MIAMI BEACH to DUCK KEY (Hawks Cay Resort) / Saturday, February 6 (Day 16)

Admiral's Log:     7:15am, Sat. 2/6/16
                           Temp:  60
                           Winds:  6 mph
                           Speed:  8.2 knots

Long day on the water! Almost 10 hours, waaaayyy more than we try to do. But the forecast was terrible for the next several days and we would not be able to get to Hawks Cay for our reservations if we did not head out. Of course if things got real bad we could have stopped at Key Largo. But we forged ahead.

Hover Craft races! 

Leaving Miami Beach is cool, because you have seen the skyline hundreds of times on TV shows and movies. I took a few photos as well.

Once we got closer to the Keys the ICW became real shallow! We nudged the ground and stirred up mud on several occasions. Mike and Joe looked for a spot where we could go on the outside of the ICW, meaning the Atlantic Ocean. We had to travel very slow for a few more miles until we found a bridge tall enough and deep enough. Once we got under the bridge we doubled our speed to get to Hawks Cay sooner, because we saw a rain cell up ahead and it would have taken an hour longer. That's one of the reasons we bought this boat; it could go faster if we had an emergency or needed to out run storms.

We made it just in time! Just as we docked it started to rain. We cleaned up and ate at Alma, one of the resort restaurants. Mike and Barb had chorizo crusted cobia, Joe had paella and I had a crab salad that was one of the best crab salads I've ever had!

We are glad to be in one spot for a while. We are leaving here the 14th, not sure where we are going next. But that is the beauty of this trip, we can worry about that later. We do plan to go to Marathon a time or two this week and meet up with Mel and Ann the Looper couple that stayed at our house in November. They have been down here for two months! They have met several other Looper couples and want us to meet them for "Docktails" and swap stories.