 Bob
and Toby decided to check out the water. As Bob can not swim
(imagine a Coast Guard master that can't swim), he was reluctant
to take the big plunge. However, the water was tempting and it
was relatively warm, so what the heck. This was paradise! Ann
kept Portuguese Men of War watch, Toby manned the dingy and Bob
held desperately to the dingy. The current was running 2 to 3
knots so he had to hold onto something.
 Bob
wanted to explore the undersides of the boat. So the crew
connected a Really Big lanyard to his middle. That way he could
not drift away from the boat. Not the bravest of the brave, but
at least he was in the water. Ann was the coward of the
anchorage. She was still afraid that something would get her feet
so she only stayed in the water for 5 minutes. What a bunch of
seasoned sailors! We were excited about the water clarity and
were anxious to see the water conditions in the Dry Tortugas.
 Our
entrance into Key West Harbor was almost uneventful. The entrance
was well marked but we saw something in the distance on our
stern. As we entered the channel, the 'thing' became a really big
cruise ship. This was our first trip to Key West so were not sure
whether to hug the starboard or port side of the channel.
Fortunately we picked the port side as the ship headed to
starboard. Our trail of passage was not complete. We had to tie
up at the town dock.
 Key
West Bight is a very congested area. We called the Harbormaster
for directions. Unfortunately, we did not understand the
directions and headed for the wrong channel (dead end). Jule III
is a full keel boat with a notorious reputation for backing up
where she wants to back up. Bob's expert maneuvering (plus some
help from the locals ashore) brought Jule III out of the wrong
channel and into the right one. Can you find Jule III in the
picture.
 After
a couple of Bloody Marys, the crew went exploring. Though Key
West has a reputation for being tacky, we found the majority of
the Island to be tranquil and friendly. We avoided Duvall Street
like the plague while favoring the back streets. The out-off-the
way restaurants were better and cheaper than those advertised on
Duvall. Pepe's, a local dive near the marina had excellent food
at reasonable prices. If you are looking for booze, Key West is
not the place for good prices.
 We
had to go to the popular waterhole, Sloppy Joe's. When I visited
this place in the mid 70's, it was the restaurant for the locals.
Now it is the bar of bars for the tourists. It is a great hangout
but we were not looking for a great hangout. We we looking for a
sailor's bar. We visited Sloppy Joe's only once. Toby explored
all of the bars. Several times we had to help him into the boat.
His funds were seriously depleted in Key West. More to come on
Toby and his bars!
 While
in our slip a man in a dingy came by and said he used to have a
boat just like ours, only bigger. The Jule III is a one-of-a-kind
German boat. It wasn't until much later that we discovered that
he owned the sister ship to Jule III. There were only two boats
constructed by Matthisen and Paulsen in the likeness of the Jule
II. Our dingy friend apparently owned the other. The next day, we
left for the Dry Tortugas. No cruise ships got in the way. Next
stop was the Marquesas Key.
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