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BACK IN THE USS, BACK IN THE USS, BACK IN THE USS “A”
Key West to Stuart It’s difficult to fully describe the feeling being back in
the USA after our trip. We’re plugged in and have pure water to wash our
boat and fill our tanks. No more worries about conserving water. I can keep
that faucet running even when I’m soaping up in the shower and can do all the
laundry loads and dish loads that I want.
In Roatan, Honduras we were charged almost $300 for water which we had to use to wash the boat off! In Bocas Del Toro, Panama, the water came from the little town and ran through a filter and the pressure was so slow it was like peeing on the boat to wash it off and it was about that yellow too. Some places had no water, period. You never would want to put any of the water in your tank because you would have to heavily treat it to remove the bacteria.
So, every time we needed water, we made it! It would take a whole day of cruising to make enough water from the ocean fill the tank up. It took lots of energy and heated up the engine room like you’d never imagine but it made pure water. We used it for our drinking water and for all our washing. So, to be back in the USA, where no one even thinks about leaving their hose running full blast on the dock, while they are chatting to a neighbor or are adjusting something or running inside to get something, it just amazing!
We spent the first whole week just cleaning the boat inside
and out. It was so salty. We found salt everywhere. It was consistency of
thick kosher salt, almost like an ice crust.
OVER ABUNDANCE I now had the American luxury of being was wasteful and
threw stuff out of the galley like crazy. All those old limp vegetables and
vacuum packed foods that I had hoarded over the entire trip, so that we wouldn’t
want for anything these many months, were tossed with no regard. The first
thing that went were the terrible eggs that would go rotten at the blink of an
eye. Everything that was damp from the salt air went, like crackers, cereal,
flour, bisquick, and nuts were tossed.
That large box saltines that I had on hand to soak up any tinge of sea sickness was tossed. All the crappy cold cuts, like sliced turkey that had no taste, and ham that was rubbery, were thrown out. We had no need of those old sandwich meats for any more rough days at sea where I couldn’t cook a meal. I threw out all the tasteless loaves of “Wonder Bread” that I had in the freezers. We were going to be on calm waters from now on. I would be able to cook meals, nice meals, that is, unless we decide to try the millions of restaurants that we were now going to go to! I would no longer have to cook three meals a day, day after day on the boat. There were so many things we had longed for, simple things like a cappuccino and a latte in the afternoon. A thick grilled steak would be #1 on my list! A nice juicy hamburger with cheddar cheese and a nice slice of raw onions on it would be second on the list! French fries with real Heinz ketchup would be next! Well, how about a chocolate shake, even a doughnut? Mmmmh good!
A trip to the grocery store was an out of body amazing
experience. It was like going to a candy store the size of Home Depot. I just
wanted to walk down the isles one by one and savor all the products. Just to
gaze at all the choices was unbelievable. I could spend two hours in the
grocery store now just savoring the experience. I would admire that produce
section. It was beyond belief with fruits and vegetables available from all
over the Western Hemisphere. The meat department was luscious with thick red
slabs filet mignon, lamp chops, marinated pre packaged meats with fillings just
ready to pop in the oven or put on the grill. And then, there was the
department that had free range chicken, all chemical, preservative, and
antibiotic free meat. I just wonder what some of the villagers would think of
that. They are just worrying about getting a meal on the table which probably
didn’t include meat, and we’re worried about chemicals and high fats. The cheese department was the most decadent. The luxury of having so many choices of Roquefort, camembert, goat cheese with herbs, buffalo mozzarella and then the selection of low fat, 2%, and non fat cheeses was almost sinful. What would the villagers think of this? They weren’t fat, they were hungry, and why would someone be concerned about the fat in something? Come to think of it, I don’t remember eating any cheese at all anywhere except Mexico which was homemade and gave us all diarrhea. I guess that’s why I was so starved for cheese, especially the gourmet cheeses when we got back. I became immediately aware of our US obsession with low fat and no fat again. The warnings are everywhere. The labels are on the breads, cereals, dairy products and on and on. Now the new thing, since being gone, were the “good carbs” and “bad carbs.” The contrast of all this from the simple things we had become used to was eye opening. We are so obsessed with fat and the people we saw were obsessed with just getting a meal on the table. A donut was now a miracle from heaven. We pigged out on
donuts for the first few days until we got that out of our system. And
chocolate, mmmmm, chocolate covered almonds, chocolate chip ice cream, chocolate
bars, chocolate cake, who could get tired of chocolate? Americans just don’t realize the choices we have. We really take it for granted. Why do we have 8 different brands of paper towels and toilet paper to choose from? Thick and absorbent, double ply, single ply, soft, sturdy? Is it really important in the big picture? Instead of milk, we have non fat, 2%, low fat, whole, chocolate, acidophilus, vanilla, chocolate and plain soy, vanilla soy, low fat soy, and regular & it goes on and on. If you think about it, everything that we buy in America is a multi faceted decision. We have a complicated choice whether it’s the type of butter or coffee, or five different kinds of apples, or type, color, texture, and style of panty hose. We are a lucky bunch and we take it for granted or we just don’t realize the bounty we have to choose from. I feel grateful that we have these things but I also feel guilty when I have seen that others don’t have these choices. CULTURE SHOCK It was amazing to be here in Key West, walking along the
docks. We were back in civilization as I know it.
We were suddenly in an environment of overindulgence,
depravity, and drunkenness. We saw bums begging cigarettes, money and drinks
off innocent tourists. We also saw several drunks frequently passed out on the
sidewalk. Bystanders would just walk around them without a glance or thought.
We saw women old enough to know better wearing skimpy clothes that revealed what
no one would want to see and young girls revealing what others wanted to see,
but for God sakes, keep you’re your privates covered! Their thong underwear
peaking out of their pants, or I should say screaming out of their way too low
cut pants, were the norm. The low cut jeans just made you wonder how low can it
go? Loud boisterous drunks were everywhere. Did they have any idea how
obnoxious they were? The noise pollution was overwhelming. Cars – trucks – boats…….. everywhere! Car horns honking, boat horns honking and engines running, airport nearby, sirens blaring, and bar after bar blasting Jimmy Buffet sound-a-likes morning, noon and night. It was deafening and maddening. The smells were overwhelming. Rotten garbage in bins that were well over due for pick up, diesel fumes from the fuel dock next to us, smell of rancid grease frying up those conch fritters and French fries. The lights were overwhelming. Docks lights that never went out, boats lit up all night to show off their exterior, bars and restaurants lit all night. The chance of seeing a star was lost in all this confusion. I can see why the turtles are near extinction because they can’t tell when to lay their eggs because they think the sun never goes down. Long gone are the star filled nights, hearing the water gently lapping the side of the boat, a bird singing or the released breath of a seal nearby as it surfaced. At least we have endless choices and overabundance and freedom to act like idiots – we’re in CIVILIZATION!
We couldn’t find one person interested in earning money for a days work, so we washed and cleaned the boat ourselves. Someone we thought was going to help, never showed up. We had just come from countries where life was tough and people worked in 90-100 degree heat to earn $5 to feed a family for a week. What is happening here? We were getting tired of this place already. We had been so anxious to get back to the US and now we are so anxious to leave Key West. ZIGGY FACTOR In case anyone is wondering or curious, Ziggy made the trip
just fine, we were amazed. He had difficulty during the rough weather and we
would have to hold him the entire time. He would get scared and start panting
or give you that helpless look not knowing where to go. He learned to have sea
legs and they would spread like a saw horse the minute the boat started the
battle. He became a pro at bracing for everything.
He enjoyed Central America and was permitted or I should say welcomed to go everywhere, whether it be a fine restaurant or shopping. We learned the word “muerde” (moo err day) which people respected everywhere, which meant, "he bites." There was no need for further discussion about it like there is in the states. Here in the states, you say “he bites” and they keep coming. Now back in the US, things are different. Ziggy is rarely
allowed in any café, even though the chairs and tables are outside on the
street, and even though he is much cleaner and better behaved than the many
people I’ve seen walking the streets of Key West. He is now confined to the
boat more. The job of finding a vacant weed patch for him to do his “duty” is
difficult though I think the winos don’t have as much trouble finding a place to
urinate. Though I must say, there a few restaurants that allow him to sleep
quietly under the table and they always bring him a big bowl of ice water.
Ziggy has come to think this is common service when going to a restaurant. We
find ourselves staying on the boat more just because of the Zig Dilema. Zig has
been a pal and gone through the rough stuff along with us and he doesn’t deserve
to be shut up in a cage the minute we get back to civilization. Is this really
civilization? SPRING IN THE AIR? Since we left this January, the weather got hotter and hotter. In fact, Panama City was the hottest. It was almost unbearable. Your skin would heat up in the sun so much you felt like you were cooking in the oven and the air was thick you felt like you couldn’t breath. Even though we hated the winds, a breeze would be our only relief in the heat. Now, it’s May and our body sensors are all mixed up because we feel like we’ve been through a whole summer. I keep thinking and feeling like it should be fall. I have to keep telling myself we still have a summer to go yet, that we’re not done with summer. Spring was in the air and it kept slapping me in the face. Key West used to be known for being over run with 5 toe’d Hemingway cats, but now I think it’s over run with free range chickens and roosters. They are running around lose all over town. Every pair has a set of baby chicks. You have to admire their effort to try and raise a set of chickens in the dead center of the city. I watched one morning as a mother hen herded her little chicks from one bush to the next at the post office. Her rooster of a husband was standing by with his chest all buffed up trying to make himself appear bigger than he really was to scare me off. After they realized I was a peaceful bystander, mother hen went about her business, peeking and poking at the freshly mowed grass and under the red wood bark mulch chips, looking for bugs that were probably pesticized to death. I saw this scenario all over town.
Flowering trees and bushes were budding and getting ready to burst into bloom. The air and light felt and looked different. It was hard to believe that Spring and Summer were just getting ready to start. END OF THE SEASON After I finally got a handle on what season it was and that even though we started to have cooler weather than we were used we now had to prepare ourselves for the heat that the Florida summer will bring. Then the realization finally struck me that this is the “end of the season”. What do you mean, “the end of the season” you ask? Larry would say the boats are already heading north because the season is over. Many of the homes were closed up and the “snow birds” were heading north. I remember living in the East and it took me 6 years to get used to the idea that “it was either the beginning of the season, or the end of the season.” Everyone lived by this motto. Everything would begin or end with these two days in mind. Now I’m even more confused because we are in Key West and
because of the weather I would normally think we are “at the beginning of the
season”, but we are really at the “end of the season”. The whether in the lower
half of the East Coast now starts preparing for the unbearably hot, humid,
hurricane prone, rainy, buggy conditions. They either buckled up tight and ride
it out with air conditioners running or head north to their primary homes, or
took their boats north to enjoy the season up north, which by the way is “in
season”. We find now, that we are on the tail end of season. As we move farther north it becomes more apparent as the availability for slips is not a problem, and windows are boarded up and restaurants are closed for the summer months. I can’t imagine that the weather is so bad hear that people would actually close up and leave. SUNSET IS IN THE WRONG PLACE Not only do we need to get the “season” thing figured out but now the sun is setting on the wrong horizon or I would say behind us. Being a Native Californian, I have always watched the sunset over the ocean as that’s where it’s supposed to be. Now the ocean and the sky is dark and grey at sunset as the sun is setting behind bushes, trees, and buildings. These easterners can get the full appreciation of sunsets when they set on the wrong side. But, there is one place in Key West that is special for a sunset and that is Mallory Square. That is where everyone gathers to watch the magnificent sunset properly setting over the ocean. MALLORY SQUARE, ARCHITECTURE AND THE WATERFRONT The waterfront has been master planned with a couple nice hotels and a large waterfront plaza, called Mallory Square, for everyone to use. I imagine they master planned this with the cruise ships in mind. Somehow, humanity has made good use of this area. Masses of people gather from all walks to enjoy one thing in unison, the worship of their spectacular sunset. To make it even more fun, there are street entertainers, many of them, compeiting for position and attention. The talent is quite impressive and it’s free except for what you may want to contribute. It is a fascinating place to be at dusk, watching the street entertainers in action and then all attention changes focus to watch the most spectacular sunset I can remember. You can witness one of the most spectacular sunset extravagansas imaginable. The sun is setting over the most beautiful turquoise water and the sky takes on multitudes of colors from magentas to purple. The silhouettes of the various charter boats strategically timed to all be sailing by at the precise time of sunset to add to the drama is beyond belief. Many are historical sailing vessels in full sails with their sails buffed to the max. All attention to the circus acts ceases and everyone young and old stop in silence to admire this beautiful site of nature. It was very moving to see it all and all in unison. Besides sunset at Mallory Square, the back streets of Key West are the place to be. This is the real Key West and you could fall in love. The charm of the old houses will suck you right in. Many are now B&B’s but are lovingly restored and beautifully landscaped. Many of the homes are owned privately and people are investing money in restoring them to their grandeur of another time. Their large verandahs and wicker rocking chairs looked so inviting all nestled behind tropical palm trees and plants. This is the Key West that I love. KEY WEST, OR DISNEYWEST? Key West is one big Disney World, well orchestrated and a money machine from what I could see. All the attractions feed on one another as if it was one big amusement park. The only thing different from Disney is it’s draw to the raunchy side of life but I guess that’s interesting too. Everyday the same moving picture of life would play at our dock. Each day, like clock work, we would hear the whistle from the Conch Train and the horn of the Old Trolley bus’ as they were loaded and ready to take the constant flow of tourists for a ride around town, seeing the remnants of days gone by. They would hear and see where Ernest Hemingway lived and wrote for a time and where he got drunk and the street he staggered home on. They would drive by the “Little White House” used by President Harry S. Truman as a vacation house. They are all driven by the “Southernmost Spot” in the US marked by an official buoy marker. Up and down the narrow streets they go admiring the many beautiful cottages and some mansions that have been lovingly restored. They are shown the many famous bars haunted by Jimmy Buffet and other such notables that have made this place notorious for the drinking crowd. And each day, again like clock work, the huge catamarans, loaded with people in skimpy swimming suits and pina colatas in hand, head out to the sea for a 3 hour ride, followed by their counterparts, the large historical and picturesque schooners doing the same but these tourists can for three hours imagine they are experiencing what it was like to sail the high seas in the old days of pirates. It’s hard to miss them because their departures are announced by loud blaring horns, the smell of fumes from the engines, and the sounds and vibrations through the water of the old engines grinding away. As we walked along the docks, we would move out of the way of the bands of tourists taking the popular Pub Walk. It’s a happy group, double fisted drinkers, half snockered and carrying their latest brew in hand from the last pup and now heading to the next pub, led by their trusty guide, to try out the next rare brew and hear the history of notables that frequented that pub. All the while these activities are going on, day after day, we heard the non stop drone of a lone singer and his guitar trying to sound like Jimmy Buffet as he tried to drown out or compete with a similar singer from next bar, and so on. It was a none stop moving picture and that repeated itself each day like clock work.
Each day people were headed out to snorkel or dive to see the reef and tropical fish and the white sand beaches lined with mangroves. They left on nature adventures to see dolphins, string rays and herons. We would sit on the back of the boat and watch them go by each day. We had seen all these things up close and personal from our trip now and things that would’ve seemed like an adventure had become common sites on our trip. We’ve swum with sharks, sting rays, and dolphin and seen the tropical fish, and the beautiful coral. We’ve had dolphin follow the boat for hours playing with our bow and the wakes it made. We’ve had birds flying around the boat waiting for the wakes to stir up a fish for them to spot and catch. It’s was amazing to us that these sites had become common place to us. We didn’t need to buy a ticket to go see these things, we had seen them all. It had been a fantastic trip and experience. READY TO HIT THE ROAD We were ready to leave. We studied our route and decided our next stop would be Marathon, part way up on the string of Keys. This would get us far enough North so that we would be able to make Miami the next day in one full day without having to run at night. We fueled the tank and felt like the Knotty Dog was fairly cleaned and polished but still the salt was seeping out from crevices we didn’t even know we had. Our plan was to get up to Fort Lauderdale in time to see the North Atlantic Rally take off so we figured we had a leisurely week to get up there. The winds were still raging but we would have the protection of Hawk’s Channel to keep the waves off our beam. This is a channel that parallels the Keys on the Atlantic side. It’s a narrow marked channel and will give us protection from the rough seas on the outside. MARATHON, FLORIDA KEYS, MIDWAY We left early the next morning heading for Marathon. It was our first time since Costa Rica that we had the boat totally to ourselves again. I was a bit nervous because of it since I’m not as confident in handling the docking as with the old Knotty Dog (Grand Banks). We have to coordinate much more because of the size and difficult visibility of the boat. I have to be able to let Larry know how he is doing on the opposite side of the boat. At times, it’s difficult and nerve racking because we have to communicate through two way radios that aren’t always clear and easy to understand. Those blasted winds were still blowing and as we came out of the harbor and headed out to the markers it was pretty rough but we knew we would be changing course direction and the waves would be in a better position to improve our ride. We had no stabilizers as they failed in Belize, so the boat ride would ride very rolly. We had been used to free ocean cruising and now would have to learn to follow buoy markers again as the waters were very shallow and we had a narrow channel to stay in. The weather was not cooperating and our visibility was not good. It was raining and blowing so we were very cautious and needed to stay right on course. The trip to Marathon was only a four hour trip with the Key’s on our port a mile and a half away. You couldn’t see much of the Keys from that distance. We did enjoy seeing the 9 mile bridge. Our next contention of alertness was watching out for all the sports fishers crossing our path. They just seem to go here and there, racing every step, and taking no consideration for the rules of the road. Oh well, I guess this is CIVILIZATION. We entered the channel to Marathon and tied up to the side dock of Faro Light Resort. Two nice gentlemen came right out, took the lines, and tied the Knotty Dog up nicely.
FARO LIGHT RESORT, MARATHON
There were unfriendly signs, like "No Trespassing!", and "No Walking Dogs Here!", etc. People looked hard like they had some bad times here. The Faro Light Resort across the highway on the Gulf side was the same. The restaurant was just a ghost and the only thing functioning was the swimming pool. There was one man still working in a shack on the dock and he was the dock manager. He said that things had been bad but now the two resorts had been bought out and they were going to do a face lift on everything. We found the town suffering a little too. Nothing much happening, many places had gone out of business.. Maybe it was after effects of 9/11. We had lunch at the one restaurant that was open. It was located across the channel and above the fuel dock. It was a casual fun outdoor place. They made do with simple junk as decoration which gave it a funky feel. The roof was covered in local palm fronds and the bar, tables and stools were built out of rustic wood. They served typical fare, fish and chips, fish sandwich, quesadillas, etc. Ziggy was welcome. On top of each picnic table was a galvanized bucket with condiments, a roll of paper towels, and plastic knives and forks.. There were too large standing fans that I guess they would turn on to keep the heat or bugs to a minimum. Today the winds were so strong the fans were running full blast without being turned on. The place was full, friendly and casual. When we were done, the bill came held in place on a large mousetrap which Larry returned to the waitress with his master card secured under the metal bar that normally decapitates the rat. HAWK’S CHANNEL TO MIAMI Next morning we left at the earliest light because we had an estimated 10 hour cruise to get to Miami. Planning to leave takes some thought because I have to be able to release all the lines and get back on the boat safely which is no easy trick because the dock is well above the water level. I keep forgetting that Larry can keep the boat to the dock with the bow thruster and I have plenty of time to get back on the boat safely which is exactly how it went. The winds were still blowing as we left the marina and got back in the Hawk’s Channel heading north up the outside of the Key’s. Hawk’s Channel is inside the natural reef that lies on the Atlantic side of the Keys. It is known as the start of the Intracoastal Waterway although there is another part of the Intracoastal that goes on the Gulf side of the Keys up to Miami. Our draft required us to go up Hawk’s Channel because the depths were deeper. We studied the charts for the other but there were too many places that were questionable or too close to matching our draft and decided it was too risky although it would have been a much calmer route. The winds were ripping out of the East as usual at 25 knots and sometimes gusts to 30. The seas even inside the Channel were very choppy but the angle was working fine for us most of the way. We watched as other boats headed by us up and down the channel. It’s a wide stretch but the area that is deep enough for boats such as ours is narrow so it’s like a an Interstate HWY. We pass each other directly on our port sides within yards of each other. Some of the sports fishers gun it and the wakes are annoying. We pass by Little Palm Island that Larry and I stayed at about 10 years ago. It’s an upscale secured resort that can be only reached by boat. The rooms are individual cabanas with thatched roofs and they are known for their outstanding gourmet restaurant. They now have added some slips for a few large sized boats. We had contemplated staying there and enjoying a nice meal but our desire to head north was calling us. It rained almost constantly which added to the poor visibility. The wipers were working hard and non stop. As we were about half way north we had to change course to angle towards Biscayne and Miami. This change in course put the waves on our beam and things started to get difficult. Without the stabilizers, the boat was rolling wildly and things started to get dislodged again. I really didn’t expect to get into bad seas again and hadn’t buttoned everything up. I had to run around and try to secure things from flying about. The cabinets sounded like someone was picking them up and shaking them like a present to hear what was inside. All I could heard was all my china crashig back and forth. It was an uncomfortable ride and we repeatedly kept commenting that we were sick of this and will be soooo glad that soon we will not have to fight these seas anymore. We would imagine the pure bliss of riding the secure and protected Intracoastal Waterway from one nice restaurant to the next, and pulling in each evening to a nice well built dock with power and water. As we approached Biscayne Bay on our port, the visibility was bad as the rain was coming down in bucket fulls. We were studying our entry into the Channel at Miami beach and though the charts are well marked, and there are plenty of buoys and markers, we were so used to not having markers to follow that now we had a whole new list of challenges. Things didn’t get better as we neared the channel but the conditions got worse. The boat was rolling severely but we couldn’t change course, we had to stick to position. The waves were huge! We certainly hadn’t been expecting this. We had thought our worries were over. We couldn’t imagine what it would have been like coming in on the outside in the Atlantic. We kept looking out there remarking at the rough seas.
I was still shaking from the experience and now trying to get my composure to get the lines and fenders ready was difficult. Larry still cool, sat outside entry to the yacht club until I had everything ready. The winds were still blowing, they were not going to give us one break, not even docking. Larry calmly brought it in the dock area and backed it slowly into the slip. Again, we had a good dock hand to help me out because there was no way I could’ve got the lines wrapped up and around the tall poles. This is going to be a real challenge to figure out how to do this when no one is around to help me. These docks are not floating docks and they are extremely difficult. I have to lasso lines over these tall poles and then try to get lines secured on the docks but can’t get on them or reach them. Something’s got to improve. Larry says farther north the docks will be easier as they will be floating and no more poles. MIAMI BEACH YACHT CLUB Wow, we made it! What a rough ride. We both looked at each other and shook our heads. We just didn’t expect it. So we congratulated ourselves as this destination really felt like we had made it. Once settled we stopped to take a breather and look around us. We were suddenly surrounded by skyscrapers! Talk about cultural shock! There were huge glitzy yachts and fast gaudy speed boats, one was even painted metallic silver! The dock walk was long and massive and edged every part of the way by the huge office buildings.
We found a restaurant overlooking the boats nearby and decided to have dinner there. Ziggy was left in the boat and we went to the open air restaurant. We were by far too ragged looking for the rest of the clientele. We were a few blocks away from the famous South Beach and the overfill of “beautiful people” were here. Women were perfectly groomed and dressed in the latest styles and men who we Versace look alikes, dressed in black pants and t-shirts and closely cropped white hair with dark slick sunglasses and expensive Italian leather shoes. The women were equally fantastic looking .
By now, we had a celebration cocktail and the exhaustion of it all hit us. We could barely wait for the check from the waitress so we could get back to the boat. Larry hosed the salt off the boat and I took Zig ror a long walk and we both crashed in bed. We decided instead of staying here for a couple days, we would get up early and head on up to Fort Lauderdale. We were anxious to see how the preparations were going for the Nordhavn North Atlantic Rally. We weren’t interested in exploring South Beach this trip. Now On to Stuart
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We can hose the boat off to our
hearts content and it sure needs it. The boat is one big SALT CHUCK!
Imagine, the waves crashing over the boat for months on end, and no practical
way to clean it. The water in the places we stopped, was too precious to wash a
boat with, or was limited to a quick rinse, if you could get enough pressure to
hose it. Some places its was so yellowish brown, you wonder what was in it. It
was usually just out of the question to luxuriously wash the boat. 
As you walked around the boat,
your clothes would brush against the side of the boat and would be covered thick
with white salt. We had salt inside the boat too. I washed all the walls,
ceilings, floors and cabinets with vinegar water to get the crust off. We
vacuumed everything we could get to with the attachments and more. Ziggy hair
was everywhere, I’m sure we could have knit a coverlet with all that we’ve
found. Just imagine a Ziggy coverlet.
Can you
imagine the “all natural” section in one of the typical carnicerias in Central
America? I think everything we ate was free range and chemical free anyway and
probably pretty fresh off the farm. I don’t think they would even understand
what we would mean.
We would walk by the other
boaters on the docks and nod a hello. It was as if we’d been here for ever when
actually in the last few months we were battering our way through seas that I
would not have imagined and visited villages and people that had histories and
cultures so different from ours. Now we were walking down the streets of Key
West, passing one bar after another that were trying to blast out loud music
over that of the other. We crossed streets that were busy with rowdy tourists
that were loud, boisterous and most of the time just plain drunk. When the
cruise ships came in, the town was packed with white skinned, over weight
tourists, waddling around town buying cheap souvenir shirts with rude writings
across the chest. We were amazed at the obesity of many of the people and still
they were still stuffing their faces with deep fried foods and key lime pie.
People were free to carry and drink alcoholic drinks as
they walked down the sidewalks. Signs were everywhere advertising whatever you
could imagine, including sex partners for an evening and more. 
I saw a lot of different types of birds acting goofy all
over town, bobbing their heads in weird African type rhythms and landing on top
of the backs of others. Then I’d notice them flying back and forth with nest
material or eyeing different locations for a proper foundation for the
construction of a nest. It was a constant reminder that, hey, it’s SPRING, and
we’re just getting ready for the SUMMER! 
What a ghost town this place had become. Larry and I had
visited the Keys about 10 years ago or less and this little marina was bubbling
with activity. It boasted a couple nice fish restaurants and the small marina
was filled with brand new, very Cape Cod looking, house boats that were part of
a resort rental. You could come and stay in a house boat and have your vacation
on the water. It included maid service and everything that you would expect
from an upscale hotel. Now the house boats were run down and listing to one
side or the other. The quaint balcony porches were cluttered with dead plants
in pots and old rusted bicycles and cheap patio chairs. Curtains and window
blinds were old, spotted or bent. The restaurants were closed and abandoned.
There were a couple RVs in the parking lot that looked like they were abandoned
but the next morning very early when I was walking, I heard the cry of a baby
coming from one so there were people living in them.
I was getting very nervous because I was having trouble
finding the markers as the rain was coming down in gushes and the boat was being
through all over the place. I couldn’t get a fix on anything with all the
movement and then the seas were so high it would hide the buoys. I would check
the paper chart and then see where we were on the computer screen when all of
the sudden the computer screen went out! That’s when I freaked! I thought for
sure we were going to go aground in the rough seas. There was no one else out
here and I could see why! Larry kept his cool and said he was going in. We
were all over the place. It was actually one of the scariest experiences of the
whole trip. Larry calmly turned the boat the best he could into the channel and
we road the waves down the channel into Miami. As we got into the protection of
the break water, we could see a huge freighter inside at a stand still waiting
for us to get into safety. When we made our turn heading into the channel by
the Miami Yacht Club, we opened our wheel house door and gave him a big wave for
waiting and giving us a chance to get in safely. He headed out after we passed
by.
