Key West

At Sea Gulf Of Mexico

Friday, May 07, 2010
We decided to sail to Key West on the afternoon of the fifth. That meant that all day that day, I would have to cool my ADD jets and simply lay around waiting for our departure hour. That was to be 1700 so that we would not arrive at the sea buoy off Key West too early in the day. We stowed the dink and just did nothing until then except another trip to West Marine and the store for more sugarless Red Bull. At around 1400, we brought in our dock lines and left the marina. We had no concern this time about those power lines since there were boats with taller masts in the marina. Then again, they might have been there before the power lines and may never have left the marina. Nawh.
The trip back through the harbor revealed more than we saw coming in. We were focused and did not notice several anchorages and other marinas in the area. The winds, as predicted, were light and variable. Unlike Texas coastal waters, this area does not see the usual sea breeze caused by land heating. Out the cut and into the Gulf we motored. No wind. On we motored hoping to get at least some beneficial wind which did not happen.

The sea was just gentle southwest rollers and it was a treat to have them roll under the boat. We hit our starting waypoint and we came to a course of 190 magnetic. It was 79 miles to green #1, the start of the Northwest Channel to Key West. There was some crab pots scattered about which we thought would not be present very far from shore. They were deployed the entire distance to NW channel. Our concern was running over one in the night.

Those smooth rollers soon gave way to a sea surface of emerald satin sheets with absolutely no wind whisps on the surface. The light and variable became dead calm just as the sun touched the horizon. The sky was clear and we hoped to see the green flash. It did not happen but we were treated to yet another perfect sunset at sea. Before this cruise, such sunsets would be to the tunes of some Jimmy Buffett song, but something has changed. We have gone weeks underway in electronic silence except the VHF. Could it be that such music only distracts from the sound of the sea and the boat?

As day turns into night things take on a different character. One anticipates that there may be challenges during the night and what to do about it. Will I have to put on dive gear and go over the side to free WK from some sinister crab pot? Or will I have to fend off some creature from devouring the crew whilst finishing off the bean dip and chicken pot pie. Get the weapon Dear and stand by to repel boarders.


The chart plotter told us that in the absence of any assistance from the wind, we needed to motor not more than 5.5 knots to arrive at G#1 at sunrise. So, we throttled back, and wiggled down into the bean bag for a smooth night under power. At 1800 rpm, the engine is not so noisy and we could live with that hoping from some wind. With the red glow of the cabin light below and the instrument lights in the cockpit we settled in for the voyage. The sundown pulled back the curtain on the celestial play and the stars were outstanding. Bear broke out an audio tape leaving me with only WK and myself to converse. The boat troll was not part of the conversation. The pic to the left is G#1
Around midnight, I asked Bear to take the wheel and attempted to get some sleep to no success. Thirty minutes later, I was back at the wheel with a tuna sandwich and a Red Bull. That happened several times during the night, but I could not sleep. In the distance, just to the west of our course, we saw thunderstorms. I hoped for wind but not from one of those guys. I watched that storm stay in the same position all night. It looked as though it was over the Dry Tortugas.

We had a waining moon of about half visibility which gave way, finally to the glow of sunrise about 0600 as we approached G#1. Another sail boat was also approaching from the direction of Dry Tortugas to our west. It beat us to the buoy and that gave us the advantage of following someone through the channel. It was another hour and one half to Key West and I was feeling the long night. I think I ate six or seven sandwiches during the night to stay awake. I won’t mention how many Red Bulls I had.

View from Galleon Marina of Key West Harbor.

We contacted the Dock Master at Galleon Marina around 0745 to learn that the slip reservation did not start until 1100 but he thought the boat in the slip was about to leave. We called thirty minutes later and was allowed to bring her into the slip. By the time the dock lines were secure, it was already steaming hot. We were soaked. The dock master suggested that the showers were close and if we preferred, we could hit the showers before coming to the office. That is the smoothest way anyone has ever suggested we were below standards in ambience. It was very nice.
We connected the boat to shore power and turned the a/c systems then checked in. We decided to nap a bit before lunch and retired at 1000. Key West is a unique place. Bicycles are everywhere and locals dress in character for the Conch Republic. It is like the backstage at some motion picture studio, but more on that later.

Scooners on old warf.
As most crews do, we did little liberty ashore the first day in port after an overnighter. In fact, the post lunch naps lasted another five hours. We did not leave the boat for dinner and retired at 1800. It is now 0600 and after a long night’s sleep (nineteen in 48 hours) methinks I may be caught up. Bear is still asleep and counting.







Look closely, this is a bar/grill


The passage night before last was a treat. The entire trip was on dead smooth water with no events. Mother gave us a good ride and one which will be remembered and recalled some dark and stormy night. Safari is in Cat Cay (Key) the Bahamas today and Keeling Time is also aloose somewhere in the Bahamas. For us, this is one milestone in a dream we actually thought we would never realize. We told Hear of Gold, Safari, and Liberty Call the last time we visited this place that we would be back aboard Why Knot. I am not sure we really believed that then. Dang we’re here and most grateful to be.