Wrecker's Race--Key West

So Sunday, we decided to have somebody do the sailing for us and jumped aboard to take part in the Wrecker's Race.

Every year, Key West, namely the Schooner Wharf Bar, hosts a series of four races to commemorate the golden days of yore when somebody would ride/walk/shout (?) through town and announce that a ship had wrecked on the reefs.  So every able bodied man, sometimes women and child would set off in whatever floated to try to lay claim to the prize.

Our race headed out to Sand Key, which is actually a reef.  We were on the Schooner Adirondack III and she's a sweet little ship.  Gaff-rigged cutter and swift on her feet.

Anybody is welcome to join the race, you sign up and then attend a very informal and semi-intoxicated Captain's meeting. They told us we could enter HemiD late if we wanted, but I preferred to take pics and get buzzed instead (BTW--that didn't work out so well, old Cap'n Chris had his game face on).

So, with a brief dial up before the very anti-climatic start. (C'mon people, you got paying customers aboard!) We took off. And by that I mean. We. Took. Off.  We quickly passed everybody to be in the lead.
We passed the Schooner Appledore like it was standing still and she had her full sails going.

We won our class, but we didn't win the race.  The winner of the race was a guy in a Hobie Cat. Holy shit! Hobie Cat, 7 miles out to the reef, ocean.  I was impressed.  The second place was in the multi-hull class. Everybody else was way behind.

Since the crew of Adirondack almost beat their all time record, they decided to take us out to a little joy ride. They wanted to get to the Gulf Stream to see the colors, but it had shifted outward and we wouldn't make it and get back in time.

On the way back, we lapped a lot of the ships and commenced in some good natured jeering.  Maybe next year we'll enter HemiD.

Ye Olde Schooner Wharf Bar

Tim's new boat (never got the name of her)
She's definitely a Perini Navi

My favorite.  Big schooner with mini-me.
A homemade schooner from a dinghy, some bamboo and tarp.

The Sand Key Light and end of our race.
Rumor has it in the old days, the wreckers would knock out the lights or
cut loose the light boats to make ships deliberately wreck.

 

Part of the pack of racers behind us.

 

 

Capt. Chris with his game face on.

Tim admiring the neighbor's very pretty Shannon after the race
and during 'Afternoon Tea.'