Getting Ready to Head North

After vegging out in Marathon for the past four months, it has come time to think about heading back north before the heat and hurricanes arrive. Many last minute projects were left to, well, the last minute! We replaced the 5 year old "house" batteries with 14 6 volt golf cart batteries; also replaced the old 70 amp alternator with a 150 amp one to provide the juice to said batteries. The bow thruster motor was circa 1991 and was slowly cooking itself to death. So, bit the bullet and replaced that, too.


Eight months after her last hull washing, it was time to give Compass Rose another bath. She actually looked pretty clean considering the tropic waters she's been floating in. Also changed all the sacrificial zincs on her.
Photo: Compass Rose getting ready for her bath.

The Miami Zoo

Before Kim and the kids flew home, we stopped at the Miami Zoo Saturday morning. What a great zoo!! There are no bars or cages...everything is in a natural setting.
Bengal Tiger posing for photos

Cameron making sure we don't get lost.

Pink flamingos

Key West

The invasion continued on to the capital of the Conch Republic, Key West.
Carson at "The Southernmost Point"



Cameron getting a butterfly tatoo. Carson's "flaming dice" tatoo.

Street performers in Mallory Square

Keys Invaded!!

Under the cover of darkness on January 23rd, the Conch Republic was invaded by Carson and Cameron (and Kim!). Here are a few pictures of the first days...at the beach, at the Dolphin Research Center, and feeding the manatees swimming at the boat.















Manatee drinking water from hose on boat.

What Do We Do All Day?

We are often asked how is life in the Keys and what do you do all day? Well, our typical days go like this. Each morning a group of us get together at 7:30 am for our morning 5 mile walk on the old seven mile bridge. On most days we are able to see sharks swimming below the bridge or rays graceful jumping alone the water or large sea turtles lumbering along the ocean’s bottom. It is always amazing how much sea life there to be seen. After the walk we stop by the 7 Mile Bridge Grill for our morning coffee and sometimes breakfast. This is the local gathering place so you never know how you’ll run into. Its 9:30 or 10:00 before we know it. The remainder of the morning is spent doing boat chores, laundry, boat maintenance, gas for the dinghy and of course the bike rides every three or four days to the grocery store. Pam will do an hour or so of work for the Association mostly via phone or email. She also keeps in touch with all of the other Krogen Crusisers through email. And there are the daily phone calls to the kids, we are always in touch.
The afternoons are spent either at the beach, visiting other cruiser friends at other marinas, or just plain fooling around. Somewhere in there we usually find time for a short nap. Can you believe it, Pam is even getting into the nap routine.

There is the daily ritual of the gathering for the end of the day sunset. We never tire of the magnificence of a Keys sunset. We have one of the best locations for this vista. Each and every setting is special.
Most evenings are spent reading or watching a little TV. Even with cable we find that there is not much on. Usually in bed by 9:30-10:00 reflecting on how thankful we are to be here doing this together. Life is good here in the keys.

By the Way...

By the way... the blog and photo of the "cold front" moving through Marathon was meant as a joke! Although a cold front did come through, it only dropped temperatures into the high 60's.

Home For The Holidays

The blog will be suspending publication as we are heading back to Maryland for the Holidays tomorrow.

The weather here is still gorgeous despite the aforementioned cold front. Yesterday we walked 5 mi on the 'old' Seven Mile Bridge. We saw an 8' hammerhead shark swimming down in the water. Also saw a number of rays and other fish.

We are on a 4pm American Airlines flight to BWI tomorrow and will be in Maryland until December 27th. The weather is a 'balmy' 28 degrees there now....

Photo: Hammerhead shark; how would you like to go through life with lips like these?!

Cold Front Moves Through Marathon

A winter cold front blew through Marathon last night dropping temperatures and sending people scurrying for their winter underwear.

Photo: Compass Rose et al dockside after the cold front.

Marathon!!!

Arrived at Marathon at the crack of noon on Saturday!! Yea!!! We did it! 1,437 nm after leaving Annapolis we pulled into Marathon Marina (or Cay Clubs Resorts, as they are now known).

Photo: Yes, the water is really this color!

We entered the Atlantic Ocean via Channel Five channel and had both a following sea and wind all the way down. The stern of the boat (blunt end) faces west so the sunsets should be spectacular. It was 84 degrees here today but a cold front is forecast for Monday dropping the temperatures to the mid-70's!

Tonight was also the Boat Parade of Lights in Marathon. Not quite the Annapolis parade...there were only seven boats but a lot of spirit. Oh yes, and everyone was dressed in shorts!!

As you loyal bloggers know, we never saw a manatee the whole way down. Well, once in the marina, who shows up but five (count em) manatees!! The pictures really doesn't do justice to the sight of them. A hose from a boat was dripping fresh water and the manatees were sucking it up. Despite their size (1,000 lbs or more) they seem very graceful and docile in the water.

Key Largo and Islamorada

After entering the Keys we dropped anchor off Key Largo. Most of Key Largo's development in on the Atlantic side so we didn't go ashore. There were only two other boats in a large bay so it was a little slice of paradise. The catamaran about 1/4 away seemed to be having anchor troubles so we used the binoculars to check out the problem. Well, yes they were having anchors difficulties and yes they were also stark naked! Ah, life in the tropics!"

Left the next afternoon for a short run to Islamorada. We took the dinghy ashore and "officially" walked into the Keys ("we shall return").


Ashore we did some Christmas shopping and even saw Christmas trees for sale under a tent. It's a little hard to think Christmas when it's 84 degrees. Then we returned to the boat and gave Compass Rose a good cleaning. We swam around the boat in the crystal clear waters cleaning the waterline. People ask us 'what do you do all day?'... we're not sure but we do it in bathing suits!

Tomorrow morning we plan to depart for the final 30 miles to Marathon.

Photo: Compass Rose with Christmas Lights anchored off Islamorada (Double click picture to see lights)

Biscayne Bay

Departed Miami at 9:30am. We wanted to leave much earlier to coincide with slack tide but the fog was so bad we had to wait until it lifted.

Biscayne Bay was as smooth as glass today and we enjoyed a lovely cruise. On the way we were befriended (adopted?) by a pair of dolphins who surfed on our bow wave for at least ten minutes. Those guys really know how to have fun!

With calm seas and the autopilot driving, we could sit out front and enjoy the view. Pam took advantage to the time and gave herself a pedicure (see photo).
At 3:25pm today we passed through Jewfish Creek and officially entered the Florida Keys! We made it!! Continued on for a few miles and dropped anchor off Key Largo. We will hang around here for a few days before one last push to Marathon. The marina says the repair work on the slips should be completed on Dec 10th.

Photo: Jewfish Creek (US Route 1) drawbridge opening our way into the Keys.

Miami B-b-b-b-beach FL

Left Boca Raton early Sunday morning and decided to take the outside (ocean) route to avoid the many bridges and speed zones on the ICW to Ft Lauderdale. The ocean water was a gorgeous blue-green as we cruised three miles off the coast. Since the weather was so nice we continued outside and skipped Ft Lauderdale altogether.

As we came through Miami harbor we spotted five cruise ships in port in Government Cut (see photos). Did you know that you are not allowed to go down Government Cut when any cruise ship is in port? Ask me how I know? The ‘friendly’ Marine Police pulled along side to gently inform us of that.

We re-entered Biscayne Bay at the north end and made our way down the narrow channel. Decided to splurge a bit and got a slip at Miami Beach Marina for two days. We are surrounded by high rise condos and are only a 15 minute walk to South Beach.



South Beach is an amazing mix of art deco hotels, sidewalk cafes and barely dressed people parading. It is also right across the street from the Atlantic ocean. It is also wall to wall clothing stores although I doubt they are selling to us!

Photo: Any wonder that everything is made in China?

Photo: No one slows down for you down here

Boca Raton, FL

Anchored for the night in Lake Worth (Palm Beach) about 35 mi south of Stuart. Then did another 5 hr day down to Boca Raton. As you loyal (and observant) bloggers know, the ICW begins at Mile Zero in Norfolk. South of Stuart we passed Mile 1000 (statute miles). Little milestones like this keep us going.

This is truly the land of big boats and bigger mansions. Also, the high rise condos have started to line both the Waterway and the ocean beaches. We are anchored in Lake Boca Raton pretty much surrounded by high rises. No real place to go ashore....probably couldn't afford it anyway.

Photo: Boat (ship?) parked in front of their house.

Photo: Still the only Manatee we've seen. Notice the pearls on its neck.

Stuart, FL Day 3

Rode the bikes to the mall 3 miles west. Also stopped by the Kadey Krogen headquarters and met some of the people we've corresponded with over the years.

Hurrican Wilma hit the Stuart area very hard. All the Krogen docks were wiped out and are only now being rebuilt. They still have no electricity on the docks. It's also hard to tell which buildings in Stuart are be built and which are being re-built from Wilma.

Photo: Kadey Krogen Yacht Sales HQ.

Photo: a brand new Krogen 44 on a demo ride passes an older Krogen 42 on the St Lucie River, Stuart, FL.
Photo: Sunset in Stuart, FL

Shack of the Week (Week 2)

These lovely houses were all along the banks of the St Lucie River coming into Stuart, FL.
This shouldn't really count as a house...it is actually a boat house with three entrances. The repair work is from Wilma.

Stuart, FL Day 2

Did I say there were train tracks nearby?! The Florida East Coast Railway line runs across the St Lucie River (remember that draw bridge?) and right through downtown Stuart. This is one busy railroad! And everytime a train comes the drawbridge goes down. A warning siren goes off ten, five and two minutes prior to the bridge closing. The siren can best be described and a "wolf howling in the night". It is downright eerie!
Photo: Myriad bridges...train bridge "up" with vehicle bridge (blue) down. 'High' bridge in the rear.

We walked into Stuart today in the pouring rain! This is something we never would have considered in the past (both walking and 'in the rain'). Also ate lunch at a very good Thai resturant "Basil Tree".
Photo: Pam talks with a Blue Heron.












Was it something she said?!

Stuart, FL

Well, we finally got "unstuck" from Velcro Beach!! Left there on Monday and arrived in Stuart that evening. We actually got here at 4pm but ended up waiting an hour for the train drawbridge to open. The bridge closes automatically when a train is 10 minutes away. Three different trains kept it closed for an hour! There is also a vehicle draw bridge right next to the train one but the bridge operator has no idea when the next train is coming.

Stuart, FL has a mooring ball field like Annapolis. There are 80 mooring balls here and most are in use. The city is actually about 6 miles up the St Lucie River off the ICW. It is also on the Okeechobee Waterway route across to the west coast of Florida. Stuart bills itself as the "Sailfish Capital of the World". It is also the headquarters for Kadey Krogen Yachts.
Photo: Sailfish Fountain in the heart of Stuart, FL