As you can see there were a lot of fun and creative hat constructions during the Crazy Hat Beach Party and Low Country Boil event on Wednesday night during the MTOA 2012 Southern Rendezvous. We’ll let the photos speak for themselves – it sure was a lot of fun. We…

Since pirates played a major role in the settlement of Amelia Island the local gang helped kick off the start of the MTOA 2012 Southern Rendezvous, in Fernandina Beach, at the first morning meeting. MTOA is only one of a couple of the boat clubs we belong to. The club…

First, our friend Ellen and her husband, Roy, on Our Turn, came up with the idea to have a simple, but festive, evening on the dock tonight and procured shrimp from these fishermen (above and below). This was only the first 150 lbs she bought, it was such a popular…

All snuggled in at Fernadina Beach Marina for the MTOA 2012 Southern Rendezvous. We were happy to meet up again with the crew on Mosey (above), we last saw them in Marathon in February. Also in attendance at the rendezvous was the crew of Active Captain (below). We had left…

Our last stop in Florida this year is Fernadina Beach to attend the MTOA 2012 Souhern Rendezvous. We’ve never had the pleasure of visiting Amelia Island when going up or down this coast, but we’ve only heard good things about this friendly little resort town. We were surprised that, since…

We ventured out on a long dinghy ride today – up the New River and into a few side channels. We were just a short distance away from the marina and it was hard to tell we were so close to such a big city as Fort Lauderdale. We must…

Lisa made me promise we’d stop in Fort Lauderdale for a week, so after staying in Homestead for two nights to catch up on work and other chores, here we are putting the boat in the water right at Cooley’s Landing Marina (below), on the New River at the beginning…

Just a quick stop in an RV park in Homestead, Florida on our way to Fort Lauderdale.  

When I was in the planning stages of putting together our book, Women On Board Cruising, an acquaintance introduced me via email to Pat Erhman, a long-distance cruiser, along with her husband Rick on their boat, Sea Gator. I was so happy for the introduction because Pat and I corresponded…

When leaving Key West by water, heading east to Marathon, there are two Intracoastal Waterways (ICW) route choices. There is the un-obstructed, direct route of Hawk Channel which runs parallel to the Keys and cuts into Florida Bay at Marathon. Hawk Channel is somewhat protected from the coral reefs that…

Time to move on, but we were a little sad to leave Key West Harbour and Stock Island. It was a great month, we met a lot of neat people, met up with some friends we hadn’t seen in awhile and had good weather. What more could anyone ask for?…

One last walk around Key West before we start heading north up the Keys, through Florida and finally home to Michigan. Key West is a visual delight… We met Anne and Hank, Queen Anne’s Revenge, on our second Great Loop boat trip. We were happy to see them again and…

We can’t say enough good things about Key West Harbour, on Stock Island. Our second stay here, for the month of March, was ideal. Great slip right by the tiki hut on the outer rim, open air showers under the hut and a spot to enjoy happy hour under the…

Just for you Rob! We left Key West Harbour early in the morning – with calmer waters and clear skies forecasted, we thought it was time for a little excursion to the Marquesas Keys. The Marquesas sit 18 nautical miles west of Key West and are uninhabited. Our thoughts were that it…

On this particular day we had had a huge lunch a our favorite Cuban restaurant, El Caney, on Stock Island, later that afternoon, we drove to downtown Key West to take a long walk and watch the sunset. We really weren’t hungry for a dinner, but we thought maybe we’d…

Not only did the fishermen “bring home the shrimp,” but we also brought it home, to the boat that is. Freshly caught shrimp for dinner tonight, what could be nicer? Fresh seafood all within a mile of the marina. Fishbusterz usually has a full array of fish and shellfish available….

We’re all dock mates from our long-time homeport of Charlevoix, Michigan (the only people missing is our dear harbormaster, Hal and his wife Mary Ann). Although we have not been back to Charlevoix by boat for many years the friendships have endured. Our first get-together this winter was hosted by…

One of our favorite haunts this winter was the Stock Island Lobster Co., just a short walk from our marina. Unfortunately the whole month of March was very windy and the boats did not get out to get their catch like they, and we, would have liked. Some days they…

Not only does it boast a colorful, tropical splendor but Key West is a little unconventional with its kooky signs and unusual, creatively painted or put together, bikes and vehicles. Here is something new we saw in Key West this year. Not sure what to call it but doesn’t it…

Ever since we arrived for our month-long stay, it’s been very windy and this has inhibited our plans to explore the surrounding area of Key West by boat; we were getting itchy to push away from the dock. We’re usually not interested in taking random boat rides, so when we…