Relaxing at Big Pine Key

We ended up having to go into a marina in Marathon for 2 nights so that Ben could unseize some engine bolts. He needed to replace a back ordered part for the exhaust elbow.

He did not want to try to deal with this at anchor in case the bolts broke rendering the port engine unusable. So we booked a slip at Marathon Marina, which was quite expensive, but gave Ben the peace of mind that if something went wrong, he could buy a part at a store or get outside help. It also allowed me to wash the bedding and do another big provisioning run since we would not need to dinghy laundry and supplies to the boat. I recently heard it cost $30 for 4 paper towels in the Bahamas. So, I definitely stocked up on paper products as well as other non-perishables.

Well, the fix-it man did it again! He got the bolts off, but not without some doing. The head rounded on one bolt. He went to Napa Auto Parts to find a replacement bolt, and while he bought something that might have worked, he could not find exactly what he needed. Thus, my clever husband filed the edges off the head so that it would fit into a smaller socket and tighten down. Voila’!

He ordered some replacement bolts to be mailed to our friends in Houston. We will have them sent to us the next time we have a mailing address. For now, though, we are good to go!

Being at the marina also gave us another chance to hang at the pool with our new French-Canadian friends, Michel and Karolyne and go to dinner again.

Finally it was time to leave Marathon and continue our journey towards Key West. We arrived at Big Pine Key on Thursday, January 6, 2022 after a slow, pleasant sail. The wind was somewhat behind us, so we pulled the schreecher and dodged the myriad of crab pots at the leisurely speed of 3.5 knots. We went out into deeper water at the edge of Hawk Channel which helped alleviate some of the crab pots, but not all of them.

Our furler line for the schreecher wrapped itself on top of the furler. So we had a few moments of heightened adrenaline as Ben put on his life jacket and hooked himself in to go out on the bowsprit over the water, and adjust the line.

I prayed he wouldn’t fall, but at least hooked on, I might not have to execute man overboard maneuvers to go back and get him. Whew, we got it fixed, and it appeared we hadn’t grabbed any crab pots in the process!

Now, back to our relaxing sail! We entered Big Pine Key about 3:30 and found an anchorage close to tip of the key, right outside the channel inlet. The bay was quite shallow and very protective from swells in most directions which proved to be a good thing over the next few days.

On Friday, I cooked breakfast and we both worked out. Afterwards, we decided to take a dinghy ride, but before we could leave, Ben saw that we had indeed grabbed some kind of line on our port prop. So after lowering the dinghy, he donned his snorkel gear and took a swim to cut off the line. It was a pain, but he got it!

We dinghied over to KiKi’s Sandbar Grill for an early dinner. I love this place because it makes me feel like I am in the Caribbean with its tables on the beach and delicious seafood. We shared some pork tacos and a snapper sandwich, and I finally fulfilled my pina colado fix.

It was quite windy on Saturday, so we stayed on the boat and took care of some chores, and I did some cooking. I made a “depression” chocolate cake and later cooked a creamy chicken and spinach dish for dinner. All in all, it was a relaxing day, and the wind kept the boat cool and comfortable.

Sunday, we slept in and had a leisurely morning enjoying the wonderful breeze and the turquoise water as it lapped against the boat. It was blowing around 16-18 knots, but in the anchorage the water remained calm while we still benefited from the breeze.

Since the weather for the next week was going to be somewhat unsettled, and at times, the wind would gust 30 knots from the north, we discussed whether we wanted to sail on to Key West tomorrow or wait out the weather here.

The anchorage in Key West could be quite crowded and it was opened to the north. It also was a long dinghy ride into town making it difficult to navigate in 30 knot winds with the current running. So the question was, do we want to sit on the boat waiting out the weather here in a pleasant anchorage or move on to Key West where it could be rockin’ and rollin’?

I think we have opted to stay here for the week even though there is limited shore access and only dinghy rides for entertainment.  Luckily, we don’t have a schedule or any deadlines to meet. We can stay here and enjoy the amazing nightly sunsets, the beautiful water, the isolation, and work on our list of chores. Sounds like a plan.

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