Impromtu

Hours and days pass no matter what life has on your plate.  At this very moment, we are sailing with a following breeze sailing at about 4 knots to Jimmy Buffet’s acclaimed Marquesas Islands.  We left Key West behind at just before 11 this morning and are venturing out with Justin and his friends here from Fort Lauderdale. 

Quite the change of pace, with best buds Patricia and Jay leaving on Tuesday afternoon, we moved back to the anchorage off the “main drag” (that’s a pun!) of Key West.   It was nice moving back to the “neighborhood” until yesterday afternoon when good ‘ole Mr Anchor decided to take a walk again (this is where you recall our introduction to the startled pelicans on the bird sanctuary).  Yup, we were peacefully settled in, me reading a new cookbook and Rob on the phone about some equipment when I hear Rob yell “START THE ENGINE, START THE ENGINE!”  I looked up to see us drifting into the 2^nd of the 2 boats we tried to “kiss” before heading to points unknown. 

Now these kinds of times aren’t really good for my psyche.  As any of you who know me already know, I’m pretty much ready for any adventure but I DON’T like paying too high a price and can very quickly turn tail and run if things lose their romance.   In other words, I got crabby.  I was ready to go get a hotel!  

Enter Justin and company yesterday afternoon.  We had just settled into our new anchor field with an apparent good hold and these fun 20 something kids show up with not a care in the world.  We took off and had some evening Key West fun along with a few pints and burgers at the local Irish pub.  Through the evening, the decision was made to venture out today with the improving weather to sail to the Marquesas and see what they had in store.

And here we are – the sun is shining, the sea is baby blue, I even saw a turtle not 15 feet off our port rail who escaped before my camera was ready . . . and I’m glad I’m here again.  Of course, there are no approved anchorages for boats with drafts like ours but that’s what the bonus of youth with a life of sailing experience brings to the table.  I look forward to sharing with you what’s to come!