Fishing – Adventures in the Dirt Yacht

June 1, 2020July 22, 2021

Keys to Reopen to Short-Term Vacationers on Monday, June 1 – 05/31/2020

Due to the COVID-19 virus, the Keys have been shut down since March 21, 2020. Only long-term residents (181 days), property owners, and workers such as first responders, healthcare workers and active military are allowed through the road blocks on US-1. We were very fortunate that we extended our lease early and our original lease was for 6 months plus one day so we had the option to stay and were not forced to leave like many of our friends.

Our lifestyle did not change very much after the road was closed and non-essential businesses were shut down, except that we were not going out to dinner when most everything was closed. Since the reopening plan that allowed limited access to restaurants, stores, etc. has been in place, we have been enjoying some of our favorite spots in the Keys. We finally were allowed to go to Nadine’s to see Susan to get our hair cut with a pedicure from Connie for me. That was a priority and i called the first morning to get appointments!

May 17, 2020July 13, 2021

Fun Boating Day of Snorkeling and Fishing 05/17/2020

We started out the day at Looe Key and finished our boating day by fishing out past Tarpon Belly. Today was Terry and Marcia’s last day before they head for home on Monday morning, so we took advantage of the nice weather to run out to Looe Key. Even thought the south wind was relatively mild, we still had some swells. But nothing the Boston Whaler could not handle.

May 15, 2020July 13, 2021

Weather in May, Fishing and Manatees 05/14/2020

A tropical system near the Bahamas has produced rain and gusty wind in the Florida Keys, portions of Southwest Florida and parts of the Bahamas. The weather forecast is for Thursday, Friday and possibly part of Saturday. The wind picked up late Wednesday night with heavy wind and rain for all of Thursday. The wind pushed the rain sideways causing a steady leak in the bedroom slide. Fortunately we caught it early, so no damage was done, but we will have to keep an eye out to make sure there is no damage to the gasket. Randy had checked the gaskets around the slide the previous day, so he does not think anything needs fixing. The leak is probably just from the sideways-driving rain. But still something to put on the maintenance list.

May 14, 2020July 13, 2021

Staying in the Keys means learning how to trap Stone Crabs 4/30/2020

Normally we head home at the beginning of May but we decided to stay. We still do not know when we will leave and head towards home. I guess the final decision will depend on COVID-19 and the weather. With no renters currently allowed into the Keys, the park has emptied out considerably. We are sorry to see our friends leave. Bruce and Joanne were forced to leave the last week in April. They were not allowed to extend their lease. I hated to see them leave, especially since I don’t think they are coming back next year. One thing we have really enjoyed and taken advantage of with no renters, is the shade and delightful breeze under Alan’s house next door. He told us before he left that we could take advantage of the shade under his house. The weather has heated up in April so in addition to relaxing under Alan’s house, we try to keep cool either at some of our favorite anchor spots, such as Tarpon Belly, or we have started going to the pool again. The pool felt really good when it hit 102 degrees. Most of the time there is hardly anyone in the pool so it is easy to maintain distance from others.

April 15, 2020July 22, 2021

April in the Keys, Fishing and COVID 4/15/2020

i think April is my favorite time in the Keys. Especially this year. The weather has warmed up and the winds have died down. Because of the COVID-19 virus, US-1 and most public boat ramps are closed. These closures have reduced the number of people in the Keys and boats out on the water. Since our boat is tied up behind the RV, we can still enjoy getting to some of our favorite spots. Being able to get out on the boat has kept the cabin fever at bay. Especially since we are no longer going to the pool (even though it is still open). I just do not feel comfortable using the pool.

September 4, 2019July 14, 2021

Seward: Alaska Sea Life Center, Kenai Fjords National Park, Salmon Fishing, Smoke and Wildfires 08/15 – 08/18/2019

The Dirt Yacht only stayed clean for one day. By the time we drove the 155 miles to Seward, it was dirty and dusty again. We had several miles of road construction that contributed to the grime. There was also smoke from a nearby wildfire that probably contributed to some of the dust. This wildfire was in the same general location as the one we saw on our drive to Homer; however, this fire was larger and spread out in several locations. We spotted a helicopter dumping water from a large bag on the fire. We watched the helicopter drop down to a creek between the fire and the roadway to refill the bag before again dropping its load over the fire. I don’t know how much water the helicopter could drop at one time, but it didn’t look like more than a thimble full in comparison to the amount of fire. The fire had definitely grown in comparison to what we spotted on our trip into Homer a few days ago. That fire and smoke was the first time we had seen any active wildfire on this trip.