Sunday, March 27, 2016

Key West - A Mallory Square sunset and goodbye to Key West

About 1/3 of the people at Mallory Square
Where have the days gone?? We've been here two months and it's gone in a flash. One thing I like about cruising vs taking vacations is the time spent doing it. I can remember taking a two week vacation when I was working and it went by in a blur. Two weeks later you're back at work as if nothing happened. Cruising is different if you do it long term. Our time on Fleetwing is about 9 months out of the year. We return to New York for the summer and our house to be with our grandkids. However, we are now ending our sixth trip down the ICW to Key West and the second time we've been here for two months. It is still not enough. We now know all the locals on the docks, the captains that take people out for a sail, the dockmaster, the piano player at The Gardens Hotel and many more. It's like a second home. We had to go around tonight to say our goodbyes.

Goodbye Key West
I finally did get over to Mallory Square and it was full of people as usual. There were acrobats, fortune tellers, all kinds of food vendors but the main attraction was the sunset. There were dozens of boats out for a sunset cruise which provided a foreground for the event. It was kind of sad to see the sun set for the last time in Key West (until next year!)

The weather window is holding so far. Given the forecast we'll anchor at Marathon tomorrow night, then at Caesar's Creek and then at Marine Stadium in Miami. After that we'll wait for a window to reach Ft Lauderdale, sailing outside from Miami since we can't get under one of the fixed bridges with our mast. Sad to go but it's time to go.

5 comments:

Janice Roehr said...

Following your trip North. Calm Winds and Seas as you travel. J

Fred Brillo said...

Wave as you pass Ft. Lauderdale! We'll keep an eye out for you!

Bob423 said...

Thanks everyone! We made it to Marathon and we're now at anchor. Tuesday it's off to Caesar's Creek.

Mary Minard said...

Curious as to why you don't go through Sister's Creek....the tow services have always told us it was their #1 passage into the Bay.
Do you find A&B to be dog friendly? Galleon was but the resort you ealk through to get to grass is not!
It has been a pleasure to read your entries on Key West, travel safe.

Bob423 said...

Mary,

I never had the confidence to try that passage. It's exposed to surf and there's a bar to pass over of about 5 ft. If I had time to chart the route with my dinghy in advance I might give it a try. We stayed at Key West Bight City Marina, not A&B. It's less expensive but not as nice. On E dock there are no fingers, we get off over the bow. We're used to it so we're not bothered by that but it's not for everyone. There's no problem with dogs.