We spent a couple of nights in Marco Island; Smokehouse Bay a great anchorage with full protection - not that we needed it since all was calm - but it's convenient to everything. I hadn't been off the boat since getting on Friday, so I was ready for a walk! After two hours onshore, we felt sprinkles and got back to SeaTryst. Rosie enjoyed being at anchor and not moving.

On Wednesday, we got underway to Shark River, a desolate spot in Everglades with no signal, no lights, nothing. Motor sailed through the day, avoiding crabpots. We anchored in a nice spot about 5:00p After a steak dinner in the cockpit listening to the sounds of the wilds, we settled in down below. Keeping our VHF on 16, we heard a distress call to USCG -sailboat Allegra, in the bay nearby, said that his crewmember attempted to stab him, and he had him locked below. His handheld radio was losing battery, and he couldn't stay on with CG. The CG Key West sent a boat to help, and said it would take an hour to get to him. Then CG put out a call to see if someone in the area could assist. We came back, said we were nearby, and could go out - but being a sailboat, it would take a while. In the pitch dark, we weighed anchor and found our way through the channel. Heading north, searching through the darkness, I spotted running lights, and put our spotlight on the boat; a light was returned; we think we found Allegra. The Coast Guard kept in touch with us, we gave our position, and Bob provided the two paints we had on the radar. Several minutes later, we spotted running lights from the west - "USCG Small Boat" hailed to see if we were the boat with the red running light - well, we hoped so! After shining lights to them and to Allegra, the Small Boat went charging. Once we knew that things were under control - at least, there was assistance to the boat in distress; we had no idea what happened onboard - we returned to our anchorage in Shark River. The Coast Guard thanked us for assistance and asked for our names, contact number, and vessel documentation - as we were returning to the channel into Shark River. The documentation number, really!? We returned to our anchorage, tired, but knowing we had done what we needed to do.

We got underway early on Thursday, heading SE to Islamorada, one of our favorite spots in the Keys. Fog. Crabpots. Cold. Were we really in south Florida!?

After a couple of rocky rolly nights, filling jerry cans with diesel - and of course Happy Hour at LoreLei - we got underway for Key Largo. Grib files and Chris Parker say that it might look good for a Gulf Stream Crossing on about Tuesday, so we are moving to get into position. Traveling the ICW on a weekend, we got tossed around by fast motorboats, touched a few times in the narrow channel - and we wonder, "why are we doing this?"
A beautiful sunset awaited us!

Then Bob found signals on the TV and was able to hear the evening news, after watching Roy Rogers in Black & White. You gotta love it.