Tarpon Basin, Key Largo to No Name Harbor, Cape Florida, FL

Miles Traveled 45.8

Total Miles Traveled 2333

Day 172

Today was the perfect cruising day, mid 70’s, a mild breeze, and clear skies.  This was our first close look at civilization since we left Stock Island. 

As soon as we passed the bridge we cruised through several sections of narrow mangroves.

When we entered Biscayne Bay we could just make out Miami 30 miles away.

The water is very clear, but the entire bay only averages about 10 feet deep.  The dark spots in the picture is sea grass surrounded by sand.

We passed Stiltsville, a group of wood stilt houses located one mile south of Cape Florida.  The structures stand on wood or reinforced concrete pilings, generally ten feet above the shallow water which varies from one to three feet deep at low tide.  Stiltsville may not have looked like much, but in the 1940s and 1950s, it was the place where lawyers, bankers, politicians, and other moneyed, well-connected Miamians came to drink, relax and kick back.  Law enforcement periodically visited the area, looking for vice activities.

View of Miami before making our turn to today’s anchorage.

Our anchorage today is a place called No Name Harbor, located at Cape Florida on Key Biscayne, about 10 miles from Miami.  It is a small harbor very well protected from wind and waves.  It is a popular anchorage for boaters waiting for a weather window to cross to the Bahamas or the lower Keys.  Our last count in this small harbor was 12 sailboats and 3 power boats.

We arrived early enough to secure an anchorage and cook a couple of chops on the grill.

Lignumvitae Key, to Key Largo, FL

Miles Traveled 28.6

Total Miles Traveled 2288

Day 171

We spent today cruising the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; there are areas of wide open bodies of water dotted with islands.

Although it looks like you can go anywhere, we must follow a charted course and follow the channel markers when available.  At one point we had only 3 feet below our boat….in the middle of the channel.  The tide in this area is less than 1 foot.

This sailboat missed his turn and run aground.

We passed a sailboat race in progress this afternoon.

The winds have calmed, the temperature tonight in the mid 60’s, and we are in a protected anchorage, it looks like a good night’s sleep will be had by all.

Stock Island, Key West Harbour to Lignumvitae Key, Fl

Miles Traveled 74.6

Total Miles Traveled 2259

Day 170                       

We had planned to leave Key West Harbour Marina Monday, but the weather forecast for today looked like the best opportunity for the smoothest cruise.  The marina reserved our slip for another boat on Tuesday and we didn’t want to take a chance on rough seas waiting until Monday.  Although we really enjoyed the marina and Key West, it felt good to get back out on the water again.

We saw two dolphins, and two sea turtles but I could only get a picture of one of the sea turtles, you’ll have to look close, but it’s a big one.

We normally cruise 40 to 50 miles a day but we wanted to get back into the Intracoastal Waterway to have some protection from wind and waves.  This is the Channel 5 cut at Fiesta Key that allows us to cross from the Atlantic Ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway.

This is the first time we have anchored to a mooring ball.  Lignumvitae Key is Florida State property and the state provides five mooring balls, free of charge, for boaters to use.  A mooring ball floats on the surface and is connected to a large, heavy anchor permanently attached to the seabed.  A length of line called a pennant, usually with a loop at one end, is attached to the mooring ball.  You attach your boat to the pennant with a line or bridle.  We use a bridle which helps keep the boat facing the wind, and reduces swinging back and forth.

We arrived about two hours before sunset……it feels good to back on the Loop.

Key West, Day 28

Miles Traveled 0

Total Miles Traveled 2184

Day 169

We just had to make another trip into town before leaving this area, I can’t think of a better place to spend the month of February.  We watched a few Pelicans looking for breakfast this morning, there are a lot of fishing boats coming in and out so they hang around to pick up any scraps they can find.

Nana is mailing more postcards to the folks up north.

We saw quite a variety of vehicles today.

And a variety of people.

Really lady, it’s almost free, you should buy it.

We have been looking for a good weather window to start our way back north.  We have to cover several miles of open water before we can get back into the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.  Tomorrow is a possibility, but we will wait until morning to make that decision.

Key West Day 27

Miles Traveled 0

Total Miles Traveled 2184

Day 27

The Conch Republic

On April 23, 1982, the United States Border Patrol established a military-style roadblock on U.S. 1 at Florida City.  The Border Patrol stopped all northbound highway traffic at a place motorists know as The Last Chance Saloon and searched for illegal aliens and drugs.  The ensuing well-publicized traffic jam—traffic stretched back for 19 miles---supposedly stymied the Key’s tourism industry.

This spurred a movement in which citizens of the Keys (called “Conchs”) elected to secede from the Upper 48.  With tongue in cheek, but with a serious gleam in their eyes, they selected a flag, designated their boundaries and became the “Conch Republic”.  They proclaimed their independence, declared war on the United States and then immediately surrendered, applying for foreign aid.  The roadblock was discontinued after several days, and the economy was saved.  Today, the tradition of the Conch Republic revolution  continues with a yearly celebration in April and appointment of various Conch Ambassadors.  To many Key West locals, both native and transplants alike, the event symbolizes both the intense individualism of the islands people and the keen sense of humor that they enjoy.

Key West Day 26

Miles Traveled 3.14

Total Miles Traveled 2184

Days 165-167

We have been preparing to leave the Key West area the last few days, planning our course and performing routine maintenance on the boat.  Today was hull cleaning day.  The combination of warm clear water and the lack of cruising cause an abundance of sea life to attach to the bottom of the boat.  The only way it can be removed is by hiring a diver; most of the boats in Florida are on a monthly schedule to be cleaned.

This is Charles from Barnacles R Us, he will clean the underside of the boat and check the condition of our underwater equipment.

The extended weather forecast is indicating calm seas for a February 29^th departure.

Key West Day 23

Miles Traveled 0

Total Miles Traveled 2181

Days 160-164

We’ve been busy since our last blog update, riding bikes, putin around in the dinghy, and going to town for some great entertainment.  You just never know what you’re going to see here.  This Elvis impersonator painted himself gold and tried to get people to give him money to take his picture and a string of cheap beads, he did have a few takers.

This is called an eyebrow house, the roof drops down past the top of the second floor windows providing shade and increasing air circulation through the house.

I think this truck has been here for awhile.

We visited this Catholic Church, the Basilica of St. Mary Star of the Sea.  It is one of the oldest Catholic 

parishes in the state of Florida and the oldest parish in the Archdiocese of Miami.

We met our friends from our home port at Green Turtle Bay, Mike and Jan, at Turtle Kraals on my birthday.  Mike and Jan live on their boat at Key West during the winter, and return to Kentucky in the summer.  Turtle Kraals have turtle races three days a week, there are four box turtles with numbers one through four taped to their shell.  Each customer gets a number, and the race begins.  If you hold the number of the winning turtle, you get a key to try to unlock a treasure chest.  If know ones key opens the chest, the chest grows by $50 for the next race.

As luck would have it, someone opened the chest after the previous race, so the treasure chest only had $50 in it for our race.  Turtle number 3 won the race and I held a number 3 ticket…….along with 15 other people.  My key didn’t open the treasure chest, but nobody else’s did either. It was a fun night and we had a great visit with Mike and Jan.

Back at our marina, Walter the Manatee appeared in the slip next to ours one morning.

It’s not all been fun and games, yesterday was laundry day.

Today we drove to Marathon and stopped at Big Pine Key on the way. Big Pine Key is noted for its Key Deer population.  The Key deer is an endangered deer that lives only in the Florida Keys.  It is a subspecies of the white-tailed deer.  This deer can be recognized by its characteristic size, smaller than all other white-tailed deer.  Adult males usually weigh only 55-75 lbs and stand about 30 inches tall.

Another stop along the way was the No Name Pub located on No Name Key, which lies about a half mile west of Big Pine Key.

As you can see, it’s popular in the South to line the walls and ceilings with $1 bills.

Our final stop was Marathon to attend the 7^th annual sunshine celebration. This Great Loop Cruisers Association event provides an opportunity for all members in the area to meet and exchange stories of current and past looping experiences.  More than 170 people attended this year’s event.

We are very fortunate to have stumbled across this great organization and the wonderful people we have met along the way.