Last blog saw us having just gotten to Key Largo after a relatively short but hair raising trip due to very skinny water. Back in Key Largo, we are anchored in Tarpon Basin which offers some shelter from winds of any direction. We like it here. There is a great place at the municipal building to go ashore and there's a park like setting here with lots of place for Judy to walk Chopin. We all get shore leave; Chopin for walks and Judy and I for runs and walks. There's yet another front coming but this one is supposedly not strong and we're in a good spot, or at least we thought.

The main part of the front spares us but, of course, at 1:30 in the morning, the winds turns 190 degrees and starts to howl. I get up, resolved to stay on watch until light. It's very uncomfortable with both strong winds and choppy waves. So I really get no sleep. And all the next day it continues to build despite the forecasts calling for 15 to 20 knots and diminishing. We clock steady 25 to 30 and the weather site indicates 37 mph winds. We toss and turn on the anchor all day but it holds and we're fine. The wind finally abates and I have a better sleep tonight. All in the day (night) of a cruiser!!!

So the wind lets up so Judy and I figure we need shore leave so we leave Tarpon Basin and go north a couple of miles to another spot in Key Largo in front of the Mariott. This is even more exposed but the winds are letting up and we need to stretch our legs. It's still a bit blustery but sunny and warm. We go for runs/walks and then in the afternoon go to a great restaurant/bar/resort with a pool. We languish around the pool for the afternoon with our boat anchored in the background. We then have dinner at the restaurant here and it is very good. We've treated ourselves deservedly after the uncomfortable day and a half on anchor in the challenging conditions.