Thursday, January 29, 2004
The weather roller-coaster continues. We know it is cold up north. Here, before the front comes in the wind shifts south and we warm up and get humid in the low 80's. Then the front plows thru and we go to 65 degrees day, 55 degrees night and windy.
I finished the last of the engine work yesterday, replacing a plate on the seawater pump that cools the engine. The charftbooks and cruising guide for Western Florida have also arrived so I have everything necessary for safe passage.
We have settled into a daily routine, of course without any alarm clocks etc. ( after all this is the Keys!!!! ). Get up, east breakfast, walk around the local golf course and then settle into miniprojects, shopping, bike riding. My miniprojects are now refinishing wood on the inside of the boat; Sandra is cooking and restocking the freezer. She also made custom quilted bags for her nieces. Once a week we go to a local greasy spoon called the Stuffed Pig and have a "real" breakfast.
Last weekend, I rented a car, drove up to Key large and did a Scuba Dive on the Spiegel Grove, a wreck in 115 feet of water. Friends drove down from Miami to meet me. Air was 59 degrees, water 73 degrees and I needed every bit of my 7mm wet suit.
We plan to head down to Key West next week and will keep a rental car an extra day to restock the boat.
At this point we are plaqnning to be ready to leave Marathon for the West Coast of Florida about February 20. It is an open water passage from Marathon to the tip of the Florida penensula, so I will look for as good a weather window as possible.
I finished the last of the engine work yesterday, replacing a plate on the seawater pump that cools the engine. The charftbooks and cruising guide for Western Florida have also arrived so I have everything necessary for safe passage.
We have settled into a daily routine, of course without any alarm clocks etc. ( after all this is the Keys!!!! ). Get up, east breakfast, walk around the local golf course and then settle into miniprojects, shopping, bike riding. My miniprojects are now refinishing wood on the inside of the boat; Sandra is cooking and restocking the freezer. She also made custom quilted bags for her nieces. Once a week we go to a local greasy spoon called the Stuffed Pig and have a "real" breakfast.
Last weekend, I rented a car, drove up to Key large and did a Scuba Dive on the Spiegel Grove, a wreck in 115 feet of water. Friends drove down from Miami to meet me. Air was 59 degrees, water 73 degrees and I needed every bit of my 7mm wet suit.
We plan to head down to Key West next week and will keep a rental car an extra day to restock the boat.
At this point we are plaqnning to be ready to leave Marathon for the West Coast of Florida about February 20. It is an open water passage from Marathon to the tip of the Florida penensula, so I will look for as good a weather window as possible.
Friday, January 09, 2004
Happy New Year from the sunny Keys!!! Today its in the high 70's. We have settled into a nice routine, combining walking, biking, going out with new-found friends and doing all the daily boat chores.
I have slowly worked through most of the punch list from the trip down. This included removing and rebuilding the rear toilet treatment system ( called a LectrSan ); replacing a windlass foot switch for the anchor; adding a filter system for the chart plotter.
Our plan is to do the return trip back North by the Western route. We will go north to the tip of the Everglades, then up the Gulf Coast of Florida to Ft Meyers, across Florida thru Lake Okeechobee then to Port Lucile to rejoin the ICW.
I have slowly worked through most of the punch list from the trip down. This included removing and rebuilding the rear toilet treatment system ( called a LectrSan ); replacing a windlass foot switch for the anchor; adding a filter system for the chart plotter.
Our plan is to do the return trip back North by the Western route. We will go north to the tip of the Everglades, then up the Gulf Coast of Florida to Ft Meyers, across Florida thru Lake Okeechobee then to Port Lucile to rejoin the ICW.
