May 13^th

So I leave Marathon,weather is still kind of yeuch, rain showers come by every now and then. Wearing rain-gear over shorts. It just seems like the best compromise. Anyway, I pass under Seven Mile bridge and was more than a little under awed. The span is just not that big and there's the old railway bridge right next to it that you have to negotiate first. Don't know why I expected more.

Anyway I'm now in what they call Hooks channel and its back to open sea. Wind is still shifty and light, but progress is made. There's vast beds of sea weed floating here, some are football field sized so there's no going around them. When you do go through one you here a shushing sound as the weed parts and runs down the side of the boat. It slows you down quite a bit too. I bet the fishing would be good in this stuff but its impossible to keep the weed off the lures.

Decided to pull in for the night. The weather hasn't improved and there's not a lot of anchorages between here and Key West. I would just keep going but the channel and the odd reef wouldn't make for much sleep – besides what's the rush. I have to be in Key West for Dave but I'm ahead of schedule.

I pick out an anchorage from the charts, its pretty open but enough shoals to keep the waves down. I get in after dark and feel my way in using the plotter. There's supposed to be a marina nearby, but looking in that direction I see no lights whatsoever, I guess its another casualty of one hurricane or another. I could push my way in closer to land but the wind is still shifting and snugging up in the channel is not a good option, its all pretty low here and its too late to be following winding channels.

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