Once again preparing to move

I started this post about a week ago but with everything we've been doing I'm just now finishing it.

One of our weekly gales blowing through. More than half the days and nights we've been here the wind was over 20 kts. and frequently was over 30 for sustained period.s

Hard to believe that we have been here in Marathon for almost 2 months. We got here just before the holidays with some very beautiful weather but with little fanfare the weather went south as they say. Ever since the beginning of the year it has been windy and cold with lots of rain. There have been a few very nice days but by and large the weather this year again did not facilitate the boat work we wanted to accomplish. I actually accomplished my task list that numbered about 40 things with 1 exception being the teak that needed at least a couple days of decent weather at a time strung together without rain or high winds. It's hard to do teak work when there is a good chance of rain or the wind blowing sea spray.

Two of our good friends,Sunny and Ralph Hernandez who visited over 2 weeks while they were at their condo in Marathon.

I've mentioned previously many of the major projects we completed but recently we've emptied our cockpit and anchor lockers and cleaned them along with the contents that needed airing. The damp marine environment plays havoc with stuff stored away as dampness gathers from humidity and condensation. It's a slow process to remove everything and then clean everything. Often just letting it out in the sun and fresh air for a few days is enough but it's an ongoing task to check it and with high winds keeping it from blowing away. This is a task that we will need to do at least annually if not more frequently.

A visiting manatee swimming behind our boat.

We've continued enjoying time with friends here at the marina and elsewhere. Activities here around the Super Bowl and Valentine's day are lots of fun and sharing food spices up the special events. We've done more than our share of happy hours here at HCC or out on the town. Key West has been fun but we missed one of our favorite entertainers, Jim Morris, when he played at Margaritaville.

One night for dinner we visited the famous No Name Bar by No Name Key which is by Big Pine Key that is home of the remaining Key Deer an endangered species.

So tomorrow some last minute preparations and then we will leave the slip here at HCC on an incoming tide to help float us off the dock and then we plan to go around to the other side of the Key so we can leave at first light on Tuesday to make Nassau by noon Wednesday.  Weather should be ok but will probably wind up being a motor sail at best as it starts out with some wind just off the nose but falling off to very light later. There is a front coming through Florida Wednesday night that will probably hit Nassau Thursday but we should be secured by then.

Next updates will be from Nassau about our crossing or an explanation of why we didn't.