Marathon - at a mooring, storm coming

The Marathon "Wall of Books". It's got to be the biggest one anywhere

In looking over the weather forecast for the next few day, we decided on leaving today to avoid three days of high winds out of the east.It was sad to leave Key West, especially with another three days of dock time paid for on a monthly basis but if there's one thing we've learned in cruising, it's that you leave when the weather says so, not when you want to leave. An extra day at Key West would have cost more than a week at Marathon on a mooring.

Got Hoolie ashore, got to rush back to the boat before the storm!

So we left by 7:30 and got into Marathon by 2:00 pm. The predicted high winds did not materialize until 7:30 tonight. The trip east was just a perfect day. The only thing better would have been if we could have sailed but the winds this time of the year almost always has an easterly component. With the front coming through, the winds are dead out of the east, the direction we need to go towards to reach Miami. It looks like Tuesday is the next window for heading back so we'll sit here until the weather cooperates.

We were somewhat surprised that Marathon now has moorings available. We got one without a wait at 2:00 pm today although we heard that those arriving after we did had to go on a waiting list. The list is not long, 1 or 2 at most but you have to spend a night a anchor in the meantime. We have no problem anchoring, it's the other boats that can be a problem. We do not drag with our 70 lb Spade anchor and 60 ft of 3/8 BBB chain but we were smacked by a boat in front of us after a wind change the last time we were here in the fall. With that we're happy with a mooring and not have to worry about other boats' ground tackle.

I received some advice from Brian McDonnell on how to install that reluctant impeller which I'll try out on Friday. Why anyone would continue to manufacture such an unforgiving design is beyond me except perhaps to make a kickback in service fees. I'm game for one more try.