Key West

On our sail from St. Petersburg to Key West, we decided to make an overnight stop in Naples. It was our first time trying to pick up a mooring ball. We were NOT successful, as I explained to a friend via text:

We would later pay a kid on a Jet Ski $5.00 to retrieve our hook!

Despite the rough start we thoroughly enjoyed our night in Naples. We loved talking with all the friendly people docking for the night, most coming in from, or going out to, the Bahamas. We also caught up on laundry.

Naples is a beautiful place to be, with stunning waterfront homes along one shore and mangroves lining the other. Traversing the channel kind of felt like getting caught up in The Running of the Bulls; our slow sailboat puttering along amid a herd of speeding motorboats all vying for positions in the narrow channel, all fighting for the title of fastest boat on the water! It was a three-day weekend, and everyone who owned a boat or could rent a boat was out taking advantage of the perfect weather.

We were too, headed to one of our dream destinations, Key West! We don’t know a lot about all the islands that make up the Forida Keys, we had heard that Key West isn’t necessarily one of the prettiest, but we wanted somewhere easy to get in and out of with our 6’8” draft and it seemed like our best bet.

I had imagined it would be something like this:

But what we found when we got there looked like this:

And it was just so freaking hot. Miserably hot this time of year.

This is a current resident of Key West; she really is younger than me but has been on this island way too long!

We met her at a bus stop while waiting in the midday heat for an hour for a bus that never showed. Some boys riding by on bikes said the drivers often skip that stop as it requires leaving the highway and making a U-turn. They showed us on their tracking app that the bus indeed had passed us up and it would be another hour before the next scheduled bus arrived. Or didn’t. We thankfully were able to get an Uber just before our last remaining phone battery died. Only to return to our dinghy and find that our motor had too.

We have had so many problems with the engine on our dinghy, and it was beyond frustrating. We had to be towed (again) back to our boat which sat at anchor. I’d like to say the men that helped us did so out of the kindness of their hearts, but they did their good deed, as they were sure to let us know, hoping to score a free motor.

And they may have, had West Marine allowed us to use their computer to receive a security email from our bank that would allow us to raise our spending limit to cover the sale of a replacement. However, they would not.

A blessing in disguise, since out of pure necessity, Chris, with sweat, prayers and dogged determination, was able to get the outboard motor going, again. We have used it many times since and it has worked (almost) flawlessly since, knock on wood!

Had we arrived in a cooler month, I am sure we would have thoroughly enjoyed the quirky town of Key West, and I wouldn’t want to discourage anyone who hasn’t been there from going. Just don’t expect miles of unspoiled beaches. Do expect miles of tourists.

Key West has a very rocky coast and only one crowded public beach of which we’re aware. We also found it not to be very dinghy friendly as you have to pay daily to dock and there is a constant flow of traffic from massive cruise ships, speedboats loaded with adventure seekers and large groups of jet skiers buzzing around all day followed by a stream of sunset cruisers and party boats in the evening.

While anchored out we swam off the boat, snorkeled around the edges of Wisteria Island, and dinghied in to explore the town. We went out for dinner at Harpoon Harry’s; both the dinner and service were good. We also took the bus to run some errands and had an interesting conversation with another passenger who rides it to work every day from Marathon, and therefore, is late to work every morning.

I usually prefer to anchor out, but after about a week, happily moved to the NAS Boca Chico Marina. Not only could we run the A/C and do laundry, but we also met some very nice people there.

Steve and Diane helped us with our lines as we entered the marina. They have been liveaboards for the last 25 years! They are the 'been there, done that' couple! They have an incredibly beautiful, immaculately clean and well-equipped trawler. We got the chance to tour it while Steve grilled up some tasty ribeye. We were astonished to find they have a place on their boat not only for their dinghy, but a full-sized motorcycle too! How cool is that?!

As we ‘oohed’ and ‘ahhed’ over their beautiful boat Diane said, “I know, you want to be like us when you grow up”. It’s not untrue, but probably for different reasons than she thinks. Her boat is nice, but what I really admire is their zest for life, love for one another and their ability to create fun wherever they go!

We also met Scott in the marina, one of the nicest guys we have ever had the pleasure of coming across. His dog Delta was just as friendly, often dropping in for a visit or a game of frisbee. We liked to watch Delta watch Scott’s fishing line. She did so with such dedication you couldn’t persuade her away with the best toys or treats!

Scott arranged for Chris to go out with him on his friend’s boat and generously shared the Mahi that were caught while I hung out with Steve and Di at The Navigator's, enjoying the live music.

We couldn’t persuade Scott to come to dinner, but we did make Mahi Tacos for Steve and Di. I thought the tacos were delicious. I was impressed with the recipe which came from Kris and Wesley at "How to Feed a Loon", so I’m sharing it here. Click on the red link for full instructions or watch their video below. Then go catch some Mahi and enjoy a really fabulous dinner!

Amazing Mahi Mahi Tacos | How To Feed A Loon

While at the marina, Scott let us use his truck to reprovision, make a trip to the hardware store and pick up our third crew member for the next leg of our journey, our 18-year-old son, Matthew! He packed like an 18-year-old would pack, so we also made a run to TJ Maxx.

I had to keep pinching myself to make sure he was really here since he had to take two weeks off from work; he works 6 days a week while attending college and he rarely takes off, ever.

Matthew enjoyed hanging out with Scott who not only is an avid fisherman, but also entertained us with guitar music, songs and really interesting stories. He gave me some great tips on using unfamiliar settings on my new to-me Olympus camera, as he is a talented amateur photographer.

Matthew also enjoyed the conversation during our shared dinners with Steve and Diane.

He liked walking around town of Key West, was unbothered by the heat, so we took him to Harpoon Harrys, unfortunately this time the food wasn’t good and the service was meh. Can’t win ‘em all!

It seemed like we were there just long enough to settle in and then we were saying goodbye to our new friends, which is always a bit sad, especially this time, even as we are excitedly looking forward to our next stop.

I know I have fallen behind on posts, but I'm working hard to catch up, and soon I'll tell you about our visit to the Marquesa Keys, The Dry Tortugas and Isla Mujeres, Mexico!

Hasta Luego!

Notice how the rooster is using the crosswalk?!

And when Scott needed some help moving a boat, Chris and Matthew were quick to lend a hand.