Meandering Magees: Fishing and windy in Marathon

Sunday, January 28, 2018
Day 301

My last blog update was written on January 2 and I said it was a cold, windy day - a good day to spend on the computer. Today is warm but still very windy, and beef stew is cooking in the crockpot instead of chili.
The first week of January was so windy, our dinghy blew off its cradle on the swim platform. It is tied to a cleat on the boat, so it didn't float away (you have to be thankful for the little things). But we had to go out while the rain was coming down sideways and strap it to the platform. We usually only use the straps when the boat is traveling, not sitting at the dock! In fact, it has been so windy that we have not had the dinghy in the water since the end of December. This is unusual as dinghy rides are a main form of entertainment for us. Several times a week we normally ride to the Chiki Tiki (Burdines) for french fries and deep fried Key Lime Pie, or up Sister Creek to Sombrero Beach, or over to the base of the 7 Mile Bridge and Sunset Grille to sit in the sand on the adirondack chairs.
We have Looper friends in Ft. Myers who can't get to Marathon because of the high winds. And other Looper friends who have been north of Miami for 2 weeks waiting for the winds to die down so they can cross to the Bahamas.

We had a 3 day stretch that week where we didn't step foot off the boat due to the high winds. We are very self-contained on True North, and with a supply of chocolate covered cherries (for me) and Whoppers (for Mike), courtesy of guests Billy and Ashley, we could have stayed inside for a week! Actually, the wind confined us for the first two days, we were just enjoying it so much we stretched it to three. But company was coming so we had to stop being lazy. The boat got washed inside and out, including rental of a carpet cleaner.

We drove to Key West on Monday the 8th to pick up the two Gregs - brother Greg and brother-in-law Greg W. Greg arrived with a cast on his arm, and Greg W is recovering from shoulder surgery, so Mike joked that we were going to slap a big red cross on the side of the boat.

The cast didn't slow Greg down, and with friends from Ludington that were in the Marathon area, the fishing in earnest began. I said in my last update that I would post again when we have visitors or catch a sailfish. Bingo! In fact, the sailfish is such a big deal I'm not going to wait until the bottom of the post to put up a picture:

Greg took the picture of Gary and Dylan . They measured the fish, took the picture and released it. Quite a thrill! Mike and Greg W bought a "sailfish flag". It goes on the boat for all to see - like a badge of honor.

While Greg was fishing, Mike and Greg W and I went to the Crane Point Museum and Nature Center. It is also called the Crane Point Hammock. It is 63 acres of preserved history and gives a glimpse of the natural Florida Keys. The word "hammock" was unfamiliar to me, other than the ropey thing to relax and read a book in. In this sense, a hammock is a slightly raised habitat. It is like walking through a shady forest. Crane Point is one of the world's last remaining thatch palm hammock and the best preserved tropical hardwood hammock in the middle keys.
We began our time there viewing an orientation film. If you following this blog during our RVing days, you know my affection for orientation films. This day I was glad we had one as there are two ways to see Crane Point - a guided tour on a golf cart tram or a self-walking tour. The next guided tour was an hour and a half wait, so the 3 of us set off on foot. We surely would have learned much more from a guide. Just as it started to rain, we made it to the Adderley House. In December of 1903, a Bahamian named George Adderley purchased 32 acres on Vaca Key, which today is the location of the city of Marathon. He built a house with tabby concrete - a mixture of sand, burnt sea shells and rock. It is the oldest house in Monroe County outside of Key West. Adderley was a sponger, charcoal maker and an Episcopal lay preacher.

The circular path also included a stop at a wild bird hospital, where injured birds are nursed back to health.

Crane Point is named for Francis and Mary Crane, a Massachusetts couple who purchased the land from George Adderley in 1949. Their interest in conservation kept the land in its natural state while enhancing it with exotic tree and shrubs. The house they built is at the gulf edge of the property.

In 1989 the Florida Keys Land and Sea Trust purchased Crane Point, saving it from a scheduled development of private homes and a shopping center. It is a real treasure.

One Sunday the 3 guys went to a boat show in Islamorada. It wasn't very big, but they felt good supporting the local Island Christian School, which was sponsoring the event. I had the day to myself - a very rare occurrence. With the NFL football playoff games on the TV, the Hallmark Channel on my iPad, I spent the day knitting. It was great!

All too soon, Greg W had to return home and we took him to the "mainland" - Miami. It is what everyone in the Keys calls the part of Florida north of Key Largo. When I hear "mainland", I think of the Hawaiian islands and how people there talk about going to the continental US. Makes me feel like we are on an island - oh wait . . . we are!

Several days later, brother Jeff and his brother-in-law Dave drove down from Tarpon Springs for a short visit. The weather was cold and windy, so no going out on the boat, but we did take a drive to No Name Pub for pizza.

Greg and Mike and I went out bait fishing one day. Our harbor is fertile ground for bait fish. Mike said I would enjoy it as you actually hold a rod in your hand, cast and reel in. Unfortunately, the only thing I caught was a sea gull. They swarm off the back of the boat, feeding on the chum we put out to attract the bait fish. The line we use has about 4 to 6 tiny hooks along the length of it. As I was reeling my line in, a sea gull flew right into one of the hooks. We got it on the boat, where Greg cut the line and then put the gull back in the water. It was flapping its wings (a good sign) but I wanted to scoop it up and take it to the bird hospital back at Crane Point.

Last Sunday Mike and I went to Key West for a business function. The cold weather we had been experiencing (cold is a relative term, I know) broke and we enjoyed 3 days of sunshine and slight winds, much to the delight of everyone else who flew in from Michigan. It was wonderful to be with our IB family again.
In anticipation of going to the bank meeting, I splurged and got a manicure. I never do on the boat, as it is a waste of money. I just keep my nails short as we are always cleaning bilges, swabbing decks, and fixing things. It is surprising how polished nails brightened my day! Installing a new shower head with good pressure did the same for Mike.

While we were gone, Greg had more friends come on board to fish - Mike K. and Greg (Oscar) M. At one point while fishing, they had a tuna on the line. A shark decided to have the tuna for lunch and then they had a shark on the line! A big one. Oscar fought it for about an hour and had it close to the boat when the line broke. They did land a smaller shark that same day. Greg says one of the best things about fishing in Florida is you never know what you are going to catch!

We are seeing great strides in the hurricane cleanup effort as every day more piles are being removed from the side of Highway 1.

Greg and his friends flew home on Thursday. Dave and Patti Reglin, who were in Key West for the meetings, rented a car and drove up to spend the day with us on the boat. The weather turned cool and windy again, but we enjoyed giving them a tour of Marathon by car and lunch at the Chiki Tiki.

More company coming this week!