Key West - At E14 dock, our old favorite

Wow, relaxation sets in, the good times start, it is so easy to like Key West - looking off the back of our boat.

Key West is our turnaround point, our reward for all the late hours spent at work, the dinners that had to be reheated, the lost weekends when work took first priority...  It is a world apart from all other places along the ICW, there's nothing like it. We have a slip that most people would not enjoy. You exit off the bow of the boat, hanging on the to jib to steady yourself. I dropped the anchor and placed a plywood board where the anchor was to provide foot support traversing the bow to dock and vice versa. For us it provides a level of security and privacy as opposed to the docks where the boat is along side the dock, people walk by at all hours. We like it and it's always empty when we arrive.

Notice the bow exit, a little step depending upon the tides. I carry Hoolie over the bow, he hasn't figured out how to negotiate the bow yet

So we sit in the cockpit and watch the goings on in the marina. All the dinghy traffic passes right by our aft end, fine with us, it provides an neverending sight and opportunities for comments on seamanship. The ones who have  been here the longest usually don't have a cover for their motor, I guess to expedite working on it when it quits.

Getting back to Key West. I had forgotten how special a place it was but the magic worked itself again this afternoon. It is so relaxing to just sit in the cockpit and watch the passing scenery. The temperature is perfect at 75, not too cold, not too hot, with a low in the high 60's tonight. What a place!

We will be here for at least a month. I'll restart my exercise program and Ann her walking and then we'll spend some serious time reacquainting ourselves with the attractions of Key West. The McKeevers are already here and in full swing. They're attending two appearances tonight of their favorite musician, Fiona.