Marathon Florida for a Month January 19 to February 15, 2011

I am going to start a little bit ahead of the last post on our fishing adventures, and pick up where I left off! The journey that would be made from Little Shark River down to Marathon, Florida where we would stay for a month was a little over 7 hours away. The arrival into Marathon Marina and Boat Yard was great! The Dock Master "Judy," and Charlies friend Bob Ryals from Orange Beach, Alabama, were at our spot on the wall eager to help get us all secure. You always appreciate the help of others when it comes time for docking in a new place. Now, its time to meet friends, friends of friends, and the new neighbors that we would have for the next 30 days. Just ahead of us would be Peter and Anna Gulick on MV "Blue Yonder," can't forget there cat Moby either! They are also friends of the MV "Crawdad," that we had been traveling with. Later that evening we would go to MV "Dahlin," that is owned by Bob and Susie Ryals for a cocktail. Just down the dock from MV "Dahlin" would be another boat from Alabama, MV "Shell Cracker," that is owned by another one of Charlies good friends, Robert Paulk!

The first entire day in Marathon, would be spent exploring the place. Boot Key Harbor is known for its mooring facility! This is an awesome sight to see 260 boats all on mooring balls. We would take our adventure by dingy around the harbour and into Sisters Creek then back to the marina where we would watch the sunset with Jim and Gloria on the "Crawdad."

Spending a month at the marina almost got back to life as usual! The occasional trip to K-Mart and the Grocery store. Going out to dinner or lunch from time to time. Remember! I did say almost!

There is never a dull moment! There is always invitations coming and going! You could be invited for just about anything. It may be with just one other person or a whole group! We had the pleasures of being invited to a happy hour get-together at Sunset Grill. Sunset Grill has a pool that is located right on the water at the foot of the Seven Mile Bridge! We were able sit in the pool and watch the sunset! Another great place that we would be invited to go to is Burdines. This is a restaurant on top of a marina. Burdines is known for its french fries! Believe me, they are awesome, food is great too. The "Loopers," in the marina also had a great pot-luck gathering at Dockside Marina.

A trip to Key West, was also in the plans during our stay! We decided one Friday morning to catch the bus and go to the Southern Most City In The U.S., Key West. Another reason for us to go there was to make a stop at the West Marine, on Stock Island to pick up a chart book that we needed to have in order to get to the Bahamas! We would get to Key West, and hook up with our friends on the MV "Stella Maris," at one of the local bars just off of Duval St. We would spend a lot of the day with them and their friend Anita. Near the time of sunset, everyone walks down to Mallory Square. Here is where the sunset is celebrated everyday! You will find mimes, street performers, and people selling arts and crafts. The view watching the sun go down is amazing! Of course, now that the sun has set, it is now time to find the bus and go back to Marathon!

Other days would be spent going for walks, bike rides, or even rides in the dingy! We took our bikes on a little over a 2 mile ride down the old section of the "Seven Mile Bridge," to Pigeon Key. On the way down the bridge, the water was so clear, it was like looking through glass! We were able to see the turtles, devil rays, shark, Permit, and the Tarpon. We had spoken to people that have been going out on this bridge for years and have never seen the water this clear!  We went down onto Pigeon Key and took a tour of this small island and went through the museums. This would be the island that the workers stayed on while they were building this huge seven mile long bridge. Another day we took the dink over to Banana Bay Marina and found our "Looper" friends Steven and Linda from "Yesterdays Dream." We had a great visit with them and a fabulous $4.99 hamburger and fries at the marina restaurant.

As the time was getting closer and closer to depart from our remarkable stay in Marathon, the time had come to keep a close eye on the weather. In order to cross the Atlantic Ocean over to the Bahamas, the weather has to be just right! This means that there can be no "N" factors in the winds. No part of the wind can be coming from any bearing that would have north in it, such as:  NNE, NW, ENE and so forth! Watching the weather from nine days out, we may have a window in sight.

Keeping an eye on the weather we are now seven days out from our possibility of making the crossing. Everything still looks like a go. We have now made the decision to leave Marathon a few days early.

It was time to say "Good-Bye," again to our many new friends that quickly turned into family! We are very fortunate to have met all of these great people! We are hoping to meet you all again somewhere along the "Loop".

Bob and Susy Ryals   MV "Dahlin"
Robert Paulk    MV "Shell Cracker"
Peter and Anna Gulick   MV "Blue Yonder"
Bill and Mary Russell    MV "Harbour Reach"
Paul and Cindy    MV "Bulldog Sally"
Craig and Danielle Parrent    MV "Negotiator"
Jim and Karen   MV "Lilac"   (Karen, Thank you so much for the going away breakfast!!)
Carol and Bill Yancey   MV "Tennessee Rover"
David and Brenda Bell   SV "Wind Spirit"
Darrel and Susan    MV "Present Moment" and to the many many other great people in Marathon that we have met!

Departure date was set for February 15, 2011, and travel 35 miles to Shell Key to tie up at a mooring ball for the night!           

Marathon, Florida Enjoying the Fishing and Marina Life For A Month at Marathon Marina

We are having fun meeting the most interesting people. Everyone is friendly, laid back and will help out in most any way they can. The group gatherings, pot luck cocktail dinners, sunset watches and colorful cruising conversations are a way of life for the boating community in the marina.

If you would like to view our pictures online you can find them at :
http://picasaweb.google.com/CharlesCrawford2/MarathonFl0118To13111?feat=email#

Our favorite tackle shop is "The Tackle Box" in Marathon. One of the owners Debbie Woodring has helped us buy the right tackle and shared her local angling knowledge. We have bought live shrimp, rigged ballyhoo and frozen squid. We have taken our neighbors from the marina fishing several times. We are having fun catching grouper, trigger fish, mangrove snapper, mutton snapper, hogfish, porgys and a few mystery fish. Grouper season is closed. and of course the grouper are hitting our bait.We are releasing all the grouper. While trolling in 400 feet of water with two lines out we had a knock down on each rod. Baited up again and got another short strike. We saw a small sailfish beside the boat. The weed line was crowded with Man-o-war jellyfish. The large sea turtles were eating the man-o-war jellyfish. Our guests of the day were AGLCA Loopers Jim Crawford from "Crawdad"and his son in law Joe Prast. Peter Gulick from the "Blue Yonder" got the comedian award for the day. We all caught fish and enjoyed the day.

The manatee's cruise around in our marina. Yesterday we had a mother and baby manatee along side the boat. They were a big hit with everyone.

The bigger boats with underwater lights will turn them on at night. The lights attract lots of small fish and an occasional big boy will come streaking by to catch a snack. I am still waiting to see a tarpon cruising the lights.

Ft Myers to Little Shark River 1/15/2011 - 1/18/2011

From our departure from Ft. Myers, would be taking us to Naples. We would have a great push from the current today, therefore, we were making really good time. At this speed, we would be reaching Naples around 1:00, Charlie and I decided that we could make it to Marco Island before dark. We decided to anchor in a place called “Factory Bay.” This would put us in the back yard of several great big mansions. Off to our right we noticed another boat with a “Looper” flag on it. Therefore we went to investigate to see who the were, and where they were from. This happened to be a boat that looked exactly like the MV “Stella Maris,” a 42’ Grand Banks. Her name would be the MV “Crawdad.” Oddly enough their last name would be “Crawford,” Captain Gloria, her husband Jim and their dog “Boo Boo.” We were invited on board, had a very nice chat, then we all decided that we would get up early in the morning and run to Little Shark River, located just inside the Everglades National Park.

Anchors were pulled up at 7:30, and we headed to Little Shark River. We made this run out in the Gulf of Mexico. The water was very unusual for the gulf, they were like glass! We would arrive in Little Shark River around 4:00 pm. Another new experience for us. We would “raft up” to the MV “Crawdad.” Now, what this means is that one boat would anchor, then the other would anchor in the opposite direction. The anchor chain would be let out to the point that the were side by side. Once we were side by side the two boats would be tied together. This made it great to be able to visit each other! You just stepped over onto the other boat. Jim and Gloria’s dinghy would be in a position that they would not be able to get it down, so we all hopped in our dink. The main purpose of this adventure would be to find the dog a place to relieve himself. All we could find in mud and mangroves. “Boo Boo,” he really wasn’t thrilled with this idea, so we headed back to the boats. Jim and Gloria invited us over for dinner, these always turn into pot luck type dinners. The Crawford’s made a very good shrimp scampi with spinach noodles! WOW!! In the morning we would be greeted by a not so good weather forecast. Strong storms were headed for us, along with 40mph winds. Time to untie the boats and get them separated. The rest of our stay in the Everglades would be very wet, and very windy! Time to head to Marathon!! Our new buddy boat the “Crawdad,” and the “Bama Belle,” are heading to the Florida Keys early in the morning!

Sarasota to Ft. Myers 1/11/2011 - 1/15/2011

We enjoyed our stay in Sarasota very much. It was time to depart and head to Pelican Pass, that was the plan anyway. This would be a nice long ride, we were set to cruise 52 miles. Once again we were greeted with a beautiful sunrise, and calm waters! The strong gusty winds from yesterday had died down.

It took us approximately 6 hours to reach Pelican Pass. This would be another place to anchor for the night. Once we approached the anchorage, conversation between Sean and Charlie, they decided that this would not be a good place. The wind would be coming from the north east. We need to be near land that would protect us, from the high winds expected that night. The journey continued to another spot that we may be able to throw the anchor. We ran into issues getting in there too. Seems as if there was not enough water for us to get to the cove that we were headed for. MV “Stella Maris,” ran aground rounding the corner, and then of course we ran aground too! Thankfully the bottom was sand where all this took place, both of the boats were throttled up and our motor pushed us out of the sand. Third time is a charm, right? Well, not exactly today. We were told about another anchorage but we were not quite clear where it was, therefore we past that one up too. It was now almost dark, we needed a place to dock. This put us in the coolest place for a couple days. This would be a 100 acre private  island called “Cabbage Key.” The only way that you can get to this island is by boat.
We went up to the restaurant after we had gotten all secured. This was a very nice place so we actually did clean up a little. When you walk into the door, there are thousands and thousands of dollar bills taped on the walls. I think they estimated that there was $82,000. When the dollars fall off of the wall they are gathered up and given to charity. They have donated over $80,000. They also have dollars that have been signed by people like Jimmy Buffet and John F Kennedy Jr. The bartender, who’s last name is Fish, that is also what he was called! This man was extremely funny! He could pop off one liner jokes one after another! We ended up eating dinner at the bar, it was so good! Thankfully, we had decided to stay there for two nights. The next morning we would be faced with two weeks worth of laundry! Now, these places don’t have the best of machines. It took us almost all day to complete this chore. We did take time out, to go out on the dink with Sean and Hazel, to another island that had a beautiful beach. There were some fallen trees that had really neat root systems. They were laying partially in the water, one even had an old crab trap wrapped around it. On Cabbage Key, there is a wooden water tower, it just happens to be the highest point on the island. We climbed to the top to watch the sunset. It was amazing. From Cabbage Key, we would make it to our next destination in a little over 5 hours to, Fort Myers.

Once again, the idea would be to anchor out. The problem was because of all the north wind that had been blowing, it has blown a lot of water out into the Gulf of Mexico, making the water very shallow. After a few incidents of running aground, once again we were headed to a marina. This one would be, Ft. Myers Yacht Basin. This marina sits right in between two bridges, it’s a very unique location. Docking again, would be another challenge. Trying to dock this 39’ boat in a slip that was designed for a 50’ or longer boat was of course another interesting experience. Thankfully, there were several dock masters there. These guys hopped onto the boat, grabbed the lines and then got us all taken care of.

The evening would be spent with Sean and Hazel, as we made a quick little pot luck dinner, and watched part of a movie (Charlie kept falling asleep!) Friday would be spent getting things together so we could depart Ft. Myers in the morning! Sadly, we would be leaving MV “Stella Maris,” and Sean and Hazel behind. They had company flying in later that week. They will be catching up to us soon. We spent the evening together, and said our good byes. I am learning on this trip that all of the people we have met so far, you bond with very quickly, and then they become family.

We would be up before daylight and pulling out of our slip at sunrise. We have a long ways to go, an early start is a must. Sean was gracious enough to help us get out of our slip, made it go very smooth! Once again, waved good bye, and we were on our way. I am anxiously waiting for them to catch up, and we haven’t even gotten all the way out of the marina yet!

St. Pete Beach Pass-A-Grille Marina to Island Park, Sarasota, Fl. 1/7/2011-1/11/2011

Thankfully, our departure from Pass-A-Grille was a lot easier than the arrival. Today, would be another short hop (39 miles) to Sarasota, Fl. We have been so lucky with our calm seas, experiencing mostly smooth water or a light to moderate chop! On this part of the journey we would be able to see the change in the water colors! The water would change from a dark blue into a beautiful emerald green! Once again, and really it occurs quite often, we were able to watch the dolphins play in our wake. We would be anchoring out this time, in a place in front of downtown Sarasota! This anchorage would be called, Island Park! Some of the anchorage area is located near a marina. Marina Jacks, was right in front of us! This is one of those high dollar operations! There were a whole bunch of what I would call “million dollar yachts!” Some of these vessels were absolutely gorgeous! Between the marina and where we anchored was the park! We had a fantastic view of the dolphin water fall, people walking enjoying their dogs, twenty to thirty story buildings and seeing the big boats come in and out of the marina.

Lets me tell you about anchoring! After the Pass-A-Grille docking, anchoring is the new favorite thing! All you do is unlatch the chain keeper and let the hook drop! The downfall to this is there is no electricity. Every time that we needed to cook, the generator would have to be turned on. With the generator on you have to take advantage of it! Plug everything in that needs charging, turn the hot water heater on, and can’t forget to turn the heater on too!

Anchor was tossed overboard, we put out 100' of chain in 8' of water, everything is secure. Time to go visit Sean and Hazel! We took the “dink” down off of her davitt system, and headed over to the MV “Stella Maris,” she was about 25 yards away from us. All of us decided to hop in our “dink’” I named her “Baby Belle,” actually though she is another “Bama Belle,” just a whole lot smaller. There was a dinghy dock located at O’Learys. This would be a neat little tiki type bar. There was a great reggae band playing, we listened to them for awhile and headed back to the boats for the night!

Saturday we would get up and take care of some things around the boat, check out some email, and catch up on other things. Charlie and I would hop in the dink and head over to O'learys Tiki Bar where we could tie her up, and we could go walk around Sarasota for awhile. We actually were trying to find a bus that would take us to the Ringling Brothers Museum! Unfortunately, we had no luck at that, and to walk would be way to far. We did get to see a great part of history, there is a statue that is a sailor kissing a nurse. This statue was named “Unconditional Surrender,” it was from a photograph from World War II, in 1944. As we were getting ready to head back to the boat and fix chicken wings for the four of us (Sean, Hazel, Charlie, and I,) a man approached us and said “Hey! I know you!” It turns out that we have run into Mark Mills, this guy worked at Turner Marine, in Mobile. Mark and his wife sailed down from Mobile on their sail boat “Arianna.” We were then introduced to his wife, Anna, and we invited them to join us for dinner! This would be the first pot luck dinner aboard the MV “Bama Belle.” Charlie and I fixed chicken wings and deviled eggs. Sean and Hazel brought over a magnificent salad. Mark and Anna brought over this great cheese and cracker platter and some of the best baked beans we have eaten in a long time. We would laugh, and talk the night away.

Sunday morning we would be greeted by Sean, wanting to know if we wanted to go explore one of the nearby local beaches (this beach is supposedly rated the #2 beach in the world.) Woo Hoo!! Off in the dinks again and headed across the bay. We would come up upon a very pretty park! This park had something we had never seen before, a sign that would say for boats only and no swimming. We beached the dinks, and went for a very nice walk on beach! From the beach, well, what else to do but go explore more things! We found the Sarasota Yacht Club, the boats there made the ones at Marina Jacks look kind of small! We continued underneath the Ringling Brothers Bridge, and found the local town dock! Now, we were in business, the grocery store would be directly across the street! From here new plans were made! We headed back to the boats, made lunch, and a grocery list! Back out in the dinks headed to the store! Every time that we have gotten groceries we have had a new experience. The highlight of this trip would be after buying more groceries then you could possibly carry across the street, our plan was we would once again roll the buggy all the way back to the dinghy and then bring it back. The fun started when we were happily pushing our goodies down the parking lot, and the front wheels on the buggy lock up! Now days, you cannot take your buggy’s from the parking lots, as for a little device will come out and lock up the wheels when you cross the barrier. Charlie went back and got us another buggy and we took it out a different direction. AH HA!! This time we got out of the parking lot. We ended up carrying the groceries across the street. Now, we would be headed back to the boats to unload. Monday would be another new experience for us! The original plan was to take the dink over to Marina Jacks, we would dock her for the day, and then head to the Ringling Brothers Circus Museum! We would go across and wait for Sean and Hazel, to come and meet us, call a cab, and head to the museum. While waiting at Marina Jacks, Charlie received a phone call from Hazel, saying that the wind has kicked up way too much and they are going to stay with their boat. At this time we took a second look at the wind and realized that it would be better to head back to the boat. The weather report had stated that we had sustained winds of 27 mph gusting to 39 mph! In this kind of situation you never know if your anchor is going to hold, of even a more dangerous scenario, some one else’s anchor not holding. There were a couple boats that had drug their anchor a little bit but, they solved the problems quickly. Thankfully, our anchor kept us in the exact same area that we put it out at! What a good feeling!!! Finally, the wind had subsided to a reasonable speed. Tonight would be the BCS National Championship Football Game! All four of us, hopped back in the dinks and headed towards the nearby sports bar to watch the game! Charlie, of course was pulling for the SEC and the "Kitty Kats"or Auburn Tigers, and the rest of us were Oregon Duck fans. Even though the first half was very exciting, it was time to go and head back. The plans were to pull anchor in the morning and head to Pelican Pass, located west of Punta Gorda, Fl.