We're doing a complete paint job and just ordered some steel, so we can make some stabilizers to cut down on rolling at sea- Tony's request.  All this will take some time, so we will be here in Key West for at least a couple of months.  Long enough to check out the coral reef, visit restaurants, and even entertain guests should they appear.

It was raining here all day Monday, so the ibis were checking out puddles on the baseball field for treats.  We're getting some scraping and painting done, working with a local guy.  He comes over for 6-7 hours a day.  The water's warming up - swimming is getting better.  There's one spot right next to an old tugboat that's like an aquarium.  Must find a picture of the guy I saw there yesterday- some sort of kingfish.  

King Mackerel, according to the web.  This one was over 3' - fishermen love them.  

Got the boatyard blues again.
We're on the hard getting a bunch of work done on the boat so we can head out again.  Key West is a lot of fun to hang out in so we're not pulling our hair out.  I can't really tell all the crazy stuff that goes on here because, unlike Louisiana, some people in Florida can read, and we do like the people here.  The boatyard is a little like a large commune of derelicts, millionaires, and miscreants all having a good time.  If it all works out ok we will stay here a few months and get a lot done- tons of rust to deal with, bottom paint, and maybe some stabilizers to cut down on the rolling.


more pix!

from Marathon to Key West, FL
N 24 33.612 W -81 44.173
41 miles, 7 hours (2 days)


Got to Stock Island today, and they pulled us out of the water as soon as we arrived.  Dock space is at a premium- Race Week starts the 17th, and the boatyard is overrun with business.  'BP money', they told us.  So we're fifteen feet in the air, without power, listening to the rain at the moment.


more pix!

Still in Marathon, at the crossroads of the boating world- we'll probably head to Key West tomorrow.  Customs boarded us yesterday!  not as exciting as local police.  They were lovely young men in search of 'people and drugs', as they put it.  We were evidently very dull quarry, but they politely discussed the re-entry requirements for American cats before roaring off in a small boat with 4 large outboards.  


Did you know: if you take your cat to the Bahamas legally, he can get a Bahamian passport!  We're not going there.

reminder from Elle:  don't forget to put coins outside your door tonight and bring them back in first thing tomorrow, for prosperity in the new year.


additional insurance:  we were on a lovely boat today, and the owner was putting coins on all the stairs to ensure good fortune.  She said it was a Chinese custom.  I can find nothing about this on line, but am testing it out here anyway.

from Channel Key to Marathon, FL
N 24 41.782 W -81 07.068
19 miles, 3 hours


We got to Marathon yesterday and anchored in our usual spot:  beside the sunken fishing boat just west of Vaca Key.  And it is cold.  Not to be all whiney about temps in the low 60's, but it is not what people here expect.  A wonderfully sociable place, there are all sorts of lunches, happy hours, lectures, yoga classes, bingo games, etc.  On New Year's Day, they've announced there will be a swim at noon, no matter what the water temperature!  probably around 65 ...