GULF CROSSING TO KEY WEST

MAY 25, 2012

We left Naples at about 2:30AM & It's Perfect wound it's way out of the channel.  The early morning sky was black & there were no lights on the channel markers, out came the trusty spot light.  It was my job to sit on the front deck of It's Perfect & light them up as we carefully motored out toward open water.  The weather forecast is great & we are looking forward to a beautiful passage down to Key West.  As we finally moved out into the Gulf the winds were light & the sky was shimmering with the light of the stars.  The only sound to be heard was the was the wash of the water under our keel.

WATCHING THE SUNRISE OVER THE GULF

  This is a much awaited passage for us, the sun is rising off the port side & we are heading south.



BLUE SKY, BLUE WATER & ROD NAPPING ON DECK

It was wonderful to be out in the open water.  We motor sailed at about 7 knots for most of the day.  We were alone on the water except for a few dolphin & lost, delinquent crab traps.  \Other boat traffic started to appear around 3PM & at 6PM we turned into the northwest shipping channel, which leads into Key West.

It has been 43 days since we left the Water Gate Marina in Kemah, Texas.  For the very first time we have put over 1000 nautical miles under our keel. Quite an amazing feat for us, but there is much, much more to come.


OUR FIRST LOOK AT KEY WEST

We headed around Fleming Key to Garrison Bight mooring field.  By 7:30PM we had picked up the mooring ball & were sitting in the cockpit awaiting a visit from Captain Paul Boyd.  He arrived soon after we were settled, it was great to see friends from home.  We traded some great stories & a few sun downers.  Paul & friend Todd left us early, after a long day on the water we were more than ready to call it a day.