Still on a mooring ball here in Key West, currently with 25+ mph winds. High winds expected for the next couple of days. Bill had a very wet dinghy ride in this morning, I opted to stay aboard and stay dry.

My son and daughter (Chris and Laura) were here for 6 days, we had a great visit with them. Their flights back were cancelled several times due to weather here, Atlanta and Minneapolis. But they finally made it back to Minneapolis, one a day late. We stayed 3 nights in a marina, 2 nights at the Westin and 1 night at Key West Bight Marina. I can definitely say that I prefer being at a dock than being on a mooring ball.

Bill, Laura and Chris fished from the boat here in the mooring field and almost caught a baby hammerhead shark, did catch 2 small nurse sharks and a bird. The bird decided to go for the bait fish and took the fish, hook and bobber with him. It was one of those extremely funny then sad experiences. Once they reeled the bird out of the sky they tried to get the hook out, with no luck it was stuck in the beak. Finally let the bird go, did get the bobber back though.

Saturday is the start of race week here in Key West, not sure what the activities are but all the marinas are full with incoming race boats.

Starting to think about moving on - probably Boot Key mooring. Key West has been good but think we have visited all the bars at least twice, some several times and I am ready to leave this mooring field. It is really exposed to northerly winds and it seems like that is all we have been getting. The other issue is there is really no cruising community to speak of here, at least not that we have found. Boot Key (Marathon) is known more for it, with a cruising radio net each morning. We will probably look for a weather window early next week to head up there. It is only about 50 miles so don't know yet if we will go in one day or stay at an anchorage one night.