We traveled these days outside in the Gulf. We anchored each evening on this trek near the small uninhabited islands making up the Everglades. We stayed November 29 at West Pass anchorage. This spot was in an area of 10,000 islands, ours was called Tiger island and had a beautiful white sandy beach. I asked Mike to dinghy us over to explore the island but after he read on Active Captain about the spot I change my mind! The last folks who stayed there took their dinghy over to be greeted by crocodiles!! They reported the crocodiles ran out of the underbrush towards their dinghy!! I decided I could enjoy the scenery from the boat. It is surreal to be in such a spot, nature all around, beautiful sky…no cell service. The next morning we left this secluded spot for another! We went to Cape Sable which is the southern most tip of the Florida main land. We had 2 boats traveling to the Keys behind us and waited for them at this spot to cross the gulf together to Key West. Our friends from “Sooner Express” (Jim, Cathy, Elke and Larry), and another boat “Trust Me”, with captain Mike and Jan were our boat buddies for this leg. The fun part of this group is that we were all connected somehow with other friends from Green Turtle Bay, where we used to keep our sail boat. It felt good to have connections in the middle of nowhere!
Captain Mike of “Trust Me” has done this crossing 16 times so he led us in the wee hours, through the crab pots to Perry marina, 60.0 miles, 9 hours and 19 minutes! Leave it to hard working midwesterners to “Get ER Done!”
The duck landed on our solar panel and would not leave, it stayed overnight and rested! I should not have gave it potato chips! No good deed goes unpunished, ducks like to make a mess!
What a difference daylight makes!! I went from sitting on the bow with a flashlight watching for crab pots to the azure blue waters of Key West! Trust me, I literally had to trust “Trust Me!”
Arrived!! Perry Resort and Marina in Key West, Florida! We cleaned No Agenda, replenished supplies, had AC trouble and needed a repair man, fixed the generator which was clogged with sea weed and now we rest and enjoy visitors for the month! Mike has oil and zincs ordered for other maintenance. He is amazing in his skills.
We met the crew of “Trust Me” and “Sooner Express” at Bagetelles for Happy Hour! Elke gave me a long list of her recommended restaurants and Happy Hours in Key West, I sent it on to my brother Okie who will be coming to visit as his “TO DO LIST”
On December 2 our wonderful friends the Winklers arrived! So good to see Stan and Vickie!
Stan and Vickie’s spacious sleeping quarters on No Agenda!!
It is good to have heart felt friends here on December 2. This was my Sister Connie’s heavenly birthday. She has been gone from us for more than 40 years now. My sister in law Marilyn texted me this day also missing Connie. Connie is certainly missed by so many and that is a sign of a life well lived, even if it was too short. In her short life she influenced so many people in positive ways, with joy and kindness and compassion. She could make you laugh until you were going to pee in your pants. She was a worry wart and would not have liked me doing these Gulf crossings! I find her present in the beauty all around and appreciate knowing her graces are near! I can’t help but repeat myself with this quote from Mayou Angelou ” A great soul serves everyone all the time. A great soul never dies. It brings us together again and again.”
I bought a tee shirt at LuLu’s (Jimmy Buffett’s sister’s marina). It said Crazy Sista…You either have one, know one, or are one!!! I think of Connie when I wear it and of my dear fun girlfriends who have helped to fill the gap to become my “Crazy Sista’s”!!
Our friends Ann and Mitch who we spent time with us on the loop and on our mini vacation to Tarpon, Tampa and St. Petersburg just completed their loop journey! Congratulations to them! We should complete our loop mid October 2023 God willing!