Shifting Gears: It is Time to Move Along

We have been on the mooring in Boot Key Harbor since November 25. We did not have plans to stay here this long, but we have had a good time and we have met some amazing people. It seems like everyone here has a very interesting story of their life, and how they ended up here. Most have plans to move on, but some have ended their journey here.

They say that this harbor has a sticky bottom. What is meant by that, is that this place is a safe haven from the sea. It has been a safe haven since the beginning of time. Being safe is good and bad. If you always take the safe path, you will never experience many of the most amazing places in the world. I have to admit, there have been some times while we have been traveling in the boat that I was concerned for our safety. Most of that concern was just worry about the things I can't control. We are on a very capable boat that is well maintained. Some of that concern is good, it makes you take the time to do things right. Even if it takes doing them twice. The consequences could be significant. Much more significant than on land. When we arrived at Boot Key Harbor that safety felt good.

We have been getting the feeling that it is time to move on. When we got that feeling in the RV, we called it "Hitch-Itch". We have not come up with a saying for the boat, but we know it is time to get moving. We have so much we want to do and see.

The problem with moving in a boat is we are totally dependent on the weather. We have to wait for the proper weather to know when we can move safely and in the right direction. We call that a weather window. It is currently blowing 20 to 25 knots out of the North East. There are 6 to 10 foot seas. Traveling in that would be less than fun. We are looking at a weather window that starts next Wednesday, January 15 and is forecast to hold for about 10 days. The problem with forecasts, is they are rarely right.

We are now getting ready and planning to leave next week. Our plan is to take some time and visit some remote anchorages in the "Back Country" of the Florida Keys. We are hoping for beautiful blue water and good fishing and snorkeling. I can't wait to see how it goes. After a few days, we will again look at the weather forecast and make the decision if we go to the Dry Tortugas or we will head north to the mainland of Florida. It all depends on the weather...

As I said above, our time at Boot Key Harbor has been great. We have a busy social calendar with Pickelball on Tuesday and Thursday and Dominos on Tuesday. We also have Happy Hours to attend with great friends. There are also special events like the Polar Plunge and Chili Cook Off on New Years day. We also volunteered at a Keys Music Festival this past weekend. It was a three day festival with 45 local bands. We worked for 6 hours on Friday, (It was not hard work) and got the three day pass and cool T-shirts.