Cruising Stride

When we first met the captain of the sailing vessel Semper Fi in Island Moorings, and for that matter a number of others during our weekends aboard, I noticed that he and we had a certain urgency to the time there. After all, we had only two nights each week to enjoy our boats. Over the next few months, almost every weekender would make many trips to the parking lot just to get from or take stuff to the car. We would pass the locals going the same direction with our "fast walk". A few weeks after Travis and Carolyn moved aboard we started to notice that something was changing. His walk was much slower and his stride much longer. Really, one can notice such stuff if one simply sits down and observes. I call it a bogue, that walk that takes over when one lives aboard. It reminds me of the stride of a heavily laden grunt. It is smooth, consistent and as I remember the goal was to step carefully so as to not slip in the mud. That bogue is the same as a grunt bogue less, of course, the load. Now that we are aboard, we now have that bogue. Nothing takes place quickly aboard a moving boat or a dock.

Move the observation post for people watching ashore, say to some sidewalk restaurant and some things start to become apparent. The locals here in KW have perfected the bogue to an art form. The cruise boat guests do not have it at all. In fact, having only a short shore leave here, they are on a mission to jump into KW for tee shirts, booze and pictures and do all of that before having to embark at the end of the day. Then there are those of us auld dawgs that have the bogue of a cruiser. It is not quite the KW brand but it is definitely unique more especially to those of us who spend time on the water on heeling decks. It is comfortable and allows enough time between steps to avoid Pelican droppings (sometimes) or fish hooks or getting in someones photo of a fantastic place. It does; however, double the time en route. If one forgets one's keys, then it takes a long time to accomplish that which weekenders can do in just a few minutes. Wait a minute, we have no car keys aboard WK. Whew, there for a second, we were back in Port A for a weekend. Had our fill of conch for a while. Think we will have burgers tonight- or not.

Some truths:

Bear thinks I look like a circus bear on our folding bicycle but since it triples my range I am over thinking about that image.

Dick D once said that booze is heavy, meaning to carry from some store to the boat. To further that, our little backpacks will hold 8 bottles of wine. That's all. Put that backpack on and then climb on the folding bicycle, and there is a small problem with cornering. The old center of gravity moves farther up and over steering can be exciting especially when trying to avoid some inattentive pedestrian who steps in front of you.

Mallory Square

Can you help me find my ship?

There is this place in Key West where the sunset is celebrated.  Not sure how it started but every day about an hour or so before sunset, people and vendors start to gather at a very nice park-like place on the western shore of the Bight.  There are shops and restaurants around but the square is mainly a brick three acre patch.  We were there about 1730 yesterday and witnessed a parade of bicycle pulled carts setting up shop for the sunset.  There were the usual trinket stands that would carve your name in seashells; offer blown glass jewelry made form bottles; hot dogs, etc.  There were all types of circus type acts including a French fellow with performing cats.  One fellow played a banjo and when offered a tip, his Golden Retriever would walk over and take the money.  The dog wore pants.  Get the idea?   To add to the spectacle, almost every schooner sailed passed the area under full sail with paying sun downer cruise patrons.  It is a daily occurrence.  There were few at the one last evening but I am told that if a cruise ship happens to stay the night it can get so crowded that it is like Marti Gras in New Orleans.

Schooner at Mallory Square

Stage at Schooner Wharf

Earlier yesterday, Bear and I walked to the Schooner Bar and Grille.  It was a very pleasant, breezy day to celebrate her recovery from the back thing.  Sitting under the palms near an outdoor stage we listened to Michael McCloud.  He has some airtime on Margaritaville on one of the satellite stations.  He has performed "one night stands" at this bar every day for over 17 years.  As he put it, he came to the Keys for a weekend and has been here for over 35 years.  He still has the return trip ticket to prove it.  Among his music is the background song used in the promotion of the WWII memorial spots that Tom Hanks promoted.  As noble as that is, most of his music is on the raunchier side such as She Gotta Butt. 

Just before we left the bar (mid afternoon), some fellow blew a conch shell horn.  Just after that, folks started coming down from the roof of the bar and followed him down the street.  They were part of a "Pub Krawl" tour.  In other words, they were planning to do pub stops all afternoon, and possibly into the evening.  So goes KW.

Bear Update

Just after posting today, Bear opened the companionway hatch and said "take me to the emergency room".  I called Salty Sailors rather than an ambulance since it was apparent that the Bear was not suffering from a life-threatening situation.  With some quick thinking on Salty Sailors part, we were taken to a local emergency care doc in the box.  It turned out to be the fastest doctor visit in my memory.  Bear suffered some strain during our passage from Marco.  It caused a lower back spasm that is treatable and does not require my ship's doctor skills in surgery.  Glad I did not have to open the surgery suite on Why Knot.  Thanks to Tami who, without a second thought, was kind enough to find the right place and deliver us there.  We owe you more than one.  The meds are bringing the Bear back to life and we hope that the extra time we have planned to stay here will get the ordeal squashed completely. 

Schooner Spars Between the Pilings. Notice the fellow on the bosuns chair at the first aft spreader?

Sailing is a constant motion activity.  As mentioned before, bruises happen without even knowing the source.  Every lengthily sail causes soreness and cuts and bruises.  In fact, sometimes the bruises are quite spectacular.  They are part of the sport and sometimes they are more than meets the eye.  Such was that one that caused Bear such agony over the past few days.  Thank goodness we were not mid ocean.

Early Morning Key West Ashore

I decided to let Bear sleep and not having her scrub the decks or wax anything (yeah right) and take a bicycle ride around the early morning streets of KW.  The place is clean even after going until 0400.  There were few out on the streets at 0700 except those streaming off two very large cruise ships tied near Mallory Square.  The homeless were testing change slots in the newspaper machines and sleeping in some parks.  There are a number of them.  It is fun to watch people here and the variety of visitors is astounding.  Languages of all sorts are spoken on the streets. 

The mooring field will be challenged today as the winds are expected to pipe up to 25 knots.  That will test the best anchors in the soft mud of the area.  Still, out there is a very good place to be behind any key or island that happens to be upwind of your boat.  Sometimes, the winds change in the night and one might just be on the windward side of the anchorage and in a very motion filled location.  If one happens to spend the entire night in the lee of an island, it is a good thing. 

Bear strained her back somehow.  We do not know when it happened but she is battling a lower back issue so the extra days here will let that situation ease (we hope).  As long as she does not try to walk very fast, the discomfort is minimal.  Anything faster than snails pace and things change.  So sitting aboard for a few days won't hurt anything.  So far, she has had one challenge after the other.  We both feel that it is a matter of getting used to the lifestyle and that it should not change the cruise plan.  Hopefully, that will be the case. 

As for today, it is back on the forward head.  Still having some intermittant problems with it so Bligh the plumber is back on duty.