The last time we were at Cabbage Key was New Years Eve 1994. Sunday morning we picked up the crew of the Cheesehead Navy for a quick ride to breakfast. Not much has changed since our last visit.
The bartender told us all of the cash was removed from the walls and ceilings after 9/11 for a donation to the survivors of the tragedy. More than $70,000 was donated.
After breakfast the crew toured of the island.
We do like our Rosborough. This morning Buddy was high on us... The able staff of Palm Island Marina hauled Buddy first thing this morning to rehab our SeaStar steering cylinder. The whole process took less than 3 hours. The last cold front was enough to convince me the seals in the cylinder were more than due for replacement. Lately when the weather would cool down, our steering would get a bit unpredictable. Not a good thing...
This being a special day, after breakfast I made a quick run to Walmart to get my Valentine a $5 bouquet of roses... When I returned we decided to check out Palm Island and our PIMYC privileges. We took the water taxi from the marina to Palm Island. Captain Kelly gave us a nice ride to and from the island.
After grabbing a quick lunch at the Rum Bay restaurant, we headed to the beach. The weather was perfect and we spent a couple hours lounging and looking for shark's teeth. In that Palm Island is private, there were no crowds. From the photo, you can also see there were plenty of teeth...
We moved today. Hauled the boat at 8:30 am, drove 266 miles NW to just north of Boca Grande, launched at 3 pm and were set in our slip for the next month at Palm Island Marina and Resort by 4. Great place, the heat is on as the overnight low is forecast to be 32... Warm-up Monday with the forecast in the 80's for the next two weeks. Our slip is behind the palm trees, behind the hot tub.
http://www.palmisland.com/the-island-experience/palm-island-marina/
My son has been visiting since last Saturday. Unfortunately, it has been raining every day. We did escape the rain on Monday by traveling west to Key West. We did the usual tourist thing. The rain is forecast to stop tomorrow, after we drop him off at the Miami airport...
Today we took a 10 mile bike ride to Tavernier. Among other things, we saw witches, dragons, and birds of all sorts...
For the last two days we have been guests aboard Dick and Anne's "Nati" for a short cruise to Marathon. The first night we were on the hook in Long Key bight. A cold front came blasting through Sunday so there was plenty of wind. There were three other boats trying to hide from the wind that didn't fare as well as Nati as they all went to the drag races by morning. With the wind behind us blowing 25-30, we cruised down Hawk Channel the next day to Boot Key Harbor.
As usual, for this time of year, the "inn" was full, with a 20 boat waiting list for a mooring. We eventually found a place to anchor in the land of stray current, Sister Creek. Normally, this is not a good place to be as the noseeums have a 1' wingspan there and are especially hungry. Fortunately, with it blowing so hard they were kept a bay...
It appears the city fathers of Marathon are trying to reduce the boater population, for as of Feb. 1, the daily dinghy fee for those unable to get a mooring will be $22.
On our way back home today we passed a couple of interesting boats. One looked vaguely familiar...
The guy on the cute little boat was the first with the correct answer to my quiz. We get back to the marina yesterday and he gives me the lame excuse that his tap and die set is 1400 miles north in Indiana... So, $50 and 3 hours later this morning, Buddy is good to go. We hadn't run on one engine for any distance before yesterday so I was interested to see how it worked. At 3000 rpm we ran at a little over 6 knots, 3500 rpm about 7.5. With both engines at 2000 rpm we run at 6 knots, fuel economy running both at 2000 is the same as running one at 3000. We had a Proline 23 walk around a few years back with a 15 kicker that would do 6 knots wide open in flat seas. I'm pleased with Buddy's performance with the twin 50 high thrusts, and am glad we had two...
On the way back to Plantation Key we passed a marker that has obviously seen better days...
Tonight we are on the hook about 9km NE of Plantation Key. The hunt for Roseate Spoonbills was successful!
Notice anything missing on the port engine? First one with the right answer gets to send me a tap and die set...
Yesterday we headed to Key Largo with our land yacht to visit our good friends Larry and Candi. While there I received a call from other friends that know our winter residence. They were in transit moving a recently purchased 57' yacht from Savannah to Punta Gorda. The boat has an 87' spar that requires sailing all the way around the Florida Keys. They would be on the hook overnight at nearby Rodriguez Key. We took a beautiful sunset cruise out for a quick visit and inspection. The yacht is Australian built, performance-oriented, with a lifting keel that goes from 5.5' to almost 12' draft, water-ballasted, with twin rudders, and a hull shape similar to the current Open 60 ocean racers. So far their top speed has been 14 knots in less than 25 knots of true wind. Quite a boat...
After the cable guy showed up today and hooked us up so I could enjoy my morning coffee watching the news, we took a 15km joy ride up Tavernier Creek, returning via memory lane...
Actually, we came back "home" via the Toilet Bowl, a cut through the flats that is very well "marked". Last February we gave some friends the thrill of their life with a boat ride through the same cut...
Yesterday morning I found this large shrimp in our dinghy. Too bad there was only one... Ended up giving it to the guy on the cute little boat nearby to use for fish bait.
On the beach next to the marina a large Multihull regatta is finishing up today. With the current cold front blasting through (high temp about 70), they've had good air for sailing.
We hauled out yesterday and headed south this morning on I75 to our winter home for the next two months, arriving at Plantation Yacht Harbor about 2 pm. A cute little boat was in the slip we had last year, so it looks like we have a new view this winter.
It was a beautiful day in Punta Gorda today...
