Key West

14 January 2014

Key West - we arrived in fine style flying the huge, new asymmetrical spinnaker and, courtesy of Lizzie, berthing at slip E18 Key West Bight Marina, which would soon be a hive of activity with J class racing yachts and luxury "gin palaces"

So began a long week of living the high life - we cycled the bustling cobbled streets, ate raw seafood every "happy hour" late avo then followed the sounds of live music to the next bar. Sea trials were hardly a trial, especially one sail with Alex and Andrea along the coast and a picnic at anchor on the approach to the AirForce base with F16s and other jets I don't know tilting their wings at us as they lined up for touch & goes.

The locals are an interesting mix. Cubans, Haitians, and Americans from the cold north, misfits from the cities, artisans inspired by the Keys, and tourism cowboys hawking everything from sunset rum cruises to jet ski tours to well worn but well sung covers at every bar on the waterfront. The main street, Duval Street, is the stereotypical tourist hotspot, to be avoided most of the day. Oh, and Roosters! WTF? everywhere, and with no sense of time at all! Cycling is the  way to go in Key West - The mayor is pushing hard with special events, supporter T-shirts, and its obvious - driving a car there must be so frustrating 

"Must do's" would include:

- joining thousands at Mallory Square at Sunset where buskers compete for your dollar and cruise ships leave the wharf just in time for everyone to see the sun set. People actually applaud the sun for setting!?

- visiting Ernest Hemingway's home, overrun with 6 toed "Hemingway cats" , his classic novels  displayed in his study

- having your photo taken at the southernmost point of continental USA  - a simple monolith that is available as a souvenir in every possible way

- eating raw oysters, stone crab claws and conch salad (Key West proudly claims to be the capital of the Conch Republic, they even have their own flag. Conch by the way is pronounced 'Konk', and yes it is that huge colourful shell. As in Marathon,they are blown at sunset, along with the firing of cannons, but here in Key West they're drowned out by the kettle drums and "Sweet Home Alabama" being blasted out from every sunset cruise boat offering as much rum as backpackers can drink for 30 bucks while dancing to the setting sun

- flying by seaplane to the Dry Tortugas to wander round Fort Jefferson and snorkel the small coral heads there

- smoking up big time on Cuban "seed-sourced" cigars and listening to some of the best blues in Florida, and taking in a movie at a classic independent cinema

- taking a guided yoga routine on the beach at sunrise, complete with lavender eye pads while meditating and Namastes all round, sweet as

- diving at Marquesas Keys to explore coral reefs in the middle of nowhere: morays, loggerhead turtles, nurse sharks, mahimahi, huge fans and tubes, nice!

Yep - been there, done all dat but didn't buy the T-shirt, just a few takeaway cigars and some good memories.

It wasn't all play of course, there were more issues to sort, like dealing with Customs and "exporting my boat", replacing the fluxgate compass so the auto pilot actually knew where to go, interfacing the AIS with the chart plotter so I can see ships on a collision course, replacing worn sheets when West Marine had a 40% off sale on rope, sea trialling changes made with wonder kid Alex who drove down from Marathon to see us right.

He and I had been getting frustrated climbing around the big Destroyer wheel that is Whakaari's helm so we started taking it off when working on the boat. Alex reckoned I needed an 'Oh Shit!' wheel in harbour (in case one suddenly had to get out of bed and deal with a dragging anchor, a small car steering wheel-type back-up) and when he and his girl Andrea came down to Key West they gave Whakaari a present -a gorgeous wooden spoked ship's wheel they found at a flea market, just perfect! So it's one of those things I'll really look forward to at the end of a passage - to take off the stainless steel destroyer wheel and fit this lovely high-gloss varnished (by Lizzie) Oh Shit wheel. Thanks Alex and Andrea!

Also thanks again to my crew, Lizzie, and Annika (and her friend Lara from the snows of Minnesota) -great company, good times!

Soon enough it was time to leave the United States of America. On the 27th of January I would be an overstayer, 3 months since my ESTA was initiated, so on 26 Jan Lizzie & I slipped out of Key West at midnite, heading out to the Atlantic and the Gulf Stream.

May your boat be leak free.

May your sails be in good repair.

May the winds be fair, the weather kind and

May your days be filled with the exquisite pleasure of new adventures, fabulous destinations and excellent friendship.