The colors of Key West

Three lil pigs

Hello everyone....I know, I know.....where the hell are we?  It's been over 3 weeks since our last adventure report!  Well, let me tell you....grab your cup of jo or your rum/tonic and follow us down deep into the Florida Keys.  

We had spent over 3 weeks in Boot Key Harbor, Marathon.....and the absolute best thing that came out of that was our new 345 watt solar panel (see it on top of the davits in photo) There's a liveaboard-20-something-year-old wiz kid named Alex (he entered college at age 15 = brilliant) who installed our system....we can't recommend him highly enough for any of our cruising friends needing upgrades or repairs.  
This one panel recharges all 3 of our batteries, even on cloudy days, and handles all our electronic needs.....ahhh, peace and quiet without running the big 'ol iron jenny one hour-twice a day.  

I just had to put the above photo in here....it shows three Island Packets in a row.....when there's only 4 in the entire harbor out of 250+ boats.  The Island Packet is often called "Island Piglet" because it's rather pokey in light 10 knot winds.....on the other hand, in heavy 15-25 knot winds,  IP's are Porky Pig donning blue tights and a red cape -----yeah, faster than a speeding bullet....*wink.  

Boot Key harbor "Iguana ghetto"---hurricane docks that the
iguanas have taken over

We bid adieu to Boot Key Harbor.......and headed down to the mother of Buffett-ville Islands....Key West.  It took us about 7 hours sailing/motoring to go about 42 nautical miles.

Key West's lurking sea-monsters----whoa, I feel small

Key West is a cluster of.....well......everything....good or bad....and we are loving the diversity after 4 months of mainland Florida's conforming-predictable-monotone society.  










We hooked up to a city mooring ball on the north side of the island and quickly caught up with our Taos friends who are living here for a couple of months, Jack and Kim Smith.  They have graciously provided us with a couple of bikes and personal guided tours which is the ONLY way to see the beautiful backstreet charm of old Key West....it is still there, preserved and tucked away from the onslaught of the obese cruiseship village population that pours like molasses into the streets everyday.

The obese Key Lime Pie at Blue Heaven

We are also indebted to their local friend Jeff, for the recommendation and connection to a marine tech at Key West Yacht Club to help us out with our......broken-down-once-again "Otto" auto helm.  Another woodruff key,  set-screw AND a little glue seems to be holding......XXX fingers crossed.   (thanks Jeff! for the help and the lunch!)

Livin' on spongecake.....

One night we tuned into the local station called "Pirate Radio" and listened to Jimmy Buffett performing live in Key West....singing the top 27 songs as chosen by his Parrot Head Club fans.....the voted number one song was.....nope, not "Margaritaville".......nor "Cheeseburger in Paradise".......but rather "A Pirate Looks at Forty", our personal favorite.....it was a memorable evening of Buffett.

"It's those changes in latitudes,

Changes in attitudes nothing remains quite the same.

With all of our running and all of our cunning,

If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane."  JB

THE CONCH REPUBLIC

And now....... little trivia and history lesson.   On April 23, 1982, the US Border Patrol set up a blockade on US highway 1 near Florida City....just north of the Florida Keys.  

"This heinous act effectively isolated Keys Citizens from the U.S. mainland since the blockade was on our only land artery to and from the mainland. This roadblock portrayed Keys residents as non-U.S. citizens who had to prove their citizenship in order to drive onto the Florida mainland!  We protested! A totally American thing to do! Key West Mayor Dennis Wardlow along with a few other 'key' Conchs, went to Federal court in Miami to seek an injunction to stop the federal blockade, but to no avail. Upon leaving the Federal Court House , on the court house steps , Mayor Wardlow announced to the world, by way of the assembled TV crews and reporters, that ; "Tomorrow at noon the Florida Keys will secede from the Union!"

And so began the legacy of what is still known as the "Conch Republic".  They have dual citizenship with their own passports and their own independence day which is celebrated with impunity.....like so many of the other wild fests that take place here year around.  

So.....with total respect of all foreign countries, S/V Fiesta obliges by flying their flag on our courtesy line up the mast....LONG LIVE THE CONCHS! 

(yep, it's even the high school mascot)  

I'm not sure, but we believe the prevalent Americana Rooster that runs randomly all over the island is the official country bird.....CONCH-a-doodle-doo!

(Ya gotta love this place....it's so very entertaining.)

Coming next------Dry Tortugas!