CLXXVI – We have a ball!!!

The big news is that enough of the crew here left so that we drifted down the waiting list to spend the entire day yesterday as number one. We could see a number of empty moorings, but they are not ‘Empty’. They are still paid up and the people are gone and did not tell the marina they are gone for good.
We are very close to Key West and the weather isn’t cooperating to take the boats there and back in reasonable time so we were banking on getting the improved security of a mooring ball and make a day trip on the local bus to Key West. In order to make this KW trip we had to pass on the best crossing window we have seen in three weeks. There is another chance on Thursday and a better one developing on Monday next week.
I have to keep reminding myself that we have no destination or schedule. Sometimes you forget to enjoy where you are because you are trying to get to the next stop.
Getting a mooring ball was a good thing. We have a lot more space between us and our neighbours. We previously were surrounded by liveaboards. The boats surrounding us were in various condition as were the owners. Next to us was formerly red underwear guy, who yesterday pissed in his bucket and ceremoniously threw it overboard in front of Mary Lynn. Not the bucket but his urine. Formerly red underwear guy has a boston terrier that does not get to land too often. He lounges about the cockpit in his formerly red now gray no longer elasticized in any way red underwear.
Mary Lynn did report that she saw him in tIMG_1899-0.JPGhe laundry washing his flimsies…I didn’t have the heart to ask if he stood naked in front of his machine…no pun intended. She did report that the red underwear were part of his laundry. We were a boat length off his bow when the wind blew NNE. His boat was the party boat but relatively quiet except for Tequila night. They did attempt to resolve all the world’s problems and do not support their sitting President.
When the wind was S we were less than a full boat length off of Nicer guy’s boat. He was at the Tequila party but other than that was OK. He even came by one day to be sure we knew that there was an Art Festival going on in the Park. I suspect that he is one of the boats that park one day and for whatever confluence of reasons never moves again.
Then there was scowlie guy who lived on the trawler that we were less than a boat length from with the wind blowing ENE. He was basically benign except when we tried to leave and had three anchors, chains and rodes around our chain. He circled and scowled until the issue was resolved. I pulled up an old CQR, Navy and the remains of a third anchor unrecognizable. Whenever that happens you quickly look around and see what boat is getting closer or drifting away. This stuff was way older and not attached to anyone I could see. I really didn’t care we were on our way to our mooring ball.
The last boat in our little fleet was TAO. I suspect that her owner died and she was abandoned. She was a great old boat, one of the canoe stern variants built in the Far East. Her jenny was partly out and in tatters. Recently deputy GATOR was out and put a notice on her that unless the owner contacts the sheriff the boat will be declared abandoned and seized. Very sad. We were less than a boat length from her when the wind was NW and she on us when it was SE.
With all this why would anyone leave?
I have yet to tell you about when I rescued the guy who fell off the back of his dinghy. Perhaps tomorrow.
The rain has stopped, time to prepare for the day in Key West.

 

(null)

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.