It will be a 90 mile haul, so we got an early start with a first stop at a nearby diesel fuel spot (note to boaters: never, ever get fuel from the Shell dealer in Dinner Key – more later). Cliff and Ann were a bit nervous about the trip into the Keys’ shallow waters — but that was the reason we bought a Bluewater in the first place; it draws just 3 feet. A beautiful day across Biscayne Bay and into Florida Bay at Card Sound. Mostly open waters of 7+ feet, with occasional cuts across shallows and mangrove islands that were well marked. Gary and Cliff spotted three dolphin in one of the cuts, the first seen since before Ft. Lauderdale. Lots of egrets along the mangroves and unbelievably crystal clear, turquoise colored water. A slight glitch as we were about an hour away from Marathon — the engine alarm went off. The reason: water in the fuel. Fortunately, we’d had the problem in Knoxville and Cliff knew just what to do. We anchored and he hoisted the bed to get access to the fuel filters, drained off a LOT of water and we were good to go. The real nervousness of the trip involved docking for the first time in our canal. There is a rocky ledge about half-way across the canal and Cliff needed to spin Dot.Calm around in what looked (to me!) like a mighty narrow piece of water. Mission accomplished. We are safely and securely docked at home. A jungle of orchids awaited us in Ann’s “orchid hospital” and the pool was a perfect temperature for a cooling swim. Glad to be here and thrilled to have completed our ICW dream. I think the cruising life is a bit addictive — I’m already looking forward to our next adventure.
















