Anchored off Key Largo

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Had decided to go to the Exumas with my buddies that I had been running with since Vero Beach. Even sith the broken heat exchanger held together with rubber and hose clamps. We were leaving on Monday but when I started the boat all hell broke loose. A hose burst and salt water was gushing out of it. I had a spare but it was a bear to get on. I finally got it fixed and started ti up and the leak in the exzchanger started again. I took it apart and got it to not leak again but it was already 2:00 so I bagged going with them and decided ot stick with the originaql plan, go to Marathon on Boot Key and moor ther until I get it fixed. A lot of people go to Marathon and stay for the winter year after year. The Bahamas in Exumas sounda much more interesting though. Well next year. I may still go to the Abacos, but only with a new heat exchanger.

I hope to be in Marathon on Thrusday about lunchtime. There is a bus service form there that for $1.50 you can ride to all the Keys. I want to check Key West out by bus. I have heard that there are not too may good anchorages in Key West.

I have been anchored or at a mooring since Vero Beach. That saves all kind of money but it would be nice to take a real shower again.

I liked Miami beach. We worked hard though. Had to haul water, food, beer and fuel back to the boat by dinghy. Must have made 40 trips but got it all done.South beach and the pedestrian mall are fun but thay make me sp-end too much money. The beach is really nice. We had one night of 30 knot gusts that tried to blow me back into the seawall but the anchor held again.

The motor did good today, I'll see what happens tomorrow morning. Only two more five hour days I think. I do have to go through shallows tomorrow and it will be low tide when I leave.

The guys I was with told me to go with them anyway that if it broke again I would just fix it again and I may not have the opportunity to make that trip again. Jim started his motor that morning and black smoke came pouring out of it. He tinkered for about a minute and started it again and decided it would make it so off he went with blacksmoke pouring out behind him. I heard them talking on the radio as they left. Jim would say hold on my motor just quit, oh never mind it just came back on. He and Cliff rigged up a SSB radio on his boat for about $50 while they sere in Miami. It usually would cost $1000. He has miles of wires running all over his decks and hanging loose from his ceiling. He bought like 20 cases of beer in Miami. He drives an old beat up Morgan 40 and plans on heading for the Dominican Republic in March. He says there is nothing more fun than a third world country. Mainly because litigation has not ruined them yet. I am going to miss those guys.

It is like summer out here I keep getting rocked by wave runner wakes.

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Comments

[Frank]

Florida Keys
Congrats on your trip so far. Keep going south. watch out for the hard coral. Go snorkelling a lot. I'll be down on January 1st and I'll have a jet boat and dive gear in tow.