Duck Key

I know it's been a while since my last post, but it was a very hectic turnaround from the Chicago trip. We retuned to Florida on Wednesday, Dec 26th and spent most of the next day preparing for the boat trip to Duck Key. I was in charge of all boating preparations including purchasing supplies and loading the boat with our dive gear. Jen remained at home and unpacked our four suit cases from the Chicago trip. She really wanted to have a day at home before we started the next trip and I was more than willing to skip the laundry activity. Anyway, it took both of us most of the day to get fully prepared.

Our goal was to depart from our slip at 7:00 AM on Friday, however, we were just too tired to get up that early...So, we decided to hit the snooze button until 6:30 AM and depart at 8:00 instead. We finally got underway and headed south to Duck Key. The seas were relatively calm with the waves averaging 3-4 feet. This is not too bad to travel, however we would like to see it a little calmer. We reached Miami around 12:00 pm and stopped for our planned refueling/get off the boat stop. Wonderfun performed flawlessly and only used 128 gallons of gas, which is exactly the predicted consumption rate of 32 gallons per hour. After fueling, we decided to take the Biscayne Bay (inside) route instead of the Hawks Channel (outside) route. The inside route takes about an hour longer, but the ride is smooth and pleasant. We had one obstacle in our way in the form of a drawbridge at Jewfish crossing. The bridge only opens on the half-hour and wouldn't you know it, we got there as the span was closing. The vertical clearance to pass under the bridge was 7 feet and we require 12. So we sat at the bridge for what seemed as an eternity until the next opening a precisely 3:00 pm.

At this point, Jen and I were having a great time but were a little weary. We knew we were getting close, but the miles seemed to go slowly. We traveled through the back waters of the Keys and basically had the world to ourselves. It is truly beautiful when you pass through mangrove waterways on smooth water. I really love boating in the Keys. Anyway, we arrived at Duck Key around 5:00 pm and wouldn't you know it, there was a "Docktail" party happening at slip 19. We were the last to arrive in the group of about 25 Sea Ray boats. Jen and I docked the boat, with the help of the Hawk's Cay resort dock hands, and decided to join the party.

What fun we had seeing friends from last year. Our favorite couple is Bruce and Edna. They are always so nice to us and we love hanging out with them and their family. We were also happy to see Terri and Connie the proud owner of anew 44' Sedan Bridge.

Well the sun just peaked over the horizon and I need to get started with planning our adventures of the day. The wind is a little strong, so I think we will make it a pool/spa day.


Until next time,

Mike

Christmas Eve

Still in Chicago and having a great time! We really haven't done much today. We basically sat around the house and ate and ate etc.... My Brother-in-Law is cooking a 20 pound turkey and my Sister-in-Law is preparing all of the home made pies. She is such a great cook, very similar to Martha Stuart...No kidding, that level of perfection when it comes to her baked goods. I am currently in the 4th floor office and I can hear my wife playing the piano and singing with her nieces. It's sort of a Norman Rockwell moment. The plan for tonight is to eat Christmas dinner and then go to church at 10:30. I am sure that I will be completely exhausted before we even walk out the door.

I talked to two of my girls today and they were on the way to Daytona with their mother and grandparents. They were apparently having a rather stressful day. They are such great children and I hate it when they have difficult days. I know, you can't always prevent the drama, but I can hope...Anyway, we celebrated our Christmas last weekend and our eleven year old received her very first cell phone. This was well received, uh correct that, with jubilation! She was so excited and used approximately 200 minutes in only two days...

Well, I have to go so that I may contact my oldest daughter and my granddaughter. I hope I get to talk to them...

Until next time,

Mike

Chicago

Jen and I are in Chicago visiting with her family for the Holidays. Saturday, we had reservations at "The University Club". Our table was located in the Cathedral Hall where it felt as though we were dining in castle similar to King Arthur's.

Jen's sister took us on a tour of the city yesterday and I must say, Chicago is a beautiful city. I hear Chicago is called the windy city because of politicians and the winds they produce, however I don't believe that is truly the case. The wind whipping through streets of Chicago were fierce! Add a winter temperature of 21 degrees and you'll know that we were definitely not in Florida anymore. With the cold weather and the snow, it really feels like Christmas. I can't wait to return home and begin our next journey...

Until next time,

Mike

Duck Key Preparations

Well, here we are again preparing to take our boat "Wonderfun" to Duck Key, FL for a New Years celebration with the MarineMax Pompano group. We plan on departing from Jupiter Inlet on or about December 27 (weather dependent) for the seven (7) hour journey. In preparation for the trip, I had the engines serviced last week which included an oil change, water pump impellers, spark plugs, belts etc.., and feel comfortable that the boat will be at peak mechanical performance. I arranged for Ace Diver Services to scrub the boat's bottom surface on December 26th which will make a significant reduction in drag greatly improving our fuel economy. This will also enable us to easily reach our optimum 22 knots cruising speed. I also had her compounded and waxed yesterday for maximum beauty...I think we're ready, now all we need is to load her with provisions to get us through a five day stay at Hawks Cay Marina. We've requested slip 19 at Hawks Cay Resort, the same as we had last year. Slip 19 is very convenient to the laundry and shower facilities. Although we can shower on the boat, we try to use the land facilities as much as possible. I can't wait to get underway!


Until next time,



Mike