Posted by Monty
Carol's log notes state we departed Rodriguez Key on 12/13/14 at 7:30 am with temperatures of 56 degrees. Seas were choppy at 3-5 feet. We motored and motor sailed down the Hawk Channel 45 miles and pulled into Boot Key Harbor around 4:00. Another cold day, mostly because of the wind, and my internal core temperature that has steadily been decreasing since we left Vero Beach. We picked up a mooring ball and took the dinghy into the office to check in.
The entrance to Boot Key Harbour
The mooring field
While we were getting settled with the office, we learned the Christmas Boat Parade was that very night, and going by our mooring. So we got squared away and watched the parade. It was awesome, but the pictures I took from a swaying deck were not.
This was the best of the lot. I will not subject you to the rest.
I feel like we have, at last, arrived. This place is so agreeable. We did have to wait out a couple days of chillier weather, but even so I ditched the long pants. For the past few days the high temperatures have been in the mid seventies and lows in the mid sixties. The tropical sun during the day keeps you plenty warm enough, and should you begin to overheat, a couple of minutes in the shade with the (north, of course) wind will cool you off sufficiently. Nights are excellent sleeping weather.
I have been doing a couple of boat projects. Bearings from NAPA (to repair a frozen bilge pump(remember the boat that sunk? I'm kind of freakish about working bilge pumps.)) are a bit of a challenge when NAPA is not within walking distance. They deliver to the marina at no charge, but the counter guy on the phone could not cross reference the part numbers on the old bearings. "Why don't you just bring them in and I'll match them up for you." OK, no problem. So it was bus time.
After studying the routes, I thought I had it. I'm a relatively intelligent person, right? I took the bearings and set out on the dinghy. Landing the dinghy and walking up to the bus stop (Carol had elected to forgo this adventure), I was encouraged by the presence of a few locals sitting under the shelter having a few beers and waiting on the bus. After some engaging conversation, sure enough, the bus pulled up. None of the locals got on. Hummm...
Nonetheless, after purchasing my day pass from the driver and telling him my destination, he dutifully dropped me off in front of the local NAPA store. They were able to match two of the bearings but the other one, of course, had to be ordered. Thankfully, they agreed to deliver it to the marina the next day.
Coming out of the store, I noticed the Marathon Welcome Center next door. Worried about my interpretation of the bus schedule, and seeing no bus stop sign, I went in and was assured by the nice lady behind the counter that the bus would stop, in approximately 20 minutes, at "that corner". At the appropriate time, sure enough, the bus came around the corner. I stood up, picked up my bags, and presented myself at the curb in my best "can I get on the bus?" attitude.
The bus blew by me without even slowing down. I could hear the turbo on the diesel spinning up. Hummm....
Calling Carol and getting the name of the local taxi service given to us by the helpful people at the marina during check in, I called Bob Narley Taxi. (Yes, really. Bob Narley.) "No problem, mon," said the voice on the other end of the phone. Minutes later, I was picked up and whisked back to the marina in a very efficient and relatively cost effective manner. Bus schedules aside, evidently I don't look like a customer.
Since then, we have been doing a lot of exploring, via dinghy and on foot. There are a few good restaurants nearby. The grocery store and Home Depot are within walking distance (no, Lowes is not). We took the dinghy out to a beach that looks very nice. West Marine is handy. We want to go to Sombrero Reef (a state park) to snorkel. We'll get to Key West for a day (more bus adventures?). Meantime, it just feels good to not be on the move.
I have been doing a couple of boat projects. Bearings from NAPA (to repair a frozen bilge pump(remember the boat that sunk? I'm kind of freakish about working bilge pumps.)) are a bit of a challenge when NAPA is not within walking distance. They deliver to the marina at no charge, but the counter guy on the phone could not cross reference the part numbers on the old bearings. "Why don't you just bring them in and I'll match them up for you." OK, no problem. So it was bus time.
After studying the routes, I thought I had it. I'm a relatively intelligent person, right? I took the bearings and set out on the dinghy. Landing the dinghy and walking up to the bus stop (Carol had elected to forgo this adventure), I was encouraged by the presence of a few locals sitting under the shelter having a few beers and waiting on the bus. After some engaging conversation, sure enough, the bus pulled up. None of the locals got on. Hummm...
Nonetheless, after purchasing my day pass from the driver and telling him my destination, he dutifully dropped me off in front of the local NAPA store. They were able to match two of the bearings but the other one, of course, had to be ordered. Thankfully, they agreed to deliver it to the marina the next day.
Coming out of the store, I noticed the Marathon Welcome Center next door. Worried about my interpretation of the bus schedule, and seeing no bus stop sign, I went in and was assured by the nice lady behind the counter that the bus would stop, in approximately 20 minutes, at "that corner". At the appropriate time, sure enough, the bus came around the corner. I stood up, picked up my bags, and presented myself at the curb in my best "can I get on the bus?" attitude.
The bus blew by me without even slowing down. I could hear the turbo on the diesel spinning up. Hummm....
Calling Carol and getting the name of the local taxi service given to us by the helpful people at the marina during check in, I called Bob Narley Taxi. (Yes, really. Bob Narley.) "No problem, mon," said the voice on the other end of the phone. Minutes later, I was picked up and whisked back to the marina in a very efficient and relatively cost effective manner. Bus schedules aside, evidently I don't look like a customer.
Since then, we have been doing a lot of exploring, via dinghy and on foot. There are a few good restaurants nearby. The grocery store and Home Depot are within walking distance (no, Lowes is not). We took the dinghy out to a beach that looks very nice. West Marine is handy. We want to go to Sombrero Reef (a state park) to snorkel. We'll get to Key West for a day (more bus adventures?). Meantime, it just feels good to not be on the move.
I have started storing my hat on top of the covered radar display. This freaks Carol out, as she thinks it looks like something masked from a horror movie.
All sizes of boats are on the mooring balls around here.
Every once in a while, people come sailing through the mooring field.
Pretty cool, really.
And the sunsets are amazing. Someone blows a Conch Shell horn every day when the sun disappears. Again, pretty cool.