Tortuga Tour Day 40: Marathon on Marathon

5/29/21: Marathon, birthday and crew change:

Destination today is Marathon, Florida (several keys) to stay in the Marathon Marina for two nights.  Matthew is bringing Miriam and Phoebe who will finish the voyage with us.  Matthew and Adriane will return to Atlanta on Monday.

We needed to get an earlier start.  There would be a lot to do in Marathon once we arrived, to be ready for the new crew.  We did take time to enjoy breakfast.  We always have our phones with us – prepared for the next photo opportunity, and so many happen when we are eating.  This morning it was a rainbow, the first this year and in such a beautiful setting.

We arrived in Marathon by lunch time.  We called on the radio to get our slip and help docking.  We got the slip number but help never arrived.  It’s a good thing we had a capable crew.  After lunch the Captain went to register and check out all the facilities.  He reported back that this was one of the cleanest and best maintained marinas yet on this trip. 

Now it was time to get ready for the three extra family members.  Six days in a row anchored was wonderful, but now there was a mountain of dirty laundry, a shortage of certain supplies, a boat encrusted with salt, an almost empty water tank and an almost full holding tank (waste management), lots of trash and recycling to dispose of, inside cabin and heads in need of some serious cleaning, and three crew members badly in need of a real shower!  We had only four hours! (A marathon on Marathon) The marina had five available washers and six dryers.  We did one load on the boat and the rest in the marina laundry.  About $35 later, we had clean clothes, towels, and sheets for changing the beds.  Did I mention we had to remake beds?  Instead of three there would be six people sleeping on the boat for two nights.  Adriane and I worked on laundry and inside cleaning.  Fred postponed outside cleaning.  The further up the keys we move, the hotter the temperature.  The sun in Florida is more intense and our timing was the hottest part of the day.  Washing that much salt and dirt off would be at least a two-hour job. There were several inside chores he needed to work on.  Tomorrow he would have help with washing.  We also moved grocery shopping to tomorrow and opted for dinner at the marina in the restaurant.  The Captain and Admiral had earlier decided pancakes could be Sunday with everyone instead of our usual Saturday pancakes – this is big! 

Enough was completed by the time our family arrived, and dinner reservations were for 7:30, so were able to spend some time catching up thinking about where everything would fit.  Our granddaughters are 20 and 14 and will be sharing the guest stateroom.

Dinner at the Lazy Days Restaurant was just what we needed!  We were celebrating family, end of school, safe travels, and my birthday.  The waiter kindly participated by bringing for dessert, a generous slice of key lime pie with a candle and enough forks for all of us.  A round of “Happy Birthday” and who could ask for more?

Aside:  The onshore showers weren’t the best ever, but the results after cockpit showers only, while anchored, made me appreciate even more my shower at home.