Our time in Vero flies by. After a lovely and delicious
Thanksgiving dinner with friends under swaying palms (accompanied,
unfortunately, by voracious no-seeums) we are back at work on Exuberant. Burt undertakes the huge task of refinishing
the companionway of the boat. That
includes burning off years’ worth of varnish, removing the sliding hatch and
accompanying hardware, sanding the teak down to bare wood, and applying ten
coats of two-part varnish. Two weeks later the finished teak absolutely glows;
the quality is worthy of a professional, but in the meantime, we also have a
boat full of sanding dust and varnish fumes.
Cruising isn’t always a “paradise experience”.
With the boat reassembled and well provisioned, we make an
overnight passage down the coast, arriving at Key Biscayne and No Name Harbor
the following noon. It is a Sunday, so
we anchor outside the state park harbor as inside is pure chaos with locals
vying for every square inch of anchoring room and salsa music blaring from
impressive stereo systems. Trust me, you won’t hear any English spoken here.
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| Skyline of Miami's South Beach as seen from the anchorage just outside No Name harbor |
The next morning we motor inside as the last
of the weekend revelers departs and score a prime anchoring position.
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| No Name Harbor with only a few boats - at some times it seems you can walk across the harbor on all the boats. |
We want to be inside as Burt needs to snorkel
on the bottom of the boat and change out the zinc on the prop; this is the
first time we have seen clear water with no current in ages. With the task
complete we spend the remainder of our visit bicycling through the park and the
lush, upscale community of Key Biscayne. And as the harbor begins to fill with
more boats and swing room becomes minimal, we are anxious to get underway
before there is an unfortunate crunch of fiberglass hulls.
It is cool and breezy with another cold front descending
upon us, but that makes for excellent sailing further down the Keys.
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| Burt is bundled up for the trip into the Keys - it has been a surprisingly cool winter-not what you would expect for South Florida weather |
We leave No Name Harbor at first light, get
bounced a bit as we head out into Hawk Channel, but then have a memorable sail
that makes the Keys so special. Once in the lee of the islands, the water goes
flat, the wind gusts into the mid-20’s, and we are making close to 8 knots of
speed over clear turquoise water on a beam reach. It is utterly heavenly! 70 nautical miles
later we drop anchor in the protection of Long Key, have a leisurely grilled
dinner, and watch a spectacular sunset that is typical of the Keys.
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| Sunset off Long Key - and yes, I think I saw a green flash despite the clouds at the horizon |
The next
day it is an easy motor sail the remainder of the way to Boot Key Harbor on Marathon Key. We pick up a mooring ball in the crowded
harbor and are pleased we have arrived before all 226 spaces have been taken, as
this is a very popular location for cruisers.
We will be in Marathon for
over a month. And what will keep us here so long? Burt still has a few maintenance tasks before
we feel prepared to head to the Bahamas.
I have a sewing project, covering some cushions in the cockpit, and the
material awaits me in the mail room. We
try to find time each day for a fun activity.
Sometimes we dinghy to Sombrero Beach, a ten minute ride in the dinghy
through mangrove lined channels and past some of the lovely homes in the
Sombrero neighborhood.
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| A portion of Sombrero Beach which is actually a city park |
Other times we
get a bit more exercise by riding our bikes nine miles out and back along
Highway 1 and on the old Seven
Mile Bridge
to Pigeon Key, home to Henry Flagler’s work camp that supported the construction
of the original bridge and now is an historical landmark.
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| The end of the bike path to Pigeon Key, seen in the background |
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| And why you can't go any further along the bridge, although this section has been used in movie sets |
Along the way we
frequently stop to see what critters inhabit the clear waters below. On our first trip out we see three sharks,
the largest being around 7 feet long, one huge spotted eagle ray, several
barracuda, many tarpon, an assortment of tropical fish, and two iguanas resting
on the bridge abutment.
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| One of the iguanas we saw, now considered like squirrels in the Key - there is actually an abatement program for ones which become nuisances |
When we return to our dinghy, two manatees are
lollygagging near the dinghy dock. Not all the wild life in the Keys is human! We
often gather with friends who are passing through this harbor or plan to spend
their entire winter here. We are beginning to think the music scene in Marathon
is surpassing that of Key West. Many of the musicians who play at the local
venues reside on boats in the harbor.
Eric Stone (of the Eric Stone Band, made famous by links to Latts and Atts ((now Cruising Outpost)) magazine and
appearances at many national boat shows) owns a waterfront restaurant and
features talent from all over the country. Several other establishments have
music almost all nights of the week, so we have plenty to choose from.
But it is also the Christmas season and, while different
from a northern Christmas, we still get into the spirit. Our boat is decorated with solar powered LED
lights on the exterior, and we have a small lit Christmas tree in the salon.
One evening we attend a performance of the Messiah
at a local church with community wide talent participating – it is surprisingly
professional - and we bike back to the dinghy in the dark, admiring all the
Christmas lights in the nearby park. Another evening we are invited to a
friend’s boat for a holiday party and a prime view of the Boot Key Harbor
Lighted Boat Parade.
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| Lots of fun in the boat parade |
And finally, friends with a car drive us to the local
Catholic Church which has transformed their prayer garden into a Christmas
fantasy – a gift to the greater community. Unlike most light displays, this is
a lovely and extensive tropical garden with winding pathways and water features,
artistically enhanced by millions of lights – breath-taking!
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| The fairy tale scene at San Paulo Church's garden |
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| An arch of blue lights leads into another hidden garden |
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| Red lights are chosen to highlight this red hued croton |
We will remain in Marathon until mid-January and the next
appropriate weather window to sail to the Bahamas. In less than a week, both
of our sons and their families will be joining us for a week in a house we
rented in the Sombrero neighborhood. When you are always on the move in far flung
locales, it is hard to gather family together, so we are especially looking
forward to this time to reconnect and to show our grandchildren the wonders of
this world which we explore.
So, in the spirit of the season, we want to wish all of you
a very Merry Christmas and all the best in the coming year!
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| From the magical gardens of San Paulo, we wish you a Merry Christmas |
