Key West - How to find things on a boat

There is a certain technique available to anyone that will guarantee finding something that you've lost on a boat. I don't know if it will work elsewhere but it might but it works great on the water. I first used it when I was missing the bow light for my dinghy. It was a portable light that was held on my a suction cup and I had placed it for safe keeping over the summer. I turned the boat upside down, I thought, but I could never find it for over 6 months (!) until I used this technique - then it turned up within a week, no problem.

The second use of this secret of finding lost items was encountered by me when I could not locate a thermometer. The thing was, it was still transmitting its temperature remotely to the master station but I could not find the transmitter. It was obviously still on the boat (otherwise I would not be receiving the signal) but find it I could not! After the statutory 6 months I gave up and used the "secret technique" which turned up the lost temperature transmitter within a week (today)!

The artist Wyland paints buildings with marine scenes all over the world, here's one in Key West

So what is this "secret technique" that always turns up the lost item? It is simplicity itself, you just buy another unit identical to the item you're looking for and, voilà, the lost item will instantly appear (out of nowhere)! I had ordered a thermometer replacement from Amazon which arrived last week. When cleaning out the bench locker (where I had looked for the missing thermometer multiple times before) it suddenly materialized in front of me. Actually, I think it's a form of asking permission. If I buy an identical replacement, then I have permission to find the original. Or maybe it's a form of an offering? You never need two of these things but if you want one, then you must buy another and then you have two. Hopefully I won't lose track of my boat!

This hydrofoil boat will speed out to the reefs and then customers can see through the glass bottom and not get wet

I made use of the local fish market again to buy Key West pink shrimp. It's caught locally and the fish market supplies all the local restaurants and so the fish they have don't stay in the restaurant more than one day tops. Selling the fish retail is more of a local service since it's got to be a very small part of their business but I'm sure am glad they do! Ann made shrimp scampi for dinner, great.

On Saturday we're due to take the McKeevers and their friends for a sail, ought to be fun.

Key West - Rain jacket sail

So you have no motor and no sail, what do you do??

Today was a day of high winds and rain, mostly high winds in the 20's. We were glad to be snug in a protected marina and not out exposed at anchor. While having wine on the back of the boat, we noticed one dinghy coming in without a motor that improvised a sail consisting of a rain jacket on an oar! They evidently had some mechanical problem and did the best they could in getting ashore. Luckily, the wind was mostly behind them on the way to the dinghy dock. I wondered how they were going to get back out to their boat at anchor?!

Ann's painting of flowers nearby

For us, Thursday is laundry day so that consumed about four hours since one load had to go twice to get dry. Continual usage seems to tire these dryers out, even the commercial units. So how we are clean once again. Ann has found a way to continue her pastel painting on the boat, for which I'm glad. It's more restrictive on a boat than at home but she has managed. I've taken to buying fish at the local market that also supplies all the major restaurants in the area so the fish is absolutely fresh! Tohight we had red snapper fillets Caribe with a dozen ingredients I won't repeat here - it was delicious as usual, Ann's a very good cook!

On Friday the winds are due to die off but the temperatures barely get above 70 so we've planned our sailing adventure with the McKeevers for Saturday when the high is predicted to reach 78, good for this time of the year at Key West.

Key West - Mangia Mangia Restaurant

Another view of our marina - we're on the left, about halfway down

We're due for a change of weather for the next two days with temperature dipping down to 70 for a high and with increasing winds into the low 20's. I'm sure the locals will break out their winter parkas with long pants (as in the past), you lose your tolerance for cooler weather once you get used to Key West in the winter. We're suffering through a spat of thunderstorms at the moment, nice to be in a secure marina.

Fine Italian dining

We walked down about three blocks to Mangia Mangia, an Italian restaurant that makes it's own pasta fresh everyday. It had a reputation for  being crowded so I called ahead to be sure they had a free table, and they did. Actually, the restaurant is bigger than it appears and there were still a few empty tables when we left although it was a Wednesday night after all. The meal was outstanding. Bill Spencer had recommended the restaurant and he knew whereof he spoke! I had Chicken Piccatta (white wine, capers, Fusilli Pasta with creamy Alfredo Sauce) and Ann had Scallops with spinach Fettuccine - all just great.

Not much to look at from the outside - but great food inside!

The restaurant has seating both inside and outside and we chose the outside tables. When we got back to the boat, the heavens opened up and I think a few of the outside patrons must have gotten a little wet. Most of the restaurants in Key West are open air with only a few with inside seating (or more correctly, with covered seating).

High winds are scheduled for Thursday and Friday so we'll do some boat work. On Saturday we hope to go for a sail with McKeever and a couple visiting with them.

Key West - Wreckers

A typical "wrecker" boat

Key West as once the biggest and richest city in Florida, a fact not well known. It reached a high point in 1890 and prospered as the center of "wreckers" or crew that salvaged ships that came to grief on the nearby reefs. The Keys is the third largest reef system in the world and it provides protection from storms from the south and for safe passage along the Hawk Channel which is between the reef and the keys. The "wreckers" are ships that positioned themselves ready to run to the rescue of ships that floundered on the reefs, first to rescue the crew and then to claim a share of the cargo. It made Key West the richest city per capita in Florida at the height of the wrecker era and also with a larger population than Miami!

Native crab in blue - for tourists but pretty

Now it is a tourist destination but they are poised to take advantage whenever Cuba is opened up to American tourists. So far it's been a long wait, over 50 years! So we took a walk along the southern piers, only 90 miles from Havana as the signs proclaim, closer than Miami and looked in the shops. There is still a very large Cuban influence from the Cuban cigars to the Cuban food such as Cuban sandwiches which are delicious. The Cuban Coffee Queen is tops in that category.

A sponge gatherer, another important trade in old Key West

We had the last of the tilefish today, still fresh and tasty. On Wednesday we plan on eating out at Mangia Mangia, a small restaurant, family run that make all their own pasta. We'll report back on our experience.

Key West - Tilefish for dinner!

Now here's a happy group from Dutchess enjoying their retirement!

We were on the back of our boat today when we had a return visit from  a couple that spotted our boat last week and couldn't believe their eyes! They were from Amenia, right next door to Lagrangeville, our home town (painted on the back of our boat as our home port). They stopped by to talk and both of us caught up on the latest happenings in the area. They are retired military and make good use of the local military bases where slips can be had at very low prices ($0.50 to $1.20/day). They are touring the country much like we are with no specific schedule.

This boat catches fish!!

They like to fish and we were offered a fillet of Tilefish which we immediately accepted, of course. It's a white fish with some thickness and Ann sauteed it with lemon and olive oil. There just is nothing like fresh fish for dinner and what we had was the freshest, caught yesterday. Ann topped it off with a salad and snap peas, just great.

Sauteed Filefish, just great

After dinner we walked along Duval Street for a block, crowded as usual this time of night. Every place was hopping, not an empty seat anywhere. Ann worked on her pastel some more this afternoon, I'll include a photo of it when it's done.

Key West - Pastries and a Sunday stroll

Come down and visit - here's the fast suttle from Ft Myers Beach - no excuse now!

Old Town Bakery in Key West is a tradition. It's a small shop but they have French pasties and fresh baked bread every morning. They do a brisk business just on the aromas coming from the kitchen. As is our custom on a Sunday morning, I went over with Hoolie and picked up a blueberry cheesecake pastry, a blueberry scone and a sticky bun with walnuts. While there they had Tin Can Brioche with Walnut Levain coming out of the oven so naturally I scarfed up one of those too. One of these days we'll get back on a normal diet...

Here's why it's fast - a catamaran 

On my afternoon walk with Hoolie, I stopped by Sloppy Joe's to look in and found the place packed as usual, not an empty seat in the house. Unfortunately, it's a must see for the cruise ships that dock a few blocks away. It's best to try to find a day when the cruise ships are not in, hard to do but we'll try on Monday afternoon. In all the years we've been coming to Key West, we've yet to have a sit down session in Sloppy Joe's.

Peaceful evening - a view of Turtle Krall restaurant

I'll restart my three mile runs Monday which I do during the week, taking the weekends off. It sort of evens things out for weight concerns but our Sunday breakfasts are hard to compensate for. Still, one must exercise some. Hopefully, we'll be able to squeeze in Sloppy Joe's in the afternoon.

Key West - a day of artists

A hidden garden right off Duval Street

 On this Saturday there were two famous artists painting in two studios open to the public. So Ann had to go see them. The most exciting one was Alexei Butirskiy, a relatively recent artist from Russia. His paintings glow with light and when the lights in the room are dimmed, the painting comes alive. You've got to see it to believe it. You would swear that there were lights behind the painting shining through but it's all done with oils. They are amazing to look at. He's one of the top five living artists in the world in terms of paintings sold and awards won. Ann was entranced standing behind him as he worked on a composition in real time. Most unfortunately, we are not allow to take photos in an art gallery but I did give a link to his website above. 

I'm a sucker for a good flower picture

Continuing onward north up Duval Street, we noticed another artist giving an exhibition so we stopped by a gallery exibiting Adam Scott Rote's work. His speciality is photo realism and has worked with many Hollywood stars who have signed his work along side himself. Some examples are here. I think Ann talked to him for 1/2 hour or so, fascinating. He's been doing this work for 38 years and knows everyone in Hollywood. Key West is a real artist community. There are many local artists too that we stopped by to appreciate but Ann was especially taken with the first two. 

Flowers abound in Key West this time of the year

We also stopped by the gardens right off Duval Street, a quiet place that you night otherwise walk right by if you didn't know it was there (see first photo). On the way back to the boat, we admired many of the local flowers in bloom, it's summertime down here. We've never experienced such wonderful weather as this year, extraordinary days of high 70's, full sun and little wind, nice. 

One more while walking one street over from the marina