Our MacGregor Index Page......Southwest FL/ Keys 2011 Index

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..--- Book Key Harbor Back to Fanny Keys (Marathon) ---


...............................................................--- April 18 to 19, 2011 ---


Nights Anchorage: 024o 42.695' N -- 081o 06.598' W -- Fanny Keys (Marathon)

Trip Odometer: 316.5 miles

Days Mileage...: 11.3 miles


With the trip to buy the Endeavour and all of the anxiety that involved we decide to get out of Boot Key and head back over to our last anchorage at Fanny Key to try and relax a little.

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It was a nice trip out...

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.. of the harbor. The weather was great and ....

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.... the sights interesting. Above you can see the bridge that spans the harbor. It is no longer functional and the one span, just out of sight behind that building, has been removed so you now just motor past the two disconnected spans.

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After passing the last building we found ourselves once again out in the Atlantic and it was much calmer than we had come the other way. We went under 7 Mile Bridge and back up the ICW and back into Fanny Key where our anchorage was unoccupied and waiting for us. It was a good feeling returning. We enjoyed the quiet of the anchorage much more than being on the mooring ball.

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While we were on the anchorage the boat above came in and anchored a ways offshore. We were quite a distance from her and I thought that she must be some kind of governmental vessel of some kind.

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Later after getting home and blowing up the name, Wind Horse, and goggling it I found out..

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...more about this very interesting vessel and her owners. Take a minute....

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.... yourself and find out more about her ( HERE ).

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Well switching from a mega-boat back to earth above is how we compact some of our trash. A simple piece of wood and your right foot is a good can compactor.

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On anchor we raise the centerboard and the rudder to protect them from possibly hitting a submerged object as we swing around on anchor in an unfamiliar anchorage. There is a 'tiller tamer' on the tiller, center top arrow. We run a line from it to either side to center the tiller and to keep the rudder from banging side to side. It is up, but still in the water a little.

The top middle arrow points to the dinghy 3 1/2 long shaft Tohatsu on its mount. The top right arrow points to the gen-set made from a GM alternator and Honda engine with a second muffler, far right arrow. The bottom arrows point to the cup holder/cockpit bed slat and an air horn. The upper arrow to the left of the outboard mount points to the support that holds the boarding ladder up horizontal to the water where it doubles as a dinghy loading platform and as a tow bar for the dinghy when we are underway.

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Sunset at ....

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.... Fanny Keys anchorage. You can't beat this. Beware of swimming here though. The currents can be a lot faster than you can swim. I went in the water here and pulled myself forward with the anchor rode to see how the anchor was set and stayed with the road back to the boat. I'm a pretty good swimmer, but if I wouldn't of been careful I could of easily been taken away from the boat.


===== Route and Waypoints Using SeaClear II =====

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Route from Boot Key Harbor lower right back to Fanny Keys on the Gulf side.


====== Google Images of Same Route Shown Above ======

(NOTE: Google Images and SeaClear Routes might be from different angles)

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Fanny Keys Anchorage.


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