We made it to Marathon, FL!

...and we did it a day ahead of schedule!  After the events of yesterday, Cap'n realized his First Mate needs a better plan for the day.  So after our delicious dinner of scallops and mahi-mahi at Shipwrecks, we returned to the smelly boat to hammer 'the plan' out a little more concretely this time.  (BTW, if you ever visit Shipwrecks in Garden Cove at Key Largo, you MUST order the coconut battered onion rings...sounds strange, but they are to die for!)

While I had a real bathroom, there was no real shower, as we were tied up outside of a restaurant.  This was now three days without a shower, and the baby wipes were not cutting it for me anymore.  Our 'plan' for the day says we ought to make it to Banana Bay around 5pm.  That I can live with, so I elected to hold out for a real shower.  Not Donnie... Since we were able to fill up the water tanks with fresh water.  He elected to have his morning shower in the cockpit.  (After we sailed away from the dock, of course!)

What is it
about boys
loving to be
naked
outdoors?!
I don't get
it. Cap'n is 
like my 5 yo
grandson
running around
like a pantsless
berzerker!

As for me, I prefer to be up on the bow with a good book.
It had to be in the upper 70's today.

This was our view much of the day, about five miles off shore, as we
followed the Keys down from Key Largo to Marathon, FL.

Agnes (the auto pilot) is the one thing that worked beautifully the whole trip!

And according to today's P-L-A-N, we turned north at the Channel Five
bridge to enter the Gulf side.  Also according to the P-L-A-N, we made
the bridge at 1:30pm on the dot!  I love it when a plan comes together!
Less than 20 miles left til we get to Marathon :)

What was not on the plan, however, was for the engine room to nearly catch fire.  We are just navigating our way through the channel after passing under the bridge, heading toward the ICW "road signs", when all of a sudden, smoke starts rolling out of the stereo speakersin the cockpit.  What the heck?!  I run down below, lift the engine room lid, and smoke is rolling out.  "Holy crap, we're on FIRE!!!  Shut the engine down, NOW!!!"  Donnie jumps up to lift a hatch in the cockpit, and smoke billows out from there.  I'm trying to tear the fire extinguisher off the wall, and he assures me there's no fire; it doesn't smell like a fire.  I'm thinking, "where there's smoke, there's fire...how do I get the d**n fire extinguisher to work?!"  Donnie jumps down to also look at the engine, while I take over at the helm.  He asks me to check the temperature guage and we're at nearly 220, and it only goes to 240.  "Isn't 220 boiling point? I'm telling you we're ON FIRE!!!"  Once the smoke settles a bit, we clearly sees the problem, we have a tattered fan belt that caused the engine to overheat.  Luckily, we do have spares of those on board.  I soon feel back in my safe zone, as I have Mr. Fix It on board, and he's the best at fixing things. (Which reminds me, we have been told more than once that owning a boat is nothing more than fixing it in exotic locations. Boy, is that ever true!)
Donnie tells me to hold my course and keep sailing, and do you know what?!  I wasn't the least bit nervous!  In fact, I remembered many days at Prairie Creek Reservoir, where we would be ghosting along in a 'race' with the wind at our back.  I looked up at the windex, and sure enough, the wind was dead center behind us.  So, like a big girl, I changed the sailes to wing-on-wing, we picked up speed, and away we went a 3.5 knots.  We weren't setting any s peed records, but at least we weren't dead in the water either.  I was so proud of myself, I had to take some photos, while Donnie toiled away down below.

I'm sailing all by my own big self!!!

and I was doing it wing-on-wing!!!

Cap'n made a quick repair, we cleaned the cockpit up, Bessie fired right up, and we were off and running again.  And do you know, according to the P-L-A-N, we sailed in to Banana Bay Resort in Marathon at 5:30pm!  What was a complete surprise, was the party waiting for us when we docked.  All of Dave & Diane's, and Mac & Jean's neighbors were there with flags waving, signs, decorations, wine and cheese and snacks...let the party begin!!!  That was really cool....not gonna lie. 



Be sure to read the sign they made us- what a riot!
And yes, Donnie inherited (back) the busted up pink flamingo from his stay here last winter.



We made it, Mamaw!

...and we didn't get divorced, we didn't wreck the boat, Willis didn't jump ship, and we got in a day ahead of schedule.  I can't wait for Larry to give us the tour of this place tomorrow.  I can't believe it- WE DID IT!!!