"Someplace on the Horizons far away from the Neon sky I know there is something better and I can get there if I try� Joe Walsh. This lyric often passes through my mind and today as we pulled into Key Largo it did once again. Its times like this I wish I was a poet I just can't find the words express the feeling of accomplishment and at the same time the marvel over the Caribbean atmosphere down here.

We ran on the Atlantic side of the Keys inside Hawks Channel through the reef today. There are very few makers and you just have to pay attention to the Chart Plotter! The boat and crew did great! It was a little choppy occasionally 3 foot waves with 20mph winds that blew the water over the top of the boat making it seem worse than it was but nothing compared to yesterday. About 45 minutes from Key Largo the sun came out and the waves all but went away. Nathan noticed how blue the water was and that you can see the bottom in 23 feet of water. In some places there was a lot of Sea Grass covering the bottom making the water look dark blue and other areas with just sand and they show up as a lighter blue green. It is unlike anything I have seen on a Lake or River. It just feels like there is a living reef underneath the boat waiting to be explored. We passed several of the common dive sites and they looked to be packed with dive boats. Nathan and I dove here earlier this summer and we cant wait to go out again on our own boat!!

Marina Del Mar is a small marina at the end of a very narrow channel and we are extremely lucky to have a slip here (Thanks to Howard for the suggestion on this place!!). We share a narrow channel with several dive boats, a very big glass bottom boat, fishing boats, charter sail boats, and the real African Queen from the move! We are right next door to very nice Dive Shop / Restaurant and have access to 4 pools and 3 hot tubs at the three hotels that encircle the marina. Over the back of the boat is a tall Coconut tree almost close enough for the Coconuts to fall on us! This is a boaters paradise!

Now the fun begins! We will be returning for long weekends to boat and dive in the keys over the winter.