Stats for December 23, 2018

Origin: Everglades Isle

Destination: Key West Anchorage/Conch Harbor Marina

Distance: 102 miles

Speed: 8.8 mph

Time on the Move: 11 hours and 31 minutes

We left Everglades Isle just before first light because we had a long way to go AND we were trying to time the tides so we had enough water to get all the way out of the channel. We were rewarded with beautiful views of pastel colors in the sky along with a full moon. Gorgeous. It was almost enough to distract us from the fact we were moving through very shallow water in the dark, using a spotlight to find crab pots and channel markers. Kind of nerve wracking!!

At about this point the shallow water alarm started screaming at us and for the first time EVER we crossed our fingers as we chug-chug-chugged through some mud, willing our way forward and out to deeper water. After about a minute of holding our breath, we were in the clear. WHEW!! Would have been a long 12 hours sitting there on the bottom in creature-central just waiting for the water to come back!! The interesting thing is that the tides were just starting to fall in Everglades City, but out here, 6 miles down the channel, we were at ROCK BOTTOM LOW tide. And of course we didn’t check the tides out here, we only checked them where we were. Seems like they would be on a similar schedule since they are in a similar location, but it was a full moon, and I understand weird things happen with tides around full moons. Have I mentioned how this Great Lakes girl doesn’t really like tides??

After we made it out of the channel and into the deeper water, we were greeted with the cloudiest green water. It was interesting to see, and our best conclusion is that the wind and waves stirred up the sandy bottom and it had yet to settle. Whatever the cause, it was kind of strange, but then we’ve learned that not much will actually be as we expect it to be on this trip.

As we got out further into the water, the water got a little bouncier. By about 8:30 I already had the Dramamine and sea bands out in full force. The waves were coming from behind us and just seemed to push us along in a swirly way that was very uncomfortable. Later in the day we had some swells coming from behind us and some coming from the side, so there was a slight washing machine effect. Despite the fact the waves weren’t BIG, they were very uncomfortable for everyone except the captain. Might actually be something to the idea that staring at the horizon helps you avoid seasickness (or maybe I should say dodging massive amounts of crab pots ALL DAY helps you avoid seasickness).

We were SO EXCITED to finally see Key West off in the distance!! We were not as excited to turn and take the swells on the beam to go down the channel to get there, but it worked out and then we finally had some protection from the rocking. Plus, all of the chatter on the radio was a good distraction for the last few miles. Key West is a busy busy place to listen to the VHF radio!!

I was so happy to be there that I let the kids eat dinner in my bed while they finished a movie. Mike and I ate ramen noodles and leftovers in peace. It was a long day, but finally we were in Key West!!

The next morning we woke up and took care of some boat chores before heading into Conch Harbor Marina, about a mile away or so. It was Christmas Eve and we were excited to check out the pool and the town, but we didn’t get past the pool. Rough life!!

Mike and I went out for an evening walk after Grandma and the kiddies had sugarplums dancing in their heads. So many amazing Christmas lights on boats and throughout Key West!!

We didn’t want to stay up too late in case Santa was trying to stop by. The kids left cookies, milk, and carrots out, just like at home.

Christmas morning went pretty much just like it does at home. Colin was the first one awake, but Tobin was the first one out of bed around 6:00. The kids knew they had to wait for adults to get coffee in hand and turn on Christmas music before they could start opening presents. Luckily, the kids were thrilled to see that Santa “wrapped”each of their present bundles in one of their favorite blankets from home and they didn’t seem to notice that their piles were significantly smaller than in the past.

Tobin’s favorite present was a Nerf gun, Hayley’s favorite was Baby Alive, and Colin’s favorite was Battle Bots or some crazy fighting robots. After everyone played with their toys for a while, Mike made us a delicious breakfast. We were ready to get off the boat and burn off some of that Christmas excitement. We weren’t exactly sure where we were going, but we definitely stayed out longer than we anticipated!! Who needs a fancy Christmas dinner?! We ate pizza out!!

We were pretty close to Mallory Square, so we decided to stay for the sunset ceremony, where so many performers come to entertain the masses while the sun sets into the ocean. It was cool to see the street performers ride unicycles, do flips, juggle fire, and all kinds of other interesting things.

The next day we enjoyed time at the pool and did some more exploring. I have a MILLION pictures because there was just so much to see!! What a place!!

The kids were excited to go walking in the dark to see the Christmas lights and to wear their glow in the dark Christmas masks they got from Grandma.

The next day we sent Grandma on her way back to Sarasota, but we only had to say goodbye for 3 weeks or so until she joins us in the Bahamas. We enjoyed 1 last day in Key West exploring and taking care of some chores.

We decided to head to the sunset ceremony one last time. INNTW!!

We made it back to Turtle Kraals just in time for the turtle races, which Colin has been begging to see. It was a very festive event, and surprisingly, over quite quickly. We headed back to the boat for a frozen pizza dinner afterwards, which was perfect after a long day exploring.

One other activity in Key West that I have not yet mentioned in the blog is the amount of time that Mike spent in the engine room, on the phone, and consulting others trying to get our power issue fixed. Our inverter company was nice enough to mail us a new (to us) inverter in Key West to attempt to fix the “batteries won’t charge with the generator” problem. Mike is getting to be a pro at taking out and replacing the inverter, so as soon as it arrived, he sweated it out in the engine room for an hour or so to get the new one installed. Unfortunately our problem instantly turned into a “batteries won’t charge with shore power” problem, which is so ironic because it is just the opposite of our previous problem and so frustrating because it is just another inconvenient issue. Since then, Mike has spent countless hours further troubleshooting and consulting others to try to fix the issue with no luck. Regardless, kudos to Mike for putting hours into the project. Also, hats off to the dock neighbors, electricians, technicians, and friends for offering all kinds of ideas and suggestions and sweating it out in the engine room right along with Mike. Boaters truly are one of a kind!

The next morning, we tied up loose ends and finished a few boat chores before we headed out of Key West. We made a last minute run for souvenirs which included necklaces for the boys, a bracelet for Hay, and a shirt for Kelly (BOAT BUM). It’s funny that we walked all around this town for the last few days and yet we waited until the final hour to buy anything, but souvenirs are not usually top on our list. We value experiences over things, but Key West seemed like a place you need a memento from.

Thanks for reading about all of our adventures in Key West!! We had an amazing time and are so thankful we chose to bring INNTW all the way down to the end of the keys. Stay tuned for more adventures!!