Key West

The wind is still blowing in the Keys. It has been blowing for weeks at 20+ mph. That makes for some big waves out in the near coastal waters, and even bigger stuff that no one but the big guys really want to go out in. So we are enjoying ourselves in Key West and letting this weather pattern "blow" through. We have been here once for a few hours, but both Shelley and I have been enjoying this town. We are staying at a marina right in the center of it all, just off Duval Street. It is expensive but a very nice marina.

We have met our friends the Peterson's here and their boat Cruisin Cat. Bob and Marilee Peterson have the same boat as us, an Endeavour 44, and crossed the upper Gulf with us from Carrabelle. They have been bumping down the Florida coast for several weeks, but we met them again here in Key West. It is Spring Break in Key West, so the town is full of all kinds of folks. College kids are mixed in with the crowd from the daily cruise ship that ports here. Add to that throng with the normal tourists that flock to Key West and it's busy. Yet we have enjoyed the food and the atmosphere, and both of us would come back here again, either on our boat or by some other means.

I am a bit embarrassed with our boat as we are surrounded by some big iron in this marina. 75' to 90' motor yachts are the norm, all with captains and several crew members to run their ship. So here is our humble little 44 footer next to all these big guys, and I feel like the guy that brought a go-cart to a NASCAR race. But we all got to the same place, and I bet my fuel burn costs less than theirs.

When this wind lets up, we plan to move back east and north up the chain of islands. The water is clear and warm so its a perfect time to cruise the Keys. Once we have mastered these islands, then.....The Bahamas. Stay tuned. Marc