Making Magic

Final night in Key West

After a really great night out last night we woke early and prepared the boat, getting underway by 9am.  The wind was light but still available and the sky was clear and blue.  The weather forecast was wrong again regarding the wind direction and such but really, who’s counting on that anymore?!

There really isn’t much to tell about the day’s adventure although I did take a few pictures of the crab traps we played “chess” with in open water as well as the Sargasso weed growing in fields along the way which wreaked havoc on Rob’s fishing line.

Crab Trap AND Sargasso . . .

We made reasonable time and worked our way into the planned anchorage for the night about 3 in the afternoon.  During our approach we were treated to a sea plane taking off right over our boat which was a new experience.  Unfortunately, the moving target was hard to capture on film – but you get the idea.

The approach to the anchorage had our depth gauge going berserk showing we were in less than 4 feet of water when our boat depth is 5’6”!  The alarm was going off constantly and all I could do was trust the chart and the instruments that said we should have enough depth to continue.  Obviously there is an offset on the depth gauge that will need to be adjusted but it did provide for some excitement along the way.

We anchored safely in a beautiful harbor – Newfound Harbor to be exact if you’re looking it up – where there are only two other boats anchored within sight, one of which is unoccupied.   We enjoyed another amazing sunset which is a never tiring activity each day and had a simple dinner followed by a competitive Scrabble game which Rob won by 2 points!

But the magic came as we were winding down getting ready for bed and I looked out the cockpit to the sky.  The moon is new so there’s no natural or manmade light distraction and the sky was lit up like Christmas.  I was awestruck.  I grabbed two cushions and two pillows and ROB and we climbed on top of the cockpit enclosure to view the night sky.



Find your Magic!

MAGIC.  Just magic.  There’s really not much more that can be said about it.  Perfection so easy to find and eternity of space and time to ponder . . . it really is quite overwhelming.  The thought comes to mind that life really is just that simple.  Look at the stars.  Feel the breeze.  Bask in the sun.  Appreciate a child, a friend, a laugh . . . 

 And say a thank you for this grand adventure called life!

Far Away From Home

This blog finds us on the tail end of our stay in Key West as we plan to head back to more northern latitudes tomorrow. The sun has been shining, the winds fair and the water relatively calm.  AHHH.   

We’ve been doing things like visiting our favorite spots, taking care of some business and seeing the last things there are to see here.  We had an appointment with Customs and Border Patrol to get our Local Boaters Option card that gives reentry into Florida ports with just a phone call instead of checking in with immigration every time.  Fingerprinted and photographed . . . we are officially recorded.

We spent some time on the beach, watching the last of the sailboat races that have been going on all week.  What a  great sight with hundreds of sailboats on the horizon making their way in packs through the courses, not to mention just enjoying the beach and the sun.

Rob enjoyed another sandwich from the Old Town Bakery while I tried a caramelized onion baguette (you would not believe how really amazing this was!) from the Caribbean place across the street called Paseo.  With some kind of tapenade, big slices of caramelized onions and pickled jalapenos on a most deliciously fresh baguette – this thing was magical!  

Then, after going on two months away from home, we had the only two couples we’ve met here aboard for a BBQ last night.  Anyone who knows me understands that I love to cook and entertain and this was the first real occasion in a while.  I was so excited!  So I puttered happily in the galley doing what I do and prepared for the evening which turned out to be nothing like what I’m used to.  There’s no way to describe delicately the nuances of the evening, suffice it to say I’m now even more than ready to move on.

To finish the evening, we headed to the showers onshore about 11pm to find them closed and then were stopped by the Coast Guard for a “safety check” on the way back being given a citation for having no flares aboard – something not required in our home port.   Who’d have guessed?! 

So I’m feeling the absence of family and friends more than ever but just can’t seem to find the driving desire to return to “life as usual”.  So we head out tomorrow to see what else is in store for us on this crazy adventure.  Here’s to what’s ahead!

Our Best of Key West

Well, we’ve successfully moved back around Fleming Key and are once again anchored off Key West harbor with all that offers.  We were welcomed this morning bright sunshine and just the slightest breeze making our short passage that much more perfect.  We chose an entirely new spot for anchoring and have already met a few boat neighbors to hook up with this evening.  

Esther at the Post Office -
She's nicer than she looks!

The weather is looking about the same for the next five days and we’re beginning to plan the next leg of our adventure.  With that in mind, going into town takes on a new meaning and we’re tying up loose ends – checking in for mail at the post office and grabbing a few things we’d been looking at as well as making stops at our now favorite “haunts”.  It is with that that I will present to you our personal “best of Key West” . . .

We must begin with Ruben at West Marine.  This kind soul has approved our taking the store’s ladder overnight for a boat project, “ignored” our guests’ cars parked in their spaces, taken back our ill-fated anchor without question, lent a shopping cart for provision transfer and assisted with all sorts of other surprise requests.   Ruben and the rest of the Key West guys (Larry, Kevin, Deane and all)  THANKS, you’re the best!

A#1 daily coffee and goodie stop – Old Town Bakery – is a definite MUST.  Featuring fresh breads and soups and the most unbelievable bakery and pastries all made inhouse, these guys even know how to pull a good espresso shot!  Ginger white chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin cream cheese muffins, raspberry linzer bars to tomato brie soup and sandwiches made from hand sliced homemade breads . . . YUMMY!

Rob couldn’t have gotten through any day without his chocolate milk fix – a quart every afternoon from Fausto’s Gourmet Market.  This place is a gem with all the best in fresh meats and beautiful produce and right in town for when the 4 mile walk to the “big boy” store isn’t practical.

And finally, our redeeming local Irish Pub Finnegan’s Wake has been our home away from home with $5 burgers every night and $2 off Guinness . . . I can’t keep Rob away.  They make this “Beast of Bourbon” burger on a pretzel bun for $5 any night from 4 – 7 and Rob swears it’s the best burger he’s ever eaten.  When they ran out of the pretzel buns the other night, you’d have thought the sky fell!!!  And they have an amazing veggie burger for me that has hummus and avocado – who can resist?!


The real LOCALS . . .

Along with the ability to jump to the Marquesas, the most amazing sunsets, fun at Mallory Square, unending happy hour specials at hundreds of bars, great restaurants at every turn . . . all in all Key West has been a treat and we could ALMOST forget the challenges we’ve seen here!  So this evening is ½ price veg entrees at Finnegan’s (yeah for me) and then a bit of dancing and watching the Shot and Knot competition at Schooner Wharf bar – yup, you can imagine!  Happy to report it’s been a banner day.

How to Show Friends a Good Time . . .

I find myself yearning for a good night’s sleep.  After the drama of two nights before and the one night reprieve, Friday evening brought another big “blow” to town.  After an uneventful day of wandering and errands, we got ready for our liveaboard sailing friends from Charleston, David and Gretchen, to arrive.  

 
Arrive they did mid-afternoon just as the wind started to creep up.  They were gracious enough to have loaded their car with provisions for us from Costco and Trader Joe’s and we had our hands full trying to maneuver parking, unloading and transporting everything from their car to the dinghy and then to the boat.  Rob made the first trip solo as the wind started to build further. 

We all made it out to the boat without too much drama besides a few good splashes then headed right back out to hit Mallory Square for some entertainment at sunset.  We had a really great time with both Gretchen and Rob participating in different "shows" and then scooted back to Moonshadow to make an evening dinner aboard.  And the wind continued to build. 

Before long we were starting to watch boats shift once again as we ourselves closely watched the chart plotter to guarantee that our own hold was good.  We were holding just great when another boat let loose and worked their way entirely around us wrapping their anchor rope around our anchor chain while the wind and waves were whipping around.  You can imagine this is NOT what you want to have happen!  With some expert seamanship, the four of us on board worked together to release ourselves from our neighbor’s “lasso”.  Unfortunately, the other boat was not stable and we could not safely set the anchor again.

This is when we decided the only way to safely escape the worsening conditions was to round Fleming Island (once AGAIN) and try to get a mooring or anchor on the other side.   This meant navigating around the island in the dark and high winds – something I’ve never done willingly – especially after our last mooring run around the island. 

Arriving safely, it was Rob’s turn for heroics.  He got on the dinghy and went ahead to find us a safe mooring, planning on preparing the ball for us to approach and grab “on the go”.  This was no easy nor terribly safe feat but, between the four of us, we did a pretty impressive job of working the dinghy, lines and 44’ 36,000 pound vessel onto a floating plastic orb in the wave swept water and high winds some time after midnight.  We seriously considered “celebrating” our held position with shots of something lethal but opted for tea and made it to bed somewhere after 2am. 

And so ended the first of three much less exciting although more relaxing days together.  Welcome to visiting Moonshadow, David and Gretchen!   So . . . who's next?!

Just Wandering

Our new anchor #1 is now officially named Mr. Mark in honor of our dear Dragonboat friend we lost this week.  A faithful, reliable, strong and determined fighter – a perfect name for an lifesaving device.  And we are safely and soundly anchored in our “home” position once again. It was a good day to get off the boat and shake it off.  We spent the day wandering Key West’s “other” side.  We walked to the different beach areas and through the residential streets.  At the head of one beach pier is a beautifully done aids memorial that gave pause and the Key West cemetery is quite an historic and interesting place to wander. 

We found a great little botanical garden run by the Key West Garden Club that is free to the public and a great little sanctuary built on the site of an unfinished civil war fortification.

And just a ways further down the road was a wildlife refuge where all of the injured birds and other wildlife of the area are cared for.  Funny, where else but Key West would you find numerous cages designated for chicken refuge?!  The chickens of Key West are a mainstay here.  Apparently when a chicken becomes a nuisance, the refuge will assist in its capture and then care for it until a new “home” is found.  Why does this all sound crazy to me?!

I asked how they found “homes” for delinquent chickens . . . but that didn’t seem funny to them.  Ha!  Actually, they have numerous orange groves with a weevil problem that takes the birds to feed on the weevils.   A mutually beneficial arrangement – go figure.

And then we finally made it to Finnegan’s for happy hour Guinness and Rob’s new favorite burger while I feasted on the veggie format of the same.  New boat neighbor friends, Dennis and Wanda, joined us there and we spent the rest of the night otherwise unwinding from the night before.   A little drink, a little dance, a little friendship and a calm breeze . . . aaaahhhh.

Unexpected Event

Wednesday is half price vegetarian at our favorite Irish pub here.  Finnegan’s Wake puts out some great food.  Rob swears their “Beast of Bourbon” burger on a pretzel bun is the best burger EVER.  I’ve been drooling over the veg menu for a couple weeks now and waiting for half price night to keep the budget on track.  Wednesday was to be our beach and dinner out day with not much really expected from the weather.  So when the wind started kicking up and the sky started changing Wednesday afternoon, noone had any idea what we were in for. 

The beginning of the storm

Thankfully we had not managed to head to the beach yet when things started changing.  To make a VERY long story shorter – within hours we had sustained winds of 40mph with gusts to over 55mph and waves in the harbor of over 4 feet!  We were rockin’ and rollin’ and watching all of the boats in our anchorage bucking in every direction.  Boats were dragging and then totally losing their anchor hold and then at about 5pm, we lost ours.

After several attempts to reset in the huge waves, we realized there was no way it would happen and the sun was setting fast.  We headed back around Fleming Island to try to settle in on a mooring and made it to the field just as the sun dropped below the horizon.  In the fading light we made over a dozen attempts to hook a mooring ball – all to no avail.  With the high winds and waves and current, Rob just couldn’t get a hold of a mooring without it ripping out of his hands before securing it.

Beauty despite chaos!

Next attempt, we try to set anchor off the mooring field.  You guessed it, no hold.  We dragged our fancy, expensive, highly rated anchor hoping for a grab for about ½ mile when something lodged in the prop and seized the engine.   Now we have wind/current/no anchor hold/no mooring and no engine.   This is always when Rob’s super powers kick in.  He ran below, threw the v-berth apart retrieving the secondary anchor.  Flew through the cockpit with this 40 pound hulk, attached the line and threw is overboard.  We came to a dead halt within 15 seconds!  HOLD!

After a near sleepless night, we suited up in wetsuits as the sun rose preparing to remove the miscellaneous polypropylene lined wrapped around the shaft, retrieve the “big deal” anchor from it’s useless spot and finally pull up anchor #2 (the new anchor #1) to move back around the island. 

The weather service says this is “an event”, some crazy combination of circumstances that bring about totally unpredictable conditions that isn’t repeated but every 8 – 10 years or so.  I say this is coming to be less of a surprise and almost the expected . . . welcome to the cruising life!

To those we love . . .

Returning to Key West and setting anchor, we headed out right away to do a couple errands while Justin and gang wandered around town before experiencing Mallory Square for sunset.  We grabbed a loaf of bread from our favorite bakery, went to our favorite little gourmet grocery and bought a couple of items including Rob’s now daily quart of chocolate milk and hit the post office to see if we had any surprises waiting for us. 

The plan was to re-gather after sunset for dinner aboard Moonshadow to include Will’s apparently famous spaghetti and homemade sauce.    I made some roasted veggies, our yummy bread and my version of a caesar salad and we waited for word to come that the time was right. 

Mark - you make us reMARKable!

This is about when we checked in with Justin to hear that he just learned that his father passed away Monday morning.  Although he had been suffering for quite some time with cancer, Justin had just spent Christmas with him in Connecticut and had no idea that his time was so close.  Upon checking news from home, I learned Monday afternoon that my dear dear friend, Mark, was in kidney failure and had posted his goodbye message on facebook before slipping in and out of consciousness awaiting his entrance into what is to come.   

So dinner that night included raising a toast to life, to those we love, to what is ahead.  Mark said to me when we met before we left – that he believed that when he was gone, there would be a “Sparky of Marky” that would remain in the skies.  I’ll always remember that. 

And it brought to mind my dad and Rob’s dad and our friend Craig and all of the others who we’ve loved and lost to cancer in recent years. 

And it bears noting the impression they’ve made on our lives and memories they’ve left with us.

I am so proud of my boys!

And it reminds me to STOP for the sunset each day . . .  and to tell my kids and family (MOM!) and friends how much they’re LOVED . . . and to be quiet and listen when the wind talks.  

It reminds me to cherish the little things, to appreciate what I have and to notice as life makes its way each day.

So here’s to those who have gone ahead.   

And here’s to those whom we love and cherish.  

And here’s to you and me.  I love you all . . . God Bless.