Day 206 Januray 12, 2023

 Day 206 Thursday, January 12, 2023

Marco Island Anchorage to ...... Stock Island, Key West!

Good news, our anchor held well and we had a good night's sleep.

Last minute decision made to head to Stock Island.  We had planned for Little Shark River but the morning weather check promised good weather for the day and unsettled weather for the following 4 days.  We wouldn't be able to travel until Monday at the earliest. That would mean we could get stuck in Little Shark (with the bugs) for several days.  Add to that, no cell service to check the weather, it felt like the best decision was to cross the Gulf to Stock Island.  Anchor up at 6:20, we prepared (mentally) for a very long 110 mile travel day.

The Gulf was beautiful, the day sunny and pleasant.  WE SAW A SEA TURTLE and dolphins!!  Again, too slow with the camera.

 We were passed by the Key West Express tour boat.

The biggest sighting for the day was all of the crab pots everywhere.  We probably had a combined 1.5 hours without any!  They are so hard to see with the waves and sun glistening on the water.  It made our 12 hour day a bit stressful.  At one point we had to do a hard reverse to miss 7 crab pots wrapped together.  They looked like a pelican until we were right on top of them.

Because of the distance we needed to travel and need to arrive before dark (ETA 7:30) we traveled for a while at 12 knots, instead of our usual 8.  Unfortunately, as we approached Key West an oil pressure alarm starting going off.  Always something.  Jerry checked the engines and all was fine.  Maybe it was just a sensor??

  Naval station on Key West

We pulled into the channel at Key West in time to catch a beautiful sunset.

 

 

We still needed to make it to our marina on Stock Island, about 30 minutes further.  

We traveled in the dark to our marina and slip.  Very anxious, watching for other boats and markers leading to the different channels along the way.  

We are SO grateful for Susan and Danny!  They stood at the entrance to the marina with their flashlights guiding us through the narrow unlit markers at the entrance to our marina.  Danny was on his cell phone giving Jerry directions as he watched us come in.  Once in the marina they guided us to our slip and helped us dock. We had traveled 12 hours and 40 minutes.  Susan was jumping up and down, excited for our arrival and full of celebratory hugs for us.  She was just as happy as we were to have arrived.

After a quick shower we joined Susan and Danny on their boat to wind down over cards.  So happy to have landed and to be met by our friends.

View from the marina beach of the unlit markers that Danny and Susan directed us through!