Gallery
Page | Abacos
1999 pg. 1 | Abacos 1999 pg. 2 |Bimini
2000 pg. 1|
Bimini
2000 pg. 2 |
Anclote Key 2000 | Island Cup 2000
| Keys 2001 pg. 1 | Keys
2001 pg. 2 | Anclote Key 2002 |
Bahamas 2002 pg. 1 | Bahamas
2002 pg. 2 | Bahamas
2002 pg. 3 |
A few pictures of our adventures in the Keys this summer.
We left with three cars in the dark at 4 a.m. and made our way down the Overseas Highway on the 30th of June. We stopped off at a few places to feedlazy tarpon and check out the natural history museum at Crane Hammock. We then boarded our boat in Key West, a 34" Gemini 105m catamaran, shopped and loaded up for the week. After a day spent cruising out to Sand Key lighthouse and running some man-overboard drills, we got acquainted with our boat.
Leaving Key West early a.m. on July 2nd, we sailed first to the Dry Tortugas. Nice weather; but not much wind. We stopped for a much needed swim about half-way there. We arrived just before sunset and dropped anchor in the beautiful (but crowded) Ft. Jefferson anchorage.
We explored Ft. Jefferson and snorkeled along the fort wall the next morning. Leaving the fort for the afternoon, we went out to the Windjammer wreck about three miles away off of Loggerhead Key. The site of a wrecked three-masted steel barque that went down in the 20's, the wreck was a beautiful snorkeling spot with depths of 12 to 20'. We saw incredibly huge 400-600 lb Goliath groupers lurking around. Leaving the Dry Tortugas that night around 9pm, we made our way back to Key West by 10am in time for clean-up, showers and July 4th fireworks. The crossing from the Tortugas was pleasant and uneventful; the usual nighttime thunderstorms just kept avoiding us. We had a bit of a chop earlier that smoothed out for a more comfortable sail later on. Mostly headwinds, though.
The next day we left for Looe Key and had a great time snorkeling around the reef. We anchored overnight in Newfound Harbor and sailed back to Key West — right into the only rainstorm of the week just as we were getting back to the dock. Another evening of Key West festivities and clean-up and we left the next day for home on the 7th. Yet another fine Ship 956 Long Cruise!
Approaching Ft. Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas.
Boatswain Naomi and Skipper Klein.
After a nice dinner BBQ just outside of the Fort on Garden Key in the Tortugas.
Oh, yeah. Karla's laughing NOW, but ask her what actually happened just before this picture was taken... (Notice the hammock is only hooked up to ONE tree...)
