Boot Key - Part Drei

Thursday, February 13th

When we pulled anchor at Geiger yesterday morning, it came up with a huge mud ball. The windlass struggled. On our way out the channel we ran aground. Backing off and turning to Port took us back to deeper water. Rule number who knows: don't always trust marine charts.

The wind was just under fifteen knots, and of course, on the edge of putting up any sail. Seas were mostly two to four with an occasional five or six footer. Crab pots were initially sparse, but things got busier as the morning progressed. We motored along at five knots. Just to mention, our new MaxProp gives us an additional knot comparing it to our old Classic.

We were finally able to roll out the staysail. It added up to two knots, as the wind increased to better than fifteen knots. The seas got bigger too. Dropping off a couple waves, to Brenda's surprise spray reached back to the cockpit. The auto pilot did most of the helming except when I had to snake our way through closely laid strings of crab pots.

So..... Why are we back here in Marathon (Boot Key)? The answer is for multiple reasons; when adding them up, returning here was the obvious decision. 

Firstly was the marine forecast for strengthening easterly winds for the coming week. Getting to Fort Jefferson would be no problem. Returning with twenty knots on the nose is not my idea of fun. Secondly, we experienced a forward head holding tank issue. For landlubbers, think septic tank. Lastly, our house battery bank is not taking a charge as it should. The AGM batteries are rapidly failing. Marathon is the obvious choice for safe anchorage, parts delivery, and general access to shore facilities.

New Lithium batteries are ordered and on the way for delivery early next week. Fingers are crossed, but the holding tank issue may be resolved. None of this could be done without Brenda's insight and hands-on help.

Pelican Visiting a Nearby Unoccupied and Dismasted Liveaboard

Weekly Thursday Evening Jam Session

Friday, February 14th

Happy Valentine's Day!!! You know who you are 🥰.

Chores started at first light. Getting things done on a boat is not unlike the "15 Puzzle" game. A lot of shuffling takes place. The day started with putting everything back in place before our next projects.

Brenda tackled the forward Starboard Deck Prism, while I focused on the nav station chart table. Both projects were prompted by deck leaks, and at forty years old Imagine has had her share. Small projects seem to only take a few moments, but in reality take much more time than expected. We finally called it a day around 1430 and headed for Sombrero Beach. Brenda kayaked and I followed later with the dinghy.

The FL Keys has few public beaches. Sombrero on Marathon is probably the best of all along the chain of islands. It was a beautiful day and a great way to spend Valentine's Day together.

We finished the evening at the Tiki for the weekly Friday night happy hour. Everyone brings a dish to share, a great time for munchies, desserts, and conversation.

Saturday, February 15th

Winds began blowing last night around 0200. I "anchor watched" again for about 1.5 hours. Once again, the boat swung in the wind, but she didn't drag an inch.

I got up just before sunrise. Brenda had coffee ready. It was perfect. This morning, besides stowing tools and materials from yesterday's projects, Brenda and I finished reinstalling the forward Starboard Deck Prism. Next was the nautical flea market. I made $5. Brenda spent $16. Go figure. 😁

Afterwards, it was laundry time and grocery shopping. While Brenda attended the wash, I walked to Publix then Uber'd back. About $250 later, we dinghy'd back to Imagine with a full load.

Mother manatee and calf at the dinghy docks

Tonight, was pizza night!!! Pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms; mozzarella. It was excellent.

Before

After

Monday, February 17th

Yesterday started off with coffee in the cockpit, listening to the Cruiser's Net, then breakfast ashore at the American Legion. We arrived about 1000, and it was busy. The bar was full, but we found an open table in the main room. The food was delicious and a great value compared to regular restaurants. 

Returning to Imagine, we basically lounged around for most of the afternoon. But, with the forecast for the winds to clock around, our main chore was to find a more suitable place to anchor. Some of the "locals" are territorial, but eventually found the perfect location among several unoccupied vessels. We slept well.

My morning boat chore today was getting things organized for the new batteries arriving. Unfortunately, the marina office was closed today. Batteries will have to wait for tomorrow. 😕 

I've been working on a couple diverse software anomalies. Even when I'm not on-line, I can't seem to turn off my brain, and working in this development environment continues to drive and fuel my curiosity. I have always found computers rather boring when they function as expected. When things go south, it peaks my interest. It becomes a personal challenge to not just rectify the problem but to also understand how and why things work. The "Windows" solution of rebooting the system is not a solution. It doesn't truly address the underlying failure. The ability to delve deep within the application and kernel is the only way to isolate the root cause and implement a robust solution.

As I write, I'm sitting here in the cockpit listening to Jimmy Buffett music playing not too far away. Ice in the cup for my evening sundowner, and all is good with the world. Brenda is below cooking our evening meal, and it smells absolutely delicious. Tonight is Thai Style Golden Peanut Soup with chicken. No photos. There's nothing left worth taking a picture. 🤤