March 31st: Horseshoe Key

We left Bahia Honda sand bar Thursday around noon and were anchored at Horseshoe Key by 2:00 PM. It was a beautiful day, bright blue sky reflected in the calm blue water.

Linda returns to kayaking

This is a good place to kayak so I inflated Linda's kayak and away we went. She boarded the kayak with no problem. Not surprising since she has never flopped over while getting in, unlike me, my brother John and several others! Linda was out in the water quickly and then just waiting for me.

Horseshoe Key growth area

We were surprised at how slowly the mangroves are coming back after the hurricane. There were a couple areas that were recovering pretty well but most of the island is still devastated.

The picture on the left is one of the recovering areas. The water was again very clear.

Horseshoe Key hurricane damage

The picture on the right shows an area that is typical of most of the island. Before the hurricane this was largely a nesting ground for many different types of birds. Unfortunately we saw only a few birds.I believe the birds want an island with live growth on it.










We had gone pretty far and Linda was holding up quite well. It was great to see her in the kayak again. We were very fortunate with the weather. It was a beautiful calm day, perfect for kayaking.










Linda led the way into a small protected bay. The tide was high enough for us to get very close to shore. Most of the mangroves were dead but there was low green growth getting started.

Several nice fish were spotted. We think some were Tarpon and for certain some Barracuda. Also thousands of small fish. Must be a good spawning ground.

Horseshoe Crabs

Coming out of the small bay Linda spotted a couple horseshoe crabs. Maybe that's why this key is named Horseshoe Key? They appeared to be mating as they stayed stuck together the whole time we saw them, but I can't say I know about their mating habits. Regardless, it was fun to watch them swimming around. They were not very skittish so I even got a good picture.

 Yesterday's Dream at Horseshoe Key

Steve towing Linda

Linda did not want to overdo it so we headed back to the boat. It was pretty far so I suggested I tow her back. She declined at first but then decided it might be best. It is amazing to me how easy it is to tow her. Once we're moving I can hardly tell she's back there.

I wonder if this qualifies as a salvage?

Ibises

I went back out for a little while because it was so nice. I ended up seeing a couple large Ibises, an Osprey pair and plenty of cormorants. There were also some small sea birds. It was nice to know there are still some around. They seemed to be hanging out more in the middle of the key so it was hard to spot them. If you look closely you'll see the Ibis pair in the picture on the right. I couldn't get any closer to them for a better picture.



As I was paddling along I came across a perfectly good picnic table stuck in the mangroves. It must have blown in during the hurricane but it seems to be holding up quite well. Too bad I couldn't rescue it and take it back to Banana Bay. We could always use another nice picnic table.

Steve at Horseshoe Key

I made it back to the boat and Linda was waiting with the camera.

It was a great kayak trip.

Sunset at Horseshoe Key

Sunset at Horseshoe Key

I know I often talk about our great sunsets but it is hard not to include many of them. Tonight was no exception. We sat on the fly bridge and it just kept getting better. I took eight pictures but only included two.



Friday morning it was still quite nice so I went for another kayak ride. The tide was low so I couldn't get as close to shore but it was still nice. Also, I have been trying to kayak a lot since our gym is closed due to COVID-19. It's a great way to get some exercise.

Oil leak

I decided I better check the engine compartment before we headed back. I checked it several times on the way out because we had not had the boat out for several months and engines don't like to sit. Everything seemed to be going well. Now, however, I noticed some oil under the engine. Not good!

I checked the oil and we were a little low but not terrible. I added oil and we headed back to Banana Bay. I checked the engine while it was running and I found a small leak in the oil pan gasket. The black spot should not be there!

Fortunately, by the time we got back to Banana Bay it stopped leaking. We're hoping some Stop Leak will rejuvenate the gasket. Saturday's project will be to clean the oil out of the bilge. We need to make certain it doesn't get pumped over board!.

March 29th: We made it out to Anchor

The weather cooperated very nicely for us. Linda went to her physical therapy appointment in Key West on Tuesday and was very pleased with all the precautions taken for the people coming in. She got an excellent assessment, including a grudgingly given approval for Linda to try kayaking. Linda assured her therapist Rosie that she could tie her kayak to mine and I could always tow her, we'd done it before! :)

We were very much looking forward to getting away and anchoring out. So away we went on Wednesday. There was very little wind but it was a little cloudy and sprinkled on the way to our anchorage. It was still great to be away from the dock and on the water. There is no better escape.

Bahia Honda Sand bar anchorage

We arrived at our first anchorage close to a sand bar near Bahia Honda State Park. We love the park and marina but it was closed due to COVID19. The clouds went away and it was a beautiful afternoon and evening.

Mangroves and a small bay 

I decided to go for a kayak ride. Linda was waiting for Horseshoe Key, our next anchorage, because it is a really nice place to kayak.





It turned out better than I expected. I had a nice ride but the tide was pretty low so I couldn't get in as close to the mangroves as I would have liked. That's where the fish hang out.The water was crystal clear which is always fun.



We sat on the fly bridge and enjoyed a great sunset. There was a pleasant breeze and no bugs so it was a very enjoyable evening and night.









Thursday morning we woke up to a perfect day. Almost no wind and sunny. I took another kayak ride because the tide was high. I was able to get into a couple small bays and explore around the mangroves. Also saw some fun birds but couldn't get the camera out fast enough for pictures. There was a snowy egret, an osprey and a pair of Ibises. Click here for Egret info and pictures  click here for Osprey info Click here for Ibis info Oh, and of course the ever present buzzards. Click here for Buzzard info

Crystal clear water while kayaking - about 2 ft. deep

We relaxed for a couple more hours and then headed to Horseshoe Key, about two hours away.

March 21 st: Interesting times

Refinished Railings

The teak railings are finished and look great. Very shiny. Still need to do the doors and head band but I'm sure I'll have plenty of time.
















Florida was slow to get ahead of the COVID-19. March is the highest revenue month for Florida tourism and I am certain there were many stressful decisions being made. Unfortunately it was later than we would have liked, but as you've probably seen on the news, Florida finally decided to take responsible actions. The Keys were becoming the one place people could still go to party!

They have now closed all the bars and restaurants. They also ordered all motels closed. Hopefully things can now be more successfully managed here in the Keys.  Fortunately, the road coming into the Keys is going to be closed to non-residents starting Monday. We considered options for other places to go, but decided we were probably as safe here on the boat as anywhere. The grocery stores plan to remain open so we should be able to get supplies. Enough about that, I'm certain you've already heard plenty.

Skip on Slew Foot

One of our boater friends, Skip, owns an electrical contracting business in North Carolina. He received a call requesting his company rewire a building for infectious hospital care, ASAP. He and his wife Sharon left Banana Bay to drive back and work on the project.

Packing the car

Waiting, not patiently, for Skip

Everyone was waiting to say good bye while Skip was obsessed with securing his boat. Skip is a great story teller with a great sense of humor, but doesn't move too quickly. They finally left about two hours later than planned.

Fun shadows

I walked down the dock to take a picture of the point. When I looked at the picture I saw the fun shadows. It reminded me of a fun shadow picture Rebecca took some years ago.










 It has been pretty windy so no fishing. We quit going to the gym for safety reasons so not a lot going on. Starting to feel like Ground Hog Day. I noticed our Captain Quarter's Brass plaque was looking pretty tarnished. Took it off, cleaned it just enough so it still looked a little rustic and it looks much better.

West view from the fly bridge

In these uncertain times it's easy to forget how fortunate we are. I went up onto the fly bridge and saw the beautiful view looking West.

East view from the fly bridge

Also a pretty nice view looking East across the marina. The weather has been beautiful. We really are fortunate to be able to stay here.







This afternoon 6 manatees came into the marina. I could not get a picture of all of them together but there are five in this picture. They hung around quite a while eating the vegetation off of the dock pilings and boat bottoms. They are super gentle and don't mind us watching them. I guess they agree that this is a good place to be.

Five manatees next to our boat

The weather looks pretty good for anchoring out next week. It would be great to get out on the water. We love anchoring out, in good weather of course. We'll see how it goes.

March 14th: It's always something

I turned right into the parking lot of Winn Dixie and suddenly the car stopped. Not good. At least I was off of the highway, but still partially blocking the entrance. I got out of the car and looked at the front tire leaning against the fender. Lower ball joint broke. Called AAA. Fortunately, a very good mechanic, Mark at Island 66, we had worked with before, was close by. He is always very booked up but worth waiting for. He agreed to accept our car so AAA towed it there. Meanwhile, Steven and Sharon on Stevedore loaned Linda their car so Linda could get to her physical therapy in Key West in 90 minutes. Boaters are the best!




On a more positive note, The Valentine's Day roses lasted an amazingly long time. Here is a picture of the strongest of them  February 29th!









It was getting pretty windy again so I put the plastic enclosure back up on the fly bridge. It has never quite fit correctly since Linda redid the canvas top. I decided it was time to fix it. Because Linda added a new layer of Sumbrella (canvas) on top of the old top, the plastic was too short to fit correctly. We don't really use the enclosure that often so I never got around to fixing it. But this year we have had a lot of cool North winds and the plastic really helps.





I added some little extension straps so I could make the plastic fit. It took the better part of a day but it really wasn't that hard to do. And now it works much better.

 We were able to sit on the fly bridge and enjoy the sunset..

Port side step inside the boat

The weather was pretty windy so I decided to refinish the step by the starboard side door. It has been sad since we bought the boat but the teak veneer is so thin I couldn't sand and refinish it so I left it alone.









Fortunately, there is a very good carpenter in town that fashions  teak and sells just about everything teak. I bought a new piece of teak veneer and refinished the front of the step. Happy with the way it turned out.






We have quite a few fun pets here at Banana Bay. I decided to put a few in the blog.

Schooner 

Schooner with owner Karen

Schooner is a Manx cat. He is quite large. We hear he weighs 20 lbs. He is a typically aloof cat, but basically friendly. He looked very regal sitting on this palm tree stump. He resides on No Agenda with Karen and Jerry.

Buster 

Buster is a Wire Haired Terrier. He's very active, friendly and his fur feels like a Brillo Pad. He lives on Rollin' Tide with Bruce and Mary.

Eli at our door seeking carrots

Eli is a poodle who likes to come and visit. Eli owns Sharon, my best teak refinishing friend. I think he likes to come and see us, but it might just be the carrots he gets. Eli could quite possibly be the most spoiled dog in the marina. Her husband Steven is the backup person. Eli also likes to nap with Linda. She says he is nice and warm!

Eli napping with Linda

Jeff and Lilly

Lilly

Lilly is a Maltese. She's quite small but feisty. Also friendly and knows how to dance.  It's entertaining to watch her chase a plastic water bottle with a rock in it. She "owns" Jeff and Carol on Indecision.

Diesel, the most senior dog

Sam

Diesel, a Chocolate Labrador is Scott the dockmaster's dog. Diesel is the oldest of all the dogs but he's hanging in there. He's big but very friendly.

Sam, a Scottish Terrier, lives with Lois and Dennis on Mystified. He's cute and friendly.

Mychael and Yvette's fun giraffe

Blue

One of the younger dog's is Blue, a Weimaraner. She loves to run and her long legs allow her to easily hop over the rocks and into the water which she loves. She is also a great Frisbee player. She belongs to Yvette and Mychael, the two youngest marina residents. They live on their boat and are still working. They are both very generous with their youth and energy when someone needs a hand. They were very helpful when I installed our new roof top air conditioner, as was Scott the dockmaster.

Steve and Harley

Paulie

And then there are the parrots. I am holding Harley, less than a year old. Her boat mate is Paulie . Yvette and Mychael (owners) tell me she is not so friendly, so I declined having her climb on my finger. She bites!

Charlie

Charlie is a Cochon Parrot, the smallest of the parrot species. He lives on Mystified with Dennis and Lois. Charlie is definitely Lois's bird. He is very defensive of her and often raises a ruckus if Dennis even comes close to Lois. Dennis keeps offering big bucks to anyone who finds a way to help Charlie fly south, or north, or just away! Charlie is sometimes noisy but a very pretty bird.

Schoolmaster Snappers

The weather finally cooperated for a day of fishing. My friend Bill and I went out in the dinghy and did very well. We caught around 25 Schoolmaster Snappers and 15 were big enough to keep. Any Snapper is very good to eat so it was a good day at sea. We shared our fish with other happy boaters.

A friend told me about a local farmer's market. I went to check it out and was glad I did. The sweet corn was excellent. The strawberries tasted like real wild strawberries, and everything I bought was great. I'll go back again next Saturday.





Our Teak has held up very well this year. Sharon and I spent a lot of time refinishing it last winter. I started using a clear Gloss coat that works really well so I decided to do a light sand and re-coat everything with the Gloss coat. This means I would not need to sand everything down to bare wood again. Fortunately, Linda is now able to help with the Gloss coat application. Her shoulder is doing great!

Mangrove Mike's Supreme Burrito

We went to Tavernier for a doctor appointment and decided to stop at Mangrove Mike's for lunch. I usually get a fish sandwich and Linda loves their mashed potatoes. I decided to do something different and ordered the Supreme Chicken Burrito. It was huge and also delicious. Our son-in-law Matt would love it!