Key West 2025

 The end of May marks the halfway point in our trip. We’ve enjoyed remarkable weather. The marina sponsored an ASPCA fundraiser and fed us free burgers and rum punch! Happy hour at the Conch Republic included some delicious cracked conch. On Friday night we enjoyed a sunset sail aboard the Jolly River.  The trip was one of the prizes from the regatta last year. It took us around Sunset Island where Robin Roberts and other celebrities have homes. We went in search of sandbar spots near us. The water was crystal clear.  The only scary episode recently was when Gaffer decided to jump up on to the stove while we were cooking dinner one night. Luckily there was a big pot on the burner so he did not get hurt. But for some reason we’ve been craving Chinese food ever since.

This lobster is taunting us in the marina.  Cat had to depart Sunday before the regatta ended because we gave her the wrong race date. But Rob, Deb and I partied afterward until the wee hours of 10:30 pm.  At 5:30 am Monday, I awoke to lights in the salon which meant Rob was about to head back home. So I quickly shook Debbie awake to help him and then I rolled back over to sleep. I actually felt a little bad about that so I dressed and caught him as he was heading out and Deb and I started our day. Cattitude was in dress ship in observance of Memorial Day. After the sheets were laundered and the cleaning was done, we hopped in the dinghy for a sandbar trip then a delicious stir fry meal at home.  Tuesday’s list was long. We jogged in the morning then Debbie washed the boat while I laundered our clothes. She fixed the drawer face and we paid bills, then she announced that we needed a mango tree. Home Depot did not have any. So we continued on by bike. One assignment from t...

 I’d say we slept fitfully in anticipation of the race but we all passed out just fine. Cat made French toast for breakfast and we enjoyed a few mimosas while we put on our game faces. For some reason, if you paint your face like a cat, complete strangers will meow at you in passing. We enjoyed a mimosa reception at the Perry Hotel Marina before loading the boat into Rob’s truck and heading into town. Brad and Laura met us there with fresh cut watermelon and water. Rob went for beer and Debbie assembled the boat. The little family from the ice cream store and other children followed Debbie around like she was the Pied Piper.  Finally our heat was called and we carried Cattitude to the water. Rob held the boat steady while Debbie got situated. Paper mache does not hold up well if you submerge it! The idea was not to win the race but to get a different award so Debbie would only have to row once.  Debbie’s first race was against a woman in a tiny boat and a young chick repr...

The stars aligned and our friends Brad and Laura managed to come down for the big race. Brad drove down from New Smyrna and picked up Laura in Miami where she flew in from Guatemala. They arrived around midnight Friday and proceeded to make up for lost time by partying with the hotel’s Jamaican night clerk who was convinced she was Laura’s love child. Early Saturday morning, Debbie test paddled the boat a final time in the marina before deciding she could do it from a seated position rather than kneeling which is painful on her new knee. Rob was ready to fill in if needed. For some reason, I was never an option… The Duval Crawl started with a bottomless mimosa breakfast and ended with happy hour dinner at the Boat House. There were many stops in between where Debbie drummed up cheering squad members for the regatta - including a little family in the ice cream store. We all kind of took it easy in preparation for the big event Sunday.

Looks like a really awesome sitcom cast! Cat arrived around 11 on Thursday and we wasted no time jumping on a shuttle and heading into town. She had been on a flight down with a bunch of folks from New Smyrna Brewery who were delivering dog biscuits our friend Brent makes. The “mules” were SOOO much fun. We had a few drinks with the gang and headed back to the boat. Cat and Gaffer were exhausted! Friday morning we left the dock around 7 and had the first mahi in the boat by 9. A waterspout hung around for a while. Rob caught the smallest! We set it free! Cat caught the biggest! We cleaned the boat while Debbie cleaned the fish. We almost had an accident report because a 200 pound tarpon decided to jump on to the dock next to Debbie! It left a few scales on the dock before they shoved it back in. Tarpon scale! We enjoyed a fabulous dinner while we eagerly await the arrival of our friends Brad and Laura!

 Monday morning we were determined to curb our drinking and get some work done around here. Well, Debbie was anyway.  The day started with Gaffer leaping off the boat again so he was in time out. We got the laundry done and cleaned the boat in preparation for Rob’s arrival Tuesday. Then we jumped in the dinghy and went to a sandbar bayside. I took waters for us to drink. No, really! There were only two passengers on board- a husband and wife from Ohio. Debbie had just set our anchor when they waded over and asked if we liked beer. They had too much and they didn’t want to carry it back! So we helped them with their dilemma and our two waters remained unopened. Back at the Perry, we took advantage of happy hour for dinner at the tequila bar and restaurant.  Rob arrived late Tuesday so we jumped on the bikes and headed to the brewery where we also scored a pizza for dinner. Chocolate martinis in the flybridge capped the evening. We left the marina Wednesday morning at 7:30 ...

 Nothing good ever comes of a day without a list. It’s like a ship without a rudder. - Debbie Rosselle We had planned to fish Saturday but the fabulous weather they predicted didn’t actually materialize and the flags were standing straight out in the 14 knot winds.  We made breakfast and took the cats outside until Gaffer jumped off and then we all had to come inside. Debbie suggested we take the time to practice our cat make up for the regatta. I had envisioned being inebriated for the face painting but it was hard enough to do sober. I laughed so hard at Debbie’s Picasso Cat paint job that I failed to get a photo. Finally, we couldn’t take the boredom any more so we jumped on the free shuttle into town. That’s when things start getting fuzzy. We set a goal to visit three bars we had yet to patronize. First stop was The Green Parrot but we weren’t feeling the vibe. So we went across the street to a place called The Bearded Lady. Now THAT place had the right vibe and two hazy ...

 During our jog this morning I saw a bunch of tarpon ambushing bait as it rode the current under the bridge.  Back at the hotel, wild chickens and their chicks hang out around the breakfast tables and by the pool. The morning was spent doing chores and entertaining the cats who have not yet escaped. Debbie reinstalled the drawer face that came flying off when we got waked really hard. We took inventory and came up with a grocery list. After lunch, we rode into Key West and registered for the Minimal Regatta which is next weekend. We celebrated our success with frozen drinks at The Flying Monkeys. On the ride back we tried to stop by a locksmith for a duplicate key to the boat but the business could not be found! That’s someone serious about security! Debbie made the mistake of weighing at Publix so we won’t be dining out or playing with our new brewery friends tonight. Or maybe ever again. Debbie is already checking out the weather so we can pencil in a fishing trip. Tonight w...

The jets start in the morning and quit mid-afternoon. It is possible the cats really will be deaf and not just act like it after this trip.   After our jog, Debbie straightened up the cockpit while I got the satellite television somewhat operational. Then we launched our dinghy Furball and headed to the sandbar. We are trying to even out our farmer tans. From the sandbar we rode to Hurricane Hole to touch base with our favorite charter captain Chuck. He was covered in fish guts from the cleaning station but that didn’t stop him from giving us big hugs! Back at the marina, we took showers then biked to the brewery to celebrate the tapping of their new Kolsch beer. We had planned to cook dinner at the boat but we were so close to Hogfish Grill that it was a much more attractive option with a lower fire risk. Back at the boat we enjoyed watching the sunset with the cats before turning in. It was like a vacation day!

 We jogged toward the beach at first light. Debbie made it. I turned a little early but still logged over 4 miles. On the way back we saw two roosters fighting. Reminded me of my days in corporate. Debbie spoke with toilet tech support and figured out the potential problems with the head and located the parts at our favorite marine supply place in Key West.  We biked into town and picked up the parts, then went to Schooner’s Wharf for our Regatta application. Then since we were there, we went to the Boat House to rehydrate for the bike ride back. Back at the boat, Debbie began the disgusting task of disassembling a toilet filled with human waste. I pretended I had something else really important to do. But there was no escaping the horrific scent that wafted through the cabin when she pumped the sludge into the shop vac. She began coughing and gagging and tried to open the deck hatch but she needed me to open it from the outside. Unfortunately, our very nice slip mates were in...

 The rain went through early and the wind subsided so what better to do than another jog on the Seven Mile Bridge! The lack of wind made jogging easier but it made us easy prey for the mosquitoes which were ravenous! They seemed to like Debbie the best since her blood type makes her a universal donor. I jog so slowly they probably thought I was diseased or something so they mostly avoided me. By 8:30 am we were en route to Key West! The water was still stirred up but beautiful. The Navy launched several jets to welcome us. The sound was deafening. By 1:30 we were secure in our slip and enjoying a free welcome beer from the marina… well, free with every purchase of a month’s stay!  After a little quality time with the cats in the fly bridge, we went to Hogfish Grill for dinner, followed by a Neon Palms beer at the Cayo Hueso brewery. When it was time to call it a night, Debbie mentioned that the toilet was flushing sluggishly. There is nothing that inspires diarrhea in me faste...

  We started the day with a thunderstorm and so we got to sleep in while the cats sparred. We decided to clean the interior of the boat while the rain fell. Gaffer showing his butt pose! By 9 AM the rain had stopped and we got to go JOGGING! The 7 Mile Bridge is about a mile from our marina so we got a good workout there and back. We had lunch, played online and caught an Uber to our favorite happy hour place in Marathon- Keys Fisheries!  We had amazing sashimi tuna and hazy beer from the Keys. Then we headed back to the boat for delicious leftovers. Tomorrow we head to Key West!