Settled In

Boot Key Harbor

 

Well, I know it's been a while, but we've been very busy settling in to our new "home" for the next few months. Let's see...what have we been doing for the past month...

 

We were stuck in Key Largo for a week with super windy weather. When we finally left we headed down the line to Islamorada for a few days.

 

Enjoying happy hour at Lorelei's

Tim & Jill s/v Links

Although Islamorada was nice we were anxious to get to Marathon. Each year the harbor has been filling up quicker than the year before, so we wanted to make sure we got mooring balls. There is limited room to anchor in the harbor, but it is definitely more secure on the mooring ball, especially when the cold fronts blow in.

We arrived in Marathon on November 30th, a week earlier than in 2013. Luckily we got a spot in the mooring field that we liked. It's good to be back here and see some of the same boats and friends we had met two years ago.  A few days after we arrived, we had our first visitor!
 

 

Lizzy came down for a day...much too short of a visit, but it was great to see her! We are looking forward to her next visit, along with her hubby Dave, and Pete! So excited!!

 

After Liz left it pretty much rained for a week straight. This is supposed to be the dry season, what's up with that? So, living on a boat, extended rain means two things....finding and fixing leaks, and mold patrol! Not fun. It finally stopped raining and we were able to dry out. We had many good days of fishing and have caught some interesting things.

 

One of the 3 sharks we caught that day!

Bud's big catch!

We also had two good days of snorkeling out on Sombrero Reef, five miles off shore. Our first trip out we took SeaQuest. Tim and Jill (s/v Links) came along as well as Gail and Don, friends of ours from NJ who have a house here. The second trip out we went along on Links with Sid & Michele (s/v El Camino) who we met two years ago, and happen to be moored right next to us.

 

After snorkeling we all took a dinghy ride to Sunset Grill, where there's a nice big pool to relax in. Yup, now we feel like we are on vacation!

 

Michele & Sid  s/v El Camino

 

Cap'n Jill driving the dinghy



Jill had been practicing driving the dinghy, knowing that our Captains were leaving us for a few days. Bud and Tim hitched a ride back up north with a friend so that they could pick up our vehicles. It will be much easier in the Spring when we have to empty the boat to leave it in Florida. I will expand on that plan when we have more of the details worked out.

 

So now, with a cold front blowing 20-25 knots for the next few days, Jill and I are holding down the fort! We have Sid and Michele right next door just in case we need anything, but we are having a blast! Especially with the dinghy rides!

 

Christmas is right around the corner, but i'm still finding it hard to get in the spirit. The toughest part of this trip is definitely being away from family. We will be celebrating with our harbor family, but it wont be the same.

 

By the way, if anyone wants to visit, we will be here until the end of January. Come on down!

 

Merry Christmas!!

xoxo

 

Sunset at Lazy Days South, Marathon Marina

A big iguana

Another harbor sunset...can you hear the conch horns?