KOKOMO-PART TWO

We'll put out to sea and we'll perfect our chemistry

And by and by we'll defy a little bit of gravity

Afternoon delight, cocktails and moonlit nights

That dreamy look in your eye, give me a tropical contact high

Way down in Kokomo

A  good bye lunch at Hogs Breath Saloon. A MUST here in Key West. 

It has either rained, been cloudy or blown like stink for two weeks!!! 

A storm front moving toward us just as we sat down to Happy Hour at Alonzo’s. 

Big waves in Garrison Bight Mooring Field. 

We are happy to be safe on a mooring in Garrison Bight, but we are not very protected from the Northerly Winds. 

These are our “traveling clothes” hanging on a makeshift clothesline in the cockpit. They are a bit damp, salty and crusty, and haven’t been washed in warm soapy water in 2 weeks, but they are perfect cover for that long, wet dinghy ride in to shore. 
 

The showers ashore are warm and clean, the walk into “town” is about a mile, the food and drink is fairly cheap (during happy hour) and we’ve enjoyed the company and hospitality of my Cousin George and Marge Webster. 

We have pumped so much fresh rain water out of OCD we have often wondered about saving it to rinse our clothes and do dishes. 

Our “Kokomo” has not fully lived up to our expectations. But we have still had a great time and truth be told, had a chance to relax and take things slow. Here are a few of our favorite stops so far. 

Want a ride?  Take your pick...

Sunset Pier. Another tourist “MUST”

With a spectacular sunset. . 

Rum tasting and Oyster offerings. 

Turquoise water

Rolled ice cream.

And remembering special people in our lives. 

The morning after “the big blow. 

KOKOMO-PART ONE

We celebrated Our arrival in Key West at 4:00pm, Tuesday, January 14, 2019 with champagne and rum. 

Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take ya

Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama

Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go, Jamaica

Off the Florida Keys, there's a place called Kokomo

That's where you want to go to get away from it all

Way down in Kokomo. 

Although there are several places named Kokomo, including Kokomo, Indiana, Kokomo, Arkansas and Kokomo, Hawaii, the song describes a fictional Kokomo as a place "off the Florida Keys." The name was later used by resorts in Sandals Cay, Jamaica, and Grassy Key, Florida.

This isn’t Obsession, but this boat, Critical Path was Sailing so beautifully I had to snap her picture. The conditions were perfect for sailing to Key West on January 14, 2019.

This is one of our favorite songs  by The Beach Boys. David and I had traveled to all those places EXCEPT Key Largo and The Keys.   We have now made it to Key West, our original goal for this Dream Retirement Cruise. Along the way we toyed with  the idea of sailing to the Bahamas, Exumas and even Cuba, but as we got closer and closer to Key West we realized that this trip was really about traveling and experiencing the ICW and visiting the Keys and Key West. Once we hit Fort Lauderdale and Miami we knew we wanted to “Get here fast”  and then “take it slow.”  So I guess you could say this is our KOKOMO on our rented “ball” in Garrison Bight, Key West.  

We are quite a long way out in Garrison Bight, but we can move closer as balls come available. The north winds are keeping people from heading to the Bahamas. But soon that will change. 

Entering Key West you can’t help but notice the cruise ships. 

The trip from Fort Lauderdale was a fast one. We had Perrin with us, and along with a buddy boat, Our Log headed to No Name Harbor just south of Miami. The next day we continued to Rodriguez Key and then Marathon. We stayed there 2 days, took a road trip to Key West (to watch the Patriots win), arranged for a rental “ball” and the next day set sail to our southernmost destination. Key West. 

This is Cape Florida Light. I do not have this Lighthouse in my Danbury Mint Collection of lighthouses. Guess I’ll have to look for one. 

Sunset No Name Harbor just south of Miami

Leaving No Name Harbor headed for Rodriguez Key. It was cold!

The day improved though. It not only got warmer, but the water got bluer

Obsession at Sunrise, Rodriguez Key. 

This is the Seven Mile Bridge just outside of Marathon. The water is getting prettier and prettier. 

Sunset from Boot Key Channel just outside of Marathon

Sunrise Marathon. There are so many boats in this harbor. 

A sign that we are entering paradise. 



A piece of driftwood I’d love to have in my collection. It reminded me of the iguanas we are seeing everywhere!

The boaters garden in Marathon. When we return I’ll certainly check out some fresh herbs. 

We will stay a month in Key West resting, relaxing, and enjoying the sights and sounds of this famous and  beautiful tropical Island in the Sun.

A floating Tiki Bar in Key West.  Looking forward to having a tropical drink in my hand. 

The bluest waters I’ve seen so far. More to come I’m sure. 

This is not, however, the end of our journey. Our trip is only half over. When we leave here mid-February we will head back to Marathon for a week or so, and begin preparations for our trip north. We plan to find new places to visit, but will revisit some of our  favorite stops we found on the trip south. We hope to be back in Newport by the end of June.  

Everybody knows

a little place like Kokomo

Now if you want to go 

and get away from it all

Go down to Kokomo

⛵️🏝⛵️

 

ONE BRIDGE, TWO BRIDGE, RED BRIDGE, BLUE BRIDGE

Dr. Seuss’ book One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish has always been one of my favorites. When we visit 41North in Newport there always seems to be a copy of it in our room. I really don’t know why, I’m sure it’s just a coincidence, but it’s always a welcome sight. 

So as we began to prepare for the day’s trek down the ICW from West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale knowing we would have to navigate and time our way through 19 Bascule Bridges, this counting rhyme kept popping up. 

One bridge Two bridge Red bridge Blue bridge.

Number 2 Bridge, the Southern Blvd. Bascule Bridge is under construction. The bridge didn’t look as if it had raised up all the way to accommodate our 60’ mast. With fear and trepidation we passed under it with some clearance. 

The Lake Worth Avenue Bridge was an easy pass. No waiting, no hassles. Our day was going very well. This was bridge #4.

Bridge #13 seemed to be red. And was in the open position because it was under construction. 

This blue bridge is the George Bush Blvd Bridge. It was Bridge # 8.

Black bridge New bridge Old bridge New bridge.

A pretty blue bridge-Bridge #7 Woolbright ascuke Bridge. 

We didn’t have to wait for the published bridge opening time because the Barge has priority and we were able to slip through after. There was a lot of other traffic here too. A paddle boarder, a waterway vessel and dockside a M/V named Glaze that we see docked at Bannisters Wharf in Newport in the summer. 

This one  has a little iguana. And the next one  is named Lantana.

Look closely in the middle-the iguana blends in nicely with the tan bridge. 

We plan to anchor here in the spring and dinghy in to have dinner at The Old Key Lime House located at Lantana Bridge #5. 

Say! What a lot

Of bridges there are.

In two days we passed through 20 bridges. 

It was a memorable day, and a LONG day of timing and navigating bridges. We had Perrin with us so I was able to scurry around the boat, take pictures of the ICW and the bridges and keep track of the distance between each one. David and Perrin did all of the driving and navigating. The weather was perfect, and we found a beautiful anchor spot for the night just north of Fort Lauderdale. 

Sunset Lake Fort Worth. Million dollar homes all around us! 

The next day we finished our tour of the bridges and found a lovely place to anchor in Lake Sylvia. 

It has easy access to lots of amenities a Raw Bar (but they don’t deliver like in Cuttyhunk-we rode our dinghy over and tied up there for free if we ate there. Which we did!) The only problem was that you had to practically lay down in the dinghy to get under the small bridges over the canals. 

A view from “The Raw Bar” looking down one of the many canals. 

We met a fellow cruiser,  Bill Ouelette and his wife Tina on OUR LOG, a Beneteau 40 with a similar draft and mast height who offered to be a boat buddy to Miami and Marathon. 

Sunset in Lake Sylvia. The next day we would travel in the Atlantic Ocean to Miami. 

From there to here, from here to there, Funny things are everywhere.