Biked the Old Seven-Mile Bridge this morning. Cool morning with the 10-15 knots of wind back. Overheard one fella telling another, "Yeah I missed the three days of boating this month!"
On the way out we came across several large turtles. This is like riding out over an aquarium. And the tailwind made it very easy pedalling. The reason the old bridge is still used is to get out to Pigeon Key. This small, round island was a convenient place to house and feed men while building and operating the Flagler Overseas Railroad. It's mostly used by youth groups as a summer-camp adventure.
They also used the old bridge as a set for the movie "True Lies" . There are several burned spots and series of small holes where charges were set to simulate cannon fire from the Marine Harriers used in the film. Micky and I were down here during the filming and got to see a stunt that never made it into the film. They had a stuntman in a parachute harness suspended beneath a Bell JetRanger helicopter over Stock Island. The man would kick and squirm in apparent terror as the JetRanger lowered him into an electrical substation. The traffic was all stopped in both directions as this scene was repeated three times, then the stuntman settled back in the harness for what had to be the best scenic ride over Key West possible.
At the Pigeon Key end there's a gap in the bridge. Across from the gap is where a van truck was delicately balanced with a bad guy in it, until a wayward pelican landed on the windshield and sent the van nose first into Florida Bay with a huge explosion.
At the barricade protecting us from the gap was an obvious expatriate Yankee carrying on animatedly with his friends aboard a sailboat just clearing the bridge a mile further on. After his call finished, he told us of the three sharks that had just passed and of his love of riding out on the bridge. We introduced each other and made the acquaintance of one James MacArthur, retired from the city of Tampa, but indelibly stamped with the intonations of Back Bay Boston. Winthrop, to be exact, which James assured us was the only reason there was a Boston. James is living on his 33-foot Morgan Out Island "Second Avenue" at the Marathon City Marina. His boat name causes some confusion at drawbridges when calling the operator for an opening of the bridge. It would be hilarious to hear the exchange when one street asks another for the span to be raised! Came down last September and intending to stay the entire season. The Marina is apparently the best deal in the universe at $280/month for a mooring. I agree.
Immediately, as is habit with cruisers, the conversation fell to the three obsessions of sailors, DC power generation, water suply, and waste disposal. James has no overboard discharges at all, since his is a Great Lakes boat, but the marina has great facilities and, I believe a pumpout barge prowls Boot Key Harbor like a demented remora.
James has a really good solution to the problem of supplying water without making a trip to a dock. He puts a 60-quart cooler in his dinghy anf fills it with water at 5-cents a gallon. At the boat he drops a bilge pump rigged on an extension cord and pumps the water into the tank. Never has to lug 60-pound 7-gallon water jugs around! Brilliant!
DC power on his boat is boat solar and wind generated. He claims you need both. Recommended the Air Marine brand without the slip rings. Since the unit is used primarily at anchor/moored the 360-degree rotation of slip rings (and chance of corrosion) are not needed. Makes good sense to me.
Anchoring down here is best done with a "Claw"-style and fixed-shank anchor. Says a delta-style anchor will slide around without catching. Now I'm looking for a "Claw". There are no universally useful anchors.
James also had a few tips on getting free parking at the City Parking structure in Key West. Go to Turtle Kraals and drink two Happy-hour beers and your ticket gets validated. During Fantasy Fest go to the Bull and watch the craziness from above rather get down in the mix. Porky's in Marathon is recommended.
James' brother Tom sails a $2000 Pearson and recommends anchoring in a place shunned by most cruisers- near the Coast Guard station. Says there are no Pirates there. James says the mouth of Boot Key Harbor is similarly infested with the Brethren of the Coast and should be avoided.
All told a most productive 20 minutes. The only regret is-- No cold rum drinks were exchanged!
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