Farewell to Key Largo



Our final "Staff Meeting" in Key Largo

     At the staff meeting, our cruise dictator/director, Dan, verified that today was definitely “a go.”  Weather reports were all in agreement with seas calm tomorrow and clocking around on Wednesday from the SSE then SSW.  Pete further reported that Chris Parker also agreed that this was a good weather window for this area to traverse east.

Our harbor master,
Candi,
always there to help.

     The deeper draft boats, Brunelle and Andiamo needed to leave today around 1 PM due to the rising tide. We would too, but need to stop for fuel on the way out. However, I needed to rewash the boat as the birds bombarded us again. I also took advantage to top off our water tanks, including the collapsible bottles Lyn and Bruce gave us. Pete put in as much work time as he could before breaking for lunch.

Our fleet as we
prepare to depart

     Since it was out last day, Pete and I opted to eat at Coconuts, which overlooks the marina.  We had a great lunch and made it back in time for the departure.  Candi even cut her rounds short, so that she could assist us out of the slips. Tom, of Gambrinus, as well as Frank, Fonda and Buster, of Irony, were on hand to say farewell.

Sevilla at Anchor with
our fleet off Rodiguez Key

My favorite mailbox

     By 3 PM, we were fueled up and anchored off of Rodriguez Key, along with 3 other boats.  By 6, we were one of 20 boats, including Sevilla. Maureen and Glen had come up from Marathon with a buddy boat, which will be making the trip back to Annapolis with them. During the trip to Rodriguez, Sevilla encountered sea grass around the prop, which actually stopped the prop.  Glen was able to free the prop, but had Dan take a look and clean off the remaining grass.

    During the afternoon Andiamo was visited by Immigration.  Dan and Martha decided to lower the dinghy and do some inspections of the anchors with the glass bottom pail. We all did a good job of anchoring for the night.

     We tried to make it an early night as the alarm is set for 3:30 AM. We pull anchor tomorrow at 4 AM and the next phase of our adventure will begin!   

~  ~ (\_~ ~ ~     Kathy and Pete