30 Apr 13

To save a bit of dosh, we left the marina and moved to the Garrison Bight Mooring Field on the north side of Key West. It’s only a mile or so away, as the crow flies, but much less expensive. After getting secured and checked in, we pretty much just hung out and took care of boat chores for the remainder of the day. Terri thawed out a steak for dinner and we went to Longhawk for cocktails. After we got back home, I found that we had lost the “turbo venturi tube” from the BBQ (apparently lost during the storm of 26/27 Apr), so I could not grill the steak. Fortunately, Sam had his BBQ going and graciously volunteered to throw ours on with his. Excellent meal and early to bed.

1 May 13

Wednesday morning dawned bright and clear and we stayed on the boat reading and playing guitar until mid-afternoon. Then, we went in on the dink and walked into town, had a couple of drinks and fresh royal shrimp at the Conch Republic Fish Restaurant. Then onto the Pier House for the first night of the Key West Songwriter’s Festival, featuring, among others, Paul Overstreet and Robert Earl Keen on the same stage. Before them we heard a guy named Colin Lake (brilliant slide guitar blues) and girl named Toby Lightfoot, also a bit bluesy, but sassy. All this on the beach at the Pier House, and for free; what a good night. Then the long dinghy ride back to the boat in the pitch dark after midnight.

2 May 13

After our late night out, we slept in. Sam went in in his dink to buy an outboard engine, but I elected to stay on-board and install Terri’s new galley fan; plus the weather did not look too good. About 10:30, the heavens opened, the wind blustered up to 25 knots and thunder and lightning started a regular bombardment all round. Sam was stuck on the beach and we hunkered down in the salon and ceased electrical work. And then, about 11:45, FLASH/BOOM (simultaneously), lights out, stereo off; we received a direct hit from lightning!!! The windex disintegrated, we lost all instruments and nav lights, the stereo and VHF radio no longer work and the charger for my MacAir got fried. It rained cats and dogs and the wind howled for 4 hours. Apparently, this was the heaviest rainfall they have had in Key West since 1882. Water was 2 feet deep on Duval Street and we have pictures of people kayaking down the street. After the storm finally blew through, Sam made it back to LongHawk and we shared cocktails and stories, followed by dinner aboard and an early evening.