There could be a lot of reasons not to go to Key West and being at home in Stuart Florida could be one of them. This area of the world is attractive this time of the year, verified by the numbers of "snowbirds" in their shorts, sandals and canes. The grass is as green as grass can be, the temperature is moderate, usually always in the high seventies or low eighties, because of the Gulf Stream pumping warm water up along the coast from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. The flowers are in bloom and the pool is always at eighty eight or ninety degrees. The palms "whisper" as they sway in the breeze and the flowers are always in season.
Located at the hub of the St Lucie Inlet off the Atlantic, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Lake Okeechobee Waterway, with a combination of brackish, fresh and salt water the place is teeming with wildlife; animals, fish and sea birds of every variety. Stuart bills itself as the 'sailfish capital of the world'. The fishing here compares with anyplace as the best in the world. Because the area has so much water surrounding it; the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian River and the St Lucie River, the fish are not only plentiful but vary in size and species. The area is swarming with such different wildlife as we in Canada are not used to, that we find ourselves stopping to gawk unconsciously at manatees, dolphins, pelicans, ospreys always with a claw full of fish and the odd shark. Add to that the thousands of tons of plastic which make up four tiered fishing boats, multi-million dollar yachts and what appears to be an overdose of sailboats.
The small city has retained its 'old small town charm' in keeping with the days when it was just a rail stop on the Flagler railway, on its way south. It sustained its economy as a prosperous "island" in a sea of growth which surrounded it; aka Port St Lucie. An almost sleepy town where the streets are clean, safe and everything is well manicured, yet it is a short drive to all the extremes one could desire. The fanciful, free-spirited character of Stuart's residents is borne out in retiring abodes and funky, locally owned restaurants and shops. It is teeming with golf courses, shopping and both loutish and cultural arts. It is protected from the Atlantic Ocean by Hutchinson Island, with its variety of beaches, which also houses the Florida mansion of the chap who co-invented the UPC bar code used to scan most everything we buy. The two bridges we take to the island are favorite scenic paths for joggers, cyclists, and just plain walking. Even the bridges, as they all seem to be in Florida, are engineered and with architect designs even on the abutments which give the impression of being finished.
So the area is a very strong magnet which wants to hold you in its grasp but there are so many places Chances has yet to see. The area south of Miami that was so consequently attractive to Ernest Hemmingway, in addition to many others, has always had a lure out for me. The Intracoastal Waterway will steer me south down a path I have voyaged before, so there is a little of the unknown, that is almost now familiar, especially around Ft Lauderdale and Miami. I am drawn by names like Coconut Grove, Biscayne Bay, Key Largo, Buttonwood Sound, Jewfish Creek, Hawk Channel, Key West and yes of course; the Upper and Lower Arsenicker Keys. Really. There are hundreds and hundreds of coral islands better known as Keys, rather than Cays in the Bahamas, stretching south and west of the east coast of Florida. It has a history of pirates, shipwrecks, ship salvaging, crooks, runaways and bohemians, which in a strange way catches my fancy. Yes, I know that I can drive there, and some day I will, but to slowly work my way through the narrow channels in a wide shallow sea surrounded by a time gone by, is the stuff of my dreams. If I understand myself, this is what makes me who I am; a rover, adventurer and a swashbuckler (?), for this part of my life.
Tomorrow, I set out as a solo sailor on this voyage into a coral sea. This weekend I will get only as far south as West Palm Beach. I have been invited to a gathering of the Catalina 34 - Fleet 14 at the Riviera Beach Municipal Marina. Not sure what yet what to expect but along with some fabulous dining, Pussers Rum was mentioned a lot in the invitation. I will make notes on an hourly basis and let you know later some of what happened. On Sunday I will continue south as far as Ft Lauderdale with the fleet, as they individually disperse. Who would ever guess that you could anchor in waters and stay on your boat in the middle of such dazzling cities as Ft Lauderdale and Miami? Mike, Judy and Murphy are driving from Regina in their RV to escape winter to ready Soulstice II and catch up to me somewhere along the way.
I have posted some pictures of the area I am leaving behind. Stuart really is a strong magnet but the pull of Keys is an itsy-bitsy stronger.
All is well.