On the Move Again

         We finally left Marathon this morning (Jan 12).  Three weeks in Marathon is about two and a half weeks too long.  We made the best of it - snorkeling Sombrero Reef three times, visiting friends, making new friends, eating or grabbing a drink at some of the local establishments.   One of our highlights was a pot luck dinner among four of the boats that made up the core of our flotilla through the Illinois locks.  Each of us made something great to share and we spent a wonderful evening together on the patio at Safe Harbor Marina.  A second highlight was attending the local gathering of the MTOA - Marine Trawler Owners Association.  Dan regularly participates in their online forums and is well-known (notorious?) for his input.  He was able to meet the people he’s been conversing with online, one of whom is the editor of the MTOA online magazine Turtle Times.  She was thrilled to meet him, as he has been submitting ideas and tips to her.  

Sol Maria, Hygge, Katmat, and Willie Dawes

Much of the time, however, was spent thinking, researching, consulting, gathering parts for, and replacing our battery system.  Dan actually did all the work, I was mostly a sounding board, and did end up helping him program them in the end.  He decided to go with Lithium, which meant doing some re-wiring and re-arranging.  This required several trips to the local West Marine store, and one to a handy nearby electrical supply place, as well as waiting for the arrival of batteries and new alternator and chargers, which came along in three separate shipments.  We (I say ‘we’ in the royal sense; as I said, Dan did 99% of the work) couldn’t have gotten this together without help from Dave on Hygge, who let us use his name and marina address, Peter on Tortuga, who has the same battery system and offered lots of advice, the people at West Marine who set things aside and also had things brought in from other nearby West Marine stores, and the people at Balmar and Epoch, with whom Dan has consulted on a near daily basis.  Everything has been installed, programmed and adjusted as of yesterday.  We’re (royal ‘we’ again) still getting used to the new system, and dropped anchor in Florida Bay for about twenty minutes this afternoon to make another adjustment, but things look promising. 

It’s nice to be on the move again.  We had an easy cruise today to Lignumvitae Key, one of many state parks in the Keys.  This one is only accessible by boat, and offers free moorings, from which there is an unobstructed view of the sunset.  We picked up the mooring around 5:00pm.  We are only a day away from Key Largo, where we’ll wait for a weather window to cross to the Bahamas.  Since the weather won’t be cooperating for at least a couple of days, we will probably spend tomorrow here at Lignumvitae.  We can swim and snorkel right from the boat, and if we choose to visit the island, there are trails to hike and some ruins to see.  Lignumvitae is marine, bird, and insect sanctuary, although we have read it is also a place where mosquitoes do not like to live.  I’m hoping the noseeums find it equally unattractive. 

It’s quiet and peaceful here.  There are five moorings but we are the only boat using them.  Such a difference from the busy-ness and crowded conditions of Marathon.  They don’t call it a parking lot for nothing!  From the harbor you can hear the Rte 1 traffic, including police and ambulance sirens, as well as music from the various bars, parks, and other boats.  Every day - sometimes twice a day - helicopters from the USCG and the CPB (Customs & Border Patrol) do low fly-bys over the boats, taking pictures and marking people’s positions.  It’s noisy and more than a little creepy to have evidence of Big Brother keeping an eye on us, but it’s probably because we are only 90 miles from Cuba.  Here at Lignumvitae we can see the stars and enjoy the breeze.  This is the kind of cruising we prefer.  

Sunset from Lignumvitae Key

Tommie will snuggle with Dan even when he's busy.