Marathon to Stock Island

 1/25/2022

Marathon sunset at dinner. Lazy Days South

Marathon (Safe Harbor Marathon Marina) to Stock island (Stock Island Marina Village)

Beautiful morning for a short (45 mile) ride in the ocean.  We confirmed our reservation and slip assignment and everything is coming together to complete our journey on schedule.  Makes us a little nervous because this is a rare occurrence in boating.

Fourth Yacht we passed at speed towing a tender

Tender being towed, wouldn't fit in one picture

Marathon Marina has a very decent shower and bathroom on the fuel dock adjacent to the transient slips. A pool and other rest rooms and showers are also very decent.  Lazy Days is the restaurant on site and we wandered over to that around 6.  We saw an amazing sunset from their deck and even heard the roosters crowing.  We are almost to Key West where we will see roosters every day.

Parker loves it here, two dog parks
 and lots of people to bark at and he is welcome everywhere
Most important, no more traveling for a while

It took us a few minutes over two hours to get here.  Sandy had to drive carefully and keep a sharp eye out for crab/lobster pots as they littered our whole route to Key West.  Once we got here, tied up and  got Parker out of the boat, he knew where he was.  He knew there were two dog parks here where he gets to play ball every day.  He seems like he is a happy camper now.

First of many dinghy sunset, happy hour cruises

In the short span of 1.5 hours, we have already met and talked to new people, on the dock and in the laundry room, and seen another couple that were here with us last year.  They have already been here since January 1 and will not be leaving till February 28, which is when our slip reservation ends.

We have a slip next to a boat AIRBNB.  We will see how that goes, usually a problem as they are there for a short time and want to have a big time.  I spoke with the lady from the boat across from us and she told me that she routinely has to call security as it is "quiet time"  after 10:00 PM and it gets old when people are partying and playing music all the time.  She and her husband live here, they have been here since June of last year.  They will be moving over to Coconut Row, which is where the more permanent residents live (I would thing a more favorable rental agreement) around February 1st since the airbnb boat over there is leaving.  She told me the marina is going to do away with the AIRBNB's as they are a problem.  Maybe in the next few days???  I talked to my new friend, the AIRBNB's are supposed to end about February 1st, let's keep our fingers crossed!

We are trying to settle into our life here for the next month or so.  Sandy has taken his time and really washed the boat thoroughly.  He took things out of the lazarette and put things in our dock box.  I am doing laundry and we will be placing our first amazon order to be delivered here.  We have missed being able to get whatever we want so we can do that now as well.  Tomorrow morning we will bike to the airport and pick up our rental car and just start enjoying ourselves.  So for now, we will say adieu until we start moving North again.