Thursday, February 17, 2022
I woke super early (around 3:30 a.m.) and thought it would be a good time to try a writing prompt exercise that my friend Andrew recommended. The outcome was incredible for me- the words flew from my pen as I wrote, and it gave me a lot to think about. My mind racing, I laid back down and went to sleep a few more hours, waking again around 7:10 a.m.
We’d planned to wake early, fuel up at the marina, top off water and dump garbage… Once those tasks were completed, we headed out to the Dry Tortugas for a few days , hoping the weather would cooperate).
We stopped ½ way there at the Marquesas, a small group of island keys. the Marquesas are uninhabited and undeveloped with absolutely no infrastructure. The weather was gorgeous with a gentle wind knocking the sun’s heat to a manageable temperature level for this Alaskan’s skin. There were only a handful of boats anchored out on the water with us.
Not too far off the port and aft (left rear), we saw a dolphin surface briefly before submerging again.
It was peaceful. We piped some music through the Bluetooth speakers, and we each reclined to take in the sun. Paul napped near the bow of the boat while I did some writing. When I put my laptop away, I went to the stern and laid down on the trampoline to soak up some sun. Apparently, the warm sun, gentle wind and lapping waves made the perfect sedative because I enjoyed a nice nap. Paul woke me just as a small plane petered away. It had briefly paused overhead, and Paul commented that we might have been added to the flight’s scenery, so I’ll be keeping my eyes open for any photos of me sleeping face down on the trampoline in Florida travel brochures. (Am I entitled to royalties?)
After our power nap, we dropped the tender and took it over to the islands to walk the beach. Nature’s beauty was masterfully displayed… right away, I spotted a lone red starfish in the shallows. (I’ve never actually seen a starfish in the ocean- only in an aquarium). As we walked (me wading in the shallow waters and Paul on the beach), we came across a sea slug, dozens and dozens of seashells, and even a crab feast… by which I mean a large hermit crab in a seashell that was catching and killing two smaller crabs in their nearby shells. It was neat watching the claw come out and grad the other shells and drag them in for the kill… Also, how the heck does that big old claw even fit back into the recesses of the shell the crab is living in? Also, watching that helped me understand why I don’t ever see seashells grouped together closely…
Mangroves are interesting trees because they can survive in both freshwater and saltwater. And even as I sit here typing this, seated at the outside table on the helm, I noticed a dark blotch in the water… sure enough, a turtle popped up for air, disappearing before I could grab my iPhone for a photo.
The island had a lot of mangroves on it, and right at the shoreline, I could see where a small group of mangrove roots stretched into the beach sand.
It was a leisurely evening of cards, and we plan to depart as soon after sunrise as possible for the last 42 miles to the Dry Tortugas.
