LOOP Report 02/13/2005

Marathon and Key West Florida in the Conch Republic.
Sunday, Feb. 13, 2005

The Atlantic, seems unbelievable that we have come to this magical place in the keys of Florida.

Marathon is a gathering place of hundreds of boaters some who came and never left. Many of them are just as you might read in a novel, crusty, knarly, some hard bodies, and some living just a step above homeless. Most of the workers here are living on the boats at anchor as general accommodation is too expensive. There are hundreds of boats and not much available space at all for us transients.

Luckily our friends Gord and Heidi on “Single Minded” were already here for a month and got us a great spot next to the Famous Sombero Dockside Bar. We just pull up a table and party with everyone else. Each night a different band takes to the tent till 10:30. They sure know how to work hard at having a good time here.

The winds are up so we need to stay close to the bar.

The trip down was a joy ride across Florida Bay, staying one night on anchor in Little Shark River in the Everglades. Poor dog Shiloh had to stay on board for there was no landing in the mangroves for her. They say the mosqitoes are bad and they were right but we were ready for them, just like the Bay at home. In the morning the dolphins saw us out of the river into the bay.

The closer we got to the keys the bluer the water. Also the shallower, always in 8 feet and less as we got near the 7 mile bridge that saw us go under and toast the entry into Hawk Channel and the great Atlantic.

We have rented a car while waiting for winds to drop and are driving down to Key West to watch the sun set. Yesterday we had a great lunch at the Lor–e-lei (a mermaid) crab shack on the way to see Humphrey Bogart at Key Largo. ( actually not much there except some retail stores )

We’ll soon be on anchor again to do some snorkeling and then head back up to the village of Flamingo in the Everglades and then on up to Ft. Myers area again. Have to tell you the seafood is wonderful, plentiful and varied. The sights here are the same too.

Sunday,
We all got to Key West in the Conch Republic by our rental car and did the sightseeing thing by trolly train and the history is historic when told by a local. Ter..rr..rr..if..ic lunch of conch fritters, stone crab claws, etc. on an upstairs terrace restaurant and toasted our southern arrival and Valentines Day tomorrow with a lovely rose.eh! wine. But must carry on to witness the big event of the day. Everyone comes to see the sunset at Mallory Square including the buskers, fireaters, performing dogs, Disney cruise ship, escape artists, jugglers, photographers, jewelers, seagulls, pigeons, little people, tall people, all sizes people, guys on their knees with rings proposing to ladies who are amazed and crying. There’s more but we left to drive back out of the madding crowd to the more sedate Sombero Dockside Rock and Roll bar in Marathon. A simple dinner on board Chinook of crab melts on croissants. Now, ain’t this the damdest trip and we are only half way at approx: 3000 miles including all the twists and turns. Until next whatever…..

Loopers and Shell Scoopers…Ted, Pat, and crew David, Marnie, Shiloh the protector against all pirates of the Carribean.

Happy Valentine Day to everyone.