JUST LIKE BOGIE AND BACALL

February 15, 2012  Dateline: Key Largo, FL USA

Today my job was to take Rich and Carol from Key West to Key Largo, like the song says that they were sailing away to Key Largo just like Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.  There were two routes that I had to choose from.  The “inside” route was up through Hawk Channel between the Keys and the reef that is off shore.  The alternate route is on the ocean side of the reef in 100 to 200 feet of water.  I heard Rich discuss with Carol the many crab traps that would be in hawk Channel, I hate them.  Rich said that going outside the reef would likely mean fewer traps than traveling up Hawk Channel.  On the other hand, the reef reduces the impact of the waves so they would be smaller inside the reef. They agreed to go outside the reef to miss most of the crab traps. The 100 mile trip was easy with few crab traps and those that were there were easy to see as they had several floats on them because the added floatation was required to hold up the long length of line to the trap that was in deep water.

The approach to the marina is one of the most interesting ones that I have traveled.  Half way up the channel is a 90 degree turn.  The channel is narrow and Rich had to call on my radio to announce my approach to the turn, just in case another boat is traveling in the other direction.  Two boats cannot pass each other in the turn.

Key Largo is the home of the “African Queen”.  The boat co-starred in the movie by the same name starring Bogie and Hepburn.  Over the years, she has fallen in and out of disrepair.  She is currently undergoing major renovations. She is an interesting utility boat, but not as pretty as me.  On the other hand, she is 90 years older than me.  Bogie and Bacall starred in a move call Key Largo there was also a song where the singer wants to sail away to Key Largo just like Bogie and Bacall.

A few weeks ago I published this picture of what I thought might be a captured drug submarine, well it is not.  It turns out that the boat is a scale model of a new Navy destroyer that is being built.  The model is being tested so that all of the characteristics of the real ship can be analyzed and the Navy will know how the ship reacts in various seas.

I will stay in Key Largo tomorrow and will leave for Ft Lauderdale early on Friday morning.

While Rich was washing me after my run today, this pelican landed on my railing.  Hey Rich, what is going on here get this pelican off me.  A sprinkling with the hose brought a glare from the pelican.  A straight hit with the pressure did the trick and away he flew, without leaving anything behind.