February 28-March 8, 2022
We decided we would be staying at this anchorage for at least a week. Wind Alert shows a BIG blow coming next weekend, and we were in a good protected spot from the E and NE winds. The winds for the first few days were moderate, 12-15 with gusts to 18-20. We went into town (Big Pine Key) and walked about 2 mile to the grocery store and hardware store. We seem to always require these two stores when we get to a town with dinghy access. We bring our folding wagon to transport groceries, propane tank, water or laundry. Works great! And oh my, the sunrises and sunsets never disappoint!
Sunset over Little Torch Key
Sunrise over Big Pine Key, Coupon Bight
Another sunrise
And sunset. This one was amazing. It was actually behind a large dark cloud, we were surprised to see it at all!
Dinghy ride through a canal to Big Pine Sea Center, where we heard for a nominal fee you can tie up your dinghy securely and walk into town. (That “nominal fee” is $20)
A manatee came up to us as we were tying up the dinghy, looking for a hand out. Some folks feed and give fresh water to them, but it’s illegal and bad for wildlife to depend on handouts. But we enjoyed her visit. It was great to see that she had no prop scars!
We like exploring through the canals in the dinghy. There are homes of all kinds and sizes. This one was so key-sy!
Look close, as we were motoring along we both spotted drips in the water along the shore. Ed turned the boat to investigate. Turns out it was just an iguana relieving himself.
A pelican walking on the sea wall. He had a hurt wing. Hope he survives.
Such a perfect palm tree in my book
Land-side, on our way to the grocery store in Big Pine Key
This picture was taken through about a foot of water close to the shore (from my kayak). It was a tiny beach with tiny shells!
I just had to walk the small piece of beach on shore. It's always amazing to me that flowers bloom in such remote places
Palm island Resort, on its own island off the tip of Big Pine Key. We watched shuttle boats and seaplanes daily taking patrons to and from the resort. It must be expensive to stay there!
While coming back in the dinghy we noticed a helicopter doing some amazing moves. It was combing the land in a grid type pattern, coming over the water to make sharp turns before heading in a straight line over Big Pine Key. We thought it might be mapping, maybe to update google and other land maps. Fun to watch!
Another big blow forecast for Sunday. We dragged a few feet at this anchorage with one of the bigger gusts. The bottom here is like a very course sand and silt. Ed wasn’t happy staying here for the next blow, especially after researching other spots. He discovered another spot, one more key down, between Ramrod Key and Summerland Keys on the Niles Channel. We had taken a couple of “charge up the batteries” runs this week to check it out.
We left on Friday in preparation of the blow coming from the NE. We found a comfortable spot along the shoreline of Ramrod Key, anchored in 7 ft of water and Ed liked it. We stayed here and explored the area in the dinghy (when the winds were tolerable).
Rock ledges just under the surface by shore
An old statue on a piling, looks like some saint?
Cormorant!
Old bridge to the left, new to the right
Manatee through the arch of the old bridge
March 6, 2022
Our anchor held great here, but we went back around to Big Pine Key so we can provision again and get ready to leave the lower keys. Rick wanted to see Key West for the first time and we had no intentions of going there again at this time. We headed back over spent a couple of nights. We went grocery, liquor, drinking water and propane shopping. I wish I took a picture of that poor wagon on its 1 mile trek back to the dinghy dock! We looked like a well-off homeless couple, carrying all our supplies and food in one cart. The next day Rick left to head to Key West. Ed decided to that Manatee needed some "bottom attention". I held the dinghy close to the boat, with a fender in between the two while Ed scrubbed the hull from the waterline down about 3 feet. Then he donned his mask, snorkel, fins to scrub the rest. We were planning an outside (Atlantic) stretch to head back up to the middle keys, on our way back to Key Largo. Gee, another big blow forecast for Saturday March 12.
Goodbye for this season, Lower Florida Keys
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