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April 30th, 2010:

The Party’s Over – Time to Begin our Journey Northward

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After a quick breakfast at a waterfront café, we walked to the bus stop at the corner of Front and Duvall Street. At the last minute, I remembered that while we were in Key West we were going to get a Conch Republic flag for our boat. Fortunately, there was a souvenir shop close to the bus stop and the task was expediently accomplished. We were on the bus at 9:30 AM headed toward Bahia Honda and our beloved White Swan. (“Beloved” probably sounds a bit overly stated to non-boaters; but to those of us who cherish the experiences our boats provide, the term is on the verge of inadequacy.

We arrived at Bahia Honda State Park at noon and a short time later we were on our way to Marathon. Unlike, the previous two times we tried to navigate Hawks Channel in rough, unmanageable water, the ocean provided calm seas. The trip was uneventful (yeah) and we arrived at Marathon around 4:00 PM. The three Gemini sister-ships, Lady Bug, Lily Pad and White Swan were once again united. We gladly accepted Ed and Cheryl’s invitation to come aboard Lady Bug and enjoy a movie, Momma Mia, with them.

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The next morning, we left Marathon, to continue northward. The hot afternoon was exaggerated by the light wind. The light wind also imposed motoring upon us, rather that sailing. A quiet evening was spent at our anchorage for the night, Jewfish Hole, behind Fiesta Key and the KOA campground. Fortunately, the store at the campground sells ICE CREAM.

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There was enough wind today to motor-sail to Islamorada. We anchored in the Lorelie Anchorage. We took the dinghy to shore in search of fresh vegetables and meat. After successfully accomplishing that task, we went on a search for diesel, finding the Worldwide Sport Fishing Marina. This is an awesome place with a huge store (a fisherman’s dream) which houses a replica of Ernest Hemingway’s boat, Pilar. They also have a large aquarium with lots of tropical fishes. Their best amenity is the restaurant, which all of us returned to for dinner and live entertainment. The six of us had a wonderful evening of good food, fun and laughter.

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Rainy and overcast. We’ve decided to stay put at Lorelie’s Anchorage. We checked the cruising guide to if there was anything of interest that we might want to do. There is a Dive History Museum and a Sea Encounter, but we decided to do neither. Since we’ve enjoyed this area, we’re sure to return and possibly consider these tourist attractions then. Good day to just veg-out on the boat.