Janet and I wanted to visit Key West and Dry Tortugas before we headed out to the Bahamas. So... we did!

Photos in Gallery "Key West and Dry Tortugas Mar 2022".

Key West is pretty different from John's time there aboard the USCGC Point Knoll during the 1980 Mariel Sea Lift Operations. We had a nice time in this quirky town. A highlight was Stephen and Holly Estrada being in town and being able to catch up with them after 3 years of cruising. They were boat neighbors in San Fran. We had laughs, a first-ever jet sea ride touring the keys, a bit too much to drink, and more laughs. Thanks for such a fun time Stephen and Holly.

We "arrived" in Key West and stayed in Key West Bight Marina. Interesting Med-Moor style docking and, being right downtown, fun things to explore. We also learned that Tango doesn't really fit well with the Keys (too deep, too tall, too long for the good mooring balls). So... we motor sailed out to Dry Tortugas and toured the fort and learned some history. Dry Tortugas is worth another visit for sure. The seaplanes were a great treat landing and taking off right next to Tango.

We had to wait for weather for the overnight trip to Bimini and we found out that we could get into Bahia Mar Marina at the Boca Chica Naval Air Station. Great place but really remote. Excellent set up and great service from this Military-only facility. It is a bit remote without a car but we had great neighbors, Mike and Bob, who graciously carted us around when needed. John also helped them with a big steering repair and a couple of electrical fixes.