After our events at Marathon we finally made it out of the anchorage. We stopped at a marina on the way out to fill our water tanks before heading out. Once the tanks were full, we had to head south to get back to the sixty five foot opening of the Seven Mile Bridge which we could fit under, then once through that we turned east so we could stay on ‘the inside’ passage (ICW) to Islamorada. The trip was pleasant- it was a nice day for a boat ride! We followed the ICW through some shallow passages which were well marked and found the anchorage we were looking for. The anchorage was in front of Lorelei Restaurant and Cabana Bar in a large bay. The nice thing about being on the ‘inside’ as opposed to the ocean side is the protection the island has from the weather and waves. We did experience some winds while we were there which did produce some chop, but the water isn’t deep enough to build up any large, breaking waves. Once we came to the anchorage we could see there were plenty of other boats anchored out, again with some looking like they have not moved in quite some time. On our approach in we came through some shallow areas where we touched bottom and kicked up some mud/sand but we made it through to somewhat deeper water of about six feet. We dropped anchor on the outskirts of the other boats as we like our privacy and was a little afraid to see how much closer we could get with the water depths- once we found six feet we were good!
We dropped anchor and made sure the ship was secure for about an hour or so. The water was clear- we could see straight down to the bottom and see fish and some coral. Since it was a hot day, I decided to go swimming while we were making sure the anchor had set. Also since we could see the bottom, I donned the snorkel gear and swam around, looking for lobster or crab for dinner but came up empty handed. I did however dive on the anchor to see how it was set and confirmed it was buried in pretty well and probably not going to come loose. Once we were done swimming we loaded into the dinghy with Frank and headed toward shore to Lorelei. They have a small dock where we could dock the dinghy, but it is only for use if you are eating/drinking at their restaurant. Once we were there Lauren took Frank for a walk and I went to procure some much needed refreshments for us. We enjoyed the live music and watched the sunset while Frank made plenty of new friends who would stop by to pet him. After the sunset, we walked down to one of the two local breweries: Islamorada Brewery and Distillery. We had a couple of beers there on the patio while Frank got to hang out on land and explore as there was no one back there with us. Finally it was time to call it a night and head back to the boat.
Day 2- Lauren had posted on Facebook that we were here in Islamorada and received a message from a co-worker from Cleveland that she was here too! We made plans to meet in the morning and go to Robbie’s for breakfast. They picked us up and a short drive later we were sitting at a table overlooking the water enjoying each others company and stories. We all had a great time, then they dropped us back off where we had landed the dinghy. The dinghy ‘dock’ was a dirt road the locals use as a boat ramp with mangroves on either side we could tie off to and wade in to shore. This was not too far of a ride for us, so it would work out well. Lauren and I walked around to the shops that were up and down the street from the dock, then made our way back to the boat. The weather was picking up and rain was on the way, so I took Frank to shore for some relief then we returned back for the evening.
Day 3-6- The anchorage got a little more crowded as we watched a few boats come in and anchor. Everyone left plenty of space, but the forecast was not improving enough for us to move on yet. Our plan is to go to a channel a few miles away and cut over to the ocean, then head to a marina a bit north. Since we will be in the ocean, we want to make sure we have a good forecast for that. These next few days were also spent discussing our preparations for the big Bahamas jump… Lauren’s anxiety is starting to get a bit higher due to the fact we will be crossing the Gulf Stream and part of the Atlantic ocean. There is plenty we need to get done before we leave… We finished up the week here with a festival at the Florida Keys Brewing Company! They had iguana races, ax throwing, live music and beer! We brought Frank along and he met plenty of other pooches also in attendance. Tomorrow we will depart for Key Largo, where we will do our prep before the big jump…