Over nighted at Indian key

on the second day, there was very little wind again. The backup cooking grill sprang a leak late the night before.
Down to using a torch for making coffee and food.




Down to about 7 gallon of gas and have only gone 26 mi.


Seconds after hoisting anchor and setting sail, I move the sitting bench into the driving position.
When I set it down, I noticed a dark spot where I picked it up from, looking directly I realize it's a small
pile of snake about a half inch dia. and about 18 in long.

Dawgfish had been on her own as soon as I saw it and was happily sailing in the general direction she
needed to be going, while I battled the beast that had invaded!

Grabbing the nearest available stick(1.5ft pvc pipe), I try and flip the thing off the back of the boat
and it falls short. Finally fully awake, it zips up around a tight spot at the base of the motor somewhere out  of sight...
After careful research  I find it and can only reach it with a short pair of needle nose pliers( didn't like the thought of being that close
to its loose head but he HAD  to be removed !)
and with a pinch and a pull and a flip , it was airborne and I realize soon that when it landed it was swimming after me!!
Quickly assessing the ship, ( only cruising at 1.5mph) I adjust the course , trim the sails and got her moving at 2 mph....
checking the position of the sea serpent, I find that it's slowly falling behind.
Ok at this point , I had made up my mind to not anchor so close to the glades if possible and to get to the keys asap!
 Too many bugs snakes and too little wind the wrong direction!
  Stayed that night at Palm Key out as far on a sand bar as was feasible for protection.

Was aground the next morn and had to wait on tide to make way at 11:30.
Coming into and leaving this harbor was yet another pile o pelicans and storks!

I always wondered where the storks went as they flew through Illinois!
So the 3rd day had very little wind again and by dark was becalmed 2 miles off the coast from First Bay.
Upon flipping the anchor out into the water that night, time slowed....
....as soon as the first little piece of rope started to touch the water I saw it, the glow of life, bioiluminesence. The glowing got brighter as the chain seemed
to pour slowly across the surface until the anchor hit with a brightly sparkling flash, less that a foot away from the sudden appearance of the outline
of a 5-6 foot sparkling silhouette of a shark "darting" away brightly , leaving the glowing trail of it's hurried passage....
as i knelt there in stunned awe , the surface of the water returned to smooth reflection of a Glorious star filled evening gulf sky.
Turning my gaze upward my awe remained as the scope of my position settled around my consciousnesses.
....Time returned to normal .....
Going back to the cabin to snack and nap with a new resolve seemed like a dream.
Upon returning to the cabin the noise of millions of clicking crabs was almost overwhelming.
Without anyone there to say "WHOA did you SEE that?!?!?!" I almost doubt the reality of the whole thing except that it left a permanent impression to firm to ignore.
I did step out a few more times and disturbed to water just to see the glow of life. If it would have been warmer I would have went swimming in it .
At 10:30 that night the wind picked up and the bay got choppy and I decided quickly to use it.
A quick adjustment to stuff inside and putting on clothes , I hoist anchor and set sail just in time for the wind to die again by 10:45....
par... anchor down and back to bed.

Day 4 , 11-22-13 had decent wind till about 2:pm.
After that it was choppy drifting with the tide or heeled over drastically from a gust from a random direction for a minute at a time.
Ended up anchoring close to the Little Sable River

, just south of Ponce De Leon Bay.
Here the cape effect had DAWGFISH bouncing around all night< spilled my plants off the bench,
couldn't cook, couldn't sleep. Just rocked and rolled all night.

Day 5, 11-23-13 decent wind until rounding the northwest cape into a bow wind that seemed determined to blow me out to sea.
Decided to motor inshore to escape the rising wind a wake.
Ended up anchoring at the south-westernmost tip of the Florida peninsula.

Watched a storm pass where my last spot was

. Got a little rain and some wake but was able to set anchors to counteract the chop.

Day 6 left early with some trepidation due to a forecast of small craft advisory 30+ mph wind and rough seas by afternoon.
I had enough of the glades and fuel was low enough to be risky to go anywhere but Marathon.
the wind stayed at a tolerable range through the day and I was able to reach the 7 mile Bridge just west of marathon

. Turning into the wind as it started squalling in the rigging,
I dropped sails , upped fins and motored for the safety of Boot Key harbor

. On the way to harbor I saw a 12 inch diameter turtle head poke up from the water 30 ft from me,
 , making it to port right as the last of the light bled from the sky

, and setting anchor in 3 ft of water,
 while the wind sang through the forest of masts and rigging in the anchorage to the upwind side of me.
Finally! The Keys!! I noticed the water had finally cleared up but still cant see down into it due to the ridiculously windy conditions.
The water this while trip,  except for a couple places has been either tea colored, muddy or cloudy in some way. Not much fun for snorkeling.
Now that I am where there is clear water, the temps are dropping so low that swimming has become an act of defiance.
One of my main goals on this journey has been to go swimming on Christmas and Birthday, both of which are usually iced up back at home ...
Looks like I will be here a bit to reset the food, fuel and funds.
When next I travel will be towards Key West and beyond!