2011 Thus Far

[Kendra]

Leaving the Florida Keys today. Sad. ..So sad. Good news is that I have a job waiting for me in Naples which is located on the west coast of southern Florida. Not the ideal spot we were looking for, but the opportunity to refill the "island fund" is a bit overwhelming. We are anxious to do some more work on the boat to get her ready. And, of course, there is no upgrade or repair done to a boat that doesn't cost $$$$. So today we are leaving Matacumbe Bight anchoring and sailing west!

Just to catch everyone up on the new year thus far:

Matt and I sailed all day December 31. We Left our nice quiet anchorage in between Big Crawl and Little Crawl Keys at about 1000. We got out of the VERY shallow and winding channel at about 1430. Needless to say, but I will anyway, we were not happy campers. And our plans for spending the night in Islamorada pretty much went out the window. The next best anchorage we knew of was Long Key, so that's where we went. Unfortunately, there is not a lot that goes on in the little town of Layton, even on New Years Eve. After such a rough sailing day, with 20-25 knot winds and 4-5 foot swells, we were too pooped to party anyway. Just glad I had a bottle of champagne on board for the toast at midnight!

The next day was beautiful and "smooth sailing". Long Key to Lower Matacumbe on the Hawk Channel side only took a few hours. The anchorage we read about in Whale Harbor wasn't what we thought and had a wicked current. So we put out two anchors and went into town for a little night life. I guess everyone was hungover from NYE, because it was literally a "little" night life. The next day we relocated, had a peaceful night, and woke up on the sand. With a tide differential of 2 feet, it happens a lot around here! We resupplied at Whale Harbor Marina, where the fit was tight but the attendant was super friendly. Then off to Alligator Reef!

Approaching Alligator Reef at night is a little daunting. The light tower is something to behold, whether by the light of day or by the light of your trusty flashlight. Fact: Mooring balls are not easy to find in the dark. We ended up on the one closest to the lighthouse, which made for a fabulous view in the morning. The night, however, left something to be desired. The boat rocked and rolled all night! I never did find a comfy spot to sleep. As expected, the morning was scenic and the day sail was fair.

This brings us to yesterday. With the hopes of landing a temporary travel assignment, and realizing it would probably be on the west coast of Florida, we headed back the way we came toward Long Key and Channel Five. After crossing to the bay side we anchored in Lower Matacumbe Bight just outside of a private channel that cuts through two mangrove islands. We took the channel to the other side looking for a pizza place that was no longer there, but what we found was better. The Hungry Tarpon Restaurant and Bar had a place for our dinghy, cold beer, great food and shops. The best part was feeding the fish, (or pelican if he got to you first!) For $2 you get a bucket of small fish to hand feed to HUGE tarpon that have been coming to this same spot since 1976. If you go, take my advice: guard your beer and your bucket, and it's a good idea to have at least one person with a paddle in hand to chase the sneaky pelicans away.

For those who follow:

Though I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, I am resolved to keep a better handle on this blog. Now and then I will take us back in time for a story that needs to be told. I hope you all keep up with us as we move on to a new chapter - Naples!