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

   Sombrero Marina, Marathon, Florida:  March 22, 2021

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

Desert rose on the path to Sombrero Beach

Marc-  We will be starting our return trip North soon depending on the weather. I started planning this week.  Today we tried to refill our propane tank but the pump was out of order.  The boat bottom is to be cleaned this week along with the installation of a new shaft zinc (date uncertain).  Time seem to be different here in the Keys.  Our "plan" is to depart on the 28th if everything cooperates including the completion of repairs to Fiddler's Green.  

Sue and I took advantage of the car and went over to the West end of Vaca Key and took a tour boat (a dive boat) over to Pigeon Key.  This was the Flagler Railroad main construction crew site and staging area for construction of the 7-mile bridge as well as several other bridges in this area.  The island has preserved some of the buildings from the Flagler era and a tour guide explained some of the engineering and construction issues that arose including 4 hurricanes.  The whole railroad project from the mainland to Key West was completed in just seven years. The many bridges constructed survived the great hurricane of 1935 that ended the railroad.  Unfortunately the railroad bed washed out in the Islamorada area and Henry Flagler was not around to rebuild it.  The railroad was sold to the State who put in a highway using much of the railway structures as its base.

Leaving Faro Blanco Marina for Pigeon Key.

Docks at Pidgeon Key.

Entrance to the Flagler Museum on Pigeon Key (note that all of the buildings are painted Flagler yellow).

Sue spotted an osprey.

She followed the Osprey back to its nest.

I saw some interesting trees.

This is a sea grape tree (the grapes are edible by humans and animals).