Hello Key West

I hadn’t realized until today that it’s been a week since I stepped on terra firma. Poor weather kept me on board for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in St Augustine, then we set sail for Palm Beach where we opted not to disembark, and we were too exhausted to inflate the dinghy upon arrival to Key West.

It felt good to walk onshore. Surprisingly, I didn’t experience any land motion, which is common after days offshore, especially when the seas are rough. I walked for four glorious sun-filled hours, first along the seaport boardwalk collecting quotes from the marinas. The best price was $2.75/ft per day or $40/ft for a month plus utilities at Key West Bight Marina but they don’t have a slip available for all of January because they host Key West Race Week, an international sailing event January 18-22.

I strolled on to explore the popular Front Street area and then the entire length of Duval Street taking note of the places I want to drag my captain at some point during our stay.

By afternoon downtown was hopping with happy people and a range of entertainment but I would keep to the safety of the waterfront to welcome in 2010. Besides, the wharf offered a better view of the blue moon.  

Fun Facts: A full moon occurs every 29.5 days, and most years have 12. On average, an extra full moon in a month — a blue moon — occurs every 2.5 years. The last time was in May 2007. New Year's Eve blue moons are rarer, occurring every 19 years. The last time was in 1990; the next one won't come again until 2028.

Happy New Year!