Status Update - Early December 2010

[Matt] So we have some catching up to do on our blogging, but I wanted to give an update on where we are and what we are doing. We rolled in to the Keys a little less than 2 weeks ago. My brother George had flown in to Tampa and made the 2 1/2 day offshore passage with us down to Key West where we proceeded to do it up in true Key West style. I'll talk about our exploits with "Jorje" in a separate post. In short, we explored the many bars in Key West on Duvall St. (over 300 bars on a 2 mile by 4 mile island) Then we sailed to Boca Grande Key, and to the Marquesas Keys, and then to Sand Key (where we did some amazing snorkeling among the reefs), and then to Stock Island (where we tore it up at the Frogfish Bar) and then back to Key west for a last night of fun. It was an awesome 10 days with my brother aboard.

George left yesterday -amongst grumblings about having to adjust back to society- and we are proceeding to sail to Key Largo to get a better feel for what the rest of the Keys have to offer. But before we leave, we are searching Key West for a rat trap because we picked up a stow-away when we docked at Stock Island. He is big, but he hides. He got in to the Pop Tarts and also ate part of a banana. I grazed him with my pellet pistol when he peeked out last night, but he's is still poking around, probably with a big streak down his forehead where I shot him. I'll get him. By trap or pistol, he is a goner.

Tampa Bay and Madeira Beach

[MATT] So we limped in to this little boat yard called Snug Harbor Inn... just a few hundred yards from beautiful Madeira Beach west of Tampa Bay, Florida. 'Limped' because we had a broken propeller strut - that's the thing that holds the propeller shaft straight. It had been broken, in fact, since Louisiana. But there are few places indeed that can lift a 5 ton boat clear out of the water. So we could not use our "iron sail", as they say. We did it the old fashioned way - sail power only. Sail power all the way from Houma, Louisiana, five days across the gulf to Port St. Joe, Florida, and then on down, under sail power- 3 days, to Snug Harbor in Madeira Beach, Florida.

We got a little room at this B&B right next to the boat yard - the proprietors were retired actors and decorated all their rooms each after a play that they had been in. Our room was "The Princess and the Pea" Needless to say, our bed was exceptionally high. I looked, expecting to find a pea, but to no avail. Pic is the back deck of the inn... replete with hungry egret awaiting her morning snack. The inn owner had several very large wild ocean birds that were her "pets."

When the boat finally came out of the water, come to find that the propeller was broken as well. Without going in to too much detail, we got it all fixed and even made a bunch of new friends at Snug Harbor. Those boys sure know how to toss em back.

Madeira beach is absolutely beautiful... just like you expect Florida beaches to look with white sand and blue water and oiled up beach bodies catching rays of bright sunshine... yes- even in November it is warm there. And right before we left, a Manatee, also known as "Sea Cows," lumbered up right next to our boat slip to drink some fresh water that was leaking from the hose that I was using to wash to boat. He just rolled over and drank for about 20 minutes. According to the Florida authorities on endangered species, there are less than 4,000 Manatees left in Florida.