Greetings from Key West!

gulfcoast john · Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2019 7:10 pm Post subject: Greetings from Key West!

Greetings from Key West!

Again today we have 80 degrees and sunny blue skies. In fact, the daily high temp has been 80 degrees or more since early March, which is a 100 year record. Usually by late November one of the Artic blasts which come through will have lowered the high to 78 (or even 73 like predicted tomorrow...BBRRRR!).

The fish are plentiful and easy to find at every seafood market. The new 15K BTU rooftop Coleman AC really blasts out the cold air. It’s loud when our heads are near the fan motor, but overall we wouldn’t go back to a 13K unit. Neither can run off a Honda 2200i generator, but we still don’t want the gen on the boat.

All the staff at Stock Island Marina treat us just as well as all the other multimillion dollar yachts here. We’re always a bit surprised at that. You can turn your home thermostat way down while your’re gone. We shop at Publix and prepare almost all meals on the boat. Our fav box Chardonnay is 50 cents a glass. Our food and beverage bill is the same as at home. Once here, boat and truck fuel costs are minimal. It’s not that expensive. Bob says El Faro Marina in Marathon is only $35/ft per month, or $805 per month for a CD 23. Not bad for a resort. Rooms at the Perry Hotel behind us are $400/night and don't have a toaster oven.

So hitch up your C-Dory and head south! The Homestead Parkway extension construction delays are minimal compared to the past 5 years. We’ll be in slip A-32 at Stock Island Marina until Jan 4, when we move to a canal rental house with dock in Marathon for a week. Come by and visit if you’re in the area. We’re the only trailer boat in the marina.

We need to get back to the pool now.

Happy boating!

John and Eileen[/code]

Micahbigsur@msn.com · Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2019 8:56 pm Post subject:

Florida next year if the Creeks don't rise!!
We will be in nice warm Baja this winter, amazingly cheap great seafood restaurants and slips, hope we will be able to afford Florida!

SnowTexan · Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2019 10:26 pm Post subject:

I absolutely love that you are tucked in with the multimillion dollar yachts drinking box wine and being where YOU want to be! Sounds like you are doing it up right. I would like to see the keys one day by boat, but have yet to get over the shock of that fiery death-ball Gulf coast states call the sun. In the meantime I toast to your hyperthermal fortitude with my black coffee (while waxing my dry suit zippers and topping off the Webasto diesel).

Nigel

Micahbigsur@msn.com · Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 2:49 am Post subject:

No excuses SnowTex, most of the cruisers we meet in Mexico are from the Washington border all the way up to Alaska.....BBRRR!
Imagine a cool morning sunrise over the sea, calm as a mill pond drinking your coffee in the cockpit watching the birds dive for breakfast in your little cove surrounded by sunlit rocky crags....

SnowTexan · Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 12:22 pm Post subject:

Flint · Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 4:29 pm Post subject: Marathon Home

We have lived on our 26ft Venture in Banana Bay marina in Marathon for the last five winters. We love it here. Please look us up when you get here in January. I am a cashier at Publix 20 hours a week during the winter. Call us at 803-354-0098 or email us at fandlfirestone@hotmail.com. We have friends in Stock Island marina on a Defever-like boat called September Song. We are going to a doctor's appointment on December 13th in Key West in the morning so maybe we will stop by and say hello.

Leslie and Flint Firestone
Grace Full