March 15, 2014 Marathon

Offending disconnected switch

Come one.  We’re in the keys!  So ok.  I started fixing the washer and dryer 2 weeks ago and perhaps by some standards the repair should have been completed 2 weeks ago.  But in my defense I did fix it. Even if it took, by certain peoples (named Mary) measure an obscene amount of time. Snipping a few wires and taping them together … a satisfying resolution to a potentially complex problem.  Man … no gratitude

But before the astounding repair of the washer and dryer I did manage to replace one of the deck lights with these rather bright blue lights Mary seems to like.  But I prefer the original, pleasantly dim lights with enough illumination to highlight the stairs along the side decks.  These new ones are dead ringers for the bright blue lights you see on some hot rods sans loud, bass driven music.  Oh well. 

Dockside

The previous night we headed over to Dockside to see Eric Stone perform.  Had a riotous time with Jeff, Judy, Curt and Marilyn after spending the day putzing around the boat.

Farmers Market

We were up early (relatively) and were at the dinghy dock by 9:30 this morning to meet Jeff and Judy.  We decided to visit the farmers market about a mile down the road.  Nothing like a nice brisk walk in the early morning.  Lots of stuff there. Someone over-bought, thus burdening the schlepper(me) with a bulging bag of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Bubbie?

We walked back a few blocks to the Publix and waited for Jeff and Judy to finish up some shopping.  We shared a cab with them to return to the boat where we put it all away and started compiling a list of items we’ll have to purchase before leaving here over the weekend.

The (heavy) agricultural bounty

Mary napped while I researched routes to take north and fixed the windless deck switch and installed the deck light. We had a dinner engagement with Alan, the former owner of the boat.  Alas, we could only get an 8:30 dinner reservation at this really good hole in the wall Italian restaurant, Franks.  So we went to the Marathon Ale house instead which was pretty good.  Alan was his same old vibrant self.  We talked about technical boat issues and traded stories about cruises etc.  Very fun evening. 

He drove us back to his hotel where we met a few of his old boating friends.  We had a few drinks and shared boating stories.  Always fun.  Alan dropped us off at the dinghy dock about 9pm so we’re planning on delving into Boston Legal now that we've finished up West Wing.

March 13, 2014 Marathon, FL

Our plans for rising at the crack of dawn to meet some people at the bus stop petered out somewhere between 6:00am and 8:15am when we woke up.  Curt and Marilyn did indeed make the bus while we, well, missed the bus.

So we were left with rushing around to get everything completed by 10:20 when the next bus to Key West was slated to arrive.

Props loaded and ready to by dragged to the Prop Shop

I had dug out and loaded the spare set of props into the dinghy the previous night. These are a spare set that were dinged up on the Eire Canal. We finally decided to have them repaired here.  So we got into the dinghy dock and hefted them ashore.  I loaded them on our little cart while Mary went off to get change for the bus (they only take singles).  I stared off on the 3/4 mile hike to the prop shop dragging 70 lbs of props on a little metal cart along the highway.  No one batted an eye so I guess it must be common place to see people dragging propellers around town.

The prop guy said he's have to do some welding so the price was a tad high but probably worth it. After dropping them off I had to high tail it the 1/2 mile back to the bus stop where Mary was waiting.  And after a few minutes the bus pulled up and we along with three other couples boarded.  And this was a real bus this time unlike the dilapidated thing we took earlier when we visited Key West.

Bo's

Another 2 hour bus ride and we were once again  in Key West where our first stop was the Olive Oil store (2 bottles).  We talked with Curt and Marilyn who had hooked up with an old friend who suggested we all meet at Bo's.  Ok, so we walked the half mile to Bo's.  Pretty eclectic place but surprisingly really good food.

Cruise Ship 

After lunch Mary and Marilyn did some shopping and I went over to Mallory Square to watch the cruise ship come in port.

Truman's Little White House

Once they were all tied up and disgorging hordes of tourists I  headed over to the Truman Little White House and waited for Mary and Marilyn and Barbara to show up.  We took the tour and it was pretty interesting.

Kathy.  Do you know this Rooster?

We went for some ice cream after and then headed over to the bus top for the return trip and another 2 hour bus ride.  I may have not mentioned the free roaming chickens around the city. They are protected I guess and aren't very skittish.





Since it was late we went out to eat at a little Italian place, Franks, up by Curt and Marilyn's marina in Marathon.  Pretty good!  Took a taxi home which here in Marathon is $5.  And that's a flat rate for anywhere on the island.

Tropical breezes and cheap taxi's.  Life is good!



 

March 10-12, 2014 Marathon

In the not-to-early hours of the morning we left to make water and head out to the reef.  I was too lazy to put the dingy up on the sundeck so we towed it.  And since Curt and Marilyn came with us it was just easier to have it down.  The water maker took another 45 minutes before getting to the point of safely making water.  No issues though.  We have full tanks until next week!

Snorkeling at Sombrero Reef

We snorkeled for a few hours, came back to the boat on had some food and went back in the water. It was a wonderful day.  I saw a nurse shark and swam with several of these big barracudas.  Also followed a sting ray for a while as it glided across one of the sandy spots on the reef.  Think we have to get an underwater camera.  And, being the industrious person that I am,  I took the opportunity to clean off the hull again.  I couldn't get all the barnacles off the props and shafts, but that's what divers do.  And we'll be hiring one when we get to Stuart.

We heard that Jeff and Judy on Just Fakin It were coming into marathon.  We got a hold of them on the radio and as we left the mooring ball at the reef, we headed over to the anchorage where they were staying to say hi and make plans for tomorrow.

I got this light bulb .... think you guys could maybe ...

We came back through the harbor and got up to the mooring ball where the crack deck crew (Curt, Marilyn and Mary) snared the mooring and had us hooked in well under an hour.  It seems there was some confusion on how to run the lines.

Since Curt and Marilyn had biked here from the Marina where they are staying a few miles away, we decided to go out and eat at Dockeside, a bar/restaurant about a 1/2 mile from where we were moored.

We left there after a fun meal and dropped Mary off at the boat while I took them into the dinghy dock so they could hop on their bikes and pedal the 3 some miles back to their marina.

Manatee family

I woke Mary up at 8:58 so she could call Marilyn and assure her that she was indeed attending yoga which, incidentally, is taught by Sue of Rob and Sue off of Papillon.  So I took her into the dock to drop her off and headed back to the boat to change the generator filters and oil. But not before I saw some manatees. Specifically a family of them.  Baby, mother and father.  I guess Mary and some other yoga practitioners saw them too and took to petting them.  I guess they like to have their belly's scratched.

 I was half way through changing the oil when  I heard this ruckus out on deck.  It was Jeff and Judy who took their dinghy in to try and secure a mooring.  They came aboard our boat first though and we talked a bit until my phone rang with Mary wanting to be picked up.  So I sent Jeff and Judy to the marina office where they could complete their paperwork for a mooring ball and run a few errands.  I, in the meantime, completed the genset maintenance and ran back into the marina where we all met up and decided to go have lunch at Castways.  Incidentally, Castaway is the name of curt and Marilyn's boat.

Stubborn pelican

We had nice lunch inside... the sun was really hot outside.  But, there are pelicans all over and one decided our dinghy was a comfy place to rest while he chewed on some pierce innards.  I actually had to get on the dinghy and reach out to push him off before the stubborn beast would leave.

Curt and Marilyn, the same crack crew I had earlier

We then took Curt and Marilyn back to Jeff and Judy's boat which was anchored outside the harbor so they could help them secure to their assigned mooring.

One the way out to the anchorage Jeff, with his new outboard, was suggesting it might blow ours out of the water with mind boggling speed.  So we, with 4 people in our dinghy laid to rest any thoughts of grandeur he might have had, and blew right by him much to his chagrin.

They followed us into the mooring field and to their ball where Curt and Marilyn did a superb job securing lines to the mooring tether.  It only took them about a minute not an hour!.

Curt, Mary, Judy, Marilyn and Jeff

We left and went back to the boat and they followed over shortly because we all decided to go to Dockside where they were having free food!  Well, Hors d'oeuvres actually, but still it was free!  We hung around awhile and listened to  local band comprised of a guitar player and electric fiddle player.  Pretty good.






Mary and I left everyone there and headed back to out boat relatively early.  Guess we're getting old.

Today, Wednesday, I walked over to the computer repair place to see if my screen arrived yet.  It hasn't so Monday we'll have to work something out since we are leaving here Tuesday next week.  I came back and took my bike to this well stocked hardware storeabout 4 miles up the road.  I needed a shower head and some screws.  Made a stop at Publix again too and finally returend to the boat to see if Mary still had  a burning desire to go see the Turtle Hospital.  She wasn't there so I waited. for a awhile until she kayaked back to the boat.  

Seems plans were made with several other couples to do the Turtle Hospital at 3.  So we went back inot shore a little early so I could take a dinghy prop to the prop shop to have it repaired.  The guy also agreed to do my big propes that were damaged up on the Erie Canal.   So tomorrow morning I have to haul two,  24 inch bronze props that weigh about 30 pounds apiece a mile up the road on a pull cart originally designed to haul Mary's stain glass.  Did I mention that I have to be there at 7:30am.  If that wasn't difficult enough we seem to have plans to take the bus to Key West again tomorrow.  And it stops at the Marina around 8am.

One of the patients at the Turtle Hospital 

I pondered all of this while at the Turtle museum which probably contributed to my lack of attention during the tour.  Although I do remember that turtles with intestinal gas cant dive. Their rear ends wont go down because the gas makes them too buoyant.  The things you learned.

So I'm sure it's going to be an exciting day tomorrow.

March 9, 2014 Marathon and Key Colony

Running along the Bay side of Vaca Key

It was pretty calm this morning and the forecast was for 1-2 swells so we decided to take the dinghy on a long run up to Key Colony about 9 miles up the chain of keys.  We left around 11, stopped and fueled up and then headed out under 7 mile bridge into the Florida Bay.  It took us about an hour running only a few miles off shore in about 7-10 feet of water.  We reached Vaca Cut and headed in being pushed along by the stiff current.

Huge boat house on the way to Coral Key marina

The marina some of our friends have been staying at Coral Key Marina and Resort.  Its around a corner of sorts with many large house lining the waterway.  We found it rather easily and stopped first to see Curt and Marilyn, sail boaters from North Dakota.  Reunion with Dennis and Carole were also there.  After we chatted for a while we decided to run over to Sparky's, a nearby restaurant we had visited a few days ago.

Curt and Marilyn with us in our dinghy

Curt and Marilyn hopped in our dinghy and we followed Dennis and Carole through a large shallow pond and under a bridge that maybe was 5 feet high.  Sparky's was about a half mile down the channel form the bridge so we were there in no time.

Submarine being towed alongside at Sparkys

Dennis from Reunion and I were tying up when a work boat came in with a some sort of old submarine along its side.  They were filling up the sub's diesel fuel tank.  I guess its used for research although we never did get much detail from the guys operating it.

We had a nice lunch and Bob and Martha who had just left there returned to join us.  Quite a fun time.  But Mary wanted to leave right away so my thoughts of a continuing afternoon party melted away.  We opted to take the ocean back and as it turned out, that route was a little more comfortable.  All told we ran about 23 miles and only used a 2.5 gallons of gas!

I did a little more boat work, discovered a better method for dis-assembling the Washer/Drye in my continuing effort to avoid having to spend $1200 for a new set.  Also started to get ready for tomorrow mornings run out to the ocean to make water and hopefully snorkel at the reef.

We took a load of laundry in and while Mary did that, I biked to the store and ran the perishables back to the boat before picking up her and the laundry.  Productive day!

And tonight is the premier of Cosmos!



 

March 6, 2014 Marathon

A sunny morning again, admittedly like all the other warm sunny mornings here.  We met up with Dave an Joanne at Rob and Sue's boat.  Dave and Joanne came across the bay (about 5 miles) so we could all take a ride around Boot Key‎ and Vaca Key on Rob and Sue's Grady White, a 28 foot runabout.

We left the Marathon Marina dock and went out the ocean side, around Boot Key and into Key Colony Beach to a place called Sparky's.  It's a popular local bar with pretty decent food.

We left there and went back out to the ocean and then back into the Vaca cut area to view some interesting homes (sorry no pictures).   Rob then headed out Vaca cut into the Gulf for the return trip.  The cut here has currents in the 5-10 knot range.  Almost like white water.

Brent, Sue, Dave, Joanne, Mary at Burdines

Brent and Susan wandered over and Mary bought a painting Susan did of Mary Ann, the precocious parrot from Destin.  They are planning on leaving Friday so we decided to go out to eat at Burdines, another Marathon local favorite. Dave and Joanne were around the corner looking at a condo and joined us for a good time.  But we were facing away from the approaching weather, a large amount of rain and didn't notice it until it almost over us.

Since we had taken Brent and Susan in our dinghy, we high-tailed it out of the bar and into the dinghy while Dave and Joanne headed for their car.  We prtty much went blasting through the anchorage at 35 mph trying to beat the storm.  And made it!  Brent and Susan stayed awhile before deciding to head back to their boat during a lull.  They left but started heading in the wrong direction for several precious minutes in the light rain before making an abrupt 180 and started heading the right direction to their boat.

The next morning I took the dinghy to shore and took 3 mile walk in search of ice cube trays since our ice maker remains dead.  In the past I dissed ice makers as an unnecessary luxury. Now that I have one that refuses to make ice any longer we miss it.  So in an effort to avoid paying for frozen water I went and bought 6 ice cube trays for $3.  We'll be be making ice the old fashion way out in the big chest freezer until we figure out whether to dump the ice maker, buy a new one, or get the old fixed.  And several months ago I spent a whole morning replacing a component on the darn thing .

I returned and we headed over to Brent and Sue's to bid them farewell only they decided not to leave today (strong winds).

We had made plans to have lunch with Bob and Carole (Southern Cross) a few days earlier.
Bob and Carole own an island packet 38 sailboat decided they want a trawler.  They drove up to Punta Gorda to look at one.  And it seems they actually put in an offer.  Die hard sailors jumping into the stink potters realm.

So we left Brent and Susan's boat and motored on to Castaways to meet Bob and Carole who had just returned a rental car.  We spent 2 hours eating, drinking and talking abut boats.  Mary was thrilled.  And we have plans to join Rob and Sue for a sunset/dinner cruise tonight too.  All this eating!  I think we're unconsciously adding pounds to help us endure the Wisconsin temperatures we must face in about 3 weeks.

  

Entrance to Noname Pub

We're bidding Dave and Joanne farewell tonight at no-name key with Rob and Sue.  We altered the diner cruise plans due to these persistent high winds.   Instead of the planned sunset cruise we ended up piling into Rob's truck and driving to NoName Key‎ and the Noname Pub.  The place is literally in the middle of no where and is very popular.  There are small,  almost tame deer that roam around the island.  They hardly balk with people standing within a few feet of them..

Rob, Mary, Sue, Joanne, Dave at Noname Pub

We had to wait outside for about 20 minutes until a table cleared so we shared a picture of beer.  Once inside we met a few young gentleman who were on a motorboating tour from Miami.  They had stopped at 15 bars since 8:30 in the morning riding in a big stretch limo. And as part of the journey they were attempting to obtain as many points as possible by motorboating at each bar.   Dave had left to go to the bathroom missed the whole thing!  

Whats motorboating you may be asking.  I'll refrain from providing a thorough explanation and instead point you here.  But it was a hilarious time.

Dave and Joanne are leaving tomorrow but have secured a condo for next March here at the marina where Rob and Sue keep there boat .  We're going to be signing up for a slip there as well.  Looks to be a riotous March 2015!

We'll be heading over to the Marathon Seafood Festival tomorrow at the park right next to the dinghy dock.  But of course a few things had to go wrong.  Tonight the inverter kicked off with a CFI fault so all the AC powered stuff went dark.  Easy fix with a flashlight.  But that event also reset the router so I had to re-configure that too.  But this time I saved the configuration file!

Alas, today it's only in the low 70's.  And I stowed all my jackets and gloves.  {{ shiver }}.

March 2-4, 2014 Marathon, FL

Today we were taking the bus to Key West.  We met Brent and Sue at the dinghy dock around 8:30 and walked over to the local VFW for a pretty good breakfast for cheap!

Then it was a three block walk to the Keys West Transit bus stop where, for $3, Mary and I along with 3 other marina couples rode the bus all the way to Key West.  It takes about 2 hours.  Its a local bus meaning it makes stops all along the route.

Susan and Mary at Mile Zero

We got off at Mile 0 and proceeded to stroll the streets for awhile.  We stopped at the Green Parrot bar for  a beer and listened to a jazz band start up a set.  Hunger pangs hit Brent and Mary shortly there after so while Sue left to go explore some art galleries we stopped in at Sloppy Joes for a sloppy joe sandwich and a drink or two.

Brent, Sue and Mary at the Green Parrot bar studying maps

We then headed over to the Hemingway house and poked around there for a few hours.  Interesting place with about 45 cats roaming around.  

Hemingway's pool  

Next was the Mel Fisher marine museum where they have on display many samples of his treasure hunting.  Very interesting place.  By that time it was near sunset and since we were near Mallory Square we took that in with all its entertainment.  Really fun.  The sunset wasn't all that exciting since there were clouds on the horizon.  We strayed over to the Hogs Breath saloon and ate a few things along with a couple of drinks.  

Guy is just about to dive through the little hoop

By then it was getting close to bus departure time so we briskly walked the 3 blocks to the bus stop.  But Sue, fearing Mary would freeze on the bus since they keep the A/C on so low, stopped and bought some sort of shirt thing for her.  Me?  Right.  I was left to freeze in my t-shirt!

So Mary's shirt, her dress and palm leaf basket accounted for all our purchases.  But of course we're here for another few weeks and will undoubtedly be heading back.  So many shops.  So little time.  Thankfully they have benches scattered about for those of us less enthusiastic about embracing the shopping experience.

All the original boating couples were waiting at the bus stop except for Gabe and his wife who somehow got on the wrong bus and ended up riding all through Key West for an hour.

We all got on the empty bus and began the journey back to Marathon.  One of the stops in Key West was at the hospital and where Gabe and his wife finally boarded the correct bus.

Our bus.  We all got off and strolled to the nearby gas station

We had gone several miles outside of Key West to shark inlet bridge when we ran into a long line of cars stopped dead in the road.  There was a 3 car pile-up at the bridge and traffic was stopped in both directions for about 30 minutes.  And since this is the only road alternative routes are not to be had.

Just to add to the enjoyment factor the bus was uttering some pretty spectacular grinding noises.  I'd swear we were about to loose a transmission or a wheel bearing.  But no, we made it to Marathon without a breakdown.  I wonder how far the thing went after dropping us off.  Course I'm only speculating but it sure sounded like it was on its last legs.

We got back to the boat around 11 and had to run the generator for an hour or so to keep the batteries up overnight so we didn't get to sleep until about 12:30am.  Awful late for us old folks.

Mary and her booze

Monday, we received an early (9:30am) phone call confirming the raffle prize Mary won.  At the Pig races the previous day she entered a raffle.  And won!  2 huge bottles of  Drewers scotch and 2 bottles of Canadian Club.  Irony at play again.  Neither of us drinks Scotch or C&C and Mary isn't drinking much these days at all.

We walked the 1/2 mile to the Day Care center to pickup our prize and lug it back to the boat.   And yes, the Keys are liberal play ground but they honestly don't regularly dispense large quantities of alcohol at such places.  The Day Care center was the beneficiary of the raffle money so they gave out the prizes.

Our resident Manatee

Another Manatee wondered into the dinghy dock again and hung around our dinghy for a time.  Mary and several other women policed anyone attempting to leave the dock.  And yes, that included me.  So I had to sit awhile until the Manatee decided to float under the docks leaving me a clear path to leave and haul the booze back to the boat.



I returned and went to the store while Mary stayed in the cool shade of the marina office.  And the we both went back to the boat to put away the groceries.

We had ended up with a social conflict, Brent and Susan's for dinner or Rob and Sue on their smaller boat to see the sunset before heading to a restaurant on the other end of the island.  Robe suggested we might be able to see the Southern Cross, a constellation usually more visible in the southern sky.  Alas we'll never know because we ended up going to Brent and Susan's boat since they're leaving here in 2 days.

But before we had to be over to Brents boat for dinner, I took the dinghy over to Rob's boat to cajole him into thinking about another day to do the trip.  While I was there we discussed his Splendidee washer/dryer which he had removed to fix.  My interest is becoming intense since the repair job I'm attempting on our old Frigidaire unit isn't progressing as neatly as I had hoped.  So the specter of purchasing a new laundry appliance hangs in the air above our checkbook.  Ugh ...

I left Rob's and decided to take the dinghy out in the ocean and run around Boot Key and back into Sister Creek.  The poor outboard has been chugging along in the harbor and slow speeds so I figured opening it up for a while might pacify any stirring gremlins.  Was a nice ride.

I got back on the boat, showered and loaded up the liquor.  And Mary.  We went over to Brent and Sue's boat and had a great time.  Sue and Brent are really good cooks!

Dave, Mary and Joanne

Next morning, Tuesday, we were making plans on going out to the reef to snorkel since it was supposed to be calm all day.  We talked with Dave and Joanne who had to come into town from their condo on the north side of the island.  So we met them here at the dinghy dock and after walking around the park we decided to just go eat lunch at Lazy Days where Rob and Sue keep their boat.  Healthy people that we are, it was 4 salads for us.  Sheez ... how low have we sunk.

We did walk over to Rob and Sue's boat for a few hours of catch up and then took Dave and Joanne back to the dinghy dock so they could do their errands before everything closed.   We'll probably see them tomorrow.  We'll either run up by them or they'll run down here.


.  

March 1, 2014 Marathon, FL

The weather looked uninspiring but not too bad so we hauled the dinghy up on the boat, and took in our lines and headed out of Boot Key to test the water maker and possibly pickup a mooring at Sombrero Reef.

Once we cleared the channel I started up the generator and fired up the water maker as we headed out towards the reef.  The dissolved solids monitor finally detected water coming through the membranes that was free enough of dissolved solids that the solenoid tripped and allowed water to enter our water tanks!  Whew ... if we couldn't get to that point it would mean replacing all three membranes.  And they cost a lot of money.  And I mean a LOT of money.

So we cruised around out by the reef for an hour or so filling our water tanks before approaching a mooring ball on the reef.  It took a few tries but Brant finally snagged it and we got a line attached.  I shut down the engines and within a few minutes the water tanks were full so we shut down the water maker and generator leaving us floating there in some choppy seas with a myriad number of fish seeking refuge under the boat.

LeAnn adjutsting her mask

We prepared the new masks and fins and LeAnn was first in the water (it was 78.9 degrees) followed by Mary.  The swell was pretty rough so it was difficult to keep people in sight.  Mary stayed in only a few minutes.  LeAnn, of course, was 100 yards away from the boat before I could get in.   She did spot a dock line wrapped around our starboard prop so I dove under the boat a few times to pull it off.  No damage done.

 It was a good time even though the skies were cloudy making the normally vivid colors somewhat muted.  We saw some barracuda, and the normal contingent of brightly colored fish.  Brant spotted a turtle and a pod of porpoises on the surface while LeAnn and I were in the water.   I really need to get a waterproof camera one of these days.

LeAnn decided to get out after being plagued by an ill fitting mask.  I stayed in and cleaned off the hull for about 30 minutes creating a ring of cloudy water around the boat.  The normal contingent of fish lurking under the boat seemed to react badly and fled somewhere else leaving me alone to labor and ponder why am always working at something..

It was getting uncomfortably choppy so we abandoned the snorkeling idea and headed backed back to the mooring field.  And of course as we headed back the sun broke through the clouds giving us a glorious sunny day.  Sheez ...

Mary and LeAnn wanted to go kayaking so we took both kayaks down and they headed off  towards sister creek and the mangroves while Brant and I took the dingy to shore so I could go to the store.  We returned and then took the dinghy for fuel with intentions on heading to a bar but Mary called with orders to return post haste so we could go to the piglet races.  Yes, Pig Races.

Sunset lounging

But dinner took a long time and we missed the last race of the day so simply stayed on board and watched the sunset from the top deck.  I ran into shore to do a quick errand and came back to grill (well, Brant did most of the grilling) and eat a feast of a dinner.

After, they wanted to go to a bar so we took the dinghy over to dockside and had a few drinks and then headed back and to bed.

Yellow submarine

Next morning LeAnn took off in the kayak while we stumbled around deciding what to do, ultimately settling on a trip to the yellow submarine.  There is a marked channel (very shallow) leading into the mangroves from the bay.  Supposedly there is a yellow submarine there built by some guy.  How he planned to get it out is beyond me.  But off we went in search of it.  The channel leading into the mangroves is spooky.  But sure enough there is a yellow submarine.  Rather worse for wear, but it is yellow and it does appear to resemble a submarine.


We  headed back out the channel and decided we had no more time to do anything else so we returned to the boat and the kids packed up their stuff.  I took them into shore and then returned to fetch Mary for the final good bye.  They are headed back to Ft. Meyers for a few days of Twins baseball before heading back to the chill of Minnesota.

After they left we lingered in the marina office for an hour or so to make use of the WiFi there so I could update our phones and tablets.  Ironically our WiFi booster picks up the marina WiFi signal just fine unless were facing the wrong direction and the boat blocks the antenna just enough to infringe the signal.  But not knowing that until now, we did our updating and decided to head over to the nautical flea market at the yacht club and then hit the pig races at the Stuffed Pig, a bar/restaurant right across the street from us.

Nothing good at the flea market so went right to the Stuffed Pig and sat down for some pork sliders and ran into a couple off the boat, Priorities.  After eating with them we headed over towards the water while waiting for the blaring horns signifying the start of the races.  We got back just in time and ran into Curt and Marilyn.

Oh, and the Pig races were hysterical, especially the pot-bellied pigs.








Curt and Marilyn were thinking of looking for a bigger boat and since we knew Bob and Carole were selling theirs, we took them over to see Southern Cross and stayed awhile at the nearby bar before taking them back to shore so they could bike back to their marina about 3 miles north of us.

When we returned to the boat Rob cruised over for a chat and to make plans for Monday evening.  I didn't invite him aboard for a drink mainly because we're both exhausted.  Tonight is going to be a "forge for yourself / movie" night.  And then early to bed.

 We're heading to Key West tomorrow with Brent and Sue and then are going to try and meet Bob and Carole back here before they head out for the Bahamas tomorrow morning.

And just heard from Dave and Joan who arrived here a few minutes ago.    Its going to be an active week I suspect which means I wont get anything completely fixed.   Again.  Oh well.  All these tools and no time to use them.