We arrived in at our slip at the Marina Del Mar in Key Largo on January 12 for our month long stay.Key Largo is the largest of the Florida Keys (about 30 miles from end to end). It is located 55 miles southeast of Miami International Airport. There is no town as far as we can tell, just continuous businesses flowing along U. S. Rt. 1. We are located at mile marker 99.1. There are fingers of land formed by the several channels of water here. Fancy homes line these fingers of land.
Scenes from the 1948 popular film “Key Largo” starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Edward G. Robinson, where shot in this area. The boat from the 1951 film “The African Queen” with Bogart and Katherine Hepburn is on display on the grounds of our marina.
The movies aside, the area is really known for its coral reefs and has a world wide reputation as the diving capital of the world. One of the Key’s most beautiful underwater attractions lie off-shore. The nation’s first underwater park, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, includes approximately 190 square miles of coral reefs, sea grass beds, and mangrove swamps. Charlie and I plan to take a glass bottom boat day excursion which leaves from our marina to see these reefs this week.
At our marina, the price for our month long reservation includes boat slip rental, electricity, water, cable TV, three pools, unlimited pool towels, and daily continental breakfast. The restrooms and showers and laundry are close to us and clean. The pump out boat from the county comes to us long timers once a week and we are required to pump out. The cost is only $5. During the day, we conserve by walking to the restrooms. We have rented a car two times so far.
In the biggest photo at the top, you can see the starting of the pool we use on the right. There are always plenty of pool chairs; it is very well kept and they have a hot tub. We get pool towels anytime we want. At the hotel, we can eat the continental breakfast every day either inside or outside (can see in the photo) on their porch. (Having breakfast outside with palm trees in our view in January is not a hard thing to get used to!)
And right next to our slip is a nightclub/restaurant ‘Coconuts’ where we watch the MSU games when they are on the Big Ten Network which we cannot get on our TV. The music we hear late at night from the nightclub has shifted our sleeping hours to a bit later, but at least a few nights a week they have our kind of music. (Oldies from the 60’s)
We are the only “loopers” here we know of. Several other boats from primarily northern states and even Canada store their boats in the area during the summer and fall and come back year after year to winter on their boat at Marina Del Mar!
Charlie and I have had lots of time to really settle in and enjoy these amenities offered and have participated in fun activities with fellow boaters. One night we rode our bikes with others to John Pennekamp State Park to view the stars with telescopes. Another night we all went out for a nice dinner, via a taxi van. On our first Sunday here, a bunch of us got together in the hotel’s lobby and watched the movie “The African Queen.”
Yesterday Charlie and I went with our sail boater friends Frank and Linda from Chicago in their truck to Islamorada Key. We took in an art show ( I refrained from buying anything- I think our boat is sinking lower in the water), lunch at an outdoor bar named Lor-e-lei, and to a bar at the Holiday Isle Resort in Islamorada Key that the Beach Boy’s made famous in the 60’s: “Kokomo’s.” Tonight we are going up to the porch for a potluck Super Bowl Party and game! The staff here set up two TV's outside on the hotel's porch.
Music from the 60's was being played by a live band at Kokomo's while we were there on that sunny Saturday afternoon, January 31. To go along with the 60's feeling, a group of middle aged women were dancing like there was no tomorrow and for an instant, one of them exposed her chest for several of us to see. Our friend Frank and his wife Linda, and myself got to see the happening but much to Charlie's dismay, he had been looking the other way and missed it completely.
The Lor-e-lei Bar in Islamorada Key on the beach. We had our lunch of fresh fish sandwiches and homemade potato chips and pink lemonade.
View from our lunch table on right.
This is a popular anchorage site where boaters can dinghy right up to the open bar.
Here we are eating lunch. It was a cool but sunny day of 65 degrees.Our marina is located at the end of a channel. From here, we can see the many excursion boats going in and out. They offer a chance to go diving, fishing, snorkeling, glass bottom boat trips, and casino ferries to go out to a bigger casino boat.
Snorkeling boat on right.
Diving boat going out below.
Coast Guard boat checking things out. I waved and smiled to assure them we were fine.
The combination of living on the boat but spending several hours on land each day is a very agreeable balance for us. Bike rides and walks have taken us to the drug stores, (to buy ice cream!) the West Marine Store, the Enterprise car rental place, and the NAPA store. We have gone past some of the colorful homes and exotic plants in the community during these excursions.
This house is a typical home along the streets where we walk.
The price for this small lot on a channel in Key Largo is amazing!
Knowing we have many days here to get some major work done after six months of moving nearly every day on the water, and still have the time to see the sights and relax, feels wonderful. The weather has been shorts weather most of the time and there are no bugs this time of year!Besides enjoying ourselves with the amenities at our marina and sightseeing in the community, Freedom’s Turn asked that we get her into shape after 2,900 miles and six months of travel. We do our chores gladly as we care about keeping our boat in good shape. And we want to do our best to prepare for the upcoming Atlantic crossing about mid February from Ft. Lauderdale to the West End of the Grand Bahama Island!
Charlie has been down in the engine hold and generator hold more days than I can remember and I clean or wax a few hours most days. So to give you an idea of the work we do as well as the play I have made a list for you. I asked Charlie what all he has accomplished so I could write about it and here goes:
Changed the oil and filters
Changed the fuel filters
Changed the generator oil and oil filters
Changed the zincs (zincs are a sacrificial metal that absorb the stray electrical current that runs through the boat and the engine caused by the sea water). This process slows down the electrolytic decomposition of metals on the boat such as the prop, shaft, engine and rudder
Changed the engine impeller (this is a pump that pumps sea water into the engine to cool it)
Cleaned the sea strainers on the engine and on the generator and heat pump
Diver hired to clean bottom of hull and check/change the bottom zincs
Replaced the battery charger! $$$$
Verify that the chart plotter is working properly
My First Mate duties on board have been:
Cleaned the salt water corrosion and rust off the bikes
Cleaned and waxing several areas on the outside, especially the gel coat that has flat surfaces that face the sun directly
Defrosted the refrigerator
Kept the cooler stocked and iced
Inside general cleaning
Financial log kept and bills paid
Laundry caught up
Meal planning and cooking
Blog updates
So together we keep our boat ready for the next day and upcoming adventures. It is a unique experience, this living on a boat business.
And besides, where else can you open or close a window, get something out or put something in your closet, or open or close a door, without getting off your bed!
Since we have not seen an alligator yet in the wild, I have asked to go to an Alligator Farm. Stay tuned for the next blog.
We think of so many of you often, hoping you are safe and warm, healthy and happy.
Sincerely, Linda and Charlie
