Tarpon Basin, Key Largo, Florida

I am sure you can hear the roar in the background. It is approximately 80 "go fast" boats, most of them with hundreds of horsepower each with a "speedboat babe" in a bikini or a thong as part of the crew. It is a club run where they all take there boats to a destination. Look, there goes a small helicopter about 20' off the water above one of the boats. It seems to be taking pictures of each boat in turn. Wow. I don't much care for these noisy go fast boats, but it is rather spectacular to see them go by in single file heading back to Miami.

Just a few minutes ago the MV Island Adventure called the Coast Guard on Channel 16 indicating that there were three individuals stranded on a mangrove island that looked like Cuban refugees. After the Coasties switched the radio traffic to their working channel on 22 alpha, we learned the refugees were on a small mangrove island along South Creek about a mile across Key Largo from our anchorage. Island Adventure is a reef scuba diving party boat that was hailed down by the Cubans who were pleading for water. The dive boat with its customers was asked by the Coast Guard not to pick up the refugees but to go ahead and give them water and then stand by until a small CG utility boat arrived on scene. The Cubans snitched up the plastic water bottles thrown to them and disappeared back into the mangrove island.

Gotta tell you some days are very exciting.

Yesterday morning we dinghied into a friends house where Joe & Dolly picked us up and took us down to Islamorada to attend the Rotary sponsored Nautical Flea Market. It was huge. We spent about five hours wandering through and back through the booths searching for our elusive lost shaker of salt.

Didn't find it. But enjoyed looking for it.

We did manage to find a new in the box Garmin 48 GPS for $50 to replace the one on the fly bridge that went tits up two days ago. We also found new ½" line cheap, a fish gaff, and a VHF Radio. When asked if it works the guy gave it too us and said he believed so but take it. If it works we are to send him the $10, if not we can float test the radio behind the boat. Gee, that means either he knows it doesn't work or he is a really trusting guy. We also bought a fuel filter and assembly for a buck to be put on the dinghy.

We left the flea market but they wouldn't let us turn north on Highway 1, so we went south and enjoyed greasy 10 oz hamburgers and a beer at the notorious "Whistle Stop Bar & Grill" and local land mark, late night watering hole for all the other bartenders when they get off work and the home port of the infamous "Rum Runner".

The flea market was great as was touring the marina along the water where the flea market was held.

I feel especially gratified that my education and life is more complete for experiencing the Whistle Stop. Nice package store too.

My resume of Florida Keys potable establishments is becoming acceptable. I try to move on from each before they can remember my name.

I have now experienced the Captain Ron party and have been sworn to secrecy. Shuuussshh. Maybe tomorrow I can give you a taste of it.

Capt'n Lynnie and Skinwalker