2018 Cruise - Week 10

Week 10

March 10 - 16, 2018   

Entertainment - Saturday, March 10, 2018, is the first day of the Marathon Seafood Festival. We go for the music, but visit the vendors too. This year, we’re excited to hear old favorites, I-Land Vibe and Howard Livingston and new, this year, Tito Puento Jr. 

Sunday, March 11, marked Day 2 of the Seafood Festival. We caught Karen Weber and the Funkin’ Conchs and the Stone Crabs, voted best band in Marathon for the last two years. While the music was playing, we bought a dip cooler and four packs of dip mix. We’ll use them for future happy hours.    

We returned to our seats for Howard Livingston and the Mile Marker 24 Band. We enjoyed their performance and that of Maggie Baugh who closed the festival. On our way out, we scored two lobsters for $5.00 each and a free glass of Merlot. All in all, we had a nice time at the festival.

On Thursday, we joined the Tug Nuts for a Lobster cookout. Another good time!

Work - We picked up the V-Stop for the boat trailer on Wednesday of this week. unlike when we dropped it off, the pick up came off without a hitch. Our timing was perfect for a lunch stop at the Lor-e-lei, one of our favorite Islamorada eateries. unfortunately, The new holes drilled by Float-On don’t line up with the  receiver. We’ll get a larger bit tomorrow so we can enlarge the receiver’s holes a bit. We’ll also work on the attachment point for a safety chain.

Placed a couple of orders this week, hooks for the new folding tables in the front and rear cockpits and lighting for the rear cockpit. 

Worked on making the cutting board tables for the rear cockpit. We even tried them out a time or two and they work great! Next week we’ll varnish them with Cetol.

The house next door is hosting a circus. We clearly see the big top, but we neither heard nor smelled the lions, tigers or elephants!

Friends/Acquaintances - The Ranger Tugs are still in the Marina and John and Susan returned from Key West aboard Nuclear Fishin. The North dock liveaboards are still here as well. Folks in a Cape Dory 28 trawler pulled in to Slip 3 while we were at the Seafood Festival on Saturday.

We haven’t seen Pat and Ellie since their appearance in February.

Captain John left late last week to visit his son in Tennessee. He gave us fish again before he left. He should be back in a week or so.

Weather - We turned the clocks forward one hour on Sunday morning as Daylight Saving Time is now in force.

The week started with lighter winds (mid teens in strength) and dropped to calm by Sunday evening. We had showers of liquid sunshine both Saturday and Sunday nights (actually, it was the wee hours of Monday morning. Temps on Sunday reached 90 and the sleeping temp aboard SUNSHINE was 80 Sunday night/Monday morning. Then a cold front moved in bringing overnight temps into the high 50s and low sixties with daytime temps barely reaching 70.° The front also brought strong 20+ knot N - NW wind.

On Thursday, the wind, still out of the north, finally laid down a bit. It was nice when it dropped to around 12 knots and it was even nicer in the evening when there was just a very slight breeze.

The Latin music of Tito Puente Jr was fabulous!

Trop Rockin' with Howard Livingston and Mile Marker 24

Toe tappin' with I-land Vibe!

Adrienne, John Bartus and Storm Jade

Bev dancing with a giant turtle!

A manatee out of its element!

The very talented Maggie Baugh

New neighbor

View from our table at the Lorelei.

A floating Pink Cadillac water taxi at the Lorelei

No, the circus is not in town. The exterminator is working on our neighbor's house.

2018 Cruise - Week 9

Week 9

March 3 - 9, 2018

Friends/Acquaintances - Allan and Shelly left on Saturday morning. Both seemed sorry to leave. They’re already looking forward to returning.

Dave and Ginny (Tiny Town) are in town for a week or so. They sold their boat and are staying at the Jolly Roger CG in their RV. It was great to see them.

Trilogy, a 27 Ranger Tug with John and Laurie pulled in for a few days. Laurie is really interested in the Nimble Nomad and has asked for a tour. We’ll make that happen in a day or two. (Ed Note: They departed before we could get together for the tour.)

On Thursday of this week, Joe and Dee hauled out and after an hour or so of cleaning and securing the boat to the trailer, they departed Blackfin at about 1700 hours. Last night, we  enjoyed their farewell dinner at the Marathon Grille and then, today we said good bye during lunch at the Sunset Grille. Besides Anna Marie and I, several of the Ranger Tug Captain’s helped load Islander Dancer onto the trailer.

Weather - A cold front moved in for a few days. It’s the first time we’ve had north wind in weeks. The wind is strong too, blowing at around 18-20 knots. Temps have dropped to highs in the low to mid 70s with lows in the mid to high 60s.It’s an enjoyable change from the low 90s we’ve had for a few days.

A cold front moved in during mid week and brought wind in the 20+ knot range. High temps were in the low 70 and lows dipped into the low 60s and maybe even into the high 50s.

Work - With Joe’s help, we greased the wheel bearings on the trailer. While doing so, I noticed that on of the guide posts was bent. The guy who delivered the air conditioners to the Hurricane was to blame. I reported the problem to Barry who said he would take care of any expenses. I was able to straighten it out with a bit of force. Anna Marie cleaned the black paint, left from the guy’s trailer, off.

We still have some exterior cleaning, Zep removal and wet waxing to do in the cockpits. Maybe we’ll get to it this week!

The truck wouldn’t start on Monday so we removed both batteries, Joe and Dee gave us a ride to NAPA, and we bought two replacement batts. Installation was much easier than removal. After we finished the project, the truck perked to life! I’ve been really light headed when working the past two days and it’s been a bit cooler to boot. I think going to bed late and Getty night up early might be the problem. I’m going to try to get more sleep.

On Thursday, we talked with Tamra about the delivery of our redesigned V Stop. The tentative arrangements will have it delivered to Unique Marine on Wednesday of next week. We looking forward to receiving it an reinstalling it on the trailer.

Entertainment - On Sunday afternoons we delight in picking and grinning with Joe Mama on the Porch. He was especially good this Sunday. As usual, Dan and Penny (from 4 Sheets to the Wind) and a couple other folks joined Joe for some songs.

On Monday we went to the Community Theater with Joe and Dee to see The Greatest Showman. Joe fell asleep and I might have shut my eyes for a few seconds. I wasn’t impressed with the show, but Anna Marie enjoyed it, particularly the singing and dancing.

Tuesday afternoon had us back at Queequeg’s dock for a  dock party hosted by Bev and Mike. The usual suspects were there and some folks we haven’t met. Mike grilled veggie burgers for us and pork ribs for the rest of the folks.

We stopped off at the Porch to listen to Four Sheets before heading back to the boat.

On Thursday, Jim and Lisa from Kismet arranged a dock party for trailerable boats. All of the Ranger Tug crews from Blackfin attended and a couple who are spending the night aboard their Ranger Tug in the K Mart parking lot. Tomorrow they hope to get a ball in the harbor.

Flowers and the "Z"

Joe Mama with Dan and "Luanne"

PDQ 36 passing Burdine's

Even the ducks want some shade!

2018 Cruise - Week 8

Week 8

February 24 - March 2, 2018 

Fun Stuff - On Tuesday, we had A good-bye dinner for Larry and Ellen Waters and Bill and Kathy Towers at the MarathonGrille. Joe and Dee were there to celebrate with us but Gary and Carol Kramer could not make it. Sadly, they’re leaving tomorrow without having a good-bye dinner. We took this picture at the Marathon Grille. The empty chair is for Tom who is already back home in Michigan. 

Larry and Ellen took us out for dinner at the Upper Crust to thank us for showing them a great time in Marathon!

Had a fish fry on the docks in the evening after hauling Allan’s boat. The fish was supplied by Captain John (Cool Change) and cooked by he and Allan.

OnFriday evening we hosted a dessert party for Allan, Shelly, David, Marsha, Joe and Dee. We used the Publix gift card given to us by Allan and Shelly, as thanks for using our truck to pull their boat out, to purchase all kinds of dessert items. The timing was perfect as they are leaving in the morning.

Friends/Acquaintances- the Waters, Kramer’s and Towers are leaving on Wednesday. Allan and Shelley are leaving either Wednesday or Thursday.    

It’s Thursday, and as reported, the Ranger Tugs are arriving. There are now four Tugs, two having arrived this morning.

Liberty - Ranger Tug 29, Ethan and Tammi

Kismet - Ranger Tug 29, Jim and Lisa Favors

Illusion - Ranger Tug 27, Mike and Jess

Gansett Ranger - Ranger Tug 25, Brian and Coleen 

Liberty carries a nifty pair of inflatable Hobie Pedal Boards. 

Weather - highs in the mid to high 80s and even poking into the low 90s on occasion. Lows are in the mid 70s. The wind went from windy >= 20 knots to between 10 and 20 knots with the occasional single digit wind strength. We also experienced a shower now and again, usually in the wee hours of the morning.

We haven’t seen north winds for a long time. The bubblers have been turned off for over two weeks!

Work Stuff - We helped Bill and Kathy load Slo Poke onto the trailer today (Tuesday). They’ll spend the night on the hard and leave tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. And only hours later, Larry and Ellen Waters retrieved their Nomad from the water. Like the other Nomadders, they’ll spend the night on the hard and leave at first light. Water’s Toy was easy to load onto the trailer. In just 25 minutes the boat was perfectly centered on the trailer and out of the water.

On Thursday, I used our F250 to haul Allan’s and Shelly’s boat out. They only have a car and David only has a 1/2 ton pickup. They were afraid that the 13000+ pound Bayliner would be too much for it. It was east peasy for the F250. The only glitch came when the trailer bottomed out in the ramp. A make shift skid was put in place and the boat came out easily. The tires skidded a bit as the trailer hit the skid. Oh, I had the truck in low range 4x4 for the procedure.

Liberty

SUNSHINE and Kismet

Gannett Ranger and Illusion

Tammi pedaling back to the harbor 

Nomadders (L to R) Joe, Dee, Ellen, Larry, Bill, Anna Marie, Bill, Kathy NOTE: Tom has left the harbor!  

2018 Cruise - Week 7

Week 7

February 17 - 23, 2018   

Entertainment/ Fun - another week, another Royal Reds Party! That’s right; we had another party featuring Royal Reds and Camaraderie. Rave reviews again!

Tom’s last supper featured roasted Lobster Tails, Corn on the Cob and Key Lime Pie. In attendance were The Towers, the Waters, the Martins, the Kramer’s, The Favors and Tom. Delicious food and great camaraderie again!

Never ones to pass up a gastronomic delight, the Nomadders took a trip to Burdines this week. Everyone enjoyed their meal, especially the fries!

Weather - hey it’s windy again! Highs reached 90 a couple days but we’re mostly in the low to mid 80s. Lows were in the low 70s. 

Friends/Acquaintances - Diane, Sandy and Denny held a memorial party for Al Deshevsky, Diane’s husband, who passed last month. Anna Marie represented us both. About 30 folks participated. Mike and Bev (Queequeg) and Rich and Mary (Dark Star) were there. Music was provided by  a steel drum band.

I’ve been exchanging emails with David Serlin on the birth of his first grandchild, a girl named Isabella Sylvie. We’re so happy for David and Susan!

Got to meet Dee’s brothers Jack and Don and their wives Liz and Marion. Shared some stories and laughed a bit.

On Friday, February 23, Jim and Lisa Favor arrived aboard the new Kismet, a beautiful Ranger Tug.

Sick Bay II - Under the weather! I’ve been suffering with a runny nose, cough, headache, sinus and general aches. I decided to forego activity and socialization in lieu of staying on the boat and resting for 24 hours. I’ve even resorted to taking naps on two consecutive days. It seems this bug is traveling up and down the docks.

The Stars of the Show - Royal Reds!

Tom's last dinner of the season

Nomadders enjoying lunch at Burdine's

Jim & Lisa's new Kismet

Four Nomads at Blackfin (left to right - Slo Poke, Waters Toy, SUNSHINE, Loafs and Fishes)

2018 Cruise - Week 6

Week 6

February 10 - 16, 2018

Entertainment/ Fun - the party atmosphere we’ve experienced last week continued into this week. We hosted a Dock Party and everyone who is anyone showed up. It was nice to sit back and talk with our dock mates. I’m sure there are more dock parties in our future.

Joe Mama and Friends Pickin’ & Grinnin’ on the back porch at the Hurricane on Sunday afternoons. Always enjoyable!    

Four Sheets to the Wind performed at the Hurricane. They drew a very nice crowd. Most stayed for their three hour gig. Lot’s of good tunes and harmonies.

Madi Gras - party hosted by Mike and Bev (Queequeg) on their dock at the  end of 51st Street. Met Rich and Mary (Dark Star), Russel and Linda (Blue Highway), and others. Enjoyed the camaraderie and food. Mike played his new, black Takamine complete with Samsung Sound System, Trio box and band in a box. I really liked the harmonized feature.

Valentines Day celebration for ten at Sunset Grille. We chose the 1700   seating so we would be there for the 6:15 sunset. Dinner for two was $79.95 and included appetizer, main course, dessert and beverage.

Royal Reds - for happy hour bought 5.5 pounds from Fish Tales for $16.95/lb. everybody chipped in, most have never had RRs. They were a huge hit! Raves all around. In fact, there was some sentiment to change next week’s planned lobster bake II to another Royal Red boil.

Weather - Strong winds have returned but they are mainly from the south, allowing the boat to “hunt” in the Slip, but it doesn’t rock. High temps in the low 80s and low temps in the mid 70s. Lounging at the point is delightful and we manage to get there a couple times each day. The last couple days of the week saw wind speeds in the single digits.

Friends/Acquaintances - on the 13th, Larry and Ellen Waters arrive from Illinois with Water’s Toy. The next day, Bill and Kathy Towers arrive with Slo Poke. They managed to avoid disaster when their trailer became disconnected from the truck. Despite the mishap, the mini gathering of Nimble Nomads is underway. We now have 9 people in our group as Debbie Mulcrone departed on Friday.  We were told that the north Dock Homeowners Association (aka the liveaboards) have decided to call us the “Nomadders.” The nom de plume may just stick!

Valentin's Day menu at the Sunset Grille

Nomadders and friends at the Valentine's Day celebration

Valentine's Day sunset

Mike plays a few tunes at his and Bev's dock party.

Four Sheets to the Wind

Valentine's Day selfie

2018 Cruise - Week 5

Week 5

February 3 - 9, 2018 

Entertainment/ Fun - Sunset Grill and the Marathon All Stars featuring Ty.  Fun night with Joe and Dee.

Ty Thurman and the Marathon All-Stars at the Sunset Grill

I don't know if Dee is a bigger Patriots or Brady fan, but she was dumbfounded when Brady fumbled insuring victory for the Eagles in Super Bowl LII! Yes, the Eagles win the Super Bowl!! The Eagles win the Super Bowl!!! Foles is MVP and Pederson is acknowledged as a genius!

The national tour of Cabaret was in Key West for two performances at the Tennessee Williams Theater and we  had two tickets. We spent most of the day in Key West  and took in the Shape of Water at the Tropic. Nominated for thirteen awards, it was an enjoyable, quirky movie that we could have waited to see when it comes to Netflix. 

While in KW, we strolled the streets and delighted in the winter flowers that are in bloom.

Taco Tuesday at the ‘Cane (we had Pizza) in the company of a brunch of folks from the resort and the marina. We enjoyed the offerings of Four Sheets to the Wind. 

One day we returned to Fish Tales for a light lunch, having had a salad aboard. The Bavarian Fish Sandwich might just be my new favorite! It was delicious!

Jim (Jim ‘n Terry from St. Louis) did his final performance during open mic night at the ‘Cane. We had to go! Dee and Joe joined us. Right after Jim, Micky Belin took the stage. He’s 100 years and 3 months old. We first saw him at 92! He told jokes and played the trumpet.

Our first of the season lobster bake was held this week. We baked 13 lobsters, 9 potatoes, someone brought salads and desserts. We had 10 people for the bake (Kevin & Sandy, Gary & Carol, Tom & Debbie, Joe & Dee, me & AM) and Ellie and Pat were walking by and decided to sit in for the sing along. It was a fun evening.

The last night of this week, we went to Tom and Jackie’s room for a jam. He has a Rain Song carbon fiber guitar. Eventually, Jim and Terry and Carol and Gary filed in, Jim with his telecaster. Tom had a small amp and now, we had the makings of a guitar band. 

Weather - the wind dropped to single digits this week with gusts to the mid teens. High temps made it into the 80s.

Fiends/Acquaintances - Debbie Mulcrone arrived for a ten day stay aboard Loafs and Fishes. 

Captain John (Cool Change) the fisherman was hired as a guide for Nick and Sally, owners of the impressive looking World Cat for several fishing trips. This week he offered some us some Spanish Mackerel fillets. Sally delivered them after John filleted them. He told us they can have a strong taste. He suggested we spread table salt over them to draw out the blood (he already cut out the large blood lines during the filleting process. They are the fourth couple to offer us a couple of fillets. Of course Pat and Ellie have continued their practice of offering us a couple fillets from their catch. Alan and Shelly gave us couple fried  fish fingers and Kim and Charlie from Upstate NY gave us some fillets three times after returning from their days fishing. We have been in fresh fish heaven and have supplemented our ration of fresh fish with purchases of Hog Fish, Mahi Mahi and Snapper from the Keys Fisheries.

Chilling' under the Tiki with Carol Kramer 

Dee looks on incredulously as Brady fumbles the ball during Super Bowl LII insuring victory for the Eagles!

Flower in the gardens at Blackfin

Four Sheets to the Wind on the Porch at the cane.

Spanish Mackerel 

Micky Belin at 100 years of age still telling jokes and playing the trumpet.

2018 Cruise - Week 4

Week 4

January 27 - February 2, 2018 

Entertainment/Fun Stuff - The Pigeon Key Arts Festival and the Howard Livingston and Mile Marker 24 Concert was great. We have been enjoying watching Netflix with the new Pyle projector. The sound is good and the six foot screen is amazing. Anna Marie hangs a sheet across the back of the cabin and we lie in bed to watch. 

We’ve been to Burdines and Schooners Wharf this week. Michael McCloud and Crab and Avocado Salad are still Key West favorites.     

Mike McCloud at Schooner's Wharf

Anna Marie found an Eagles coconut

Howard Livingston and the Mile Marker 24 Band

Howard Livingston and his Johnson

Weather - mostly windy and chilly

Work Stuff - No projects this week!

Friends - Tom arrives with Loafs and Fishes; Sweet Dreams and Dale and Sandy (with Jack) head home to Wikki Wachee, waited for the Fritz’s on Thursday but trailer tire issues delayed their arrival until Friday, 2/3.

Sweet Dreams being prepped for the haul out