Okay, we've been in Marathon for one full week, and I can positively report there are lots of you in the Keys this time of year. It is amazing how many variations of the cruising dream have found their way here. While we are in Marathon Marina and Boat Yard (actually, the yard was sold and renamed but the original name seems most well known), there are dozens and dozens of trawlers here and in the surrounding mooring fields and marinas.
The best part of this experience so far has been the people who just walk up to Growler and ask if she is "The Growler?" A conversation begins and I get to hear all about what they have done with their boat, where they're headed, and how much they enjoy this lifestyle and magazine. It has easily been repeated 50 times this past week. I love it.
We were invited to the weekly Krogen breakfast every Tuesday at the 7 Mile Grill, and Laurene and I had a great time meeting more than 30 Krogen owners who all enjoy their boats and the close fellowship with other owners. Lots of laughs and inside jokes in this crowd, and it is clear they enjoy coming here to spend the winter months with friends in Marathon. Even retired couples, who have traded their boat for waterfront condos, join the weekly event. Great fun. (See some of these owners having breakfast at the grill in the attached image.)
Surprisingly, we've also met lots of dogs, and Katie is around other dogs as much as we are around PMMers. It seems the dog-aboard equation works for a whole lot of folks who would not do without.
To get the feel of the area, we rented a car for a couple of days, and Laurene has checked out the shopping and other sights of Marathon, even spent a day in Key West while I finish the April issue from my laptop at the chart table. It is a schedule that works just fine for now. Next week, I'll rent a car again to drive up to Miami for the show, and enjoy the chance to see the latest in gear and boats, while talking to some companies about products I've used these last few weeks. Nothing like using equipment on the water to develop an opinion!
So far, writing from the boat has been a good experience, and there is so much around me, as the cruising community is alive and well in the Florida Keys. We've met couples on Flemings, Alaskans, GBs, Krogens, Mainships (old and new), DeFevers, Nordhavns, American Tugs, Hatteras LRCs, PDQs, Great Harbours, to name some of the brands. And more keep coming in all the time. I've even met readers who live aboard sailboats and slick motoryachts that sure don't qualify as traditional trawlers. But it doesn't matter to anyone, as the lifestyle is enjoyed all the same.
The issues of living aboard and dealing with life are clearly common among the cruisers, and one just has to ask some questions and there is plenty of advice to be had. Just as I expected, everyone hits the same potholes on this road, no matter how big or equipped their boat is. It is part of the experience, after all.
There is no better time to be cruising than now, and I'm glad we're here, in the thick of it here in the Keys.