Adventures of Obiewan and Jo

Sunday, April 1, 2012, Rodriguez Key, Key Largo, Florida

Anchor up about 9AM, already warm not much wind we motored all day.  Read a book and caught up on the blog, even posted a picture today.  Get ready I will bombard you with Pictures now.  We arrived in No Name Harbor at 4:30 time to sit and relax and watch all the locals having fun.  The Sunday Party, dance to the Latin music, the good news is they all went away and everything is quiet.  

Saturday, March 31, Marathon Marina, Marathon Florida

Took off about 8:30 from the dock but had to wait in line for gas all the gas docks were full, Well! it is Saturday, we forget what day of the week it is, Just another day in Paradise. Finally under way about 9AM the water color is such a beautiful blue more blue that the Gulf it is Greener. Lovely wind we actually sailed for 3 hours and motor sailed most of the other part of the day.  Pulled into the anchorage Rodriguez Key just out side of Key Largo about 5 PM, about 3 boats here already more pulled in after we did, we had 12 boats in all for the evening, after the smaller, loud party boats left.  We had burgers broken up on a salad.  Richard Sanger made us realize (he is on a diet) we needed to get back to our healthy eating habits. It turned out to be very quiet night after all, great for sleeping.

Friday, March 30, Marathon Marina,  Florida

We cooked a good breakfast and headed out to the grocery Store to provision for the next week or so.  We all suited up for a snorkel trip to Bahia Honda State Park, just across the 7 mile bridge.  Lovely Park, but the wind was too high and they had Portuguese Man of War in the water. We had lunch, toured the Museum, walked the beach and toured the park by car. Drove back to the Pool for an hour and then showers and dinner at Lazy Days Restaurant attached to the Marina, we had a very full day.

Up early to get the boat ready for company, Sharon and 

friends drove up from Cudjoe, Key, we went out to lunch at a beautiful spot on the water with waves lapping on the shore under an umbrella, lovely afternoon. We did some shopping even John picked up a few things. Drove back to the boat and met Richard and Michelle waiting for us and we all went to the lovely pool the Marina has. Michelle took a nap in the great lounge chairs and we took a swim.  Back to the boat we watched the sunset while Richard cooked us a lovely lobster dinner that he helped catch (he drove the boat) it was delicious. I was happy, because I didn’t have to cook for a change, also we had good company. We talked well in to the night and crashed.

The morning brought relaxation,

which is a great relief after yesterday.  We spent  the morning on the anchor, the winds were pretty high up to 25 gusts, it is easier not to have to put Harmony in a slip with high winds, she’s like a bucking bull once the wind catches her bow she just does not want to go where we want  her.

Finally about 3PM we headed in and pulled into our slip no one was around and I said a very faint Help and people came from everywhere to help, and the dock hand came all was well.  We hosed her down had a drink and walked to Keys fishery, took us a while because  we passed the street (not having good directions) and had to walk back, so we had 2 or 3 days of exercise in a few hours.  It was dark when we arrived back to the Marina and  Harmony, we went to bed.

Started out in the dark at 5:35, the inlet was well lit with flashing red buoys. Good clean inlet no fancy stuff.  Once we were out in the dark, gulf was shallow for a long way, very tense. Finally arrived in the 20 foot range and started south. Midmorning we picked up wind out of the east and put up the sails. Can you believe it? Harmony can be a sail boat. We sailed until the wind died and then motor sailed at about 8.5... good thing because we were on the water for 13 hours and 87 miles as it was.  With out the extra push we may not have made it in before dark. Except for the overnight of 25 hours with Richard and Mary, we have not accomplished a day that long with just the two of us. Felt good to have that big day out of the way, just thinking about it has made John tense for sometime. Had another great sunset thru the 7 mile bridge which divides the Atlantic and the Gulf.  The 7 mile bridge is part RT 1 that connects Miami to Key West, passes thru Marathon on its way down to Key West. The same RT 1 that goes up the coast of the US.

Monday, March 26, 2012,  Fort Myers, Florida

We took off about 8:30, stopped for fuel, we chugged out to the Gulf, with the wind on our tail, tried to put up sail, no good. But we did get a good current and were doing 7.5 knots we arrived in Marco Island about 3PM pretty good time.

Anchor down and some down time to read and computer work.

Beautiful Sunset, they are magnificent on the west Coast, early to bed.

Fort Myers. Florida

There were two Thunderstorms in the area also very windy so Harmony stayed in port.  More boat work, laundry, vacuumed etc. later in the after noon we took a walk to the Island that is Fort Myers Beach on the way back we had a Rum drink at  Doc Fords Rum Bar and Grill just up from our Marina. Hopefully we will take off tomorrow!

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Fort Myers, Florida

The day was spent walking to the Trolley Stop to go to the Publix and West Marine. Did some boat work and computer stuff also had dinner and Showers. We plan to take off tomorrow.  Sorry, Guys I thought I had some pictures posted but no luck.  I will keep trying!   Go to my face book page Jo Rys.

We took the Key West Express to Key West we arrived about noon. Then we took the Conch Tour Train all around town, they took us to the most southern spot of the US, did all the tourist stuff “Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville,” had Conch fritters and a Margarita.  We saw the Mel Fisher’s Treasure Museum, Ship Wreck Museum had dinner at La Te Da Restaurant, spent the night with a friend who lives in Cudjoe Key about 20 miles north of Key West. The morning we relaxed on her beautiful porch over looking the Atlantic side of the key, she drove us back to Key West and we all hung out all day, lunched at Hogs Breath Saloon then it was time to catch our boat back to Fort Meyer’s Beach a 4 hour ride on a fast boat.  Arrived in Fort Myers 10PM walked to Harmony and crashed.