Funky, Historical, Lively Key West

. . . IN THE SHADOW OF JIMMY BUFFETT AND ERNEST HEMINGWAY

Since we still had the rental car after the boat show, we decided to make our second quick visit to Key West. If you've never been to Key West, we hope the photos give you an idea how beautiful it is and how lively and quirky. It seemed like a tamer New Orleans -- with a sea breeze.  

We didn't think to take a picture of Margaritaville, the restaurant/bar, -- too many margaritas, we guess -- but did get this one about the Parrot Head Club. Jimmy Buffett's career began to surge, and he moved to Key West, just as the Navy downsized its base there. He let the world know about the island lifestyle found here, and tourists came to seek it. We can't give him all the credit for Key West becoming a tourist destination. He certainly helped 
at a difficult time for the island.

Where else but in Key West would the taxis be pink?

We like the style of this Duvall Street bike rider with pearl-draped handle bars.

Roosters and hens roam the streets of Key West with huge fines for harming them. 

In Cuba, cockfighting was common. When Cubans immigrated to Key West, they brought their fighting birds with them. In the 1970s, Key West banned cockfighting, causing hundreds of birds to be released to the wild -- at the same time that the few farmers left in Key West gave up farming and released their domesticated birds. The results are the beautiful birds that roam the streets and alleys today.

St. Paul's Episcopal Church is one of the largest churches in Key West, with gorgeous stained glass windows.

Somewhere behind this banyan tree is a home built in the 1800s, the Crosgrove House. 

The Hemingway Home was the highlight of our last trip to Key West. Here, our tour guide, Bob, points out one of Ernest Hemingway's polydactyly cats lying on his bed.

Hemingway raised polydactyly cats, those with one more digit on each paw than an ordinary cat. Today, the foundation that owns his home continues breeding and caring for some 45 cats, most of which are polydactyly. We think the tour guide said that there was a 50 percent chance the offspring will be polydactyly when the two parents are.

The lace curtains in the kitchen even had cats woven into the pattern.

Visitors linger on the shaded, relaxing grounds of the Hemingway House -- although none are in this photo. The house was a wedding gift from a father-in-law and cost $8,000, which was probably exorbitant then.

Kent on Hemingway's second story porch. Hemingway could see the Key West Lighthouse from his bedroom balcony. 

Near Mallory Square is Key West's Memorial Sculpture Gardens with busts of about 60 people who contributed to the life in the islands. Ernest Hemingway is above. 

Sandy Cornish was a former slave who bought his freedom (yet lost his freedom papers) and lived in New Orleans for awhile. While in New Orleans, word reached him that he was going to be pressed into slavery again. He went to the square and stabbed himself, cut tendons in his legs and cut off fingers to avoid slavery.  After moving to Key West, he started a thriving fruit and vegetable farm, founded the African Methodist-Episcopalian Church in the Keys, and eventually became a rich man in the islands. 

 Eduardo Gato came to Key West from Cuba and founded a cigar industry in the late 1800s. He started his business in the islands with the best tobacco and the best cigar artisans to where it returned over $2 million in exports to the island. He created the first street car system and founded the first hospital to make his workers' lives better.

 In the outdoor mall at Mallory Square is Spongeman who obviously made a grab 

for Jane . . . or vice-versa.

 Mallory Square, Key West's traditional place to view the sunset, is filled with street entertainers like this fire twirler as sundown approaches. Then the party begins (at least, we've heard. We drove back home to Squirt).

We weren't able to connect with our Chattanooga friends, Dan and Virginia, who have a winter home in a floating house in Key West, but we saw them briefly in Marathon later. It's always good to see friends from home.

There is so much more to see in Key West. We barely scratched the surface. As we said to each other, if we saw everything on this trip, there wouldn't be a reason to come back. We have hundreds of reasons.

As we drove home to Squirt from our last trip, we were treated to the most brightly colored rainbow we'd ever seen. Surely the pot of gold is at this end.

A Weekend at the Largest Boat Show in the U.S.

. . . THE MIAMI BOAT SHOW

Kent says that the Miami Boat Show is the largest in the country. We don't know for sure. Annapolis or Chicago might argue with that claim. By any measure, it is huge, lasting five days and covering three different sites with buses to take attendees from place to place. We rented a car and drove to Miami for two of the days, just to see what was new, to check out a few products, and to see the Cruising Outpost area and our mooring ball neighbor Steve.

The Strictly Sail part of the show featured monohulls from Catalina, Hylas, Seaward, Jeanneau, Tartan and others. When we talked with the Catalina representative at the booth (above), we discovered that Fleet 95 is not the largest C22 fleet in the world, but it is the largest non-military fleet in the world. According to the rep, the U.S. Navy is the largest fleet, buying and shipping C22s to naval recreation areas around the world. We don't know how the U.S. Navy can be a regional fleet, but we won't argue with people who carry rifles for a living.

Our dream boat is a Hylas 46. When we chartered in the BVIs, our charter company 

had a fleet of Hylases. They are beautiful, sturdy, good sailing boats.

Along with giving out brochures and signing up memberships, the American Sailing Association (ASA) helped people try out sailing on land with this sailing simulator. An ASA instructor was standing by with instructions and positive feedback.

Dave Brady, Seaward Yachts, and Kent. Dave was very helpful answering questions by phone when we first bought our 26-foot Seaward, Jeremiah. He retired a couple of years later. The boat show was the first time the two had met face to face. Dave comes out of retirement to work the boat shows for Seaward.

The new Seaward 46, Hull #2, was on display at the show. Like all Seawards, it had a beautiful finish outside. The cabin was very plush with two levels: the first level is a second helm station near the nav station (the first helm station being in the cockpit 

at the wheel), and the next level down is 

living space. It is definitely a boat 

for people who don't want to rough it.

People won't be roughing it on this catamaran, either. Notice the rope hammock hung in back. The boat show seemed to have more catamarans on display than monohulls probably because the charter companies -- The Moorings and Sunsail -- brought catamarans for their booths. This boat, Houbara, and a few other cats were shown by appointment only. Anyone could tour the other boats as long as they took their shoes off.

This catamaran was named "the Gun Boat," maybe because of the color of its hull or because it looks like it would sail fast. It was Kent's favorite (after the Hylas). This picture doesn't do it justice because of the angle of the sun. It was truly beautiful in a dangerous sort of way -- and much, much bigger than it looks here.

Bob Bitchin, founder of Cruising Outpost magazine, and Kent talk over the show, sailing and life, at the magazine's booth. Bob was formerly publisher of Lattitudes & Attitudes before it was sold and went aground. He lives the cruising life he promotes.

Motor and engine manufacturers were all there. These two motors were giants in horsepower
 and size. 

This motor is totally propane powered. The salesman said that California environmental regulations were restricting gas-powered motors, making this a great alternative. Not knowing we were from Tennessee, he said that Tennessee would be the next state to restrict gas motors. We said we didn't think so. Tennessee has many, many strengths, but isn't known for leading environmental progress. Oregon and Vermont, maybe.Although it looks like
he and Kent were line dancing, they weren't really.

Multiply this vendor area by about 25, and you'll better understand the scope of the boat show. We didn't even mention the HUGE fishing area with its own boats and suppliers. 

Surrounded by a wealth of boats and gear, what we brought home were three very practical rolls of stretch silicone rescue tape for $20. That's all.

Next time we go to a boat show, we'll know better what's there. Next time, we'll spend more time in the great seminars that are held throughout the show. Who knows, maybe next time we'll be shopping for that Hylas 46. . .

Well, you can always dream.

Pigeon Key

. . . AND THE LEGACY OF HENRY FLAGLER

Yesterday, Valentine's Day, we biked with Sid and Bonnie, Fiu, and Walt and Pat, Waves of Grace, to the ferry that took us to nearby Pigeon Key. On the National Register of Historic Places, Pigeon Key housed as many as 400 workers who built the Overseas Railroad to Key West in the early 1900s. The small island has served several purposes since that time, including being the most highly rated highway rest stop in the 1950s and an historic attraction today.

Bonnie, Sid, Kent and Jane on the ferry to Pigeon Key.

Walt and Pat sat across from us as we ferried in.

Henry Florida

It seems to us that's the gentleman's true name. The museum at Pigeon Key focused on the life of the Overseas Railroad builders and the man that made it possible: Henry Flagler. After he made his fortune as a founder of Standard Oil, he visited St. Augustine and became charmed by the city. He built grand hotels, lesser hotels and a railroad to transport people to the city. He was the first to see Florida as a tourist mecca – the American Riviera – and that had the money to invest in its development.

From St. Augustine, he moved down the East Coast to Palm Beach, extended his railroad and proceeded to develop that city, as well. However, his crowning jewel was Miami. He is known as the father of Miami, totally building the city from the ground up, laying out streets, building schools, churches and hospitals, and creating a seaport.

Flagler’s dream was to extend his railroad to Key West. He spent $80 million to build the 156-mile extension, known at that time as the 8^th Wonder of the World. In his 80s and blind, Flagler lived long enough to ride the train to Key West in 1912.

Although he had a business interest in developing Florida, Henry Flagler also had a strong social conscience, often helping the people of Florida in need, asking that his help be anonymous. He believed that showing Florida’s potential was his purpose in life and what he was meant to do with his money.

Life on the Construction Crew

Henry Flagler learned much from the construction of the publicly funded Panama Canal that was going on at the same time. His laborers were paid $1.50 a day in gold and lived in good conditions for the time.  They lived in one of four barracks that housed 64 men each; all but one were torn down after construction ended. Even though they had to deal with the heat, storms, bugs and long hours, yellow fever was not a problem on Pigeon Key as it was at the Panama Canal.

One thing we all found interesting was that the workers doused themselves in diesel fuel to prevent mosquitoes from biting. 

The original Seven-Mile Bridge to the left and the new bridge to the right, 

seen from the water.

The Overseas Highway today

The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane wiped out the middle section. It was rebuilt and the entire railroad to the Keys was converted to a two-lane Overseas Highway for cars. In 1982, a new highway to the Keys opened, and the Seven-Mile Bridge section of Henry Flagler’s dream became a two-mile walking/biking path.

Bonnie and Jane biked the Old Seven, as it's called. The new Seven-Mile Bridge

 is in the background, as is Pigeon Key and its remaining buildings.

To us, it's an amazing story of how one person's vision and wealth could positively change the lives of people in Florida, creating recreation and employment opportunities for millions.


Next Blog: The Miami Boat Show

A Brief, Sometimes Funny History

. . . OF CONCHS AND THE CONCH REPUBLIC

The Conch Republic flag is flown on many buildings and boats. Here 

it flies at Historic Pigeon Key.

Son Brian gave us a Conch Republic flag years and years ago that we really didn't understand at the time. We do now and have raised it on Carina's flag halyard since arriving in the Keys. What we've learned about conchs and the Keys in the past few weeks is:

Conchs are Both Critters and their Shells

The conch (pronounced konk) name refers to large sea snails found around the Gulf and Caribbean, and it also refers to their shells. We don't like to think of conchs as snails, but that's what they are. Every restaurant menu in the Keys offers conch fritters, conch chowder, or conch salad. Like many things, we're loving them to extinction, and limits may be put on their harvest worldwide in the future.

Conch fritters are deep-fat fried balls of dough with conch mixed in. 

Think hush puppies with conch instead of onion.

For now though, not only is conch good (though often tough) meat, it's a fine instrument, too. When the tip of the conch shell has been cut off, it makes a horn with a deep baritone sound. On Grenada and other islands, fishermen blew conch shells to let islanders know they were arriving with a fresh catch. Now, sailors use them to signal the moment the sun disappears down the horizon. We think blowing a conch shell must be like learning the tuba in high school band. It takes practice to blow a smooth continuous sound -- and the only time you can practice is a couple of minutes at sunset. 

A Queen Conch shell surrounded by coral and other varieties 

of shells at a Marathon shell store.

Conchs are People, Too, who Seceded from the Union -- for a Minute

Early settlers to the Keys became known as Conchs, a name still applied to longtime local residents. The Conch Republic started as a serious concern for the Keys that became a tongue-in-cheek tourist promotion.

In 1982, the U.S. Border Patrol set up a roadblock at the very northern part of the Keys to search vehicles for drugs and illegal immigrants. The Key West City Council complained that the roadblock paralyzed its tourism industry. Legal attempts to stop the searches failed, so as a protest the mayor and city council of Key West declared its independence on April 23, 1982. 

The city council believed that the border station was set up as though the Keys were a foreign nation, and so they decided to become one. The new nation took the name the Conch Republic. The rest of the Keys -- known as the Northern Territories -- were included in the new nation.

At a public gathering April 23, the mayor broke a loaf of stale Cuban bread over the head of a man dressed in a U.S. Navy uniform to begin the Conch Republic's Civil Rebellion. According to Conch Republic's Web site, "After one minute of rebellion, the now, Prime Minister Wardlow turned to the Admiral in charge of the Navy Base at Key West, and surrendered to the Union Forces, and demanded 1 Billion dollars in foreign aid and War Relief to rebuild our nation after the long Federal siege!" 

The border station was closed. However, the Conch Republic is still waiting for the federal aid.

Each April 23 Key West celebrates Conch Republic Independence Day with reinactments and community parties. 

In our six weeks here, we first thought the Conch Republic represented a lifestyle, like Margaritaville without the alcohol. As we understood it better, it seemed to represent a culture, like Cajun in Louisiana. Now we believe the best comparison is to the Boston Tea Party in the 1700s -- a political protest that brought unreasonable government actions to public attention. . . only the Conch Republic did it with humor and continues to do so today. We thought you might have fun reading about it. Visit conchrepublic.com for more history and laughs.



Next Blog: The Legacy of Henry Flagler

Home of the Best Sunsets

. . . MARATHON IN THE FLORIDA KEYS

If there are better sunsets than here, we don't know where they are.

Sometimes the sunsets are fiery golds. Our favorites are the mixtures of gold and orange . . . or gold and bright pink . . . or bright pink and blue.

Once again, we'll let the photos speak for themselves. We hope you enjoy seeing the glorious sunsets -- from over a month of sunsets -- as much as we did. 

Sailors sound a conch horn to mark the end of the day as the sun touches the horizon. We'll write more about the conch horn and the Conch Republic in the next blog.



Next Blog: A Brief, Sometimes Funny History of Conchs and the Conch Republic 

Life On the Ball

. . . IN MARATHON

Mid-morning Thursday, a three-minute rain blew through Boot Key Harbor as the leading edge of a "cold" front. That night and Friday night, the 15+ mph winds blew through the rigging, water lapped the sides of the boat and both the winds and water rocked us like babies. That means good sleep since we're safely tied to a mooring ball. It also means our sailing friends will still be here a few days longer.

A diver from the boat to the right cleans barnacles off Endless Summer's mooring ball. He then moved to the next mooring ball until all 200-plus were cleaned and inspected. 

Mother Nature is Your Planner

As soon as a weather window opens, some friends plan to sail east to the Bahamas, and others will sail west to the Dry Tortugas. You often don't have time to say goodbye when "Mother Nature becomes your Day Timer." That quote from An Embarrassment of Mangoes, really fits the cruising life. Mother Nature decides when people move on, stay or even motor to the dinghy dock.

For the past 10 days, we've entertained new friends on Carina. We want to enjoy their company while we still can before they suddenly leave. Two among many interesting couples we've met in Boot Key Harbor are Ron and Judy on Pioneer, a 38-foot Cabo Rico, and Alan and Sharon on their 24-foot catamaran.

Ron and Judy are from beautiful Vancouver, although they keep 

their boat on the U.S. east coast. They both swear they have 

no black velvet paintings in their home. We didn't ask if they have 
any on board Pioneer.

Ron and Judy have sailed around Central America, to the Bahamas several times, and to Cuba a couple of times. As Canadian citizens, they can travel there. Judy is a retired high school principal, and Ron had several careers, including one in the '70s as an importer of black velvet paintings from Mexico. We kid you not! Both of them are very knowledgeable and skilled sailors, as well as fun people to be around.

Alan aboard his and Sharon's catamaran on an extremely 

calm day in Boot Key Harbor.

We can hardly begin to describe Alan and Sharon's background. Alan, originally from South Africa, and Sharon trailered their 24-foot catamaran here and are outfitting it to sail to the Everglades to do wildlife photography. Alan is particularly fond of alligator photography. Although they are experienced sailors, they are even more experienced aviators!  Sharon and Alan met when she was piloting a UN plane and he was the engineer aboard.

New Additions

Items to make life easier keep appearing on Carina the longer we stay in Marathon. A tall rolling cart was bought Friday that we can bungee cord onto the bike like a bike trailer or we can roll it on its own. It'll be a huge help when we're underway and need to carry groceries or five-gallon containers of gas or water back to the boat.

The new lifting davits are made of some impressive stainless steel 

and are a less expensive version of dinghy davits. The starboard  

davit fit the mount that the dinghy motor lift was on. Kent will install 

the port side lifting davit next week. 

The item we're most excited about are lifting davits that arrived Friday. They'll enable us to easily lift our dinghy in and out of the water. It's been in the water since the Gulf crossing and has had barnacles scraped off once already. Just three weeks later, it already needs another scraping. Lifting it out of the water keeps barnacles from attaching.

This is why we are so excited about getting the "dink" out of "the drink." Here, half 
its bottom was cleaned and the other half still covered in barnacles.

Barnacle City

Marathon seems to be a fertile area for barnacles to grow. A diver is supposed to come in a couple of days to scrape the bottom of Carina, particularly the prop which has no bottom paint. Barnacles are crustaceans that grow on anything and everything in the waters around here. If left untouched, they will affect the way the boat sails and the speed it can travel. Most boat owners in coastal areas have their boat "dived" every month or so to keep the bottom smooth. We'll have it scraped now and then again before we leave Boot Key Harbor.

Mother Nature is OUR Planner, Too

After the Miami Boat Show on February 14-18, we will be the ones looking for a weather window. We'll come back from the boat show and stock up on food and supplies. When the weather window happens, we'll be gone from Marathon. That may be within days or weeks of our return. It all depends on when Mother Nature chooses to smile at us.


Next Blog:  Marathon -- Home of the Best Sunsets