Thursday, March 29, 2012

GOODNIGHT, MARATHON

Marathon, FL 24º42.366N | 81º5.669W


It's time to head north just as the wind is laying down in the Keys, making for perfect snorkeling conditions. Sigh. Ah, well, Key West and the Dry Tortugas must wait for another voyage.

Money beckons, so we're off to Fort Lauderdale where Chip will be doing his wine thing.

A month of howling wind has kept me on task with my writing pursuits, where I have made some real strides with some freelance editing, a potential magazine column (more on that later) and continued progress on my book and book proposal.

We plan to anchor west of Boot Key (Marathon) tonight and head out at first light, destination: Rodriguez Key. Since we came south on the 'inside' (the shallow water between the Keys and the mainland), we're sailing 'outside' up Hawk Channel on the ocean side. The plan as it stands will be to raise anchor in the wee hours and sail into Fort Lauderdale Saturday afternoon with a boost from the Gulf Stream and the last wisps of wind for a few days.

We'll probably be out of Internet range until Saturday, so stay tuned for how those plans played out. There are a lot of options along the way.

It will be great fun to get some wind in the sails and water moving under the keel before it's back to work in Fort Lauderdale.


BLOG FRIENDS: We are looking for a place to keep Cara Mia for the two+ months we'll be in Fort Lauderdale. So far, the most economical options we've found are anchoring in Lake Sylvia or picking up a city mooring ball. If you have contacts or know of a private slip we might rent, please use our contact form to let us know. Thank you!

3 comments:

  1. Rodriguez Key has the clearest water around in - in the whole U.S. Love anchoring there!

    Officially, you can only anchor in Lake Sylvia for one night. You'll hate it in there long term - it's an official water skiing site and the activity cannot be described properly with written word. Los Olas moorings is the best bet - until you meet people and someone offers you the spot behind their house.

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  2. Can't wait to see the Rodriguez water! Should be a peaceful night with wind in the low teens.

    We're still uncertain about Hawk Channel at night because of crab/lobster pots. Any thoughts on that? We'll surely know by the time we reach Rodriguez.

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  3. I've done hawk channel at night. The radar shows the markers great! I just decided to ignore the crab pots. Luck of the draw.

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