Thursday, January 12th through Monday, January 16th

[caption id="attachment_2740" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Manatee visits Cutter Loose"][/caption]

Our final days in Marathon pass rapidly.  With access to shoreside amenities from our slip, we succumb to the laid back approach to life in the Keys. 

[caption id="attachment_2737" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Bike Fridays at Sombrero Beach Park"][/caption]

One of the many advantages of establishing roots in a marina is that the bicycles are always assembled and secure, ready to ride in a moment's notice.  Every day, recreational rides are blended with shopping and dining.  Our carbon footprint has decreased and our level of fitness has increased since arriving in Marathon.

Cutter Loose is clean and shiny, having benefitted from frequent washdowns, polishing and vacuuming during our stay here at the Harbour Cay Club in Marathon...yet another benefit of spending eleven days at a slip.  Laundry here at the marina is accomplished in small loads every other day.  The laundry facilities are literally 12 steps from our slip and are accessible day and night at a reasonable cost of 75 cents per load.  This technique offers a distinct advantage over accumulating a week's supply of dirty clothes and devoting the better part of an afternoon, dinghying ashore and carting the laundry basket to a busy laundramat.   Yes, we are definitely becoming soft and spoiled.

[caption id="attachment_2738" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Saturday afternoon cookout at Harbour Cay Club"][/caption]

Saturday afternoon brings slipholders together at an outdoor barbeque.  Each participant brings a dish and food for grilling.  On Sunday, we attend services at the Marathon Community United Methodist Church where the minister delivers her message in the format of a television talk show.  Following the service, we bicycle to Crane Point where we tour the history museum and hike through the hardwood hammock.

[caption id="attachment_2739" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="View of Florida Bay from Crane Point Nature Center"][/caption]

Winds shift to the north during the weekend, delaying our departure by one day as we wait for a favorable wind angle towards our next destination.  We utilize this found time to return to Key West via public transit on Monday, Martin Luther King Day.  Old Town is filled to capacity with tourists as three cruise ships are docked in the harbor.  Key West Race Week, a major sailing regatta, is also taking place this week.

[caption id="attachment_2741" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Cruise ship calls at Key West"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2743" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="A taste of Buffett"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_2744" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sharing sweets with Marilyn"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2742" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Hemingway House, complete with cats"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_2745" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Matisse, Key West Style"][/caption]

 



During our stay, we have made many new friends at the Harbour Cay Club in Marathon.  Everyone has been kind and accommodating.  As much as we have enjoyed our time here at HCC, Cutter Loose will sail north in the morning.

Wednesday, January 11th

Today we travel 45 miles west to the southernmost point of land in the continental United States.  Key West.  Latitude 24 degrees, 34 minutes N.  Capital of the Conch Republic and THE east coast destination for those seeking an anything goes, laid back tourist experience. 

Our mode of travel is not by boat, but rather by bus.  Public transportation is provided between Marathon and Key West nine times daily.  And the price is right.  The cost is $2 for passengers that have attained the age of 60...$4 for less mature riders.  The 90 minute ride takes us over the Seven Mile Bridge and through a series of keys that offer outstanding views of the water on both sides of the highway. 



Key West is the largest town in the Florida Keys.  Our bus winds its way through the suburban fringe of Key West with its shopping malls, restaurants, hotels and busy boulevards.  Once in the Old Town neighborhood near the water, we pause to consume a pastry and stroll along Duval Street, the primary shopping and entertainment district.

[caption id="attachment_2712" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Truman White House"][/caption]

Some of the architecture here dates back to the Civil War.  It is miraculous that so many of these older homes and commercial buildings have survived 150 years of hurricanes. 

[caption id="attachment_2709" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Free-range roosters are ubiquitous and largely ignored"][/caption]

Free range roosters roam the streets of Old Town, unnoticed by the locals.  After a short time, we grow weary of the t shirt shops and bars on Duval Street and turn our attention to lunch.  We rendezvous with friends Hayden and Radeen at My Blue Heaven, an outdoor bar/restaurant on Thomas Street.  Cats and roosters are here as well, seeking handouts from the patrons.   This dirt floor establishment with minimalist decor was allegedly the inspiration for Jimmy Buffet's composition Blue Heaven Rendezvous.

[caption id="attachment_2698" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Blue Heaven Rendezvous"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2707" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Mallory Square"][/caption]

From here, it is on to Mallory Square where street performers entertain tourists at sunset.  But today, the Square is empty.  Thunder, lightning, wind and rain are the sole form of entertainment this afternoon.

In light of the weather, we beat a hasty retreat to the bus stop to catch the Lower Keys Shuttle back to Marathon.  A day trip does not do justice to Key West.  There are several museums of interest, and the waterfront is an interesting place to linger.  We will attempt to return here during our remaining time in Marathon.



[caption id="attachment_2703" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Papa Hemingway"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_2708" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Key West, where the red shoe drops at midnight on New Year's Eve"][/caption]

Sunday, January 8th to Tuesday, January 10th

The weather here in Marathon is absolutely perfect.  Sunny skies, temperatures in the mid to upper 70s and light breezes have been the norm since our arrival.  It is so easy to settle into a comfortable routine that many sailors remain here for the entire winter.  

On Sunday morning, we bicycle 4 miles east along the Route 1 bike trail, then perform a quick change of clothing to attend the 9 AM service at Kirk of the Keys church near the airport.  Trawler friends Laura and Bill of Kindred Spirit are also in attendance.  We agree to meet the following day for a bicycle ride.  After breakfast and a quick stop at the local Publix grocery store, we return to Harbour Cay to focus on boat chores, including replacement of the Racor fuel filters and laundry.  Soon it is time to practice our social skills at the 5 PM tiki hut gathering.

 

[caption id="attachment_2657" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Our merry group of cyclists at Duck Key"][/caption]

On Monday morning, our bike ride with Laura, Bill and their friend Tom begins at 9:30 AM.  We cycle 44 miles today along the bike trail, east to Duck Key and the City of Key Colony.  Leaving the Route 1 bike trail to explore side streets and neighborhoods provides access to residential neighborhoods, marinas and beaches.  In fact, motorists that limit their Florida Keys travel to Route 1 are treated to water views only on bridges and smaller, undeveloped islands.

[caption id="attachment_2685" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="US 1, Overseas Highway with parallel bike trail"][/caption]

Marathon is a slender strip of land between Florida Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.  As a result, there is no compact town center here.   The community has been developed along both sides of the Overseas Highway (Route 1), a five lane strip commercial spine road with access driveways every 50 feet.  The sprawling highway is cluttered with 1950s era motels, trailer parks, restaurants, dive shops, fishing charters and strip malls.  Some plazas and commercial buildings are vacant and unsightly.  Traffic is constantly exiting and entering the highway,  Motorists are so anxious to accelerate from parking lots into the flow of traffic  that they seldom watch for bicyclists on the roadside bike trail.  

[caption id="attachment_2681" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Cuban sandwiches and moros available across the highway from Harbour Cay Club"][/caption]

Nevertheless, we are thankful for the bikeway.  Within a 15 minute bike ride from our slip, we can easily reach the Publix grocery store, Home Depot, churches, restaurants, pharmacies, the fresh fish market, the Post Office and West Marine.  The highway offers all of the conveniences of home.  But it is a high speed traffic area with few places where pedestrians or bicyclists can cross safely from one side of the highway to the other.



[caption id="attachment_2682" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Porky's BBQ, another asset in our immediate neighborhood"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2679" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Tuning the standing rigging on Cutter Loose"][/caption]

Another convenience of Marathon is that virtually any type of marine service, parts and supplies are available here.  The shrouds and stays on Cutter Loose have not been tuned since the boat was commissioned in 2009.  A call to Gary the local rigger quickly solves this problem.  Gary spends the better part of Tuesday morning adjusting the tension on the standing rigging.  We take advantage of Gary's assistance to lubricate the threads on all of the turnbuckles to prevent them from freezing.

Later in the afternoon, the crew of Catspaw, Cavu, Island Spirit and Cutter Loose gather in the clubhouse for a chart talk relative to our collective plan to sail north to the west coast of Florida.  Captain Carey of Catspaw describes our course, the overnight stops along the way and the cruising delights that we can expect to experience in Southwest Florida.   We agree tentatively to head north from Marathon on Monday, January 16th, weather permitting.

[caption id="attachment_2661" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Planning the next leg of the voyage with Captain Carey"][/caption]

Saturday, January 7th

[caption id="attachment_2653" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Outdoor dining lanai"][/caption]

We are enjoying our stay at the Harbour Cay Club.  Marathon is a popular winter destination for cruising yachtsmen.  There are literally hundreds of slips and moorings available at the various marinas in Marathon.  But the HCC is a unique setting.  Our slip is literally steps from the clubhouse, laundry facilities and restrooms.  Let us introduce you to this facility.

HCC was formed as a cooperative.  Members who purchase a slip own a percentage of the cooperative. 

[caption id="attachment_2654" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Old Florida style clubhouse with second floor apartment for guests"][/caption]

Only a portion of the slips are owner-occupied.  The remaining slips are rented to transients on a first come-first served basis.  Rental income helps the owners to offset the cost of operation.  Technically, the clubhouse is reserved for the exclusive use of the owners.  But in practice, the owners share the facilities equally with transients.  Many transients spend the entire winter here at HCC.  Others stay for a month or a few weeks.

[caption id="attachment_2651" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Clubhouse gathering spot at HCC"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2652" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The culinary nerve center at HCC"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2650" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Along the quay at Harbour Cay Club"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2655" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The tiki hut...slipholders begin gathering here for conversation and libations about an hour before sunset"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2656" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="shop area for undertaking major projects"][/caption]

Friday, January 6th

[caption id="attachment_2625" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Sunrise in Hawk Channel"][/caption]

Cutter Loose is underway from her dock in Tavernier before sunrise in order to transit the canal at high tide.  Our journey today will take us to Marathon, 52 miles to the southwest.  Ten knots of breeze from the north provide our entertainment for the day as we enjoy a relaxed sail on a broad reach all the way to Boot Key (aka Marathon).  We enjoy the silence as the diesel engine takes a well-deserved rest.  Along our route, we pass a series of reefs, including Hens and Chickens and Alligator Reef.  Fishing vessels ply these waters in search of gamefish that feed on bait fish trapped in the shallows. 

[caption id="attachment_2626" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Broad reaching to Marathon"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2627" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Seven Mile Bridge"][/caption]

After a brief stop in Marathon Harbor to take on fuel, we pass under Seven Mile Bridge and enter Florida Bay.  Our marina is the Harbor Cay Club just inside Fanny Key.  As we approach  the dock, we are greeted by a gathering of a dozen slipholders who assist us with our lines.  We are reunited with friends Hayden and Radeen (Island Spirit) and Carey and Bobbi (Catspaw).  We last shared a mooring with these folks in Vero Beach on December 10th.

A well-planned buffet dinner is served this evening at the clubhouse.  Each slipholder brings a dish, including five different types of lasagne and a variety of salads and desserts.  With a total of 30 slips, this is a small marina.  All of the slipholders are on a first name basis.  We are pleased to become part of this tight-knit community.

[caption id="attachment_2637" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Cutter Loose docked at the Harbor Cay Club"][/caption]

Cutter Loose will remain here at the Harbor Cay Club for another week or so.  This will permit time for exploration, relaxation, boat maintenance and planning for the next leg of our winter cruise.

Sunday, January 1st through Thursday, January 5th

[caption id="attachment_2607" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Joyce and Brian's home in the Keys"][/caption]

The first few days of the New Year are devoted to relaxation and exploration as Cutter Loose remains in Tavernier, docked at the home of friends Brian and Joyce.  From our dock, we are afforded views of Tavernier Key, Hawk Channel and the Atlantic Ocean beyond Conch Reef.  Nearly all of the residents of the canal have returned to their homes in Miami.  This is a quiet and relaxing place.

New Year's Day dawns warm and sunny.  After a lazy morning absorbing the Sunday Times, we return to the US 1 bike trail, this time heading south to Islamorada.  Contrary to its name, this collection of islands has nothing to do with the practice of Islam.   The primary activity here is sportfishing, diving and snorkeling.  Small hotels and local businesses cater to this trade.  

[caption id="attachment_2603" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Harry Harris Park in Tavernier"][/caption]

Under a thickening cover of high clouds, Monday is the calm before the passage of a cold front.  There is no rain associated with this front, but the wind begins to pick up in the afternoon.  By Tuesday morning, the front has passed, bringing with it sunny skies, 25 knot winds and temperatures in the low 50s.  This is the coldest weather we have experienced since St. Augustine.  The cabin of Cutter Loose is a warm and cozy retreat.  We venture outdoors in the afternoon for a bike ride to the grocery store as the temperature moderates.

[caption id="attachment_2612" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Joyce and Zoey"][/caption]

Each day here at Tavernier, the temperatures become a little warmer.  Social interaction increases substantially upon the arrival of Brian and Joyce from Fort Lauderdale.  On Wednesday evening, Joyce prepares a seafood dinner and invites friends Tony and Julia.  Tony was raised in Cuba and emigrated to the U.S. with his family.  Through conversation, we begin to understand the animosity that many Cuban-American families hold for the leadership in their homeland.  Many Cuban-Americans feel that positive change will occur in Cuba only after total collapse of the Island's economy.  They are generally proponents of a U.S. foriegn policy that isolates Cuba.  They argue that relaxing travel restrictions between the two countries will have the effect of feeding the Cuban economy with tourist dollars that perpetuate the current regime.

[caption id="attachment_2624" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Dinner with Joyce, Brian, Julia and Tony"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2611" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cutter Loose docked alongside Brian and Joyce's home in Tavernier"][/caption]

Our visit with Brian and Joyce here in Tavernier has been delightful.  We have enjoyed time ashore, cocktails on the deck, sunset cruises aboard Reef Rover and sumptuous meals around the dining room table.  We will depart the canal at high slack tide in the morning en route to Marathon.  Thank you once again, Brian and Joyce, for your warm hospitality.