Boot Key, FL

Jan 31, 2017

Left Naples at 1100, S.V Rebel Soul stayed behind for engine repairs. Jeffery and Guy following, we have NNE winds 10 kts its a nice easy sail. Maintained radio contact with Jeffery, but Guy still not answering radio call.
Three hours later Guy pulls along side and tells us he has no radio, this guy(no pun intended) is getting to be royal pain and a hazard to navigation. He has no navigation lights, no radio, follows too close... he just wants to be attached to me. He wants to be lead by the nose and tucked in at night...its not going to happen.
 By sun set he is less than 200ft on my stern, called on the megaphone and told him to stay at least 1 mile behind us. Winds increased to 15 kts and seas 3 ft, still dodging lobster pots 10 miles out, it is a quiet and dark night.
We have made better time than anticipated, arrived close to shoals some 10 miles north of 7 Mile Bridge at 0230, decided to wait for day light before making our approach. By 0930 we were safely anchored outside the entrance to Boot Key Harbor, there are over 20 boats anchored here. We are tired, have not slept all night keeping an eye out for the crazy Frenchman, he is really scaring me.

Dingy dock City Marina

At anchor Boot Key

Mooring field

Pam & Kathy  me and Sebastian too.

February 4
Decided to go into City Marina today, a 1 mile dingy ride to entrance of harbor and another mile to marina, the channel is very narrow and shallow lined with dilapidated and abandoned marinas along the north side and mangroves on the south. The mooring field has over 200 boats, extremely crowded. There is a $22 fee to land dingy, .05 cents/gal for water. Walked a mile to Publix for supplies and to fill our air tank, nothing really to see around here.
The marina services close at 5pm and we headed back before dark, it was a long bumpy ride. Still amazed at the appearance of the marinas specially for the prices they charge.
Had a wonderful visit from our friends Pam and Sebastian whom we had met in Long Beach.