Travels aboard Obsession: ONE PARTICULAR HARBOUR-MARATHON

ONE PARTUCULAR HARBOUR

And there’s that one particular harbour

Sheltered from the wind

Where the children play on the shore each day

And all are safe within

Most mysterious calling harbour

So far but yet so near

I can see the day when my hair's full gray

And I finally disappear

Sung by Jimmy Buffet

Our stay in Marathon, Boot Key Harbor has come to an end. It was a perfect place to unwind from the fun days and nights in Key West. I must say, they know how to treat cruisers here at the Marathon City Marina. And the cruisers are the neatest group of people. Friendly, helpful, fun, and knowledgeable. They may call Vero Beach “Velcro Beach” well, I’ll call Marathon “Stay-a-thon”. So many people have come here for a week and are still here years later! Or they come for a day or two and stay a week or a month or two.

Since mid-December we have stayed in West Palm Beach for a month, then traveled a week to Key West where we stayed another month, then after one day of travel we headed back to Marathon where we stayed a month also. During that time we stayed on a mooring or anchored and did not stay dockside. All but two times that we needed to fill our fuel tanks we did so by carting our jerry cans to a gas station and brought them back to the boat to fill our tanks. We have done the same with water. Oh, and in Fort Lauderdale and Marathon the marinas charge by the gallon for water. But there is no charge for the sunrises, the sunsets, the camaraderie and conveniences of Marathon. As much as we enjoyed Key West, we found that we could take a bus for $1.00pp each way from Marathon to Key West. Something to keep in mind for the future. Here’s some pictures and thoughts that capture our time in Marathon. Truly, that “One Particular Harbour.”

I sent this to Zack Green Sunrise weatherman at WJAR, Channel10 back in RI. He commented that the water was so calm like glass. Many mornings were like this in BKH.

Returning after a late afternoon Happy Hour at Castaways I couldn’t resist this shot. The best sushi, the cheapest Yuenglungs and most delicious hogfish dinners. Interesting decor, and good times with special people. This picture also reminds me that here in Marathon we learned to take things slowly. It’s a no wake zone and idle speed in the inner harbor.

A piece of metal art hanging in one of the windows of Castaways. The lowered shade provided an interesting background.

New Catalina 42 friends, (Resolve) Debbie Smith and Mike Vaccaro and new Catalina 400 friends (Kimberly) Kim and Bill Reynolds) meeting for the first time and having a good time at Castaways.

And with sunsets like this it’s no wonder you go to bed dreaming of another beautiful day in this particular harbour.

There are many activities and amenities at the city marina. First, there’s Vicky behind the desk. She called me “Miss Janice”. She is kind, caring, helpful, knowledgeable, and knows the answer to any question you may have. She handles those of us waiting for a “ball” with honesty and sincerity, she sorts and puts out the mail, she manages the key cards for heads, showers, and laundry, the bikes you can borrow, and I’m sure a whole lot more! I do wish I had gotten a picture of “Miss Vicky”.

The “library”, the mail room, and a place for sailors to meet, do work, socialize and play Mexican Train. (I enjoyed doing that)

The garden is funded and maintained by the Boot Key Harbor Cruisers. Lots of herbs, a key lime tree or two, tomatoes, peppers and lettuce.

We found a diver (OCD DIVERS) To clean the bottom of Onsession, and check the prop and zincs. He even cleaned the bottom of our dink-maybe cuz we call it OCD?

We had lunch with fellow cruisers (SSCA $5.00 lunch), had groceries delivered for free from Publix, had mail and a package delivered to us there. All without major hassles.

We relaxed Aboard Obsession in the mornings listening to the Cruisers net on VHF channel 68, we sometimes did chores (fill water and fuel tanks, and our evenings were spent on the bow enjoying the cooler temps, nice breeze, scenery/sunset and the neighborhood. It was peaceful and relaxing, carefree and stress free. A special time, a special place-this “one particular harbor”.

Cocktails and appetizers were our dinner three nights in a row-first Kimberly, then a long ride out to the anchorage to Resolve and a final good bye on Obsession where we were joined by Three Penny Opera (Addison and Pat Chan) My, we did eat, drink and laugh a lot.

Kim and Debbiel posing for Cruising Magazine (not!)

Aboard Kimberly Mike and Bill obviously having a serious conversation (not!)

It was a long dinghy ride out and back to Resolve.

Everyone is Aboard Obsession before toasting new friendships and heading to new destinations. Obsession is beginning her trek home to Newport, Kimberly is heading to the West Coast of Florida, Resolve is staying stateside this year, but will find lots of interesting and fun places to visit, and Three Penny Opera is heading to Cuba.