I got up and out of the anchorage by 0800 and the national weather service got it 100% right. Hooray! It was sunny, warmer and I had about 15 knots of wind on the beam. Perfect.

As I left the harbor mouth, I put up the jib and was able to motor-sail all day at about 7 1/2 knots. This made for a pleasant and fast trip to Key West. My first point of interest was sailing along the Atlantic side of the Seven Mile Bridge. I've crossed it in a car a few times but this was a new perspective.

As I got closer, it was interesting seeing Key West from off-shore. I've been here several times but never on my boat. I've sat on the benches in Mallory Square several times and wondered how it would feel to be sailing into the harbor past the cruise ships. Now I know. It feels really good... I didn't even mind the coast guard vessels escorting me in to make sure I didn't get too close to the two cruise ships.

Well.... we'll see how it goes down here. It took about a month to travel the 1,000 plus miles to get here from North Carolina and I'll admit that I'm kind of proud of myself for doing it. I'll keep you up to date on my search for musical and other gainful employment. Wish me luck!

Here's a picture of Mallory Square taken from the cockpit as I sailed past.