Visit to the Autumn Borne by friends

This past weekend we had close friends visit us on the Autumn Borne.  Mike Collins, and Sue Miller came from their southern home, up near Tampa/SP to stay on the boat in the harbor.

Considering that Sue had never been on a boat before...and the wind did pick up to near 20 knots at the end of their stay, she did great!!!

Mike, Rob Davidge, and Sue on the P/V "R&B Haven.

We even took a small dinghy tour of the multi-million dollar homes along the canals, back by Sister's Creek.   Photo below...

Looks of intensity, but I think they enjoyed the dinghy rides!  :)

We looked all weekend for the manatees that have been visiting our harbor here...  
Didn't see a one until the hour that Mike and Sue left....  then we had one playing at the fresh water hose along the main dock at the City Marina...  Cute!  (photo below).

Young manatee drinking from fresh water hose.

Mike and Sue got a chance to see the DOCKSIDE restaurant and bar (for happy hour, and dinner) , and the STuffed Pig restaurant (for one breakfast).

after final breakfast  -  Wonderful visit...

Great Weekend.  

here's to YOU Sydney !

Here's  to you Sydney.
We'll miss you!

Sydney the 'boat dog'!  

Dinner party at Sunset Grille - near the 7 Mile Bridge (Marathon)

The 'group' at the Sunset Grille - just before sundown!

Last night (Thursday) there was NO movie at the Tiki hut because of the wind (which would have probably blown the screen down...).   So a dinner party was organized for our little group of cruisers at the Sunset Grille, down by the 7-Mile bridge (a $5 taxi ride away from the City Marina).  

That is one of the advantages of this key... $5 will get you most everywhere on the island by taxi, and there's a bunch of taxi companies servicing the key.

sunset at the Sunset Grille - 7 Mile Bridge to the right.

A great time was had by all.   Suzie Cole had one of the souvenier drinks that came in a ceramic monkey... 

and the Buffalo Chicken wings we had for an appetizer were 'suicidally' hot !!!!    Nelson learned first hand about the 'healing power of granulated sugar for burning lips'.

susan and dean on pier - full moon
and clouds behind

suzie with her "Monkey Drink"

Crowded outside bar, near the pool, and patio dining.

end of the evening after taxi rides,
at the "Tree of Knowledge".

New gas tank for dinghy - Beach - Dockside

Today was another long day at the Harbor...

I knew that we'd have to make a trip to West Marine to replace the dinghy's gas tank. Yesterday I found a crack in the fuel outlet fitting in the tank... that kept admitting air into the fuel line, as well as spewing gasoline out when the primer bulb was flexed...

Anyway... before the West Marine trip we let Sydney swim for her therapy... and we talked with Dorothy and Glenn (s/v Dots Way) on the Single Side Band radio... they're still down in the bottom of the Bahamas..(the ragged islands)...

dinghy dock gues - heron - fishing was good!!!

Once we got the tank for the dinghy... it only took me about an hour to change the system over to the new fittings, etc.     Runs like a charm now... :) yeah!!!

When we came back from the West Marine, and bike store..there was a unique dock guest... a great blue heron... I guess the fishing was pretty good in the dinghy slip, because he was not about to move for anyone. :) 

We took the dinghy on a test run to Sombrero Beach (don't tell Sydney!)... Met Ondra, Nelson, and Lorraine there... had a nice swim, and some conversations.... a wedding was being set up on the beach... so we stayed to watch that...

Tonight's Band at Dockside -

This evening we went over to Dockside to have a few drinks, and dinner, and listen to this two man band... (started the set with John Prine songs.... I mean how wrong can you go... when you start with PRine?

 One of the characters at the Dockside tonight (no photo) was "Diver Dave"... Don't really know his full or proper name... but he makes his living by cleaning boat bottoms here in Marathon... I spent some of the afternoon that they were supposed to run the Daytona 500 with diver Dave... He made his own teeth out of epoxy... after years of holding onto a scuba mouthpiece...they basically pulled out... so he made some... I tell you... there's a "cast of Thousands" here...:)

Manatee also at the Dinghy Dock - Marathon Key 
longer than most dinghies!!!!

Tried new SNUBA rig - under Autumn Borne

Yesterday, I (dean) tried the new SNUBA rig under the Autumn Borne.  (SNUBA is sort of a trade name for something I've made up from a 40 foot air hose, and primary, and secondary regulators for breathing.   The idea is that you can leave the air tank on the deck, along with the BC, just go over the side with wetsuit, and weight-belt, and fix whatever needs to be fixed).

It took about three tries to get the weight-belt correct for neutral to slightly-heavy bouyancy, (slightly heavy = So I could stay stationary next to the prop-zinc);   But the air system works well.

I think if you just wanted to go into the water without the wetsuit (7-mil) the SNUBA rig would allow you to move about the boat without the heavy weightbelt... May try this later this week, or let Susan do that while I use the standard SCUBA rig.

After the beach day, yesterday, we went to Upper Crust Pizza with our fellow cruisers... what a blast, and a good meal...