the tide.  Slowly, and close to midnight, the battle went our way. Hot, but finally alone we went to sleep.  We were out of Boca Chita, which would be better named Boca de Mosquita, by 6:45 am.  

We're anchored in No Name Harbor on Key Biscayne tonight.  It's only 13nm from Boca de Mosquita.  We're afraid they'll find us...  359nm into the cruise. DBH.  

Key Largo and North

Day #21: Happy Mother's Day!

It's nice to have some time to really explore the northern Keys. There's an awful lot going on here. After a calm night on the hook we were anxious to get a good look at the very north end of Key Largo; home to the Ocean Reef Club. Our dinghy explorations, the blue line in today's photo, confirmed for us what a special place this is. While houses start around $3M, I have to admit, they're probably worth it. Back aboard Nellie, and with Henry stowed, our next stop was Elliot Key, 13 miles to the north. This is clearly a hangout for the Miami crowd as there were over 200 boats anchored in the crystal clear waters. A lot of folks were swimming and playing with water toys. We anchored here for several hours and enjoyed the surroundings with them. With the late afternoon winds accelerating we weighed anchor and continued another few miles north to Boca Chita. This small Key is a National Park with a very well protected harbor--and very hungry mosquitoes.

Tied to the wall in Boca Chita swatting mosquitoes, 15nm today and 346nm so far. DBH.

Afloat Even Simple Jobs Take More Time

Day #20: My grandfather used to say, "I don't know what I did all day but it took me all day to do it."   I feel this way a lot while cruising.  The days fly by and there's not much to show for them.  The fact is there's a lot of overhead for anything you do while living afloat.  Take for example today's trip to get milk.  Going ashore in the dinghy means finding a dock to land.  The Caribbean Club (where allegedly some of the 1947 film Key Largo, with Bogart and Bacall, was shot) has such a dock but there's a quip pro quo; the dock is free as long as we dine there.  With the dinghy safely tied up we march into the Club and ask for a menu.  A blank look from the bar keep signals there's trouble coming.  We've overlooked the fact that the Caribbean Club is a bar--nothing more.  We order a Coke, a Corona and a bag of chips--$6.00.  Done with 'lunch' we start walking the mile along Route 1 to the Tom Thumb convenience store.   Halfway there we come across a Philly cheesesteak shop.  Seems our earlier 'lunch' hadn't quite filled us up--$12.00.  At the Tom Thumb we purchase one gallon of milk--$3.99.  We then walk back to Henry (our dinghy) and motor out to Nellie.  So, all told it took 2-1/2 hours and $21.99 to procure one gallon of milk...

You can see from today's picture that we doubled back while transiting the shallows between Barnes and Little Card Sounds.  Some poor fisherman had lost their engine and were paddling into a stiff wind.  The boat waiting to tow them home couldn't get close for fear of going aground. Nellie dropped her dink which was able to fetch the exhausted fisherman and join them up with their tow boat.  All's well that ends well.

Anchored between Pumpkin Key and Key Largo.  16nm today and 331nm for the trip.  DBH.

Dinghy Touring Key Largo

Day #19: Fronting Key Largo's Black Sound are several large canal front neighborhoods. The manmade canals were cut out of what looks like a limestone formed of seashells. The lots are mostly small, cutely decorated, with travel trailers in lieu of houses. Gentrification is taking place as some substantial houses have sprung up. If you're into fishing one of these places would have to be heaven.

No miles on Nellie today and holding at 315nm for the trip.

0400hrs Bridle Setting

Day #18: Just when the mild winds lull us into overconfidence, a mild blow this morning had us up early to silence the unbridled chain. You'd think we'd learn ;-)

This morning, after dropping Ethan and John at a dock in Islamorada, we continued our journey east.

I've come to realize there are many passages between the Keys--i.e. from the Gulf and into the Atlantic. While the charts only show a few navigable passes, fisherman, with local knowledge, know of many more. What's common about these 'local knowledge' passes is they're narrow, with swift currents, and very shallow. If you survive the approach, the Atlantic welcomes you with a gauntlet of sandbars and reefs. Henry, or dinghy, is a safe and fun way to explore these channels. He's fast enough to outrun the current, draws next to nothing, and light enough to portage should the need arise.

It was an easy 25nm run to the anchorage in Blackwater Sound, Key Largo. The total now is 315nm for the trip.

Reef Diving

Day #17:  My brother, John, and nephew, Ethan, who is visiting from Cambridge, MA, drove over from Naples to join us for a few days.  It couldn't have been a nicer day; there was only a wisp of a wind and the seas were dead calm.

  Our first dive was off Cotton Key in 6' of water over a very soft sandy bottom.  We saw lots of grasses and some fish.  Mostly we enjoyed just cooling off. 

Our next stop was the curiously named Hen and Chickens reef.  Quoting from divespots.com:

Giant Christmas tree and brain corals dominate the underwater landscape. Some coral heads are over 15 feet tall. This is a prolific area of corals that almost creates a labyrinth for divers to explore. Even though it's shallow, no divers ever regret visiting. Hen & Chickens is one of the most unique reefs in all of the Florida Keys.

John gets the 'Cool Customer of the Day' award after calmly announcing, once we're all safely back in the dinghy, that he saw a 7' shark exploring the bottom of the reef.  Yikes!

Safely back in the anchorage off Islamorada after 13nm of reef hopping which brings our total to 290nm for the trip. DBH

Wreck Diving

Day #16: The winds are down and the living is easy.  We motored east on a glassy calm Hawk Channel.  The photo shows what all the cool wreck divers are wearing--well, maybe only the cool wreck divers aboard Nellie D. ;-)  The San Pedro sunk off of Indian Key in 1733.  Not much remains on the bottom but a few cannons and her ballast stones.

The floating grasses we keep running across remind me of Van Gogh's Starry Night--a stretch, maybe?

While dropping the hook in Islamorada a dinghy can zipping over. It was Tom and Martha Talton out of Naples.  The Taltons have been cruising the Keys and Bahamas since the 60's.  Like us they're here on their boat waiting for a weather window to cross over.  Also like us, they've decided to cruise the Keys instead.  While we're not in the Bahamas we all ate like it at Lorelei's last night; conch fritters and cracked conch sandwiches. 

Ok, now I've seen everything ;-)

At anchor off Islamorada. 31nm today and 277 for the trip. 

In by Noon

Day #15:  One of our cruising mottos is 'In by dark'.   Today we came up with a variant that we like even better, 'In before noon'.  And so it was at 10:52 am that we dropped the hook on the east side of Little Crawl Key.   The entire Key is a state park called Curry Hammock.   The entrance is a bit tricky but once you're inside the little bay it's both well protected and scenic.  

The kayaks came down and we explored the length of the bay.  While the bay's north end appears to be a dead end it, there's actually a little mangrove canopied stream that carries on for quite a way.  Today's picture is of Bicki in the wilds of the Key. 

It's a bit ironic that while Curry Hammock feels like it's a long way from civilization, it's not.  We can clearly hear US 1 highway noise.   Fact is, it's hard to get too far away from that 128 mile strand of tarmac that stretches between Key West and Key Largo.  The blue dot in the picture below is where we're anchored.  US 1 runs across the top of the picture. 

It was an east 13nm underway today but it upped out total to 246nm.  Happy to be on the hook and (almost) by ourselves.    DBH. 

Marathon--Funky Place

Day #14:  The winds that blew us east yesterday kept up the pace last night and all of today. No worries, they gave us an excuse to spend another day exploring this funky place. 

Like few places in the world Marathon collects cruisers.  On today's 9am net a sailboat announced that they'd just crossed their wake after a seven year circumnavigation.  There was also a report of an early morning boat fire. 

By chance we came across the fire scene during today's walk. The story is that at 5am, and for unknown reasons, an unmanned workboat caught fire.  The fire spread to the trawler next door.  The trawler's skipper was awaken by his cat and just managed to escape as noxious fumes filled his boat.  When the flames burned through the work boat's dock lines, the wind pushed the work boat across the fairway and into an empty slip.  There it burned to the waterline and sunk.  By the time we got to the scene a salvage crew had put yellow containment floats (see picture above) around the sunken workboat. 

Holding at 233nm in Marathon, Florida

East We Go

Day #13:  After holing up for so long in Key West I figured evidence was required to show we're underway.  Today's picture is of Nellie's bow pointed east in the Hawk Channel.  Just as strong winds chased us out to Key West, today's winds helped push us back.  The winds were 15 knots gusting to 20 which churned up the seas a bit.   As we passed by Seven Mile Bridge the tide was ebbing.  With the flow came lots of grasses. So much so we had to dodge some of the bigger collections for fear of clogging the raw water strainer.  The Sargasso Sea of the Keys?

We'd hoped to anchor off the park at Bahia Honda Key but the anchorage was too exposed.  Instead we opted for the protection of Boot Key Harbor.   

Steak, it's what's for dinner!  38nm today increasing our trip total to 233nm.

The Last Hurrah

Day #12:  Our last day in Key West and we made the best of it.  After a quick Home Depot stop for boat supplies we visit Fort Zachary Taylor--built in 1845 for coastal defense.  Just guessing, but I'll bet it's better to be a tourist here than to have been stationed here!   

The Fort is now within a very nice park and next to a beautiful beach.  After all the strenuous work climbing the embattlements we rewarded ourselves with lunch at the beachfront cafe.  Next up was a tour of Ernest Hemingway's house.  It's known for six toed cats, wife number two (of four) who liked fancy chandeliers, and for the fact that its pool was the first in the Keys and cost 2.5 times more than the house.  Oh yea, it's also know for being the place that Hemingway did his best writing. 

We've enjoyed Key West but tomorrow we cut the dock lines and start heading east.  Still holding at 195nm. DBH

It's just what you do!

Day #11: Rain, hail, and manatees. Oh my! A tropical downpour is like none other and today's torrent was a standout even among tropical downpours. Even jaded Conchs (what Key West locals call themselves) were talking about it. But hail and 5" of rain in four hours will do that, especially when another 5" are predicted.

In heavy rains, like today's, Nellie leaks. Looking on the bright side, what better time to find the source of those leaks? As today's picture shows, the investigation required tearing the boat apart--what else is new. It was a worthwhile exercise as we did find the source of one leak and were able to localize the second.

Before all the rain started two huge manatees showed up at the docks. What funny looking but graceful creatures.

Still at the Key West Naval Air Station docks and holding at 195nm for the trip. DBH

Necessity is the Mother of ...

Day #9: We were invited today to join our friends Jay and Marty (who also own an LNVT, named 'Cruz In') at the Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. It is a favorite local hang out known for it's beautiful beach. We found a great spot in the shade under the trees for our picnic, stretched out in our folding chairs and wasted the afternoon away just chatting and reading.

We had a special guest that met us at the park, John Howell, who drove from Naples. He needed his Nellie D. fix and spent the night aboard with us. We of course had to celebrate his arrival, and the fact that it was Marty's birthday, with dinner at a local hole in the wall known for their lobster rolls and fresh hog fish. Yum!

Being on a boat often requires thinking outside the box to get things done. For example, Bicki discovered she needed an iron to press one of her cross stitch projects. When she asked other boaters on the dock if they by chance had an iron, they just shook their heads no. They walked away from her wondering what idiot cruiser would ever want to do ironing. She was desperate for a solution, and this morning she invented a creative solution. Pictured today is her 'iron'--a heated pot of boiling water which she rubbed over the fabric. It worked perfectly.

No mileage today and 195nm total. Just a quite easy day in Key West. VJH