What a Difference a Day Makes: Maurie’s First Cruise

Our friend Maurie from Syracuse came to visit and inexplicably, she seemed to bring warm weather with her.  For her visit, Key West offered its signature sun, gentle breezes AND warmth! Unfortunately, all weather predictions indicated it would not remain beautiful for very long nor once gone, would good cruising weather return anytime soon.  Our month’s space in the marina would end the day Maurie was scheduled to leave, and our spot was already taken by a sailboat coming for the impending Key West Sailing Regatta. Thus, we had to think seriously about leaving early… while Maurie was still with us.  For a non-boater, Maurie had the chance for her very first cruise… But that meant being on the boat (and not on land)…. all day… for two days….  After some consideration, she decided she’d rather travel on Sojourner than follow along on US 1, either in the Keys shuttle or driving our car.  The predicted weather window for the two-day trip back to Key Largo was glorious, and we just knew her very first cruise would be one to remember! We-l-l… It was, but not exactly for the reasons we assumed!!

On the first day out, we knew almost immediately the weather would not live up to the predictions: a thick cloud cover hung stubbornly in the sky, while the swells were larger (significantly), the wind was stronger (by alot), and the temperature, much lower than expected-  It got better as we traveled, but being on the water just wasn’t at all comfortable for most of the day-  Often, we ask guest cruisers to assume responsibility for the “Comment” section of the daily log, and that day’s entry read in part:

“Somehow- I have no clue how- we entered into waters near Antarctica.  Climate change is a reality; we saw ice caps… Lost two toes to frost bite, but they were ones I wanted to  get rid of anyway…!”

The weather had moderated some by the time we began our “moat approach” to the Hawks Cay resort, and an uneventful night there brought an end to a difficult day. Luckily, the second day of the trip more than made up for the discomfiture of the first. In fact, it was our best cruising day EVER!  The seas were glassy, the wind, but a gentle breeze, and the sun, soft and warm-  We were tempted to stop the boat and jump off for a swim-  seriously!!   And Maurie decided she just might try cruising with us again sometime!

Because her adventuresome spirit overcame what turned out to be well-founded trepidation, Maurie got to see not only Key West but Duck Key and Key Largo as well.  A delicious stone crab claw dinner and a glass bottom boat trip to the reefs just beyond Key Largo finished off her visit in fine, if unexpected, fashion!

Hopefully this slideshow will provide some sense of the two-day trip:

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Key West or Key Weird??

Everyone seems to have an opinion about the southernmost point of the continental U.S.  From “absolute paradise” to “too strange for words”, Key West engenders strong feelings and reactions in all who visit the little tropical island only 90 miles from Cuba. What do we think after spending a month right downtown in the center of the historic seaport??  It is certainly a place like no other!  Downtown struck Susan as more touristy, crowded and noisy than she expected with Duval Street being New Orleans’ Bourbon Street adorned with palm trees and flip flops. Carolyn, on the other hand, enjoyed the hustle, bustle and extreme variety in everything (boats, dress, language, music, food and drink options, etc.). We agree that the less touristy/commercial and more residential areas of Key West are absolutely charming with their narrow streets and brightly colored, small, open-air businesses and quaint cottages… the ubiquitous motor scooters and free ranging chickens also very much in evidence, not so much!

Sojourner's Key West crew

For the first couple weeks, we were on our own to explore Key West  by car and by dinghy. Then, on New Year’s Day, “Waltons” at Key West began when son Doug, his wife Sarah and grandsons Isaac (9) and Owen (4) joined us. While the parents luxuriated in the quiet of a small, quintessential Key West inn, Sojourner was treated to a week with two energetic additional crew.  Each morning the new “swabbies” were awakened by the nearby Coast Guard station’s rather loud and slightly off key rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” and the bull elephant-sounding horn blast as the Yankee Freedom II ferry announced its daily departure for the Dry Tortugas. A surprisingly fierce wind (25+ knots) rocked the boat unmercifully during the kids’ second night aboard, and we grandmas briefly contemplated moving our young crew ashore. The next morning Owen inquired:  “Who won?? The boat or the storm?”  The many fish cavorting constantly around the boat fascinated the boys, and spotting the resident 4 ft. tarpon snuggling up to Sojourner sparked an unsuccessful effort to feed the local wildlife from the bow. Doug, Sarah and Isaac braved the unusually chilly water for a snorkeling trip while Owen accompanied us to the Butterfly Conservatory. Then, as the family departed for cold and snowy Chicago, our friend Maurie from Syracuse arrived. Maurie’s visit had an unexpected conclusion when a rare, seemingly wind-free weather window encouraged us to leave Key West several days early, and this courageous non-boater joined us for  the two-day cruise back to Key Largo (more on that adventure later!).

We had great fun with many Key West tourist “must do/see” activities:  sunning and people-watching on the beach; partying on Duval Street New Year’s Eve; cruising on a two-masted schooner; visiting various museums, famous people’s homes, the “southernmost point,” the Botanical Gardens (with its unusual collection of Cuban “Chugs”, the boats used by Cubans to flee their homeland), and a wonderfully decorated art deco movie theater with a life-size statue of Marilyn Monroe out front (a fitting place to see the movie “My Week with Marilyn” which we did with Maurie); as well as enjoying many (many) sunsets at Mallory Square. We also saw a great live, locally cast musical (“Forbidden Broadway”) and peeked into several private Key West residences during a two-evening, fund-raising home tour conducted by the local historic home restoration group. Good restaurants line both the historic seaport and Duval Street, and we tried as many of them as we could! We also ventured deep into the residential district for delightful and delicious experiences at a variety small and less touristy establishments. All-in-all, we enjoyed Key West, all the sights, the spirit, the ambiance … and tremendous seafood, delicious Cuban coffee, and panini and pastry to die for as well!

Another Key West Moment

I want a roof like that!

BIGHT (bite) n. A body of water almost completely surrounded by land [according to a B-S Dictionary paraphrase]

As one might imagine, the Florida Keys chain has several “bights”. Our marina shares the biggest one on Key West with the historic seaport and several other marinas as well as the docks for various cruise ship lines and snorkeling, diving and fishing fleets. Not surprisingly, it is called “Key West Bight.” Not too far away is Garrison Bight, a smaller, but also rather interesting body of water: it is the “harbor” for Key West’s world famous charter fishing fleet, a couple small marinas and the Key West Yacht Club as well as the home for a uniquely Key West form of residence.

Traveling by car, the Key West and Garrison Bights are mere blocks from one another. But traveling by dinghy, Garrison Bight and its houseboat community are at least a 45-minute cruise from Sojourner, depending on wind and current, of course. We made the trip between the two bights via the Fleming Key cut which took us through a couple rather open bodies of water and two large mooring fields. We had great fun almost running aground in suddenly less than a foot of water while at least 200 yards away from shore in any direction!! We now have a strong, experiential understanding of the old sailor’s warning: “If the water looks brown, go around or run aground”! At the last second, Carolyn managed to steer us out of harm’s way, and we had a delightful self tour of the houseboat community adjacent to US highway 1 in the newer, more commercial section of Key West.

Here’s a slideshow of some of our favorite houseboats in the Garrison Bight community-  favorites for looking at anyway-  We prefer Sojourner as a residence!!

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