The further south we go, water is turning aquamarine and crystal clear along with rising temperatures. We have had to resort to tank tops and lots of sunscreen.
Cruising down to Key West we were well aware that marina space had to be booked at least a year in advance. If by some chance you get a transient spot, it is extremely expense. Anchoring is an option but landing dingy space can be tricky. Hailing Garrison Bight City Dockmaster as we approached the harbor, we were informed they had a few balls empty. Once we arrived at the mooring field, we were quite excited to see that it was true. The excitement dissipated quickly when we attempted to pick up the first ball and the painters attached was just a tangled rat’s nest of old lines. We aborted that attempt and moved to another ball which has a similar mess, but one we could manage. The boater community is certainly full of support. As we were trying to tie our lines, the man in the boat next to ours jumped in his dinghy to come over and help. We were almost done when he arrived but we chatted and learned some interesting facts for our visit.
Once again, we arrived at a port having no real plans about our length of stay. High winds were expected to roll in a few days, so having secured a mooring ball, we thought maybe we would stay and ride out the storm.
During a routine engine room check, Bob noticed a some water in the bilge. Upon further investigation, he noticed a drip from a port side fresh water pipe. He tightened a clamp and the dripping stopped but continued to keep a close eye on the bilge. The next day, water was still entering the bilge and the pump was being kicked on. Squeezing into a tight space at the back of the engine room, a sag was detected in the exhaust pipe and confirmation that we had a different but much more pressing problem than a fresh water hose. Water coming into the boat from the outside is not a good thing, so solving this became our top priority. The water only entered the exhaust with the engines runnig or a heavy following sea (which happened to be what got in the mooring field) Brainstorming something we had on board to clog the exhaust pipe, we thought of an oversized pool noodle, that is used to relax and float in the ocean. It worked like a champ! Upon, even further investigation and research Bob decide this was a job for the professionals and likely required haulong the boat. Next, we began working the phones to find a boatyard and mechanic. Having no luck with Key West locations, we called Marathon Boat Yard. They were able to take us. Since the weather and ocean conditions were not fit for traveling the 7 plus hours, the red noodle would clog the leak until the winds died down.
We enjoyed three days of touring Key West hitting all the touristy spots. Key West is a very walkable town being only four miles long and one mile wide. Of course, we spent time on Duvall St. We hit Sloppy Joes Bar for the historical aspect but it was not our favorite. Hog’s Breath on a side street was more our style. We enjoyed the famous Key Lime Pie at Kermit’s. Walked through Malloy Square and the Harborwalk, enjoyed some beers at the Waterfront Brewery and toured the Hemingway House.
On the fourth bright and sunny morning, we decided to take a dinghy out and explore some mangroves and a sand bar. We were slow to start and before getting the dinghy launched, it started to rain. It poured for about twenty minutes, cleared up but then the winds started to howl. Mother Nature decided to send her windy weather a little earlier than expected. With so much chop in the harbor, a dingy ride was not going to be enjoyable. We stayed on Three Sons for the day and rested, enjoyed the sights and completed some chores. Knowing the weather was only going to get worse and having enough of hearing the crashing of waves against the boat with watching all the boats bopping up and down, along with the broken exhaust hose being stopped with a fat pool noodle, we decide to head to a dock. We found a spot at the Naval Air Station Boca Chica/Key West. It was a 90 minute cruise, so when we saw a decrease in the winds, we traveled to our new spot that would protected us from the higher expected winds and allow us to get off the boat and explore.
Segment Stats
- Bahia Honda, FL to Key West, FL
- Friday, January 5, 2024
- Cruising Time: 5 hours
- 36.2 Nautical Miles
- Weather: Temperatures 68-74, Winds: E 8-11mph, Sunny
- Grabbed a ball at Garrison Bight Moorings/City Marina
- Key West, FL to Boca Chica Key, FL
- Monday, January 8, 2024
- 12 Nautical Miles
- Cruising Time: 1 hours 44 minutes
- Weather: Temperatures 72-77, Winds: E 16-20 mph, Sunny
- Docked at Naval Air Station Boca Chica Marina Key West