Today we are treated to a visit by a small group of
manatees, an endangered marine mammal common in south Florida waters. These guys are large and seriously ugly! A small water leak on our dock attracted them
for a drink of fresh water.
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| Manatees, Marlin Bay Marina, Marathon FL |
Two of the manatees were snuggling and nuzzling each other –
very cute!
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| Manatees, Marlin Bay Marina, Marathon FL |
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| Manatees, Marlin Bay Marina, Marathon FL |
Dory has found a local supply of coconuts to carry – happy dog!
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| Dory with coconut, Marlin Bay Marina, Marathon FL |
April 2020
As the lockdown continues, we have slipped into a monotonous
routine of boat projects and getting to know our fellow prisoners – make that
boaters – from a safe distance. We have
been scolded for having outdoor group dinners, but the threat of removal of
pool privileges has not yet been carried out.
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| Group dinner, Marlin Bay Marina |
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| New satellite antenna on Sauvy B |
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| Boats anchored in Florida Bay |
Monday, May 4, 2020
Restrictions are finally being relaxed here as of
today! The Keys is still closed to
visitors, roadblocks still in place on the highway, no vacation rentals allowed
to open. At least the restaurants can
start serving outdoors and we decide to celebrate. Five couples from the marina head out in our
dinghies for a circle route around Marathon with a lunch stop.
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| Tom & Paula |
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| Steve, Susie, Wes, Amanda |
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| Mark, Lana, Analise |
We head north in Florida Bay, only to buck choppy waters for
a rough ride to a pass to the ocean side of the island. One couple has turned back due to engine trouble,
but the rest of us slog on. Five miles
to the cut seems like an eternity, but we finally emerge on the leeward side of
the island to find the ocean (Florida Straits) glassy smooth!
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| Straits of Florida, offshore Marathon FL |
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| Straits of Florida, offshore Marathon FL |
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| Straits of Florida, offshore Marathon FL |
We pass a densely developed shoreline. Many homes look new or newly renovated, a likely
aftermath of hurricane Irma, which made a direct hit here in September 2017 as
a Cat 4 storm.
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| Marathon FL |
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| Marathon FL |
We take a passage into Boot Key Harbor, a protected cove
that is home to the Marathon City Marina. This marina has a few slips but is mostly a mooring
field with over 200 mooring balls. The
protected location and cheap fees make this a very popular spot for locals and
snowbirds.
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| Boot Key Harbor, Marathon FL |
Once past the mooring field, we arrive at Dockside bar &
grill. We are thrilled to be out and
having a group lunch, even though we are seated at somewhat separate tables
with disposable menus, plastic silverware and paper plates. We thoroughly enjoy our little sliver of
normalcy!
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| Dockside with Marlin Bay Marina group |
On the way back to the boat, we stop to let Dory get wet and
enjoy some exercise.
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| Boot Key, Marathon FL |
Friday, May 8, 2020
Although the Keys has begun to slowly reopen businesses, we
are still under tighter restrictions than most other areas. We have been monitoring the lockdown
restrictions in the Bahamas, as well, and are disappointed that restrictions
there are even more draconian than here.
It does not appear we will have any chance to go there this year, as we
will not risk being in such a remote and exposed area during hurricane season.
We are considering leaving here in the next few weeks to
visit the Dry Tortugas National Park.
Located 63 miles west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, this most
remote park can be reached only by boat or plane. An historic fort can be toured on one of the
islands, the park headquarters. Area
waters boast excellent snorkeling and fishing.
We will watch the schedule to lift restrictions, hoping the marinas in
Key West will allow us to stop en route and that the park facilities will
reopen.
We have learned that the rental car counters are still
open at the Marathon airport, so we pick up a car for a day trip to Key
West. We arrive to find most businesses
still closed, but find Bien, a restaurant with outdoor seating, and enjoy a wonderful
Caribbean meal. Robert learns from the
city marina that they do not expect to open to transient boats until at least
June 1 and quite possibly later.
It was sad and eerie to drive down Duval St. past Mallory
Square and see few people and few open businesses. It is easy to realize many of these businesses
may never reopen.
We stop at a dog beach so at least Dory had some fun today.
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| Dory, Robert at Dog Beach, Key West FL |
Robert finally got a day with light wind and took off to do some fishing. The size of this area combined with it being unfamiliar led to an empty stringer, even though he did enjoy his day off from projects.
Friday, May 15, 2020
Friday, May 15, 2020
What a difference 2 weeks makes! We head out again with a group of 8 for
dinner at Castaways. Our taxi driver has
no problem with all of us cramming into his minivan. No one is wearing a mask. Dinner at the restaurant features excellent
seafood, real silverware and plates.
Understand we have all been isolated together at the same marina now for
over 2 months. Friendships have
blossomed and trust in each other’s health has grown. Marathon, with a population of 8600, has
reported only 5 cases of virus, none in the past few weeks, and no deaths.
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| Dinner at Castaways with Marlin Bay Marina group |
We have some uninvited guests for dinner at Castaways,
likely because few people have been fishing then giving the pelicans handouts
from the cleaning tables. Restaurant
staff repeatedly shoo them away, only to have them return.
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| Pelican at Castaways, Marathon FL |
Sunday, May 17, 2020
A bitter-sweet day today!
Seven boats left our marina this morning, including our friends on All Talk II from Houston. We will miss our friends but glad they are finally on the move. These boats will go up the east coast, either
back to their home ports or to try to find open cruising grounds for the
summer. Lots of unknowns still as each
state has different restrictions in place.
Most boats here were staging for the Bahamas, as we were, and most plan
to return here next winter to try for a spring 2021 Bahamas cruise. Hmmm …
We have now given up hope to get to the Dry Tortugas anytime soon. The Keys will not reopen marinas for two weeks after the Miami area reopens, and then only if no virus surge occurs. Arthur, the first tropical storm of the season, formed yesterday. We've decided not to wait here any longer.
Our current plan is to be here one more week, then start our trek back to Texas. We will work our way along the coast, rather than take the direct route across the Gulf of Mexico. Four days / nights of continuous motoring across open ocean does not appeal! Instead, we will retrace our route from last summer and expect to arrive back in Houston by early July. Our tenant will not move out of our home until the end of October and our plans between July and then are still vague.
Our current plan is to be here one more week, then start our trek back to Texas. We will work our way along the coast, rather than take the direct route across the Gulf of Mexico. Four days / nights of continuous motoring across open ocean does not appeal! Instead, we will retrace our route from last summer and expect to arrive back in Houston by early July. Our tenant will not move out of our home until the end of October and our plans between July and then are still vague.
So glad to hear from ya'll. We too are locked down. Our sons will not let us go to the shop to work, so we are doing what we can from home. Limestone County has only had 15 cases and 1 death, all but 3 from the same hispanic family. They come here illegally and refuge to learn the language. They have no way of learning what's going on around them. Mexia is on a curfew because of this, Wal Mart and HEB are not allowing children under 12 in the store. This is because the hispanic community seem to enjoy having family reunions in the aisles. We have had none in the hospital. The one death was a staff member who worked the State School, but lived in Dallas. Seems she gave it to a client at the school who recovered but she passed away. So we feel fairly safe from the virus. All but two have recovered. Maybe when you get back to Texas we can have another reunion. Drew is back from London. Glad you two are safe. Linda Flatt
ReplyDeleteI move the manatees. John and I always saw them boating on the St. Johns River. I bet Dory was excited. Hope your trip back is fun but uneventful - there's no place like home, there's no place like home. Be safe sweet friends. Talk to you soon.
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