3/15/16          Tuesday           Rodriquez Key, FL


I got a bit of sun today. Not too much, I think, but I'm feeling my face and lips, dry and warm.

Beautiful day of gentle winds and CALM (I'm not shouting) seas. A delicious difference from yesterdays wash cycle.

All our buddy-boats left around 0900 this morning, us leading this time and Evening Light bringing up the end. Sea Lark travels more slowly than we and Wendy and Dan but the got to the destination earlier that we. Evening Light and Grace stopped along the way for snorkeling and swimming at Hen & Chickens Reef. That's where I got a bit too much (?) sun - reflected light off the ocean is a subtle burn. The water was not as clear as Sombrero Reef near Marathon but the swim was delicious on this hot, muggy day. When we were going across the gentle wind, excellent cooling breeze. Going into the wind - hot. Amelia has dozed in whatever cool spot she could find all day. I'm thinking she needs to drink some more water. Me, too.

We anchored around 1600 hours (4 PM) and now at nearly 7 PM the sun is still high in the western sky.

Some oddities today:

• Flying fish! They just hopped, horizontally, across the water. In leaps of about 2-3 feet each leap. They just skimmed the water between each leap.
• Some really BIG and FAST animals racing through the water. I think they were probably dolphins but we could only see fast splashes near surface moving forward really fast.
• At the Reef where we snorkeled there was a big power boat with someone ALWAYS on the bow or the side just looking around. As we came close to it in our dinghy a couple people came onto big boat deck. We imagined that they were security people. Was the First Family or what other famous people in the Keys today?

David and Dan are out in Dan's dinghy looking at our and their anchor and a ship/boat wreck with one of those view the bottom tools/toys that you put just in the water then look through it, sort of like the 3-D glasses of old or the slide view finders (of old). Dinner still to do and maybe a movie w/Wendy and Dan later.

David and I just realized we have 2000 miles, approximately, to traverse in order to get back to Maine. We're going to have to book it and/or get some sailing buddies for some overnight passages. YIKES!          

Saw this cute, red lady in harbor last day in Marathon

tonight's view