May 14^th

Really kind of shitty day, thunderstorms rolling in, rainy, just a nasty day. So I stayed put until noon when the last of the really big storms had passed. Wait a minute – west winds, why west winds? The lying bastards at NOAA said south-easterlies, all day. It's still stormy, I decide to sail, but reefed because of the squalls. Getting nowhere fast so I motor. However, I hadn't tied the reef line right on the clew of the main and I just can't stop the main from flogging. Eventually I decide to forego the main. When I do drop it I see I've managed to break another sail slide, this one right at the top of the sail. The one already broken has been broken for 3 years.

After fighting headwinds it became apparent about 4 o'clock that I would not be in Key West for the night. A map search showed a channel spitting and a deep water anchorage right between 2 mangrove swamps. Some shallow water getting there but the cruising guide assured me it was reachable. Motored in through a rather good channel kept away from the shoals and found what has to be by far the best anchorage to date. It was lovely, birds singing, fish (tarpon) splashing, oh and Air Force jets taking off and landing.

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