This morning we finally had the weather window we wanted to comfortably make the 110 mile Gulf of Mexico crossing to our winter home at Banana Bay Resort and Marina in Marathon, Florida. We left the Naples City Docks at 6:40 a.m. and by 7 a.m. we cleared Gordon Pass and entered the Gulf. The wind blew lightly out of the south with a slight northwest swell. The wind and waves lightened even more during the day as the sun shone brightly and temperatures eventually rose into the low 80s.
What an absolutely wonderful trip it was, and by 2:30 p.m. we started to see the outline of the Keys and the Seven Mile Bridge emerging on the horizon. Along the way "Freedom" followed us slightly behind or along-side, and "Holiday VII", who had left a little later than we did, traveled approximately 8 miles behind. We were in frequent radio-contact, and we were able to warn our "buddy boats" about the many crab-pots we had to avoid along our route.
As "Reflection" and "Freedom" approached Marathon, we broke off onto different headings which would take us to separate marinas for the first time since 10/29 when we started out from Rogersville, Alabama together! We said a poignant "good-bye" to each other over the radio, even though we'll only be 1 1/2 miles away apart over the winter. Having spent 40 days and gone 1268 miles together in all kinds of conditions was significant, and we had lots of fun along the way!
As we finally turned into the entrance of Banana Bay Marina at 4:30 p.m., we could see the dock-master, Billy, waiting for us with some of our new boat neighbors to welcome us into our slip and to take our lines. Finally after almost an hour of setting up lines, screens, electric cords, and cable TV, we were settled in to Captain George's satisfaction. Though tired after our long day, when we sat down on our aft deck to see the sun go down over the Gulf of Mexico, we reveled in the absolute beauty of this wonderful place, and were thankful for all the blessings God has given us to make this trip and our winter stay here possible. It is truly a dream come true!
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