Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-2021 (Part II)

  Sombrero Marina, Marathon, Florida:  February 28, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/@24.6982386,-81.0849577,15z

The story of the shark at the 7 Mile Bridge. 

Marc-  The last day of February was a strange one indeed.  I did the morning walk around the golf course on my own since Sue was feeling a bit under the weather so to speak.  The walk was fine.  I later tuned in for Mass online at St. Ignatius.  We later went over to Blackfin Marina for lunch and to watch the mid-day rematch of the NY Rangers vs. the Boston Bruins.  Michael's addition of a sunshade outdoor umbrella to the boat side picnic table made it much nicer.  The best was a Bruins win of 3-1.

I have saved the best for last.  Michael and Doreen drove down to the 7 Mile Bridge and visited the old railroad bridge section now used as a fishing pier.  The met one of the fisherman using live bait.  He hooked a shark while they were there.  The shark won the battle since no wire lead had been used on the fishing line (see the video for the action).

Shark video:   https://youtu.be/1EjEXFtuZ0U

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-2021 (Part II)

 Sombrero Marina, Marathon, Florida:  February 27, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/@24.6982386,-81.0849577,15z

A windy day in paradise:  Marathon's Sombrero Beach

Marc-  We walked today and played our group NY Times Crossword Puzzle after enjoying the beach.  Most of the day was spent dealing with getting our tax documents ready and dealing with poor wifi connections.  I also continued working on the ac unit connection preparations (the unit itself has yet to arrive).  It is so hot and humid.  By noon the cabin temp is consistently mid to high 80s.  The only saving grace is that our little air cooled ac unit gets the temp down to 73 degrees at night so we can sleep.  And I did some deck painting.  Sue's i-phone became unreliable and we spent some time researching and ordering a replacement:  i-phone 12 pro coming soon.

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-2021 (Part II)

     Sombrero Marina, Marathon, Florida:  February 26, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/@24.6982386,-81.0849577,15z

Sombrero Beach with large sailboat still in place.  Sombrero Reef lighthouse in background.

Sail - ho

Sue gave me a buzz cut today.

Marc-   Today we went to our favorite beach early (07:00) and ran into the Marathon High School traffic for the first time.  There were also two Sheriffs standing watch.  We decided to pick up a take out breakfast at the Wooden Spoon.  The food was good but we ended up eating on a bench outside.  

The middle part of the day was spent doing more preparation work for the still missing ac unit and also helping Michael on one of his projects.  

Michael and Doreen invited us over for a Picnic dinner and the a Bruins vs. Rangers rematch.  The dinner was superb I got to cook the steak.  The hockey game was sad with the Rangers winning 6-2.  

Table and Palm tree behind Michael's Boat

Michael's grill

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-2021 (Part II)

    Sombrero Marina, Marathon, Florida:  February 25, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/@24.6982386,-81.0849577,15z

A relatively small marina resident.

Sombrero Marina sunset

Marc-   We started today off with a walk to Sombrero beach.  The water was super clear and warm this morning.  The same large sailboat (60 feet plus) was still anchored off of Sisters Creek despite being exposed to heavy weather lately.  We returned to join the NY Times Crossword Puzzle group.  I then started working on various boat projects including more preparation for the second air conditioning unit.  I completed the ductwork needed.  Now all we need is the ac unit that should have arrived by now.  The dealer had indicated that it should have arrived one day after shipment.  We are now two days post shipment and no ac unit.

We see numerous little lizards running about the marina and I found one that was willing to pose.  Finally the sunset did not disappoint tonight.

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-2021 (Part II)

   Sombrero Marina, Marathon, Florida:  February 24, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/@24.6982386,-81.0849577,15z

Wildlife at our marina

Green Heron

enjoying a different perch

Fish beneath our slip.

Marc-  We started the day with our usual walking and our group NY Times Crossword Puzzle.  This was followed by more boat projects.  Today's projects included cleaning the stainless steel hood over the stove (it gets greasy), removing the microwave to gain access to some loose winch bolts, and finally to replace a defective toilet.  

We are living in a marina slip that has wildlife all around us.  We have a Green Heron that seems to favor our slip lines and the bowsprit chains on our neighbor's Schooner.  The bird is looking for the fish that live beneath the boat and docks.

A waxing Moon above some palm trees at our local golf course.

Another Marathon sunset.

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-2021 (Part II)

   Sombrero Marina, Marathon, Florida:  February 23, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/@24.6982386,-81.0849577,15z

Marathon High School

Yucca tree?

Marc-   We started the day off with  a walk a to Sombrero Beach however we took a left turn at the last bend in the road to explore several small islands:  East Sister Rock Island and Tingler Island.  Both of these small islands are covered in beautiful waterfront homes.  At least 50% of the homes in the beach area appear to rent out as vacation homes.

I spent most of the morning doing an instructor recertification class via zoom.  It was problematic with my wifi connection cutting out several times.  Sue used the Macbook and my cell to log on to the Gilmartin New York Times Crossword puzzle session.  

I continued the boat preparation for the final parts of our new air conditioner (hopefully it will arrive soon).  I used some of the leftover pressure treated lumber to replace some damaged and missing parts of our dock.  Our slip is actually a dockominium.  Two slips share a dock and several pilings.  Our dock was one of the few that was not destroyed when hurricane Irma came here in 2017.

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-2021 (Part II)

  Sombrero Marina, Marathon, Florida:  February 22, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/@24.6982386,-81.0849577,15z

Morning dove by Doreen

Marc-  Today like most days here involved some serious walking.  We began with a pleasant walk around the golf course and then proceeded to the infamous Route 1 (very noisy and alot of traffic) to first return a book to the Marathon Library and second to deal with the air conditioning company about our missing AC unit.  We ordered (and paid for) a new marine air conditioner on February 8th and have yet to receive anything.  This was a little disconcerting given the high humidity in this area these past two weeks and the assurance that the warehouse was in Tampa, Florida and would only take a few days.  Several phone calls to the dealer brought no results and something about Covid 19 slowdowns and complete delivery by mid-March.  I met with the Company owner and did get some results:  a circulation pump (I installed it today) and assurance that the air conditioning unit would be shipped on the 23rd (tomorrow).

The new water circulation pump for the AC unit.

Special thanks to Michael Gilmartin for driving me around Marathon today to get the parts needed for the pump installation as well as the base construction for the AC compressor.

Thanks to Brian Gilmartin for organizing another great New York Times Crossword Puzzle 

Zoom session.

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-2021 (Part II)

 Sombrero Marina, Marathon, Florida:  February 21, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/@24.6982386,-81.0849577,15z

The winds today were high.  28 knots is equal to 32.2 miles per hour.

Boats well protected in Marathon harbor.

Marathon Harbor sunset.

Marc-  Today we walked 9.2 miles.  It all started with breakfast on the leeward side porch of the Cracked Conch Cafe with Michael and Doreen.  Michael ordered Eggs Benedict with Taylor Pork Roll.  I went for a Philly Cheese steak omelet and both Sue and Doreen had Spanish omelets.  

We then went on a 4 mile hike to visit the Air Museum at the Marathon airport.  Unfortunately it did not open until 13:00 so we just enjoyed the outside exhibits.

Brian hosted yet another NY Times Crossword puzzle session.  I opted out since I was painting the boat deck (taking advantage of the low humidity while it lasts).  The Gilmartin cousins, Kerry & Katie, did an outstanding job on the puzzle.

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-2021 (Part II)

    Sombrero Marina, Marathon, Florida:  February 20, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/@24.6982386,-81.0849577,15z

Michael and Doreen aboard Fiddler's Green hosted breakfast today.

an uninvited guest (an Ibis)

The Guest of Honor:  Ann Marie Gilmartin

Marc-   This morning we assisted in a send off breakfast for Ann Gilmartin and her return to Arizona.  I prepared the French crepe batter last night aboard Lucy III (it is always best prepared the night before use and stored in the refrigerator).  Sue and I brought over the essentials: crepe batter, Vermont Maple Syrup, Nutella and Kerry Gold Butter.  we also brought fresh fruit.  Michael made the coffee and supplied both a gas stove and an electric stove.  Brian Gilmartin was present via zoom for the New York Times Crossword puzzle.  A good time was had by all.

Sue and I found time to do our 7 miles of walking here in town.  We saw a nice sunset on our last lap tonight.  

Marathon sunset at Sisters Creek

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-2021 (Part II)

   Sombrero Marina, Marathon, Florida:  February 19, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/@24.6982386,-81.0849577,15z

On our way to Bahia Honda State Park aboard Fiddler's Green.

Lucy III snug in her slip at Sombrero Marina, Marathon.

Marc-  Sue and I were up early for our walk around the golf course.  We then walked over to Blackfin Marina to join Michael, Doreen and Ann for a trip to Bahia Honda State Park via Florida Bay.  We brought our masks and snorkels to explore the waters in the Park.  Southwest winds did not slow us down on the North side of the Keys.  Fiddler's Green did well despite the prop getting tangled up with a trap line.  Michael dove on the boat once in the harbor and removed the line.  We enjoyed a cookout at the Park marina.

Bahia Honda State Park Marina

Just a nice boat we passed along the way.

Fish beneath Fiddler's Green back at Blackfin Marina:

https://youtu.be/xKVurFN_1ts

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-2021 (Part II)

  Sombrero Marina, Marathon, Florida:  February 18, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/@24.6982386,-81.0849577,15z

Marc-   This was a day where we stayed put to do laundry and some boat maintenance.  We still did our five mile walk to Sombrero Beach and the beautiful sand and surf did not disappoint.  

Our only outings today was walking up to Publix Supermarket for groceries and having lunch with the Gilmartins at Dockside Pub here at the marina.  We were there late enough to listen to the afternoon live musicians and the dining space beneath the tent was not busy.

Dockside Pub in the early morning:

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-2021 (Part II)

 Sombrero Marina, Marathon, Florida:  February 17, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/@24.6982386,-81.0849577,15z

Touring Key West

Marc-   We returned to Key West to see some sights, since we did not see much of it yesterday.  This is one town that takes several days to visit.  We started by the Truman Waterfront Park and the US Coast Guard Cutter Ingraham.  Walking the tree lined streets in the Truman Annex quarter was most impressive.  The homes are all perfect in what was once a Navy base.  We soon located the "Little White House," a transformed Commanders residence, which President Truman used for rest and relaxation while still working during his presidency from 1945 to 1953.  We enjoyed the tour.  The home is impressive not for its elegance but for its simplicity.  Several important government meetings were held here.  Most of the furniture remains from the Truman years. The only eccentric item was a fancy poker table used by President Truman.  It came with a covering top to conceal it during government meetings.  Our guide explained that the Presidential Yacht would tie to a nearby pier during the Truman visits to house staff and it was where food was prepared for the Little White House.  

Our next highpoint, besides walking the pretty streets, was our visit to the Ernest Hemingway House.  Mr. Hemingway enjoyed the good life and his home showed some interesting details including a large in-ground pool and a separate house for his many cats (there are currently 57 of them).  Some of the cat housing is a replica of Hemingway's house, but this particular cat house also has air conditioning (which the big house does not have).  Before Hemingway owned it, the house was owned by the wealthiest family in Key West.  

A Kapok tree

One of many Key West chickens

A Banyan tree

One of the homes in the Truman Annex

Just a typical Key West home

Condos in Key West

One view of Hemmingway's house (the porch goes all the way around).

Hemmingway's pool

Hemmingway's study

One of many cats in the house

This is the cat house in back.

A turtle pool in the Hemingway yard.

Green Parrot Pub

Key West little free library