2025 November: Getting into the swing of things fast

 30 November 2025

We started the day with a stroll up to the marina office. As we walked past the pool, I felt I was being watched and turned to see a reptilian gaze focused on me. A few steps down I found another one with his eyes on us. Neither one was disturbed enough by our proximity to scurry away. Yesterday it was ibis; today the curly-tailed lizards had their turn!

Today, being Sunday, we went to the contemporary service at St. Columba. We arrived in Marathon too late for Clark to attend band practice, so for today he sat in the pews with me. Next week I expect to see him up front with his guitar. 

We found the church in full swing of event planning for the holiday season. The first thing I saw as we pulled up on our bicycles was the sign advertising the Christmas Bizarre scheduled for next weekend.

Having attended services all last season, we were warmly greeted back to the church. As soon as I saw the sign for the bizarre, I knew help would be needed for this major undertaking and decided before being asked that I would be spending time at the church this week helping with the bizarre setup. 

After church services, members of the congregation meet in the adjoining room for a complementary lunch and light chitchat. Pastor Deb has apparently been anxious for our arrival. She approached me with a request to help out with a new initiative - setting up a crafting group to meet weekly. My friend, Nancy, offered me up as a likely person to tap for this activity. 

Pastor Deb took me on a mini tour to show me the various stacks of crates full of crafting supplies. Her office was part of that tour. It looked more like a storeroom with all the items she had tucked away in there! So, we have lots of supplies and just need ideas to go with them. I will have to get busy on the ideas part of this!

We ride our bicycles for transportation in Marathon. As we biked back to Marlin Bay, Clark suddenly stopped and asked if I wanted to stop into the Banana Bay marina to say hello to Paul and Michele. Paul is the one that haled us as we came in on Wednesday, and thus the first person to welcome us back! 

Clark and Paul got into a detailed discussion on boat repair of our autopilot and an analysis of the issue Paul worked on with Clark previously related to the wiring in his boat along with a new electrical issue. I finally had to tell Clark we were done and had to get going!

When we were at church, we found out that they planned a fund-raising dinner at a local restaurant for tonight at 5:00. Clark asked me if I wanted an evening where I did not have to cook. I was not going to turn that down. We got back to our boat from Paul's at 4:15 and left at 4:45 to bike to the restaurant. 

Dinner started at 5:00 and we knew we would be biking back in the dark, so we had to set up our bikes with clip-on headlights and taillights. Fortunately, Clark had already worked on our lights to make sure they were in working order. 

We have never been to Herbie's before. With a large, neon sign out front that says "SMOKE HOUSE", Clark wasn't sure he was going to like dinner.

Fortunately, the rain had rained itself out as the event was held outside behind the restaurant. Had it been last night, it would have been a washout as it poured buckets! Today the weather was perfect for dining al fresco.

The event called "Kilts in the Keys" was a church fundraiser to support several of the churches activities including the annual Celtic Festival and the Hammock House which offers free daycare for children of workforce parents in Marathon. Pastor Deb explained that it was held tonight as it is St. Andrew's saints day. He was from Scotland. It is also the first Sunday of Advent. 

The event had a all-you-can-eat buffet dinner including sliders (chicken, tuna, and pulled pork), black beans and rice, mac and cheese, and coleslaw. While we filled ourselves with delicious food, we enjoyed a variety of entertainment. 

Someone came through playing bagpipes.

"Adrian Z" played a nice collection of songs and took requests.

"Adrian Z"

We enjoyed the evening reconnecting with friends and meeting new folks. Finally, it was time to head back to our boat. Having gone earlier, Clark could advise me on where to find the restrooms before we left. He said look for the door that says "Inboards". The men's room is labeled "Outboards".  I have often seen "Buoys" and "Gulls", but that is a new one for me!

Women's Restroom

As planned we biked back in the dark and got "home" just after 7:00 in time to relax, watch TV, and write up a blog entry.

The picture I took of the restaurant sign at 5:00 contains tonight's "sunset" picture. It's as close as we got to seeing it.

2025 November: Windy Marlin Bay

 28 - 29 November 2025

Well, the forecast for wind was right on the money! We have had wind all day for the past two days. 

On Friday we did not even bother to get off the boat. Clark made some minor adjustments to the lines, and the guys that work here came by to provide us with a pumpout of the holding tank. In the afternoon, Clark got a package containing the replacement Autopilot pump. This better do the job! It's sitting in a box waiting for a non holiday to order hydraulic fittings. That about sums up his excitement for the day.  

I had a project that I had been saving since we left home. I printed out a number of pictures of the grandchildren to update my boat refrigerator. I generally keep ones I really like from prior years and supplement with recent photos. The refrigerator is my "happy place" not because of what's in it because of what's on it!

We watched a great Shirley McClain movie Friday night called "Last Word". I rarely cry at movies, but this one had me choked up by the end even though it was obvious how the movie would end when it started. What a great actress she is.

Besides wind, rain was forecast on Saturday. We weren't sure how to dress. The thermometer showed around 68 or so  with a 20 mph wind from a northerly direction. Without the wind, it is a no-brainer to decide to wear shorts instead of jeans. With the wind factor, we chose the long pants for the morning and changed into shorts later in the day. When we walked up to the marina, we found the long pants and a wind breaker to be the right combination. Passing by the pool on our walk, we noticed that no people were in the pool, and the birds were enjoying a luxurious bath with the pool all to themselves. They truly enjoy the walk in beach that's provided!

5 Ibis bathing!

Even with bad weather predicted, we decided that we should bike to a couple of stores to take care of some business. We lounged in bed too long and then had tasks to take care of before we set out. I was busy putting together our annual Christmas / Holiday newsletter. While I was going that Clark pulled out his guitar and some tools and changed his guitar strings. 

Somewhere in there, we had lunch. We had hoped to include a stop at the post office in our list of tasks, but by the time we finally got around to leaving, it was after noon and the post office was closed.

When Clark finally did pulled the folding bikes, he found the tires desperately needing air. He started pumping up his tires and realized that he had a broken spoke in the front wheel that he had forgotten to repair. Of course that fix had to be taken care of before we left.

Fortunately, we have a supply of spokes on hand, as this is a recurring problem, and Clark knows how to replace them. He had to deflated the tire he just inflated, take off the broken spoke, and insert the new one. It sounded like he was playing a musical instrument as he strummed the spokes until he felt the replacement made the same tone as the existing ones. He figured it must be about the same tightness.

We looked at the sky and the weather radar, and hoped we could make it to complete our errands before the skies opened up. 

For our first stop we went to Home Depot. Because we are here in Marathon early, we could actually cross Route 1 safely without running across the road with cars rapidly approaching - a true luxury here. Clark got the replacement hose part we needed, and we continued on to the UPS Store. I had bought a tablet cover for Clark that said it was for his tablet make / model. Unfortunately it was way too wide! We had to return it. 

When we got to the UPS Store we were happy to see no crowd. When we tried the door and found it locked, we understood why the store was empty. It closed about 45 minutes before we got there. Closing at 2:30 on a Saturday seemed like a strange time. 

The woman who runs the store came out to apologize for being closed. When she learned that we had an Amazon return, she said we could come in to take care of it! How kind! That was about the only thing she said she could do as all her machines had been shut down. So we were lucky! I was happy to cross that item off my list as it has been hanging over my head for a while since I needed to be somewhere where I could get to a drop-off to make the return. 

Still worried about rain coming, we headed straight home after that. As we passed by the Black Fin Marina, however, Clark came to a halt, grabbed my camera, and took a picture for the blog. Since we were here last season, the Hurricane Restaurant reopened with new owners. I thought he was focused on the three flags flapping wildly in the heavy wind.

But apparently, it was the Hurricane sign that had caught his attention.

We did get back to the boat without getting rained on. The rain held off until the evening. We enjoyed a breeze blowing through the boat for a while, but eventually the temperatures dropped and we had to close up shop. 

By 8:00 at night it was windier than ever and it was pouring down rain! The marina had moved the live music and bar to indoors due to the weather. Even so, we did not attend the event. With the rain pouring down about the time we would want to return to the boat, it would have been a pretty miserable walk.

Truly, I did not even look to see if there was a sunset Saturday night, but we did get some interesting views Friday night.

Clark took the picture below. The bright light of the sun is interesting on the horizon. Faro Blanco lighthouse in the distance is just visible hiding beside one of the pilings.

The pink blended in with shades of blue caught my eye a little later in the evening.

2025 November: Marlin Bay Marina FL

 27 November 2025

Depart: Marathon FL anchorage 9:00

Arrive: Marlin Bay Marina, Marathon, FL 9:30

Distance: minimal

The weather forecast for today and tomorrow sounded pretty ugly. Wondering what plan we should use for getting to Marlin Bay, Clark talked to the marina dockmaster to discuss options. She told him that they have an offer for folks to come in early if they have a reservation and bad weather is imminent. So, we took them up on the offer and targeted to come in this morning ahead of the bad weather. 

Our friend, Steve, who works on the docks saw our boat anchored nearby and texted Clark at 7:30 this morning to tell us we could come in around 9:00 to the same slip we have used for the past few years.

When Clark looked out of the boat this morning, he was greeted by a rainbow!

 

Steve texted Clark just before 9:00 and said the dockhands were ready for us when we were, so we pulled up our anchor at 9:00 and were in the slip at 9:30. The hard part at this marina is figuring out the best way to tie the lines with the fixed docks. We finally had the lines in place at 10:15 with a firm understanding that the first time the wind comes in with any strength, we will be back out making adjustments.

Besides us, four other boats came in today. We know the boaters on three of them from years past. It was like a reunion. Folks were busy settling in and adjusting their lines like us, so conversations were mostly short. I also got to chat with the very friendly staff - some we know from prior years and others who are new since we were here last spring. 

Clark joined me on one of my "rounds" and had a chat with a fellow doing the Great Loop. He is only here short term as he heads to the Bahamas for Christmas with family.

I walked around the marina a few times today and captured some pictures as I strolled along. The sky was threatening but other than a light rain, we did not see any inclement weather today.

I checked the iguana crossing area and found an iguana resting on the rocks nearby.

Sadly, I found sea grass in the slips as I walked around. It is on the far side of the basin today. Hopefully the wind doesn't blow it our way!

It is pretty thick in the inner basin. Glad we are in the outer basin!

I kept checking the sky on my walks and got some great views!

Faro Blanco lighthouse on a cloudy day

Marlin Bay Marina

I asked Clark to stand in front of the observation tower to give the picture some "life". He refused.

Observation Tower

As the sun got lower and lower in the sky, the view got better and better!

We are glad to be in our winter home and look forward to more friends joining us in the coming weeks.

2025 November: Arrive Marathon FL

 25 November 2025

Depart: Sands Key anchorage 8:50

Arrive: Barley Basin, Islamorada, FL anchorage 3:00

Distance: ~ 46 nm

We woke to a lovely, peaceful day as the only boat in this particular anchorage. 

Sun coming up over Sands key

Boca Chita in the distance

Miami, FL way off in the distance

Options for interesting photos were limited through here as we traveled calm waters with little to no boat traffic. Two hours after leaving the anchorage we passed from Card Sound into Little Card Sound.

Bridge to Ocean Reef

As we approached Key Largo we passed through narrow cuts with mangroves on either side.  

Mangroves in background

Key Largo offered up the same set of photo opportunities we see each time through here.

Anchorage Resort & Yacht Club

In the past we have seen some wrecked boats near here. Apparently they have cleaned up the area. Now the only boats moored here appear to be in good shape.

Boat houses near the yacht club

Perhaps it was the time of day or the day of the week, but the resort across the way looked deserted.

Further along, also in Key Largo, we passed by a tall concrete tower that always catches my attention. I did a bit of research and found that it is an old AT&T microwave tower. The tower in Key Largo was first operational in 1957, and it provided a way that Cuba could communicate via telephone with the outside world. Having worked for AT&T for most of my career I found this fascinating. 

Concrete Microwave Tower

I recently complained to a friend, Betsy, that dolphins never play alongside our boat. Well, I guess the rule, "beggars can't be choosers" applies as today we had dolphins come to play in our wake. First one showed up, then another and another until we had six dolphins along side jumping in the wake.

The anchorage Clark chose for this evening was one that we have used in the past. Barley Basin has good water depth and is well protected, but it is a mine field of fish traps to be avoided while looking for a spot to drop anchor.

Clouds offered an interesting sunset tonight.

26 November 2025

Depart: Barley Basin, Islamorada, FL anchorage 11:25

Arrive: Marathon, FL anchorage 3:35

Distance: ~30 nm

Checking the radar this morning, Clark saw some rain off to the west. He decided we should hang out at the anchorage to let the storm system pass while he ran the generator to bring the batteries up to snuff. With a short distance to travel today, the batteries needed an extra boost.  While we hung out on the hook in Islamorada, I did some crossword puzzles and Clark did some boat cleaning.

He decided to "bite the bullet" and buy a new, totally different pump for the autopilot. We spent about an hour fighting with a cellphone transfer of money to buy the unit. With that nightmare completed, we pulled up anchor for the final stretch of our trip from NJ to Marathon.

With so many fish traps to maneuver around on today's path, the autopilot probably would not have been of much use. However, we will both be very relieved when we get it working again.

Amazingly, we had another pod of dolphins playing alongside our boat today. Once again, they had a limited source of entertainment as there was almost no boat traffic other than fishermen pulling in or putting out traps.

We have arrived several days early for our Marlin Bay reservation. As such, we dropped anchor with Marlin Bay visible to one side of us and the Faro Blanco lighthouse to the other.

Last year at Marlin Bay they had put some paint samples on the tower to decide what to use. Based on the fact that the tower has changed color, they must have made their choice.

Marlin Bay Observation Tower

Faro Blanco lighthouse

A few boats at Marlin Bay

Keys Fisheries

As we came into the area where we planned to anchor, we were haled on the radio by boating friends on "Agape" - Paul and Michele welcoming us back to Marathon.

Later, after we had the anchor down, we saw a boat that we did not recognize coming straight at us. Clark said, "Maybe it's someone we know." It was! Folks we met last year, Marcy and Jeff, bought a Ranger Tug, and it was them coming to see us to say welcome back and hello. As we talked with them another boat pulled up, and it was our friend, Brian, from "Solitude". What a welcoming committee! This is why we love boating!

After they left, Clark and I did some much-needed boat cleaning. Clark worked on the deck while I tackled the upper helm.

Later, as the sun sank in the west, I grabbed the camera.

Looking to the west as the sun dropped in the sky

Sunset by Faro Blanco light

Looking to the east, the clouds caught 
the last of the setting sun.