Day 211
2755 miles
Our last month in the Keys was filled with family and friends and sun and fun. We had a day visit from good friends Brad and Gayl Kessel and their daughter Amanda. The weather was warm but too windy to take the boat out, so they saw Boot Key Harbor from the dinghy.
Two days later we enjoyed another day visit, this time from our dock mates at our home marina - Tim and Juanita Graskewicz and Mike and Pat Kowatch. It is always great to see familiar faces.
Friends Richard and Kathy Malone from Oklahoma and Garrett and Diana Richter from Naples came to Marathon 3 days later. This was a special reunion as Mike, Richard and Gary became friends back in the 1980's when they attended the Graduate School of Banking. We have seen the Malones and Richters separately since then, but this is the first time all 3 banking buddies have been together since those days in Madison, Wisconsin. The week was filled with reminiscing and laughter. (In listening to their stories, it's a wonder they ever graduated from the banking school!) We went to Key West for a day, a marine attraction in Islamorada, Lorelei's, and a sunset cruise.
We also had two visits with Ludington friends George and Gayle Towns who were vacationing in the Keys. We laugh that we had to go all the way to Florida to have dinner with them when we live in the same town in the summer!
In between the company, we had dinner several times with fellow Loopers Dan and Jenny Lynn Girvan (Gypsy Spirit). Since we have a car, we offer grocery store runs and restaurants visits that are beyond walking distance to other Loopers. A favorite place is No Name Pub on Big Pine Key. We've been more than a few times and have never ordered anything but pizza!
We've gotten use to the local saying, - "It's the Keys". This seems to be a blanket phrase to cover all quirky experiences and sights!
Mike and I returned to Michigan for his board meeting in mid-March so Greg had some fishing buddies onboard, including brother-in-law Keith, his boss, and friend Ron Sarto.
Every bed on True North was occupied the last week in March, which was our last week in Marathon. Greg and Karen's daughter Mallory and son-in-law Randy came for spring break. We did another trip to Key West, the guys fished, but mainly spent time just relaxing in the mid-80 degree sunshine.
Our go to place in Marathon has been Burdine's and their Chiki Tiki. They serve the best french fries we've ever had - in a basket, extra crispy - and add to that a delicious deep fried Key Lime pie (more of a pastry) and you have a killer combo that we try to expose everyone to!
Karen and the kids flew back home on Friday. Mike and Greg pulled True North out of slip 73 at 8 am Saturday morning for the trip to Safe Cove Marina in Port Charlotte. I drove the car and met the there. We felt like we were just getting to know our neighbors and getting to know the area and it was time to leave. We are looking forward to returning to Marathon Marina next January.
It was a 9 hour trip by boat back around the tip of Florida to Charlotte Harbor. Burnt Store Marina (where we spent December) had a broken pump out and we had to have that done before pulling the boat, so we went to Fisherman's Village in Punta Gorda. It was then an hour across the harbor to a self-operating lock, and another hour in a narrow canal back to Safe Cove. Matt drove down from Tarpon Springs to help with unloading the boat. We rented a U-Haul trailer to bring almost everything home, including the dinghy and motor. We spent the night on the canal wall. There was no power hookup, so we ran the generator all night.
True North was pulled out of the water at noon on Tuesday. It was a tight fit into the sling - we had about an inch clearance on each side! We are a little apprehensive about leaving the boat in the oppressive summer heat and humidity and took every precaution to avoid returning in the fall to mold and mildew.
We said farewell to many Loopers who also wintered in Marathon. It was bittersweet, as most of them were leaving to travel up the East coast to continue and/or finish their Loop. A part of us would like to keep traveling with that group. But the bright side is, when we get back to the Keys this winter, there will be another bunch of Loopers and if they are as friendly and helpful as those we have met so far, our experience will be that much richer. We have extended the welcome mat out to all the Loopers who will be on Lake Michigan this summer, inviting them to spend a day or two in Ludington.
So I am typing this as we are on the road home. We are going from 90 degrees to a winter storm watch! Greg and Karen will be at their "dirt home" (Looper lingo for house) this summer and Mike and I will be staying on our SeaRay, Slainte, at Harbor View Marina. We are thankful for the big things - like being able to spend the summer with family and in familiar surroundings. Our first excitement is welcoming our first daughter-in-law when Michael and Sarah get married in 17 days!
Once again, we give thanks to God for the incredible opportunity of taking a boat down the inland waterways and spending the winter in the Florida Keys. We are grateful that we did it safely. (we have our share of bumps and bruises, scrapes, sore backs, one sprained ankle - Greg -, and one bent prop but never had a major medical or mechanical issue that prevented us from proceeding). And we were blessed with meeting other Loopers that we now call friends.
God willing, we will be back on True North in the fall and resume the Loop in the spring of 2018.
So this will be the last post until then. Lots of pictures below!
If you visit for more than a day, we will probably hand you a cleaning rag!
Brother-in-law Greg
Looper get-together
Mike in the white shirt
We know people by their boat name before we know their name
Another example of barnacles in our marina
The Kessels
Pat, Mike, Juanita and Tim
The reunion!
Mike, Gary and Richard
Kathy, Richard, Mike, Becky, Diana and Gary at No Name Pub
The walls of the pub are lined with dollar bills
Ours is in the center
Richard and Kathy in Key West at the end of the road
Mike celebrated his 61st birthday on March 8 with a slice of Key Lime Pie
Theater by the Sea in Islamorada
Burdine's Deep Fried Key Lime Pie
Keith with the Red Snapper he caught
Karen, Greg, Randy and Mallory
True North leaving our slip in Marathon
A baby gator swam by to bid us farewell as we were unloading the boat
Getting hauled out. I said it was a tight fit!
Her summer home
One of the precautions. Screens over all vents to prevent mud bees from building nests
Our U-Haul
