Favorite places to eat in Key Largo

Now mind you, this is just my personal report and reflects my tastes.  I'm more or less doing them in the order of how I remember them (which is pretty much driving down US1--the mile markers are noted in parens)

1. Caribbean Club (MM104) -- Okay, not a restaurant at all, but a nice little locals bar on the bay side of the keys, this has long been our 'Welcome to the Keys' bar when driving down from Ft. Lauderdale, grab a beer and go out back and sit by a picnic table by the docks.  If you are lucky you'll get some local lore from a salty old soul.  Caribbean Club was used in the filming of the Bogart film "Key Largo".

2. Sundowners (MM103)--Cue the harp music.  Also Bay side.  The place to go to listen to live music and watch the sunset.  Absolutely beautiful, they have a guest dock also.  Not to mention the food rocks also.  Get the local caught fresh fish in one of their signature preparations, Island Style is so good.  They also have landlubbers food, but don't talk to me if you order steak in the keys. I'll smack you.

3. Fish House and Fish House Encore (MM102)--This is right off the road, the two restaurants are side by side, Encore has a funky little back patio seating area.  Both restaurants feature fresh caught fish in their own signature styles.  Some kick ass smoked fish dip served with Cuban crackers.  The Fish House/Market is the more traditional restaurant, Encore features sushi and a raw bar that's fabulous.  I've eaten myself stupid there once or twice.

4. Coconuts (MM100)--Our bar away from home.  Even after HemiD left the first time, we still stop by to have a drink and some fish dip.  We also cruise the docks to see who's hanging about.  In the afternoons the bar usually features a live musician and on the weekends a band.  Great open air bar.  You can also (don't know if you are supposed to...) but run over from the pool and grab a drink to take back.  (If you stay at Marina del Mar you get full use of the hotel facilities at both Marina del Mar hotel and Holiday Inn).  They also host a bunch of fishing competitions and have great parties for Super Bowl. etc.

5.  Sharkey's Bar and Grill--Just stumble down the marina from Coconut's. You'll hear it before you see it.  Great breakfast place and a raucous happy hour.  I think we've only eaten breakfast there, but I hear the other food is pretty decent also.

Okay, I could keep going on there's so many places.  My only suggestion is to avoid chain restaurants and anything that says they specialize in ribs. Ugh.

However, we've had some pretty good meals on the boat.  Nothing like grilling up some grouper that had been swimming around in the water that morning.  Good eats!

Tomorrow she goes on the hard

So, more wiring to the NavPod in the cockpit has been installed.  I sat in the back berth yesterday and argued with my computer and my GPS units.  (We have a 478 and a 740).  Miraculously, it all started playing nice and I got waypoints loaded up on both units.

In the meantime, I've been researching/asking questions about this Angelfish creek crossing from Hawk's channel to Biscayne bay.  Sometimes, folks, too much information can just freak the crap out of you.

So pull her tomorrow for the de-rigging.  Next Monday/Tuesday she'll get loaded on the truck.

Things non-electrical that still need to be done.

1. Three bladed prop
2. Dripless shaft seal
3. Line cutter installed on prop (because it's not a matter of if, it's when we snag a stupid lobster pot on our prop)
4. Paint/not paint?
5. Look for friggin zebra mussels and evacuate those m-f'ers.
6. Reorganize boat for balance and make a map of where crap is at.
7. Load up clothes and stuff that we definitely won't be wearing in Kansas.

Oh, and I also have a trip to Pasadena and La Jolla in there also.

So November 23rd we should be meeting up with the HemiD at Key Largo marina for a few days testing out the re-rigging and goofing off around there.  I think we are going to want to rent a car or something I'm sure the supermarket/West Marine/Fish Market/West Marine/Hardware Store/West Marine will be calling to us.

My boat is now smarter than me

And probably has a better phone plan.

Okay, the boat now can turn on her cockpit lights, cabin lights, air conditioner, sound an alarm if somebody tries to break in.  (oh, yeah, by the way whoever built my security system, label your outputs correctly)

I'm actually not being vague, I honest don't remember.

VHF is working great.  XM antenna with radio and weather working great.  (Oh, boy, Radio Margaritaville 24/7--whimper)

The great 12v airconditioning for the back berth debate has been put on hold. We bought a ChiliPad that can run off the inverter, we have one at home and it's quite nice, especially if you have a foam bed.

Cabin fans have also been installed.

Things are looking quite nice, and for all the teasing I've been doing, I am kinda quite impressed with Sparky's abilities.  It's good to know while I'm out running snorkeling trips and being the boat beer girl he'll have a job also.  :-)

Sailboat, Heal Thyself

So full disclosure time.

Sometime this summer, I'm on the boat, I had the water pump on, however, I seemed to have forgotten to check if there was actually water in the tank.

I guess.  There may have been alcohol involved, I'm just saying.

So then said water pump starts acting all funky.  Like constant cycling on and off.

Shit.

Well, in my defense, I did check all over for leaks, etc.  Nothing.

Sometime at that same time, hot water heater stopped working.  At the time of this writing, the big debate was whether it was before or after the pump ran dry.

However, the other night I stop by to drop off the daily delivery of boat crap and I notice that the pump isn't cycling on and off.  Then spouse says, hey, it hasn't.  So off to play with the hot water heater.

OMG!  The boat has fixed herself.  Now, was it in self defense (please don't drill anymore holes in me) will probably never be known, but I am pretty freaking happy.  Scratch that off the list!

Twelve Volt Man

Stage One of the great electrical refit has been accomplished.  If I can get Sparky to contribute I'm sure he has some valuable information.

So what got done.

New battery bank of six (6!  6!!!) batteries.

New beefed up alternator.

New monitors for battery system/alternator.

New wiring from alternator to battery bank.

New battery charger/alternator.

They call him the twelve volt man....

I was finally allowed on the boat which resulted in me kinda doing a Roger Rabbitt impression and an OMG WTF thrown in for good measure.

OMG--The DC electrical panel just barfed up on my chart table

I started to get a bit shaky, thus the blurry picture
Oh, oh my

However, I was elected to help (which if I want ANY access to my boat again…..) mainly I was the flashlight holder and measuring tape girl.

At one point, I tried to climb out of the cockpit locker and managed to imbed the locker shelf into my back.  Quite fantastic cussing and bruising ensued.

As far as the technical aspect, I need to get full report on it, but basically, as with most boat projects, electrical work entails 24,000 trips to the hardware/battery/online stores.

Cussing.  Contortions in such a way that you expect to drafted into the next Cirque de Soleil show.

Did I mention cussing?

So, we are sitting there, getting ready to start it all up. Fingers crossed.  Sparky says, turn the ignition…….

Nuthin.

Hubby looks like he could cry.  "Then..did you turn the batteries back on? You were supposed to turn the switch back on."

Harrumph.  I was not TOLD to turn them back on.  For once I'm there being perfectly well behaved and following every order without arguing, commentary or anything and that's the thanks I get.

"Did you turn the batteries back on.

Annapolis Boat Rant

Okay.  Attention to the following people, this applies to you.

1.  Parents of toddlers--we do not need the ginormous toddler yacht on the docks with 20,000 people.  You are missing the point of the boat show.  However, feel free to load that bad boy down with all your boat schwag and make sure your child has his 14 pt harness properly fastened and oh, make sure you and the spouse kick back a couple of Pain Killers while you are at it.  You have noticed that here are no safety bumpers on the floating docks haven't you?

I think the Naval Academy boys have a SCUBA search and rescue, I'm sure they'll fish out your kid in time....maybe.

2.  Backpack and cart people--Have you stopped to think that having your body extended about 18 inches in either way just might be a little annoying for the rest of the attendees?  Well, I'm here to inform you that yes, yes it is.  Especially, when you suddenly swing around because Catalina and Hunter are giving out new stickers. OH BOY!  Some Painkillers for you also.

3.  Namedroppers and no social grace folks--JUST SHUT UP.  Really, you have no freaking business asking somebody why something wasn't finished/bought/displayed etc about somebody else just because you've heard of that person on the internet or read an article about them.  It's been a hard year financially for a lot of people and they've had to put their dreams on pause.  It's really NONE OF YOUR F-ING BUSINESS.  You know how I know that you don't know certain people, because if you did...THEY WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU WHAT WAS GOING ON THEMSELVES!  No painkillers for you, you are off the bus, leave. LEAVE NOW.

oh, I'm just getting warmed up now.

4. Assholes who think their personal cell phone conversation is more important than the seminar speaker's presentation. And for this, I'm not blaming one sex, I can say Assholette if that helps.  I will warn you, you get one chance with me if I give you the stink eye.  You get the hell out the room or you get to have the cell phone surgically removed.  I hate to tell you people this, BUT YOU ARE NOT THAT F-ING IMPORTANT.  And, if you really want to piss me off, make sure I hear loud and clear how the babysitter is doing with the dog and where you want to eat tonight, because I will hunt you down.

5. Just because I might share a drink with you, have a conversation, listen to some music. That does not make us new best friends.  I will not friend you on Facebook, I will not follow your Tweets, and I certainly will not tolerate any asinine behavior to wait staff because I've been one--waitress, not asshole.  My hat goes off to the people who have to deal with eight hour consumption of painkillers and still do it with a smile.  I was trying to figure out how long it would be before I would add ground glass to the mix.

6. All you ladies with the kitten heels.  Ah, nah, screw it, you are just too fun too watch at the end of the eve.  Oh, my heel is caught, oh, I can't keep my balance. Help me honey.  However, you twits are probably getting those private invites for cocktails and shit on the boats after hours....and I'm not.

Bonus points go to kitten heels and stroller combo.

AND WEST MARINE!!!! WTF!!!!!  Are you serious?  A sale on Boat Hooks, really, at the show.  20,000 people, half of which are now armed with a 5 ft boat hook sticking out of their stroller, backpack, cart, armpit, and yes back of their pants. (I'm still in therapy over that.)  I'd boycott you if you weren't my happy place (and I think we have $200 in WestMarine bucks)

However, at the end of every night, I have this one particular balcony I go to, with my drink and smile down at all the little people, and it costs, but it's so worth it.

This does not suck

Party at Pussers!

Update, Update where is the update?

Current projects:  Alternator upgrade, electrical upgrade, chartplotter upgrade, security system upgrade

Status:  I am not allowed on the boat

Countdown to move:  Looking kinda sketchy right now

Details to come: As soon as I can get spouse to report in (see status)

On top of that I am travelling for work the next 4 out of 5 weeks, good times.  

However we did get to go to the Annapolis boat show. Will report on that soon.  Including a special "People Suck" rant.

Project List Part 2

Now that we's got electricity again both AC/DC it's on to the next project.

1. Security system.

2. Garmin radar/chartplotter/weather antenna and VHF AIS.

Now let me note right now that although the above things will be nice to have, we have a water pump crapping out (the tank ran dry and it ran for 30 hours straight, and I'm not saying nuthin more about that) and the hot water heater seems to be Tango Uniform.

So, we are now at a difference of opinion on the priority list.  However, listening to the water pump tax Sparky's precious electrical system has kinda moved that up on the list.  The fact that I let him know that his next shower on the boat will be tepid water at best has also moved that up on the list.

It's all in how you present the facts, folks.

However, Compy Comp does want to get the Garmin installed so, and I quote, "You can start learning how to use it."

Yep, you betcha.  I am the official navigator on the vessel.  Can't depend on Tim, he looks at a Google map and says, yep, it's a straight shot.   (except for a large coral reef….let me know how that works out for you)

PS--When I came home from my last trip, we had the mobile command center in my living room. And I didn't think of taking a pic.