Day 53 - Islamorada to Key Largo - The Party Boat

The plan for this morning was to take down the Christmas tree and we got some help from the wind that picked up overnight.  We found the tree down and several ornaments broken, thankfully not the new Snook Inn ornament. 

Dan and Ellen and our friends from Homestead, Chuck and Pam, met us at 11:30 a.m. to make the journey from Islamorada to Key Largo on the boat.  The wind was dying and the sky was clearing and we merrily made our way down the Snake Creek to the Atlantic.  Dan and Ellen have a home on a canal just off the Snake Creek and we could see it from the boat.  More beautiful homes sit on the canals and the river. 
 

 

The ride was pretty smooth and we enjoy the company.  The channel used approach to the Marina Del Mar in Key Largo is narrow and has a 90 degree in it – “crash corner” - so it is customary to announce your presence on the radio when entering or exiting the channel.  Several dive and fishing boats were exiting as we got there, so we waited for them and made our way in. 

 

 

 

Of course because it was just about time to dock, the skies open up and it poured rain.  Those of us assisting with the lines pulled on our rain jackets to prepare.  A second problem was that no one answered the marina radio or telephone and the slip we were previously told to dock in has a boat in it already.  We floated around in the rain for a bit until someone finally answered the phone and gave us a new slip assignment.

After tying up we relax with drinks on the boat until the rain stopped and the sun came out.  This marina has a pool and a hot tub, so we changed into bathing suits and partook of both until sunset.  Later we walked to Sharkey’s for dinner – good grouper and hogfish – capping off a fun day with friends on and in the water.