Day 10     April 20, 2018     Marathon, Boot Key to Rodriguez Key

Leaving today for Rodriguez meant leaving behind our good friends and sailing buddies, Tom, Sandy with furry friend Stormy, on Higher Porpoise, and Suzanne and Mark Stillwell on Dragonfly.  We were glad they cruised along with us this far and wish them even more great days exploring and enjoying the laid back lifestyle of the Keys.

   

With rainy, stormy weather predicted for tomorrow afternoon, our destination for today was, Rodriguez Key, 47 miles north. The sun coming up over the harbor was the signal for us to drop our mooring ball free and slip out of the sea of boats in Boot Key Harbor.  Four other sailboats had the same idea as we all motored quietly and safely through the narrow waterway into Hawk’s Channel and the Atlantic together.  Four of five headed southward, while lone Aurora‘s heading was set northward. 

Water in the Keys is the most beautiful, clear, aquamarine, and the reefs along the northern Keys, keep it shallow, so the bottom, only ten to fifteen feet below, is visible from above.  About half way to Rodriguez Key Dennis spotted, Fair Winds, our friends, Mike and Linda Weins’ sailboat on the AIS coming towards us on our starboard.  About that time we heard Mike hail us on the VHS radio.  Ironically they had just spent the night at Rodriguez after their crossing from the Bahamas, completing their two months cruise there.  It was good as always to recognize friend’s voices on the radio, hear about their adventures in the Bahamas, and finally to bode them farewell and safe travels!

By now the aquamarine water had changed to emerald green dotted with patches of floating brown sea grass, a beautiful combination.  Arriving about 2:15 and setting anchor, one of the first tasks was to clean the engine sea strainer.  Again, being diligent to notice even slight changes in the temperature of the engine can mean saving you major problems.  Dennis thought the engine was running a little hot, and was not surprise to find seaweed and plankton in the strainer.  

We enjoyed the quiet anchorage, but were intrigued by a large fish who circled our boat about 6 times.  Think we might have been in his favorite spot!

Dennis’ pasta sauce was served up for dinner with our new bottle of Cesari wine purchased in Naples, and thinking the Oakes Market will be the destination for a land cruise when we return home, as it was a fine wine we found there!

Nautical Miles traveled:  47

AIS is Automatic Identification System.  It is used to track position, movement, course, and speed of named boats, and is the primary method of collision avoidance for water transport.