Time to Start Looking North

Viridian has reached the end of the journey south on America's Great Loop.  The Florida Keys was the only place where this year's long arm of winter had a hard time reaching. 



The crew of Viridian is within one week of departing our comfortable slip at Stock Island Marina and making our way north by way of the Gulf of Mexico, back to Ft. Myers and across the Okeechobee to the AICW.  The six-week stay here not only kept us in warm weather and allowed us to explore a unique part of the US butwe also met some of the nicest folks you could ever encounter.  Once the thrill of being in a new place fades, it's the friends you make along the way that mean the most.  Another benefit of staying put for a while is being able to get some things done to Viridian that needed attention.  Things like: replacing the lower shift cable, replacing a bank of batteries, polishing the Strataglass on the fly bridge, start on rebuilding the fresh water plumbing/pipe system, defrosting both freezers, deck maintenance, boat safety inspection and a good cleaning inside and out.  By the time the next weather window opens for our departure, we will at least have our boat in shape, but leaving our new friends will be a bittersweet event.

That's the news and here are some views:

A visit from a Manatee

Turtle Tub

Front yard decoration Florida style  

Momma hen with hatchlings

Lunch with friends

Stepping out of a picture

An evening in Key West

A chicken helping bus the table

Marina Life as a Looper

Each day, a new Looper boat arrives somewhere in Key West.  As members of AGLCA we are able to locate one another and plan a gathering either on someone's boat or at one of the marina’s facilities.  For the past several days, the crew of Viridian has been performing some preventive maintenance on the boat, taking long walks along the shore of the Island, going to see a movie and hanging out with other boaters.  Also, we have been here long enough to start to get to know some of the locals and get a glimpse of what life is like for them living here in Key West.

We have about 13 days left here before we start our voyage north to Canada.  Some of the people we meet here will possibly be going the same time we do.  We will certainly meet other Loopers and local boaters along the way.  One thing is certain, the places we stay are sublime, but the people we share it with make it unforgettable.

That's the news now here are some views:

 Went to the Tropic Cinema to see the movie, "The Darkest Hour".

Custom Restrooms

 Back to The Hogfish with newly arrived Loopers and boaters

Satisfied Hogfish Customers

 We arrived a little early for the Looper gathering at The Galleon Marina in Key West

 Everyone brought what they wanted to grill and a potluck side dish

 Sharing War Stories

As you can see, it's cooler than normal for Key West, but nothing like what our friends and family are experiencing north of us

Getting Settled

The crew of Viridian will be docked in Key West for at least a month.  This is all new territory for us, and getting our heads wrapped around navigating the island will take a few days.   Walking around in the marina, we found a local art gallery and met the owner, Koz.  He was a wealth of information and had one good map of the area left which he gave to us.  Koz told us where all the free parking was and what places were a must to see.  Armed with a cartoon map of Key West and adjacent Stock Island, we now had to work out our transportation.  The choices were walking, taking a free shuttle bus from the hotel, taxi, Uber, bicycles or scooter.  Most of the places we wanted to see were across the canal onto the island of Key West.  Everyone here seemed to be using scooters to get around on.  They were everywhere.  We called one of the recommended scooter rentals and soon had our own scooter to launch our first expedition onto the islands.  

Our first scooter trip was to circumnavigate the island of Key West and get the big picture overview, then come back to Viridian and study the map to get oriented.  On the way, we stopped at several strip malls to pick up some supplies and cruised through neighborhoods on the Middle Island.  The next day we went to the far west end of Key West where the original Old Town section is.  The island of Key West is now three times the size it was originally; excavation for marinas yielded so much fill that the island was built east until it almost met Stock Island.  This area is called "New Town".

Saturday morning was boat-cleaning time.  We spent all morning washing and cleaning Viridian and applying protective polish to the Strataglass Bimini enclosure on the fly bridge.  For lunch, we ordered sandwiches from the nearby tiki hut and didn't need another meal that day.  After showers, we took the free shuttle bus to Publix to get a month's worth of provisions; after putting all that away, we caught the shuttle bus again and it took us deep into Old Town Key West.  We had two hours to find the best Key Lime Pie on the island before we had to catch the shuttle back to the marina at 8:30 PM.  This pie was found at Pepe's on Caroline St.

Sunday morning started off with the final stage of cracking into that coconut we found off Pine Island back up around Ft. Myers.  Later in the morning, the scuba diver boat bottom cleaner we hired showed up to scrub off the layer of slime we grew while docked in Ditto Landing all year.  He also replaced all the underwater zinc that was almost eaten away.  I asked him what he sees when he's down there cleaning boats in this marina.  He has seen sharks: hammerheads, bull sharks, lemon sharks, nurse sharks and others. He has seen rays, eels, barracuda and all manner of reef fish.  One day a manatee came up behind him and pulled his regulator out of his mouth thinking it was a fresh water hose. (They love to drink fresh water.) 

Once all this was completed, we took the scooter back into old town, parked in the free parking area, and started exploring Duval St.  Duval St. is like the main drag in Key West.  All the shops and many restaurants are located there.  We also walked down side roads checking out some old houses and neighborhoods in the area. 

It will take several more trips onto the island to visit as many attractions as we can during our short stay here.

That's the news, now here are some views.

Viridian in her Key West slip at Stock Island Marina, FL

One of our Island transportation options

Key Lime and Coconut Cream Pie at Pepe's 

New Harley Fat Boy

Christmas Tree for Viridian

Drop-off and pick-up location for the shuttle bus in old town

Back to the coconut.  Must use the proper tool to open.

Didn't spill a drop!  It actually tasted GOOD.

I noticed this fantastic schooner docked on the other side of the pier from Viridian.  After talking with some of the crew, I was stunned to discover that this was General George Patton's private yacht When And If.  He had planned to sail her around the world with his wife Bea when the war was over and if he survived.  Sadly, he was killed in a car accident in Germany before he could make that voyage.  Check out the live link above for more info on this beautiful vessel.

Marina Pool Area

 Jason prepares to go under and clean the bottom of Viridian and replace underwater zinc

Sunday Lunch on Viridian

Meg and the Sponge Man

Typical Island shop

The area is covered with shops like this

Springtime in December

What is this house's story?

Old Florida House

Typical Old Town House

Very little sign of hurricane Irma here

 Rest Break

Off the main drag down a side road

Nice porch for a nap

Episcopal Church in Old Town Key West

The oldest School House (old brass bell near the flag)

Another view of the church

A real "Dollar Store"

Taking a rest on the dock

Sunset dinghy ride through the harbor

Shrimp boats getting ready to go out at night