Sunday, July 23^rd

Ship wakes up at 7:30 am each morning, when the captain rises.  One adult was up before then, but had been told the night before to keep it quiet.  Nobody is to wake up the captain before 7:30!

Scouts stow the bed gear and get breakfast ready.  After breakfast, we up anchor, raise the jib and motor on southwest.  Once everything’s set, everyone settles in to the rhythm of the sea and finds a spot to sit and relax in.  Late morning we lower the jib and anchor at Looe Key, our first snorkel for the day.  After that, we raise anchor, raise the jib and eat lunch while we cruise to Sombrero Key for another snorkel dive.  Then, back in the boat, we raise the jib and get to raise the main sail.  For the first time, we have enough wind to drive the boat without the motor!  To Capt. Harman’s consternation, one of the three other sailboats traveling our direction from Sea Base began to gain on us!  Capt. decided that wasn’t acceptable and up went his beautiful, new spinnaker.  Still, the Rosa Del Mar passed us while Capt. Harman admitted his bottom needed to be cleaned (the boat’s, that is) and that’s why he couldn’t go faster.

Just after the spinnaker was raised, Chris got his fishing line back out to do some trolling.  Then the wind dies down and we drop the spinnaker, raise the jib again and start up the motor.  Just then, the fishing line goes ZING and ten minutes later Chris lands a really nice 30-inch Atlantic tuna.  Capt. Harman kills it, we bleed it out behind the boat and he then asks who will clean it.  After a long silence, BA offers and the Captain shows him how to fillet the fish by doing half and letting BA do the other half as we cruise toward Key West.

As we enter the main channel into Key West, we lower all sails.  Capt. takes us on a little sight seeing tour of the waterfront and harbor before heading to our anchorage off a small key a mile away from Key West.  Our anchorage is a good one, in calm waters.  We fix dinner and throw the fresh tuna on the grill after the hamburgers cook.  There’s plenty of tuna for everyone to have as much as they want, with none wasted.

After KP, several Scouts fished off the swim platform … basically goofing off with their legs dangling in the water and caught a small fish.  Before the fish was in the boat, a barracuda came up and took it in two bites.  No more legs and toes in the water, either!

NEXT: Day 7