Liv'n on Key West time
Trip Start
Dec 01, 2007
1
15
35
Trip End
May 31, 2008
Key west,
Florida,
United States
Friday, February 1, 2008
So my 0900, we hauled anchor and got underway for the easy 25 mile run over to Key West Florida. Winds and seas were moderate and the 'forty was running great. We head out to Hawks Channel and meet gentle rolling 2-3 foot following seas. As I look south, I think about being just 100 miles off Cuba. We would love to cruse to Cuba, but its still illegal to take your boat into Havana. Still, we hear rumors of lots of cruisers who do. But on the other hand, we read of others who are fined $5,000 for entering Cuban waters. We can only hope that when Castro croaks, the US will lift this silly ban, which is only in place to influence the FL vote. Disgusting politics. We have been to China and other Communist countries, but we cant go to Cuba. So much for Havana day dream'n.
By 1400 we are making the turn into the Key West shipping channel and its look'n really good. I cant wait to get in and see what kind of music is playing and see where we can have a good restaurant meal. We had opted to take a marina space despite the high price of $2.50/foot. To me, $100/night is a lot of money when you have to make your own bed. Still convenience is important.
So we go into the Key West Bight marina and are calling on the VHF to get a pump-out (poo poo tank) at the fuel dock before we take our berth. As I say, "it is blowing stink..."....which is a way of saying the wind is really strong.... 20 kts on the port beam. I'm nervous, but ready to do the docking. I see the fuel dock and it looks like an easy approach. I approach from windward and stop the boat allowing the beam to wind to simply blow me in. I relax and move in. Then suddenly, I reach for the bow thruster to make a small adjustment in trajectory....nothing....dead. I cuss.... I cuss. I get in easily, but I am really upset.
Last summer, I put a new thruster in at a cost of mega bucks, after I burned it out getting into Mt Vernon in Virginia. I felt like a coronary was a possibility as my spirits went lower than whale poop. This was really bad. I had used it hard when we docked in North Palm.... but could I have burned it up? This cant be. How many thousands to replace? What an idiot I am? This cant be true. All of this goes through my head as the dock attendant pumps doo doo.
So I am feeling like I had better take up bowling as I move the boat over to the face dock on the other side. After we get a line ashore we tie up fairly easily. Sue tells me 'that was perfect'....well I would not call it perfect but we were in. I knew she was just trying to make me feel better as I confront a really bad issue.
But like many things, it always looks worse before the big surprise. I had held scant hope that I would find the "stupid error" that would make the thruster start. But that's what I did, I as I found the safety switch (down in the cabin) on the thruster in the 'off' position. I slap my forehead as I then recalled turning it off when the boat detailer kept stepping on the foot switches. One of the sweetest sounds I know was when that 'grinder' came to life after I flipped that switch. All was right with the world again. Ok, Ill keep the boat now.
So we head over the one of the local fish house bars on the water front for a cold, well earned pint. If you have never been to Key West you may not realize the flavor of the place. I always liken it to Bourbon St in New Orleans. Its a place, where the bars are full by 1 pm with bands playing and beer flowing all day and into the night. Its legal to walk the street with a drink and we even saw one sign that said "all beer sold must be opened in the street". So its a party atmosphere to say the least.
We know there is a big gay scene in Key West....but having been to Province-town Mass last summer this was nothing. The gay scene is there, but (unlike p-town) it is hardly the main event. Strange agents....yes. In fact, one of the best was a guy on a Harley and a parakeet on his head going down the street. This is typical.
We had 6 great night in Key West. We stayed in the marina half that time until my tolerance for handing out hundred dollar bills expired and we retreated to the nearby anchorage. It was a tad rolly, but hardly a problem.
The main event in Key West is Duval street. This is the Bourbon street of KW and has (Im told) a hundred bars and restaurants. Some are dives and some are fine dining. Also, there is a large number of places in the KW Bight area where we moored. Our best evening was at the Schooner Landing where we heard a fabulous band called the "Mile Marker 24" band. In some respects it is a Jimmy Buffett band but most of their music is self written. The lead singer, Howard Livingston is a piece of work. He has a terrific voice and a great stage presence. What is really amazing is that four years ago he headed up a small manufacturing company in Chicago. He looks like he is simply having ........too much fun. His music was great and we stayed until 11pm....that is really late for us.
One of the really odd things we saw that evening at the Schooner was the big parrot. The schooner is an open air affair and the band plays in a small shack turned band shell. The crowd dances on gravel Sue called "cat litter". So by 8pm the band was so loud we could barely stand it and about 40 people we dancing like crazy as Howard Livingston sang "Liv'n on Key Wast Time". Now, what was really bazaar was the parrot. A couple had brought their parrot to the bar and it sat on their shoulder as they danced in front of the band. Not only did the bird seem to enjoy it, but it fluffed its head feathers regularly. Sue and I almost fell out of out seats. This is so Key West.
Another great bar was the Green Parrot. This is an old bar. I mean a really old bar....like 1890 or so. Sue liked to call it the Dusty Parrot as the place surely had not been cleaned sine the built the place. We were glad they did not serve food. We heard an rocker from Australia who was a combination of blues, heavy metal and Australian funk. It was not my favorite music but it was a good show. And when the beer is $3 a pint, I'm good.
So we hit several bars and restaurants over the near week and had a great time. The last night was Fat Tuesday and we go back to the Dusty Parrot to hear a Cajun band. Later we wonder back to another favorite, "Sloppy Joes" where Earnest Hemingway used to go to drink. We are in there no more than five minutes when we see two familiar faces......Tina and Braun owners of the Nordhavn 62 "Grey Pearl". These were folks we met on last summer's boat rally to Bermuda and here they were. These are great folks and truly world cruisers. Grey Pearl had just returned from three years in the Med. They are now headed for the Panama Canal and the Pacific. They will take the boat to Costa Rica where they will have the boat shipped to Alaska for cruising this summer. They are taking about Asia after that. I cant dream that big, but its nice to have friends who can do that sort of thing.
The next morning its time to go. So my 9am we are hoisting the dink and steaming out of Key West harbor after a great week. This was the highlight and (to me) the best reason to come to the Florida Keys.
