Day 102 Jan 24 125 mi Sombrero Resort & Marina Marathon FL

Up early.....checked the weather.....going to try again today....7:30departure....text from Harriet and Mike....have an 8-9 hour window....go fast.....2-3 ft seas....

Sunrise

Good bye again Hamilton Harbor as we head out to Gordon Pass....well it looks better....but we have a problem.....Captain thinks we picked up some sea grass on the props since it is low tide.......reverse....forward....spin around....repeat procedure....much better....off we go again...

Gordon Pass is good today...current is good.....toward our marker...don't cut it short there is some skinny water there....

Nice Water

We head toward Marco Island....Capri Pass will be our first marker....See fishing boats and one BIG boat coming our way.....USCG....well when we get closer we see that USCG is anchored out in the Gulf.....what is he doing....fishing....

USCG

 

Marco Island

We are 3-4 miles off-shore to avoid the shoals of Cape Romano and will stay this way to our next marker.  The shoals are 1-3 ft deep and something to avoid.  Well it is getting rough.....no pictures....hang on....lay down Saddi and dig your toe nails in.....we have beam seas...UG....3-5 ft seas...and no we can't turn around and go back.  We are running 17 to 22 mph depending upon the waves.  We reach the end of Cape Roman and turn toward Little Shark River.  If things don't change this is where we will go and anchor out.

Seas change....maybe the weather forcast was right.....down to 2 ft seas....we can live with this....change our course and head for Bullard Bank, our marker to lead us under the Seven-Mile Bridge.  This is about 11:30AM......Saddi moves to her couch and we can even open the refrigerator for a bottle of water.  Oh yes....we were going to have breakfast on the bridge this morning....Boudin  and a hard-boiled egg......but it didn't happen....

Love the color of the water

 

 

The Gulf

 

 

3050 rpm

 

 

The "Boat" Dog

 

We reach Bullard Banks which is 3 feet deep.....find our markers that will lead us under the Seven-Mile Bridge.  Watch the markers Captain there are lots of banks/shoals out here....

Seven-Mile Bridge

 

 

Moser Channel

 

 

As we go under the bridge we have a good view of the "old" bridge and it brings back memories....Our parents took Fred and I, plus our dog Chief to live in Key West and we  drove across this old bridge.  Parents took a year off from running the grocery store in Western Kansas, loaded the kids and dog up in the Ford one summer and headed to Grand Lake CO.  We stayed there until Christmas break, fished for trout and learned to ski that winter.  We left in December and drove to Key West and finished the school term.  They even took us to Havana Cuba.  The next summer we drove up the East coast to New York City, across Canada and back to Kansas.  I remember we started school the next day....That's my story Fred!

Old Bridge

 

 

Old Bridge

 

 

Well, back on track.....under the bridge and to the marker....turn and follow Boot Key channel to our entrance.  The water is beautiful.....some wind.....this is so exciting coming in by water.....The Boot Key Bascul Bridge is gone so you do not have to call the bridge.

 

Boot Key Entrance

 

 

Yes there is skinny water

 

Pancho Fuel Dock...best price

 

Old Boot Key Bascule Bridge

 

226 Moorings in Boot Key Harbor

 

First Come/Weekly Pump-out

 

 

We are in Boot Key Harbor which we follow to our marina Sombrero Resort and Marina.  We have the last slip they have available until end of February.  Skip and Connie found this slip for us.  We had been on waiting lists for other marina and found out the Marathon Yacht Club would have taken us but we were already booked by that time.

Sombrero Marines (there are two)

Kerry, dock master handled the lines.....Good job Captain......Great Boat dog Saddi.....we are in Marathon/Vaca Key for the month.  6 hours on the water!

We left Green Turtle Bay Marina on October 15th, have been gone 102 days and have traveled 1585 miles according to the Captain.

Our First Sunset

 

 

We are on the wall Starboard side for Saddi