April 14, 2016
It's 7:30am and the fuel truck has just finished fueling up Dream Chaser with 100 gallons of diesel fuel. By 7:50 we are casting off lines and heading to Marathon. The Gulf of Mexico is choppy with waves around 2 feet at close intervals causing the boat to bounce around and sea spray to hit the windshield. We round the bend of Florida and head into Florida Bay dodging crab pots which are hard to see because of the chop. A few miles into Florida Bay the water starts to calm down but there are still crab pots to be dodged, at least now they are more visible. Crab pots are round floats that are attached to a rope that have crab traps on the end. The key is to run between them so the rope from the traps does not wrap around your propellers. When I drive I feel like I'm on a slalom course weaving in and out of the crab buoys. About half way to Marathon the water changes from green to blue, a darker blue as the water is 23 feet. At this point there has been no land in site and no communications either with cell service or radio. We are on our own. There are a few boats heading towards Marathon and even less going toward Marco. Two of the boats that slowly passed us were at the Marco Island Yacht Club last night. We met them on the dock. One of the 2 couples were from Wichita, KS (we lived in Kansas City for 25 years). While we were talking I kept thinking that I had met this gal before. During our conversation she told me that she was the Kansas Attorney General during 1995 to 2002. I told her I had met her at a fundraiser years ago. We laughed and each said, small world.
It's 7:30am and the fuel truck has just finished fueling up Dream Chaser with 100 gallons of diesel fuel. By 7:50 we are casting off lines and heading to Marathon. The Gulf of Mexico is choppy with waves around 2 feet at close intervals causing the boat to bounce around and sea spray to hit the windshield. We round the bend of Florida and head into Florida Bay dodging crab pots which are hard to see because of the chop. A few miles into Florida Bay the water starts to calm down but there are still crab pots to be dodged, at least now they are more visible. Crab pots are round floats that are attached to a rope that have crab traps on the end. The key is to run between them so the rope from the traps does not wrap around your propellers. When I drive I feel like I'm on a slalom course weaving in and out of the crab buoys. About half way to Marathon the water changes from green to blue, a darker blue as the water is 23 feet. At this point there has been no land in site and no communications either with cell service or radio. We are on our own. There are a few boats heading towards Marathon and even less going toward Marco. Two of the boats that slowly passed us were at the Marco Island Yacht Club last night. We met them on the dock. One of the 2 couples were from Wichita, KS (we lived in Kansas City for 25 years). While we were talking I kept thinking that I had met this gal before. During our conversation she told me that she was the Kansas Attorney General during 1995 to 2002. I told her I had met her at a fundraiser years ago. We laughed and each said, small world.
We entered the Marathon Yacht Club marina at 12:30pm. A 4 1/2 hour trip that would have normally been a 4 hour trip but we slowed down to eat lunch and use the restroom. It was another beautiful day with blue skies, 2 huge sea turtle, and a couple of dolphin sightings. The evening ended with docktails and a cloudy sunset relaxing on the boat.
Leaving Marco Island Yacht Club
Heading out of Marco Island
Gorgeous Florida Bay water
Cruising Florida Bay there are no signs of land
View from Marathon Yacht Club
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