MARATHON TO KEY WEST

1628 miles after leaving Rockport, Texas and we have finally made it to the southernmost point in the continental USA.  This is an achievement we are proud of.

We really had a nice relaxing time in Marathon.  It's such a great community of boaters that hang out in Boot Key Harbor.  I think I mentioned that they have a cruisers net every morning on VHF Channel 68.  While we did not avail ourselves of all the offers of this and that, we did enjoy hearing where so many of the cruisers came from.

 Some were like us - just passing through, while others came there from their homes in the north east to escape the cold and snow for the entire duration of the winter and will shortly be heading north.  We had a serious storm blast through the other day.  A couple of boats took a serious beating having been caught out in the weather.  There were several boats that ended up in the mud on the east side of Boot Key Harbor.  The kindness and generosity of cruisers never ceases to amaze me. 


As soon as the storm passed, numerous folks came to the aid of those who got blown aground and had all but one out of the mud rather quickly.  The one who remained stuck had to wait until the high tide the following morning.  At that time, several folks came back to lend a hand.  Very cool.  One guy, a sailor, did not get his cloth down in time and suffered severe damage to his main sail, his head sail, and to his dinghy.  He got on the cruisers net and was offered a spare set of sail, the name of the local sail repair guy, and even a dinghy to use until his was fixed. 

This guy really got clobbered.

That was all very nice.  Again, there is little in this world like the generosity of fellow cruisers.  We recently heard a story about a guy and his wife who were down in Key West at the time of that storm and were trying to pick up a mooring ball on the other side of Flemming Key.  The water was so rough that after several passes, he had lost 3 of his 4 boat hooks trying to grab and hold onto the mooring line.  Finally, a guy hopped into his dinghy and helped them by taking their line and threading the mooring line for them and then handed back up the line.  It's a good thing this good sam was around and able to help.  Both were very tired and, in bad weather, this could have spelled disaster.  Cheated death again.



We were not so badly affected by this particular storm.  Having been clobbered several times already this winter, I have developed a rather keen weather eye.  You see, the National Whatever Service (formerly known as the National Weather Service) completely missed this one.  There is sort of a formula about it.  If the prevailing breeze at this time of year is east/south east, then a couple days of south winds and an approaching cold front from the north, should be good clues that something is on its way.  Couple that with the fact that a few days in the 80's is about to meet a cold front which the night previous chilled northern Florida and the panhandle down to the 30's, and this should be another clue.  Finally, a look at the sky revealed a flat line of dark grey clouds with large cumulus clouds forming just atop the flat wall and that means the warm air from the south was meeting with some serious velocity, the cold air mass descending from the north. 



I recall telling Brenda that we had better close the windows because it is about to start raining.  However, I really did not expect the wind to come in so fast and so forceful.  We had gust of up to 50 knots.  The storm itself lasted for about an hour in its most furious state, but then began to taper off after that and, with an hour before sunset, seemed to have passed completely, leaving still cool air, glassy water, and a perfect set of clouds to enrich the oncoming sunset.  It was something special.  There really is nothing like the weather in back of a storm like that. 


Obviously, we did not have any problems.  However, because the National Whatever Service's forecast for the afternoon was very mild in comparison to what actually happened, there were a lot of boats out on the bay and in the Atlantic in reliance on forecasted mild weather.  Some new friends we just met today were on their way to Key West from Marcos Island, a 90 mile run due south through the middle of the Gulf of Mexico - many, many miles from land, at the time of the storm.  Unfortunately, they were 45 miles from land on either end and had to contend with 40-50 knot wind and seas of 9 feet or better.  They were truly in a fight for survival, but they made it and are still laughing about it.




Marathon was a good trip but it was finally time to go.  We picked up the anchor this morning and headed south.  Because the National Whatever Service has been somewhat less than perfect in recent days, we had a couple alternative plans prepared.  We had a forecast of pretty mild conditions - north to north east wind about 15 knots, nearshore waters inside the reef around 2 feet, with a moderate choppy condition.  However, the National Whatever Service, via the Coast Guard Sector Miami, kept getting on the radio every half hour or so to broadcast a Notice to Mariners concerning hazardous weather and an ongoing small craft advisory.  However, they did not say where this condition existed and the National Whatever Service's website which updates almost hourly down here was not showing any small craft advisory from the Dry Tortugas, all the way up to Miami.  Yet, they still had a hazardous weather advisory, but the text of the same, said nothing other than the possibility of cold weather and arid conditions over land.  As such, given all the seemingly conflicting information, we had a back up plan. 



Initially, we thought to go to Newfound Harbor on Big Pine Key - a mere 20 miles south of Vaca Key.  We could have very good protection there from all but the worst south wind.  Alternatively, if we got to that area and the conditions looked good and remained stable, we would simply roll all the way to Key West, a mere 43 miles south of Marathon.  Well, Sailflow was actually accurate in hindsite, and the weather only got better the further south we moved.  Our arrival at Key West could not have been nicer.  The water calmed down considerably and returned to that wonderful turquoise color and there was nary a whitecap.  Overall it was a wonderful ride.

There are places to anchor in Key West, but we have been on the hook since mid February and thought it was about time to get into a marina for some serious battery charging time and some other boat chores that are easier when you have a hose and an essentially endless supply of fresh water.  There are several marinas in the Key West area, most of which are ridiculously expensive.  However, I looked at the selection from the perspective of, well, if we have to be in a marina, let's find the one that puts us in the middle of everything and has all the services we need.  So, I prioritized the list and started calling.  The first on the list was Key West Bight Marina.  Low and behold, first call, and they had room for us, so we made a reservation.  Originally, we planned to stay in Marathon until Monday.  But, because it looked like we had a weather window, al beit narrow, we decided to head down there earlier.  On the way down, we decided we could just anchor out next to Wisteria Island until Monday, or I could call the marina and see if they could fit us in earlier.  Low and behold again, they were able to move our reservation and got us in this afternoon.  Easy.  They are very nice here.  Perhaps it is not the marina known for the most glitz and glammor, but it is completely functional and we are right in the heart of old town Key West. 

It would appear that we managed to get here during the Spring Break celebration and thus there are thousands and thousands of drunken college students running all over town.  Couple this with 2-3 cruise ships per day, each carrying a few thousand passangers, and what you have is a sea of humanity.  Nevertheless, it appeared that this community can easily handle the throngs of people.  We made it out for some great happy hour apps and drinks, and then walked over to Malory Square for the daily sunset rituals, and then went down Duval Street and found Margaritaville and had a cheeseburger in paradise with fries, and a chilled "Why Don't We Get Drunk and Screw" on the rocks.  Although we didn't see Jimmy hanging around his own restaurant, we understand he is well and preparing to go on tour again soon.  We got back to the boat at around 10:30, and just unwound for a while.  We only have three nights in this marina and then we will have to see what happens.  So for now, we will try to cram in as much as we can in a short period of time and then, as I said, we'll see what happens.

I'll have more pictures to post soon.  My phone died and I had no battery for many photos today.

Be well, All, and I'll talk to you again soon.

MARATHON - VACA KEY - BOOT KEY HARBOR

Have you ever seen a sea turtle?  Most of us have seen turtles, but have you ever seen a sea turtle?  Did you know they are actually air breathing reptiles?  Did  you know they can hold their breath for almost an hour and reach swimming speeds of nearly 25 knots?  They eat jelly fish and grass, shelled invertebrates, shrimp, crab, and sponges.  There are actually quite a number of species of sea turtle. Some are small and some get quite large.  Some are green.  Some are almost black.  And, some have wonderful tortoise designs and colors. 

Their shells are not solid.  They are made of essentially the same substance as our finger and toe nails.  Many sea turtles have a beak which is quite powerful, and strong enough to crack a conch shell.  Most sea turtles live in the shallower water and marine estuaries.  Some of them are pelagic.  In both cases they drift along in the currents and end up often many thousands of miles from where they were born.  Did you know that it takes a sea turtle 20 years to mature?  And, when they are ready to bear their own young, they return to the same beach where they themselves hatched.  Amazing, aren’t they?  Pure instinct. 

They don’t really have much of a brain that would allow them the ability to be contemplative.  It is hardly likely that they have the capacity of self awareness.  Yet, twenty years on the ocean, drifting along in currents looking for food and warmer water, and they manage to find their way back to their birthplace.  I find it quite astounding.  Certainly, there are other species that do this, such as the majestic salmon.  But who really cares about sea turtles?  Unfortunately, these gentle creatures succumb to a variety of conditions just because they are there. As a likely result of pollution in the water over the last 100 years or so, quite a few sea turtles have been witnessed with a condition known as fibrilopapilloma.  It is a condition characterized by horrendous wart-like growths that invade their eyes making it impossible for them to see; it invades their nostrils and throat, making it impossible for them to breath; it invades their ears so they can’t hear; it grows on their fins making swimming difficult; and, if untreated, will kill them. 

I think we can all agree that sea turtles are not on or near the top of the list of intelligent creatures on this planet.  As a result, a piece of plastic floating in the water column looks to a sea turtle like a jelly fish, or a drifting piece of vegetation.  Cigarette butts might tend to look like shrimp.  Plastic baits left in the water with long strands of abandoned fishing line looks like food.  Sea turtles ingest this stuff and it causes them to become impacted.  When this happens, air gets trapped in their intestines and they cannot pass it.  As a result, they float, usually butt up, and can die because they cannot eat, and when they get so weak that they can no longer lift their heads out of the water, they die because they cannot breath. 

Fish hooks really do a number on sea turtles.  They get caught in baited long lines as well as gill nets.  They are usually unable to get to the surface, so they die because they cannot breath.  I understand that they cannot experience what we know as “fear”, but even so, it must be an awful way to die.  Alone, trapped on a hook, the surface just in sight, but unable to reach it.  Sea turtles often get hit by fast moving boats.  Remember, their shells are not hard, but rather feel like really thick fingernails.  They certainly provide no protection against a propeller strike.  When this happens, they can develop a condition known as “bubble butt”.  Air is trapped beneath the injured shell and the turtles float.  Again, when they float they cannot eat.  They die of starvation.  Or, as a result of the tearing injury to their shell, they die of infection. 

Take a look at the damage to this turtle's shell from a prop strike.

Both mortalities take a long, arduous, and arguably painful and horrible time.  These gentle, beautiful creatures have really only one natural predator enemy, and that is sharks.  Sharks will kill them for food and the turtle dies quickly becoming just another link in the food chain.  Their unnatural predators, fish hooks, plastics, pollution, and man generally, kill much more slowly; much more painfully, and much needlessly.

Here in Marathon, there is a specialized hospital for sea turtles, unlike any other animal rescue facility in the world.  A biologist, back in the late 80’s decided he had seen enough and decided to devote his life to the cause of sea turtles.  He obtained the requisite permits and opened the first of its kind – a Sea Turtle Hospital.  Early on, he bought a motel property that was right on the gulf side of Vaca Key  There was a natural pool formed by rock and mangrove that flushes itself constantly.  The motel also had a pool and more than 20 room. On this property he built his hospital.  He rented out rooms in the hotel to fund the project.  Today, however, the property sits on several acres; has an emergency room, a sophisticated x-ray room, an operating room, and numerous pools where turtles may recover after being treated for injuries.  This effort also helped sea turtles get onto the endangered species list and enabled the passage of legislation in this country helping to control the habitat of sea turtles.  For instance, sea turtles come to the beach every year to lay their eggs.

With population development, many beaches have been lost in Florida to “condo hell”.  As a result, places for turtles to go lay eggs have diminished in number and size.  Remember what I said earlier, about how they take 20 years to mature before returning to the same beach they were born on to lay their eggs?  Imagine leaving home 20 years ago only to return to find that the place you were born, the beautiful mangrove covered island with the white sandy beach had been turned into Miami.  Rather disorienting, isn’t it?  The mothers carrying eggs don’t know where to go or what to do, so the eggs come out in the water and die.  Not cool.  There are rules if you live on the sand in just about any place in Florida or on the Gulf where sea turtles are known to make their nests.  For instance, you have to turn your lights off at night. 

You have to remove personal items from the sand.  You must take those actions necessary so as not to impede or interfere with the movement of sea turtles in their effort to bear young.  So many eggs are lost to natural predators.  So many more are lost to unnatural conditions.  The species is dwindling.  It’s likely that in a short enough period of time, seeing a sea turtle in the wild will become next to impossible. 

My point in all of this is that the Sea Turtle Hospital in Marathon is something to see.  I learned a lot visiting there and it made me appreciate even more what mother ocean has to offer us.  So, to my boating friends:  slow down, make sure you are using your holding tanks and emptying them properly (legally), don’t get rid of monofilament line in a way other than that which keeps it out of the ocean, don’t allow trash to go overboard, fish responsibly, and have respect for the medium that brings you so much joy.  Pay it forward it little and you will get it back a lot. 

There is not too much going on here in Marathon.  This is truly a cruiser’s haven.  We are anchored in Boot Key Harbor which is all but controlled by the City of Marathon.  It costs nothing to anchor.  If you feel the need to be in a marina, there are several.  They city also controls 260 mooring balls which are relatively inexpensive.  However, here is a place where you seemingly get a lot more than you pay for.  If you are on a city mooring, you get to use the great facilities they have set up for long term and long range cruisers.  There is a warehouse where you can use tools to do boat projects.  You get pumped out weekly whether you are on the boat or not.  There is free wifi.  There is a great cruisers lounge where you can watch movies, or trade books from the library.  The dinghy docks are great and well protected.  There are bike racks, and parking places.  The marina is right next to an unbelievable park which has basketball courts, tennis courts, in-line hockey, bocce ball, baseball fields, a batting cage, etc.  It is well located and very well thought out.  Folks are regularly friendly.  There is an exceptional marina staff.  There is a daily cruisers net. You have all access to these amenities for an even lower price should you chose to anchor out.  And, if you are a burned out drunk collecting disability and living aboard a derelict boat, there is the “Tree of Wisdom” where you may gather every morning to drink beer and wile away the days in the shade.  There is just about every service a boater could need, be it stainless steel repair, fiberglass repair, diesel engine service, or whatever else, from ac to heat.

Our market list.

The town itself is also very convenient with markets, bars, restaurants, a theater, convenience stores, etc., all within easy reach by bike or walking.  There is an airport here as well.  I have been somewhat less than impressed, however, with the keys as the “island paradise” it is marketed to be.  Perhaps if you come here and spend a week or two in a beautiful five star resort with a man made white sandy beach and a tiki bar, the Keys measure up.  In my own humble opinion, however, coastal Mexico is more beautiful and more mystical and wild.  Really, the only difference is that here, you have a lot of rocks covered with mangrove, as opposed to desert.  Once you get behind the mangroves, however, there is a busy highway, and all the comforts of home.  If you want to go fishing or diving, you can, but without local knowledge, you are probably wasting your time and risking your keel.  I really do like the climate, however.  The days are warm and balmy. 

The infamous Lobster Ruben

I’ve heard that summers here are disgustingly hot and humid and buggy.  Nevertheless, we are here and we will continue on our voyage because it is there.  There will be some things to experience when we get down to Key West, from what I have heard.  For me, standing on the spot marked as the southernmost point of the continental USA will be a cool thing and I am looking forward to that. I can live without the expensive marinas and high priced food and drink. 

The wind has finally let up.  For the most part, it has been blowing 25-30 all day and all night.  The water is flat in Boot Key Harbor, however, so other than a minor soaking in the dinghy, it is still completely possible to do whatever you want to do.  Unfortunately, when the wind stops, and the temperatures rise, the bugs come out – “noseeums” are a regular pest.  We have these clip on things we call “buggies”.  They run on a couple AAA batteries and have a little fan inside that blows over a membrane filled with “Off” bug repellant.  All you do is click it on and set it on the table next to you and it creates its own little bug free zone all around you.  These were Brenda’s idea, and I have to say, they work quite well.  While they may not have done much to impress the hornets on Matagorda Island, they seem to work well on the mosquitoes and noseeums here.

We’ll be here for a few more days.  Our supplies have dwindled to the point that major market trips are in order.  Doing it on a bike with a couple handle bar baskets and backpacks, however, takes several trips.  We also have a couple more things we want to visit while we are here.  There are always more spectacular sunsets to enjoy.  There is a very cool place we learned about and found called the Keys Fishery and Fish Market.  It’s almost across the street from the dinghy docks.  They make the world famous Lobster Ruben sandwich.  I had it, and was literally in sandwich nirvana.  They also do $1.25 stone crab legs in the afternoon.  I had a dozen the other day and really enjoyed them.  They are locally caught.  They also do a really cool thing every day at sunset.  The waitress comes around and deliveres a shot to every patron – some kind of fruity rum concoction – and then the bar tender leads the toast, “We have tall ships, and we have small ships, we have ships that fish the sea, but the best ships are friend ships, and we toast this sunset to all of thee.” 

These are our friends Bill and Carol whom we met in New Orleans and whom we haven't seen since then.  It was great to see them again.

So, with all that being said, here’s to you my friends.  Enjoy the sunset, enjoy the sunrise.  Be nice to the ocean.  Think about turtles.

Talk to you later.



Islamorada - the Keys - the Road to Marathon

Islamorada is a small town on Upper Matacumbre Key, a part of the Florida Keys.  Originally, I thought "Islamorada" meant purple island.  I was wrong.  I checked it out on my Google Translator, and it actually means Island Home.  It was so named shortly after the railroad came through.  Since it is almost at the halfway point between Key West and the mainland, it was home to many railroad workers and equipment. 

At first glance, it does not appear to be the island paradise most folks imagine when they consider the Florida Keys.  We were on the Gulf side, so there were no white sandy beaches, and, as I said previously, the palm trees appear to be plants. (By the same token, I guess it's not impossible that a coconut could have washed itself up on the land and taken root.)  However, what this town has is a terrific, laid back environment.  It's not like Hawaii or Mexico where everything is "well, maybe tomorrow, after fishing or surfing."  The people here make it special.  Everyone from the folks who work at Lorelei's to the guy in the gas station convenience store was friendly and helpful.

Let me say a couple words about the cruising lifestyle as some of you may not have experienced this before.  Folks are helpful.  Whether you need help lifting your dinghy out of the water, or if you simply need directions to the post office, other cruisers always have your back.  In that regard, places like Islamorada are cruiser havens.  When you can find a place where you can anchor for as long as you want for free; where the water is clean and clear; where you have services; where you have a place to go every evening to see yet another brilliant sunset, there are going to be long range cruisers who hang out for a while.  These are the folks you have to get in touch with if you want to know where to find things and how to get the stuff you need.  You can always find them at the end of the day, usually enjoying something cold on the beach.

We met a fellow named Bob who trailered his Catalina 22 down from a little town in central Louisiana.  He is only 61 but fully retired.  Unfortunately, his wife is not well and couldn't travel with him.  She doesn't like cruising either but appreciates his passion for it and encourages him to go alone.  As I said, however, cruisers are never alone.  We met Bob while coming to Lorelei's in our dinghy.  We had already run the dink into the mud once or twice until we followed this guy through "the channel".  He looked like he knew where he was going.  What was interesting however, was his dinghy.  It appeared to be made from canvas and wood.  He had a little 3.5 hp outboard on it and was sitting quite on the floor.  When we pulled up to the dock beside him, we struck up a conversation about the dink.  It turns out, he built it himself from some plans he got from someone somewhere.  It folds up and is stored in the v-berth.  The whole package, sans motor, weighs in at just under 40 lbs.  He moves around in it quite well and it does fine getting him to the docks.  Living aboard a Catalina 22 requires him to come to the dock for just about all the necessities of life.  Nevertheless, he is invenerable and does it every day with a smile and a brilliant attitude.  Insofar as he trailered his boat to Florida, he had a truck.  So, he was kind enough to show me where he kept the spare key and said we could use it anytime we wanted.  This is what I mean about cruisers wanting to help other cruisers.  While I did not have occasion to take him up on his offer, I did ride with him to the nautical flea market.

This was a lot of fun.  It is a generally huge event and happens every so often and attracts vendors from all over, not to mention folks purusing for that perfect boat item, part, clothing item, fishing supply or whatever else might have any business on or near salt water.  There was live music, a lot of great food, and, on a perfect day, there were thousands of people all enjoying themselves.

There is a prevailing sense in a place like Islamorada that it is ok to have thousands of people in one place like that.  I have really enjoyed the sense of freedom and the sense that you do not have to constantly watch your back.  Unlike at similar events in Southern California, there were no metal detectors at the door; nobody was there to search your back pack, and make you leave your smokes in the car.  There weren't heavily armed police in riot gear standing menacingly in any corners.  It would be nice to think that if you treat adults like adults, they will act like adults.  Whereas I am not convinced that Southern California is capable of this, down here in the islands, it is generally the case.  I guess what I am trying to say is that Southern California is a bastion for drunken idiocy anytime a beer is available at a festival whereas I have not seen that kind of thing down here.  I could speculate on any number of socio-anthropoligic theories as to why this is, but I won't.  Suffice it to say, we had a terrific time at the flea market.

Bob hauled his boat and went home the other day.  He left right before a frontal system brought wind and rain to the anchorage.  The rain was only sporadic, but it got and stayed quite windy for the last couple days we were there.

After encountering this crew in Cayo Costa, and hearing of their ramblings down the west coast of Florida, we finally met Barry and Jodi - the venerable crew of the T/V Loveshack, Tampa, FL.  I sometimes think that sometimes the stars line up just right for the chance meeting of folks you might consider kindred spirits.  Like us, they were successful in their own business venture and decided enough was enough, hopped on a boat and are out on their own exploration voyage of discovery.  Based on what we learned, they did a terrific job raising their daughter who is now well out on her own and doing just fine.  They have a beautiful boat that is very well maintained and very well equipped.  While they are both native Floridians, they have done quite a bit of travelling and are now enjoying their home waters aboard their own boat.  They have had several boats, but this is their piece de resistance. 

We saw their moored boat and I immediately recognized the name.  So we dingied over and said hello, told them how to get to Loreleis without running into the mud, and ultimately, met them for cocktails.  We were there until nearly 10 at night, just having a great time telling stories, etc.  I'm so glad Brenda and Jodi hit it off.  Jodi is absolutely adorable and a total sweetheart.  Jodi, by the way, is aka "Jodigirl" a bass player in a classic rock band in Tampa.  She taught herself to play (with a little help from her daughter) after having learned to play violin.  She is obviously very talented.  And, Barry cooked the best steaks we have had in over 5 months.  Thank you so much for a great dinner aboard Love Shack.  And Barry, by the way, the next tim eyou are in the mood to build a small country, let me know.  It would be a pleasure to work with you.

Love Shack headed north the other day.  We headed south.  It was great how we could tell them about what they would be encountering and they could tell us about what we had in store.  This is a huge part of this thing we call cruising.  Obviously, Barry can read a chart and drive a boat.  There is nothing he needed from me.  But, whenever, you go to a place you have never been before aboard your home, it is nice to have at least an image of what to expect.  They told us all about Marathon and Key West and a couple great spots in between.They also filled us in on the south part of the west coast of Florida.  We are looking forward to it.

Did I mention that there is a true diamond in the rough down in Islamorada?  Well, if you are a diver, or have any interest in it, they you have to experience the History of Diving Museum in Islamorada.  This museum was put together by a husband and wife team who, for more than 40 years, collected commercial diving helmets and paraphernalia from all over the world. 

Do you think this contraption worked?

At one time, this was the Cadillac of underwater diving bells.

Their collection includes everthing from helmets to suits to knives, to ballast systems and bells, to cameras and lights, and all sorts of bits used in the collection of sunken treasure.  It's an extraordinary collection all housed in a nice sized wharehouse type building the outside of which is a mural art piece.  Two local artists painted the outside of the building in local undersea wildlife.  The building is surrounded by flags from all over the world, as they have helmets from every country in the world that ever fabricated a diving helmet.  The way they set up the display made it clear that the evolution of diving had its roots deep in an insatiable desire to see what was under water and to be able to work in that environment. 

Some of many attempts.

Historic underwater photography equipment.

This is Captain Nemo's Original Helmet.

By work, I mean everything from finding dropped items, to assembling the world's largest exploration platforms, to collecting sponges and treasure.  They created a diving timeline that started even before Aristotle's Elephant, the original snorkeler. 

I must say that we both enjoyed this expedition very much.  Even though I have been diving for many years, in both the commercial and recreational environment, I was impressed.  I may not have learned of something I didn't already know, but I was able to put a face to the name, so to speak, and see demonstrations of the theories and principles of diving physics and physiology that I studied in books, come to life as evidenced by the pieces of hardware used by the pioneers of the industry. 

We had a wonderful time in Islamorada.  It's certainly one of the coolest places we have visited to date.  You really have to try hard not to like the breezy 80 degree days and crystal clear (al beit greenish colored from the sea grass) water.  Wonderful mangrove covered banks and islets, and spectacular sunsets make Islamorada a place I will always remember and maybe someday return to.  However, the weather was about to turn to complete shit for a couple days, so we had an open windo to make the jump to Marathon, a city on Vaca Key.  We are anchored presently in Boot Key Harbor.  I'll tell you more about it later.

Have a great day.